Humanities Books

I've known David Solmitz since he was a small boy whose father was a professor at Bowdoin College - but even if I hadn't, his book would still fill me with awe at the blazing honesty and courage of his will to teach humanness, justice and tolerance in a small mid-Maine town whose history is one of the hard, too often violent lives of farming, lumbering and small business.

David makes no bones about his trepidation in tackling the monumental task of weaning his students away from the worst aspects of the region's prevailing culture of knee-jerk class/race/religious prejudice, authoritarianism and anti-intellectualism! This is a town that still tolerated a branch of the KKK at the time of World War II - not against blacks, but against the "niggers" of Maine - French Canadian Catholics!

As a teacher in the high school, David not only taught Social Studies, but lived it as well, defending students from poor working class families against brutal stereotypy and even occasional violence from the dominant class of students and their hangers-on, encouraging them to defend themselves, creating a forum for discussion of home-grown race/class issues - and thereby getting himself in occasional hot water with his supervisory personnel - and in general, practicing what he preached, thus serving as an adult model to his students not solely based on pleasing the local Rotarians or Elks.

I have only two regrets about this splendid book - the print is too small for comfort, and it is too expensive(...) thereby potentially limiting its exposure to college classes in small, elite colleges like Goddard.

David's book is an important, inspiring read that should be required in all teacher education universities. It is comprehensive and comprehenable in looking at the history of education. David's democratic quidelines offer hope for the future of our schools.

I love using this as one of my required texts for the History and Philosophy of Science course I teach. It's great at introducing Kepler's work to first time readers and it also has primary sections from his work. What's best is that you can guide your students through these prime selections without having to lose them in mathematics. And if you are so inclined, and it's worth the try, there is some problems you can tackle and you only need a limited amount of geometry.

I also recommend it if you're just into the history of science.

"My aim in the present work is chiefly to reform astronomical theory ... so that what we compute from the tables may correspond to the celestial phenomena. ... Meanwhile, although I place this goal first and pursue it cheerfully, I also ... inquire into celestial physics and the natural causes of the motions. ... Indeed, all things are so interconnected, involved, and intertwined with one another that after trying many different approaches to the reform of astronomical calculations ... none other could succeed than the one founded upon the motions physical causes themselves, which I establish in this work." (Introduction, pp. 4-5). A decisive step towards this new physical theory is Kepler's proof in chapter 24 that the earth requires an equant, i.e. that the point with respect to which it moves uniformly is not the center of the orbital circle but rather a point close to it. The old theory, without the equant, had worked well for Ptolemy (sun instead of the earth, of course) and Copernicus, since it predicts the angular position very accurately. But Kepler shows that it fails to predict the distance between the earth and the sun. This distance at different times can be determined by observing the sun and Mars at times 687 days apart; this is the period of Mars, so we get a simple trigonometric calculation with both Mars and the sun as fixed points. Thus the earth now has an equant just as the outer planets did for Ptolemy and Copernicus. "Further, there is nothing to prevent our believing the same of Venus and Mercury. Indeed, I now have a proof that this is the origin of the belief that the centers of these planets' eccentrics move around on a small annual circle. Therefore all planets have this [eccentric circle with an equant]." (Chapter 32, p. 52). So the equant is no longer just some trick but in fact a universal principle, so we feel that it must have a deeper explanation. The key observation is that the equant (with bisected eccentricity) makes the planet's speed inversely proportional to its distance from the sun (chapter 32). This suggests that "the power that moves the planets resides in the body of the sun" (chapter 33). Kepler thinks we should pretty much have seen this coming, considering the "worthiness of eminence of the sun" and the fact that "the source of the world's life ... is the same as the source of the light which forms the adornment of the entire machine, and which is also the source of the heat by which everything grows" (pp. 57-58). Indeed, the motive power's "very close kinship with light" is confirmed by its linear deterioration with distance, since it spreads over the circumference of a circle so to speak (p. 59). Of course one might argue that since light, and perhaps also the motive power, spreads in three dimensions, i.e. over the surface of a sphere, it should obey an inverse square law, but Kepler has already made up his mind on the linear law---"And this is true, both of the steelyard or lever, and of the motion of the planets: that the weakening of power is in the ratio of the distances" (p. 56)---so we stick to two dimensions and conclude that "in all respects and in all its attributes, the motive power from the sun coincides with light ... although this light of the sun cannot be the moving power itself" (p. 59). The motive power instead appears to be of a magnetic nature. "The magnet, however, does not attract with all its parts, but has ... fibers ... extended throughout its length, so that if a little piece of iron is placed in a middle position between the heads of the magnet ... the magnet does not attract it but only directs it parallel to its own fibers. Thus it is credible that there is in the sun no force whatever attracting the planets ... but only a directing force, and consequently that it has circular fibers all set up in the same direction" (chapter 34, p. 69). But what about the equants? This makes them look artificial and silly. Kepler has the answer: equants are nothing but a pale manifestation of a deeper principle, the law of equal areas (chapter 40). Ok, so equants are out. Now what about the orbits? Actually, circular orbits will have to be abandoned altogether, as Kepler proves in the case of Mars in chapter 44, essentially by switching the roles of Mars and the earth in the argument of chapter 24 above. Donahue notes: "Interestingly, Kepler's working notes show that when he first made this comparison, he was sure there must be some error and made a note that he must give some thought to how to adjust the planetary positions to make the orbit circular. Several weeks later, when he was comparing the area law with an equant-based theory, he realised that his physical theory demanded an oval orbit. Only then did he trust the observational evidence!" (p. 85). Ok, so now orbits are ellipses ("ovals"). But what physical principles could possibly explain that? How does the planet know in which direction to turn and at what speed to go if the orbit is so elaborate? "So then, Kepler, would you give each of the planets a pair of eyes? By no means, nor is this necessary, no more than that they need feet or wings in order to move." (sic, chapter 39, p. 75). The magnet analogy suggests a solution. The sun's motive power creates a circular stream, but the planets don't quite follow this stream because they themselves are "magnetic"---this is how the earth can make the moon move---and this interferes with the stream as if the planet held a slowly turning oar in the stream: sometimes it agrees with the stream, sometimes it counteracts it. Kepler does not intend to build a quantitative theory on these grounds, but only to illustrate that the phenomena can be explained by basic physical principles: "I will be satisfied if this magnetic example demonstrates the general possibility of the proposed mechanism." (chapter 57, p. 94).

If there is a way philosophy should be done, this book shows the way. The two central essays of the volume, "Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man", and "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind", are some of the richest pieces in the entire corpus of 20th century philosophy. In the first, Sellars examines the crucial tension between our "ordinary" understanding of ourselves and the world, the Manifest Image, and a "corresponding" picture in the Scientific Image. According to this way of dividing up our confrontation with the world, Behaviorism turns out to belong largely, if not completely, to the Manifest Image of Man. The real drama takes place when the two images confront one another. How he handles this seeming conflict is better left to a primary reading of the text. The same goes for "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind". Neither essay will tolerate a single reading, so be prepared to spend a lot of time with this book. A word on style. Sellars writes much as he spoke, with little edited out. The result is a huge net of convoluted sentences that insist the reader not waste an ounce of concentration on anything else. In the end, there are few philosophical texts in this century that will be as gratifying and challenging as the ones contained in this volume.

This text is Sellars at his very best. The opening essay, "Philsophy and the Scientific Image of Man" is an excellent synoptic overview and introduction. One will find oneself constantly refering back to this essay as one moves on in the text. "The Language of Theories" brilliantly discusses Sellars' teleology, which is a Peirceian progression towards completed science. The centerpiece, of course, is "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind." This is the essay that put Sellars on the map. Along with introducing concepts such as psychological nominalism, it is a brilliant and largely flawless attack on logical empiricism. The text concludes with "Some Reflections on Language Games", a Wittgensteinian discussion centered around the notion that one must "live the game." If you only own one book from Sellars (which is no where near enough), make it this one.

This work is a discussion on topics including religion, education, ethics, humanism and Buddhism/Christianity. Through the dialogue, SGI President Ikeda and Derbolav, professor of education and philosophy at the University of Bonn, offer a bridge between Asian and European cultures.

This book deals with a variety of contemporary problems in the form of a dialogue between Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, the world's largest Buddhist organization, and the late Josef Derbolav (1912-87), then professor emeritus of the University of Bonn and a world-renowned authority on pedagogy and Greek philosophy.

Together they explore a wide range of topics, starting with a discussion of the tension between tradition and modernization in Japan and elsewhere. They compare humanism in East and West, and Buddhism and Christianity.

Focusing on the crucial topic of education, they consider the roles of ethics and religion. They conclude their dialogue by "searching" for a new humanity that can face and conquer the daunting problems we have created in our century, especially overpopulation and destruction of the natural environment.

By selecting the word "search" for their title, the authors consciously stress the dialectic approach, whether it be that of Plato searching for the ideal, Augustine for God, or the bodhisattva of the Buddhist tradition searching for perfect enlightenment. This search for the future is to be based on substantial expertise, the strongest sense of responsibility and the highest degree of self-control.

Therefore, they state, "it is necessary to remember that attaining a new form of humanity entails an inner revolution - a radical alteration of our way of thinking - that will free us from prominent egoistic, commercial, and ideological motivations and at the same time liberate us to the deep and genuine claims of Eastern and Western cultural traditions and such of their treasures as Buddhism and Christianity."

The discussion began in May 1981 when Ikeda visited West Germany and continued in 1982 in Tokyo and then again in 1983 in Bonn. During the intervals, they sustained their dialogue through regular correspondence, clarifying and elaborating their views.

We ordered this textbook after classes started and we received it in great condition earlier than expected!

This book is a must read for anyone studying gender in psychology or human development. It's a wonderful reference for students and can be used as a text or supplement for teachers. It's also excellent for general reading for those interested in understanding women and related issues.

I have used this book to teach Macbeth to 7th graders, and I know several high school teachers who swear by it for grades 9 - 12. It contains helpful critical articles to keep teachers up to date on the latest research in the field, as well as day by day lesson plans. Each unit plan is for about 30 days and contains a variety of performance, film analysis, and close reading lessons as well as quizzes, project topics, and final assignments. Lessons can be easily adapted to fit any grade level, required lesson plan structure, or set of state standards. This is the only book you need to buy.

Do you have HS students who just don't get Shakespeare? Don't even bother because of the language? Here's the book to break the Shakespeare language barrier. I bought this book for a "secondary English class" at college, since then I have bought one for a friend who teaches drama and I have suggested it to all the 9th and 10th grade English teachers at my high school. The three Shapespeare plays this lesson book covers: Midsummer's Night Dream, MacBeth, and Romeo and Juliette. The authors set it up nicely with a calendar for each selection and approximately 22 lessons in each selection. They provided the objective, the materials list, the lesson, any handouts, homework ideas and questions for reflection. All lessons are formated to include some form of kinesiology, i.e. the students wll have to get out of their seats and move around. Some of my favorites...tossing lines, yelling insults, building a shoebox set and stressing the subtext. There are also many essays in the beginning to help the teacher discover more about the connection to main themes and ideas within the Shakespeare experience.

And the best thing was...I am now using some of the ideas for other text which are difficlt for the HS student!

Oh, what a different sort of guide to teaching playwriting! The author (and playwright and teacher) is clearly an expert at sharing the tools needed to write a stageworthy play. And she makes it fun, lots of fun. Like the best writers and teachers everywhere, Maureen Brady Johnson takes the everyday and makes it new -- whether it's a rock on a college campus where students paint (and repaint) messages, Halloween vampire teeth, or a shoe on the highway. Lessons are clearly described along with their objectives. Teachers and writers alike will soon find their copy of this book (like mine) dog-eared from use!

A veteran high school teacher provides intriguing and carefully developed exercises to inspire high school students in developing skills in playwriting. Maureen Brady Johnson's expertise in sparking student creativity is evidenced not only by the inspired exercises she's developed, but by the samples of student writings she includes. Starting with photographs of shoes abandoned on highways--which can be used as the starting point for monologues--Johnson nurtures her students as they develop monologues, then dialogues, then increasingly complex and sophisticated theatrical pieces. This is a book for all who work with creative writing workshops and courses--and for all who aspire to write themselves. The exercises are clearly and fully explained--and, to this university theatre professor, pedagogically sound. Highly recommended.

It's difficult to believe no one has compiled a text like this for students of writing. It might be because instructors of writing don't know how to teach writing--in particular, prose fiction. Another possibility is that writing teachers don't have much common sense. Perhaps that is why a novelist put together this clever text: samples of major fiction writers with explications on style, vocabulary, voice, tone, structure, character, etc. As for the plethora of rhetorics, guides, handbooks, readers, etc., they are 'not fit for Christian ear to hear" nor the ears of Muslims, Jews, Jains, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. If you are a college student, tell your teacher about this book.

Delbanco takes us into unpopular waters with "The Sincerest Form," but it is very much worth the voyage. Imitation is one of the most effective ways to learn, and this book can guide you where many, perhaps rightly fearful of [...], would be unlikely to take you. In a progression of exercises of imitation and revision, Delbanco shows how much you can learn from, well, from copying others. Incidentally, this is the only required text from one of my college classes that I have actually found useful. I guess that tells you something.

I'm using this textbook and study guide for an online course from UC-Berkeley, so I don't have the advantage of physically present professors or students who I can ask questions. However, they are entirely unnecessary for this book.

Gelles is nationally reknowned for his work in sociology, and he conveys his love for it in this textbook. He and his co-authors write with skill and portray their inside-and-out familiarity with the subject. They also pass on some of their love for it. Sociology is the subject I look forward to studying each morning.

The pictures and excellent examples also make this book easy and fun to read and study. It's straightforward and written so clearly that an 8th Grader would have no trouble using the book either. Each point the authors make is backed up with fascinating historical scenarios or illustrations from sociological research.

I highly recommend this book!

I was spoiled to have Dr. Gelles be my professor while I was using the textbook for my intro course at Penn. The textbook itself draws in many interesting sociological concepts using examples from real research and historical data. I don't see why someone who wants to learn about sociology, history, and a lot of other things wouldn't just read this book. The book is well organized and designed to culminate knowledge from previous chapters to develop the sociological imagination.

eric is great with his books and his prices please if you need a book and eric has it buy it from him he is realiable as well.
thanks for your time,
leslie ann barra

Most of you who will buy this book, will probably do so because it is required in a SOC101 class. If you have to buy this book, be happy, because this is an excellent book that covers a broad spectrum of Sociology. If you are wanting to enrich your knowledge of Sociology, then look no further. This is an excellent supplement for any other text.

This text is very informative in an easy to read and digest manner. The wording is extremely user friendly with interesting facts on sociological issues around the world. The book is filled with moving photographs of the plights of people around our country and the world. All in all, this is an enhanced edition that is made to surround the topics of Sociology in a manner that is comprehendable and fun. You will be happy that you bought it.