Clark Books

Finally, the first biography of the best friend Lewis & Clark, and the American government, had among their Indian hosts, Chief Sheheke of the Mandan. "White Coyote" was mis-named "Big White" by Lewis & Clark, and is known better by that name. He is the chief who returned with Lewis and Clark to Washington to be greeted by Jefferson himself. It was the delayed and troubled return of Sheheke to the Mandan Villages that ultimately led to Meriwether Lewis's death. A fascinating new angle on the Lewis & Clark Expedition, with keen insights into the amazing Mandan Indian culture. You won't be disappointed.

Sheheke: Mandan Indian Diplomat By Tracy Potter (Executive Directory, Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, with the responsibility of administering interpretation of the On-a-Slant Mandan Indian Village) is an impressively informative biography recognizing the role that the Mandan Chief Sheheke played in Lewis and Clark's trailblazing expedition. A meticulously researched accounting, memorializing the often-overlooked contribution of a unique Native American and offering a welcomed and much appreciated additional perspective to the growing body of literature and historical reference materials concerning Lewis and Clark's famous voyage, Sheheke is an exceptionally well written contribution to the growing body of Native American History reference and Native American Biographical resource publications.

In this volume, Gordon Haddon Clark (not "Maddon"; that's a typo on Amazon's part) provides a thorough survey of the history of philosophy. His overarching concern is to argue that secular philosophy cannot provide knowledge of truth and that -- as he suggests on his closing page -- it might be necessary to consider seriously the possibility of divine revelation as the sole alternative to total skepticism. This volume, while suitable as an introduction to philosophical thought, thereby also segues nicely into Clark's own philosophical theology of "Scriptural presuppositionalism."

Now, that philosophy is not without its flaws. In the first place, Clark does not, to my knowledge, ever consider the possibility that "Scripture" might consist of anything other than the Christian Bible; why the Jewish scriptures are inadequate by themselves is not addressed. (If it is argued that the "Old Testament" contains clear pointers to the "New," I shall argue in reply that it contains much clearer pointers to the Oral Law and the Talmud. For example, the written text clearly assumes that its readers have knowledge of various practices -- e.g. the wearing of tefillin, the ritually-correct method of slaughtering animals -- that are not discussed in the text itself. For another, an oral tradition of some kind would have been necessary just to guide the pronunciation of Hebrew words that would have been ambiguous without vowel points. Nothing so clear as this is offered by the standard Christian readings of "Old Testament" prophecies, which uniformly depend on wrenching passages out of context.)

In the second place, Clark's eminently defensible view that God is rational and logical would, on the face of it, seem also to provide a foundation for criticizing the text of Scripture itself. (If the Bible teaches that God is logical, and the Bible is then found to contain contradictions, do we not have a _reductio ad absurdum_ argument against Scriptural inerrancy?) In fact Clark takes it to be a foundation for criticism of _misunderstandings_ of God's axiomatically-inerrant Word, and at a broad, general level this approach is surely defensible. But why this tack cannot be likewise taken by defenders of the Torah (or the Koran) is never made sufficiently clear.

However, these issues actually tell in favor of the usefulness of the present volume. Though Clark himself would surely not have condoned its use in the defense of faiths other than Calvinist Christianity, many of his critiques of opposing philosophies and even some of his defenses of "presuppositionalism" could be profitably adopted by, e.g., Jewish theologians. His reading of philosophical history should therefore be of interest more generally than just to Calvinists.

And at any rate, it is all too seldom that a really great philosophical-theological mind tackles the entire history of philosophy in the first place. Clark certainly deserves respectful attention in this regard by rationalistically-inclined religious believers everywhere, whether their primary philosophical-theological loyalties are to Moses Maimonides or to John Calvin.

I found this book while browsing through the school library and, after remembering an awesome quote which was taken from it, I decided to check it out. Now, having read the book, I would like to recommend it to anyone wanting to study the history of philosophy.

The reason why is two-fold. First of all, the author has a skill rarely equalled in explaining the ideas of the major thinkers on a level the beginning student can understand. Secondly, he shows the errors that each philosopher makes only when it matters--and he does so eloquently.

As proof of the first, consider this quote (the one that I heard once and thankfully remembered) which is excerpted from the section dealing with Heraclitus:

"From a promontory above a mighty river as it flows down a valley, the river between a frame of trees seems to stand still as in a picture. We know that it moves, but we cannot see its motion. Sensation is too feeble and clumsy to see things as they are, and hence common opinion holds that some things do not move. On the contrary, all things flow. No man can ever step twice into the same river. How could he? The second time he tried to step, new waters would have flowed down from upstream: the water would not be the same. Neither would the bed and banks be the same, for the constant erosion would have changed them too. And if the river is the water, the bed, and the banks, the river is not the same river. Strictly speaking, there is no river. When common opinion names a river, it supposes that the name applies to something that will remain there for a time at least; but the river remains there no time at all. It has changed while you pronounce its name. There is no river. Worse yet, you cannot step into the same river twice because _you_ are not there twice. You too change, and the person who stepped the first time no longer exists to step the second time. A person is also a river, a stream of consciousness, as William James called it; and the stream of consciousness never has the same contents, the same bed or banks. Persons do not exist."

Wasn't that grand? I myself have never heard a more forceful (nor a more memorable) argument for the idea of a Heraclitean flux than that. But my second statement beckons for an example of its validity as well. And so, here is the author skillfully pointing out an error in the arguments of the skeptics:

"The skeptics call propositions false, doubtful, probable, and plausible. Their basic principle, however, does not in consistency permit them to use any of these terms. A false proposition is one opposite to the truth. How then can one say that a proposition is false, unless one knows the truth? A doubtful proposition is one that might possibly be true; a probable or plausible proposition resembles or approximates the truth. But it is impossible to apply these terms without knowing the truth by which they are determined."

Now, do you see my point? This truly is a great introduction. It not only "makes the difficult attempt of bringing the student up to philosophy's level," it succeeds. Because of this, it deserves much more than the five stars I'm giving it here.

Being lucky enough to have taken a creative writing class taught by George Clark I was not in the least bit shocked when I learned that this was the same person who had written "The Small Bees' Honey". It was well written and the indepthness of the descriptions made it seem that I was present in every story. I recommend this book to anyone.

In my opinion this is a collection which should have been published by a large house and given the first-collection fanfare. It is a collection of terse, honest stories that least to moments of surprising emotion, a collection that weaves narratives between race and love and identity and loss and hope. If you're thinking about buying this collection, do it. Start with "Seven Stories...," which is my personal favorite, a highly polished tale that pulls different stories together for cubist-like beauty. There are a number of first-rate tales in this collection, and most importantly, this book is a departure from the material covered in many recent American collections. This is fresh and new and powerful.

This is an OPUS MAGNUS of profound erudition! An indispensable must have for any student of Gothic Art & Architecture. From sheathed shafts thrusting upwards penetrating groin vaults to the most scholarly look nto this seminal figure in the Middle Ages, this text has it all! While certainly not a light read, it is a and important and pivotal work in the scholarship of the beginning of the Gothic era. It should be more readily available.

"This was precisely...what St. Bernard had thundered against...
No figure painting or sculpture...,gems, pearls, gold and silk were forbidden...
Suger, however, was frankly in love with splendor and beauty in every
conceivable form."
[On the Abbey Church of St. Denis]
One of the few early accounts on the gothic cathedral building. Introduction itself is worth the money. Mr. Panofsky is explaining political, social and personal influences that together with Suger's psychological traits led to the construction of what is supposed to be the first Gothic catedral - St. Denis. The keyword here is "influences" - do not expect to learn the construction process or anything of that kind. Account itself does not contains many construction details, but deserves your attention indeed. Kind regards, Mario.

Clark, Don. "Someone Gay: Memoirs", Lethe Press, 2008.

One Who Leads

Amos Lassen

I suspect that the name Don Clark is familiar to many in the GLBT culture. If you are not, then you should get a copy of his book "Loving Someone Gay" which for many years has been our "How To" book. Don Clark is a writer, a teacher, and a consultant as well as a clinical psychologist whose specialty is group and one-on-one work with gay people since 1868. He is well published and well known and has done a great deal for our community.
In "Someone Gay: Memoirs", Clark lets us into his personal life and takes us his own life journey from guilt and shame to pride, confidence and understanding. He shows us how he underwent his own transformation and became the first openly gay psychologist in the United States and regarded as the "father of gay-oriented psychotherapy". He also gives pointers as to how it is possible to claim an identity and a feeling of pride. He takes us inside the human condition as gives us a sense of past that we cam be proud of.
Clark's own story is sensitive, emotional and moving. Clark rose from a life of poverty to become who he is. He shows not only to have a gay identity but how to establish one. He looks at the issue of social change in the GLBT community and our fight for equality. We all have one reality living inside of another reality and that greatly influences the way we evolve and go through change. Clark's story is one of hope and it provides just that for those who are busy working out the coming out process and embracing a healthy and honest gay identity.

Don Clark's story is moving on many levels. At one level the story is about transcending poverty and re-invented himself, at another an inside look at how a healthy gay identity is established. And anyone interested in how social change happens -- especially within the movement for GLBT equality -- will find this of interest.

Dr. Clark's book Loving Someone Gay was the first gay self-help book and touched the lives of countless men and women around the world. With this memoir we are gifted with the back story. It is easy to imagine that those who are leaders in society are somehow so different from the rest of us that they sprung fully-formed from the womb as self-aware activists. Someone Gay captures the process of transformation, the one-reality-living-inside-another-reality sense of how humans evolve and change. That makes it a story of hope for those who are working through the process of coming out, of claiming a healthy gay identity. Kudos.

As far as I know, there are no other books out there that cover the musical instruments of asia at a reasonable price. This book has descriptions with color pictures of many of the musical instruments of asia. I was specifically interested in Japanese instruments that I had seen in prints, and I was able to find pictures of all these instruments. If you have an interest in this topic and don't want to pay a lot of money this book is worth getting.

Informed and informative, Sounds Of The Silk Road: Musical Instruments Of Asia by Mitchell Clark (Research Fellow, Department of Musical Instruments, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) focuses upon the diverse musical instruments used in Asia from cultures ranging from the Turkish empire to the Tibetan mountain ranges. Clark draws upon the extensive collections of Asian musical instruments held by Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to illustrate and showcase the beauty, diversity, and application of some fifty instruments that range from sil-stringed zithers and shell trumpets, to double-headed drums made from human sculls and the Javanese gamelan. Superbly enhanced with more than one hundred full color photographs of these often rare and sometimes obscure instruments, Sounds Of The Silk Road introduces the use, history, sounds, playing techniques, decorations, and symbolism of these instruments that were so integral a part of Asian cultures from the warding off of evil spirits to the celebrations of life's milestones including marriages, births, and funerary rites. Accessible organized with each individual chapter dedicated to a particular instrument, Sounds Of The Silk Road is enthusiastically recommended reading for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Asian cultural history, and an exceptional contribution to academic library Multi-Cultural Music History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

This is a great primer for Marshall Smith. He's out ofBritain, so some of his stuff isn't available on amazom.com so checkamazon.co.uk. It's worth the extra shipping fees. He's probably the best satirical sf writer out today. No dragons or ogres, just almost normal people in a messed up situation.

Sheer unadulterated brilliance is what Marshall Smith deliveres here. In a surreal world where people are cloned for spare parts, one man, down on his luck, comes to the rescue of beings considered less than human. Always enthralling, but at times you are unable to tell if this book is incredibly hilarious or really scary. Prepare for the most enjoyable assault on your imagination.

This is a great book in which the authors very tactfully unfold the story of the Spindletop Oil Field. With modern techniques of oil exploration one may never have the 'Spindletop Experience' ever again. This book would interest anyone who is even remotely related with the petroleum industry. It should make one appreciate the early days of oil industry on whose experiences the modern peroleum industry is based on. The last chapters may not interest some people as the book goes into the legal suits fought over the oilfield. Overall, I strongly recommend the modern 'oilmen' to read this book.

A fascinating account of the events and people who brought in the birth of the modern oil business. The book brings to life the time period, the cast of characters that were involved and the obstacles and naysayers which had to be overcome. See how hard work and dogged persistence by these men was rewarded not just once (as in the initial discovery of the field) but several times. The book is well written and moves along at a good pace. As a person involved in the oil business for 20 years, this book reminded my of why the oil business is so special.

The Spitz Master: A Parisian Book Of Hours examines a classic work of literary art, created in Paris around 1420 by a team of illuminators including one inventive soul now called "The Spitz Master". Art history professor and scholar Gregory T. Clark informatively introduces and provides a "reader friendly" examination of the history and significance of this work, while black-and-white as well as color photographs showcase pages drawn from the classic work in all their individual and collective glory. The Spitz Master is especially recommended for academic Art History collections.

I am a definately a layman when it comes to Art History. A friend gave me this book for Christmas, and shortly thereafter a horrible snow storm left us with nothing to do but read The Spitz Master. What a blessing it was to spend hours inside learning about Art History and looking at some phenominal illustrations. As an adult it is nice to read a book with pictures.

As a college student I was skeptical about taking an Art History class. I thought it would be a better use of time studing dead languages and postmodern interpretation of American History. Amidst my confusion an old, very old, exceptionally old, wise Art History professor tried convincing me to take his class. Unfortunately I didn't take his class in order to pursue what I thought was an education. It wasn't until engaging in the Spitz Master that I came to the realization taking dead languages and studying American history through the eyes of deconstructionalist, at that a deconstructionalist feminist was a waste of time. Thank God for Dr. Gregory Clark's book. It has changed my confused life and given me hope, and it is my hope that this book will change the lives the confused undergraduates he teaches. Thank you Greg Clark your work is an inspiration to us all, even monks in Norcia.

George Saint-Laurent has written a poneering study on the inner meaning of the world's major religions. The author explores how beievers may find in each of them a guide to enhance their lives, so long as they are totally committed to the tenets of their faith. There is a great deal of information in these chapters that will enable a reader in one community to come into contact with less familiar traditions of other religions. The book is at its best when it presents insights into the relationship between God and humans, which the great religious traditions promote in their several ways.

Dr.Saint-Laurent covers an enormous territory in remarkably few words (less than 300 pages). He accomplishes this not by reduction but with intelligent economy of language: this is a jargon-free book. Saint-Laurent crosses major religous boundries without stepping on toes, and reveals in clear language the theme and variations of human spirituality. Spirituality and World Religions functions as an enjoyable read,a college text,an outline,a reference,and a source of enlightenment. This book is a true example of the fact that the intellect and the soul are highly compatible.