Books about Kilgore from Amazon.com

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training is the new expanded version of the book that has been called "the best and most useful of fitness books." It picks up where Starting Strength: A Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners leaves off. With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the most effective way to exercise..
Price: $29.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane." So reads the tombstone of downtrodden writer Kilgore Trout, but we have no doubt who's really talking: his alter ego Kurt Vonnegut Health versus sickness, humanity versus inhumanity--both sets of ideas bounce through this challenging and funny book. As with the rest of Vonnegut's pure fantasy, it lacks the shimmering, fact-fueled rage that illuminates Slaughterhouse-Five. At the same time, that makes this book perhaps more enjoyable to read.

Breakfast of Champions is a slippery, lucid, bleakly humorous jaunt through (sick? inhumane?) America circa 1973, with Vonnegut acting as our Virgil-like companion. The book follows its main character, auto-dealing solid-citizen Dwayne Hoover, down into madness, a condition brought on by the work of the aforementioned Kilgore Trout. As Dwayne cracks, then crumbles, Breakfast of Champions coolly shows the effects his dementia has on the web of characters surrounding him. It's not much of a plot, but it's enough for Vonnegut to air unique opinions on America, sex, war, love, and all of his other pet topics--you know, the only ones that really count. .
Price: $7.91 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Practical Programming offers a different approach to exercise programming than that typically found in other exercise texts. Based on a combined 60+ years of academic expertise, elite-level coaching experience, and the observation of thousands of novice trainees, the authors present a chronological analysis of the response to exercise as it varies through the training history of the athlete, one that reflects the realities of human physiology, sports psychology, and common sense. Contrary to the one-size-fits-all models of periodization offered elsewhere, Practical Programming explains the differences in response to exercise commonly observed between athletes at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, explains these differences in the context of the relevant exercise science, and presents new training models that actually work for athletes at all levels of experience. Complete with new, innovative graphical representations of cutting-edge concepts in exercise programming, Practical Programming is sure to become a standard reference in the field of exercise and human performance. Contributor: Glenn Pendlay.
Price: $21.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

A Michael Crichton Timeline
Amazon.com reveals a few facts about the "father of the techno-thriller."

1942: John Michael Crichton is born in Chicago, Illinois on Oct. 23.

1960: Crichton graduates from Roslyn High School on Long Island, New York, with high marks and a reputation as a star basketball player. He decides to attend Harvard University to study English. During his studies, he rankles under his writing professors' criticism. As an act of rebellion, Crichton submits an essay by George Orwell as his own. The professor doesn't catch the plagiarism and gives Orwell a B-. This experience convinces Crichton to change his field of study to anthropology.

1964: Crichton graduates summa cum laude from Harvard University in anthropology. After studying further as a visiting lecturer at Cambridge University and receiving the Henry Russell Shaw Travelling Fellowship, which allowed him to travel in Europe and North Africa, Crichton begins coursework at the Harvard School of Medicine. To help fund his medical endeavors, he writes spy thrillers under several pen names. One of these works, A Case of Need, wins the 1968 Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award.

1969: Crichton graduates from Harvard Medical school and is accepted as a post-doctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Science in La Jolla, Calif. However, his career in medicine is waylaid by the publication of the first novel under his own name, The Andromeda Strain. The novel, about an apocalyptic plague, climbs high on bestseller lists and is later made into a popular film. Crichton said of his decision to pursue writing full time: "To quit medicine to become a writer struck most people like quitting the Supreme Court to become a bail bondsman."

1972: Crichton's second novel under his own name The Terminal Man, is published. Also, two of Crichton's previous works under his pen names, Dealing and A Case of Need are made into movies. After watching the filming, Crichton decides to try his hand at directing. He will eventually direct seven films including the 1973 science-fiction hit Westworld, which was the first film ever to use computer-generated effects.

1980: Crichton draws on his anthropology background and fascination with new technology to create Congo, a best-selling novel about a search for industrial diamonds and a new race of gorillas. The novel, patterned after the adventure writings of H. Ryder Haggard, updates the genre with the inclusion of high-tech gadgets that, although may seem quaint 20 years later, serve to set Crichton's work apart and he begins to cement his reputation as "the father of the techno-thriller."

1990: After the 1980s, which saw the publication of the underwater adventure Sphere (1987) and an invitation to become a visiting writer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1988), Crichton begins the new decade with a bang via the publication of his most popular novel, Jurassic Park. The book is a powerful example of Crichton's use of science and technology as the bedrock for his work. Heady discussion of genetic engineering, chaos theory, and paleontology run throughout the tightly-wound thriller that strands a crew of scientists on an island populated by cloned dinosaurs run amok. The novel inspires the 1993 Steven Spielberg film, and together book and film will re-ignite the world's fascination with dinosaurs.

1995: Crichton resurrects an idea from his medical school days to create the Emmy-Award Winning television series ER. In this year, ER won eight Emmys and Crichton received an award from the Producers Guild of America in the category of outstanding multi-episodic series. Set in an insanely busy an often dangerous Chicago emergency room, the fast-paced drama is defined by Crichton's now trademark use of technical expertise and insider jargon. The year also saw the publication of The Lost World returning readers to the dinosaur-infested island.

2000: In recognition for Crichton's contribution in popularizing paleontology, a dinosaur discovered in southern China is named after him. "Crichton's ankylosaur" is a small, armored plant-eating dinosaur that dates to the early Jurassic Period, about 180 million years ago. "For a person like me, this is much better than an Academy Award," Crichton said of the honor.

2004: Crichton's newest thriller State of Fear is published.


Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Michael Crichton kindly agreed to take the life quiz we like to give to all our authors: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A:Prisoners of Childhood by Alice Miller

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A:Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (Witter Bynner version)
Symphony #2 in D Major by Johannes Brahms (Georg Solti)
Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: Surely you're joking.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: Small room. Shades down. No daylight. No disturbances. Macintosh with a big screen. Plenty of coffee. Quiet.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: I don't want an epitaph. If forced, I would say "Why Are You Here? Go Live Your Life."

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: Benjamin Franklin

Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?
A: Invisibility

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Price: $1.48 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In keeping with the first two books in this trilogy, Conversations With God, Book 3 continues to clarify the muddy waters of our spiritual existence, but moves from individual and global issues to "universal truths," which apply to all levels of existence from the microscopic to the macrocosmic. It is difficult to criticize God, but if he is as pleasant as he presents himself in Walsch's books, then he won't mind the paltry mention of a structural problem. A hefty portion of Conversations With God, Book 3 backtracks to topics that were well covered in Book 1, and while a certain amount of recap is good to build on, Walsch's repeated return to these earlier conversations gets a bit frustrating for the reader who is familiar with the earlier books. Minor blemishes aside, Conversations With God, Book 3 explores some of the most fantastic subjects that people are prone to ponder under starry evening skies: What happens when we die? What is time? Are we alone in the universe? Walsch's dialogue with the creator puts these and other imponderables into comprehendible terms. If these revelations are true, and it is ultimately up to us to know them as truths or not, then the universe is a very intriguing place, and we haven't come close to realizing our potential in understanding it. However, the great thing Conversations With God, Book 3 makes clear is that we can understand the universe if we so choose. --Brian Patterson.
Price: $4.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

With an extraordinary reputation for authority and accuracy, this landmark biology text continues to be an invaluable learning partner for students and teachers. The authors focus on the "big ideas" of biology: each chapter is organized around key concepts that build in a logical way, and are clearly explained and reinforced by the text discussion and illustration. The straightforward writing style, appropriate level of depth, and judiciously-selected coverage are other hallmarks. A comprehensive new supplements package includes a highly-interactive student learning CD-ROM. The Special Edition of The Biology Place allows students to explore animations, take quizzes, and access the most up-to-date biology resources on the web..
Price: $27.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For the past decade, the Golden Retriever has ranked among the five most popular breeds registered with the AKC, with more than 65,000 Goldens registered every year. The Golden Retriever’s personality is as golden as his outer coat. He was bred to please, and please he does. He started out as a hunting partner who delivered birds to hand and has evolved into modern times delivering whatever suits his owner’s fancy. Because Golden Retrievers were originally bred to work in tandem with humans, they are also highly trainable.

Golden Retrievers For Dummies is intended for busy 21st century dog owners who don’t have time to sit down and read through 300 pages at a crack. This is a reference you can jump in and out of as dog questions rear their furry heads. This handy guide is also for you if

• You own a Golden Retriever or thinking about getting one.
• You've just brought home a Golden pup.
• You want to find the best way to raise and train your Golden.
• You want to help your Golde n to not just survive but to thrive.

Find out what it takes to own this active, intelligent, and friendly dog. Explore the Golden's personality traits and living requirements. Discover which diseases are hereditary. This reference guide covers all the aspects of dog ownership, including:

• Looking at breeders, rescue groups, and animal shelters
• Adopting and caring for older dogs
• Selecting a puppy with help from an established testing process
• Dog-proofing your house and yard
• Crate training, housetraining, and obedience training
• Canine communication and growing pains
• Feeding, exercising, and playing with your Golden
• Dealing with illness, problem behavior, and treatment
• Grooming for health and beauty

If you’re serious about this Golden business and not just caving in to the kids or some other wild impulse, follow the advice of responsible dog owners and breeders. Look deep into your dog-loving soul and carefully consider the big picture. Love alone is not enough..
Price: $1.76 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This mainstream, four-color physical anthropology text is the best selling text in the brief physical anthropology market. The text presents a balanced, thorough introduction to the field of physical anthropology that also reflects the current state of the field. The heredity and evolution chapters (Chapters 1-5) have been expanded and updated to reflect the tremendous advances of molecular biology in all phases of physical anthropology, and the hominid evolution chapters (Chapters 8-11) have been reorganized and reinterpreted to reflect current academic thought springing from recent major finds. To make the text more accessible, the Sixth Edition includes many new visuals that, together with the many charts, helpful tables, multimedia, and engaging writing style, will bring the study of physical anthropology to life for today's student..
Price: $47.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Jurmain's best-selling text provides you with the course content you need to help you pass your biological/physical anthropology course. Through clear discussions that move from 'description' to interpretation, compelling visual content, cutting-edge research, and interactive multimedia, you'll discover life's history and the place of human beings in the biological world..
Price: $63.66 [Notify me when price goes down.]