Book Description
Lair of the Sphinx is a collection of 77 original riddles from the game designers at Cloud Kingdom Games. Here are a couple of sample riddles to try:
Riddle #1:
Always smiles or maybe frowns
Sinks in water, never drowns.
Catches prey on its barbed teeth
Hunts all day, but never eats.
Riddle #2:
A dozen Royals gathered round,
Entertained by two who clowned.
Each King there had servants ten,
Though none of them were also men.
The lowest servant sometimes might,
Defeat the King in a fair fight.
A weapon stout, a priceless jewel,
The beat of life, a farmer's tool.
Customer Reviews:
Not too shabby.......2000-10-08
This book is excellent. If you are a game-master for D&D or another game, this book can be an excellent way to add some interesting intellectual work.
Or if you're just a lover of riddles this is great. Some are very difficult, some greatly entertaiing. The coded answers, and vague hints make cheating off limits. Unless you really want to decode the answer, you have little to help you along the way.
Great fun!
Book Description
Who lost Iran? How and why did a country, never richer, never more educated, its women never more liberated erupt in a fundamentalist revolution? The answer can be found in the enthralling life and tragic death of one man.
Amir Abbas Hoveyda was a central figure in the historic struggle between modernity and tradition in Iran -- a struggle pitting Western cosmopolitanism against Persian isolationism, secularism against religious fundamentalism, and ultimately civil society and democracy against authoritarianism.
The Persian Sphinx is biography at its most powerful and reads like a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy. It will reward the general reader and the scholar alike.
Customer Reviews:
Iran.......2006-03-20
Found this book very interesting because the author of book simply presented facts, and did not express his own view.
The story was sad because Mr. HOVEYDA did not have a chance for a proper trial.
a fabulous read.......2005-09-11
For any Iranian, especially those who left revolutionary Iran in their teens, this is a must read. When I left, I was old enough to understand some things political but not most. This book sheds light on any number of subjects and people that I had been anxious to understand.
Mr. Milani's style of researched and carefully documented narrations leads one to believe that the work is historically accurate. Even if not fully so, there is a lot in there to learn about the history of Iran in the 20th century.
The book is written beautifully and impossible to put down. The superb English at times demands a dictionary.
The documented evidence, as opposed to rumors cited by most Iranians, showing the influence/control of foreign countries on the day to the day politics of Iran under Shah is breath taking. Another amazing revelation is Hoveyda's naivete about who the religious revolutionaries were and what he could expect from them. In spite of his attempts to be connected to ordinary people, we see that he had been isolated far too much from the turn of events, almost as if he was in a bubble. But on the whole and consistent with most Iranian's impression, Mr. Hoveyda comes out in somewhat better light than most of Shah's cronies.
Finally, one is left wondering about the turn of the events if Hoveyda had resigned in any of the countless opportunities he was afforded.
More than a biography.......2004-12-26
In the emotional fervor of revolutions, the protagonists are often portrayed as larger than life creators of history. In The Persian Sphinx, Milani restores humanity to the story of a man who is more notable for what he could have done than for what he did.
Hoveyda, like so many Iranian politicians through history was complicit in betraying his ideals through silence and acquiescence in the face of encroaching authoritarianism. The haunting story of Hoveyda shows us the paramount importance of integrity in leadership.
With a tumultuous period in Iranian history as a backdrop to the story, the reader gains insight into much more than Hoveyda's life including: the incompetent regime of the Shah, the causes of the 1979 revolution, and the barbarism of the revolutionary period.
A great read
I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book........2004-09-01
I found this book to be very fascinating, fair, and extremely well written. Like other readers (below), it was hard for me to put the book down once I started reading it. Through the life of Prime Minister Hoveyda, we learn how and why the Iranian Revolution succeeded and understand the reign of terror that followed the collapse of the Iranian Monarchy in 1979. I must say I did not expect an easy read when I purchased the book as I had read Dr. Milani's "Lost Wisdom: Rethinking Modernity in Iran" and found the book to be fascinating but truly academic in language and tone. Simply put, this is a very readable book and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. Wonderful writing!
One of the best books about pre-revolutionary Iran politics.......2003-12-10
An extremely well written and well researched biography. It is clear that Mr. Milani is a true scholar. Rarely has a book about Iranian politics been so well researched and footnoted. Moreoever, The Persian Sphinx is easy to read. Entertaining to read for those without much knowledge about Iranian politics and a must for scholars of Iranian history and politics.
Average customer rating:
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The Riddle of the Sphinx: Interpreting the Human World
H. P. Rickman
Manufacturer: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
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ASIN: 083863995X |
Average customer rating:
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M.SWIFT &RIDDLE SPHINX (Morgan Swift)
Martine Lesley
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0394882474
Release Date: 1986-09-12 |
Book Description
Martin Gardner begins Riddles with questions about splitting up polygons into prescribed shapes and he ends this book with an offer of a prize of $100 for the first person to send him a 3 x# magic square consisting of consecutive primes. Only Gardner could fit so many diverse and tantalizing problems into one book.
This material was drawn from Gardner's column in Issac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. His riddles presented here incorporate the responses of his initial readers, along with additions suggested by the editors of this series. In this book, Gardner draws us from questions to answers, always presenting us with new riddles- some as yet unanswered. Solving these riddles is not simply a matter of logic and calculation, though these play a role. Luck and inspiration are factors as well., so beginners and experts alike may profiably exercise their wits on Gardner's problems, whose subjects range from geometry to word play to questions relating to physics and geology.
We guarantee that you will solve some of these riddles, be stumped by others, and be amused by almost all of the stories and settings that Gardner has devised to raise these questions.
Customer Reviews:
Gardner is again, as always, at his best.......2002-09-07
I would be thoroughly justified in causing my online thesaurus to heat up and spout smoke from my searching for new superlatives to describe the mathematical writing of Martin Gardner. His problems and puzzles have been a constant source of interest and entertainment from the first time I encountered them decades ago, and this collection is more of the same. These thirty six puzzles were first published in Gardnerýs regular column that used to appear in Isaac Asimovýs Science Fiction Magazine, which is where I first read them.
Gardner has been quoted as saying that the reason that he does so well in writing about mathematics is that he really doesnýt know that much about it. I consider this his only serious published mistake. He has shown an amazing depth of understanding of most areas of mathematics, which is necessary for one to write about it so well.
These puzzles cover the usual broad spectrum of a Gardner collection, everything from the ýmagicý of numbers to encounters with bizarre aliens is the setting for a puzzle. Detailed solutions to all are included, some of which are in serial form, with answer number one raising a question solved in answer two, sometimes all the way to answer four.
No one has done more to make mathematics interesting and palatable to the general public than Martin Gardner. Whether he is writing problems or puzzles, he is capable of turning a math problem into a story or a story into a math problem. If he were ever to grab a piece of chalk and start teaching, he would put the rest of us to shame.
Average customer rating:
- missing late 90's discoveries
- Good coffee table book!
- excellent introduction about the Sphinx
- Informative and valuable
|
Riddles of the Sphinx
Paul Jordan
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0814742424
Release Date: 1998-02-01 |
Customer Reviews:
missing late 90's discoveries.......2004-12-29
I am shocked this book was published without mention of very important recent discoveries, such as the alignment of the pyramids being identical to the alignment of the stars in the Belt of Orion. Sound silly? There are multiple recent discoveries, easily verifiable, not mentioned in this book.
Good coffee table book!.......2001-09-07
I'm sure Mr. Jordan did not have in mind to write a coffee table book -- he seems to have a specific thought in mind regarding some of the books that have been released over the past 30 to 40 years regarding the mysterious Sphinx. However, the photography and other illustrations make this book one that you would want visitors to see. I enjoyed the writing as well as the photographs, regardless of Mr. Jordan's obvious biases. (Actually, from a professional historian's view, Mr. Jordan's biases are not at all biases.)
excellent introduction about the Sphinx.......2000-06-15
Despite having a bad choice for a title, the twelve chapters of this book offer excellent information on the Ancient Egyptian sphinx. The author provides accurate description, dimensions, excavations and conditions of the monument. He discusses several theories regarding its construction dates and the reason for its construction. Chapters also present the history of Ancient Egypt from predynastic to Old Kingdom times. Accompanied by excellent black-and white illustrations and color photographs, it is a beautiful study of this monument, recommended to have in a personal library.
Informative and valuable.......1999-06-11
There are perhaps two ways in which Paul Jordan's "Riddles of the Sphinx" should be viewed. First and foremost, Jordan details everything we know about the Sphinx--its structure, its geology, its place in Egyptian history, the cultural context in which it was made, the place of the Sphinx in Egyptian society thereafter, etc. etc. In this sense, the book is especially valuable in explaining in a highly readable fashion the scientific and historical basis for placing the origin of the Sphinx at about 2500 BCE. You will not find a clearer account of how such scientific reasoning works. At the same time, Jordan is quite fair in admitting where scientists and historians are simply guessing, or where they know nothing at all.
Second, this book provides a fine counterpoint to the recent spate of speculations--carried on by the likes of Graham Hancock, Robert Bauval, John Anthony West, Robert Schoch, Zecharia Sitchin, et. al.--that the Sphinx dates from a far more ancient time and represents evidence of a long-lost civilization predating even ancient Egypt and Sumer. While Jordan argues persuasively against such wild theorizing, and is immeasurably helped by his careful summary of conventional Egyptology, I do wish he had been less offhand in his criticisms of the "alternative Sphinx." Only Schoch is ever mentioned by name or referenced, and then only because he is a trained geologist, and as such is deserving of being "taken seriously." While in some sense this might be correct, and certainly is in an academic context, in a work of popular nonfiction this is downright haughty. Someone, someday needs to address the Hancocks, the Bauvals and the Wests in the same way that, for example, Philip Klass and Robert Sheaffer deal with UFOlogists. In an academic context, it is perhaps appropriate to laugh Graham Hancock out of the room; in the popular arena, his claims need to be addressed specifically.
Nevertheless, as "Riddles of the Sphinx" is the only book I have yet found that does treat the most recent wave of early-Sphinx speculation directly, as of this writing it stands as the most valuable book on the subject for the general reader. It is written well and a surfeit of excellent photographs are included, though they undoubtedly contribute to its rather high price tag.
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Anthropology and the Riddle of the Sphinx: Paradoxes of Changes in the Life Course (Asa Monographs)
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0415040892 |
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At the sign of the Sphinx,
Carolyn Wells
Manufacturer: Duffield & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B0008672OS |
Book Description
Let's admit it: Things will go wrong online. No matter how carefully you design a site, no matter how much testing you do, customers still encounter problems. So how do you handle these inevitable breakdowns? With defensive design. In this book, the experts at 37signals (whose clients include Microsoft, Qwest, Monster.com, and Clear Channel) will show you how.
Defensive design is like defensive driving brought to the Web. The same way drivers must always be on the lookout for slick roads, reckless drivers, and other dangerous scenarios, site builders must constantly search for trouble spots that cause visitors confusion and frustration. Good site defense can make or break the customer experience.
In these pages, you'll see hundreds of real-world examples from companies like Amazon, Google, and Yahoo that show the right (and wrong) ways to get defensive. You'll learn 40 guidelines to prevent errors and rescue customers if a breakdown occurs. You'll also explore how to evaluate your own site's defensive design and improve it over the long term.
This book is a must read for designers, programmers, copywriters, and any other site decision-makers who want to increase usability and customer satisfaction.
Customer Reviews:
only for beginers.......2007-02-05
If you already have some design experience, or use the web a lot in your daily life, or just have common sense you will most likely find this book utterly useless. But even for people who are just starting out in the field, at 236 pages this book can easily be compressed into 37 with one page per "signal."
Here's what specifically bothers me about the content:
1. Wordy. The authors take a simple problem and run with it for pages. How many examples do I really need to understand that limiting text fields to, let say, 200 characters and not letting users know that there is a limit is a bad idea? One? Two? There are 5 examples beating the same dead horse. And this is going on pretty much for every example they have.
2. Clueless. One of the complaints in the book is about an error message that TicketMaster displays when they can't find tickets for you (page 75). Specifically, the message is "We are unable to fulfill your specific request. We may not have the type of tickets you requested or the number of seats together that you are looking for." The authors' beef with this message is "[...] the error message still leaves me scratching my head. If TicketMaster knows the event is sold out, then why not just say so?" Perhaps, they don't say that the event is sold out because it isn't? First, just because TicketMaster is out of tickets doesn't mean there are no more tickets left. TicketMaster usually only gets a percentage of tickets. Second, if I'm looking for cheapest seats and they don't have any left, doesn't mean there aren't more expensive available. Thirdly, if I'm looking for 7 seats in a row and can't find that many available doesn't mean I can't buy them on other combinations.
3. Superficial. When talking about handling 404 "Page not found" errors, the author completely neglects to mention the intricacies of handling these conditions which can have profound effect on your site's SEO.
All-in-all, I'm taking my book back to the store.
Common sense distilled.......2006-09-09
This book is a nice collection of what should be common sense rules (obviously common sense is not so common, as the examples of actual web sites in the book prove). I would assume that it would be most beneficial to a beginning designer, although it's a book everyone involved with web design or programming should browse through every now and then.
A complete waste of time for anyone in the industry........2006-03-21
I received zero (0) value from this book, and I can't figure out why anyone would recommend it. I kept waiting for something to learn, but alas, there is nothing but common sense included in this book. To say nothing for the fact that each page contained about 2 paragraphs of text (an image caption) with an image showing Good or Bad examples. What a waste of money, time, and energy. Unfortunately the individuals behind 37 signals had just enough clout to get a book published and have caused me to look elsewhere for authors/teachers. NOTE: their software at 37signals.com is great, but even their own blog is hard to read. Overall a major disappointment. NOTE: absolute beginners may find a 1 star value out of this book. However, 30 days on the job will teach you everything here.
Too much emphasis on error reporting/recovery.......2005-10-24
The sub title of this book should stop at "How to Improve Error Messages". The focus of the book is on recovering from problems, either from user input or from the system. That's all well and good and their ideas are fine. However I was hoping they'd spend some time talking about how to lay out your forms so they are mor effective and less likely to cause problems for the user in the first place.
Especially useful would have been web oriented techniques for forms that span multiple pages.
Anyway they didn't put it in the book and that's their choice. What they put in is servicable if all you're interested in is recovery.
A helpful checklist.......2005-09-12
This book contains 40 guidelines on designing websites to cope - and recover - from failure.
Each guideline is presented with real life examples of best and worst case behaviour for dealing with a particular situation.
Obviously these are general guidelines, and they apply to many sites, however there are always exceptions to the case, and the guidelines should be taken as these - rather than rules.
The real life examples clearly show what is currently happening in the online world, but I feel that some of the guidelines could have better been communicated as a chapter rather than choosing from specific real life examples - perhaps there are good guidelines that don't have a real life example to show. This format does mean that nothing that isn't already out there is described.
I was surprised that Site Maps were not covered, and I would have liked some more generic guidance on language and communicating to customers rather than the real life examples, which don't always provide enough range to best see the right solution for your particular problem.
The quality of the paper and printing is not the best, but for the low price this can be expected.
Overall this is a book that I would prefer to borrow from the library that own. A good book to read once, but I don't think that I'll be using it as a frequent reference.
Average customer rating:
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Defensive Design for the Web: How to Improve Error Messages, Help, Forms, and Other Crisis Points.: An article from: Technical Communication
Kathleen D'Adamo
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000ARS488
Release Date: 2005-08-09 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2005. The length of the article is 587 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Defensive Design for the Web: How to Improve Error Messages, Help, Forms, and Other Crisis Points.
Author: Kathleen D'Adamo
Publication:
Technical Communication (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 52
Issue: 3
Page: 392(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- Libellus Sanguinis 2: Keepers of the Word
- Marbleized Giftwrap Paper (Giftwrap--4 Sheets, 4 Designs)
- Maryland Trivia
- Masks of Mexico: Tigers, Devils, and the Dance of Life
- Masquerade: The Complete Book with the Answer Explained
- Math Games & Activities from Around the World
- Medieval Women's Visionary Literature
- Mensa Challenge Your Brain Math & Logic Puzzles (Mensa)
- Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games and Activities
- mini lifestyle kits (mini lifestyle kit small boxes of pleasure)
Books Index
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Tower of the Riddle Master : A Riddle Book
A World Treasury of Riddles 2 Ed
Quest for the Riddle Stone: A Riddle Book
Shadowman's Twisted Treasury: A Collection of Killer Puzzles
Riddle Rooms #1: Dungeon Dilemmas
