Greens Books

The book was not as beautiful as the experience. The first time I went I left a feather and stones and couldn't bear to leave, subsequent visits were as powerful but in the way a life is crafted, one builing upon another. Bill is superlative. The book is good but needs to be taken in small portions, savored,it added to my experience. Building a yurt should be done by any awake human. Bill's the only authentic one I know of-the rest, shallow imitations, posers, pretenders, charlatans and just plain not it. Even though I'm sure they are earnest folks.

I didn't go looking for this book. It simply fell into place. Literally. While I was browsing in the satellite branch of my local public library for books about business this volume fell on my head. It had been left precariously on top of the shelf.
Aesthetics appeal to me, to the cover was intriguing. I skipped the book about where mobile and wireless technology is taking society and immediately checked out A Handmade Life.
It is a beautifully presented book. The photographs of an idyllic life in Maine are appealingly presented. The text proposes a way of life that, even here on the paradisical edge of the Pacific Ocean, on the edge of the world, even, it is hard not to yearn for. And maybe that is true value of the book. It awakened a hankering in me for a more naieve way. Strangely it also help me make a number of business choices I had been faced with. Appropriate considering there is a side-bar in the book:

"Borrow from cultures old and new
And with our imaginations

Blend those borrowings
To Create new ways to live
That are simpler, gentler
More generous and beautiful."

Is that my cell-phone ringing?

It's funny how even a quick browsing of this book tells you it has integrity. It's some combination of the artful layout, the paper quality, and of course the author's inspiration living-the-talk life. A Handmade Life evokes a simple but deep way to live. I should confess, however, that I haven't read the whole book, but I love it anyway and keep it on my desk by computer, sipping it now and again like a wine brewed for inspiration. It's a reminder to slow down, focus more on craft than result and quality more than quantity.

Another one in this genre is The Hand-Sculpted House.

The new edition of Harriet Lane is an excellent buy. Concise, up-to-date and precise, it is an essential ward rounds and on call book for all pediatricians.
However, I would suggest two improvements to the publishers:
Better binding (considering how often the book is used) and a slightly darker print-the current one looks faded already, though the font is very user-friendly.
Dr Sajeev

I first used the Harriet Lane Handbook during my pediatric rotation in my 3rd year of med school in 1981 (?10th edition), & I still use it (16th edition) in my busy pediatric surgical practice. It is especially useful for med students, pediatric residents, other residents (eg, surgical) when rotating through pediatric services, & practicing pediatricians & other pediatric specialists.

The section I use most frequently is the formulary of drug doses. Physicians treating adults generally memorize the one dose of each drug to give, but kids come in many different sizes, so the handbook is indispensible for drug dosing indexed to body weight. My second most used section is the one with all the growth charts, primarily to check for failure-to-thrive. The other section I use a good bit is the one analyzing baby (& older kid) enteral formulas to help guide nutritional therapy.

My only problem with the Handbook is that it has grown in size with each edition. It used to fit conveniently in a lab coat pocket, & it traveled all over the hospital with me. Now it's almost too big & heavy to carry around, so it stays on my desk (& another on my nightstand by the phone at home).

If you can't get a free copy of the Harriet Lane Handbook from some drug rep, go ahead & buy it.

This book is so often seen on the pediatric ward that it hardly needs a review. I've been instructing residents for 20 years and can't think of one who hasn't used this book from time to time. Indeed, we joke that you can tell how old a pediatrician is by the color of his (her) Harriet Lane.

I must say that in the past I've had reservations about this book. The drug doses were very often conservative, and the formulary (which is the most frequently used part of it) was rather limited. If you ignore the resuscitation drugs, there are those that would find the Lexmark formulary more useful, especially since it includes much of the information that is in the PDR, such as dosage forms.

The present edition remedies the formulary, happily. Each of the sections is evenly well written, and consise, and the material is useful for the day-to-day work of the pediatric resident. Really, Harriet is indispensable, since it includes all the tables of lab values and growth curves that one uses every day. The present edition is so well written that I can hardly imagine future editions that could be improved in any substantial way. This book hardly needs my endorsement. Nonetheless, I heartily recommend it to any house officer who has a rotation on a pediatric ward.

this book was very helpful. i have learned so much about teas that can be used to heal illnesses, the history of tea, and with many recipes i'm never at a loss to try new teas. this is great for the tea lover who is serious about using their tea in everyday life.

I've enjoyed reading this book, preparing several of the brews & infusions, and love the photos presented with the text. It's been in use since I purchased it and hasn't yet made it to the bookshelf.

This books has a nice history of tea in Asia, the black and green teas especially. It is a great companion to Mary El-Baz's book, The Essence of Herbal and Floral Teas.

I have found this text interested and informative. It opens a person's mind to a new way of reading and hearing the text from the New Testament.
Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation

Advances have been made in NT interpretation in recent years and Green covers them all.

This book, a compilation of essays by many great scholars, needs to be on your shelf if you call yourself a New Testment exegete! All of the chapters are helpful, particularly the one on discourse analysis and the one on linguistics.

Be sure to get this one!

Terence McKenna gives us a look through the window into our potential as humans. He helps put the hysteria of our time into perspective and gives a path that could help us to deal with this strange and wonderful world we live in. An articulate explorer whose name belongs up their with Joseph Campbell and Huxley. If you are interested in human potential then this is a "must listen" seminar.

Terence's gift of the gab is in full force in this hypnotic,spellbinding lecture series recorded at California'sEsalen institute in 1990. Mr. Mckenna presents an astounding overview of his theories regarding the evolution of man and his relationship with psychedelics. Even those who have never taken a psychedelic substance, or would never even approve of such a thing will find this work interesting, if not amazing.

If you are familiar with Terence McKenna's works and agree with his philosophy, then this is a MOST worthwhile purchase. You get to hear the man himself speak, which is worth the price of admission right there! He does not pull punches, but rather presents his views in an unadulterated format that all people enlightened with the psychedelic experience will enjoy.

If you are a stranger to Terence's viewpoint, don't spend all that money on this. Hopefully you will expand your mind to accept this viewpoint, but, in case you may not be ready, 'tis better to buy a paperback first.

This is a MUST BUY for those who really dig the man's philosophy.

Many diseases are not inevitable, but rather preventable. "Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family" is a family-oriented guide about maintaining good mental and physical health, from nursing infants to preventing obesity to tips on buying safe and proper toys. Scientific evidence supports the recommendations of this seminal guide to promoting health within one's own immediate family. "Holler for Your Health" should be read by anyone in charge of younger people's health, as well as those who are planning to be.

When I picked this up, I wasn't sure what to expect so I thought I'd write a few lines here... This book is very informative- lots of simple but effective strategies to help protect yourself and your family from disease by avoiding toxic chemicals and getting proper nutrients. I was surprised to read how many products that I thought were safe are really dangerous to my health. I'm still amazed at how hard it is to find this kind of information and how uninformed most doctors are about environmental causes of disease. Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family, contains information that everyone needs.

The author has done a very good job at explaining the strong links between diet and our environment and various ailments including stress and diabetes that makes for very interesting reading. I always felt the genetic link to obesity to be hogwash, but the author did a good job at convincing me the biological reason for the linkage. After reading this book I was sufficiently convinced to buy hormone free milk for my children and certain organic produce for the family, utilize a water filter for the home, and cease applying traditional lawn fertilizers on my lawn in favor of more natural, organic alternatives.

Be prepared! If your pet ever has a medical emergency, this is tbe book you will want on your bookshelf. It covers everything from flea bites to broken bones. Also has a beautifully illustrated section on many dog breeds. Book is beautifully illustrated and talks directly to pet owners. It is a resourse that never goes out of date. Perfect for every dog owner out there.

Everybody should know what to do if your pet chokes, eats a poisenous plant, experiences an electrical shock, has a seizure or you're confronted with any number of other illnesses and/or accidents. This book is extremely comprehensive. The diagrams and instructions are very easy to follow. It also has sections on symptom recognition, immunization, and basic total health care.

This is a fantastic book, not only does it cover the many illness that might befall our canine firends; also it is in large type with HUGE pictures, extremely well written for the layman. It's a MUST have for the Dog owner. The "Emergencies: First-Aid Procedures" section is the best on Emergency and First Aid for Canines I have Ever Seen. If you own a dog you MUST HAVE THIS BOOK!

What is tragedy and how does it work? These are questions you will understand better after reading this book. Set sometime in the second half of the 19th century, the story concerns the fortunes of the Gourlay family in the small Scottish town of Barbie. John Gourlay, a big, domineering, but intellectualy challenged man dominates the local economy and has a monopoly of the carrying trade. He is harsh and powerful, of bull-like stature, and famous for his glower. On a brae overlooking Barbie he has built the House wIth the Green Shutters. This house is both the symbol of his dominance and an object of hatred and envy to the townsfolk.

Aristotle defined tragedy as a story depicting the downfall of a great man. At first it is hard to see this stupid, cruel, and grasping merchant as a great man, but The House With the Green Shutters will also improve your notions of what greatness is. John Gourlay is great because there is no fear or compromise in him. Although he may wish to be well thought of by the small-minded, two-faced gossips of the town, he is not prepared to go one inch out of his way for them, scorning even the banal pleasantries of small talk or phatic communication. He wants only their respect not their love, and respect him they do even though they also hate him.

With all true tragedy the tragic element comes directly from the greatness. It is his greatness that destroys John Gourlay. His stubborn pride and unflinching courage are qualities more suited to some heroic age of battles and revolutions. They do not fit into the petty, hypocritical world of 19th century Scotland. In this unheroic world his heroic qualities can only work towards his downfall. The thought constantly in one's mind as you read this novel is, 'If only he were a lesser man . . .' His inability to compromise by lowering himself to the same level as his fellow citizens, works to his disadvantage. Unable to plot, maneuver, and dissemble, his little empire is soon undermined by the arrival in town of Wilson, a glib self-seeking nobody with no real passion, but a much abler businessman in tune with the times. Affable and manipulative, false and corrupt he starts to squeeze Gourlay out of one thing after another. This is ,in effect, the triumph of style over substance that so bedevils our modern age. Although grim, proud and dour, Gourlay is an honest man, inept at chicanery, and unable to bend to suit the occasion.

The House With the Green Shutters is a tragedy in the full classical Greek sense of the word; the preordained fall of a hero who doesn't fit into an unheroic world; a great bull sacrificed to appease the Gods for human hubris. It is even more poignant from the fact that its keynote of tragedy was reflected in the life of its young author who had the misfortune to die only one year after writing such a masterpiece.

What is tragedy and how does it work? These are questions you will understand better after reading this book. Set sometime in the second half of the 19th century, the story concerns the fortunes of the Gourlay family in the small Scottish town of Barbie. John Gourlay, a big, domineering, but intellectualy challenged man dominates the local economy and has a monopoly of the carrying trade. He is harsh and powerful, of bull-like stature, and famous for his glower. On a brae overlooking Barbie he has built the House wIth the Green Shutters. This house is both the symbol of his dominance and an object of hatred and envy to the townsfolk.

Aristotle defined tragedy as a story depicting the downfall of a great man. At first it is hard to see this stupid, cruel, and grasping merchant as a great man, but The House With the Green Shutters will also improve your notions of what greatness is. John Gourlay is great because there is no fear or compromise in him. Although he may wish to be well thought of by the small-minded, two-faced gossips of the town, he is not prepared to go one inch out of his way for them, scorning even the banal pleasantries of small talk or phatic communication. He wants only their respect not their love, and respect him they do even though they also hate him.

With all true tragedy the tragic element comes directly from the greatness. It is his greatness that destroys John Gourlay. His stubborn pride and unflinching courage are qualities more suited to some heroic age of battles and revolutions. They do not fit into the petty, hypocritical world of 19th century Scotland. In this unheroic world his heroic qualities can only work towards his downfall. The thought constantly in one's mind as you read this novel is, 'If only he were a lesser man . . .' His inability to compromise by lowering himself to the same level as his fellow citizens, works to his disadvantage. Unable to plot, maneuver, and dissemble, his little empire is soon undermined by the arrival in town of Wilson, a glib self-seeking nobody with no real passion, but a much abler businessman in tune with the times. Affable and manipulative, false and corrupt he starts to squeeze Gourlay out of one thing after another. This is ,in effect, the triumph of style over substance that so bedevils our modern age. Although grim, proud and dour, Gourlay is an honest man, inept at chicanery, and unable to bend to suit the occasion.

The House With the Green Shutters is a tragedy in the full classical Greek sense of the word; the preordained fall of a hero who doesn't fit into an unheroic world; a great bull sacrificed to appease the Gods for human hubris. It is even more poignant from the fact that its keynote of tragedy was reflected in the life of its young author who had the misfortune to die only one year after writing such a masterpiece.

In his story of the downfall of an arrogant and essentially stupid man, George Douglas Brown is relentlessly unsentimental. His portrait of life in a tiny Scottish town in the late 1800's leaves the reader with no illusions about the narrow-mindedness of the inhabitants. Bleak as their existence is, the novel is not depressing, but fascinating. While many readers will have trouble with the dialect of the speakers (the narration is standard English), the effort required to "translate" is well rewarded.

Edelman Green tells a story of two women, or one land, of a 60 year history, but really she tells a story of all time, of every journey, of every person who has thought to themselves "What have I done with my life?" or even more so, "What am I going to do with my life?"

Her writing is beautiful, inspiring, moving. It brought a soldier to tears, when she tells of the death of a young cousin, it brought a husband to look again at his wife, and understand exactly why he loves her, it brought a student to understand the importance of learning. All this insight in one book - but more than that, a truly gripping and meaningful story which leaves the reader with a sense of purpose.

Many thanks to the author - for the inspiration, for the entertainment, but most of all for sharing her life with us.

This book is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the immigrant experience in Israel.

Haim Shalom

I loved this book. It reminded me, at times, of Annie Lamott's Operating Instructions in its honest, first person memoir style of delivery. Its historical nature was fascinating and it delivers a slice of Israeli life that I found intriguing. It's poignant, and easy to read and become involved in.

This is a story of contrasts and similarities, about the interwoven lives of two different women, one younger and the other older, both of whom immigrated to Israel under vastly different conditions. They became special friends by their common experiences and family ties. The book is filled with heart-warming stories about how Sarah (who came to Israel in 1939) helped the author adjust to Israeli life and connect with her family's roots. This book is about courage, faith, discovery, and eventually triumph. New immigrants face many similar challenges: they must learn a new language, adjust to a new culture, and learn different customs and laws. Essentially, they build a life from the bottom up, especially when they have inadequate financial resources to rely on. Both women in this true story showed strength of character and resilience as they overcame the odds and created new lives. Each had a dream to live in Israel but for different reasons. Each was physically cut off from family and managed to fulfill her own personal quest. Sarah and Mordecai had joined a Zionist movement in the late 1930s with the goal of imigrating to Israel. It saved their lives. The author moved to Israel with her physician husband and young son in 1984. Judith Edelman-Green shares her personal journey to find spiritual fulfillment in her chosen country of Israel. In Israel, she reconnects with distant relatives who made aliyah during World War II, to escape the Nazi terror. These relatives then became the anchor which helped her understand her family's roots and connect her spirit with the present, completing the circle of life.

The author recounts many heart-warming experiences, many firsts in her life as she and her family adjust to a new land and new culture. The author learns to view death differently in Israel where she learns about the holiday called, the Day of Remembrance. It is a memorial day, when the name of every soldier who died in all the wars fought by Israel is publicly read at the cemetery. It was there the author decided to name her first child Rafael, in honor of Mordecai and Sarah's son, who died at the age of twenty, serving his country. The book is filled with precious recollections and remembrances of the author's relationship with Sarah, who is like a second grandmother to her. Sarah embraced Judith as a family member during her first visit to Israel, when Judith was a University student in 1978. After Judith and her family immigrated in 1984, Sarah helped them assimilate and adjust. She teaches her how to make favorite Israeli dishes and meals, especially eggplant. She shares her personal story of survival with Judith who learns about faith, courage and strength in the face of tragedy and adversity.

The author also hears true stories about relatives she never knew, one of whom was Mordecai's father and the author's grandfather, Kalman, who were brothers. He married Sadie, the author's grandmother, whom she also did not get to know because she died when the author was a baby. Yet, in Israel, Judith learns so many things about her grandparents which makes her feel connected and closer to them. In addition to sharing the discovery of her family's history and roots, the author alternates chapters and describes her own personal adjustment to life in Israel and how she raised her family in a new environment. She helps the reader understand the challenges of changing cultures. In 2001, the author visits Kalman, one of her few remaining relatives still alive in Europe. He is her dad's first cousin and also Mordecai's younger brother. He shares many gifts with Judith, such as, famly history, his story of survival, along with beautiful embroidery and a necklace which is filled with meaning for Judith. The author completes the book by describing with sensitivity and feeling, the last years of Sarah's life. This book is highly recommended. It is filled with many poignant true stories and is a wonderful reading experience. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

Lonergan's other famous work is "Method in Theology," which is another must for students of Lonergan. In both books, Lonergan essentially comes to grips with the mess Kant has left us and tries to rectify the problem. Lonergan wants to rescue morality and moral categories from the threat of skepticism. Kant tried to account for how we "know." Kant stated that, "upon the occasion of experience" we become aware of categories latent in our consciousness (actually, "consciousness" would be a misnomer: Kant's felicitous phrase was "transcendental Unity of Apperception"). Kant only allowed for non-moral categories. Karl Jaspers criticized Kant and asked why we should be limited by the categories (the source of unity of experience) Kant bequeathed to us. Almost taking his cue from Jaspers (I'm not sure he did), Lonergan postulated that the Platonic categories of the good, moral principles and such, were also discovered upon the occasion of experience. Lonergan uses Hegel as metaphor and shows how higher human awareness leads to philanthropic principles of morality. Lonergan exploits Kant's loophole and turns Kant on his head. It is well done. But, I find a stronger ground for morality in Matthew 22: 34-40. For, if we loved God and Man, we would not lie, cheat, steal, commit adultry, murder, and so on. For this reason, love is the fulfillment of the law. The law reduces to love. The Jews, who practiced revenge via "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" couldn't grasp this, and so observed the letter of the law ("thou shalt not...") but not the spirit of the law ("love God and your neighbor). That is why Paul says, in 1 Cor. 13:1-13, of faith, hope and love, Love is the greatest. Morality should be grounded in the first two commandments, not on some abstract epistemological argument. In love is the unity of all morality and the basis for all morality. Lonergan's philosophy blinded him theologically.

This classic book in epistemology by a leading scholastic examines the process of forming concepts from a subjective point of view in the long tradition of philosophy descending from Aristotle and others and continued by Catholic thought. This school does not utilize experimental data and does not offer neuron models. Accepting inner experience as prime scientific data, Lonergan examines the process of forming an understanding through its perceived specific instances. You will be led to an understanding of understanding, if you will, and only if you will.

This book is focused about three levels of study on human understanding: First Level. Cognitional Activity: What do I do when I meet knowledge? Second Level. Epystemology: Why that, what I do, when I say I know, is knowledge? Third Level. Metaphysics: What do I know when knowing? This is an oustanding book and analysis. I've read it for 5 times and still I am enjoiyng it. This book opens your mind in order to understand yourself and keep learning.