Demography and Retirement: The Twenty-First Century

Book Description

This contributed volume provides a broad-based and in-depth exploration of demographic and related issues facing American society as it anticipates the retirement of the so-called "baby boomers." The work provides a critical examination of the population and labor force projections most commonly used in discussions of retirement in the next century; looks at issues relating to the health and age structure of the population, examining those issues in the context of support mechanisms for retirement income security; and considers the potential lessons to be learned from the experiences of other industrialized societies in dealing with an aging population.

Amazon.com

Many writers have described the famous clash between the Monitor and the Merrimac, but James Tertius deKay's book probably belongs at the top of the stack. Much of Monitor focuses on how these ships came into being, including John Ericsson's struggle of more than 20 years to have his vision of an ironclad warship become a reality. As the title suggests, Monitor is more about the Monitor than the Merrimac, but both vessels get their due in deKay's wide-ranging narrative. Like so much of Civil War history, the coincidences and ironies of what happened at the mouth of the Chesapeake in 1862--how the two ships met, how brother fought brother, how neither impregnable warrior survived the calendar year--make for a spellbinding story, and deKay tells it as well as it has ever been told.

Book Description

NonfictionLarge Print EditionA lively popular history . . . his vivid rendering of the tough decisions faced by men at the front of innovation makes the greatest impression. Publishers Weekly On March 9, 1862, an epic battle was fought. It was one that not only affected the course of the Civil War but one that changed the face of naval warfare forever. It was on that fateful day that two ironclads met for the first time the Monitor and the Merrimac. And here is the fascinating saga of the events that led up to the battle and the people who made it happen.

Customer Reviews:

The first pre-dreadnought.......2003-11-07

Monitor skillfully holds the reader spellbound about the ship, and her irrascible genius inventor. I also came to realize just how technically advanced this ship was compared to her contemporaries. This book is a quick and powerful read that you don't want to put down, and it conveys the depth and level of accomplishment achieved by John Erriccson in getting her built in the short time he did. An outstanding history replete with circumstances and entertaining anecdotes as well. A highly recommended book.

Can't Put Down.......2003-11-06

For Civil War and Naval History buffs, this telling of the Monitor's creation and her campaign against the South's Merrimac is spellbinding.

Excellent Coverage of the Monitor.......2003-02-09

Alot of detailed information well put together and very readable.

Most famous ship in US Navy history?.......2003-01-19

This slim volume recounts the history of USS Monitor which, in its famous engagement with the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) on March 9, 1862, rendered all wooden warships obsolete and initiated a naval arms race among world's navies that climaxed 80 years later in the Pacific battles of World War II.

Monitor's creator was a Swedish engineering prodigy named John Ericsson who had supervised 400 men as a canal engineer by age 16. For an 1829 railroad design competition built a steam locomotive that established a land speed record by covering a measured mile in 57 seconds (63 mph). But the contest sponsors changed the rules to defeat foreigner Ericsson and his attempts to provide innovate designs to the Royal Navy were also rejected. In frustration Ericsson emigrated to the United States and in 1837 invented the first practical screw propeller to drive steamships through the water.

In 1861 Union intelligence indicated the Confederates were rebuilding the scuttled former Union warship USS Merrimac as a heavily armed ironclad. If that ship (rechristened CSS Virginia but generally called simply "Merrimac"), broke the blockade of Hampton Roads then US coastal cities, including Washington, DC, would be vulnerable to attack. The Union needed an ironclad quickly, and Ericsson already had a plan!

Monitor's keel was laid in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1861, and Ericsson and his numerous subcontractors worked 108 days and nights until on February 9, 1862 USS Monitor was turned over to the Navy. Exactly one month later Monitor faced Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Objectively the battle was a tactical draw, but strategic victory went to the Union. The Union blockade was preserved, the Confederates remained bottled up and Britain and France, who were leaning toward supporting the South, decided to remain officially neutral.

This book tells the story of the design, construction, combat history, demise and legacy of USS Monitor in a well-written narrative format. It provides enough details for general readers interested in naval, engineering and civil war history. It may be too general for the serious buff, but I recommend it as an amazing tale to everyone else who wants to know more about this important historical event.

There are some small reproductions of period etchings and photos and a good map of the Hampton Roads battle area. The only thing missing are good schematics of Monitor's interior design.

JUST LIKE THE SHIP IT PORTRAYS...........2001-01-05

....Like the Monitor itself, this book is short and concise and yet it packs quite a wallop. In a little more than two hundred well-written pages, Mr. DeKay manages to cram a lot. The book is all about the first ironclad warship of the U.S. Navy and its duel in Chesapeake Bay with the Confederate vessel Merrimac. The book starts with a biography of the ship's cantankerous Swedish inventor John Ericsson and his efforts to get the government bureaucracies of two continents to show interest in his his prophetic ideas for naval warfare (propeller engines, armor plating, torpedoes, revolving gun turrets). The book then talks about the labyrinthine maneuvers of Ericsson and his financial backers through the government contract process to get the ship built. Finally, the author describes in blow-by-blow detail the epic battle between the "cheesebox on a raft" Monitor and the vastly larger and better-armed Merrimac. Every page crackles with factual gems (e.g. The Civil War really was "brother against brother". The Merrimac's commander rammed and sank a Union ship while his brother was on board). Landlubbers and civilians need not be discouraged from reading this book. Engineering and naval concepts are presented in jargon-free language. The book can be finished in two or three days of casual reading. Great for the bathroom-er, uh, excuse me, head.

John Ericsson and the Inventions of War (History of the Civil War Series)

Average customer rating:

An excellent book for a younger reader

John Ericsson and the Inventions of War (History of the Civil War Series)
Ann Brophy
Manufacturer: Silver Burdett Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Military & Wars | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0382099435

Customer Reviews:

An excellent book for a younger reader.......2003-02-16

This book seems to be part of a set for younger readers, say around ten to twelve. Good for what it is but not as comprehensive as I would have liked.

Book Description

Local governments are hard-pressed to balance their budgets in the 1990s. Part of any budget-balancing effort is accurate forecasting. In this new work, Howard Frank introduces time-tested forecasting techniques from the private sector and military in a local forecasting environment. In a lucid, user-friendly treatment, Frank shows how simple and complex methods can be put to use in the contemporary local government setting. Through examples--many of them from his own research--the author delineates the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and non-quantitative forecasting methods. Frank also shows how these techniques can be used to monitor changes in public programs--an increasingly important part of contemporary budget execution. Frank does not assume an extensive mathematical or statistical background on the part of the reader--indeed, a forecast neophyte will have no difficulty understanding the text. Questions at the end of each chapter focus the reader on the major concepts and provide insights on practical applications within the urban setting. A cornerstone of the work is that local forecasters must be intelligent experimenters with the new tools--there is no "canned advice" that applies to all cities and forecast situations. But with application of forecasting approaches treated in this unique work, local budgeters--and those in training to become budgeters--will be able to adopt forecasting approaches that have been underutilized in local government.

Projecting and planning state and local government fiscal activity in a declining region: A budgetary forecasting model for New York (Monograph / Metropolitan Studies Program)

Average customer rating:

Projecting and planning state and local government fiscal activity in a declining region: A budgetary forecasting model for New York (Monograph / Metropolitan Studies Program)
Roy W Bahl
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Studies Program, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006XN11G

Book Description

The Bible for results oriented professionals. Go/No Go guides the would-be or experienced builder or developer along a proven path to the $ucce$$ful conclusion of their project. You will discover how to:

*Avoid excessive risk in your property acquisitions *Wend your way through the entitlement maze *Determine appropriate financing sources *Create accurate proforma cost estimates *Shun the "change order artist" contractor *Hire needed consultants at fair prices *Prevent contentious litigation *Control your project, not vice-versa *And many more other benefits.

A complete resource file is included. Go/No Go saves you money and time.

Customer Reviews:

Something doesn't seem quite right..........2002-10-07

I was extremely excited about ordering this book. I saw the 5-star reviews and thought this would be a great book to add to my real estate development collection. I was sadly mistaken and now believe that the author and his friends are behind the 5-star ratings.

This book contains a whole lot of checklists and bullet points, but lacks any clear explanations or descriptions. This seems like a half-hearted effort in which the author simply pieced together a number of his own forms and checklists. Don't get me wrong some forms are useful (hence the one star), but not useful enough to warrant the price. I quickly returned the book and recommend others to look elsewhere for real estate development info.

Something doesn't seem quite right..........2002-10-07

DEFINITELY NO GO!!!!!.......2002-02-01

While it appears that Mr. Noe has experience in real estate, this "book" will be of little or no assistance to anyone developing real estate. I put "book" in quotes because rather than sentences and paragraphs it is comprised of lists of items related to real estate development. However there is no instruction, interpretation, or guidance related to these items, merely list after list. I have been a Realtor for 20 years and help others develop property and develop for myself. This book is completely useless for both the novice and experienced developer. The only consolation is that it can be completed in about 15 minutes. I urge you to save your money, even though the title promises a clear and decisive path to real estate development, the text doesn't deliver anything more than lists of loosely related real estate terms.

Don't believe the 5-star reviews.......2002-01-30

I'm baffled by what book the 5-star reviewers were reading. This one is, as some others say, written in a disjointed, stream-of-consciousness style that makes it almost impossible to separate the few valuable pieces of information from the rest of the book. It appears to be a collection of the author's random notes, which he intended to eventually develop into a coherent book, but then decided it would be easier to publish as is. There was certainly nothing remotely approaching an editor involved. My next stop will be to read [...the] return policies, because this wasn't worth a fraction of the cost.

A practical and informative "how to" book.......2002-01-14

Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, Mark Noe's Go/No Go: A Hands-On Guide To Successful Real Estate Development, Building Construction, And Renovation From Concept Through Completion is a practical and informative "how to" book specifically written and designed for those contemplating a real estate project. Divided into sections on "Project Feasibility" and "Making the Deal Work," Go/No Go is also filled with sample forms, notes, even true/false self-exams in order to better impart its wisdom to the reader. Before investing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in any kind or category of costly real estate venture, it is undeniably prudent to first give Go/No Go a close and careful reading!

Book Description

Both a great American adventure and a rare entry into asheltered world, Under the Big Top describes one man's pursuit of every child's fantasy: running away to join the circus. Bruce Feiler's unforgettable year as a clown will forever change your view of one of the world's oldest art forms and remind you of how dreams can go horribly wrong -- and then miraculously come true.

Customer Reviews:

Colourful, humorous, and fascinating glimpse of the secret lives of the circus..........2006-01-26

I first discovered Bruce Feiler from reading his "Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan" in preparation for the JET Program. Being a longtime fan of the circus, when I saw "Under the Big Top," I couldn't resist. Bruce's humorous writing style (think an overeducated Dave Barry - Feiler has degrees from Yale and Cambridge) chronicles a season spent with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus, the largest tented circus in the world. He cleverly works in the fact that most circus novels (he makes thinly veiled references to Angela Carter's "Nights at the Circus" and Katherine Dunn's "Geek Love") deal with the fantastic (half-swan half-woman) and horrific (circus freaks seeking revenge), but not the day-to-day lives of the performers and crew (one notable exception is the excellent "The Circus In Winter" by Cathy Day).

Bruce acts on his lifelong desire to be a clown (he had a previous history of theatre at Yale and of miming), and is tossed into the testosterone-fuelled world of the circus's Clown Alley, where he meets an assortment of lively characters (most with criminal records) and some sexual deviants. He quickly becomes acquainted with his circus "family": the performers (acrobats, lion tamers, human cannonball), and brings the reader along on a fascinating journey into a vanishing world (confrontations with animal rights groups become more and more frequent as the season progresses). The narrative is slightly choppy, due to the present description of action in the ring that dissolves into a past narrative, then back, but "Under the Big Top" is sure to please young-at-heart fans of the circus with its menagerie of unique personalities and talents that would be out of place in the "real world."

Vicarious Escape.......2004-09-21

You don't have to run away to join the circus; Bruce Feiler's done it for you, and has written a wonderful account of what the inner life of the circus is all about. He discovers a unique subculture and lives the adventure by participating as a clown. I've enjoyed Feiler's Walking The Bible and Abraham; here is lighter fare that is pure pleasure reading.

An Exciting, Well-Written, and Often Dramatic Read.......2003-04-06

Whatever your opinions are of American circuses, whether or not you wince at the spectacle or get angry at the use of animals for entertainment, chances are you have a treasured childhood memory of being there in the stands. Whether it was a kind and jovial clown, a dazzling trapeze act or the courage of a lion tamer, you were probably amazed by the magic and mystery of the big top.

Bruce Feiler, acclaimed author of ABRAHAM and WALKING THE BIBLE, was also fascinated. And, like the old saying goes, "he ran away with the circus." For one season Feiler traveled with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus, recording both his experience as a writer and performing as a clown. The result is UNDER THE BIG TOP, an informative and very readable look at circus life, culture and history.

Feiler's status in the circus was unique. All the circus employees knew he was writing a book about them, but he was also allowed to travel as a performer. Thus the perspective of this book is unique, both insider and outsider. As an outsider (which on most levels, he always remains), Feiler explains the historical development of the circus and its acts, divulges the reality behind the seemingly miraculous feats of daring and discusses the circus as a business --- its marketing strategies and day-to- day operations. Here the narrative is interesting and enlightening: who knew how many phrases in American English such as "hold your horses" and "get this show on the road" originated with the circus? This view of the circus reveals the lives and talents of hard-working professionals, generations of performers and those misfits and adventurers who join the circus for various reasons, all working together to put on a grueling and dangerous show several times a day, day after day, for months on end.

As an insider, a performing clown called "Ruff Draft," Feiler came to understand the hierarchy of the circus, its code of conduct and the nature of its tiring work and demanding schedule. He also learned what happens after the show, when the big top is dark and gained insight into the personal lives of those people who make the circus possible. Those Feiler met and came to know during his season traveling with them are real people behind the spangles and stereotypes. Feiler contends the circus is a microcosm of America, a diverse group of 200 people representing several ethnicities, religions and nationalities. This, he suggests, is helpful to keep in mind when trying to understand how a group often seen as marginal to the American mainstream is so important to American culture. The circus workers and performers are not so marginal after all because, despite all the glitter and spectacle, they reflect the diversity of American culture --- they understand the audience much better than the audience understands them. Furthermore, the circus itself is often a defining childhood moment and those who create it, despite their career and mobile lifestyle, share much with Americans who work traditional jobs and don't live in trailers and fifth wheels.

At all times, Feiler is respectful of his subject and is careful to present their normality in the midst of the fantastic work they do. Feiler doesn't neglect to mention the issue of animal rights, but he refrains from taking sides on the issue. Instead, he presents the treatment of animals in the circus he traveled with as well as the opposition they faced in several towns and cities, leaving readers free to draw their own conclusions.

The big top, as experienced by Feiler seems to be a wonderful and dramatic place of old world values and close-knit ranks. In turn, UNDER THE BIG TOP is an exciting, often dramatic, read. It is a special glimpse into a subculture few understand but many derive pleasure from. This book is a well-written and very honest portrayal of the circus and those who compose and orchestrate it, yet it is still a fun read. The author's season with the circus was a whirlwind of excitement and devastation. With UNDER THE BIG TOP, Feiler brings the reader one step closer to life under the tent, in the spotlight and behind the scenes.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

Great Book.......2003-04-02

A wonderful book. The review a few down about the author being "bitter" and mocking of circus people is just bizarre, to say the least. He is incredibly warm in how he depicts these people and its clear that he has tremendous respect for them. The idea that he's a bitter wanna be is so far off the mark as to hardly merit a response. He's made me exciting to see this circus this Summer, which I've never done before. Bravo, Bruce. Great book.

What an amazing life!.......2003-03-09

I really loved this book. If the circus life has always fascinated you, you can live in it for a while through this book. It was short and easy to read and really satisfied my yearning to run away with the big top. Here is a man who certainly followed an unlikely dream. His style is conversational and likeable. Unexpected books that take you into other peoples lives like this are why I love to read so much.

UNDER THE BIG TOP: A SEASON WITH THE CIRCUS

Average customer rating:

UNDER THE BIG TOP: A SEASON WITH THE CIRCUS
Feiler Bruce
Manufacturer: Scribners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J503LW

Average customer rating:

Under the Big Top : A Season with the Circus
Bruce Feiler
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O68UXY

Average customer rating:

Under the Big Top: A Season with the Circus
Bruce Feiler
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEMROY

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