Showing posts with label James D. Stein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James D. Stein. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Snake Dreams
Review
“Outstanding…liberally laced with Native American lore [and] a plot that weaves and twists like a highway in the Rockies.”—Library Journal (starred review)
Product Description
Charlie Moon has been fighting crime—and investigating the truth behind Ute tribal myths—for ages. Now, the seven-foot rancher and part-time P.I. wants to carve out a little more time and space for himself and a very significant other, FBI Special Agent Lila Mae McTeague. Is that so wrong?
No one—himself included—ever believed the time would come for Charlie to get hitched. There’s only one problem: His beloved, belligerent aunt Daisy. She’s an aged Ute shaman whose own investigative talents rely heavily on help from the spirit world. Ever since Charlie broke the news of his engagement to her, Daisy’s been having terrifying visions of a murdered woman. Now it’s up to Charlie, Daisy, and Lila to find out what it all means—until death do they part…
From the Back Cover
In bestselling author James D. Doss’s latest novel, it’s up to one man to bring law and what’s going to have to pass for order back to his Colorado reservation.
“Doss does for the Utes what Tony Hillerman has done for the Navajo.”—The Denver Post
Charlie Moon has been fighting crime—and investigating the truth behind Ute tribal myths—for ages. Now, the seven-foot rancher and part-time P.I. wants to carve out a little more time and space for himself and a very significant other, FBI Special Agent Lila Mae McTeague. Is that so wrong?
“Doss has reproduced the land of the southern Colorado Utes with vivid affection.”
—Dallas Morning News
No one—himself included—ever believed the time would come for Charlie to get hitched. There’s only one problem: His beloved, belligerent aunt Daisy. She’s an aged Ute shaman whose own investigative talents rely heavily on help from the spirit world. Ever since Charlie broke the news of his engagement to her, Daisy’s been having terrifying visions of a murdered woman. Now it’s up to Charlie, Daisy, and Lila to find out what it all means—until death do they part…
“Moon mysteries still charm us with Western voices and ways.”—Rocky Mountain News
About the Author
JAMES D. DOSS is the author of thirteen Charlie Moon mysteries, two of which were named one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Originally from Kentucky, he divides his time between Los Alamos and Taos, New Mexico.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers, from Car Repair to Modern Physics
From Publishers Weekly
Stein, a mathematics professor at California State University, explores the application of math to problem solving in the everyday, explaining tricky concepts and developing elegant algorithms for everything from scheduling auto repair to organizing a closet. He also demonstrates the power of the solution: "We advance, both as individuals and as a species, by solving problems. As a rule of thumb, the reward for solving problems increases with the difficulty." Stein blends math history and complex theories with jokes in a seamless manner while looking into everything from quantum mechanics to voting, while still realizing the limitations of his field-"without experiments and measurement these tools mathetmatics are essentially useless"-and its more whimsical possibilities: "We do not yet have the mathematical objects needed to discuss art, or beauty, or love; but that does not mean that they do not exist." Stein's work, mathematically rigorous but with minimal equations, will appeal to both casual and serious fans of math or physics, as well as those who take keen interest in problem solving.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Description
In How Math Explains the World, mathematician Stein reveals how seemingly arcane mathematical investigations and discoveries have led to bigger, more world-shaking insights into the nature of our world. In the four main sections of the book, Stein tells the stories of the mathematical thinkers who discerned some of the most fundamental aspects of our universe. From their successes and failures, delusions, and even duels, the trajectories of their innovations—and their impact on society—are traced in this fascinating narrative. Quantum mechanics, space-time, chaos theory and the workings of complex systems, and the impossibility of a "perfect" democracy are all here. Stein's book is both mind-bending and practical, as he explains the best way for a salesman to plan a trip, examines why any thought you could have is imbedded in the number π , and—perhaps most importantly—answers one of the modern world's toughest questions: why the garage can never get your car repaired on time.
Friendly, entertaining, and fun, How Math Explains the World is the first book by one of California's most popular math teachers, a veteran of both "math for poets" and Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies. And it's perfect for any reader wanting to know how math makes both science and the world tick.
About the Author
James D. Stein is a professor of mathematics at California State University, Long Beach. A graduate of Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley, he lives in Redondo Beach, California.
Stein, a mathematics professor at California State University, explores the application of math to problem solving in the everyday, explaining tricky concepts and developing elegant algorithms for everything from scheduling auto repair to organizing a closet. He also demonstrates the power of the solution: "We advance, both as individuals and as a species, by solving problems. As a rule of thumb, the reward for solving problems increases with the difficulty." Stein blends math history and complex theories with jokes in a seamless manner while looking into everything from quantum mechanics to voting, while still realizing the limitations of his field-"without experiments and measurement these tools mathetmatics are essentially useless"-and its more whimsical possibilities: "We do not yet have the mathematical objects needed to discuss art, or beauty, or love; but that does not mean that they do not exist." Stein's work, mathematically rigorous but with minimal equations, will appeal to both casual and serious fans of math or physics, as well as those who take keen interest in problem solving.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Description
In How Math Explains the World, mathematician Stein reveals how seemingly arcane mathematical investigations and discoveries have led to bigger, more world-shaking insights into the nature of our world. In the four main sections of the book, Stein tells the stories of the mathematical thinkers who discerned some of the most fundamental aspects of our universe. From their successes and failures, delusions, and even duels, the trajectories of their innovations—and their impact on society—are traced in this fascinating narrative. Quantum mechanics, space-time, chaos theory and the workings of complex systems, and the impossibility of a "perfect" democracy are all here. Stein's book is both mind-bending and practical, as he explains the best way for a salesman to plan a trip, examines why any thought you could have is imbedded in the number π , and—perhaps most importantly—answers one of the modern world's toughest questions: why the garage can never get your car repaired on time.
Friendly, entertaining, and fun, How Math Explains the World is the first book by one of California's most popular math teachers, a veteran of both "math for poets" and Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies. And it's perfect for any reader wanting to know how math makes both science and the world tick.
About the Author
James D. Stein is a professor of mathematics at California State University, Long Beach. A graduate of Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley, he lives in Redondo Beach, California.
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