Social Sciences Books

Okay, so I bought the book because I'm a fan of the show, and the movie was fun, if not as sexy and smart as the series. I just found this book really boring - it seemed as though Bushnell couldn't really be bothered writing it... maybe that was to convey the superficiality and heartlessness of the people, but how can you care about people like that?
Give me the show over this any day - in the end it was the friendships between Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha that gave it its zsa zsa zsou - and the superb acting.
Some chapters are insightful but overall, it's bland. I'm just glad that it spawned the series though!

I have to admit when I first got the book I expected something similar to the series. Even though this was not the case, I was not dissapointed. A lot of the stories made me laugh out loud to myself. I saw truths in the stories. This book and the series makes one enjoy being a girl!

Beware!! This is not a novel!! If you want an engrossing read and you want the girls from sex and the city, do not let this fool you. This book is more of an essay. Paragraph after paragraph of what appears to be the newspaper column maybe. Not novel format at all. I was real disapointed because I enjoyed Lipstick Jungle and Trading Up and Four Blondes. This book is nothing like them.

I'm an absolute Sex and the City nut. Been addicted to the show for years. Happy to finaly have the book it all come from.

The book is a collection of chronicles initially published in a magazine. Put together, they don't really make a book, they make... a collection of chronicles bound in a single volume. It is pleasant to read one or two at a time. Bushnell is a kean and witty observer. But one cannot read the whole book at once. The fantastic narcissistic quest for pleasure and consumer love, and parade of money and social status of these bachelor New Yorkers between 30 and 45 quickly gets tiring.

Bought it for a college course because I had to. Fell in love with it because it's well written, well thought out and full of more information than I thought I could possibly learn about films. The beautiful color photos contained within also help to keep one's interest.

Yes it's pricey, but it's also worth it!!

This book provides insight into the many aspects of movies. It focuses on the details that you don't consciously think about when viewing movies. Any beginning film student (or anyone interested in getting more out of the movie watching experience) will find this book very helpful. I also enjoyed the references to movies young and old.

This textbook was purchased to fulfill a required "humanaties" course, while attending college. It's informative, easy to read, and guides you into becoming a "trained observer" in the art of watching films. As part of the curriculum I was instructed to watch several films selected by my professor. Some of the assigned films I would have never viewed by choice, including classics. However, this textbook has definitely given me a whole new perspective when attending a movie theater or at home watching a DVD. I've also acquired a deeper appreciation and understanding for all the hard work that goes into film making. Buy it for school or as a guide to help you enjoy your next movie experience.

product was exactly how seller describe. the book gives great insight to understanding all the components and theatrical elements of a film. Every element in a film is purposely selected in order to catch the audience attention and emotions. Highly recommend this book.

Used this book in an intro to film class. I will keep it on the shelf as a reference book. For class it has smooth reading that is cohesive, didn't seem like it has filler information in it. It was fun to read. The context was very helpful in class for lectures, and movie analyzation. Goes over key aspects of film as well as very detailed examples of what to look for, how to see it.

The title was all that attracted me to this book. It seemed poorly written and nobody in our book club enjoyed this book. The characters came and went and then reappeared (the book was in chronological order versus taking one character at a time) which made it confusing. It was a hard read. I actually got through another book club pick "Andersonville" by Kantor- almost 1000 pages with less trouble.

Although this book was listed by the vendor, it was out of stock so I never got it. My account was credited, but why list the book when it isn't available.?

I recieved the book promptly. The book is in good condition. I am currently enjoying the book and it is alway nice to see history thru a woman's eyes. Thank You Cokie Roberts

One of the most sophomoric books to hit the market in a while, the prose is bad, the content is mere filler of cute stories of women doing very little, and the author can't stay on the subject at all.

Ms. Roberts did a fine job on sharing the little known history of our founding mothers. It opens one's eyes to the role women really did play in the war for independence.

This series is absolutely fantastic. It's a young adult series but it definitely shouldn't stop anyone from reading it (I mean look at Harry Potter, we all read that, and it started out considered a Middle Grade series. A good book is a good book, no matter the intended age group.)

Claire Danvers is an incredibly bright girl, and at 16, she's already in college living away from her parents. Trouble with one of the mean girls at school and her gang of thugs has caused Claire to opt for living off campus. She lives in the Glass house. A spooky house owned by Michael Glass who is dead, a ghost by day, and alive by night. She also lives with a goth girl named Eve and a normal guy named Shane.

Morganville has vampires, it's like vampire headquarters. In this book they are the vamp equivalent of the mafia. The humans in the town sign up with a vamp for his/her protection. They donate blood. They wear metal arm bands that show they are protected, with their patron's symbol on it. It's all very neat and tidy. For a YA novel, these are some of the creepiest vampires I've come across in awhile.

I really love this series and will definitely be picking up book three as soon as possible. The first book in this series is called: "Glass Houses"

I love this series. It is such a breath of fresh air, in a genre that seems to keep repeating itself as far as plots and character development. In Rachel Caine's vampire world, Morganville, the vamps are pretty scary guys and they have convienant ways of 'hiding' people who go missing. And a lot of people DO go missing in Morganville. An extra curve is thrown to the story line when we realize that the crazy band of vampire hunters, led by Shane's father, are scary and bad too. They don't care who gets killed in their quest to rid Morganville of its vampires. Shane gets swept along in his father's plans and gets captured and its up to Claire and her ghostly friend Michael and his goth girlfriend Eve, to save Shane. Will Claire stop at nothing to save Shane? Michael seems to be making some unholy deals of his own. I encourage everyone to read this series. It has only gotten better since its amazing debut "Glass Houses". There is no lack of action or suspense. The relationships are cute and realistic and as an adult I can easily overlook that this is meant to be a Young Adult novel. I also must reiterate that this book stands out from the Twilight series and in a positive way. There is more action, more plot, and the characters are strong people.

not as great as the first one. i read maybe 100 pages and it didnt get going yet. im sure it will get better as i read on.

THE DEAD GIRLS DANCE {Morganville Vampires Book 2}
RACHEL CAINE
Paranormal YA

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Claire is a brilliant college student stuck in Morganville. With possibly no way out...ever. Living with Shane, Michael and new best friend Eve, she is trying to attend college and live a halfway normal life. With vampires running the town, she gets driven to school and tries to lay low at night. Claire is a personable girl with a catty wit that will make you laugh out loud.

In book two of the series, Claire and her friends are all involved with new problems. Branching out from where GLASS HOUSES ended, Shane's dad is in for a visit after Shane called him. His dad is after blood, and it's not the human kind. With a mad man on the loose and killing vampires, everyone is pointing fingers at Claire, Michael, Eve and Shane. Oliver, the vampire manager of Common Grounds, is plotting revenge and is getting help from an unlikely source. Eve also starts a new job at a coffee shop on Claire's college campus. While indulging in coffee and talking to Eve, a college guy named Ian invites the girls to EEK frat houses' Dead Girls Dance. Michael, still not able to leave the house, makes a choice that will not be easily forgotten and will shock all of his friends in the house. When Shane gets into some trouble, because of dear ole dad, Claire and Eve decide to go to the frat party, with a seat-gripping chain of events all the way to the end.

THE DEAD GIRLS DANCE gripped me from page one, just as much, if not more, than the first book in the series. Ms. Caine knows how to get readers interested and keep them hanging on. From the antics of the spoiled-brat Monica to the ending at the frat party, this book is non-stop fun. It flows smoothly and is very hard to predict what's going to happen next. All the characters are well-developed; you can feel their emotions of having to live in this town that's overrun by vampires. THE DEAD GIRLS DANCE is one of the best vampire stories that I have read so far.

Ms. Caine is the author of another series called `The Weather Warden' and some other stand-alone titles. She continues to write books for the `Morganville Vampire' series. Her website, www.rachelcaine.com, has loads of information on her and her books. She also has a myspace page that includes some wallpaper from the books and a mailing list you can sign up for with the latest information on contests and new releases.


Holly
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
June 2008

I didn't BUY this product so I don't know why I'm being asked to review it.

This is a very good book for those who are trying to understand how innovations can be adopted and how they affect our lifes.

This is, and has been for some time, an important leadership concept. The book is very well written.

Rogers' five stages of the innovation-decision process appears simple on the surface, but the detail and substance behind the simplicity bear reflective thinking by leaders of both large and small organizations. Busy leaders may be inclined to shy away from this text, simply because of its length; however, the case studies of real-life situations are worth the expense of time and money. Serious, committed organizational leaders at both strategic and operational levels should review this text in order to better understand the innovation-decision process, the generation of innovations, and how attributes of innovations affect adoption rates. Furthermore, the changing nature and structure of 21st century organizations dictate that leaders need to be aware of, and engaged in, diffusion networks through which innovation and growth can be accelerated. Rogers' text is a must read for the knowledgeable leader who seeks to gain competitive advantage in an accelerating world of disruptive, non-evolutionary change.

This book is fascinating. It discusses the spread of ideas and products through communities, how they spread and why. Rogers breaks down the process and describes different categories of people depending on when they take up the innovation. This book is very readable, and although written by an academic, not written in academese. It covers various domains of interest (agriculture, sociology, marketing) and has something for everyone.

The one thing I think Rogers has missed is subjective norm. Not only do people weigh the relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability, but they also weigh up what they believe their personal network believes what they should do.

For instance, I will do something that someone important (to me)tells me to do, even if I personally find it silly, simply because I put enough weight and consideration into what I believe is their opinion.

Rogers gets close to that with the discussion of personal networks and adoption of innovations by organisations, but still misses the point. That is why this book only gets four stars, from me.

Very insightful. A must read for a variety of academic disciplines. I don't know that I've been in a professor's office at my university and not seen this book on the shelf!

Betty Friedan's 1962 classic on feminism, based on her own interviews as well as research by others, like: Sigmund Freud (who she generally disagrees with), Margaret Mead, Dr. Alfred Kinsey, and Henry Maslow, provides insight into the status of American women of that era. Those who chose housewifery over higher education are especially maligned, less so are those who became educated and then obtained an MRS. According to Friedan, most women of that time felt unfulfilled living the life of a hausfrau. Each chapter covers a different aspect of the "feminine mystique" aka "mystique," phrases used interchangeably and occurring about 200 times in the book. "The problem that has no name" seems to be that American women were kept from growing to their full capacities due to the expectations of others. The author provides alternately what seems like reasonable, reliable information on women, for example, the attitude of many men (and probably some women) that they needn't bother becoming educated because they will become wives and mothers anyway, as well as contentions and conclusions (sometimes based on others' research) that are excessively inflammatory or just plain wrong. Among them, the comparison of housewife wannabes with concentration camp victims, (p 423) `...the women...who grow up wanting to be "just a housewife," are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps...' and that mothers are at least partially to blame for schizophrenia, (p 414) `As for the causes, the authorities felt that they "must examine the personality of the mother, who is the medium through which the primitive infant transforms himself into a socialized human being."' This sort of heavy-handedness is a major turnoff of the book. Ms. Friedan, founder of the National Organization for Women, fit the role of educated unsatisfied housewife that she wrote of so extensively (and had some pretty unconventional political views). In the epilogue she tells about her divorce (in 1969) after which she felt "less lonely than any time in her life."

As a college-educated mom, I too cringe every time I write "housewife" on the line marked "Occupation," but thankfully, gone are the days when women chose not to bother with college because being a wife and mother was so important. Hopefully, women who choose to have children and can afford to do so will make the choice that is best for their children (tougher than any paying job I've ever had). The Feminine Mystique was a landmark book in the 1960s, and contains information that is both timeless and timely, spot on and off the mark. I found some of the historical information and research particularly interesting, but her personal interviews with women generally awful. Those who loved this book will likely also enjoy: The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, Servants of the Map by Andrea Barrett, and Runaway by Alice Munro.

I am a 23 yr. old woman reading a book that was written in 1963 for and about women. I thought this book would help me learn more about women's history, but it was a huge eye-opener and a complete inspiration. The chapters in this book still describe me as a young American woman almost 40 yrs. later. Every woman and man should read this book. It has completely opened my eyes.

I have long avoided reading this book, since I knew that Ms Friedan had a low opinion of housewives, and being one myself, I didn't think reading this book would do me any good. However, I finally took the plunge, and found it even worse than I had imagined.

Ms Friedan's loathing for the housewife is so venemous that it took me quite aback. Housewives, she reckoned, are mentally arrested, infantile women, afraid to engage in the 'real world' of work (it goes without saying that the workplace is more 'real' than the home, at any rate in Ms Friedan's estimation).

Her theory was that any woman who spent her life as a housewife was wasting her time, only in paid work could a woman really find fulfillment. And not just any paid work either. She doesn't have a kind word to say for the men who work at jobs which are not exciting, fulfilling, and challenging either. The housewife is no more making a significant contribution to society, she tells us, than is the man imagines he has built a car because he tightens the bolts on the assembly line. It doesn't seem to occur to Ms Friedan that we can't all be brain surgeons, college professors, and high court judges. Someone's got to tighten the bolts.

Ms Friedan believed that the rash of divorces in America at the time she was writing the book (early 60s) were caused by men being sick of supporting their useless wives. However, since nowadays most wives work, and since the rate of divorce has not noticeably decreased, I can't help feeling that perhaps the zombie-like housewife is not ENTIRELY to blame for this situation. She thought housewives were to blame for child-battering and homosexuality as well. Neither of those things have noticeably decreased since women gave up being housewives.

Even women who are not housewives are not necessarily safe from Ms Friedan's icy disapproval. She launches an attack on Shirley Jackson and Jean Kerr, both of whom wrote sublimely funny books about raising their children. Ms Friedan seems to be annoyed that even a career woman might think that her children are worth writing about.

But then I'm only a dumb housewife, what would I know?

Betty Friedan is known for her work in feminism, this book is well written. All modern women should read this book for a point of reference. Good read, a good reference book to own.

Let me start off by saying that this book got an additional star from me because I completely agree with the point of this book: That if woman doesn't stand up and provide themselves with an identity and use themselves to their whole potential, they will become incomplete and nothing. This is mainly summed up in the chapter: A New Life Plan for Women. I recommend this book simply on this chapter. It is inspiring, positive, and relevant for women to read, even to this day. However, the rest of this book was hard for me to get through. In reference to the title of my review, I am young and perhaps I can't relate to some of the issues Ms. Friedan has brought up because of the women's movement of the '60's and '70's which has provided me with more opportunity, as a woman, to make life and career choices for myself without pressure or guilt. I am glad that I don't have the restrictions that women had back then and I am so grateful that there were women out there that knew our potential and were not willing to compromise it. But asides from possibly not liking the material because I found it hard to relate to, I did find that Ms.Friedan used alot of subject matter that is at best, subjective (for instance, the chapter Mistaken Choice was absurdly biased-- she makes references that the men in the military that were rejected for service due to mental issues usually came from homes that had doting overly loving mothers, that juvenile deliquency was non-existent in the homes of mothers who worked, that Russian children were more stable and adjusted than American children because their mothers worked or had interests outside the home etc, and that she even goes to imply that over loving a child is more traumatic for the child than raising them in a household where whippings and beatings are frequent possibilties.) There are other scattered observations that she made that I found hard to swallow as well, such as part of the chapter The Sexual Sell which implies that business caters to the homemakers because they do all the buying, and that mothers with careers or serious interests outside the home do not have the time to take to buy from business. I find it hard to believe that big business couldn't capitalize on the working mom. I can't believe that a working mom wouldn't be interested in an appliance that could cut her time to get chores done back then as well as today. That part of the chapter made no sense to me. Basically, I felt that Ms. Friedan used a lot of subjective facts, scare tactics (mother and housewife bashing), and propaganda that was unnecessary, at best, to get to her more inspiring point. I felt that all that "material" detracted from the point of the book, but I am glad I made it all the way through to get to the "New Plan." That's where the "heart of the artichoke" lies. But to those of you who feel that the point of the book is, "women who are unhappy with their lives are this way because they don't have a job" are missing the point. While although it is evident that she found her calling through her career and those around her (upper middle class women with privilege) did the same, her point is for women to challenge themselves and demand more than what is offered. Don't settle for less.

I read this book after watching - several times over - David Simon's most recent work, The Wire. I have always been interested in detectives and was drawn by this book because it is non-fiction. As well as being a highly enjoyable read, I would say there were three main takeaways. First, the detailed first-hand account of actual cases and methods of investigation (including related disciplines such as interrogation, medical examination, ballistics, trace evidence, etc. as well as the legal processes and challenges that lead to conviction) have made me much more familiar with the actual process of solving murders. Second, a basic understanding of the structure and organization of a homicide unit within the police department and how the system is incentivized to solve crimes. Third, an appreciation of how these detectives - through late-night drinking sessions and office humor - manage to make their lives livable when they are not dealing with the darker side of their profession. Simon's first book is really special, I look forward to reading it again someday.

Homicide is one of the better of the crime reporting novels I have read. Simon was definitely at the top of his game.

He manages to write the book with more of a novel feel then a biography of the people involved. Other similar books, such as 'Homicide Special' try for the same thing, but you still feel the writer in their presence. Simon makes the reader feel as if they are there without feeling that the writer is intruding on anything.

The cases the officers work on are all interesting, and not all are slam dunks or even solvable. Many authors would feel a need to make their book have cases with endings. I applaud Simon for not giving in to that temptation.

Baltimore definitely plays a role in this book, and you get a real feeling for the city. You can see in this book the seed that would eventually sprout the series 'Homicide'.

If you are interested in detective work this is an excellent read. I highly recommend this book.

great book - heard David Simon on NPR and he knows the streets of BMore

Journalist David Simon's homicidic tome, published in 1991, follows a group of detectives from the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit for an entire year, beginning in January 1988. It is a gritty, great read about the matter-of-factness of murder in a city with one of the highest rates in the nation. An article in a recent (April 19, 2008) issue of New Economist highlights a recent drop in that rate (from 282 homicides in 2007). During the year of Simon's internship, there were 234 murders, followed by (p 618) 262 in 1989 and 302 in 1990. Based on those four years, that's an average of one violent death every 18 hours.

What Simon was able to put together from his year's worth of journalistic scribblings on life with the good guys and the bad guys is a fantastic fly on the wall's eye view: the graphic violence of crime scenes, the raunchy humor of and banter between the detectives, the despair of the victims' family members, and the utter stupidity of many of the criminals: (p 16) "the investigator's saving grace is the killer's overwhelming disposition toward incompetence or, at the very least, gross error." His Guidebook of Death Investigation Rules are remarkable: (p 34) "Rule Number One...the page 1 entry in a detective's lexicon: Everyone lies." Rule Five is equally profound (p 237), "It's good to be good: it's better to be lucky." Best of the book: Simon's ability to capture the events in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, even with several welcome change ups to the overall chronological format. Covering every aspect of "life on the killer streets" Homicide is a perfect read for tome-loving crime buffs, neither category of which I belong. Also good, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer, and Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Mr. Simon's writing style, which is both intresting and easy to follow. The only negative about this book is the language, which may offend some people.

My daughter recently tore her ACL playing soccer at the club level. She was a freshman in HS, at the time. I wish I had come across this book before that fateful day and not a month after.

Warrior Girls is well-written, well thought out, and well-researched. The first chapters are grim with cautionary tales of promising female athletes who were forced to give up their dream of a career in sports because of serial injuries. Fortunately, as the book progresses, the author passes on information about research that is being conducted and prevention programs that are being adopted for the prevention of these serious, debilitating, and purposely ignored injuries to our teen-aged daughters!

My daughter's surgeon told us it is very unlikely that she will tear her ACL again. However, after reading this book, I've learned that my daughter my have a pre-disposition to knee injuries and without some sort of training and prevention program, she may likely do it again! More parents and coaches should be aware of the terrible risks to our daughters' health and sports careers and insist that schools and clubs institute an injury prevention program.

A must-read for parents, coaches and club-directors!

This book will help you protect your daughter from over zealous coaches. It's an incredibly interesting story. It's wonderful that girls are able to participate in sports like never before. It's not wonderful when they're on the sidelines in crutches.

This book will show you how to prevent your daughter from becoming an injury statistic. It will empower parents who are not familiar with the modern sports culture to protect their children. You'll learn how to recognize when your child is doing too much and a coach is demanding too much.

It's a wonderful story and very interesting to read.

Girls are suffering ACL injuries (which can take as much as year to recover from) at an alarming rate in soccer games and similar sports. Sokolove reviews the evidene about these injuries and suggests valuable training reforms that might spare these girls from such devastating injuries. This is a "must read" for any dad or mom whose teenage daughter is in competitive soccer, basketball, lacrosse, or similar sport.