F Books

This book is logic, well-reasoned, and has lots of footnotes pointing to research studies and reliable sources of data. Even if you disagree with their prescription for how to fix the problem, you will get a lot from this book by following along with their diagnosis of the problems facing our health care system.

The book's greatest strengths may also be it's greatest weakness. This book is "wonkish" -- filled with hard data and logic. If you're looking for entertaining anecdotes or emotional arguments, this is not the book for you.

...but only in the title. A well written book both describing (in surprisingly concise writing) the problem, as well as laying out a path towards fixing it. I can't say I fully agree with his proposals, but I am much better informed, and my views have been altered as a result of this book. In my mind, that is a terrific outcome for any book of substance.

Intellect with humility is hard to come by. Cannon and Tanner define a clear path for all Americans to have health insurance and they have the humility to believe in Americans as wise consumers. Different than politicians who 'know what's best for you,' they trust you to make prudent decisions for yourself. Free markets are healthy and they provide an excellent outline for cost savings and a healthier 'you' by putting you in charge of your own well being. I want to thank Cannon and Tanner for being Americans and loving freedom, especially in the face of fear mongering socialists. God Bless America!

"Healthy Competition" by Michael F. Cannon and Michael D. Tanner of the Cato Institute is a critically important book for both those interested in health care policy as well as for every American as we all eventually consume health care services.

Cannon and Tanner's book starts with a foreword by the Hon. George P. Shultz: "We begin with a riddle. What country's health care system offers the best health services in the world, is consistently criticized for not being accessible enough, and yet is so accessible that overutilization is leading to runaway costs?" The answer is, of course, America.

The following 147 pages offers a detailed analysis of what's wrong with American health care (government and insurance industry policies that lead to overuse of medical services) and what's right (the strong remnants of a free market system that encourages innovation, high quality, at an often lower cost). Both detailed and heavily footnoted, but also very readable at the same time, "Healthy Competition" strikes the right balance between a dense academic paper and a clarion call for action.

In concluding the book, Cannon and Tanner write:

"Despite its marvels, America's health care sector continues to present troubling symptoms: excessive costs, uneven quality, a lack of useful information for patients and providers, extraordinary waste, and enormous burdens for future taxpayers. An accurate diagnosis points to too much government influence and too little choice and competition. Proposals to increase the role of government would aggravate these symptoms. More subsidies or controls would drain from the medical marketplace even more of the dynamics that drive other sectors of the economy toward lower prices and higher quality. The only sure remedy is to restore those dynamics to the health care sector.

"Although there are dark clouds on the horizon, we are heartened by the creation and steady growth of health savings accounts. HSAs have already begun to change private-sector health care from within, and will enable a reexamination of the role of government in health care."

The last citation in "Healthy Competition" comes from a June 1, 2004 Harvard Business Review article by Michael Porter and Elizabeth Teisberg. It deals with the oft-heard argument that we somehow should not apply free market principles to the health care sector:

"It is often argued that health care is different because it is complex; because consumers have limited information; and because services are highly customized. Health care undoubtedly has these characteristics, but so do other industries where competition works well. For example, the business of providing customized software and technical services to corporations is highly complex, yet, when adjusted for quality, the cost of enterprise computing has fallen dramatically over the past decade."

Cannon and Tanner accept this argument while also embracing the argument of many of the proponents of government control of health care because it is special and distinct from other parts of the economy - they just come to the opposite conclusion, concluding in their last paragraph, "...Unlike software, wireless communications, or banking, health care involves very emotional decisions, which often entail matters of human dignity, life, and death. However, we do not see the gravity of these matters as a reason to divert power away from individuals and toward government. Rather, we see the special nature of health care as all the more reason to increase each consumer's sphere of autonomy. The special nature of health care makes it all the more important that we use the competitive process to make health care available to more consumers - and makes it all the more important to get started now."

Two side notes of a personal nature: on February 1, 2007, I introduced AB 245, a bill that would allow the tax deductibility of contributions to HSAs (California is one of only four states that do not treat HSAs as tax deductible); and author Michael Cannon is someone I have grown to respect from our first meeting in 2004 as Lincoln Fellows of the Claremont Institute. I suspect we will be hearing quite a bit from Mr. Cannon over the next few decades - and, if policymakers are smart, they will listen carefully to what he has to say.

Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a California State Assemblyman, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard and the author of "China Attacks."

I enjoyed the book and found it presented a well organized argument for why it is so critical to allow the markets and consumers to experiment with new methods of controlling health care costs and improving access. I also appreciated the author's acknowledgement that health care is a special service that is critically important in our lives. That is what makes reforming the system so challenging.

The book makes clear that market based proposals to reform health care are designed to lower the cost of care and increase coverage. These are proposals that are critical to all Americans.

Well thought out and very interesting

I AM FINDING THAT SOME OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS WORK TO MAKE MY HOUSE A REAL HOME. WHILE I ALWAYS NEW SOME OF THIS THAT IS WRITTEN , I WAS NEVER ABLE TO CARRY IT INTO PRACTICE UNTIL NOW . THANKS AGAIN. P.S. IF THIS IS WHAT FARRAKHAN TEACHES THEM MAYBE HE IS NOT ALL BAD AFTERALL.

I am shocked that so much could be in this powerful little book. I am grateful that I got this book. I use a little something from it everyday. It has helped me in marriage. The book is simple, easy to understand and follow.

I recommend it to everyone!

How to be a woman's best friend is a spirit filled book for both men and women. It's for anyone who is looking for real solutions to the crisis facing male-female relationships and family values. I couldn't put it down.

I AM FINDING THAT SOME OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS WORK TO MAKE MY HOUSE A REAL HOME. WHILE I ALWAYS NEW SOME OF THIS THAT IS WRITTEN , I WAS NEVER ABLE TO CARRY IT INTO PRACTICE UNTIL NOW . THANKS AGAIN. P.S. IF THIS IS WHAT FARRAKHAN TEACHES THEM MAYBE HE IS NOT ALL BAD AFTERALL.

An excellent book that sheds new light on the theme of leadership at the top. How To Think Like a CEO and Act Like a Leader is a practical, no nonsense approach to leadership. Mr. Andrew captures the essence of leadership in this well written book.

At long last, here is a book about business that is easy to read, easy to understand, contains valuable quotes and covers just about all one needs to know in the business world. It has taken me 34 years to acquire this knowledge. If only I had this book to read, back then. I recommend this book not only to someone who is new to the business world, but for anyone, whether in business or not, for the knowledge, experience and insight it imparts. Thank you Mr Andrew.

A must read. Having received an MBA in the 70's and running a small business for over thirty years I found relevance on two major points. The writing is an excellent review of MBA principles and offers insight into current leadership thinking. A concise work I would recommend to all levels of management.

How to Think Like a CEO and Act Like a Leader: Practical Insights for Perfomance and Results is a book with simple, practical and everyday common sense. These qualities make this book a must for any person in business and in life. If our grade schools could teach the lifeskills addressed in this book to our young they would have a headstart in living a honest and rewarding life in the community as well as in business. I highly recommend this gem.

Reading How to Think Like a CEO and Act Like a Leader is like having access to many wise mentors who have distilled business practical truths into fresh perspectives and insights. It is quite readable, laced with related interesting tales, and has strategies and actions that are immediately applicable.

The essence of an MBA, this book presents a clear-eyed look both at leadership AND an understandable overview of key business tools and terms.

Relevant to leading in the fast paced business world, this book is must read for today's experienced leaders and tomorrow's upcoming leaders!

Whether your interest is women scholars or female scientists in antiquity, Christian history or pagan philosophy, this book is a major eye-opener. Hypatia--and all her female colleagues--deserve to be remembered, and Dzielska deserves credit for helping preserve their story.

Prof. Dzielska unravels the real life and murder of Hypatia.
Instead of the legendary young virgin martyr for paganism, she sketches a, for the period, remarkable older woman and teacher of neoplatonism and tolerance.
Her murder was instigated by the vicious ploys of a jealous catholic archbishop and executed by his ignorant mob. It was a political murder.

This book should be read because it treats of an age-old conflict that still rages in the world today: the power struggle between the civil (secular) and religious authorities.

This small work is a difficult (based on very few original sources), but very convincing reconstitution of the life of one of the very few known remarkable women of that age. A revealing work.

Those who have an interest in the Fourth Century are familiar with the name Hypatia of Alexandria. Unfortunately she has become a figure of legend and myth. Maria Dzielska's small, short book (106 pages, each about 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" ) first examines the various persons that made her a myth, as well as their motivations. It then goes to the source documents, sorts through the credibility of each, and then redraws our picture of Hypatia. (For example, most encyclopedias give Hypatia's date of birth as about 370. Dzielska builds a strong case that she was born about 15 years earlier than that, and was in her 60's when she was murdered). This book excels in distinguishing fact from fiction - in other words it is a work of historical research. Dzielska also points out where her knowledge ends and her inferences begin. This virtue - once known as humility - also contributes to the value of this book. As one would expect, it has an annotated bibliography ("Sources"), is fully footnoted, and includes a good index. Those whose interest in Hypatia involves "her meaning" may be disappointed; those who want the truth about her will find this a useful piece of research and analysis. Maria Dzielska's book could be used as a sourcebook on HOW historical figures are appropriated for the political or religious agendas of persons less interested in "the facts" than "making a point". This alone makes it of wider interest than it might otherwise appear.

Socrates was executed by the state of Athens as a scapegoat for its defeat by the Spartans. His crime was being a free thinker in a short age of turmoil. He was however fondly remembered and documented. Hypatia was first brought to my attention by Carl Sagan in his television series Cosmos. She has often been represented as a pillar of wisdom in an age of growing dogma. Unlike with Socrates we know much less about her life and teachings. She is remembered precisely as a martyr who was sacrificed rather than executed by a literalist Christian mob inspired by "St" Cyril, apparently as she was regarded as a threat to Christendom and theology by certain regio-political figures. Enough material on her survived not least owing to the strong memories evoked at the manner of her despatch which turned her into a historical icon.

This excellent short well sourced book is a biographic scenography in the best sense of the word. It does not sadly cover the destruction of the great library or go into great length about the history and politics of 4th century Alexandria but it blows the cobwebs and embelishments that are associated with this enigmatic figure leaving a strong, uncompromising educated presence who would have been of extreme high standing to have obtained the death she received at the hands of bigots.

The importance of Hypatia is that she represents a phase in history where Greek religion was being destroyed by the then politicised Roman state religion. Hypatia represents a tragic victim of this dark phase when a great deal of knowledge was irrevocably lost (e.g.Gandy and Freke, the Jesus Mysteries etc.,).

To know the real Hypatia, and that phase of history, this is one of the best places to begin.

For those who have never heard of Hypatia the back of this book gives you a quick summary of the woman:

'Hypatia - brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty - was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since.'

This book is thin (106 pages, an additional forty to fifty provide sources, notes, and an index yet, despite its size, it manages to pull together a summary of Hypatia's life from the texts of the time by people lsuch as Socrates Scholasticus and Synesius.

Essentially, it's an interpretation of these historical texts that reconstructs who Hypatia was, how she lived, and why she was brutally murdered.

The book begins by examining the enduring legend of Hypatia by looking at the literary references in which she is portrayed (19th Century novels, and poetry) and continues to examine her by looking at the people who lived around here. Moving on, Dzielska looks at Hypatia herself from trying to determine the year of her birth to describing the terrible death to which she succumbed and, looks at who - ultimately - was responsible.* After looking at Hypatia, the author resolves the woman's history and offers a conclusion to her book.

It was certainly an interesting book in both the uncommon subject matter and the way that the life within was completely reconstructed from writings of the day as none of Hypatia's work is believed to exist anymore. It does not cover life in Alexandria or describe the Great Library but, as the title suggests, this is not about Alexandria - there will, no doubt, be books on that topic.

It's worth reading if a) you have an interest in philosophy or mathematics; or b) you are a feminist looking for a new heroine. (She was, afterall, the only major female of scientific note prior to Marie Curie.)


* She was stripped naked, dragged through the streets to a church, where many proceeded to strip the flesh from her bones using broken pottery. Her remains were then tossed on a fire.

My oldest daughter gave this book to her sister when she was very young and they both have loved having it read to them and later reading it for themselves, using it for school projects, etc. Now I have a great-grandson and want to give him a copy of this wonderful book.

I loved this book as a child. Unfortunately my copy was lost, but a family member who had received the same book gave hers to my son. Reading through the book has brought back many happy memories-- I hadn't looked at the illustrations or read many of the stories in over 20 years, but I still remember them. I look forward to years of reading this book with my son and am thrilled the book is still available so that I can buy it for friends and family.

I have become the keeper of the family copy of this wonderful book. It is filled with some of the greatest fables and stories that you'll want to share with your child. I'm trying to find a new copy for my daughter to keep for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, I'm going to have the one we have rebound. < a native New Englander >

I loved this book so much as a child (of the 1970's) that I had the foresight to save it for my own children. It is one of three books I saved, the other two being "A Child's Garden of Verse" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and D'aulaire's "Greek Myths". These are classic stories that have not been softened and dumbed down or made politically correct like so many modern children's books. They really pack a punch and evoke thought, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

This book was given to my mother by my great aunt when I was 2 1/2 years old (my sisters were 1 and 5). We have fought over it ever since. I have been unable to find it for years (my mother kept the original copy and it is now a favorite of her grandchildren). I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy from a used books dealer in New Hampshire last year. I am ordering two from Amazon.com so that I can surprise my sisters at Christmas (amen!). With everything from Aesop to Wordsworth, and stories, poems and songs from Mother Goose to Rudyard Kipling, there is someting in this book for any child of any age. These are the classic tales of Peter Pan, Winne The Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit, Heidi and Gulliver, to mention a few. My mother would read aloud from this book every night - "The Goops" on page 65 was a favorie poem and "Over in the Meadow" on page 101 was a favorite song - I know my mother enjoyed reading it equally as much as we girls. The illustrations are wonderful, and most are reproductions from the original books. Finding this book has meant finding a part of my childhood, and I'm sure anyone else who grows up with it will feel the same.

This is one of the most authentic and grim accounts of fighting on the Western Front during the Great War. After three years of constant artillery bombardment, the no man's land between the lines had been reduced to an impassable quagmire. Time and time again, British soldiers were ordered to march through this waist deep treacle as German machine guns raked the men crawling through the mud. Advances of a few hundred yards were hailed in propagandistic despatches as great victories. Thousands of lives were squandered in the process of trying to advance through mires. Ninety years after the guns were silenced, farmers continue to find corpses and skeletons of soldiers who were lost in action. The locals refer to this as occurrence as "the harvest of the bones."

Given the gross ineptitude of command leadership of the British Army, it is nothing short of a miracle that the Central Powers did not prevail in the First World War. The American entry into the conflict on behalf of the Allies served to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In retirement, Field Marshal Alexander Haig was subject to a tacit blackballing by the British military and political establishment.

A personal aside: my late father was a friend of a gentleman who was related to John McCrae, the poet who wrote "In Flanders Fields." McCrae died on the Western Front.

Mr Wolff has captured the complex details and produced a compelling and interesting account of the bitter fighting in Flanders. This book is one of the very best and ranks beside Middlebrook's classic 'First Day on the Somme'. A must read for any World War One buff.

In these times of compassionate battlefield practices and high tech, the loss of several hundred men would be a great disaster and bring the general under closest scrutiny. It is hard for us to imagine a time when men lived in a sea of mud beneath fortified heights, drowned in shell holes, never saw a tank, and had negligible air support, while the enemy artillery turned over every square inch of ground. The loss of several hundred thousand in one battle was deemed tolerable and was to be encouraged if the general could gain several hundred yards of ground, nor was there any hope of it ever ending. If you read this book, you will understand the ideology, art and literature of the entire 20th century much better.

In Flanders Fields is the most readable World War One book I have yet come across; infinitely more so than Ian Ousby's Road to Verdun which, although starting promisingly soon gets bogged down in academic pontificating. The Road to Flanders, as the title suggests deals with the conflagration that took place there in the autumn of 1917 - also known as he Third Battle of Ypres - when the British Army tried once again to break the stalemate on the western front and push the Germans out of Belgium and away from strategic ports.
In Flanders Fields focuses on three key players - British Army Commander-in-Chief, Douglas Haig; his nemesis British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and mud.
The October offensive against the German lines was an unmitigated disaster and many historians have attempted to put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Field Marshal Haig. This is understandable - Haig pressed ahead with his scheme despite the warnings from generals both French and British and the disapproval of the British government. Bur as you read this book you will see that there were other factors that played their part: internal bickering, vanity, bad weather, indecision, false promises, lax security (the British plans were published in advance the newspapers), and No Man's Land where the mud was so deep soldiers and mules drowned by the dozens.
In Flanders Fields is really well written - as well as depicting the whole event clearly, Wolff actually manages to bring the whole event to life and takes us into the meeting rooms and the pages of secret diaries. Entertaining but not for the easily depressed. I recommend this as a first-class introduction to anyone interested in finding out more about World War 1

I've read this book twice the last time being over ten years ago and its haunting images of slaughter on the battle are still vivid in my mind. Although I had read All Is Quiet On The Western Front previously, I was not prepared for what I read here- the senselessness of the killing was unimaginable. How in the world could General Haig (the British commander) and Field Marshall Foch (the French commander) send hundreds of thousands of men to their death? If my memory serves me correctly, up to 20,000 allied soldiers died in one month alone.

This is a highly readable history of the battle, one that will captivate your interest and keep you reading until the end. Simply put, this book is hard to put down. Time after time, you ask yourself, how could they keep up this senseless slaughter, asking yourself what compelled these men to obey orders that meant certain death for no gain whatsoever? Certainly the First World War was one of the most senseless and unless wars ever fought, laying the groundwork for even the more destructive Second World War.

When the United States entered the war, it was to General Pershing's credit that he refused to dole out American troops under the command of Haig and Foch. Pershing knew that they too would be used for cannon fodder under European command. Since the Civil War, Americans have been reluctant to give their sons over to such slaughter.

This is a gripping book. Well written and hard to put down, it will take you back to a time and a war now almost forgotten.

Excellent Book!!! it was a true awakenings for me. Excellent way of explaining the law of attraction! I really enjoyed reading this book.

This review was sent to me by a Ahmed Jamal who lives in Jordan. I thought I would share it with you. "Jesus Taught It, Too is truly a beautiful book - and I rarely use the word beautiful when it comes to books! I just couldn't put it down - the combination of the message of Jesus along with Philip Harris' way of putting it in written prose is really like music to the soul. You'll just want to read it again and again."

Philip Harris has provided us with an inspiring, thought provoking view into the words spoken by Jesus, who knew The Secret and despite having shared his knowledge freely, many heard but didn't listen. This book will make you stand up on your toes and realize just how powerful the words of Jesus really were. No matter what your religious beliefs are this book will educate you to not just hear, but to listen and to apply what it is that you learn, allowing you the capability of having a bountiful and prosperous today and every day there after.

For those who reject the secret of the universe in favor of religious speculation, here's a sermon of universal truth from the master prophet Himself. There will be no denying this evidence. From the agnostic to the evangelical, if this doesn't convince you, nothing will. Harris' work is easy to read and digest. He offers sometimes complex ideas in accesible ways so that any reader of any age can grasp the meaning of his words. This is a remarkable read, a must-read.

The Law of Attraction is not a newly revealed secret, it was taught by a very humble man of God more than 2000 years ago. "Jesus Taught It, Too: The Early Roots of the Law of Attraction," by Philip Harris presents a compelling argument that the Law of Attraction is not a modern paradigm shift. Harris portrays the teachings of Jesus and his followers as a mindset that requires knowing one's inner meaning that comes from the heart. Jesus, referenced in multiple scriptural references, espoused the firm belief that faith is based on knowing...not hoping.
Harris' in-depth research of Biblical scripture and history offers unique perspectives and well-founded premises to support his discussion of Jesus' simple message. According to Harris, Jesus taught that we live in a unified universe, free of judgment, in which we are seeking our individual spirituality. Organized religion is a man-made institution that teaches the faithful about the dogma of good, evil, sin and a punitive God. The New Age movement is not truly new, according to Harris. Since the early 1800's the movement has taught the power of positive thinking and positive affirmations and has included such followers as Alcott, Emerson and Thoreau. Man has sought to analyze spiritual thought and seek their inner Christ through visualization since the Apostles first sat at the foot of their Master.
"Jesus Taught It, Too..." explores the concept that a true meditative state is found only when you are free of emotional, spiritual, and physical baggage. Through the recognition that God is not exclusionary you can reap physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional wealth. Doubt will ensure failure.
"Jesus Taught It, Too..." presents complex theocratic beliefs in simple, straight-forward language. The Law of Attraction addresses the powerful influence of positive thinking in the acquisition of physical and material needs. Jesus taught that by applying these same principals to one's spiritual life, one's physical and material needs will be met as a natural result of their application. Harris challenges the reader to "believe in the best with an inner conviction...and it will manifest in your life." This book's intriguing but down-to-earth message will appeal to any reader seeking to broaden their spiritual horizon.

At last, a diary and calendar that's spiral bound so it lies flat when you write! The photographs from around the world are great; some can even be looked at and studied for as long as it takes to fill a page with text. What's good, too, is that the quotes and so-called inspiring texts are not from Oscar Wilde and other masters of the ironic one-liner but words that go deeper than that. OK, some of the photo and text combinations are obvious. It shouldn't always be necessary to match so literally. But of the hundreds, indeed thousands, of calendars on the market, this is in the Top Three.

Like so many people in these unsettled times I long for a sense of stability and certainty. What is solid and unchanging if not our love of life and nature and the inspired word. That is why I recommend 'Journeying through the days 2002' with beautiful photography by David Hay Jones. The book is a rock upon which to rest our weary and battered souls.

At last, a diary and calendar that's spiral bound so it lies flat when you write! The photographs from around the world are great; some can even be looked at and studied for as long as it takes to fill a page with text. What's good, too, is that the quotes and so-called inspiring texts are not from Oscar Wilde and other masters of the ironic one-liner but words that go deeper than that. OK, some of the photo and text combinations are obvious. It shouldn't always be necessary to match so literally. But of the hundreds, indeed thousands, of calendars on the market, this is in the Top Three.

Journal-writing is a liberating exercise in so many ways. We are freed from the notion that other people's "truths" will save us, freed from the dogma of accepting 10-point programs to salvation. Although 'Journeying' is published by a Christian outfit it resists the temptation to point a fundamentalist finger at us. Instead, we are encouraged to listen to our inner voice, reflect on the beauty of our surroundings and use the thoughts of others, such as Martin Luther King, to enlighten our minds. Thankfully, too, the pitfalls of New Age "anything goes" are avoided. At last, Christianity has understood the meaning and content of humility! The photographs by up-and-coming European photographer David Hay Jones are sufficiently subtle and atmospheric to match this sensitive approach to spirituality. They are rarely obvious, certainly not commercial. Rather, they encourage us to look at the world and find our own truths, whether they be Christian, Muslim, Hindu, New Age or agnostic.

The publishers of 'Journeying through the days' have come up with a winning concept: creative nature photography; inspiring texts; and space for your own daily journal entries. Each day of the year has a short bible passage and each of the many color photographs is accompanied by a beautiful and insightful text. The photography and text complement each other, with many of the photographs being atmospheric and suggestive rather than bland reflections of "the world out there". Writing a daily journal is not only a way to record personal development, the ups and downs of life, but also a path to deeper understanding. I recommend this book very highly. It is a magnificent piece of work.

Alan F. Segal's book "Life After Death" is my first read of his work, and certainly the most massive book I have read in some time. Considering the sheer scope of the topic Segal has attempted to cover, the size of the book should come as no surprise. However, the physical weight is where the "weightiness" ends.

Now, before you freak out about over 700 pages of text on life after death, it should be emphasised that Segal writes in a very accessible and easy going manner. A few of the words he uses require a dictionary, (at least, I needed one), but the incidence of this was not a burden. Segal keeps you moving and presents a great level of quotation from ancient sources to highlight his points. His manner and style of presentation and discussion are absolutely fantastic.

Segal presents the beliefs of different cultures from a more social viewpoint than anything, and deals with how these beliefs can illustrate what the people thought of about themselves and the world about them. What you end up with is a very interesting discussion not just on life after death, but also some of the political, cultural and social concerns that went into them. This makes for a very well-rounded discussion.

Segal takes you through various cultures and civilisations, and throughout he inter-connects various ideas between them to show how they illustrate each other by contrast or simularity. These cultures include chapters on Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Canaan, Israelite, (broken into various chapters), and much more, including detailed chapters on Christian views and their development through the centuries.

This book is really a great overview of the topic, and it is relatively easy to find from Segal's referencing further material for more specific reading. Segal has done exceptionally well to squeeze such a vast topic into about 750 well-written and dynamic pages.

This book gets a big "thumbs-up" from me. I will certainly be reading more of Segal's work in the future.

First, I must admit that I'm not totally impartial due to the fact that I have come to consider Dr. Segal a great mentor. Nevertheless, it can be said with absolute certainty that his treatment of the subject is very full-bodied and complete.

Moreover, you should not be intimidated by the book's length. For by connecting the subject to his personal life and contemporary issues, he keeps you interested throughout the long and fascinating journey.

If you're like me, you'll be both moved and amazed by what you've learned.

Professor Segal's book is a must read for anyone interested in tracing the development of thinking concerning post-mortem existence. Segal's approach is well-researched, and he makes conections across the centuries and cultures that might otherwise go unnoticed. His grasp of the bredth of the material concerning western society's beliefs of life after death is breathtaking.

I just finished reading Professor Segal's tome, "Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion." He has done a superb job at summarizing (yes, 700 pages is but a summary of this vast subject) these notions, at least as they appear in the Western world.

This subject has fascinated me for a long time but I began to study it more carefully five years ago. At that time, I had begun work on my book, "Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul," and wanted to juxtapose ideas of the `soul' with our current notions of the mind as derived from the brain sciences. It was quite a surprise to discover that no single text existed that summarized ideas about the soul. The best resource was a prolonged article in Mircea Eliade's excellent Encyclopedia of Religion. Besides that, there were some specialized accounts about Greek ideas of the soul, Egyptian ideas of the soul, etc. but nothing that put them into a larger context outside of their particular cultures. To truly provide context, you would need to show how our most ancient ideas about the mind and about the afterlife came about, how they took priority within the Western mindset, and then how they changed over the last two to three thousand years. A monumental project, to be sure, but one that should have existed somewhere within a university library. Sadly, this was not the case.

It became a personal duty to provide at least a basic summary and reading guide for this subject. So in my 400 page work I devoted the first 100 pages to a history of the soul and spent another 20 or so pages discussing ideas of the afterlife at a later point. This was barely sufficient to provide a set of key points.

The key points which I chose to highlight and which Professor Segal reviews in much greater detail include the idea that the core of Western spirituality and philosophy-the idea of a disembodied soul-is largely the product of Plato's influence. Especially in the "Phaedo," Plato discusses the soul and its immortality. Plato got the lion's share of these ideas from Orphism (and its variant, Pythagoreanism). In turn, it is likely that these `religions' got their ideas from shamanic traditions common in prehistorical European culture. From these ancient ideas -- as articulated in the Platonic works -- came the driving force of the soul and the afterlife in the Christian and Muslim faiths. But, added to the notion of a disembodied soul were ideas about physical resurrection.

Ideas about resurrection derived from Zoroastrianism and (at least it is my contention) it is from Zoroastrianism that ancient Judaism took its ideas of resurrection (esp. in Daniel). Around the time of Jesus, then, the previously afterlife-devoid Jewish faith (First Temple Judaism vs. Second Temple Judaism) had started to steep in Platonic and Zoroastrian influences. One must not forget that in Jesus' time, Judea was part of the Roman Empire and that the Roman Empire was a cultural cosmopolis of the highest order, the one great city. At any given marketplace, one might discuss Plato, hear something about the mystery religions, and consider the moral rectitude of the Jews' single god. Through the genius of Christianity and its apologizers the incompatible ideas of physical resurrection and the disembodied soul essentially fused (or at least transmitted themselves in an uneasy alliance from generation to generation).

Reading the New Testament leads to an uncertainty about what to expect from Christian salvation: physical resurrection at the end of days or immediate afterlife entrance (thanks to the soul) at each individual's bodily death. Most people are fairly unappreciative of the explicitness of resurrection in the New Testament and thus imagine their loved ones' souls immediately going to heaven. In short, soul based ideologies have achieved the most popularity. Plato's influence has outshone all others.

It is a personal joy to see that Professor Segal's historical research generally follows the contours of this outline. "Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion" provides generous details about each and every aspect of Greek (esp. Platonic), Jewish, Christian, and Muslim ideas about the afterlife and-by necessity-discusses each of these traditions' ideas about the soul. The book, though massive, is a wonderful read and sure to quicken a few important debates.

To understand, at least on a summary level, the historical background of these ideas is of the utmost importance for understanding the history of the Western world. And because history (memory) is the core of personality, one must understand these issues to gain insight into our present world and its entrenched issues. From the trade center bombings, to stem cell debates, to environmental policy, one cannot truly understand the political perspectives of all sides until one appreciates these ideas about the soul and about the `end' or `aim' of human existence, ideas about the afterlife. This book is a must read and if the subject titillates, you might move on to "Brain & Belief" as a follow up.

The author attempts to explain an oxymoron - Life After Death. He does so elegantly, enlightening and entertaining along the way. It may shock those who think we've always held the beliefs we now hold and that these beliefs arrived fully developed without undergoing all the development associated with such ideas. The author is authoritative and sympathetic as we wind through the ages, civilization upon end, rewriting not only the rules but also the game.

Starting with the unchanging Egyptians one discovers that they indeed changed their beliefs about life after death, not once but several times. Then the citizens of Ur take center stage. On and on we move, ancient Persia, Greece and finally the dawn of our modern Western ideas, Israel. It is difficult to call one view more "sophisticated" than another due to the transmission and borrowing of ideas between cultures. Each new encounter led to another modification.

The primary question had to be decided..."Is there life after death?" Most cultures concluded that "something" existed beyond death. (Oddly, the Old Testament is silent on the subject.) They were unsure where it was or what occurred. Religious leaders and rulers were included (of course) then a new idea of titantic import emerged, one that affects us to this day: All who lead "good lives" (honored rulers and gods, obeyed social rules) are eligible for eternal bliss. Its corollarly - bad people get punished - was a natural development.

Our ideas of an afterlife had evolved from a dark existence to a an opulent physical place to a democratic mystical union with Christ in "heaven". The idea of resurrection muddied the waters but stopped debate on the subject. Christianity substituted "being in Christ" for a physical place while Islam's version promises sensuousness and pleasure for ever. A well-researched and well-written book - get it today.

This book is not only a great help for any lop rabbit friend, but a very-well written book with wonderful pictures. A very warm and friendly book. I enjoy reading it over and over again!

This has to be the BEST rabbit book out there! It's chock full or information sure to please and delight both the pet owner and the rabbit breeder (and those who are somewhere in between!).
Mrs Crook is known as "Mother of the Lops" - and she proves that she is rightly named so in this wonderful book about rabbits.
Although the title is "Lop Rabbits As Pets" the information in here is applicable to any breed of rabbit, and if you only ever buy one rabbit book - this is the one!

Be sure to check out Petbunny.com for all your rabbit needs!

I had a pet lop rabbit who, sadly, recently joined the ranks of the bunny hereafter. I found this book after her passing, and discovered that even though I took care of her to the best of my abilities, there was still a lot I had to learn.

Sandy Crook's guide book covers just about all aspects of raising lops, including proper maintenance and grooming. This was the data I needed to know the most. What feed to use & how much, what tools to use for grooming and trimming the claws, the proper temperature & dimensions of the hutch, and so much more. There's also a few comprehensive and insightful chapters on breeding and raising lops for show competition. I'll likely never venture into the art of lop breeding myself, but for those that are, the information in this book is invaluable.

There's also spades of photos of just about every breed, size, & color lop imaginable. And they're all so danged CUTE!

'Late!

I loved this book very much and rate it highly, but in my mind, the only drawback to this book is the fact that it mainly focussed on breeding, showing, and outdoor rabbits. Which is all perfectly fine if you plan on doing those things with your pet (or are intrested in that aspect of rabbits). But I (as the owner of a spoiled "urban rabbit") do not necessarily enjoy that part of the book very much. Sandy Crook presents her information in a wonderful and pleasing manner and has loads of CUTE bunny photographs. There is also useful information on just about every aspect of rabbits. A must for new owners!

We own a lop rabbit named Benjamin, and we bought this book. It has quite a bit of good information on rabbits as pets, but the strongest aspects of this book are the collection of photographs of all kinds of lop bunnies and the listing at the end of all the breeds of lop rabbits.