Customer Reviews:
Perfect Pysics Book.......2007-09-23
The perfect book to study physics. Many pictures and great problems. It applies physics to everyday life and makes physics very interesting. A great book for all levels of study: high school, college, university, grad school, etc.
Learn to Run Before You Can Walk with Giancoli's "Physics" . . ........2007-06-14
While I wouldn't call this a bad book, I find myself rather frustrated with it. It seems to me to be most ideally suited for those who either have a natural inclination for physics or those who have plenty of spare time in which to contemplate solutions for the problems. (Unfortunately, I have neither.) The chapters themselves are actually fairly well done, but, in my opinion, not well enough to provide all the necessary information and insights to successfully solve the problems. I've opted to discontinue my attempts to work through this book in favor of Cutnell and Johnson's text of the same title.
outstanding.......2006-07-30
I used Giancoli as my primary text in high school, and found it to be a superb text. I think those complaining of a lack of worked problems are missing the entire point of this text and the essence of studying physics. This book is about understanding physics principles and the equations you use to solve physics problems. You will find that with this understanding (certainly provided by this excellent text), the need for mindless ploughing through physics problems is lost. You will be able to solve physics problems on the basis of your conceptual understanding of the problems. So many students rely on rote learning and repetition by doing hundreds of questions. Sure, you might be able to attack similar problems for the next week or so, but as soon as you stop practicing, the skill is lost. True mastery of physics comes from appreciation of principles, not mere recognition of patterns in problems...this text will help you achieve such an appreciation.
Clear and nice physics book for intro students.......2005-11-18
I know physics is hard for all of us, but this book is very clear in explaining physics. It does not involve in calculus, so usually it is better for most students who never took physics. So if you did not take physics class before, I highly recommend this book because it does not use pompous or intricate words that most science textbook writers do. Not only is it an easy reading, but also it has awesome questions and problems that make you think and that check whether you know really physics.
Most my friends who were in engineering or math majors had easy physics teachers in high school. Some of them did not even take physics at all. Surprisingly, they dived into calculus based physics book and they found the subject to be incredibly hard. I understand their pain because I think this book can be a bridge that can connect high school physics(so easy ones) and calculus based physics.
I also read Serway's College Physics, and in my opinion, I think Giancoli wrote better job in explaining physics with more clear diagrams. The sentences that he uses grabs my attention. Serway confused me and I was stuck a lot from his book. Problems in examples are so much better in Giancoli as well and diagrams were better as well.
So before you read calculus based physics, read this one thoroughly and you will be able to breathe in higher physics class.
Product Description
Used like new
Customer Reviews:
errors in Giancoli.......2007-09-21
6th Edition: For number 24, pg. 40, it is incorrect to ask about the "average acceleration" of the sprinter. One has to assume that the rate of acceleration is constant or one will not be able to solve the problem.
This is just one of many errors in this book, although none of the errors I have seen are severe.
The problem reads:
"A world-class sprinter can burst out of the blocks to essentially top speed of about 11.5 m/s in the first 15.0 m of the race. What is the average acceleration of the sprinter, and how long does it take her to reach top speed?"
To figure out why one cannot find the average acceleration without assuming that the acceleration is constant, imagine that the sprinter falls off the blocks, picks herself up and then blasts up to 11.5 m/s within the 15.0 m. Her average acceleration is (v - vo) / t, but t in this case is much larger than it would be compared to the normal situation where she pushes off and essentially accelerates uniformly. But remember, the problem only asks for average acceleration!
More mathematically to the point, let her velocity be v = c t^2, instead of the usual v = a t. This is not disallowed by the notion of average acceleration, but it does lead to different answers. Therefore, one needs the additional assumption that acceleration is constant.
Since runners don't accelerate at a uniform rate, we could state that we are simplifying the problem with this assumption, but Giancoli doesn't do this. This is an example of his sloppiness in the name of pedagogy.
Three words. Not very good........2007-07-04
Those three words really are a very good description. The book isn't very good at all. I used this book in AP Physics (B), in all honesty it was just terrible. It was uninteresting, and confusing. If you're going to buy an introductory Physics book, consider Physics (2 Vol. Set). But as always you can't really go off of another person's opinion, as everyone seems to learn best in their own unique styles, so scan through the books.
Another Algebra-Based Physics Textbook!.......2006-09-21
I have taken three straight years of Physics in highschool. I took it sophomore, junior, and now senior year. Each year, I used a different book. I was given this book for AP Physics B (Junior Year), an algebra-based Advanced Placement Physics course.
Overall, the book's examples don't truly help much with the more difficult problems. Explanations aren't very clear, and the key points aren't highlighted. Examples are boring, and questions are less than exciting. How am I to be motivated to perform numerous number crunches with algebra when the questions and writing are so dry?
There is a lot of information in this book, and some of the explanations are good (it's pretty difficult to mess up Kinematics), but the book stumbles in its explanations of many important Physics topics--including Fluid Mechanics and Modern Physics.
Overall, not a great text, but it is very difficult to find a nice Algebra-based Physics text that is as intellectually challenging and in depth. Be wary, if you are not a Physics geek, you will have a hard time plowing through this book.
A student's perspective.......2005-10-17
As one reviewer stated before me, these books are the reason why people are afraid of physics.
I have had the horrible misfortune of using this book during my senior year of high school...it is horrible...horrific...detestable...coarse to the mind. The most criminal error that I can point out is that this book does not have a GLOSSARY. A school textbook without a glossary? Give me a break.
The text reads like a conversation. Apparently Giancoli didn't pay very much attention in English class. One should not write educational text the way he or she speaks. One should state facts in a way that clearly defines what needs to be said. The positively criminal lingo of the book goes on tangents constantly and really breaks up the progression of the information.
Also, the author tends to call an element of a concept one thing, but substitute it with a variable that is totally different. It is clear that Giancoli assumed that everyone who was reading this book already knew physics vocabulary and was looking for a refresher course. Apparently Giancoli, the god of physics, could teach the experts more than they could ever dream. Throw me a bone here...his writing is crap. This book is being distributed to highschools and is also used at the university level. These are LEARNING stages. LEARNING. That's something that one can't do with this horrible book.
It's criminal. Absolutely criminal. Physics isn't a scary thing, nor is it impossible. Don't let books like these scare you away from the subject. It's just a few selfish, cocky scientists that wish to exclude others.
Giancoli, I hope your 6th edition was better...much better. Otherwise, schools will be wasting even more money on garbage.
Informative .......2005-03-23
Comprehensive and thorough. A must for anyone who needs an understanding of applying calculations to actions. I found this book to be even paced and very understandable.
Customer Reviews:
A must for Physics teachers!.......2000-03-29
I've been teaching physics around the world for a number of years now and I have yet to find such a comprehensive text book for most international syllabi. It is complete and concise, full of practice problems for students. An ideal text book for any advanced physics course.
Book Description
An alternative rendering of the theory of relativity by a distinguished English mathematician and philosopher. Three-part treatment presents an overview of general principles, mainly philosophical in character; describes physical applications and the results deducible from the formulas assumed for the gravitation and electromagnetic fields; presents an exposition of the elementary theory of tensors.
Customer Reviews:
Why Einstein might be wrong........2004-10-14
It is a delight to have this volume back in print again. For anyone with an interest in Whitehead's philosophy, this is an essential work that requires very little discussion. Whitehead is, here and in all of his work, a marvelous writer. But this is a technical piece, not necessarily of interest to the broadest audience imaginable. So, very briefly, what I want to do here is suggest to physicists, physics enthusiasts, and philosophers of science why they need to be interested in this book.
In the physics community, it is well known that Whitehead's theory of relativity is "wrong." Evidence presented by Clifford Will in 1971 articles in the "Astrophysical Journal," which were later summarized in his _Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics_ (available at Amazon), "demonstrate" that Whitehead's theory makes predictions that are violations of observational data. Very convincing, and as nearly as I can tell, Will's arguments have only one (or two, depending on how you count) problem(s):
They are predicated on two assumptions, one that is so limited it grossly misconstrues the aims of Whitehead's theory, while the other is demonstrably false.
Will's arguments against Whitehead (which come from the work of J.L. Synge) state up front that Whitehead's theory is based upon a "(1)non-dynamical (2)flat metric." #2 is the limited approach that grossly misconstrues Whitehead's argument, while #1 is the demonstrable falsehood.
It is true that, in the explicit mathematical treatments of the second half of the book, Whitehead is using Euclidean geometry. But the idea that the "flat-metric" plays any central role in Whitehead's theory is explicitly repudiated on the VERY FIRST PAGE of text in Whitehead's book. Whitehead makes it absolutely clear that he is only using "flat" geometry for purposes of mathematical convenience; it plays no essential role in his larger theory. Indeed, in 1923, G. Temple actually generalized Whitehead's program to a non-flat system of mathematics. But, despite the fact that everyone mentions Temple, no one actually looks at his work, or addresses Whitehead's larger arguments in that light.
The claim that Whitehead's theory is "non-dynamical" is demonstrably false. Unfortunately, Whitehead put this demonstration in a book that had been published three-years earlier, his _Enquiry into the Principles of Natural Knowledge_. This, along with _Concept of Nature_ and the finally republished _Principle_ form what might be thought of as the "triptych" of Whitehead's philosophy of nature. All of these books are the results of a common line of inquiry. But, unfortunately (again), Whitehead's argument for the dynamical nature of his theory is only implicit in _The Principle of Relativity_; he assumed people read his other books.
Now, the centerpiece of Whitehead's argument -- the part that Synge explicitly ignores and which Will (following Synge) doesn't even acknowledge -- is the *philosophical* critique of Einstein's theory. This philosophical critique is seldom enough noticed in the philosophical literature; as far as I know, has never been addressed within physics. The criticism is this: if the geometry of space is altered by every last particle of matter and energy which influences space, then there is no possibility of meaningful measurement. In order to measure a piece of space, my unit of measure must have some kind of uniform meaning, such that I can legitimately move my "yardstick" from "here to there." Einsteinian General Relativity undercuts this possibility, by denying the existence of any such uniformity. The structure of space is absolutely dependent upon the contingent distributions of matter and energy.
As a result, before we can engage in meaningful measurements, we must know how matter and energy is distributed throughout the universe so as to know how to interpret our measurements. In other words, if Einstein is right, we're boxed into a situation where the only way we can know anything, we must first know everything.
Clearly, I have the space here for neither a careful nor a detailed examination of Whitehead's argument. There are some interesting responses to this criticism that can be developed from the claim that space exhibits "maximal symmetry" in the abstract. This claim is rarely mentioned even in the orthodox physics literature -- Weinberg and Carroll are the only major texts on the subject which I know that talk about the subject at all. In any case, Whitehead's work is more than deserving of examination, examination that is *NOT* dominated by the narrowest consideration of nothing beyond the mathematical treatments at the end of the book. These, too, are of interest, though by now it would seem more for their historical worth than their direct connection to cutting edge cosmology. Still, even this part is worthy of serious attention, since it is the basis of Whitehead's rejection of the "geometrical metaphors" which so dominate the field.
Book Description
This volume describes the two main applications of plasma physics--laboratory research on thermo-nuclear fusion energy and plasma astrophysics of the solar system and stars and accretion disks--from the single viewpoint of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). This approach provides effective methods and insights for the interpretation of plasma phenomena on virtually all scales, ranging from the laboratory to the universe. The text will be of value to senior-level undergraduates and graduate students in physics, astrophysics and magnetohydrodynamics.
Customer Reviews:
excelent book.......2006-10-20
I am having this book as a textbook in a Space Plasma Physics Course. It is outstanding, and very helpful. I highly recommend it.
Book Description
Murder, greed, lust, vanity, love-four of Tolstoy's most famous and essential stories in one volume.
Download Description
Hailed as one of the world's supreme masterpieces on the subject of death and dying, The Death of Ivan Ilyich is the story of a worldly careerist, a high court judge who has never given the inevitability of his death so much as a passing thought. But one day death announces itself to him, and to his shocked surprise he is brought face to face with his own mortality. How, Tolstoy asks, does an unreflective man confront his one and only moment of truth?
This short novel was the artistic culmination of a profound spiritual crisis in Tolstoy's life, a nine-year period following the publication of Anna Karenina during which he wrote not a word of fiction. A thoroughly absorbing and, at times, terrifying glimpse into the abyss of death, it is also a strong testament to the possibility of finding spiritual salvation.
Translated by Lynn Solotaroff
Customer Reviews:
Amazing Meditation on Death.......2007-08-26
I really enjoyed The Death of Ivan Ilyich...well, I don't know if "enjoyed" is the write word, but it is a remarkable novella. There's a wonderful intro written by Ronald Blythe. In the intro Blythe writes about Tolstoy's great fear of death that eventually turned into an obsession with death that lead to the creation of The Death of Ivan Ilyich, his meditation on the subject.
The book opens immediately after the death of Ivan Ilyich. Ivan was a judge and when his co-workers find out about his death, the first thing they begin to talk about is who will take his place. This scenes is followed by his funeral where we meet his wife who is in mourning. The book then goes on to introduce us to Ivan and his wife in the early days of their marriage and paints a picture of a marriage that was all bright colors on the outside, but rather dark behind closed doors. Ivan soon finds out that he has a "floating kidney" and his health slowly deteriorates over the next few months eventually leading to his death.
The beauty of this book is that the plot is given away in the title. Ivan dies...you know the book ends with his death. Tolstoy's masterpiece lies not so much in the actual storyline, but in the thought process, the philosophy, and the atmosphere behind it. The only way I can describe the feel of this book is claustrophobic. From the minute that Ivan learns and recognizes that he is dying, the feel of the story is one of collapsing, closing in. It becomes a story of seeing the world fly by so fast that you can't grasp on to anything to stay in it. It's quite sad actually, but so wonderfully told by Tolstoy and becomes one of the most haunting stories I've ever read in it's final pages.
I'm glad that I've finally gotten around to this one and look forward to revisiting Tolstoy in the future, most probably with Anna Karenina.
"Gentlemen!" he exclaimed, "Ivan Ilyich is dead!".......2007-07-03
Navigating through all the cultural debris coming at us in the year 2007 is no easy task. New hot novelists, must-see flicks, terrific new musical groups, new new new. Yet, here is a story that's over 120 years old, but it speaks right now to the core of our humanity. What does it mean to be alive? What is death? What is pain? What does it mean to be good? What is love? And what is God? This short novel asks these questions again and again, but not as a didactic, philosophical exercise. Instead, Tolstoy weaves these eternal questions into the fabric of a human life, a life that is so plausible and simple that it could easily be yours or mine.
Ivan Ilych is a seemingly good man who makes reasonable choices. He follows the rules. He has faults. He has responsibilities. His marriage begins with promise and slowly slips into unromantic routine. He has a childhood which he remembers well. He is a father. He has friends. He finds meaning in his work. Then he gets sick, not all at once, but slowly. We watch him slowly dissolve as the pain bears down on him relentlessly. The doctors are useless. His wife is a nuisance. His children are irrelevant. No one understands. He becomes isolated and lonely except for one simple servant who selflessly cares for him. What is this death, Ivan asks again and again. Why me, he asks. Has my life been a lie? Have I led a bad life? How can I be free of all this misery? Perhaps none of this is really happening to me.
So Tolstoy, the great, mighty Tolstoy, examines every angle of the dying man's psyche, until finally Tolstoy reaches into the spiritual depths of the man. Is there redemption? Is there release?
One must read this masterpiece from this great artistic genius to fully appreciate Tolstoy's mortal and spiritual depths, and in doing so, perhaps we will better appreciate our own.
Sad.......2007-06-13
Having never faced death, I would not know for sure, but it strikes me that anyone in that situation would ask themselves some vital questions. If you knew it was coming you would want to know what it was all for, whether you did everything you wanted and most of all whether you could look back ad say to yourself: no regrets, I'm satisfied my life was what it should have been. Just after reading this book, I had an experience which sharply contrasted with Ivan Ilych's experience. The daughter of a lady I know well, died, aged 37. When speaking to her, one of the first feelings she expressed was how her daughter had lived a life without regret, how they could all look back on happy memories and good times in their family.
First and foremost I found this story incredibly sad, but it is probably also incredibly commonplace in terms of how many people live their lives. People need to read these types of stories to make them think and realise important issues about the way they live their lives, not merely for themselves but also for others.
Timeless.......2007-05-27
I had never read any of Tolstoy's works before this book. Admittedly, when I opened the pages of this book I expected the experience of reading this story to be mostly academic, never imaging the story of the death of a 19th century Russian lawyer written by an author from 19th century czarist Russia could have much relevance to life in a 21st century western civilization. I figured Tolstoy's perspectives would likely have reflected the beliefs, thoughts and cultural norms of his day and his country. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The story begins with the friends of Ivan Ilyich visiting his family and paying him his final respects after his painful and slow death. As they expressed their sorrow outwardly and demonstrated the appropriate display of grief, Tolstoy describes how inwardly they were thinking that such pain and death could never happen to them and how it is relatively inconvenient to have to deal with such an event, wondering if they'd be able to make the obligatory evening card game after the funeral. The story then steps back in time and relates how Ivan Ilyich's life was cruising along just as he had hoped it would, comfortably and without too much personal upheaval, other than learning to cope with the inconveniences of a less-than-comfortable marriage and trying to overcome debt acquired by living above his means. His idea of success in life came primarily through professional accomplishments and feeding his ego by garnering the approval of 'high society'.
Then the story turns to his illness and the process of dying a painful and slow death. Tolstoy writes of the thoughts of a man who begins to re-evaluate his life as he lies on his death bed, realizing his end is imminent and not too far off. Ivan Ilyich attempts to reconcile with his soul the decisions he's made in his life, where he's placed his priorities, how he's treated his family and whether he's accomplished anything of lasting significance. It is in these writings that Tolstoy bridges the gaps of time and culture. Whether from old Russia or modern day western civilization, each and every individual in this world might potentially find themselves querying their soul with the same questions and introspection as Tolstoy presents through the death bed of Ivan Ilyich. The theme of his writings as he presents them in this story are not bound by culture, beliefs, geography or time.
I also think this story is the type of story that is read and related to with very different perspectives by each reader according to the individual reader's experiences in life (as are so many other great stories). What this story says or means to one person will be much different from what another person will take from it. Speaking personally, I read this book after having just experienced the death of an infant relative, the 2 month old daughter of a brother. Such an experience in and of itself causes great personal reflection and definitely influenced how I related to the words of Tolstoy and the Death of Ivan Ilyich.
It's a short and relatively easy read. I recommend it.
Um...........2007-04-22
I chose to read this novella for a school project. I chose it because it seemed to have a good plot, etc. When I started reading it, I thought to myself that it was just "a slow beginning" which many wonderful books sometimes have. Unfortunately, most if not all of this books contents were dull and uninteresting. This is MY personal opinion of this book. Also, DON'T choose this book for a school project if you're trying to get a glimpse of the Russian culture, because there is really nothing here. Just a rich lawyer dying very slowly. That's basically it.
Book Description
The stories collected in this volume demonstrate Tolstoy's artistic prowess displayed over five decades— experimenting with prose styles and drawing on his own experiences with humor and compassion. “The Two Hussars,” inspired by his time in the army, contrasts a dashing father and his mean-spirited son. Illustrating Tolstoy's belief that art must serve a moral purpose, “What Men Live By” portrays an angel sent to earth to learn three existential rules of life. And in the deeply moving “Master and Man,” a mercenary merchant travels with his unprotesting servant through a blizzard to close a business deal—little realizing he may soon have to settle accounts with his maker.
Download Description
Another masterpiece from Tolstoy. Very spiritual book dealing with a rich merchants morality. A great novel about human nature and sacrifice. Please Note: This book is easy to read in true text, not scanned images that can sometimes be difficult to decipher. The Microsoft eBook has a contents page linked to the chapter headings for easy navigation. The Adobe eBook has bookmarks at chapter headings and is printable up to two full copies per year. Both versions are text searchable.
Customer Reviews:
Simply Superb: It Contains Two Great Tolstoy Stories Plus One Not as Great.......2007-08-14
This is a good three story collection with an introduction by Paul Foote.
Tolstoy is recognized as one of the leading writer of novels, and he was a leading Russian writer of the 19th century. He wrote three monumental works including War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and the novella The Death of Ivan Ilych." Two were written by Tolstoy at his peak around 1865 to 1980, and Ilych was written in 1886 before Tolstoy started to lose his interest in fiction.
This is a collection of three stories that were all written at the end of Tolstoy's career, all written after 1890 when he was making the transition to non-fiction polemics. Only one of the three stories was published during Tolstoy's lifetime and that was Master and Man.
The first story in the book is Father Sergius, and it was written between 1890 and 1898. It is brilliant and ambitious. It is a story about a priest who dedicates his life to religion and purity. He lives in isolation and commits his life to God, and the story is about his search for truth. Unfortunately, he is still attracted to women, and that attraction or sexual passion frightens him and the story describes how he deals with that struggle to overcome his moral shortcomings or temptations. This was a favorite story of Tolstoy.
The second story, Master and Man, is simply superb. It is about two men on a trip by a horse drawn sleigh through the winter snows near a small village. They get caught in a blizzard while on a simple business trip. It was published in 1895, and is among the finest short stories ever written. It contains many signature elements of Tolstoy's writings including detailed descriptions of the Russian characters in a rural setting: "man, society, and nature" as described by Foote.
The last is Hadji Murat, written between 1896 to 1904. It follows earlier books on the southern wars including The Raid (1835), Wood-Felling (1855), and The Cossacks (1863). It is based on real events and lacks a strong central protagonist, and that is the weakness of the story. I was not excited by this novel and prefer Tolstoy's The Cossacks which covers a similar subject matter - that is set in southern Russia - but which has strong characters with strong human emotions.
Also, his most important fiction started in the 1860s with the release of The Cossacks in 1863. That story contains emotional elements and descriptions similar to what we read in Anna Karenina." by contrast, Hadji Murat was one of his last fictional works; and, Tolstoy expressed mixed feelings about the novel and its merits. It does rise to the same level as work from his prime.
Overall, this a good buy with two superb stories and one good story. Some of the works are available individually on line free from Gutenberg.
Shorter Tolstoy.......2005-02-01
This collection comprises three stories (or rather more accurately, two short stories and the novella "Hadji Murat").
The first story is "Father Sergius", in which Prince Stepan Kasatsky withdraws from St Petersburg society to pursue a purer, religious life and is tormented thereafter, principally by sexual desires. His path to fulfilment is a difficult one, and his realisation of the best way to redemption comes via an unexpected source.
"Master and Man" is the story of the merchant Brekhunov and his servant Nikita as they set out for a neighbouring town in atrocious winter conditions. They get lost and thereafter battle for survival against the elements. Will they make it and will their fight result in a new outlook on life?
"Hadji Murat" is set in the Caucasus, where the rebel Hadji Murat defects to the Russians - but can they trust him, and what are his real motives?
Of the three pieces, I thought that "Father Sergius" was the weakest. That's not to say that it is really bad, but it pales besides the others - for instance the passage of years means that bits of it are (unintentionally) hilarious. "Hadji Murat" is reminiscent of earlier Tolstoy works such as "The Cossacks": the setting is the same, but this is a better story, dealing with aspects of war as seen by differing participants (from common soldiers and their families right up to Tsar Nicholas I and the equally brutal rebel Shamil).
"Master and Man" is the best of the three. The action takes place over a day, which helps Tolstoy keep the narrative tight. Human frailties and vanity are exposed. The story of the struggle against hostile conditions is compelling. As good and interesting a short story as "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"
G Rodgers
Short for Tolsoi, but excellent.......2000-09-17
For Tolstoi, this qualifies as an "O. Henry surprise-type ending" since you aren't expecting the wealthy merchant to sacrifice his own life for that of his lowly serf. This seems especially true since Tolstoi gives you several examples throughout the story of how the master undervalues his loyal servant.
For example, Tolstoi tells you that he is underpaid even for a serf. Also, his shrewd master always manages to manipulate and maneuver the servant into buying his goods from him, instead of from the store in the village, by making it look like he is doing him a favor in the process. This way he can overcharge for everything and thereby takes back what little money he is paying his servant anyway. The servant is well aware of this but is resigned to the situation.
Another interesting thing is how they get into a life-threatening situation in the first place. The workaholic merchant decides to press on at night in a severe blizzard, rather than remain safe in a farmhouse they have happened on in the snow, because he is impatient to get on to his next deal, and doesn't want to miss out on a possible opportunity.
I thought the time-obsessed businessman was primarily a late 20th century invention, but not so. The wealthy landowner and businessman regards even a few lost moments of time as unacceptable, and so they venture out into the fatal storm. They get lost in the driving and trackless snow on the way to the next town.
Tolstoi describes this poignantly. At several points, the master is certain they have come back to where they started and so are just going in circles, but the snow is coming down so hard that the horse carriage's tracks have already been covered up, and so he can't be sure. At that point he realizes the situation is hopeless.
Finally, the master parks the horse and carriage under a tree and they huddle together and try to survive until morning. But only the servant survives, his wealthy master in the end sacrificing his own life for that of his servant, by deciding to keep his servant warm instead of himself.
Very powerful story of humanity.......1999-09-23
I, too, have to disagree with this 'english class' in their dull-assesment of this story. This must be a very young class of students who haven't experienced enough of human nature to fully appreciate and understand the complexity and beauty of the 2 characters in this wonderfully touching story. This is the first story that has ever made me weep openly while reading. The second, also by Tolstoy, was Strider: The Story of a Horse. If you liked Master and Man, you must find this one! That's why I'm here today; looking to replace my lost copy.
No, not dull... very deep and powerful........1998-07-31
I felt I had to respond to the above comment by saying that this is a masterfully written short story and a moving account of a Master who makes the ultimate sacrifice, whether knowing it or not, to his lowly, faithful servant. The story contrasts well the attitudes and lives of rich masters and their voluntary slaves.
Average customer rating:
|
Master and Man and Other Stories (Everyman's Library)
Leo Tolstoy
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Tolstoy, Leo
| ( T )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Russian
| Foreign Language Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Russian Books
| Russian
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0460004697 |
Book Description
1910. Russian author, considered one of the greatest of all novelists. Tolstoy's major works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Contents: Master and Man; How Much Land Does a Man Require; That Whereby Men Live; Elias; Children May be Wiser than their Elders; Labour, Death, and Disease; The Grain that was like an Egg; Where Love is, There God is also; The Two Old Men; God See the Right, though He be Slow to Declare It; How the Little Devil Attoned for the Crust of Bread; The Penitent Sinner; The Snow-Storm; The Raid; The Candle: or, How the Good Peasant Overcame the Cruel Overseer; The Godson; Croesus and Solon; and Neglect a Fire, and 'Twill Not be Quenched. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.
Customer Reviews:
A small masterpiece and three more Tolstoy stories .......2004-11-14
The four stories of this volume are ' The Death of Ivan Ilyich', The Kreutzer Sonata', Family Happiness','Master and Man'.
In the insightful afterword David Magarshack writes ."Poet,Calvinist, fanatic, aristocrat"- in these four words Turgenev summed up Tolstoy at the age of twenty-nine,and nothing in Tolstoy's subsequent life contradicts this shrewd characterisation. Indeed the four stories of this volume- 'Family Happiness' " The Death of Ivan Ilyich' 'The Kreutzer Sonata' and 'Master and Man' written in 1859, 1886, 1889, and 1895 respectively -quite clearly reveal these four fundamental traits of Tolstoy's character as well as the underlying motif of his writings during the first great creative period of his life, culminating in 'Anna Karenina', and the motifs of his later period when the' Calvinist and fantic' all but submerged the ' poet and the aristocrat'. The chief theme of his life work is summed up in the sentence that occurs several times in ' Family Happiness': "The only certain happiness in life is to live for others."
This theme certainly is at the center of Ivan Ilyich who at the end of his life comes to the great understanding that in living for himself alone , not even for his family , his life has been meaningless.
The reader of these stories will see how one of the world's great masters confronts fundamental questions of human existence.
Haunting.......2003-10-03
Prior to writing "The Death of Ivan Illych," Tolstoy had undergone a nearly overwhelming existential crisis, and here he lays it out with the black humor of a bemused undertaker. The result is an uncomfortably insightful work, both bleak and comical.
Books:
- Physics Super Review
- Principles of Nano-Optics
- Probability and Statistics in Experimental Physics (Undergraduate Texts in Contemporary Physics)
- Problems and Solutions in Theoretical & Mathematical Physics: Advanced Level
- Protective Relaying for Power Generation Systems
- Quantized Vortex Dynamics and Superfluid Turbulence
- Quantum Communications and Measurement
- Quantum Metrology and Fundamental Physical Constants (Nato a S I Series Series B, Physics)
- Random Signals for Engineers Using MATLAB and Mathcad (Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing)
- Rheology of the Earth
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Life with Jeeves
- History: Fiction or Science
- Transition Metals in the Synthesis of Complex Organic Molecules
- A Fan's Notes
- Bead On A Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded Jewelry
- Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk
- Beckett Racing Collectibles Price Guide
- Draw Alien Fantasies
- What Great Paintings Say, Vol. 2
- 100 Roadside Wildflowers of Southwest Woodlands
Physics: Student Study Guide With Selected Solutions Vol. 1 6th Edition
Calculus Of A Single Variable
Physics: Principles with Applications (5th Edition)
Organic Chemistry and CW+ GradeTracker Access Card Package (6th Edition)
Physics Laboratory Experiments
Physics: Principles and Applications, Student Study Guide
Student Pocket Companian Physics: Principles with Applications
