What's It All About?: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy What's It All About: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on What's It All About: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

What's It All About: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life ReviewI once thought that perhaps Will Durant's book was the best introduction to philosophy, and then I thought "Sophie's World" was. Now both of those books are well worth your time if you intend to get a peek at the Western philosophical tradition.
However, I think this is the best introduction to philosophy, not merely as what philosophers think about, but as thought about meaningful stuff.
Baggini's arguments are concise to the point of dismissive, so anytime you disagree you'll long for a consideration of your objections, but he moves along briskly from one issue to the next. Even though I disagree with about 1/4 of his opinions, so I understand the feeling, I think he's got the picture in sharp focus; someone who believes (like, say, Cottingham) that religion is key to meaningful life will probably be too frustrated by this book to finish it. For a longer consideration and rejection of the theistic POV, I suppose you've got to go to Sartre.
Anyway, the point of my review is that, if you're a layperson (like me) who's interested in thinking about the meaning of life (and stuff) (like me) then this is a very good book for you. Even if you disagree with his conclusion, everyone recommends the process of thinking through your adversaries' positions. Baggini and I both went through Cottingham, and he through several others as well, for instance.
Another good feature of the text is that if you move on to other modern philosophy books, directed at the philosophy crowd rather than at laypeople, you'll find that this book has prepared you for the arguments you encounter.
A difficulty of reviewing this book is that, frankly, it has to be read to be appreciated. No concise summary is possible. Except, the meaning of life is, like, to live. You want to see it discussed intelligently?
Then I highly recommend this book.What's It All About: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life Overview

Want to learn more information about What's It All About: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) ReviewPatricia's short introduction is a great little book because the she hits all the biggies (film makers, modes, etc) of documentary film without the higher level conceptual stuff that makes Bill Nichols' book a hard read for my undergraduates. That is the good bit. On the down side, she cites a lot of non US films that are hard to get; that makes it less useful for small programs that don't have such an extensive film library. I will order this book again next time around. One thing is certain: The price is right!Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Overview

Want to learn more information about Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers ReviewI like to think of myself as a person who is curious about a wide range of things, especially in the realm of culture and the arts. Most art history books, however, put me right to sleep, with their endless catalogs of curatorial details about brushstrokes and paint textures and influences and provenance. These detailed analyses almost never situate the paintings in any sort of context and almost never explain WHY we should be interested in these details, other than to prove ourselves worthy connoiseurs to others in the know. Clark's book is a refreshing change from such mandarin drivel. Clark begins with a lengthy discussion of the social context of the paintings he is about to discuss and only then proceeds to extended analyses of particular paintings. Clark is interested in the larger ideas and trends of the period and, most important of all, actually USES the details of the paintings as evidence in the course of making an ARGUMENT about what the paintings mean (hint to other art historians: having an argument contributes significantly to the interest of a book or article). In addition, Clark's argument about the nature of the social changes occuring in France in the 1860's and 70's is compelling and thought-provoking (be forewarned: some Marxism is involved). I found myself actually learning things about the paintings Clark discusses, and looking at them over and over again, trying to find more in them, in much the same way as I would go back to a book or a poem after reading a good piece of literary criticism. I think this book will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about either 19th-century French painting or 19th-century France. Clark is a stimulating and perceptive guide to this crucial period in the history of painting. Bravo!The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers Overview

Want to learn more information about The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair ReviewReading this book made me see red! Not out of anger but desire, specifically the desire to take the book to my hairdresser, point to the gorgeous cover of red curls and say, "The redder the better for me, thanks!" Love the section headings - sinners, science and sex. Love the clever subheadings - my favorite is the one for Chapter Four under Science: "A Monk, Two Very Different Victorians, and the Knockout Mouse or How We Were Delivered the Genetics of Hair Color." And in that subheading lies the beating red heart of what I really love about the book - the author's love of language. The fun she has with it, how she magnifies its allure, celebrates its danger, revels in its power as a tool of discovery. Yes, this book is a mad dash through a forest of redheaded demons, devils, dangers and desires. A wild romp that took the author - with the reader now along - from continent to continent and through a head-spinning number of fields. A crazy, creative and comprehensive look at all the redheaded threads woven through history. But even more, it's a joyride with one hot mama who loves to write.The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair Overview

Want to learn more information about The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America) ReviewThis book collects together Paine's Common Sense (which was instrumental in collecting and gathering America's attention to the benefits of strict independence from Great Britain); his letters or series entitled "the American Crisis," which galvanizes his previous topics; gives a brief account of his engineering work for arches bridges; provides another span of letters on his involvement in the French Revolution, and finishes with his Age of Reason, in which he examines and debunks the Bible. Though his reasoning and conclusions may alarm some and even offend others, his thinking and writing is lucid and cogent, and for reflective minds will provide much food for thought. Accused of sophistry and impudence by some of his contemporaries, his reasoning is normally sound and simple, as he inquires into the root of things, and only seldom does he make debating points fit only for the playground. A sensible and likable man, Paine's writing should engage any American for its historical sense, any lover or researcher interested in human rights and the hope of removing human misery, and any person interested in reading the entertaining but vital arguments of a man whose love of liberty and order forced him late in life to become one of America's most influential revolutionary and socially-minded voices.Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America) Overview

Want to learn more information about Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Creating the Good Life :Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Creating the Good Life :Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Creating the Good Life :Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Creating the Good Life :Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness ReviewPerhaps you're now asking the same question I once did: "Given the fact that he lived almost 2,400 years ago, what could Aristotle possibly have to say that is directly relevant to me?" In fact, a great deal. So many of us today -- especially those at mid-life -- are engaged in a search to find meaning and happiness. We often ask, as Peggy Lee once did, "Is that all there is?" The purpose of this book is show how Aristotle is an effective guide on that search, and how he can help each of us find our own practical answer to a critically important question, "What's next?"
In an interview to appear in the July/August (2005) issue of Chamber Executive magazine, O'Toole observes that "Aristotle was the most practical of all great philosophers. His audience was the business and political leadership of his day. He offered them wisdom they could apply in their own lives -- practical advice on matters ranging from ethical business practices to effective philanthropy. Aristotle even describes 'virtuous non-retirement' -- the lifelong commitment to engage in leisure work which is characterized by pursuit of the 'highest good' of individual excellence and the 'complete good' of community service. He offers practical tests to help us determine how much wealth we need to support us while we engage in those activities."
O'Toole goes on to say, "So my challenge was not making Aristotle relevant to today's successful professionals and managers; instead, I faced the nearly impossible task of making his difficult language clear to modern readers [begin italics] without dumbing it down [end italics]. I had to find a way to explore the depth and complexity of Aristotle in a way that makes sense in an age of sound bites and blogs. After all, who ever heard of a [begin italics] serious [end italics] self-help book? But that's what I set out to write."
As O'Toole explains in this book, Aristotle struggled with many of the same difficult circumstances (more than two centuries ago) which most of us face in 2005: "...in his career as a teacher and a consultant to leaders of ancient Athens, Aristotle thought long and hard about what it means to live a good life and how much it takes to finance it. His thoughts on this matter are particularly applicable today, given the baby boom generation's anxiety over insufficient retirement savings and shaky investments: Aristotle shows how we can find happiness at almost any level of income. Moreover, he argues that the ability to find true contentment correlates only tangentially with the amount of money one has cached away. Unlike so many of today's `life advisors,' Aristotle integrates financial planning with the broader task of life planning."
Throughout human history, there has been a constant challenge to get lifestyle and quality of life in appropriate balance. As O'Toole notes, "Aristotelian ethics concern moral decisions related to how we should allocate the limited time of our lives. We must each plan how we will allocate our energies among such activities as earning, learning, playing, being with friends and family, and participating in the community. As we make these choices, Aristotle warns, we will fail to achieve 'the chief good' -- that is, we will fail to be happy -- if we pursue the wrong ends."
If the pursuit of philosophy is to serve as a practical guide to action, and I believe it is, then the wisdom which Aristotle gained from his own experiences will guide and inform our own pursuit and achievement of "the chief good": personal happiness. In the Foreword to one of O'Toole's previously published books, The Executive's Compass, Lodwrick M. Cook (former chairman and CEO of Atlantic Richfield Company) explains O'Toole's use of the central metaphor: "The beauty of the compass is that it provides a framework for the executive to create order out of the growing chaos of cultural diversity and conflict of values. Like a real compass, [O'Toole's 'value compass'] helps us to find where we are, where others are, where we want to go, and how to get there. Like the Aspen experience itself, O'Toole's compass is aimed at developing executive judgment by expanding our understanding of the interrelationships of fundamental values."
Cook's comments are also relevant to Creating the Good Life. For those now struggling to define and then create the good life for themselves, whatever their current circumstances may be, Aristotle's wisdom can indeed serve as a "compass." In this volume, O'Toole prepares his reader to use it effectively.Creating the Good Life :Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness Overview

Want to learn more information about Creating the Good Life :Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture) ReviewWade Davis is right, what matters most is power, landscape and imagination. We either demean the primitive, romanticize the indigenous, or abide in a state of unbelievable ignorance of the meaning of the different ways humans have lived in this world. In his Massey Lectures, which make up this book, Davis has brought together his vast experiences of other peoples with the sheer poetry of his masterful writing to point out how much we have to learn from those whose unique understanding of the world is embedded in their means of surviving in vastly differing landscapes. It is not that people whose text-messaging-adept hands twitch while nervously fondling their cell phones are bad. But it may be that they can learn something about what it means to be human from peoples like the Australian Aborigines who lived for millennia in what we regard as a wasteland guided by Dream Time something we might only imagine in the best computer animation which does not fill one's belly except from employment in post-industrial society. And Aborigines in turn, on pain of extinction, have had to concede to our world but have miraculously managed to preserve some of their heritage, as have the indigenous of the Amazon, the Sahara, North America, and Tibet all of whom Davis tells us about.
This is a very important book. Its author brings us face to face with what we are losing when we passively accept the forcing of the whole world into the mold of our lives. It is not merely some romantic past that is represented by native resistance. As Davis mentions, the last speaker of a language must bear the tragedy of the vanishing of a whole way life with its unique relationship to landscape and community. Reading Davis, I would choose some of the human connection he describes and most certainly the intimacy with landscape that others had---an intimacy that led to adaptations fully as clever and sophisticated as any Western Civilization developed. Pull the plug on electricity and I and everything around me goes down the tubes.
The lecture that most captivated me was the one on Polynesian navigation. The book is more than worth it for this one chapter. Navigators, including women, using the most subtle indicators of stars, and seas, weather and animal life guide a raft through what to Europeans was a trackless ocean. If this is not among the most remarkable uses of the human mind I don't know what else is. It is not done with books or GPS or rational thinking as we know it. It is a keystone of cultures which have their own integrity. And Polynesians are matched by Eskimos, Andeans, desert wayfinders and many others. To lose these ways of knowing and living is to lose aspects of our humanity honed over tens of thousands of years. Wade Davis reminds us how terrible this loss is. And he is a Canadian and the Massey Lectures are the most prestigious in Canada. In the States we tend to miss the contributions of our northern neighbor. Wake up and look north! This book has much to teach us.
Charlie Fisher: emeritus professor and author of Dismantling Discontent: Buddha's Way Through Darwin's World
The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture) Overview

Want to learn more information about The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World (CBC Massey Lecture)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living ReviewI saw this book one day when I was browsing Franklin Covey planners in the mall. It had been awhile since I read something not business related so I thought I'd give this a shot. I'll be honest when I tell you I enjoy a good read but this book took me about one year to read from beginning to end. The first few chapters weren't too bad but then it got into a section about a debate between two philosophers on the definition of virtue and why one should practice a virtuous life. I've never read anything that mentally straining in my life (my degree is in Mechanical Engineering BTW). I enjoy the arts but that one section took me about a month before I could fully digest what the philosophers were saying in the span of less than 2 pages. This one section proved so enlightening that my head hurt for about 2 days after I had a chance to chew on the content. If you had any doubts that the founding forefathers of this great nation were anything but geniuses, this should dispell any and all myths. I must say that I even had to break out the dictionary for some of the diction used in this book in that it was definitely not your everyday conversational english. If you enjoy mental challenges of a higher level and your mastery of the English language is proficient enough to understand the fine nuances of sentence structure and double, sometimes triple meanings, I would recommend this book. If you're looking for something a little more entertaining and easier on the mind, then definitely look somewhere else. But I will admit, when I did finally complete this book one year later, I actually felt a major sense of accomplishment. I guess that makes me just a little more virtuous?Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living Overview

Want to learn more information about Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality ReviewThis book has obviously angered (a few) people, so much so that they have gone above and beyond the call of duty as reviewers to invent several screen names and post their ire-filled opinions over and over. The fact is that this book is well written, well researched, and well referenced. The author does not ignore contrary opinions, but in fact takes great steps to address and dispel seemingly legitimate arguments. As a dedicated historian, and skeptic of nearly all Afro-centric writings, I can honestly say that this book is far more than the sublimated racism some readers would have you believe it to be. Those with a willingness to read the book and do their own un-biased follow-up research will find it well worth the effort.The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality Overview

Want to learn more information about The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Writing the Breakout Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Writing the Breakout Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Writing the Breakout Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Writing the Breakout Novel ReviewI'm a published author with a division of Random House. I wondered what this book might have to offer, after hearing great things about it from amateurs to pros.
My response is two-fold. Yes, I'm one of the midlist authors that Maass addresses, and I did find some true--albeit painful--comments that pertain to my mediocre success. The man knows the market and the publishing industry. Don't let artistic snobbery keep you from seeing the realities that he portrays here. I still have much to learn, and some of those lessons have started with the reading of this book.
On the other hand, the book is focused on commercial success. Like many others, I get suspicious when I see Nicholas Sparks mentioned as one of the examples of a breakout novelist. In a world of Starbucks and WalMarts, do we really want every writer to break things down to the same commercial aspects? I don't.
I have novels in stores; I've earned money (though not enought to live on) from this side job; and ohhhh, how I'd love to make a great living at it. As Maass points out, though, those who want to move past the midlist must adhere to certain principles of great storytelling. Great writers are not always great storytellers. Joining the two crafts can create miraculous things, and this book has challenged me to do so. Putting aside my artistic differences, I believe it can be done.Writing the Breakout Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Writing the Breakout Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Anti-Intellectualism in American Life? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life Review"The age of philosophy has passed...that of utility has commenced..." said an orator at Yale in 1844. Richard Hofstadter uses this telling quote and well as a wealth of other information to show how a thread of anti-intellectualism runs through the history and culture of "practical" America. He dissects anti-intellectualism, goes into its history and origins in the US, and shows its impact in education, politics, and business. This thorough analysis won him the 1964 Pulitzer Prize in Non-Fiction.
Hofstadter is careful to define what he means by the intellect and intellectuals. The intellect is the critical, creative, contemplative side of mind that examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes, questions, imagines. It is the province of writers, critics, skeptics, professors, scientists, editors, journalists, lawyers and clergymen. Just being a "mental technician" in these fields is not enough; one also acts as an active custodian of values like reason and justice and truth.
Unfortunately, America's practical culture has never embraced intellectuals. The intellectuals' education and expertise are viewed as a form of power or privilege. Intellectuals are seen as a small arrogant elite who are pretentious, conceited, snobbish. Geniuses' are described as eccentric, and their talents dismissed as mere cleverness. Their cultured view is seen as impractical, and their sophistication as ineffectual. Their emphasis on knowledge and education is viewed as subversive, and it threatens to produce social decadence.
Instead, the anti-intellectuals believe that the plain sense of the common man is altogether adequate and superior to formal knowledge and expertise from schools. The truths of the heart, experience, and old-fashioned principles of religion, character, instinct, and morality are more reliable guides to life than education. After all, we idolize the self-made man in America.
Hofstadter goes on to cite examples of anti-intellectualism from the nations founding to today. For example, the founding fathers were sages, scientists, and men of cultivation, yet the Federalists attacked the brilliant Thomas Jefferson by portraying the curiosity of his active mind as too trivial and ridiculous for important affairs. Today, military ability is the kind of test of character which is viewed as good for political leadership, and voters view a show of intellect with suspicion.
In business, commercial culture tends to breed acquisitiveness rather than inquisitiveness. Business often demands group cohesion instead of independent thought. Hofstadter points this out using a number of examples. A Harvard Business School Dean said, "we don't want our students to pay any attention to anything that might raise questions about management or business policy in their minds." A famous chemical company's training film spouts, "no geniuses here; just a bunch of average Americans working together." The general point is that business is indifferent to knowledge on a broad scale; only the money-making faculty needs to be cultivated to succeed.
Turning to education, Hofstadter points out that broad public education in the US was started not for developing the mind or the pride of learning for its own sake, but for its supposed political and economic benefits. Children were viewed not minds to be developed, but as citizens to be trained for a stable democracy. He goes on to outlines the debates within the community of educators about what should be taught, especially in previous eras when most people did not go to college. Hofstader also cites studies that show that even if students study "superfluous" intellectual subjects with no practical application, there ARE practical benefits; namely, learning any subject in depth teaches one how to learn something new.
Overall, this was a good analysis; the writing is very readable but not sprightly, and while some chapters are slightly slow going, others are fascinating. Overall, though, I thought Hofstadter's analysis has stood the test of time well, and it's easy to see how this book, over 40 years old, could be applied to analyze the world today. So if you're interested in a cogent analysis of anti-intellectualism, I'd recommend this book.
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life Overview

Want to learn more information about Anti-Intellectualism in American Life?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring ReviewThis book doesn't provide grammar activities or explain grammar rules. What you will get is an understanding of what grammar really is. Grammar is not just the rules that your English teacher taught you back in high school. It is much more than rules. This book presents how grammar is viewed through Second Language Acquisition Theory. Also the author dismisses some common preconceptions about grammar that may be holding teachers back from understanding what grammar really is--a dynamic process. To gain a better understanding of this process, I recommend that teachers pick up this book. It's not so thick, so it should be a quick read.Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring Overview

Want to learn more information about Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy ReviewBy getting the second edition of the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy I believe to have achieved the best dictionary of this kind. But when I say "the best" I mean "the best there is" and not "the best there could be", since, apart from the enormous and useful information offered by this work, which is in no way comparable with others of the same kind that I have read or consulted, there are certain lacks that bothered me. In my opinion, there are three critics that can be opposed to the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. The first one is the preponderance of the information concerning modern Philosophy and Logic, which is not justified by the importance of the concepts or authors involved. For example, the article concerning the theory of "possible worlds" (which has really been given enough importance only in the last half of the XXth century) is longer than the article concerning Zeno's paradoxes. Also, minor philosophers and logicians of the XXth century are presented in distinct articles, while the presocratics (Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Anaxagoras etc.) are all presented in one article and some of them didn't even get their name mentioned. The second critic is similar to the first one, but it concerns a certain part of non-modern Philosophy: the scholastic (medieval) one. The schools, authors, works and concepts of this age are presented partially or aren't presented at all. Examples: I couldn't find any information about Joachim Jungus or about his "Logica Hamburgensis"; Raymundus Lullus is presented in an article of the same length as the one about a Chinese neo-Confucian philosopher that lived a century before him and didn't make any great revolution or anticipation in oriental Philosophy (as Lullus did in European Logic and Algebra); the discussion of the universals has no article of her own, only one side of the discussion (the realism) being presented and the other one (nominalism) ignored, not to speak of the authors involved in this discussion, most of them not being mentioned. Finally, it bothered me the accentuation of Anglo-Saxon Philosophy and Logic, understandable only if the dictionary would have been written for the use of the people from UK or US (the utility of this dictionary, in my opinion, was meant to be universal). I believe it to be unjustified to present a Scottish philosopher such as Mary Sheperd (whose influence in philosophy is minor) in a dictionary that ignores important thinkers of Antique Philosophy. However, since I don't mean to discourage the possible buyer or reader, I repeat what I've said in the beginning: although it has certain lacks and could have been written in a better way, I believe that the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy is the best work of this kind. Not only somebody interested in Philosophy as a hobby, but also somebody who is or intends to get specialized in Philosophy will find in this work useful information, that one might have problems in finding using ordinary dictionaries.The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy Overview

Want to learn more information about The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives ReviewSome things said simply are more powerful thanks to their simplicity. This book provides a forceful, unflinching description of how people who are raised in a dysfunctional or abusive environment often sabotage and cripple their lives. The structure of the book is straightforward. The situations Mellody discusses are often sound sadly ordinary rather than extraordinary. But the resulting emotional resonance of this book is undeniable.
Mellody methodically dissects the disorder she calls codependency. She first explains how when working with addicted individuals as a nurse in a recovery center in Arizona she saw a repeated pattern of dysfunctional behavior in individuals and their families that went beyond the addictions for which the individuals were being treated. Her work there and her own personal development led to the conclusions in this book. (One of the wonderful aspects of the book is that when Mellody talks about codependents and their behavior) she does not speak condescendingly about "those codependents", but rather uses examples that begin with "I" or "us." This creates a powerful intimacy.
There are four main sections to the book. The first section details what she sees as the core symptoms of codependency: difficulty experiencing appropriate levels of self-esteem, difficulty setting functional boundaries, difficulty owning and expressing one's own reality, difficulty taking care of one's adult needs and wants, and difficulty behaving moderately. The second section details how dysfunctional family can push a child (whom Mellody describes as inherently valuable, vulnerable, imperfect, dependent, and immature) into codependency. The third section describes the many kinds of abuse (most of which are not obviously traumatizing on first review) that can push an individual, particularly a child toward codependency. And the last section provides a very preliminary road map to healing codependency: the first step she argues is an awareness of one's codependent state, and second step is a desire to change.
The book addresses well struggles that are an issue for many/most people. It touches on feelings that make books like "The Prince of Tides" and Alice Miller's "The Drama of the Gifted Child" resonant for so many. Here the presentation of more clinical, but not necessarily any less moving. I have two main complaints with the book. First, I don't think the term "codependent" does justice to the broad variety of symptoms that Mellody covers. In fact, I think the title of book alone might dissuade people who otherwise benefit from reading the book. I don't have a wonderful alternative, but I think a title like "Facing Dysfunctional Behavior" or "Facing Self-sabotaging Behavior" would be more accurate. Second, as in many of the twelve-step programs, Mellody consider a "Higher Power" an element in addressing codependent behavior. In reading the book I saw no reason to bring in this concept, and doing so might limit the applicability of these insight to those who are so predisposed. A good, and surprisingly powerful, little powerful book.Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives Overview

Want to learn more information about Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

On Bullshit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy On Bullshit? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on On Bullshit. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

On Bullshit ReviewI got this book after seeing Prof. Frankfurt on the Daily Show with John Stewart. Having a bachelors degree in philosophy I was intrigued. Here are some of my observations:
1) This book is not traditionally funny. If you are looking for a joke book get one, this is a work of philosophy and as such has a degree of intellectual humor. Some of the observations and comments are funny but overall this is not a joke book, rather it is designed with a specific philosophical purpose... (he's an "ivy league" Philosophy Professor and published by Princeton)
2) Very short but to the point. I read the whole book in less than an hour. That being said there is a lot of content which deserves meaningful reflection... its one of those books that you will probably end up going "ahhh haaa" at least at one point.
3) Inexpensive. Its under ten bucks... some may say that its pricey for such a small book but if you enjoy it, whose to say what the intrinsic value will be to you down the road.
4) Warning... this is not the most complex or even dense piece of philosophy. Certainly its not like reading Hegel or another "headache philosopher" but this is a work of philosphy. As long as you know that going into this there should be no problems. A friend of mine read this book thinking it would be comical and fun, almost expecting jokes and punch-lines... he was disappointed.
The last thing I will say is that I really enjoyed the book and I can imagine many people really reading this book a couple of times and really liking it. I am already recommending it to some of my friends and lawschool professors... If you do decide to buy this book... ENJOY!On Bullshit Overview

Want to learn more information about On Bullshit?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd Edition) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd Edition)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd Edition). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd Edition) ReviewAs a doctoral student preparing to write my dissertation proposal, this book has been an invaluable asset. The book is clearly written and contains information and suggestions that I would think would be helpful to students working on academic proposals as well as to researchers working on proposals for journal articles. I first read the book in its entirety, and I am now going back through the book taking notes and applying Creswell's (2003) concepts to my own research topic. I especially appreciate Creswell's (2003) description of the mixed methods approach as that is the research strategy I am considering. I would encourage any student or researcher to add this book to his or her library!Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd Edition) Overview

Want to learn more information about Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2nd Edition)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Christianity and Culture Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Christianity and Culture? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Christianity and Culture. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Christianity and Culture ReviewT.S. Eliot is known as one of the world's foremost poets and playwrights, but this book shows him as a brilliant essayist, philosopher, and theologian as well. This book consists of two essays: "The Idea of a Christian Society" and "Notes Toward the Definition of Culture." In these two essays, Eliot displays his mental prowess by cutting to the heart of the issues of culture in general in the second essay and specifically Christian culture in the first. His analysis of these subjects is very orderly, well-thought, and deeper than most any written today, even by sociologists and the like who make a career of studying these things. Eliot breaks culture down into three subclasses: individual, group/class, and whole society. He begins with the individual level of society, analyzing personality characteristics and the like, and moves his way up into group/class and then to the whole society, giving an extremely thoughtful and insightful argument into how these elements relate. Although this book was written over 50 years ago and isn't the most conventional look at these subjects, many of the things Eliot asserts are becoming obvious in today's society, proving him as not only a great writer but also as an accomplished thinker. He goes into great detail on class, geographic regions, sects, politics, religion, and education in relation to culture and society. While the writing is a bit more verbose and difficult than the average modern reader is used to, it is extremely logical; Eliot carefully builds each argument one step at a time. This order makes it possible to gain a great deal of understanding if the reader is willing to wade through the text and ponder what is written. I guarantee that even though many readers won't necessarily understand initially or perhaps agree with everything Eliot asserts in this book, anyone who reads it will end up with a far greater understanding of the workings of society. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to be stretched in an intellectual way and anyone who seeks to gain a great insight into culture at its various levels and as a whole.Christianity and Culture Overview

Want to learn more information about Christianity and Culture?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Diabetes Dictionary Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Diabetes Dictionary? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Diabetes Dictionary. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Diabetes Dictionary ReviewIt is a really good book lots of information useful for diabetics, like me.
you can use it like forever.The Diabetes Dictionary OverviewThe Diabetes Dictionary in Kindle FormatThis is an excellent, comprehensive reference guide for anyone who has Diabetes, and anyone who has a loved one with Diabetes.Originally produced by The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), This dictionary defines words that are often used when people talk or write about diabetes. It is designed for people who have diabetes and for their families and friends.The words are listed in alphabetical order. Some words have many meanings; only those meanings that relate to diabetes are included. Words that appear in bold italic are defined elsewhere in the dictionary. A term will refer the reader to another definition only when the second definition gives additional information about a topic that is directly related to the first term.Information in this dictionary is not a substitute for your health care professional's advice.This Kindle edition was cleaned up, formatted, prepared, produced and published by Kathy Burns-Millyard and Electronic Perceptions.

Want to learn more information about The Diabetes Dictionary?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Notes Towards a Definition of Culture Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Notes Towards a Definition of Culture? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Notes Towards a Definition of Culture. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Notes Towards a Definition of Culture ReviewEliot begins by conceding that the subject of his study "involves the risk of error at every moment" and is "so difficult that I am not sure I grasp it myself except in flashes, or that I comprehend all its implications." He defines culture as "not merely the sum of several activities, but a way of life" of people living together in one place. It is "made visible in their arts, in their social system, in their habits and customs, in their religion." He warns the reader about the danger of committing two errors: "that of regarding religion and culture as separate things between which there is a relation, and that of identifying [equating] religion and culture." Culture and religion are separate and distinct, but they are intricately interwoven.
Eliot breaks culture down into three classes: the individual, the group, and whole society. The culture of the individual is "dependent upon the culture of a group or class, and that the culture of the group or class is dependent upon the culture of the whole society to which that group or class belongs." He begins his study with culture at the whole society level, setting out to avoid
The material organization of a nation is inextricably linked with its spiritual life. In the context of Europe, if the spiritual organization dies, "then what you will organize will not be Europe, but merely a mass of human beings speaking several different languages." "In the most primitive societies no clear distinction is visible between religious and non-religious activities; and that as we proceed to examine the more developed societies, we perceive a greater distinction, and finally contrast and opposition, between these activities."
The culture of the West has been formed through common conceptions that have been handed down from the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome and Israel. These legacies have given way to common conceptions of private and public morality, a conception of Roman law, and common standards of art and literature. It is the duty of men of letters throughout Europe to pass on this culture, unadulterated by political motives, to future generations by producing "those excellent works which mark a superior civilization."
Notes Towards a Definition of Culture Overview

Want to learn more information about Notes Towards a Definition of Culture?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition ReviewIf you want to better understand Europe and European history of the 20th century, this is a book to read. Milosz is a Nobel prize-winning poet and writer. This book is his autobiography. He was born in 1911 on the territory of the former Russian Empire. He comes from the Polish-Lithuanian family and is an ultimate Eastern European. He also knows America and Western Europe well.
His knowledge of the European history of the 20th century is nor from the books, but something he lived through himself. Milosz traveled to Siberia with his father. He survived both World wars. He studied in France before WW2 and spent the war in Warsaw, where he witnessed destruction of Warsaw after the upraising. Milosz seems very observant, honest, and has a tendency to self-reflection, which makes the narrative even more interesting.
He had many dangerous adventures during the war years and he remembers and describes them in great detail. Many of his remarks about Russia are right on target (as Russian I can confirm that). This is great and unique book of the ultimate Eastern European. Definitely worth reading if you are interested in the history of this part of the world.Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition Overview

Want to learn more information about Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...