Richard Books

Hope or Hype illustrates how a market based healthcare sans proper checks and balances can perversely incentivize the system (physicians, drug makers, device makers, surgical technique innovators, insurance companies, hospitals, and even the good old FDA), endangering the public's health and raising costs.

Insufficient research, dangerous marketing techniques to consumers and physicians alike, poor government oversight, and the lure of money make for dangerous, ineffective, and sometimes unecessary intervetions (prescription drugs, medical devices, techniques, and diagnostic testing). Of course all of this is basically driven by greed and complacency with consequences for quality of care and healthcare costs.

Valuable for demystifying (1) the FDA process for vetting new drugs and (2)drug marketing alone, this is a fine contribution to the national discussion on healthcare reform and an excellent advocacy resource for consumers. Only 4 stars because the writing is a bit loose and the first half of the book is too redundant and relies too heavily on anecdote. After reading this, some readers may want to read Food Politics - after all, prevention is worth its weight in gold!

Richard Deyo and Donald Patrick provide a thoroughly accessible, timely and well reasoned coverage of the advance of medical technologies. As a non-clinician, I found their approach to building on a multitude of real world examples mixed with references to both solid science and the lay press, to help define thorny issues while providing an avenue for further study to be very persuasive. I also enjoyed the personal perspective that both authors brought to the book. At multiple times, the authors relate how the current topic effected their own lives; for example Dr. Deyo describes his father's experience with calcium-channel drugs following experiencing a heart attack. I think this personal touch shows a respect for the reader and the authors' intent to provide important information without describing everything with an overly clinical outsider's approach. As a psychologist, I appreciate the rigor that is applied to the authors' discussion of topics. These authors are not just playing devil's advocate for modern technology; they are providing both the pros and cons for these new technologies. I believe this book is important for anyone in the health care industry, anyone who is concerned about his/her own health or the health of society and for anyone who simply enjoys good writing on a crucial topic.

What is wrong with American health care and how can we fix it? Many recent books try to address this question. One of the central points of "Hope or Hype" is that "...the major reason for rising health-care costs and shrinking insurance coverage is the rapid introduction of new medical treatments, often before they can be adequately evaluated for effectiveness, safety, or cost."
The authors, a medical doctor and a social scientist, have had years of experience studying health care in the larger societal context. "Hope or Hype" focuses on what happens when we allow the hype in the media and the marketplace to overtake the good that medical advances can bring us. It tells the story of overmedicalization, wasted resources and greed. If you are thinking - problem, what problem? Start by reading "Part III - Useless, Harmful or Marginal: Popular Treatments that Caused Unneccessary Disability, Dollar Costs, or Death." The stories are first-hand accounts of what happened to medical researchers when they got in the way of special interest groups and big drug companies. The back stories surrounding those drugs and devices you see advertised on television are very interesting.
Deyo and Patrick have written this book for the general public, as well as for students and health care researchers. They provide an historical overview of our love of "technoconsumption" and our infatuation with the latest medical breakthroughs.
The final chapters address how we all can do better. For example, they suggest that decisions about using new drugs and devices could be "evidence-based" and that consumers could be better informed to help prepare them to participate in shared decision making. Finally, they suggest that the government could create a "Fed" for health care, a regulatory agency mandated to oversee the integration of new technologies in medicine while minimizing waste and potential harm.

Why are Americans obsessed with medical miracles? In Hope Or Hype: The Obsession With Medical Advances And The High Cost Of False Promises, two doctors who are experts on ethical and policy issues in the medical world examine the false premises and promises the medical community makes to consumers, from pharmaceutical and equipment companies eager to promote new technologies and cures to physicians and hospitals too quick to prescribe costly medicines or surgeries. The hazards of such unnecessary treatments are provided within an overview of the drug and medical industries as a whole.

A thoughtful and thorough gathering of medical practice information as driven by the prescription drug industry. How to read the glowing advertising with careful scrutiny is just one benefit. The authors write clearly about complex subjects. While not racy reading, it should be read by any of us who have or will have medical needs.

When I just received this book through the mail, I flipped to a random page of this book and read it, I was hooked the first time! That's just the beginning. I read the first 50 pages and I was inspired to apply what I learned from this book on that same day, I truly found happiness. Not only did I acquired knowledge, but I found wisdom and beautiful realizations about life. What's so awesome is that when you read, you don't realize that you're reading. The only time I felt a little disturbed is when i have to flip the page, or direct my eyes to the next page. Rich Devos is a great man and he sure did a good job impacting my life. Props to you Rich.

How successful do you want to be? Is your goal to see your name in the headlines regularly? If so, study the careers of Martha Stewart or Michael Eisner. If, on the other hand, you measure success by lives influenced, then you won't want to miss the classroom offered in How to Be Like Rich DeVos.

Don't know the name? He's not a regular headline maker, but he certainly has spent his life making a difference for others. Co-founder of Amway Corporation and owner of the NBA's Orlando Magic, Rich DeVos has, as the cover suggests, succeeded with integrity in business and in life.

Admittedly a mentee and admirer of DeVos, Pat Williams is Sr. Vice President of the Orlando Magic and author of the popular "How to Be Like..." series. In this fourth title, Williams and co-author Jim Denney dig deep into the goldmine of DeVos's life to present a book that is a treasure-trove of facts, anecdotes and life lessons to grow by. In story after inspiring story, we read of a man determined to succeed, but not in the winner-takes-all method we so often hear about. Unlike many "success" stories, How to Be Like Rich DeVos tells of a man who's spent his life sacrificing to help others, building teams, changing lives and giving the glory to God.

Beginning with the Amway story and traveling into the Orlando Magic, his recent heart transplant and beyond, those who've known and loved Rich DeVos over the years are given voice in this book's almost endless stories. From his successes as well as his failures, readers learn the principles that have driven this amazing life-values that include having the courage to stand up and lead, willingness to take risks, building relationships that last, being a mentor for others, giving, loving your family and your country, and most of all, loving God.

We can live for the moment, or we can live for a legacy. We may not all be able to learn first-hand from Rich DeVos as Pat Williams has, but thanks to How to Be Like Rich, we can all benefit from the lessons of a life that will far outlive the man. If a legacy is what you want to live for, absorb the wealth of How to Be Like Rich DeVos. Maybe it's not too late to start over.

We all know that it is impossible to be famous, rich, and (very importantly) be loved by others, if you don't empower them in a positive way and add value to their lives. Mr. DeVos has absolutely added value to many people and has impacted millions in a very positive way. Considered by thousands as one of the most important business icons of our century, Mr. Devos not only has achieved the American dream and has made it possible for many many more people who have followed him, but has been considered by the US Government as one of the most respected business minds in America, representing the US internationally. If you are in Direct Sales this book may be for you!!

Rich DeVos is a leader by example to all who know him. We have much to learn from such a fine person as him in doing business with integrity in an upset down world as ours is today. Buy it, read it and apply the principles outlined by Rich DeVos in conducting your business and personal life.

I have always enjoyed reading biographies, mainly to learn from the mistakes of others and to see things from a different perspective. I have read the classic auto-biography of Benjamin Franklin and have gained much insights into what makes a person successful. While definition of success varies from person to person, Rich's success is exactly the kind of success that I am looking for: integrity, faith in God, humility, love for others, and leaving behind a lasting legacy. After reading this book, my response was, "What more do you want out of life?". For those who share the same ideals, reading this book will inspire you to believe that it is possible to live a life of integrity and be successful in this life and the life to come. I have always been looking for someone worthy to emulate and Rich Devos ranks among the top 3 in my list. This book is highly recommended as it inspires me daily to think and act consistently with my beliefs.
I particularly appreciate the format of the book: The author helps the reader to distill and apply the lessons from the life of this great man at the end of each chapter. A worthy investment of your time...Go get it!

This book is well written and up to date. I needed detailed information on shading and it was covered very well. If your new to patent drawings, this is covers the subject well.

I found this book to be excellent. Lot's of information and concisely written. A MUST reference if you are planning to make your own patents. Some good info on CAD drafting software, also.

I bought this book and Patent Pending in 24 Hours. The latter was a complete disappointment (read my review of it). This book however, was fairly detailed and answered quite a few questions for me. I am trained as a Graphic Designer. So I was very interested in doing the drawings myself on the computer. While the book focuses on traditional drawings for the most part, the information is still relevant for computer drawings. The book tells you what parts you need to draw and what to leave out. It also talks about how to shade the different elements. Which is one of the major things the examiner uses to differentiate the parts of your invention that connect or are attached. The book also goes into detail about how to label your figures and numbering of parts.
The one thing that did bother me about this book is that more than once they tell you to reference Patent It Yourself for more information. I bought this book because it implies that it will tell you everything you need to know about making patent drawings. I thought it was ridiculous that they spread the information out into their other book as a ploy to make more money. Luckily, there is enough information here to do what you need to do.
Overall I thought the book is a good collection of information. Despite the references to their other book.

On the last couple of patent applications I submitted, I ended up doing 90% of the drawings myself because it turned out to be easier than continuously having to correct the mistakes of the draftsman. My attorney said that my drawings just needed to be shaded and cleaned up a bit, and have the legends applied, but otherwise what ended up going into the applications was essentially my drawings with a few more bells and whistles. His draftsman had just put them on a light table and copied them as is. But I still had to pay for the drawings!

This book was able to get me the rest of the way there by detailing the regulations that the USPTO puts on drawings. They're not really difficult, but they ARE specific. Don't be intimidated by them. The very simple drawing style specified by the USPTO is to allow clear reproduction and printing. My attorney charges $295 per figure, and one page can have 2 or 3 figures on it! The last application we submitted had about a dozen figures total. Some of the expense is the work of integrating and describing the drawings, but it is guaranteed to save you money if you do your own drawings. Besides, this ensures that you will be satisfied with the quality and accuracy. Don't forget you can also have the draftsman do the difficult 3-D "Figure 1" bit, and you do the simpler stuff. Like me, I'll bet you'll find it easier than you thought!

I have all of David Pressman's books on patenting, you know why? Because I filed my own patent using these books. That's how good they are. They really do have step by step instructions. He also has software that helps you prepare the docs. I sort of used that as well. Again, reasonable priced, and useful. I strongly recommend these books for anyone that wants to File a Patent. They will allow you to do it yourself without an attorney.

I cannot write a review as I bought the book for a gift for my 99 year old uncle for his birthday.

Zimler's book is a triumph of modern fiction: an absolutely gripping narrative of love and loss set against a backdrop of fantastic historic drama. Zimler rises to the incredible quality of his bestselling The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon. The characters are rich and fully realized, and their conflicts are vital and real. They grow throughout the book, so that by the end you feel a real intimacy with them. The period setting is elegantly realized; you feel as though you are living in these far-away times, going to the bird market, observing the early forms of racism, encountering the ravages of the Inquisition. This is a story of family too, and the close bonds of the central characters are extremely vivid. I loved this book. Read it at once.

As an avid reader who has been ritually disappointed by the so-called "literary" sensations of the past year, it is a true joy to find a book with a heart and soul, written by an author at the top of his game.This mesmerizing, beautifully written tale of the friendship between a freed African slave and a bereaved child will make you weep on every page, such is the realism of emotion Zimler packs into each page. He is distinctly not an author given to mawkish sentimentality. This is the unputdownable book of the year that thoroughly deserves a wider audience. It is, as the flap copy suggests, an out-and-out masterpiece.

Richard Zimler's second novel, Hunting Midnight, casts as its central character a descendant of the title character in his first novel, The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon. The new work is set in Porto, Portugal, in the early 19th century, 300 years after the first novel.
Because it contains a wide range of ingredients - a South African Bushman, a Scottish winegrower in Portugal, South Carolina slaves, child abuse, characters' artistic pursuits, Beethoven, reverence for nature - it is perhaps more universal in its appeal than the first book.
But it also has its Jewish (and Kulanu) components, such as the narrator's discovery that he is descended from Jews, and the occurrence of an anti-Jewish pogrom in Porto.
The author writes skillfully as the voice of the young Scottish-Portuguese half-Jew as well as that of a slave girl in the American South. He also imparts a seemingly deep knowledge of Bushman belief and culture, in addition to snatches of Portuguese and Hebrew, and departures into Jewish philosophy and Scottish song and literature. The story-telling style is tight, with straightforward prose that builds up tension and suspense effectively.
These disparate elements might seem a bit too much, but it all works well together, and Hunting Midnight is a great read of almost-epic proportions. While The Last Kabbalist was also a mesmerizing, suspenseful experience, it was more parochial. The first novel was a best-seller in Portugal and did well internationally. The second novel, being truly universal, may well do even better.

Zimler's book is a triumph of modern fiction: an absolutely gripping narrative of love and loss set against a backdrop of fantastic historic drama. Zimler rises to the incredible quality of his bestselling The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon. The characters are rich and fully realized, and their conflicts are vital and real. They grow throughout the book, so that by the end you feel a real intimacy with them. The period setting is elegantly realized; you feel as though you are living in these far-away times, going to the bird market, observing the early forms of racism, encountering the ravages of the Inquisition. This is a story of family too, and the close bonds of the central characters are extremely vivid. I loved this book. Read it at once.

Deryck Cooke gets under the surface but without any any confusing and pretentious psychobabble.

This really is an extraordinary book - it is the most comprehensive, insightful, and consistent study of Wagner's Ring des Niblungen. It offers some musical analysis of the leitmotivs, and is one of the first books to begin a revision of von Wolzogen's grossly erroneous analysis of the leitmotivs; it provides a plethora of highly organized information about the stages of Wagner's sketches and librettos and the original myths/legends/sagas from which he drew; and a scene by scene analysis of Rheingold and Walkure.

This book actually makes sense of Der Ring des Niblungen - no easy task, as anyone familiar with the opera tetralogy is well aware. If you are interested in the tetralogy and want to know more about it, this is THE book. There are, however, two tragedies associated with this book: the first is that the author's untimely death prevented him from finishing the book (though the material printed is itself finished). The whole book should have been about three times the length of the printed material. The second tragedy is that it is OUT OF PRINT - this is absolutely disgraceful...hopefully this title will come in to print again.

Get a hold of a copy of this book if you can.

This book is a model of thoughtful interpretation. Cooke begins by setting out why interpretation of the Ring cycle has been so difficult. This is seen as due partly to the enormous complexity of the work, partly due to the fact that prior major interpretations have been based on somewhat unrealistic preconceptions, for example, Bernard Shaw's social-political interpretation, and partly due to prior major interpretations bypassing close analysis of the music itself. Cooke develops a set of explicit criteria for an accurate interpretation of the Ring and applies them to prior major interpretative efforts. His critique of Robert Dornington's Jungian analysis, for example is moderate in tone but devastating in effect. Cooke defends Wagner against the charge that the plot and characters of the Ring are a shoddily assembled hodge-podge of myth. Cooke performs a careful analysis of Wagner's sources, using the same editions that Wagner drew from. Cooke demonstrates Wagner's careful and artful selection and modification of elements from German and Nordic mythology into a sophisticated and well integrated drama. Cooke's recurring term for Wagner's craft is masterly and he is correct. With this background, Cooke moves to a careful analysis of the plot and characters of the first 2 operas, Rheingold and Valkyrie. An essentially step by step analysis shows how Wagner used plot and character to advance his theme of the conflict of power versus love.
The only defect of this book is that it ends with the conclusion of Valkyrie. Though this book is over 350 pages long (in a small but not miniscule font), this would have been only the beginning of Cooke's projected opus on the Ring. Presumably, there would have been an equivalent amount of enlightening text on Siegfried and Gotterdamerung. Cooke then apparently planned a major work analyzing the development of musical aspects of the drama. Listeners who have heard Cooke's excellent introduction to the leitmotivs of the Ring will have had a taste of what Cooke planned. Its truly unfortunate that Cooke didn't live to complete this project.

i saw the world end is one of the most brilliant studies of wagner's ring. unfortunately, deryck cooke died before he finished his survey. still, i saw the world end remains an important work detailing the ring and die walkure in particular.

This book amply shows what a tragedy it was that Deryck Cooke died whilst still at the height of his powers. He was one of the most approachable and reliable of music critics and musicologists. No-one was better at tracing a path through the minefield of different editions of the Bruckner symphonies. No-one was more perceptive in elucidating Mahler's music and its interpreters. His performing edition of the 10th Symphony still stands as a paradigm for how these things should be done and how they should be presented to the world. 40 odd years later, his book, The Language of Music, remains a fascinating and significant exposition of the building-blocks of music, an exploration of how certain intervals and phrases which are the basic vocabulary of musical expression seem to retain a common 'meaning' across the work of very different composers from the Baroque era to the 60's.

But this monumental study of Wagner's Ring, which he left less than half finished at his death, would probably have been his greatest contribution to musical exegesis. What is left for us is an introduction which cogently dispenses with the narrow-minded interpretations proposed by the socialist, anti-capitalist Shaw in The Perfect Wagnerite and the Jungian psychology of Donington in Wagner's Ring and its Symbols. There then follows a tantalising look at the music itself in which he shows that one particular leitmotif misnamed by Wolzogen in his pioneering study as Flight, a mistake blindly followed by most subsequent commentators, is in fact the fundamental Love motif of the entire cycle. From this he draws the not unreasonable conclusion that this is, musically and philosophically, a crucial half of the essential dramatic conflict of the tetralogy between Power and Love. This particular chapter is especially frustrating in the glimpse it gives us of just how penetrating and perceptive his promised but unfulfilled analysis of the music would have been.

What we do get is a fascinating study of how Wagner bent the myriad of literary sources he used into a taut and coherent dramatic structure. And what parts of the final Ring libretto were entirely the product of his own imagination. It makes for a detective trail along the lines of John Livingstone Lowe's pursuit of all the sources for Coleridge's Kubla Khan in The Road to Xanadu. But even this part of the argument only takes us through the evolution of Das Rheingold and Die Walkure before it is cut off in its prime. However, it is still more than enough to leave us with and important study, written with all Cooke's familiar approachability and common sense.

This may be just the torso of the book Cooke intended to write. But anyone interested in how Wagner's enormous work came to take the form it did should derive enormous pleasure as well as elucidation from it. The title, by the way, is taken from some wonderfully evocative lines that Wagner wrote for Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene, but cut before he set them to music.

The blessed end
Of all things eternal,
Do you know how I reached it?
Deepest suffering
Of Grieving love
Opened my eyes:
I saw the world end.

A must read for anyone interested in Indonesia. Superb historical accounts, on the ground descriptions and skillful storytelling. A classic on my bookshelf! Students love it.

I consider this book as very interesting and easy to read. The author describe the situation in a way that you can feel the situation in a real way. it is a very interesting historic document of the Suharto dictator fall; very interesting for all the people who want to know what happened in this crucial days in the history of Indonesia.

This is a terrific book. The author was in Indonesia at the end of the 1990's, in what was obviously a very tumultuous time for that country. The book is divided into three sections, each of which deals with a different event. The first section deals with two trips that Parry made to the island of Borneo, which witnessed several episodes of ethnic conflict during the 1990s. The author was specifically drawn to the island because of reports that members of a particular ethnic group were not only being killed, but that they were being slaughtered in brutal, ritualistic fashion. Parry not only manages to find people who confirm these stories, but on his second trip to the island he actually sees more direct evidence of these atrocities. The second section of the book deals with the student protests that led to the downfall of Suharto. This was probably my favorite part of the book, because Parry provides such an outstanding analysis of the ideological underpinnings of Suharto's regime. I only wish that he would have discussed in greater detail the financial crash as well as the ensuing involvement of the IMF, as well as the anti-Chinese riots that took place throughout the country. The final section of the book details the author's stay in East Timor, including his meeting with an elusive pro-independence guerilla fighter and his harrowing stay in the UN compound after the independence referendum, when the pro-Indonesian militias were committing reprisal attacks with the blessing of the Indonesian military. Throughout the book Parry manages to infuse the narrative with an impressive sense of drama, such that it often reads like a novel. Parry realizes that he witnessed history in the making, and he does a good job of conveying to his readers the historical import of the events that he relates.

Excellent book, well-written and gripping for the most part. During the climax, I found myself unable to put it down -- something that doesn't usually happen with non-fiction. Spare prose and light touches of very British humor at certain points added to the reading "pleasure," if that's the right word for a work centering on horrific events.

I deduct a star for a bit of exaggeration over the climax. From the way it was built up, I thought Lloyd Parry had been involved in something truly horrific. Ultimately, I found his reaction very male and a bit irritating, rather overdone.

Overall, though, an excellent book. I hope he plans on writing more.

As an Indonesian that lived through the tumultous period covered in the book, I found Richard Parry's work to be very authoritative. He digs deep, more than just facts and statistics. Though not a picture that I want my homeland to be remembered by, I found this to be a must read.

Great ideas for bringing kids to a success mind-set.
I hope to introduce the concepts in a local school.

I found The Inner Wealth- The Nurtured Heart Approach in Education to be a very user friendly book with sensible suggestions and premises. I wish the ideas in this book could be implemented in the very earliest grades. Teachers do not have time for a lot of non-sense and pie-in-the sky. This book is filled with ideas and approaches maintaining dignity and respect for both Teacher and Student. The book is grounded in reality.It teaches a more peaceful way of life which hopefully diminishes power struggles and the same old unworkable outcomes.
I have profound respect for Teachers, and I realize many of the trying and even dangerous situations they find themselves facing. I found this book to be a motivater for so many students and a tool to help prevent exhaustion and burn out in so many Teachers. I found this book worth the money, and I plan to give this book as a gift to some of my special Teacher friends. This is a useful book, in my opinion, for Pre-school teachers.

Our staff has been using "The Nurtured Heart Approach" for several years. The Inner Wealth Initiative provides a stunning and detailed framework for transforming the classroom enviornment. We have purchased a copy of the book for each of our staff members and we meet together weekly to discuss the contents, to share our successes, and to ask each other for support. Thank you, Howie and Tom!!

This book should be in every educators hands! How simple it is shift focus from energizing negative behavior to honoring the greatness of students. Intense and energy-challenged kids have learned through experience that they only get attention from adults when they misbehave. This system of nurturing their gifts, recognizing the success they already demonstrate, and giving no or little attentino to bad choices actually works. It works with the entire class - everyone feeding off the positive comments made. The social curriculum of relationship becomes overt and powerful, and leaves much more time for teaching, learning and empowering minds and spirits. It works on your kids, your spouse, your barista. But a dozen - give one to every teacher you know. Start reminding yourself how great you are, too!

I'd handed the book to a teacher at one of 18 Head Start classrooms a few weeks ago. She has been struggling with some very intense and lively children. This is a 60-plus woman with immense skills and experience and she'd been eating up all the Nurtured Heart stuff I've been feeding her, trying it out with the three little boys who have especially been giving her a run for her money. She told me she thought the book was wonderful, that she'd read it all week-end. I said, "Great! That makes my day, Janet I'm so glad you're finding it helpful!" and she said, "Oh no, you don't understand. You've saved my life. I didn't think I was going to be able to teach little children anymore. They seem to be coming with so many more challenges these days." She is excited for her co-worker to read it next.

And then, a teacher at another site has also been struggling with some creatively intense 3-5 year olds. I've known her for 4 years and have never seen her so discouraged. I did a one-hour training at her site one Friday. When I saw her the next Tuesday she said, "I read that book all week-end. I was sick and I probably wouldn't have read it if I hadn't been sick. I usually don't read those kinds of books, but I've read almost all of it." When I went into her classroom the difference between the last time I was there and this time was like night and day. She'd come alive, nurturing the hearts of those little kids right and left...and I was back today, more of the same. She was having fun.

I purchased this book because I hoped to gain a deep or profound insight about Time from educated, intellectual minds. And while I did in fact achieve this goal, it was not thru the manner that I expected.

I support the entire "Introducing..." series by Totem because their illustrations along with genuine, serious educational content make the books highly appealing, attractive and inspiring. And this one was no exception -- in terms of doing its best to present, primarily chronologically, what informed minds from involved and associated fields had to say, or present as theory, about "Time." But -- and this is meant to have a dramatic impact -- BUT... it was through reading what these thinkers and scholars had to say about time that verified to me that nobody knows what it is. Which is a good thing; a great thing! To me this means that a little boy or girl living out in the middle of nowhere has just as much right -- and is equally "correct" -- in whatever they feel or suppose "time" is. After reading this book, I realized that nobody can 'know' what Time is, but rather they attempt to define it in ways, that when one looks at it clearly, should come to see as solely based on the way 'time' is measured. Again, time is not definable; it is open to interpretaion; one must be wary of definitions that purport to define, but really do nothing more than present notions based upon how 'time' is measured. A person who sees "time" as seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years is no more correct than a person who experiences time as an independent, deeply-personal intuitive experience.

The best part of the book is the brief area where Einstein's theories of relativity are introduced. As for the rest, to this reader, it was truly great minds "mentally masturbating." The question is: Do these great minds know they're "m.m-ing" or do they truly believe they are offering a profound contribution to the study of Time?

But, in all fairness to the book, it was not until I read it that I came to understand what I have attempted to present here. And what I would like to say to any person wondering if they should read this book: Yes, do so; but be confident in whatever you get out of the experience, in terms of your idea of time, do know that you too are equally correct!

Nobody knows or understands time. It is open to interpretation. And that is what makes it a beautiful phenomenon. "Time" has not given its secrets over to any one.

Introducing Time starts off with Aristotle's view on time then goes on to talk about many philosophical and scientific views of time. It includes Newton's absolute time, Einstein's special and general relativity as they relate to time, including Godel Universes, and also Boltzman's statistical mechanics based view of time. All in all a lot of information in such a short book.

Great book. By the time you get to the end, you'll know quite a lot about this topic and the whole theory, but you'll be pretty confused. Why confused? Because it's a hard topic to understand or interpret. And the book explains that as well as it can. But it sure will make you think.

Time is a concept that all humans have a fundamental grasp of. We all know that there is a direction to the events of our lives and that once an event happens, to the best of our knowledge it will always have happened. We break it down into units of years, days, hours, and minutes and in the last minute of some sporting events, tenths of seconds. However, when we really try to get a precise intellectual handle on it, time becomes fuzzy and it is very difficult to be precise. The passage of time is also relative to the situation; a few minutes in a dentist chair can appear to be much longer, yet a few hours with our true love can seem like minutes.
In this book, Callender and Edney describe some of the attempts by scientists and philosophers to precisely define what time is. Some argue that to be logically consistent, time cannot exist. That of course seems absurd, whatever else we may know, at least locally, time does have an existence and a direction. Newton, Einstein, Godel and others have refined the concept, Einstein in particular demonstrated that the passage of time is slowed when the objects are traveling at high rates of speed. Although the authors do an excellent job using cartoons and other visual devices, the true nature of time is a difficult topic. Like the apparent fate of the universe, in the end, time simply comes down to an overall increase in entropy, for that is the way we recognize the passage of time.
This is an excellent book about an apparently simple, yet very complex subject. Time is a subject that we all think we know, until we really start to think about it.

Introducing Time is one of the Introducing series most popular selections. For an Introducing book it is also one of the most detailed, thought provoking, wide-ranging and heady science volumes around. If you want to know anything about time then Introducing Time does just that and then some more, but be prepared for lots of difficult diverse thinking.

In most cases the first 100 pages will be more than enough for most people and the Introducing series could easily have made this book 200 pages long with that material alone but instead has condensed the opening philosophical thought on time into a shorter amount and goes straight into Einstein, relativity, lots on time travel and a great finish on entropy. Most of these topics are actually books in their own right such as Introducing Relativity and Introducing Einstein so Introducing Time really is good value for money.

If you are thinking about starting a collection of science titles from the Introducing series then you would do well to get this book or add it to your collection for two reasons. First of all, Introducing Time includes the best explanation of Boltzmann's statistical mechanics and entropy I have read anywhere. It could be worth it for that alone. You may not expect entropy to have such an impact on the topic of time and that can be a very nice surprise when reading that it does. The second is really just the breath of the coverage that time gets in this book. Even those who have read Stephen Hawking's `A brief history of time' will come away from this one with a whole lot more than thought possible.

Core material:
Clocks
Psychological time
Time scenarios
Relationalism and absolute time
Relative and non-relative
Tenseless and tensed
Dimensions
Motion and change
Time flows
Galilean relativity
Einstein's relativity
Simultaneity
Lightcones
Logic
Time travel
Impossibility
Causal loops
Physics and time travel
Spacetime curvature
Godel
Taub-NUT-Misner spacetime
Cosmic string theory
Wormholes
Mobius twist
Branching time
Space and limits
Geroch's theorem
Big bang
Closed and open time
The direction of time
Thermodynamics
Entropy
Statistical mechanics
Loschmidt paradox
Universe's statistical development
Boundary conditions
Temporal double-standard
Time reversal
Quantum gravity
Wheeler-DeWitt
Inexistence of time

This is far from an easy book but time is a detailed topic and should get the full treatment if it should be treated at all. For this reason Introducing Time is quite simply one of the most important and revealing books on something that people take for granted. It's the kind of book you come away with a mind full of awe. If Introducing Time doesn't change your worldview then nothing will.

I actually bought this book solely on the weight of the positive Amazon reviews it received. It's by far the best study aid I've purchased, and I highly recommend it to any Civ Pro student. Glannon's E&E is also well-written, but I find myself coming back to Freer's book to clarify topics that are covered in my casebook.

This book helps to clarify the dry rules & concepts of Civil Procedure. Much more readable than a boring casebook (although best as a supplement to, not a replacement for, the casebook).

I agree with the other reviewers that this is an excellent guide to Civil Procedure. The book provides the basics of Civil Procedure and, where appropriate, the little details that can easily trap an unwary student on an exam. Most importantly, the book is peppered with examples that will help crystalize the material. Suprisingly, it also is very easy reading. My impression was that the author actually was interested in making sure the reader understands the material rather than providing a perfunctory compilation of rules. Like one of the prior reviewers, I was essentially lost for the majority of my Civil Procedure class until I bought this book.

This book was a godsend unfortunately I bought it a little too late, I wish I would have had it for the entire year instead of the last couple of weeks of class. It has everything including the minute details professors like to test on for finals...If you need civil procedure help..look at this book or listen to the Richard Freer CDS..

This book provides an in-depth discussion of the civil procedure in a well written and understandable presentation. It is a lot better than the Glannon's book.

Boye actually wrote this book before both "1984" and "Brave New World".

The Worldstate of Kallocain appeared in print eight years before Orwell's famous story of totalitarian hell. Although weaker in some ways, it has more emotional impact in many others. It's about Kall, a chemist and loyal Fellow-Soldier of The State. His work re-opens earlier, failed studies on "truth serum" drugs. His new compounds eliminate the earlier drugs' toxic effects, the effect that destroyed the minds of so many human guinea pigs from the Voluntary Sacrificial Service. This time, the more merciful drug simply leaves its victims as passive, even cooperative partners in their own violation - the perverted wish of physical and mental rapists everywhere.

Idealist Kall sees only its potential to help the life-giving state against its enemies, at first. Of course, he sees his invention turned to the self-serving power struggles of the party oligarchs. He sees how having that drug's power corrupts its possessor, even seeing that corruption arise in himself. By then, the evil genie is out of the bottle and granting the wishes of the oppressive State.

The end of the book seems to wander. Kall sees the full force of The State's anti-terrorist army directed against a nameless little band of dreamers. He takes part in vaguely horrific trials for capital crimes against The State, with executions handed down apparently on whims and personal grudges. He ends his story with ambiguous dreams, still hoping that his pharmacological creation can live on, and still hoping (against evidence) that it can be used for genuine good.

It's worth reading, though. It captures the fears of its early Soviet and pre-Nazi era, and captures the time's faith (and fear) in the power of science. And it reminds technologists that, although scientific results have no inherent morality, the people who create and use those results do - or should.

--wiredweird

There are a few books that I wish everyone would read; this is one of them. A far far more compelling book than 1984, Kallocain probes what it means to be a good citizen. That this book is not more widely know is unfortunately due most likely to the fact that it is Swedish and that it has been issued by a university press. But this is a rip snorting good tale that will keep you riveted and make you think. And there is lots to ponder: surveillence issues, the idea of good citizenship; the question of who or what is "the enemy"; what war is about; the use of mind altering drugs in the management of society; and so on. Read it and pass on word of it to others! It deserves attention!

This is probably the best swedish novel ever. It is written in the same style as Orwell's 1984 but where Orwell is purely political, Boye is much more existential. Kallocain is not only a critical reflexion on the totalitarian state but rather an experiment searching to find out if the force of life existing in every man and woman really can be destroyed (which in many ways is the purpose of the state in Kallocain). Perhaps one can only be controlled to a degree. If you squeeze an egg too hard it will burst, and then there is no way you can stop the content from letting go of your hands. It is hardly no coincident that the substans that has given the novel its name is green; the color of life.

I stongly recomend everyone to buy it and read it (over and over again if posible).

i wouldn't call it "hilarious", for sure, but i definitely agree that Karin Boye has done us a great service in writing this book. Reminiscent of 1984 and also of Yvgeny Zamyatin's WE, KALLOCAIN is actually more frightening than either of those. The mind of the "collaborator," the willing citizen of a totalitarian state, is laid bare; his rationales and fears are thus universalized, and one sees the tyrant in all of us ...