Bruno Books

This book doesn't mention any of the more recent philosophers that I would normally consider the best German thinkers, but it is excellent at setting Karl Marx in the context in which he went to Germany to study, dropped law for philosophy, found Hegel convincing, and attacked what he considered the "Ideology" of the Germany of that time. The distinction between philosophy and ideology is the mystery which makes this book interesting. "Ideology, Napolean asserted, was abstract speculation divorced from reality. With Napoleon the term *ideology* thus acquired a perjorative meaning that challenged philosophy's traditional sovereignty. To call philosophy `ideology' was now to say it was ineffective in the world. It operated in a dream world of abstraction." (p. 5).

The government of Germany, back in the early 1840s, was not based on elections depending on ideology to determine policies conforming to the will of those who were governed, and France, at the time of Napoleon, might be considered the greatest failure in Europe of the use of revolution to establish a government of the people. Translating anything that this book is about into practical politics is probably beyond the capacity of what Mark Crispin Miller called TV in THE BUSH DYSLEXICON (see "But there is now very little place for . . ." p. 64 of Miller). The thing I like about Harold Mah's book, THE END OF PHILOSOPHY, THE ORIGIN OF "IDEOLOGY"/KARL MARX AND THE CRISIS OF THE YOUNG HEGELIANS is that he gets the picture right from the religious perspective, which is a minor aspect of the book. The distinctions between followers of Hegel were religious as well as political:

If God as spirit developed by embodying itself in the mind of humanity and the institutions of the present, then this was entirely at odds with the Christian notion of a transcendent God who promised fulfillment in an afterlife. The debate over Hegel's supposed pantheism and whether or not his philosophy disallowed the possibility of immortality raged throughout the 1830s. In 1835, the publication of David Friedrich Strauss's LIFE OF JESUS radically transformed the controversy. Up to then, Hegelians had attempted to reconcile Christianity and philosophy, a transcendent God and immanent spirit. But Strauss asserted that reconciliation was no longer possible . . . (p. 37)

As Strauss himself later noted, the controversy over his book brought about yet another alignment in the Hegelian school. Orthodox or "right" Hegelians continued to cling to the conventional Hegelian view of the substantive compatibility of Christianity and philosophy. "Center" Hegelians tried to reach a compromise, asserting that some aspects of the two forms of consciousness could be reconciled. "Left" or Young Hegelians accepted Strauss's rejection of Christianity and his humanism. (p. 37).

That much of the book is really clear to me, and a good place to start a biography which ends with the thought:

The theory of ideology strives to remedy the intellectual's sense of being severed from the real world. Its formulation is his attempt to come to terms with a world that has forsaken him. (p. 229)

Then there are notes from page 231 to 279, citing a lot of original sources. By the time I got to the index, I was looking for things that weren't there. Fichte is only mentioned on one page, with a line of poetry that Karl Marx wrote:

Kant and Fichte soar to heavens blue . . . (p. 166).

Marx "read widely in different philosophies, including those of Kant and Fichte," but "Marx's intellectual clarification" was supposed to be "That which--in the street I find."

Throughout time, people have gone to war solely over differences of religion. I've always been intrigued by what makes religions different. Many of us are brought up to believe that our religion is the one true religion. If you are trying to understand other religions, this book is a good place to start.

This book, edited by John Lyden, follows the Enduring Issues series by answering questions by using forty essays written by people devoted to their religion. Lyden provides eight essays in response to each of the five questions that he asks. The five questions are: --What is religion? --What should one think about religions other than one's own? --What is the sacred? --How can one find meaning in life? --What lies beyond death?

The eight essays in response to each question come from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Native American Sioux. He begins each essay with a small amount of background into the author and his involvement with his religion.

Unsurprisingly, many of these viewpoints are in stark contrast to each other, and there are some amazing similarities across the religions. Some of the essays are very illuminating, and are interesting to read. Other essays are very difficult to understand either because of the writing or of the foreign ideas introduced.

If you are looking for definitive answers to the questions above, this is not the book for you. This isn't the type of book that will make you abandon your religion in favor of another, but this book just might get you thinking about these questions as well as providing an appreciation of the difference between these religions.

the author has a deep understanding of what we as christians are in for when we pass this earthly realm. all need to understand that "once saved always saved" will make us pay a price that we will not want to pay!!!

The reader might despair of Bangladesh after reading this book. It describes the massive overcrowing of > 100 million people on a riverine delta. Subject to annual flooding, as has just happened last week. In this case, due to a cyclone.

The book describes how most of the land is at sea level. Actually quite fertile, due to the silt deposited by the rivers, that builds up the delta. Historically, this very fertility led to today's huge population. But the episodic flooding (quite apart from the cyclones) gives a concomitant death toll and massive property damage. The latter being inflicted on people with already very little.

Various remedies are proposed. The reader might ponder the efficacies of these. Well meaning, though maybe just palliatives. If much of the population could migrate to other countries, that would ease many of the problems. But India is the only obvious choice, and is unlikely to permit this.

Joe Haldeman did it again. His vision and writeing style is a pleasure to read

I want to congratulate Frank Bruno for being open about his manic depression. Bruno writes about it with sensitivity and honestly and i am sure this will go on to help other manic depressives. As a manic depressive myself who has not had an episode for 5 years and does not envisaging having another one i know how difficult it can be to be honest about such pain. Bruno is as gutsy off the ring as he was off it and he comes across as someone who learns by his takes and can inspire other people. Well done Frank.

Whilst not quite in the same league as Bruno Bouchet's The beauty of truth the surreal humour of that novel is again apparent with French Letters. Likewise the movingness that readers found following the adventures of the main character who developed breast cancer in The girls is also in French Letters although to a significantly lesser extent. (Note even though Amazon has decided to add an extra letter to his last name with this book they are all the same author).

French Letters is a good read looking at small village French life over the last hundred years or so read through letters passed onto two now successful career wise adult brothers who have been invited by their father who abandoned them when they were kids to come visit him in rural France. The book switches between the French past and the modern day storyline which takes the reader to not only France but England, the USA and Australia as well.

A very enjoyable read. Can't wait for his next book Lab Rats in Space!

The ultimate coffee-table fantasy book, inviting the reader to explore and admire collectors' gardens, pleasure gardens, and contemporary gardens in the U.S., Europe, and along the shores of the Mediterranean. For each, photographs complement the discussion of siting, hardscape, plantings, and evolution of each exceptionally lovely garden. Challenges of the sites and efforts to meet these challenges are given ample treatment. There is a short list of gardens to visit, and a helpful index, but the power to enthrall that this book offers comes primarily from the observations and reflections of the owner/residents of these stunning places.

Giordano Bruno was burned alive in Rome in 1600, after a seven year investigation into his beliefs by Venetian and Vatican authorities. His is a cause which has attracted a significant amount of attention in Italy over the years, however he is less well known in the rest of Europe. He was ordained a priest, though his travels in England France and Germany led him to practice his priesthood spasmodically and in a rather unorthodox manner. He has left behind writing of some significance.
John Bossy has analysed his writings, and concentrates on Bruno's time in the residence of the French ambassador to Queen Elizabeth's court in the 1580s. It was a rather fraught time, France, a Catholic nation, favoured an alliance with Mary Queen of Scots, then a prisoner of Elizabeth's. Spain, the superpower of the era, favoured Elizabeths violent overthrow, and the Pope had authorised her assassination. You can imagine the levels of diplomacy required of the (moderately Catholic) French Ambassador. One small facet of this discretion was the fact that Bruno, the embassy's chaplain, was described as a man-servant. Bossy uses an acute knowledge of the era, as well as cross references from various English and Continental sources to identify Bruno, as the spy who signed himself Faggot. Elizabeth's spy-master, Walsingham, alive to the various threats to her Majesty, needed as much information on Catholic conspiracies as was possible, and Bruno, as confidant and confessor, was well positioned to supply him with it.
Through the book, Bossy gives an overview of the intricacies of the international diplomacy, in particular the play for France, prior to the accession of Henry of Navarre, who in the 1580's was seen as a Protestant champion, but eventually converted to Catholicism to ascend the French throne (`Paris is worth a mass'). Bossy also makes a creditable, but speculative, description of Bruno's inner motivations, which, given the deception and dissimulation necessary in his role as spy, were not necessarily coincident with either his writings or his testimony to various authorities.
In general the book demonstrates great learning, though is perhaps fixated by the English part of the tale. This is entirely understandable, as the historian in Bossy, concentrates on the era and references with which he is most at ease, and, it must be said the revelation of the Bruno/Faggot identity is quite a coup. I would have appreciated more information about the final years of Bruno's life, though Bossy refers us to other
authorities for this.

The information is a little outdated but I'm not sure how you would get more current data of this breadth. Very helpful when assessing market readiness for technology in a particular country.