Source The Books

As an economic analyst I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW MUCH THE MARKET NEEDS THIS BOOK. I thought I was well prepared to do research, but... my experience was, ask any manager or business student questions about business references and 95% of them responded with "don't know". PERHAPS YOU'RE SMARTER THAN THE REST, WANT TO TRY SOME EASY ONES?? What, for example, is the difference between Standard & Poors and Moodys? In what reference book can you find a bio on Bill Gates? What is the single journal in the US that specializes on China, one of the fastest growing economies in the world? What reference book will show you how many men's athletic shoes were manufactured in the US last year? What reference work will show which was consumed more in 1997: beer, milk,or coffee? Where can you find the CIA's economic profile of Germany? OK, How many of you got all of the questions right? Thought so.....

This is not a trivia game. Rather, Butler has issued a call to arms for business schools in the US and Europe to heed. Most business people and students do not know where to look for business information. The easy answer is the web. But it's the wrong answer in the sense that haphazard searches can be long, frustrating and empty if you don't know where to look. For example: Want an immediate profile of a company in the US or Europe, that tells you who's in charge, where they are located, what their history is, and how they are doing financially? Answer: Go to Hoover's Online, or a hardcopy in the library. Butler's book will tell you about Hoover's, Directories, Almanacs, Encyclopedias, Government Publications, International publications, Industry and Trade Magazines, Databases, Newspapers, etc. His "Reference Navigator" shows you how to immediately get to the web address, use the e-mail and find the database. He gives you a two-page description, an ACTUAL SAMPLE of the TABLE OF CONTENTS of the publication, plus an ACTUAL SAMPLE PAGE from the publication.

In my opinion, no business professor, student, investor, or analyst WHO THINKS SERIOUSLY ABOUT THEIR CAREER should be without this book. BUY IT! You can see it online at McGraw-Hill's Higher Education Website: www.MHHE.com/Butler

If you don't believe me listen to what Irving R. Levine (former Chief Economics Correspondent for NBC News) said: "Dr. Butler has skillfully undertaken the role of Sherpa on the treacherous slopes of the mountains of available business data and he guides the reader with precision and even a generous ration of wit. The problem for anyone doing research in the Information Age is not a lack of information, but rather how to target the information required for a particular project and how to get to it quickly. That's what this book accomplishes."

The writings of Diego de Vargas, commander of the re-conquest of New Mexico after 15 years of terror following the revolt of 1680 are now available in English. This book is a must for anyone interested in New Mexico history. This is history straight from the source through the eyes of the man who created the history. I consider this to be the best of the De Vargas reads.

I'm not one to normally shy away from a tough read, so when I ordered "A Byzantine Encyclopaedia of Horse Medicine, I prepared for a tough read. Much to my delight, Anne McCabe's book is very readable for a scholarly work. It is well footnoted and unlike some works in which the original foreign language is given, Ms. McCabe does not assume that the reader understands it and thus provides both the original text and the translation.

She tracks the history of the Hippitatrica and takes us from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.

It is a must have for anyone interested in the history of veterinary medicine.

This is an excellently compiled collection of translated original source material regarding the Byzantine Empire. Here you can read about what the Byzantines thought about Byzantine. It's got wonderful sections about relations with the West, the Turks, Culture and Life, Politics, Christianity, etc. If you have any interest in Byzantine, you've got to get this book. Great for not only the serious scholar but the general reader as well. Don't rely on historians to translate history for you; Do it yourself

I am a fan of history-and-criticism books (especially on musical topics), but ONLY when they read with the clarity of logic and the authority of resourced research which is demonstrated by this wonderful book. The purposes and meanings which underlie so much of Bartok's work and music, from folk-song research to Cantata Profana and all of the stage works, are beautifully revealed. It is a true inspiration to read about the milieu which helped to create the great sense of purpose which drove Bartok to his greatness. (Derrill Bodley, Professor)

This is a fantastic work on a much overlooked area of Civil War history. While Kentucky may not have the prominence of other states in that conflict, it was and could have been a major player for both North and South. The rich history that is found with Camp Nelson and the people who shaped it is revealed in this work by Professor Sears. I highly recommend this work to any Kentuckians who are interested in the history of this state or its involvement in that conflict. An absolute must have for any Civil War buff. Get it at your first opportunity!!

There has been a rapid evolution in how entertainment software is being developed and delivered, with open source products gaining a larger share of the market. Jesse Clark provides a comprehensive and authoritative look into one niche of this market, computer games. Based on a sound theoretical framework and careful analysis, Clark demonstrates that the gap in quality between open source games and commercial games has been shrinking and is likely to continue to shrink. This book gives a glimpse into a possible future of the computer game industry and computer game end users.

This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. A great story and important historical work in literature. Voltaire was a Renaissance Christian humanist who played a role in the development of the Enlightenment.

On the one hand, the structure of his novel Candide is Homeric, it is the journey narrative, the hero with a thousand faces, but it is a satirical restructuring of that classical motif of the hero on a quest. What is the importance of the quest in Candide? What is the quest about in the classical sense? The quest is about learning. In the classical sense the hero leaves, has to acquire some sort of knowledge, learn a set of skills that is going to help him or her enact the quest surmount the obstacles that they encounter at one point or another, and the finally what does the hero have to accomplish? What is out there the "Holy Grail" The prize, the whole quest is about attaining some sort of ultimate end or some sort of ultimate knowledge. Does it end there? No, you got to go back with that knowledge, because the quest is never just about attaining the goal, it's about bringing it home to make everybody better, to restore the community. The individual quest, the heroic quest in the classical sense always has a larger social corrective end. The purpose of the individual, the function of the individual all depends on his ability to return to the collective, whatever it is that he has found that he has acquired that is going to change the way things are. Now how does that compare to the journey or quest narrative in Candide? Contrary to the notion of what prepares us for the world, OK here is the important structure of the journey or the quest, and the critique of knowledge by Voltaire. It is contrary to the idea of the knowledge that we acquire prepares us for the world. That each new bit of knowledge that we acquire, prepares us for the next step, and prepares us for the next stage. Contrary to the idea that life is somehow to be understood or that human history is somehow to be understood as a journey organized around progress, around betterment advancement acquiring new knowledge more knowledge more science more learning, we're getting better again, Candide tells the story that goes in the opposite direction. So, then you acquire knowledge and then you spend the rest of the journey finding out that the knowledge is useless, bit by bit, and every lesson you've acquired has to be cast aside, everything you learn you have to abandon. Instead of gaining and getting better, it is throwing off, letting go, and getting worse. Where does Voltaire want us in the end to think of the notion and narrative of progress?


Of course, you know that Candide is steeped in so many of the political and philosophical controversies of the 1750's. One of his big critiques is of the philosopher Leibnitz who said that `this is the best of all possible worlds," the idea championed by Leibnitz was a simple version of the philosophy espoused by enlightenment philosophers that the existence of any evil in the world was a sign that god was not entirely good or very powerful. The idea of an imperfect god would be nonsensical. So if you are a philosopher who takes for granted that god exists, you would have to conclude logically; and here is where humanities and Christianity really start messing with each other in all kinds of obvious ways, that god is perfect if you logically conclude that god exists. Therefore, his creation, the world, and man must also be perfect. According to many enlightenment philosophers, people perceived imperfections of the world only because they do not get the plan. This is a teleological idea of the world. Now obviously Voltaire does not accept this theory, or that god or any god has to exist. Therefore, he makes fun of the idea that the world is completely good. Much of the novel is a satire addressed to the notion that the optimists who witness countless horrors and unbelievable injustice such as floggings, robberies, and earthquakes will always find a way to write it off. They will say, `oh well there must be part of a plan, even though none of these calamities seem to serve any good at all it must point to human cruelty ignorance and barbarism and points to the indifference of the natural world. Pangloss the philosopher in the book throughout the story is always trying to find some justification for the terrible things that he sees and the arguments that he makes seem increasingly to be absurd, like his quote that "Syphilis needed to be transmitted from the new world to Europe so that Europeans could taste new world delicacies. What other things is Voltaire criticizing here that connects to some of the debates that define the enlightenment period of the 1750's Religion? Religion- He criticizes the whole hypocrisy of religion. In the book, Voltaire has a parade of corrupt hypocritical religious leaders who are like the Pope that has a daughter (should have been celibate). Hard line Catholic inquisitors, a Franciscan monk who should have vow of poverty but is a jewel thief. Here Voltaire provides countless examples of the immorality and hypocrisy of religious leaders, he does not really condemn believers per say, he is really out to attack church leadership and church hierarchy. For example Jacques, who is an Anabaptist is arguably one of the most generous and humane characters.

What else does Voltaire criticize or satirize? Wealth- money corrupts; Candide seems to have more problems when he has lots of money. Things get worse he gets unhappy. An interesting point, Voltaire was deeply involved in a debate with the many deep thinkers of his time, most notably was Rousseau, who lambasted the aristocracy. Voltaire himself really moved very comfortably among aristocratic circles and interestingly the French enlightenment philosophy really took off among the French aristocracy. Since they had the leisure time to contemplate so many of the new ideas in reason, science and rationalism and his notions of progress and advancement were ideas that were principally championed and discussed by members of the French aristocracy. Therefore, it was among some of the idle members of the French aristocrats that these enlightenment philosophers were able to find their most ardent followers. Despite the fact that the church and the state were not more often that not completely allied with each other, kings could be attracted on occasion to arguments that seemed to undermine the authority of the church. The fact that the aristocrats were very much unaware of the precariousness of their position tended to make them overconfident. Dabbling in some new ideas that were part of the enlightenment movement caused them not to take seriously the kind of jeopardy they were in or what the enlightenment would lead to in the championing of the common man and the overthrow of the French aristocracy. Because they found these ideas somewhat new, interesting, and exciting and they did not really see this as at all leading inexorably to the demise of the aristocratic class. Now of course it was thinkers like Rousseau not at all like Voltaire on this particular point that made his chief adversary. Rousseau distrusted the aristocrats out of a hunger to overthrow the class but because he believed that people of wealth betrayed decent traditional values. Rousseau opposed the theatre, which is Voltaire's lifeblood; he shunned the aristocracy, which Voltaire very much courted. He courted their attention he courted their interests. Rousseau argued for something dangerous like democratic revolution, and Voltaire argued that equality was impossible it would never come about. Rousseau argued that inequality was not only natural but that if it were taken too far it would make any decent government a total impossibility. Voltaire was very charming and witty, which led largely to his success in moving about aristocratic and social circles. Rousseau insisted on his own correctness and was not a charming person to be around; he was very intense and very serious about his ideas. Voltaire endlessly repeated the same handful of core enlightenment notions, where as Rousseau was a deeply original thinker. Who was always challenging his own way of thinking contradicting himself, coming up with ideas on the equality of education, the family, the government, and the arts in a matter that was much more radical than Voltaire was ever willing to go along with. They were both skeptics, and Voltaire is nothing if not a skeptic.

What does Voltaire do with the idea of philosophy in Candide? Philosophy- What is the value of philosophical speculation? It is useless for Voltaire; it is one of Pangloss' biggest flaws. Abstract philosophical argument is not based on any real world evidence. In the chaotic world of this novel, philosophical speculation repeatedly proves to be useless, and at times even dangerous. Time and again it prevents the characters from making any useful assessment of the world around them, it prevents them from bringing about any kind of change, it prevent them from thinking that they might try to bring about some social change. Pangloss is the character most susceptible to this kind of foolishness. Example, while Jacques is drowning, Pangloss stops Candide from saving him by proving that the bay was formed for Jacques to drown in. Therefore, at the end of course at the novels conclusion Candide rejects Pangloss' philosophies. If philosophical speculation is useless, what does Voltaire suggest you put in its place? Hard practical work in general. Therefore, it is somewhat surprising in that sense that this judgment against philosophy that is portrayed in the book becomes very dramatic when we think about Voltaire's own status as a philosopher.

What about the garden at the end of the novel? At the end of the novel Candide defines happiness in raising vegetables. On the one hand it is indicative of the turning away from the following of philosophy, from the abstract speculative nature of philosophy towards something hands on something pragmatic. Does the garden have a symbolic resonance to it? Is it related to the Garden of Eden? For Adam and Eve the garden is the beginning of their troubles, here it is the end of their troubles. It is the end of the narrative the end of their quest, their journey, and the end of their travails. This is where they wind up this is where they retreat. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve do not have to work to have fruits of the garden; this garden requires work, and constant tending. In that I think the garden here represents much, more in a very different way than the biblical garden represents. An embrace of life, but an embrace of life of what? For all the horror, hardships, and nightmares that these characters experience throughout the entire course of the text, at the end, they embrace life; they take it they say yes.

The status of knowledge in Voltaire, what do we know? The garden is a final retreat from activism, or social engagement in the world. Finally, what Voltaire is saying is look go back to the basics. Do not try to change, analyze the world, or try to speculate about the nature of our existence. Retreat into your own sphere and do not mess with the world around you, because ultimately you are powerless, to do anything in this world. I think Voltaire is commenting on in a sense the Utopian impulse and imagination. Specifically as it influenced enlightenment philosophers of the period with respect to the notion of progress and advancement.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.

I can't imagine being without a copy of The Canine Source Book whether you own a dog, want a dog, rescue dogs, etc., etc. The author has obviously given a great deal of attention and love to compiling this indispensable reference.

"The imam [Hasan al-Banna], may Allah bless him, shows us that ultimately only Islam can save mankind from itself. And jihad on the individual and international scale will be a necessary part of this process of change." Dr. A.M.A. Fahmy

In 1995, Dr. Fahmy wrote these words as an online preface to "Jihad" by Hasan al-Banna. Al-Banna's document became the cornerstone document for the Muslim Brotherhood, a group formed in 1928 that advocated moral reform in Egypt. Hasan al-Banna was assassinated by Egyptian security forces, but "Jihad" continues to inspire the jihadist movement still today.

"The Canons of Jihad" documents the evolution of jihadist writings from Hasan al-Banna's "Jihad" through Abu Musab al-Suri's 2004 "The Call to Global Islamic Resistance". This compilation of translated writings gives the reader insight into the evolution of jihadist thought through the 20th century.

The editor, Mr. Jim Lacey, is a former US infantry officer who also served as an embedded journalist during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. With the dual perspective of a former military officer and commercial journalist, he is in a unique position to offer insightful analysis for each of the jihadist writings, by putting each document into context for its time and geographic area.

Mr. Lacey includes a second ideological document, "Milestones" released in 1964 by Sayyid Qutb, who joined the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950's. This document is historically significant to the jihadist movement in that it sanctioned violence. This document is still referenced today by the extreme jihadists as their moral justification for violence.

I found "The Management of Savagery" to be the most disturbing chapter of the book. In essence, this document states the goal of the jihad is to cause violent acts in a region to cause the ruling government to lose authority with the populace. With the region in chaos, the jihadists will restore peace to the region as part of the master plan for the caliphate. This chapter also includes guidance on manipulating the western media to spread their message. Furthermore, it describes permissible conditions for beheadings, massacres and kidnappings of innocents.

In another chapter, Mr. Lacey states "'The Qur'anic Concept of War,' by General S.K. Malik of the Pakistani army provides readers with unequaled insight into proper Islamic thinking on war." Having been raised as an American, it was difficult for me to truly comprehend this unique style of thought. The film director Michael Moore may not have this same difficulty. He was quoted by the ghost-writer Abu Ubayd al-Qurashi. In his biographic profile of President George Bush, readers will note al-Qurashi's opinions are very similar to Mr. Moore's.

Lacey's selection for the opening chapter of the book is Osama bin Laden's "Jihad against Jews and Crusaders." Written in 1998, three years before the 9/11 attack, it laid out in clear terms the goals and objectives of Al Qaeda. The book's conclusion, al-Suri's "The Call to Global Islamic Resistance," could be called a State of the Union Address for the jihad. In military parlance, it's a by-country, after-action review for each of the worldwide jihadist movements. Al-Suri was captured in Pakistan in 2006 and has since stopped writing, but his publication serves as the living ideology for the next generation of jihadists.

I knew very little of the jihadist movement before reading this book, outside what can be learned from the Washington Post. After reading the book, I now understand that jihad is an essential part of true Islam; however, violent jihad is not. For over 80 years, the distorted logic of al-Banna and the other authors has formed the basis for a criminalized version of a peaceful religion. The full versions of each documents contain volumes of pseudo-justification to validate their violent views, but Mr. Lacey admits to editing out these references in order to focus on the key points of their thought.

Secondly, it is apparent from reading this book, that this violent jihadist movement is independent of the Al Qaida organization. Although each desires a similar end-state [the return of the caliphate], each movement has differing intermediate objectives. Al Qaida wants to topple America and Israel, whereas the jihadists are focusing the immediate fight in individual nations to rid them of the apostate [Muslims who have renounced Islam] governments.

Finally, in the views of these extremist authors, it is apparent Islam and democracy cannot coexist. According to al-Suri, two generations of jihadists have met Allah, but a cadre survived to train the third generation of fighters. They all strongly believe in Dr. Fahmy's statement of "only Islam can save mankind from itself."

"The Canons of Jihad" are to the jihad, what the "Federalist Papers" are to the United States. This set of documents, absent the onerous religious references, forms the ideological foundation for the jihadi movement. This book needs a place on the bookshelf between Von Clausewitz's "On War" and Sun Tzu's "Art of War". It is unimportant whether one agrees or disagrees with the concepts presented, however it is essential for the public to understand this controversial way of thinking.