Western Books

I stumbled onto David Loy's work after years of reading books concerning Heidegger, phenomenology and (recently) Buddhism. And I will have to say that I am now a very enthusiastic David Loy fan. This book has provided a kind of philosophical "glue" that has suddently made sense of the past 15 years of Heidegger. If you are interested in Buddhism and phenomenology I strongly suggest you buy up everything David Loy has written and read it twice. Very accessible. Very creative.

I am a great admirer of David Loy's work, especially his book "Lack and Transcendence." This work is chock full of fascinating information and discussions, and I have learned a great deal from it, but the material Loy presents for discussion is a good deal better than the conclusions he draws from it. Loy's philosophical background is in the Heigegger/Derrida continental tradition, and unfortunately he has inherited some of the logical sloppiness of that tradition. Worse, and this is a flaw that pervades just about the whole book, is that he seems not to fully understand that the Nagarjunian theory of the two truths means that you cannot meaningfully mix the conventional mode of discourse with the ultimate. Certainly you cannot draw logical conclusions from such a mixture. This failure to grasp the most foundational point of Madhyamika leads to a variety of confusion, such as his discusson of the role of sense organs in non-dual perception. Worse, it completely undermines the thesis of his central chapter, the Deconstruction of Dualism, in which he tries to show that fundamental identity of the different non-dual traditions he discusses: Mahayana Buddhism, Sankara's Advaita Vedanta, and Taoism. Loy's is certainly the most sophisticated attempt I have seen to defend this "perennial philosophy" blenderized view of eastern religions, but all Loy succeeds in doing is to create the proverbial the coal bin at midnight in which all cats are black.

But I still recommend this book. It is full of treasures, and it is a pleasure to enter into a mental discussion with a writer as sharp and learned as Loy.

This book is absolutely brilliant. If you're grappling with the subject of nonduality then this should put you straight (at least intellectually!) - I've read parts of this book numerous times, and the sections on the deconstruction of nonduality and Derrida are mindblowing stuff. Loy has nailed 'it'.

Flawed? Only in the sense that it uses language to describe something that subverts language and avoids description. That's saying a lot, but Loy can be forgiven for that - even Lao Tsu and Nagarjuna wrote a book!

David Loy has done a superb job of being true to the standards of academic comparative philosophy, true to the traditions, and true to direct pointing to transconceptual awareness, all at the same time--which is every bit as rare as it is desperately needed. But then, I would expect nothing less from a philosophy professor who is also a spiritual teacher in the Zen tradition. Don't pass this one up.

David Loys book is simply too far ahead of its time. That's why it is so under-appreciated (see the lukewarm editorial reviews).
In 20 years this will be a classic. If your "on the verge" this book can help you do the quantum-leap.

I just got done reading this book.Although I was skeptical at first because I get bored easy.I dont know if it was because I know the authors son or if it was Mr.Courtney's quick wit that kept me glued.I found myself asking the same question,"is Courtney going to ever take this war serious?"Through his faith in God and himself,I believe that is the reason he made it home.What I've learned from this book is that.Lifes a journey embrass it and live life to fullest.I will be keeping this book for my children to read.Thanks Kelly for the recommendation.And thank you Mr.Courtney for my freedom and my childrens:)

The thing that aways amazes me is how many really good memoirs have come out by veterans of WW2. The extraoridnary events that they lived through made such indelible impressions that very similiar stories can be told by countless story tellers and they always seem fresh. This is a very descriptive well written account and the author comes across as the kind of guy you'dove to meet. Highly recommended.

My father served in Co G, 104th Regiment 26th Infantry - a sister company to the author's. He refused to talk about the war. When he passed away in 1990, I found his short written memoirs penned during recuperation from wounds suffered in Germany while in an English hospital. Reading this book alongside his memoirs was an incredible experience for me. It filled in many blanks by being much more complete - yet was absolutely true in time, place, and tone with my father's notes. It was like he came back and finally decided to tell me his stories. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Richard D Courtney's 'Normandy to the Bulge' book is a well done account overall. Courtney was a Pfc with the Yankee Division (26th Infantry) in a 57mm gun platoon. Unfortunately the author does not go into too much detail on the various combat actions he was invloved in but there are a few tidbits I thought you might find interesting.

-The 57mm gun had removable gun shield extensions. He said most folks would take these off after awhile because the extra weight and having them bang around was annoying. They figured the thin metal wouldn'd help much against enemy fire anyway. Might be nice for some divirsity to have a few of your 57mm guns without shields.

-He talks a lot about the 'truck' that pulled the guns. He finally states it was a 1 1/4 ton truck. He never mentions half-tracks at all.

-Every enemy tank he mentions is a Tiger! I can't believe they all were so I wonder if this was just lack of detail on his part, foggy memory, or the old cliche that every American thought the German tank they were facing was a Tiger?!

-He notes the ineffectiveness of the 57mm gun against tanks and how they had to try and get side shots. They relied a lot on the TDs to do the real work. He was with the gun through the very end of the war. He talks about acting as infantry a lot with the guns left somewhere especially towards the end of the war.

-He mentions that the German AT guns were very well balanced and easy to move by just two guys. The 57mm gun he said was very unbalanced and very heavy and awkward to move even with four guys.

My dad was in M, Co. 104th Rgt. same as author. I lost him on Memorial Day 1969 before he ever had a chance to discuss his experiences as I was only 20. I have been searching for people who were there, and in finding this book, it showed me very clearly how proud I am of him. Thank you Richard for sharing this with all of us.

Loved it - especially the photo's and of course the 'story' - makes it easier to understand what the people went thru just to have a home.
have always been interested in this period. Hubby and I are members of a western club - main period is 1875-1890, but knowing more about the whole period 1800 onwards helps to get the clothing and the attitude right.
looking for more books ...
bye for now
Jacqueline (alias Ruby)

Pioneer Women-The Lives of Women on the Frontier is a must for collectors of western lore-whether as used for reference or just for reading pleasure this book delves into little covered issues and answers the questions previously unmentioned regarding women on the frontier. From traveling west to every day life, from cooking to birth control, women domestic pioneers to women entrepreneurs; if you have a question about the lives of women in the 1800's this book probably has the answer in its pages.

This book will open your eyes up to the way things were a century and a half ago. Back to the basics is an understatement. Imagine raising 8 children on a farm that you had to establish yourself because your husband and other family members perished on the trip west to get to an unknown territory far far away from immediate family? These women did it. They survived and thier children either a: lived and learned the life or b: died from illness or accidents. This is very graphic and very personable to the very core of many women's souls. Women who kept diaries on the Oregon Trail in 1850 and onwards. Women who were always "in the background" keeping the family fed, clothed, silent and schooled. Women are most definitly the most gentle and most strong of the sexes.. Why? Because they have a continuous human spirit and one that gets them through the toughest of times of all.
Please read this book and with that said.. the pictures in this book are a historian's dream!

This book is nicely divided into different phases of western life, like traveling the trail, family, homelife, etc. The pictures are fantastic. It's a fast read and perfect for anyone interested in this time period. Higly recommended.

This book is very informative on the pioneer womens' behalf. It shows their hardships and their strengths. The fortitude and endurance these women had is amazing. The photos are excellent too.

Hollander puts the selective moral outrage and selective acceptance of evidence of the Left on parade as he follows these blinkered one's through the various Potemkin Villages of the Totalitarians, from the October revolution forward into most of the 20th century. Smug arrogance knows no political party or religious faith, no gender, race or sexual preference, it seems to be evenly spread among us. In this instance the highly developed capacity for self-deception of the Left is on trial and an amusing trial at that. Their tortured explanations of the intellectually unexplainable are a fictive of mankind's marvelous ability "to transform things to the liking of his desires".

Like all those who are "blowin' in the wind", these intellectual hard heads do not seek truth, but instead to validate their worldview. This book is a study of intellectuals, estrangement and its consequences.

Hollander hits an important nail on its head. Many members of the intellectual left have a horrible track record of either excusing or turning a blind eye to the brutality of socialist dictators. As such, many twentieth century leftists served as apologists for evil socialist dictators. Of course, these same people have no difficulty finding fault with the US and UK. No problem in the West is too small to warrant condemnation in their eyes.

The sad truth is that the vision of an egalitarian society has been romanticized and popularized. Even today there are some who defend and even promote the USSR. Hollander counters this nonsense with evidence. Unfortunately, there are still some ideologues to whom evidence means nothing. We need more scholars like Hollander.

Political Pilgrims is the amazing story of how Western intellectuals embraced Marxist tyrants at the very moment their colleagues were rotting in prison cells, and the common people everyone claimed to be concerned for, were starving. The book relates how cultural and religious leaders from the West, including familiar names, visited the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and other communist countries, and told the most appalling lies to flatter their hosts and express their contempt for Western society. It is quite an education, as another reviewer put it. Marx's revolutionary myth dominated history for the better part of the 20th Century, and if we are serious about not repeating the errors of that period, this book should be a part of our education. The short story Buddha's Smile in Solzhenitsyn's masterpiece, The First Circle, brilliantly tells the same story, from the point of view of Soviet prisoners. Lewis Feuer's Marx and the Intellectuals compares Marx and Engels themselves with the kind of people Hollander is describing. I also recommend the writings of the Rumanian philosopher, pastor, and former prisoner, Richard Wurmbrand.

Hollander retells George Keenan's story of a Norwegian radical who, when asked what country he most admired, said, "Albania." Keenan noted that the student obviously knew nothing of Albania, but chose that country "simply because it seems to be a club with a particularly sharp nail at the end of it with which to beat one's own society."

The same reactionary psychology has, it seems to me, been transferred in our day to an uncritical and naive attraction towards what is (simplistically) called "eastern religion." One could write an even longer book about how Westerners project their fantasies on monist ideologies: people like Joseph Campbell and Karen Armstrong "explaining" human sacrifice, the Theosophical Society standing up for caste, Arthur C. Clarke (Did he know much more of Asian history than the Albanian radical knew of Albania?) describing Buddhism as "the only faith that never became stained with blood." Even Hollander allowed that, "While the suspension of disbelief has its place in human life, it belongs more to the religious (or asthetic) than the political realm." But his book should be read, in my opinion, as a warning against all forms of ideological naivite. A love of truth, and a determination to tell it no matter how out of fashion it may seem, is essential to integrity in all walks of life. Political Pilgrims vividly illustrates, in the political realm, the evil that can be done when honesty plays second fiddle to fashion.....

This is an awesome book which helps the reader understand why intellectuals always seem to be on the wrong side of history. They loved Communism even when it was obvious that Lenin & Stalin were exterminating hoards of people! They are defective in their thinking and they stick to it. The author has a quote at the beginning of the book. "A GREAT DEAL OF INTELLEGENCE CAN BE INVESTED IN IGNORANCE WHEN THE NEED FOR ILLUSION IS DEEP." (Saul Bellows) . This book walks you through the 'needs' that these intellectuals seem to have which continually seems to cause them to deny the stark realities around them & cling to their 'ideologies'. I am so glad I read this book as I just laugh now when I hear so much of what is on the news. I GET IT!

25 years ago, "Political Pilgrims" documented beyond any doubt the willing self-deception of intellectuals in love with the totalitarian regimes in Cuba, China, the Soviet Union and East Germany. The debate no longer rages over whether these countries were "freer" than their counterparts in the West. They aren't. What hasn't changed, however, is the continued willingness of intellectuals to find paradise anywhere but in the US.

Paul Hollander brings his trademark meticulousness to the study of Intellectuals who travel to what used to be referred to as Worker's Paradises. Using mountains of evidence, one cannot help but be persuaded that Western Intellectuals experience such a depth of alienation from their cultural birthplace, that they become morally blind to the abuses of its antagonists.

What's truly remarkable, is that none of this has changed. One merely needs to point to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and it's grotesque representation of Hussein's Iraq as an innocently peaceful place of playful children and mothers. At no point in that execrable movie does he mention the mass graves or torture chambers.

Michael, post your wish list on Amazon and I'll send you this book. Promise.

This my first introduction to Garrison Keillor and I've since never missed an piece of work by him. How I laughed to "O Captain, My Captain" and "Tomato Butt"!! And of course, the memorable "Casey at Bat". It's wonderful to listen to over and over. You would not go wrong purchasing this item, nor buying any of his works! Highest Recommendations!

Garrison keeler is at his best when he is telling these stories which he is best known for. Radio shows are way before my time and this was sort of an "acquired taste" for me. Now I can't get enough of him. I can listen to this over and over. It is very comforting and, as others have said, excellent on the road!

I love Prarie Home and Garrison, and this is a great collection. However, it is all music and Tales from Lake Wobegon - none of the other sketches or comedy routines I was hoping for. So, no complaints about what's on the four CDs - just complaints about what's not! I will try one of the other anniversary collections!

Color me displeased. I bought this for Julia, Lover's Waltz, Pioneer Waltz and some other items from my cassette and lo and behold they have been removed from this package. I still give it 5 stars overall because it is PHC but this is a warning for others. Ok, I am editing this as I just noticed a change... They added a table of contents... FROM THE TAPE. Removing content from one edition to another and then advertising the earlier more complete edition makes this just plain wrong.

I had this set on cassette long ago and recently replaced it with a set on CD from amazon.com. I enjoy A Prairie Home Companion and enjoyed listening to the rest of the humor and music in this set, but the reason I bought a second set is for a Peter Ostroushko composition called "Pioneer Waltz" which is so beautiful it literally moves me to tears.

The same composition appears on another Peter Ostroushko CD, but this version is significant superior. Incredible music, easily worth the price of this set and then some. I've never heard anything like it. It is a profound work of art.

An excellent and very needed book in the English speaking world where so much of what we read and learn is from the British point of view with all the prejudices of the British thrown in. A valuable book for those who wish to get a more balanced view of the war by reading about both the British and the French. A caution, however, as one finds the british accounts onesided, there are moments in reading the book where i got the feeling the author was anti-British. But it doesn't detract from the overall excellence in providing a seldem heard aspect of the war.

Most histories of the First World War have focused on the British or German perspective. This is a history of the French operations, which provided the bulk of the resistance to the Germans on the western front.

Histories of the First World War suffered from partisan books written directly after the war that gave a caricatured version of operations. They suggested that French and British generals failed to appreciate the impact of modern technology and simply used men as cannon fodder. This book is one that seeks to counter that view and show how the French commanders reacted to the success and failure of operations and developed strategies which evolved during the war to lessen the loss of human life and develop more efficient methods of attack and defence. In fact the year of 1914 saw one of the French Armies considerable triumphs the defeat of the German movement through Belgium aimed at outflanking the French line. This success occurred when the Germans devoted the majority of their army to the western front in an attempt to gain an early victory. England at the time had only mobilised a small army so the defeat of the Germans was a remarkable victory.

One of the interesting points made by the book is that some 50% of the French losses occurred in the first year of the war before the development of the trench system. The reason of course was that before the development of the trenches when there was the war of movement infantry were much more vulnerable to artillery fire. In 1915 when the French attacked again and again in an attempt to aid the Russian offensives the losses were although substantial far less than in the disastrous first year. The losses suffered in resisting the German offensive at Verdun again were again less than in 1915. It was only in 1918 that France carried out the series of attacks that finally led to Germany's capitulation that the casualty figures increased to levels close to 1915.

The book is interesting as it shows how the French developed tactics over time. The rolling barrage to protect the infantry in its advance. The notion of the flexible defence so that infantry was kept away from the front line to avoid the heavy losses which resulted from opening barrages and instead using counter attacks and the holding of key points to inflict casualties on the attacker.

In fact it is clear that the French became frustrated with the English under Haig who launched his Somme offensive without using the sorts of advances in strategy that had been developed by the French and Germans thus turning that battle into a costly stalemate. One of the attractions of the book is that it shows the history of the English campaign and issues though an observers eyes.

The book also reveals how close the Germans came to victory in 1918. If Ludendorff had been able to move more quickly to separate the English and French armies in detail he could have won. Instead he relied on costly staged offensives delayed so much that the French and English were able to hang on.

Despite the loss of the major industrial section of their country the French were able to turn their country into an arsenal producing ¾ of the weapons that were used by the Americans. Huge numbers of tanks aircraft and heavy artillery.

The book also shows clearly the importance of the operations in Macedonian in hastening the end of the war. The attack on this front in `1918 led to Bulgaria being forced out of the war. This broke the German supply line to Turkey which meant that the British under Allenby were able to advance from Egypt easily also defeating that country. Lastly the surrender of Bulgaria opened up yet another front that the weakened Austro-Hungarian Empire could not hold. One of the more interesting books on the First World War which is valuable in giving another perspective on the conflict.

Robert Doughty's 2005 "Pyrrhic Victory" may be the most extensive English-language account available of Franch strategy and operations during the First World War. Doughty has combed a variety of archives to document that, contrary to popular myth, France sought throughout 1914-1918 to execute a coherent strategy of fighting a multi-front war in order to maintain pressure on Germany. Moreover, France executed this strategy despite increasing shortages of manpower, a ferocious battlefield learning curve for its general officers, and several crises of confidence.

France understood itself in 1914 to be at a distinct disadvantage in population and industrial base with respect to Germany. This disadvantage drove France to seek out allies throughout the war. France would rely on the huge but unsophisticated Russian Army to force Germany to fight a two-front war and on a reluctant Great Britain to help defend France itself.

In 1914, France and Britain narrowly avoided defeat in a war of movement that culminated in the miracle victory at the Battle of the Marne. As the Western Front stabilized into hundreds of kilometers of opposing trenches, France and its allies would spend the next four years trying to break the stalemate in France while applying pressure on German and its allies through operations in Turkey, the Balkans, Italy and Eastern Europe.

Doughty recounts the tense struggles between French civilian and military leaders over the best way to identify and carry out a winning strategy. The inability to impose a decisive battle on the Western Front in 1914 led to experimentation with siege tactics, renewed offensives in 1915, and a reluctant acceptance of a strategy of attrition by 1916. A premature return to a strategy of decisive battle in early 1917 nearly broke the French Army. France leaned heavily on the British Army to carry the load during much of 1917 while suppressing mutinies and scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. Key changes in leadership, especially the elevation of Generals Petain and Foch, enabled France to ride out the supreme crisis of renewed German offensives in early 1918. The arrival in numbers of trained U.S. troops on the front lines by summer 1918 enabled the Allies to go over to the offensive and finally defeat an exhausted German Army.

Doughty's narrative makes clear what a close-run thing the Allied victory was. Despite a total nation effort to field and equip an enormous Army, France had been bled white by 1917 and was completely exhausted in the military sense by 1918. The maturation of a mass British Army on the continent, and the creation of a mass American Army in France, both events fostered by French leadership, enabled France to persevere to a pyrrhic victory that may have gutted its national resources and will for a generation.

"Pyrrhic Victory" is a scholarly work written perhaps as much for other scholars as for the general reader, who may find it a long dry effort at over 500 pages. Doughty has included some good maps; this reviewer wishes he had included a few more. Doughty's discussion of French strategy and operations might have included more commentary on corresponding German actions, making the external context of French actions a little clearer.

These minor criticisms aside, this is an exceptional work of military history, very highly recommended to students of the First World War, especially those seeking insight to evolving French strategy.

As has been noted there are a rash of english language books on the Anglo and American participation of the war. The battle of the Somme and the 1918 offensive are covered in detail in most books on the war. Anyone with a serious interest knows about the destruction of the British regular army and England's officer class. We read about the war at sea because of England's involvement.

Few books have concentrated on the French aspect except to mention the Mutiny's, the miracle of 1914 and of course the mention the damage done to the French nation by the death of so many Frenchmen.

THis book is parhaps one of a kind then because it gives the English language reader insight into the French strategy. Mostly a strategy that hs been mocked or passed over. Most have viewed the 1917 offensive as one more ill-concevied blood bath leading directly to mutiny. Many know about Verdun, however the rest of the front, some 70% of it was manned by Frenchmen. The French army shared the burden of the war on the western front. Here we are given a fuller picture of the french general staff, of Foch and Petain and of the french strategy in more minute detail. Keegan and others have done wonderful books on WWI, the more specific study will sppeal to those with a genuine interest in the period. A worthwhile read.

Seth J. Frantzman

Despite the fact that the French Army carried the bulk of the Allied war effort on the Western Front in 1914-18, it has rarely received its due in First World War historiography. Brigadier General (ret.) Robert A. Doughty, head of West Point's history department for twenty years, seeks to correct that omission in his Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War. Overall, this is an erudite, well-written book for professional military officers and historians and an essential addition to any serious library on the First World War.

This book consists of ten chapters, with one on pre-war doctrine, eight that each cover about six months of the war and a conclusion. The initial chapter on transformation examines pre-war doctrine and strategic planning. Despite first-rate intelligence on German order of battle, the author notes that the French expected an invasion of Belgium but thought that the Germans lacked the reserves to make a deep penetration. The French Army was also fairly well equipped for war, but the neglect of heavy artillery was a serious omission. Furthermore, the author notes that initial combat on the borders indicated "the bankruptcy of French tactical doctrine and the inadequacy of their artillery," although these flaws were not immediately apparent to General Joffre, the French commander-in-chief. Indeed, the author paints a poor picture of Joffre in August 1914, as a commander who blamed others for his faulty operational plan, failed to concentrate his forces and ignored intelligence about enemy intentions. On the other hand, Joffre showed marked improvement in September 1914 by effectively utilizing France's railroads to mass forces for the Battle of the Marne - a victory which the author notes to Joffre's credit.

Once the war shifted to a static phase in 1915, the author notes that the French failure to defend vital coal and steel regions at the start of the war hindered their long-term war industrial potential. It is not uncommon that military men ignore economic factors until they are faced with shortages. As the French Army gradually shifted to an offensive strategy in 1915, the author describes how Joffre succeeded in creating a substantial reserve force but that the early attacks were costly failures due to limited artillery support. Two competing offensive doctrines emerged: Joffre's "continuous battle," which envisaged a massive `big push' style attack, and the "methodical battle" advocated by younger generals such as Foch and Petain. While Joffre believed that a decisive breakthrough on the Western Front was possible, more realistic officers such as Petain realized that it was no longer possible and that the conflict had become a war of attrition. However, Joffre set the strategic agenda well into 1916 and he adamantly opposed diversions such as operations in the Mediterranean that took troops away from his `big push' offensives on the Western Front. It was not until near-disaster at Verdun that Joffre realized the demands of attrition warfare and promoted defense-in-depth against German counterattacks. Also, by 1916 the French Army had finally corrected its deficiencies in heavy artillery, which transformed its operational potential. Yet unlike Germany, France did not opt for total war as Germany did, with its political leaders placing limits on bombing German cities and the use of chemical warfare.

By the end of 1916, French officers such as Nivelle, Petain and Foch had developed new methods of infantry-artillery coordination that enabled the French Army to launch short, but effective attacks. Nivelle became a little too enamored of these new tactics and when he replaced Joffre, he attempted to use them to achieve a major breakthrough in the ill-fated Nivelle offensive. The mutiny that resulted from Nivelle's poor judgment nearly broke the French Army, but it was Petain that saved it from dissolution. Petain adopted a new program for the army that emphasized material over haphazard use of infantry and this program emphasized aircraft, heavy artillery, tanks and chemicals. Ultimately, Petain found the material key to victory but it was Foch - who finally became the unified commander of Allied forces in the desperate days of 1918 - who found the morale key to victory.
Pyrrhic Victory also offers readers a very different perspective on British actions. From the French perspective, the BEF was not pulling its fair share of the load in 1914-15 and British offensives were rather puny. While the author does not denigrate the British, Belgian or American contributions to victory, this book helps to illuminate the major role played by the French in achieving that victory. Although starting out wrong-footed, the French Army survived a major offensive by one of the best armies in the world, adapted and eventually developed the means to push that enemy off its soil. While the price of victory was crippling, there is no doubt that the French Army in the First World did far more than merely `survive' until the Americans came to `rescue them.'

Gordon H. Clark once wrote that Brand Blanshard was the most important American philosopher of twentieth century. Why would Clark (a staunch Calvinist) say this about Blanshard (a signer of the Secular Humanist Manifesto)? Well, read this book.

Blanshard was a rationalist who disagreed with the dominant empiricist trend in philosophy. Like just about everyone prior to Hume, Blanshard had a full-orbed conception of reason. Philosophy is not limited to describing "linguistic conventions," but actually tell us something about the nature of the world.

REASON AND ANALYSIS starts with a discussion of traditional conception of reason (and its recent enemies) and then begins a full-scale assault on analytic philosophy. There is a particularly excellent discussion of a priori reasoning, which demolishes logical positivism and also demonstrates that logic is neither a linguistic convention nor the arbitrary creation of the mind.

My only complaint with this book is its length: 500 pages. Considering that much of what Blanshard destroyed has gone the way of a 1970's sitcom, this might seem excessive. On the other hand, if you are interested in learning about the differences between the early Moore and the later Moore, the early Russell and the later Russell, logical atomism and logical positivism and the like, you get something of an encyclopedic approach to the issue. It's tempting to ignore all the differences in nuance in various schools and thinkers, but the attention to detail only magnifies our appreciation of this work.

This is one of the most painstakingly argued philosophies I have ever encountered. Blanshard is obsessive-compulsive in his maniacal destruction of the philosophies of Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russel. Brand Blanshard is a man on the warpath; he will not be satisfied until every aspect of the aforementioned philosophies has been ground into dust. And indeed they are ground into dust. I do not see how anyone could be taken in by the concepts of Russel and Wittgenstein after reading this book.

All of this is not to say that Blanshard is a parasitic writer. There is more to this book than simply the destruction of other peoples' life's work. However, after reading _Reason and Analysis_, I realize that I have not seen this many instances of abuse of a corpse since the infamous "tri-state crematory scandal" in north Georgia. Blanshard simply will not leave these poor guys alone! Wittgenstein has rolled over in his grave so many times that he's gonna need to have his tires rotated. Anyway, this does not really detract from the book as a whole. It is actually a very valuble resource in terms of getting up to date with recent philosophical movements. Blanshard does an excellent job at summarizing previous movements, to the extent that you could get by without reading any of the authors he mentions. Blanshard's detailed synopses of these philosophies is almost as good as reading the original works themselves. A book like this can save you the trouble of having to read many early to mid-twentieth century philosophers.

To summarize, the factual content of this book is nearly inarguable. Blanshard's arguments are very convincing and very meticulous. Overall, this work is utterly fascinating, well written, lucid, and clear. But I will leave the reader with this one last piece of advice: ONLY READ THE FIRST 200 PAGES. That's all you need to get the gist of Blanshard's philosophy. Once you get past the first 200 pages, Blanshard seems to do nothing other than give endless additional examples to uphold an argument that was already convincing enough. The argument had been completely outlined by page 200, and meticulously argued to the point of catharsis. Those who read further must be devastated adherents of Wittgenstein who can only watch with shock and horror as their life's studies go up in smoke. I will not deduct a star for the run-on ending of this book simply because the first 200 pages are so spectacular and so potent that nothing could possibly detract from these initial arguments. This book is easily worth the price of admission ten times over simply for these first 200 pages - I'm only trying to save you time by warning you about the redundncy of the latter part of this book. So by all means go ahead and buy _Reason and Analysis_ - with my condolences to the adherents of Wittgenstein and Russell.

Brand Blanshard's work in defence of Reason is incredible. This book was published in 1962, and, given its length (especially at a time when there were no word processors), must have been in the works for some time before then.

Blanshard mostly takes on the philosophical schools of logical positivism and linguistic analysis in this volume, and is an opponent of any school of thought that denies or subverts the role of reason and logic in the acquisition of knowledge.

So what makes this book so good? It is a perfect example of scholarship (similar to George Reisman's "Capitalism"), given its topic. What do I mean by perfect?

1. The author gives a historical overview of the material to be presented. This allows a person to place ideas and positions in
thier historical context, and to understand the nature of the
debate that has preceded the material to be discussed.

2. The author explains the position of the viewpoint that he is in disagreement with. He cites references and quotes individuals.

3. The author demolishes the arguments of the opponents to the greatest extent he probably can, and in a systematic way. This ensures that all variants of the doctrine he is against are taken care of, and that any attempt to resurrect the doctrine in the future can be addressed with the arguments that he has already proposed. He totally refutes logical atomism and other aspects of logical positivism, and shows that linguistic analysis, as well as logical positivism, is self refuting.

4. The author then realizes that it is not enough to destroy - one must also replace the edifice that one has destroyed with a better one, or garbage might find its way onto the site where the old edifice once stood. The author outlines the his view of reason and aspects of it in the final chapters of the book.

A note for Objectivists: Brand Blanshard also rejected the Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy in this volume and was legendary enough to merit a place in the Library of Living Philosophers series.

It is very puzzling (and a statement about what is going on in the world today) that Blanshard's works are mostly out of print, while people who could not explain thier positions with the clarity and consistency that he did are worshipped as philosophical legends. He dissects and makes thorough mincemeat of Wittgenstein's writings, showing that they are anything BUT logical(ly consistent). However, I can't find Blanshard's books in any local bookstores, but I can find loads of Wittgenstein's writings.

You don't have to agree with everything in this book to gain from it. Nothing is swept under the rug, and it is quite possible to honestly disagree with some points of view. However, any flaws in the book are unlikely to be attributed to wilful dishonesty on the part of the author by the reader, but will definitely vary, depending on the view point of the reader on certain philosophical issues. However, anybody committed to rationality will find a lot that is good in this book.

It is a good volume and there is lot to be gained by anyone who wants to investigate the lines along which thinking is done.

I claimed in my last review that Blanshard rejects the "Analytic-Synthetic" dichotomy. This is not totally true - he simply clarifies what Kant did intuitively (and puts it on a solid logical foundation), tosses away the terms "Analytic" and "Synthetic", and then uses his clarified form of the ideas to refute the assertions of logical positivism that no truths can be deduced without verification in sense.

Reading of this book continually reveal more and more insight to me. I give it my heartiest recommendations.

And rationalism wins.

Rationalism has endured a storm of sustained attacks throughout the twentieth century. The faculty of reason, which Blanshard calls the function of grasping necessary connections, is met by skeptics at every turn - men who deny the nature and use of reason and would severely limit the scope of its application. Amidst these attacks, rationalism has of course had its defenders, as woefully few as they were. Brand Blanshard was one of the most lucid defenders of reason in recent times, and this volume is one of the most powerful defenses of reason as a source of genuine knowledge about the nature of things. (the other volumes in the trilogy, _Reason and Belief_ and _Reason and Goodness_, are also excellent and worth hunting down.)

Blanshard's book unfolds much like a story, covering the cornerstones of Western philosophy's history. He examines the role of reason in western thought and describes the key intellectual events that gave rise to its nemesis, philosophy of analysis (linguistic analysis and logical positivism). This is the framework under which he carries out his defense of reason. After an informative dose of philosophical history, he turns to his critique. Chapters are devoted to logical atomism (the theory that the universe is comprised of particular facts not bound by necessity), the verifiability theory of meaning (the cornerstone of positivism, averring that to ascertain any fact we must appeal to our senses), the positivist account of a priori knowledge (it is analytic; knowledge about own concepts but not things), and early and later forms of linguistic analysis (looking to language to solve philosophical problems). His exposition of his opponents' philosophies is very generous and thorough, careful to understand that which he seeks to unravel. In fact, his thoroughness might be called "overkill" - there is hardly a point on which these anti-rationalist philosophy's are unchallenged. Wittgenstein, Russel, Ayer, Ryle, and numerous other key figures in analytic philosophy are demolished at every turn. Yet, Blanshard's fastidious demolition of their philosophies is carried out with utmost tact and intellectual generosity. Truthfully, logical positivism does not seem to require the attention Brand Blanshard gives to it. Rationalism is vindicated merely by asking what sort of proposition is the central positivist thesis: that all meaningful statements are analytic or empirical, but never both. One is invited to ask, of course, what sort of statement is this thesis? Clearly it is not analytic -- it obviously purports to be more than simple explication of our own concepts and words. Yet it is not empirical, at least not in the sense that its validity can be apprehended by our senses. Thus, it must be synthetic a priori, yet on the positivist's own terms this renders their thesis meaningless. This is a grave philosophical error. Despite the wanton overkill, if you savor poignant intellectual argument, Blanshard is among the best and his work is a pleasure to read. His criticisms, where not essential to the destruction of his opponents' position, is brimming with important insights.

With the fortresses of analytic philosophy razed, Blanshard sets out a positive case for reason. He explicates rationalist accounts of formal logic, arithmetic, and geometry, and puts forth an original and compelling theory of universals (that only specific universals exist, but not generic or quantitative universals).

I had to buy this book for a general education requirement this year. However, the class turned out to be my favorite (the teacher certainly helped) and I'm keeping the book after the semester is over. Reason and Responsibility contains essays from the greatest philosophers (and some not so great) in order to give the beginner a comprehensive overview of philosophy.

At times, the essays were edited so that parts of the original selection were omitted. I had difficulty writing papers which criticized certain arguments become some claims can only be made from the entire text. However, if you are just reading this for fun as an introduction to philosophy, I highly recommend it.

this is an old edition. but practically there is no difference.
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I have never taken a course in philosophy. But, I think this is not just a text book for Philosophy 101. It is a great collection of essays, on a variety of topics, written by some of the greatet thinkers the world has produced. The editorial introduction for each topic beautifully lays down the ground work. This is followed by writings from eminent scholars representing various positions that have been taken on the issue. It is hard to find so much material in one volume. A must-have book for anyone with even a precursory interest in some of the most fundamental questions posed by life.

I highly recommend Feinberg's 'Reason and Responsibility' to beginning philosophers. Feinberg presents various philosophical topics in an organized manner and selects text that is easy to understand for readers new to philosophy. Readers are weaned into the language of philosophy by first being presented with the jargon in the beginning of each section. It's a great book that covers a variety of topics, from arguments about God's existence to ethics to abortion.

A straight anthology without sufficient background material to help students make sense of the essays. I would not advise it for an Introduction to Philosophy course. Essays in the books focus on issues of reason, the limits of knowledge, and ethics based upon human reason. The selection of essays show a bias toward American positivism and contrary philosophical views (of which there are many) are not represented. The amount of philosophy this book ignores on the book's chosen topics is enormous. This is also a reason not to use this text for an Introductory class. If this was the only text used in an introductory course, students would come away with a very stilted and erroneous view of philosophy. It would be good for an upper division course focused on American positivism where students already have sufficient background in philosophy to understand these specialized essays and understand the selective nature of the text's selections.

I must say I was looking forward to the final book in the series. I didn't feel the same strong attachment with these characters that I felt with the first and second books. Nice ending, but just missed the mark for me.

A refreshing treatise on letting God orchestrate circumstances affecting us. Although a senior who has read Christian books for decades, I found author Whitson in Red Bird uniqueing offering her readers valid outlooks on dealing with the unexpected, especially those things that we would not choose, but that refine our relationship with our Lord, if we choose to let them. My faith has actually increased through access to this book, among the best I've ever read...a book that I stumbled across in our local library. Now Mrs. Whitson ranks among my favorite authors. Her books will be added to my personal home library.

Every book in this series is a must have and a keeper. You will
be moved to your very soul. I love the fact that a white women
and an Indian man with their love brought together such a
wonderful legacy. Don't miss a one.

If it were possible to give this one more than 5 stars, I would. This author actually gets BETTER with each sequel! Carrie Brown, affectionately called "Red Bird" by her old friend Soaring Eagle (that was the second book in the series -- read that one first, or "Red Bird" will lose you), has dreamed for years of marrying Soaring Eagle when she grows up. But is that GOD'S plan for her life? The reader asks that question over and over, as Carrie tries desperately to "maneuver herself" in a position to marry Soaring Eagle, all the while praying that he remains single until she's old enough. But what should she REALLY be praying for?

This one is truly the best in the series.

Number 3 in this series is the best yet... and I thought the other 2 were great! Don't read the end first, but it touches the soul. I have read it over and over. Godlyness (if there is such a word?) makes the romance even better than expected. Must Read!

Rich Steves gives the best advice you can get on travel in Europe. He was right on the money with all that he suggested as far as rooms, price and what to see. We loved this book! We took it with us to Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. While doing a walking tour of the quaint little town of Bacharach, Germany, we saw a young girl walking along with the SAME BOOK! She had the same kind of praises we had. We plan to buy the next version for our next European trip.

This book was very helpful with lots of useful tips on travel through Europe. We took the advice on several of the hotels and were very pleased with the recommendations.

Ricke Steves always gives excellent advice to the budget traveler. His advice is comprehensive and and at times humorous.

Rick Steves' does a great job taking you to the hot spots and off the beaten path. Has a ton of info on each area (ie phone numbers, addresses, names, etc).

If Rick Steves has a book for your destination(s), then do yourself a favor - buy it. You do not need any other guide for your trip. We've just returned from a trip through much of western Europe (London, Paris, Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona and Brugge) and this guide was indispensable.

We avoided long lines to visit museums in Venice and Florence, lived in great local hotels and dined in non-touristy and cheap restaurants serving amazing local food. We also had Frommer's with us at the beginning of the trip but we threw it half way through the trip - it was too bulky and did not add any value to our experience.

Rick Steve's conversational style is non-intimidating and makes for a much more interesting read compared to the cut-and-dry, facts only style of other guides. All guides will have some out of date information but this guide is very current. In fact, a tour-guide with a company in Rome that is recommended by Rick Steves' told us that while other publishers just call them every year to verify that they are still in business, only Rick Steves' company actually sends someone to take part in the tours to make sure that the experience is still consistent with the description in the book.

This book is a must have for your Europe trip.