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S. M Marson's Profile
Customer Reviews: 165
New Reviewer Rank: 4,221
Classic Reviewer Rank: 2,008
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Reviews Written by
S. M Marson (Lumberton, NC)
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A new edition, November 1, 2009
I first read THE WILD BOY OF AVEYON while a sophomore in college. Itard's short paperback was recommended by my sociology professor (Lynn Nelson). Although I changed my major six times, THE WILD BOY OF AVEYON was the catalyst for finding my new home in the Sociology Department. I was excited about my new major and was delighted to pursue extra and non required reading. In the end, THE WILD BOY OF AVEYON opened my eyes to the profound impact social forces have on the person.
During the spring semester of 2010, I had an opportunity to return to teaching sociology after 20 years of teaching social work. In recalling interaction with Professor Nelson, I decided that requiring freshmen and sophomores to complete a book report would be a good strategy to appreciate and/or hate sociology. After a search on Amazon, I learned that Itard's original THE WILD BOY OF AVEYON was out of print. I was distressed that my students would not be able to read the same book as I did. Instead, I found Lane's version of THE WILD BOY OF AVEYON. I was disappointed until I read it.
Lane's work is a carefully crafted piece that includes much of Itard's original work plus writings of Itard's contemporaries. Unlike the original, Lane is able to take a step back and assess the long term implications of Itard's work with Victor. The reader with acquire commentary addressing the issue: Was the boy left in the wild by his parents because he was mentally retarded OR did the wild reduce this child into a state of mental retardation? The answer was left to the reader in Itard's original work. Lane does not specifically answer the question but does an exceptionally good job in guiding the reader to intellectual comparisons (see page 179).
Lane's version of THE WILD BOY OF AVEYON is a profoundly important piece of literature for the introductory study of sociology. However, it is not an easy read for freshmen. However, all who seriously read this fine book will become intellectually sharper. They will see the coercive forces of our social structure in a different light and will be challenged to understand the impact that social isolation has on individuals.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Ending up where I needed to be, September 16, 2009
I decided to read BORN TO RUN because of an interview with McDougall that was aired on the Daily Show by Jon Stuart. My interest was motivated by the discussion of the Tarahumara runners. They seemed super human. As I read, a quote from Dirk Gently continued to enter my mind, "My own strategy is to find a car, or the nearest equivalent, which looks as if it knows where it's going and follow it. I rarely end up where I was intending to go, but often I end up somewhere that I needed to be." My original purpose for reading BORN TO RUN was not satisfied, but rather I read something I needed to read. Two issues stand out.
First, back in the 1960's, I read a series of books written by the anthropologist, Carlos Castaneda. Within the next decade, Castaneda's work was declared to be fraudulent. I wish I hadn't tossed out these books. I'm beginning to think his books were an accurate depiction of much of the events he addressed in his books -- just several thousand miles away. It sounds like Castaneda's Don Juan was an elder among the Tarahumara. I need to reread Castaneda's work.
Second, it has been a long time since I've done any serious running, but vividly recall the intrinsic joy I found in it -- also as I aged, the pain I felt the next day. McDougall points out that there is a positive correlation between the cost of running shoes and injuries associated with running. That is, the more expense the running shoe, the greater the physical problems. To understand the complexity of this strange association, one has to read the book.
I didn't get what I wanted from McDougall's book, but I did get what I needed. I highly recommend the book for those who were disappointed with Castaneda and those who are concerned about running injuries.
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The best written on Inter-Rater Reliability, September 14, 2009
I have had two projects in which I was required to assess inter-rater reliability. It is VERY difficult to find detailed and well-written documentation on this subject matter.
Gwet's work is the BEST!! It is well-written so that a person without a degree is statistics can understand. Although it is out of print and not available on Amazon, I suspect that you can contact the publisher (STATAXIS) or author directly to get a copy.
In terms of inter-rater reliability, I found two articles that were helpful. Both were written by Gwet:
Gwet, K. (2002). Computer inter-rater reliability with the SAS system. Statistical Methods for Inter-Rater Reliabiliy (number 3, October).
Gwet, K. (2002). Kappa statistics is not satisfactory for assessing the extent of agreement between raters. Statistical Methods for Inter-Rater Reliabiliy (number 1, April).
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The Wheel of Darkness
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by Douglas Preston
Edition: Mass Market Paperback |
| Price: $7.99 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Comic Book Quality, January 2, 2009
THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is the 7th Pendergast novel following:
RELIC
RELIQUARY
STILL LIFE WITH CROWS
BRIMESTONE
DANCE OF DEATH
THE BOOK OF THE DEAD
Preston and Child have a rare quality in their writing skill - they can draw the reader away from his/her reading chair and transport him/her into the novel. Although parts of this novel reflect their writing craft, the authors fail in the totality of their effort. In the 6 other Pendergast novels, the authors transport the reader to other places for the entirety of the reading experience. WHEELS OF DARKNESS has its moments but not with the regularity of their other works.
I've spent a great deal of my time attempting to understand why WHEELS OF DARKNESS doesn't offer the same quality as their other work. I think I have the answer, in their other works; the authors are able to pull the reader into accepting a highly implausible (or impossible) storyline as being a scientific reality. WHEELS OF DARKNESS has more of a comic book quality. The authors cannot stretch the implausibility as being close to probable. At the end, they offer a feeble attempt to include a scientific dimension - but it is too late.
Two last points: First, the authors contend that these seven novels can stand alone. This is incorrect. They must be read in order and, frankly, I think the publisher should offer a warning label. For example, Pendergast in WHEELS OF DARKNESS will not make sense without first understanding his personality structure. The reader needs to know his past to comprehend his actions. STILL LIFE WITH CROWS offers the best illustration of Pendergast's personality development. Second, although WHEELS OF DARKNESS represents the weakest of the Pendergast novels, it is still better than most of storylines currently available.
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Plum Island
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by Nelson Demille
Edition: Paperback |
| Price: $13.63 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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Part 1 of the LION'S GAME, August 19, 2008
Unintentionally, I always seem to read novels out of their proper sequence. PLUM ISLAND lays out the character development for NIGHT FALL, WILD FIRE and THE LION'S GAME (my favorite). Unlike other authors, DeMille does a good job of composing a series of novels that can be coherently read out of sequence.
DeMille lays out the chauvinistic but likable character John Corey. In the preface, DeMille notes that feminist readers like the Corey character despite his overt chauvinism. The women in these novels are brighter than and as adventurous as Corey. He treats them as equals; so he is redeemed - somehow.
Unlike his later novels, within PLUM ISLAND, DeMille doesn't let the reader know the thoughts of the main characters. In this novel, the strategy works. There are 4 paths the storyline could follow. Since the reader is not invited into the mind of Corey, a great deal of suspends is injected. On the other hand, once the reader learns Corey's hypothesis, PLUM ISLAND becomes anticlimactic. However, the story peaks once again during the chase. The reader will immediately realize that DeMille has no qualms of killing off leading characters - even smart, attractive, girl friends can be killed. If she survives, the reader will not know until chapter 37 (second to last chapter).
DeMille is well-known for his one-lines. My favorite comes from PLUM ISLAND on page 1. John Corey notes, "In occurred to me that the problem of doing nothing is not knowing when you're finished."
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The Collectors
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by David Baldacci
Edition: Mass Market Paperback |
| Price: $9.99 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Part two of the Camel Club, August 11, 2008
Besides THE COLLECTORS, I have read the following works of David Baldacci: THE WINNER, THE SIMPLE TRUTH, and THE CAMEL CLUB. I found most of these unmemorable. However because of the difficulty in following the storyline, I forced myself to read THE CAMEL CLUB twice. It took a long time to assess my problem with Baldacci's writing. Actually, it is the same problem that Americans have with watching a soccer game - slow scoring.
Baldacci includes simultaneous multiple major storylines. Each is seemingly unconnected and could easily become an independent novel. He takes these unconnected storylines and slowly weaves them together. A reader can become distracted and frustrated with the movement from one storyline to another. If one gets distracted, one will miss the connection when the diverse storylines emerge into a single coherent novel. It takes an extraordinary amount of writing talent to be successful with this approach.
As soon as I became adjusted to his writing style, the book was hard to put down. In the end, I have to say, THE COLLECTORS is the best novel I read this summer.
Based on the last page, it is clear that there will be a 3rd novel in this series.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Before Brother Odd, August 1, 2008
I have read the following novels by Dean Koontz: FOREVER ODD, BROTHER ODD, FEAR NOTHING, SEIZE THE NIGHT, FALSE MEMORY, ICEBOUND, DRAGON TEARS, BAD PLACE, INTENSITY, STRANGERS, MIDNIGHT, HIDEAWAY, STRANGE HIGHWAYS, SOLE SURVIVOR and FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE. I have also read LIFE IS GOOD: LESSONS IN JOYFUL LIVING by his dog, Trixie.
In my experience, I grow weary of reading the work of a single author. For example, the novels of Clive Cussler and Patricia Cornwell have become SO predictable, I've stopped reading them. I just completed a Cornwell novel and disliked it so much, I will not write a review of it nor will I read her again.* I have to say that Koontz's work does NOT fall into that category. As with Cornwell and Cussler, I have read many of Koontz's novels, but have noticed that his storylines progressively improve and remain unpredictable.
FOREVER ODD and BROTHER ODD share the grandest characteristic of excellent novel writing. Both skillfully portray the improbable as probable. In a very convincing manner, Koontz is able to lay out rules for the emergence of supernatural events. The actions of ghostly figures are limited by the functional equivalent of the laws of thermodynamics. As a result, confidence intervals can place both limits and variation on ghostly activities. Odd Thomas' interaction with the supernatural is like playing Black Jack.
The Odd Thomas series is Koontz at this best. I, of course, read them out of order. FOREVER ODD introduces BROTHER ODD. Thus, read them in that order. Based on reading FOREVER ODD, I believe a third ODD novel exists. I get the impression that another novel introduces FOREVER ODD. If you know of such a novel, please let me know by writing in the comment section.
Happy reading!
* This is not to say that Cussler and Cornwell are bad writers. For me, because I've read them so much, their writing has become monotonous.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Key Points, August 1, 2008
I notice that most of the reviews for Moore's THE BASIC PRACTICE OF STATISTICS have been written by students. I found these reviews insightful to read. My students (like the ones who composed the reviews) are not math majors and do NOT want to enroll in a statistics course.
Being sensitive to that fact, I spent a great deal of time selecting a statistic text. I had several concerns which directed me toward adopting Moore's text:
1. Oftentimes, one can find typos in textbooks. This isn't a major problem, but if there is a typo in a formula, the problems for students are enormous! If the professor is from the math or statistics department, he/she can quickly catch the error and explain it to the students. If the professor is from the social sciences, he/she is less likely to catch the error. I've actually found errors in statistics textbooks. These critical errors usually can be found in books which are written by social scientists (someone like me). Thus, I've concluded that stat books written by statisticians are less apt to have typos than stat books written by social scientists. Moore is a statistician with a considerable reputation.
2. I needed a book with excellent graphic illustrations. A good graphic will help a student understand a complex statistical concept better than the written word. Moore's text is filled with great graphics that explain complex concepts. Page 347 is a great example and has produced an epiphany for several students.
3. I needed an introductory book that included information on control charts. Moore offers this. Frankly, I haven't found another intro stat book that does this.
I've reviewed a large number of statistic textbooks. In my estimation, Moore offers the best book for non math majors.
For more reading about the use of THE BASIC PRACTICE OF STATISTICS, check out volume 27 issues 3-4, 2007, pages 199-213 of THE JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN SOCIAL WORK.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Gross Insensitivity of Hefner's Girl Friends, July 27, 2008
In 1974, I purchased Frank Brady's HEFNER (AN UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY). I was surprised because the author didn't offer any exclusive information - the book included nothing new or unknown. However, the author did report that Hefner was deeply in love and committed to Barbie Benton who he would marry soon. Well, he was wrong about that. Bottom line: There was nothing Brady's "unauthorized" biography that seemed worthy of being deemed unauthorized.
When I was reading HEF'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK, I was once again taken by surprise. There was no new information - everything in the book was well known. Instead of poor writing, I've got to conclude that Hefner has no sexual secrets. Yet, he does write of secret sexual relationships, but he won't share because these concern others. It is not himself he is protecting. Unlike Nixon, Hefner destroyed the tapes by tossing them into the Pacific Ocean. I wonder: Is this disposal contrary to EPA regulations? Can Hefner be fined? Shall we hire the Titanic team to recover the tapes?
One big inference emerged from reading: the Barbie Benton and Karen Christy conflict. Like everything else in this autobiography, this is a well known urban tale. Hefner was sleeping with both of these women with whom he claimed to dearly love. Reading between the lines, the authors suggest that Barbie and Karen were grossly insensitive to Hefner's sexual needs. He needed both of them, but neither could accept sharing him with another woman. Hefner was emotionally devastated, but eventually recovered. Today, Hefner has finally found a girlfriend who is willing to share him with two other women. If Barbie was willing to regularly share him with others, I wonder if they would be married today?
I don't know if this little book was worth the money to read. Nevertheless, I found it to be a hoot.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
What I learned from WHAT HAPPENED, June 29, 2008
I have written a substantial number of book reviews for Amazon. Unlike other reviews, in this case I am going to make of list of things I learned from reading the book:
1. A "coercive democracy" is an oxymoron. Forcing a form of government on another nation is the traditional communist model. Americans need to follow the actions of Jesus. People will become followers of Jesus because he is a good role model. People will pursue a democratic government if they have a good role model. "Coercive democracy" is not the foundation for a good role model.
2. The strength of American democracy rest within a system of checks and balances. Some of our founding fathers were actually opposed to the existence of political parties. Our three branches of government (Executive, Legislative and the Supreme Court) must deliberate independently from the other branches. For congress, we need to eliminate majority and minority leaders, majority and minority whips, congressional caucuses and any other entity that places loyalty to political party above loyalty to Congress. Adversarial positions must exist among branches of government, not between political parties. In fact, placing one's political party above one's branch of government seems to be contrary to our Constitution.
3. At the beginning of each term, the President must appoint and the Senate must approve one replacement for each Supreme Court Judge. If a Judge dies or retires, he/she can be immediately replaced. The Executive and Legislative branches have a system of replacement. The Supreme Court must be equal in that respect.
4. President Bush is NOT dishonest, but he is not very bright. Our founding fathers established a system of checks and balances to address weaknesses of anyone branch. Our Congress failed because of the need to be loyal to the Executive Branch rather than loyal its Constitutional mission.
5. McClellan's concept of a Deputy Chief of Staff is necessary if our system of checks and balances fail. In case of failure, a Deputy Chief of Staff must be required for all presidents.
6. McClellan needs a better proof reader. Some of the passages were poorly written.
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(Lumberton, NC)
