Burke Books

This book is a treasure of knowledge and I highly recommend it. Although it is a compilation of chapters written by many different leading researchers involved in development and application of TDDFT, the contributors have taken great care to make sure the book is pedagogically sound and the chapters compliment each other (it is not just a collection of isolated articles). For this reason I think it will be invaluable to a wide audience with diverse backgrounds. It is highly accessible to any graduate student of Chemistry or Physics with a solid grounding in many particle quantum mechanics, wishing to understand both the fundamental theory as well as the exponentially growing number of applications. The reader will be introduced to a wide spectrum of ideas ranging from rigorous existence and uniqueness proofs to understanding the structure of the substance that gives Lobster shells their red color. Although knowledge of groundstate DFT will definitely give the reader added appreciation of this book, it is self-contained and one learns a fair amount of groundstate DFT along the way from a different perspective. In fact, reading this book might even change the way you think about time-dependent quantum mechanics itself! Reference to experiment is made throughout and the reader will come away with an honest picture of the theory; both its spectacular successes as well as future challenges. In any case, no matter what your background is, it is a must read and an excellent reference to have on your shelf.

This book is worth buying whether you are a newcomer or a current researcher in the field of TDDFT. It covers the fundamental concepts as well as the recent updates on the research in this field. All the chapters are written by leading scientists in the field. It is quite rare to find lectures of so many of the current researchers of a field
together in one book, coherently organized with uniform mathematical notation throughout. The chapters on the memory effect, linear response,beyond linear response and current density functional theory are very well written and explained in much detail. The chapters on the applications of TDDFT beyond linear response are also nicely explained and give a clear idea on the successes and challenges of TDDFT to the reader. All in all, this book is great for readers interested in learning and exploring more about TDDFT

Normally on books covering relatively new techniques, some space is given, especially in the basic chapters (as opposed to applied -- in fact the basic chapters are really the most advanced) to problems, whether eexperimental or more fundamental and theoretical, with the model. Such is hardly to be found here. In fact a recent article I saw mentioned that oscillator strengths found in 'velocity' are often not identical with those found from 'lengths', i.e. transition momentum representation versus transition moment representation. In reality, this cannot be true. Thus, there is something fundamentally wrong with the method whenever this happens. It would be nice if a critical account of this were presented. In fact I believe it does all track down to the fact that in ALL DFT methods, one eschews complex-valued functions. In some cases, i.e. Klein-Gordan field-wavefunctions one can simply double up the number of variables, and it makes little difference. Here however, one cannit. The correct radiation Hamiltonian utilizes p/dot/A where A is the vector potential and p the electron momentum. The object over which this operator acts are *spinors*, if they are represented as real, they are 4x4 matrices, if they are represented as complex, they are 2-complex dimensional bivectors. Dirac was well aware that it is impossible to represent interaction with the electromagnetic field in a causal, relativistic theory linear in the covariant space-time derivatives using only real numbers. Q.E.D. Without some very fancy approximation methods, ANY DFT, including TDDFT, is bound to fail. Things get even worse with gauge invariance (perchance as in circular dichroism). Since the vector potential is not always a well defined object, people now talk about gauge connections of the U1 fibre bundle. This object IS well defined in a larger variety of problems. Unfortunately, it really does require one to keep trakc of phases in a complex space. Other relativistic effects could also be expected to suffer with DFT treatments.

This is an absolutely brilliant book for people who are just beginning to get into tarot cards. It explains very little about the history of the tarot and things like that so for that you'll need to find another book but in terms of getting to know the different cards and different sets and also ways of laying the cards it is absolutely indispensable.

For each of the cards in the major arcana (the "picture" cards) cards are shown from four different sets and each is gone through meticulously in terms of symbols and how the meaning of the card is represented in the picture. Because it deals with four different cards it gives a very extensive understanding of what the card stands for and so it is a great help when you pick your own set and look for things in its pictures which communicate the meaning to you. For each of the cards in the minor arcana only one card is shown but you still get a really good idea of what each card means.

At the end of the book, eight different ways of laying up the cards are shown and explained through cases, which makes them very easily accessible.

All in all, cards from 12 of the most populars sets of cards are used and so you get a good idea of the diversity which can be found and how different cards suit different people.

All in all this really is a must for people who are beginning to look into tarot cards. I doubt if you'll find another book which is as extensive and easy to use as this one. Once you've gotten into it a bit it also works great as a place to look if you're in the middle of a reading and have just forgotten the meaning of a card or two.

"Understanding the Tarot" certainly lives up to its title. Previously, I had thought I would have to do a lot of memorizing, using the miniscule, ill-printed pamphlets that come with some decks. But here, clear, concise descriptions of each card using full color examples from 13 different decks, make the "understanding" come naturally. Various symbologies are touched upon as threads to aid comprehension. For example, the astrological relationships in suits and court cards will become obvious even before the third suit.

The basic interpretations of cards from the several decks include discussion of similarities and differences among them. This exposure also will help beginners find a deck that fulfills their expections. Sample readings in dialog format demonstrate five popular spreads in the final chapter on doing a reading.

This book has taken me from beginner level to merely inexperienced! I feel better able to digest the text-only material that I have collected and avoided until now.

After reading/using Juliet Sharman-Burke's "Understanding the Tarot," you may find, as I have, that the Tarot makes so much SENSE, you'll wonder what's so arcane about it, after all?

Although this book has good explainations of the cards and very vivid pictures from various decks it lacks a good explaination of tarot spreads. It demonstrates a tarot spread through the first person by walking you through someome's personal reading. This only gives one interpretation of the location of the card within the tarot spread. There is no discussion on how the locations of the card within the spread relate to each other.
This is a good book to provide example to a beginner but those seeking more in depth knowledge will find it lacking.

This is a very unusual book. Even before readers begin discussing the content of the book, they find themselves in vigorous debate over the intentions of its author. I am the third reviewer so far to post his thoughts on amazon. One believes that this book contains important political insights, the other derides him for attempting to make such a case. I decided to ignore these issues and read the book in order to understand what was being expressed. I found it very enjoyable.

Now, the title is a bit misleading. The author in no way truly "vindicates" natural society. The book consists more of a series of brilliant critiques of what the author calls "political" or "civil society" the purpose of which is to compare this arrangement to the state of nature, or "natural society."

The first 20 or so pages documents several wars which were carried out by political states for trivial purposes. In particular he discusses the military campaigns of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The prose is very lucid and engaging. He uses phrases like "great Carnage", "Rage of Conquest" "...poured out Seas of Blood in their Formation and in their Destruction." These enlightening details culminate with the fascinating conclusion, "I charge the whole of these Effects on political Society. ... [T]hat Political Society is justly chargeable with much the greatest Part of this Destruction of the Species."

The next 20 or so pages discusses 3 political systems: despotisms (empires), aristocracy, and democracy. These three systems, the author concludes, differ but in name. All are clear historical examples of tyranny.

So this book is not so much a defense of the state of nature than it is a critique of government, or poltitical institutions generally. Only in a select few passages does the author mention the moral superiority of the "natural society." Overall, I found them largely unconvincing. For example, Burke argues that because there were no wants in the natural state, life was simpler, and thus happier.

Satire or not, I enjoyed this short little book. But you will not find a robust Rousseauian defense of the natural state in here. You will find, however, a clear and lucid argument against government. And it is because of this that I rated the book the way I did.

The redoubtable Edmund Burke is widely known as the man who layed down the philosophical foundations of modern conservatism. Thus, it may come as a great surprise to discover that he penned what may very well be one of the earliest clear expositions of philosophical anarchism in the Western tradition. While scholars may always dispute over the issue of whether or not the "Vindication" was meant as a serious work or a satire, the book's status as a landmark is incontestable.

In this terse tract, Burke sets out to apply the same rationalistic standards to the realm of politics that 18th century Deists like Lord Bolingbroke applied to the doctrines of revealed religion. As Deists upheld the distinction between natural( i.e. rational) and artificial (irrational or faith-based) religion, Burke seeks to defend natural (anarchistic or voluntaristic) society against that which is dominated by the brute engine of government.

Although modern conservatives may also give their full support to the idea that the unrestrained employment of reason undermines the basis of both religion and government, it is infidel anarchists who will derrive the greatest value from his insights. For those wise enough to allow the light of reason to be their guide, the "Vindication" serves as a powerful indictment of government and the innumerable crimes that it has perpetrated on mankind wherever it has existed.

If indeed the work is a satire, it would seem that it has done far more damage to Burke's cause than he would ever have imagined. Not only did the tract serve as a great inspiration to William Godwin, the man who, in less than four decades from the time of this book's publication, authored one of the definitivie works of philosophical anarchism, but it will certainly serve the ends of anarchists for many years to come, as they continue to wage war against the religion of politics with many of the same weapons that Burke has so eloquently furnished for us.

I was a little startled by an earlier review of this work that suggested that Burke's parody of Bolingbroke could possibly be taken seriously as a work of political insight. And although there have been scholars who have suggested (without supporting evidence) that Burke meant the work to be taken seriously, it is difficult for anyone familiar with Burke's later writings to regard "Vindication" as anything other than a rather dismal parady. The later writings all display qualities sadly lacking in this work, especially the subtlety of thought and nuanced insights featured in "The Reflections on the French Revolution." Anyone who could take this work seriously merely displays a kind of political obtuseness that goes against the very sophistacated, practice-rooted political thinking exemplified by Burke. It is rather laughable that a radical thinker like Godwin should have mined Burke's parody for insights. It demonstrates all to well the essential shallowness of radical political thought.

Burke is America's answer to French postmodernism. In some ways, he is superior, but he is not as fun -- he's not just jibber-jabbering, though, and he isn't self-righteous. When he makes a point, too, it sticks. It's weird he's never been translated into French.

In "Attitudes Towards History," Kenneth Burke moves from literary criticism to social theory and the philosophy of history. His subject is how communities are formed and reformed around attitudes of acceptance and rejection, attitudes that Burke sees as symbolized in the literary genres such as tragedy, comedy, satire and fantasy. Part I, "Acceptance and Rejection" develops acceptance, passivity and rejection in terms of the work of William James, Whitman and Emerson before developing the Poetic Categories he finds in literary genres and the Destiny of Acceptance Frames. Part II, "The Curve of History," breaks the past into periods of Christian Evangelism, Mediaveal Synthesis, Protestant Transition, Naive Capitalism, and Emergent Collectivisim, with a final chapter devoted to Comic Correctives. Part III, "Analysis of Symbolic Structure," looks at the General Nature of Ritual and them provides a Dictionary of Pivotal Terms such as Efficiency, Identification, Perspective by Incongruity, etc., which shows how language is saturated with evaluative ideas, images and biases. This volume also offers a substantial new afterword by Burke that looks back at his work in this volume and its companion, "Permanence and Change." It is the latter that stands out as the most important work in this first "trilogy" by Burke, which lays the foundation for our understanding of the relationship between rhetoric and social theory.

This is not the first time that I've marveled at the staid, moribund quality of a PW review. I'm pretty sure that if an author isn't named Hemingway, Fitzgerald or Faulkner, they just don't get it.

And that's too bad because author Declan Burke has created a frantically paced comedy of errors that is a lot of fun to read. No, I won't be writing a thesis any time soon about kidnapper Ray's probable identity crisis, but when was the last time you read a line as funny as the one (right near the end of the book) in which he at last reveals his true identity? And that line is just the froth on this comic concoction.

This book reminds me of some of my favorite movies: Libeled Lady, His Girl Friday, and of more recent origin, Snatch. Screwballs, every one of them. Some darker than others, some more romantic, but all of them with wild plot turns and breath-catching scenes that keep the viewer/reader fixed in place, waiting for the next laugh.

If you're looking for deep meaning and deathless prose, go check out the latest bestselling, yawn-worthy, overwrought work of 'literature' (or even another PW review); if you're looking for a good time, call 1-800-THE BIG O.

A master of the aberrant behaviors of the fringe-dwellers of modern Irish society, Burke's novel attests to the endless creativity of those who indulge in usually non-violent crime to avoid the doldrums of regular employment. Ray is a soon-to-retire "babysitter" of sorts, a man who kidnaps specific targets for ransom until the money is paid and he gets his share; other than this peripatetic occupation, he paints murals on client's walls. Karen first meets Ray in the middle of a one-off (an impulsive holdup), her gun pointed directly at him- intrigued, Ray invites her for a drink. Karen works for Frank, a disgraced plastic surgeon who is only qualified to provide consultations, in the middle of a messy divorce settlement with Madge and living with a contemptuous girlfriend who openly mocks him while greedily spending his money. Desperate, Frank instigates Madge's kidnapping, setting in motion a bizarre plot that snowballs into a confrontation with flying bullets and snarling dogs.

As best friends, Karen and Madge focus their attentions on the inadequate and often laughable Frank, the brunt of much of their humor. None of these characters, save perhaps Frank, are particularly unlikeable, considering their economic circumstances and penchant for perpetrating opportunistic crime. The same cannot be said for Rossi, a con about to be released, poised to prey once more on an unsuspecting public. Rossi is a hard case, a true sociopath with a cruel streak; that combined with an impaired intellect is a recipe for disaster. This career criminal will be showing up on Karen's doorstep, expecting her to return his money, motorbike and weapon. Karen, of course, has no intention of returning anything. Each character pursuing his own interests, all are drawn into a twisted plot of small intentions grown large, easy schemes victim to random circumstances that play havoc with Madge's kidnapping. Add in a part-wolf canine passed from one brutal owner to another and you have a tale with any number of pitfalls.

Burke's talent is in capturing the idiosyncrasies of individuals, the quirky attributes that draw men and women together only to be driven apart by their differences and the petty grievances nursed by the chronically unhappy- Rossi- who interferes with the master plan and throws all into disarray. But even Rossi is a buffoon, albeit a crazy one, an inept bungler more easily distracted by his unstable imagination and obsession with getting what he believes rightfully belongs to him. Greed will, as usual, be the undoing of these less-than-inspired criminals, the absurd Frank and the unpredictable Rossi, Ray barely maintaining his end of the bargain, newly vulnerable to his romantic thoughts about Karen and the future. The result is an innovative farce evoking the inevitable law of unintended consequences, Burke in top form as he manipulates his characters like a master puppeteer. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

It was short, it contained good character building, it had an uninteresting plot.

Not as good as I'd hoped, but you should read it anyway because of the insight on the character of Kathryn Janeway, wich repairs some of the damage caused by not-so-good plotting, short lenght and uninteresting side-characters.

Kathryn Janeway has always been a complicated personality. The Starfleet Academy novels reflect that nicely. I'm 27 years old and got a kick out of all three!

This book was the first of its kind and caused uproar within the British police ranks when it was first published in 1993. Based on the author's PhD research with anonymous officers, the book contains both a semi-academic introduction to each issue but consists mostly of edited interviews with gay and lesbian police officers that are easy and interesting reading. The combination of Burke's socio-psychological observations along with the spoken word, make this book compelling and it remains a must read for all police officers and anyone else who still mis-understands what it really means to be gay.

Marc E Burke was an officer in the British police force from 1982- 1986 and his book is a collection of transcribed interviews from currently serving and retired British police officers, bracketted by Burke's psychological analysis and commentary on the issues raised. Burke says he prepared the book for a cross section of readers. The general public to raise awareness of police "culture", the force to highlight the experiences of gay police, and the gay community to show the commitment most gay police have to working with them. The biggest discovery in the book is the notion of gay police living in a "no-man's land" whereby they don't connect with either their workmates because they are gay, or the community because they are police, and thereby bear the contempt of both. The book makes the issue of coming out in the force a major trauma and how a number of officers have resigned because of it. The force is perceived to be an ultra-conservative body and there are as many cases of officers showing their support for an "out" copper as there are of harassment by homophobic police. In the chapter "Casualties" there is the story of a former Irish officer hounded for years because he was seen living with his male lover, who was eventually dishonorourably discharged. The horror of this experience is expressed in 13 rivetting pages of beautifully written prose. All the interviews in the book are surprisingly good- easy to read and often funny and enlightening. What is not good is Burke's tedious commentaries, since he points out what is obvious from the interviews and his academic approach is often inaccessible. Burke's commentary is presented in plain text while the interviews are in italic, so perhaps my preference is influenced by what my eyes go to more easily. An annoying note is that each interview gives the officers rank but unless you have a prior knowledge of these acronyms or can memorise the list at the end of the book, you'll be flicking back and forth to find out what all those letters mean, or not bother as I soon learnt to do. A few things gave me a giggle. The San Francisco Golden State Police Officer's Association (GSPOA) used to be known as Pigs in Paradise (PIP) and their newsletter is called "The Hog Caller". The myth that gays are attracted to men in uniform and savour the use of their handcuffs and truncheons (!). That it is always the most homophobic men that gay men are least likely to want to bed. That force hockey is the secret lesbian society. And the classic beat story of an officer jumping out from a van and chasing a man across the Clapham Common. When the man gave up out of exhaustion, the officer tapped him on the shoulder and said "You're it now. You have to chase me .." and ran off back to the man.

Upon considering this book for purchase, one must be committed to embrace and learn the concept of turning ingredients into something extraordinary. Of course, most conventional basics are the foundation to most any cookbook. However, David's Burke's book is one that will challenge the better than average home chef to go far beyond what is common kitchen knowledge. This book will literally open doors that you didn't know existed. It will force you to think and understand the purpose and culinary importance of many things that we often take for granted. By doing this, the reader is enriched with an approach that will transform his or her home kitchen into a studio for their next masterpiece. Needless to say, I love this book because it teaches many things beyond a traditional cookbook. It is an insight into a world that is not often seen by many resonably accomplished home chefs(of which I'd like to consider myself). There is no doubt that many of the dishes presented here will be a challenge for some people. However, there is truly no better way to advance to the next level than with the lessons learned here.

The recipes in this book are very complicated for the home cook,especially if you are cooking alone. They represent dishes conceived for and prepared in a restaurant kitchen. I'm a competent cook and the 2 dishes that I made were delicious but quite time consuming, and therefore only suitable for special occasions with much beforehand preparation. We've eaten at the restaurant and the food was wonderful, unfortunately difficult to duplicate, as most of the recipes involve multiple ingredients and several stages of preparation.

This account of the first south-north crossing in Victorian times is incredible. A film of this story several years ago did little to change that situation. The story recounts the key attempts and the elaborate expeditions involved. The crux of the story really revolves around a series of many mishaps and oh so near misses. Tragedy was almost avoided numerous times but ultimately...well read the book. The fact that the story is known and accurately recorded is in itself an incredible sub-plot. It is hard to believe sometimes that this is a true story -- yet this is a case of real life being more amazing than one would dare write as fiction!

This account of the first south-north crossing in Victorian times is incredible. A film of this story several years ago did little to change that situation. The story recounts the key attempts and the elaborate expeditions involved. The crux of the story really revolves around a series of many mishaps and oh so near misses. Tragedy was almost avoided numerous times but ultimately...well read the book. The fact that the story is known and accurately recorded is in itself an incredible sub-plot. It is hard to believe sometimes that this is a true story -- yet this is a case of real life being more amazing than one would dare write as fiction! The story is quite detailed but hang in there, the threads all come together in an incredible finale.

While this is a good resource for those of us who are experienced sewers, there is not much helpful information on theatrical costuming. Starting about 1/3 of the way through the book there are chapters on ballet, irish dance, ballroom dance, etc. and are very useful if that's the type of costuming you're involved with. The photographs of the costumes used in historical re-enactments are simply, amazing, and probably useful if that's what you're looking for. I would say this book is very light on theatrical costuming, and while I've gotten some good tips from the book that I've actually used (an easy way to make a 9 gore skirt w/o a pattern), it mostly gets ignored.

Mary Burke Morris' The Costume Book requires intermediate to advanced sewing skills and a prior interest in costume creation, but any working with theater or dance productions who regularly sew such costumes will find it an invaluable reference. Chapters come packed with photos and line drawings, overviews of basic design principles, and instructions which quickly lend to production efforts.