Books-Online-Store - Science - Mathematics

Neal Stephenson enjoys cult status among science fiction fans and techie types thanks to Snow Crash, which so completely redefined conventional notions of the high-tech future that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. But if his cyberpunk classic was big, Cryptonomicon is huge... gargantuan... massive, not just in size (a hefty 918 pages including appendices) but in scope and appeal. It's the hip, readable heir to Gravity's Rainbow and the Illuminatus trilogy. And it's only the first of a proposed series--for more information, read our interview with Stephenson.

Cryptonomicon zooms all over the world, careening conspiratorially back and forth between two time periods--World War II and the present. Our 1940s heroes are the brilliant mathematician Lawrence Waterhouse, cryptanalyst extraordinaire, and gung ho, morphine-addicted marine Bobby Shaftoe. They're part of Detachment 2702, an Allied group trying to break Axis communication codes while simultaneously preventing the enemy from figuring out that their codes have been broken. Their job boils down to layer upon layer of deception. Dr. Alan Turing is also a member of 2702, and he explains the unit's strange workings to Waterhouse. "When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first.... Of course, to observe is not its real duty--we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed.... Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious."

All of this secrecy resonates in the present-day story line, in which the grandchildren of the WWII heroes--inimitable programming geek Randy Waterhouse and the lovely and powerful Amy Shaftoe--team up to help create an offshore data haven in Southeast Asia and maybe uncover some gold once destined for Nazi coffers. To top off the paranoiac tone of the book, the mysterious Enoch Root, key member of Detachment 2702 and the Societas Eruditorum, pops up with an unbreakable encryption scheme left over from WWII to befuddle the 1990s protagonists with conspiratorial ties.

Cryptonomicon is vintage Stephenson from start to finish: short on plot, but long on detail so precise it's exhausting. Every page has a math problem, a quotable in-joke, an amazing idea, or a bit of sharp prose. Cryptonomicon is also packed with truly weird characters, funky tech, and crypto--all the crypto you'll ever need, in fact, not to mention all the computer jargon of the moment. A word to the wise: if you read this book in one sitting, you may die of information overload (and starvation). --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (726)

If you're gonna read this book,
Then you need to ask yourself a something. Do you I have a short attention span? If you do, please stick to watching sitcoms and leave the reading to us vertebrates. The Cryptonomicons time line is non-linear, with each successive chapter taking place at a different location and following a different character. So, if your gonna read this, know that there are many names, places and dates that are going to be crucial to you getting the most out of this book- If you can't be bothered to remember what happened last week on "Will & Grace" don't bother with this book. For god's sake, don't write a review if you read the first couple of pages and decide, "This sucks, it makes me look like a dork when I carry it around and it's heavy too".

With that said, I can honestly say that, apart from about 20 pages of mathematics that I could not fully understand, this was one of the most idea fill and interesting books I've laid my hands on in some time. Stephenson may be a genius of DaVinci proportion, if not that, then at least a teacher of Feynman's caliber.

An exhaustingly amazing novel
I read a lot, a whole lot. I first read this monster from the library the month it came out, decided (after I had recovered from the experience) that it was probably the best thing I'd read in the whole of the `90s, went out and bought a hardback for myself, and set it in a place of honor on my shelves. Nearly six years on, I find that aging has only improved it. I've been working my way slowly through his recent trilogy, but Cryptonomicon is still better. His characters exist in a t least five dimensions and will stick with you from a long, long time. There's Lawrence Waterhouse, math prodigy and buddy of Alan Turing, who becomes one of the key codebreakers of World War II. There's Marine raider Bobby Shaftoe, a survivor of everything the war can throw at him -- except heroism. There's Randy Waterhouse, Lawrence's equally nerdy grandson, master Unix hacker, and generally nice guy. There's America Shaftoe, partly-Filipino granddaughter of Bobby, master deep diver, and all-round tough cookie -- which doesn't keep Randy and Amy from falling in love. There's Avi, Randy's best friend and front-man in all their business ventures -- in this case, building the world's first politically independent data haven, much to the dismay of major governments. There's Lieut. Goto Dengo, engineer for the Nipponese army and builder of the primary hiding place of Japan's stolen billions in gold bullion. And, moving like mist between the two separate generations, there's the _eminence gris_ Enoch Root, Catholic priest, doctor, cryptographer, conspirator, and take-no-prisoners philosopher. Add to this list several dozen supporting players, all equally well realized, and the richness of the narrative texture is unbelievable. Besides the sheer enjoyment you get from Stephenson's Roman-candle style, his highly original metaphors and similes, and his ironic sense of humor, you're gonna learn a lot about cryptography (both the wartime vintage and the present-day digital variety), and about irregular warfare, and a score of other subjects. Yes, it's a huge book -- but it has to be. The heft also allows space for the author's sprawling digressions on topics as diverse as jungle survival, the similarities between computers and church organs, granny-grade furniture, U-boat life, several Holocausts, imprinting of sexual fetishes, Finnish psychology, the neuro-sociological origins of the ancient Greek pantheon, how to divide up an inheritance, the socioeconomic underpinnings of paper currency, and the proper way to eat Cap'n Crunch. It doesn't all advance the plot, but don't worry about it. Every single paragraph in this thing is worth reading, savoring, and storing away for later rethinking. I'll be reading it against in another decade.

Fun for everyone -- not just the hacker community....
Hey, I did my time working in the computing universe -- as a "DEC-10" operator, an "engineering aide" on work study, a UNIX documentation technical editor (for industry, NOT those semi-literate hackers who wrote the BSD manuals, thanks!) and a programmer in Pascal, C and FORTRAN -- but computers still remain glorified and troublesome _appliances_ in my view. So, a 918-page(!) book about hackers had better have more going on than elaborate self-aggrandizement to keep my interest.This story goes well beyond your usual cyberpunk novel, by fully engaging the larger context in which the techno-wizardry occurs.We get to learn lots of fascinating back story involving (real or imagined) events from World War II, bringing home the recognition that the Web and all of our taken-for-granted computer hardware did not come into existence from vacuum.All of this information is woven into stories about very interesting people, whose lives you either envy or recognize as not so very different from your own, after all.I understand that Bobby Shaftoe and friends are present some of Stephenson's other books, and I'll be looking for them.To echo a previous reviewer, I do hope, though, to see more fully-realized female characters in Stephenson's future work.Say, one with a Ph.D. and a sense of adventure, but not necessarily built like an Olympic athlete or with Heinlein-esque inflated breasts? ... Read more

Isbn: 0380788624
Subjects: 1. Espionage/Intrigue 2. Fiction 3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller 4. Historical - General 5. Technological

$10.88

System Shock 2
Average Customer Review:

CD-ROM
list price: $14.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

It's the future, of course, and you're stationed aboard the spaceship Van Braun, waiting for your first soldiering assignment. Luckily, the future resembles the best of science fiction from the last 10 years--something plucked from Blade Runner with pieces from the The Fifth Element (only with an AI-enabled computer/self-proclaimed goddess running the show).

The universe is run by unbelievably huge corporations, and in one of the biggest (TriOptimum), a hacker is breaking the rules. The result is SHODAN, a supercomputer whose beautiful, eerie face glimmers from the box's cover. The engine used for Thief: The Dark Project, ensures that System Shock 2 hums along on systems with the basic requirements.

With a superior plot and engaging, Asian-inspired aesthetics, System Shock 2 is a visceral, visual treat of a first-person role-playing game. All the devices that in theory seem stale and stupid come to life in this game. It's as if you could go back to the 1970s and take a vision of what the future would look like--and make it believable and cool. All the whirs and beeps and pulsing noises sound realistic. In addition, the designers have added in all the creepy elements we never wanted to have come true--such as the voiceovers that greet you when you're at the airport--only in this case, you're visiting the training sessions held by the United National Nominate.

Suffice it to say, the future of humankind is in your hands. With an excellent supporting cast and well-realized sci-fi visuals, System Shock 2 offers insight into an amazing new world order. --Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Very good but hard, very hard.
Several things make this hybred shooter / RPG hard: First there aren't large piles of ammo available and most monsters only drop one bullet, shell, etc. You'll almost always be short of ammo, needing to resort to the default weapon, a wrench, especially on the early levels. You really will need to make every shot count. Additionally unlike most low ammo shooters, this game, while having some stealth elements is not stealth game. You sneak around some but there is the occasional large firefight you can't avoid. The last hard part is the slow rate that you acquire weapons and even after you find them, you can't carry them all. It'll take a long time to find and gain the skills to use better weapons and the limited inventory space means you'll be making some hard choices.

Not just a shooter, you find 'cybernetic modules' that you use to upgrade your abilities. Upgrades include the usual statistics (strength, agility, endurance, etc), weapon skills, psonic abilities and technical skills. The technical skills are the most important, you have repair and modify your weapons, research unknown items you find and hack into computers, security systems and other items. This hacking skill is most important skill you have. You won't enough modules for all the upgrades so choose wisely.

Aside from difficulty and RPG features the game provides a good story. Your path is fairly linear and there's a bit too much key collecting there are a couple plot twists.And while the space ship interior graphics are mundane, the sound design is excellent. You'll need a good speaker setup to hear things coming up behind you or in the distance ahead.

One disappointment: most monsters re-spawn. My preference has been to clear out an area and have it stay cleared.

I had no problems running this game on Windows 2000 although switching to the desktop caused a nVidia-based blue screen of death.

Best Ever, but...
This is my favorite PC game of all time. I've been playing since it's release (yep, I've got the original packaging and all). My only negative comment is not on the game itself but that it is almost a crime that no further games in this series were ever produced. I also have SS1 but unfortunately still have not gotten it to run correctly on modern PC's (damn DOS crap!). I still have not taken the wrench challenge on the highest level, too much dancing around with robots I guess..

Folks, this is as good as it gets.
I first played this game in Spring of 2003, by which time the graphics of this game were almost primitive. I stuck through the first few minutes to see what the game was like, and it wasn't long before I was sucked in to what is probably the best game I have ever played in my life. This game will scare you to death. It really makes me wonder why more games like this aren't made. Doom 3 actually took most of its style of play from this game. Its very much like Deus Ex, and in my opinion is actually superior. It has a superb storyline played out through emails and data logs with superb voice acting. The atmosphere will really sink into your skin, and when you hear the monsters hunting you down, you'll be ready to jump out of your skin! Be advised, this game is very difficult, and it takes time to get used to. It is not like a regular FPS, you simply don't have enough ammo to go around blasting everything you see. You have to be clever. Play this game, and you will not regret it. It's true that the later levels are somewhat dissapointing, but the game is still well worth it. Five Stars for this game. Oh, and make sure to check out the System Shock 2: Rebirth modification, which replaces some of the graphics with excellent high polygon versions. It really makes the game look ten times better! Just type the name System Shock 2 Rebirth into a search engine to find it. ... Read more

Asin: B00004XRBM
Subjects: 1. Science fiction (scifi sci-fi) 2. Shooters (Shooter) 3. systemshock2 4. two (II) 5. Action 6. Computer Games 7. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs) 8. First person

Anarchy Online
Average Customer Review:

CD-ROM (27 June, 2001)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The year is A.D. 29475, and the place is Rubi-Ka, a brave new world on the outer fringes of known space. As a new citizen and colonist, you are propelled into perilous and unfamiliar territory, and you will soon have to decide where your allegiance lies. Whether you sympathize with the rebel clans or with the corporate behemoth Omni-Tek, your decision will affect everyone. On this world, the future is in your hands.

Anarchy Online is a massively multiplayer Internet role-playing game featuring thousands of players simultaneously in a persistent, living universe.Players can customize their characters in a number of different ways, including choice of breeds, character classes, skin color, clothing, equipment, and more than 40 different social animations.

Inhabiting an alien planet in a distant future, players--in groups or on their own--are free to explore a stunningly detailed sci-fi environment, converse and socialize with other players, solve numerous quests, and battle strange and otherworldly creatures! ... Read more

Features

Reviews (295)

Great MMORPG... for FREE!
This is a great game for a free MMORPG. When it first came out, it was a decent MMORPG (It was all about the Everquest and DAOC back when the game was released). But now, since it's free, everyone should download it and play it. If ya like it then get the expansions and stuff, if you don't then just uninstall it. Very simple. Most of the pros and cons have been said by the spotlight reviewers and I'm just informing the MMORPG fans that doesn't like monthly feesthat this game will be free without any purchase and there will be no monthly fees until I think about end of January 2006. While it's free, I recommend you guys should download and play it. On the other hand, Knight-Online and Runescape is also a great game to check out. While these aren't World of Warcraft or City of Heroes, they are very worth it for free.

www.gamespot.com for Anarchy Online
www.knightonlineworld.com for Knight-Online
www.runescape.com for Runescape

Game is good...but better buy the new releases and expasions
This game is excelent, i have been playing for about 3 years and of course sometimes we noticed some bugs and problems but a lot of them have been fixed by this time. Right now you can access to more expansion of this game and probably my advice is to buy those expasions, last one is Alien Invasion, which include AO Basic game or try to download online without expasion options.

last reviews i saw was april& may 2001 lots changed since
upon log in enjoyed toon creation and spending points how i wanted them to be spent.
i enjoyed the transport to the planet
newebe playground was usualy over camped over crowded even in wee hours of the night or early morning
the guards still run all through new be islies and "help kill"
there are still folks that yell at u if you take there kill
i found the learning curve to be very steep in this game
after bashing a while went to the city and started with missions.
i liked u could pick your own and see what the reward was that was a cool feature
i then went through the leveling process which seem to advance at a decent pace.
i did not find the people online at the time i was, to be friendly or group heavy/team looking
in fact i didnt have a singal person wave or say hello
i did eventualy have someone come up to me lead me to surgery clinic get inplants and another weapon ( latter i described the yellow text to my kiddo and found out it was an in game advisor) once i got the implants and armor and weapon it was allot easier to figure things out.
the loot was readily dropped and sometimes useful
oh nice thing about missions, they were usualy albe to do well and no chance of other folks 'steal killing
i did not find the areas to "open hunt or static dungeons so not sure if they are in yet??????
i still feel like a noob with this game and tried doing massive research but found few sites that had helpful information on how toos. Not going to buy another guide esepcaily since most likely going to be droping it
time played1 month
i would suggest other rpgs at this time
1 n 64 perfect dark nice first person shooter
2 counter strike
its free no montly fee and its just runing around killing other folks in teams ... Read more

Asin: B000053UJ2
Subjects: 1. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs) 2. Online (massively Multiplayer MMRPG) 3. Science fiction (scifi sci-fi)

Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas
by Seymour Papert
Average Customer Review:

Paperback (14 July, 1993)
list price: $27.00 -- our price: $27.00
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (6)

A Classic
This book provides an introduction to Papert's thinking concerning the learning and teaching of math.Prior to developing the LOGO language described in this book, Papert worked closely with Piaget in Switzerland for 5 years.While in Switzerland, Papert observed many of Piaget's experiments with children and the development of their understanding of mathematical concepts.Following Piaget, Papert believed that the math learning that the child comes to know best and that stays with the child always comes from experience and cognition, not from explicit teaching or rote practice.He noted, however, that there were certain mathematical concepts that children should come to know, but that they wouldn't ordinarily learn from experience alone because they might not come across these ideas in ordinary life.This is why he invented the programming language LOGO--a toy that children could play with, experiment with, manipulate, and through doing so, gradually come to call their own the mathematical concepts needed for their games.

To make LOGO attractive to kids, he included a "turtle" as the central figure of the language.The turtle carried a pen that could be used to trace the turtle's movement through the play area or on a computer screen.The challenge was for kids to write programs in LOGO that would instruct the turtle how to move and when to use the pen so that it would draw shapes in the forms that they wanted.When the turtle didn't make the shapes they wanted, they were instructed to "be the turtle," in order to understand the turtle's perspective, and to figure out how they needed to adjust their programs. According to Papert, even kids who showed no interest in math in the regular classroom began showing dramatic improvements in their math skills when given a chance to play with the turtle.Unfortunately, when turtle math was first introduced, many teachers tried teaching a turtle math class the same way they taught regular math class, with lectures and assignments.In doing so, they lost the playful aspects of the program, and kids didn't relate to it as well as they might have if the teachers had followed Papert's guidelines.

When turtle math was first invented, Papert's team created a small robot turtle that kids could play with and program.In the years that followed, the programmable turtle eventually developed into the Lego Mindstorms programmable brick, which doesn't quite sound as cute and fuzzy, but actually allows even more creative play than the turtle, since kids can choose what kinds of forms the robot should take.One of the more fascinating aspects of this book is the historical documentation it provides of Papert's thinking at the time, and his reasoning behind LOGO and turtle math.When an idea for a revolution in teaching methodology goes from just an idea, to a system that is being used for teaching engineering and science in classrooms around that world, and is even being sold successfully in regular commercial channels as a toy, it's worth getting to know better, as can be done through reading this book.Teachers in classrooms using Lego or other robots could benefit greatly from reading this classic book detailing the early history behind programmable robots and the way Papert envisioned them being used for learning.

EIGHT STARS -- A Breakthrough in Natural Learning
This is the best book I have ever read on how to assist people to learn for themselves.Papert began his work by collaborating with Jean Piaget, and then applied those perspectives in a self-programming language designed to help children learn math and physics.

Papert explains Piaget's workand provides case studies of how the programming language, LOGO, can help. He provides a wonderful contrasting explanation of the weaknesses of howmath and physics are usually taught in schools.

I learned quite a fewthings from this that I did not know before.People are very good atdeveloping theories about why things work the way they do.I knew thatthese theories are almost always wrong.What I did not realize is that ifyou give the person a way to test their theory, the person will keepdevising new theories until they hit on one that works.What is usuallymissing in education is the means to allow that testing to occur.

Anespecially imaginative part of this book were the discussions of how tocreate theory testing solutions that are much simpler and easier to applythan any school problem you ever saw in these subjects.Papert works froma very fundamental and deep understanding of math and physics to reach theheart of the most useful thought processes for applying these subjects.Itis thrilling to read about what you have known for many years, and tosuddenly see it in a totally different and improved perspective.

Another benefit I got from this book were plenty of ideas for how tohelp my teenage daughter with her math.She is very verbal, and Papertpoints out that math seldom teaches a vocabulary for talking about math. As a result, she memorizes a lot and gets dissociated from the subject.Igot a lot of ideas for how to encourage her to personalize the concepts andproblems by moving her own body.From that I realized that I often solvethe same kinds of problems by recalling physical situations I have been in. But I have failed to help her make that connection because I was unawareof it on a conscious level.

If you want to improve as a learner, helpothers learn better and faster, or simply want to understand more aboutdifferent ways to think, this is a great book.I hope that all teachersget a chance to read and apply it.

Enjoy learning more!

Mindstorms is mind-expanding
If you ever wondered why you didn't "get it" in a hated school subject, even though you seem to "get it" in other parts of your life, read this book.Pappert discusses learning, teaching and theliberating role that technology--if done right--can play in the classroomand out of it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0465046746
Sales Rank: 62919
Subjects: 1. Computer-Aided Instruction (General) 2. Computer-assisted instruction 3. Computers & Technology 4. Education 5. Education / Teaching 6. General 7. History & Philosophy 8. Mathematics 9. Psychology 10. Study and teaching

$27.00

MindRover: The Europa Project
Average Customer Review:

CD-ROM (30 November, 2000)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

CogniToy's first game, MindRover, takes gamers to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, in an intriguing new adventure designed to bring intellectual challenges back to competitive gaming. With an immersing 3-D environment, a compelling soundtrack, and its innovative graphical wiring system, MindRover asks the gamer to think more and twitch less. MindRover players find themselves in a research station perched on the ice-covered moon as Jupiter dominates the sky overhead. Your task is to construct small robotic rovers that compete with one another in a variety of challenges. What's particularly new and unusual is that it's not just a matter of choosing weapons. The player actually gets to control how the robots react through a visual programming metaphor that CogniToy calls "wiring." In the construction lab, players choose bodies, drive trains, sensors, weapons, and manipulators for their robots from a large array of possibilities, then visually wire the sensors to the controls to give each rover a unique set of behaviors. The rover is then moved to the competitive arena and set free to take on all competitors. In one arena, the competition may be a race, and players would likely choose small, fast vehicles with sensors tuned for staying on the course and avoiding obstacles. But in the very next room, the goal may be simply to be the last robot standing, in which case it might be a good idea to festoon a tank with a whole array of weapons, along with radar units to guide them. The game includes puzzles, mazes, treasure hunts, and other unique problem-solving tasks. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This is a great game and a revolutionary effort!
Cognitoy's Mindrover is a great game as one is able to design and program robots and then have them operate in a 3D cyber space or, thru downloading the software via infrared,
have the same programming operating a real world physical robot!

Supporting an increasing set of robots: beginning with Lego Mindstorms and most recently (as detailed in the December 2001 Poptronics Robotics column), support for OOPIC. Rumor has it other processors/robot kits are in the pipeline making the possibilities mind-boggling.

More cerebral than pure reckless fun, this is a thinking beings adventure with direct results and an expanding universe.

I installed this software on both Red Hat Linux and WindowsXP and although it seems somewhat sensitive to what 3D/OpenGL support there is; both ran fine....

Wonderful, distinguished piece of software art
While this game is not as original as many people think (RobotWare for Apple II by Muse Software in 1981 was the first of its type) this is an absolutely fantastic game.Easy to learn, hard to master, and VERY fun.This is the thinking person's game.Educational and addictive for kids (probably above about 12) and adults like me who wish they spent more time with products like this when they were young.Difficult to recommend this too highly.

What a great game
I really like this game for a few different reasons. I've always wanted to program a game but never had the programming skills. Now I know even if I had the skills I would have got caught up on the AI programming. Using a drag-and-drop interface you can program in the logic for a virtual robot. You give it the logic and let it run wild. The reason I gave this 4 stars is because the tutorial only takes you so far and there's no documentation for the behind-the-scenes programming language, ICE. There is on the web but not in printed form when you buy it. A simple reference with a syntax diagram and one or two examples would have been fine. But the forum on the official website is quite good. This game is good at inadvertently teaching you how to program in a very fun manner. Even some indirect object oriented stuff. You have objects like thrusters which you then tie to other objects like the "track sensors", capturing events and having them respond accordingly. This is right out of a Visual Basic course (on click command button pop up dialog box). You can play this whole game and not even know there's a programming language involved. But if you know some programming you'll start to get frustrated the way HTML writers would get trying to use FrontPage. You know what logic you want to implement and could do it with a typed program but can't get seem to figure it out through the drag-and-drop interface. In other words you might out grow the drag-and-drop and groan "I need more power!" (which is there but instruction on using it is somewhat fleeting, in my opinion).

I can see how this could be frustrating to somebody coming from a Quake or Deer Hunter 3 type game background. It's not like other games. A lot of patience and frustration tolerance is a good thing to have for this game.

I would like to say this would be a great game for an introduction to programming class. The first half of the class could be for drag and drop and logic introduction, the second half could introduce ICE (which borrows liberally from BASIC, or more specifically some sort of VBScript derivative). And maybe extra credit for the best over-all intelligent rover. You can set two human made bots against each other in various scenarios like racing, capture the flag, "sumo" contests and hockey (not to mention battles) and even make up teams of two bots that communicate with each other. High schools be warned though: it insists on a 3d accelerator to run, at least it uses OpenGL.

If there's one major gripe I have with this game it's the ability to win against the game default AI rovers by simply taking advantage of their lack of AI. For example I beat the "chase" scenario with one of my bots that had a logic error. You're supposed to chase the other rover around until you run into and "tag" it. My rover got stuck running into a wall. The rival rover inadvertently ran into me as I sat there hitting this wall, so I won the scenario.

Anybody regardless of programming experience can effectively play this game given the patience to do so.Overall a very excellent game. ... Read more

Asin: B000053UII
Subjects: 1. mind rover 2. Computer Games 3. Strategy (Strategic) 4. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, Scifi)

Tribes 2
Average Customer Review:

CD-ROM (30 March, 2001)
list price: $14.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Are you a team player? You'd better be if you hope to succeedin Tribes 2, an epic first-person shooter where the lifetime ofa lone wolf is usually measured in seconds. Like its predecessor,Tribes 2 focuses on team-based multiplayer combat in40th-century wars between jetpack-equipped infantry factions. A minimalsingle-player tutorial campaign is included to let newcomersfamiliarize themselves with the game's mechanics, but nothing can fullyprepare a person for the chaos of Tribes 2's unique flavor ofmultiplayer first-person combat.

Tribes 2 simply shines in the multiplayer team conflicts forwhich it was designed, and the tactical possibilities are nearlyendless. Players can hop into vehicles, as a pilot skims over theplanet's surface and threads narrow canyons while team members in theback blast enemies as they whip by. Miles of varying terrain separateeach team's base, yet the transitions from outdoors to indoors areentirely seamless, regardless of an installation's complexity. Thereare endless weapon load outs and armor combinations from which tochoose, and equipment, such as targeting lasers and deployable defenseturrets, really add to the game's depth. For example, a player in lightscout armor can quickly move to within range of an outpost, thenilluminate it with the targeting laser for his heavily armed buddiescrouching behind a hill. These heavies can fire their mobile mortars incomplete safety with the knowledge that the laser will guide the roundson target. This is just one example of the need for teamwork inTribes 2.

Graphically, Tribes 2 leaves a little to be desired in terms ofdetail, but the massive environments more than compensate for thatshortcoming. It sometimes is possible to see enemies approaching from afew miles away, and those foolish enough to silhouette themselves on aridgeline are soon dispatched by an enemy laser sniper they'll probablynever see. The special effects are excellent, and there are fewshooters on the market that can match the intensity Tribes 2reaches when dozens of players are fighting all at once. --T. ByrlBaker

Pros:

Crisp graphics with great special effects
Team-based gameplay offers a whole new world for deathmatch fans toexplore

Cons:

Lame single-player campaign
It is tough to learn the ropes in the brutal online matches

Features

Reviews (155)

50,000 people playing Counter-Strike right now?
Tribes 2 is a really fun game. Sierra/Dynamix got just about everything right. Of course, what's unique about the Tribes series is that players are equipped with a jet-pack. This adds a whole new dimension of speed, vertical movement, and FPS mayhem to the contest.

The weapons are a kick. There's the Tribes standard Disk Launcher, which shoots explosive blue frisbees. It has a medium rate, medium damage, and high speed shot which explodes on contact. There's my favorite, the grenade launcher, which has a medium range and requires the player to arc their shot accurately. It's a good all around choice. There is the laser rifle, which shoots a light-speed red beam and satisfies the inner sniper in all of us. The player must wear the energy pack. The chaingun is the finishing weapon great for gunning down opponents attempting to survive or escape by going aerial. Then there are some lesser used weapons like the shock lance which kills any opponent instantly if used from behind. It's fun for stealth kills and dealing with incoming heavies. There is the ELF, which drains the enemy's power, rendering them "grounded" or shieldless as the case may be. The standard blaster is pretty useless but you can really burn an opponent if you sneak up behind them and get a blaster kill. And there's a rocket launcher for the bigger armor types that can lock on to exhaust ports and deliver a real stinger. Finally the mighty mortar, available only to the heavy armor, delivers a lethal blast in about a 40 foot radius. Great for base-raping and disintegrating enemies in light armor. Hilarious to see when a shell lands smoking in front of anunwitting player.

The vehicles are fantastic too. The gunship is kind of useless but being part of a good bomber crew is one of the more satisfying experiences in any shooter out there, mark ye. Then there is a tank, which is fun for running over guys. There is a grav cycle and a single player fighter, both of which will test the skill of any FPS player worth his salt. Every facet of the game is loaded with humor; well as much humor as you can stand in simulated mass death and total destruction, anyway.

The visuals are quite good even years after release, and the sound is remarkable with huge bass sounds if your subwoofer and speaker system can deliver the punch. The maps are great. The play is fast and furious. You can approach the game many different ways due to different packs (energy, shield, stealth, repair, etc.). You can play defense, chase down flag grabbers, or defend the generator. Or you can raid the enemy base, go for the flag, skirmish, go stealth and take out unwitting enemies. The possibilities are endless. Admittedly, things can get frustrating if the enemy is concerted and organized in their assault. But if you find your role or just play smart and learn some tricks, you can become your very own one-man wrecking crew.

The voice menus are amusing, and they add a touch of fun to the game. There are about 14 or so different voices to choose from, each with a bunch of different taunts, compliments, and statements. I often find myself laughing out loud or imitating the voices in my daily grind.

Now what I want to know is, if Tribes 2 offers all this for 5 dollars total, has great graphics and gameplay, super sound, fast and chaotic action requiring skill and expertise, tons of play approaches, headsets/voice communication, killer weapons, and you get to jet around a plethora of cool maps at 200 mph...then why the heck are only 700 people playing in the whole country?

At any one time of day you can log on to Counter-Strike and find 50 to 60 thousand players and 100 thouand or more during peak hours. What the heck? Tribes 2 is a vastly superior game in every department, and yet Counter-Strike (also a Sierra game) practically has a monopoly on online play. I just don't get it. Come on people, pick up a copy of Tribes 2 and get to fightin'. It puts CS to shame (as well UT2004, Quake 3, CofD, MofH, and many others much newer-to be honest)! What's wrong with online gamers these days? There's more to multiplayer than Counter-Strike. Tribes 2 is super fun, easy to learn, and still has an active community. Don't let those little girly-men who couldn't handle the learning curve scare you off with their namby-pamby reviews Tribes 2 offers everything you could want in an online FPS, and it requires a good amount of skill to learn and excel at. So come on people! Get with the program: Tribes 2.

Incredible simply amazing
ive been playing tribes 2 for maybe 2 years. and in all of my experiences i have never found a game that was this good. first off, you know your in for a treat when you start a match and you see men flying around everywhere in arieal combat. The maps are huge and its easy to get lost. Tribes 2 combines rpg and first person shooting like never before. there are 3 armour types light medium and juggernaut. each carrys diffrent weaponry, for example a light can only care small equipment while a juggernaut carrys huge weapons. This gives the player a diffrent role in the game. Juggernauts defend or provide heavy attack while lights go for speed wreckign havoc at great speeds and heights. To give even more team play to the game, you dont have to be a good shooter to do well, you can go around and repair turrets or drive a tank and support your forces. As well as setting up defenses in your base or putting mines in areas where the enemy keeps harrasing you. There are 6 types of veichles. Ranging from fighters (shrikes) to bombers to motor cycles and transports and a mobile base. The game is clearly made to support clan warfare because in the menu you can see tribe websites as well as plan fights in the chat rooms. There is also a single player which is basically a tutorial. It has no real storyline though. This game was made for the online play. But if your internet is too slow or your in a lan party, you can put up to 16 bots which are smart but ultimatley not as fun playing with as humans. The game is also made better by allowing players to create their own maps weapons and characters and veichles so you can have a diffrent experience in the same game. The only downside to this though is that sometimes the game will exit in an unhandled expectation. Although this is rare it will really get you mad. Though if you download the patch which is mandatory for online play, it will happen even less. In summary to me this game is a one of a kind that combines team play with action and creativity. although the learning curve is pretty steep you will still love it. buy it or wait for the upcoming sequel tribes: vengeance.

This Game is now free at fileplanet
Unless you badly want a disc copy, this game is now free for download from fileplanet. (www.fileplanet.com)
It's a promotion for the upcoming Tribes: Vengance, which is coming out later this year.

Also, the games younger incarnation, Starsiege: Tribes is also free.

Don't forget, you need a CD key (which you can get for free at the same site) for tribes 2 ... Read more

Asin: B00004TJ2T
Subjects: 1. Two (II) 2. Starsiege 3. Science Fiction (SciFi, Sci Fi) 4. Computer Games 5. Action 6. Shooters (Shooter) 7. Military (Tactics) 8. Havas

Linksys BEFSR41 EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch
Average Customer Review:

Electronics
list price: $79.99 -- our price: $49.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Linksys EtherFast cable/DSL router connects multiple PCs to a high-speed broadband Internet connection or to an Ethernet backbone. Configurable as a DHCP server, the EtherFast router acts as the only externally recognized Internet device on your local area network (LAN). The router can also be configured to block internal users' access to the Internet. A typical router relies on a hub or a switch to share its Internet connection, but the Linksys EtherFast router channels this connection through the full-duplex speed of its built-in EtherFast 10/100 four-port switch. This combination of router and switch technology eliminates the need to buy an additional hub or switch and serves your network as a completely dedicated, full-duplex backbone. Now your entire network can enjoy broadband Internet connections supported by its switched backbone. This unit requires an external cable or DSL modem with an Ethernet RJ-45 interface. This product comes with a one-year warranty.

Note: All Linksys routers now include a special edition of Norton Internet Security! Claim your free CD-ROM by calling (800) 814-0180, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific, seven days a week. ... Read more

Features

Configurable via Web browser
Connects four PCs to the Internet using a single IP address
Built-in 4-Port 10/100 switch for sharing broadband
Securely connect from your home office to the corporate network via VPN
Includes DHCP server or client and supports PPPoE

Reviews (1050)

Linksys does great for the home
I'm running a Dell box with Windows 98 and a Gateway with Windows 95.

I did quite a bit of research on different units and even considered the D-Link, etc.But upon my limited knowledge of the Linksys rep. and a friend's input, I purchased the BEFSR41.

I brought it home and installed everything.I had it configured and up in running in a matter of minutes on my Windows 98 box.It's super easy and user friendly to install and set-up.It also kept my network up and going as well.And..It seems plenty secure.

If you're looking for a great entry level router, this would be the one I'd recommend for the home user and maybe evne the small business user.You really do not need to know a lot about networks to utilize it.

The only real complaints I have is that I have to click the "Connect" button twice on the Status > Router screen when I'm connecting to the Internet; and even though it seems I can usually connect to my network, both machines do not appear/display in my Network Neighborhood all the time.But in fairness this could just be some issue between the 2 machines.

Splitsville
Hello All,

I purchased this unit as part of my multi-layer approach to computer security. While there are many other brands that I could have purchased the fact that 99% of routers that my clients are using are Linksys models this alone speaks volumes. The setup of the unit was painless and in less than 5 minutes, I had the unit configured and working flawlessly. I would not hesitate to purchase this unit again nor would I hesitate to recommend it to anyone needing a unit like it.

Ciao!

Another crappy linksys product
When I set up my network a year and a half ago, I purchased this Linksys router and a Linksys modem. Well I replaced the modem about six months ago because it kept dropping my connection. About two months ago my router stopped working and I noticed the diag like was on. Kept trying to reset the modem and I finally called customer service and they told me to throw it away and buy a new one. To me this is a very short life span and I made sure not to purchase another Linksys product. Now I'm running a Motorola modem and a Netgear router and so far no problems at all. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SB92
Subjects: 1. Networking (Network) 2. Routers 3. Linksys

$49.99

LEGO Mindstorms: Robotics Invention System 2.0
Average Customer Review:

Toy
-- our price: $199.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Many high-tech toys start with a fun and fascinating idea only to make it frustratingly complicated in the execution. Leave it to LEGO to make a technologically advanced toy fun to play with. The enormous 718-piece LEGO Mindstorms Robotic Invention System lets you construct a variety of moving robot vehicles and then program them from your Windows 98- or Windows Me-compatible computer. The robots are all based around a bright yellow basic unit, which serves as the functional heart of whatever is being built. The brick receives commands from the computer via an infrared tower unit. The computer interface is incredibly user-friendly and intuitive. What's most impressive about the system, however, is the variety of robots that can be built. There are detailed instructions for each one, and since these are LEGOs, builders are free to come up with an endless variety. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (76)

rocks
This toy rocks!!!!!!!!! you get to build a robot, program it, and add sensors!!!!!!!!!!!!

Invention, Robotics, Computer Programming
If you want your child to take the steps necessary to prosper in the future, this is the kit to purchase.

The kids of my generation had telescopes, microscopes and chemistry sets.We only could dream of building and programming a functioning robot!

It truly will create a positive mindstorm in your child !!

Windows XP fix
With regard to users having problems using this kit with windows XP.The dreaded freeze problem will only occur on computers using hyper thread processers.(...)

Save this zip file to your harddrive.You should have previously installed the mindstorms software and the USB tower.Unplug your USB tower, restart your machine and follow the installation instructions.The freeze issue should now be a thing of the past. ... Read more

Asin: B00005NLID
Subjects: 1. Construction 2. Building Sets 3. Electronic 4. Motors 5. Robotics

$199.99

Black & White
Average Customer Review:

CD-ROM (28 March, 2001)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

If you've ever wanted to play god, Black & White shoulddefinitely be on your short list. This highly anticipated game takesthe concept literally, letting players navigate and influence a lushworld using only the "hand of god" as an interface. Players can use thehand to uproot trees, hurl rocks, rescue (or punish) followers, andcontrol all aspects of the camera as it zooms, dips, and swerves overthe completely 3-D environments.

The game gets off to a slow start, but things pick up once players getto choose their creatures. Creatures are giant animals that serve asyour physical link to the mortal world, and they have a sophisticatedartificial intelligence that lets players teach them how to act. In thebeginning, there's only a cow, ape, and tiger from which to pick, butthe choices expand as the game progresses. And for a limited time, Amazon.com customers can download a bonus creature--a magnificent horse. Click here for details.

Ultimately, creatures grow, and their appearance gradually changes toreflect both their tendency toward good or evil and the treatmentthey've received from the player. Deny the animal access to food and itwill lose weight. Pet it each time it eats a villager and you'll soonhave an evil juggernaut that strikes fear into people's hearts. Most ofthe game's fun comes from spending time teaching your creature andsimply watching the crazy things it does of its own volition. Best ofall, players and creatures don't have to have the same alignment,making it possible to be an evil god with a glowing, beloved,benevolent creature. It all depends on why you choose to reward orpunish the creature.

Unfortunately, Black & White tries to be too many things atonce, and there is rarely any real focus. It's difficult to enjoytraining a creature when villages need protecting, villagers needdirection, and buildings need to be built in order to expand theplayer's influence and ultimately win each level. It wouldn't be so badif the villagers were half as smart as the game's creatures, but theyrequire a lot of micromanagement to work efficiently. The single-playercampaign gives players plenty of time in each mission to overcome theseshortcomings, but prepare to spend many long hours administrating yourholdings for every hour of pure joy that Black & White iscapable of providing. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

Great graphics and animations
Exceptional creature artificial intelligence
Plenty of keyboard shortcuts, greatly simplifying the complexcamera controls

Cons:

Managing villagers and buildings can be a chore
The manual is completely inadequate considering the complexity ofthe creature AI

Reviews (506)

Frustrating!
I played this game for about a month, but it got so tedious andfrustrating that I quit. I am 12 years old and I've beaten Civilization III and other games like that but this game I just couldn't finish. Do yourself a favour, and don't even try it.

Not for the blood thirsty
If you like running from room to room or planet to planet (or whatever) shooting things and blowing stuff up.This is NOT the game for you.

If you enjoy sociological endeavors, you'll enjoy this game.

As others have said, micromanaging (who ever said God's job was easy?), is tedeous BUT the one person who complained obviously did not read some of the instructions.You can set up short cuts to various places on your island.Then it is as simple as pressing "4" to get from one place to the place you've designated as area "4".No biggie.

There does not appear to be any book out on how to accomplish things you want to accomplish.I suppose that is because there are too many variables in the game.

Some parts of the game are pretty funny.The boat builders song is pretty humerous as well as people falling "in love" and giggling etc.

So, all in all, not the most riveting game I've ever played but certainly not the most boring.This is kind of like SIMS meets The Swiss Family Robinson.

At $3 for a used version, how bad could it be?

Wish I had gotten mine for that price!

If you have Windows98/ME & A LOT of Ram. You need see this..
I saw some people have problems running this game.If your system is Windows98/ME and you have more than 512 MB memory in stalled, you need to see this ... otherwise you will get game crashes more frequently ... not just in Black & White, but other games as well. You need to follow the workaround method as follows.

I first come across this knowledge from www.nvidia.com FAQ : Windows 98 and ME were based on the original Windows 95 kernel which was never designed for handling a lot of memory. These systems will experience various operational difficulties if more than 512MB physical memory is installed. These problems are due to how the 32-bit protected-mode cache driver (VCache) for Windows 9x/ME reserves memory.With more than 512MB memory, VCache may reserve most of the virtual addresses available.This issue does not affect Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000. Directions for correcting this problem are outlined in Microsoft's Knowledge Base article number 253912:[...]
CAUSE :
The Windows 32-bit protected-mode cache driver (Vcache) determines the maximum cache size based on the amount of RAM that is present when Windows starts, or 800MB, whichever is less. Vcache then reserves enough memory addresses to permit it to access a cache of the maximum size so that it can increase the cache to that size if needed.. These addresses are allocated in a range of virtual addresses from 0xC0000000 through 0xFFFFFFFF (virtual address occupy between 3 gigabyte and 4 gigabyte area - a space of only 1 gigabytes) known as the system arena.

On computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum cache size can be large enough that Vcache consumes nearly all of the addresses in the system arena, leaving little virtual memory addresses available for other system process.

This problem may occur more readily with Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) video adapters because the AGP aperture is also mapped to addresses in the system arena. For example, if Vcache is using a maximum cache size of 800 MB and an AGP video adapter has a 128-MB aperture mapped, there is very little address space remaining for the other system code and data that must occupy this range of virtual addresses.

WORKAROUND :

- Add the MaxFileCache line as follows in the System.ini file to reduce the maximum cache size that Vcache uses to 512 MB (512x1024 =524288 KB. Note: The value for these settings are in kilobytes) or less :
[VCache]
MaxFileCache=524288

- Then reboot computer to have setting take effect. You should suffer FAR LESS crashes in many games. Your game can still crash, though.But it will be due to other problems - game bugs, drivers too old, etc.
... Read more

Asin: B00004UE0O
Subjects: 1. Computer Games 2. Action 3. Strategy (Strategic) 4. Fantasy 5. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)

Soul Mining
Average Customer Review:

Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $9.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (32)

What the The F**K?
I can no longer recall how I stumbled upon this gem back in the mid 80s, but it was my first exposure to Matt Johnson AKA the The.Since then, I've acquired just about everything he's done. I just recently heard "this is the day" again, appropriately on a beautiful sunny day on the ski slopes, and realized I'd never bought this CD in spite of the LP sitting in my LP collection for the last 20 years and only occasionally seeing the light of the turntable.This is truly the The's masterpiece.On the surface, it's got a danceable beat through most of the album, but make no mistake, Matt Johnson probes and confronts every aspect of the Jungian shadow with incisive lyrics and genre bending musical influences.Guitars sound like synths and synths like guitars. The real beauty of this album is that it can be played as background music, or, if you dare, intimate, personal mind exploring journeys.

The Rugman Reviews
On my Radio Program in College, this was arguably the best album of the year. If you could only buy one album . . .this IS it!!! Best track of all time? . . .Uncertain Smile with Jules Holland piano solo. Played it on "Mom, I'm on 91X (San Diego's Premier Radio Station with Steve West!!!)

Timeless, with something relevent to everyone
I'll never forget the mental girlfriend who introduced me to Matt Johnson and The The back in the eighties and, like Matt's work, she has popped up again and again during the interceding years, seemly at the most opportune moments in my life, reminding me that life is sometimes good, sometimes bad but always continues to move on.
Matt's work has grown and improved over the years but this is, for me, his best work and has the unique ability to immediately bring back to mind a person I once was with complete clarity.
If you've never heard of Matt Johnson or The The, then you're missing out on possibly the finest one of the few remaining true musical artists alive. ... Read more

Asin: B0000025Z4
Sales Rank: 102045
Subjects: 1. Alternative Pop/Rock 2. College Rock 3. Indie Rock 4. Pop 5. Post-Punk 6. Punk-Pop 7. Rock

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
by Edward R. Tufte
Average Customer Review:

Hardcover (01 May, 2001)
list price: $40.00 -- our price: $25.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

A timeless classic in how complex information should be presented graphically.The Strunk & Whiteof visual design. Should occupy a place of honor--within arm's reach--of everyoneattempting to understand or depict numerical data graphically.The design of the book is an exemplar of the principles it espouses:elegant typography and layout, and seamless integration of lucid text and perfectly chosen graphical examples. Very Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

It Changed My Outlook for Life
Though some of the examples of computer graphics are dated, the principles still resonate.This book was recommended to me in the late 80's and is still the major influence in how I think about presenting data. Tufte writes with quick wit and tremendous examples.

Buy the book in spite of the title - it belongs on every professional's bookcase.

Make quantitative information useful for decision making
I have heard this book described as a really good coffee-table book. It's content, while often technical and very much focused on the theory of graphs and diagrams and data and information, very practically demonstrates the impact of how quantitative information is visually presented, and shows many alternatives that are quantum improvements on the originals. It's easy to draw out the principles that Tufte demonstrates, and to apply them to your own work.

The book's examples are drawn from many interesting areas such as the New York State Budget, train schedule graphs, irrigation maps of 1972, heights of college students, the price of crude oil and the thermal conductivity of tungsten. Through these case studies, Tufte makes conscious for the reader the way in which humans read visual information and how poorly the majority of our visual information is designed in respect of this.

It has greatly influenced the work I do in helping people design reports of organisational performance information, how they choose and format charts in particular. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who regularly reports or presents data and information to others to assist their decision making.

Excellence in graphical work
If you buy just one of Edward Tufte's three wonderful books on good graphical practice (soon to be four, incidentally: watch out for Beautiful Evidence, expected later this year), then it has to be this one, because it is here that he sets out the principles that underlie all of his later work. It is a book that everyone who uses graphs for displaying information needs to read and read again. Every page contains something of interest and importance, and sometimes something entertaining as well.

So, what are these principles that define a good graphic? First of all, the presentation must be honest. So far as deliberate dishonesty is concerned this is obvious, but often graphical dishonesty results from incompetence rather than bad intentions. A frequent error of this kind is to vary the linear dimensions of little drawings intended to represent the relative magnitudes of different things. It is common, for example, when one quantity has double the magnitude of another to represent this with a drawing that not only has double the length but also double the width of the other, forgetting that this means that it has four times the area. In more elaborate illustrations where the drawings imply three dimensions, i.e. depth as well as length and width, doubling the linear size implies multiplying the volume by eight.

To this point Tufte's arguments are surely uncontroversial, but he goes on to discuss other principles that excellent graphics display and bad ones do not, and here he may part company with some of his readers. He dislikes meaningless decoration -- flourishes intended to make "dry statistics" more interesting. However, as he rightly says, if the statistics are not interesting in the first place one should not be presenting them, and if they are interesting they don't need decoration to make them more so. Another point -- related to this one, but more extended -- is that good graphics maximize what he calls data ink: as far as possible all of the ink used in printing the graphic should be conveying information about the data. Grids, scale measures, frames and so on should be kept to a minimum and should never be allowed to overwhelm the data they are supporting. A good graphic should be clear, but at the same time contain many details that constantly call the attention back.

The book is fairly repetitive, as certain examples recur during the course of reading it. However, this is deliberate, and probably essential. When we see a truly excellent graphic for the first time, such as the summary of New York City's weather in 1980, which appears in Chapter 1, we can see immediately that it is excellent, but it is less evident what makes it excellent. To understand this we need to have the various features explained and contrasted with some of the truly horrible examples that Tufte also provides: the very large quantity of real information contained in a small space, the simultaneous comparison of numerous different variables, the intelligent (and not garish) use of shading, the explanatory labels within the graphic, and so on. Convincing the reader that all this is desirable, and that gratuitous shading, meaningless bright colours, and so on, are not, requires a leisurely pace and some repetition. Many readers simply don't get it even after it has been explained, and the continued frequency of really bad graphics underlines the necessity of Tufte's books. ... Read more

Isbn: 0961392142
Subjects: 1. Business / Economics / Finance 2. Economics - General 3. Graphic methods 4. Mathematical Analysis 5. Mathematics 6. Probability & Statistics - General 7. Science/Mathematics 8. Statistics

$25.20

The WHOLE SHEBANG : A STATE OF THE UNIVERSE S REPORT
by Timothy Ferris
Average Customer Review:

Paperback (06 July, 1998)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Plenty of books try to explain the origin of the universe, but despite the ascendance of the Big Bang theory, numerous details of that theory remain in flux as new observations are made and new hypotheses formed (and then confirmed or rejected). Timothy Ferris's The Whole Shebang is an up-to-date account of the various mechanisms believed to have contributed to the universe as we now know it, from the Big Bang itself to inflation to superstrings. The Whole Shebang eschews mathematics and formulae and explains cosmological concepts in clear and enticing prose. If you need an update on the state of the universe, you'll find it here. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

The Book of the UNIVERSE
Now there is a plenty of the books of the authors of every possible calibers from various schools and predecessors. All of them are good in own way.

However offered book is laborious work of the author giving to generalize and to inform to us in the form the unique summary of a basis cosmology.

And so it is time to begin to understand with this cosmology. Please, take and read this book. It will be useful both schoolboy, and student, and pensioner.

A Brilliant Book on our Universe
This is the most coherent (and in depth) book on the cosmos I have ever read.I have numerous books on "the universe", gravity, astrophysics, physics, etc, but this book is FAR and AWAY the most lucid thing I have ever read on the topic.Generally I like to skip around to certain sections of interest to me but with this book, the WHOLE THING is incredibly fascinating.I also bought the Audio Version (which he reads himself) and it is very well read.If you want to know the fascinating structure and workings of the Universe you live in, THIS IS THE BOOK.I think it is a shame that most people go through their whole lives not knowing how cool this Universe really is.His discussion of Gravity and "the SHAPE of space" is a perfect example.Just read it and you will find out.Things are not always what they seem.An amazing book!

Stunning summary of the Cosmos
This is an absolutely stunning summary of the leading edge theories of advanced physics in an easy to read and entertaining format. Although nobody can understand a physics book without at least a modicum of knowledge about the basics, Ferris' work manages to remain easy reading until the end. It addresses everything you always wanted to know about quantum physics, cosmology, space-time, unified theories, superstring theory, etc. More importantly, instead of shoving a long, historical introductory chapter into your face (like most other books in this genre tend to do) it sneaks in the relevant historical facts in the form of small, captivating and humorous personal stories that pepper every chapter.

It is getting outdated, of course, as the years go by, but I still haven't seen anything that would be better while remaining just as comprehensive and readable. It is in roughly the same genre as "The Cosmic Code" or "The Dancing Wu Li Masters", but without any pretentious mumbo-jumbo. Finally, it shows much more respect to religion than other works, which is refreshing. ... Read more

Isbn: 0684838613
Subjects: 1. Astronomy - Universe 2. Cosmology 3. General 4. Science 5. Science/Mathematics 6. Universe 7. Science / Cosmology

$11.20

Calculus Made Easy
by Silvanus P. Thompson, Martin Gardner
Average Customer Review:

Hardcover (08 September, 1998)
list price: $21.95 -- our price: $14.93
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (61)

One of the best math book
This is a book I definitely would keep for a long time, even until I go to college. I'm HS junior and taking AP calculus, with only algebra 2 as preparation from last year. I found this book is very easy to understood even for a self-taught person like me. I would recommend this book for every body who is taking calculus with or w/o proper preparation.The sample question covered broad type of calculus question you might face in the exam. I actually borrowed this book from my school library,and found it's worth to have it one at home. Now I'm gonna purchase it.

You won't really understand Calculus without this book!
Most calculus courses are taught to college freshman by graduate students who really didn't understand the course when they were freshman being taught by graduate students who didn't understand it when they were taught, etc, etc.Once you realize that most college instructors aren't proficient in the course to teach it, then you start to realize that if you're ever going to truly understand calculus, then you better find an alternative source of knowledge.And this book is exactly that source.

Read this book before you enter one of those imposing lecture halls (or at least the appropriate chapter of this book).Then and only then will you begin to at least recognize what the instructor is saying.And hopefully you will recognize when they're saying something that is not quite right.

Calculus is not hard; it's just not easy. This book probably should have been titled Calculus Made Understandable, or Caculus Made Fun, but it wasn't.So read the book and do the problems.It will open up a whole world of enjoyment that will last a lifetime.

Remember this very important point.Math was never learned in a lecture hall --- it's only truly learned in a study hall or library doing problems over and over and over.

Calculus made Easy
I am now finished with Calculus II and I still don't understand the content of thisbook. It is extremely complicated and poorly written. It makes it seem that Calculus is so easy, but it's just easier studying the old fasioned way, doing homework problems.I really don't recommend this book, at least for undergrads. ... Read more

Isbn: 0312185480
Sales Rank: 15298
Subjects: 1. Calculus 2. Mathematics 3. Science/Mathematics 4. Study Aids / Study Guides

$14.93

1-13 of 13 1

Prices listed on this site are subject to change without notice.
Questions on ordering or shipping? click here for help.

Top

Books - Science - Mathematics - Mind Food and Mind Candy (images)

Images - 1-13 of 13 1
Click image to see details about the item

Images - 1-13 of 13 1