Edward Burns Books

Yes, it is a great book! I finish in one afternoon. I couldn't down the book once I started reading.... Mr. Hall provides a very rich history of the Chinatown in New York City during the mid-1800s period. He is succeeded to "enable the reader to smell history." In the book, Mr. Hall describes his father "denied" his identity of Chinese which shows the typical dilemma of the new generation of Chinese immigrants in the United States. However, I was "confused" by the subtitle, "a family memoir of chinatwon". I expect that the book mainly describes the author's family history, rather than concerns on the hisotry of Chinatown history.

Yes, it is a great book! I finish in one afternoon. I couldn't down the book once I started reading.... Mr. Hall provides a very rich history of the Chinatown in New York City during the mid-1800s period. He is succeeded to "enable the reader to smell history." In the book, Mr. Hall describes his father "denied" his identity of Chinese which shows the typical dilemma of the new generation of Chinese immigrants in the United States. However, I was "confused" by the subtitle, "a family memoir of chinatwon". I expect that the book mainly describes the author's family history, rather than concerns on the hisotry of Chinatown history.

Tea That Burns was an unexpected pleasure to read. Not only is the writing fresh and engrossing, but the overall account of his family history back several generations is fascinating and rings of authencity. I have read numerous interesting Chinese-American memoirs, and what makes this one especially unique, is the ability of the author to connect the events occurring in U. S. History with concurrent events in China's history. This interweaving informs the reader in ways that are absent when the China context is not provided.
As a second generation Chinese whose father was a paper son, and whose parents had an arranged marriage, I already knew many of the factual aspects of the book. However, I never could entirely understand the 'process' underlying the facts until I read Tea That Burns. The author filled in many of these gaps with his eye for detail. The documentation at the back of the book reveals that the author knows his Chinese immigration history thoroughly, but fortunately he does not bog the reader down by inserting an abundance of citations within the body of the text.
I felt invigorated and refreshed after reading this excellent book.

I read Mr. Hall's narration and found it simultaneously interesting and dissapointing. Interesting because he cleverly portrayed the historical side of the story from an angle I could relate to, with credible detail that in and of itself made for the price of the book (Great Photos!). Disappointing because the individuals contained within were only briefly portrayed and therefore the personal aspect, that in my respectful opinion lends dimension to all historical fact, was somewhat disjointed. I look forward to Mr. Hall's next work to fill in the gaps and continue what he began.

My mother grew up in the mining camps at the turn of the century, (1900) - it would be wonderful if more of the Chinese descendents would write their stories - it was surely a life of great hardship, and a history that needs to be shared. This is a wonderful story of family and life, societal views, prejudice and pain. Many expressions I heard throughout my childhood referred to the Chinese..."...didn't have a Chinaman's chance."..."...the rule was that the sun was not to set on any Chinese in town..." - what torment these people had to endure - yet we have very little literature on this subject. Mr. Hall has provided us with a wonderful, informative read and some true-life views that U.S.History certainly needs.

Some say that Jonathan Edwards is the greatest theological mind America has ever produced. The book A God Entranced Vision of All Things -- whose contributors include John Piper, Stephen J. Nichols, J. I. Packer, Sam Storms, and others -- tries to show why. Though the book doesn't conclusively herald Edwards as the undisputed greatest, it nonetheless displays him as an absolute colossus of Christian history whose influence reaches into our day even more powerfully than it did during his own lifetime.

A God Entranced Vision is a collection of essays written by different contributors about the life of Jonathan Edwards. Each contributor selects something they've found fascinating about Edwards to write about. John Piper writes about Edwards's God-entranced vision of all things, Stephen J. Nichols about Edwards's life and legacy, Noel Piper about Jonathan's wife Sarah Edwards, J. I. Packer about Edwards's insights concerning revival, Donald S. Whitney about Edwards's pursuit of godly disciplines, Mark Dever about Edwards's dismissal from his church in Northhampton, Sherard Burns about Edwards as a slave owner, Paul Helm about Edwards's doctrine of Original Sin, Sam Storms about Edwards's views on the freedom of the will, and Mark R. Talbot on Edwards on the religious affections.

Most of the chapters are phenomenal. Some not as good as others, but overall they're all a pure delight to read. My favorite three were those of John Piper, Sherard Burns, and Sam Storms. Piper's chapter bleeds with the kind of intensity that has characterized his ministry. Burns's chapter, entitled "Trusting the Theology of a Slave Owner," cannot be missed. And Storms wonderfully elucidates Edwards's intricate and complex views on free will and the origins of evil. Though these three stand out, as I noted above, all the chapters in the book are worthy reads. They all have something special and important to display about the life of this towering figure in both church and American history. I recommend that you get to know Jonathan Edwards for the good of your soul. A God Entranced Vision of All Things is the perfect place to start.

A great concept for a book - ten different people writing about various facets of the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards. I especially enjoyed the chapter that dealt with Jonathan's amazing wife Sarah as well as the chapter that wrestled with accepting the theology of a slave owner (yes, Jonathan Edwards did own slaves). The chapters were all written by individuals with a great appreciation for Edwards, his theology, his life, work and legacy, so reading it was a real joy...but not an easy task. Part Three of the book examined some of the theological issues best attributed to the work of Edwards, a Puritan and strict Calvinist whose writings on original sin, the freedom of the will and religious affections are still read and discussed today. The authors of this book pointed out various challenges to Edwardian theology and did an excellent job of communicating what Edwards wrote and taught without overshadowing it with their own opinions.

The book is great for any reader wanting to know more about Jonathan Edwards and although it isn't an easy book to read, it is worth the effort for someone wanting to either gain an appreciation for this man and his legacy or deepen their understanding of what he taught and the role he played at such a critical time in American history. Students of early American history should have a familiarity with Jonathan Edwards and this is a great book to move from acquaintance to appreciation.

A God Entranced Vision of All Things is a wonderful look at the legacy and relevance of Jonathan Edwards life and teachings. John Piper and Justin Taylor have assembled (and also contributed to) a remarkable series of essays on the different aspects of Edwards' legacy. As the back of the book declares: "This book's contributors investigate the character and teachings of the man who preached from a deep concern for the unsaved and a passionate desire for God. Studying the life and works of this dynamic Great Awakening figure will rouse slumbering Christians, prompting them to view the world through Edward's God-centered lens."

The book is divided into three sections. Part I "The Life and Legacy of Jonathan Edwards" introduces the book, and contains 3 essays on our need to rediscover Edwards, a biography of Edwards, and information about his marriage and family (ably done by Mrs. Noel Piper). Part II "Lessons from Edward's Life and Thought" contains some excellent essays by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever. But, for sheer impact and power, the highlight of this section was the essay by Sherard Burns, "Trusting the Theology of a Slave Owner". Mr. Burns, an African-American pastor and theologian, thoroughly and fairly looks at the reality of Edwards' ownership of slaves, and the failure of Edwards to apply his theology to that area. Burns, without excusing Edwards, gives a remarkable analysis of this sin in Edwards. Here are the paragraphs that blew me away:

"As an African American, I know daily the pressures of being in a predominantly white society. Yet how I approach that society, the grid by which I engage that society, is more telling than anything else. God cannot be sovereign over some things and yet not in control of others. This is no justification for abuse or racism, for such perpetuators will have their day of reckoning. But the eradication of racism today, as would be the case with slavery then, will not come about through programs, but by means of a God-centered and God-entranced view of reality. We must not be governed by the political persuasion of today, but governed by the sovereign reign and rule of God. Whatever we may think of Edwards, one thing is for certain: He left the American church with the necessary theological truths to kill racism in our hearts and to be conquerors of it in the church.

In light of that, though we fight and should fight the residue of such hatred in our day, the reality is that the desire to be theologically orthodox means we must add to our shelves books by dead white men who owned slaves. All our heroes today have clay feet. Jonathan Edwards was not a perfect man, and he did not get everything right, nor did he stand for all the right things. Neither do any of us. His blind spots and sins are pointers to our own blind spots and sins. To ask for grace and mercy on our own sins is, by logical implication, to be ready and willing to extend it to Edwards." (p. 170-171)."

Wow! 'Nuff said!

Part 3 "Expositions of Edwards's Major Theological Works" is also very helpful in understanding some of Edwards more(admittedly) difficult works. The book concludes with an Appendix by (of course) Piper, who writes an "Edwardsean Sermon" in honor of Edwards, and a helpful guide by Justin Taylor on "Reading Jonathan Edwards: Objections and Recommendations".

All in all, I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in gaining a more God-centered, God-entranced view of all things.

This really is a great look at a number of characteristics of Jonathan Edward's life and ministry. A pretty quick read, but rich in depth, the book unashamedly argues for exactly what it says: a "God-entranced vision of all things". Piper hits the ball out of the park in the chapters he contributes (did you expect any less?), and the chapters by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever are also particularly good. Check it out today!

an extremely original story, funny, sick at times, but ultimately enjoyable...its not great, but definitely worth reading

Without a doubt, John Edward Lawson is what Friedrich Nietzsche would have called an "Ubermensch" (overman, or superman) of the written word. Last Burn in Hell is a nonstop romp in a bizarre world of a man who has one of the best, and at the same time, worst jobs possible. His landscape is fresh, his strokes are perfect, and the final product is a wonderfully mastered piece of bizarro fiction that will leave you enthralled. You will be left to crave the works of Lawson.

"John Edward Lawson plays a persona of a chemical=anthropoid's death." - Kenji Siratori, author Blood Electric

4.5/5 Stars

Perhaps the greatest layer of Last Burn is its portrayal of modern pop culture, which is both hilarious and startling in its utterly absurd yet honest nature. And yes, this book does have layers.

To break things down more easily:

Plot: Takes so many twists and turns, yet through it all, Last Burn stays focused.

Characters: Definitely different than those in nearly every book I've read, shows that books of such a style can succeed with characters more often seen...in prison...or on the covers of the latest gossip magazines.

Writing: If only all modern writers had styles as fresh...unfortunately, very few do.

All in all, Last Burn in Hell is a must read for fans of bizarro, horror, science fiction, or even beat writers such as Ginsberg and Kerouac. Strangely, it seems to bring all of these together to form a bizarre adventure that also functions, perhaps even more poignantly, as a social satire.

Biggest Complaint: I'm not a fan of the overall cover design, but that's as negative as I can get about this book.

The three books that cover the life Henry VI are each masterpieces in their own right. They are each important parts of the multi-facted life of Henry VI. Wonderful history lesson.

This is not quite as good as 1 or 2, but it is still excellent! Shakespeare grabs us with the dispute between Henry VI and York. While it seems to end peacefully it does not, and the war goes on! York's death in 1.4 is another landmark in Shakespeare's writing. The scene (2.5) where Henry finds true terror is horror, sorrow, and yet beauty and yet another moving part of the play. (The son that hath killed his father and the father that hath killed his son.) The war pauses in disaster for Henry and some comic relief is offered. But the horror starts all over again when Edward IV and Warwick have a falling out. The war starts over again, and the King of France gets involved! The scene where King Henry VI is reinstated is a scene of beauty and hope. While all of this is happening, Shakespeare carefully prepares the monstrously satanic character of Richard III. From here, the play just gets more and more bloody. A final moment of horror is offered when the eventual Richard III proudly compares himself to the one who betrayed Christ. In part 4 "Richard III," the real terror begins!

This was one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. (possibly his third) Yet, there is nothing to indicate he was only starting out. Right away he grabs our attention with the funeral of King Henry V. Henry V's brothers Bedford and Gloucester help us to see the virtues and strengths of the deceased king. The Bishop of Winchester is well drawn as a comical villain who plots and plans, but never succeeds in doing any real damage. (Not until the next play anyway.) Talbot is memorable as the selfless hero of the play. York is memorable as the hero who defeats Joan of Arc. King Henry VI himself is interesting. First we see him as a helpless infant. By the third act, we see that he has both strengths and weaknesses. He makes the mistake of dividing the command between the rivals Somerset and York. But also, we see that he does not tolerate treason or neglect of duty. There are also many memorable scenes. The garden scene that foreshadows the War of the Roses is well drawn. The scene where York comforts his dying uncle is tragic beauty. Bedford's death in 3.2 has almost a divine tone. The death of Talbot and his son is very lamentable. York's sudden rise to power is captivating. Perhaps Shakespeare's greatest achievement in this play is that he simultaneously shows us England's war with France and the dissension with England itself.

I happened to meet the gentleman this story is about, and his lovely wife, while shopping in the PX at Ft. Lewis. They are good people and this book is worth the read. It's a good reminder of what really matters.

This biography of a man who survived a horrible crash was very interesting, I really enjoyed this book.

They have been doing very good job of updating ever since Burns didn't involve hinself directly in recent editions. Adding, updating the content yet maintaining the unique tone of Burns writing.

But with 14th edition, they changed the layout to two-column page layout. And I absolutley hate two-column page in any textbook or any book for that matter.

This book, while I realise its a text book, has given me great insight into the latter portion of western culture. This book provides more verifiable references then any other book of this type I've read. Quality color pictures and easily followed footnotes, provides a respectable index and is very easily understood and appreciated.

This book was first written in the 1950s, but has been revised since. It is a good introduction for people starting to learn about the Europeans. The author incorporates literature, philosophy, military tactics, cause and effect. And there are thorough timelines. It is definitely a good buy, although I got a used copy from a book fair for a 1.50!!!! Enjoy!!!

There is nothing here, especially not on the uncited page 120, which in any way opposes the official teaching of the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. There is nothing here which has been found by the Chruch's own censors to obstruct its publication. This is the meaning of the Nihil Obstat.

For anyone to contend they find something here which offends their Faith, if they have seen this book at all, is to claim to know the Catholic faith better than the Catholic Church's own hierarchy and Censor Librorum. This therefore is no longer the Roman Catholic Faith, but some schism, if they are serious at all, which is not apparent. They are following there own gleeful lights, and not the Catholic Faith as established and maintained in the Holy See. To so mock the the official pronouncements of our heirarchy is against Canon Law, and cannot be taken seriously. To mislead "faithful Catholics" to avoid this book is to oppose the official pronouncements of the Church, and thus to deceive the faithful, and is clearly contemptible. I hope such joking receives its just reward, which it apparently shall not upon the amazon.

I quote from page 120, which is one paragraph, or rather partial paragraph which begins on page 119 and ends on page 121 (in the 1995 sixth impression by London's Sheed and Ward). Let me first point out these pages present not the Reverend Father Schillebeeckx's own conclusions, but his summary of an article by another Catholic theologian, which had been published in the well-known and respected academic Catholic theological journal Verbum. Thus this quote begins with a quote from the other theologian:

"'It is interpersonal - the host mediates between the Lord (in his Chruch) and me (in the same Church). I kneel, not before a Christ who is, as it were, condensed in the host, but before the Lord himself who is offering his reality, his body, to me through the host.' The host is Christ's gift of himself, and Christ's persence is that of the giver in the gift, as J. Moller and, later, L. Smits have argued. The gift here is food and drink, but these are not a gift from an ordinary man, but from Jesus, the Christ, and they are therefore the non-deceptive, but irrevocably authentic gift of Christ himself. It is, of course, true that Christ also gives himself in the other sacraments. But this gift of himself is realised in the most supreme way in the Eucharist - the bread and the wine become fully signs. 'What takes place in the Eucharist is a change of sign.' Transubstantiation is a transfinalisation or a transsignification, but at a depth which only Christ reaches in his most real gift of himself. Bread and wine become(together with the words of consecration) the signs which realize this most deep gift of Christ himself. Schoonenberg concludes: 'Those among us who are older rightly regard their faith in Christ's presence under the species as a great treasure. ( . . .)'"

This book from beginning to end defends and explains the Thomistic and official Church dogma of the transubstantiation.

This book bears the official Imprimatur of our Hierarchy, and also passed the official Censor Librorum, receiving the Nihil Obstat, which clearly designates there is nothing in this book which opposes official teaching of our magisterium, and that there is nothing in this book which would block its publication (nihil obstat).

This book remains one of our finest documents explaining clearly the history and meaning of the transubstantiation of the Blessed Sacrament, and one of the best ways for Catholics and converts and initiates and the curious to come to grips and comprehend this mystery of our Faith, in our Eucharist.

Please read this book as a glorious and brilliant and officially approved theological document essential to our Theology. You will not be disappointed. Great reading for Lent our any other time of the year.

Highly recommended and officially approved.

This brief yet substantial treatise on the dogma of the transubstantiation bears the official approbation of the Vatican in the from of the Hierarchy's Imprimatur (from the Latin for "Must Be Published") as well as the Censor Librorum's Nihil Obstat (from the Latin again for Nothing Obstructs its publication as official Catholic theology).

Having thus passed the intensive test and revision by the Censor Librorum and the Hierarchy, this book may be with safety and assurance received into the home of every Catholic, to deepen and extend our understanding of our great Faith in the sacrament of the Eucharist which unites and compels us.

As a Dominican professor of Dogmatic Theology, as was the great and insuperable Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Reverend Father Edward Schillebeeckx may seem too scholastic for our modern tastes. For this very reason we do well to study the scholastic explanation of the Eucharist, as Father Schillebeeckx generously, brilliantly, brings the fullness of Thomas to our own times.

We have here the significance of the historical and social and scholastic and philosophical contexts of the time of Thomas, as well as a profound explanation of the universal and eternal truths of the dogma of the transubstantiation, as best understood in our contemporary philosophical situation. Once again, this approach may seem insurmountably academic for the untrained and casual Catholic reader, and yet we are richly rewarded for every strenuous effort we may put into its reading. Father Schillebeeckx begins by explaining how the majority of the Church of Thomas's time could not understand nor accept his theological teachings either, and yet his teachings were declared official Catholic theology over one hundred yeares ago (centuries after their writing).

Please prepare yourself for serious writing in this work, which will make all other considerations of the Eucharist seem superficial and incomplete. By reading as lectio divina with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your soul and all of your strength, you will find this book a solid sacramental support to our Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. And with that same strength we are commanded to love our God. By this book we may grow stronger in that Divine Love.

Written forty years ago already, the great and influential Dominican priest and preacher and professor the Reverend Father Edward Schilebeeckx clearly covers the history of the Eucharist, past, present and future, foreseeing even the exciting developments in our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI's Sacramentum Caritatis: el Sacramento de la Caridad: una Exhortacion Apostolica Postsinodal.

In defending the revolutionary (for his times) statements of his brother Dominican Saint Thomas Aquinas (now our standard theological touchstone), Father Schillebeeckx asks how Saint Thomas and especially Saint Bonaventure's scholastic discoveries would be received in our persent instant media age, in which the majority of the Church might still reject their orthodox theology, maintaining still as then that the EUcharist is actual flesh and human blood rather than the mystery of transubstantiaion of aristotilean phenomeom of accident as explained carefully and subtly by Saint Thomas. Fr. Schillebeeckx writes without writing, between the lines, the difficulties encountered by the theologian now pursuing the Thomistic Eucharistic dogma, and the care and balance required in new restatements of the theological truths.


For instance, Father Schillebeeckx quotes Saint Thomas Aquinas's then extraordinary statement: "Corpus autem Christi non manducatur in sua specie, sed in specie sacramentali. (p. 15)" a dangerous writing when most Catholics still believed they were chewing actual human flesh rather than the "accidental appearances" of bread bearing the Real Presence of the Body of Jesus Christ. In this book, Father Schillebeeckx clearly, carefully, cleverly, completely explains, among several other orthodox Catholic Church dogma, this Thomistic concept of Sacramental species, and thus supplies us an excellent background for understanding and for living Our Holy Father's recent restatement of these truths of our Faith.

Briefly, and I strive here to write impossibly briefly, after this excellent introduction of the issues involved, Father Schillebeeckx devotes the first part of this book to explaining clearly the Tridentine approach to Faith, as defined at the Council of Trent which set so many other standards for our Church. He concludes this first section with a discussion of the Aristotelian doctrine of substance and accidents and their relevance to our Church and to the Eucharistic mystery, and asks the essential question "What is Reality?"

His second part brings the Tridentine principles up to date, in light of our scientific age. He breathtakingly explores the conflict between Aristotle and modern physics, and humbly displays the breadth and depth of his knowledge and faith in his defense of Trent and of Aquinas in the face of our modern perspectives. Any true believer may find here in this section sufficient response to those empirical philosophers and scientists who cannot "see" nor "sense" the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. If a host sits alone in a tabernacle, with no one to see and to hear and to pray and to adore, is it any less loved and loving? The empiricist might question whether the tree falling ni the wood with no one to hear makes any sound, but Saint Thomas Aquinas makes it clear that Christ is in no way confined in Real Presence by the Tabernacle.

Father Schillebeeckx then provides current anthropological and Lacanian concepts of Sacrament as Sign, sacramental symbolic activity, and the religious sacramental act, returning resoundingly to the Tridentine Concept of Substance. He then discusses how the One Real Presence of Christ can have manifold realizations. He touches on the Eucharist in the light of the then desire for Christian Unity, even with denominations which refuse to recognize the real presence in the Eucharist. He again underscores the Distinctively Eucharistic Manner of the Real Presence, and returns to Scriptural sources for exploring the Biblical assumptions.

Upon this foundation he develops the Basic Principle: "Reality is Not Man's Handiwork." We do not decide what is real and what is not. Christ is Really Present in the Eucharist. This is a Reality we did not make, but must recognize. To deny Reality is insanity (These are my own observations, not relections from Father Schillebeeckx, but inspired by him, who writes so much better, so much clearer, with such greater discipline and learning and structure).

Father Schillebeeckx concludes this great and good book by explaining the ways in which we seek to give meaning to the undeniable realities. We cannot deny the reality of an event, of a phenomenom, of a substance, but we diverge in our understanding of its meaning, and in our expression of that understanding. After explaining various aspects of this meaning-filling process, Father Schillebeeckx again returns to exposing this in light of the "Real Presence of Christ and of His Church in the Eucharist." and the Body of the Lord appearing in sacramental form, through transubstantiation, transsignification or a new giving of meaning.

An excellent and comprehensive conclusion closes this book, which is essential for any thinking Catholic seeking the ever unattainable understanding of the mystery of the Holy Eucharist and the Real Presence of Christ, which has fascinated and challenged our Church from the first days of Christianity, and continues to do so, as evidenced in the urgent interest around the Pope's recent Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist.

Other important works to consider, along with our Holy Father's, include Eucharist and the Hunger of the World and The Eucharist and Human Liberation and of course The Living Bread by Father Thomas Merton.


It is important here to note that at nopoint does Father Schillebeeckx suggest replacing the traditional Thomistic doctrine of the Transubstantiation with some new formula of transignification and in fact there is no contradiction between the two beyond the process of hermeneutics. In fact repeatedly at every point in this imformative and Faithful treatise, Father Schillebeeckx explains clearly and with conviction the concept of Transubstantiation as first written and taught by his brother Dominican Saint Thomas Aquinas, and held as a central doctrine of our Faith with some literalist grumblings ever since. Father Schillebeeckx in fact transmits a greater and more clarifying understanding, confirmed belief beyond all understanding, and conviction in the very orthodox and subtle and mystical doctrine of Transubstantiation than most Catholics then or now. Any restatement in terms of transfiguration seeks to address the contemporary concerns of the highest echelons of academic philosophers, including the Lacanian psychologists (as in for example, most accessibly Lacan for Beginners (Writers and Readers Beginners Documentary Comic Book) or Introducing Lacan (Beginners)) or even Bahtkin. At no point does Father Schillebeeckx deny in any way the dogma of the Transubstantiation, but rather explains more clearly and completely than in any other text available. Should the average Catholic come to encounter in this way the full implications of the Real Pressence in Transubstantiation, he may experience a mind-numbing shock similar to that experienced by the average American first reading carefully and with comprehension our Bill of Rights.

Please note as well this book, the Eucharist, by the REverend Father Edward Schillebeeckx, bears the IMPRIMATUR of His Excellency Robert F. Joyce, Bishop of Burlington, as well as the NIHIL OBSTAT of Father Leo Steady, Censor Librorum. For anyone to suggest this book should be banned is to place oneself above and beyond the judgment of the Catholic Church's own magisterium and hierarchy, which blesses this essential and comprehensive and still informative study. Such a person might then either accept the learned judgment of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, or reconsider their own relationship to this Church.

Schillebeeckx's idea of transubstantiation in this book is dangerous. I recommend God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life as a better and more orthodox book on the eucharist. Schillebeeckx's books should be read with discretion by discerning Catholics, he has supported liberation theology, ordination of women & the removal of celibacy for priests. A previous reviewer has mentioned that Schillebeeckx was named as one of the top three theologions in theThe HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism. Check out the 1-3 star reviews and you will see that this is not such a great accolade afterall.

I don't know what the hell these people are talking about, but this text is garbage... and that is an overstatement. I absolutely LOATHE this textbook. The examples are fragmented to the point you can barely connect them to the problems at the end of the chapter.... it's just a worthless waste of perfectly good money and paper.

My other statistics book for psychological statistics puts this book to such shame, it's sad. So sad that I damn near cried. It's unfortunate that I couldn't use my psych stats book to go along with the current class I am taking which is utilizing this junk.

Perfect text... well organized... please.

F -

Wow! Got the book in just 2 days! Very good condition.

Triola's book is, for the most part, an excellent choice for an intro stats course. As an instructor, I find it relatively easy to work with, and the included STATDISK gives students many opportunities to analyze large sets of data without having to enter hundreds of values into calculators or computers. It also contains a lot of examples taken from actual data sets; this is the text that will deflect that ubiquitous "what's this useful for in real life" question from students. A few issues, though, dog the book. In order of importance:

1 - Chapter 3-6, on counting methods is either underdeveloped or overdeveloped, depending on perspective. The short section gives an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink survey of the topic - permutations and combinations and such are dealt with in one fell swoop and followed up with only a smattering of problems, giving students little oportunity to fully digest the most mathematically-intense part of the course. If you're teaching this course to math majors, you'll need additional time and material for this section (I recommend Sullivan and Mizrahi's _Finite Mathematics_); if you're teaching humanities/social science majors, who are more concerned with data collecting and analysis, I'd recommend skipping this chapter entirely.

2 - The book makes such frequent references to the TI-83+ calculator that one is inclined to wonder if Triola is receiving kickbacks from Texas Instruments. Contrary to what the book would have you believe, it's not necessary to invest in this beast (retail price: >$100) in order to compute standard deviations and correlation coefficients; my students are managing just fine with their $15 calculators with statistical functions.

3 - In Chapter 4, there's some mention of the principle that if, under certain assumptions, the probability of an *observed event* is very low, then the assumptions are probably incorrect. There's some merit to that, to be sure (if all 1000 of my coin flips came up heads, it's natural to question the original assumption that my coin was fair), but Triola would do well to apply the critical thinking procedures exalted in Chapter 1 to elaborate on this. For instance: it's highly unlikely that Betty Terwilliger would have won the jackpot in the Lotto 6-49 if the contest wasn't rigged (probability: 1/14000000 or thereabouts), and yet, she did. (Similar arguments can be - and have been - used to defend intelligent design and astrology.) It's a subtle concept, one that deserves more attention than the cursory "this is the law, and it's important" treatment that Triola gives it.

4 - Some of the later chapters (Chapter 7 in particular) complicate matters unnecessarily. Chapter 7 expands on ideas presented in Chapter 5 and developed in Chapter 6; these connections are not exploited as much as they could be.

These flaws aside, _Essentials_ is a sound survey of the subject, one that's very nicely designed with its audience of humanities and social science majors in mind. The examples are timely, and the anecdotes are interesting and relevant. The book justifies the subject matter without getting bogged down in formality, which is an ideal balance for its intended audience. In the hands of a knowledgeable and experienced instructor with sufficient prep time, it provides very good support to a statistics course for non-majors, but it's not self-contained.

I teach statistics at 2 colleges. I use this book. It is outstanding in its clarity and mathematical depth. Students with strong math backgrounds will appreciate the fine logic developed by this book as it explains statistics. The word problems are outstanding and relevant to applications across broad fields of interests. The examples are explained thoroughly. This book is very well priced for the student who is struggling to pay tuition, fees, etc. Highly recommend this book to all serious students.

I had this book for my Statistics I class. I've read every bit of the instruction on the book (I read everything not just what's on homework). At the end I realised I learned nothing I was still confused. Unless you have a good instructor to follow you through every step, you should skip it. This is NOT something for at home students.

I STILL DONT HAVE THE BOOK I ORDERED!!! IT HAS BEEN OVER A MONTH AND I NEEDED IT FOR MY POLITICAL SCIENCE CLASS!!!

I guess this is a good of a book that you are going to get for Political Science. Some of the subjects are hard to understand, but I don't think that is the books fault. Good book well written and good on the definitions...i suppose.

I was amazed at how interesting this book was. I used it for a class I was taking, and I had many preconceived notions that I would not like the class. I was very surprised that everything was so interesting. The author has gathered all of the latest information that was available during the publication of the book, and intergrates the ideas and concepts very well. The book gives you information that a normal person of the "general public" would not have known. I found that every chapter had something to learn that benefited me and that everything in this book applied to me as an American. Great text for my online class; I'm glad we used this book.

This is a great book if you don't mind all the "Bush Bashing" and leftist views of the authors. It does not present both sides equally and is very misleading to the average reader. The bias is very evident if you are independent minded and research both sides of an issue. I was very disappointed that my professor chose this book for the class. I have reviewed other political science books that are not as biased and present both sides.

Excellent intro to politics text. I highly recommend it for a classroom or for anyone really who wants to sit down with a plain-spoken piece to get you to understand our government. Whether it is for someone with little knowledge as to who this vast bureaucracy works, or for someone with a fairly good knowledge of it all - I don't think it will disappoint.
I think what I appreciated the most was the honesty that the text was written. The authors also included a good amount of humor to emphasize the point (in cartoon, comic, Top 10 List, etc), in order to keep a reader interested.
I think this text is also a good reference as well, as there are numerous court cases and explicit examples of gov't at work - that if you are ever at a loss for "what was it that happened?" or "what does that term mean?" Things are extremely easy to find and be referred to.
Good works.