May Books

A thorough investigation into the course of mankind since the beginning. Spend time in reflection as the author intertwines many facts of the natural world to reveal much higher truths. This Quest is a guaranteed success.

My five year old daughter has wanted to read this book every night since we got it. It is a wonderful mother/daughter story. It explores being different and accepting oneself as well as introducing children to immigrant families in America. We are not from an immigrant family, but nonethless loved this story and the peek it gives you of another family and a young schoolgirls story. Also has beautiful illustrations and a few Spanish words.

the thirteen chapers include:
1) in the beginning.
2) we believe in ourselves.
3) making believers of others.
4) setting up the office.
5) the "people helping people" campaign.
6) developing our resources.
7) the "ask".
8) in the news.
9) managing our finances.
10) the fine art of writing.
11) when opportunity knocks.
12) expressing our appreciation.
13) what experience has taught us.

this is a great book with which to introduce people, unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the idea of fundraising, to the ins and outs of basic funraising ideas. 121 over sized pages, with a bibliography.

I USED THIS BOOK FOR A CLASS I WAS TAKING AT HOLY NAMES COLLEGE IN OAKLAND, CA. IT IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK FOR TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO ENJOY READING. THE STRATEGIES USED IN THE BOOK CAN BE USED IN ANY GRADE LEVEL. I TEACH IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL (7-8) AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS BOOK. HOWEVER, THE PRICE, $67.00, IS PROHIBITIVE. THERE IS NO WAY I CAN AFFORD THE PRICE. TOO BAD. I LIKE THE BOOK.

Pick up a used copy of this charming book. You'll be glad you did. Author May Theilgaard Watts' mottos, as a naturalist, teacher, poet, and keen observer of the ways in which we human beings shape our world, could have been, "everything is connected to everything else," and, "everything tells a story." Reading her descriptions of the landscapes of Europe is like travelling with an extremely knowledgeable, funny, curious, and opinionated guide. How I wish I could have been there with her, but the book is a wonderful treat on its own. She visits seven countries, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Britain. The local landscapes she considers are well worn, shaped over centuries by humans and nature. She draws on botany, geography, literature, astronomy, and history, to explain why a place looks, smells, and feels the way it does, and to give us a sense of the soul of the place. In "A Vocabulary of the British Landscape," she explains the natural and human history of moors and heaths, wealds and downs--and the ecology of a bomb crater in London. Her pen and ink drawings are delightful. At the end of the book is a key to the trees of Europe, similar to her well-known key to American trees, the Tree Finder. Full disclosure: I am the author's granddaughter, and current publisher of her book, Reading the Landscape of America.

In this critical study, Todd May seeks to appraise the trend to see difference as the constitutive element of our experience, that is, the viewpoint that 'difference plays a more fundamental constitutive role than has previously been recognised' (p. 2). Such an appraisal is, however, not only for the purpose of questioning the (possible) 'foundationalist' underpinning of such like viewpoints (p. 11), but more importantly, to offer a complement to difference-related viewpoints by means of 'positive rearticulations' (p. 203) in four areas.

The first area concerns "community" and in this respect, May discuses Nancy and the view that individuals are exposed and therefore not self-enclosed beings as they are constituted by what is outside of them on grounds that the very idea of closure is self-contradictory. For these reasons Nancy seeks to articulate community as 'being-in-common' (p. 34) not as that which is shared, but that which arises from being with the other, a view that avoids the twin dangers of liberal individualism and totalitarianism. For May, however, this conception is ambiguous as it fails to separate two aspects, namely, the constitutive (i.e. what it is to be in community is) and the normative (i.e. how to conceive community in a non-totalitarian way) resulting in four main weaknesses that characterise Nancy's account. In improvement, May proposes a view where 'a community is defined by the practices that constitute it' (p. 52).

The second one concerns "language" and for this reason May chooses to discuss Derrida. In particular, the claim that, in denying that being is presence, let alone absence and to some extent not even différance, there is a play in language that precludes capturing language itself even though for Derrida 'we think only in signs' (p. 79). For May, this claim involves simultaneously defending three views, namely, that of 'the operation of linguistic meaning', 'the philosophical project', and 'their relationship' (p. 80). In outlining Derrida's argument regarding philosophy and its relationship with language, May finds fault with the idea that any alternative to the traditional philosophical project (i.e. metaphysics) must come to terms with language in use (i.e. bearing metaphysical traces). In adopting the view on language advocated by Sellars, May argues for a conception of language in more practical terms, that is, 'as a practice of groups of practices' (p. 118).

As the third one deals with "ethics", May considers the position held on this matter by Levinas particularly that concerning the other in the face of 'identitarianism', that of reducing the other to pre-conceived categories or classes, a valorisation that is faced by a trilemma (p. 129). That is, refusing to accept differences vs. accepting differences relative to our own standards vs. accepting differences relative to anyone's standards, premised on fundamental question: how to think and experience the other when language precludes such thinking and experiencing. And the answer that Levinas gives is that experience of the other is an ethical experience that must be accommodated by adequate reflection. May, however, in pointing out that ethics 'is one among many discursive practices' (p. 146) argues against Levinas' attempt to place the ethical before the linguistic, and directs our attention to 'holism' (p. 156).

Finally, "ontology" is rearticulated through the critical appraisal of Deleuze's position as a 'thinker of difference' at the 'expense of unity' (pp. 166-167) - the univocity of being. In particular, May shows that in privileging difference to the extent that 'difference is object of affirmation, affirmation itself' (p. 175), Deleuze fails to distinguish the nature of affirmation and difference from their evaluation, a position that is dilemmatic. Hence a tension in Deleuze's work between 'his recognition of the inseparability of unity and difference and his temptation to privilege difference' (p. 183). In discussing some key concepts, notably, the 'actual' and the 'virtual' (as ontologically distinct from the former), May concludes that 'a thought of pure difference is not thought at all' (p. 193).

Overall, this is a thought-provoking text that is well-written and accessible. It is moreover an important addition to anyone's library concerned with the notion of "difference" at large and not only from within the continental camp!

Reading Sarton is like taking in fresh air! "Recovering" is no exception. Sarton is always an easy read, but you have to be prepared to "FEEL" - she is so open with her emotions and experiences. Sarton cuts right to the core of human experience and emotion in a simple, straight forward way. Although she expresses her grief and losses in a poignent and potent manner, she is not sentimental and "Recovering", like her other works, leaves one with a certian calmness even amid all of the emotional turbulance.

"Recovering" also is typically "Sartonian" in that her eye for the beautiful simplicity in nature and the in small details is ever present in this journal.

A lesson in life and love that cannot be read without tears and smiles. The journey these parents have just begun to recover the son they have so tragically lost touched me so deeply that when I finished it I didn't want to talk to anyone because I didn't want to lose contact with their world. Mr. Lott has done his homework well. As a professional who sometimes must help parents through the initial moments of a child's death - I recognized the experience of Hugh and Laura. I applaud that he never once used the word "closure", because there never is any. But the strength to many healings will come from the memories of Michael that they and many others will gradually come to have the strength to share. There are no miracles to make it all better, but as they learned, there are a lot of small moments of pain that will get them through.

This is a book for parents, friends of parents, nurses, doctors...or just anyone who has ever loved a child.

This is an amazing book. I could not put it down. If you are going to read only one book on trading Blocs....make it this one. Well written with a unique prose style and an easy to read font, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most it will touch you in a way that few economics books can. It truly is an enjoyable read, and will make you an expert on the subject at hand. Get it, read it, and use the knowledge wisely. It makes a great gift for those avid readers in the family, don't let the title fool you, this is a great book.

Gaspar Francia defined himself as a Jacobine, and he was one, in a country so far removed from european cultural currents, and from the conditions that led to the french revolution, he managed to create an exceptionally interesting economical and political experiment. A centralized state, that owned most of the lands, and guaranteed to its people, at the beginning of the XIX century, basic education for all, efficient agriculture, the start of an industrial development, a professional army, and total independence from the powers of the time. He certainly was a dictator, with total and absolute authority. But was feared only by the higher classes, and loved by the people. His "reign" was peaceful, in sharp contrast with the blood shed in internecine wars in neighboring countries, and the executions of his enemies where rare. Rengger is one of the few witnesses to the first period of his government (1819 to 1825, Francia was in power from 1813 to 1840)and because of this, very important. The author is at the other end of the polytical spectrum, extremely critical of Francia's endeavours and actions, his friends are those that oppose Francia, and he despises the common folk that support him. The book should be read taking this into account, but is very well written and very informative.