IOLO

The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

1 stars (Please - Stop Him Before He Writes Another Book!) - This is the second Gladwell book I've read, and unfortunately its as bad as the first (Blink!). His basic point is that little things can make a big difference. Gladwell's problem, however, is that he doesn't know what he's writing about, and it's a fatal flaw. For example, early in this book he relates how a "small change" in Brooklyn policing strategies turned into a "large drop" in crime. In reality, "broken windows," accompanied by much more data-driven and administrative follow-up policing referred to by Gladwell was a large (not small change). The reality is that "broken windows" policing ended up going far beyond simply pursuing those with minor violations (eg. fare-beating) to include studying crime patterns (location, timing, etc.), setting improvement goals, and regular high-level follow-up. Secondly, "Freakonomics" research concluded that the crime-rate decline began BEFORE the change in policing, and that much of the decline was due to increased staffing. Gladwell also attributed the decline to improved economic conditions - however, no such decline accompanied prior economic good times. Finally, Gladwell offered no explanation of why similar steep declines in crime occurred across the U.S. at the same time - without regard to any change in policing! Another of Gladwell's problems is that he doesn't seem to understand anything about statistics. The fact that a change in policing suposedly occurred at the same time as a decline in crime rates seems to be "proof" of causation for Gladwell. One of the first lessons in statistics, however, is that "correlation does not imply causation." Summarizing, the book starts out poorly, and goes downhill from there - increasingly boring, confusing, and totally lacking in credibility. Don't confuse, aggravate, misinform yourself with this book 5 stars (This Little Book will Make a Big Difference) - This fascinating book is an investigation into ...
Back Bay Books :: Psychology & Psychiatry & Social Psychology :: Sociology - General :: Sociology :: Social Psychology :: Psychology :: Marketing - General :: Context effects (Psyc :: The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

The Game- Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

5 stars (An interesting, and mechanical way to approach meeting with the opposite sex) - This book is absolutely filled with interesting theories on the art of social interaction and meeting women for dating and sex. 1/2 autobiography of the author Neil Strauss's social life for the last two years, and 1/2 story of the dark side of "The Game" in which a group of "Pick Up Artists" move in a house together, and it eventually collapses on itself. Looking at the book, you wonder just what exactly is "The Game" and when does one stop looking at life and meeting people not as a "set" or group, drop the "routines" and play in the real world instead. 5 stars (Trust REAL reviews.) - Please note that the review below, and most if not all reviews with 1-2 star reviews, especially those calling members of the community described in this book are all by one man who i shall not name, as he is merely a disgruntled man with a vendetta against this community of individuals who's goals is self-improvement, please take a look at reviews done by the top 50 and real name reviewers. 1 stars (Wait for the Movie) - If you like to watch the TV shows "Friends", "Coupling", "How I met your mother", "Sex in the City", "The Single Guy" or "Nova" and you're looking for a story to read, than this book is for you. If you haven't read a book for pleasure for a long time but your looking for a "How To" book, then this book isn't for you. Read the book "The Sensuous Man" instead. I listened to Neil Strauss at a book signing. He "tours" with self proclaimed losers who call them themselves former losers who sell "How To Pickup Women" services. They sell nothing but air --- and that's free. If you're looking for a story but not a book reader, wait for the movie coming to theaters in 2008. ...
Regan Books :: Sociology Of Men :: Sexuality :: Sex Roles (Sociological Aspects) :: Personal Memoirs :: Men's Studies - General :: Love & Sex & Marriage :: Health&Fitness :: Healt :: The Game- Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

The Republican War on Science

5 stars (Global Warming, evolution incommensurable issues ) - I found this to be an eloquent but flawed indictment of the ways in which conservatives are doing an endrun around science to promote their various agendas. But as a science supporter, but a Darwin critic, I was a little alarmed by the bad advice the author received from the very peer review bodies he promotes. The problem is that, for example, global warming, about which the book is excellent, and evolution, the most confusing of the issues, are not really in the same category. We can demand science on the issue of global warming, and expose conservative fraud, but if we demand science on evolution, then we should subject the current reign of Darwinian theory to scrutiny, there to find that, as theory, its scientific status is open to question. The behavior of creationists is a very distracting noise here, because it drives science defenders further into dogma, and into a hole. The author shows how relying on the standard sources of science advice, like the NCSE, will simply fill your head with the Darwinian boilerplate syndrome, which, whatever else their failings, the rightwing critics are well aware of. Having studied Darwinian theory carefully from the suppressed science critics they realize that they can trump the wrongly educated Dawkins/science generation. It seemed impossible ten years ago, now it's happening. Time to wake up on Darwin's theory, which means accepting the reality of evolution, but looking critically on the theory of natural selection. Science journalists ought to learn to be skeptical of the failed peer review system in biology and evolution. It's going to be the undoing of science, and one dreads to think what the next ten years will bring. Beyond that, many of the other issues raised make for an insightful expose, it is a pity the author is suckered into the Darwin trap. 5 stars (Global warming, evolution incommensurable issues. ) - I found this to be an eloquent but flawed i...
Basic Books :: United States :: Sociology - General :: Sociology :: Social Science :: Science :: Republican Party (U S - 1854- :: Politics - Current Events :: Political aspects :: :: The Republican War on Science

Funny lessons Biology

Funny lessons Biology . Welcome to Funny lessons: Biology ordering page! What you should know about ordering Alawar games: ...
Alawar Entertainment :: funny :: lessons :: biology :: alawar :: entertainment :: home :: education :: teaching :: tools :: funnylessonsbiology :: Funny lessons Biology

Biology Cliffs AP

5 stars (The Perfect Study Aid) - Cliffs AP is the perfect study aid for the AP Biology Exam. It covers all the material you need to know for the exam, at the level of specificity expected. At the end of each chapter there are questions that are similar to those you would encounter on the AP exam and an explanation given for each answer. Also possible essay questions from each section are given with a detailed summary of what information is important. If you know everthing in this book it is very easy to obtain a 5, just like I did. *Note that the exam has changed and there are 100 multiple choice questions and not 120 as mentioned in the guidebook. 5 stars (An absolutely amazing review.) - Just go and buy it. The other books in the contest aren't even worth talking about. If its in this book, it might be on the AP test. It's also a godly review for regular tests. 5 stars (Great AP Bio book-- Not just for review, but it can teach too) - This is a great AP Bio book--all the information is plainly laid out, along with practice questions at the end of each topic. It really helped on free-response. This book will help on SATII bio too--seriously. I just wish I had gotten this earlier in the year so I could have really studied everything more in-depth instead of just skimming (my class completely skipped plants and kingdoms), but I was still able to get a 5. I credit this book for that. ...
Cliffs Notes :: Study Aids & Advanced Placement :: Biology :: Life Sciences :: Science&Mathematics :: Life Sciences - Biology - General :: Examinations :: questions :: etc :: Examina :: Biology (Cliffs AP)

Physiology of Behavior- with Neuroscience Animations and Student Study Guide CD-ROM- Eighth Edition

3 stars (ok) - the book came in a reasonable amount of time but was not the same quality as was initially stated. It said the book was brand new but it had bent corners. 3 stars (Book NOT in Good condition.) - Company was prompt and service was great. However, the book was listed in 'good' condition and it is not. I can ignore the writing and hilighting but it had a defect in which it was missing about 50 of it's pages. To me missing pages does not qualify as 'good' condition. These people obviously do not check the quality of thier books. 5 stars (Best Textbook I've Ever Read) - I would like to find Neil Carlson and shake his hand. This is is without a doubt one of the best textbooks I've had the pleasure of using. I'm in my senior year of studying cognitive sciences and so far I've had two courses that used this book. When studying for exams in those course I simply read the relevant chapters. The material is concise, well-organized, summarized just when you need it to be summarized, pockmarked with occasional interesting tidbits and stories, just to keep you interested. Every once in a while there's a small terminology box to refresh your memory on the terms you've just encountered. Simply put, it's a book that makes studying the (rather complex, actually) subject of physiology of behaviour easy. If you need this book for a course, I heartily recommend you buy it instead of just borrowing from friends. I'm not sure why you would want to buy such a book for non-academic purposes and just to read it for the hell of it - but if you do - it's a book that supplies a lot of information in a very easy to digest manner. Two thumbs up. Good job Dr/Prof/Mr/Whatever Carlson... ...
Allyn -amp- Bacon :: Social Science & General :: Sociology :: Psychophysiology :: Psychology :: Physiological Psychology :: Neuroscience :: General :: Neil R Carlson :: :: Physiology of Behavior- with Neuroscience Animations and Student Study Guide CD-ROM- Eighth Edition

Cultural Anthropology - The Human Challenge with CD-ROM and InfoTrac

4 stars (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. It's topics are very interesting and in most places the authors at least try to be neutral. The really good part of the book is not the part the instructors normally assign but the stuff in the yellow boxes which are almost like reading stories. 5 stars (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. Here is what one of my very good students said about the book, "I found it to be well-organized, thorough, and easy to understand. I have never taken a class in this subject before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but as far as I can tell it is a useful text. I had one other cultural anthropology class this term and I was able to use the textbook from your class as a reference from time to time. I chose anthropology as my minor, and so for further reference purposes I have kept the text from your class." Students who have strong politic...
Wadsworth Publishing :: Social Science & Anthropology & General :: Sociology :: Social Science :: Ethnology :: Archaeology & Anthropology :: Anthropology - General :: Anthropology - Cult :: Cultural Anthropology - The Human Challenge (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)

Essential Biology- Second Edition

5 stars (Depth and Accuracy) - Campbell and Reece are best known as the authors of the hefty and excellent "Biology", now in it's 6th edition used by undegraduate biology majors and AP Biology students. "Essential Biology" uses a different approach. The authors have packed a great deal into this amazingly small textbook. I recently reviewed a huge number of introductory biology texts for adoption in our school district. We use Campbell and Reece's Biology, 6th edition for our AP biology course but were looking for a textbook to use with our 9th grade honors biology students. After a lengthy comparison of textbooks we picked "Essential Biology" based on several things. First we found the book to be accurate, readable, and concise. We felt that it would give the students a depth of understanding in the core biological principles so that they would be ready when they moved on to AP biology later in their high school career. Instead of trying to "cover" everything under the biological sun, "Essential Biology" focuses on four core biological topics: cells, genetics, evolution, and ecology. It's 20 chapters are broken up into these 4 units and does a wonderful job of pulling it all together. Other textbooks certainly cover more material but with less depth. What is the use of having a huge textbook that the students either never finish or rush through with no real understanding? This is a textbook that the students can dig into and throughly understand during one course. It is supported by CD-ROM's and on-line material. The website provides activities, on-line labs, quizes, and other practice. Students can print out results or e-mail them to their teachers. I would recommend this text as one for use in a non-majors biology course or as an advanced high school biology introductory course. ...
Benjamin Cummings :: Science & Biology :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Life Sciences - Biology - General :: Eric J Simon :: Jane B Reece :: Neil A Campbell :: :: Essential Biology- Second Edition

Human Anatomy - Physiology Laboratory Manual- Cat Version 8th Edition

Human Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory Manual, Cat Version (8th Edition)...
Benjamin Cummings :: Education & Teaching Methods & Materials & Science & Technology :: Teaching Methods & Materials - Science & Technology :: Medical :: Education & Teaching :: A :: Human Anatomy - Physiology Laboratory Manual- Cat Version (8th Edition)

Human Physiology - From Cells to Systems with CD-ROM and InfoTrac

2 stars (This is not the paperback edition of the textbook) - This book appears from amazon.com to be simply the paperback edition of the regular textbook, but it is not. Ordering this will get you a paperback "Study Guide" instead. The book is misrepresented or not clearly labeled on this site, and I suppose the phrase "5th sg" is supposed to be enough for us to tell what it is. Don't order this thinking that you will get a paperback edition of the textbook. 3 stars (Don't confuse the hardcover with the paperback) - One problem (maybe I'm just stupid): don't confuse the hardcover, which is the actual textbook itself, with the softcover, which is the supplemental answer key/review book. I bought the softcover thinking it was a cheaper, more flexible version of the 912 page text, which is cumbersome, and it's not. Maybe I'm just a lightweight at purchasing textbooks online. BB 5 stars (excellent text) - The text material is superbly organized and illustrated with great models, comprehensive tables, and wonderful photographs. It is a thorough work and, although not easy reading, explained about as clearly and completely as humanly possible. P.S. The review above does not seem to pertain to this book, but to a teacher's manual? ...
Brooks Cole :: Science & Human Physiology :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physiological Processes :: Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology :: Life Sciences - General :: Human Physiology - From Cells to Systems (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)