Signs Books

In a first-rate piece of literary reportage, David Lehman chronicles the movement known as "deconstructionism" within the larger movement in the humanities known as "critical theory." With more empathy for his subjects than this reviewer can muster, Lehman shows how hubris, greed, parochialism, and elitism led to an "emperor's new clothes" community in which a former Nazi collaborator could become idolized by a generation of impressionable academic lefties.
A must-have addition to all prospective academics who want to retain...if not their souls, may we at least say their individual identities?

Like most people, I'm interested in the future. When I spotted "Signs of the Times," I was intrigued. You don't see many futures books with the author's photo on the cover. When I read the book, i understood--Roger Herman is a popular speaker talking about trends. I like the way the book flows from one trend to another, with Herman's interpretation of each trend. Agreeing with the author wasn't difficult, even though some of the commentary stretched my imagination a bit. This was an easy book for me to get through--on the plane and between tasks back home. Putting it down and picking it up again is not a problem; each trend chapter is short, but stands alone. Stimulating, thought-provoking. "Signs" should be a hot seller.

"One of America's most respected Bible teachers, M.R. De Haan, explores the great prophetic themes of Scripture and applies them to the twentieth-century church. Adapted from his popular ministry on the Radio Bible Class broadcast, these twenty-four studies reflect the author's thorough and biblical approach. They are practical in application, however, and are accessible to Christian readers of all levels."

What fascinated me most about Signs of the Times is that it has a great deal of well researched American historical information. There were many historical facts that I had not encountered before. The author then ties it all together by tracing the effect of Neptune on popular (Western) culture.

The book is now a bit dated and ends with the 1980's. I hope the author does a sequel to this well researched book.

One of the few sources that makes Meso-American calendrics and cosmology comprehensible to a neophyte.

This book is an analysis of the ways in which the various factions in the conflict in Northern Ireland express their views in public ways-- murals, parades, and other kids of displays. Santino does a nice job of covering complex ground. Some symbols are used in different ways by the same groups, while other symbols are unique to a particular side. Placement, content, color, are all examined to show how they convey complex messages. This book is readable, and manages to maintain some objectivity in an otherwise extremely polarized cultural context. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this part of the world.

In Signs Of Weakness: Juxtaposing Irish Tales And The Bible, Varese Layzer surveys and analyses both the practical and the theoretical difficulties of determining "influence" in ancient writing. To do so focuses on the relationship between the oral and written, literacy and literature, and the disciplines of Irish Studies and Biblical Studies. Signs Of Weakness is an impressive, original, scholarly student that matches Samson, Jonah and Esther with three heroes from early Irish literature, ad Layzer explores their weakness and heroic strengths, gender and power, frailty and ambiguity. The comparisons illuminate each tradition and showcases the literary and emotional wealth of these two ancient narrative traditions for today's readers. Enhanced with a glossary of Irish terms, and index of Biblical and Ancient references, an index of early Irish texts, and an index of authors, Signs Of Weakness is very highly commended to students of literature and mythos.

Signs of Winning is so authentic in so many ways. I was hooked by the third paragraph.

No sugar coating of Kaitlin's feelings...it took me back to my teenage emotions and made me really care about this girl and her family.

The sled dog information is as accurate as the emotional impact. An excellent read...it must be...even my husband enjoyed the book!

Carmen Harra does it again. This new and incredible book is a must read for anyone who has read or is reading the Da Vinci Code and wants a deeper understanding into its hidden symbols. I can't tell you how many times when reading the book I stopped myself and realized "now it all makes sense" or just a plain "wow". Not only do I highly recommend this book, I can't wait to see what Carmen does next.

All of Franco Moretti's in-class charm and wit is demonstrated in this series of essays on various forms of the European novel. He does a fantastic job of legitimizing not only popular texts, such as Dracula and the Sherlock Holmes series, but also the field of literary criticism itself. He makes a compelling argument for not only the profound effect that society has had in forming literary trends, but also literature's role in shaping society. His essay on Tragedy in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama contains some particularly fascinating insights into this phenomenon. While written in a colloquial tone, some essays can come across overly mandarin at times. Get through the first and most difficult essay, 'The Soul and the Harpy', and the rest will be smooth sailing. He makes his field seem almost, dare I say, 'cool'.