Works Books

This collection of essays starts out by rehashing nature/nurture arguments that ought to be widely understood by now, but then becomes mostly entertaining and occasionally quite informative.
He mentions one interesting study (Cunningham and Russell, "Egg investment is influenced by male attractiveness in the mallard)) which questions sexual selection arguments put forward by Geoffrey Miller and others about animals selecting mates with better genes. The study shows that female Mallards produce stronger offspring after mating with more attractive males because they invest more resources in those eggs, rather than because of anything that seems connected to the genes provided by the males.
He helps explain the attraction of gambling by describing experiments which show larger dopamine releases due to rewards that are most uncertain (the subject thinks they have a 50% chance of happening) than is released when there's more certainty (e.g. either a 25% chance or a 75% chance) of the same reward.
One place where I was disappointed was when he described "repressive personalities", which he made seem quite similar to Aspergers, and made me wonder whether I fit his description. "dislike novelty"? My reaction to novelty is sufficiently context-dependent that any answer is plausible. "prefer structure and predictability"? Yes and usually. "poor at expressing emotions or at reading the nuances of emotions in other people"? That's me. "can tell you what they're having for dinner two weeks from Thursday"? I could probably predict 5 days in advance with 50% accuracy, so I'm probably closer than most people. So I Googled and found another description (mentioning the same researcher that Sapolsky mentioned) in the Sciences and find descriptions of "repressive personality" that seem wildly different from me ("a strong personal need for social conformity" and "agreement with statements framed as absolutes, statements loaded with the words never and always"). Who wrote this competing description? Wait, it's the same Sapolsky! It looks like his current description reuses a small piece of an older article with inadequate thought to whether it's complete enough.

No one comes colose to sapolsky in having fun with genetics and evolutionary science. This set of essays is just a blast.

It should come as no surprise that Monkeyluv, as with all of Sapolsky's books, is a masterpiece. There is no better science writer of our day.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I read it very quickly and had trouble putting it down. It is fascinating, educational, funny, enjoyable and well written about complex issues.

Sapolsky, who is the author of A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford and a recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant. I found his genius not only to be in his insight and ability to frame questions and pursue their answers, but also to be able to write about it in a way that is accessible to a "nongenius."

This book is a collection of previously published essays that are updated for this edition (the updates include notes for further reading and on source materials). Sapolsky divides the book into three parts ("Genes and Who We Are," "Our Bodies and Who We Are" and "Society and Who We Are") and introduces each section with cogent current thinking on the issues addressed. For example, to introduce the first section, Sapolsky writes about how the nature-nurture argument is a red herring; genes contribute to personality/behavior when the environment interacts with them in ways conducive to gene-induced behavior! For example, in "Of Mice and (Hu)men Genes," Sapolsky writes about genes that may indicate a proclivity for depression, but only in certain environments, and summarizes that the reader should be wary of simple expanations. (And, he asserts, as humans we may have more responsibility to create positive environments that interact benignly with risky genes than to understand which genes cause what.) In the second section's "Why are Dreams Dreamlike?" Sapolsky illustrates how answering some questions about how the brain and psyche function just brings up other, deeper questions.

Sapolsky's illustrations of his points are fascinating and enlightening (and often funny!). In "The Genetic War Between Men and Women," he writes about how the genes from the father of a species have one goal ("greater, faster, more expensive growth") while genes from the mother have another ("countering that exuberance"). The success comes in nature's ability to balance these goals: "The placenta is ... the scene of a pitched battle, with paternally derived genes pushing [the placenta] to invade more aggressively while maternally derived genes try to hold it back." He lists other examples of this balance in humans and other species. This view of nature and how reproduction is nurtured fascinated me and helped me to see things in a new way.

Sapolsky's topics are wide ranging, and the book reminded me a bit of Freakonomics in its tendency to turn its problem-solving focus on whatever issue crossed its path. For example, in the final section, he writes about the differences between the
religions of desert peoples and the religions of tropical peoples -- the former tend to have a single god with miltaristic iterations and few rights for women while the latter tend toward pantheism and matrilocal marital residence. "Most evidence suggests that the rain-forest mind-set is more of a hothouse attribute, less hardy when uprooted." I guess that's evident, but Sapolsky's writings on the topic, again, gave me a new way to look at something I hadn't considered before. In this book, he addresses game theory, gene mapping, musical tastes, gender-communication issues and neurogenesis with wit, clarity and insight.

I recommend this book if you're the least bit curious about your brain, your body, the natural world and the society in which you live.

I have never read anything by Sapolsky before. Now that I have he goes right to the top of my list with Richard Dawkins and Desmond Morris.

I think this is a great book for any woman who is struggling post partum. Part of the healing process is realizing you are not alone. Hearing first hand stories of women across the globe who struggled, but also recovered (and how), is powerful. Every woman experiences PPD differently...and this book covers the gamat of womens' experiences...from those who have high anxiety, depression, and suicide, and also covering special circumstances...single mothers, multiples, difficult births, etc. I don't think there is anyone with PPD who would not be able to relate to this compilation of stories. I'd highly recommend reading this book.

This book was a huge help. I didn't find it until after I recovered from PPD/Anxiety. Hearing other mother's stories was very comforting.

A friend of mine gave me this book and even though I am not a "big book reader" (it takes me forever to finish one), I could not put this one down.
I had talked to other mothers with PPD, but I always felt that they couldn't relate, that my Postpartum Depression was different. Needless to say I felt very lonely and isolated. I read the book and I found women that I could identify with. For the first time in a long, long time, I didn't feel so alone anymore, and even better I had HOPE again. The road to recovery was still long and hard, but I knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel and that I could beat this horrible disease.

I found this book very helpful when I was first diagnosed with PPD. Knowing there were other women out there that had experienced similar feelings made me feel not quite so alone.

This book made me feel comforted and not alone when I was feeling depressed after giving birth to my twins. I highly recommend it.

this is a great book and i received it just like i expectd to receive it.

We have read this book repeatedly, and my first-grader enjoys it every time. Now he enjoys reading it to me. Great for beginning readers.

WHAT A JOY THIS BOOK IS. THE STORY IS FUN AND SO CUTE. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES TO READ TO THE CHILDREN.

This is one of those that is an absolute delight to read to and with kids. A mouse, minding his own business is caught by a weasel who of coure plans to whip up a batch of Mouse Soup. Our fast talking little mouse simply talks his way out of the dinner by telling the weasel four delightful stories, thereby distracting the weasle and at the same time, teaching the weasle a good lesson. The illustrations are great the the story telling is of the highest quality. Cute is a word that is over used, but in this case I have to use it because it fits so well. This work is almost along the same lines as the famous Uncle Remus tales, but in many ways is more appealing. I liked this one and do highly recommend it. The art work alone is worth the price of the book.

I have to bow to a superior opinion in rating this book. After reading it to my 5 y.o. son, I had come to the conclusion that the subset of stories were pretty lame and uninteresting. I mean one of them is about two rocks that get lied to by a bird (or so the rocks think). And another is about a rose bush growing out of a comfy chair.

But my 5 y.o. informs me that I don't know what I am talking about. This book is great, he told me. And he convinced me that this was true by doing something his active little self seldom does: he went and got the book off his shelf and dragged his father over to the couch so that dad could listen to him read the stories. [Could have knocked me over with bookmark.]

The AR Reading level for this book is 2.4 which means that the Accelerated Reading committee, and it's software, suggests this book for Second Graders in their fourth month of school.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

Four Stars. This book has a mouse cum Scheherazade premise: A weasel captures a poor little mouse and the mouse plots to get out of being eaten by telling stories. The stories the mouse tells didn't appeal to me, but my five y.o. son sure liked them. The AR reading level indicates the book is suitable for Second Graders.

This is a great reference book. Even though I think that the some of the information is a little outdated, it can make a great reference for the newly diagnosed.

Excellent book for the newly diagnosed!!!! Written in a well understood and caring manner, not as matter of fact and scary as some I've read since being diagnosed. A big thank you to the author!

Answers many of the questions asked by new or fairly new MS victims. Knowledge is power.

This was really good reference book. Most of those questions that you don't have time with your Dr to ask, are answered here.

I bought this book for a friend who has ms. She read it and was very pleased with the contents. It answered many of the questions she had about the disease that her doctors didn't answer for her. It is an excellent resourse book for any ms patient.

I recently had the privilege to attended a workshop with Robert. The experience left me with a desire to know more about him and his work. I purchased his book and could not put it down. Robert's personal journey to follow his calling and heartfelt relationships are inspiring. This book allowed me to look deep inside myself, explore my biases and feelings about humanity in general. This book is a must read and will change the way you view our prison system.

When I first participated in one of Bob's community building workshops I left wondering what potential the process held in other situations. It all makes sense after reading this book. A simple idea -- be vulnerable and take ownership of your opinions and your past, don't judge, listen intensely, and don't be afraid to grieve for your past failures, sufferings and pain ... and those of others. This process has changed the lives of so many individuals that the rest of society has given up on too easily. You won't look at innmates and former convicts the same. You hopefully won't look at yourself the same either. Read it and it will open your eyes and heart. Thank you Bob!

I found this book by accident when i was searching for more infos about life in Americas prisons. I got this book with the intention to read sometimes a few pages because my time is very limited . it turned out that I had to run to work for to be not too late because always when I spent my time with this book I forgot everything else around me.
That's just how interesting this book is. Fascinating to me was the fact that with each page I read, I found my own thoughts or a proof of the things I already knew .
I spent the last 6 years with communicating with prisoners in America. Often it is hard to believe what's going on in these places. Some people may find it hard to believe what Mr Roberts has to tell within this book but I can assure everybody that everything you read is true and based on real life .
Mr Roberts changed his whole life for to bring some changes to a few people .I hope everyone who reads this book gets an idea of how serious the criminal and justice problem in America really is and starts to help to make a change
PS: For everyone from Germany , you can order the book by amazon.de.

Heartbreaking in its simplicity and insight, Dr. Robert's journey is one every tax-paying American should take. From his personal committment, establishment of Project Return which pushed his career in radically different directions, to his work with indiginous populations, Dr Roberts casts himself as very much the student. This is a position very few 'civilians' have experienced. I know. I'm just finishing my 30th year in law enforcement.. This is must reading for professionals and citizens alike. You will finish this book as a changed person.

A moving account of one man's search for a path to truth, a path by the following of which society as a whole can benefit. While this book is subtitled: An Unlikely Journey Behind the Walls of Justice, it is so much wider in its applicability than to the insitutions wherein it was born. In his exploration of 'community building', Mr. Roberts has written a remarkable prescription for society as a whole to adopt and apply to heal the profound wounds caused by the segregation of its members into disparate islands of fear, hurt, and hate. As for the application of this process to both the incarcerated and returned prison population itself, truly remarkable results have resulted from so doing. Mr. Roberts has addressed a core concern: "Without proper support, however, transformation is a long hard road. Because most of (the incarerated) are unprepared, most of them fail [become recidivists upon being paroled or pardoned]." Robert's combination of community building and techniques developed from his insights into the human social condition garnered while studying prisoners directly should be seriously examined by all states concernd with reformation of those who offend its rules. The results from so doing offer a path to real freedom, the transformation of a person rather than the brutalizing perpetuation of antisocial behavior consequent from incarceration as it is currently administered. Finally, this is a remarkable and inspiring read.

I purchased this four volume set when I was studying Greek at Denver Seminary, back in 1989 as it was highly recommend by my Greek professor. I used it quite a bit during seminary and even after that in my personal Bible studies, and more so when I started working on my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT).

The arrangement of this set is by English not Greek words. But the fourth volume provides an index to where the discussion on Greek words can be found.

For each entry, the English word is given in bold, then the basic Greek word in a box. Then variant forms of the Greek word are given and synonymous Greek words, each with an English equivalent. Then the main article begins with a discussion of the use of the word(s) in classical literature. Then there's a discussion of the usages of the word(s) in the LXX translation of the Hebrew, OT, often indicating what Hebrew word the LXX was translating, and finally is the discussion of the usage on the NT.

So lots of information is presented, and if you read through the entire article for a word, you will definitely gain full knowledge of the history and usage of the word. However, the thoroughness of this set can sometimes be a drawback. It is just too much information and takes too long to read through. Most of the time when studying a word, you don't need that much background, so standard lexicons, like the ones on the BibleWorks 7 software program, provide sufficient info.

But that said, I am glad I purchased this set when I did. I didn't refer to it that often in my translation work, but on the occasions that I did, it helped to clarify how to translate a particular word.

For instance, some claim that "porneia" only refers to prostitution. The article in volume one of this set explains that this was originally the sense of the word. However, by the time of Christ, "porneia" referred to any kind of sexual intercourse outside of a Biblically lawful marriage (pp. 497-501). As such, I rendered this as word as "sexual sin" with the alternative translation of "fornication." I explain in more detail the reasons for these renderings in the Glossary contained in the Companion Volume to the Analytical-Literal Translation: Third Edition. The information for that glossary entry was mainly taken from the article in this set.

This set is also helpful when working on articles for my Web site. And it would be helpful in sermon preparation.

All that said, this volume is rather expensive. So only get it if you really think you will need in-depth word studies for transition work, sermon preparation, and the like. Less expensive lexicons and software programs will provide sufficient information for less serious Bible studies.

`New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology' edited in its English translation from the German by Colin Brown, is the most useful DICTIONARY on this subject I have found over the last two years of teaching Bible study. It is a true dictionary, with a primary focus on Greek etymology in classical Greek literature (Homer, Hesiod, playwrights, Plato, Aristotle, historians), the Greek translations of the Old Testament, and the New Testament, with distinctions made between Synoptic, Pauline, and other uses of the same term.
Before acquiring this work, I wrestled with `Theological Dictionary of the New Testament', edited in German and completed around 1933 by Gerhard Kittel, and translated into English by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, which has 10 huge volumes filled with a wealth of information, except that everything is organized by original Greek terms, and my reading of Greek is simply not up to snuff yet. So, while I have never been disappointed by this resource, it is simply too clumsy to use for the quick check on a meaning.
Brown's translation, on the other hand is marvelously organized by English words, with a transliteration of the Greek into English characters, followed by the original Greek script. Super, when the term you want is one of the major terms. A fly enters the ointment when the term you want is secondary to a more common word. I ran into this situation when I tried to look up `mute' (kophos) which my annotated Bibles told me could bean both deaf and dumb. Well, there was simply nothing there in volume 2 (G - Pre) under `mute'. By this means, I discovered the great value of Volume 4, the `Indexes'. `mute' was here in abundance, with the primary entry (within the entry for `dumb') highlighted, and I was merrily on my way.
I discovered an even greater value to this work when I looked up `hypocrisy', to help me understand the use of the word in Luke (who happens to use if far less frequently than Matthew). A recent lecture on Matthew stated that `hypocrisy' didn't mean the same to the ancients as it does to us. I did not entirely trust this observation. As I stated above, this Dictionary gives at least three different interpretations of words, one for classical Greek, one for Old Testament (LXX) Greek, and one for New Testament Greek. Well, classical Greek did mean an actor or explainer of narrative in dramas who may have performed with a mask. But usage in the Synoptics is virtually identical to our modern meaning. Even better, Luke's quote of Jesus may even been a metaphor using both meanings, one who explains as well as one who does not believe what they preach.
I was even more pleased with the book when it confirmed an interpretation I had of Luke's use of `yeast', which disagreed with the notes in my study bible. Brown, et. al. even went so far as to point out the common mis-interpretation of `yeast' in this context.
You may be using `Vines Complete Expository Dictionary', which puts everything in a single volume and is keyed to Strong's concordances. I've used Vines often, but I also often find this book light on interpretations in all parts of scripture. Vines is good, but this set of four smallish volumes is better for quick, but discriminating reference. Of course, it also has all the usual scholarly doo-dads, which are great, but not as important as the sound, discerning interpretations.

We are very pleased with the service and product. There were a few glitches but were cleared up immediately. I am very happy with the service. Thank's to all involved

A must for any bible study. As Greek has been transliterated there is really no need to even know the original language. The articles are AMAZING!!! AMEN!!!

The transliteration of the Greek is the only draw-back to this work as personally I prefer the Greek terms and in the Greek word order.Allow me to explain why. I do not use the NIV, though I know it to be a trustworthy translation, thus I tend to come directly from the Greek text to this. Thus I usually find the term, I am searching, in the transliterated indexed 4th volume. So if this was in the Greek word order and untransliterated it would prove easier. But enough of my crying! It IS WORTHY TO BE PURCHASED!

I also supplement this set with 'Theological Lexicon of The New Testament' by Ceslas Spicq, which tends to develop words the NIDNNT and Kittle have omitted. The TLNT is in the Greek word order and untransliterated, so it may feel odd to some who are not yet aquainted with the Greek.

Without question purchase the NIDNNT prior to the TLNT by Spicq as you will gain far more use from it.

soli deo gloria

I hate to be the only one not giving this a 5 (but four means it's great). [NOTE: My rating was accidentally registered as a five] Others have already highlighted how great this is. In many respects, it is superior to Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (10 volumes). I've owned my set since 1980, when it was three volumes (the current fourth volume is an index). I can't give it five stars because 1) organizing by English words is very difficult and annoying for those of us who can look it up in Greek word order, like all the other Greek resources (20 minutes learning the Greek alphabet is all it would take for someone who doesn't read Greek). 2) Like so many other works geared to both those who read Greek and those who don't, it uses transliteration in the articles. I think that's the ONLY thing I like better about Kittel's - no transliteration! 3) This is not cost-effective compared to the absolutely outstanding and inexpensive "abridged" version of this set (see more below).

I've used DNTT for years. I always come away from reading articles quite edified. It's a tremendous resource. It's so good I overlook it's organizational faults.

However, consider the following:

Zondervan quietly put out an abridged version of this. Nothing important is missing! See my review of the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology - Abridged Edition here on Amazon for more details. That is only $23, while this four volume set is $93. That uses the odd English based organizing system, the abridged is easier to use and all words are listed in Greek word order. They crammed the information into one volume by shrinking the type (still plenty big), moving to a double column format, and making the book taller and deeper than the original size. Read more about it at my review.

If you are considering this set, you may want to consider the abridged instead. When I've used the abridged, I never feel cheated because they kept all the relevant stuff! I have all the major theological dictionaries of the NT (TDNT, DNTT, Exegetical Dictionary of the NT, and Spicq's TNLT) and I use them routinely. I'm telling you that the Abridged version of this is not a kiddie version. It's the real thing. It's the best kept secret in scholarly resources for the NT! Don't feel like you're slighting yourself by getting the abridged, you're not. Now the abridged Kittel's, by contrast, is a different story. That was a serious abridgement and a serious compromise of the original. I sold that on eBay. I retain and use the original.

A great supplement to this set (or the abridged version) is Spicq's Theological Lexicon of the New Testament. See my review of that. It is far more theologically refreshing and insightful than either this set or TDNT (EDNT is the most bland, but it has its strengths).

May God bless you in your pursuit of a greater understanding of Holy Scripture.

As has been said, the introduction by Lewis is worth the cost of the book. Of course, Athanasius' masterpiece is in public domain and free versions abound, but this is a much better translation than you are likely to get for free, and the introduction is C.S. Lewis at his absolute best. A must-have for both Lewis fans and for those who love theology.

As an early Christian who really understood the faith Athansus shines here with the story of the Incarnation and the disagreements and heresies that arose surrounding it in clear, undiluted terms. It's a concise, clear capturing of the core of the faith (of the early Church and Christianity at large). Should be a must-read for anyone who thinks they know their Christian faith.

Very pleased with the condition and the Book. If you are a Believer in Jesus Christ and you want to study the "Incarnation" this is the book.

First, the introduction by C. S. Lewis is alone worth the price of this short work. Lewis argues that these works by the early church fathers are far easier to read than the commentaries of the works of the fathers. He also argues that we need to read at least one out of three books out of our century. He doesn't use the phrase "chronological snobbery," but the argument is the same. We need to read perspectives of other cultures and ages to help keep ourselves from falling into the errors of the present age.

Second, the book is not terribly difficult to read. The book is short and well organized. Some of the passages take rereadings, but the arguments for the most part are fairly straight forward and accessible. Meditating on what God did through the incarnation, the reasons for the incarnation, and its impact on our lives and history as a whole can not be a bad thing.

As has been said, this book is fantastic. Everything good that you learn about God's becoming a man originates in this book. Would be nice if the translation was a little more fluid. Unfortunately, this is probably the best translation you'll find, for now.

The book Origin of Illness is wonderful. I'm almost finished with it and I was amazed of how much I could relate to some
of the things in the book. It's an easy read and you get into quickly. It's amazing how true it is and makes you think!

If you want to know what is DESTROYING your life, what is BEHIND your illness, depression, unhappyness and so on, you OUGHT to READ this book! This book will help you to better understand problems in several areas of your own life and in the lives of others. It will give you many answers through plenty clinical examples of analysis and explanation of how everyone of us make use of the so well described destructive force in our lives and how we can deal with it in a very practical way.
If you want to IMPROVE your HEALTH and living quality , you OUGHT to read this book!

In writing The Origin Of Illness Dr. Norberto Keppe has offered to the world a hithereto unperceived solution to the problems of Man.

In a very thin volume Dr Keppe explains the absolute root of all collective and individual malaise whether it be psychological, social or physical.

Origin of Illness offers to the reader an appreciation of the insidious effects in all our lives of the phenomenon of Envy, an attitude prevailing almost universally which is nothing but a useless refusal of all that is good and beautiful and worthy in our lives and in the lives of others.

Don't underestimate Envy, for Envy ITSELF is total underestimation; a tragedy in waiting for all who suffer it.

Dr Keppe explains the mechanics of Envy itself explaining that it is an attitude of denial and as such is not directly perceived save by its effects. Dr Keppe continues in his exposition to explain that so abominable are the effects of Envy in our own consciousness that we seek constantly to erase all awareness of them, even projecting them onto others so that we may feel 'free from stain'.

Dr Keppe clearly elaborates how consciousness is not as 'negotiable' as we think and that we cannot, as we believe avoid the effects in our lives of what we don't wish to perceive. In fact to believe that awareness can be negotiated is ENVY itself.

The Glory of this little book is the unveiling of the fact that our very resistance to consciousness of the effects of our Envy is the source of all our illnesses.

As the book explains, Envy can be the reason we do not 'get' the message of the book. Knowing this we are forced to admit that any uneasiness we feel about the content is affirming the content itself.

This Work is Dr Keppe's compassionate gift to all of us. It is a life changing book, a book which will answer many previously paradoxical conundrums in the lives of those who read it.

A thin book this may be---and Envy will lead us to believe that it contains a thin message, while a careful and humble attention to the contents will even save lives.

The Origin of Illness was well written and because of the constant interpolation of snippets of analysis session dialogue more interesting than Glorification, Dr. Keppe's other book.
The most striking thing about Analytical Trilogy is that its basis is clearly a secularized version of Catholic Theology. A.T.'s essence is Keppe's broad definition of "Envy", a dead ringer for the Catholic doctrine of Original Sin. ( I say the Catholic doctrine because, while the Protestant Reformers also taught Original Sin, their definition was quite different.) In fact, Dr. Keppe twice in the book uses the term original sin in connection with Envy.

The alalogy hold up quite well with A.T.'s "consciousness" equivalent to Catholic "conscience", the is, the ability to distinguish good from evil.

Although strictly speaking the analogy ends there, but one can't help but see the Keppean psychoanalyst as a replacement for the priest in the confessional.

Also, one wonders where all the needed pschooanalysts the world needs are to come from.

Keppe clearly sees A.T. as the only solution to the problem of envy and inversion with the accompanying problems of delusional projection.

The low pointof the book can be found on pages 94-95 where Keppe gratutitously offers an unsupported and, in my view,unsupportable, attach on the crusades, the 1991 Iraq (incorrectly called Iran) War, and Clinton's denunciation of Brazilian child labor. I suggest this attack has more to do with Dr. Keppe's own feelings about authority figures (in this case the popes and presidents) than any psychopathology of the accused. Projection?

The A.T. system itself because of its fundamentally moral views strikes me a more acceptable approach to Christians in need of psychoanalysis than traditional Freudian approaches. The book itself does a good job of explaining why.

This book is fundamental reading for anyone who desires a deeper awareness of himself and others and especially the world in which we live. It is also basic reading for a better understanding of the unique and innovative work of the renowned psychoanalyst, philosopher and social scientist, Dr. Norberto R. Keppe.

In "The Origin of Illness" Keppe describes the three stages that lead us all to these conflicts and difficulties, and how through consciousness of this vicious circle we can improve our lives, our relationships and society. The author gives many practical examples, which we all can relate to, including excerpts from a number of his client's analysis sessions.

The first part of the book deals with the fundamental human problem, which is envy. This deep and hidden envy which is in everyone, to a greater or lesser degree, makes us blind to all that is good and beautiful in life, and consequently hinders or even destroys, all opportunity for development and progress.

The second part of the book addresses our fear of perceiving and dealing with our shortcomings. Keppe explains that the problem isn't having a problem, but in not seeing the problem. And this is our dilemma: how can we solve our problems when we do not admit that they exist?

The final section of the book deals with projection, which is the process of seeing all of our own problems or qualities in other people and things. Because of our enormous resistance to self-knowledge, we turn our eyes to the external world in an attempt to ignore our internal psychological life. Instead of seeing that the cause of the dissatisfaction is inside of me, for example, I blame my partner, my parents, my workmates, the city in which I live, etc. Projection is the cause of human conflicts, and the end result is that we to lose contact with reality and ourselves.

This book gives a whole new expansive perspective of the psychopathology of the human being and the civilization we have built. It provides answers to the question of why we experience so little true happiness in our lives and why we destroy the good in ourselves, each other and life in general.

The Oxford Companion is a must-have shelf reference for anyone intending to seriously study the Second World War. As with many encyclopedias, this means that the amateur or buff will use the entries themselves, and the expert will use the bibliography and suggestions for further reading. It is, at least at this moment, quite reasonably priced for such a serious work of reference, and I likely would not have bought it otherwise. The only drawback is that in changing over to the current edition, the editors seem to have removed the full-color maps that used to be placed at the end of the volume. I do not remember enough of those maps to tell if they are now among the black and white maps placed throughout the body of the work; I do know that the color maps were one of the highlights of the old edition and are much missed by this reviewer.

the Oxford Companion to World War II is very complete and simple to use for poeple who study the WW2, he contains a hundred maps, stats and chronological fact, englobing the totality of the allies or the axes. he's the best way to find all the information you'll need.

I have both the current and first edition of this book (in hardcover). As far as I can tell, the new edition is only shorter because it uses a smaller typeface, allowing several more words per line.

However, the new edition is also a bit easier to read despite the smaller size, because the new edition uses a glossy paper and the text seems more sharply defined on the page. This is particularly noticeable in the text of the maps, which I have struggled to read in the first edition, but seem clearer in the new edition.

As an aside, I agree with the general view that this is the single best reference book on World War II. I can't really tell what is changed in the new edition, although it may just be minor corrections, since the several longer articles I have compared seem identical.

This is a wonderful one volume encyclopedia of WWII, covering all fronts, participants, and major events. This outstanding work is an absolute must have for any serious student of World War II in my opinion. More than 100 scholars and professional historians contributed to this book. This work is certainly detailed, well written, and well researched, but it is not comprehensive (how could one describe WWII in one volume of about 1000 pages?). I think the description of this book as a `Companion' is entirely appropriate, it has been my companion for more than ten years now. I've flipped through pages of this book several times a week for the past ten years and (effectively) read the entire book through at least half a dozen times. This book is filled with an unbelievable amount of information. There are major sections on each of the combatants that include discussions about the military, political, economic, and cultural developments and changes that took place throughout the war. All the major battles are discussed, as well as people, equipment, and events. In my opinion, this is not a reference book, it is a learning book. If you already know a great deal about the Battle of Kursk or Uboats, for example, you will not find much new here. You will find, however, a wealth of information about all aspects of the war that you probably weren't even aware of. I have no complaints about this book and would consider it a bargain at twice the price. My only warning is that this book is probably not suited to someone who has only passing interest in World War II; if Steven Ambrose is your idea of a good historian, you probably aren't going to like this Companion.

I'm a fan of the first edition (1995) of this fine book: I'm a World War Two buff, and this is the best one-volume reference book on World War Two that I know of. So why would I give only four stars to the revised edition of 2005? Here's why. Prospective purchasers of the revised 2005 edition might like to know that it is 1,039 pages long, whereas the first edition of 1995 was 1,343 pages long. That's a loss of 304 pages, representing 23% of the material in the first edition---a considerable loss.

In the case of The Oxford Companion to Music, there was a beautiful, lavishly illustrated edition of 2,017 pages of 1983; it was replaced by a revised edition in 2002 that had 1,434 pages---a whopping loss of almost 600 pages of material. In this case I know what I'm talking about, because I have both editions: the 2002 edition represents a substantial abridgement and cheapening of the 1986 edition; I doubt that anyone who had the chance to compare the two would choose the newer edition.

I don't know if the same thing is going on with this Oxford Companion to World War Two (I don't have the new edition at hand to compare the two), but the loss of 23% of the material in the first edition, and my experience with The Oxford Companion to Music described above, would incline me to approach the new edition with caution.

Patrick Demarchelier is one of the best artist of this age; his Photographs are pieces of history. Into this book you'll find his masterpieces: emotions in B&W!

A must own book for people that love b&w photography. Patrick is excellent at getting the perfect angle for the image. The way the natural light and shadows enhance the objects is great. The true persons are drawn by the way the pictures are taken.

My 12 year old saw this book on one of the display tables, picked it up... for the cover (naked lady) and glanced through it. He then later came running up to me saying... Please buy this book. The pictures are excellent. Well now, my son is interested in photography as a hobby.

This depicts some of what we know and expect of Mr. Demarchelier. His ability to capture so much in a photograph, in a look, is what makes him so incredible as an artist. If you are a fan of his work, this work should be part of your collection.

This is one of the best books of portraits that it has been my pleasure to view.

Before going further, let me observe that the book contains much female nudity that would earn an "R" rating if this were a motion picture.

Glenn O'Brien in the book's introduction captures the essence of the book well, "The beauty standard is being raised once again."

Whether the subjects are beautiful (and many are) or not, the result is the same -- a deep look into the personality and character of the model done in large, vivid detail in wonderfully contrasting duotone. One of the best tests for this book is to compare the celebrity images you see here with others you have seen of these same people. These images are more warm, more revealing, and more fun to see. Mr. Demarchelier has a light touch that gets out the happiest version of a person. You'll find yourself laughing and smiling your way through this collection, for sure.

The portraits displayed here are uniformly of very high quality, and provide nice contrasts of subjects (nose rings, boulders, children, and elephants among the beautiful people).

Here are some of my many favorites:

Nude, St. Barthelemy, 1994

Nude, St. Barthelemy, 1989

Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales, London, 1993

Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and their daughter, Los Angeles, 1994

Versailles gardens, Versailles, France, 1994

Gianni Versace, Paris, 1992

Nude, New York, 1995

Corbassiere, Paris, 1994

Helena Christensen, New York, 1992 (second image)

Cindy Crawford, Leh, India, 1989

Jasper Johns and Leo Castelli, New York, 1993

Roy Lichtenstein, New York, 1993

Naomi Campbell, New York, 1990

Isabella Rosselini, New York, 1994

Robin Williams (4), New York, 1990

Robert De Niro, New York, 1990

Sisters, St. Barthelemy, 1991

Christy Turlington, New York, 1990

Alice Dodd, New York, 1994

Natasha Kinski, New York, 1993

Warren Beatty from "Dick Tracy," Los Angeles, 1989

Elton John, Paris, 1992

Janet Jackson, Miami, Florida, 1993

Arthur Demarchelier, New York, 1991

Patrick and Mia Demarchelier and their three sons, New York, 1987

Meg Ryan, New York, 1994

Claudia Schiffer, St. Barthelemy, 1991

Paul Newman, Beacon, New York, 1994

Elle Macpherson, New York, 1990

Cindy Crawford, New York, 1990

After you look closely at these images, notice how lines and flaws provide balance and perspective in the same way that perfect figures provide proportion. How can you create more waves of enjoyable symmetry?

Drink deeply from the bubbling joy of humanity!