The Ineffective Soldier V3: Patterns of Performance

Book Description

ore famous in his day than Einstein or Edison, the troubled, solitary genius Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945) was the American father of rocketry and space flight, launching the world's first liquid-fuel rockets and the first powered vehicles to break the sound barrier. Supported by Charles Lindbergh and Harry Guggenheim, through fiery, often explosive, experiments at Roswell, New Mexico, he invented the methods that carried men to the moon. Today, no rocket or jet plane can fly without using his inventions. Yet he is the 'forgotten man' of the space age. His own government ignored his rocketry-until the Germans demonstrated its principles in the V-2 missiles of World War II. The American government usurped his 214 patents, while suppressing his contributions in the name of national security, until it was forced to pay one million dollars for patent infringement. Goddard became famous again, monuments and medals raining upon his memory. But his renewed fame soon faded, and Goddard's pivotal role in launching the Space Age has been largely forgotten.

Download Description

"Working in isolation in the decades before World War II, Robert Goddard pioneered the technical developments that made rocket propulsion feasible - but was ridiculed in the press for his "loony" ideas about rocketing though space. Only the Germans took him seriously, and they used his work to develop the V2 rocket, the world's first stratospheric ballistic missile, which rained destruction on London and other European cities during World War II. The original "rocket scientist," Goddard was the first man to propel a vehicle faster than the speed of sound. His V2 rocket finally woke up the U.S. government, and was promptly transformed into a succession of rockets that carried men to the moon and beyond. Yet the government offered Goddard no credit. Only through the efforts of his determined wife was his posthumous vindication and recognition realized. After his death, she gained 214 patents for him, an award of $1 million for prior infringement and continued use of his ideas, and the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1961. Even the New York Times, which in 1920 had ridiculed him for his crazy ideas about rocketing through space, offered a posthumous apology in 1969 as Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar dust. ROCKET MAN includes some of the most colorful figures of the time such as Charles Lindbergh and Harry Guggenheim. Lindbergh's role in the creation of Goddard's posthumous legend - a project he shared with the rocketeer's widow and philanthropist Guggenheim - adds another, richer aspect to the story. ROCKET MAN also uncovers a question that no one has been able to answer up until now - where Lindbergh kept disappearing to in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Many other interesting and famous characters, such as Jimmy Doolittle and Goddard's estimable wife and widow, Esther, also swirl through the rocketeer's adventures."

Customer Reviews:

Sympathetic portrait of the man behind the myth.......2005-04-02

Too often, the great inventors of history get lost in a cloud of myth which hides their essential humanity. Such is the case with Robert Goddard, the "father" of modern rocketry. He was a man of great vision and persistence, who substantially contributed to the development of rocket technology. After his death, his widow Esther and powerful patrons Charles Lindbergh and Harry Guggenheim fostered the image of Goddard as a solitary genius who single-handedly created the liquid fueled rocket. But he had his flaws. Greatly concerned with establishing the priority of his work, possessive of his field of research, and with a tendency to lose focus and dilute his effort, he nonetheless made more theoretical and experimental contributions to the development of rocketry than anyone else of the early twentieth century. Author Clary does a wonderful job of stripping away the myth and letting us discover the man who, as much as any individual, made spaceflight possible.

Clary's book also brings out two of the essential features of technological development. It is rare that an invention is created in isolation. In the first half of the twentieth century, the idea of spaceflight was in the air. Rocketry clubs were popping up in Germany and the United States. The British Interplanetary Society was formed. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in the Soviet Union, Hermann Oberth in Germany, and Robert Esnault-Pelterie in France, among others, were laying the foundations of rocketry. Had Goddard not lived, the development of the liquid fueled rocket would have occured nonetheless, and within the same time frame.

The other point is that in such a complex task as the development of the rocket, there are limits to what one person, no matter how inspired or creative, can do. Indeed, any difficult research project is greatly enhanced by the combined efforts of many bright minds. Anyone who has had the pleasure of a successful scientific collaboration can affirm how much more productive are two minds than one. Working in isolation, it is easy to follow unproductive paths or to become the victim of erroneous thinking. With another person to challenge assumptions and with whom to argue critically, great progress can be made. After reading Clary's book, one can't help but wonder how much more Goddard could have achieved had he been less concerned with priority and been willing to work with others as peers. The sad part of his story is that at the end of his life, he was no longer in the van of rocket development. Von Braun in Germany, Malina and von Karman at GALCIT, were forging ahead, while Goddard's work was becoming a backwater.

Clary writes with clarity and insight, bringing the essential Goddard to light. The portrait that emerges is sympathetic, but not at all hagiographic. Clary's discussions of Goddard's flaws provide illumination, not condemnation. This book is neither a history of Goddard's technical contributions, nor a detailed discussion of his rockets. However, his contributions to rocketry are presented in a historical context, making it clear that the significance of his work was sufficient to have made his reputation, without the need for the mythologizing by his supporters after his death. Other than a couple of minor errors in the text (Clark Millikan was Robert Millikan's son, not his brother; Jimmy Doolittle was not a "World War I flying ace"), this book reflects careful, in depth research.

A Ho-Hum biography about an enigmatic genius........2004-10-31

I knew about Robert Hutchings Goddard at a very early age , and read everything I could find on his work. I happened on "Rocket Development" (published by Goddard's wife after his death)in a bargain book bin in 1956 ; after reading it from cover to cover several times , Goddard became one of my personal icons. I was sufficiently impressed by his accomplishments at the time to enroll as an aeronautical and aerospace engineering major as a freshman a year later.

The present work , "Rocket Man" , was very disappointing to me in several ways. Although the author has done some homework , he missed the mark by failing to include a more technical slant to the volume. He also tended to focus on Goddard's foibles and weaknesses , rather than the formidable accomplishments of his life's work. A more technical description of the problems facing this remarkable pioneer could only increase one's admiration for this solitary genius.

A key point that may have eluded many of Goddard's biographers , admirers , and detractors is that the man was a physicist and not an engineer. It was pointed out that Goddard the man did not stick with the task very well and was subject to becoming diverted from what should have been his true focus. He also spent much of his time (in my humble opinion) more or less reinventing things , whereas had he employed a mechanical engineer to Provide some help , his accomplishments would have probably come closer to some of his dreams.

As an overview of the book, author Cleary does give much credit to Harry Guggenheim , Charles A. Lindbergh Jr , Charles Greely Abbot and the Smithsonian , all of whom shared credit for support of Goddard and his research program. Although the author seemingly has a favorable attitude towards his subject , the book lacks warmth -- tends to be a bit too dry for my taste.

A decent work , but could have been a lot more interesting had some of the text and illustrations from "Rocket Development" , and possibly more photos from Goddard's archives been included. Only 3 stars from this reviewer ; recommended , but only in conjunction with a copy of "Rocket Development" in hand.

Number One Rocket Man: Legendary Robert Goddard........2004-10-12

This is a thought-provoking book about a genius who developed the first working rocket on Earth. Dr. Robert Goddard was a mystery man; he was a loner but had close ties with Charles Lindbergh, Harry Guggenheim, and Werner von Braun. He is credited with the raw invention of modern rocketry; although the credit may have been stolen from him with the utilization of the crude but warworthy V-2 rockets developed by the Germans.
The problem with Goddard is that he wanted all the patents to belong to him and all the credit go to him, but when it came to sharing his wealth of knowledge, he became secretive.
It outraged many people, including his own government.
Goddard wanted to protect his inventions, but that cost him the credit and honor that he coveted so much during the years he lived. It was only after his death that his beloved wife, Esther secured his spot in history.
Charles Lindbergh and Harry Guggenhiem threw in their consideable support in promoting Goddard's inventions post-humously as well, and that is why he is not just a foot note in history today.
Dr Goddard demonstrated impressive technical skill, insight and integrity despite financial contraints and public skeptism.
He was forced to deal with failure over and over and over. Years of his life was spent in pursuit of incorrect thinking, that modern rocketry would go in only one direction.
In the end, he proved that he had what it takes to launch a payload into extreme altitudes.
He was a pioneer in thinking that man would one day land on the moon - the mere mention of this idea would bring a room to racious laughter - people were incredulous of his brilliance in those days. His wife believed in him, and this was his one strongest ally in his own little islolated world of discovery.
I found it odd and amusing that he lived many years in Roswell, New Mexico. This was before the Rosewell Alien crash in 1948, but I wonder to this day if there was any connection, and what Goddard's reaction to the legendary alien crash would have been.
It would have been interesting to know whether or not Goddard believed in extraterrestials. This is not discussed in this fine book, but author, David Clary did a superb job in bringing back to life this mysterious scientist.
There were bright points of Robert Goddard's life, and there were darker shades also, the man was human - after all.
He dared to dream bigger than most scientists of his time.....he is often compared to Hermann Oberth and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky - other physicists that theorized about space travel.
But our man, Robert Goddard was the FIRST to actually build rockets and test them and work on them until some degree of continuity was achieved.
And for this tireless and thankless effort, Goddard is reviered today as the first ROCKET MAN of the ages.
I enjoyed this book greatly - I actually had begun reading another book about a famous astronaught, but when I perused this book, it took command of my undivided attention.
There is alot to know about these early men; who risked social stigma to apply what they theorized to actual science.
We can credit Goddard with the entire US Space program; he was on the ground floor.
Maybe Sputnik could send his estate a belated thank you card, because at the time, the only person actively developing these great flying machines was a lonely bald scientist toiling away in the hot desert in remote sections of New Mexico.
Have a read -- this book will lift your imaginations to new heights and I guarantee, you will learn much from this great man.
It is a really interesting book and easy to understand.

Outstanding.......2004-02-10

This biography is heightened by the great number of illustrations and understandable descriptions of what Goddard accomplished and what it means. It has received high praise from Booklist, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, the Baltimore Sun, and many others around the country. I dont know what the agenda of the preceding comment was, but it ought to be balanced. No less than Arthur C. Clarke says it is "a long overdue tribute to one of the greatest engineers..."

Very disappointing.......2003-11-16

This book contains no illustrations and little discussion to explain what Goddard invented and how those inventions worked; so it's not clear what Goddard did or why he should be famous. Instead, author Clary's book is a tedious account of Goddard's squabbles over priority of invention, of his constant pursuit of funds for his research, and of his widow's efforts to secure his patents and to promote his place in history. Dull and plodding.

This book was apparently intended merely as a corrective to the standard biography of Goddard; namely, Lehman's "This High Man." If you want to understand Goddard's work on rockets, look elsewhere.

Average customer rating:
Rocket Man. Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age.
Robert H.] CLARY, David A. [GODDARD
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4OG04

Average customer rating:
Rocket Man. Robert H.Goddard And The Birth Of The Space Age
DAVID CLARY
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P1E7I0

Average customer rating:
Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age
David A. Clary
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QYDUDY

Book Description

Because it's so effective and easy to use even at home, the Swiss ball has rapidly become an essential part of a total fitness regime-especially in tandem with free weights and a medicine ball. These exercises will help you utilize its full potential for building core strength and more, because they also work the muscles in the midsection, chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs. The wide-ranging routines go from beginner to advanced.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource for professionals........2007-07-10

I am a personal trainer. As such, I am always on the lookout for new resources that will give me "something new" to use with my clients. This book delivers. In 11 years as a trainer, I have seen many resources on ball exercises. This one included all of those, and several new takes that I've not seen before. Most ball exercises are either too basic or way too advanced. This presents an excellent mix, which is well organized to make it useable. I showed the book to another friend, who is a personal trainer, also. She bought a copy, too and enjoyed it even more than I did! Our clients have enjoyed the variety of exercises, as well, which is where the "rubber meets the road" so to speak. What good is new information if the exercises are no fun? I highly recommend this one.

Made me a believer in the swiss ball.......2007-03-29

I must admit I thought the swiss ball was hype and junk until I started using it. Once I started with some basic exercises I wanted to further improve my core strength so I bought this book to help me out; hey,it is cheaper than a personal trainer! Once you get the burn you can't help but believe in the swiss ball. The book begins by illustrating the various muscle groups within the body which helps for targeting certain muscles. The exercises are fully practical and easy enough if you follow the directions. The exercises are given in step by step manner with complete photogrpahs illustrating each move to complete an exercise. The book begins with balance and familiarity then goes into warm up/ cool down, upper body, back, shoulder, arm, lower, midsection and 20-minute routines. I tend to pick and choose my poison so I go for what suits me best. Each page has tips and hints to help you improve your routine. Technique is emphasized. Each exercise tells you what area is benefiting and there are dgrees of exercise ranging from beginner to advanced. This is a good book to help you exercise at home or take the plan to the gym. This is a great little book that will help you achieve total fitness. Recommended for health nuts who like to exercise. .

Average customer rating:

Macrobiotic Brown Rice Cookbook

I love their recipes!

I love this book

Not Macrobiotic enough

Brown Rice Simplified

The Macrobiotic Brown Rice Cookbook
Craig Sams
Manufacturer: Healing Arts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Rice & Grains | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics: A Philosophy for Achieving a Radiant Mind and a Fabulous Body

Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook

Zen Macrobiotic Cooking: A Book of Oriental and Traditional Recipes

The Macrobiotic Community Cookbook

The Quick and Natural Macrobiotic Cookbook

ASIN: 0892814470
Release Date: 1993-08-01

Book Description

Craig Sams' collection of recipes features brown rice in delicious macrobiotic dishes, including soups, salads, main courses, and desserts. The authors offer tasty recipes for sauces as well as other information and advice for making this nutritious grain a delectable part of your diet.

Macrobiotic cooking is now widely recognized for its healing properties by the medical establishment as well as by culinary experts.

One of the most popular and versatile whole grains, brown rice is often at the heart of a good meal. But it can also be used to enhance a wide variety of other foods in infinite combinations.

Customer Reviews:

Macrobiotic Brown Rice Cookbook.......2007-05-12

This little book has a lot of charisma. It is useful and attractive. I have ordered it for several friends. There is just enough information about macrobiotics to be inspiring, yet by no means too much, so as not to overwhelm a person not bent on studying the subject. Even a friend with wide knowledge of cooking told me she learned a few things from the book, yet the style is down to earth. The recipes are simple and easy to use, written in a style that is exact but not intimidating at all.

I love their recipes!.......2001-08-04

This book is great! The miso soup recipe is wonderful, and I'm hooked on the Risi i Bisi!!! It was recommended to me by a friend who modified her diet after being diagnosed with cancer. Being vegetarian, I explored it myself and now it's a staple in my kitchen. Recipes are relatively easy and very tasty.

I love this book.......2001-07-14

I'm a vegetarian, not macrobiotic, so perhaps the other person's criticism was valid, but I love this book. There are some very simple but delicious dishes in this book. This is the one I turn to when I don't want to cook something too complicated, but I want somthing healthy and delicious. The soup recipes are some of my favorites from any book, especially the one with corn (add shredded carrot for color, yum). And I also like the writing, not just the recipes.

(The resaon I am looking at the book here at all is because I want to get a copy for a friend of mine as a present.)

Not Macrobiotic enough.......2001-07-04

If your a vegetarain this book is good, But as far as macrobiotic?..........no way!!! Recipes nearly all contain GARLIC, & other ingredients such as coconut milk........I was pushed hard to find a macrobiotic recipe that was not too YIN...... I actually had an old edition of this book. Back then, the recipes were filled with spices too.

Brown Rice Simplified.......2001-03-01

This book is simple to read and understand. The recipies are easy to follow. This is a great little book to have handy in your kitchen. The foundation of a macrobiotic diet is well cooked brown rice. This book will give you ideas, and will help to bring your brown rice cooking to perfection.

Brown rice & love;: A Zen macrobiotic cookbook,

Average customer rating:

Brown rice & love;: A Zen macrobiotic cookbook,
Calvin Holt
Manufacturer: Pyramid Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006W0SRC

Book Description

RECORDS OF THE CHERITON OTTER HOUNDS BY W.H. ROGERS, M.A., F.S.A. This is a brand new, high quality hard-back reprint of a classic and much sought after otter-hunting book. Originally published in 1925 and long out of print and very scarce, it covers the history of the Cheriton, and those who hunted with them, in great and intimate detail from the mid 1800s to 1925. Full of pictures and anecdotes it is a fascinating record of a past era. Published in a pictorial soft cover with 324 pages including 21 black + white photographs. List of chapters: I: INTRODUCTORY - II: THE TAW - III: THE TEIGN - IV: THE TORRIDGE - V: THE CREEDY, KENN AND LYN - VI: MASTERS: OFFICIALS: FINANCE - VII: SPORT WITH MR CHERITON AND HIS DEPUTIES - VIII: ARTHUR HEINEMANN AND HIS PACK - IX: THE "FOX AND HOUNDS" - X: THE WAR - AND AFTER - XI: GENERAL NOTIONS - INDEX - LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS

Average customer rating:

Fabulous reference guide for beginners

Great Book!!!

The Big Book Of Handmade Cards and Giftwrap: Over 50 Step-by-Step Projects

The Big Book Of Handmade Cards and Giftwrap: Over 50 Step-by-Step Projects
Vivienne Bolton
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Papercrafts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Quick and Clever Handmade Cards (Quick and Clever)

Creative Card Making For Scrapbookers: 226 Ideas and Techniques For Handcrafted Cards (Memory Makers)

Designing Handcrafted Cards: Step-by-Step Techniques for Crafting 60 Beautiful Cards

Handmade Greetings for All Occasions: 85 Cards, Gift Tags, and Invitations (Better Homes & Gardens)

Creating Cards With Scrapbook Embellishments

ASIN: 1581806361

Book Description

For any crafter seeking new ways to create personal, one-of-a-kind cards and gift wrap, this guide will show them how. Successful author and craft expert Vivienne Bolton provides:

*45 new projects and designs for readers to create and make

*Card and gift wrap ideas for a spectrum of occasions, from birthdays and new babies, to Easter and anniversaries

*Ways to incorporate a multitude of materials, including stickers, wire, foam, rivets, rubber stamps, and beads

With straightforward instruction perfect for beginners, and a wealth of different techniques to appeal to crafters at an advanced level, this exciting guide will capture the attention of every reader who likes to create.

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous reference guide for beginners.......2006-04-20

I am new to cardmaking and was looking for something that "held my hand" through a few projects and had lots of ideas. This book delivered on all accounts. Each of the 50+ projects are shown on a spread (2 facing pages) with the finished card and variations on the left and detailed how-to instructions, color photos, materials list, and variations on the right. Up front there is a friendly discussion of the materials used and how to make gift bags & pouches, and to decorate envelopes to coordinate with the finished card.
I loved everything about this book--from the friendly British (?) tone and descriptions to the use of relatively simple materials (she uses 3-D paint instead of brads; that has to be a purse-stretcher!) and the "galleries" in the back that show many work-ups of one particular theme (e.g. 6 cards w/ rosebuds, with a peacock feather stamp). I pored over each page and really savored it--beginners need look no further for a 101 how-to guide, and more experienced card crafters could still find some ideas, I'm sure. Thank you, Vivienne!

Great Book!!!.......2005-11-04

Not only does it tell you how to make each card step by step, but it gives you coordinating items to match with the card or to make alone. It also gives you templates to trace or copy. Very nice!!!!

The Big Book Of Handmade Cards and Giftwrap: Over 50 Step-by-Step Projects .......2005-08-22

My wife loves it.

Customer Reviews:

Most helpful volume for those who wish to create a formal garden.......2007-07-09

I have searched for several years for book(s) that provide advice on how to create a formal garden. Astonishingly, I found none that offer much practical advice beyond pretty pictures and the usual design principles found in most design books. That is to say, I found none until I happened upon this book. It made me feel good to have the author explain that when he began his own formal garden, in the mid 70's he found no practical books either!

The volume is full of illustrations showing different examples of key formal design elements, It offers good advice on how to create shaped hedges and screen, topiary, and how long it takes for them to shape up. Small things like how to cut a hedge perfectly straight or flat is also explained. Lists of appropriate plants are included.

Highly recommended. This book should be in print.

Average customer rating:

Small Formal Gardens a Winner

Creating Small Formal Gardens
Roy Strong
Manufacturer: Conran
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1850298319

Book Description

"Well illustrated, instructive and fun"--The Observer. Resurrect the forgotten art of the formal garden, full of elegance and enchantment, even in the smallest backyards. Intimate and complex or simple and streamlined, these 24 arrangements--worthy of a king but suitable everywhere--share such wonderfully theatrical devices as a mirror-image pair of beds or ornamental focal points to draw the eye along a vista. Once you understand the principles behind the grand style, you'll find them surprisingly easy to implement and to maintain--and every scheme comes with a ground plan, three-dimensional drawings, and a wealth of alternative suggestions and planting ideas. And, with such classic features as rose-covered pergolas, twists of topiary, apple tunnels, and scalloped hedges, they all bring year-round satisfaction.

Customer Reviews:

Small Formal Gardens a Winner.......2001-03-31

At first I thought this book would be too sophisticated for a non-professional such as myself - I was wrong! There are many great ideas which I plan to use this summer in my own garden. The author illustrates many garden plans, I have decided to borrow plans from several of them. He also explains tips on how to use symmetry, how to create illusions using height and space, etc. He also explains the history of formal gardens which I found interesting. Another useful feature of this book is the listing of suggested plants for formal gardens and their light requirements. This is the first book I have ever ordered which I picked up and read immediately.

Average customer rating:

Creating Formal Gardens
Roy C.; Strong, Roy Strong
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUB5HS

Average customer rating:

Happiness File

Helps me get motivated to have a lovely home

Sidetracked Sisters Happiness File
Pam Young , and Peggy Jones
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Sidetracked Home Executives(TM): From Pigpen to Paradise

Get Your Act Together: 7-Day Get-Organized Program For The Overworked, Overbooked, and Overwhelmed, A

I'm Okay...but You Have a Lot of Work to Do!

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

The Phony Gourmet: Includes 75 Delicious Recipes for Shortcut Cooking

ASIN: 0446370126

Customer Reviews:

Happiness File.......2002-10-17

The funniest book I have ever read!! Time well spent for any side-tracked person! Excellent! All of Pam Young and Peggy Jones books are wonderful!

Helps me get motivated to have a lovely home.......1999-06-24

I found this once in a library in Texas - a nice change from most organizational books. Goes month by month, and gives a different focus idea for each month. Good ideas for getting motivated, but not too much nuts and bolts - get those from other books. This is for motivation and direction.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books