The Cosmic Water Hole

Book Description

Are comets, meteorites, and dust the stuff of life on Earth? Did life appear just once in 5 billion years? Or did it follow some principle of evolution and appear at several distinct periods, raising the possibility that life can exist elsewhere in the universe? Emmanuel Davoust, an internationally known specialist on galaxies, explores these provocative questions as well as such major themes and topics of debate as prebiotic chemistry and paleovisits, in this lucid investigation of the continuing search for extraterrestrial life.

The search for life in the universe begins at the "water hole," a frequency band that radio astronomers have been exploring for more than two decades in the hope of detecting a signal of artificial origin amid the natural noise of our galaxy. The number of possible targets is huge, and so far we have hardly listened at all. Despite the silence, many search projects based on the hope of eventually detecting signals from other civilizations are underway.

Davoust provides a rich yet succinct basis for understanding the stages of life in the cosmos - evolution from the Big Bang to the formation of elements and planets; organic molecules in interstellar space, meteorites, and comets; prebiotic chemistry in Saturn's largest satellite; possible primitive life in Mars' substratum; and the notion of evolved forms superior to ourselves. Above all, he points out, the search for life beyond Earth provides a valuable perspective, teaching us to look at our planet and at ourselves "through a stranger's eyes." Davoust also covers such intriguing terrain as the demography and sociology of extraterrestrials. He provides a nontechnical account of search strategies, listening projects, and the debates they engender - including the "Proxmire effect," Carl Sagan's petition, and Fred Hoyle's interstellar bacteria.

Emmanuel Davoust is an astronomer at Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées in Toulouse, where he pursues research on interacting galaxies.

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The Cosmic Water Hole
Emmanuel Davoust
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQBOR8

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The Cosmic Water Hole
Emmanuel Davoust
Manufacturer: The M.I.T. Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NZN4R8

Book Description

Providing enough background to be rigorous, without being exhaustive, it gives readers good preparation in the techniques of modern petrology; a clear and organized review of the classification, textures, and approach to petrologic study; and then applies these concepts to the real occurrences of the rocks themselves. Requires only a working knowledge of algebra, and makes extensive use of spreadsheets. Includes an accompanying diskette of programs and data files. This book offers unique, comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of both igneous and metamorphic petrology in a single volume and provides the quantitative and technical background required to critically evaluate igneous and metamorphic phenomena.

Customer Reviews:

Intro to Ig and Met Petro.......2007-03-09

It is a well written book, but there are no color pictures. If I spend that amount of money on a hardcover textbook, I expect some color photos, especially since mineralogy and petrology deal with birefringence colors and such.

Great intro to igneous/metamorphic petrology.......2006-09-15

This book is one of those rare things that isn't painful to read for the sometimes heady subject matter. Winters style is even humorous at times and he keeps it very simple and straightforward. Phase diagrams are explainied in detail and there are just a lot of great visuals that help students understand the evolution of magmas and the significance of isotopes and trace elements present. We use this book at GMU and I was very happy with Winter's PP slides that are available online. Very clear, very concise and fairly easy to read.

This is the book.......2006-04-20

The book is excellent. This is the book that you have to have if you are studying igneous petrology. Plain and simple.

One of the best resources on this subject!.......2002-02-16

As a former student of John Winters, I can honestly say that this book does a terrific job with a subject that can be very complicated! After reading this text (and taking his class!) I came away with a clear understanding of the concepts discussed. And, of course, a little humor here and there helps. The chapters flow well together yet can be read individually, and I plan on keeping this text for future reference. Highly recommended!

A great book for all studing geology.......2001-11-16

This is a really great book for all students who want to learn sometfing about igneous and metamorphic petrology. Written exeptionally well, with good sence of humor, it covers all the topics related to the formation and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks, gives you comprehensive (and comprehensible -- that is also inportant) information about rock types, their classification, textures, structures, rock forming minerals, magmaism, volcanism, metamorphism, their relationships to the tectonic settings and global lithosphere plate motion, etc. It contains so much useful information that can even been used as a handbook for those who work in or study geology, petrology, geochemistry, and geophysics. Reading this book greatly improves your understanding of the subject, so, eventually, you feel you can easily get complicated concepts and ideas, even find beauty in them, and hence enjoy your reading -- the situation which is not usually met for petrology texts.
I used this book as a textbook when I took a course in petrology last year -- and it was great help for me. And I would like to say thanks to John Winter for his really good work.

Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic

Average customer rating:

Good Basic Text
Geology students

Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic
Harvey Blatt , Robert Tracy , and Brent Owens
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0716737434

Customer Reviews:

Good Basic Text.......2005-06-06

This is a very good introductory petrology text which combines igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic petrology in one volume. With a publication date of 1996, it may be getting a little long in the tooth, however. For example, the book discusses the Wilson hot spot model without reference to mantle plumes. With the exception of some apparent confusion about the effect on seismic velocity of the asthenosphere, I found no significant errors nor editing problems. My only significant criticism is that all of the photographs are in black and white, and some are printed so darkly that details are hard to make out. One would think that, with a price approaching $100, the publisher would be able to include a bit of color in the appropriate places.

Geology students.......1999-02-13

This book can be very informative if you know what you're looking for in it. I would reccomend it to students who are geology majors if it is not already required.

Petrology: The Study of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

Average customer rating:

I beg to differ ...
Just read the dedication...

Petrology: The Study of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks
Loren A Raymond
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0073661686

Book Description

This text, designed for the middle-level undergraduate geology major, incorporates both fundamentals and information on recent advances in our understanding of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It provides an overview of the field of petrology and a solid foundation for more advanced studies. For each class of rocks -- igneous, sedimentary, and metamorhic -- the author describes textures, structures, mineralogy, chemistry, and classification as a background to discussing representative occurrences and petrogenesis (rock origins).

Customer Reviews:

I beg to differ ..........2000-11-17

... with the previous review. I used this text whilst studying second year igneous and metamorphic petrology (in Australia where the book is ~AUS$90 = ~US$45.) I found Raymond's writing style and use of language to be entirely appropriate for a text aimed at this level - if you are studying a science there is no point hiding from the jargon - the faster you learn it the more easier it will be at higher levels.

Raymod gives a good general overview of igneous and metamorphis petrology (I have not used this text for sedimentary petrology,) though I did find on some occasions that I was left wanting more detail, eg. regarding calc-alkaline basalts. However, the book is easy to read, and posses something that is often overlooked - figures and tables are generally kept on the same 2 page spread as the text refering to them. Colour reproductions of photomicrographs would be a welcome addition to a future edition.

Just read the dedication..........2000-05-10

...to learn the level at which this textbook was written. As thorough as it is painful, this book should not be used for normal, college-level petrology classes. The sheer vocabulary used is enough to make any passionate geology student think twice about his/her choice of major. There was no reason to make a class pay this price for this textbook. Such a hefty price ought at least to spread some color images and diagrams throughout the book -- beyond the cover.

Book Description

Processes involved in the development of igneous and metamorphic rocks involve some combination of crystal growth, solution, movement and deformation, which is expressed as changes in texture (microstructure). Recent advances in the quantification of aspects of crystalline rock textures, such as crystal size, shape, orientation and position, have opened new avenues of research that extend and complement the more dominant chemical and isotopic studies. This book discusses the aspects of petrological theory necessary to understand the development of crystalline rock texture. It develops the methodological basis of quantitative textural measurements and shows how much can be achieved with limited resources. Typical applications to petrological problems are discussed for each type of measurement. The book has an associated web page with up-to-date information on textural analysis software, both commercial and free. This book will be of great interest to all researchers and graduate students in petrology.

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Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Myron G. Best
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1405105887

Book Description

Igneous and metamorphic petrology has over the last 20 years expanded rapidly into a broad, multifaceted, and increasingly quantitative science. Advances in geochemistry, geochronology, and geophysics, as well as the appearance of new analytical tools, have all contributed to new ways of thinking about the origin and evolution of magmas, and the processes driving metamorphism.This book is designed to give students a balanced and comprehensive coverage of these new advances, as well as a firm grounding in the classical aspects of igneous and metamorphic petrology. The emphasis throughout is on the processes controlling petrogenesis, but care is taken to present the important descriptive information so crucial to interpretation.

Mantle Metasomatism and Alkaline Magmatism (Special Paper (Geological Society of America))

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Mantle Metasomatism and Alkaline Magmatism (Special Paper (Geological Society of America))
Ellen Mullen Morris
Manufacturer: Geological Society of Amer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Alkaline Rocks and Carbonatites of the World

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Alkaline Rocks and Carbonatites of the World
A.R. Woolley
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Alkaline rocks and carbonatites have the most varied and extreme compositions of all igneous rocks. This volume describes all the known occurrences in the former USSR.

Atlas of Metamorphic-Metasomatic Textures and Processes

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Atlas of Metamorphic-Metasomatic Textures and Processes
S. S. Augustithis
Manufacturer: Elsevier Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Hardbound. This monograph is essentially an atlas, illustrated by 375 figures (mainly photomicrographs) presenting the most common and significant textures of the metamorphic-metasomatic rocks from many important regions of the world. The book as a whole covers the wide spectrum of metamorphic processes and the basic relation of metamorphic processes and textures is emphasised.

Metamorphism-metasomatism is seen as an integral system where every textural intergrowth is the result of a particular process. In addition, principles of comparative anatomy (widely accepted in bioscience) are applied in metamorphic petrology and conclusions are reached inductively, based on textural analysis. The comparative anatomy approach aims at finding ideas and principles that will attempt to unify diverse, textural patterns of an evolving system (as rocks are) and integrate them into concepts of wide application.

Book Description

Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica provides a coherent and deductive presentation of his discovery of the universal law of gravitation. It is very much more than a demonstration that 'to us it is enough that gravity really does exist and act according to the laws which we have explained and abundantly serves to account for all the motions of the celestial bodies and the sea'. It is important to us as a model of all mathematical physics. Representing a decade's work from a distinguished physicist, this is the first comprehensive analysis of Newton's Principia without recourse to secondary sources. Professor Chandrasekhar analyses some 150 propositions which form a direct chain leading to Newton's formulation of his universal law of gravitation. In each case, Newton's proofs are arranged in a linear sequence of equations and arguments, avoiding the need to unravel the necessarily convoluted style of Newton's connected prose. In almost every case, a modern version of the proofs is given to bring into sharp focus the beauty, clarity, and breath-taking economy of Newton's methods. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar is one of the most reknowned scientists of the twentieth century, whose career spanned over 60 years. Born in India, educated at the University of Cambridge in England, he served as Emeritus Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, where he has was based from 1937 until his death in 1996. His early research into the evolution of stars is now a cornerstone of modern astrophysics, and earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983. Later work into gravitational interactions between stars, the properties of fluids, magnetic fields, equilibrium ellipsoids, and black holes has earned him awards throughout the world, including the Gold Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society in London (1953), the National Medal of Science in the United States (1966), and the Copley Medal from the Royal Society (1984). His many publications include Radiative transfer (1950), Hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic stability (1961), and The mathematical theory of black holes (1983), each being praised for its breadth and clarity. Newton's Principia for the common reader is the result of Professor Chandrasekhar's profound admiration for a scientist whose work he believed is unsurpassed, and unsurpassable.

Customer Reviews:

i'm ordering this book having looked through it.......2007-10-07

perhaps the title "...for the common reader" is the issue here. "the common reader familiar with calculus", perhaps...

there's simply no way anyone without a very solid grounding in mathematics can read this book and understand it. we are talking about the laws of motion & gravity here, etc.

i compared this (a bit dogeared) copy of a book sided by side with a modern copy of principa in a bookshop, and for anyone wishing to tackle this monumentally important work, i cannot think of a better pairing. a modern copy of newton's principia and chandrasekhar's great work for those who wish to see a thorough explanation and working of the equations.

it's like a lot of things; be realistic with your expectations.
someone who is not very competent in mathematics is not going to be able to ever fully comprehend the contents of this book, misleading title notwithstanding.

perhaps the person that gave this book one star would like to let us know what scientific books he has awarded five stars to if he thinks so lowly of this one?

i say all this, because i'm currently self-studying algebra to be able to self-study calculus next year, just so i can try and understand some of this all-important book.

so don't knock the book, just keep putting the time in & struggling (and it's a struggle, alright) with the mathematics that unlock its secrets.

Before you slag this book off, hold on a minute.......2005-01-18

This book was written by the Indian-American Nobel Laureate who proved that the upper limit of white dwarf stars are incapable of being over 1.2 solar masses. Now Chandra(the author of this book), who was amongst the most meticulous of theorists and who worked with bigwigs like Dirac, Bethe, Fermi and Von Neumann amongst the most luminous, wrote this massive treatise on Newton's Principia. This is chandra's take on Newton's work. Don't think its a light read - It isn't. You cannot take it with you to starbucks sipping your cappucino and browse the work. You'll need to be at a table with a straightback chair and concentrate intensely. If you know Chandra's work, then you will know that chandra always said just about what was required and said it in very beautiful English. His English probably has the most beautifully constructed sentences ever among scientific works. So essentially this is about a 20th century giant interpreting the work of THE giant of all time. This is NOT a verbatim reproduction in English of the original latin publication. If you can get this book cheap on e-bay, buy it because it is worth it. It is expensive for a reason. Its beautifully written and bound very beautifully in a red jacket with Newton's bust and handwriting on the jacket. If you bought it, the red cover is attractive enough to make it stand out of your living room book shelf. Most importantly, Chandra tackles each aspect of Newton's principia in a most profoundly original manner. GET IT if you can afford it and if you can't, try a used book place. But get it anyway.

Not What I expected.......2002-10-20

I expected this to be a walkthrough for people like myself who have a knowledge of physics but are far from being experts and are interested in reading the classics of science. This is a guide for the modern Professor of Physics, not a guide for the common reader as it says. If I had known that I wouldn't have bought it. I get the impression that there is certainly a demand for such a walkthrough. I thought this would be it.
A BIG disapointment!

Uncommon price for a book intended for common reader.......2001-06-30

I have not read this book, but would love too. But the price is just too high for a book that is intended for the common reader. It is unaffordable for the common reader.

(NOTE: My stars rating is meaningless because I have not read the book.)

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Newtons Principia for the Common Reader
S Chandrasekhar
Manufacturer: OXFORD UNIV + PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N71YSW

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Disappointed

Perhaps Marsh's Single Finest Work

Marsh, Sayers, Allingham -- I love you all.

Surfeit indeed

Lampreys, meet the Lampreys...

A Surfeit of Lampreys
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Death in a White Tie

Death and the Dancing Footman

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Death at the Bar (A Roderick Alleyn Mystery)

Overture To Death (A Roderick Alleyn Mystery)

ASIN: 0006512364

Book Description

Murder becomes a family affair...

The Lampreys were a charming, eccentric happy-go-lucky family, teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Until the gruesome murder of their uncle-and unpleasant Marquis, who met his untimely death while leaving the Lamprey flat-left them with a fortune. Now it's up to Inspector Roderick Alleyn to sift through the alibis to discover which Lamprey hides a ruthless killer behind an amiable facade...

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2006-03-15

It says something about Amazon - I'm not sure what - that I was asked to review this book. That's because I've been waiting for several months and Amazon still has not sent me the book!

Perhaps Marsh's Single Finest Work.......2005-06-02

The Lampreys are a family seemingly lifted from one of playwright Noel Coward's most brilliant comedies: they are charming, clever, eccentric, and virtually everyone who encounters them soon falls under their spell. Unfortunately, they are also among the most financially irresponsible aristocrats imaginable, always going broke. Even so, they have always managed to escape the public humiliation of bankruptcy--until, that is, a dubious business partnership explodes around them.

Only one hope stands between the Lampreys and complete disaster: that Lord Charles Lamprey's older brother, Lord Wutherwood, may be enticed to come to the rescue. But Lord Wutherwood is largely immune to the legendary Lamprey family charm--and more than a little miserly--and the mix of eccentricity, family titles, and money proves lethal.

Written on the eve of World War II, many critics regard DEATH OF A PEER (also published as A SURFEIT OF LAMPREYS) as Ngaio Marsh's single finest novel. I think that's arguable, but no matter how you look at, it is certainly one of Marsh's best. Marsh's skill at creating fascinating characters and memorable settings often outstrips her way with a plot--but in this instance the elements balance beautifully, and the result is a pager-turner from start to finish. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer
In Memory of Ellen R. Smith, 1920-2005
Virtuoso Pianist and Good Friend

Marsh, Sayers, Allingham -- I love you all........2001-02-14

I know for a fact that I've read this book at least four times. Once when I was barely pubescent and had no idea that Ngaio Marsh was an important mystery author. Again in my 20's when I seriously started to read Marsh's books (an had forgotten that I'd read Death of a Peer). Once more in my 40's for the heck of it, and now, once again. The best recommendation I can ever make is that this is an immensely re-readable book.

One doesn't read a classic English mystery story for the puzzle, as perplexing as that might be, but for the wonderful settings and characters. Lord Peter, Albert Campion, and Marsh's Roderick Alleyn are all not just great detectives but fascinating people that you would love to have as friends. What makes Marsh especially strong is how much detail she gives to her supporting cast.

The Lampreys are all perfect jewels of the story tellers art. They are the classic eccentric, down on their luck, British nobility. Too busy being noble and sincerely lovable to remember to be practical. They are all charming, and your heart will also go out to Roberta Grey, one of the Lamprey's particular friends.

Other reviewers have gone over the plot, so I'm not going to bore you with details. Suffice it to say you will be alternatively delighted and and horripilated (I think that's the word) as the book moves from light hearted comedy to a rather ghoulish end game. Everything the mystery addict could ever want!

There are many good reasons to read this book. It is one of the novels that helped define the British mystery story doyen. Ngaio Marsh is on of the most important writers in that genre (even if she isn't quite British), and Death of a Peer is certainly one of her best books.

But the real reason to read it is that it is simply very, very good. If you have never read a Marsh book this is a great way to start. If you have, you know what you're missing.

Surfeit indeed.......2000-11-27

This book generally is considered Marsh's best mystery, but I dissent. It is more a comedy of manners with an incidental murder. Those who value the puzzle plot most should look elsewhere. BTW, the English title is Surfeit of Lampreys, a much better title than the dreary Death of a Peer. And I agree...a little lamprey goes a looooong way.

Lampreys, meet the Lampreys..........2000-06-26

not by any means your average family. A throw-back to happier times, they are typical, impoverished English peers, through whose fingers money slips like water. They generally don't worry though, since something always comes through and saves them from their latest financial crisis. This time, though, they might be in trouble, if Uncle G., Lord Charles Lamprey's wealthy older brother, decides not to come to their financial rescue. As it happens, he's had enough of pulling the Lamprey fat out of the fire. The Lampreys think they're finished when Uncle G. is murdered in the ghastliest manner, and they gain their inheritance, narrowly averting a financial scandal. The only problem is, did one of them do it? So of course, Inspector Alleyn steps in to get to the bottom of the crime. While I am a general fan of Ngaio Marsh, I think that this is one of her better novels, as she draws a very vivid picture of the large Lamprey family, seen through the eyes of their friend, Roberta Grey. She successfully mixes the aristocracy with witchcraft, facts about New Zealand, and introduces us to a young version of P.C. Lamprey (a minor character that you meet in other novels, chiefly, _Night at the Vulcan_). All in all, an excellent whodunit.

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SURFEIT OF LAMPREYS
NGAIO MARSH
Manufacturer: St. James
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CI1PP

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Surfeit of Lampreys, A
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8OOFU

Surfeit of Lampreys Penguin Crime No 1100

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Surfeit of Lampreys Penguin Crime No 1100
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NLJS68

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SURFEIT OF LAMPREYS
NGAIO MARSH
Manufacturer: FONTANA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S5YO5O

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Surfeit of Lampreys
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: William Collins Sons & Co., Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NVQ104

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Surfeit of Lampreys
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: Fontana
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000RT85D8

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Surfeit of Lampreys

Manufacturer: Fontana Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BRPLXI

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Surfeit of Lampreys
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PGVNEQ

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Surfeit of Lampreys
Ngaio Marsh
Manufacturer: Penguin
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000TZ8SMS

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