Perspective Books

A rare, insightful discussion of sensitive, end-of-life issues. This book is a well concieved and edited collection of meaningful papers that greatly helped me understand and confront some of my fears. A real learning experience...thank you!

A rare, insightful discussion of sensitive, end-of-life issues. This book is a well concieved and edited collection of meaningful papers that greatly helped me understand and confront some of my fears. A real learning experience...thank you!

As a practicing physician, I have found this book quite useful in dealing with both patients and their families. The book has wide application to many medical specialties, paricularly internal medicine, critical care and geriatrics. Excellent and well chosen cases illustrate the authors' points well. Most practicing physicians will be able to relate to many of the cases presented in the book. An excellent, instructive review of an area of medicine that many physicians are expected to know, but never recieve any training in.

This book addresses the euthanasia debate from all sides including those less obvious - the book challenged me to think. It also gives clear definition and distinctions reinforced by the author's experience

Richard Gula's book is a concise, clear, and complete examination of the moral issue of Euthanasia. It deals with issues such as Autonomy and the Common Good. It was especially helpful to me as a care giver for a member of my family who was suffering and dying of cancer. It helped me to clarify the issues and to answer many of my questions and the questions of others in my family. More importantly, it motivated me to read the Word of God and to enter into a deeper prayer with the Lord. This book is easily understandable to the layman and also meets the needs for academic research. It is a book I have read more than once and will continue to read.

This was an excellent book that helped to clarify the issues related to hastening death and allowing to die from the Catholic perspective. One is euthansia and one is not. An important book to read for anyone considering a living will or dealing with issues of death and dying. Simple and concise.

An anthropological viewpoint is vital to understanding FGM or female circumcision. Surprise, it isn't just an Islamic rite (some Christians in Africa adhere to this age old tradition) Surprise, it isn't mandated in the Koran. Surprise, strong village tradition makes it hard for parents to say no to the practice or even to marry off their daughters. Surprise, some women agree to have it done. It's important to have a researcher do the field work so that we can understand the origins, cultural background and practice of FGM for better understanding.

In "The Female Circumcision Controversy," Ellen Gruenbaum provides readers with a highly informative anthropological perspective on female circumcision that is not weighed down with anthropological jargon, making it highly accessible to the "average" reader. She takes on a cultural relativistic point of view, exploring female circumcision through the context of the different cultures in which it is practiced, highlighting how it can be affected by patriarchy, ritual, marriage, mortality, ethnicity, sexuality, and economic development. An important point that Gruenbaum stresses is that while female circumcision has been practiced by many cultural and ethnic groups, the practices themselves vary (i.e. what is removed in surgery, at what age circumcision occurs, etc.) and this point makes it hard to generalize and blame only one factor for female circumcision. She includes her experiences in the Sudan and at the end of the book discusses how female circumcision practices are changing and the how we in the international community can get involved.

Gruenbaum does not condone female circumcision but she believes that many anti-circumcision advocates have taken the wrong approach to fighting the harmful practice. She stresses the need for discussion (not one-sided lecturing) and the fact that other problems such as economic insecurity and education need to be addressed so women will not feel as compelled to continue female circumcision. While a lot needs to be done to ensure that women's rights are not infringed upon, Gruenbaum gives the reader hope by showing many cases of progress.

This book is a gem! It has also made me rethink some things that I thought were "normal" in my culture.

I had to read this book for an anthropology class in my freshman year at college. It's a real eye-opener. I had no idea before this book that FGM was practiced anywhere outside of Africa. The description of what can be done was enough to make me mildly uncomfortable (inserting a straw during the healing process to make an extremely small hole for urination and menstruation?) but I could not put the book down. I have a drastically different perspective of this practice now that I understand more of it's cultural significance, rather than seeing it as a cruelty carried out to keep women in a totally inferior state.

Finally, a solid business book for everyone! The FOAM Ship provides a simple, yet comprehensive look at organizations and what makes them work effectively. This book is ideal for small businesses and for newcomers to the business world who want a comprehensive look at how organizations work without being overwhelmed by jargon.

Succesful leaders are known for removing layers of complexity and bring business issues to the most basic level. It is at this level where it becomes easier to get to the best answer. In summary, as R. David Bermudez-Onopa very clearly states in his book, "Simple is Beautiful". "The Foam Ship" should be mandatory reading for everybody that has anything to do with organizations. For young managers to understand very early in their careers the importance of simplifying business issues and for more experienced managers not to lose focus and forget that key principle. R. David Bermudez-Onopa's FOAM model does an excellent job at bringing together all the hard elements (functions) and soft elements ("the Corporate Soul", communications, etc) of every organization into an integrated, easy to understand, framework.

Excellent guide for business entrepreneurs that need to learn how to build a corporate culture. I found that this book is very informative. The FOAM Ship model is an easy way of explaining how a well run business should "navigate". It is also, short, sweet and to the point with an easy-to-read and follow format.

The era of "Reconstruction" in the aftermath of the Civil War remains one of the most controversial periods of American history, furiously argued over to this day, and "A Fools Errand" is one of the most valuable windows into it that we moderns, and especially the general reader, have access to, giving us an account of those times "straight from the horse's mouth".

Tourgeé was right in the middle of the events he describes, as one of the bitterly (and often unfairly) derided "carpetbaggers" in North Carolina, where he held various public offices, principally as a judge. A Union soldier, he settled there in 1865 with all kinds of high hopes for the rebuilding of the defeated South. Fourteen years later he returned North, utterly defeated and disillusioned.

All his and his fellows' work had been thwarted by a ruthless and efficient terrorist campaign, enjoying the near-total support of the local (white) community, and which the authorities in Washington were quite unable, and, as things dragged on, increasingly unwilling, to combat in any effective way.

In some ways this book has an oddly "modern" sound, perhaps reflecting the fact that much of the story remains so relevant today. Tourgeé's observations on his hero's (and by implication his own) resolution to enlist in 1861 display a dry cynicism worthy of the 21st Century, while this hero's letter to a northern Senator complains of the mishandling of the reconstruction programme in terms which anticipate later criticisms of another "reconstruction" following the fall of Baghdad.

It is interesting to note Tourgeé's complaints about the persistent tendency, even in the North, to romanticise the southern cause. He grumbles that before long, at this rate, men will be ashamed to admit that they ever fought for the Union. And this was written in 1879, over 60 years before "Gone With The Wind" and even 35 years before "Birth of a Nation". Clearly the will to sympathise with the fallen foe (once they were safely defeated) began far earlier than most people realise.

Yet he himself can show, if not sympathy, then at least understanding of the feelings of those who so brutally destroyed his work. One of the best things about the book is its ability, much rarer now in an age which takes colour-blind democracy for granted, to get inside the heads of those who rejected it - who saw themselves (and were seen by many others) as serving an honourable cause, though by the most dishonourable methods.

Tourgeé gives a vivid illustration of the levels of resistance which even a totally defeated society can bring to bear against the efforts of well meaning outsiders, even when the latter are backed by seemingly overwhelming force. At one point (Ch XXI) with an eerie topicality, he equates the depth of Southern commitment to white supremacy with "the zeal of Islam", and when (Ch XLV) he speaks of north and south as "convenient names for two distinct, hostile and irreconcilable ideas.- two civilisations" he again anticipates the language of the "war on terror". One recalls those lines of Kipling's

"And the end of the fight is a tombstone white
with the name of the late deceased
And the epitaph drear 'A fool lies here,
who tried to hustle the east'".

Substitute "south" for "east" and that pretty well sums it up. But perhaps there is another (middle) eastern example in our own day for those with eyes to see it.

This book is Tourgeé's "retrospect" on that part of his life. Sadder but infinitely wiser, he calls himself a "Fool" for his youthful aspirations, yet one somehow feels that that he retains a sympathy for that young idealist, and deep down still thinks the young Tourgeé (alias "Comfort Servosse") a better man than his world-weary older self. I am reminded of the survivor from World War One, who dedicated his memoirs "With deep emotion, to the man I used to be".

Though Tourgee wastes no time in presenting his views on the matter - they are in the title, after all - the rhymes and reasons of Northern Pro-Recon; Northern Anti-Recon; and Southerners are all presented in a lovely non-biased light, giving the reader all of the firepower needed to agree or disagree with Tourgee. All of this is presented in a genuinely engaging storybook fashion. Recommended as an introduction to Reconstruction or as a supplement to prior learning.

I was particularly impressed by Tourgee's use of dialogue. By constantly hearing both sides of each design and every brainchild, the reader is allowed to come to his or her own conclusions. Whether A Fool's Errand would be considered a historical account or a novel is ambiguous, but then maybe such a combination of fact and fiction is what allows literature to survive the passage of time as this work has. I was enamored as well by the way Tourgee, sitting as judge to all, openly and maliciously attacked both the plaintiff and the defendant for their contribution to the melee we know as "reconstruction". This is the only truly nonbiased approach, and it was marvelously implemented here. I feel too many works are skewed to facilitate the author's motives, especially those written about this era. Like a refreshing breeze from far away, this work brings clarity and insight to a misinterpreted time in our nation's past.

A Gathering of Wisdoms is probably the very best documentation I've ever come across that focuses on the "right way" of working with people, whether they are of the Original People, or if they're non-native. Sterile environments and a counselor's "power" aren't what makes the changes...it's reaching out sincerely, with respect, and the desire to understand. And, this "A Gathering of Wisdoms" is a tremendous help to those who are reaching out to help others from their hearts! Lin

This manual is a godsend -- or Spirit-send. It presents the only clear outline for counseling Native clients available. The text can be used as a manual, workbook, ...whatever. Forms included are easily adapted to your particular agency's needs. Highly recommended by a seasoned drug/alcohol counseling veteran.

This manual is a godsend -- or Spirit-send. It presents the only clear outline for counseling Native clients available. The text can be used as a manual, workbook, ...whatever. Forms included are easily adapted to your particular agency's needs. Highly recommended by a seasoned drug/alcohol counseling veteran.

I read "Gay American History" when I was coming out and it was a revelation. Though some of the concepts are outdated, and the facts have been superseded by later research, it remains the basic text book for gay (and lesbian) American history. Katz paved the way for John Boswell, John D'Emilio, Allan Berube, George Chauncey and many, many other historians. Katz has his biases, and he does go overboard to provide "gender balance", but all in all his book is very educational and extremely entertaining. You can't go wrong with this one.

Jonathan Katz would be sainted if he never wrote another word or produced another bit of research. This fine documentary history traces the tragedy and triumph, joy and pain of the lives of gay people in these United States from native people and pilgrims to the mental hospitals of the 20th century. We meet workers and vagabonds, gentlemen and gentleladies, ruffians and scoundrels, all presented in their own words through the impeccable research, editing and writing of Jonathan Katz. I bought the first edition of this book, and it sits dogged earred and loved on my bookshelf. You will weep with humor, anger and shame at these pentrating pictures of lives that were hidden away by prejudice and too often still are.

What's striking about the hundreds of stories documented here is how much we're like these people of centuries ago, and how much they're like us today. Often they faced oppression too horrible for us to imagine (imprisoned, put to death, kidnapped, hospitalized, drugged, lobotomized, castrated, and those were just for starters), but they responded much as we might have in their shoes: usually with courage, but sometimes with cowardice; usually with great faithfulness to their loved ones, but sometimes willing to betray them; often defiantly, but sometimes meekly; they generally lived with a great deal of personal integrity, though some turned to crime and others went crazy. These are people we recognize! And in them we see ourselves.

More than anything, this book shows the existence of a shared Gay and Lesbian culture across the centuries (despite the claims of today's ignorant cynics). If these shadowy figures from the past could time-travel to our own era, they would be shocked at our freedom -- then they'd shout for joy and fit right in.

Don't be the least concerned about the book's length or turn away because it's about "history." The vignettes Katz assembled are usually brief, often only a page or two, which makes the book easy to put down when you need a breather, and easy to pick up again, without having to go back and refresh your memory; you'll always know what he's talking about. These are people you will be proud of. Their stories' cumulative effect gives this volume its power, and makes it, in my view, the most important Gay book of the 20th century.

The product was just fine. It was as described on Amazon before purchase and arrived in a timely fashion.

This book started out as required reading for me, but I ended up reading it from cover to cover in three days! I was impressed with it because it thoroughly covered all issues ever raised in women's issues, and offered many references for those of us interested in researching further. I especially liked the fact that it is a compilation of writings put together in a logical, dynamic way, each section feeding off the other. This book is a must-read for women, but also instrumental for men in their understanding of womens' experiences.

This book is a must have for students of womyn's studies or anyone interested in gender violence. This compilation of articles is an excellent balanced look at gender violence through an interdisciplinary perspective. Violence against womyn is a extensive topic studied, but as the title indicates, gender violence is the theme of the book, therefore, violence targeted at men and womyn is discussed. Also the list of sources is quite extensive for further research. This is definitely one of the best books on gender violence out there!!  

This is the only text I have used in teaching intro GIS courses for the last four years. It's getting a little long in the tooth--it was written over ten years ago and the hardware illustrations in particular are quite out of date--but the presentation of the fundamentals is still uniformly solid. Newer developments, like LIDAR, GPS, and 3D visualization, are not in this book at all, but are readily learned on the Web, which tends to focus on new stuff and go light on presentations of fundamentals: Web-based GIS materials and this book complement each other well. The focus is on using a GIS for decision making and support, which leads to a good balance between management and technical issues. And unlike many other (popular) GIS texts, this one is not riddled with typographical and technical errors.

Any prof teaching "Introductory GIS" can't go wrong using this as THE standard text in their course. Excellent in all facets. Solid in remote sensing and subsequent raster GIS applications. Good grounding in vector GIS. And a very easy read. Will give you many "jumping off" points for either academic or real-world directions. Good case-studies sprinkled liberally throughout - Aranoff definitely ranks with Thrall as one of today's GIS gurus!

Aronoff text is a must for anyone interested in the subject of GIS. It is a well written text that provides the reader with a solid foundation of GIS concepts, Remote Sensing, data input and output, data management, and GIS analysis functions. It is a concise and practical introduction to the use and function of GIS technology. The text presents concepts using examples from a wide range of disciplines including land planning, agriculture, and mineral exploration. The author also examines the process of GIS implementation including organizational needs, costs-benefits, justification, and legal and political issues.

I liked the coverage of this book. I haven't seen any other
book that deals with all these issues. Some good books have been written on the notion of sexual consent or on particular areas of sexuality (such as prostitution), but this book covers a bunch of issues and does so very well. Belliotti maintains a sense of perspective on what is he doing, is challenging, adds humor, and engages the reader.

This book covers much: Hellenic dualism, natural law, Judeo-Christianity, sex only with love, libertarianism, Kant, Marxism, Feminism, bestiality, necrophilia, incest, prostitution, the nature of moral reasoning, and defends a combination of Kantian-libertarianism. Belliotti's sophisticated writing spiced with humor is appealing. He provides a wide, deep philosophical foundation and addresses contemporary issues with sensititivity
and learning. A worthy contribution to the literature.

The best book I have seen for a comprehensive account of liberal,conservative, feminist, and leftist views of sexual ethics. Bellioti is fair and attains a nice balance between criticism and sympathetic explanation of the various views. His own "sexual morality in five tiers" is an excellent framework for evaluating sex acts. The book is written with style and spiced with humor. The author covers an admirable amount of material given the breadth of the subject. Readers will learn a lot of history of philosophy as well. Belliotti defends a modified libertarian view of sexual ethics that is appealing. Throughout the book he maintains a fallibalistic attitude that
understands the no single approach contains the final word on sexual ethics. Good sex is fair, interesting, comprehensive,
provocative, stimulating, and refreshing. Highly recommended.