Companies Books

This is by far my favorite cookbook. We've loved almost every recipe, although she seems to be a better cook than baker (baked goods are good, but food is great!). Better than Open House cookbook b/c the portions are smaller (family-sized as opposed to banquet sized) and the recipe descriptions are less flowery.

I have used this cookbook for 2 years and found every recipe to be delicious. It calls for lots of fresh ingredients but if you don't have them, often the recipes don't suffer. Many of the recipes are variations on old New England favorites. The title says it correctly!

Of all the cookbooks I own (and that's a lot) this one is probably my favorite. Sarah Leah Chase's style is friendly and charming. Her love of food is apparent on every page. Her ability is apparent in the first recipe you prepare. The Chocolate Raspberry cake is wonderful........for years now it is my most requested recipe. I wish she would write another cookbook!

This is a cookbook I turn to again and again. The flavors are wonderful, the recipes diverse and sophisticated (though you often can cut back on oil). Be sure to try the Saucisson Paysanne (leftovers are great on buttered parsley noodles; reduced fat kielbasa works fine, but don't use fat-free or really low fat...it gets tough), Italian Rosemary Potatoes, Bay Scallops Gremolata, the Orzo and Roasted Vegetable Salad (great for potlucks as it serves twice as many as the recipe says!), the Baby Carrots with Brown Sugar and Mustard, and the Mixed Greens with Spiced Pecans, Chevre and Hot Cider Dressing. Be sure to check out her Nantucket Open House Cookbook as well.

I love this book. I've been into cooking since I was about 5 and I own over 4,000 cookbooks, but this one is definitely my fav. I bought it in December 1990 and at this point, have cooked nearly every recipe in the book. They are all fabulous. I have never had one of these recipes fail.

I have given this book as a gift many times over the years, and the recipients have all come to love the book as much as I do.

Here are some of the standout recipes:
Creamed Spinach - it's a very simple recipe but the best I've ever tasted
Mustard Creamed Onions - a zippy twist on a Thanksgiving tradition
Spanish Garlic Soup - rich and unusual
Raised Waffles - worth the price of the book just for this recipe!
Apricot Ginger Cream Scones - totally fattening & totally worth it
Turkey Mole - the best mole I've ever had, way better than most restaurants
Spicy Shrimp, NOLA Style - just like Pascal Manale's

The thing I love about these recipes is that even the ones I don't think I'll like (such as Rhubarb Custard Pie) come out great. SLC also has a fun, chatty and erudite writing style, so reading her cookbooks is almost as much fun as cooking from them.

Many of the recipes are a bit long and can take awhile to make, but the end product is worth every minute of prep time.

So what the heck are "tax lien instruments" and why would you want to invest in them? That's what I asked myself when I picked up this book. By the time I was done reading, I not only had the answers I needed, I couldn't wait to get started!

As you'll learn in this complete how-to from Jamaine Burrell, there's enormous profit to be made in the little-known, but high-yield goldmines found in tax liens and deeds. IF you do it right. With these tax lien secrets, proven ideas, and hands-on hints compiled from thousands of hours spent talking to the tax lien pros, it's a can't miss. Yes! If you know what you're doing, you can take advantage of high tax lien returns, with little or no risk. And this book shows you how--from start to finish.

-- Robert Gardner

Tax lien investing is interesting. They are touted as a surefire winning ivestments and many "experts" offer training costing thousands of dollars to "train" you on how to invest in these "goldmines". Do yourself a favor, buy this book and avoid the seminars. You are going to learn by experience and this book will help you get started. The seminars are simply going to part you and your money. Tax liens are not as easy as they sound. You cannot simply go down to the courthouse and buy a 25% lien. Most people trying to get you into this game neglect to mention the fact that large companies will flood the market with lowball offers to obtain a majority of the better tax liens.

Tax lien and tax deed investing are complicated subjects, made even more complicated by the huge variations in laws from state to state. This book explains the different details with great clarity.

The book opens with general chapters that explain why the differences between tax liens and tax deeds, the things an investor must consider when planning such an investment, and guidelines that will help make the process more comfortable. For example, even an experienced investor may have little experience with auctions, which is the method most governments use to sell tax liens and deeds - "The Complete Guide" has tips on what to bring and do in those situations.

Also in the early chapters, Burrell uses real world examples to help explain points - showing, for example, the forms used to register for an auction in Los Angeles. Later, Burrell discusses subjects like foreclosing (the painful part for those of us without thick skin) and getting financing for a tax lien or tax deed investment.

However, the key parts of the book are the tables (I think there are about 20); Chapter 12, which has a comprehensive breakdown of the different state laws; and the exceptionally comprehensive, 60-page (you read that right!) glossary.

The Complete Guide to Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens & Deeds: How to Earn High Rates of Return - Safely
"By far the most through and comprensive of any book I have found anywhere on this subject of Investing in Tax Liens"! Has enabled me to make a considerable amount over the past few months with very little effort.

From reading the cover you might think this is another get rich quick idea. After reading the book, however, you'll find a hype-free matter of fact approach. All the benefits and pitfalls (at least that I could think of) are covered. I went to a seminar where someone pitched an expensive package of services to help someone who wanted to invest in tax lien certificates. Instead I bought this book. It will answer your questions and help you decide if you want to proceed. What the book does not include are all the little details you'll need to actually execute a purchase. This varies a lot by state and would require the book to double in size. So, if you just want to know about these investments, I recommend this book. If you are ready to invest, you'll need more information.

In digging into this book, the author continually quoted other books. That annoyed me quite a bit and kept me asking, "Why didn't I buy the other book?" If you're starting off at "ground zero" and know nothing about mortgages, etc. this book is a helpful guide. It also contains concise explanations of different types of "legalese" and gives you places to look. Overall, a good place to start.

If you hesitated about getting into real estate investing during the real estate housing boom, the new boom - the one in foreclosures - may be your chance to build wealth by buying forclosed real estate.

This book is not for everyone. As a licensed real estate agent for eight years, I have seen people try to get rich quick using various schemes they have heard about on television or read about in books - with little success. This method is no fly-by-night strategy and not everyone who would be able to invest successfully. Investors need - at the very least - good credit, some ready cash and a willingness to work hard and stick to the plan.

Those who are able to take advantage of the foreclosure niche in the current buyer's market can create for themselves a life making income as a real estate investor.

The authors wrote this book for the brand-new investor, including not only basic information on how to choose and invest in foreclosures, but current information on where and how to find and choose foreclosure properties, current real- estate and foreclosure laws from state-to-state and detailed information on what to expect during every step of the process. The are even chapters on how to rent your new property, if you choose to do so.

While this book is primarily for investors, buyers looking for a home of their own will find this book filled with useful information. Foreclosed homes can be found at bargain prices and home buyers can use these same procedures to find the home of their dreams. Too many buyers, frightened by the headlines, are not taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime buyer's market to buy their own home.

Investors will also find the real estate dictionary and extensive list of references extremely helpful if they plan (and they should) to continue to learn about investing as the foreclosure market changes.

The authors do not pretend that making money by buying and selling or renting-out foreclosures is easy and they caution that in real estate investing, money can be made, or it can be lost. That attitude is what makes this book superior to most. If your plan is to buy foreclosed homes with no money down, no assets and no risk, then look somewhere else - an good luck to you. But, if you are looking for a levelheaded approach to real estate investing in the current market, this approach is a winner.

Real estate investors can amass a fortune by purchasing foreclosed homes at various foreclosure auctions, and this guide is the resource novices and pros will find an outstanding key to locating such bargains. From auctions and online processes to making it easy for bargains to come your way, THE COMPLETE GUIDE is a survey investors will find easy to begin with, making it the perfect item of choice for public libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The Complete Guide to Locating, Negotiating, and Buying Real Estate Foreclosures: What Smart Investors Need to Know - Explained Simply is the best explanation I have read for buying foreclosures in a long time. It starts off in plain English, crunches the numbers for anyone not sure if they can afford it and then gets straight into the how to. While I didn't take the author's advice of skipping around it is entirely possible to skip around chapters, reading what's most interesting first, before coming back thanks to the simply way everything is explained inside. Whether a first time buyer or a long time investor I think anyone would benefit from reading this book.

Frankie and Marsha have truly put together a user friendly guide that examines the foreclosure process. For anyone looking to purchase a home or invest in the foreclosure market, this book is truly a gem. The book aims at helping investors take advantage of the foreclosure market. They point out the potential pitfalls and abundant gain that a foreclosure can bring investors.
Homeowners would also benefit from reading this book. The book provides an insiders look at how the foreclosure process works and the way that investors can potentially save them before a foreclosure occurs. The best defense against foreclosure is knowing the tricks of the trade.
The book is user friendly and well organized. Not to mention part of the proceeds are donated to a worthy charity.

I had to read this book for a freshman lit course and I must say, it was such a wonderful read that it never felt like work. I'd buy another copy in a heartbeat if mine was lost. Excellent work!

A great job done by the authors for a multimedia piece that reflects America's melting pot story. The people are real and the work itself should inspire immigrants and descendants of immigrants to share the experience. I found the CD fascinating as a work to be enjoyed with the book. A wonderful job! I look for more work by the authors.

The book is well done except the authors failed to include the ethnicity that was and continues to be among the largest immigrant group, the Irish. The authors dropped the ball on that one.

If there was ever a time when we needed to be reminded that immigrants are the heart and soul of what makes this a textured, rich and interesting country, this is it. This book and its companion museum exhibit, which I was lucky enough to come upon serendipitously at Purchase College's Neuberger Museum, celebrates the gifts we have received as a nation from the diverse people who have struggled first to get here, and then to make a life for themselves here. Before we build walls on borders, before we villify those who are different from us, let's appreciate what we are gaining from the immigrants who choose the US as their home. Let's remember that very few of us are Native American. We have all benefitted from the open door to America.

Book is an excellent companion to a travelling show we saw at the University of Maine in Orono. It captures in an extraordinary fashion the incredible ethnic and cultural diversity within a relatively small section of Queens, NY.

Having recently read Dom Famularo's book, "The Cycle of Self Empowerment," I was deeply touched by the deep, open sharing of his personal life and experiences. As I read the book I could feel Dom's sincere, heartfelt concern for those around him and for people everywhere. I would say someone emerges touched by the overflow Dom's caring, sensitive, "people loving" personality, not to mention his amazing humor, everywhere he goes. This book helped me to see it's never too late to pursue your dreams. The book is full of inspiring stories and it overflows with pointers and step by step guidelines to pursuing your dreams. The book is written in an easy to understand, straight forward way by a man who's sincerity comes through in every word, thought, and paragraph of the book. It's the most inspiring book you'll ever read. This book is a "must read" for anyone who's serious about pursuing their life's dreams and for becoming an all around better person.

This book shows that Mr. Famularo is not only a great drum master, but a great teacher in interpersonal relationships as well as self-improvement for anyone who desires to lead a better life. Mr. Famularo has been a great influence in my life since the day I met him. All of his teachings helped me to become a better drummer AND a more positive & courageous individual who is not afraid to take further steps in life.

Thank you always Mr. Famularo

This book shows that Mr. Famularo is not only a great drum master, but a great teacher in interpersonal relationships as well as self-improvement for anyone who desires to lead a better life. Mr. Famularo has been a great influence in my life since the day I met him. All of his teachings helped me to become a better drummer AND a more positive & courageous individual who is not afraid to take further steps in life.

Thank you always Mr. Famularo

This book shows that Mr. Famularo is not only a great drum master, but a great teacher in interpersonal relationships as well as self-improvement for anyone who desires to lead a better life. Mr. Famularo has been a great influence in my life since the day I met him. All of his teachings helped me to become a better drummer AND a more positive & courageous individual who is not afraid to take further steps in life.

Thank you always Mr. Famularo

It's been some time since I read, The Cycle of Self Empowerment but I can still clearly remember many of the inspiring stories and step by step tips that Dom shared in this excellent book. I have read a number of self help books and Dom's book covered so many aspects of becoming a success: a success as a person and a success in achieving one's professional goals. Dom has traveled extensively and as a result has had many life experiences to learn from. I especially like how Dom takes the first third of his book giving example after example of many successful and even famous business people who didn't succeed in their chosen profession the first or even second time they tried. He then shares how these same individuals persevered and because of their desire to succeed coupled with what they learned from not succeeding they went on to became very successful people and business owners. This book is easy to read, clear to understand and above all very inspirational. Success is preparation meets opportunity. For those interested in preparing for success then you will want to take the opportunity to read, The Cycle of Self Empowerment!

This book is excellent. Even though it is advanced, it has a variety of songs, some of which are much easier than others. With this book, you can awe your friends by playing popular songs made into beautiful piano solos.

As a professional pianist, I appreciate the fine arrangements by Dan Coates in his Dan Coates Complete/Advanced Piano Solos. These arrangements are very good and I can use them in any venue. His arrangements sure save time for me -- I can simply perform any of his work as written and don't have to rearrange anything. This is an excellent book.

I bought this for my wife who studied the piano up to a pretty advanced level, but stopped playing regularly about 6 years ago. Other reviews made me think that it would be a challenging book for her...in fact, she is enjoying the variety and smoothness of it. I guess that is both an advantage and disadvantage...depends on your expectations. One thing is for sure...she is loving it.

Intricate, Detailed Renditions...Difficult Segmants for the Advanced Pianist.

I'm 20 yrs. old and I have been a pianist for 16 yrs. I have also taught piano for 6 yrs. I HIGHLY recommend this item because these pieces are not simple versions of the origional composed pieces. I'm always put out as I receive an ordered book that is too simple or does not contain a single key-change. Dan Coates is a professional composer who finds new ways to present the enlightening pieces her arranges. Don't try to pass me up by simplifying the music, I want the real piece! He never fails to start the piece establishing the main melody and then gradually building until he finishes with a finale worth presenting to the President. I could not rate higher...well done Mr. Coates!

The songs in this book are challenging yet worth it once you've learned them. The arrangements are well-written and flow smoothly when they're up-to-speed. The difficulty range is not huge, and tends to hover between intermediate and advanced. The left hand usually plays broken chords which are simple, yet effectively lay a base for the right-handed melodies. A great selection!

The author has created a much reveered book of the much covered, but not completely truthfully told, 1906 event.
Almost as soon as the dust began to settle, the facts were "ammended" to create a more publicly acceptable slant on the day: The number of people killed is still contested today, over 100 years since the event. The author puts forward her view, ably supported, as to why the figures of the day were inaccurate, and the effects that had.
Great book, one I'd recommend.

I received this book as a gift and I loved it then and still love it now. After seeing the PBS (television) show on this subject I became intrigued and wanted to learn more.
This book does not disappoint. It goes into great detail as to what really happened in 1906 (whether it was reported by the Media or not).

During the 1906 S.F Earthquake (aka: "The 1906 FIRE") the media was influenced by the politicians (& other institutions) , and this book shows what might have truly happened. Well researched.

I got this book because it was so highly recommended, after I had finished reading the fiction, 1906. That book gave a lot of information that was new to me, even though I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and my father worked in SF. This book is simply incredible. The amount of photographs of all kinds, including panoramic scenes meant for stereotopic viewers that were popular at that time, and postcards that were 'colored' made this book an incredible find. Not only have I been through it several times, but also I brought it back to my father and mother who were in awe of the detail and the photography provided by the author of this book. Her information concerning individuals, concerning the inability of the fire companies to successfully fight any of the fires (water pipes were broken as were roads made inaccessible)...intrigued me and my father who was a civil engineer.

Then my nephew who is studying at a nearby college came and went through the book, as he is studying urban planning. He was very interested in the modern day SF and the author's explanations of why SF is in an even more precarious position should another quake as strong as the 1906 quake happen, due to continued ignoring of the need for quake proof buildings and water lines, breaks between houses, the fact that SF actually has less fire departments now then in 1906 and other major problems.

I love San Francisco as a city and where I grew up, but quite frankly, I would never dream of moving back there, partly because of this book. Yet there are other cities equally at risk over poor urban planning (new Orleans for one), and this book would be a good required reading for those going into urban planning and environmental impact on human populations.

A truly great book...

Karen Sadler

As somewhat of a history buff, this book fascinated me. The photos are simply astounding and easy to get lost in. If you're interested in the real story of the quake, check out the DVD documentary "Disaster by the Bay", also available here. I've seen all the documentaries on this subject and "Disaster" is the best by far.

This book is the must have for anyone interested in this history of San Francisco. As a fifth generation native of the "City" who had reilitives who lived through this natural disaster, I can wholeheartedly say that this is the the quinticental book on the subject. It is filled with never before published pictures of both the distruction and the notiable public figures of the day. and dose a very good job of correcting some of the misinformation attributed to the original official record of the earthquake and fire. Simple a great book.

Apologetics Concerning the Nature of Religion

Apologetics or is it antiapologetics, I have read Hodges arguments about cause and effect, primary and secondary causes in his work on systematic theology which was written a hundred years after this work. RC Sproulamong others discuss similar issues today with a contrary conclusion. David Hume's dialogue about the existence of God and the attributes of God does form some of the frame work for further philosophic and theological discussion. Some seems quite aimless like his discussion whether God is wholly other. Some theologians may make this statement and argument, but this certainly is not fundamentalist or scriptural perspective of God. What I found most interesting in this work is his discussion of causality. Mr. Hume's focus was on Natural theology or the idea that God could be perceived or not perceived through nature. But also included was knowing God through rationalization. To this he compared three notions:

{1} That there is a self existent Being who always existed, never created, and is the ultimate Cause of the whole universe. Something that never was caused, but is the cause of all else.

{2}That there is no ultimate cause. History is an infinite amount of causes and effects that has no starts or ends. Matter in some form has always existed and matter has always been in motion. Universe or galaxy may have a point of beginning, but not what it is composed of.

{3}At a point in time there was no matter, then at another point of time there was matter. The matter move in motion to develop things as we know it.

David Hume does not discuss the concept that simply nothing really exists. I would guess in an earlier work he had dismissed it in some form. It is my conclusion Mr. Hume found point one as absurd as point 2 or 3.

The other major focus of discussion in this work how an all knowing creator, who has all power, and has the capacity to perceive every thing that is going on can create a world that has the highest being of creation suffer pain and evil among each other. The argument is made in this work that the universe does not function in a rational manner, therefore such all knowing, all powerful and all powerful God does not seem to exist. Some reviewers consider it a complete debunk of intelligent design and it certainly a source of comfort for those who do desire.

With the possible exception of his incalculably influential A Treatise of Human Nature, this, I think, is Hume's finest work. The Dialogues is a paradigm of sustained philosophical argumentation on a single subject, and I can't think of a more inspiring work of philosophy. Another reason to read this book is that Hume is one of the few philosophical figures whose work is worth reading as literature. His prose is, of course, lovely and clear as can be; and the Dialogues is packed with the sort of evocative passages that readers of Hume except to find in his work. Furthermore, he's clearly mastered the dialogue format as a way of writing philosophy. He never turns his interlocutors into ciphers spouting the details of their respective positions. Each character has a forceful and distinct personality, and each of them comes to the debate with a well-defined position and adequate means of defending it. In short, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Most of the Dialogues is devoted to discussion of a posteriori arguments for the existence of God. The main argument considered here is the classical argument from design, which Hume seems to understand as an analogical argument of the following sort: the complexity and order of the universe show that it is similar to artifacts created by human intelligences; similar causes have similar effects; therefore, the universe must have been created by a being with something like a human intelligence; therefore, the universe must have been created by God.

Hume's objections to this argument are legion, and many of the individual objections are both ingenious and forceful. He provides reasons for thinking that the universe isn't all that similar to artifacts created by human beings. He argues, for instance, that at least in some respects, the universe resembles animal or vegetable life more than it resembles artifacts created by human beings. Hume also provides for thinking that, even if we think the universe is similar to a human artifact, we ought to think the universe was created by a being quite unlike God. The relevant empirical evidence, he argues, provides us with no good reason to think that the universe wasn't created by multiple beings (large human artifacts are usually created by multiple beings), or that the being(s) who created it are still alive (human creators die), or that the being(s) who created it were infinite (it's not clear that creating the finite universe would have required infinite power), or that the being(s) who created it were morally perfect (the universe, with all its misery and despair, certainly isn't what one would expect from a perfect being). Furthermore, he proposes certain alternative naturalistic explanations of the existence and nature of the universe; and he claims that it's unclear why an appeal to divine creation is to be preferred to these speculative naturalistic stories of the universe's creation.

As I hope this all-too-brief synopsis suggests, Hume's cumulative case against the argument from design is quite impressive. It is, of course, possible to avoid some of these criticisms in various ways, and his speculative naturalistic explanations leave quite a bit to be desired. But the total case is a philosophical demolition par excellence. Indeed, I'm pretty sure that Hume has shown that the argument from design is more or less worthless as support for anything resembling traditional theism. So, if you're enamored of that argument, I suggest you pick up book and wrestle with the criticisms found here.

Now, this isn't all Hume discusses in the Dialogues. There's a section discussing a priori arguments for the existence of God; it focuses on arguments against a version of the cosmological (i.e. first cause) argument. And Hume's arguments concerning the cosmological argument also rule out any sort of ontological argument, as he claims that no sense can be made of the idea of a necessarily existing being. The book also includes a few some brief discussion of particular issues concerning religion.

Where, in the end, does Hume come down on the issue of theism? It's hard to tell, as it's not clear that any of the particular characters speaks for him. Philo, the character who often appears to be speaking for him, never denies the existence of a deity; he simply denies the ability of human reason to discover anything substantial about what such a being is like. That Hume agrees with this is, I think, the most we can glean from this text about Hume's own religious views. It seems clear that he has no sympathy for organized religion, or for any religious views that purport to describe the nature of God, His intentions, or how and why He created the universe as He did. And the only positive religious claim that is given respectful treatment here is the bare claim that we have reason to think that the cause of the universe as a whole is somewhat similar to a human intelligence.

But does acceptance of this minimal thesis amount to his being a theist? Again, it's very hard to tell. First, of course, one might wonder whether this fairly vague positive view is enough to amount to some form of theism. But let's put that issue to one side. Even if it is enough to support some form of theism, it's often difficult to tell whether Hume means to be advocating such a position here. The problem is that it often seems Hume's explicit advocation of this position amounts to little more than a description of what he thinks is an inevitable human tendency to think this way. Given how our minds actually work, he seems to think, we're bound to think something like this about the origin of the universe. Yet it's somewhat unclear that he thinks forming beliefs in this way is reliable. It may simply be that we have a brute instinct to think in a way that insures we'll see the world as resulting from some human-like intelligence, and it's at least not clear that that isn't a debunking account of the plausibility of theism. (For more support that this is a debunking explanation, see his The Natural History of Religion, where the explanations of various religious beliefs certainly seem to be one's that suggest those beliefs simply aren't plausible.)

David Hume made a reputation by writing on reason and its limits. The main thrust of the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is to question whether theological arguments for God that assign Him positive attributes (omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, etc.) go beyond reason's limits in assigning these attributes. We watch Cleanthes (believer in theological arguments), Demea (believer more on faith) and Philo (disbeliever in theology's efficacy) hash out whether reason and experience alone give us reason to say anything whatever about God.

Hume explores all of the major arguments for God's existence. First, the a posteriori argument is explored; the argument that just as seeing a house gives us reason to assume an architect and builder, seeing the world should give us reason to infer a designer. Hume (through the skeptical voice of Philo) sees much wrong with this argument. Why? Because the reason we infer a builder for a house is because experience has shown us that houses have builders, thus when we see a house, we assume that, like other houses we've seen, this one too has a builder. But experience does not tell us that where there is a world, there is a designer. The leap is extra-experiential. Further, even if we DID infer a designer, why infer just one? Houses have construction crews of multiple people; if we analogize between the house and the world, then why not infer that the world, too, might have infinite creators? (And why infer that the world's creator is omnipotent, if all that is needed to create something is to be more powerful than the thing created - no more, no less?)

Next, we go through the a priori argument - the argument from first cause. Hume (Philo) is quick to point out the obvious flaw with this. If everything needs a cause, then what caused God? If God is said to be eternally existing, then why couldn't the natural world - rather than God - be thought eternal instead? And further, why is a infinite chain of causes and effects so unimaginable, anyhow? (Isn't it just as sensical as an eternal God itself not caused?)

Lastly, Philo brings up the argument from evil. In a nutshell, Philo suggests that while theology sees all the perfections of the world, proclaiming them clear evidence of remarkable design, theologians dismiss or downplay the imperfections. If God is said to all-good Himself, then why did he create humans with such flaws? (one assumes that an all-powerful, all-good God could have avoided those errors).

Still, the main thrust of this book is that Philo, far from challenging whether God exists, challenges theologies capacity to assign ANY characteristics to God by reason and experience alone. Hume does a good job not only in outlaying arguments as to why reason is not capable of knowing a thing about God, but also in making believable dialogues (compared to Plato, whose characters are all made to be one-dimensional foils for "Socrates.") As in so many other areas, Hume was a pioneer in the realm of the philosophy of God. This book furnishes strong proof of that!

David Hume, a philosopher of the period often classified as British Empiricism, is the intellectual associate of philosophers John Locke and George Berkeley. Born in Edinburgh in 1711, he attended the University of Edinburgh but did not graduate. He went to France during his 20s, and spent time there working on what would become his most famous work, 'An Enquiry into Human Understanding', first published under the title 'Treatise of Human Nature'. However, Hume was a prolific writer, and dealt with many areas of philosophy, including politics and ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. He wrote in the area of history as well, and had a politic career as British ambassador to France and a post as a minister in the government for a few years. His final work, 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion', was published posthumously in 1779, although work had begun on it as early as the 1750s.

Hume was very concerned about rationality. Hume was never publicly and explicitly an atheist, but his rational mind, concerned about sensory and intelligible evidence, led him to question and doubt most major systems of religion, including the more general philosophical sense of religion and proofs of the existence of God. The primary arguments in his 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion' deal with the Argument from Design, and the Cosmological Argument. There is an assumed distinction here between natural religion and revealed religion, an especially important distinction in the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment philosophical structure.

- Natural Religion and Revealed Religion -
Natural religion is the idea that we come to know and understand God (and, consequently, what God wants or expects of us, if anything) simply from nature and our sensory perceptions, as well as our interpretations (emotion and rational) of this kind of understanding. From very early in his writing career, Hume attacked the idea of natural religion and most of its conclusions, drawing a sharp line between what we can actually know and what ends up being fanciful extrapolations based on other-than-rational ideas and evidence. Revealed religion is primary what most religions base themselves upon - the burning bush to Moses, the resurrection and post-resurrection appearances to the Apostles, the Buddha's enlightenment under the tree - these are examples of revelation. While Hume does take on the idea of revealed religion in his other works, this particular text does not concern itself with that topic, and stays in the domain of addressing natural religion.

- The Argument from Design -
Arguments from Design have always had a strong appeal to believers within religious frameworks; they have often been used as tools of evangelism, as attempts to show that beyond the revealed doctrines, the very nature of things points to a creator. In very short order, the Argument from Design in Hume's newly-industrial time might have read like this:

- Machines are designed by beings with intelligence.
- The world and the universe it is in resembles a machine.
- Therefore, the world must have been created by means of intelligent design.

This is an argument by analogy, and is convincing to some, but often more convincing to those already inclined to believe in the existence of God.

- The Cosmological Argument -
The Cosmological Argument is at once both more subtle and more simple. The most simple way of stating it would be that God is the 'first cause' of everything. If everything has to have a cause (even the whole universe), then that first cause must be God. In the twentieth century era of thinking of a universe that began with a Big Bang, it seemed to some that the Cosmological Argument was confirmed.

Hume would have been familiar with Leibniz's more subtle form of the Cosmological Argument, which argues for a world of infinite contingent causes. However, there has to be something outside of this system of infinite causes that produced the series - thus, even in a universe with no set beginning or ending, there would still need to be an overarching cause.

- Hume's Arguments -
Hume argues on many levels. His first criticism of the Argument from Design is that this analogy (as are most arguments from analogy) is faulty and not exact; we have no idea if the universe is like a machine. Even if it was, machines are often designed and built by several designers - why argue for one God rather than several? How do we know that matter and the universe don't have their own, internal self-organising principles?

With regard to the Cosmological Argument, the argument is a little more strained. Hume argues that, in any series of causality, once one knows about each cause, it makes no sense to inquire beyond the sequence of causes to some other effect. This is a very Empirical argument, to be sure, and while perhaps not entirely satisfying, it still has merit in philosophy to this day.

- Hume's Structure -
This is a dialogue, set up in the classical way of people talking with each other about the subjects. Hume draws primarily from Cicero, whose work 'On the Nature of the Gods' uses characters of the same names. However, whereas Cicero was concerned about the nature of the Gods (their attributes, powers, etc.) and not their existence, it is the very existence of God that occupies Hume's thoughts.

Hume, despite many years of work on this text, probably never quite thought it was finished. He left the work to Adam Smith (the noted economist, and friend of Hume in Edinburgh), who also thought the arguments against the existence of God were too strong, and likely too damaging to Hume's overall reputation. The tug-of-war over the publication makes for interesting reading in and of itself.

These are important arguments, worthy of discussion and dialogue in philosophy classes, theology classes, and among others who ponder the existence of God.

This short and artfully written book was published after Hume's death. Hume did not wish to experience the controversy engendered by the arguments advanced in the book. It is likely as well that Hume was concerned also with offending some of the moderate Presbyterian clergy who were his personal friends and had been his partisans in other controversies. This book is primarily an attack on the idea that the exercise of reason and logic provides support for religion, and particularly that application of reason leads to strong evidence for the existence of a beneficient God. This line of thought had become particularly popular among liberal theologians in the first half of the 18th century and was a widely held notion among Enlightenment intellectuals across Europe and North America. This idea is still widely held today and can be seen in the writings of the so-called 'intelligent design' advocates of creationism. Hume's criticisms, then, are not only of historic interest but continue to have relevance to our contemporary lives.

The Dialogues are constructed as a 3 cornered argument between three friends. Demea, a man upholding revealed religion against the idea that reason provides support for the existence of God. Cleanthes, an advocate of natural religion. Philo, a skeptical reasoner who attacks the positions held by Demea and Cleanthes. For those who like Hume's sprightly 18th century style, this is a fun book to read. Hume artfully divides some of his strongest arguments between Cleanthes and Philo, and gives the Dialogues the real sense of a dispute among 3 intelligent friends. Philo is generally taken to represent Hume's positions but Cleanthes articulates some strong arguments and provides some of the best criticisms of Demea's fideism. Much of the book is devoted to attacking the argument from design, which Cleanthes attempts to defend against assaults from Philo and Demea. In many ways, the argument from design is the major idea of those supporting the natural religion approach to existence of God. Hume's critique is thorough and powerful. It even includes an anticipation of Darwin's idea's of selection, though the basis for Hume's critique is primarily epistemological. In the later parts of the book, Hume attacks also the comsological argument for the existence of God, though this discussion is relatively brief and a bit confusing. Hume's analysis is consistent broadly with much of his philosophical work. In many ways, his great theme was the limitations of reason, and this book is an example of his preoccupation with the relatively limited role of reason in establishing certain facts about the universe. He finishes with short criticisms of the idea that religion is needed for a stable and well ordered society and defends the usefullness of skeptical reasoning.

It is important to view the Dialogues as part of a critique of religion that Hume sustained in several works. His Natural History of Religion, the On Miracles section of the Enquiry Concerning Human Understacing, and other essays comprise a broad criticism of religion. Other pillars of religion, such as the existence of miracles and revelation, are criticized in his other work. While Hume denied being an atheist and was apparently disturbed by the dogmatic atheism of French philosophes he met in Paris, he was certainly not religous in any conventional sense.

This is a short and very readable book but the power of its arguments are totally out of proportion to its length.

This book really is the definitive source of all things Disney by the keeper of its archives. It is fascinating and complete, containing information about theme parks, characters, movies, television shows, music, and more. It is the must-have reference for Disney fans like myself.

This is a must have for Disney fans. Everything from ABC's LOST to the Alice Comedies and from Steamboat Willy to Meet the Robinsons is covered here. Some articles are more detailed than others but everything is covered. Makes an interesting read just on its own. Film historians and students will find a wealth of connective material here to jump start them on research and fill in the dots on hard to find questions. A beautiful display of pictures is included with this volume. If you can't actually visit the archives (and I certainly would like to) then this is the next best thing.

"Disney A to Z" is an awesome book that a true Disney fan cannot live without. It is a great book that will help you find out about old Disney movies, that you might have not seen. "Disney A to Z" encyclopedia is also an essential source for those that love to play the "Disney Seen it" board game. It gives a short description of ALL Disney movies including the short ones that came out after the World War II. I LOVE IT!!!

This is a great gift for any Disney fan. Many listing bring back great memories and coll trivia.

This book is a great resource for all Disney fans. All the characters, all the movies (unfortunately, the Mephisto movie made in collaboration with Salvador Dali is not in the book) and all the attractions, parks, properties and influentials employees are mentioned. Maybe just not as exhaustive as I would like it; it is, however, a great resource.

I lost 20 lbs after reading Arnots books. He offers safe and effective advice for folks who want to live longer and healthier lives.

Dr. Bob's "Guide to Turning Back the Clock" is 100 percent accurate and a good motivational tool for both men and women. I had no idea that enriched flour ... is so bad for your body. He has some very good ideas on how to eat and "fuel" your body. I especially liked the sections on roller blading and cross country skiing. This is the "one" diet/fitness book to have at your side. Cousin Arnold is right: "Be the best you've ever been. Now is the time and this is the book!"

Very informative book. It contains a lot of useful information. I became bored with many parts of the book especially when Dr. Arnot went into long discussions on topics like which sports equipment to purchase. Overall the book contained very practical information. I found the diet information extremely useful, but a little hard to actually implement. For a short time after reading the book, I actually did follow Dr. Arnot's eating advice and felt better than I have in a long time.

Sensible and practical. No quick fixes, but collects a bunch of good tips into one place.

great book, very informative, talks about not only diet, but also the importance of exercise and mixing it up. Not just cardio but muscle building/strengthening as well. No BS in his book, everything makes sense. Oh yeah, Arnie recommends it.