Perspective Books

David Brill has recorded exactly how the average person should prepare for the climb and what to expect during it. This is not a unique adventure story. Each year well over a thousand people do exactly what is described in this book. Brill was relatively fit, but inexperienced, but he got himself properly outfittited and prepared to try to conquer the mountain.

His route up the mountain also was not unusual, he chose the West Buttress which is the super highway for guided trips and more than 80% of all climber use it. Even his experiences are not unusual, he takes an average amount of punishment and privations.

All in all, he describes exactly what an average experience would be for a person who sets a goal of summiting McKinley. Of course, this is not an average walk in the park. And Brill makes it painfully obvious that 50% of all climbers fail to make the peak. I think he did a masterful job of keeping their results a secret, right to the end. Until the last, I was just as hopeful and unsure as the climbers probably were. I definitely felt he brought be along on his ordeal (and an average climb is an ordeal) and earned my respect, but I am still very happy to remain below 7500 feet. If you are thinking about doing a guided ascent of the West Buttress, get this book.

In the story of his challenge of Denali, David Brill makes his experience come alive for the reader. This is not a tale that one just reads "ho-hum" and then puts back on the shelf, you LIVE it with him! Brill has the succinct author's talent to bring his life's experiences, and the telling of them, alive in all of his books. Also, this story will encourage anyone to take their personal dreams to fruition in their own lives. Whether you are an outdoor aficionado or not, this book is definitely a worthwhile read.

Desire and Ice
David Brill 246p + glossary & Index

David Brill is one of the many male climbers who are in their forties and want to have one last goal before physically retiring, the highest pint of the US and North America and therefore one of the "7 summits": Denali.

This is his account of the decisions leading up to that climb and a detailed description of it. David joins a guided climb of RMI, one of the few allowed guiding companies (Denali is monopolized, no foreigners are allowed to guide) and enters a team of people with similar age and background. Kent, one of the guides, is the youngest being 38 years old.

What follows is a nicely and humorously written account of their climb. He describes the problems with altitude, teamwork, phyical difficulties and more. Brill, who works for the Nat Geo society has a easy way of writing and a good sense of humor and relativation, which makes the book a joy to read.

First I though this was going to be like the 1996 disaster on Everest, where everybody who climbed or was near that mountain at that time wrote a book about it. Nowadays everybody with a PC and a pair of crampons is a writer and too many people write 'amazing accounts' of every mountain on earth.

But Brill's book offers a unique insight into a guided group on Denali. This book will convince some people to go with a group like this with experienced (not always on Denali though!) guides. But just as many people will decide to go without one of the guided companies, who are clearly in it for the money as is painfully clear during the events at high camp where 2 RMI groups meet.

In all a good read for people wanting to climb Denali, but I would urge anyone to climb some other serious mountains first before taking on the 'The High One". This should not be your first of the "7summits" and certainly not be your first glacier trip... In fact my opinion is that if you need guiding on Denali, you first should consider carefully if you are ready to climb it. But this book will teach the observing reader a lot about this consideration.

I know Brill. We were on Denali together. He is a better writer than climber, but is no slouch in either area. Desire and Ice captures the essence of ordinary guys trying to stretch and do extraordinary things. For all those wannabes who dream of getting to the top of McKinley, Brill's well written and highly readable book gives hope and encouragement. Train hard, get your skills and techniques down, work as a team, and take care of yourself and your hiking buddies. That's important stuff and Brill devotes his early chapters to how he got ready for the Big Mountain. Yes, on Denali the challenges are many - crevases, sub-zero temperatures, tent-fever, biting winds and independent personalities. You have to deal with all of them. But your greatest challenge is alway found in your own mind ... and your attitude toward what each day brings. Brill captures it all. It was wonderful to stand on North America's highest point with David Brill. And, he is right on about our team. I too would be pleased and proud to climb with Kent and Gary and Joe all the rest of the those "ordinary guys" again. But next time, Clay gets to the top with us.

David Brill has written an excellent book about a journey of discovery. It's a great read, no matter what you're fitness level or interest in climbing or the outdoors. Brill's fluid style, at times witty and funny, transports the reader from the couch to the glaciers of Denali in engaging, believable terms. Brill's prose goes well beyond the typical gear and macho you might find in other books about climbing. You'll come away with insight, awe, and incredible satisfaction. Brill is a terrific writer. This book, in my opinion, is better than the best selling "Into Thin Air," about a fatal Everest climb a few years ago. Brill's "Desire and Ice" is much more approachable, because Denali, in climbing circles, is an "everyman's mountain." Difficult and deadly, yes, but more accessible. I am not a mountaineer, but still enjoyed this book thoroughly. I would never give a first, let alone second, thought to such a journey myself, but now, I don't have to, having lived through it with this great book. I'm going to look for other books by this guy. He's simply a great writer.

Although a philosophical work, I found this book immensely stimulating and made me want to read more and more. Its gradual development of the concepts, its clear and essential interpretation of the Greek philosophers' sayings, along with its references to their works helps the reader to achieve a great deal of understanding. To sum up, the references to the Greek philosophical terms, which are very well interpreted, make the book an illuminating and useful guide for any student of philosophy.

This little 'Handbook of Greek Philosophy' introduces the reader to all those authors who have become a staple of any history of European philosophy: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus, the Sophists, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Stoics.

The author had the good idea to devote nearly half of the pages to the Pre-Socratics from Thales to Democritus. As a result of this, much of what we know from Plato becomes better understandable, and besides this reader's awareness of the wealth of thoughts debated before the rise of Socrates is much heightened.

The term 'handbook' is a bit misleading, since this is not a magisterial work bringing several pounds of heavy scholarship onto your desk. It is more aptly called 'a first guide to the origins of European philosophy for the uninitiated.' However, this should not devalue the book. The book radiates the charm of old diaries and notebooks. There are many valuable nuggets strewn throughout the text, so one gets hooked and reads on.

There are some minor technical weaknesses. Readers looking for a synoptic vision which puts all things in their proper context and builds a grandiose web of cross references will be disappointed. But the bottom-line is: Read this book and you will have not wasted your time but on the contrary gained a strong feeling of what philosophy is all about and how the Greeks did it.

From the countless citations an intense feeling of immediacy develops, of being near to the sources from where philosophy once sprang like from a well of fresh water. What looks like a weakness turns out to be a strength: The author is not standing in the way of getting at the sources of original insight but makes you go there yourself.

I have to admit that I am no specialist on Greek philosophy, while the author seems to be. Thus I cannot evaluate the quality of the selections. But this does not change my evaluation as a reader that the book deserves close reading and will repay study.

Because there remains much to be improved in technicalities as is cross-referencing and index etc. I gave only 4 stars this time.

Finally I found the right book, which helped me to understand the main concepts of ancient Greek philosophy.

I am a student of philosophy and I have had many difficulties in understanding the Greek philosophical terms and concepts. This book with its countless citations enabled me to understand all these terms like logos, phronesis, doxa, episteme, nous, eudaimonia etc. Due to its essential reference to the most of the Presocratics I could finally grasp the metaphysical and epistemological concepts of Plato and Aristotle. The author does not only show the way to discover the Greek wisdom through the innumerable fragments, but he also helps the student to do a further research into the enormous work of Plato and Aristotle, since he quotes the references of their work related to certain topics.
Really amazing and helpful work!!

I find most of the reviews really enlightening on the qualities of the book; so to say ` an excellent guide and interpretation of Greek philosophy and not a mere collection of translated texts of the Greek thinkers'. However, I would not agree with such a discriminating proposal as `to rewrite the book in native speaking English', unless we mean to suggest that Leibniz and Beckett's excellent writings in French and Wittgenstein's works in English should be rewritten by a native language speaking person.

The author, by developing progressively the concepts and due to his brilliant interpretation of the different philosophical schools of thought, leads the reader to gradual comprehension of the Greek philosophical conceptions. The `Doric' style of the language (poor), following the Greek philosophical tradition, does not interfere with the reader's understanding, but on the contrary develops a feeling of immediacy and prompts the student to go on and to search through the original writings of the philosophers by himself. All that makes the book valuable as a guide and introduction to Greek philosophy, because it increases the reader's awareness of philosophical questions and consequently it is getting more people interested in philosophy.

Few are not familiar with efforts to "measure" intelligence. The research is over a 100 years old. It is attacked often for concealing its motives, which I list:1)Grandiose, suicidal totalitarian political ideation (tied to promises psychologists such as Arthur Jensen of UC Berkeley's School of Education make to "eugenicize" Blacks, Jews and Mexicans; 2)Attempts to influence democratic policy makers, and stir hatred in the middle class (Gardner is a Jew). No thinking and feeling person is not outraged at this cowardly, and craven agenda, which hides under "scientific" disclaimers, and equivocates between fact and value; trafficks in illness,fantasy, and confusion;demands kick backs and preferential treatment in hiring and college admissions; and threatens , ad nauseam to "sterilize" Black Americans. But Dr. Gardner's book, is planted in biological interpretation;recognizes 7 areas of cultural endeavour; posits the link between symbol systems; suggests curriular modules to create genius in 7 areas; mentions faulties conveniently igored, but by no means historially irrelevant (music, poetry, dance, etc);plants its findings in psychology, linguistics, science, and logic;and invites statistical attacks from terified opposition thoerists ( like Arthur Jensen,who decline, choosing torpor, and resistance; craven, cowardly silence). In summary, MI is a theory responsive to human endeavour; inclusive; not vulgar, pleading, and illogial; minimally scientific; and politically judicious. There is no better attempt to unify social practice to science in psychology. Buy it; read it; apply it to your understanding. Dr. Gardner is a brave ally to science, and civilized soial practice-

Few are not familiar with efforts to "measure" intelligence. The research is over a 100 years old. It is attacked often for concealing its motives, which I list:1)Grandiose, suicidal totalitarian political ideation (tied to promises psychologists such as Arthur Jensen of UC Berkeley's School of Education make to "eugenicize" Blacks, Jews and Mexicans; 2)Attempts to influence democratic policy makers, and stir hatred in the middle class (Gardner is a Jew). No thinking and feeling person is not outraged at this cowardly, and craven agenda, which hides under "scientific" disclaimers, and equivocates between fact and value; trafficks in illness,fantasy, and confusion;demands kick backs and preferential treatment in hiring and college admissions; and threatens , ad nauseam to "sterilize" Black Americans. But Dr. Gardner's book, is planted in biological interpretation;recognizes 7 areas of cultural endeavour; posits the link between symbol systems; suggests curriular modules to create genius in 7 areas; mentions faulties conveniently igored, but by no means historially irrelevant (music, poetry, dance, etc);plants its findings in psychology, linguistics, science, and logic;and invites statistical attacks from terified opposition thoerists ( like Arthur Jensen,who decline, choosing torpor, and resistance; craven, cowardly silence). In summary, MI is a theory responsive to human endeavour; inclusive; not vulgar, pleading, and illogial; minimally scientific; and politically judicious. There is no better attempt to unify social practice to science in psychology. Buy it; read it; apply it to your understainding; and question the agenda of fascists like Arthur Jensen; and the authors of the Bell Curve. Dr, Gardner is a brave ally to science, and civilized soial practice- Dr. Jensen, a shameless coward, merchant of terror, and eugenial fascist.

This is a great book for anyone interested in the subject of intelligence. It's well-written, and does justice to this complex and deep subject matter. Unlike books like "The Bell Curve" this book doesn't try to prescribe a narrow definition of intelligence. Rather it exposes the richness of different conceptualizations of intelligence, and the ways in which intelligence is important in various settings.

Gardner, Kornhaber, and Wake have written the essential book on the subject of intelligence. This book helps to undo some of the damage of books like Herrnstein & Murray's "The Bell Curve." This well-written text presents the many faces of intelligence, across different cultures and different settings such as work and school. It includes psychometrics, artificial intelligence, the role of the brain, and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, providing a robust introduction to one of the most important topics in psychology and education. This book should be required reading for every educator, and every student of psychology, education, and science.

In one volume, this work combines the theories on intelligence advanced during the past century, but especially during the last decades. Beginning with the pioneering work of Piaget, the authors continue with the latter's disciples, whether supportive or in disagreement; a discussion of the brain and attempts to copy its functioning with intelligent machines. Of special interest are discussions of recent theories of intelligence by Gardner (seven intelligences and the experiments how he arrived at them); Mike Anderson, who asserts that intelligence evolves through changes in the organization of knowledge and skills, indicating that Gardner's multiple intelligences are 'sometimes a behavior, sometimes a cognitive process, and sometimes a structure in the brain'; Robert Sternberg, whose theory is a combination of three 'triarchic' subtheories: the componential, the experiential, and the contextual; and, based on Sternberg, Stephen Ceci's but, while the first has stressed the componential aspect ('what goes on inside a person's head when he thinks intelligently?') Ceci emphasizes the contextual aspect ('How does a person 's interaction interaction in the world affect the world in which he lives?'). The final chapters of the book are devoted to how all this new knowledge will affect schools and learning in the workplace. Each chapter has its own list of 'suggested readings' while the final list of references is comprehensive and inviting for further 'in-depth' studies

This is a refreshing change (albeit dense occasionally) among books about an extremely complex, and hard to understand topic, psychoanalysis. The essentials in the relationship between the analyst and her or his patient are spelled out, as what is necessary for the patient to change ( if so courageously desired). I wish I had had Feiner as an analyst.He's erudite, has a great sense of humor, and treats his patients as though they are as well read as he. If one isn't, then being with him gets one to become curious about the world as well as oneself. Feiner surely doesn't suffer from and assault us with those three osities: pomp,preci and verb. I hope the W. A. White Institute which trained him, graduates more like him.

Most books on psychoanalysis, its theory or its process, are packed with abstract, esoteric lingo that's far away from how people feel or express themselves. This one is different in that it's of the "she - I said" vaiety, and at the same time presents a pot full of insight about patients that really rings true. Dr. Levenson, in a truly lucid foreword, pegs Dr. Feiner just right-a rare combination of the shades of Isaiah Berlin and Zorba the Greek. The book is erudite, scholarly, and quite articulate (ocassionally Feiner will drive you maddeningly to the dictionary), and downright humorous, at times, all in the service of trying to capture precisely what goes on in interpersonal psychoanalysis, and how people might change. In a section detailing the interpersonal therapeutic interaction he reveals his wit and playfulness, along with his analytic wisdom. It is an area of psychotherapy that isn't written about usually. But the high point of this profound book is to demonstrate how authentic psychoanalysis is clearly non-adversarial and non-advice giving, but genuine analyses of the patient, the analyst himself, and their interaction. The title gives away the significant themes dealt with: relevance, dismissal and self-definition. It's a well written, translucent, amlpy illustrated book about real psychoanalystic therapy. You get the feeling you'd like to be in therapy with Dr. Feiner (if the fee wasn't too high). A good book. Give it to your therapist for Christmas.

This book is not a how-to-do-it essay about interpersonal psychoanalysis. It is, however, a gliding over, in, and around many of the interactive aspects of a therapeutic relationship. There's a lot of wisdom in these 188 pages, based evidently on the author's clinicial experience. And anyone of any school or orientation can read him or herself into it, not in theoretical jargon (if supplied, there's none in this book), but in the active part of engagement. The writing is sometimes funny, and often has you nodding, "yes, it's like that." It may not be the whole of therapy, but it surely presents a big piece of it, and it is a breath of fresh air. Feiner takes a lot for granted- that the reader is probably a professional and knows his stuff, and, therefore, will make something of what he's written. His self-exposure, his thoughtfulness about the patient and what's going on between them, are loud and clear. The chapters on "touch" and "vengeance" are worth the price of admission. Feiner has it right: self-definition is the umbrella covering all experience and the feeling of relevance is the key to a rational way of living.

Most books on psychoanalysis, its theory or its process, are packed with abstract, esoteric lingo that's far away from how people feel or express themselves. This one is different in that it's of the "she - I said" vaiety, and at the same time presents a pot full of insight about patients that really rings true. Dr. Levenson, in a truly lucid foreword, pegs Dr. Feiner just right-a rare combination of the shades of Isaiah Berlin and Zorba the Greek. The book is erudite, scholarly, and quite articulate (ocassionally Feiner will drive you maddeningly to the dictionary), and downright humorous, at times, all in the service of trying to capture precisely what goes on in interpersonal psychoanalysis, and how people might change. In a section detailing the interpersonal therapeutic interaction he reveals his wit and playfulness, along with his analytic wisdom. It is an area of psychotherapy that isn't written about usually. But the high point of this profound book is to demonstrate how authentic psychoanalysis is clearly non-adversarial and non-advice giving, but genuine analyses of the patient, the analyst himself, and their interaction. The title gives away the significant themes dealt with: relevance, dismissal and self-definition. It's a well written, translucent, amlpy illustrated book about real psychoanalystic therapy. You get the feeling you'd like to be in therapy with Dr. Feiner (if the fee wasn't too high). A good book. Give it to your therapist for Christmas.

Most books on psychoanalysis, its theory or its process, are packed with abstract, esoteric lingo that's far away from how people feel or express themselves. This one is different in that it's of the "she - I said" vaiety, and at the same time presents a pot full of insight about patients that really rings true. Dr. Levenson, in a truly lucid foreword, pegs Dr. Feiner just right-a rare combination of the shades of Isaiah Berlin and Zorba the Greek. The book is erudite, scholarly, and quite articulate (ocassionally Feiner will drive you maddeningly to the dictionary), and downright humorous, at times, all in the service of trying to capture precisely what goes on in interpersonal psychoanalysis, and how people might change. In a section detailing the interpersonal therapeutic interaction he reveals his wit and playfulness, along with his analytic wisdom. It is an area of psychotherapy that isn't written about usually. But the high point of this profound book is to demonstrate how authentic psychoanalysis is clearly non-adversarial and non-advice giving, but genuine analyses of the patient, the analyst himself, and their interaction. The title gives away the significant themes dealt with: relevance, dismissal and self-definition. It's a well written, translucent, amlpy illustrated book about real psychoanalystic therapy. You get the feeling you'd like to be in therapy with Dr. Feiner (if the fee wasn't too high). A good book. Give it to your therapist for Christmas.

This set of essays by Professor Moshe Idel of Hebrew University attempts to map and in a sense re-map the whole world of Kabbalah studies. He presents what he calls a 'phenomenological approach' as opposed to the 'historical trends' approach of the great pioneering - founder of academic Kabbalah studies, Gershon Scholem. Idel who is perhaps the most distinguished of all Scholem's students points to four major contributions of Scholem.
1) " He surveyed the major trends of Jewish mysticism on the basis of persual of the basic documents extand in print and manuscripts. His writings therefore contain the first authoritative presentation of the history of Jewish mysticism in its entirety."
2) Idel claims that Scholem did long bibliographical studies which 'laid the basis' for the modern bibliography of Kabbalah.
3) Idel says that Scholem studied Kabbalah as a 'religious phenomenom' in a deeper way than his predecessors had.
4) Idel writes that Scholem "regarded Kabbalah as a vital part of the Jewish religion, emphasizing its centrality for a proper understanding of its evolution"
Despite his deep appreciation of the work of his great teacher Idel sees certain shortcomings in Scholem's work. In one key essay here Idel contends with the claim of Scholem and other students of Judaism that Jewish mystics avoided the unio mystica , the merging of the person into the One, which is a general feature of other forms of mysticism. Scholem's position was that the Jew is always awed by the transcendent dimension of God, and so aims at approaching God but never entirely merging into the Divine Unity.
Idel also contests some of the major historical conclusions of Scholem. i.e. The claim that it is the Exile from Spain in the late fifteenth century which is directly responsible for Lurianic Kabbalah. And that Lurianic Kabbalah is a central element in the rise of Shabbateanism. And that further the collapse of the Shabbatean illusion is the central element in the rise of Hasidim in the early eighteenth century. It is not that Idel seeks to wholly overturn these claims but rather to point out that Scholem's linkages were too absolute , and did not allow for other causes.
Instead of focusing on the 'trends' Idel looks at Kabbalah phenomenologically as divided into two major forms. The first the theosophic- theurgic is God - centered, the second the ecstatic is anthropocentric and involves the individual's quest for spiritual perfection. The first form of Kabbalah " encompasses two central subjects
theosophy- a theory of the elaborate structure of the divine world- and the ritualistic and experiential way of relating to the divinity in order to induce a state of harmony." For the ecstatic kabbalah it is mystical experience of the individual which is the center and the highest good.
This work is a state- of - the - art description of the world of Kabbalah studies. It is very clearly written and provides an overall map of this area of study.
At one point in it Idel speaks about the difference between the scholarly study of Kabbalah and the actual living religious experiences of the true Kabbalists. He indicates that Scholem had a certain regret that he himself never achieved much in that area. The same sense and feeling is given by the writing of Idel himself.
Nonetheless this is a most recommended work of scholarship done at an extremely high level.

This is an absolute classic that should be read by every student of Kabbalah. However, it should be read after studying Scholem's Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. Idel's book is predicated on Scholem's. The main benefit in Idel's work is that he studies the experiential dimension of Kabbalah too. He is very interested in the actual practices that kabbalists used, not just their doctrines and myths and their history, which seemed to be the most interesting aspects to Scholem.

Prior reviews provide much detail on the differences between G. Scholem's approach to Kabbalah and M. Idel's approach while recognizing the differing scholarly climate in which each operated. But, I think there is one more important difference. By restricting "Kabbalah" to the Middle Ages (though he certainly knew of the prior Jewish mystical literature, e.g. Sefer Yetzirah, Heikalot & Shiur Koma, Biblical Chariot, etc.) he failed to recognize an historical, mystical thread in Judaism. He also failed to adequately recognize (discernable, for example, in many other religions) a history of oral tradition (despite the existence of the Mishnah!) in Jewish mysticism. Idel helps to rectify this tremendous oversight. Even if Idel isn't correct that a group of mystics, including de Leon, wrote the Zohar -- perhaps based on an ancient fragment, his thesis deserves to be seriously considered. As a hard scientist, I am unimpressed with Scholem's (and his followers') arguments that de Leon composed the entire work himself. But, then, I've only read it in English (Sperling et al). IMHO, Idel's book is of significant historical importance.

The "New Perspectives" to which Idel refers in his title depend upon a firm grasp of the foundational work of Gershom Scholem. In order to understand Idel's work here, you really need to know your Scholem pretty well; begin with "Major Trends" and move on from there.
Now once you understand a fair bit about the history of Kabbalah in the Scholem model, you are ready to make sense of Idel's highly constructive critique. In short, Idel notes that Scholem divides Kabbalah into two major blocks: what he calls the "theosophical," i.e. discussions of emanations (sefirot) and related topics, particularly within the tradition of the Sefer Zohar, and the "ecstatic" or "practical," which focuses on various means of achieving mystical unity with the Godhead through revolutions of letters and so forth.
Now Scholem, you must understand, was working against a conception of Kabbalah as basically nonsense: the antisemites saw it as typical ... stupidity, and the philosemites as essentially fodder for antisemitic tracts and thus something to be suppressed. So Scholem focused on theosophical Kabbalah because it is quite congenial to an intellectual, philosophical perspective on mysticism.
Idel, however, is working in the next generation after Scholem. It is no longer necessary to defend Kabbalah: everyone grants that it's an important, legitimate tradition. So in this book, Idel begins the process of rehabilitating ecstatic Kabbalah, particularly that of Abraham Abulafia (on whom Idel wrote his dissertation). There's more to it than that, of course, but this is the basis.
The book is elegantly argued, erudite, and deserved the prize it won. But trust me on this--you really need to know quite a lot to understand what he's on about. You do not, fortunately, need to know Hebrew or Aramaic. If you've never read much about Kabbalah and want an introduction, go to Scholem and come back in a while. If you want to practice Kabbalah, I doubt this will be much use to you. But if you know some Scholem and are ready to work through a rigorous critique very slowly and carefully, "Kabbalah: New Perspectives" is hands-down the best there is.

I have learned from reading KABBALAH, NEW PERSPECTIVES by Moshe Idel, professor of Jewish thought at Hebrew University. In this book, Professor Idel surveys the state of Kabbalah Research in the wake of Herr Professor Gershom Scholem's death, the strength of whose research casts a ubiquitous shadow. Further, Professor Idel challenges scholars of mysticism to consider the questions uncovered by the solutions currently offered. Without diminishing, in any way, the importance of the work accomplished by Herr Professor Scholem, Professor Idel calls for an examination of some of his basic assumptions. First, very early in this text, he calls for us to "distinguish between the authentic material and the opinions of scholars on the content of this material." (p17). In the process of following his own advice, he observes that Scholem's "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism" is undergirded with the implicit assumption that a given cultrual religious phenomenon is closely intertwined with or dependent upon its immediate historical predecessors" (p264). He challenges the reader to consider, not only an historical approach, but also, phemonology as a descriptor of the evolution of religious movements. In recognising the limits of historical research, the two professors are in complete agreement. In his text, "On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism" Herr Professor Scholem writes, "From a historian's point of view, the sum of religious phenomena known as mysticism consists in the attempts of mystics to communicate their 'ways,' there illuminations, their experience, to others." Professor Idel acknowledges this in his discussion of the varieties of "devekut" in Jewish mysticism, "The chance of success in reconstructing the nature of a mystical experience from written texts is close to nil." (p36). In his chapter on Kabbalistic Hermeneutics, he brings a fresh perspective on the status of symbol by distinguishing between a "theosophical" and a "linguistic" approaches, represented by the "Zohar" and R. Abraham Abulafia, respectively. In the former, the symbol is central, and in the latter it matters very little, if at all. Professor Idel offers that, "A more adequate formulation would insist that the two axes of Kabbalah are symbolism, which is related to nonunitive experiences, on the one hand, and unitive experiences, which coalesce with nonsymbolic language, on the other." (p203) From this, I received clarity in my own spiritual commitment. I found that I fall more into the category of "ecstatic" than "theosophic". I feel affirmed in my striving to attain an experience of the Divine, and my reservations that symbols cannot help achieve a better understanding of divine matters. From this text, I learned a great deal about the issues still to be explored in this tradition which spans the centuries. I also learned a little about my own spiritual commitment.

While never having been a student of the author I heard about this book from a former student. It was after hearing praise for both, book and author that I decided to pick it up for my 12 year old nephew. While waiting to give it to him I read the book and found it to be richly detailed, the likes of which can only be given by someone with an intimate firsthand knowlewdge of the area. I found this book to be wonderfull in both detail and character development. An excellent book for young adults and should be a staple in every Middle School classroom. I look forward to discussing the book with my nephew.

Mr. Thomas was a great teacher when I had him in 6th grade. I remember reading a rough draft of Loser's Ledge, and loved it. I'm soo glad he got it published, and it is an amazing book! If you are looking for a great adventure/comedy, then Loser's Ledge is just the right thing! You won't want to put down Loser's Ledge.

I was another one of Mr. Thomas's students in the sixth grade. He would talk about his book and getting it published and now he has. He was a great teacer and now he has written a great book. It was an exciting and interesting book with an excellent plot. I loved the book and highly recommend it.

I was a student of Mr. Thomas in sixth grade. He was my favorite teacher. Now, the book that he showed us is finally published. This story has a great plot. It's a really fun read.

In sixth grade, I read a third draft of "Loser's Ledge," which was incredibly good. Mr. Thomas always told fantastic stories, and this is another one of them. From a biased point of view, this is a wonderful book, and from an unbiased point of view, it is still a wonderful book. Buy it; take it out at the library; whatever you do, read it.

Dr. Hafez focuses in the intifada campaign of suicide bombing for his research on motives for suicide bombers. He outlined the motives of the organization's that prepare, support and dispatch the bomber as well, as a different one that that of the bomber, which is analyzed. The community/ society motives for support the campaigns is also analyzed. Since I have read the majority of the reference use by the author, I need to say that his work is a valuable one for this issue, easily read, short and precise, and a likely and useful framework.

Knowledgeably written by Mohammed M. Hafez (Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri, Kansas City) Manufacturing Human Bombs: The Making Of Palestinian Suicide Bombers is an insightful and chilling study of the Palestinian suicide bombers during the Al-Aqsa intifada that began in the year 2000 and continues to be a primary weapon among Islamic fundamentalists. Providing western readers with an in-depth understanding of the deaths, war, killings, and reasoning and rationale to these terrifying and seemingly indiscriminate attacks, Manufacturing Human Bombs creates an intricate detailing of Middle East mentality, lifestyle, honor, and progression of those who elect to become suicide bombers and those who elect to employ them. Manufacturing Human Bombs is very highly recommended reading to all students of the Middle Eastern culture, the suicidal extremes of the bombers themselves, the attitudes of the victimized society that breeds them, and the issues surrounding phenomena of suicide bombers in countries such as Iraq, Israel, Chechnya, and Afghanistan.

Knowledgeably written by Mohammed M. Hafez (Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri, Kansas City) Manufacturing Human Bombs: The Making Of Palestinian Suicide Bombers is an insightful and chilling study of the Palestinian suicide bombers during the Al-Aqsa intifada that began in the year 2000 and continues to be a primary weapon among Islamic fundamentalists. Providing western readers with an in-depth understanding of the deaths, war, killings, and reasoning and rationale to these terrifying and seemingly indiscriminate attacks, Manufacturing Human Bombs creates an intricate detailing of Middle East mentality, lifestyle, honor, and progression of those who elect to become suicide bombers and those who elect to employ them. Manufacturing Human Bombs is very highly recommended reading to all students of the Middle Eastern culture, the suicidal extremes of the bombers themselves, the attitudes of the victimized society that breeds them, and the issues surrounding phenomena of suicide bombers in countries such as Iraq, Israel, Chechnya, and Afghanistan.

Knowledgeably written by Mohammed M. Hafez (Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri, Kansas City) Manufacturing Human Bombs: The Making Of Palestinian Suicide Bombers is an insightful and chilling study of the Palestinian suicide bombers during the Al-Aqsa intifada that began in the year 2000 and continues to be a primary weapon among Islamic fundamentalists. Providing western readers with an in-depth understanding of the deaths, war, killings, and reasoning and rationale to these terrifying and seemingly indiscriminate attacks, Manufacturing Human Bombs creates an intricate detailing of Middle East mentality, lifestyle, honor, and progression of those who elect to become suicide bombers and those who elect to employ them. Manufacturing Human Bombs is very highly recommended reading to all students of the Middle Eastern culture, the suicidal extremes of the bombers themselves, the attitudes of the victimized society that breeds them, and the issues surrounding phenomena of suicide bombers in countries such as Iraq, Israel, Chechnya, and Afghanistan.

Knowledgeably written by Mohammed M. Hafez (Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri, Kansas City) Manufacturing Human Bombs: The Making Of Palestinian Suicide Bombers is an insightful and chilling study of the Palestinian suicide bombers during the Al-Aqsa intifada that began in the year 2000 and continues to be a primary weapon among Islamic fundamentalists. Providing western readers with an in-depth understanding of the deaths, war, killings, and reasoning and rationale to these terrifying and seemingly indiscriminate attacks, Manufacturing Human Bombs creates an intricate detailing of Middle East mentality, lifestyle, honor, and progression of those who elect to become suicide bombers and those who elect to employ them. Manufacturing Human Bombs is very highly recommended reading to all students of the Middle Eastern culture, the suicidal extremes of the bombers themselves, the attitudes of the victimized society that breeds them, and the issues surrounding phenomena of suicide bombers in countries such as Iraq, Israel, Chechnya, and Afghanistan.

When I first read this book by James, I was preparing to write an essay on Melville and his "isolatoes." James gives ample evidence for establishing the reasons why some of the protagonists appear elusive, enigmatic, and, of course, reclusive. I found this text quite helpful in its explanations of why Melville portrayed his male characters the way he chose; perhaps James own exile for passport violations sets up the framework for presenting his theories on the characters he analyzes. The work is a fine read, although the socialist commentary remains controversial.

CLR James was one of the earliest left wing thinkers to break from Orthodox Marxist dogmatism, even rejecting Leninism and the notion of the 'Vanguard of the Proletariat' all the way back in the late '40's, a move that left him alienated from the mainstream Left of the time and eventually led to his deportation in the 1950s. This book was written while he was in jail in New York awaiting his immigration hearing, a fact that makes this insightful look at Melville all the more impressive.

James points out that Melville was a visionary who caught glimpses of new social types long before they became prevalent in society: he even makes the startling statement that Melville is the ONLY author of Industrial capitalism. Reading first this book, then going back and reading Moby Dick, I must say that I cannot argue with his assessment. I found this small volume challenging, engaging and at times, personally upsetting, as I read something of myself and many others like me in James' reading of Ishmael. Definite cause for pause and reflection.

This book ends with a chapter describing in excruciating detail James' treatment while in jail, which I found at first quite self serving and gripey...but upon further reflection, his story is irritating because it is a banal and everyday litany of life under bureaucratic capitalism, not pretty or interesting, but it got under my skin, like the rest of this book.

If you like Melville or are interested in anti-authoritarian left thinking, you could do no better than to pick this up: I couldn't put it down.

C.L.R. James's analysis of Moby Dick brings the book to life and makes it understandable for a 21st century audience. You'll read "Mariners, Renegades, and Castaways, and want to immediately run out and read Moby Dick and Melville's other classics. James argues that Melville used the novel to explore dramatic changes in the fabric of American culture including the rise of industrial capitalism, the international working class, and the increasingly savage character of political and industrial life and leadership.

C.L.R. James wrote this book while he was interned with the newest generation of "Mariners, Renegades, and Castaways" on Ellis Island awaiting deportation. James's fate--that of a foreigner who offers the finest existing interpretation of one of America's greatest books and is still deported--serves as a cautionary tale for our own times. James concludes, "What the writing of this book has taught the writer is the inseparability of great literature and of social life."

This book is more than a little bit of early Postcolonial writing. The intoduction by Donald Pease is new, and the last chapter - an autobiographical sketch and personal appeal by James - was omitted from a previous edition. In terms of literary criticism, this is what Pease has to say about James and his writing: "He was one of the few critics who emerged from the Third World in the 1950's and traveled throughout Britain and the United States generating what are now called post-colonial readings." The real value of this book however is in its brilliant reinterpretation of MOBY DICK.

Rather than see Ahab and Ishmael as representing respectively "totalitarian" and "American" cultural themes as critics in the 1950's saw it, James offers a vison focused on the Pequod and its crew. A view in which the MARINERS, RENEGADES & CASTAWAYS of the ship were at the mercy of their Captain. In James' interpretaion the Pequod is a factory ship and the crew are the workers. Ahab is no longer a mere sailor but is now illustrative of a "Captain of industry."

I agree with the reviewer from New Haven regarding the peculiar situation James found himself in. The established interpretation of a Cold War allegory was in keeping with the times in the 1950's. If James or Melville himself were writing today, the interpretation on offer here - rather than something to be persecuted for - would be considered far more plausible than the narrow and blinkered view of the 1950's mainstream critics.

James, writing 100 years after _Moby Dick_ was published, shows a significant understanding of Herman Melville's time and its relation to the time in which he (James) wrote--1952. James gives an insightful critique of Melville's earlier novels and shows how they chronologically lead to Melville's eventual masterpiece, _Moby Dick_. _Moby Dick_ is an allegory for modernity gone awry, with a mad captain at the helm. For James, Ahab is comparable to the USA, which is charting its own mad course with destiny. In 1952 James was right on target, for he was detained on Ellis Island and eventually deported during the worst days of McCarthyism. It is a peculiar instance of a Trinidadian intellectual's desire to become a US citizen, and instead, being figuratively slapped in the face because of his associations with--through his writings against-- Russian communism and Trotskyites. That he wrote this book while being detained, and included an autobiographical chapter at the end makes this text quite a resource for literary critics as well as for those interested in learning about a historical case of US immigration policy in action.

Buying from Aamazon.com directly instead of from its markplace is a pleasent experience. It is safe and faster delivery. Highly recommend.

There are tons of books on linear algebra, but very few with the scope of this one. Researchers facing any non-trivial task in linear algebra would do well to look here first. There are, for example, chapters on how vectorizing matrices (by stacking the columns) relates to Kronecker products, and taking derivatives of matrix functions. If you need to take the derivative of the determinant of a matrix with respect to its inverse, look no further. I wish the book was typeset better, but the content is fantastic.

I am a PhD level graduate student who has never had a matrix algebra course. I got this book to help with a Linear Models course I am currently taking. The book is very helpful, and provides a solid background in the first few chapters before building on them for more complex results. Definitely a good reference to have nearby.

I am not a statistician, but this book has been my major reference on matrix algebra since I got it. The presentation is a bit dense, but I want to point out that the author actually presents the proofs to essentially _all_ theorems in the book. Perhaps this explains the style. As for the content, I find this book very comprehensive in my experience. But the dense page-setting of the book actually makes it visually challenging to locate a result. I also note that there are extensive exercises at the end of every chapter, although I probably won't use this as a textbook for my students.

This is a pretty good tool book for a statistician but it still has some samll problems, (1) the first few chapters, author should give more examples to describe concepts. (2) author can use more clear or simple way to describe many basic concepts but he does not do it! (if you have taken Linear Algebra from math, you will understand what I mean). Overall, this is a pretty good bookfor beginners.

Ireland's history is a violent one and, as Fulbright Fellow Carol Daugherty Rasnic shows in this book's first chapter, this is not only true for the 20th century but dates back at least to the island's 1169 Norman conquest - and actually, even further, as the Viking invasion of the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries consisted of a series of rather aggressive campaigns as well. The difference, however, was that despite these bloody beginnings the Viking colonists were eventually absorbed into Irish culture and daily life; contributing thereto rather than continuing their attempts at its suppression. Conversely, throughout much of Ireland's subsequent history, suppression was the preferred method of government of both the Normans and their British descendants; who brought in English settlers not to cultivate the island together with their Irish neighbors but to drive those out, thus sowing the seeds of the hatred still plaguing its society today, and no more so than in the six provinces still constituting British-controlled Northern Ireland, after the ill-famed 1920 Partition which eventually brought independence to the island's southern part.

Inseparably linked to nationality was, particularly from the times of Henry VIII on, the issue of religion; the English settlers being Protestants belonging to the Church of England/Ireland, while the vast majority of the Irish hung on to their Catholic faith; thus suffering discrimination not only on the basis of their nationality but also that of their religious beliefs. Tracing the multiple facets of today's division to their historic origins, Professor Rasnic shows how the identification as "Catholic" and "Protestant" has long come to exceed a mere religious denomination, mixing with everything from a person's stance towards the British administration of Northern Ireland to his or her national/ethnic origin, area of residence and social environment; to the point that the religious label is used even by those who have little to no spiritual connection to the church whose faith they claim as their own.

In the eight chapters following the book's initial historic overview, the author takes an in-depth look at the major issues dominating contemporary Northern Ireland life and politics, from ethnic strife and the (particularly: "Orange," i.e. unionist) parades, apt to newly ignite the fires of hatred every summer, to issues of governance, the release of prisoners convicted of terrorist acts, "decommissioning" (i.e., disarmament of the paramilitary groups active on both sides of the conflict), the position of the police and the administration of (criminal) justice, human rights and instances of persisting discrimination, and finally, the sectarianism in the province's schools, threatening to perpetuate the existing divide for a long time to come. Particular emphasis is given to the terms and effects of the so-called Good Friday Agreement, the April 10, 1998 agreement between Northern Ireland's major political parties and the governments of Ireland and Great Britain designed to bring an end to the province's "Troubles."

Although the book is subtitled "An American Legal Perspective," this is by no means the work of an outsider: Professor Daugherty Rasnic herself is the daughter of Irish immigrants on both parents' sides, and prolonged stays in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have intimately acquainted her with an island which, quite obviously, is not merely her ancestors' home but an inseparable part of her own identity as well. A lawyer by training, she moreover brings to the subject the analytical skills necessary to digest problems as intricate as those ravaging the province of Northern Ireland; and her interest in and experience with the American civil rights movement provides for a truly unique perspective, enabling her to not only put the Northern Irish situation into a larger European context but also draw comparisons to similar issues of racial strife and discrimination in the U.S.

Aware that the issues she addresses - particularly with regard to the legal aspects of the Good Friday Agreement - may well have the effect of a strong barbiturate on her non-lawyer readership, the author apologizes for having to address matters which "only a constitutional [law] purist could love." Quite unnecessarily so, however, as she does a marvelous job in explaining a set of highly complex questions of constitutional and international law which, I am sure, are confusing to many lawyers as well. Moreover, Professor Rasnic's manifold comments, anecdotes relating to her own experience and sections entitled "A Personal Perspective" provide a truly personal tone; while scholarly in its overall approach to the subject and dedication to detail, the book nevertheless reads more like a conversation with the author, reflecting much of her doubtlessly vivacious nature, passion, empathy and sense of humor - humor even in the face of adversity proving her yet again, as cliche (and maybe not just that) would have it, a true daughter of Irish parents.

In addition to all its other merits, this book also benefits from its author's easy access to over twenty principals and other individuals involved in the Northern Irish peace process, from then-First Minister David Trimble and Police Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan to Northern Ireland Assembly members of virtually all political colors (with the notable exception of the Rev. Ian Paisley, whose camp seems to have been the only one to adopt an obstructionist attitude), judges, attorneys, clergymen, social workers and professors at various universities; all of who add their own insight and perspective on the "Troubles," and whose comments are faithfully reported; in many instances verbatim.

Professor Daugherty Rasnic concludes her analysis with the words of Irish poet William Butler Yeats: "I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." Like the great poet's words, her book expresses the hope that, one day, Northern Ireland may find a lasting way out of its "Troubles" (and no doubt, she is watching the province's recent political developments with a certain sense of trepidation). With this book, she has made a contribution of her own to the search for such a path - and I have a feeling that it will not have been the only one.

I have read many different types of books over the past 60 years, but this book is by far the best, fiction or nonfiction alike. Professor Rasnic has accomplished what many authors wish they had accomplished, by giving the legal perspective in a human and many time humerous way, makes for easier reading for those of us who may not always understand legaleaze. This book in my estimation should be on the required reading list for anyone who wishes to understand the legal aspects and history of American and Irish similarities during the same periods in time.

Northern Ireland: Can Sean And John Live In Peace? An American Legal Perspective by Carol Daugherty Rasnic (Professor of Employment and Labor Law, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia) is an impressively researched and presented study of the conflict in Northern Ireland, including the religious and political forces that drive it, as well as the law and the legal system as a means to deal with what the Irish called "the troubles". A thoughtful, exhaustive, scholarly inquiry, Northern Ireland is a sober and informative account and a very welcome contribution to academic International Studies modern reference collections concerned with global issues and conflicts in general, and Contemporary Irish Political History reading lists in particular.

The world has too many Northern Irelands, and most of the time we form our opinions from some politcal ideology we have, or some news report or TV program. What we really need to be honestly informed about these "trouble spots" such as the Middle East or Kashmire or Ireland is to read a well reserched and well written book like Carol D. Rasnic work. She has certainly paid her dues and told us about something she has studied and live in for many years.And most important, she has not taken sides.

This book allows the American reader to gain insight into the true nature of what Irish call "The Troubles".

The conflict between Catholic and Protestant factions is viewed from the perspective of a American woman. Her experience with segregation in the American South enabled her to understand the cultural and economic factors that divide these groups.

Her insight clarifies the fact that this is not simply a religious issue. It is one of long standing cultural and economic differences between all factions.

I found this book to be an invaluable aid in understanding the complex and difficult social hostilities that afflict these people of a common background.

Professor Rasnic has spent a great deal of time in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Her contacts with officials, politicians, clerics, and most of all, the Irish citizens gives her a special perspective. This was an enjoyable and educational read.