Humanities Books

In my field I must read many research studies dealing with various topics. I've taken research classes and have learned to recognize key statistical concepts but I must admit that I've never fully understood how they work, what they really mean (no pun intended) or how they were derived. Don't get me wrong. I've studied, but most texts were just too advanced right from the start. Now that I've read and worked through the sample questions in this text I finally feel ready to tackle more advanced texts. The language used is clear and concise with clearly presented examples and applications of concepts. The sequencing is well thought out and quite seamless. I highly recommend it for anyone just starting research classes who has had little or no preparation in statistics. However, knowledge of basic algebra is a must. If you haven't had algebra for some time, you may want to brush up a bit.

I sure as heck never had before. I am dyslexic, math phobic, and a graduate student in Psych who must take 1 full year of advanced stat. Terrifed of this prospect, I bought this book. It is, without doubt, the best text book, ever. It is funny (to the point of being downright cheeky), laid out exceedingly well, progresses from one idea to another naturally, and explains all these confusing concepts easily. I actually looked forward to reading it in my spare time, and I promise you, I am not a math geek! There simply is not a better Intro to Statistics book out there. Better than cartoon guide, stats for dummies, etc. Save your money and time and go right to the source.

Martha Minow has done her research. She carefully explored the different approaches to mass violence without over-moralizing or answering any of the unanswerable questions. Drawing on history, she charts a course for the human rights community today. This is a readable book for people who are new to the concept of human rights and those who have phD's in the field. Best of all, it does not leave you with a feeling of a weight upon your shoulders. Instead, it is some-how optimistic about a future that addresses the mass violence. I underlined about half of this book, and would recommend it to anyone.

For anyone interested in international law or human rights, this is a must-read. I am assigning this book to my undergraduates this semester because, although the subject matter is complex, Minow's prose is clean and spare. Minow does a terrific job of summarizing the episodes of mass violence of the 20th century AND the literature in legal and political studies on war crimes, human rights violations, and justice. I don't always share her optimism that solutions can be found, but I cannot think of another author who grapples with this difficult subject matter quite as gracefully or comprehensively.

Mary Sojourner has the unique talent for taking us, with just a few strokes of the pen, into the stark, cold underbelly of human greed and arrogance, then flinging us into the heartbreaking beauty of the natural world. As a lone warrior and guardian of that natural world, she stops at nothing to protect it, facing arrest and the lawyers of multi-million dollar corporations with the same unyielding stance. Her essays are a testament to the best--and the worst--of the human spirit and this world we live in.

This is a collection of fifty-one personal essays about living (and dying) in the southwest that will leave you angry, sad, happy, disillusioned, and hopeful. But beware: if you are looking for a touchy-feely, I'm OK-Your OK collection, this is not for you. These essays are opinionated, sometimes in-your-face, always passionate critical critiques of living in the contemporary southwest that are a sheer delight to read. In pieces ranging from aging, gambling, land development and nature to the demise of local businesses and the joy of shopping in downtown Flagstaff, AZ., the reader is treated to one woman's opinions in a thoughtful, clear, and highly readable manner. Sojourner is destined to be a major player in the environmental, activists' genre. Highly recommended.

This is one terrific source for any English teacher as it's chock full of wonderful ideas for helping our students connect with language through a variety of mediums.

I can't comment on the third edition entirely because I only have the second edition--from '99--but what's in there is really impressive, even to a methods cynic like myself. What I like about the Milner's is that they don't hesitate to give their textbook a personal slant: they provide their own perspective on theories and research as it relates to English instruction, and their classroom ideas are essentially their own preferences, based on reviewing lots of different sources. I personally can't stand it when a book comes out with the same old KWL charts and whatnot, so I love that many of the ideas in this book are novel and not familiar to most English teacers; it definitely stands out from similar texts.

This review is based on a different edition of this book, Eureka! 81 Key Ideas Explained, which I believe is an earlier version of this book. (The illustrator, Tom Lulevich is not listed as an author in this earlier version.)

This book contains an interesting compilation of concepts from Philosophy, Science, Psychology, Economics and other disciplines. Since 81 ideas are covered in 240 pages (allowing only 1-6 pages for each), the author limits the discussion to just some basic concepts, which is all that many readers may want. There is an extensive list of references for those who want to delve deeper. I am not enough of an expert to comment on the accuracy of the sections, but from what I know of a few of them they looked reasonable. Ideas such as what is meant by " an Ontological Proof", "the Categorical Imperative", "a Quantum Leap", "the Pleasure Principle", "the Paradox of Value", "Less is More" and 75 more concepts are summarized. The book should be a good reference summary for the concepts that are covered - enough for a cocktail party, but not for a detailed answer for an exam in a philosophy, physics, psychology or economics course. The virtue of the book is in its breadth of coverage, not the detail of its coverage. There are illustrations and the writing is clear and entertaining. This book should whet the appetites of many readers, directing them to additional studies.

This book is incredibly well written--clear and concise despite it's broad subject matter.

This book will provide you with the groundwork that any educated adult will need to summarize the most important ideas that humanity has labored on, ideas that developed and improved our existence, our world and our understanding of these.

Each idea is described in simple yet thorough terms, with all the supporting facts and all of the opposing facts. Truly an unbiased presentation of the ideas that have shaped scientific and philosophical history.

I used this as a spring board for additional reading; when I find a philosophical idea or a scientific precept that interests me, I can seek a more in-depth book about it. After reading the summary of it's important precedents and effects as well as its source and descendent ideas, I have the foundation to pursue more difficult text on the subject(or hold my own in a casual conversation with other educated persons).

Also, the short chapters that each encompass a single great idea are great for a "one-a-day" style reading, each five or ten minutes long. The result is that you get a daily dose of thought-provoking ideas and perspectives on life whcih you can then devote a day of all your idle time to. A real opportunity for intellectual and spiritual growth.

This is definitely a book to read and re-read, to ponder and enjoy, to encourage further exploration, and to prepare you for day to day conversation at any Ivey League lunch table.

Once again, historian Don Nardo has turned out an information-filled,useful, and just plain interesting study of an aspect of ancient times. His discussion of Roman roads, aqueducts, and bridges is extremely well researched, clearly written, and his many details and anecdotes about how people used these facilities is highly entertaining. Included are discussions of tunnels through mountainsides and the difficulties of keeping them straight, the probelm of people diverting and stealing water from the aqueducts (and the penalities they received when caught), the gangs of slaves who maintained these facilities (with tomb epitaphs they left behind), the scaffolding used by Roman construction workers, and much much more. Along with Nardo's other books, this one deserves to be in every library and classroom.

A really well written account of two of the famous cosntructions of the ancient Romans- roads and aqueducts, though there's a lot more included in this thoughtful book. It also discuses bridges and their construction,as well as inns and stables along the roadways, maps and guidebooks, postal services, and much more. Written for high schhol students but very informative for anyone interested in the topic!

I love this book (what else can I say?)! Each lesson has different reinforcement tools to help your child remember spelling rules. The lists are age-appropriate; and while challenging, this book has proven to be the only one I've used that has given my child a sense of success in spelling (not his strong suit to begin with).

My only regret is that I didn't find this book until 3rd grade!

My school did away with the traditional spelling books last year and we have been creating every activity and homework piece this year. It has been a lot of work with few things being fun and often tedious. I piloted this book for three weeks with my students and they welcomed the change. They liked the varied activities and the challenges it provided. As the teacher, I like the natural progression of the lists. It fits in with my language arts curriculum with ease. It begins with simple vowel sounds and moves to the more complex then adding higher level spelling patterns third graders need to know. I can't wait to begin my school year next year so I can use it again.

The wisdom that has been possible to achieve through Trigueirinho's works
is of one kind that we must be really thankful. He is so serious, his behavior is so attached with what he writes and speaks about, that it's a blessing to have him with us in the planet. I read almost every book he wrote and they are tremendously serious, consistent and well written. They feed my soul and I recommend them all. It's possible to buy them in Portuguese through the "Associação Irdin Editora". It would be so helpful if the world could have more of him in English!

It was with great happiness that I saw published in English a book of Trigueirinho...

I know its work since 1992 and I also was in the spiritual center founded by him in June of 2001.

Its work is one of the most important contributions left to humanity, bringing new information on the knowledge left by the instructors of the past like Blavastsky, Alice Baily and many others, reformulating many of the dogmas that were built from there... Its books are a new breathing in our hearts; they are the announcing of the fragrances of the New Earth that it is to be born.

I thank Trigueirinho, because it was him the responsible person, through its work and its presence in this planet, for my spiritual awakening.

PAX

If you find yourself needing to learn how to catalog, this is the book to teach you! Dr. Chan walks you step-by-step through the cataloging processes. This book explains the steps of AACR2R2, MARC, Dewey, and LC. Not everyone can take one of Dr. Chan's cataloging classes in person, this book is second only to that.

I have been using this book for almost two semester because this is one of our primary reference in our cataloging subject. Our subject includes Descriptive Cataloging and Non-book materials cataloging.

Everytime we are asked to do some cataloging, I always prefer to have read first this book before doing some cataloging exercises because this gives me clear picture of what really am I going to do. The examples are there, and the corresponding catalog entry are there sited clearly.

I can't forget when we were given a problem to catalog the compact disc that we brought in our class, I don't know what to do with that CD, and then I went to our library that time, and borrowed this book, and there I found clear explanation of what was to be done first in cataloging that type of non-book material. When I've seen the example, I just compared it with our compact disc(music CD), and I gathered every little bit of information that are needed in my catalog entry. And at last, I've done my work.

The book gives layman explanation, you can't find here straight rules, there's an explanation for every technical terms that the author used. The book covers not oonly descriptive cataloging, but also, non-book materials cataloging. The book is very down to earth, you will find yourself just as reading simple mathematics. When I read the book everytime we have an exerice I just always find myself looking for the significant information in the chief sources of information and just plugged it in my catalog entry and I'm finished as easy as that.

This book in short doesn't just set the rules in cataloging, it gives understanding how every rules in cataloging are being used. Now I'm on my third year of my Library and Information Science degree, and still I'm using this book as my primary reference because this book really gives me picture of what I am doing.

This small book is an excellent introduction to St. Catherine of Siena and her writings. The letters she wrote contain practicle advice for anyone in any era. In the "Dialogue", Catherine asked questions of God and His answers and are truly profound! St. Catherine was uneducated so her words are simple and easy to understand. It is as if God is sitting down at the kitchen table and answering universal questions about why we were created and why we suffer so much. The "Dialogue" makes sense of so many seemingly unaswerable questions, that it can help anyone of any religion in their spiritual understanding of creation. I was so deeply affected by this book, that I had to read the "Dialogue" in it's entirety. A must for all spiritual seekers!

Catherine of Siena: Passion for the Truth Compassion for Humanity: Selected Spiritual Writings

Catherine Benincasa, named the "Doctor of the Church," lived during the fourteenth century in Italy. She was born in 1347 and grew up during a period almost identical to ours: one of war, famine, homelessness, confusion, social upheaval, crisis in the church, and a plague of unknown origin and having no known cure. Her theological writings applied to her own time, but also apply to our modern situation. We should be especially attentive to her role as a peacemaker and her writings that pertain to the subject of peace.

Catherine dedicated her life to becoming a "Mantellata" with the Dominican Order. Although she declined to move into the monastery near the church of St. Dominic in Siena, she dressed in their white tunic with a black mantle and followed the rules of the Dominican Order. Upon joining the order, she went home and confined herself to solitary prayer for a period of three years. She only ventured back into the world upon a command from God that to love him, she must love her neighbor. If she truly loved her neighbor, she must put forth an effort to help relieve their suffering.

This woman saw her role in life to be one of messenger to the people. She maintained that love of God and love of neighbor were synonymous and that you could not have one without the other. Likewise, they increased and decreased in equal increments. This was the basis for all her testimonials and teachings. She spent many years of her life as a peacemaker and tried to teach people that Jesus was the greatest proponent of peace through all history. To live a good Christian and walk in His footsteps, we must seek peace!

The writings in this book clearly demonstrate Catherine's intense love and passion for the Lord. Her words are exuberant and her writings intensely ecstatic, filled with passionate cries of servitude, friendship, and love. As you read them, you will become caught up in the spirit of worship. You will become engulfed in the flames of her passion for all things right and just. There are so many strong messages and lessons in this book. For example, Catherine explains how to love your neighbor, have charity, and be an obedient servant to the Lord.

These writings are equally as applicable today as they were during the fourteenth century. In our time of confusion, this is a book filled with logical answers that are simple to understand. It should be of great benefit to every reader.