Education Books

This is a super book that will give inspiration and guidance to those parents raising boys. With hilarious and insightful real experiences, this book is a must own owners manual that will explain the mysteries in the mind of the adolescent boys, much that will convince anyone that God had a sense of humor when he created boys! I recommend this book to many close friends to read!

RECOMMENDED!

I highly recommend this book to anybody who has ANY dealings with boys, even if they're not your own. This book was a wonderful insight into the mind of the male and definitely helped me understand (as the only female in a house with four males) some of the intricacies of the male psyche.

Dave Meurer is a wonderful author and the intermittant mentions of God and christianity were nice and didn't come close to the stuffy, cram-it-down-your-throat level that some authors seem to take.

I highly recommend this book, if only for the enjoyment of reading the story about Dave when he was a child and the fireworks. Hilariously funny.

I had the rare opportunity of meeting this author at a Writer's Conference. He is warm and witty and is the "real deal". Dave helps us see the lighter side of life but still through a stained glass perspective. He offers up humorous slices of life that will have you laughing out loud. Read all of the DAVE books - Boyhood Daze, Daze of Our Wives, Out on a Whim and his newest one to come in May 2002 - Stark Raving Dad.

Dave Meurer is a gifted author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As a parent of only one son, I too have learned the hard and fast rule: You can cry, or you can laugh. Like Dave, I think I'll stick with laughter.

I am the mother of a red headed 5 year old boy. I read this book over the weekend. This book helped me to laugh at the struggles of raising boys and enjoy what makes boys different and special.The author weaves in a Christian theme. The book is worth the price. It was a help to realize all this bliss of raising a son will not go away anytime soon.

I am sitting with my father. We are both reading. He asks me, "what does orale mean? " and I know he is reading The Brothers Torres.
I had the extreme pleasure of reading this book a few months ago and literally enjoyed every word of if. I tried to read it slowly and savor it, but instead ended up reading most of it in one sitting as if it were a pint of Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar crunch ice cream I'd only meant to have "a couple spoonfuls" of. The books is just that good.
So often when an adult writes as a high school kid, you can tell it's not really a kid. The words the adult uses sound stilted, like ones some anthropologist claims teens of that culture speak, and the experiences the kid character is having just don't ring true. In his debut novel, it's as if Voorhees is Frankie, the perfectly imperfect protagonist of the Brothers Torres. His language, interwoven with authentic latino-American adolescent slang, is beautiful in how it shows Frankie's raw vulnerability to the very real conflicts of high school: being sweet on a girl who may or may not like you back, being bullied by older, "cooler" kids, and wanting to be accepted and loved by one's friends and siblings.
I don't want to give anything away because I want all the many, many future readers to get to go on Frankies journey like I did having no idea what was going to happen in the end. I will just say that the conflicts and successes Frankie has with his best friend Zach, his love-interest Rebecca, his brother Steve, and his nemesis Dalton are riveting to the last word. The interactions among the characters in this book also feel very true-to-life and Voorhees not only writes in a way that is vintage teenage boy but also the feelings of angst and joy he expresses through Frankie are authentic.
I know what I'm talking about because I spent 10 years working with incarcerated and "troubled" youth most of whom were full latino or "half-breeds" (latino and Anglo mixes) just like Frankie. Voorhees really gets what it is to be in two worlds and writes about the experiences of these kids with grace and fall-out-of-your-chair-'cause-it's-so-funny humor. I finished The Brothers Torres and actually hoped Voorhees had written a sequel that I didn't know about yet but could read right away. I can't wait for the next installment!
If you are lucky enough to read this book you, like I am, will be transformed. The amazing thing is that despite Voorhees's ability to write authentically as a high school sophomore, Frankie's journey is also epic and universal. Frankie learns crucial lessons in The Brother's Torres and the reader gets to become wiser and more compassionate along with him. In his very first novel Coert Voorhees has accomplished what all great literature does: a cathartic experience that is not only transformative but transcendent. Like I said, The Brother's Torres is that good.

Frankie and Steve Towers are brothers. Frankie is a freshman and Steve is a senior. Frankie has always looked up to his older brother, who has gotten a soccer scholarship, is one of the most popular guys in school, and is very friendly with the ladies. Frankie spends most of his time with his friend Zach shooting off fireworks in his back yard while Zach's mom makes them Kool-Aid flavored popsicles. The remainder of his time is put in to trying to impress Rebecca, the girl he has had a major crush on since grade school, and working at his parent's restaurant.

Recently, Steve has been hanging out with the local "cholos" (aka bad boys) and Frankie hasn't really thought anything of it until he gets in to a fistfight with John Dalton. John has always been on Steve's bad side and is one of the richest, preppiest kids at their high school. After Frankie gets beaten to a pulp by John and two of his sidekicks, Steve stops ignoring his brother and tries to help him out.

Soon, with Steve's help, Frankie finally has the attention of Rebecca in the form of a Homecoming date, and life is going pretty well until another incident with Dalton happens. This time, Steve really wants payback and will stop at nothing to get it. And Frankie has to decide whether he wants to help Steve retaliate or stand on the sidelines and watch.

THE BROTHERS TORRES was great! I loved Frankie's character and how he acted around Rebecca. I could totally see the events in this book actually happening in real life, which indeed made the book a bit scary at times. But it also made it even more great. I love real life situations. Coert Voorhees is a really strong writer and I loved his style. This book had me laughing at times and on the verge of tears at others. Overall, it was really a great book and I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.

The first book i read and completed on my summer vacation, the Brothers Torres is a story about a fantastically potrayed sophmore in highschool named Frankie Torres. Just completing my sophmore year, I loved how the book comically potrays those awkward moments of highschool that we all have, and is amazingly accurate to the life of a sixteen year old. I wish all guys in highschool were like Frankie Torres and of course, Zach.
Thankyou Voorhees, i loved every moment of the time i spent with the Brothers Torres!

What a great read for any audience!! After the first page you feel a part of Frankie's world - a racially mixed high school in an improverished small town in New Mexico. Written with a strong sense of place, the reader immediately becomes part of a very different world which, at the same time, seems familiar. You read hoping this young man will make the right choices and rise above his situation. A wonderful first novel!! I eagrly await the next.

This book was probably not meant for me. I am a 38-year-old mother of three young children. It was not until I had cruised through a third of the book though when I realized this fact. The Brothers Torres came alive on page 1 with such vivid descriptions that I immediately felt I knew the characters, that the sopapillas were cooling in my own kitchen, that fire ants were crawling up my own legs, and that the dusty roads of New Mexico were wreaking havoc on my own set of wheels, not to mention I felt I was reliving the anxiety of my younger years. The Brothers Torres is very convincing in touching a wide range of senses and emotions no matter what age the reader happens to be.

While I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, this book is a perfect book for teens- a great contemporary work that is appropriate and tasteful while addressing many of the conflicts high-schoolers face. Teenage years are so often filled with hope and despair and The Brothers Torres relates to such feelings with accuracy. Frankie's life encounters typical teen crisis (girls and peer pressure) yet he manages to overcome some of the more negative outcomes, be it by luck or by being true to himself. I think that young readers will identify with Frankie and probably learn a few things about hard choices and consequences. Frankie and his friends handle the awkwardness of being a teen with humor and sarcasm that left me smiling way past my bedtime.

The book is very helpful for the storytellers and teachers who feel that young people and students can become active storytellers as well and then they can enhance their lives and their society.

Now in a new second edition, Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom is the award-winning creation of Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, who have been telling stories as "Beauty and the Beast Storytellers" for twenty-five years (and they never say who is the beauty and who is the beast). Chapters reveal the educational benefits of storytelling, how to get started with storytelling in the classroom, helping students choose stories to tell, assessing student storytellers, and much more. An accompanying DVD of helpful videos, web links, and stories to print out enhances this wonderful resource especially for educators, but also useful to home schoolers and child care providers.

This book has a wealth of information and is a great value. The DVD is a treasure! I teach special education in an elementary school and I plan to use the stories from the DVD with my students. My students also love the authors' Noondlehead Stories and Scary Tales books which I have read aloud in class.

As an elementary teacher for almost ten years, I've recognized the importance of telling stories to children and have been telling stories for years. I was missing a piece of the literacy puzzle, the piece in which children tell stories themselves, but I didn't know how to approach it until I stumbled across Mitch and Martha at a storytelling conference and bought their book. It provides a practical, manageable approach to teaching children to tell stories. Our school has a high percentage of ESL students and the lessons and activities in this book are of particular relevance. Perhaps the most important part of the book is the companion DVD. It's truly an inspiring 20 minutes. I've shown it several times around our school and teachers who claimed they have no time for storytelling are now finding time.

This book is as good as its cover and its cover is t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c! From the cover, and most importantly when you dive into the wealth of information within the book, it is clear that storytellers Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss know storytelling
is fun in its appeal and a powerful tool for learning. They've improved on an award-winning book that explores methods and merits for teaching storytelling to children. Their generosity and intelligence make the second edition with its DVD even more inspiring.

The DVD alone is worth the price of the product with its unobtrusive camera work and delightful music. We are in the room, not watching from afar. The DVD also introduces us to the most engaging children and adults. Kids have clearly strengthened their public speaking skills and enhanced their self-esteem. In a world gone mad with teaching to the test, this project attests to value of humanizing learning, and building a learning community in the classroom and beyond. Turn off the sound, you can see the success of this work in the faces of kids and administrators alike.
Carol Birch
Storyteller

Super duper!! The quotes are outstanding: well-chosen & thought-provoking. The questions really do help my students get the ball rolling . . . to have compelling conversations of their own. Truly one of the most useful resources I have ever come across. Now, if I could only get my administrator to pony up for a set of 25 copies!

anyone can run out of ideas when teaching students from a non-English background... this will help you get right back in to reach out where you were loosing touch..

In my experience, adult learners tend to be wary of spending any more of their precious time on grammar lessons. Instead they want a chance to use what they already know to express themselves, and to learn more about other cultures. "Compelling Conversations: Questions & Quotations on Timeless Topics" provides just such opportunities, in an engaging and teacher-friendly format. The 45 chapters are arranged by topic to address universally relevant themes such as "Your Life" and "Modern Times". Each chapter takes a semi-structured approach by providing open-ended questions, targeted vocabulary, proverbs, and quotations. There are no rigid lesson plans here, only springboards to lively personal and inter-cultural exchange. From my own background in classrooms on three continents I can say that this rich collection of material would be an ideal addition to the toolkit of any teacher still inspired by the notion of free speech.

Compelling Conversations is an effective tool for teaching conversational English to ESL students. However, it's combination of topic prompts to promote conversation and intriquing quotations to inspire thought make it a great tool for any composition instructor.

Having trouble coming up with a good prompt for your college comp. class free-write assignment? Compelling Conversations will provide you with seemingly endless choices.

I strongly recommend this book for any instructor interested in promoting conversation in and out of the classroom, and for any student interested in improving their English language conversational skills.

I first tried this fantastic textbook with a high intermediate student that I tutor. I was amazed from the start at how naturally the conversation flowed. We were only halfway through the first set of questions when she decided to buy her own copy. Each of the 45 chapters includes a vocabulary section and list of around 12 to 15 classic quotations, along with between thirty and forty questions. The chapters can be used in any order, but I recommend starting with chapter one as it orients the students to the textbook and shows them how to get the most out of subsequent chapters. Either in the classroom or one on one, it's accessible to intermediate students and challenges advanced students. The quotations, from Socrates to Shaw and from Picasso to Pete Rose, are all identified by name, when they lived, and what they did. This book is truly a treasure.

If teaching is part of your life's work, then this is a must read. It is both spiritual and practical in its wisdom and demands for authenticity.

This book is a gift to all dedicated educators. Parker Palmer's thoughtful text, The Courage to Teach, has been updated and expanded for this, his tenth anniversary edition. I love the CD that comes with it. I used this book in my graduate course last fall and my students really enjoyed reading it and discussing Palmer's ideas. One student commented, "From Parker Palmer I've learned how to think more critically....I find myself spending much more time thinking before speaking. Not just in class but in LIFE!" All of us who work in classrooms need to consider the impact of our words on others. This book is an excellent guide to understanding that it is not technique but one's identity and integrity that make a difference in the classroom.

This new edition is a welcomed reminder of the eloquent and insightful invitation Parker Palmer issued ten years ago to educators to go inside themselves and rekindle the passion that originally drew them to teaching. I am delighted to know that in the past ten years this work has evolved to include others in professions of the heart--namely everyone. This is a profoundly thoughtful and engaging book for anyone.

I love this book! I loved it when the first edition came out ten years ago -- and I love it even more now, with the new beginning and ending. I also love the CD that comes with the book -- the wonderful conversation between Parker and his colleagues. Parker puts into words what so many of us have felt -- and he does it exquisitely. He says that we teach who we are, that the teacher's identity and integrity are more important than any technique or method. Good teachers have always known that -- but we've begun to doubt our own knowing in this mean climate that has left way too many teachers behind. This book is the perfect gift for every new teacher-- as well as for those of us who struggle some days to remember the passion that brought us to teaching in the first place!

Parker Palmer's wisdom is invaluable to all who teach. His ideas are both profound and revolutionary. The Courage to Teach leads us on an exploration of the paradoxes inherent in our living and our teaching. We are encouraged to "cultivate the capacity for connectedness on which all good teaching depends." Parker's words inspire us to live and teach authentically, and invite our students to do the same. This book is a must read for all who struggle to teach in a way that opens students' hearts, as well as their minds.

This is a very important book about officer survival. The focus is not on tactics, but on mental aspects of combat, and especially the aftermath of violent encounter.

The book starts with introduction of Survival triangle: You have to survive both physically, mentally, and legally to fully survive an violent encounter. The authors keep that in mind through the book, while the stress is on mental survival. Next the authors discuss the selection process of police recruits, and the nature of violence the police are forced to encounter in their line of duty. Next they give a thorough explanation of fear and it's effects on a person, and they address the issue of training, as well.

The main portion of the second part of the book (about 100 pages) is real-life stories told by cops, and the author's comments of the events. There is not any tactical reviewing, but the incidents are discussed on a psychological point of view. At the end of the second part there is a chapter of psychological injuries, starting from physical effects right after the incident, going to post-traumatic stress disorder and difficulties with relationships with other persons.

The third part of the book covers the treatment of a traumatic event survivor. The authors cover all aspects: What the survivor himself can do, what his superiors, family members, peers and so on can and should do. The authors also stress that there are many different kinds of encounters that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder other than gunfights, and that all participants of such encounter can develop mental problems, not just the ones who pull the trigger. There is also advise to detectives who investigate officer-involved shootings.

All things considered, this book is a very complete package. It is easy to read and the text is not too "scientific" for a layman to understand. This was the first book by Loren Christensen I have read, but it sure won't be the last!

I received this book as a Christmas Gift from my brother. He's a Deputy, I'm an Executive Protection Specialist. Next to Robert Oatman's books on Executive Protection, this is the most valuable book in my Library. I can see that this is a must have book for Police Officers everywhere, but it's also obvious that anyone who may find themselves in a position requiring deadly force can benefit from this book.

I found the book to quick to read and easy to absorb. The authors make simple explanations of others experiences, and help you understand what works. In particular, the mental preparation for use of force provided by this book is excellent and concise.

It's at the center of human nature to stay alive, anyone that's put in a situation to kill or be killed will benefit greatly from this book.

An easy 5/5.

This is a fantastic book that is easy to read and makes a lot of sense. Every law enforcement officer should read this book and it should be required reading in all academies. I wish that I had read it before my deadly force encounter, but it was still very helpful in understanding what was happening to me in the aftermath. It has also been enlightening to my fellow officers that heard the incident unfold on the radio and to my family that received the phone call after the incident. It is a must read.

As with any book authored by Christensen, one feels the reality and truth of the content. This book is no different, it is enlightening to all inexperienced and experienced police officers. It should be mandatory reading for all police recruits in the academy as well as veteran officers on the job.

The mind MUST be prepared for what it will go through during a lethal encounter and more importantly, what it will go through after the encounter; unless of course you lost and are DEAD. Then, your loved ones must now deal with your failure to have survived. Do not do that to them ! Read this book, train and be prepared.

"The mind must be trained and then the body will follow." Anthony M. Cataldo www.blackbeltdojo.com

As a former Oakland, CA police sergeant and veteran of a number deadly force encounters, I can recommend this book to all street officers. In 1972 I was involved in an incident with an armed suspect who was killed. Today I can still relate the incident second by second. It will never leave me. This book allows you to gain from experience of deadly encounters without having to go through it yourself. This is very helpful and will certainly save lives. I recommend the book.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D, author of Managing Police Stress. docwifford@msn.com

Apologetics Concerning the Nature of Religion

Apologetics or is it antiapologetics, I have read Hodges arguments about cause and effect, primary and secondary causes in his work on systematic theology which was written a hundred years after this work. RC Sproulamong others discuss similar issues today with a contrary conclusion. David Hume's dialogue about the existence of God and the attributes of God does form some of the frame work for further philosophic and theological discussion. Some seems quite aimless like his discussion whether God is wholly other. Some theologians may make this statement and argument, but this certainly is not fundamentalist or scriptural perspective of God. What I found most interesting in this work is his discussion of causality. Mr. Hume's focus was on Natural theology or the idea that God could be perceived or not perceived through nature. But also included was knowing God through rationalization. To this he compared three notions:

{1} That there is a self existent Being who always existed, never created, and is the ultimate Cause of the whole universe. Something that never was caused, but is the cause of all else.

{2}That there is no ultimate cause. History is an infinite amount of causes and effects that has no starts or ends. Matter in some form has always existed and matter has always been in motion. Universe or galaxy may have a point of beginning, but not what it is composed of.

{3}At a point in time there was no matter, then at another point of time there was matter. The matter move in motion to develop things as we know it.

David Hume does not discuss the concept that simply nothing really exists. I would guess in an earlier work he had dismissed it in some form. It is my conclusion Mr. Hume found point one as absurd as point 2 or 3.

The other major focus of discussion in this work how an all knowing creator, who has all power, and has the capacity to perceive every thing that is going on can create a world that has the highest being of creation suffer pain and evil among each other. The argument is made in this work that the universe does not function in a rational manner, therefore such all knowing, all powerful and all powerful God does not seem to exist. Some reviewers consider it a complete debunk of intelligent design and it certainly a source of comfort for those who do desire.

With the possible exception of his incalculably influential A Treatise of Human Nature, this, I think, is Hume's finest work. The Dialogues is a paradigm of sustained philosophical argumentation on a single subject, and I can't think of a more inspiring work of philosophy. Another reason to read this book is that Hume is one of the few philosophical figures whose work is worth reading as literature. His prose is, of course, lovely and clear as can be; and the Dialogues is packed with the sort of evocative passages that readers of Hume except to find in his work. Furthermore, he's clearly mastered the dialogue format as a way of writing philosophy. He never turns his interlocutors into ciphers spouting the details of their respective positions. Each character has a forceful and distinct personality, and each of them comes to the debate with a well-defined position and adequate means of defending it. In short, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Most of the Dialogues is devoted to discussion of a posteriori arguments for the existence of God. The main argument considered here is the classical argument from design, which Hume seems to understand as an analogical argument of the following sort: the complexity and order of the universe show that it is similar to artifacts created by human intelligences; similar causes have similar effects; therefore, the universe must have been created by a being with something like a human intelligence; therefore, the universe must have been created by God.

Hume's objections to this argument are legion, and many of the individual objections are both ingenious and forceful. He provides reasons for thinking that the universe isn't all that similar to artifacts created by human beings. He argues, for instance, that at least in some respects, the universe resembles animal or vegetable life more than it resembles artifacts created by human beings. Hume also provides for thinking that, even if we think the universe is similar to a human artifact, we ought to think the universe was created by a being quite unlike God. The relevant empirical evidence, he argues, provides us with no good reason to think that the universe wasn't created by multiple beings (large human artifacts are usually created by multiple beings), or that the being(s) who created it are still alive (human creators die), or that the being(s) who created it were infinite (it's not clear that creating the finite universe would have required infinite power), or that the being(s) who created it were morally perfect (the universe, with all its misery and despair, certainly isn't what one would expect from a perfect being). Furthermore, he proposes certain alternative naturalistic explanations of the existence and nature of the universe; and he claims that it's unclear why an appeal to divine creation is to be preferred to these speculative naturalistic stories of the universe's creation.

As I hope this all-too-brief synopsis suggests, Hume's cumulative case against the argument from design is quite impressive. It is, of course, possible to avoid some of these criticisms in various ways, and his speculative naturalistic explanations leave quite a bit to be desired. But the total case is a philosophical demolition par excellence. Indeed, I'm pretty sure that Hume has shown that the argument from design is more or less worthless as support for anything resembling traditional theism. So, if you're enamored of that argument, I suggest you pick up book and wrestle with the criticisms found here.

Now, this isn't all Hume discusses in the Dialogues. There's a section discussing a priori arguments for the existence of God; it focuses on arguments against a version of the cosmological (i.e. first cause) argument. And Hume's arguments concerning the cosmological argument also rule out any sort of ontological argument, as he claims that no sense can be made of the idea of a necessarily existing being. The book also includes a few some brief discussion of particular issues concerning religion.

Where, in the end, does Hume come down on the issue of theism? It's hard to tell, as it's not clear that any of the particular characters speaks for him. Philo, the character who often appears to be speaking for him, never denies the existence of a deity; he simply denies the ability of human reason to discover anything substantial about what such a being is like. That Hume agrees with this is, I think, the most we can glean from this text about Hume's own religious views. It seems clear that he has no sympathy for organized religion, or for any religious views that purport to describe the nature of God, His intentions, or how and why He created the universe as He did. And the only positive religious claim that is given respectful treatment here is the bare claim that we have reason to think that the cause of the universe as a whole is somewhat similar to a human intelligence.

But does acceptance of this minimal thesis amount to his being a theist? Again, it's very hard to tell. First, of course, one might wonder whether this fairly vague positive view is enough to amount to some form of theism. But let's put that issue to one side. Even if it is enough to support some form of theism, it's often difficult to tell whether Hume means to be advocating such a position here. The problem is that it often seems Hume's explicit advocation of this position amounts to little more than a description of what he thinks is an inevitable human tendency to think this way. Given how our minds actually work, he seems to think, we're bound to think something like this about the origin of the universe. Yet it's somewhat unclear that he thinks forming beliefs in this way is reliable. It may simply be that we have a brute instinct to think in a way that insures we'll see the world as resulting from some human-like intelligence, and it's at least not clear that that isn't a debunking account of the plausibility of theism. (For more support that this is a debunking explanation, see his The Natural History of Religion, where the explanations of various religious beliefs certainly seem to be one's that suggest those beliefs simply aren't plausible.)

David Hume made a reputation by writing on reason and its limits. The main thrust of the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is to question whether theological arguments for God that assign Him positive attributes (omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, etc.) go beyond reason's limits in assigning these attributes. We watch Cleanthes (believer in theological arguments), Demea (believer more on faith) and Philo (disbeliever in theology's efficacy) hash out whether reason and experience alone give us reason to say anything whatever about God.

Hume explores all of the major arguments for God's existence. First, the a posteriori argument is explored; the argument that just as seeing a house gives us reason to assume an architect and builder, seeing the world should give us reason to infer a designer. Hume (through the skeptical voice of Philo) sees much wrong with this argument. Why? Because the reason we infer a builder for a house is because experience has shown us that houses have builders, thus when we see a house, we assume that, like other houses we've seen, this one too has a builder. But experience does not tell us that where there is a world, there is a designer. The leap is extra-experiential. Further, even if we DID infer a designer, why infer just one? Houses have construction crews of multiple people; if we analogize between the house and the world, then why not infer that the world, too, might have infinite creators? (And why infer that the world's creator is omnipotent, if all that is needed to create something is to be more powerful than the thing created - no more, no less?)

Next, we go through the a priori argument - the argument from first cause. Hume (Philo) is quick to point out the obvious flaw with this. If everything needs a cause, then what caused God? If God is said to be eternally existing, then why couldn't the natural world - rather than God - be thought eternal instead? And further, why is a infinite chain of causes and effects so unimaginable, anyhow? (Isn't it just as sensical as an eternal God itself not caused?)

Lastly, Philo brings up the argument from evil. In a nutshell, Philo suggests that while theology sees all the perfections of the world, proclaiming them clear evidence of remarkable design, theologians dismiss or downplay the imperfections. If God is said to all-good Himself, then why did he create humans with such flaws? (one assumes that an all-powerful, all-good God could have avoided those errors).

Still, the main thrust of this book is that Philo, far from challenging whether God exists, challenges theologies capacity to assign ANY characteristics to God by reason and experience alone. Hume does a good job not only in outlaying arguments as to why reason is not capable of knowing a thing about God, but also in making believable dialogues (compared to Plato, whose characters are all made to be one-dimensional foils for "Socrates.") As in so many other areas, Hume was a pioneer in the realm of the philosophy of God. This book furnishes strong proof of that!

David Hume, a philosopher of the period often classified as British Empiricism, is the intellectual associate of philosophers John Locke and George Berkeley. Born in Edinburgh in 1711, he attended the University of Edinburgh but did not graduate. He went to France during his 20s, and spent time there working on what would become his most famous work, 'An Enquiry into Human Understanding', first published under the title 'Treatise of Human Nature'. However, Hume was a prolific writer, and dealt with many areas of philosophy, including politics and ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. He wrote in the area of history as well, and had a politic career as British ambassador to France and a post as a minister in the government for a few years. His final work, 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion', was published posthumously in 1779, although work had begun on it as early as the 1750s.

Hume was very concerned about rationality. Hume was never publicly and explicitly an atheist, but his rational mind, concerned about sensory and intelligible evidence, led him to question and doubt most major systems of religion, including the more general philosophical sense of religion and proofs of the existence of God. The primary arguments in his 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion' deal with the Argument from Design, and the Cosmological Argument. There is an assumed distinction here between natural religion and revealed religion, an especially important distinction in the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment philosophical structure.

- Natural Religion and Revealed Religion -
Natural religion is the idea that we come to know and understand God (and, consequently, what God wants or expects of us, if anything) simply from nature and our sensory perceptions, as well as our interpretations (emotion and rational) of this kind of understanding. From very early in his writing career, Hume attacked the idea of natural religion and most of its conclusions, drawing a sharp line between what we can actually know and what ends up being fanciful extrapolations based on other-than-rational ideas and evidence. Revealed religion is primary what most religions base themselves upon - the burning bush to Moses, the resurrection and post-resurrection appearances to the Apostles, the Buddha's enlightenment under the tree - these are examples of revelation. While Hume does take on the idea of revealed religion in his other works, this particular text does not concern itself with that topic, and stays in the domain of addressing natural religion.

- The Argument from Design -
Arguments from Design have always had a strong appeal to believers within religious frameworks; they have often been used as tools of evangelism, as attempts to show that beyond the revealed doctrines, the very nature of things points to a creator. In very short order, the Argument from Design in Hume's newly-industrial time might have read like this:

- Machines are designed by beings with intelligence.
- The world and the universe it is in resembles a machine.
- Therefore, the world must have been created by means of intelligent design.

This is an argument by analogy, and is convincing to some, but often more convincing to those already inclined to believe in the existence of God.

- The Cosmological Argument -
The Cosmological Argument is at once both more subtle and more simple. The most simple way of stating it would be that God is the 'first cause' of everything. If everything has to have a cause (even the whole universe), then that first cause must be God. In the twentieth century era of thinking of a universe that began with a Big Bang, it seemed to some that the Cosmological Argument was confirmed.

Hume would have been familiar with Leibniz's more subtle form of the Cosmological Argument, which argues for a world of infinite contingent causes. However, there has to be something outside of this system of infinite causes that produced the series - thus, even in a universe with no set beginning or ending, there would still need to be an overarching cause.

- Hume's Arguments -
Hume argues on many levels. His first criticism of the Argument from Design is that this analogy (as are most arguments from analogy) is faulty and not exact; we have no idea if the universe is like a machine. Even if it was, machines are often designed and built by several designers - why argue for one God rather than several? How do we know that matter and the universe don't have their own, internal self-organising principles?

With regard to the Cosmological Argument, the argument is a little more strained. Hume argues that, in any series of causality, once one knows about each cause, it makes no sense to inquire beyond the sequence of causes to some other effect. This is a very Empirical argument, to be sure, and while perhaps not entirely satisfying, it still has merit in philosophy to this day.

- Hume's Structure -
This is a dialogue, set up in the classical way of people talking with each other about the subjects. Hume draws primarily from Cicero, whose work 'On the Nature of the Gods' uses characters of the same names. However, whereas Cicero was concerned about the nature of the Gods (their attributes, powers, etc.) and not their existence, it is the very existence of God that occupies Hume's thoughts.

Hume, despite many years of work on this text, probably never quite thought it was finished. He left the work to Adam Smith (the noted economist, and friend of Hume in Edinburgh), who also thought the arguments against the existence of God were too strong, and likely too damaging to Hume's overall reputation. The tug-of-war over the publication makes for interesting reading in and of itself.

These are important arguments, worthy of discussion and dialogue in philosophy classes, theology classes, and among others who ponder the existence of God.

This short and artfully written book was published after Hume's death. Hume did not wish to experience the controversy engendered by the arguments advanced in the book. It is likely as well that Hume was concerned also with offending some of the moderate Presbyterian clergy who were his personal friends and had been his partisans in other controversies. This book is primarily an attack on the idea that the exercise of reason and logic provides support for religion, and particularly that application of reason leads to strong evidence for the existence of a beneficient God. This line of thought had become particularly popular among liberal theologians in the first half of the 18th century and was a widely held notion among Enlightenment intellectuals across Europe and North America. This idea is still widely held today and can be seen in the writings of the so-called 'intelligent design' advocates of creationism. Hume's criticisms, then, are not only of historic interest but continue to have relevance to our contemporary lives.

The Dialogues are constructed as a 3 cornered argument between three friends. Demea, a man upholding revealed religion against the idea that reason provides support for the existence of God. Cleanthes, an advocate of natural religion. Philo, a skeptical reasoner who attacks the positions held by Demea and Cleanthes. For those who like Hume's sprightly 18th century style, this is a fun book to read. Hume artfully divides some of his strongest arguments between Cleanthes and Philo, and gives the Dialogues the real sense of a dispute among 3 intelligent friends. Philo is generally taken to represent Hume's positions but Cleanthes articulates some strong arguments and provides some of the best criticisms of Demea's fideism. Much of the book is devoted to attacking the argument from design, which Cleanthes attempts to defend against assaults from Philo and Demea. In many ways, the argument from design is the major idea of those supporting the natural religion approach to existence of God. Hume's critique is thorough and powerful. It even includes an anticipation of Darwin's idea's of selection, though the basis for Hume's critique is primarily epistemological. In the later parts of the book, Hume attacks also the comsological argument for the existence of God, though this discussion is relatively brief and a bit confusing. Hume's analysis is consistent broadly with much of his philosophical work. In many ways, his great theme was the limitations of reason, and this book is an example of his preoccupation with the relatively limited role of reason in establishing certain facts about the universe. He finishes with short criticisms of the idea that religion is needed for a stable and well ordered society and defends the usefullness of skeptical reasoning.

It is important to view the Dialogues as part of a critique of religion that Hume sustained in several works. His Natural History of Religion, the On Miracles section of the Enquiry Concerning Human Understacing, and other essays comprise a broad criticism of religion. Other pillars of religion, such as the existence of miracles and revelation, are criticized in his other work. While Hume denied being an atheist and was apparently disturbed by the dogmatic atheism of French philosophes he met in Paris, he was certainly not religous in any conventional sense.

This is a short and very readable book but the power of its arguments are totally out of proportion to its length.

I agree, every professing Christian should read this book and then pass it on. This is one of my favorite Puritan Paperbacks that is out there. This is a rare topic within todays watered down messages.

The Doctrine of Repentance took me a little while to get through. The Puritans usually packed an awful lot of truth into very few pages. I find if I just read through it I learn very little, but if I read little by little I retain a lot more.

Watson really changed my idea of repentance. There is a whole lot more in the concept of repentance than just asking God for forgiveness.

He cautions the reader about "Counterfeit Repentance" Being sorry for your sin and being repentant are very different from each other. Judas was very sorry for his sin after he betrayed Jesus, but he was not repentant. A man may leave one sin and only replace it for another. Or perhaps give up a sin for ulterior motives, such as a man may stop stealing because he's afraid of going to prison. "True leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace." (p. 17).

Watson wrote for about 30 pages on The Nature of True Repentance, which he says that repentance involves 6 things:

1. Sight of Sin - you must first be aware of their sin before they can repent of it.
2. Sorrow for Sin - you must feel sorrowful for the offense rather than the punishment of the offense.
3. Confession of Sin - your confession is not of sin in general, but you acknowledge specific sins by diligently inspecting your heart, and take whatever steps necessary to ensure you will not go back.
4. Shame for Sin - sin is vile and filthy, and that's what it makes us. An interesting point Watson makes is that our sins are worse than those of unbelievers because we sin against light.
5. Hatred of Sin - "Christ is never loved till sin be loathed." (p. 45).
6. Turning from Sin - you must truly forsake your sin and never return to it.

Watson goes on in the book to give numerous reasons to repent, and to repent speedily. To those who plan on repenting on their deathbed he makes some interesting points. Many times death comes quick and you wouldn't know when your end was coming. Many people also loose their minds on the deathbed, so who's to say you would be in a stable frame of mind? Furthermore, it seems that God usually punishes those who have neglected repentance all their lives with hardness of heart in the end.

I heartily recommend this book to every believer. There are many truths in this book to be learned and applied. As with all Puritan books, you just need to give it the time it deserves - a quick, cursory reading will profit little.

Sadly, we live in an age where everyone does what is right in his own eyes; An age where there is no distinguishable difference between the Church and the unbelieving world. Too many "Christians" today want to be saved "in their sins" not "from their sins". But Jesus said, "... except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." There must be a change of heart. There must be a turning away from all sin. This book addresses an issue that is not heard from the pulpits of today's churches nearly as often as it should be. This book speaks not only of what true repentance is but also the importance of genuine sorrow over sin. Every believer in Christ should read this book.

Every professing Christian should read. I thouroughly enjoyed it. Other than the replacement theology present I found the work sound in its definition and application of repentance in conversion and sanctification. A must in every Christians library.

Few books have had the impact on me that this one has. In fact, I would say this is the most influential book (non-divinely inspired book that is) I have ever read. I have read and re-read passages until they soaked deep into my soul. Much more than a how-to, it's a book of great depth and conviction. Would that we all would constantly have a godly sorrow that leads to repentance and great joy.

This book states the reality of madical practice. It's a good book.

Everone should read this book!

My 85-year-old mother recently fell and severely fractured her hip. Unfortunately, she belongs to a Medicare HMO based in Southern California. Because of the nature of her fracture, she required pinning of her femur, a more extensive procedure than the usual treatment for hip fractures. The HMO which was contractually responsible for her care denied payment to the Skilled Nursisng Facility after l8 days, in spite of written reports from her physical therapists and her doctor detailing the remarkable progress she was making. Thanks to this book, we were able to appeal the HMO's denial, which was immediately again denied by the HMO. The appeal then went on to HCFA for review and the denial was reversed. This has saved my mom thousands of dollars. It should be required reading for anyone involved with HMO's!

Don't Let Your HMO Kill You is an invaluable resource which every family should have. It empowers the consumer to take charge of their and their family's health care. Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg bring both insight and useful advice to help the patient make the most of managed care. From better organizing your doctor's visit to learning how to successfully appeal a denial from your HMO, there is something for everyone in this powerful book.

Read this before you go to the doctor! It explains how to work with your doctors, rather than against them, to get the care you need. It points out why the red tape exists, why the doctors are bound by it, and how the two of you can get around it. This book should be issued to every patient. It will benefit doctors and patients alike.

As a physician who has dealt with many HMOs, I believe this will become the premier guide for people to get the best care out of whatever system they're using. It is about time someone put all of the secrets and resources in one place. Medicine has changed significantly in the last few years - right under the noses of most patients and doctors. It's caused frustration as quality care has diminished. This book will help you get back in charge. I think it should be given out by insurance plans as a guide to how patients should use the system. Congrats to the authors!

Reading this book gave me a great peace of mind. I'm an environmental scientist, but I wanted to inspire people to reconnect with the world around them before focusing on objective science (which Orr claims, and I agree, is not really objective, but an objective method to verify and support subjective perspectives and passions).

He lists everything that is wrong and what needs to be corrected. A good follow-up book or study would be if someone took his advice to a school or set of schools and set up a curriculuum after his suggestions and measured how students responded.

David Orr exquisitely puts into words a need for an environmental ethos in the classroom. As a high school teacher, I have long-intuited his insights about how to bring daily connections to students about the natural world that we inhabit. He is deeply passionate, articulate and practical. I'd love to see school boards, administrations, faculty and students alike be exposed to his clear thinking and real suggestions. He brings urgency without bringing despair.

David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College in Ohio and is most often credited with coining the word "ecoliteracy" (similar to the renown biologist Garrett Hardin's "ecolacy") to describe the very important study and understanding of ecology and natural resource processes. He is also credited with the simple, but profound statement, "When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves."

No wonder then that Prof. Orr is well suited to write on the importance of ecoliteracy being incorporated into all educational systems for a more balanced perspective of reality.
Contemporary education, Orr says "...emphasizes theories, not values; abstraction rather than consciousness; neat answers instead of questions; and technical efficiency over conscience." (p 8) and, "As a result, after 12 or 16 or 20 years of education, most students graduate without any broad, integrated sense of the unity of things." (p 11)

"This is not an argument against education but rather an argument for the type of education that prepares people for lives and livelihoods suited to a planet with a biosphere that operates by the laws of ecology and thermodynamics." (p 27)

"Intelligence would lead us...to protect biological diversity, but for reasons that go beyond the calculation of self-interest. The surest sign of maturity of intelligence is the evolution of biocentric wisdom, by which I mean the capacity to nurture and shelter life-a fitting standard for a species calling itself homo sapiens." (p52)

"...I propose a different ranking system for colleges based on whether or not the institution and it's graduates move the world in more sustainable directions. Does four years at a particular institution instill knowledge, love, and competence toward the natural world or indifference and ignorance? Are the graduates of this or that college suited for a responsible life on a planet with a biosphere? This is an admittedly difficult, but not impossible, task."

A sense of "biophilia", as the renown sociobiologist, E.O. Wilson has described as that innate feeling of connectedness to a biological world where our roots and sustenance lie, is critical for developing a deep sense of respect and care of our world. Biophilia and it's antithesis, biophobia are well covered in chapter 20.

"We need an ecological concept of citizenship roots in the understanding that activities that erode soils, waste resources, pollute, destroy biological diversity, and degrade the beauty of landscapes are forms of theft from the commonwealth as surely as bank robbery. Ecological vandalism undermines future prosperity and democracy alike." (p 168)
"The first bit of conventional wisdom denies the importance of place and environment in favor of global vandalism masquerading as progress." (p 160)

Indeed, and a deep understanding of natural life-support systems would help mend that twisted perception of reality. David Orr has very well delineated the educational path here to creating graduates with a sense of awe and respect for the fragile, but life-supporting planet they live on.

This is a very important book that should be read by all politicians, educators, and citizens of Earth. David Orr gives clear examples and ideas for making the radical changes we need to undo some of the damage that we have done to the planet. You will be inspired and moved if you read this book.

first off, as promised by the reseller, the book was in great condition.

as for the contents of the book, it's a fantastic read if you are interested in the root of the sustainability movement. that is to say the foundations and meaning of our educational system which as critical public good, is in dire need of a re-examination.