Humanities Books

I was surprised to find that the topics in this book are rather recent. Seeing as how most text books that cover "curent" topics,aren't curent at all, but rather from at least a decade ago.

Great for the beginning sociology student!

I purchased this book for a university course in Sociology and can't recommend it enough. It's written in plain everyday language (no technical jargon) and all the concepts are explained simply yet in a way which naturally draws the student's/reader's attention and interest. My course was made easier and more interesting thanks to this book and the style in which it is written. Thanks to Michael Hughes and Carolyn Kroehler for such a well-written, interesting and innovative textbook.

'I found in Alexander's 'Space Time and Deity' his theory of 'Enjoyment' and 'Contemplation'. These are technical terms in Alexander's philosophy. 'Enjoyment' has nothing to do with pleasure, nor 'Contemplation with the contemplative life. When you see a table you 'enjoy' the act of seeing and 'contemplate' the table.. . .I accepted this distinction at once and have ever since regarded it as an indispensable tool of thought. . . .Instead of the twofold division of Conscious and Unconscious, we need a threefold division: the Unconscious, the Enjoyed, and the Contemplated.'

-CS Lewis, 'Surprised by Joy'

If D. B. Larson is the Father of the Theory of the Universe of Motion, then Prof. Samuel Alexander is the Grandfather. I've read STD four times, and each time I've learned more. Alexander's metaphysics is empirical and systematic, the opposite of Hegel's. He starts with pure space-time (motion in a line), moves on to photons (vibrations), matter, chemical compounds, biological cells, the human mind, and Deity. Space and Time are not separate, but combined in Motion, which is the fundamental component of the universe. Time is the "mind" of Space, and the "nisus" of Time brings out the succeeding empirical levels; at each level there is something corresponding to mind and body. We "enjoy" our mind and "contemplate" our body and other existents. The categories (properties) of Space-Time belong to each piece of it; Kant is wrong in declaring that the categories belong to the human mind only. The theory is realist, not idealist, and is very well thought out and very well written out. Larson's book Beyond Space and Time is basically a scientific formulation of the same concepts (with a few differences, e.g. with a less social ethics). In reading Alexander you will be in the company of perhaps the greatest metaphysical mind of the 20th century. Other philosophers seem like flunkies by comparison!

George Saint-Laurent has written a poneering study on the inner meaning of the world's major religions. The author explores how beievers may find in each of them a guide to enhance their lives, so long as they are totally committed to the tenets of their faith. There is a great deal of information in these chapters that will enable a reader in one community to come into contact with less familiar traditions of other religions. The book is at its best when it presents insights into the relationship between God and humans, which the great religious traditions promote in their several ways.

Dr.Saint-Laurent covers an enormous territory in remarkably few words (less than 300 pages). He accomplishes this not by reduction but with intelligent economy of language: this is a jargon-free book. Saint-Laurent crosses major religous boundries without stepping on toes, and reveals in clear language the theme and variations of human spirituality. Spirituality and World Religions functions as an enjoyable read,a college text,an outline,a reference,and a source of enlightenment. This book is a true example of the fact that the intellect and the soul are highly compatible.

I glanced through this book while waiting for service in a local bank. I was so impressed with the pictures and drawings that I am ordering it for my husband's birthday. By that time I'll have found my glasses and will be able to enjoy the words too. Great detail about Nevada.

It was simply unbelievable. I was amazed at the sheer horse sense that it showed. The illustrations were breathtaking and I thank my lucky stars that I read it. I love Ron Oden who is so beautiful. His use of color was breathtaking. If there is a god it is Ron Oden.

This is the best book for "style acting" I have seen. As an acting teacher, I know how hard it is to formulate an approach to acting which resonates with all actors. This book is a rich, detailed approach to many different styles -- from the Greeks to Postmodern -- incorporating movement, costuming, psychology, world view, euphemisms, religion, vocal patterns, statua, and much more. Indispensable!

Style for actors gives the readers and student a clear defintion of what it means to perform in a period, style or manner. Barton clearly defines everything you need to know in order to perform at the height of your ability. HIGHLY RECOMENDED. THIS BOOK RULES.

As a fiction writer, poetry has always seemed somehow mystical to me. This wonderful book makes it as accessible and understandable as my own stories. Bless the authors for so wonderful a resource!

In this highly readable text, Wormser and Cappella pose as "Mr. P.," a veteran English teacher who puts poetry at the center of his teaching. The text itself poses as Mr. P.'s journal and is reminiscent of Thoreau's Walden Pond. Taking us through a single school year, Mr. P. records in an engaging, unprofessorial manner both a philosophy of teaching and a rationale for making poetry an integral and daily part of the English curriculum. In separate entries, he describes his interactions with poems and with students. Woven throughout these entries are poems, teaching strategies, poetry prompts, and tips on guiding students through analysis of poems--their own and others'. Teachers who are already committed to poetry will find much here to re-energize their teaching; teachers who are not fully comfortable with poetry will gain confidence and may well find their teaching of poetry revolutionized.

Any and all of Sontag's works and the volumes of articles and books written about her are listed here. Indexed! Intelligently done! Bravo!

Keep in mind that this is an annotated bibliography. That means Sontag's work is given precise descriptions, and the reviews and essays about her work are also summarized. Even better, Poague has the single best introduction to Sontag's career that is available. It should be read in conjunction with his introduction to CONVERSATIONS WITH SUSAN SONTAG. I can't think of a better way for anyone studying or writing about Sontag to gain access to so much knowledge so quickly. Certainly Poague's work proved to be indispensable to my wife and me when we were writing our biography of Sontag.

What an extraordinary enterprise this is: the reconstruction, largely from oral or late sources, of the celebrated fables or parables told by a once-famous rabbinical teacher and thinker from Eastern Europe, from a culture which, though European and Jewish, is as strange to the average Westerner as any alien civilization. These Jews believed in reincarnation; they developped complex historical schemes of interpretation; they had their own numerology and their own philosophy. Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav was, according to Buber, both the last and the greatest of this line of mystical philosophers. Always a controversial figure - he suffered the violent opposition of a whole opposing Jewish party in his own shtetl, which he seems to have taken with Gandhi-like non-violence - he was above all the author of a number of complex, elaborate and, dare I say, beautiful tales expressing his own view of the nature, origin and destiny of man and God. A later and rather different Jewish genius, the cartoonist Jack Kirby, has unhesitatingly ascribed the success of Jews in all the American arts and media to the influence of the Jewish tradition of storytelling, learned at home at one's mother's knee, and bearing fruit throughout life in a natural aptitude for putting complex ideas and views of life in narrative form. These tales show you where he came from; they are of a complexity that bespeaks an ancient and proud narrative culture, and they are capable of bearing the most profound intellectual meaning. As for their author, Rabbi Nachman himself, they reveal not only deep humanity and a visionary imagination, but also features very unexpected in a Chassidic Jewish teacher - a warm appreciation of human and animal beauty, and a temper to understand and forgive rather than condemn or exclude. However, this book is to be treasured not only, perhaps not even mainly, because of its own literary and intellectual excellence, but because it is the resurrection of the last testimony of a great European tradition, now vanished or changed out of all recognition, but fascinating and worthy of respect in its own right.

Rabbi Nachman is one of the great leaders of Hasidism. Even today there is a whole group of Hasidism who consider him their ' rebbe' and walk in his way. The great presenter of the Hasidic message as he interpreted it to the Western world , Martin Buber in this work presents an introduction to the life and work of Rabbi Nachman, and presents six of his tales which he translated to German and which have been translated from the German by Maurice Friedman. These tales are truly 'parable-like mystical tales' and compel the reader to seek new interpretations of them. The volume concludes with an essay by Buber on Rabbi Nachman's Journey to the Holy Land. This is an excerpt from the concluding chapter. "Herein the land of Israel, the purification of the imagination takes place.It is not for nothing that the sounds of the word adama soil, and medame imagination , resemble one another: the fullness of the elements comes to the imagination from the earth.But the purification of the imagination by faith can take place no other way than through the consecrated earth and the consecrated earth is here in the land of Israel".

If you are young or inexperienced band or orchestra director you must have this book. It's filled with great suggestions for running your ensemble, as well as sample forms to use for your program. Health forms, playing test examinations, it has everything you will need. A fantastic reference, and a book that makes me much more confidant going into my first teaching position.

I first read Cooper's "Teaching Band and Orchestra" during one of my undergraduate instrumental methods courses. My professor noted that this was the first year he had used this text, having switched to it due to what he believed was its practical and accessible nature. As a first-year music educator now, I find my professor's words ring true, since I find myself referring to it quite often between classes for refreshment and to find ideas I may not have thought of myself.

By far, of all the books on teaching instrumental music I have read, Cooper's text is the most practical and comprehensive. Everything a beginning music teacher needs to run a successful band or orchestra program is here in this book. Cooper first explores various philosophies behind instrumental music education in order to make one think about what one's primary goals in teaching are and what one wants their students to experience from being in an ensemble.

Next, Cooper devotes an enitre section to beginning instrumental ensembles. From recruiting and retention to selecting appropriate method books, Cooper covers a myriad of issues that the elementary instrumental teacher faces on a daily basis. From there, Cooper procedes to the junior high and high school level, discussing how one helps one's ensembles to grow and mature, as well as how to maintain the vast adminstrative aspects involved with running a high school instrumental program.

One of the best features of this book is the wealth of sample materials Cooper has included. Sample lesson plans at all levels, letters to parents, concert programs, band handbooks - all are present and are based upon Cooper's actual materials that he used during his career in the public schools. Being able to actually have references for formatting, tone, and style has helped me immensely so far in my career. Cooper has also been invaluable in helping me to assemble my school's band handbook; his advice on what to include and what not to include alone is worth the price of this book.

Overall, I consider this book to be the Bible of instrumental music texts. No teacher of band or orchestra at any level should be without this work. Even seasoned veterans will find new ideas that they may be interested in incorporating into their lessons. It comes with a very durable hardcover binding that will take the punishment associated with being opened, thumbed through, and dog-eared over and over again. In summary, Cooper's text is an invaluable addition to any music educator's reference library.

Finally a book just for music teachers who want to learn new new techniques for use in the classroom. Frierson-Campbell and the individual teachers contributing to this two-volumn collection present novel ways of teaching music students. A must!

This book is an absolute MUST for any teacher who is teaching, or is planning to teach in an urban setting. I found much of the content very practical and useful.