Histology, Ultrastructure and Molecular Cytology of Plant-Microorganism Interactions (Developments in Plant Pathology)

Book Description

This book provides comprehensive, up-to-date descriptions of cellular aspects of interactions between plants and microorganisms, including lichens, and also covers infections by viruses, trypanosomes and nematodes. The detailed reviews are accompanied by nearly 250 appropriate micrographs. Topics covered include:

techniques that may be of use in studying plant infections such as colloidal gold cytochemistry, in situ hybridization, histochemical detection of polyphenols, cytodetection of pathogens, monoclonal antibodies and image analysis;
host aggression by bacteria, fungi and nematodes with emphasis on adhesion, penetration and plant cell modifications;
defense mechanisms of infected plants, including trees, cytolocalization of molecules involved in host resistance, plant responses to parasites or symbiotic microorganisms.

Comparisons are also given between pathogenic interactions and mutualistic associations.
Audience: An invaluable source of information and references for research scientists and students interested not only in plant-microbe interactions but also in cell biology in general.

Book Description

Scattered like rings across the Indian Ocean, the 26 atolls that comprise the Maldives are a diver's mecca. Encompassing channels, pinnacles and walls, the sites here have lyrical names that match their beauty. While hard corals recover from recent coral bleaching, the reefs still thrive with vibrant soft corals, sponges and anemones. Prolific fish life ranges from funny little blennies to massive, friendly Napoleonfish. Divers are transported to the reefs on colorful traditional dhonis and luxurious safari dive boats. This book describes 78 of the best sites in the Maldives, with full-color photos taken in the wake of El Niño damage.

You'll get specific information on:

dive site topography and access
safari boats, including contact information
resort islands across the archipelago
travel logistics and topside attractions
13 easy-to-read maps

Customer Reviews:

Maldives-A diving Mecca.......2004-10-29

If you are planning a SCUBA diving trip to the Maldives I would recommend this book for some useful information and eye candy in preparing an amazing underwater experience. I also recommend it because the photographs have been taken since the El Nino damage to the reefs so they portray a realistic view of what you will encounter. While the reef damage is unfortunate and visible, the Maldives are still an amazing for the variety of life that you can experience; whale sharks, mantas, hammerheads, napoleon fish, etc... can all be found in various location in the Maldives. Once, in the Maldives though, I would rely on the advice of the locals and the local dive shops. These people know which sites are best under the current conditions and where the sorts of things you would like to experience are to be found at that moment. So the book is not really a necessity, more something to wet your appetite for the trip. My experience included diving with a whale shark, being surrounded by giant mantas that swam in circles around me, seeing many sharks, and a very friendly sea turtle that seemed to think my camera might be an edible treat!

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Argumentation and Advocacy, published by American Forensic Association on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 1125 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: FDR's Body Politics: The Rhetoric of Disability.(Book Review)
Author: Diane M. Blair
Publication: Argumentation and Advocacy (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: American Forensic Association
Volume: 40 Issue: 4 Page: 292(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

"Blind? I think there's no doubt that Marla Runyan can see things much clearer than most of us with 20/20 vision." - Lance Armstrong

Marla Runyan was nine years old when she was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, an irreversible form of macular degeneration. With the uneasy but unwavering support of her parents, she refused to let her diagnosis limit her dreams. Despite her severely impaired, ever-worsening vision, Marla rode horseback and learned to play the violin. And she found her true calling in sports.

A gifted and natural athlete, Marla began to compete in the unlikeliest event of all: the heptathlon, the grueling women's equivalent of the decathlon, consisting of seven events: the 200-meter dash, high jump, shot put, 100-meter hurdles, long jump, javelin throw, and 800-meter run. In 1996, she astonished the sports world by qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials and, along the way, set the American record for heptathlon 800. It was then that she decided to concentrate on her running. Four years of intense effort paid off. In 2000, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team by finishing third in the 1,500 meters. In Sydney, she placed eighth in the finals, the top American finisher - the highest women's placing for the United States in the event's history.

With self-deprecation and surprising wit, Marla reveals what it's like to see the world through her eyes, how it feels to grow up "disabled" in a society where expectations are often based on perceived abilities, and what it means to compete at the world-class level despite the fact that - quite literally, for her - there is no finish line.

Customer Reviews:

Obstacles and Perspectives.......2002-03-07

One can never truly understand a piece of literature, much less an autobiography, without actually becoming that person. In this case, one may "understand" that Ms. Runyan had a painful and frustrating past, but since we are not that ones that experienced it, we do not truly understand. Being blind takes away from you just as much as it gives. You take on a completely unique perspective on life; you take nothing for granted, and take great pleasure in the small things that make life worth living. Ms. Runyan, you will win a gold medal in the Olympics.

Witty, insightful, humorous inspiration........2002-01-04

I'm not legally blind, but I could really understand it and identify with the struggles she endured in being different throughout most of her life. The writing style is so engaging and easy to read that it feels almost like conversation. Just when you have a question, the answer appears. Marla's dry wit is refreshing and intelligent. There is no pity party here!

Marla has really struggled in life and sport. She continues to learn and perservere as a person and athlete and that is what makes a champion in life and on the track. I can't wait to see her medal in Athens at the next summer olympics. I'm a better person and athlete after reading her story.

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No Finish Line: My Life As I See It
Marla Runyan
Manufacturer: G. P. Putnam's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LB27E0

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All you need to know...

An excellent book for thread painting

Very beautiful!

Simple Thread Painting by Nancy Prince

Now, I too am an artist!

Simple Thread Painting: Quilt Savvy
Nancy Prince
Manufacturer: American Quilter's Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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Creative Machine Stitching: Special Effects for Quilts and More (That Patchwork Place)

Thread Magic: The Enchanted World of Ellen Anne Eddy

ASIN: 1574328611

Book Description

Thread painting adds dimension to quilting that cannot be achieved with fabric and appliqu alone. Thread painting is an exciting avenue for immortalizing these images in a lasting, tangible memory. Plus, it can add texture, character, and a bit of spark to your quilting. It is not necessary to be an accomplished artist or even an advanced embroiderer or quilter to be successful with this technique. Results are effective almost immediately at a beginner level. Through Nancy's tulle sandwich method, a minimal amount of effort and practice is all it takes to achieve lovely results. This technique allows the flexibility to design and create in any size and configuration desired. Not only can it be used in wallhangings, but also on vests and jackets, greeting cards, crazy quilt embellishment, pillows, memory books, and much more. Design elements taken from wallpaper can be transferred to pillowcases, dust ruffles, tablecloths, or napkins. The possibilities are endless. REVIEW: Aie Rossmann's Affairs of the Heart is also a winner for all skills levels. Aie Rossmann's applique, guide blends flowing designs with vivid color schemes and almost 40 blocks linked by a heart motif. Choose this for any loving gift for Valentine's Day presentation, accenting the result with the scrolls and scallops recommended within for border accents.

Customer Reviews:

All you need to know..........2007-05-14

This book is an excellet reference book and a great place to begin if you have any interest at all in thread painting. It clearly explains each step, has fantastic projects that will quickly build your confidence in this technique! I love the fact it's spiral bound and is such a handy size that it's very practical. With many detailed photos and very clear instructions you can't go wrong with this book!

An excellent book for thread painting.......2006-11-03

This is an excellent book for someone wanting to learn how to do thread painting
It starts at the very beginning and, using pictures, words, and diagrams, leads
you through the process. It includes four sample projects that are small enough
to be managable, but complex enough to test all the skills described. I recommend
it highly.

Very beautiful!.......2006-08-09

Interesting, profit to the beginners and the experts,manageable,
good explanations, very beautiful!

Simple Thread Painting by Nancy Prince.......2006-01-30

I really liked this book - gave clear, concise directions for a variety of quilting designs to add depth and dimension to your quilts. The spiral bound format of the book makes it easy to use as well.

Now, I too am an artist!.......2005-03-23

For sometime now, I have been looking for a way to make my quilts more exciting and expressive. I always admire the exciting elements true artists add to their quilts, but being artistically challenged I never dreamed I would be able to create such pretty quilts. Wrong! After reading Nancy's thread painting book I too am an "artist" and it has added a whole new excitement to my quilting.

And talk about easy to read and follow, this book should be a model for all "how-to" books. The text is clear, precise and easy to understand with a generous use of outstanding drawings and color photos. It is equally suited for both beginners and experts. Not only does the book teach you a new quilting technique, it also gives you seven projects (with foldout patterns) which will elicit a lot of "oohs" and "aahs" from your friends.

The coup-de-gras is the book's unique design. You can actually fold it over and lay it flat in a very small space next to your machine while you are following the instructions. Treat yourself to a great experience and buy this book if you are looking for an easy and fun way to add excitement and color to your quilts.

Amazon.com

Once again, as in her groundbreaking study on the American family, The Way We Never Were, Coontz cuts through mind-numbing nostalgia and rigid righteousness that has made the debates about the American family's decline even more volatile. Coontz asks if we can learn from history. Never one to disavow the complexity of today's socioeconomic issues and their impact on families, she tackles a gamut; a few of them are: working mothers, the future of marriage, the well being of children in gay and lesbian families, the strengths and weaknesses of single-parent households, and the significant lag between our new social realities and the values, behavior, and institutions struggling to adjust. Coontz calls not for oversimplified analyses or tweaked consensus, but the sensitive assessments of problems unique to the day.

Stressing the importance of using history and sociology as tools to generate solutions to today's problems, she reframes our perception of certain crises. In a discussion, for example, of the classic clash between teens and adults, she isolates the adolescent's lack of role and purpose in society as the major culprit. Finding themselves in a myriad of double binds, "what we often call the youth culture is actually adult marketers seeking to commercially exploit youthful energy and rebellion." What's the point of framing problems in the larger historical context? A larger view diffuses tensions and can place blame in its appropriate baskets. Ultimately, it leads to a kinder way of judging one's circumstances. And it is less lonely.

The Way We Really Are grew out of the discussions, speaking engagements, talk-show gigs and interviews that followed the publication of The Way We Never Were. What do people miss about the '50s, our favorite decade? "Nostalgia for the 1950s is real and deserves to be taken seriously," Coontz writes, "but it usually shouldn't be taken literally." Families seemed more cohesive then; indeed, family life seemed easier to shape and hold. Coontz reviews the evolution toward this unprecedented ear of privilege that was the '50s from post-World War II through the end of the "fifties experiment."

Perhaps not as innovative as The Way We Never Were, this volume is nonetheless thoughtful, somber, and realistic. It's impossible not to agree that grieving for a misremembered past dulls our wits and incapacitates our imaginations. Coontz asks us to quit kvetching and face the music. "With 50 percent of American children living in something other than a married-couple family with both biological parents present, and with the tremendous variety of male and female responsibilities in today's different families, the time for abstract pronouncements about good or bad family structures and correct or incorrect parental roles is past." A viable future for the American family can be generated based on accepting the truth of where we are today. --Hollis Giammatteo

Book Description

Stephanie Coontz achieved widespread recognition upon publication of The Way We Never Were, her intriguing study of the mythology of "the good old days" and the selective amnesia that often accompanies discussions of the not-to-distant past. In The Way We Really Are, Coontz turns her attention to the mythology that surrounds today's family--the demonizing of "untraditional "family forms and marriage and parenting issues. She argues that while its not crazy to miss the more hopeful economic trends of the 1950s and 1960s, few would want to go back to the gender roles and race relations of those years. Mothers are going to remain in the workforce, family diversity is here to stay, and the nuclear family can no longer handle all the responsibilities of elder care and childrearing. Coontz gives a balanced account of how these changes affect families, both positively and negatively, but she rejects the notion that the new diversity is a sentence of doom. Every family has distinctive resources and special vulnerabilities and there are ways to help each build on its strengths and minimize its weaknesses.

A meticulously researched, balanced account, The Way We Really Are shows why a historically-informed perspective on family life can be as much help to people in sorting through family issues as going into therapy--and much more help than listening to today's political debates.

Customer Reviews:

a worthy sequel.......2007-10-10

Although you don't need to read any of the other books of Stephanie Coontz, knowing her other work would help; especially "The Way We Never Were." If the new book seems less exciting and not entirely convincing it is only because it is easier to write about the past. "The Way We Never Were" engaged in a clear argument against the myths of the past. This one tries to make sense of the present (or the present as the result of the changes in the last decades). The reader is more likely to disagree with something that is still changing and formulating. What's more, we are here and now and have our own views what should and should not be the ideal American family. But this is even better reason to read this book. You don't need accept all conclusions of Ms Coontz, but all of them will give you something to think about, to look around, to learn more about the subject, maybe even to argue with.

Good to a point.......2005-06-04

Initially, Ms. Coontz builds a pretty impressive case for her point of view, backing it up with studies and statistics. Alas, about two thirds of the way through she begins to fall down: there is much more opinion and much less evidence. In most controversies, there is a large middle-of-the-road (MTR)contingent that forms the "swing vote" and sympathizes to a certain degree with both the extremes. Coontz seems to lose any understanding that she may have had of these people and her arguments accordingly become less likely to sway them. At this point I felt that she wasted all the good that she might have done.

Most people that I know see a difference between, for example, a family needing help because they have lost a bread-winner and one created by parents who not in a position to support their children from the beginning. The first family is seen as having played by the rules and suffered a misfortune and worthy of assistance. The latter parents are sometimes seen as cheats who did not make a reasonable effort to be self-sufficient and suffer the consequences of their actions. The MTRs may accept that it is wiser in long run, particularly given that children are involved, to assist these latter families, but balk at being asked to conceal their disapproval. I think that Ms. Coontz, and many of her colleagues in the social sciences, need to read up on evolutionary psychology and game theory. Even if one doesn't accept that human psychology is largely genetically determined, it does help explain the social uses of a lot of behavior. I can recommend Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature), which I happened to be reading when this thought hit me, especially "Part IV, Know Thyself", but there are plenty of other books. She doesn't seem to think that people respond to incentives and disincentives.

Certainly, we could decide, if we wanted to, that the government would give anyone who has a child an allowance sufficient to raise it, or, perhaps better, deliver services directly to the child, like public school. But is this to be offered only to certain families or to all families? It has been argued that, all things being equal, financial assistance to college punishes frugality and savings by giving assistance to people who have no money because they lived lavishly.

Coontz's logic seems to assume that the difference between Have and Have-Not is entirely a matter of luck whereas there are a lot of very unhappy wage-slaves, including me, who are working solely so that we can live a middle-class lifestyle. If that lifestyle is to be conferred gratis upon all comers, then why should we work? Then who will pay taxes to finance the programs Coontz wants? Further, I have read that the largest amount of welfare cheating is done by polygamists, i.e. men who have multiple wives and families that they cannot support. (See "The Secret Story of Polygamy" by Kathleen Tracy.) The wives make the fictitious claim that their children were fathered by someone who has deserted them and collect welfare. Does Coontz's respect for alternate family lifestyles include supporting polygamy?

The other major flaw, and I nearly threw the book across the room at this, is Coontz's argument that Social Security for childless people is a form of dole. (Let me say here that I don't pay Social Security, except for Medicare, and I'm not eligible to collect it.) She argues this because "the average person" get more out of Social Security than he/she puts into it. Well, I should hope so, considering that the government has everyone's money for decades! But even this "average" is questionable. I've seen this quoted several times, but not with any explanation of how it's calculated. I am told by someone who worked for the Social Security Administration, that the average is corrected to exclude benefits paid out to persons who may never pay in (such as the earliest beneficiaries and the disabled), but that it is not corrected for inflation, which can make an enormous difference over three or four decades. I finished feeling very disgusted with Coontz, because having read the better parts of her book, I find it difficult to believe that this was an "innocent mistake."

Itýs OK to get divorced.......2004-02-01

This book describes factors playing for and against the well-being of families in the US today. The book seems to have 3 simultaneous goals: to describe and contrast the economic conditions of single- and two-parent heterosexual families, to provide self-help, support or guidance for two-parent families in crisis, and to suggest government policies to help American families thrive. Some of the topics covered in the book include: the idealization of the 1950s, working mothers, the future of marriage, divorce, traditions that should be abandoned, who's to blame for families in crisis, societal change and risk for kids, and the strengths and vulnerabilities for today's families.

The title of the book misled me a little. With a title like "The Way We Really Are", I expected the book to detail the kinds of families that exist in the US today. I was interested in learning how many families consist of adults with their own children, or with step children, or with no children, and how these numbers are changing. And how many families consist of homosexual couples with children, and is this number growing? How many families are nuclear families, and how many extended families do we find in the US today? Are there differences in these statistics according to race or ethnic background? What about family units that consist of divorced or widowed adults and in-laws, step-parents, or aunts or uncles? But that's not what this book is about. Most of the book deals exclusively with the economic well-being of single and two parent heterosexual nuclear families. Homosexual families are mentioned briefly in a few paragraphs towards the end of the book, and extended families receive no mention at all. Even when Coontz discusses two-parent families with a breadwinner and a homemaker, she always assumes that the breadwinner is a male, and doesn't consider or describe when it's the other way around, or provide statistics about female breadwinner families.

The main thesis of the book seems to be that many American families are in crisis today. The reasons for this are varied, from unrealistic idealization of the 1950s, to government policies that run counter to the needs of families. Coontz argues that right-wing groups that claim to be pro-family by stressing the need for children to be raised in families with 2 married parents may be unrealistic and actually work against the children's welfare.

While I found many of Coontz's arguments convincing, I think she could have gone further by giving a lot more thought to families and economic conditions in other parts of the world rather than confining her research and hypotheses strictly to the US. For instance, she suggests that during the industrial revolution in the US, there was a debate over "whether to protect women's interests by secluding them in the family, away from the rough-and-tumble competition of the capitalist market and political party system, or to grant women the same independent legal and political existence that white men had acquired, so they could claim their interests as a right." Coontz seems to be suggesting here that after the Civil War, women were being kept at home to protect them from market forces, and that that's why they weren't given property rights or allowed to open bank accounts on their own, etc. But given what we find in the rest of the world, I think it may have been the case that women were kept on the farm because of the common trend worldwide to try to keep women in seclusion, as can still be found today throughout the Muslim world, or parts of Asia. And property rights weren't restricted from women just because of industrialization- -I'm not sure, but I think there is a long history of such restrictions throughout European law, as well as in the rest of the world. On the other hand, she may have found support for her thesis that two parent families aren't a panacea in themselves if she had considered modern Japanese families, which very often consist of the two-parent, two child, male breadwinner ideal, and which are quite often completely dysfunctional when judged by American standards, in which we expect the parents to have healthy emotional ties to each other and the children. All in all, while Coontz has some interesting points, I would be more interested in seeing a book with a little less advice and a little more thought about all the various types of American families considered in a world-wide context.

Recommended for parents as well as students.......2001-02-06

The Way We Really Are is recommended for parents as well as students of sociology and contemporary affairs: Stephanie Coontz provides an examination of America's changing families, from the different systems of cooperative and step-families to studies on changing traditional family methods and structures. An intriguing survey of family relationships is revealed.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. (of this book).......2000-09-27

I think Ms. Coontz read way too much into the Chicken Little story. The sky isn't falling, it's just people throwing rocks at each other. She has certainly managed to tap into the "it isn't my fault" mentality so widespread on today's society. Why blame broken families on a lack of morals and poor personal choices, when we can simply say, "Society made me do it."

Who knows? There may just be enough lost souls seeking to avoid blame and responsibility to make this a best seller. I, for one, hope not.

Climbing back up a slippery slope is always a struggle, but that doesn't mean it can't be done or that we shouldn't try. Didn't your Mom & Dad always say, "If your friends jump off a cliff, does that mean you should?" Mom & Dad were right, you know. Ms. Coontz, on the other hand, would cheer you on as you to step into the abyss.

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The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families. (book reviews): An article from: U.S. Catholic
Patrick McCormick
Manufacturer: Claretian Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000985RLA
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on May 1, 1998. The length of the article is 1633 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families. (book reviews)
Author: Patrick McCormick
Publication: U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 1998
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: v63 Issue: n5 Page: p47(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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NEW!! The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms With America's Changing Families

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NEW!! The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms With America's Changing Families
Stephanie Coontz
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QYGW6G

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The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families
Stephanie Coontz
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IMQYIW

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Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families
Stephanie Coontz
Manufacturer: NY 1997.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MA97K2

Book Description

Description: "You can't make art by making art," David Ireland once said, and this statement can be understood as one of the guiding principles in his life and work. Sculptor, architect, installation artist, urban archeologist, and much, much more, Ireland is impossible and unnecessary to label. Why label something that aspires to include most everything--or at least to not exclude the possibility of something? Mid-life, Ireland, who was born in 1930, decided to pursue his passion for art, and he went on to produce a body of work so idiosyncratic that it defies definition. Like his life, his working methodology is paradoxical, absurd, ironic, and uniquely enriched by humor and humanity. The result of some 80 interviews with the American artist and his friends, family, collaborators, and art world colleagues, Touching Time and Space offers an engrossing portrait of a deeply private but unfailingly generous iconoclast. His art practice, teaching, and wry philosophy have profoundly affected many. Beginning with a description of the radical transformation of his home--the legendary 500 Capp Street in San Francisco--author Betty Klausner provides an insightful and often moving narrative that illuminates Ireland's process, work, and life.

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