Download or read book Page Fright written by Harry Bruce and published by Douglas Gibson Books. This book was released on 2009-09-22 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A witty round-up of writers' habits that includes all the big names, such as Dickens, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Hemingway At public events readers always ask writers how they write. The process fascinates them. Now they have a very witty book that ranges around the world and throughout history to answer their questions. All the great writers are here — Dickens, dashing off his work; Henry James dictating it; Flaubert shouting each word aloud in the garden; Hemingway at work in cafés with his pencil. But pencil or pen, trusty typewriter or computer, they all have their advocates. Not to mention the writers who can only keep the words flowing by writing naked, or while walking or listening to music — and generally obeying the most bizarre superstitions. On Shakespeare’s works: “Fantastic. And it was all done with a feather!” — Sam Goldwyn “I write nude, seated on a thick towel, and perhaps with a second towel around me.” — Paul West “I’ve never heard of anyone getting plumber’s block, or traffic cop’s block.” — Allan Gurganus “I’m a drinker with a writing problem.” — Brendan Behan

Download or read book Physics Foibles written by Melvin Goldstein and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2003-03-06 with total page 874 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The science of Physics is based on observations that lead to the formulation of mathematical relationships between measured quantities. Some would consider Physics an exact science. Its discoveries and laws are basic to understanding in all areas of science and technology. Four Physics foibles 1) Kurt Godel proved that there are unknowables in our mathematics. 2) Werner Heisenberg showed that there are uncertainties in our measurements. 3) Entropy says that we can only predict the probabilities of events. 4)Chaos Theory deals with things that are effectively impossible to predict like turbulence and long term weather forecasting. The word foible as defined by Webster: An odd feature or mild failing in a person's character a weakness. In fencing, the weaker part of a sword blade. It is the acceptance of these foibles in Physics that has led to broader understanding. In the process of examining these 'weaknesses' in science, many creative and practical solutions have been discovered. There are a number of original computer programs throughout the book. No other person, living or dead - other than the author - has edited or examined the programs. No effort has been made to optimize any of these programs. The author has relied on the computer's results to serve as his default editor. Computer programs are included that take you through puzzles and paradoxes, distribute molecules, follow ameba populations, prove and disprove Murphy's Law, flip coins, and play lottery and casino games. Many have asked about the book. Some with a technical background - and some not - have questioned: What do dice, poker, lotto, and heads-or-tails have to do with Physics? The mathematical study of games of chance is as old as mathematics itself. The connection between games of chance and Nature's laws can be rigorously refined in the field of Statistical Mathematics. If you can analyze multiple coin flips, you can view molecular distribution. If you can understand the results of a game of Roulette, you can understand Radioactive decay. Also included are polls, number systems, wave packets, the search for Pi and the elusive Random, Internet quotes, and more. And in the the process of reading, stop and listen to the words of the science gurus displayed in cartoons throughout.

Download or read book Wit Wisdom and Foibles of the Great written by Charles Anthony Shriner and published by . This book was released on 1918 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fables Foibles and Foobles written by Carl Sandburg and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) is best known for his poetry (Chicago Poems, Smoke and Steel, and Good Morning, America), his books for children, including Rootabaga Country and Potato Face, and his six-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Illinois author devoted his life to writing, lecturing, reading from his own works, and collecting and singing folk songs. Sandburg often incorporated proverbs, riddles, aphorisms, and vernacular wisdom in lectures, poetry, children's stories, and in his novel Remembrance Rock. Believing that silliness and fun helped preserve sanity and balance, he put together a collection of fanciful anecdotes - alive with alliteration - for his own amusement. Now, more than twenty years after his death, the publication of Fables, Foibles, and Foobles truly reveals, for perhaps the first time, the playful spirit of this great American poet. George Hendrick has compiled the best of these never-before-published nonsensical pieces, which include Flies, Fleas, Flinyons, Flicks, Flooches, Flacks, Flatches, and assorted F-friends deep in dialogue about books and reading; the fascinating worlds of the curious hoomadooms, hongdorshes, and onkadonks; fables to rival Thurber; jokes about every conceivable type of nut; and cameo appearances by Hank the Honk and Flitty the Wid, among others. Robert Harvey's whimsical drawings, scattered throughout the book, illuminate this charming cast of characters.

Download or read book Frankie s Foibles written by Kath Grimshaw and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. This book was released on 2015-10-21 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frankie is worried. He's worried about his new school, he's worried about making friends, and he's worried about the bully boys that wait for him on the corner of the street. But most of all, he's worried about what might happen if he steps on the cracks in the pavement. Then Frankie learns about his foibles, the pesky little creatures that whisper worries in his ear. They are bullies, just like the boys on the corner. But with a big grin on his face and a little help from his brand new friend, Frankie discovers that he can learn to ignore his foibles... and eventually escape his worries for good! This beautifully illustrated story will appeal to any child age 7-10 who worries, especially those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Emphasising that we all have worries, it is a great way for parents and professionals to approach the topic sensitively.

Download or read book Quirky written by Melissa A Schilling and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2018-02-13 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The science behind the traits and quirks that drive creative geniuses to make spectacular breakthroughs What really distinguishes the people who literally change the world -- those creative geniuses who give us one breakthrough after another? What differentiates Marie Curie or Elon Musk from the merely creative, the many one-hit wonders among us? Melissa Schilling, one of the world's leading experts on innovation, invites us into the lives of eight people -- Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Elon Musk, Dean Kamen, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, and Steve Jobs -- to identify the traits and experiences that drove them to make spectacular breakthroughs, over and over again. While all innovators possess incredible intellect, intellect alone, she shows, does not create a breakthrough innovator. It was their personal, social, and emotional quirkiness that enabled true genius to break through--not just once but again and again. Nearly all of the innovators, for example, exhibited high levels of social detachment that enabled them to break with norms, an almost maniacal faith in their ability to overcome obstacles, and a passionate idealism that pushed them to work with intensity even in the face of criticism or failure. While these individual traits would be unlikely to work in isolation -- being unconventional without having high levels of confidence, effort, and goal directedness might, for example, result in rebellious behavior that does not lead to meaningful outcomes -- together they can fuel both the ability and drive to pursue what others deem impossible. Schilling shares the science behind the convergence of traits that increases the likelihood of success. And, as Schilling also reveals, there is much to learn about nurturing breakthrough innovation in our own lives -- in, for example, the way we run organizations, manage people, and even how we raise our children.

Download or read book Freedom Freud and Other Foibles written by David Begelman Ph.D. and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2024-06-11 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FREEDOM, FREUD and OTHER FOIBLES is an anthology of articles on a range of philosophical and scientific issues such as free will and determinism, psychoanalysis, abortion, reincarnation, addiction, judicial activism, animal rights, method acting and such authors as Shakespeare, Stanislavsky, Camus, Jung, Viktor Frankl and Christopher Bollas.

Download or read book Fraud Fighter written by Joseph T. Wells and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-06-07 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of insightful, poignant, and humorous stories from Dr. Joseph Wells, the world's foremost fraud expert?with gutsy revelations of his own past mistakes From his dysfunctional childhood in rural Oklahoma; his service in the U.S.Navy; a brief stint in public accounting followed by a career in the FBI; and founding the world's largest anti-fraud organization, Wells' colorful life experiences were preparation for his rise to one of the globe's most revered antifraud experts. Written by the preeminent antifraud authority and founder and Chairman of the ACFE Offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the life of one of the most influential white-collar crime experts of our time At a period when dishonesty at top U.S. companies is dominating public attention, The Fables and Foibles of a Fraud Fighter is a surprisingly frank and gripping memoir from an unsurprisingly effective fraud fighter.This autobiography forms a full tapestry of a life, displaying wit, intrigue, trepidation, regret, and finally, ultimate victory.

Download or read book Beatrice And Virgil may 10 written by Yann Martel and published by Penguin Books India. This book was released on 2010 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey--named Beatrice and Virgil--and the epic journey they undertake together.

Download or read book Man s Wrongs Or Woman s Foibles written by S. G. Knight and published by . This book was released on 1870 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Business Fables and Foibles written by Ron Moore and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-02-24 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Business Fables and Foibles is a series of whimsical, satirical stories that highlight many of the foibles in businesses across the world, particularly in manufacturing companies. It is both serious and amusing, using short, fictitious stories to illustrate various principles and lessons. For example, many executives will talk about their people as being their most important asset, but in a downturn will quickly think of them as their biggest expense, and cut them. Would you be quick to eliminate your most important asset? The story of the huntin' dog and the kennel dog illustrates how many executives don't understand the difference between the two, and often place kennel dogs in positions of higher authority, when a good huntin' dog would have been a much better choice for the company's success. The story of the gloves illustrates how senior managers will make seeming small decisions of which they have little knowledge, and that should be made by the shop floor. This lack of understanding of what is actually happening on the shop floor leads to higher costs and lower profitability, and indeed puts the company's business future at risk. If you want to know about the problems with the work, ask the workers. It is hoped that these, and over 30 other stories provided, will help all who read them take away lessons they can apply in their business to make it more successful.

Download or read book Water Follies written by Robert Jerome Glennon and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Santa Cruz River that once flowed through Tucson, Arizona is today a sad mirage of a river. Except for brief periods following heavy rainfall, it is bone dry. The cottonwood and willow trees that once lined its banks have died, and the profusion of birds and wildlife recorded by early settlers are nowhere to be seen. The river is dead. What happened? Where did the water go. As Robert Glennon explains in Water Follies, what killed the Santa Cruz River -- and could devastate other surface waters across the United States -- was groundwater pumping. From 1940 to 2000, the volume of water drawn annually from underground aquifers in Tucson jumped more than six-fold, from 50,000 to 330,000 acre-feet per year. And Tucson is hardly an exception -- similar increases in groundwater pumping have occurred across the country and around the world. In a striking collection of stories that bring to life the human and natural consequences of our growing national thirst, Robert Glennon provides an occasionally wry and always fascinating account of groundwater pumping and the environmental problems it causes. Robert Glennon sketches the culture of water use in the United States, explaining how and why we are growing increasingly reliant on groundwater. He uses the examples of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro rivers in Arizona to illustrate the science of hydrology and the legal aspects of water use and conflicts. Following that, he offers a dozen stories -- ranging from Down East Maine to San Antonio's River Walk to Atlanta's burgeoning suburbs -- that clearly illustrate the array of problems caused by groundwater pumping. Each episode poses a conflict of values that reveals the complexity of how and why we use water. These poignant and sometimes perverse tales tell of human foibles including greed, stubbornness, and, especially, the unlimited human capacity to ignore reality. As Robert Glennon explores the folly of our actions and the laws governing them, he suggests common-sense legal and policy reforms that could help avert potentially catastrophic future effects. Water Follies, the first book to focus on the impact of groundwater pumping on the environment, brings this widespread but underappreciated problem to the attention of citizens and communities across America.

Download or read book Fads and Foibles in Modern Sociology and Related Sciences written by Pitirim A. Sorokin and published by . This book was released on 1956 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Eccentric Britain written by Benedict Le Vay and published by Bradt Travel Guides. This book was released on 2005 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A delightful romp around the British Isles searching out the mad marquess, the eccentric earl, the barmy baron, and the daft duke and gathering a fair collection of crackpot inventors, weird adventurers and fascinatingly and not to mention insanely curious customs along the way. All of which make this rainy little island home to that remarkable breed of individual - the British eccentric.This expanded book still doesn't tell you where Stonehenge is, but it does tell you where ten spookier stone circles are where there will be no crowds, no admission charges and no parking problems... This is a book for the intelligent, humorous, curious tourist who doesn't go with the crowd. It is also a great armchair read that has been known to have readers weeping with mirth at the weird ways of the British.

Download or read book Scarcity written by Sendhil Mullainathan and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2013-09-03 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A surprising and intriguing examination of how scarcity—and our flawed responses to it—shapes our lives, our society, and our culture

Download or read book Why Do Cats Bury Their Poop written by Margaret H. Bonham and published by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2008 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This isn’t just another cat care book! It’s a virtual owner’s manual packed with little-known and entertaining facts presented by two acclaimed experts--all in answer to more than 200 unique questions about the fabulous feline. Broken down into categories, including "Behavior,” "Bodies,” and "Emotions,” it covers everything that cat lovers need to know: Why do cats purr? Do they get embarrassed? Are all white cats deaf? Can a litter have more than one father? Do cats have favorite colors of food? And, finally, there’s an answer to the pressing query that all feline fans have asked for years: Why do cats seek out the one person in the room who doesn’t like them? Although the tone is lighthearted, the information is valuable...and absolutely scientifically accurate.

Download or read book The Little Book of the Icelanders written by Alda Sigmundsdóttir and published by Little Books Publishing. This book was released on 2022-01-21 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After more than 20 years away, Alda Sigmundsdottir returned to her native Iceland as a foreigner. With a native person's insight yet an outsider's perspective, Alda quickly set about dissecting the national psyche of the Icelanders. This second edition, from 2018, contains new and updated chapters from the original edition, reflecting the changes in Icelandic society and among the Icelandic people since the book was first published in 2012. Among the fascinating subjects broached in The Little Book of the Icelanders: • The appalling driving habits of the Icelanders • Naming conventions and customs • The Icelanders’ profound fear of commitment • The Icelanders’ irreverence • Why Icelandic women are really men • How the Icelanders manage to make social interactions really complicated • The importance of the family in Icelandic society • Where to go to meet the real Icelanders (and possibly score some free financial advice) • Rituals associated with the most important life events (weddings, confirmations, graduations, and deaths) ... and many more. One chapter leads to the next, creating a continuous chain of storytelling. It feels as if you’re sitting in the author’s kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee and conversing with her about the quirks of her countrymen, every now and then bursting out laughing. [...] I’m going to heartily recommend The Little Book of the Icelanders, both to fans of Sigmundsdóttir’s blog and those unfamiliar with her work. - Iceland Review Online There aren’t many books I’d recommend reading over morning coffee but The Little Book of the Icelanders is one of them. [...] I laughed at the essays in this book, not because I was laughing at Icelanders but because I recognize much of the behavior in myself and members of my family. It felt good. It’s not just the sanest, most impressive characteristics that we pass on and share but also some of the zaniest. As I read this book, I frequently thought, yup, I’m definitely part Icelandic. - Lögberg-Heimskringla, Canada Excerpt "Even though they live on the edge of the inhabitable world with engulfing darkness for several months of the year, the Icelanders continue to score among the most optimistic people in the world. Is it the fish? The fresh air? The cod liver oil? Natural selection? The copious amounts of anti-depressants they consume? Nobody really knows. However, one thing is sure: this character trait serves Icelanders well and has helped the nation cope with innumerable shocks, from volcanic eruptions to famines, to a massive economic crisis. Whatever happens, you can be sure that the Icelanders will seek the silver lining and soldier on, firmly believing that things will soon get better. Indeed it is fascinating to observe how the Icelanders deal with trauma at a national level. Their initial reaction always seems to be to bond together. People who on regular days will bicker and quarrel amongst themselves, suddenly become enormously supportive of each other. I’ve seen this happen in the aftermath of disasters such as snow avalanches and volcanic eruptions, or tragedies that capture the nation’s attention. Take, for example, the economic meltdown of 2008, which for the Icelanders was one of the most catastrophic events in recent history. Many people feared an onslaught of suicides in the wake of all the bankruptcies that ensued. Yet it turned out that the number of suicides actually declined. According to the Directorate of Health, it was because the nation had bonded together, and people were closer and more supportive of each other than they had been in a very long time. In other words, the optimism is probably a long-term survival strategy. After all, through the centuries of hardship and geographical isolation that the Icelandic nation has endured, defeat was not an option – it was stand together, fight together, or die."