Humanities Books

Great collection of writers is assembled. A great collection of writings to build your knowledge. Expressions in composition with ultimate terms in rhetoric to a brave new world. It is history and philosophy from fiction to the literal signs of the times. I would truly recommend this book for scholars of law and political science, but not just. If you are a student of history, business or any major humanities, you will love this book just for the knowledge wisdom and understanding you will receive through the experience of perusal. Enjoy, you will be on a road that only a few have chosen. Notably names in the book - ee. Cummings (my personal favorite), A. Huxley, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King jr. and many others.

Great collection of writers is assembled. A great collection of writings to build your knowledge. Expressions in composition with ultimate terms in rhetoric to a brave new world. It is history and philosophy from fiction to the literal signs of the times. I would truly recommend this book for scholars of law and political science, but not just. If you are a student of history, business or any major humanities, you will love this book just for the knowledge wisdom and understanding you will receive through the experience of perusal. Enjoy, you will be on a road that only a few have chosen. Notably names in the book - ee. Cummings (my personal favorite), A. Huxley, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King jr. and many others.

Very nice anthology. Lots wonderful essays, and some are directly responding to each other. It's for my English class, pretty interesting to read from.

My copy of this book is highlighted and dog-eared, with book marks popping out all over the place. Mr. Leithart's analysis is wonderfully unforced. He's not jamming Shakespeare's work into a Christian mold. He is uncovering what is there. I found this especially effective in his analysis of "The Taming of the Shrew". Since Leithart wrote these when he was teaching a class himself, they are classroom tested. The introduction supplies a suggested schedule to follow. Each play is introduced, then examined Act by Act with review and thought questions. Each chapter ends with suggested essay topics, and some review of movie versions that are available to see. This is great, and I make constant use of it.
Six more, Mr. Leithart, please!

I appreciated this book for its Christian perspective on a few of my favorite Shakespeare plays. The author explored not only the plots, but also the characters' relationships to Christ. The author made insightful parallels and comparisons between the characters and Christ and His church. I also appreciated the critiques of some of the film versions of the plays. I heartily recommend this eye-opening book!

And one of the reasons for that is this book, Brightest Heaven of Invention. It is a wonderful guide to read along with your next Shakespeare play. It explains the scenes from a unique perspective--a must-have book for Shakespeare fans! Mr. Leithart, we're waiting for the next book in this series.

I've found this book to be exceedingly useful in researching architecture in West Virginia. It's a shame it is not more widely available! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in preservation or taking architectural tours of the Mountain State. Well researched, must have been a massive undertaking. It's recently helped me out on a rather difficult project, so I'm very thankful I found it!

West Virginia was created through political conflict during the Civil War, and many people may think of it only as part of that part of our nation's history, or perhaps as a place of coal mines and Appalachian troubles. What Chambers shows us in this carefully researched, beautifully written book is that West Virginia has a history and an architectural heritage of great distinction and diversity. Chambers looks at the full range of this state's architecture, from the distinguished work of many state and regional as well as national architects in the principal towns and cities to the sagas of the industrial settlements, of which there are many, and the slower changing regional patterns of small town and rural areas. Buy this book, and learn that West Virginia is a state to visit, appreciate, and admire. Chambers's nuanced study takes into consideration the multiple and complex aspects of its history, and gives us all a new appreciation for an American state with a complex heritage. Anyone wanting to understand the South, Appalachia, or indeed America needs this book.

Chambers has written the book I wish I had written. If you are interested in architecture in the Mountain State, buy this book.

I was born and raised in West Virginia, but had always thought my native state nearly bereft of architecture, having only had the luck to have a succession of inferior state capitols go up in flames until the present Cass Gilbert statehouse. Chambers' book will disabuse you of that notion and make you proud of a significant architectural legacy. (The job now, of course, is to preserve what we have.)

He has performed a public service for every West Virginian, whether at home or living elsewhere.

The only nit I can pick is that he has chosen to ignore a number of significant engineering structures (mostly railroad coaling towers and coal tipples). Concrete coaling towers such as in Bluefield and Thurmond are important structures in their own right. Tipples, though not significant individually and now mostly gone, were significant as a building form. They were once nearly as common as 7-Elevens and no one who grew up in the coalfields ever quite gets over a love affair with the exposed I-beams, the corrugated metal and the jumble of roof and conveyor angles that used to be seen in the once-ubiquitous coal tipple.

Angel stories have certainly been popular for the last two decades. Some people claimed to have seen angels in dreams and apparitions, communicated with angels, and maintain a connection to their own guardian angel. However, this book, more aptly referred to as a workbook, is not about angelic encounters or angel apparitions; The Call is a book about being an angel. The question that this book raises is, are you an angelic human? Dr. Petrinovich provides explanations for the feelings and connections that some people have with the angels. Providing explanations for DNA structures, Dr. Petrinovich describes the particulars about DNA strands and their meanings to angels in human form. This book offers everyone an easy to read reference to complex biochemistry and quantum physics. I was impressed with Dr. Petrinovich's ability to write for the lay person. Due to the findings of my research studying people who claim to have experienced Divine encounters and religious apparitions, and a subsequent sense of mission for some, I know there are many people who will find this book very helpful, comforting, affirming, and even synchronistic. It is due to the potential helpfulness of this book that I give it five stars. As Dr. Petrinovich aptly stated regarding angelic humans, "this does not mean you are special--it means you are different." Each reader will have an opportunity, while reading this book, to determine if she or he is one to answer "The Call".

This book explains the connection between the biological and spiritual dimensions of humans. It is the first book that helped me connect the knowledge of DNA with human spiritual growth. The author's premise that the energy of God is universal and is within each of us is powerful and empowering. I found this book fascinating, promising, and compelling -- especially during the current world's need for unity and harmony.

The Call - Awakening the Angelic Human, is a fabulous book by Toni Sar'h Petrinovich, a Master Teacher and writer. Chapter titles include, Vibration of the Angelic Human, Illusion of Negativity, The One Heart, Dimensions and Manifestation and Twelve Dimensions and DNA. Her Heart and Soul Knowing pours forth from the pages of this book. It is a primer for those who think they are, know they are or desire to be an Angelic Human. This book asked me to go deep within myself to see who I Truly AM. I AM an Angelic Human, (AH). Toni Sar'h explains; "AHs are humans who have slumbering DNA awaiting the wakening to the remembrance of their mission to hold the Christos in the heart--- the heart of the One... The AHs have made an agreement, a contract, to bring this vibration to earth at this time when there is a swing in the balance of the polarity. That is why the awakening is happening at this time."
Toni Sar'h delves into science, DNA and quantum physics in a way that is fascinating and easily understood. The book includes a Conscious DNA Awakening ritual and many different exercises to accelerate the Knowing and Remembering of Who We Are at this crucial time of earth's magnificent unfolding. This book touched me on many different levels of my Being and opened me to great awareness' within my Heart and Soul. I Whole-Heartedly urge you to read this book and discover your true identity.

This textbook is awesome for serious students who would really like to graspe latin better. It contains the answer key to all the exercises as well as tips for teachers on presenting the material. If you own the student edition, consider the teacher's guide to help you along your way!

I bought this program for my 12 yr-old daughter, as a supplement to Henle latin. She had been studying Henle for a year, mostly on her own, and was getting bogged down in the monotony of exercise after exercise. Cambridge, with it's fun story-line and historical component, is a nice suppelement, and has gotten her interested in her Latin studies again. Sometimes, a different approach to the same material is just the ticket for better retention. Cambridge has done that for us.

As a Latin tutor with over three years experience with teaching this language, and several years of learning it, this text was a surprise. Not only did it offer me better ways to use the Cambridge readers with my pupils, it also provided me with new information that I found interesting for myself. This manual combines grammar with the easy learning tool of an ongoing storyline, as well as providing application skills and ideas, with some baitable history as well. It helps me not only teach my students better but keep them wanting to learn. Anyone looking forward to teaching, or even learning, this language, should most certainly have this book close at hand.

Since I am learning Spanish, German, and Latin, it can be a bit of a challenge, but since Latin is the father of these languages, most of the words are familiar. If you want to learn Latin, I suggest this book. It is easy and fun, they give good detail about the words so that you don't mix them up as much as other Latin books. This book is expensive so it would be better buying it on Ebay, you could get the CD as well as the book on Ebay. But, if you don't like Ebay, whatever you do (don't steal), get this book.

I've been studying Latin for 10 months on my own now without a tutor or class to rely on for assistance. I started with Wheelock's and quickly became bored and frustrated as I started to struggle. I also started using Lingua Latina - which is an excellent text and I highly recommend this series as well.

After getting through the first 5 chapters of Lingua Latina, I began to struggle again. I happened upon Unit 1 of the Cambridge Latin Course while waiting for my wife at a book store. I started reading it immediately and couldn't put it down, so I bought it. I was able to cruise through the entire book in only one week! This was due to the fact that I had been studying Lingua Latina for a few months. I ordered the remaining Units (2,3,4) shortly after purchasing Unit 1. I am now reading Unit 3.

It should be noted that I am still using Lingua Latina and was able to get through to Chapter 21. I've been rotating between Lingua Latina (Pars Unum), Lingua Latina - Colloquia Personarum (a supplemental reader in dialog form), and the Cambridge Latin Course.

What I like best about the Cambridge Latin Course series is the format and layout model: everything is broken up into bite-sized chunks. A "Stage" or chapter usually starts out with a number of simple line drawings of scenes with captions utilizing the gramatical constructions covered in each of the Stages. This is followed by a short & simple dialogue or story with vocabualary listed below so you can glance down if you don't recognize a particular word without having to thumb back to the vocabulary listing at the end of the Stage or to the back of the book where all words listed in the book can be found.

This story may be followed by another short story or dialogue or two then the student will be introduced to the grammar 'formally' in a short section called "About the Language." This is followed by a couple of more stories before reaching the section called "Word Patterns" where you are taught to recognize certain 'patterns' or 'forms' reinforcing the previous grammar section. Another couple of short stories/dialogues follows before coming to a section called "Practicing the Language" where you are to complete a few exercises practicing what you have learned in the Stage.

It should be mentioned that most of the stories are linked in some way through various 'threads' that diverge and converge in a coherent story. A thread or two survive and actually carry forward into the other Units/Books. This is very clever because it holds your interest - you want to find out what happens next. This continuous storyline has characters and events based on historical and relatively recent archeological findings.

As a nice break from focusing on Latin, the authors provide useful cultural, historical & archeological backgound and context relating to the stories being told throughout. For me, it's a nice little reward for getting through the material - I love it!

Following this, there's a short "Word Study" section where you learn English cognates and have a little word-play which strengthens both your Latin and English vocabulary. Lastly, at the very end of the Stage is the "Vocabulary List" for review before starting the next Stage or chapter of the Unit.

At the end of the book is a section called "About the Language" which summarizes ALL the grammatical material covered in the text. It makes for an excellent review after finishing the text before moving on to the next Unit.

This clever and effective model is followed in all 4 Units.

If you are interested in speaking or pronoucing the Latin language correctly in the often preferred 'Classical' pronunciation, I would suggest purchasing the Audio CDs as well. They are very well done; reproducing many of the scenes from the Unit with actors and props in 'radio theatre' fashion, if you will. I listen to them in my car during my commute.

This is an excellent and effective course for learning Latin and I highly recommend it - especially for those of us not blessed with learning languages easily and find Latin a struggle and a battle.

This is an excellent learning and teaching tool. It's based around a Pompeiian family and their daily life. If you are just learning Latin, or if you badly need a full refresher, this is the series to buy! Believe it or no, this is a page turner!

I have been teaching graduate social work for fifteen years and have yet to discover a text about psychosocial casework that surpasses this revised classic in its clarity, depth, thouroughness, and wisdom. The basic psychosocial orientation and typology of casework procedures defined by Florence Hollis remains intact, yet the text, as a whole, is substantially updated by Mary Woods, whose fluid prose is rich in clinical detail, articulate, and aimed at what the practitioner yearns to know and needs to know. As an experienced clinician, I still turn frequently to the chapters on couple and family treatment where protocols for navigating these exceptionally tricky modalities are clearly presented. In chapter 16, for example, Mary Woods develops a typology of "relationships and problems" detailing 12 patterns of couple conflict that, in itself, serves as a primer for the novice practitioner. Approaches to nontraditional couples (premarital couples, unmarried pairs, cross-cultural relationships, and gay and lesbian couples) are amply discussed as well with sensitive consideration of social differentials in power experienced by men and women and by couples of color. The text consistently partializes assessment and techniques of intervention so that one can read and assimilate complex clinical procedures in bite size pieces. Heuristics are laced throughout the text, giving one a feeling of personal guidance. The fifth edition of Casework is a treasure chest for students and teachers of social work and the helping professions to dig into time and time again.

Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy, 5th edition

by Mary Woods and Florence Hollis

For many years the classic Woods and Hollis text has been required reading for graduate students of social work at the Hunter College School of Social Work. The updated Fifth Edition is even more useful than previous editions in its in-depth and detailed explanations of modern social work practice. This book addresses clients' concrete practice needs, environmental deficits and pressures, and personal and relationship dilemmas. Seldom in the literature is the field of social work firmly grounded in its own special knowledge and traditions, described so fully that the reader can clearly distinguish it from other helping professions. Recently, when asked about which of many professional writings they found most helpful, eight-five percent of a class of first year social work graduate students consistently identified Casework as particularly valuable in illuminating knowledge essential to their education for social work; they noted the text's clear explications of the unique history, values, missions and rick accumulation of practice experience-and the complexity of the interactions among these-that must be mastered to train for a career in this profession. Students have further indicated that the book is extremely helpful in identifying the theories underlying social work practice and how these theories can be specifically applied in work with a broad range of clients, presenting a vast array of quandaries and difficulties, seen in many settings.

Clear explanations of techniques (the "how-tos" of practice)aid new social workers in developing skills of listening and intervening. The importance of "mutuality" between clients and workers in emphasized. The text explains how clients-individuals, couples and families-can be helped to claim their own strengths and become empowered to resolve dilemmas, make decisions and choose changes. From the outset, the reader learns about social work's dual focus: on people and their environments and on the interactions and "fit" between them. The book describes and illustrates how people's lives affect and are affected by external conditions. Straightfoward discussions and a wide variety of case examples demonstrate how inner and outer phenomena are in constant interaction and inseparably intertwined, and how social work interventions have to be tailored to focus on those systems most accessible to change.

The four chapters on family and couple treatment introduce beginning students to multi-person interviewing and are often studied intensively by second year and post-graduate students who are preparing to gain further understanding and skill in these modalities.

Dr. Florence Vigilante, Professor, The Hunter College School of Social Work, of the City University of New York Dr. Martha Haffey, Associate Professor and Chair of Casework, The Hunter College School of Social Work of the City University of New York

As a graduate social work clinician of 15 years, I turn to Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy to renew my understanding, hone my skills, and refresh myself on the particulars of treatment techniques and procedures involved in individual, family, and couple work. There are few books that blend theory and the "how-to" of clinical practice in the ways that this book does. It is an exceptionally clear text. This book reminds the clinician of the importance of listening closely to what is important to clients as opposed to imposing upon them what we think should be important to them. Respect for the client is foremost, and this book underlines this and other values which represent the best our profession offers. It is the definitive test in psychosocial casework, and I heartily recommend it to others.

The extended postmodern fashion has proved a failure on its own terms, threatening to become,perhaps, a new hegemonic mindset,rather than a liberating discourse. This to-the-point challenge to postmodern rejection of truth starts with insights of Husserl, who confronted with a similar era of relativists at the beginning of the nineteenth century, pointing to the self-referential contradictions of such thinking. In a way, that's all you need to get your bearings in the induced chaos of the postmodern movement. An irony arises at that point: the problem with much postmodern thought is the inability to grasp its own logic, and the failure to tackle real problems with a genuine critique, as the discussion of the Sokal affair makes clear. The current Darwin debate is crying out for a liberating discourse on the hegemonic nature of ideological theories, instead we get these silly gestures in the 'science wars'. Darwinian thinking, using natural selection, has to be the classic case of the social construction of a myth in scientific dress, and this understanding was completely beyond the postmodern gang. Time to say, you're fired, and melt down the ingots for recasting, and some serious 'sociology of science' studies.

To many, the antitheses of modern humanism, which was founded on Enlightenment principals, would be the philosophy of Postmodernism. Postmodernism, born in France and acclaimed widely in academia in the United States, can be most simply described as relativism; whereas, everyone's perception of reality--of truth--has an equal opportunity of being legitimate due to either personal or cultural circumstances.

Therefore the existence of God, if "true" for you, is no less reasonable that the non-existence of that same God (if that opinion is "true" for me) for me. Likewise, if certain behavior is deemed `torture' by one society, but an acceptable means of military interrogation by another, cultural relativism may condemn the former society but not the latter.

The political Left in America, over the past 45 years or so, has been marred with postmodernism, and the Right has taken advantage of that fact. What started out as honest and justified consideration for the well being of cultures "other than" European/American (cultures often of color which have been historically the victims of European/American colonialism and hegemony), has morphed into accepting double standards by some thinkers.

I call this the "who are we to judge" affect. The Right, as a traditionally reactionary political force, fights back with fundamentalisms of every sort... or what I call their "we alone are to judge" doctrine.

So what of Humanism? Humanism, as I've argue in my new anthology, Toward a New Political Humanism (Prometheus 2004), is best understood as a liberal ethical philosophy based partly on Enlightenment principals... so therefore, anti-relativism. Is there then, a way to understand and implement a progressive humanism which, while Leftist in political orientation, is still Enlightenment based? That is the question David Detmer in his book, Challenging Post Modernism: Philosophy & the Politics of Truth (Humanity Books, 2003), tries to answer.

Challenging Postmodernism is a philosophical treatise which examines the problems with Postmodernism and its anti-humanistic implication, and tries to determine whether or not the intellectual Left is indeed guilty of, on mass, cultural relativism. It then explains how a progressive politic is indeed very much in step with Enlightenment humanism.

Detmer first tackles postmodern thinking up front. In doing so, he discusses Edmund Husserl's arguments against postmodernism of the last century, as well as the works of Jean-Paul Sartre (and how Richard Rorty, who Detmer suggests "has little use of the concept of truth," uses the work of Sartre against postmoderism.) Husserl and Sartre are the building blocks for Detmer's own thesis.

In the opening chapters, Detmer points out the faulty logic of Postmodernism via reviewing the concept of self-referential inconsistencies, and the `Argument from Disagreement.' The former occurs, in Detmer words, when "relativism is judged, as seems only reasonable and fair, in the light of its own explicitly stated content, it seems to contradict itself. That is, if truth is to be regarded as social constructs by society itself, rather then reflecting how things really are, then the claim itself (that truth is to be regarded as socially constructed), must then itself be understood as a social construct... and therefore NOT a reflection of how things really are."

This same problem can help us understand what Detmer calls "Historical Relativism." As an example of this, let's say we look at one historical age and conclude that at a certain place in the past, "miracles" occurred; but, when we look at the same that place today, we understand that miracles of that sort are impossible. Moses could part the seas, and Jesus could walk on water in the "age of miracles" when real-world physics did not apply, but not today.* This inconsistency in how nature works could present a problem (to say the least), for postmodernist thinkers. (I once had a student in a critical thinking class I taught tell me that just because Angels existed in reality for her, and not for me, it did not mean one of us was necessarily mistaken!) Detmer differentiates this kind of thinking from the more scientific notion that to get closer to the truth, we need to have a wide-spread scientific consensus on the epistemic factors (evidence) of a truth before accepting it.

'The Argument from Disagreement' has two premises. The first asserts that there is no consensus in some area of thinking, but rather controversy and disagreement. The second premise that if there really was a way things really are, we would not have so much controversy about it. Detmer offers several explanations for how misleading this kind of argument is. One is the fact that "frequently, not all parties to a dispute have access to the same evidence. (Therefore) people confuse relativity of justified belief with relativity of truth." This leads Detmer to implement critical thinking, and inquire as to how we gain access to evidence in the first place (we being the general public, and not scientists and philosophers.)

That access, in today's world, is gained through the media. Detmer argues that there are two main reasons for the widespread problem of "poor reasoning and ignorance in America today:" The contemporary mass media, and confusion about tolerance. Concerning the former, one example he cites is Noam Chomsky's work on uncovering the facts behind the U.S. siege of Nicaragua in the 1980s, and how his work never made it into the mainstream press. Detmer asks, "could it be that vast amounts of information that is vital to the understanding of how the world works, and crucial for anyone who would participate knowledgeably in discussions of public policy matters, is routinely excluded from mass media journalism?

Could it be, in short, that a major reason why most Americans are ignorant of their country's history is that the U.S. mass media generally fails to report on it?" Answering the second question in the affirmative, Detmer provides the main reason for the failure of the press--"The Both Sides Model."

As a journalist, I have heard one phrase constantly both in school and on the job: `Objectivity must be at the core of reporting, and that means we must get "both sides' of the story.' One obvious problem here is that there are rarely just two sides to any story. For instance, when a political crisis occurs, the press goes first to the political party in power to get their opinion; then, for a contrasting opinion, the press goes to the other major party. So to Americans looking on, a political solution will either come from the Republican or Democratic side of the aisle, as if no other opinions may hold a better solution. Further complicating this, it is important to note that in these times, when many members of both major parties respond to every crisis in almost the same way, journalists following this simple-minded "rule" have no latitude for discovering detailed (and often more plausible) information.

Also, Detmer points out that the press's criteria for finding out who should provide the two sides to any argument, they often look for who will offer the best "entertainment value," for who is most popular, or for which opinion fits the political slant of their publication or production (as is well-known, many of these have shifted far to the Right since the merging of major mass media operations, mostly owned by the likes of Clear Channel, Rupert Murdock, and Disney.)

Confusion about tolerance, Detmer argues, actually creates an atmosphere where truth itself is considered dangerous, arrogant, or oppressive. The "we must be tolerant, no matter what, of others feelings' or cultures" argument. As an atheist who has studied religion for some time, I can argue on evidence--historical, scientific and philosophic--
against the existence of God and the supernatural. However, if I dare to do so in public, no matter how pleasant I am, I am often perceived to be arrogant or close-minded. What is interesting is that this is not only the reaction I get from religionists who are sensitive about their beliefs, but from many agnostics as well. That I can argue (with strong evidence) against the existence of Moses, angels or God, seems to make others feel that I somehow think I have the monopoly on Truth ... which is, of course, impossible. I feel this is so because many people tend to be suspicious of anyone who even seems to be claiming a truth, unless they themselves agree with that truth.

Following that logic, though it is quite clear (again, with strong evidence), that the invasion of Iraq was unjust and based on lies, should mean that folks would be suspicious (and angry) that Bush claimed he had "the truth" about Iraq. But those who, for whatever reason, actually enjoy where this country is now heading, cannot seem to see it that way.

Throughout Challenging Postmodernism, David Detmer offers clear and detailed examples of where postmodernism exists today; it might surprise some folks that it is not only found in elements of the Left (New Age spiritualists, alternative medicine advocates, and anti-establishment folks who are such for the sake of being so), but on the political Right which often has one "justified" set of rules for themselves and a whole different set for "the other." Indeed, Detmer's understanding of the ethics found on the Left are very much in line with what we humanists would recognize in our various manifestos.

Happily, Detmer also offers solutions to these problems and, by citing Noam Chomsky's defense of rationality and science, claims (as does Chomsky) that there is no need to abandon Enlightenment conceptions of evidence while still being fair, just and culturally aware--indeed that may be the best path toward such ethical goals. Quoting Chomsky for the purpose of emphasizing an ethical framework based on Enlightenment Humanism and of the virtues of truth, Detmer records, "Why don't our leaders tell the truth? When they're going to destroy Iraq, why don't they announce: `Look, we want to control the international oil system. We want to establish the principle that the world is ruled by force, because that's the only thing that we're good at. We want to prevent any independent nationalism. We've got nothing against Saddam Hussein. He's a friend of ours. He's tortured and gassed people. That was fine. But then he disobeyed orders. Therefore, he must be destroyed as a lesson to other people: Don't disobey orders.'"

* Another sort of Historical Relativism is when one makes an ethical claim on a topic occurring in the past and a contrary one about the same topic for the present. For example, if one claims that slavery in America was ethical in the 18th century because it was the norm then, but is not ethical today because we now have a `different' norm, Detmer would argue that against that notion by arguing that either slavery is ethical or it is not, by the norms of any person in any time in history.

It has long been my opinion that postmodern thinking is equivalent to lazy intellectualism. It is too often used to explain away things that are not understood and allows the postmodernist to smirk at empiricism. David Detmer's book has reinforced that idea.

The book is very readable with jargon and technical terms explained. The book's high points include a thorough critique of many leading philosophical scholars of today including Richard Rorty who is taken to task in an entire chapter. Detmer's chapter, "What is Objectivity" while perhaps overlong with examples, provides an important insight into the mass media. His largest contention is that the media is fettered by the 2 party political system. There is essentially no fair and balanced option if the only issues that can be presented are the ones positioned by either the Democratic or Republican parties.

Another chapter, "The limitations of Rationality and Science?" is also poignant in its ability to explain the OJ Simpson trial results and how postmodernism raised its head.

Detmer's strong defense of scientific thinking and his debunking of so many popular scholars makes the book valuable but there are some nadirs. Primarily too many of his points are repeated so often that some terms simply become cants. Subjects like "Self Referential Inconsistency" or the objective reality that Giraffes are larger than ants, while valid are very overdone and became tiresome to this reader.

Over all this is a great book to read if you want a method to counter post modern thinking. Quite frankly you should.

Core Concepts in Health by Paul Insel and Walton Roth is, quite simply, the best university-level health education textbook on the market. It is available in both brief and expanded editions. I used this book when I taught health education at Stanford in the 1980s and it just keeps getting better and better. I also used it internationally when I taught at the Moscow State Pedagogical University in Russia, also with great success.

The book covers all the key aspects of health, with a special focus on university students. It is well designed and colorful with numerous photographs and explanatory notes. In addition to the textbook there are a number of aids for the teacher, including the Course Integrator Guide which provides learning objectives, classroom activities, internet resources, and other teaching tools. More than 150 transparency masters and handouts are also provided as well as a Test Bank of some 2000 questions. Finally, a set of Wellness Worksheets, which is a student learning aid, is also provided.

The preface of the book includes an outline of the format of the book, entitled "A Guided Tour of Core Concepts in Health." Here both the student and the teacher can get a good understanding of how to use the book to maximum effectiveness. An important aspect of this guide (and the book) is the extent to which the authors focus on behavior change, providing both specific behavior change plans for particular areas of wellness and "Take Charge" boxes which give practical advice to apply the information from the text to the student's own life.

In teaching Core Concepts an instructor can follow the lessons as outlined in the book or take an approach that is more suited to the needs and interests of the students. For example, I began with the first chapter, "Taking Charge of Your Health" because I believe that the most important thing to teach students is that they are the person most responsible for their health, that by their own behaviors they will largely determine their health. I then moved to chapter 10 (Exercise for Health and Fitness) because my course included an exercise component as well as a lecture class. I followed with Chapter 9 (Nutrition Basics) and chapter 3 (psychological health) because I believe that these three topics (exercise, diet and stress management) make up the core of healthy living. The next topic I chose is chapter 4 which has to do with Intimate Relationships and Communication because this issue is particularly important to university students. At Stanford cigarette smoking was not a problem, while alcohol use was, thus I covered these topics accordingly. If I were teaching there now I would also put Environmental Health high on the list. Weight Management can be included in the dietary component. Finally chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer are important topics because young people need to realize that these diseases begin early in life. Depending on time, other topics can be covered as well. For example, The Use and Abuse of Psychoactive Drugs may be a topic of interest and concern on some campuses.

This book has an easy approach to learning the core concepts presented in this book.

I used this book to study for the Here's to Your Health DANTE exam. It was an excellent study guide and hit on each and every subject on the test. The practice tests in the back of the book were very helpful. I would recommend this text to anyone studying for a proficiency exam.

Ms. Hollingdale's work provides the reader with intensely powerful essays and pictures that almost "forces" one to stop and spend time with each picture. I couldn't just glance through this book - it takes time, emotion and a willingness to open one's heart and mind. The stories AND the pictures, when combined, create a level of understanding that I had not even experienced prior to her book. I know several of the people portrayed in her book but putting all of these faces together with their very personal journeys into ONE book lets the reader truly get a picture of this historic struggle for a more "civil union".

This book answers the question, "Why did Vermont work so hard for Civil Union?"; and it answers it from every possible point of view. Ms. Hollingdale has done a remarkable job collecting the thoughts and feelings of legislators, educators, citizens, parents and others, to explain the desire, the need, and the struggle for Civil Union. This is a beautiful book! The photographs are stunning in their simplicity and yet the emotions are overwhelming. It is a piece of history and a work of art at the same time.

Linda Hollingdale's collection of essays and photographs is absolutely amazing in how it portrays the legislative struggle for Vermont's historic Civil Union from ALL perspectives.
Not only does this book bring one the awareness of this struggle, but also gives one the opportunity to "open their minds" to common humanity as a whole. Just when you think you've become so absorbed in the process of how civil unions came to be, the challenges overcome and rewards achieved, you begin to comtemplate what equal rights of ALL citizens is really about.
I would definitely recommended this book for all.