Product Description
Part foreign affairs discourse, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader from America to Iceland to India in search of happiness, or, in the crabby author's case, moments of "un-unhappiness." The book uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science and humor to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash?Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? With engaging wit and surprising insights, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions. (2007) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (166)

A Generally Happy World
Very funny book about Wiener's trek to 10 countries, looking for the happiest place on earth.Wiener is both a grump and a skeptic, but his search seems to change him in unexpected way, including his ambition, views on spirituality and definitions of what it means to be happy.Part travelogue, the book gives wonderful insight into countries like Great Britain, Moldova and Qatar.Don't expect any pat conclusions, but do expect a fun ride that forces the reader to look more deeply into what is truly important in life.

Bravo To A Self-Proclaimed Grump For Trying.
Probably one of the best books written on the search of happiness without getting too technical, too scientific, too repetitive, too spiritual, too bias.Well-written and interesting throughout, the book is filled with mini epiphanies, insightful contradictions, humbling observations, cultural curiosities and wonderments.With a generous heap of clever wittiness (a bit odd from a self-proclaimed grump).Toward the end of the book, the author somehow temporarily digresses from all the happiness talk and simply writes about his travels.But overall, this read will inspire - either realization or pursuit of one's own happiness.*

Kiss my Bliss
The right to pursue happiness is guaranteed us in our constitution, but it seems most of us have chosen goals that don't bring us to that blissful state. Eric Weiner made it his mission to understand why and to figure out what constitutes happiness in different cultures about the globe. It seems American's for all their wealth and creature comforts are among the least happy of peoples and the Moldova, a group I'd never heard of, are the most miserable. I looked forward to curling up with this fun, thought provoking romp each night before going to sleep. Weiner admits he falls back on generalizations about cultures, but he does it with self-deprecating humor. Be here "now" is the accepted mantra for happiness these days. The Thais say it more simply "Don't' think too much."The Dane's considered the most content individuals since there are no expectations in a totally socialized country were not included in this journey. Perhaps, Mr. Weiner, a self-proclaimed grump, will take us there next time he decides to explore what really makes us glow from the inside out.

Wonderful book
This is a great book I recommend to my family and friends, and it makes you think about what makes YOU happy, as well as what other factors could influence happiness. I loved the traveling, stories, and insights the author had, as well as his wonderful writing style. After I lend it out to friends, I always start rereading it.

A+
one of the best and humorous books ever read.
thanks for the journey, Eric.
your book is fantastic and unnaively sophisticated. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (15)

Who knew you could unravel some of the mysteries in time?
I absolutely loved this book.I actually began reading it in the library and enjoyed it so much, I decided I would like to own it so I could refer back to it over "time."If you have a curious mind and would like to stretch your imagination about how long you will be on this journey and this planet, you will enjoy reading this great book.
M.M.

Forces you to examine your own use of time
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the studies he and his team did in various countries around the world and in various U.S. cities. The thing I loved most though, was just like traveling, the information forces you to look more at yourself and your own culture that what is being presented. How does my reaction to waiting in line compare to people in Italy? - wouldn't it be better if I could chat with my neighbors lining up with me instead of being grumpy the whole time? The book is not a self-help book, but it did help me realize how an unnatural, manmade constraint (the clock) dictates not only working time (which can't really be helped) but also my leisure, my meals, and every other part of my life.Ex:Why am I eating if I am not hungry - "because it is time to eat." I feel now as though I have more control over my own tempo and the events in my life as well as an insight into the people around me, and those around the world.

An excursion in temporal relativity between cultures
Every so often I read a book on time managementas sort of tune up to the administrative side of my life. Most say more of less the same thing but Levine's book is a bit different. Comparing social attitudesas to how different cultures measure and use time and the kindsof time that people value (ie: personal, appropriate waiting, urgent vs non-urgent, mourning, decision time) gave me some insight into other people's behaviour that I think I needed.

Levine took a sabbatical off and traveled the world and observed. Later he organized a set of simpleexperiments measuring simple tasks such as purchasing a postage stamp, walking pace or taking time out to assist a stranger in different cities around the world and reported the results in the book.

Some cultures are slow (Brazil) or very slow (Malaysia). For Americans "time is money" and we often value work based on the amount of effort put in, but an African might make a gift of some labour intensive craft that we would not "afford" to make because that connection does not get made.

The book also got me to notice another book When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures [WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE 3/E]which also discusses temporal attitudes country by country and corroborates Levine's conclusions.Obviously broad statements are stereotypical and people differ but such books can act as rough guidelines (some might say no more valuable than horoscopes - I disagree) and are only dangerous if you adhere to them slavishly.

The last third of the book however focuses on the time sense of Japan and here the book loses some of its energy - the comments kaorshi (suicide by overwork) and the communal nature of decision making have been covered well elsewhere.Compared to other sections the number of anecdotes and insights is less dense.

Overall I greatly enjoyed the conversational tone of the book and how it points out different values across our shared humanity. IMHO Prof. Levine should prove to be an interesting lecturer in person.Recommended.

Whose time are you taking, anyway?
Chances are good that you live a clock-time life, even if your inclination is toward event-time. You may be either mono- or polychronic, Type A or Type B, and within that frame either aggressive or passive. Whichever way you take your time, neat or on the rocks, time and your relationship to it are part of the unspoken language of any culture. Levine's GEOGRAPHY takes you around the world and into yourself exploring the meaning of time in our lives.With annecdotes and statistics, the author helps readers pry the back off of mental clocks to see the surprising works inside. A man arranges to meet his brother in Kabul, Afghanistan, and waits all week before turning to an embassy for help. When contact is finally made, it turns out that the two men had agreed on a week but not a year. To us that seems humorous, because our years seem to move on a timeline from past to future. To an Afghani the calendar is more viscerally cyclical, years repeat the circle and are not meaningfully different.Historically, why did duels, battles and treaty signings so often happen at dawn? Then, (as now in the few remaining clock-free cultures) dawn was one of three "times" in the daily flow that could be clearly specified, along with "nonetime" (noon) and sundown (clearly an inauspicious hour to take aim at one's opponent).I realized through this reading that I am inclined toward event-time polychronism. That is; I prefer to handle things as they occur instead of adhering to a pre-set schedule, and prefer to engage in several things at once instead of one thing at a time. Helpfully, Levine offers suggestions of ways to include your innate time sense in life within a society running in a different mode. Also included are rankings of a few dozen cities world-wide in order of pace: not surprisingly the dominant economic countries, where "time is money" tend to be the faster moving ones. On the other hand, Japan moves very fast but without most of the tension and stress found in the U.S. -- probably because theirs is a cooperative culture and ours competitve and individualistic. Equally illuminating are the differences dividing Japan and the U.S. from Europe. Europeans move quickly like we do, but take a whole lot more time off -- five weeks mandatory vacation in most countries, and a friend told me just yesterday that France is slated to move to a 35 hour work week. Time sense is important. Differences in personal timing rank second to monetary concerns as a cause of friction in relationships (!), and cultural variance can cripple communication for travelers and governments alike.An American keeping an appointment is shown into an office somewhere in Africa. Her host is engaged in conversation with another person and so she stands back, politely waiting her turn. Several minutes later the host turns on her and blasts her with castigation for failing to interrupt and greet him. Has she no manners? What civilized person could possibly enter a room and not immediately greet another? Her explanation/apology that she was following American rules of conduct is rejected. He insists she was intentionally being rude.You see? Timing is everything.

interesting look into human perception and modern society
Levine reports beautifully on his studies of cultural perceptions of time in the modern world. He writes well and engagingly, presenting a very interesting and telling look into human perception of time in different cultures and its effect on mental and physical health, reasoning, and society. A must read. ... Read more

Product Description
Trusted for its timeliness and readability, this book introduces geography by emphasizing the relevance of geographic concepts to human problems. Two years after Rubenstein's Update Edition was created to encompass the events of September 11, 2001, this revision also begins the careful process of putting those events into perspective. Provides new "Global Forces and Local Impacts" boxes in each chapter that explore in depth an issue related to chapter material, focusing on particular regions of the world. Includes new material on medical geography, terrorism, mineral resources, sustainable development, conservation, and biodiversity. Presents new information on gender differences in development . Expands material on Ethnicity, relating ethnicity problems to political conflict; also incorporates material previously found elsewhere in the book, such as U.S. urban patterns and South Africa's history of apartheid. For anyone interested in learning more about world geography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Seller!
Great seller.Product was shipped fast, book was in great condition, just as described and great price.Thanks!

Pretty good Textbook
Not to shaby for what I paid for. There was some highlighting but that is okay with me and the best part was that I had found the book at the best price between my whole class. No issues with the seller because I had no issues with the book. I'm glad I found this bookand was able to purchase it at a reasonable price compared to my school which is asking for about 105.00.

Book for Garbage Bin
This book is utter garbage!I cannot stress it enough!I used it for a Miami University (Oxford, OH) Geography class.It's full of errors, and makes suppositions in a slanted way.The graphs are not dated (as well as outdated) and seem mostly to prove Rubenstein's point.I am working on a letter to Rubenstein, who is a staff member at MU in Oxford telling him that he and his book are worthless to everyone.I can give numerous examples of problems, from assertions about New Orleans and Seattle's WTO "riots" (by anarchists who had nothing to do with the conference).If you think it's worth the purchase, then more to you!I would be very wary if you take all the info in the text as Truth.It is NOT!
I am the husband of this Amazon user.

Great Textbook!
This is a great textbook.I bought it for my Human Geography class.It was well written, easy to read and very informative.I decided not to sell it when I finished reading it, but instead I will keep it in my home library for future reference.

Not a good book at all.
This book is simply outrageous, it's perfunctory and erroneous.
It gets even worse if you start to infer and make your own assumptions based on the texts.
Although the mistakes can be desribed as minor they are negligent. They nullify any qualtiy because there are simply too many of those 'minor' mistakes.
Some parts are just very much outdated descriptions and in other parts facts are simply faulty.
This is an educational book and for the price that it costs the least I can expect is correct and up-to-day facts. Just a little example: The world's most important Rugby event nowadays is called the '6 Nation's Cup' - not the '5 Nation's Cup'. The author had 8 years time to update this! It's a small detail but as a reader I instantly lose trust in the complete content of the book.
After reading to only half of the chapters I've already compiled a long list of errors that I found.
My recommendation would be not to buy this book.

... Read more

Product Description
Updated to reflect the latest Advanced Placement exams, this new edition presents twofull-length practice exams in AP Human Geography with answers and explanations, plus a detailed eight-chapter subject review. It also includes a mini-diagnostic test to help students target specific areas where they need more study. Topics covered include a description of Human Geography and its applications, map reading and understanding scale, population geography, cultural geography, political geography, economic geography, agricultural and rural geography, and urban geography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Barrons AP Human Geography
The book was in great shape for being a used copy, great for the money, will do buiseness with you in the future. you delivered what you said a good product at a good price. Thanks ... Read more

Product Description

Carrying forthTom L. McKnight's well-known thematic focus on landscape appreciation, this best-seller fosters a solid understanding of Earth and its physical geography. Its clear, user-friendly writing style, superior art program, and abundant pedagogy appeal to a wide variety of readers. Updates and expands coverage of global environmental change, including a new section on measuring and understanding climate change. Expands section on human alteration of the atmosphere, including ozone depletion and air pollution. Expands sections on tsunamis and human modification of shorelines. A useful reference for anyone interested in physical geography.

Customer Reviews (15)

Be Careful
I purchased Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation after thoroughly reading the product details and the return policy.The book was supposed to be in Used-Good condition but to my utter horror on arrival the book, I would say, was Used-Poor condition.I cannot even please the book in the stacks for my students to read because pages are missing.I contacted the seller directly as instructed but received no response.I contacted the seller again but no response was received.

Buyers...think twice before you deal with this seller.

Awesome Service
I ordered my book and received it within one week. No problems at all, will use this seller again :)

Comprehensive
This textbook gives an insightful look into the geographic, meterological and natural components of the earth. It simplifies complex ideas, yet includes all the essential components of physical geography with easy to follow script,illustrations, and maps. It is a must for every physical scientist.

Just what I needed
I needed this book for a geography class and it was going to be over $100 at the book store. I am so glad I checked Amazon!It is exactly what I needed. Lesson to be learned here...Always check amazon for books for school!

Physical Geography textbook 9th edition
The book was in good condition and when I e-mailed the seller explaining that I needed it ASAP, he responded quickly via e-mail and also sent the book out right away.He was personal and helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
The Ultimate Geography Bee Resource Guide
Geography Bees are hot, with millions of fourth through eighth graders competing in National Geographic—sponsored Bees every year! This indispensable guide will systematically prepare your child to beat the competition and win! Inside you'll discover:
·Important rules, the best strategies, and essential insider tips
·How to avoid the most common pitfalls
·Proven study techniques from teachers and parents
·Facts about every U.S. state and every country in the world
·1,001 practice Bee questions and answers
·And much more!
School geography is no longer a matter of simply memorizing U.S. states and capitals. Today's students must also know the physical, political, economic, and cultural geography of the world, with current events thrown in for good measure. Because many states now mandate geography comprehension for students, this must-have resource for students, parents, and teachers will help any child become a geography whiz kid—and maybe even win a scholarship to college! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Out of Date -- Find Another Source
Published in 2002, this book is now significantly out of date in a number of areas.Countries have split up or changed names.Although there are many useful review questions, students looking for review material in 2010 should look elsewhere.

Edited to add: This book is ripe for a new edition, but online errata would go a long way to extending the useful life of this one.

Great Prep!
This book was very helpful in preparing my son for the Geo Bee. It was a good indicator of the types of questions that would be asked.

Geography Bee Preparation
My son enjoyed answering the 1001 questions in The Geography Bee Complete Preparation Handbook.The author explained how the Geography Bee works, and he included study tips and reference information.The questions were grouped into different categories with different levels of difficulty to make it easier to study. Even though this book was published several years ago, it is still relevant, easy to use, and helpful. Highly recommended for studying for The Geography Bee or for students who enjoy geography facts and learning about the world.

Just What We Needed to Prepare
Although this book is for 4th grade plus, it was a great guide to prepare our 3rd grader for her first regional geography bee.

Nice Book
This book (The geography bee), Afganistan to Zimbabwe are best books for geography bee.
PLUS use trivia practice at [...]

Rudi ... Read more

Product Description

The Geography of Nowhere traces America's evolution from a nation of Main Streets and coherent communities to a land where every place is like no place in particular, where the cities are dead zones and the countryside is a wasteland of cartoon architecture and parking lots.

In elegant and often hilarious prose, Kunstler depicts our nation's evolution from the Pilgrim settlements to the modern auto suburb in all its ghastliness. The Geography of Nowhere tallies up the huge economic, social, and spiritual costs that America is paying for its car-crazed lifestyle. It is also a wake-up call for citizens to reinvent the places where we live and work, to build communities that are once again worthy of our affection. Kunstler proposes that by reviving civic art and civic life, we will rediscover public virtue and a new vision of the common good. "The future will require us to build better places," Kunstler says, "or the future will belong to other people in other societies." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

Strong, heartfelt appeal, but a little cynical
Any rational individual must be deeply concerned about the spread of sprawl and the overwhelming dominance of the private car over our lives.This is as eloquent an expression of that horror as you might ever find.

My only worry is that he departs from objectivity now and then, in his understandable emotion, and sinks into cynicism.After all, the 'bog-standard' "ranch house" still represents a quality of housing that ordinary Brits can only dream of, never mind those living in developing countries.And I'm afraid I part company over Disney.Kunstler acknowledges enough to surely argue in favour of Disney World, for example, that it forms a "public realm free of autos".To describe EPCOT (the city, not the theme park) as Corbusian is simply wrong.Far from being imprisoned in huge towers surrounded by tarmac, EPCOT offered neighbourhoods interconnected by transit and cycle-path.Road access survived, but to the rear of properties and underground.

To me, the real issue is the car, and the failure to plan for the liberty _not_ to drive.The Cost of the Car goes far beyond bad architecture, as I've tried to expound in my own book, of that name.

How the suburban malaise was created
This is a full-throated critique of the way we Americans have built our homes and cities.This seems to be the best-known of Kunstler's books (mostly he has published fiction), and I have seen it used in college courses.Probably there are more serious examinations of the multitude of issues that he tackles here, but I cannot think of another book that discusses this range of related subjects in such a clear and readable manner.Kunstler is clearly an outsider in this field - he is neither an architect or a historian or a policy professor.Rather, he is a freelance writer with a populist perspective, and since he is not beholden to any industry or even a university, he freely takes a broad perspective and voices the discontent that a lot of people feel with the way America is designed.

Kunstler does more than just gripe (altho he does do a lot of that).He provides a historical background, going all the way back to the arrival of the first settlers in North America, of how Americans have gone about settling the land and building on it.It is a sketchy history, but it satisfied this general reader.Those who want something more complete can surely find it someplace.Those who want to know how suburbia was created, and who the leading players were in this progression, can find that information here.

Kunstler traces the roots of today's malaise-filled American suburbs (his characterization) back to the 1800s, first to the work of English and American landscape architects like Andrew Jackson Downing, and to a few early examples of planned communities that went up near recently built railroad stations.He also points to the legal structures set up for property in the early USA, in which the rights to utilize land were given entirely to the owner.He goes on to look at some specific examples of American towns and cities (e.g. Detroit, Los Angeles, Portland, Saratoga Springs NY) and a few dreamed-up villages, like Disneyland and Henry Ford's Greenfield Village.Kunstler discusses the idea of home and community, and what makes for a good one (diversity and a local economy, among other things).He finishes up with a look at some recent thinkers and communities, and how they suggest ways that American towns can be improved.

I enjoyed this a lot, and consider it vital reading for anyone who looks around at American towns and cities, contemplates their flaws, and wonders how they can be improved.It is a sort of sister book to the author's equally powerful "The Long Emergency", his assault on our oil and automobile based economy.

Where You Live Matters
Where you live matters. The space between buildings reflects the space between people and there is so much ugly emptiness in our physical environments these days that it is no wonder our "relationships" seem so banal, perfunctory and transitory. After reading this very well written history of American architecture, you will never look at wide curvilinear streets, flat roofs, box construction, parking lots, the no-man's land of front lawns, and the disappearance of sidewalks, trees, back alleys and rooms for rent over businesses in the same way again. Read this book and think real hard about where you want to try to "live" your life.

Very well written, insightful (and sarcastic) view of our American suburban habitats.
Very well written, insightful (and sarcastic) view of our American suburban habitats. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it despite being a suburban dweller myself. You start to notice the absurdities of architecture in our society - like the tacky cartoonish fastfood establishments shaped like hotdogs and such - and start to wonder how we let this all happen to us...

Good enough for me to read the sequel
Great read. After reading this I bought the sequel, Home From Nowhere, and got The Long Emergency. ... Read more

Product Description

Have you ever wondered what a badland is? What about a gulch? Do you wonder what an isthmus is? Or a seamount? What about the difference between a plateau and a plain, or a knob and a knoll? Well, here are the answers!

The sixty-three entries from A to Z describe the earth's features -- its physical geography -- from the highest mountain peak to the deepest ocean trench, in clear, concise terms. Each entry is beautifully illustrated in full color.

This is a perfect introduction to the dramatic and fascinating face of the vast world around us. The author and artist of the best-selling MAPS & GLOBES team up again, this time to prove that geography can indeed be an adventure.

Customer Reviews (8)

nice illustrations but could use simpler definitions
Since this book is age ranged 4-8, I think the definitions should include simpler words. My daughter often needed further explanation from me after reading the definitions of many of the terms. Nice illustrations, but don't assume that your child will understand all the vocabulary used in the definitions of each term.

Great geography book for the classroom
I have used this book in the classroom for many years.My first through third grade students use it a lot.They are able to independently look up land and water forms in order to identify the different ones for a project I have in my classroom.

The book is missing a few definitions, but I have made my own and added them to the book.
(ex.ria ).The other thing is the index is not complete, but I wrote in the correct pages and topics.It is missing a few of the definitions.It is a great introduction to using an index.While not perfect, it is a very useful and young students are able to use it independently...a huge benefit.I wish more books were that way.It is difficult to find a book at the right level with the information you want.As a culminating project the students make an "imaginary island".They use the book to create a "map" showing many different land and water forms.They get creative with the names...for example, Barbara's Bay or Awesome Archipelago.

I would find it hard to teach this part of geography without it!!It is an excellent resource.

Geography Dictionary
I didn't realize that this would be a straight-forward dictionary of some geography terms, but that's what it is. My child never read it after flipping through once. It's very boring

good introduction to geography and reference books
Being a glossary, this book is a dictionary of geography terms beginning with "archipelago" and ending with "zone".Definitions are short and incomplete, but enough for the target audience of 7-10 year olds.The illustrations are bold and colorful.

See also "Maps and Globes" by the same team for the same age group.

Great Dictionary Type Book!
We are homeschooling our 8yr old son. We wanted to make sure he had a good introduction to geography. As it turns out, He loves it! It's definitions are easy for him to grasp and there are drawings to describe each term. If geography knowledge is important in your home too, I suggest you get this book. ... Read more

Product Description
I knew that any wrong action, however slight,
could reveal my true identity. . .

Russel is still going on dates with girls. Kevin would do anything to prevent his teammates on the baseball team from finding out. Min and Terese tell everyone they're just really good friends. But after a while, the truth's too hard to hide -- at least from each other -- so they form the "Geography Club." Nobody else will come. Why would they want to? Their secret should be safe.

Customer Reviews (86)

Seriously?
I am a 22 year old college student and have an obsession with YA fiction. I don't really understand it either, but I think they're really great stories to tell, regardless of what age you are. In the last year I have been focusing mainly on gay fiction. Reading things like the "Rainbow Boys" series, and "Hero," among several others, I decided to pick up "Geography Club" because of how well reviewed it had been.
Let me tell you: I think I see what Hartinger was going for, but he didn't really do a very good job. I was constantly waiting for a moment where the story went somewhere or I could see some extended period of conflict. However, it felt safe, much like a half hour sitcom where, even when faced with adversity, you never feel any imminent danger for any of the characters. You knew everything would turn out all right. My other major complaint was that the kids felt extremely unrealistic. It wasn't so long ago that I was the same age of the characters, and they read more like how an adult thinks a teenager would be at that age. Everything became incredibly too easy. For example with the story, I thought it was weird that this closeted, popular jock would meet someone on the internet that he might know from school. That was one of the first issues I had.
I don't see the same thing I guess that other people did. I was really disappointed in this book.

Delightful and interesting
Geography Club is a young adult book that doesn't feature a gay utopia but instead depicts a realistic high school with students that aren't especially noble or inspiring. These are the types of teenagers that exist in every high school, struggling to get through the minefield of social acceptance and rejection with the added pressure of being different. There is no preaching about accepting differences but the story ends with a note of hope and the idea that high school may be horrible but you'll get through it. This may not be a high school story you wish happened to you but it also is one that some teenagers may relate to.

The story follows several teenagers as they realize they are not alone and end up trying to form a support group for themselves. They call their club the Geography Club assuming that no one else would join something so incredibly boring. Their plan doesn't necessarily work that well as someone does want to join and at the same time, a rumor about a gay club circulates and threatens the secrecy of Geography Club. Each teenager must decide for themselves if they want to be honest about their sexuality or not and the choice is not easy for most. In an already hazardous social climate of high school, being gay may be too much to deal with.

GC is incredibly quick to read and fast paced so the story whips along and ends almost before you know it. The teenagers all play on different stereotypes from the male jock to the lesbian field hockey player, the nerdy ones, and the outsiders. Here is a cross section of kids from popular to neutral that have very little in common usually but find the support of other gay teens incredibly helpful. They are not always likable and noble as they are often too mired in their own drama and angst to reach out beyond their group. There is the most hated and teased outsider in the school that even those in the Geography Club don't want to reach out and help. They often make classic mistakes such as being mean, condescending, and betraying each other out of fear and petty grievances.

What makes the story really shine are that these are depictions of real high school students who don't always do the right thing. These teenagers don't necessarily want to come out of the closet and be honest with themselves and others just yet. Perhaps they accept their sexuality to themselves but they want to stay hidden and under the social radar. Others stand up for their beliefs and what is right. Some waffle in the middle and can't decide which way to go, depending on peer pressure to make their decisions. These are not perfect people but teenagers learning and growing with one more issue to cope with on top of everything. This is the type of story that teenagers can relate to and realize others go through the same difficulties and they're not alone.

The narrative is first person from Russell's point of view, a nerdy socially neutral teen that goes through the entire roller coaster of emotion and popularity in his struggle to find his place. The descriptive quality and writing doesn't try too hard but lets the voice of the teenagers come through very well. The high school exists in no named city or state but is meant to be a high school that could exist anywhere with bland, purposefully vague descriptions that are recognizable by anyone. Although conveying a message to readers, none of the writing is preachy or lecturing but does have a thread of hope and honesty that will appeal to readers.

Although the target audience is likely gay teenagers, the quick pace and very easy reading makes this a good book for anyone to read. The recognizable themes and lack of perfection create a book most can relate to even if you aren't part of the target audience. If anything it will remind you that no one is alone in their struggles. I can easily recommend Geography Club as a good book to read.

Enjoyable / Easy Read
I figured if it kept me enjoyed, there is no reason to give this novel a negative rating.The only mild annoyances were the redundancies of the narration and how the narrator felt the need to over-explain (much like myself in real life, which was odd).But the story overall was cute and my eyes glared at the few surprises; so that's a good thing.I was actually the most surprised about the fact that this novel had quite a bit of cussing in it, especially the F-word, only because all the other teen novels I've ever read never had any (not that I really care).Good job, Brent!I can't wait read to read the next two.

Amazing
After just having finished reading Geography Club, with still that bitter sweet feeling that you get accompanying a happy/sad ending, I write this review. To put it simply, I loved this book. It was my first from this author and I am pleased to have stumbled across it. This book will make it into the select few I strongly reccomend and will read over and over again.

Well done Brent Hartinger for writing such an excellent book.

Geo club review
I bought this book because someone recommended it to me. I thought it was okay. just okay. At tmes it was a little too cheesy teen angst for me. It was mildly entertaining. decent quick 3 hour read. Prepare to be disapointed though. ... Read more

Product Description
From North America?s mountains to Africa?s deserts, this book will help kids learn the locations of states, countries, and continents around the world. They will also learn about the features that make up each region, including: What?s growing in the Amazon Rainforest; The longest river in the world - the Nile in Africa; The ?frozen Ts? of Asia - the tundra and the taiga; Shelves of ice in Antarctica; The uniqueness of the Australian Outback; and more. With exciting puzzles and activities, this book is a great tool for teachers and parents who want to make learning fun for kids. Before long, young readers will be reading maps and navigating tough terrain like bona fide geographers! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Could be more comprehensive.
I do not know why are we over simplify books to the point that they become trivial? School going children deserve the same level of info in a National Geographic Magazine.

Engaging Material
The lower Elementary school curriculum does not teach much about geography.My kid is going to be eight, and I found this book a good bridge for my kid to get some basic knowledge about the world.She found it informational and fun.She might not read every section of the book, since some terminologys could be difficult for an eight year old, but my goal is to open her mind to a different science field, which I think this book serves the purpose. I recommend this to parents who want their kids to be well-rounded.

The Everything Kids Geography Book:From the Grand Canyon to the Great Barrier Reef
Good Stuff!Wow!This book is a great beginning for kids to learn about geography and be able to bring extra credit projects to school.

Fun and easy to follow
This book was a fun way for me to teach my daughter about geography. She really enjoyed the puzzles and activities, which in turn helped her remember the facts.

Making it easy & fun to learn...
Can't miss with any of the informational books in this group.Great for my boys 7, 9 & 10. ... Read more

Product Description
Two men: One discovers the cost of keeping secrets, of building a career within a government agency where secrets are the operational basis. Noel Leonard works for the Defense Intelligence Analysis Center, mapping coordinates for military actions halfway around the world. One morning he learns that an error in his office is responsible for the bombing of a school in Afghanistan. And he knows suddenly that he is as alone as he is wrong. From his windowless office in DC to an intelligence conference in Switzerland, and back to his daughter s college in Virginia, Noel claws his way toward a more personally honest life in which he can tell his family everything every day. Another man learns that family secrets have kept him from who he is and from the ineluctable ways he is attached to a world he has always disdained. This unnamed narrator, a cartographer, is the son of a career diplomat whose activities in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and then in Europe during the Cold War may not have been what they were said to be. He, too, travels to Switzerland, but his quest is not to release himself from secrecy it is to learn how deep the secrets in his own life go. With a voice like John le Carré s and the international sensibility of Graham Greene, Frederick Reuss examines the unavoidably covert nature of lives that make their circles through Washington, DC. A Geography of Secrets is a novel of the time from an acclaimed author who knows the lay of the land. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Weak ending
I am a resident of D.C. so I enjoyed local references and the storyline was interseting, however, the end was not what I expected or anticipated.Normally there is at least some form of resolution.This one left me wondering what the outcome was supposed to be?

terrific thriller

In Washington, DC, at the Top Secret Defense Intelligence Analysis Center Noel coordinates military actions in Afghanistan.However, a miscalculation leads to the errant bombing of a school.Stunned he blames himself for the deaths of the innocent as he ponders how would he react if his daughter at college in Virginia died due to a bureaucrat's mistake.Adding to his overwhelming guilt, he has no one he can share his remorse with; not even his family or his supervisors.He ponders quitting as he heads to a security conference in Switzerland because a conscience is a handicap in his line of business.

Ethan the mapmaker has just learned of the top secrets of his father in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and afterward in Europe during the Cold War.He is stunned as his dad seems more like a spy than a diplomat as he had always believed.His revelation started in Switzerland at his dad's funeral where he met an old friend of his father; a buddy he never knew existed.He hopes to learn more about his father's espionage work.In Bern, he and Noel meet for the first time as one seeks to close a chapter of his life while the other seeks to open a chapter of his life; both enshrouded in secrecy.

Running on two character driven subplots, Frederick Reuss provides a terrific thriller as the lead pair approach secrets differently but with a similar desire.One has spent a lifetime hiding them but now has a desperate need to reveal them if he is to move on pass the tragic error; while the other has a desperate need to know the secrets his father apparently took to the grave.Written like a horizontal hyperbola with two foci connecting Noel and Ethan, readers will relish the aptly titled A Geography of Secrets.

Harriet Klausner

The secret is in the telling.
A chance encounter in a wooded area outside of Washington DC gives rise to parallel narratives of lives spent in the harboring of secrets and sins. Two characters follow a similar trajectory, consumed by the isolation and guilt of the secret life, they follow the path that is dictatedby their choices. Their intriguing stories are rich in the exploration of consciousness. The action ranges from an intimate vision of Washington's dark bureaucracies and European capitals teeming with intrigue. This engaging novel is both a pulse-quickening read and a literary delight -- beautifully written, sharply paced, intricately constructed. The parallel characters finally intersect again in a final breath-taking stunt. Strongly recommended ... Read more

Product Description
A world view from renowned authors

Glencoe World Geography offers a fascinating view of the world enlivened by a meticulous presentation that focuses on the development of geographic literacy. Every region is studied in three parts: physical geography, cultural geography, and current events. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (16)

Geography Answer Book - Informative, Interesting & Different!
My son, a Geography & History lover, really enjoys this book. He and his dad read from it almost every night. It takes a different angle than most geography books and the twists make it all the more interesting. Rather than a straightforward, just-the-facts approach, this book adds some background and quirky fun to the facts.

slowly but surely
I hope it was just in my case. I waited about 4 weeks, and finally got the book

Good book but should be printed in smaller format
I love the extensive and very interesting geographical content of the book;
however, like so many modern books it suffers from "font inflation" resulting
in more pages than necessary.

If it were printed in a trade paperback format it would be more portable
and easier to use.

I understand that the "Handy" series is all printed in the same format,
but people, go on a diet and save some trees!

The coolest way to learn about geography and our world!
Just got this book and I LOVE it! Where else can you find together in one book the answer to the question of how gerrymandering and a salamander are alike, AND whether Cuba was ever a part of the United States, AND how many countries there are named Congo ??This is a wonderful book to browse and enjoy, on all fronts. A great gift idea!

Worthwhile to browse for fun or profit
Understanding geography is key to many professions in today's world. Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "The Handy Geography Answer Book" offers answers to over one thousand commonly asked questions that lack immediately obvious answers. Which time zones do the north and south poles fall into? Why are so many countries so rife with constant conflict? How did geography help America declare its independence? A fascinating read even for those who don't need to work with geography, "The Handy Geography Answer Book" is worthwhile to browse for fun or profit.
... Read more

Product Description
This unique educational tool introduces learners to the countries of the world and the states of the United States. Through active participation, coloring the maps, users gain a broad understanding of the material—and retain that understanding. Each section begins with a plate containing a political map, a physical map, and regional maps. World Thematic Maps consist of eleven global maps covering climate, rainfall, temperatures, prevailing winds, ocean currents, vegetation, land use, population, racial distribution, languages, and religions—presenting a «global» view of human activity. Flags and Review of Nations groups flags of the world according to continents, with the illustration of the flag placed close to the country of origin. For children of all ages—and their parents—who could benefit from a colorful “crash course”—or “refresher”—in geography, and an enjoyable and informative guide to a greater understanding of the world around them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

This book was helpful to a college student.. me!
I took a geography course about a year ago at Florida State University that required this book. The class and professor were very challenging (especially for an entry level course), and this book really helped me visually place my thoughts. I guess it also helps that I enjoy coloring and find it to be a stress-reliever in college. I think being able to color in the maps at your own preference, but still with the great organization that the book lays it out in for the reader really makes this bookan excellent choice for anyone trying to better understand geography of all sorts.

awesome deal : )
I bought this book for only about $3-4!It sure helped my finances.It was in good shapes, accurately described, shipped right on time -- Thanks!! :D

Excellent Book!
My oldest son used this book in his 9th grade honors history class.At the time I thought that was odd, to have an honors student coloring.However, with all the budget cuts with schools, they have dropped History for 9th graders, which means no more Geography in high school.I have 2 daughters that are home schooled in 8th grade and I ordered this book so they could learn where the countries are.My son, that used this book, really knows his Geography well.I have just started with my girls on this book and it's awesome.They are learning countries they have never heard of, along with knowing where the countries are that they have heard of.It's very helpful to color the names of the country, then outline it, color it in, and read about it.I highly recommend this book.I am really enjoying learning the countries as well.There are plenty of places that I have heard of but can't quite place where they are exactly and this book is a fun way to figure that out.

Too cluttered and childish for high school
Bought this to use for my geography class.It's far too cartoonish for any serious classwork.While it would be fine for the elementary grades, it is not designed for the high school, or even middle school, level.Many of the maps are crowded because of the fluff material (flags, color keys, etc).It's just too "user-unfriendly".
If the maps were cleaned up this would be much better.As is, I'd avoid using this and wasting time and money.Finding a better atlas for student use may be more difficult, but it would be well worth the time.

WRONG INFORMATION RIGHT ON THE FRONT COVER
Map of India is WRONG!!!! Kashmir region is "WRONGFULLY" shown as part of Pakistan. It is still a part of India. Just because Pakistan has invaded that part of India doesn't mean it belongs to Pakistan.

My reply to some comments -

My friends father was murdered and the rest of the family was driven out of their house in Kashmir. Their land, home, wealth everything was gone in a flash of a moment so yes to certain extent my comment is based on 'personal investment' as Timothy says. However look at it this way - If your wallet is stollen and is in someone else's hands it is still yours right? That's all I am trying to say.I simply don't agree that the Kashmir region is shown as part of Pakistan, why not show it as disputed teritotrry as it is, the publisher has no right to assume who the region belongs to.
What surprises me most is that many of the officially published maps all over the world show the same and I haven't heard Indian government or any Indian organization taking any stand against it. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (19)

Disappointing
I bought this book because it got good reviews, especially the illustrations.I also bought it because of the geography theme.Like the father in the story, I too bought a large map for my daughter (although she never missed a day's food because of it).I was, unfortunately, disappointed on both counts.

The illustrations are certainly colorful, but there's a cartoonish quality to them that simply doesn't mesh with the feel of the story itself.The drawings also don't give more than a vague impression of the locations they're supposed to be representing.

The story also doesn't give much of a feel for moving through actual geography.It is the story of a boy who becomes captivated by geography after his poor father brings home a map instead of food one night.But as a reader, I certainly wasn't drawn in to such captivation.It simply felt like I was reading a story about a boy who likes to pretend to travel, not that I myself was travelling with him.

In fact, there's not a lot to really draw one into the story at all.The opening page is promising with its stark illustration and its brief description of war, but then we leave the war behind and forget all about it.There's nothing compelling in the language that helps to paint the boy's experience.

In fact, I can't quite tell what age the book is written for.The language and the theme are too advanced for most young children, yet I think older kids would describe it as "boring".My own not-quite-four-year-old is utterly indifferent.

Shulevitz could really have drawn readers in by developing the boy's imaginary travels more, but as it is, the book falls flat.I sure don't understand why it deserved a Caldecott honor.

Save your money and check it out of the library.I'd be surprised if your kids want to read it more than once.

Mixed feelings
I have ambivalent feelings about the way this book suits my library.I am a synagogue library, and this book has been praised by most of my colleagues in Cleveland.It is a good story about a poor family in Eastern Europe.The father goes to the market to buy some bread for his hungry wife and son.But instead, he returns with a colorful map of the world.At first the wife and the son are very angry.But after the map is hung on the wall, it immediately brightens up the drab room.The boy begins to imagine the people, smells, geography, dress, etc. of the exotic places labeled on the map.His imagination allows him to forget his hunger and proves to be more fulfilling than the loaf of bread ever would.By the end of the book, the boy is grateful to his father for enriching his life with the colorful map.
While the story is engaging, there is no direct Jewish content.The families of many American Jews came from Eastern Europe, but Shulevitz never says that this is a Jewish family, and there is nothing in the story about Jewish life, customs, history, etc.I bought it for my library because it was so highly recommended, but I'm not sure how it would be used by our religious school.This book would be best used by middle school students.

UUGGHHH!!!! Buy if you want to depress your kids at bedtime!
The illustrations are beautiful but the story is depressing. Not the style of children's book I want for my son. I'm returning it!!

Far Away
War arrives, and a little boy and his family must go.They leave for a strange land to live with a family they never met.They no longer own anything, and there is little food: "Everything we had was lost."

Little money cannot make hunger go away.So, one day, the boy's father does not buy the small piece of bread.Instead, he purchases a map.The boy and his mother are angry; they are hungry.

However, very quickly, the boy learns his father might know something he didn't.Bread is not the only thing that feeds hunger.The map stretches across one whole wall.This map is not just any "roll of paper."It holds magic....

Inside this map there are strange things - but a different kind.There are colors and sounds and names and places, and the boy is filled.Awakening his childhood, Uri Shulevitz writes and draws a map of hope and promise.His father knew.The world of the mind can go anywhere: "[F]ar, far from our hunger and misery."

This beautiful book is ideal to spark any discussion about the power of imagination.
This is an autobiographical story where Shulevitz describes his early childhood in Turkestan. When war forces his family to leave their home and seek safety in a distant land, they have no food or books and live in a single room with a dirt floor. His father decides to spend what little money they have on a map of the world instead of on food. Young Uri and his mother are initially furious; they have nothing to eat. But when the father hangs the map on the wall, "Our cheerless room was flooded with color." Exotic place names inspire visions of mountains, cities, temples and deserts. Uri's fantasies allow him to spend "enchanted hours far, far from hunger and misery" and forgive his father. Whimsical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations show the places in his imagination coming to life as he flies over continents, picturing what they would be like. This beautiful book is ideal to spark any discussion about the power of imagination. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Very strong
I've been studying for the AP Human Geography exam using this and know it is helping.It rephrases what my teacher says in a way that I can understand and has excellent practice questions....definitely recommend to others.Also, it has lists of websites that are good to use for class research.

Outstanding
I am writing this review from Europe, where I am self-studying for several AP exams (my parents are on assignment here).This book is a great fit for anyone wanting to do well on the AP exam...It is filled with great summaries of the course info and is actually interesting to read...not dry.But the goldmine is in the practice sections--memory quick checks, and loads of simulated AP questions.You can pop the CD in your laptop and practice with timed tests, too.I use this along with the Rubenstein textbook--together I feel I am going to do well on the AP exam.

Great book!
I bought this for my daughter--she reads her textbook along with this review.Her grade has jumped 15 points in her AP class!The book is just the right length for my teen and has some fascinating facts spread throughout the book.In fact, I find myself reading the book, too, just to learn about this unique topic.My daughter also likes the mini-quizzes in each chapter and the practice AP test questions.I think the strongest feature of the book is the fact that it is written with the student in mind; it is a great companion to this AP course.DEFINITELY the right choice for my daughter!

Excellent prep book
This is an excellent book for preparing for the AP human geography exam.It puts everything you need to know together into an easy-read book, full of practice questions and mini quizzes to ensure one will succeed on the real test.I am self studying this class, and this has been and will continue be a huge help.I am not worried at all for this test with this excellent prep-book. Highly recommended.I have Barron's as well, and not only is this book easier to read and formatted better, but it seems to provide much more needed information than Barron's.

Great help!
This book has really helped me with my AP class.It is written in a way that explains the key ideas in the course and has great practice questions and review drills.The practice exams are tough but good practice....I like that all questions are explained so you can learn from the practice.Definitely recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Global diversity comes alive in DK's essential guide to our ever-changing world, full of fact-packed spreads and full-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Geography of the world
Geography of the world is very informative, this book educate the minds about the cultures of different countries. I will encourage people to read this book (education is the key).

love it
I admit I'm not much of a reader, but the beautiful and brilliant photographs in this book are quite impressive.In fact, with it snowing outside right now in southeast Pennsylvania, I have a sudden urge to look through this book and see places that AREN'T covered in snow, haha.

You also get to know about the rulers of certain places in the world, which was surprising to me.I wasn't expecting that kind of information to be in the book.I thought the book was mainly going to be about covering areas on the planet that would be fascinating to explore for yourself one day because of the beauty of the environments.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

This Geography teacher likes it.
I enjoyed the book.Hoping to use it next year to supplement my lessons in World Geography.Nicely organized.

Good clean, crisp copy, helpful for a teen
I ordered this for my teen as she prepares to take the GED.It is a good, basic, clean, exciting text that provides a general overview of the world.I recommend it as a solid base for a beginner geographer.

A Good Basic Geography book
This book is a really good basic geography book!If you want a solid reference book where you can get the basics and a good understanding of geography-then I do not think you will be disappointed.It might dwell more on social geography then I would like but it is very good ... Read more

Product Description
Human Geography gets general readers to think geographically across scale and across a wide range of geographical phenomena and global issues. All concepts and themes are touched on with the historical background one would expect, but also with current examples to make the reading more relevant. The content is written in such a way that it is approachable and appealing. It includes all of the important themes in a succinct and engaging narrative style that can easily be understood. From the Field boxes and opening vignettes help anyone who has not personally traveled much of the world. General readers will also find the latest data as they build their understanding of important concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Fairly interesting textbook
This book is very useful in the class I am taking. It is packed with all relevant information.

Interesting Book
This is an interesting book to read, and has a lot of great content.The book also has a ton of editing errors including spelling errors, incomplete sentences, and just a lot of editing mistakes.Otherwise a great purchase

AP Human Geography
My Grandson's high school does not allow this text to be brought home so I purchased one for him. With his addition of marginal notes and highlighting it has been a definite plus in his studies and his grades have improved.

Makes me wish I majored in human geography
Don't think textbook, think "National Geographic" meets "Travel and Leisure". The authors' choice of photographs brings alive the people, places and cultures of the world in this well written book.Detailed maps, insightful text and rich photographs make this book an informative and enjoyable read.

An interesting textbook! What!?
As a college student I always dreaded reading assignments, especially when the required reading came from textbooks. The goal for most texts seems simply to be to put the reader to sleep. This text, much to my surprise and delight, was the exact opposite of what I am used to reading! The content is well-written and easy to understand. The authors cover key geographical concepts and relate them to today's world. They relate this information in a way that is actually exciting for the reader. A great textbook and definitely recommended for students who have trouble understanding geographical concepts. ... Read more

Product Description
Get to Know the Earth’s Many Forms with Dozens of Fun and Easy Projects

From finding directions by the stars, to mapping your neighborhood, to making an earthquake in a box, you’ll have a great time learning about the world with The Geography Book.You’ll find out how to determine location on the Earth, how maps can provide us with a wide range of information, how different landforms were created, how water has helped shape the Earth, and much more.

Using simple materials you’ll be able to find around the house or in your neighborhood, you’ll be able to create things like a giant compass rose, a balloon globe, a contour potato, a map puzzle, and a tornado in a jar.So get ready for a fascinating trip around the globe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Geography
This book was selected for a resource for my 6th grade class. It has great information for teaching or learning about the various components of geography. Examples: Map skills, maps, and landforms.

Great Book!
A wealth of hands on activities. Really like that the index links activities with countries.

TEACHERS BEST FRIEND!
This is an excellent book for Geography teachers.I will be teaching multiple ideas fromthis book without any thought process on my part.One of the best teacher lesson plan books I have EVER seen!

Great for Like Minded Kids
I bought this as a Christmas present for a map-loving church student of mine. I guess that maybe I didn't pay close enough attention to the style of the book when I ordered it, because when it arrived, I was dismayed to find that it wasn't exclusive to map reading and functioned more as a text book from school.Among topics it covers are orienteering and reading weather and oceanography maps.

However, my intended recipiant was more than thrilled to receive the book. He said that he's studying the same stuff at school and he loves it.He could hardly put it down in order to go through the church service.It was engaging and insightful, he said, and that's saying a lot coming from a kid who's ADD and hates to read.I recommend this product. ... Read more

Product Description
Mapmaking fulfills one of our most ancient and deepseated desires: understanding the world around us and our place in it. But maps need not just show continents and oceans: there are maps to heaven and hell; to happiness and despair; maps of moods, matrimony, and mythological places. There are maps to popular culture, from Gulliver's Island to Gilligan's Island. There are speculative maps of the world before it was known, and maps to secret places known only to the mapmaker. Artists' maps show another kind of uncharted realm: the imagination. What all these maps have in common is their creators' willingness to venture beyond the boundaries of geography or convention.
You Are Here is a wide-ranging collection of such superbly inventive maps. These are charts of places you're not expected to find, but a voyage you take in your mind: an exploration of the ideal country estate from a dog's perspective; a guide to buried treasure on Skeleton Island; a trip down the road to success; or the world as imagined by an inmate of a mental institution. With over 100 maps from artists, cartographers, and explorers, You are Here gives the reader a breath-taking view of worlds, both real and imaginary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

review all sorts maps
Amusing collection of different sorts of maps. As well presenting mapping data as resolving problems in visualization of knowledge. Very inspiring for designers, writers and people ordering some information.

Personal Geographies
A rich assortment of =visual interpretations of the idea of mapping.. I have used this book as an inspiration and resource for my art classes-- and was so happy to discover it.


Barbara Rothenberg

Love this book
I used a graphic design class I teach as an excuse to purchase this book (I've been wanting it for a while). My students are loving it as much as I do.

An incredible book
I've been buying books for 45 years and this is the most wonderful book I own--amazing, thought-provoking, beautiful. My only regret is that I waited so long to purchase it. As improbable as it sounds, "You Are Here" comes across as what might be the lush, lovely, and totally unlikely synthesis of Bachelard's "The Poetics of Space," the imaginative joy of A.A. Milne ("Winnie the Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner," etc.) or P.L. Travers ("Mary Poppins," "Mary Poppins Opens the Door," etc.), and the deep wisdom of place and spirit found in the works of Annie Dillard and Kathleen Norris or even Terry Tempest Williams. When I open "You Are Here," my heart, spirit and imagination invariably soar.

unexpected but interesting
This book was not what I was expecting but it is interesting nonetheless. It is a collection of (mostly) unconventional maps with a few paragraphs written about each. In addition there are some articles on topics loosely related to cartography and the mind. It is more of a picture book than a reference volume and provides food for thought on mapping and identity. ... Read more