Reviews (97)

Pollan is my hero!
I am a pharmacist who is also very interested in how diet and exercise maintain people's health.Michael Pollan's book was an incredible eye-opener.I first heard him interviewed on Science Friday on NPR news (podcast) and decided to read his book.It is an extremely well researched book with an entire source list in the back.It is also very entertaining and easy to read.It is obvious he has a great sense of humor.His book encompasses the economics, politics, biology, ecology, and physiology regarding our current american diet.His book has surely changed the way I think about food and I was fairly well versed before I read his book.Now, I am a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and have been spreading the word! This is one of the best and most influential books I have ever read. Everyone should read it.Ignorance is not bliss.Just ask some of my pharmacy customers who have side effects from the medicines they take and have to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on those same medications.

My response to Vegan/Vegetarian horn-tutors
I'm about halfway through this book (I've been kind of skipping around to various parts--which is how I usually read non-fiction books). Modern agriculture, factory farming, and where our food comes from are all subjects near and dear to my heart. These are topics that only people in the industry or professionally trained chefs (which I am) usually know and care about. I don't think veganism/vegetarianism is a good response (and I don't think it will fix anything). Instead, we need to be voicing our displeasure with our dollars.
Must Read for the Health Conscious
The Omnivore's Dilemma is an exploration into the foods that are on our plates and why. The answers he delivers are at times frightening.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Food Science    4. Food habits    5. Food preferences    6. History    7. Manners And Customs    8. Nutrition    9. Popular Culture - General    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Health & Fitness / Nutrition   

Reviews (11)

Fun Read
Really satisfying-- it's got a great history about the U.S. food revolution along with some juicy gossip about the big players of the movement.You feel like an insider hearing all the stories about these people.David Kamp tells stories beautifully, and the footnotes are sometimes the most hilarious parts on the page.This is a must read for anyone who considers themself a foodie, and well, for anyone who just enjoys eating...and a good story!

Revelatory
Nietzsche writes, "What good is a book that doesn't take you beyond all books?"David Kamp illuminates a rare but relevant subject and, wittingly or not, goes far beyond it to animate the culture of 20th century America, from which its subject springs.His book renders each of the last several decades vividly and down to astonishing detail.The buoyancy and wit of his storytelling, and the accompanying sense that you're in the good hands of a rational historian, make this book an immense pleasure to read.

my two favorite things: Eating and Reading!!
Loved this book! Toast is a big accomplishment for me, yet I thoroughly enjoyed Kamp's story. Had to eat while I was reading it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Cookery, American    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Cultural And Social Anthropology    6. Essays    7. Gastronomy    8. History    9. Cooking / Essays   

Reviews (3)

Quality
This book was received quickly and was in perfect shape.I appreciate the promptness.

Excellent introductory text!
Parrillo's text is a helpful overview of the sociology of race and ethnicity in the United States taken from a group-to-groupapproach.Major sociological contributions on these matters are covered through the lens of particular groups that are most affected (e.g. LA riots are covered under black Americans but not under Korean Americans).The most recent edition is especially helpful as comments are made in conjunction with post-September 11th consequences on race and ethnic issues.The role of religion in racial dynamics and the continuing changes in immigration is a helpful addition as well as it is a rising area of study with race and ethnicity. From the Foreword author:
Strangers to These Shores is a comprehensive examination of the sharpest edges and more nuanced qualities of American pluralism.In its 14 chapters, Professor Parrillo provides students/readers--and those for whomit is not assigned--with a well conceived, carefully constructed, andhighly readable introduction to a very complex subject. --Peter I. Rose, Smith College ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Discrimination & Racism    3. Ethnic relations    4. Race And Ethnic Relations    5. Race relations    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Sociology - General    9. United States    10. Ethnic studies    11. Social Science / Sociology / General    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Editorial Review

In an effort to determine why people buy, Paco Underhill and his detailed-oriented band of retail researchers have camped out in stores over the course of 20 years, dedicating their lives to the "science of shopping." Armed with an array of video equipment, store maps, and customer-profile sheets, Underhill and his consulting firm, Envirosell, have observed over 900 aspects of interaction between shopper and store. They've discovered that men who take jeans into fitting rooms are more likely to buy than females (65 percent vs. 25 percent). They've learned how the "butt-brush factor" (bumped from behind, shoppers become irritated and move elsewhere) makes women avoid narrow aisles. They've quantified the importance of shopping baskets; contact between employees and shoppers; the "transition zone" (the area just inside the store's entrance); and "circulation patterns" (how shoppers move throughout a store). And they've explored the relationship between a customer's amenability and profitability, learning how good stores capitalize on a shopper's unspoken inclinations and desires.Read more

Reviews (123)

Brilliant
If you are in retail or you distribute your products through retail, this is a MUST read.

Merchandising practical lessons for US culture
A compelling book,loaded with insightful comments of the way customers responses at the retail world, ideas gathered in many years ofexperience the author and his team had expended watching people behave naturaly in a retail enviroment. A good book for business people interested in learning consumer behavior in a practical sense.
Flash of the obvious
An awesome new business book I read was Why we Buy- The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill.This one is a business book primarily of interest to retailers (although I see similarities in retail and online habits).Paco (and his researchers) followed and recorded the behavior of tens of thousands of shoppers.From this he is able to run a consulting business that makes recommendations to retailers on minor changes they can make to increase their sales.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Marketing - Research    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Marketing research    4. Anthropology - Cultural    5. Behavioural theory (Behaviourism)    6. Business & Economics / Consumer Behavior    7. Consumer Behavior - General    8. Shopping    9. Business/Economics    10. Business & Economics    11. Consumer behavior   

Reviews (9)

Info wanted
What is the CDfor in the 11th edition? I'm interested in the book, but most editions don't diff dramatically, but I do notice the 11th comes with a cd.

I don't know why the other reviews are so critical
I bought this because it is needed for my Cultural Anthropology class and it's a pretty smooth read. It has a definate liberal bias but no more than any other college book I've had to buy, if anything it's a bit less liberal bias than some of the books I've had to suffer through.
A Good Introductory Text
This is one of the better anthropology texts available today.It is very comprehensive, well-organized, and takes a very broad view of the human condition.The problem with textbooks is that they sometimes summarize issues as if they were settled questions, when, in reality, many of the problems involved are the subjects of complex debate.This is not necessarily a bad thing, since the majority of undergraduate students are not interested in primary sources that are very difficult to read and take a lot of work to understand.As an instructor I found the book to be very good as a basic resource that allowed me to teach my perspective of the discipline to students using supplementary materials and lectures.The major drawback is that it is so expensive, but not more so than other textbooks out there.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Anthropology - General    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Ethnology    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Social & cultural anthropology    8. Social Science / Anthropology / General    9. Sociology, Social Studies   

Editorial Review

Lia Lee was born in 1981 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, overmedication, and culture clash: "What the doctors viewed as clinical efficiency the Hmong viewed as frosty arrogance." Read more

Reviews (166)

Well written...but some conclusions are just wrong!
This was a fascinating book.I enjoyed it and I learned a lot. I think the author didn't come to some conclusions which were painfully obvious. She continued to keep the theme of a culture that was impenetrable and would not change, even after thousands of years of persecution.What about after a few years of commercialism?It is only a matter of time before 2nd and 3rd generation Hmong will be completely assimilated into American culture.You could already see the signs when Fadiman described what the Lee children were doing now.Soccer, medical school, western music.It is inevitable.It is easy to keep a culture untouched for so long when you live in obscurity in the mountains with almost no interchange with the outside world.But when you put a TV in your house, the whole world is right there everyday.Now, the parents may not understand the language, but the kids sure do, and it will affect them.Twenty years from now, the shaman will be in the phone book and you can hire them perform at a kids birthday party, or there will be a class at the local community center on "Reconnecting to your Hmong Roots, all you need to learn in 8 weeks", just like the Native Americans, or learning hula dancing.When society is so connected by technology, you cannot live on a cultural island.I just don't believe it can happen.
I grew up in Merced and had no idea about this
I grew up amongst the sizable population of Hmong immigrants in Merced during the time the Lees were going through this ordeal.
just beautifully written
so all the praise i can possibly say about this book has been, so this will be short. all in all, even if i wasn't reading it for the subject matter, Fadiman's storytelling is amazing. not only is this book damn informative and perceptive-changing, it is also VERY ENTERTAINING. almost like a novel, it grips you at parts, makes you feel a gamult of emotions... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Case studies    3. Ethics    4. General    5. Health - General    6. Hmong American children    7. Hmong Americans    8. Medical / Nursing    9. Medical care    10. Medicine    11. Minority Studies - General    12. Social Science    13. Sociology    14. Transcultural medical care    15. Popular medicine   

Reviews (2)

SPA
Excellent prompt service of a great book at a great price. Thank You ET

A lovely book filled with photos and ideas
Nothing is more lovely or inviting than a spa, and the best mimic pools and lovely outdoors environments. Whether you're a traveler seeking the ultimate spa or a homeowner seeking ideas for reproducing paradise in your own backyard, Spa is the book of choice for locating both ideas and destinations. Spas around the world, from resorts and hotel spas to, are profiled and packed into a lovely book filled with photos and ideas. Spa prices and services will appeal to destination-oriented travelers, while the extensive color shots of spa surroundings, both interior and exterior, offer plenty of ideas for homeowners who would create smaller versions of paradise.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Photo Essays    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Family & Health    7. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc   

Reviews (1)

Creative, engaging and edgy
This is a fascinating look into an aspect of Japanese culture I never knew existed.Joan Sinclair got incredible access -- access not only to the actual establishments, but access to the inner lives of some of these women and men whom she portrays with honesty and integrity.She has a fresh, exciting lens which comes through not without a revolutionary edge.This is an original.The intro by Farrer is also excellent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Cultural And Social Anthropology    3. Human Sexuality    4. Japan    5. Nightclubs    6. Pictorial works    7. Psychology    8. Sex customs    9. Sex-oriented businesses    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Art / Popular Culture    13. Erotic art    14. Photographs: collections    15. Pop Culture; sex; travel; Japan   

Editorial Review

Explaining what William McNeill called Read more

Reviews (917)

too long
This book REALLY needs an editor. It is just too long. Mr. Diamond goes over the same points over and over in excruciating detail. My solution was just to skip paragraphs detailing exactly how to carbon-date pinecones for the 20th time.
questionable from the beginning
I haven't yet finished the book, but have found reason to doubt the Mr. Diamond in the preface and prologue alone.In the preface, Diamond states that the readers are not about to read a "racist treatise" and that the book doesn't "involve human racial differences at all."Skip a few pages to the prologue and Diamond postulates "Why did New Guineans wind up technologically primitive, despite what I believe to be their superior intelligence?"Is New Guinean a race?Maybe, maybe not... but reverse the statement and then see how the critics chime in.
Not as compelling as "Collapse" but a good read nontheless.
Diamond presents a look at the evolution of various Cultures throughout the World and how geography has played an important part in their developement.The reason that Eurasia and North Africa evolved more highly developed (technologically anyway) cultures was that there was a wider variety of wild plant and animal species that could be tamed by the humans living in those areas following the Ice Age than there was available to humans in other parts of the world.This enabled people in these areas to develope farming societies (which required more specializations than hunter gatherer societies) more quickly than in other parts of the globe.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Civilization    4. Ethnology    5. History    6. Human Geography    7. Life Sciences - Evolution    8. Social Science    9. Social evolution    10. Sociology    11. Evolution    12. Sociology, Social Studies    13. World history    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (63)

Good and bad choices in financial trading
Having a choice in life is a good thing; a person without choices is often miserable.As the number of choices grows, our happiness grows with them, but then it begins to decline.Having too many choices creates stress.Schwartz describes his visit to a local supermarket: "...next to the crackers were 285 varieties of cookies.Among chocolate chip cookies there were 21 options. ... Across the isle were juices - 13 `sports drinks,' 65 `box drinks' for kids, 85 other flavors and brands of juices, and 75 iced teas and adult drinks.I could get these tea drinks sweetened (sugar or artificial sweetener), lemoned, and flavored. ... I found 61 varieties of suntan oil and sunblock, and 80 different pain relievers - aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen; 350 milligrams or 500 milligrams; caplets, capsules, and tablets; coated or uncoated.There were 40 options for toothpaste, 150 lipsticks, 75 eyeliners, and 90 colors of nail polish from one brand alone."
One of the most interesting, thought, provoking, and immediately useful books I've read.
I read about 4 books per month and this is hands down one of the best ones I've read in the past year. Packed with information, yet enjoyable to read, I had a hard time putting this one down.
F yeah
This book is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The basic premise of this book is that the more choice we have, the more anxious we become about the decisions we have to make. Think for example, about how many different stores there are in a mall. You want to buy a dress shirt, but which store do you go into? Will the Gap have a better deal than Banana Republic? Or maybe Macy's or Lord & Taylor will have a better shirt. But then, which shirt do you pick once you decide what store to walk into? All these decisions prove to be quite exhausting, despite our unconscience ability to make such them on a constant basis.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Decision Making & Problem Solving    3. General    4. Popular Culture - General    5. Psychology    6. Social Psychology    7. Popular psychology    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Biological anthropology    6. Social Science / Anthropology / General   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Physical    2. Physical Anthropology    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Textbooks    6. Biological anthropology    7. Social Science / Anthropology / General   

Reviews (1)

Very useful
Each section of the mouse brain is shown in color stained for acetylcholinesterase, tyrosine hydroxylase, calretinin, calbindin, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. The Nissl stain, thionin, was also used. Thestructures in each brain sectionare labelled on each page.Brainsections from gestational ages E11/E12, E13/14, E15/16, E17/18 and thenewborn are shown. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anatomy    2. Atlases    3. Brain    4. Developmental Neurobiology    5. Embryology    6. Growth    7. Laboratory Animals    8. Life Sciences - Anatomy & Physiology    9. Medical / Nursing    10. Mice    11. Neuroanatomy    12. Neuroscience    13. Science    14. Science/Mathematics    15. Veterinary Medicine - Small Animal    16. Animal physiology    17. Developmental biology    18. Medical / Research    19. Neurosciences   

Reviews (1)

The Science of Morality Comes of Age
When Darwin discovered natural selection, he was quick and remarkably insightful as to how this might affect our understanding of our own species, Homo sapiens. Alfred Russel Wallace, the impressive co-discover of the theory, never agreed to its application to humans. He considered our mental faculties far too advanced to be accounted for by the same forces that gave rise to pond scum and even chimpanzees. The debate continues to this very day, and will not be resolved in the forseeable future.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Ethics    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. General    6. Life Sciences - Evolution - Human    7. Moral Development (Psychology)    8. Philosophy    9. Philosophy & Social Aspects    10. Philosophy Of Biology    11. Science    12. Science / General   

Reviews (38)

A Decent Read
Reading about some of these kids, especially Frank, made me thank God I had parents who thought I pushed myself too hard, who told me to relax. However, Robbin's solutions seem too thrown out there. Most of them are a lot easier said than done. Like throwing out the SAT. That won't happen anytime in the forseeable future. I also would have liked to see a more-balanced argument. More input from admissions officers who count on all of the overachiever activities. It definitely would have made for a more engrossing read.

Recollections from an "average" kid...
The author's writing style does an excellent job of bringing these young people to life, and it seems easier to feel sympathy for these youngsters than it was to empathize with the rather bitchy young adults she described in "Pledged".
A real eye-opener
This books offers an insider's view of driven kids and their crazy over-achieving lifestyle.I grew up in a relatively small city in the South, and we had just a few of these type of over-achievers at our school.It was alarming to see what lengths these kids go to to get ahead and pad their transcripts and resumes.It also details many of the problems with the education system today.I highly recommend for anyone interested in the problems facing education in the US. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Case studies    3. Children's Studies    4. Cultural And Social Anthropology    5. Overachievement    6. Secondary Education    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Social Science / Women's Studies   

Reviews (4)

twenty-something Tom Wolfe
Jeremy Iversen is a talented journalist and I really did enjoy this book. That said, I couldn't shake the feeling that his subject matter wasn't worthy of his talents. Sex, drugs, random acts of cruelty--same old, same old, in the world of teens. The only thing that may come as a surprise to the reader is the complete lack of learning going on in the schools. The kids are aware of it but accept their fate; they only fight back when one among them is directly threatened in a way that would prevent graduation (The school may have done a horrible job providing an education, but it excels at instilling the empty good school--good college--good job mantra used to justify so much today.) Jeremy constructs his characters with care--and that's really what they are--a good deal of fictionalizing must have gone into turning his experience into a story structured as tightly as a tv sitcom. Still, it is a story worth exploring, as we should all be interested in these Millenials, for they will soon be the young adults leading us into what is increasingly becoming an uncertain future. The final issue I had was Jeremy's age. His sudden decision to go undercover lacked any discussion of issues related to how he would support himself, or what he did between the ages of 21 and 24 (Obviously he wrote a book because it's listed here on Amazon). That is a gaping hole and it bothers the reader. Also, because of my work I meet about 150 people in the 18-25 age group per year. I've been at my job for 11 years. I can assure you the 25 year-olds are generally just as clueless as the kids right out of high school. I almost wished Jeremy had chosen to jump onto the Wall Street "track", as he calls it, and write about that. I think arrogance and narcissism of people we believe to be adults would have made a more compelling story.

Better than any TV show story
Some days it seems like everywhere you look some adult is spouting off about the problems of our youth: teen sex, teen pregnancy, teen drugs, our failing schools, and on and on. To these experts in far-away offices, the answers seem clear cut: more rules, more programs, more standards. That's gotta work, right?
Written like a bad soap opera
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was written in a very dramatic style that made me care so little about the kids he wrote about. Ultimately, his attempt to emulate Cameron Crowe comes off as exactly that - someone trying to be something he is not, and that overshadows his "undercover" work too much to make this an enjoyable read. Get it from your library and save yourself the cash if you want to read it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Cultural And Social Anthropology    3. Education / Teaching    4. Education, Secondary    5. High school students    6. Miscellanea    7. Philosophy & Social Aspects    8. Secondary Education    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. United States    12. Social Science / Popular Culture   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Social Science    3. Social Sciences (General)    4. Social sciences    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - General    7. Social Science / Sociology / General    8. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (9)

Excellent book to learn about diversity
This is an excellent book for someone who is learning about diversity. This book isn't 100% perfect but it's a start for someone to learn about diversity in society. The author tried to address each group without bias (as much as possible).

fast shipping
I was happy with this order. It was shipped to me fast and I received it just in time for class

Sorry but this is a very poor customer service
Sorry I have not received yet this shippment. I will appreciated that you cancel this order because it is taking too long to send it. I needed for college. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Issues    2. Ethnic Studies - General    3. Ethnic relations    4. Minorities    5. Minority Studies - Ethnic American    6. Minority Studies - Race Relations    7. Prejudices    8. Race relations    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. United States    12. Ethnic studies    13. Ethnography    14. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Reviews (83)

Take care of yourself - immortality is near!

Caution, Maestro at Work
Ray Kurzweil is utterly relentless, merciless, and authoritative as he hammers home his vision of the future.He doesn't just make this stuff up, but opens his book with about fifty graphs depicting the exponential trends in current technology.Graphs depict the increase in computer power, its reduction in cost, the nanotechnological patents applied for, the size of chips, and so on. Dr. Kurzweil doesn't so much indicate trends, as prove that they are inevitable.
Theoretical Science Masterpiece
Kurzwell's vision isn't perfect.But part of the point of this book is that no one single person will comprise the evolutionary singularity, it will take every single part of humanity to plug into our world for that to happen.He's doing a relatively noble thing, standing on the edge of reality, and sending out a jolting vision of the future that is one of a kind.There's no need to worship Kurzwell, it's simply that people ought to pay attention to this theoretical science masterpiece and heed it's alarming beautiful call to arms against pessimism and backward oriented thought.Awesome. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biotechnology    2. Future Studies    3. General    4. Human Evolution    5. Life Sciences - Evolution    6. Philosophy & Social Aspects    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Social Aspects    10. Social Science / Future Studies   

Reviews (12)

Boring!
I lent this book to my MIL before I read it but told her not to tell me about it or her thoughts on it until after I read it. I couldn't get passed the 2nd chapter. I found myself skipping pages that soon. I asked her if she liked it and she said she skipped a lot of pages also and found it to be very repetitive and boring. In my honest opinion it is one of the most boring books I have picked up. It just reads BORING!!

The dark side of Amish
Very interesting look into the little know practice of rumspringa, during which the Amish allow their teenagers to experience the dangerous temptations of "the English."We usually believe the Amish are rather naive and simple; in truth, they can be just as wild as non-Amish youths.The clinical analysis tended to be rather dry, but the portraits of the Amish youth were fascinating.

not really about rumspringa
I was very surprised that the editor of this book allowed it to be hyped as a book about rumspring