Francis Books

The ultimate book when it comes to Irish folk music and amazon.com is one of the few places that stock the full edition not the revised ed. which has many cuts

You really can't not have this book, if you're going to get very deep into Irish traditional music. I think most Irish musicians would agree with me on that, too. (I teach Irish traditional fiddle.) There is another version, edited by Miles Krassen, that I do not recommend (Krassen "updated" the settings in idiosyncratic and often not particularly helpful ways). But I do recommend the other "big" O'Neill's--"1001 Gems." The latter and "Music of Ireland" are *not* the same book, although they have considerable overlapping content, many tunes are in one but not the other.

Basically, while as a teacher and player I don't recommend actually *learning* tunes from tunebooks like this, this great tome is extremely useful for purposes of reminding yourself how tunes go, for acquainting yourself with tunes, for getting ideas about good settings, for practicing sight-reading, etc.

I purchased this for my father, who is a mountain dulcimer enthusiast. It's a nice thick book with soft cover, bound with the cheapness typical of most music publications. It's too big to sit easily on a music stand, so I imagine it's intended as a sort of Irish folk music dictionary. In this capacity, it is excellent. There are nearly two-thousand tunes, indexed by title. These are short- the vast majority only a couple of lines long. A tune consists of melody on a treble-clef staff (if you need tablature, this isn't a good place to start), embellished by 19th-century style ornaments. Each is given both its conventional Irish (Gaelic) and English names and the composer to whom it is attributed. There are no notes about the scholarship behind the collection or how these tunes might be approached in performance. The engraving is nice (done around the turn of the century), and fairly easy on the eyes.

I was in a small pub in Baltimore for the ceili beginner's nights they have, and was asking some of the advanced regulars about good books with Irish music. They showed me a copy of this book and told me it was "the Bible of Irish music," and that's just what it is. With about 240 pages of more than 1000 jigs, reels, slip jigs, hornpipes, set dances, and Carolan's compositions, this book has it all. This is the real stuff too, because many of the songs from the book can be found on various Chieftains recordings, so it gives you the ability to play the music of the greats. Among others, there are versions of "Toss the Feathers," "Soldier's Joy," "The Wind that Shakes the Barley," "The Job of Journeywork," and the list goes on. This is a fiddle book, but the music can be played and sight read by any person of any instrument. I am a flutist and love this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a thorough compilation of quality Irish music.

Look no further. Of all the Irish tune books, this is the one to get. It goes by many names, "O'Neill's", the "big O'Neill's", the "1850", and the "yellow book". Like the Fiddler's Fakebook, I am on my second "yellow book", having worn out the first till the pages came out. This collection contains most if not all of the Irish tunes you will hear being played, and many hundreds more you will want to play.

I find it indispensable for several reasons -

It's a reference - when I hear an Irish tune that I like on an album or in concert or a jam session, I look it up in the "yellow book" to determine the canonical version. I'll probably end up playing it my way anyway, or the way I hear it played, but I like to at least see the "official" version.

It's a collection - most of the Irish tunes I have come to love and learned to play are here collected in one volume.

Its an exercise book - the "1850" serves as a seeming endless supply of sight reading material, after I have practiced scales and tunes I know.

It's a diamond mine - there are gems in there, just waiting to be learned. Amazing and uncommon tunes lying between the pages waiting for the curious musician to breath life into them. Grab a tune, take it to a session, set it free.

Get a copy of O'Neill's Music of Ireland, and the Fiddler's Fakebook. There are many other wonderful tune books, but these two are essential.

MY STORY BY FRANCIS THE BIRD is a cute and educational story about a baby bird who falls out of a tree and into the life of woman who takes care of him. The story is told from Francis' perspective and highlights the day-to-day experiences that he and his caretaker share, including his attempts to learn how to fly.

The language is fresh, easy to understand and engaging. Carla Cain's photography adds an additional dimension to this book and the photographs perfectly compliment the unfolding story. Children are sure to be fascinated by Francis' story and the intricately detailed photos. And while they are enrapt in this pleasant story they will be learning a lot of educational information about the early life of birds. Carla Cain plans to author future books featuring other animals and I am sure this collection will ultimately achieve her goal of bringing nature alive for children. Hopefully, as a result of this and future works, she will encourage children to put down the video game controllers, turn off the television and explore the great outdoors.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

My Story By Francis The Bird is the true story of a baby sparrow who fell from his nest, and received care from the human girl who found him until he was ready to fly. Told from the little bird's point of view, My Story By Francis The Bird features a full color photograph on every page, showing the sparrow's transformation from a pink, fleshy baby to a fully fledged adult. A heartwarming story of care, tenderness, and hope, My Story By Francis The Bird is very highly recommended reading for children preschool through first grade.

A tribute to love and the many rewards that it can bring.
Reviewed by: Tyrone Vincent Banks of Betsie's Literary Page

March 10, 2004

Francis is a fragile baby sparrow that fell from his nest on a spring morning. Through beautiful color photographs, we watch first hand the passage of time beginning with Francis's arrival into the author's life. We watch the small sparrow grow until he "leaves the human's nest." This book serves as a reminder that every creature, human or nonhuman, can flourish and grow with love.

It is obvious that the author remained patient and nurturing as the photographs were taken. These color photographs of the small bird against a soft satin-like background highlight this book's simplicity. I read this one to my 6-year-old daughter last night and many children will echo her words. As I closed the book she asked me, "Daddy, can I bring this to show and tell?"

Excellent job Francis! Tell your assistant Carla C. Cain that we look forward to hearing from you both again! Thank you for reminding me of how one simple, loving action can enhance the lives of the person giving and receiving this wonderful emotion.

Tyrone Vincent Banks of Betsie's Literary Page

I have never seen a children's book like this before! Rather than illustrations, this book tells the story with photographs! My kids and I love to see the transformation of a featherless infant bird into a young adult. It is both an entertaining and educational book with a very touching ending. I would recommend this book to anyone any age; it appeals to both young and old. There is also a lot to see on the book's website. Lots of pictures on this site.

I thought this was such a neat book! The pictures were great and had very vivid detail. And I was amazed how the story went along so well with the photographs! I loved this book so much I gave it to all my nieces and nephews for Christmas. I give this book five stars and recommed it to everyone!

New Agers beware...you can no longer say that the nature of the Psyche can not be explained. Take the time and the struggle to read this book, it will be worth all the effort. I have been studing alchemy for years and Schwartz-Salant brillantly helped clear up most of the muddy areas. There is much knowledge and wisdom in this book and as there is no way to enlighten someone in the space of this review - read it and see for yourself. This is for anyone who has dappled in Magic, is a therapist, studied Jung's works on Alchemy, or thinks they "know" what the astral realms are or if one does, wants to add the "science."

The book is deeply spiritual get it

This book was recommended by a spiritual teacher of mine to gain a deeper understanding of Jung's archetypes and the hidden meanings in alchemy regarding depth psychology. It is not a easy read, very dense, but stick with it if you're interested in these subjects.
Nathan

A beautiful exploration of the subtleties and nuances of being human, which adds to the deep and rich experience of becoming. This work contributes to the further understanding of symbolism in the worldly spiritual and emotional journey and the sensitive path towards union and integration of opposites - otherwise known as alchemy, or creating gold!

I can't begin to explain how this book has had a positive effect on my life. I think of it constantly and how it relates to me. It is an absolutely brilliant work of Psychology. Thank you Nathan Salant.

Brilliant history of the game. I grab and read anything I can by Brian Glanville. Excellent.

well the book was the best and i love to play soccer when i want to. It's my to play.I want to go to collage soccer some were were they play really good and to be a good thing for me. well maybe i will be able to go and play with the big boys.

Glanville brings wit, humor and a critical eye to his history of the World Cup. More than simply a dry rehash of scores and stats, this book almost has a literary flavor, painting pungent, vivid and memorable portraits of the players and their times.

You get a feel for the drama, the excitement and the raw energy of the World Cup. For example, it is not simply stated that the Brazilians cultivated Mexican fans in 1970, but Glanville adds such memorable lines as "The Brazilians pursued a shrewd policy of 'beads for the natives..'.

Glanville's description of players, even obscure ones, shows dry wit, a keen eye and someone who has done his homework. Most writers would have dashed off a conventional 3-word blurb. Not Glanvile. For example, in describing sturdy Russian sweeper Chesternev(?) Glanville speaks of him "sweeping up diligently in his crouching bird-dog style.." Likewise another player is described not merely as a fast winger but " a strongly-built, moustached, and melancholy figure, with fabled control and finishing power."

And indeed, so he was. You get the sense that this is soccer as it should be played- with supreme confidence and absolute conviction. Despite the literary flavor, this book has meat, solid meat. Who wants a simple rehash of what went down? Glanville begins every chapter with a background to the Cup- the sometimes unsavoury politics and posturing, the jealousies, the disappointments of good players who didn't make the cut. Then he breaks down the detail of the contenders- their strengths and weaknesses. Like I said, this is meaty analysis, not another
rehash of stats we already know.

The viginettes and scenes are amazing, Puskas eating monkey nuts in Chile, grousing about Hungarian football, Pele's audacious attempt to beat Viktor from 50 yards out in 1970, the father of Spanish player DiStefano in 62 flying in with a mysterious "magic linament" to heal his son, the "spontaneous" 1970 Mexican crowd that conveniently and noisly gathered outside the English team's hotel, keeping the players awake all night, before the match with Brazil, the blazing speed and mesmerizing moves of the deformed winger- Garrincha of Brazil, the cheeky "street" caper of Maradona's infamous "Hand of G-d" goal, the brave comebacks of Germany in 1982 and 1986, the redemption of the scandal-smeared Paolo Rossi, and so on.. You almost get the sense of being there on the field.

Those expecting a cheerleading tome for soccer officialdom would do best to look for another book. Glanville is not afraid to expose the seedy side of the game, nor criticize the FIFA bureaucracy, hooligan fans, coaches and abominable refereeing where warranted, nor do the cynical players and tactics escape his censure.

There are some minor quibbles. In his 1966 edition, Glanville correctly describes Brazil's swift right winger Garrincha as a mulatto, but in the 1970 edition, he is transformed into a South American Indian. In fact, Garrincha was part black, and this is confirmed in Joseph Page's book "The Brazilians". Of course with Brazil, racial categories are fuzzy, but Glanville does correctly point out that the introduction of black players in that country transformed the game. Some might object to Glanville even mentioning race, but it is interesting nevertheless to see the width of the Black Disapora, and the increasing blend of cultures in sports, and how sports can, in its own limited way, bring people together. Thanks to Glanvile, these glimpses range from "the Black Diamond" Leonidas of Brazil back in 1938, to the swift black winger Andrade of Uruguay circa 1950, to Gatejens, scorer of the shocking goal that upset England in 1950 (yes, the segregated, Jim Crow US had "colored" players), to the pantherine Eusebio and silky smooth Coluna of Portugal in 1966, to the corruscating Teofilo Cubillas of Peru of 1970, to the powerfully built sweeper, Tresor, of France.

Glanville's book is also invaluable for its many pictures of past players, particularly the older editions. The newer editions chop out a lot of interesting detail- after all the book can only keep expanding as the years pass. But all in all, a must read for every true soccer fan. Something for everyone- the young fan looking for heroes and pictures, the educated dabbler, or the hard-core afficionado.

Objectivity is absent at times in this very thorough history. I generally find Paul Gardener, Keir Radnedge, & Terry Crouch to be more objective. He inflates the importance and success of British Footballers. But, since England has never won the European Cup and last won the World Cup in 1966 I guess few readers will find his bias surprising. However, he does have a computer chip Knowledge of the "World's Most Popular Sport." He gives the most detailed accounts of the World Cups of the 1930's and 50's that I have ever come across. In depth analysis , vivid portraits of great players and games are in abundance. From the offensive oriented decades of the 1930's-50's, the defensive mania of the 1960's to Holland's "Total Football" philosophy of the 1970's.

You will learn about the most classic matches. From the exciting first final in 1930 between Argentina & Uruguay, the first overtime final in 1934 between Italy & Czechoslavakia, the "battle of Berne" in 1954 between Hungary & Brazil, to the formers shocking loss to West Germany in the final.

Other more well known games from the incomparable Pele against France in the 1958 semi-final, the controversial England win against West Germany in the 1966 final, to the match of the century between Italy & West Germany in the 1970 semi-final, & lastly Italy's unexpected triumph in the 1982 finals where they started as a 25-1 shot to win. The true fan will feel like you have just been at the stadium having viewed a classic match.

Finally, a literary and creative man writing about soccer! Mr. Glanville's encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and his plethora of behind-the-scene anecdotes make this book deliciously enjoyable. Each World Cup is peppered with authentic style making the reader feel like he is smelling chalupas inside Azteca Stadium or bratwurst in Munich's Olympiastadion. The poetic narrative of legendary games such as 1970's Italy vs West Germany or 1982's West Germany vs France is almost Nobel Prize material.

However, his British twist is conspicuously ubiquitous in the form of inflating paragraphs about obscure Scottish and Welsh footballers that most international soccer hounds don't know or care about... or in lambasting on Maradona time and time again! Objectivity may not be his forte, but Glanville's epic writing of a World Cup history is second to none.

I read the Arabic version. The discussions are so honest. The researcher has not written the ideas and his comments until he read tens of books, so that he could write precise ideas of others. He has tracked even the development of Marx thought.

It is so objective.

Baqir Sadr has brilliantly written this book as an introductory text for university level students. The language is very accessible. Ideas and arguments presented are clear, well organized, and coherent. Above all, Baqir Sadr has not let students go baffled at any point while discussing ancient, medieval, and the modern philosophical doctrines.

Part one contains discussion on Theory of Knowledge; on sources and scope of Knowledge. The author critically examines the different philosophical doctrines including the ancient, rational, empirical, and marxist ones, and presents the Islamic philosophical doctrine on Knowledge that as I understood can be characterized as rational but is different from other rational doctrines (for example, from that of Descartes'). The author in part two moves on to expound the realist world view advanced by Islamic philosophers and contrasts it with others including the idealist, empiricist, relativists, and marxist ones.

Baqir Sadr, surely a great Islamic scholar of this century, intended this book as first of a series that remained incomplete due to his sad martyrdom by the ruthless ruler of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. The second of this series is "Our Economy", another original work this time on Islamic economy. Much information on Sadr's biography, his struggle, and his publications is available on net.

i have read this book twice, also in original language (Arabic), this book and our economie are the best books of the auther that i ever read! if someone want a discussion about this book or others, you can join by email, enjoy it, ahmed!

Excellent piece of work. Thorough in what it does. Brings Islamic philosophy into the 20th century to rival other modern philosophies. Amazing to think the author wrote this when he was 23.

Definitely worth a read if you're interested in Islam and its philosophy. Essential reading if you want to make sense of modern day Iraq, where his work has had the strongest effect.

Pros
Concise, thought-provoking, and the only book of its kind to present and advance Islamic philosophy.

Cons
The beginning of a series - cut short by his execution by Saddam Hussein.

This book is one of the most relaible and readable book on the philosophy of Knowledge. Although it donot explain Islamic point of view regarding philosophy of Knowledge but it critisize the western and Marxist views and provides a foundation for more thinking and research. Readers who are able to read persian or Arabic must read "principles of Philosophy and Realism" by Ayattollah Mutahhary to get the Islamic view regarding the philosophy of Knowledge.

This book is not an easy read, especially for someone who is new to the field of psychology. After reading this book several times though, I have found that my perspective when listening has deepened and I now have 4 new ways of listening to a conversation. The whole book is structured around the author providing exercises to develop listening skills in four areas; Reflection, Conflict (a patients Wish, Fear of what would happen if he / she were to indulge in the Wish, and Defense to protect against the Fear), Transference, and Defense (how a patient shifts away from speaking about a wish). I found the authors distinction of focusing on content vs. process to be very useful. Though I have not mastered the listening skills the author is promoting, I have gained much. I think an area for improvement for this book would be more coherency. In reading the vignettes provided by the author for the purpose of practice listening from these new perspectives, I found that information had been left out and yet in order to decode the defense or wish, etc... this information is critical. What comes to mind is a vignette when the client is being vague about a relationship with a man. I empathies with her in one way yet when I read the authors interpretation, he had the information that she was previously raped. I found this type of incoherency as an obstacle when reading this book.

A definite must read. It proved to be a refreshing departure from the majority of clinical books. It has proved to be especially helpful in my personal relationships as it has helped me better understand the role of listening.

An excellent book for beginning therapists on the multiple ways of listening and reponding well and poorly in psychotherapy. There is much depth and complexity to this book for the experienced therapist . In this modern day adaptation of the Sufi tale of the Blind Men and the Elephant,.there is no book the brings to life as well the different kinds of psychodynamic technique or modes of listening. Frederickson's book takes its place among a small handful of deceptively simple, yet penetrating books (eg Basch's Doing Psychotherapy, Fromm-Reichmann's Principles of Intensive Psychotherapy) on how psychodynamic psychotherapy is actually practiced. A must read.

Excellent book on the technique of psychodynamic psychotherapy. The author focuses on specific aspects of transference, exploring them in depth. One of the few times I have seen case studies presented that are relevant to the material and do not simply serve to glorify the therapist. The exercises are extremely helpful and validate multiple readings of the book.

This book fills a needed gap in clinical literature on psychodynamic treatment. Too often, beginning therapists introduced to psychdynamic and psychoanalytic techniques and concepts are exposed to a multiplicity of complex theories that do not adequately serve as guides to facilitating their work. This book makes an important departure from this trend by focusing solely on some of the techniques of psychodynamic treatment without getting bogged down in theoretical complexity. As this book illustrates, the tools of psychoanalytic work can be introduced to the novice without excess theoretical baggage. I am using this book not just in teaching therapists, but also attorneys, managers, and administrators who can make good use of this information in their respective professions.

The other reviews on amazon give excellent presentations of the arguments contained in this short and well-written book. I will just add a few thoughts. Keith Jenkins wrote this book with the express purpose of introducing "deconstructionist" ideas into a generally conservative discipline. He is concerned with the lack of discussion of theory in history circles and, when discussed, by its limiting scope. Keith Jenkins is convinced that we live in a post-modern world, a world in which everything is ideologically positioned and morally relative; where nothing is fixed and everything is open to revision.

This book basically applies these insights to historiography (the theory of how history is practiced and written). Keith Jenkins, who is basically an expositor of the ideas of Hayden White, is seen here attempting a popularization of a lot of Hayden White's work. Needless to say he is incredibly successful in this. Keith Jenkins presents these arguments in very readable and intelligible terms, and shows that history is what historians do when they want to understand the past. History and the past are two completely different things. The past is that which precedes us here in the present, and history is the way historians write about it. But because people are always ideologically motivated and positioned in the present, authoring an objectively true account of the past is impossible because facts must be selected in an infinitely rich and inexhaustible world, making those facts which come to be selected ideologically-laden. Moreover, there is no way to compare the relative merits of competing accounts of the past because the past itself is not an account, but a series of past events. Therefore, since there is no fundamentally correct "text" or account to which all other accounts can be compared, all we have are variations (interpretations) of the past, each equally groundless and ideological.

Keith Jenkins does, however, offer a novel defense of relativism in this book, parting company with Hayden White. Hayden White argues that relativism is desirable because is serves as the basis for "social toleration and the positive recognition of differences" (page 68). Once we recognize that there is no such thing as a correct view of the past, we can begin to entertain seriously other interpretations that differ radically from ours both in the style of argument and in the conclusions reached. Relativism, White argues, should prevail because it promotes a respect for diversity and creativity. Keith Jenkins takes a "power struggle" view and argues that some positions are deemed more correct than others because they have managed to gain control of the power structures. Citing Foucault, Jenkins argues the "knowledge is related to power" (page 31), and that notions of truth are "dependent on somebody having the power to make it true. ... [T]ruth and similar expressions are devices to open, regulate and shut down interpretations. Truth acts as a censor - it draws the line" (page 38-39). This is an interesting argument, and I found it persuasive.

Anyway, this book is recommended not only as an introduction to historiography, but to postmodernism as well. Consider it the most reader-friendly application of postmodern ideas to historiography out right now! A very entertaining read.

I would also recommend Jenkins' follow-up book, "Refiguring History", a much more mature and sustained work that contains wonderful discussions of the philosophy of Derrida.

This copy was in tip-top shape and was just what I needed for a 4th year Art History course's methodology component .

Jenkins is a very valuable author for anyone venturing into the study of history--even more valuable for those that have been doing history for a long time and haven't got the clue yet. This book challenges the presuppositions of 'proper' historians regarding 'truth', 'facts', and 'objectivity' in a evry thought provoking manner. Jenkins challenges historians to be USEFUL, and not just antiquarians. The book is short enough (70 pages) to be read in an afternoon, which is very handy. After reading RE-THINKING HISTORY, read the sequel, REFIGURING HISTORY, which is possibly even better.

This book was recommended to me by a musicologist at the University of California San Diego, and it is apparently in their progressive (even radical) syllabus. It is a short, succinct, well-organized explanation of what the practice of history actually is. It is NOT, Jenkins said, a window to the past, and no work by a historian will ever provide an objective recreation of the past as it was. What historians do is provide new insights into the historiological discourse by taking an ideological stance (which is inevitable- there is no neutral/central position)and then using it to illuminate interpretations of history that can actually enhance our understanding of the present world.

The book involves a lot of deconstructionist ideas but without much depth to them (since it's waaaay beyond the scope), but it has a great bibliography and encourages the reader to keep a critical eye on all of the ideas so that they can decide for themselves what to accept and adopt. I certainly won't accept all of his positions, but I'm glad I read the book.

In Re-thinking History Keith Jenkins argues that there is no history, only histories constructed by historians' perspectives. To use Alun Munslow's words, "all history is unavoidably situated." (p. xiv) There is neither a proper way to do history nor a hidden truth waiting to be found. The historian employs literary narrative as a professional tool to create a meaning for the past, a framework in which to tell his/her [hi]story. History and the past are not the same things. Though historians use primary and secondary sources in their work, they cannot know if their finished products correspond with the past. The Routledge classic edition of Re-thinking History uses three succinct chapters--plus a preface, a Munslow-Jenkins conversation, and an introduction--to lay out Jenkins's post-modern view of history in relation to previous norms. In chapter one, which concludes with a whopping 97-word definition of history, Jenkins discusses the question of what is history in theory and in practice. He distinguishes between "the past" and "history". The terms are not synonymous; in fact, they "float free of each other...ages and miles apart." (p. 7) Jenkins suggests use of the terms "past" and "historiography" (the writings of historians), for "the past has gone and history is what historians make of it when they go to work." (p. 8) To illustrate the past-history distinction, he emphasizes the obvious: though millions of women have lived in the past, only a few appear in history.

The historian faces three problematic theoretical areas when trying to fit the past into history: epistemology, methodology, and ideology. The limits of historians' epistemology--the way they know what they know--prevents history from presenting objective, accurate accounts of a `real past'. That a historian can only write about the past from his/her present dictates the writing of history as a personal construct, built upon the narrator's (historian's) knowledge (including primary and secondary sources) and assumptions. Jenkins dismisses notions of definitive historical methods to get at the truth, given that the existing range of legitimate methods. As such, ideology always affects the construction of history. Jenkins aptly says, "History is never for itself; it is always for someone." (p. 21)

Jenkins's discussion on the practice of history is not a how-to section. Rather, it provides a post-modern vision of the historian's work. Historians make history. They do so, not from an impartial position seeking objective truth. Instead, historians wield a dominant sway over the reading of evidence that can be understood different ways. For Jenkins, this view of the historical discipline is liberating, allowing a historian to deconstruct the history of another and construct one of his/her own.

Chapter two, as its title indicates, poses and answers several questions about the nature of history. Of the seven questions addressed, three are mentioned here. First, to the question of whether history is a discourse about truth, Jenkins contrasts Geoffrey Elton's view that "the study of history...amounts to a search for truth" (p. 17) with the suggestion that such a search is "unachievable." (p. 34) Jenkins, influenced by Richard Rorty, understands truth as created and "dependent on somebody having the power to make it [truth] true." (p. 38) Second, Jenkins views as impossible the ability to empathize with research subjects. Historians cannot enter the minds of their examined actors to fully understand their predicaments. It is not really the mind of the past people that matter; for Jenkins views "all history as the history of the historian's minds." (p. 57) Third, to the question of "sources", Jenkins adopts E.H. Carr's proposal that a source "only becomes evidence when it is used to support an argument (interpretation) prior to which, although it exists, it remains just an unused piece of stuff from the past." (p. 59) Jenkins deems the idea that history rests on primary source documentation as an effort to grasp some [unachievable] truth and to embrace [ever-elusive] empathy.

In chapter three Jenkins proposes that historians live in a post-modern world that has produced a multiplicity of histories. Any attempts to stake out or recuperate a status quo will fail. He uses Jean-Francois Lyotard's view of post-modernism as the "death of centres" and "incredulity towards metanarratives" to suggest a reflexive approach to analyzing history as a discipline and to doing the historian's work. Post-modern historians should choose a theoretical position and deconstruct all historical interpretations that claim centre status. Moreover, beyond the realm of histories of periods and events, Jenkins prompts historians to produce histories that help historians understand "the world that we live in and the forms of history that have both helped produce it and which it has produced...a series of `histories of the present.'" (p. 83)

Keith Jenkins makes no attempt to mask that Re-thinking History is the philosophical product of his affinity for the post-modernism which stems from Friedrich Nietzsche, Hayden White, and Michel Foucault. The book opens with a page-long quote from White, in which he quotes Nietzsche. According to Jenkins, during his tenure at University College Chichester, he noticed that students lacked interest in questions such as "what is history?" and also possessed an intense hostility toward the question. These sentiments exist likewise among professional historians. Practically, Jenkins offers the book as a deliberate replacement to the [then] dominant thinking about history, as derived from scholars such as E.H. Carr, Geoffrey Elton, Arthur Marwick, and John Tosh. He wants to persuade historians that his is the best way to theorise history, "as a narrative prose discourse the content of which is as much imagined as found and the form of which is expungeably problematic." (p. xvii) If indeed Jenkins led the post-modernist charge on reshaping the historian's craft in the 1990s, apprentice historians can only hope to contribute as much to the discipline's growth in a lifetime as he did in a "short, cheap, and cheerful polemic" of 84-pages.

I throughly enjoyed this book. As a Catholic girl I have considered becoming a nun at various stages of my life. Reading this book helped me to get a better perspective of what nunhood might be like. Mother Mary Francis discusses the ups and downs, and the beauties and the horrors of being a nun. I reccomend this for any one who wants to understand the beauty of religious life.

This book was actually published first in 1961; I discovered it in the early 70's and have enjoyed it time and again since then. For anyone who wants to know what life was like in every Poor Clare monastery before Vatican II and the decimation of the religious life, this is undoubtedly the book to read. The lifestyle still persists in a few monasteries and you might want to visit their websites. If you enjoy this book, Sr. Mary Francis has written others as well (though none is quite as good as this one!).

I loved this book so much, that I marked passages of it to share with other women I know who are discerning religious life. Mother Mary Francis tells us about a group of Poor Clare nuns beginning a new foundation in New Mexico. But that is just the superficial framework of the book. What she really gives us is a superb view of the theology of life as a Poor Clare nun.

In her writings on Saints Francis and Clare, her pen paints pictures that make these wonderful saints come alive for us. Mother Mary Francis shares with us their teachings to their nuns, and what impact those teachings have on their lives. So many consider the cloisered religious life to be a dark, solitary, very solemn life, but that is far from the truth. A monastery is a place of love, and light, and laughter, and no one tells us that so well as Mother Mary Francis.

I highly recommend this book to any and all, but especially to those discerning religious life and to those with a devotion to St. Clare. This book may be old, but it is far from outdated.

What a fabulous book this is! The author is a paragon of wisdom and a gifted writer to boot. Her joyful love for God, for Saint Clare, for the life she has chosen (or been chosen for), and really, for all of frail humanity, practically bound off the page. I didn't expect to laugh out loud while reading a book of this nature, but I certainly did! Mother Mary Francis has such a wonderfully whimsical way of looking at the most ordinary things and events; the reader is enfolded in her charm and warmth. At other times I found myself reading through a film of tears; the whole book is a subtle torch that melts the heart.

Though this book is about life in an enclosed order of nuns, it's not just for Catholics. I'm not a Catholic myself, but I feel like I gained about as much from it as anyone could, and I don't feel any separation or strangeness between myself and the sisters. I strongly recommend this book to seekers of God from whatever path or religion, because don't we all share the same human nature and face the same struggles? And this author kindly shares one way of gracefully navigating the difficult waters. Since the Poor Clares have been following the same path for over 750 years now, without dying out or changing their ways, we know that it is one road, no matter how unusual, that does work, and we can all take something from it.

Finally, I appreciated the prefaces that Mother Mary Francis added to this 2001 edition of her book. Since the book was written in the 1950's, don't you want to know what has happened in the Roswell monastery since then? I did! So the additonal material from the years 1973 and 2000 was most welcome. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone, but I'm happy to report that the monastery is thriving. Lucky them: Mother Mary Francis is apparently still the Abbess, God bless her beautiful, wise heart.

Note: Feb. 2006 addition to this review from February 2005: I have just learned that Mother Mary Francis passed away this month. May she rest in eternal peace.

Mother Mary Francis wrote a wonderful little book about her life as a Poor Clare nun. Her life in the convent was a happy one. She and her sisters laughed, danced and sang. This is a lovely peep into the cloistered life given to us by an eminently sensible and jolly woman.

This book is a by product of a research project called "Risk and Rationality."

It represents a combination of risk compensation and cultural theory. The former posits all human beings have a risk thermostat. The latter illuminates a world of plural rationalities; it seeks to explain unresolved risks in terms of the differences in premises from which the participants argue.

It draws the following conclusions:

1. Everyone is managing risk.
2. Since we are dealing with risks, they are all guessing.
3. Their guesses are influenced by their beliefs.
4. Their behavior is influenced by their guesses.
5. Safety interventions do not influence risk propensities.
6. You will never capture "objective risk."

This book is a gem. It is well-written, counterintuitive, jargon-free and amusing. It will challenge your assumptions on risk management.

There are few works of nonfiction which I have been inspired to read in one sitting. Adams' _Risk_ is one of those few. It's more than merely accessible: it's fascinating. The writing is more than merely competent: it's enjoyable. Like the best Grisham novels, _Risk_ tells a tale of danger, skulduggery, bureaucracy, wrongful death, human nature, research, reasoning, the revelation and concealment of evidence, and the overturning of conventional beliefs and outcomes.

Adams opens for the lay reader a window into the jargon-laden field of risk assessment and risk management. He brings to the table two qualities usually firmly segregated in the literature: a solid, rationalist facility with the traditional tools of the trade (scientific method, mathematics, statistics, data visualization), and an honest and humane assessment of the incalculable and the social (human variability, social equity, adaptive feedback, and chaotic systems).

Adams' work is brilliantly contrarian, neither eccentric nor slipshod. He challenges the conventional dogma of regulatory safety authorities the world over; he cites verifiable figures from reputable sources to show that the authoritarian approach to risk management has not lived up to its overconfident initial promises. Further, he documents specific cases in which this failure has been denied and concealed, rather than admitted, confronted and used as a springboard to new approaches and more creative thinking.

Adams' particular field of expertise is road/traffic safety, which he had studied for some 15 years at the time of writing. He uses several examples from this realm in the book. He recounts the peculiar history, for example, of mandatory seat belt legislation. Of the eighty principalities and regions which enacted such laws, over twenty years later only one (the UK) offers time-series data which support the initial claims for national traffic fatality reduction.

Yet throughout the industrial world, the axiom "seatbelts save lives" is just that -- axiomatic. The average reader may find this story very disturbing; the beneficial result of seatbelt legislation is almost a religious dogma for residents of the industrial West. Yet it is hard to dismiss Adams' sober collection and presentation of data. His numbers are not from outlaw or revisionist sources; they are official statistics from the same countries which passed the laws.

It's obvious (and crash tests demonstrate) that seatbelt-type restraints must prevent vehicle occupants from rattling around inside a car during a crash, and thereby mitigate injury and/or fatality. Adams asks, therefore, how it can possibly happen that there were not sudden, dramatic, documented reductions in total traffic fatalities for whole nations, after seatbelt laws were enforced?

In answering this and other similar questions of "safety engineering" Adams introduces us to a fascinating problem in risk management theory: "risk homeostasis" or "risk compensation". Individuals, he argues, have a personal "risk thermostat", a risk level at which they are comfortable. If their sense of personal safety is enhanced by protective gear (or even by public information campaigns) then their behaviour becomes correspondingly riskier, until the "set point" of the individual risk thermostat is reached.

Since the risk per individual per hour of traffic injury or fatality is very small, only a slight deviation in behaviour is necessary to raise it significantly. If a driver drives a little faster, brakes a little harder, corners a little more aggressively because of being strapped in securely, then this might easily negate (or more than negate) the risk reduction provided by the seatbelt itself.

In support of this theory, Adams offers the troubling increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths that immediately followed the UK seatbelt law. If drivers drive a little more dangerously, says Adams, it makes sense that more vulnerable road users would bear the brunt of the increased risk.

Were it not for this sincere concern for social justice, Adams might easily be dismissed as yet another libertarian. Many a safety-legislation skeptic's argument begins and ends with individual rights, resistance to "nanny" legislation, etc. Adams asks a tougher question: if safety means *everyone's* safety, does traditional traffic safety engineering really work? Or does it just shuffle the risk around, making it safer to drive a car more dangerously, but imposing more risk on pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, etc?

This discussion occupies only a chapter or two of this thought-provoking book. Other chapters cover such diverse topics as: a taxonomy of personality types and their responses to risk; virtual risks versus immediate risks; and the fundamental contradictions of "cost/benefit analysis". Adams is forthright in criticizing the narrowness of the traditional highway and traffic engineers' vision. "Road safety engineers" consider their work successful if the fatality/injury rate declines on a given stretch of road. But the fatality rate may have fallen because people gave up walking or biking in that area. As long as the incident rate is low, the road is deemed "safe" -- even though residents and locals may know very well that it is dangerous, and make long detours to avoid it.

Adams argues convincingly that this disconnect between people's real experience on the ground, and the abstract perceptions of planners and authorities, is a serious and intensifying problem. The ingenious adaptibility of human beings to dangerous situations means that the engineers may be presented with false success (a dangerous road looks "safe" because of avoidance response) or with intractable riskiness (risk compensation defeating imposed engineering solutions). Many of the traditionalist solutions into which we pour millions of dollars may simply not work, and the way we measure our success may be faulty as well.

_Risk_ is an excellent introduction to the challenging work of John Franklin, Mayer Hillman, Robert Davis, and other members of the "new school" of road safety analaysis. It is a well-researched, well-written, and deeply provoking book. _Risk_ should be *required* reading for all traffic engineers, police, safety analysts, city planners, parents, insurance company executives, and economists. For the reader with an open mind, _Risk_ will raise more questions than it answers; it offers some really interesting new ways to think about and discuss risk.

John Adams is clearly one of the leading thinkers not only regarding Risk Management, but also decision-making where risk is involved. If you are expecting a book that limits itself to accident prevention and the purchase of insurance, you will be dilightfully suprised to find that Adams provides universal frameworks that apply to the entire universe of risk. Nor is this merely an ivory tower philosophical romp. Adams applies his frameworks to everything from the value of infant car seats to global warming to "zero accident" policies in the workplace and does so with wit and empirical data. His conclusions are often very counterintuitive, but he provides the data to back up his conclusions, often with surprising results (for example, that mandatory infant car seats was correlated with an increase in infant deaths in auto accidents and that seat belt laws did not decrease injuries in auto accidents).

The reader cannot help but benefit from Adam's wisdom, and he will enjoy the experience as well. The book is writen so well that I finished it with sadness; I was hoping that it would go on for at least another 100 pages. Having read scores of risk related articles and books, I can attest to the rarity of this feeling--I am usually begging for the end at about page 10. It takes great ideas and a masterful pen to acheive this, and Adams has both in abundance. If you are in the risk or safety professions (or work in the political realm) this book is required reading.

"Risk" by John Adams is one of those rare gems, a book which uncovers a nugget of truth about human behaviour, namely Risk Compensation Theory. Why do we take risks, especially on the roads, in cars, in dangerous situations? Why do some people take more risks than others? Apparently we have risk thermostats which we set to different levels of risk aversion. I saw the tv programme which covered this topic first and then I read the book by Mr. Adams. I was very impressed by the depth of research supporting his theories and by the graphs showing the different rates of fatalities for male/female drivers, for different countries or for different age groups. But I wonder: have we had too much analysis and not enough action at this stage? The trend of fatalities per 1,000 of the population or per 1,000 vehicles on the roads may be coming down in some countries but this is little consolation when the total number of deaths is staying steady or rising worldwide. 25 million have died already and perhaps another billion have been injured. It is time to try another approach.

"Autogeddon" by Heathcote Williams was a brilliant poetic diatribe on the havoc which cars can cause but it offered no solutions to the problem. "Risk" analyses in detail why we take the risks which cause this havoc, but equally offers no complete solutions. "The Joy of Motion" by John B. Gilmore goes a step further and offers a solution to the problems of transport which allows us to take risks and enjoy the thrill of motion at the same time. If you wish to find out more about this book then please email me.

This is an outstanding little book -- very insightful and thoroughly enjoyable. I am a pediatrician who has been involved with writing practice guidelines to prevent a very low probability but devastating outcome (brain damage following jaundice in newborns). The discussion of different types of people with different attitudes towards risk helped clarify some of the dynamics of the guideline committees I have been on. In fact, I liked the book so much I sent a copy to the head of the current committee working on these guidelines.

I also like it when people question dogma, and point out ways in which our previous experience and perspectives influence the way we perceive reality. For example, the possibility that use of seat belts by drivers might shift some injuries from themselves to pedestrians and cyclists had never occurred to me.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in risk.

Thomas B. Newman, MD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Pediatrics
University of California, San Francisco

An excellent and illuminating read authored by a genuine genius who was lightyears ahead of his time! Look into his UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY by searching his name on the web

This is an incredible book which should be read over and over. Walter Russell was an illuminated Master who wrote from his Heart. One of the greatest artists and scientists to have walked on Mother Earth, he writes about Truth and the Infinite. The Secret of Light will illuminate You!!!

Like Russells other books, 'The Secret of Light' seeks to outline the laws that govern our universe in a language that inquiring minds are able to grasp and understand.

And like in Russells other works, he provides some of the most accurate, succint and enlightening descriptions of what the universe is and who we are.

This book is thick and dense with profound meaning.
Any reader will be amply rewarded for contemplating its meaning and message.

Read the book, put it down, pick it up and read it again.

... I am very right brained and find this book too challenging
to keep...(I flunked statistics 3 times, and barely survived
algebra). Its simply over my head. I sent it to my brother
who was a self-taught physicist and he found it quite interesting.
Being honest here. For the right person, its a very unique
book...not the usual recycled scientific information, I am told.
Walter Russell I feel "channeled" this information from the next
dimension and those who have open minds and willingness to see
things from new points of view would probably like this book.
He has a lot of diagrams. For example No. 38 shows the "four
rivers of light". Some chapter titles include: Knowledge vs.
Thinking, "Unconsciousness-Sleep and Pain", "Electrical Awareness", "Sex-Conditioned Opposites", "Light", "The Law of
Balance", "Electricity Defined"....you get the drift!

Walter Russell accessed an extensive amount of knowledge and insights during his mystical awakening. He wrote extensively about his understandings and related scientific, philosophical, and metaphysical subjects. In this book, he talks about the nature of creation, light, life, polarity, balance, electricity, gravity, radiation, waves & vibration, and the imagination and thought projections of the Creator. These are truly some weighty topics, but Walter's text is clear and informative, even when he gets into technical topics. This book is quite enlightening and actually better than some more popular metaphysical texts. The electric universe concept is truly brilliant, and Walter Russell's understanding of creation greatly exceeded most of what scientists erroneously believe, based upon their perceptions colored by persistent illusion. The "new" physics is just catching up with Russsell's ideas.