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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Marshall Islands stick charts were made and used by the Marshallese to navigate the Pacific Ocean by canoe off the coast of the Marshall Islands. The charts represented major ocean swell patterns and the ways the islands disrupted those patterns, typically determined by sensing disruptions in ocean swells by islands during sea navigation. Stick charts were typically made from the midribs of coconut fronds tied together to form an open framework. Island locations were represented by shells tied to the framework, or by the lashed junction of two or more sticks. The threads represented prevailing ocean surface wave-crests and directions they took as they approached islands and met other similar wave-crests formed by the ebb and flow of breakers. Individual charts varied so much in form and interpretation that the individual navigator who made the chart was the only person who could fully interpret and use it. Use of stick charts and navigation by swells apparently came to demise after World War II, when new electronic technologies made navigation more accessible, and travel between islands by canoe lessened. The stick charts are a significant contribution to the history of cartography because they represent a system of mapping ocean swells, which was never before accomplished. They also use different materials than is common in other parts of the world. They are an indication that ancient maps may have looked very different, and encoded different features from the earth, than the maps we use today. The charts, unlike traditional maps, were studied and memorized prior to a voyage and were not consulted during a trip, as compared to traditional navigation techniques where consultation of a map is frequent and points and courses are plotted out bo... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4506804 ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A moving memoir and an important piece of scholarship from a very good man
Children of the Atomic Bomb is a surprisingly eloquent little book about the human cost of the most horrific acts of war ever perpetrated by mankind - the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. While it has long been argued that the bombs probably saved tens of thousands of American lives that would have been lost in the attack on Japan, after reading Dr. Yamazaki's stories from the survivors of the attack, one wonders, and hopes that such a thing never happens again. The book itself is in the form of a memoir, and that is probably what makes it so interesting - so fascinating, actually. The author, born in 1916, was a Nisei, a second-generation Japanese-American who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, was captured by the Germans and, as a POW, survived bombing and strafing by Allied aircraft. There are also references here to the prejudice and bigotry perpetrated on Yamazaki's family and friends, including the rounding up and herding off to internment camps during the war. The heart of the story, however, concerns the author's lifelong work as a doctor/pediatrician in studying the effects of radiation and fallout on children. He was an important part of such studies in both Japan and the U.S. from 1950 all the way into the 1990s, when this book was published. I wonder if he is still active in medicine. There is much in this brief study that if horrifying and gruesome, but I was most taken by the forgiving nature of people expressed in the tales here, and with the dedication and passion that Dr. Yamazaki has brought to his work with children in the past 60-plus years. This is a book that can be read quickly but its contents will resonate. An important and moving work by a good man. - Tim Bazzett, author of BOOKLOVER and SOLDIER BOY

Fallout
"Children of the Atomic Bomb" is a disturbing look into the after effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II.In reference to the fallout of radiation, the Marshall Islands incident is also discussed.The author's primary emphasis is placed on the bomb's effects on children, including those still in the womb and those not yet conceived.

There is a great deal of valuable information in this book, though I must admit I found the explanations too short at times.Dr. Yamazaki is an American of Asian descent, who served his country in World War II.Because of his nationality, he endured racism depite being an American.Ironically, even in his research in Japan he endured prejudice because he was seen as an American.This gives an interesting twist to the story.

Dr. Yamazaki's focus began in studying the unborm children of the atomic bomb.While the adults in the fallout tended to develop cancer at high rates later in life, the children had a high motality rate.Cancer and mental retardation were among the primary defects developed in these children.Many were also born with small heads, caused by the soft tissue of the skull solidifing too soon.These "pica babies" or babies of the blinding flash showed an alarming vulnerablity during the eighth and fifteenth weeks of development.Babies in this span of development showed the greatest health problems.Searching for genetic defects is the next goal of the research, though the stigma of being a pica baby makes some reluctant to come forward for research.

One of the things I enjoyed about the book was that Dr. Yamazaki did not choose to argue for or against the use of the bomb.Instead, he chose to pursue the possibility that something like this should never happen again.In American culture, we pay little attention to the after effects of the Atomic Bomb in Japan.Our primary focus in America in studying World War II is the fall of the Nazi regime.This book is an eye-opening experience in the events that unfolded in Japan as the war ended.My only complaint is that the book is often too concise.

An incredibly important work
This is the personal and medical memoir of Dr. James Yamazaki, an American of Japanese descent who went to Japan a few years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Dr. Yamazaki went to study the effects of radiation exposure on the populace, and particularly its effects on children. Dr. Yamazaki spent several years in Nagasaki before returning to the US to continue research on the effects of radiation on children (as well as having a general pediatric practice.)

In addition to his pioneering medical work, he also talked to government commissions about nuclear disarmament.He told them what he saw in Japan in the aftermath of the atomic bomb.His medical knowledge gave him the authority to speak as a peace activist as well.

A highly recommended, highly moving book.It is short and easy to read and should be essential reading to all human beings about those horrible days in the history of the world. ... Read more

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Grand Manan Island, a 200-year old fishing village in the Bay of Fundy, has been overwhelmed by globalization, technology, and changing government policies. Changes on the island call into question the myth of the rural idyll and point to an urgent need for reconsideration of urban-rural divides. In less than a decade, the island community has faced the degradation of the wild fishery and rapid growth of aquaculture, an increasing presence of multinational corporations, new federal initiatives with respect to aboriginal policies, and widespread social dysfunction.Joan Marshall uses over twelve years of intensive ethnographic research to chart the nature and pace of social and cultural change on Grand Manan, showing how it relates to globalization and environmental degradation, as well as to a confluence of outside sources. The personal stories of the Grand Manan people bring to life their local struggles and show how their community, like other rural and fishing communities across Canada, is being inexorably changed by forces outside their control. ... Read more

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The Marshall Islands, an archipelago of low-lying coral atolls in Micronesia, have never been an easy place to survive. The future will bring new difficulties: sea level rise and other effects of global climate change may render the entire country uninhabitable within the lifetimes of its inhabitants. This book examines local interpretations of this doomsday prophecy, weaving into this story related topics such as Marshallese notions of the good life, narratives of cultural change, attitudes towards Americans and foreign scientists, and perceptions of lingering radiation from nuclear testing. It includes a transcript of the author's interview with the President of the Marshall Islands regarding climate change, as well as an appendix offering practical advice to activists who wish to promote awareness and adaptation in communities vulnerable to climate change. The study is based upon ethnographic fieldwork in 2007 including interviews in the Marshallese language, as well as the author's experience as a volunteer teacher in a rural Marshallese community from 2003 to 2004. ... Read more

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Caribbean Studies is an emerging field. As such, many topics within this discipline have yet to be explored and developed. This collection of essays is one of the forerunners of examining the literature, language, and culture of the Caribbean. By exploring the works of such prominent literary scholars as Samuel Selvon and Lorna Goodison as well as the myriad of issues pertaining to the Caribbean experience, this volume provides an engaging overview of literary, language, and cultural analysis. Because of this wide range of essays, this text meets a need to examine the Caribbean in its complexity, which is rarely addressed. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1019 words.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.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more

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Discusses the geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture of the largest island in French Polynesia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Great Beginners Guide to Tahiti
This is a great introductory book on Tahiti.A previous reviewer gave this book two stars because it reads like a children's book.Well, that's because this series, Cultures of the World, is a children's book series.This is a very readable intoduction to the human and physical geography of Tahiti.

Reads Like A Grammar School Book
Not the best book written about Tahiti - This book is part of a series from the same publisher on destination around the world. Very vague content. Would be good for younger school children for research about theregion. Sorry :( ... Read more

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A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette in Ecuador

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Customer Reviews (14)

travel bug
great book, very informative for anyone wanting to travel to Equador, either for a short time or an extended stay. We are looking forward to our time in Equador, armed with the local knowledge that will make it an awesome trip

Warts and all.
The author definitely wants you to see the warts. His description of all the diseases you could get is hair raising. That being said, he does more than balance the bad with the good, I think that it needs to be updated a bit. I get a lot of info from current expats, and they do not even mention disease, so I have to think that he may have gone a bit overboard there,.

Exactly what I was looking for
This book gave me the answers I was looking for and introduced some items I hadn't even thought about.Nicely organized, fairly concise, informative but certainly not dry, it provides an excellent overview of what to expect when taking a trip to Ecuador.

Excellent and comprehensive
I think this book is a comprehensive and excellent resource for anyone considering moving to Ecuador, which would be me.The topics from history to current culture and politices, climate, demographics, etc. were very helpful to me.

Good coverage of largest cities
If you want lots of details on life and attractions in Guayaquil and Quito, this is your book. Cursory treatment of anything outside these two largest metropolitan areas Not quite what I was looking for. Crowder does however have many interesting audio interviews with authors and experts that are available online. Search latin america traveler dot com. ... Read more

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Examines the geography, history, government, people, and culture of Great Britain. ... Read more