Future Books

When I first opened up this book, I skipped to the last couple of chapters as I had read a couple of other books on zoos recently, I didn't think I would want to read the first few chapters as it would be repetitive information from the others - I ended up going to the start and reading the whole book, in < 2 days. The writing style is clear,logic good, and author's knowledge of zoos (And newer concepts) - all over the world is extensive, detailed, and impressive. He has a sharp eye for how a zoo is an alteration of reality.

I realized early on that the author knows his stuff when I read a single paragraph in one of the later chapters where he identified quite possibly the best zoo in the world - The Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. A zoo I visited in late 2003 - which surprised me as being quite innovative, and impressively landscaped, and designed. (Author also highlights the Costa Rica ZooAve, Belize Zoo, and Tuxtle Guiterrez, Mexico zoo - I haven't been to any of these)

As an extensive traveler and scuba diver, I dislike zoos intensely, aquariums less so. The difference between making the effort to see an animal in the wild versus at a zoo like a checklist is to put it mildly - like night and day. This author understands it. (Though I was quite impressed by Singapore's night safari concept - also heard of a night one in Malaysia - though not been yet. Many animals are more active at night.)

I've been to a handful of zoos and aquariums, most of them recently in support of a project - but they are "among the best" - San Diego, Seattle's Woodland Park, and aquariums - Monterey Bay, Seattle, and Osaka, Japan and a couple of others that are shameful - Tacoma Zoo, Monte Carlo aquarium. I hope I never visit one again - save for a few, countable on one hand, that the author highlights.

Mr. Hancocks gives a short, but concise overview on the history of zoos / animal keeping - starting from Egypt to the present day - how they evolved and how they are changing / "improving." His detailed knowledge of specific exhibits types globally, and the fallacy of zoo "conservation" efforts is impressive to say the least. He also talks about what zoos, bioparks, or museums might look like in the future, and what their future role should / can be, and even why they fall short of better examples today. He does offer both praise and criticism. He notes the irony of many zoo initiatives. I can't recommend this book any higher. This easily vaults into one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read.

Instead of zoos, how about building cities of harmony? In Nara, Japan, a modern town of 365k, 1,200 deer roam freely. There is a yearly ceremony where the antlers are cut off, otherwise they roam around in a large central park, unfenced. Accidents with cars are few due to walkable streets and low speed car traffic.

Additional books I recommend:

Life at the Zoo - perspective from a zoo veterinarian - though his logic is not quite as sound as Mr. Hancocks, nor is his knowledge of zoos around the world. Good writing style though, attentive to details, and easy to read bibliography (Which is how I found - A Different Nature).

Keepers of the Kingdom:New American Zoo - Coffee table style book with lots of large colorful photographs on the newest "innovations" of American Zoos (By a reknown NG wildlife photographer)

Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West - Quite detailed history, but easy to get lost in the writing. LOTS of wondeful historical photographs / pictures from the past. Many from Europe.

...read A Different Nature for intellectual honesty and a global perspective, Life At the Zoo for some more details and perspective from a zoo doctor, and check out the other two for the wonderful photographs!

See the excellent review of this book in the journal, Science (Vol. 292, page 1304, 18 May 2001), by Michalel H. Robinson, the former director of the US National Zoo. The role of zoos is normally conceived of as fourfold: to promote recreation, education, research and conservation. He concludes that, in fact, only the very best zoos realize this potential. How many visitors, for example, leave a zoo knowing more about animal needs or their native habitats than when they entered? This reflects a failure of zoological parks to promote "biological literacy." Part of the problem is the frequent catering of zoological parks to show off charismatic vertebrates to humans desiring to see them. Yet it is increasingly recognized that effective conservation must be ecological in scope and based on large-scale "in situ" preservation of habitats. This book calls for a new vision of Zoological Gardens, to help save the world around us.

David Hancocks has a lot of bad things to say about zoos - but he doesn't come at it from a wing-nut "zoos are evil" perspective. He criticizes them, justifiably and intelligently, for doing a poor job. As he sees it, zoos should be able to help animals and truly educate people about nature (of which fauna are just one part), but most often they don't do so well enough.

He goes through the history of zoos, from ancient menageries to Disney's Animal Kingdom, and shows how that history relates to political, religious and scientific trends. He explains lucidly how zoos should (and sometimes do) interlock zoology with conservation, botany, geology, architecture and other fields. He doles out praise to various institutions when merrited - which is in several cases, but sadly, far outweighed by the times when zoos have failed. It's time to start doing a better job, while there's still time.

This book will give you a lot of food for thought, and make you see animals and nature and zoos in a new light. It will makes you see zoos' flaws, but also their potential.

It's changed the way I view the past, present, and future. The author's broad experience and intense knowledge of science and technology provides the reader with a new way to view the world. The author provides astonishing parallels between historic events and the way they will shape the future. The technological perspective provides a glimpse into the future of mankind that I have never imagined. However, the author's unique perspectives and vivid descriptions made it easy to imagine the future. The new view of the future developed from reading this book will change and impact business and political decisions made by the reader.

This fascinating book has some of the best imaginative descriptions of daily business life in the 21st Century, a very interesting discussion of the history of Western science and a stimulating thesis on the impact of the Internet and digital technology generally on the future shape of human consciousness. But these various elements are woven together throughout its 400+ pages. Essentially, there are at least five distinct books here:

* The theoretical and metaphysical discussion -- the relationship between mind, spirit and digital technology, which is now being and will be transformed by technological advancements.

* A series of scenario-style depictions of various aspect of future life, including space travel. The Future Business Day in Chapter Nine is especially good, and engagingly believable.

* A history of human life and life generally on this planet, with a later focus on Western European scientific thought.

* The dialogic discussion between the author and his two internal left and right brain dynamics - which I assume are archetypical and thus similar to the internal dialogues of other thinking beings.

* A personal history of the author or narrator, who was raised and educated in Europe but now lives in Montana.

However, the effort of plowing through this rather complex structure has its rewards. In fact, the book can be read in sections, as many discussions are rather self-contained. For example, Chapter 11: Minding the Future is very strong. While not every reader who is interested in the evolution of consciousness will be interested in the history of physics or mathematics or vice versa. In other words, not everybody's left and right brains are as well balanced as the narrator's seems to be - with these two 'fictional' characters arguing among themselves as peers.

All in all, it is a charming book. The banter between the two sides of the author's consciousness is quite amusing, and the tone and intelligence of the writing invites serious consideration of the author's main thesis on the evolution of consciousness and digital technology. He also makes judicious and often persuasive use of a wide range of quotes, including those of Ray Kurzweil (especially from an interview the author conducted in March of 2002). In fact, the critical assessment of Kurzwiel's work in terms of the author's own thinking is worth the effort of plowing through the rest (a hint: try the aforementioned Chapter 11). More information about the book and its ideas can be found at www.digeality.com.

This book takes you on a journey from the Big Bang to the digitally expanded human mind ahead of us. The tour guides Einstein, Darwin and a range of modern philosophers take you to where we are today. Gravity, black holes, entropy and the unexplained lack of mass in the universe are just some of the aspects of the expanding physical world. The emergence of life, DNA, the genes and nature's way of expanding life are shown to provide the basis for the importance of mankind. After the dominance of the physical reality, the author here shows how the memes accelerate the dominance of the mental reality, like the physical reality, expanding for ever. Next you'll see that this mental reality must provoke a digital reality as the means to further progress and expand.
The book provides many instruments for analyzing the world in which we take part. It provides a valuable introduction to modern philosophy. With so many hooks to science and life it must to many of us provide themes for, with confidence and respect, working on our future.
When IT is important to you and its current technological achievements are not enough for you then definitely read this book. Observe, dream, doubt and think with the author. Enjoy the view on digeality.

Bruce Babcock's book is spectacular. It cuts through all the nonsense in futures trading and reveals what is essential to surviving. Mr. Babcock provides lucid and honest evaluations of popular trading systems. The chapter on optimization is extremely useful. Wonderful book!! Far superior to most of the trash out there.

Published in 1989 ! A great guide to trading systems. Recommended !

Very readable, witty and entertaining. Much of the concepts emphasized in the book are essentials of trading. Whilst alot may be now accepted as common knowledge, there remains an enduring quality to this book. Some of the stuff will undoubtedly be very dated (such as references to software etc.). Other issues have remained unresolved (to optimize or not, and how much to optimize). Still other aspects will always be relevant. Personally, I think many traders, at any level will enjoy reading this book, which must be regarded as a classic.

The Drifters by Michael Silverhawk peels the magnificently complicated layers of an epic story of "what if." In the grandest fashion of love and war, truth and justice, the power of knowledge with the intensity of focus, and the potential to learn the vast capabilities available, man's unshakable ability to amaze himself becomes evident. Told through the eyes of a hero, a warrior of light, we move from a modern day dilemma of right and wrong involving the fate of humanity into a futuristic landscape where each must claim the gifts of divine power as a true inheritance of human beings. To use the Golden Rule, man must recognize that true civilization exists when one has individual control over behavior with conscience as a guide, surpassing the restraints of socialization where the masses or government control conduct of the individual.

Silverhawk's fantastic adventure dazzles us with the splendor of a spiritual text transformed into a dynamic action work. Drifters are beings who move into lives and incarnations during their sleep periods, spanning lifetimes in other realms, with the purpose of guiding presences and societies there toward growth and evolution. As these heroic characters fight for the survival of all those who practice in the light, we learn that the paradox of God is that winning may not always seem so. In this intriguing and engaging piece of fast-paced drama, these questions reach out, spanning the time-space continuum: "what is enlightenment?" and "Who is the 'I am" who observes the mind, ego, feelings, and personality?"

Through the expansive teachings of Michael Silverhawk, we glean the connection to God with yin and yang, angels who never incarnate but aid humans, the masterful alpha and omega entity, and the final awareness that God will help those who do their best. When man masters himself he becomes his own sovereign republic where freedom is wrought with responsibilities. Lifetimes encompass emotional links to the Grand Matrix, and battles which present internally as well as with exterior manifestation. Each of our lives matters as we grow through the kaleidoscope of experiences. Our souls linked to the All that Is should fully engage as we observe and identify choices, knowing that each of us creates the color of destiny. The resolution states our surprise when we discover that the inquiry is not "why me, " but "why not me?" The Drifters presents a marvelous text of new age insight couched within the delightfully enjoyable framework of science fiction.

From the first paragraph, I was gripped in its spell. I just KNEW that this book tells the truth of how it really is. I cried , I laughed, I "Yes, Yes, Yessed" and punched the air. Thank you for sticking your head above the parapet Michael Silverhawk. There are more people out there that this will touch on a core level than are probably aware. Buy it, read it, live it!

This first in the Drifters trilogy is a bellwether novel, blending sci fi and the spiritual in a way I found to be quite unexpected. It's definitely not a Left Behind Series clone, and both story and writing are fresh and exhilarating.

Jonathan Ladd, USN Retired, is about to embark on the mother of all missions. His life as a black ops specialist has left him jaded and cynical. Everywhere he looks is corruption, hopelessness, and desapir. A few powerful men with deep pockets have developed technology that will wipe out most of mankind instead of creating the needed healing and renaissance. His long time friendship with Max Draco has been ripped to shreds by an unthinkable abomination. Only his love for Johanna Starling eases Jonathan, and even that blessing is tenuous. Then, through a mysterious discovery from ancient times, Jonathan discovers the answers to questions that have haunted mankind since time began.

He is unexpectedly propelled into a future world of time travel and telepathy, to Earth as God intended it to be. Seas are radiant with life. Earth itself is pristine, with oxygen rich air and pure, sweet water. To the battle weary Jonathan, all is primordial perfection. Earth's inhabitants are loving and compassionate. He sees wonders beyond human comprehension, learns awe inspiring secrets from the past. And finally the hardened warrior from Earth's sullied past becomes the savior of his world, destined to encounter evil personified.

Michael Silverhawk has spent a lifetime searching for the face of God. Our human history has wandered far afield of God's plan for His world. Life as we know it has become skewed and manipulated for nefarious reasons. The U.S. especially has veered off the path intended by her founders. Drifters shows us both sides of the coin - what was, is, and could be again with love and compassion as the key. The key that unlocks human potential is hidden within the Drifters trilogy. I recommend you hitch a ride on this adventure. Volume One is just the beginning.

basically satisfied with everything. the book came in good condition and was pretty much on time.

The American writer Willaim Saroyan once said, "In the time of your life, live---so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it."

In this time of global terrorism, rising oil prices, climatic disruption and political decay, hope is an increasingly scarce resource. Leadership too is becoming a perception to be managed and not a trait to be displayed. West African writer and teacher Malidoma Some declares that we have "an instinct of community," and so as societies grow and evolve, they build up resevoirs of social capital, taking generations to fill.

This instinct for community -- toward cooperation and competition, or so called 'co-opetition' by Brandenberger & Nalebuff -- is so strong in humans that we come into this world stocked with such emotions as anger, pride, shame, and guilt -- all of which, according to Fukuyama, "come into play in response to people who either are honest and cooperate, or who cheat and break the rules.

Yet the promise of this communal synthesis is being degraded as we "are using the instinct of community to separate and protect us from one another, rather than creating a global culture of diverse yet interwoven communities." Based on the interdependent models available to us in eco-systems theory, there is the possibility to "to connect to others through their diversity, [to re-establish] communities that succeed in creating sustainable [long-term] relationships."

It is the collaboration and cooperation of individuals in elaborate interdependent networks of relationships that allows new capabilities and talents to emerge. Individual fitness leads to greater societal and communal fitness and the connections and relationships strengthen and reinforce the fabric of society.

Yet as individuals weave this social fabric, a paradox is created -- the individual must surrender autonomy to achieve community. This paradoxical tension can lead to even greater awareness and understanding of the role of the individual in society, or it may contain the seed of our eventual self-destruction.

As Wheatley proclaims, "This paradox can be a great teacher to us humans. When we don't answer these questions as a community, when we have no agreements about why we belong together, the institutions we create to serve us become battle grounds that serve no one. Our institutions dissipate into incoherence and impotence. In the absence of these agreements, our instinct of community leads us to a community of 'me' not a community of 'we'." Such is the paradox and the promise of community.

Before WW I, fewer that 5% of the population lived in a city. Today in developed countries, less that 5% live in a rural area. All of this has occured in less than 100 years.

The key to survival and health of this new urban society is the development of communities in the city, by non-profit social sector insititutions, according to Peter Drucker.

Human beings need community. If no communities are available for constructive ends, there will be destructive communities, i.e. gangs to fill the void.

This thoughtfully written, well organized book is about the future -- the future quality of our lives. In "The Community of the Future", the editors have gathered the wisdom and insights from 31 distinguished authors, from around the world, to discuss their unique perspective on the nature of community.

The book is divided into six sections: * Trends Shaping the Evolution of the Community * The Values of Community * The Impact of New Communication Technology * Creating Community in Organization * Strengthening the Social Fabric * Global Dimensions of Community.

If you are interested in creating the future, strengthening our communities and improving our understanding of our world, I highly recommend "The Community of the Future".

Building the global community of the future is not the work of tomorrow. We are each called to build it today -- to build it now.

This was actually a pretty good textbook. It was easy to read and to comprehend. It had some good advice and suggestions on being a good manager. I would recommend it to anyone who's looking to promote to a managerial position, not just in corrections. It has good examples on what makes a good manager and what doesn't. There are many managers who need to get a clue about how they're coming across and that they don't need to be a jerk to get results.

The book is in excellent condition and arrived in a timely manner.

Need I say more? The book was brand new - no marks inside or out. I couldn't ask for faster shipping. THANKS!

Empowering Adolescent Girls is a "must-read" for anyone who has an adolescent girl, knows one, teaches one, counsels one, works with one, is one, or is in any way curious about what makes them tick and how to more successfully communicate with them. This is an intelligent, articulate, compassionate, and realistic approach to a very difficult and important social phenomenon. Daley in particular is masterful at connecting clinical theory to everyday application, and does so in prose that is both concrete and clear. She manages to seamlessly blend tough-minded seriousness with humor and empathy, revealing both extensive experience with and a natural feel for her subject. Do yourself a favor and put Empowering Adolescent Girls, and the accompanying Go Grrrls Workbook, at the top of your summer reading list!

I just finished reading empowering adolescent girls and I am going to start over at the beginning. This book contains a wealth of information. It is encyclopedic in scope, but offers specific strategies for working with real girls. The curriculum that is included in the book is really helpful as it lays out exactly how to conduct a group meeting. It even has evaluation tools and a companion parent curriculum to use. It's like getting three books in one. The workbook is a perfect tool to use with girls. It incorporates fun and informative activities in an interactive format that I know my clients will love. I'll be using this as a reference for years to come, and expect to order several more workbooks for clients to use.

This is a "must-read" for anyone who has an adolscent girl, knows one, works with one, is one, or is in any way curious about what makes them tick and how to communicate more successfully with them. An intelligent, articulate, compassionate, and realisitic approach to a very important and difficult subject. Daley in particular is outstanding at connecting clinical theory to everyday application, and does so in prose that is both concrete and clear. She manages to seamlessly mix tough-minded seriousness with humor and empathy, revealing both extensive experience with and a natural feel for her subject. Do yourself a favor and put Empowering Adolsecent Girls and the Go Grrrls Workbook at the top of your summer reading list!

Where is this guy and why isn't he teaching seminars? This is truly an incredible book. I have been reading books on energy medicine for over 20 years now and as a bodyworker who relies on energy healing I was so impressed with the content of this book. This guy is the real deal. He has a gift that he passes on to each of us. Not only does he discuss how human energy works in the body, but he actually gives the reader exercises and "how to" information so they can start using this practical wisdom. Most books only discuss how the energy flows and give whacky, new age-y exercises to follow, without giving any real practical "how to" advice. Not this book. There are lots of pertinent exercises to build the ability to sense energy. After putting his theories into practice, I noticed a marked increase in my ability to feel and see energy. I have searched for other works by this author to no avail. I hope he comes back out of obscurity and writes more, or teaches his profound wisdom in seminar settings. Thank you Mark. I loved it!!

I am an a electrical engineer who has usually followed a very western medical science oriented view of health and fitness. I became interested in meditation and breathing becuase of the death of someone who was close to me. I bought this book, originally because I was interested in self healing. What I got out of it was a much stronger sense of who I am and and what I am doing with my own life, in addition to healing. Mark Rich gives a much bigger picture of who we are and how we function energetically. There are other books out there on this subject but this one seems to be written very matter of factly and straight to the point. I can relate to that! Highly recomended!

I am sorry to say that I know nothing about Mark Rich - the author of this impressive book - apart from the few notes on the cover and in the introduction. In some senses I am rather pleased about that, because the book contains some unique information and my review is in no way colored by knowing him personally.

There are a great many books about the "energy systems" of the body, though I prefer to use the term "subtle systems" to include both the Information Matrix and the subtle energy that it animates and directs. Many are excellent. But the way in which people perceive and discern these subtle systems clearly has a strong subjective component.

There are at least two dozen variations on people's descriptions of these subtle systems, including huge variations in the numbers, colors and orientation of the chakras and the size and structure of the aura. Research performed in London in the early 1970s showed that the aura seen by many sensitives does not appear to exist in physical space. When subjects were placed behind a screen, a group of sensitives was unable to locate them. Does that mean that these subtle systems are something fanciful? Not at all: they are real and some recent research using sensitive equipment may be proving it. I am quite open about revealing that I have since early childhood been able to sense many of these subtle systems and like very many others I have been checked and trained.

Why this preamble? This book is, to my knowledge, unique. I have never before seen descriptions that precisely correspond with my own. That is not to say that either of us is objectively "correct," but simply that two people who have become very experienced and have been tested have come up with very similar answers.

This book is full of illustrations and explanations for what they mean, what the author has learned, and how you may be able to apply his experience and observations in your own life.

If you are interested in the subtle systems of the body this is one of the best books there is. I put it on a par with Donna Eden's Energy Medicine and Barbara Brennan's Hands of Light and Light Emerging.

Highly recommended.

Alas a writer who acknowledges that evolution implies racism and selection of the superior race. Politicians have been trying to suppress this, but they will fail in the end, as evolution wins. You cannot stop nature.

Shipman begins her book with Darwin and reflects on his struggles in presenting "The Origin of the Species" as he understood the controversy it would unleash. It is remarkable that the controversy has not abated in over a hundred years, but has instead evolved as delineated in the book. Shipman's work should be required reading for students in a variety of disciplines to give them the tools to defend against the henchmen of pseudoscience such as Rushton and Kevin MacDonald. Shipman reflects on the complexities of evolution and of human differences while making it clear that the human experience is diverse, and the use of science to support racism is not good science by any measure. This book is need badly in an updated version to uncover the flawed arguments of the newly prominent racists who are sheltered by academia.

Creationists can be funny (See below). But this is no laughing matter. Pat Shipman, and other scientists, should be applauded for taking a stand against pseudoscience, not belittled. Kudos to Shipman for writing such a wonderful book.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. The day after my diagnosis my husband and I went to the bookstore to find books on the topic. This book jumped out at me and, out of a variety of books and other research, this one provided the most useful, best written information on breast cancer and breast cancer considerations, particularly for a young woman. The survivor stories/vignettes let me know I was not alone and gave me hope that I could survive.

This book,yes is very touching and quite moving but I think it is the educational aspect of the subject of breast cancer that I found to be the most beneficial from having read the book. The author takes you in a different direction on breast cancer, one that we haven't really seen in most other books on the subject. We are taken on a journey through the lives of these very brave women who were diagnosed with the disease at such a YOUNG age-as we usually see it in older women. I have,like most young women, thought breast cancer is not a real concern for me at my age. I have,until now, relied on my doctor to let me know what health issues he should pursue as given my current medical history ... I am glad I read this book-I am certainly more informed as will my doctor also be during my next visit.

Not only is this book the most comprehensive, unbiased book on breast cancer in young women I have ever read, I applaud Beth Murphy for taking the time to focus on YOUNG WOMEN with breast cancer, a sorely under-served group. This book takes the reader inside the lives of young survivors. While touching, it is never over-the-top dramatic, and it certainly isn't sappy. Murphy defines the risks of diagnosis in young women in realistic terms - the good with the bad - and does the same for treatment issues with regards to young women. Furthermore, the author doesn't beat around the bush getting to the point that while we've made great advances in breast cancer treatment, research for young women is terribly lacking. She goes on to explain the implications a woman under 40 faces when diagnosed.
Astoundingly, Murphy even manages to discuss the controversial political issues of breast cancer without ever stepping up on a soapbox. She sticks to the facts about who says what, and what questions still go unanswered.

This book is a must have for any woman who wishes to get a real understanding of her health risks where breast cancer is concerned.
Every doctor (particularly those still preaching "you're too young to have breast cancer"!!), nurse, mammography technician, breast health specialist, and breast cancer researcher should read this book and take its message to their jobs.
Every woman under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer, every mother, sister, father, brother, friend, and boyfriend of a young survivor should buy this book immediately.

There is nothing else on the market that even comes close.