Western Books

I recently recived my Ride Smart book in the mail. Its my first proper training + horsemanship book....And i absolutely LOVED IT!!! The book it-self was great condition and WOW the photography in it are great! very big and good quality! I loved this book it has everything in it from how horses lived in the wild, behaviour, instincs, breeding, how to read horses, bare back riding, tack, selecting the right horse, ground work, leading, longe line, first ride to advanced movements such as rollbacks and spins and float loading and HEAPS more!! Each chapter has "A Better Way" and true stories.

This book is one in a million! i would defintaly reconmend it to any person who is wanting to improve their relationship with there horse!

If you own and work horses, this book is a must and at a great price.

I've learned a lot from this great book. The user comment made before mine is an excellent review. Big beautiful pictures, clear understandable information, and plently of down-to-earth lessons. Craig has taught me unforgetable things on my relationship with any horse I come to know and work with. GREAT BOOK.

This review comes from a novice rider. I have been taking weekly lessons for a little over a year -- in English riding. Thus, I think it says something for this book that I read it cover to cover and thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it is western focused.

The book begins by teaching you about horse psychology, horseman psychology, and equipement, then offers advice on selecting a horse, followed by several chapters of advice on riding. After this, about half way through the book, it begins to teach training methods, and chapter by chapter carries you from first putting a halter on the horse all the way through advanced maneuvers and trailer loading.

Each chapter contains many sidebars with extra hints and tips, explanations of the purpose of some of the techniques, and personal anecdotes that reinforce the lessons and demonstrate the importance of them.

If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, then this book contains several extra volumes withing its pages. It is filled with large, color, quality pictures that clearly show the author himself doing the things he teaches.

Craig Cameron teaches natural horsemanship. You won't find advice on striking your horse in this book. One of his mottos is to make "the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard," not painful.

When I do venture into western riding, I will be much better prepared for it by having read this book. I highly recommend it to riders of any discipline, at any level of training. Even if you never ride western and never train a horse of your own, you will benefit from reading this book.

This is a great book that will help improve the horsemanship skills of anyone willing to spend a little time and effort. The text is plain and simple . . . its more like having a conversation with Craig than reading a school book! The ample illustrations really help with understanding the concepts and techniques the author has developed. I'm very happy that I have my copy.

This book is the second in a new series. It was an emotional read but very sexy at the same time. Cant wait for next in series.

If you like good hearted, sexy cowboys that love to please their women, and some like to please their men as well, then you will enjoy this book.

I rarely, if ever, read or watch anyhing with a western theme, but something about the cover intrigued me. So glad I took the chance! This book read very well and it was sooooo sexy! Highly, definetly recommended, along with Sex Scenes: Erotica Excerpts from the Novels of Kim Corum.

After reading Long Hard Ride, the first book of the Rough Riders series I was hooked on western romance. The story continued with Gemma and Cash who we met in the first book. There was a connection with Gemma and Cash but Gemma was not ready to move on after her husband of 25+ years passed away. I really enjoyed reading about Gemma finding love again in her late 40's with Cash. Cash is 10 years younger than Gemma and has a grown daughter of his own to deal with. Her story with Carter McKay was just a bonus in this book. If you love hot western romance you won't be dissapointed in this book or any other of the Rough Riders series.

Gemma Jansen's struggling to take care of her ranch on her own while continuing to supply animals for the rodeos. Only none of the promoters seem to want to use any of her animals and none of them can give her a reason why. She's in need of a ranch foreman and believes she knows the perfect man for the job.

Cash Big Crow has quit the rodeo and now takes odd jobs to earn a living. Gemma's offer of a job as foreman at her ranch isn't exactly the job of his dreams - though a more permanent home and someplace he can spend the summer getting to know his adult daughter is appealing. The perk to taking the job is going to be a stipulation he insists upon - she's the boss during the day, but at night, he's in charge.

Gemma's very attracted to Cash, however she's also quite a bit older than he is and a widow to boot. She's not entirely sure she's ready to move on but she definitely needs his help. The last thing she expects is the unbelievable jealousy she feels when she first sees Cash with another woman - imagine her surprise when she learns that the `other woman' is actually his daughter, Maci. She hadn't even known that Cash had a daughter.

Gemma's offer of a job gives Cash the opportunity to settle in one place and get to know his daughter without having to constantly be looking for work. The one big problem with the whole situation as far as he can see is the mutual interest between Maci and Carter, a cowboy/artist living and working at Gemma's ranch. Cash knows exactly what he wants, even if he's not ready to admit to his feelings; he just never guessed his own daughter would possess the same passionate nature as he. While Gemma and Cash learn that rough and ready is just how they like their loving, Maci and Carter are learning that it takes more than loving to make a relationship work - there has to be trust too.

Lorelei James definitely has a talent for telling hot cowboy stories that will have readers longing for one of their very own. Gemma and Cash are simply perfect for each other. They're both passionate and hard-working and not afraid to go after what they want. Maci and Carter's relationship is reminiscent of young love. They both have backgrounds steeping in issues they've carried with them and several misunderstandings and snafus which result in some interesting encounters and one butt whopping from Cash that Carter won't soon forget. RODE HARD, PUT UP WET is exactly the sort of storytelling I've come to expect from Ms. James. The sex is hot, but it's the emotional context that ensures it's a story you'll remember.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

We recently travelled in the Grand Canyon-Southern Utah area, and found this an invaluable resource. None of the reviews was off-base... although some of the prices are outdated at this point, it's to be expected. One thing that's nice about this guide is that it's pretty durable, so after several weeks of use in the planning of the trip, 10 days of being tossed about in backpack, car and luggage, and being used as a reference in my post-trip write-up of our travels, it still looks fairly new. I could probably sell it used, but I think I'll keep it for when I head back that way in a few years.

I travel in the Southwest frequently and have a diverse collection of guidebooks to the region. Rough Guide is my favorite, with the intelligently written descriptions and opinions. The other guidebooks are drier or shallower in comparison (Moon, Lonely Planet, Let's Go, DK, and Frommer's).

I usually carry multiple guidebooks on my vacations, but during my recent trip to the American Southwest I relied exclusively on this book.

One of the reasons I recommend this book is that it covers the Southwest as a single region, so it includes New Mexico, Arizona, southern Colorodo, southern Utah, and Las Vegas. Most other books are State-based, so it would take multiple books to cover the entire region.

Another reason to pick this book is that it is opinionated. It lists top ten sites in various categories (national parks, museums, etc.), so that you can plan your time effectively. The auther even recommends against some things, unlike most guidebooks.

I am picky about maps, and the maps in this book were uniformly accurate and reliable. Driving tips and recommended routes were quite useful.

You will also find this book compact and light. While some other books are loaded with pictures, I find these books best enjoyed at home, before and after my trip, because they are too heavy to lug around during my trip.

Finally, I stayed in 5 hotels, all recommended by this book, and they were all safe choices. If you are looking for a splurge, I recommend Goulding's lodge at Monument Valley, especially for fans of old movies. To my surprise, I enjoyed the museum on site. Also, I used the inroom VCR to watch Stagecoach, and this was the perfect setup for my Monument Valley visit the next morning. At Canyon do Chelly NM, I would recommend not staying at the overpriced, dreary lodge. It's cheaper to stay at one of the places just outside the park. In Santa Fe, the El Rey Inn is convenient, friendly, and has a Route 66 feel.

On our recent trip through the grand circle of national parks in the four corners area, we carried several paperback guides, but quickly discarded the others in favor of this excellent book. We started reading it out loud as we approached each new town because of its wry observations, but quickly came to trust its preview of each new stop. We were never disappointed when we chose a non-chain motel from its recommendations, and we never got a bad meal wherever it said the food was good (and this was a budget trip).

It isn't perfect -- things change too fast. For instance, there are many new motels within easy distance of the Grand Canyon, easing the squeeze many travelers have experienced, and more are under construction. And they didn't warn us to avoid the grossly mis-named Kodachrome state park. But wherever I travel next, a Rough Guide will be with me, you can be sure.

This is the mother of all Southwest guidebooks, and as one reviewer stated, it is most useful because it covers multiple states (New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Utah, and Southern Nevada).

The maps inside are second-to-none. I always trust these maps, especially when I need to get off the major highways to a less-traveled road.

This book has medium-to-small type and thin pages, so they pack a lot of information into a small space. This is great for the traveler who doesn't want to lug around a huge and heavy book.

Every town has a good description, history, and information, followed by a list of practicalities like where to eat, where to stay, where to get more information. The Indian reservations are covered in great detail, and this was essential for my trip.

Love this book and I highly recommend it to anyone driving through the Southwest.

The Companion is a comprehensive collection of essays on this complex topic. The first part addresses different aspects of Postmodernist thought,creating a complete picture. I found especially useful the last part, a glossary of terms and key figures of the postmodern movement. A fully enjoyable amd instructive read!

Having purchased the massive Routledge Companion to Aesthetics, I was expecting another book of that stature. To my pleasant surprise, this book is a wonderfully smaller introduction to the concept of Postmodernism. The structure of this book, with its history and cultural context forming the first part followed by the relevant people/terms/meanings in the second part is brilliant. I no longer have to sit in class with that glazed look that every student seems to get when trying to absorb 'stuff' that seems to whizz over everyone's head. This book has become my new best friend when I am uni. (the companion to Aesthetics is too heavy to carry-that stays by my bedside!)

This book is of great value to readers struggling to familiarize themselves with the postmodern. The first half of the book provides interesting explorations of how the postmodern is at work in culture. The latter half is of particular value to anyone unfamiliar with the multitude of artists and theorists whose work and thought is significant to the postmodern. The collection of entries in the dictionary serve anyone reading primary postmodern texts well by opening up otherwise opaque allusions.

When I first ordered Stuart Sim's `Routledge Companion to Postmodernism', I was expecting a narrative discourse on postmodernism, most from a philosophical standpoint. What I received was quite different, but quite wonderful, and an indispensable resource as I study theology and philosophy as they relate to postmodern ideas.

The text, edited by Sim, who is a professor of English Studies at the University of Sunderland, has dozens of contributors drawn from the academy and professional ranks. They provide an insight in the broad and varied diversity of postmodernism, which is far from being a monolithic enterprise. There are two main sections to the book - first, a series of 14 essays on sources and developments in modernism, and the second, a critical dictionary of names and terms.

The first section of essays includes essays such as Postmodernism and Philosophy, Postmodernism and Politics, etc. The topics deal with feminism, science and technology, art and architecture, many aspects of popular and current culture (cinema, television, literature, music, lifestyles), as well as the general idea of postmodernity vis-à-vis modernity and traditions of criticism and dissension. Each of the essays is interesting and engaging, brief enough to be read in one sitting, yet thorough enough to be the sort the interested reader will return to again. Postmodernism can be defined in various ways, but Sim gives the definition out of Lyotard as the rejection of `grand narratives' and universal theories -- the sort that science, metaphysics, mathematics, and other such disciplines have tried since the Enlightenment (or even further back) to support and impose. There is a strong antifoundational sense to postmodernism, that often makes it controversial.

One of the really useful aspects of the essays is that the text includes words (names, terms) in boldface when they are included in the general dictionary in the second section. There are brief biographical sketches of key intellectual players in postmodernism (Derrida, Lyotard, Barthes, Baudrillard, Foucault, etc.) as well as creative and artistic types (Pound, Carter, Rushdie, Vonnegut, etc.) contained, as well as figures who, while not postmodern themselves (Kant, etc.) nonetheless provide necessary and significant pieces to the postmodern project.

Rare is the book that will contain references to both Derrida and Heidegger's destruction/deconstruction as well as MTV and the rock band U2. This is truly postmodern! The cross-referencing makes this book a real pleasure to use; both the index and the bibliography make this of real value to scholars as well. The text is difficult at times (given the subject matter, there is no escaping that) but not needlessly so; the careful reader will find value regardless of the lack of previous critical and philosophical training.

I began my interest in postmodernism as a piece of theological investigations arising out of narrative theology. This book goes much further afield than that narrow disciplinary focus, but I am grateful for that, for it opens up a broad vista on the subject, and asks questions that need to be addressed in intellectual pursuits and cultural/creative tasks across the board.

This is the single most essential volume for anyone who wants to familiarize his or herself with the huge field of postmodern theory. Most people realize that postmodern theory is incredibly controversial with opinions ranging from the positive to the negative to some theorists who claim postmodernism doesn't even exist. Some of my professors have gone as far as to claim that the term "postmodern" itself is meaningless, that it cannot be defined. Anyone who reads this book will understand exactly why that is a ridiculous statement: there are plenty of answers available and even if there is a multiplicity of interpretations and understandings, there *are* definite, defensible positions and you'll discover them here.

I must stress that this is excellent as an introduction: of course no one would use this as their only source on postmodern philosophy. The point is, this book introduces you to the influential theorists, their ideas, and their work. Following that, you can go and explore them on your own. The best thing about this book is that it gives you a manageable overview without reducing a rich field of discourse to a few key ideas and people. There are shorter guides to postmodernism, but they're typically the work of a single author from a single perspective. Stuart Sim does a great job compiling articles and dictionary entries here.

The articles are largely descriptive so you don't need to worry about hidden agendas and biased information. The writing style is conducive to understanding and communication. Concepts learned here will help you tackle the more difficult primary sources later when you're ready for more specific readings.

It's also a great reference. Even after studying postmodern philosophy for a few years, I still return to this book to remind myself of certain facts. I've recommended it to a number of friends who found it very useful as well. This is great for students and for those with a casual interest in continental philosophy, postmodern theory, or our contemporary world. I highly recommend this.

This book is not only full of wonderful recipes but is also loaded with history! I have learned more about the Pony Express, Jesse James and the birth of the Midwest from the pages of this cookbook than I learned in school. As a new "transplant" to the Midwest from the Pacific Northwest this book has been a lifesaver.

This coookbook has many great recipes, but I really enjoy reading the historical anecdotes that accompany each section. What a fun way to learn about our heritage!

What a fantastic cookbook!!!! I have recently made many of these recipes for a teachers luncheon I had to prepare.....everything from horsdevours to desserts...and I recieved rave reviews! It was all fantastic and easy to prepare...as a matter of fact..many of the teachers wanted to purchase the book!!!! Congratulations for yet another wonderful Junior League cookbook!

This is a wonderful cookbook as well as a very interesting book of history back to the early 1800's and the Pony Express era. Recipes are awesome, some very easy to cook and some very challenging, but all ohh so good. My husband has even enjoyed experimenting with the recipes.
The most interesting part of this book is the side bars with great trivia, past and present regarding the Northwest Missouri area and its contribution to America's history. With items about the Pony Express, Jesse James, Eugene Field the poet, etc.
The French Toile (yellow and black) cover is very eye pleasing and looks great on the counter at home.
Can't say enough about this book - great to cook from and read.

The Roux We Do is an elegant compilation of superbly presented recipes that would be highly recommended for any family meal or celebratory dinner. From Black Bean Bundles; Tuscan White Onion Soup with Crostini; Applewoood Fresh Fruit Salad; Honey Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Cream Sauce; and Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Madras Curry and Orange Sauces; to Chicken Caprese with Tomato Basil Cream; Pasta with Chicken and Pepper-Cheese Sauce; Roasted Garlic Potato Salad; Acorn Squash in Honey Bourbon Sauce; and Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce, the diverse recipes comprising The Roux We Do are as impressive as they are mouth-wateringly delicious!

There is often a schism between our everyday life and our dreams of someday. Someday often stays out reach of us like an carrot on a stick until circumstances that would have allowed the dream no longer exist. Michael Burke gently opens the someday window and steps through. He takes you with him. He gives a balanced and real look at what is on the other side. He speaks with a fine voice that puts you in the raft, in his head, till you smell the wet stuff and feel the angst. He makes a case for making someday happen while you can. He tells a tale that made me look forward to the quiet part of the evening, after the kids were in bed, so I could be back on the river again. The Same River Twice is fertile ground to plant you own someday seeds in. I found it an inspriation.

I guess I am lucky to be attending Univeristy of Maine at Farmington, where a lot of non fiction writing has come from recently (Gretchen Legler AND Michael Burke).
I went to Professor Burkes reading last night and it was so fun. His book is full of humor, at least, the passages he read were. I haven't read the whole book (yet).
But from what I heard, I am buying it and I would recommend it!

I read this book almost in one sitting. Micheal Burke tells a good story and gives the reader the feeling of being on the river and experiencing the beauty of situation while taking us along on his own personal journey. Very good read!

What happens to white-water guides when they leave the rivers? Michael Burke gives us one answer: they never leave the rivers, and the rivers never leave them. Burke's story is part memoir, part "road trip," and part love story about the wild places that "can't be improved by changes." His tale of a 1991 trip down the wildest of British Columbia's rivers is one hundred percent enjoyment.

Having guided seasonally since he was a college student, Burke at thirty-eight was married, a professor at a college in Maine, with a baby on the way. This ambitiously planned trip was a three-week-long pilgrimage to the places where a distant relative, Sid Barrington, had lived a life of legend on the wild rivers of long ago. Burke, along with a stranger named Max whose only qualification was availability, set out with an ancient rubber raft, a heavy load of gear, a rifle in case of bears, and jury-rigged arrangements with bush pilots. From this unpromising start, Mike and Max had a soul-stirring experience in this "humbling land."

Putting in by plane to breathtaking Chutine Lake, they worked their way down glacier-fed rivers with wild names: the Chutine, the Stikine, the Sheslay, the Taku. Along the way they encountered black bears, grizzlies, moose, and on one memorable evening a wolf with two pups. Burke's deep love of the challenging terrain is evident throughout the book.

Stories of the old river runner, Sid, are woven in, along with some hair-raising stories of Burke's younger days as a guide; a wild, adrenaline-saturated life that he remembers with affection at this settling-down time of life. Thoughts of his pregnant wife are with him always but he was unable to resist the pull of the river.

Why do this crazy, dangerous thing? Burke writes about the meaning of memory as a defining concept; about freedom and control. But mostly it's because he loves the rivers. "Rivers," he writes, "are an experience of time. The river is more human than the ocean, limited like humans are, yet sweeping forward in its implacable way, like time itself sweeping past. We are proportioned to rivers..."

Have you ever stood on the slope of a mountain and felt its age and power? Looked up into the weird blue ice of a glacier and heard its deep voice? Or even felt the edge of a river on your ankles and known that it flowed according to forces older than time? Then you should read this book. The geography is bewildering but just put in at the beginning and let the current take you to the end, rapids and all. You're sure to feel the awe and beauty of the planet's wild places. Go there, even if it's just in a book.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This work is a delightful memoir that is a pleasure reading, starting from the first page, right along to the last word of the last page. This is the story of a man; a middle aged man at the time the story takes place, and at the same time is a history lesson, a journey of enlightenment, and a tour into one of the truly wild areas left in North America. It is also, and most importantly, a very insightful look at human nature.

The author, Michael Burke, dropped out of the University of California-Berkeley, and became, through faking his lack of experience, a white water river guide. Burke has apparently been guiding now for over thirty five years. The author obviously continued his education, as he now teaches at a University, and beyond a doubt, the guy can certainly write. In 1991, when the author was 38, he found himself with a pregnant wife, two step-children, an academic career, living in Maine and driving a station wagon. Now, although the author does not admit to the fact, it is pretty obvious he is probably losing some of his hair, getting less muscle tone than he had when he was twenty, and, most importantly,(again, not really stated)is feeling rather trapped. Gosh, it does not take much of a creative leap to figure out that a gigantic mid-life crises is about to descend on this poor guy. This is okay though, at least Burke faced his crises with class, like a man, and did not go the route of gold chains around his neck, a little sports car, a poor comb-over and chase twenty year old undergrads around campus; something we see all too frequently. Rather, he returned to the roots of his youth, the river!

The Same River Twice is the story of Michael Burke's journey down three rivers in the Canadian Wilderness of British Columbia. Using his old river raft, a left over from his youth, and in the company of a relative stranger, a fellow adventurer, who was chasing his own demons, the author starts on a very poorly planned adventure. The premise of the trip is to find and trace the territory traveled by distant relative of the author's, who himself was a famous river man during the Klondike glory days at the turn of the century. The author feels a connection with this long dead river man and wants to strengthen this connection with information. The story Michael tells of his trip is interwoven with stories of this old river man mixed with tales of the author's own glory days as a professional guide on some of the most famous white water rivers in North America. This three section story is wonderfully intertwined and the author has the ability to make you feel you are in all three eras with him, as he physically and mentally journeys through them.

Burke's ability as a descriptive writer is truly wonderful. His true love for the wilderness, for the wild places in our planet, for wildlife, solitude and yes, danger, comes shinning through on every page. You can actually squint in your mind's eye, as you read his prose and picture what he is seeing as he writes. The author makes a point that this sort of thing, once experienced, never quite leaves your blood. Great bodies of water have been apart of our souls throughout time...once you are hooked, you are hooked for life.

This work is truly a satisfying read, one of the better reads I have had in sometime now. I will quite likely give this one a second going over down the road. I must admit that I would love for this author to give us another book, telling of his adventures on the other rivers that he ran while learning his trade. The author can be quite humorous at times and I suspect was and is quite good at camp fire stories. It would be a delight to read some of them. NOTE: There seems to be a great deal of nonfiction writing coming out of Maine right now, and has been over the past few years. To be quite frank, the only thing I really knew about Maine was that they had Moose, potatoes, had a good store to order clothes from, and made good canoes...now I find the place is full of good writers...go figure.

Seldom does a book keep me from turning out the light, but this one did. Bill Wilbur has created the ultimate Western: Great characters, authentic setting, and a fast-moving plot. Rarely am I unable to put down a book, but this one did it to me. I would recommend Saragosa to anyone, whether they loved Westerns or not.

In Saragosa the men are a tough as rawhide and the women strong enough to tame them. If you are looking for a book to put you to sleep at night DON'T buy this book. You may not sleep for a week and you surely won't until you have read the last page.

I hope Mr. Wilbur is working on a sequel.
Ervin Tibbs

I enjoyed Saragosa so much I read it twice -- and enjoyed it even more the second time around.

The best novel I have ever read. It will keep you at the edge of your seat from cover to cover, I haven't had a thrill like this since Louis L'Amour totally engaging

Fast paced adventure with a totally new plot. The characters were very interesting and unique. Difficult to put down. Adventure in the Clive Cussler genre.

The perfect 3 meter springboard for a gold medal dive into the mind of a luminary.

Schopenhauer, a German philosopher of the early 19th century, is a greatly neglected thinker today, despite being hugely influential in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably on the thought of Nietzsche, Wagner and Freud. The latter in particular, although he denied it, was greatly influenced by him. Janaway convincingly extends the list to include Mahler, Jung, Mann and others. In fact, if you have not yet delved deeply into the work of Freud or Nietzsche, I would strongly recommend that you tackle Schopenhauer before doing so, and Janaway's is the perfect introduction. It is a well-informed, readable and balanced account, neither an apology nor a savaging. Schopenhauer's metaphysics have not stood the test of time, but his worldview, essentially pessimistic yet with promise of redemption, is still very relevant, and in any ways strikingly modern. If you are at all interested in the development of modern thought, especially that of the various German and Austrian schools, then you need to acquaint yourself with Schopenhauer, and I doubt you will find a better introduction than this book.

Concise yet engaging, this book is an excellent introduction to Schopenhauer's life and thought. The author's remarks on the difficulties and limitations of Schopenhauer's metaphysics are highly illuminating. His notes highlighting the important and influential aspects of this philosophy provide a perfect contrast to his critical remarks, and give the reader a sober, balanced view of the subject. All in all, this is a great book to read before and after delving into Schopenhauer's own works.

This book focuses on the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860).

The author states in his preface that "This book aims to give a sympathetic but critical account of Schopenhauer's philosophy." Indeed, the book at times is certainly critical; the very last paragraph of the book begins "Though Schopenhauer's metaphysics is not credible as a system..." Janaway's basic message throughout seems to be that Schopenhauer is very important for the influence he had on others (for example, Wagner and Nietsche), for the unique and often troubling questions he raised, and for the new ideas he brought into philosophy - but he is not a Schopenhauer apologist.

The focus of the book is on Schopenhauer's ideas about philosophical topics like will, the body, the self, metaphysics, character, sexuality, the unconscious, art and aesthetic experience, ethics, and other issues. Special focus is given to Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation, which is presented as his greatest work, and much is made of the philosopher's idea of the will to life and physical reality as a manifestation of this will.

All in all I would say that Janaway does a decent job in introducing Schopenhauer's ideas, although his summary at times is a bit less clear than some of the other books in the Very Short Introduction series.

Janaway is a top-notch Schopenhauer scholar, so there is no question that he knows his subject forwards and backwards. The first time I tried to read this Short Introduction, I didn't get very far before setting it aside with the feeling that I just wasn't getting it. A year later, after reading a lot of Schopenhauer and a several longer treatments of his ideas, I found that Janaway's book was clear as a bell, and I read right through it. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I think that I just didn't approach this kind of material with the right attitude and that the fault was therefore entirely mine. See below.

In any case, this is a first-rate introduction to Schopenhauer, and a very well-written one, too. Schopenhauer himself was a very clear and careful writer (no Hegel, by far), and Janaway continues in that tradition. Schopenhauer's metaphysics is, of course, speculative and that can be a problem if, like me, you come to it from an analytic tradition where everything has to be provable to be considered meaningful or taken seriously. In reading Schopenhauer, or a book like this describing his philosophy, you need to suspend those criteria temporarily and to look at his system as one extremely smart man's best guess about the nature of the world. Call it a working hypothesis that is necessarily underdetermined by the possible empirical evidence. The judgment required therefore must be an overall one as to how well you think that picture fits with the world as you experience it, granting that some number of alternative systems are possible that would fit equally well. To some degree, it's an aesthetic judgment, or perhaps a decision about what kind of world view you can be comfortable with; the key question is whether you are willing to entertain the possibility that the empirical world might not be all there is.

If you are shopping around for a congenial view at that level, then Schopenhauer's ideas are well worth considering, and Janaway's introduction would be a good place to start. Or, if you just have a detached curiousity about what one of the giants of 19th-century philosophy had to say, then it's a good book for that purpose, also. One thing about Schopenhauer is that once you understand his view of things, you will have a hard time seeing the world in quite the same way as you previously did.

My 18 year old suddenly became the philosopher and wanted to explore new thoughts. This is a good, thought provoking collection that he thoroughly enjoyed.

This comparatively short book consists of extremely well-selected essays by the great Scottish philosopher and historian, on everything from public credit to delicacy of taste. Also included are the different classes of philosphers, including the class Hume falls under, The Sceptic (Hume's sp.). There is also an exceedingly interesting essay on the populousness of the world in ancient times. Apparently, the accepted notion at Hume's time was that there were hordes of people in ancient times and that our race has been dwindling ever since. Hume, on the other hand, proposes the radical notion that just the opposite is the case, and sets out to prove it quite handily.-Overall, the best introduction to one of my favorite writers that I've yet to read.

First, I am assuming the essays in the Oxford edition are sufficiently similar to the LibertyClassics edition (the latter a far more elegant paperback and includes "Essays Written and Withdrawn"). Second, these essays (including one on how to write one in the L/C edition) are more in the tradition of Montaigne, Marcus Arelius, and Emerson, to cite some exemplars of the tradition, meaning that these essays are not as logically rigorous as his "Treatise on Human Nature," "Essays Concerning Human Understanding," "Principles of Morals," and "Natural Religion," but are more an astute and empirical observation of what causes pleasure and satisfaction versus what causes discomfort and uneasiness. This emprical motif permeates all the essays.

The "moral" essays are a continuation of Vol. III of his "Treatise on Human Nature," and "Principles of Morals," and contribute to how our "tastes" and "utility," rather than apriori logic, delimit and describe moral ideas and ideals. His "political" essays are the most prominent among the group and are often prescient of subsequent developments, clearly anticipating a more democratic society, but they often come across as antediluvian, despite Hume's analytical dexterity and his compassionate motivation. The "literary" essays are the least in number and the most impotent of his contributions. Not that they lack value or interest, they simply lack novelty or new understanding. All his essays have an empirical bent, which should not surprise anyone familiar with Hume's other works.

Many of these 48 essays have perennial value, while others are clearly cotemporaneous with his time and place (mid-18th century England). In either case, they contribute to our understanding of the period, while making perspicacious observations about subjects that are both endearing and enduring. The LibertyClassics' edition uses current locution and spellings in Caslon 540 typeface on durable, acid-free paper, making Hume's lucid and elegant prose an even more attractive presentation. Highly recommended.

Written in the highly polished Augustan prose style of the period, this is a fine selection of essays from the pen of the great Scottish philosopher, historian and economist, David Hume. The essays range from aesthetics, commerce, history and ethics, which include such pieces as "The Epicurean", "The Stoic" and "The Sceptic" (Hume's own credo) all which are rather curiously positioned and excellently written guides to living. "Of the Immortality of the Soul" and "Of Suicide", two of Hume's most controversial essays touching on theological topics, are also included in this volume. Both succeeded, with their bold, original arguments, in outraging the British clergy, which helps us to understand why Hume decided to have them published posthumously.

Hume is known today primarily for his seminal philosophical works. He regarded himself, however, as a man of letters who contributed to many areas and he was known best to his contemporaries as a historian. This nice collection of essays displays the breadth of Hume's interests and his well developed writing style. Hume was particularly interested in essays which would bring important topics before a broad public and wrote in an accessible and often entertaining style. Some of Hume's best known essays on philosophical and religous topics are included in this collection. What may be of greatest interest are some of the lesser known essays which display both the versatility and the power of Hume's intellect. Included are essays on economics and international trade, and also some political theory. Hume was an opponent of mercantilist ideas, supporting the largely correct notion that trade would enrich all parties. His political theory is particularly interesting. In contradistinction to the widely accepted ideas of the time, Hume suggested that republican governments could be stable if the size of the republic was large enough to encompass enough competing groups to prevent one from assuming complete control. It is known that James Madison read Hume in the period leading up to the Constitutional Convention and many scholars suspect that Hume's ideas were the germ of the defense of republicanism/federalism developed by Madison in the Federalist Papers. A momentous idea with momentous consequences.

Mostly biographical and great pictures with some very subtle commentaries on Kashmir Shaivism and tantra.

This book is a breath of fresh air in today's world of yoga and spirituality. It is unusual to read from a teacher who has not only gained intellectual understanding of a particular system, but has also experienced the reality of its practices.

The first chapter 'Fifteen Verses of Wisdom' went straight over my head, which shows I still lack understanding in this area. The chapter 'Talks on Practice' reveals the mechanics of meditation according to the system of Kashmir Shaivism. I found it clear and insightful. This was balanced by the chapter 'Talks on Discipline' which shows that Lakshmanjoo has the integrity to give clear guidelines to the spiritual aspirant on how one should conduct oneself on the spiritual path.

Finally in his last chapter 'The Secret Knowledge of Kundalini' Swami Lakshmanjoo gives real insight into the mechanics of the mysterious subject of kundalini. To date I have found other material on this subject to be rather nebulous and mere fantasy, based in the vivid imaginations of so called gurus and well read authors. Swami Lakshmanjoo takes this mysterious subject out of the category of fantasy and clearly defines how kundalini functions. His intimate description of the various modes of rising of kundalini, based on his own experience are truly fascinating.

This book is a revelation for the earnest seeker on the spiritual path.

Can hardly believe I wrote this review 6 years ago (it is now 24 Feb 2008).

Having delved deeply into the subject of Kundalini, I still find nothing to match Swami Lakshmanjoo's explanations on this mysterious subject. In my continued research I have found that almost all writings on Kundalini are based on what is known as the "Shat Chakra Nirupana," which elaborates on the six chakras in the subtle body. Everywhere you will find illustrations showing the chakra positions along the vertical axis of the spine and the various petals that emanate from each chakra.

After reading the last chapter in "Self Realization" I wondered why Lakshmanjoo made no reference to these commonly recognized lotus petals that surround the charkas. I found the answer in his earlier book "Kashmir Shaivism, the Secret Supreme", in the form of a small footnote which says: "in Kashmir Shaivism the lotus petals are neither experienced nor recognized."

This explains why Lakshmanjoo only talks about the chakras spinning with great velocity and power as the energy of kundalini rises from one chakra to another. Obvious isn't it, since the word chakra actually means wheel.

In this book Lakshmanjoo also explains the difference between prana kundalini, cit kundalini and para kundalini; subjects unique to Kashmir Shaivism. Based on his own personal experience, Lakshmanjoo elaborates with great clarity, leaving the reader convinced of his total authority on this subject.

For those interested in Kashmir Shaivism in general, and Kundalini in particular, I highly recommend this book, and the earlier one: "Kashmir Shaivism the Secret Supreme" which has two chapters on Kundalini.

This book took me to the heart of Kashmir Shaivism. It covered concepts and included both practice and experience. The authors have also provided transliterated sanskrit verses for those who are interested. This is a good begining for any one intending a study of Kashmir Shaivism.

One of those books you devour in one sitting! Too cool for words. A kind of quick overview of Shaivite philosophy and practice. An excellent beginning for those wishing to start the Shaivite path.

It is the first book of kashmir philosophy which covers all the aspects of the title.It is the complete informative book about pre-history age of kashmir.