Argonaut: The Submarine Legacy of Simon Lake (West Texas a&M University Series, No. 4)

Customer Reviews:

Competent but hardly original.......2000-09-27

For the past 80 years or so, Simon Lake has stood in the shadow cast by John P Holland, the man now generally accorded the title 'Father of the Submarine'. But in the early 1900s, Connecticut yankee Lake seemed at least as likely to earn the soubriquet. Lake was Holland's equal as an inventor, and his submarines were the only ones constructed in the US which were as good as the Holland boats. Moreover, Lake was easily the better businessman and for a long time led the Electric Boat Company (which acquired Holland's patents) in export sales. Lake boats were supplied to Russia (the Lake Co. going to great lengths to smuggle them past US customs during the Russo-Japanese war) and Austria-Hungary, and - thanks to the anti-monopolist stance of the American government - they were also purchased by the US Navy for a few years before World War I. Lake's boats were technically as successful as the Holland types which eventually eclipsed them, though built on rather different principals. Their inventor retained faith in the idea of submerging vertically, rather than diving, and persisted in fitting his craft with wheels to allow them to run along the bottom. Unlike the Irish-American John Holland, whose designs were inspired by the idea of attacking British warships, Lake also believed in submarines for commercial purposes such as wrecking and pearl-diving, and his boats were fitted with diving chambers which also made them very suitable for mine-laying and mine-clearing operations. The story of how Lake built his first experimental boats of wood and, eventually, a large shipbuilding concern in Bridgport is a fascinating one, and Poluhowich tells is competently enough, if not in any great detail. But the book is marred by the lack of anything approaching enough original material. Although the author became acquainted with Lake's son and includes some new anecdotal information from this source, there is a disappointing dearth of worthwhile material from the US archives, much less anything from Austria or Russia. With Lake's somewhat mendacious autobiography, and his book on the development of the submarine, still fairly readily available through online second-hand book services, Argonaut is not the major contribution to the literature that it could have been. Solid, but a missed opportunity nonetheless.

Book Description

Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism are detected earlier and more accurately today than ever before. Children and teens with these disorders often stand out for their precocious intelligence and language abilities--yet profound social difficulties can limit every aspect of their lives. This hopeful, compassionate guide shows parents how to work with their child's unique impairments and capabilities to help him or her learn to engage more fully with the world and live as self-sufficiently as possible. From leading experts in the field, the book is packed with practical ideas for helping children relate more comfortably to peers,learn the rules of appropriate behavior, and participate more fully in school and family life. It also explains what scientists currently know about autistic spectrum disorders and how they are diagnosed and treated. Real-life success stories, problem-solving ideas, and matter-of-fact advice on everything from educational placements to career planning make this an indispensable reference that families will turn to again and again.

Customer Reviews:

not comprehensive .......2007-09-10

This book is ok if you are just beginning to understand aspergers, but it doesn't have the practical advice implied, and it's not as comprehensive as Atwood's books.

My favorite for HFA parents!.......2007-01-26

I have read several books on ASD and this one was by far the most helpful. Most books are aimed at younger and more severely affected children, so it was so helpful to read detailed information concerning older childre, adolescents, and adults. As both a parent of a PDD-NOS child and an adult with some autistic-spectrum traits myself, I can attest that the information on learning styles and social difficulties is dead-on.

As an aside, I was surprised that the book mentioned nothing about one major problem common to HFA children and adults: a severe difficulty with recognizing faces.

Packed with information, a must read for new diagnosis.......2007-01-22

Our son's psychologist recommended this book following his Asperger's diagnosis and it has been tremendously useful already. We were able to gain understanding of our son with every chapter and implement new strategies immediately with positive results. This book has so much information in such a tiny space that you can read and re-read this many times and still glean more information. It helps you to understand what Asperger's is, why your child does what s/he does, and most importantly how to work with your child, teachers, and others to make life enjoyable and more functional again. I highly recommend this book to any parent of a newly diagnosed child. When you finish this book, you should read Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin - another fascinating and useful perspective on the ASD world of your child.

Positive Outlook.......2007-01-09

This book was refreshing in that it focuses on how to use the strengths that ASD children possess in order to work through some of the difficulties they may face. This approach gave me a different way of viewing my son - a little guy with many tools that will help him overcome the challenges that will come his way.

Must read!.......2006-07-11

This book provides really good insights into children with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism. Recommended to me by a school social worker, and I understand why.

Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide

Average customer rating:

Excellent and compassionate overview.
VERY GOOD and EXTREMELY HELPFUL BOOK!
Clear, compassionate, and thorough guide.
Just received the AS diagnosis? You need this book.

Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide
Michael D. Powers , and Janet Poland
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Special Needs | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060934883
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Book Description

Asperger's Syndrome and Your Child, an informative, empathetic, and comprehensive guide to this elusive condition, answers the most common questions and offers an encouraging outlook for your child's future. Dr. Michael Powers weaves together a compassionate account of everything related to AS, offering such practical advice from getting the right diagnosis to helping your child develop social skills. Infused with voices of real children who offer insights about their own conditions, the book gives perspective on how children live with the disorder. Asperger Syndrome and Your Child is an indispensable book for parents as well as teachers and other professionals who have someone with Asperger Syndrome in their lives.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent and compassionate overview........2005-08-13

I am the mother of a child with Asperger's Syndrome, and this was the first book I read about the subject after he received that diagnosis. It is an excellent and informative read. Each chapter begins with an illustrative story about different individual children with Asperger's, underscoring specific social, emotional and learning "hurdles" that individuals with Asperger's individually face. The authors then provide a detailed, well-supported and scientific explanation for the behavior (their bibliography is impressive) and present clear-cut, parent AND child friendly strategies for how to help the child cope and overcome the hurdle. What I was most grateful for was the very positive and assured tone of the book, which, by providing logical and accessible solutions to many of the difficulties we had been facing, and following their suggestions through to their logical end, gave me confidence that I was able to take steps to ensure my child achieved his greatest potential.

My only criticism is the fact that it barely touches on homeschooling as a real option and all the educational strategies focused on the traditional classroom setting (though they can ALL be easily adapted to a homeschool environment), but this could be because it's several years old and the authors were not aware that, due to their unique educational, sensory and emotional needs, children with Asperger's were the most likely to be homeschooled of their special education peers. I'm sure that the authors will address this in later editions, and this omission is really hardly a flaw, so good is the rest of the information found in this book.

It's titled "Asperger's Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent's Guide," but the reality is, I have given this book to several relatives who did not really believe my child was in the autism spectrum because "he didn't act like Rainman" and it helped them too. Teachers, coaches and other caregivers of children with Asperger's would benefit greatly from the advice and strategies found within its covers.

This book is informative, and well-researched, and offers dozens upon dozens of generalized as well as specific strategies for families coping with Asperger's. But marked by a warm conversational style and positivity in its approach to AS at all times, it is above all a labor of love. =)

VERY GOOD and EXTREMELY HELPFUL BOOK!.......2004-08-31

I am an adult "aspie" living in Los Angeles, CA. I was never diagnosed with AS until I finally moved to California. I always knew that I was different than my peers, but never knew why. I had great difficulty making friends growing up too. I was always being regarded as being freak", "retard", "negative" ect. I read this book and will recommend any parent who has a child with AS, READ THIS BOOK and share it with others you know or are close to. I also recommend that you give the educational hints to your child's teacher. I had to suffer growing up and I learned by my own mistakes, but it was HELL! I wish that I had learned that I had Asperger's Syndrome when I was much younger. It's really a shame that there are critics who think that people make up this condition. It's real folks, and I'm living proof that it exists. I lived in South Texas where they think the only disabilities are the kind that are the most severe. They don't believe that a person with a college degree can have autism.

Clear, compassionate, and thorough guide........2004-01-25

Michael D. Powers has written an invaluable guide for parents of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. "Asperger Syndrome and Your Child" is a comprehensive manual that covers such topics as how to get an accurate diagnosis, how to integrate your child into the community, how to cope with school, and how to deal with communication and social issues. Dr. Powers also delineates ways in which parents can help children with AS during the difficult transition to adolescence and, later, to adulthood.

Dr. Powers clearly states what AS is and how it affects both the children that have it and their families. He also explains how AS manifests itself in such areas as impaired social interaction, repetitive behavior, and difficulty in communicating with others. Most important, the author outlines the many ways that AS children and their families can make the most out of a challenging situation. Dr. Powers makes liberal use of interesting and relevant anecdotes from real children with AS.

Dr. Powers accentuates the positive at all times. He emphasizes that with early intervention and ample support, individuals with AS can live productive and satisfying lives. This is a hopeful and upbeat book with practical and detailed advice for anyone who wants to learn more about living successfully with AS.

Just received the AS diagnosis? You need this book........2002-10-12

Do you have a son or daughter recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS)? If so, then buy this book now. I wish this book had been available four years ago when our son was diagnosed with AS. I searched for every book available to understand AS, and if this had been available then, what a treasure it would have been to find. Now that it is published, I feel that everyone who advocates for a son or daughter with AS should buy and use the insights this book has to offer. There are many. Written by an expert familiar with AS, the style gives enough technical information while still being easy to read. There are parts you will laugh outloud reading, recognizing the similarities to your own child. You will learn about the great diversity in symptoms that kids with AS can experience, and those that they share with most of their peers. Worried about the future success of your child, family issues, school performance? There's are entire chapters on these issues and more. There's a helpful "Question and Answer" section in the back of the book, and one of the best sections is the Resources, that you can access to learn more. I have bought several copies of this excellent book- for my wife and me, my parents, for our son's school, his para, and some of our friends- so that they will have a comprehensive and excellent resource to draw upon when the question arises, "What's Asperger Syndrome? How can we help (insert your son's or daughter's name here)?"

Customer Reviews:

Best plat guide.......2000-10-28

Not only is this a great guide to edible plants, but it has some of the most tasty and unique recipes I have ever seen.

Great book!.......2000-04-19

This is a grand book for nature-lovers, gourmet cooks, and wild plant enthusiasts. It's written with clarity and a touch of humor. Where else could you find recipes for Oaxaca Iceplant Salsa, Stir-fried Saltbush, and Canaigre Sauce? With excellent illustrations and photographs of each plant, this book is a joy to read.

Southwest Cooking (De Gustibus Presents the Great Cooks' Cookbooks)

Average customer rating:

Southwest Cooking (De Gustibus Presents the Great Cooks' Cookbooks)
Arlene Feltman-Sailhac
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Book of Southwest Cooking (Book of...)

Average customer rating:

Great introduction to Southwestern cooking
Excellent Cookbook!

The Book of Southwest Cooking (Book of...)
Jan Nix
Manufacturer: HP Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1557880743

Customer Reviews:

Great introduction to Southwestern cooking.......2003-01-09

In its almost 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.

This installment, the Book of Regional American Cooking (Southwest), presents recipe suggestions for all major courses, from appetizers and snacks to desserts and drinks. Special chapters are dedicated to soups, stews and chiles, breads, and vegetables and sides. Loads of different varieties of quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tamales, salsas, tortillas, tostadas, fajitas, tacos, refried beans, guacamole, huevos rancheros, nachos and margaritas appear next to unique dishes such as chilled avocado bisque, honey-glazed pecan cake, chili-cheese brioches, cumin vinaigrette, shrimp gazpacho, juniper lamb stew, lamb with pineapple salsa, nectarine-cajeta tart, Southwest sushi rolls and spiced apple sorbet.

From achiote seeds to Zuni squash soup, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the richness and unique flavors of the Southwestern cuisine - and at a relative bargain price, to boot. Also recommended: This series' installments on Mexican cooking and on dips and salsas.

Excellent Cookbook!.......2001-12-08

There is nothing magic or secret about southwest cooking. Unfortunately, so many of the recipes are family favorites that are simply handed down through generations that very few traditional recipes are written anywhere.

For example, if you're not native to the southwest, you'll have extreme difficulty finding a recipe for Carne Adovada (p. 51), simply because most southwest cooks make this wonderful dish with as little thought as most people give to scrambled eggs.

This little gem presents almost 100 recipes. Some are very traditional, everyday dishes like guacamole, chile con queso, etc. Others are less tradtional, like Glazed Grilled Quail and Venison with Chipotle Cream. In addition, the author explains the ingredients necessary to create these southwest dishes.

Product Description

1991 Circulation Service, Inc. Spiral Bound. 86+ Pages. A book of favorite recipes.

Cody Coyote Cooks!: A Southwest Cookbook for Kids

Average customer rating:

Cody Coyote Cooks!: A Southwest Cookbook for Kids
Denice Skrepcinski , Melissa T. Stock , and Lois Bergthold
Manufacturer: Tricycle Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cooking | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Lampshades and Lighting includes foolproof instructions for a variety of stylish lighting projects, and covers various techniques and materials for crafting them. Beyond lampshades you'll discover ideas for candles, shades, sconces and window treatments, and choose the right paper for your project from the everyday to the exotic. You'll learn how to pleat, fold and pierce paper for different looks and effects. Helpful patterns and templates are included. To get the best effect from your efforts, this handbook illustrates and explains lighting concepts and the best schemes for various rooms.

Lampshades and Lighting: The Project and Decorative Sourcebook

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Lampshades and Lighting: The Project and Decorative Sourcebook
Rockport Publishers
Manufacturer: Rockport Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564969266

Customer Reviews:

Ashmun's experience shows.......2003-11-19

This book is deceiving because it's small, but the advice here is very well chosen. It's not for someone who has a lot of experience with Pacific NW gardens already, but it's still very helpful for those growing perennials in our wet climate. It also clearly conveys Ashmun's love of and knowledge about perennials.

Disappointingly little regional information.......2000-08-11

A better description than the title provides would be "200 Tips for growing flowers (particularly in the Pacific Northwest)" -- the vast majority of these tips are generic flower growing ideas and have no special bearing on this region. The sections on weather and garden health are the only ones that really benefit from a Pacific NW focus. If you are looking for a regional flower-gardening guide this is not it. If you want a list of flower growing hints and ideas, and happen to live in the Northwest, this book might have some value to you, especially if you are looking for a few pointers on planning and design, with suggested plant combinations apparantly suitable for this region.

Book Description

Husbands and wives need real intimacy to have a strong marriage, but often wives take a roundabout path to communicating with their husbands. So truths get missttated, shaded and sometimes turned totally inside out. And each lie keeps wives from experiencing true intimacy with their spouse. Tim confronts women with the twelve most common lies they tell their husbands and reveals what they wish they could really know from their husbands. Wives will experience a sense of relief to find that someone understand what they really need from their husbands - and can help them get it. And though written for women, no doubt men will appreciate having a guide to what's going on in their wives' minds and hearts.

Average customer rating:

Twelve Lies Husbands Tell Their Wives
Tim Riter
Manufacturer: Cook Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Marriage | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0781441331

Book Description

Husbands and wives need real intimacy to have a strong marriage, but often husbands avoid the honesty it requires in order to self protect. So truths get misstated, shaded, and sometimes, husband just flat out lie. But each lie keeps husbands from experiencing true intimacy with their spouse. Tim confronts men with the twelve most common lies they tell their wives and reveals what they wish they could really say to their wives. Husbands will experience a sense of relief to find someone who understands and relates to their experiences. And though written for men, no doubt women will eagerly look forward to catching a glimpse of what's going on in their husbands' minds and hearts.

Average customer rating:
Edna Andrade: Optical Paintings, 1963-1986
Debra Bricker Balken
Manufacturer: Univ Pennsylvania Inst of
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Artists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0884541010

Customer Reviews:

Looking Within.......2007-01-11

Mass, Lawrence D. "Confessions of a Jewish Wagnerite: Being Gay and Jewish in America". Cassell, 1994

Looking Within

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Yes, dear readers, I am on my Jewish bent again but there are reasons for that. Let me just say this--being Jewish and gay can be a double blessing or a double hardship, depending on how you choose to look at it. But then the same is true for being gay and anything so I ask that if you have problems with my Jewish writings, substitute the word(s) of your choice--"Catholic", "Pentecostal", "Irish", "African American"--they all fit. Hardships and blessings are the same for all people. It just happens that I am Jewish and it is what works for me.
It also works for Dr. Lawrence Mass and he says so much that we can all identify with that it is worth looking at his book. Twenty something years ago, Mass was a young physician, gay activist and writer living in New York City. In his walls were five pictures of Richard Wagner, one of the most notorious of Jew haters of all time. While Mass was doing research on what was later to become the first feature article to be written on what was to become an epidemic, AIDS, Mass was forced to confront his own mortality as well as the his first confrontation with anti-Semitism. When the spread of AIDS forced all gay male adults to think about the meaning of life, Mass found it more necessary than ever before to face the reality that his own life had been victim of an internalized anti-Semitism, a self-hatred even while he was coming to terms of his own identity as a gay male.
His "Confessions" are autobiographical essays in which he examines his own life and the life of others as they affect his own. He looks at politics and religion, he looks at world issues and world personalities and he looks at the arts and at AIDS. And he does all of this against the background of hatred for the Jewish people and in doing so he begins his own quest for identity and understanding. What he discovered was not pretty but very real. His book is a journal of self discovery--of understanding himself and the world in which he lived and it is deep, profound and extremely meaningful, I read this book years ago and as I reread it now, I find so much that I have missed. Maybe because before I moved to Arkansas I lived in a different world. In New Orleans, I did not feel self-hate and in Israel there was no ant-Semitism but there were once strong anti-gay feelings. I realized it was all a matter of self-acceptance and Mass gives the tools to achieve that end.
"Confessions" is a very brave book but it also is a bit edgy. It is very personal and I have to admire Mass for using his own life to tell us about ourselves. He writes about being a double minority that has for so long had to be invisible. I did find a danger here however--after reading the book, one can either connect or reconnect with humanity or disregard it altogether. In many cases our history has been a history of hatred. The Jews were intensely hated and the Holocaust attempted to remove them from the face of the earth. That same hatred is felt today when someone like Mel Gibson feels free to spew anti-Semitic remarks. Likewise gays have been blamed for the advent of AIDS even though we were the ones that suffered the most.
"Confessions" is one of the most important books I have ever read and not because I am Jewish but because I am human. It provoked my thoughts and in places it may be very angry. It is witty, at times funny, daring, touching and sexy. "Confessions" has a lot to say and has a lot to be thought about. It cries out to be not just read, but pondered and it is a true enlightenment.

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