Bernard Books

I cannot believe that I am the first one to do a review ofBernard Crick's great masterpiece, "In Defense of Politics."This is a honor that forces me to question my worthiness. Crick so aptly understood that the aiming for a kind of absolutist perfection in any human relationship is dooming oneself to inevitable bitter disillusionment. This may especially be true within the political sphere. Those who indulge in a virtual cult of adoring specific "great men" totally misunderstand the goal of politics. Democracy can never be more than an attempt to search out a workable compromise between disagreeing citizens. A certain agnosticism concerning one's position is often required; a dogmatic true believer mentality may indeed become dangerous and threaten the very tenuous underpinnings of our governmental institutions. We must indeed strive to improve our political process. It is even a moral obligation to do so. Nonetheless, The search for the perfect and virtuous leader to give one's unhesitating allegiance and adoration has always resulted in a hell on earth.

The political process is often yucky, disappointing, and after much effort may leave one at best with a half a loaf result. It has been said that there are two things someone with a weak disposition may wish to avoid---viewing the processing of sausage and the making of human law. Am I a cynic and possessing a defeatist attitude? The answer is an adamant no! On the contrary, Crick and I recognize the glorious possibilities of an evolving civilization premised upon frail and imperfect human beings. It takes incredible physical, intellectual and moral diligence to bring about viable human relationships of any sort. What we have so far accomplished in Great Britain and the United States is of mind boggling beauty and structural effectiveness. Bernard Crick understands the limits of politics and that a democratic society deserves two cheers, not three. Winston Churchill paradoxically said it best--democracy is usually disappointingly awful--it's simply better than all the other political systems devised and implemented throughout human history.

Two men pass on the street. 'Tell me what you want and I'll get it' asks one. "Tell me what you've got and I'll tell you what I want' replies the other. What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse game of desire and rejection, power and humiliation as the two men negotiate a deal that will never be struck.

Koltes's mesmerizing play for two actors premiered in France in 1987 and was immediately hailed as a contemporary masterpiece, playing successfully throughout Europe.
--- from book's back cover

This, and its companion volume, "On the Track of Unknown Animals" are the foundation works of cryptozoology, and even today perhaps the best "reads" in the whole field. Very few have prepared so long or so carefully in writing on this subject. The book is richly illustrated with many black and white photos as well as reproductions of dozens of original witness sketches.

Don't let her awesome sense of humor and impeccable timing for comedic writing fool you, Jami's book is thoughtful and analytical. She has walked the walk, over the years gaining 100 lbs of excess weight. Her intellectual approach to finding out why, and learning how to change her life, are absolutely empowering.

I had already lost 75 lbs myself when I found this book, but I consider it my best motivational tool. Maintenance is an ongoing, lifelong process, and when I need a jump-start, this is the book I reach for.

I have a full shelf of weight management media, but Jami makes it fun. Not only can you join her on her merry way, you'll find that you want to. Sound advice and sensible exercise and eating plans have never been so fun! And weight management has never been so easy. Forget will-power, it's all about strategy, baby. Jami gives you the tools to triumph.

You will finally learn how to shed your self-destructive behaviors and begin to enjoy food in a sane and healthy way. The fact that you will get your sexy, supple body back is almost second-best to the self-discovery you will enjoy.

Jami faced her demons and regained her power, and she'll show you how you can too. Share her journey, benefit from her wisdom, pick up some great tips along the way, join her in lifelong weight management. And have a few laughs along the way. It doesn't get any better than this.

Patricia Bernard should be much better known in the USA. She's a wonderfully evocative writer with a wide range of subjects including historical fiction, children's books, and travel writing and has had more adventure in her life than ten people. (Disclaimer: I know Ms. Bernard personally and have illustrated two of her children's books but admire the woman and the work. I have read a few pages of her new African travel book and if WITH THE KAMA SUTRA UNDER MY ARM is comparable, it's going to be one of my favorites.) Bernard's unconventional travel writing grabs you from the first sentence and doesn't let you go. Few books really 'can't be put down' but Patricia Bernard's are definitely in that category. I hope that amazon.com can find more than the one copy of WITH THE KAMA SUTRA UNDER MY ARM, since anyone looking for great travel writing is in for a real treat.

As in all his books, Mr. Hunt presents the techniques you'll need to master to make silver jewelry in a clear, concise, easy-to-follow manner, complete with illustrations. When visitors to my silversmithing page ask me for advice as to how they can get started making their own jewelry, this is THE ONE book I can and do whole-heartedly recommend. I don't know what the cost of this out-of-print book is these days, but it'll be well worth it at any price. In this fine book, you will learn how to make your own solder, how to make and temper stamps, and a million other things, all without spending a ton of money on fancy and unnecessary equipment. Buy it and see for yourself!

Bernard Rimland's groundbreaking book (published in 1964) debunked the shameful theory that autism was caused by "refrigerator mothers", a theory propounded by the since discredited Bruno Bettelheim and widely adopted up to that time by mainstream psychology. Dr. Rimland was the first to make the case that autism was linked to physiological factors including genetics, a theory later adopted by by mainstream medical researchers. This book is a landmark in the history of the disorder known as autism.

Of interest is the statement contained in the introduction to Dr. Rimland's book by Dr. Leo Kanner, the psychiatrist who 60 years ago first described the disorder and coined the term "autism". Dr. Kanner derides the label "autism" as a "pseudo-diagnostic wastebasket" for disorders that are not understood.

The disorder called "autism" is still not understood. Dr. Rimland, more than others, has progressed beyond his own work in the 40 years since he wrote his book by pioneering the view that autism is a physiologically based disease that is partially influenced by genetic susceptibily, but not caused by genetics. He has suggested that "autism" is triggered by environmental factors, including a possible role for vaccines and the consitituents of vaccines. Most importantly his work has led to the development of biomedical treatment for affected children.

Everyone who wants to understand the development of our understanding of the disorder called "autism" should read this book.

If you've read Anthony Downs' Economic Theory of Democracy, this is a must-read! Even if you disagree with Downs, this collection of empirical research and strong theoretical scholarship will make your brain cells dance. I kid you not-- although you may want to have a Ph.D. in Political Science to get the full effects. Especially insightful is Grofman's chapter on reconciling the shortcomings in Downs' predictions about two-party politics with the abundance of scholarship that undermines these expectations. If you're reading this, you know the score: Downs predicts party convergence, (the common metaphor is Tweedle-dee Tweedle-dum politicians) and certain specific outcomes associated with competitive elections in a two-party system. Downs' model (because it assumes fair and vigorous competition for votes, party objectives where winning is the central goal, and certain parameters about the distribution of preferences in the population) doesn't foresee extreme incumbency advantage in the House, doesn't predict why members of opposite parties but from the same state will vote in opposite manners, or why political party appears to have such a strong influence on candidate positions in general. Grofman's chapter raises all the fine points where the Downs theory appears to clash with the evidence. His arguments are written matter-of-factly and his analysis is packed with simple but compelling examples from the empirical literature. Like a good mystery, Grofman's synthesis of the disparities in our theoretical and empirical knowledge of American politics begs for a logical solution. (This is the part that will keep your brain cells up at night.) On a side note, Grofman's careful analysis also clears up some of the misconceptions and generalizations about the Downs model that have grown as a result of people simply not bothering to read Downs in its entirety. Rather than join the choir of voices who immediately would dismiss rational choice on the grounds that Downs' analysis-- or unidimensional analysis for that matter-- is imperfect, or the D.O.D. (Defenders of Downs) who would pretend that the flaws are superficial, Grofman proposes that political science needs to focus on improving its institutional models--and empirical tests. He calls for "institutional richness" --a concept well ahead of its time, but oh, so obvious. Let's look at microsystems, congressional districts, variances in party control, elections, ballots(!), technology, local election laws, demographics, etc. from state to state and community to community. Let's get beyond making generalizations about how elections and politics work in America at the national level and get our hands dirty again. Great book for political scientists, journalists, junkies, academics, and would-be political experts. Some of the chapters are probably a little too sophisticated for the casual reader, but if this stuff interests you, go for it! You can never learn too much, and the best chapters are written so that amateurs can make sense of it all.

Insects is colorfully written with brilliant real life photos. I love using this as a touchstone text for first graders when they write feature articles. Add this to your science text sets!

AVR-2A, LWS-20, APR-39A(V)