Titles Books

The story told in Conquest by Law could be the Enron scandal of the 19th Century...the irony is that it is all true and that you wouldn't have imagined it in your wildest dreams. We are used to a context in which the Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court of the land. It is implicit today that when the Supreme Court says what the law "is"...that is it, 'the final word'! However, when this story began there was no such confidence and no history of Supreme Court precedent! The Supreme Court was just another forum for speculation and that is what the protagonists do in Conquest by Law.

The speculation on land and the profiteering that was the underlying motive was not originally designed to marginalize or dispossess Native Americans...but that is quickly what it became... It was, as so many scandals are, all about money. The King and then later the Congress implusively protected Indian Land, but not for the Indians, for themselves. And that is where the conflict begins, with a tug of war over who had the right to buy land directly from the Tribes. The nation's first and arguably, most important jurist eventually crafted the answer...an answer that created a "legitimate" dispossession of Indian Land, a legal conquest that remains the most devastating defeat in the history of Native Americans.

Prof. Robertson exposes the scandal and legal manuevering behind Chief Justice Marshall's answer. The truth is a story of lies, bribery, politics, and and scandal that reads like a cross between McCullough and Grisham.

This is a great read if you are interested in legal scandal, Native American History, the Supreme Court and/or corporate intrigue. Enjoy!!!

I love a good mystery--and the resolving of the twists and turns that led to it. This book is not only a good "who dunnit" but is also a serious study of a fascinating subject of interest to all English speaking people in the world. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover--it is well written, sprightly, serious, detailed, and generally a good read.

It is not granted to every historian to discover a trunkful of old documents up in an attic somewhere. The fact that the Illinois-Wabash papers, which fortuitously fell into the capable hands of this particular historian, were located in a basement instead, hardly alters the aura surrounding this discovery, nor does it affect the drama of the issues involved. In sifting through the evidence brought to light by this remarkable find, Lindsay G. Robertson has provided more than a mere tale of "olden days" which might be of interest to a cloistered few: he has produced a revolutionary document which may have far-reaching consequences on the "history" of the future, as well as on our reading of the past.

Mr. Robertson's capable exposition of a complex history, and the drawing out of the major themes and undercurrents informing the events of the period makes this work of interest to a broader public than just those who may find themselves involved professionally, or by association, or in the case of Native Americans and aboriginal peoples elsewhere, because it is very much part of their own story. Indeed, the wider ramifications of the judgment in the case of Johnson v. M'Intosh for both Canada and Australia and the indigenous peoples of those far-flung lands, heighten the importance of the decision itself and extend the range of interest of this original work of historical detection and analysis.

It is not an easy story to come to grips with, and our thanks must go to the author for his careful unravelling and clear explanation of the facts surrounding what has partly been obscured by the mists of time, and partly intentionally covered up by many of the original participants. We live in age which has much to consider in the way of recognizing past faults. Much is owed to exploited populations in many lands: from the time of Cortez, no treaties have been signed in South America, and those lands have been subject to plunder for centuries. That the native peoples on our own continent have been herded and exploited perhaps to a lesser extent is no reason for not now attempting to reconcile the historical faults of which all Americans and Canadians now living are the heirs. Mr. Robertson's sensitive review of how the legal foundations for the transfer of Indian land into the hands of speculators, prospectors and other worthies of the period came into being, deserves our full attention.

All in all, Mr. Robertson has produced an eloquent, eminently readable text that ought to foster much debate within the United States and abroad. It is a commendable work of scholarship which should not, must not, go unnoticed. It can, should we decide to take heed, contribute greatly to the furthering of better relations between communities in North America and around the globe - and, in a world which stands in dire need of developing governmental systems that take a diversity of communities into account (Liberia, Rwanda, and the Balkans come to mind at once, but the problem is widespread), that is no small accomplishment.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that there is a political movement called "neoconservatism" which pushed for the current war in Iraq. What is neoconservatism and how does it differ from conservatism? And who are the "paleoconservatives"?

I don't know of a recent book that discusses this question, but this 1992 work by paleoconservative theoretician Paul Gottfried is a good place to start.

To simplify matters considerably, paleoconservatism is a political theory that traces its roots back to the Old Right and lions of that movement such as Russell Kirk, Robert Nisbett and Richard Weaver. The paleocons, however, have a populist edge that wasn't found in the Old Right. The paleocons support free enterprise (although not dogmatically), advocate a non-interventionist foreign policy (again not dogmatically) and oppose most immigration (dogmatically).

The taxonomy of the neocons is more difficult. At least some were influenced by political philosopher Leo Strauss and had roots in the left (and at times far left). Many of the neocons operate from more liberal presuppositions, namely universalism and egalitarianism. They support free enterprise (although not dogmatically), a "globalist" foreign policy (generally dogmatically), and immigration (with various degrees of religious fervor). Often it seems as if neoconservatives are the classic case of liberals "mugged by reality": things were fine until about 1968, when all hell broke loose.

The neoconservatives are highly influential in what's left of the conservative movement. One periodical of the Old Right now runs foreign policy articles claiming "creative destruction is our [the U.S.'s] middle name" and praising the growth of "expressive individualism" in Middle East music videos. The neoconservatives are more numerous, but I agree with the late Russell Kirk that you have to wonder how much of their writing will be read 15 years hence.

The dispute between the neos and paleos came to the forefront in the first Iraq war. Many of the paleos, feeling that the Cold War was over, thought it was time to take a less interventionist foreign policy. The neocons supported the war. During the Clinton years, most of the neocons advocated involvement in the Balkan wars supporting, of all things, a war for "human rights" and cultural diversity.

Things spun further out of control with the Second Iraq War, which saw the neocons taking the lead and advocating an explicitly Wilsonian foreign policy. Unfortunately, some of the paleos attacked the neos (many of whom are Jewish) for their support for Israel, neos attacked the paleos for being "unpatriotic" and an intelligent dialogue on these issues has became all but impossible.

Conservatism, especially since World War II, has meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people: economic libertarianism, traditionalism, anti-communism and American nationalism, for example. Different combinations of "conservative" values and reasoning might lead one to different conclusions on key issues -- for example, certain "conservative" values (economic libertarianism, traditionalism) point toward isolationism, while others (anti-communism, American nationalism) point toward military interventionism. In another twist, the Cold War made it possible for a person to support the welfare state but still be accepted as a conservative if he was a staunch anti-communist. Gottfried's book explains the different strains of American "conservatism" since WWII (not just one "conservative movement" but many of them), and why different groups of people who call themselves "conservatives" actually agree on very little, pretty much despise each other, and do not acknowledge each other as true conservatives.

Although "The Conservative Movement" is a scholarly and well documented political history book, in a way it's also an insider's guide to some bitter struggles within the American "Right." The faction that Gottfried sympathizes with has done poorly in elections and has no voice in, for example, the "conservative" Bush administration. It is noteworthy that Gottfried never goes out of his way to defend the views of his own faction, but instead offers insightful criticisms of that faction's failed political strategies. If you're interested in modern American politics, "The Conservative Movement" (as well as Gottfried's "After Liberalism") will make your brain happy.

_The Conservative Movement_ by Paul Gottfried and Thomas Fleming is an account of the conservative political philosophy and its growth in post World War America featuring the conflict between rival factions of the conservative vision. The authors note how this movement consists of several different, sometimes discordant, features. These include libertarianism and individualism (often carried out to extremes) which emphasizes anti-statism and resistance to the welfare/managerial state of the post New Deal era as well as isolationism as a general principle. This philosophy originally upheld by certain segments of the "Old Right" rose to prominence with the publication of Friedrich Hayek's book _The Road to Serfdom_ which argued against the controlled economy. In addition, certain segments of the original conservative movement were traditionalist in aspect, often composed of Catholics or Anglo-Catholics, and advocates of traditional morality, religion, and classical literature. Traditionalists including Russell Kirk and Richard Weaver as well as a whole host of Southern agrarians played an important part in shaping the philosophy of conservativism (rooting it in the writings of Edmund Burke or in Platonic philosophy or neo-Thomism under the influence of Aristotle). These two aspects of the conservative movement were combined in the early years of the journal _National Review_ put out by William F. Buckley. Buckley's journal maintained a virulently anti-communist stance (Buckley at one time wrote an apologetic piece for Joseph McCarthy) and advocated an interventionist foreign policy against communist tyranny. However, as the authors note, conservativism came to lose sway in the universities as the original mentors of the right abandoned their posts for more practical endeavors. With the social unrest during the Sixties, conservativism completely lost hold of academia which was abandoned to social protest and subsequently political correctness. While certain parts of academia, especially including key areas of the social sciences which lend themselves to an hereditarian interpretation (as opposed to environmentalist), may be interpreted in a conservative manner, those who have discovered these key features of the human animal have been almost unanimously shunned. The authors then note how conservativism subsequently underwent a split, possibly brought about by conflicting elements within its philosophy and the decline of the Soviet empire. On the one hand, a new brand of "conservative", remnants from the Old Left who no longer upheld the radical tendencies of the newer Left, came to the fore. This was the neoconservative, a primarily Jewish sect centered in New York, but which subsequently came to take hold of the Republican Party. Alternatively, a more populist approach was advocated by those on the New Right, composed almost entirely of Evangelical Christians (with some Catholics) and focusing almost completely on single issues, such as abortion, homosexual rights, feminism, education, and the family. Both of these were opposed by members of the remaining "Old Right" who came to be known as "paleoconservatives", in contrast to the newer conservative upcomers. One stark contrast between these two brands of conservative concerns matters of foreign policy, where many paleoconservatives continue to advocate a more isolationist stance, while neoconservatives call for a "global democratic revolution". The authors show how the influence of neoconservativism came to play a role in the two prominent conservative politicians of the era, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. This book is somewhat dated, being originally written in the late 80s and since that time the difference between various "conservatives" has widened. Particularly difficult remains the necessity of hammering out the various contradictions within the conservative movement. For example, the libertarian element (advocating laissez faire free market capitalism and anti-statism) seems opposed to the more populist brand of conservativism (whose economic platform can often approach that of socialism) which seems at odds with the elitism innate to the traditionalist and classical brands of conservativism. It remains unclear how these contradictions in the movement can be ironed out. In sum, however this book remains a good introduction to the conservative movement, written from a particular point of view sympathetic towards the "Old Right".

Coyote and the laughing Butterflies is a magical book about a coyote adn his duty to bring salt to his wife from a huge salt lake. It hooked my attention right away and I didn't want to put it down until I was done. The illustrations in this book are grogeous and since I'm an animal lover teh cover and title attracted me right away.
In the book because of teh vivid word choice i could imagine everything the author was telling me in my mind. It was wonderfully written and was very descriptive during parts of the story. i loved the way the author described the beautiful butterflies and teh huge salt lake. Even at times were i couldn't picture sections of teh book in my head the illustrations definately helped me. i highly recommend this book to young kids who liek animals and adventures. Don't pass this wonderful book up!

Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies is a very amusing bit ofNative American folklore that can be enjoyed by all ages. It is abeautifully illustrated work in vivid color, written in explanation of why butterflies always fly in an erratic, fluttering way. It is funny, interesting, and compassionate. It is delightful light reading to be lovingly shared with your children to introduce them to Native American folk stories.

As a children's librarian, I am always tooking for folk tales from around the world to read or tell to children in the 4-8 year old group. This tale is fun to tell, but reading it and showing the colorful illustrations of the Southwestern United States is a good way to show children in Maine a different region of our country. The listeners loved having the coyote outwitted by butterflies, and many were able to re-tell the tale to parents. I used a coyote puppet to tell the tale, and the children did a butterfly color page after story time. I would highly recommend it to children's librarians and to parents.

DEEDS FOR CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE by Mary Randolph, J.D. is another excellent updated guide: this to choosing the right kind of deed, creating it, then filing it with a county recorder. Step-by-step instructions for so doing have been updated in this latest 7th edition to include the latest forms and reflect the most recent legal changes.

If you need to change a deed on your house or other real property -- changed your name, separated, married, adding a survivor to inherit -- don't pay a lawyer or title company hundreds of dollars to do it. Buy this book. Read the instructions carefully, fill out the forms and then go to the county recorder's office and file it yourself. Even if you have to pay for parking.

If I can do it, anyone can do it. After finding this book such a great help, I have turned to Nolo Press time and again for self-help legal books. Written my will, created powers of attorney for my domestic partner, even helped my folks set up living trusts. If you read the book and decide you do need legal help, you'll be better prepared to ask questions and direct the professional to do what you want, and to do what you can yourself to save dollars. Just shaving a half hour off a lawyer's time spent more than pays for the book.

I am experiencing some Deed problems in California and to try and get detailed information from the clerks office is impossible. This book has all the info you need. I highly recommend it!

If you are looking for a well-organized, comprehensive, detailed book in the subject of detection and estimation, this is the book you must have. The author explains every subject very clearly, elaborates on important points, and, most importantly, supports the theoretical basis with many useful examples. It seems that Prof. Van Trees used his experience as a professor teaching this subject very effectively. In the book, there is nothing unclear, nothing too complicated to understand.

Van Trees, Part I (together with Wozencraft/Jacobs' Principles of Communication Engineering, and Gallager's Information Theory) is a must read to establish a solid background in detection/estimation theory and form connections to applications such as communications engineering and information theory.

Although most recent graduate education uses Kay's book (which is also a remarkable book), there are still a lot of details in which Van Trees, Part I excels. Especially, the exercise problems are actually lectures by themselves, and first time reader is encouraged at least to look at selected problems listed at the end of the book. Note that there is a solution manual floating around for these selected problems.

A good comparison between Kay and Van Trees, and their complementary nature, can be established how they treat the description of the Cramer-Rao bound, Kay emphasizes the recent developments and derivations (mostly of arithmetic and bookkeeping nature, results from post 1968 papers), whereas Van Trees goes leaps and bounds and discusses other bounds which apply when Cramer-Rao does not. I appreciate having both books as a result.

It is interesting to note that after almost 20 years using Van Trees in a couple of courses, I can still navigate my way through the book with ease since it well organized and methodical.

RECOMMENDATION: BEST BUY.
But dont stop here, and buy Wozencraft/Jacobs and Gallager as well.

I have just taken this course from Dr. Van Trees at GMU. Est&Det organized many concepts taught in other graduate engineering courses into a coherent philosophy. The result is not only a rich understanding of estimation and detection, but also random processes, Wiener filtering, Kalman filtering, radar and communications theory etc.

The course was taught directly from the text with little outside material. Very little has become obsolete in the 30+ years since it was written.

The strong positives of this book are the philosophical organization, clear concise writing, and incredibly well conceived homework problems.

The only negative of the book is that there are many proofs done in great detail. This provides the necessary foundation for the material, but also makes it easy for the student to lose track of the bigger picture.

Dr. Van Trees tends to try to drive home the higher level concepts while glossing over many of the details when he is lecturing. The exercise problems then force the student to give the necessary attention to pertinent details. In my opinion, this is an excellent approach to teaching the material.

Overall, this course was as good as any I've every taken. The text is as important and useful as any other I have.

The illustrations are amazing and Sherry Meidell has a distinctive style. It's a fun story too!

I am a great fan of Sherry Meidell and her artwork. I enjoy collecting children storybooks. This is such a fun book and I love the illustrations! I highly recommend this as a great addition to any library or personal collection.

You know, I'm familiar with the story of The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs, but I don't think I've ever read the original...I believe I saw a cartoon version of it some several dozen years ago, so I'm familiar with the basics of the story, but can't really make a comparison with the original version and this one...so I'll just review this one on it's own as a story worth reading and/or telling to children. That said, The Devil with Three Golden Hairs is a fine story book with lavish illustrations done in a style that isn't my favorite, but is evocative of days gone by and quite effective for the story. Additionally, the illustrations are FULL of all kinds of extra detail (creepy crawly things in the dark forest) for kids to pour over and giggle about while reading or after the story has been read...it's a visual feast.

As for the story itself, it's quite well done. The king is selfish and greedy and upon hearing that a child has been born and it has been prophesized that he will marry the kings daughter...he can't abide the idea of his precious daughter marring a peasant, so he charms the child away from the parents with gold and promises to raise him in the palace. No sooner is he away from them then he tosses the child in a box into the river without further thought or worry. The boy is, naturally, found by a couple who desperately wanted children but never had any and they raise him as their own....we have several layers of the king tries to kill the boy unsuccessfully, which will make children cheer. Finally, fed up at the boy having been unwittingly married off to his daughter, chargers him with getting three of the devil's golden hairs, thinking that surely the devil will dispose of the boy for him...but we all know that's not what happens. I love the ending where the king, in his greed is actually tricked by the young man (who is never given a name) into returning to the ferry, where he becomes trapped, rowing back and forth on the river from sun rise to moon rise. A fitting end.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this story. My kids loved the devil's grandmother and all the furniture made of bones and enjoyed hearing how to solve the riddles of the well, the golden apple tree and the ferry man. By the end they were giggling madly at the fate of the king. It's a fine version, well suited for young children. There is, what in this day and age might be termed, "attempted violence" many times in the story...but no one ever actually gets hurt and in the end, the king isn't killed, he's given his just deserts winding up a poor ferryman, rowing across the river day in and day out. The overall message that good perseveres is there, but not in an over the top, in your face kind of way. The text combined with the illustrations make The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs an entertaining retelling of this Grimm's Folktale. I `d recommend it without hesitation for beginner readers, the text is long enough to provide some challenge to a starting reader, but not too long or challenging that he or she will become frustrated with the effort. I'd say the ideal age range for this book is 4-8 or so, younger readers may also enjoy the story and there isn't anything so frightening in the text that this story could be read earlier and often. Additionally this makes a VERY FUN read aloud story, especially if you can do the voices of characters (particularly, the devil and grandmother)...what a fun read!!

Double impact is a collection of two short stories by best selling author Tess Gerritsen and Debra Webb. Though Tess Gerritsen is a more acclaimed writer, Debra Webb's story was the one that I loved- a suspenseful mystery romance that had two great characters and a fast moving plot with lots of twists!

Tess Gerritsen's story (Never Say Die) is about Willy Maitland who goes to Vietnam to find the truth about her father who disappeared years ago. Once there, she finds alot of secrets and a solider (Guy) who has his own hidden motives for helping her.

Debra Webb's story, No Way Back, is about nurse Ami Donovan who doesn't remember her past. All she knows is that she has a young son and is a nurse. She finds out that she used to be a CIA agent and set up a terrorist to kill her father. Now, two years later, her former lover finds her and kidnaps her- convinced she has betrayed him and their love. While kidnapped, she falls back in love but needs to get out of his hands and back to her son.

Her writing just keeps getiing better with each book. I have read all books and eagerly await the next. The plots and characters are alive and never dull.

Double impact is a collection of two short stories by best selling author Tess Gerritsen and Debra Webb. Though Tess Gerritsen is a more acclaimed writer, Debra Webb's story was the one that I loved- a suspenseful mystery romance that had two great characters and a fast moving plot with lots of twists!

Tess Gerritsen's story (Never Say Die) is about Willy Maitland who goes to Vietnam to find the truth about her father who disappeared years ago. Once there, she finds alot of secrets and a solider (Guy) who has his own hidden motives for helping her.

Debra Webb's story, No Way Back, is about nurse Ami Donovan who doesn't remember her past. All she knows is that she has a young son and is a nurse. She finds out that she used to be a CIA agent and set up a terrorist to kill her father. Now, two years later, her former lover finds her and kidnaps her- convinced she has betrayed him and their love. While kidnapped, she falls back in love but needs to get out of his hands and back to her son.

This was one of the best fantasy/fiction books that I've read. Definitely worth the time and money.

The scene is set with an "Oldwife" (healer and almost-priestess) attending the birth of a daughter to Srill, an unmarried mother in a small village of Ve. An Oldwife is present at the birth of every child, to divine destiny and record it in a personal tapestry, which is a passport to acceptance. Those without one, we are told, are considered 'soulless' and are outcasts from society.

When Srill dies immediately after giving birth to the child (Marwen), for whom the Oldwife has forseen a dire future, & Oldwife adopts Marwen, out of affection for her mother & raises Marwen to know of her gifts & magic, as apprentice.

Because the tapestry was so dire, it has been hidden from Marwen
and she has been ostracized by the villagers of Marmawell as soulless.
(I know! Names ?!)

In her desire to prove herself, Marwen makes some horrifying mistakes, forcing her to start on her adventures. As she travels she is faced with choices at every step, until eventually she must confront her destiny, and vanquish the dragon threatening the realm of Ve.

Essentially a story of self-discovery, and latterly a tender love story, The Dragon's Tapestry is decorated with some very fine creatures and well conceived worlds. One of the most fascinating creatures are the "wingwand's" who seem to be some sort of butterfly/dragonfly amalgam, and are used for travelling - flying, rather. They are exquisitely described, and fascinating to imagine.

I was very impressed with the thought, and detail put into this (single volume I thought, and now know it is a trilogy) tale. It is certainly a better realised plot & world than most small (the book is only 183odd pages, paperback) YA fantasy novels.

Eagerly anticipating the other books, where we should see more of the romance, and certainly more of strong minded Marwen.

kotori, Dec 2004 ojadis@yahoo.com

Nay, not for Grades 2-3 rather for anyone who wants a good read, and loves magic. This writer doesn't cheat, Martine delivers the goods. Her ability to weave words into a spell, is her magic. Read it,don't fear the Taker.

Dream Catchers combines the talents of a world-renowned illustrator, Louis S. Glanzman, and and up-and-coming children's storyteller, Lisa Suhay. It combines educational fun with eye-popping illustrations. This is a book that adults can enjoy with their children and grandchildren. I can't wait to share the enjoyment with my own grandchildren.

My elementary school children loved this book--the story of two children who learn the joy of using their imaginations.... and the story is wonderfully illustrated. The text is simple,but it respects the intelligence of young readers. When my pupils finish their work, they often pick up DREAM CATCHERS to page through it to remember their favorite parts. Some of my students loved the pictures so much that they tried to reproduce the pictures themselves--especially the Dream Catcher, the craft in the water and the sunset! I would recommend this book to elementary school teachers and to parents to share with children. Another friend of mine from church is buying several to give as holiday gifts. Good idea....

I have never read a review that missed the point so far and missed the forest for the trees as Dona J. Helmer's review of Dream Catchers. I read this book and explained the illustrations to three of my grandchildren (ages 10, 9, & 8) and they absolutely loved it. All of them asked me to get copies of the book for them. Fortunately, they are not into political correctness as is the reviewer. They know who Santa Claus and Bugs Bunny are, but are not up to speed on Calvin Coolidge or Indian lore. The character is wearing blue jeans because he is supposed to be the grandfather participating in a story with his grandchildren demonstrating that art can take you anywhere if you have the imagination.
Ms. Helmer even manages to wound one ofthe past century's great illustrators. (Time magazine covers, National Geographic, historical drawings hung in historical places, and the famous Pipi Longstocking.) Perhaps that word has not yet reached Alaska yet and maybe the reviewer should spend some time in the lower 48. Lighten up - this is not exactly a Steven Ambrose or Doris Kearns Goodwin book. This is about kids' adventures and mutual love between them and a grandfather. I often tell my young grandchildren stories to make a point, but I do not pour over history books first.

Trying to explain magic in rational terms has rather fallen out of fashion, and sometimes you have to turn to the classics.

Half philosophy, half science, Troward's little volume builds a rational and plausible basis for controlling events in what most people would deem "supernatural" ways. His premise, condensed down to three words, is "faith changes reality" -- it's what comes up in exploring that hypothesis that makes the book interesting. The book is as well-organized and well-presented as you would expect any college textbook to be, although the flowery 100-year-old language might be a turn-off to some.

While "Edinburgh" is of use to people trying to understand (or accept) magic, its greatest value is by far for those who are already exploring the subject. I wish that this book came in clue bat form, so I could hit a number of would-be "mages" over the head with it, and have them absorb it instantly. While one may not necessarily agree with everything Troward says (I found the insistence on a Christian perspective rather extreneous, for example), his ability to build a rich and cohesive system is an inspiration -- and a solid foundation. Ultimately, those who wish to change the world must understand it, and this book can be a great first step on that path. It's one of the must-read books on my bookshelf.

I have been a student of quantum theory as it applies to our ability to create form from thougtht. "The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science" by Thomas Troward were published in 1909. They contain all of the same principles being set forth by today's gurus of quantam theory such as Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. Very interesting book. Also recommend, "Your Invisible Power" by Genevieve Behrend. Ms. Behrend was the only student of Thomas Troward. Her book is a more basic way to apply the same principles.

A classic by one of the pioneers of New Thought; these lectures deal with the questions of spirit and matter, the nature of intelligence, the unity of spirit, and the relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind. Troward had a knack for conveying profound philosophical matters in a most understandable way and for formulating ancient truths so that a child could understand. He explains the difference between form (matter) and being - that the one is the mode of the relative and the mark of subjection to conditions, while the other is the truth of the absolute and that which controls conditions. Because spirit is infinite, it is everywhere and must be present at every point in space at the same moment. This is a fundamental fact of all being. The relation between spirit and being as idea (from which the elements of time and space are absent) and form (the relative which is dependent on those elements) leads to the fact that pure spirit continually subsists in the absolute and from it all the phenomena of being flow. In proportion to our level of recognition of this fact, our power for producing visible outward results by the action of our thought will grow. The book concludes with the practical application of this knowledge in our lives and affairs. I highly recommend the Edinburgh lectures as well as the Dore Lectures and Troward's masterpiece "The Creative Process in the Individual."