Richard Books

The timeliness of these essays belies the political radicalism they express. Taken with his later works, especially

Beyond Good and Evil and the Genealogy of Morals, one catches the man with his ideological 'pants-down'.

--These essays contain in clearest definition, his project of revaluation, and there is no better 'clarification' of

what George Brandes named "aristocratic radicalism" than as it appears here, standing against the currents

of the timely and 'all-too-human' with a vision of what is to come: in all its danger, banality and glory. This is

the aurora before the great battle for Noontide, a Ragnarok for mediocrity and everything socialist.

I consider Nietzsche to be the most honest, profound and relevant thinker available to those who are lost and nauseated in a godless, overly- democratised world. This is not to say that Nietzsche is without faults, and serious ones at that. Nevertheless, at his best he combines an honesty, seriousness and profoundity that are, in my view, unsurpassed.
With this in mind I would recommend to anyone who wishes to undertake a serious study of Nietzsche to begin with the Untimely Meditations, and particularly the essays on "History" and "Schopenhauer". These two works especially illustrate Nietzsche's obsessions, his character and his general orientation.

These four "Meditations" deal with, as has been noted in other reviews, a very diverse number of topics. Primarily, however (and apart from the scattered passages of philosophical interest), they are criticisms, or more accurately explanations, of culture. Although they deal with issues such as sholarship, literature, science, art, and of course philosophy, the recurring theme in all four is culture. What it is, what kind of culture is desirable, how culture comes about, etc. These discussions are found in each of the Meditations, some more fragmentary than in others.

These are some of Nietzsche's early writings and they reflect that fact. They are similar to "The Birth of Tragedy" to certain degrees in style and in content. They are not fully or even primarily philosophical works. Nietzsche is here still under the influence of Richard Wagner and Arthur Schopenhauer and although it can be seen that he is breaking away from those influences (for instance, the Meditation on Schopenhauer does not focus on Schopenhauer's actual philosophy as a source of education for Nietzsche so much as Schopenhauer the man, and the Meditation on Richard Wagner is not as strong and unified as the other Meditations are and it does not present a wholly flattering picture of Wagner, dwelling as it does on his psychology - it's tenor is not always one entirely of approval) he has not really begun his philosophizing yet.

The other way they show how early on in Nietzsche's career they are is in the writing itself. While "The Birth of Tragedy" had technical issues even ignoring the philological and philosophical concerns (as amazing a work in aesthetics and culture as it was), these four works do as well. Don't get me wrong, even in Nietzsche's first book his command of language shows itself and these are beautifully written pieces in their own right, but neither his first book nor the four Meditations can quite measure up, stylistically, to Nietzsche's later works like "Twilight of the Idols".

Still, the Meditations are interesting in their own right. "David Straus, the Confessor and the Writer" deals with a number of topics. One of these has to do with faith and doctrines of beliefs. Nietzsche, who used to enjoy reading Strauss's "Life of Jesus", blasts Strauss mercilessly (in a way that really hasn't changed if you happen to watch any TV at all) for putting up his own secular faith in place of religious faith and you can almost hear the unspoken words "Last Man" which Nietzsche would write so contemptuously of in "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". The fact that Strauss shared similar views on religion as such with Nietzsche mattered little. Strauss, in Nietzsche's opinion, tried to change the fundamental views of the world (from the supernatural to the material/deterministic) without drawing new conclusions from that. Basically, Strauss was viewed as one of those who saw Darwin and that which he stood for as of great benefit to mankind without realizing the kinds of change such a shift in worldview that implied. Essentially, Strauss represents the type (the Last Man) that has ultimately been victorious, in large parts of the world, over Nietzsche. The kind who shifts his superstitions to material science but keeps the Christian morality, or the Christian conclusions based on that premise (which, because of the shift from afterworld to this world, is no longer a valid premise).

Later on, Nietzsche bashes Strauss's prose, although the final examples of bad German that Nietzsche picked apart in the original are simply cut out of this version because of the translation difficulties. It would be somewhat pointless to hear a German criticism in German _of_ German if it has all been rendered (deliberately badly) into English.

"On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life" is an interesting piece which points out a central tenet of Nietzsche's philosophy of life. A thing may only be "good" to the extent that it is life-promoting. This is, I'm pretty sure, the main reason Nietzsche fought so hard against anything he perceived as nihilistic. Nietzsche says in here that to a certain extent, for man to function, he must be "unhistorical". On the other hand, he applauds the type who can be as historical as possible and still function. Throughout these meditations you get a sense of Nietzsche's approval of the "higher" or aristocratic type that was to culminate in his conception of the overman.

"Schopenhauer as Educator" is, as I have said, not so much about Schopenhauer's philosophy as it is about the lesson's Nietzsche took from Schopenhauer's life. Nietzsche claimed, towards the end of his life, that this essay was not written about Schopenhauer but about himself. While I don't really buy that, I am inclined to grant, after reading it, that some of the attributes Nietzsche praises in Schopenhauer were either slightly altered or completely fabricated and that Nietzsche was writing into this Meditation things he admired and wished to emulate. For one thing, I don't think you could really say that Schopenhauer was "cheerful" in any sense of the word. Schopenhauer was a pessimist in more than just a philosophical sense and his writings about anything contemporary or tangible seem bitter (not just the stuff about Hegel).

I'll leave off the final Meditation. It's not as clear as the others, but there is a lot of interesting cultural commentary, including a very great deal about art and culture. There is one passage I would like to quote as an example: "Wherever 'form' is nowadays demanded, in society and in conversation, in literary expression, in traffic between states, what is involuntarily understood by it is a pleasing appearance, the antithesis of the true concept of form as shape necessitated by content, which has nothing to do with 'pleasing' or 'displeasing' preciesly because it is necessary and not arbitrary." (Richard Wagner in Bayreuth pg. 216)

Although there was a revolt against form in the early part of the 20th Century, like most revolts it made certain gains and was summarily crushed.

These Meditations constitute necessary reading for any serious Nietzschean (and I use that term without any sense of irony - if Nietzsche hadn't wanted adherents he shouldn't have left any writings, unsystematic or not) and help greatly with a proper understanding of his ideas (which can be misconstrued if you start with later writings and don't read them analytically).

This translation is, of course, excellent and the Cambridge Texts series is about the best on the market right now. Even though I have the paperback editions of Nietzsche's works the binding is more durable than some hardcover books I have purchased.

Nietzsche and Wagner were adept at picking on their contemporaries in a way that is so thoroughly unpopular now that I would not be surprised if this book is never again printed with the Introduction by J.P. Stern which was in the 1983 version reprinted in 1989, and which I purchased in 1990. It is clear from that introduction that David Strauss had read the first portion of this book and furnished his friend Rapp with a clear question about Nietzsche's character in a letter of 19 December 1873. "First they draw and quarter you, then they hang you. The only thing I find interesting about the fellow is the psychological point -- how can one get into such a rage with a person whose path one has never crossed, in brief, the real motive of this passionate hatred." (p. xiv) Those who are familiar with legal procedures, or how the media treats anyone who is suddenly perceived to be a fink, might enjoy this book as something that might be considered an unforgivable outburst today. Who could wish for such a triumph now, over intellectual paths which crossed twice? When Nietzsche was young, he perceived a scholar who displayed the real Straussian genius. Later, Nietzsche could only find a writer who, "if he is not to slip back into the Hegelian mud, is condemned to live out his life on the barren and perilous quicksands of newspaper style." (p. 54) I could have rated this book a bit higher, for being much more truthful than is expected of scholarly work today, but the kind of scholars who read these books might have no idea what I meant, or they know that they are better off not raising questions about those political issues which are most questionable. Nietzsche's real fearlessness began here.

Nietzsche wrote "David Strauss, the Confessor and the Writer" in 1873, the first of his Unfashionable Observations, at the behest of Richard Wagner. David Strauss was an eminent theologian, whose The Life of Jesus Critically Examined (1864) had had a tremendous impact due to its demystification of Jesus' life. Strauss had contended that the supernatural claims made about the historical Jesus could be explained in terms of the particular needs of his community. Although Strauss defends Christianity for it's moral ideals, his demythologizing of Jesus appealed to Nietzsche.

Nevertheless, Wagner had been publicly denounced by Strauss in 1865 for having persuaded Ludwig II to fire a musician rival. Not one to forget an assault, Wagner encouraged Nietzsche to read Strauss' recent The Old and the New Faith (1872), which advocated the rejection of the Christian faith in favor of a Darwinian, materialistic and patriotic worldview. Wagner described the book to Nietzsche as extremely superficial, and Nietzsche agreed with Wagner's opinion, despite the similarity of his own views to Strauss' perspective on religion.

This Unfashionable Observation, accordingly, was Nietzsche's attempt to avenge Wagner by attacking Strauss' recent book. In fact, the essay is at least as much an argumentative attack on Strauss as on his book, for Nietzsche identifies Strauss as a cultural "Philistine" and exemplar of pseudoculture. The resulting essay appears extremely intemperate, although erudite, filled with references to many of Nietzsche's scholarly contemporaries. The climax is a literary tour de force, in which Nietzsche cites a litany of malapropisms from Strauss, interspersed with his own barbed comments.

Nietzsche's second Unfashionable Observation, "On the Advantages and Disadvantages of History for Life" (1874) is "unfashionable" because it questions the apparent assumption of nineteenth century German educators that historical knowledge is intrinsically valuable. Nietzsche argues, in contrast, that historical knowledge is valuable only when it has a positive effect on human beings' sense of life. Although he acknowledges that history does provide a number of benefits in this respect, Nietzsche also contends that there are a number of ways in which historical knowledge could prove damaging to those who pursued it and that many of his contemporaries were suffering these ill effects.

Nietzsche contends that history can play three positive roles, which he terms "monumental," "antiquarian," and "critical." Monumental history brings the great achievements of humanity into focus. This genre of history has value for contemporary individuals because it makes them aware of what is possible for human beings to achieve. Antiquarian history, history motivated primarily out of a spirit of reverence for the past, can be valuable to contemporary individuals by helping them appreciate their lives and culture. Critical history, history approached in an effort to pass judgment, provides a counter-balancing effect to that inspired by antiquarian history. By judging the past, those engaged in critical history remain attentive to flaws and failures in the experience of their culture, thereby avoiding slavish blindness in their appreciation of it.

The problem with historical scholarship in his own time, according to Nietzsche, was that historical knowledge was pursued for its own sake. He cited five dangers resulting from such an approach to history: (1) Modern historical knowledge undercuts joy in the present, since it makes the present appear as just another episode. (2) Modern historical knowledge inhibits creative activity by convincing those made aware of the vast sweep of historical currents that their present actions are too feeble to change the past they have inherited. (3) Modern historical knowledge encourages the sense that the inner person is disconnected from the outer world by assaulting the psyche with more information than it can absorb and assimilate. ( 4) Modern historical knowledge encourages a jaded relativism toward reality and present experience, motivated by a sense that because things keep changing present states of affairs do not matter. (5) Modern historical knowledge inspires irony and cynicism about the contemporary individual's role in the world; the historically knowledgeable person comes to feel increasingly like an afterthought in the scheme of things, imbued by a sense of belatedness.

Although Nietzsche was convinced that the current approach to history was psychologically and ethically devastating to his contemporaries, particularly the young, he contends that antidotes could reverse those trends. One antidote is the unhistorical, the ability to forget how overwhelming the deluge of historical information is, and to "enclose oneself within a bounded horizon." A second antidote is the suprahistorical, a shift of focus from the ongoing flux of history to "that which bestows upon existence the character of the eternal and stable, towards art and religion."

Nietzsche's third Unfashionable Observation "Schopenhauer as Educator" (1874), probably provides more information about Nietzsche himself than it does about Schopenhauer or his philosophy.

Schopenhauer, in Nietzsche's idealizing perspective, is exemplary because he was so thoroughly an individual genius. Schopenhauer was one of those rare individuals whose emergence is nature's true goal in producing humanity, Nietzsche suggests. He praises Schopenhauer's indifference to the mediocre academicians of his era, as well as his heroism as a philosophical loner.

Strangely, given Schopenhauer's legendary pessimism, Nietzsche praises his "cheerfulness that really cheers" along with his honesty and steadfastness. But Nietzsche argues that in addition to specific traits that a student might imitate, Schopenhauer offers a more important kind of example. Being himself attuned to the laws of his own character, Schopenhauer directed those students who were incapable of insight to recognize the laws of their own character. By reading and learning from Schopenhauer, one could develop one's own individuality.

"Richard Wagner in Bayreuth" (1876), the fourth and final of Nietzsche's published Unfashionable Observations, was intended as an essay of praise to Wagner, much like "Schopenhauer as Educator." Nietzsche's relationship with Wagner had been strained by the time he wrote the essay, however, and the tension is evident in the text, which emphasizes Wagner's psychology (a theme that would preoccupy Nietzsche in many of his future writings). Nietzsche, himself, may have been concerned about the extent to which the essay might be perceived as unflattering, for he considered not publishing it. Ultimately, Nietzsche published a version of the essay that was considerably less critical of Wagner than were earlier drafts, and Wagner was pleased enough to send a copy of the essay to King Ludwig.

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.

What can you say of a hamming book. Ofcourse its a classic. the style would tell you, why the guy has to be so famous. I love the nonlinear root finding treatment.

Throughout the book, that motto is repeated.

By reading and absorbing the material in this book, the reader is left with the tools and the insights necessary to derive their own numerical methods.

No longer will numerical methods be memorized as textbook formulas -- now the reader can adapt and derive a formula to solve a specific problem, instead of trying to fit one of a small number of textbook formulas to a problem.

The distinction is made between numerical analysis and numerical methods, with emphasis on the latter.

The book is roughly divided into two parts. The first part covers classical numerical methods, using classical error analysis (truncation error, roundoff error). The second part reexamines these methods under the frequency domain, analyzing how numerical methods affect various frequencies (the "transfer function" approach).

Numerical methods are derived under an information theory model, such as by finding a quadrature formula of the highest polynomial degree of accuracy, given limited information about the function and its derivatives.

Matrices and linear systems are not discussed as much as one might expect, although one chapter convincingly leads the reader to question some classical methods.

The content is well-rounded, introducing many readers to topics such as random number generators, difference equations and summation formulas, digital filters and quantization, discrete fourier transforms and the FFT, and orthogonal polynomials. A background in calculus is all that is needed.

Many real-world examples and anecdotes are cited, but without too much detail or too many illustrations given.

This book encourages the reader to ask: "What information is available about the problem? How can it be used to solve the problem? What are the limits of this information?" The approach is practical, not merely analytical.

This book teaches what most other numerical books fail to teach: How to derive your own formulas, and thus your own solutions to problems. And that is perhaps the most important lesson of all.

Chances are, if you have a degree in engineering of any kind, you have seen all of the numerical methods outlined here before. However, the purpose of this book is not just to detail how to perform different kinds of calculations. Instead, the author is attempting to give you an intuitive feel for the mathematics as well.

The book starts with an essay on numerical methods that discusses the book's five main ideas starting with its motto, which is the first idea - "The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers." The second idea is that it is necessary to study families of numbers and algorithms and to relate one family to another. The third and fourth major ideas are that of roundoff and truncation error, each of which is an effect of computing on finite machines. The final main idea is that of feedback and stability, where numbers produced at one stage are looped back to feed other stages of computations, and the result may or may not be stable.

The remainder of the book then studies many families of calculations and numbers based on these insights. The book is divided into five parts - Fundamentals and Algorithms, Polynomial Approximation, Fourier Approximation, Exponential Approximation, and finally a miscellaneous section which talks about approximations to singularities, optimization, linear independence, and eigenvalues and eigenvectors of Hermitian matrices. As you can see, the idea throughout this book is that since numerical methods are the use of numbers to simulate mathematical processes, then all of these algorithms are actually approximations. Throughout the book there are clearly worked out examples with plenty of illustrations and also many exercises, some with solutions. Highly recommended.

I sympathise with the reviewer who said this is one of the few
books on numerical methods he could stand. I will go further
and say this is a book that can be enjoyed. Example: section 2.8
"The Frequency Distribution of Mantissas" explains why the
leading digits of of decimal numbers are not uniformly
distributed, a result that is surely counterintuitive. There is
much more material of interest in this book too. It does
contain standard material too but is more readable than many
books. The author offers much practical advice and insight.
(Hamming is a famous name in applied mathematics and electical
engineering).

The price is immaterial. Hamming is the recognized expert in coding and many fields of mathematics. The writing is surprisingly easy to follow. (none of that - solution is left as an exercise for the student). You need this book if you do any kind of mathematics on a PC. We're talking DSP, simulations, whatever. Okay, price counts - it's cheap, outstanding info.

For those of you who run storytimes for prek- 2nd grade and are doing a bug/insect theme, this book is an excellent read-a-loud selection. It has enough suspense and drama to draw the children into the story and also has a repetitious aside that the children pick up immediately. So you have the combination of a great read-a-loud/participation story all rolled into one. I heartly recommend this book for a prek-2nd grade storytime.

This book is absolutely my favorite to read to my kids. Stories that I can make come to life and create some adreneline in them are fabulous and this one certainly does it. We stumbled across it at the library and I HAD to order it -- not to be found in a brick and mortar book store. Get it today! You'll be reading it forever!

Check out "Storms Comin" too.

This book was absolutely great. My 7 year old thought it was funny and we had a lot of fun in the creak-creak-creak and the crick-crick-cricks. Besides being an entertaining story, the underlying message about excuses and what goes around comes around couldn't be better.

Old Cricket is a delight! Having read Wheeler's other books, this one was another jewel to add to our growing home library. You don't get to be a smart cooky unless you read the best books, and Wheeler knows exactly what we like!

There are few things I like better in this world than finding a great new read-aloud picture book for my library storytimes. Maybe Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, but that's about it. For me, a book that reads well to large screaming hoards of five-year-olds is worth its weight in gold. I don't know how I missed the publication of "Old Cricket" back in 2003, but I give you my solemn word of honor that it will rarely find itself anywhere but in my finest storytime collection from now on.

On a fine clear morning Old Cricket wakes up on the wrong side of bed. He's feeling particularly cantankerous and his missus tells him in no uncertain terms to fix the roof. "You don't get to be an old cricket by being a dumb bug" the text informs us, so Cricket makes up an imaginary creak in his knee to get out of the job. While en route to the doctor (or so his wife thinks) he meets up with his cousin, Katydid. She asks him to help pick some berries off the bush, but Old Cricket adds a fake crick in his neck to accompany the supposed creak in his knee. You see where this is going. Ants ask him to help them bring in the last of the corn and a crack in his back is the additional malady. It's only when he meets up with Old Crow who wants to eat him that his tricks no longer work ("You don't get to be an old crow by being a birdbrain") and he develops every physical ailment that he invented in the process of running away. In the end, Cricket does visit Doc Hopper (who's name will remind certain members of my generation of the villain in "The Muppet Movie", I'm sure) and is cured. So it's homeward to fix the roof and a happy ending for one and all.

The text reads aloud beautifully with lots of different voices, plenty of "cricks" "creaks" and "cracks" to sound out the text, and a fast-paced chase sequence for those who weren't paying attention at the beginning. Author Lisa Wheeler has slowly been making a name for herself and I look forward to reading other titles of hers like "Sailor Moo". The repetition in this book works beautifully for younger readers and I daresay this would make an excellent storytelling tale sans book if it came to that.

Not that you should forget about the gorgeous pictures accompanying the text. Rendered in acrylic paints, artist Ponder Goembel (who's first name I may well steal for my own child someday) throws her back into this book. Every animal here is rendered realistically with a kind of gently shaded sheen. Leaves sport natural holes and bites, and though every animal (with the exception of the nudist ants) wears clothing in this tale, it never looks unnatural or out of place. Old Cricket, for example, doffs a worn red cap and what looks to be a fisherman's vest when he goes out into the world. I especially enjoyed the little details that appeared here and there. Old Cricket has only one antennae, a fact that becomes crystal clear when he and the missus (also lacking that particular protuberance) pose in a final touching shot. Even if your child is not reading on their own yet, they'll be delightedly poring through this book for hours and hours on end.

I certainly hope that "Old Cricket" won itself a fair share of awards the year it came out. This book needs to be on every reading list in the country for kids below the age of... oh say.... 72. Funny, fine, and frantic, it is the kind of book every author of folktales hopes to write and so few actually do.

This is one of those exquisitely printed, oversized photo books that takes you out of yourself and out of your own immediate environment, and allows you to experience the weightless free-flying giddiness of a dreamlike vacation.

It's a joy to get lost in the beautiful natural expanses that act as abstract minimalist grounds dotted here and there with humans at peace and in repose. The late afternoon light captures the dimples of the sand and the ripples of the calm glowing surface of the sea.

What more can I say? Not much. And apparently the publisher knew that, too, because indeed there is only one short paragraph of text at the end written by the photographer.

If you are craving a totally relaxing tropical vacation, this is next best to the real thing.

-- Jim Casper

this is a focused work of exceptional calibre. Its presentation is immaculate, and the topic is the beach... still life's or life frozen, the water mesmerizes, the people are sometimes mystifying, sometimes inconsequential, mostly always only a part of a whole much larger. The colours and the clarity of his shots are beautiful. Just make sure you have room for this work!

I purchased the book after seeing an exhibition of this work at The Art Institute of Chicago. This book does a fine job of capturing the impact of the exhibition. The images are stunning and perfectly supported by the design and scale of this book. Well worth the price.

The large format of the images is really strinking. The book was much larger than I expected when I ordered it. I wonder if the prints would be as moving if they were smaller. But the size is part of the work so I guess that question might not matter. I imagine these images would be great alone on a wall as well. The images gave me sense of how limitless our universe is around us. We find things in life to ground us or anchor us but really we are just floating around in the ether.

RICHARD MISRACH SIMPLY AMAZES ME WITH ALL HIS PHOTO PROJECTS. FROM DESERT CANTOS , THE SKY BOOK , SAN FRANSICO BRIDGE BOOK.WE ARE AWAKENED BY HIS ON THE BEACH PROJECT. A MOST INTERESTING AND SOPHISTICATED PUBLICATION TO DATE.A MUST FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK COLLECTOR.

Gale's book is introduced as a critical response to the analytic arguments offered by Plantinga, Swinburne, Alston, and others. He begins by discussing several atheological arguments, which he uses to clarify the nature of God's attributes instead of refuting God's existence. He then proceeds to refute different versions of ontological, cosmological, religious-experience, and pragmatic arguments for God's existence. Technical, yet very witty. Recommended reading for anyone with an academic interest in the philosophy of religion.

Richard Gale taught my philosophy of religion class at the University of Pittsburgh and used this book as one of the texts. He is an acute reasoner and this book reflects his ability to tear apart arguments that otherwise seem unassailable. A word to the wise who wish to read the book: Gale uses modal logic pretty extensively in parts so be forewarned if the subject gives you problems. --Matt Hunt

I came across this one at a local book store in my neighborhood, and it was a very good find. I had never heard of this book, nor do I recall any other Atheist sites that list it, yet I rate it with Martin's Atheism: A Philosophical Justification as one of the better books on the subject. The author does not cover the basics anywhere near as thorough as Smith does, but the book is a nice introduction to Atheological arguments. Attempts are made to discredit the existence of God, and the very concept of some of His attributes (such as omnipotence, omniscience, et cetera). Most entertaining of all, Gale touches on the question of things God can and cannot create (such as four-sided triangles, et cetera). While these are questions that many theists have tried to wave off as absurd or even sophomoric, Gale does a great job of giving them a more sound quality

Gale's book is introduced as a critical response to the analytic arguments offered by Plantinga, Swinburne, Alston, and others. He begins by discussing several atheological arguments, which he uses to clarify the nature of God's attributes instead of refuting God's existence. He then proceeds to refute different versions of ontological, cosmological, religious-experience, and pragmatic arguments for God's existence. Technical, yet very witty. Recommended reading for anyone with an academic interest in the philosophy of religion.

Richard Gale taught my philosophy of religion class at the University of Pittsburgh and used this book as one of the texts. He is an acute reasoner and this book reflects his ability to tear apart arguments that otherwise seem unassailable. A word to the wise who wish to read the book: Gale uses modal logic pretty extensively in parts so be forewarned if the subject gives you problems. --Matt Hunt

Some reviewer have had some problems with the more technical aspects of this book, but they are there precisely because Prof. Gale is dealing with the most subtle and sophisticated problems in the most subtle and sophisticated way. It is helpful, but not at all necessary, to have some familiarity with modal logic. Readers without the technical background will still be able to follow most of Prof. Gale's arguments.
The virtues of this book are numerous. When it comes to the issues of whether "God" is a self-consistent concept, whether the universe requires an explanation, whether the argument from evil is defeated by appeal to free will, and whether religious experience provides a rational basis for religious belief, there are simply no comparable treatments available. Gale's treatments are far and away the most comprehensive and sophisticated available. Gale also has an unfailing sense of humor and has no particular axe to grind.

Gale casts a skeptical eye on the metaphysical issues surrounding philosophy of religion with keen perception and a good dose of blatant silliness. Issues explored include: the coherence of the Anselmian God of classical theism, Plantinga's much celebrated Free Will Defense, modal realism and theism, ontological arguments, modal cosmological arguments, religious experience, and prudential arguments for theistic belief. Gale doesn't just point out possible objections to theistic arguments, he explores their reasoning thoroughly; when he is finished, whether you agree with him or not, you understand the issues much better. A secondary, if still pressing, reason to read the book is Gale's sense of humor, which makes for odd (and engrossing) reading, with goofiness and sober logical analysis often side by side (quick example: in discussing the concept of a logically necessary God, Gale challenges Plantinga and others with an argument for the possibility of a world that is strongly inconsistent with God's existence; when Phil Quinn of Notre Dame responds with differing modal intuitions, Gale challenges him to a Modal Intuition Bowl, to be held between Pittsburgh and Notre Dame.) Fun, challenging, and enlightening reading.

When Richard Bushman sent the final proofs of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling to the publisher, he started an author's diary which he kept regularly for the following year, through publishing, reviews, book signings, lectures, and more. This slim book is that diary, and in just 130 pages it delivers the insights of several books. I think the book will be interesting to biographers who will see kindred struggles, to writers seeking to reach diverse audiences, and to Mormons who seek orthodoxy without sacrificing intellect. (It will be most interesting, however, if you have read Rough Stone Rolling.)

In the pages of this diary, we read Bushman's candid reactions to reviews: "I realize I don't like to read any kind of review, even the favorable ones. I am annoyed by what the reviewers choose to emphasize in Joseph's life. Most of them pick up a few fragments and present them as if they were the key elements" (31-32). He also admits to monitoring other indicators of reception: "I look up my Amazon rank a couple of times a day. I tell myself I am curious about how the system works, but it is mostly vanity I know" (55). The play-by-play response to reviews illustrate the frustration of an author in seeking for his work to be understood and seeing reviewers read only part of the book or completely miss the point.

Bushman also provides some of his own doctrinal exposition. He is a practicing Mormon (a patriarch and a temple sealer, both respected positions in the Church) with - as he puts it - an orthodox testimony. "A man...said, I bet your testimony is different from that of people in this room. I said it was, but that I believed in the gold plates" (108). He shares in this very personal book some of his views on our relationship to God (60-61), his view of a potential new public persona for the Church (105-106), and spiritual counsel on how to deal with doubts about Joseph Smith (110-111).

Bushman's principal dilemma in writing Rough Stone Rolling was trying to speak to both believing Mormons (many of whom have heard only praise for Joseph Smith throughout their lives) and curious non-Mormons (many of whom have never taken Smith seriously despite his accomplishments). As he reads reviews and gives talks, it becomes clear that he has lost some of the Mormons (one unnamed General Authority suggests his book will provide ammunition for anti-Mormons, others are supportive) and many of the non-Mormons (who see him as too sympathetic). He formulates an alternative approach he could have used to help non-Mormons along, and he questions (but ultimately defends) his decision to be explicit in his position as a practicing Mormon. Throughout, and especially in an essay he includes in the last few pages (123-127), he explores the question of how much of oneself to insert into a biography.

Finally, on a personal note, I enjoyed encountering books and people I have read. He talks about Greg Prince's recent (excellent) David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism and about having interactions with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know). He talks about interactions with Church leaders - Elder Holland, Elder Packer. These made the book feel a little more like family.

Fascinating, quick read, with parts to be enjoyed more than once. Highly recommended.

Great book. One would need to read Rough Stone Rolling prior, but put the frosting on the cake. Received from Amazon in great shape in good time.

I suspect this review is more personal than will be really helpful to Amazon readers. I write more to the the man than about the book.

Professor Bushman is a deep thinker. I am impressed by his dedication to his profession (and why shouldn't he be dedicated), and to his faith.

I also appreciated his candid discussion of his foibles and vanities. I think I begin to see that great things are accomplished by those who continue to "show up" as much as by those with genius (though I think Professor Bushman has plenty of genius). I get a chuckle from thinking of him checking his Amazon ranking because I'm just sure that I would do exactly the same thing. Isn't it just too human of us to want to know where we are "ranked," how we stack up against others.

Perhaps the most compelling part of this book, though, is Brother Bushman's obvious efforts to be true to his convictions and spread the word in ways that are consistent with his academic AND spiritual views. I find him to be living up to the Mormon motto that "all things are spiritual to God."

Well done, Professor. You are a credit to your faith.

This brief memoir (140 pages including the index) is a book about a book--Bushman's Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005)--and the reaction it generated from Mormons and non-Mormons of various sorts during the author's yearlong promotional tour. On the Road will obviously be of greatest interest to those acquainted with Bushman or who at least have read Rough Stone Rolling; but the volume may also appeal to those curious about contemporary non-fiction book publishing or who are interested in how contemporary Mormon intellectuals try to sort out the more awkward aspects of their faith.

Bushman confesses to having a "sensitive temperament," and he is sometimes so revealing that the reader feels on the edge of voyeurism. For instance, Bushman expresses his frustration at forgetting his cell phone charger, he regularly checks the Amazon.com rankings of his book, and he compares the quality of his own interviews with those of President George W. Bush: "He seemed unsure and forced in his answers....Sitting before a reporter who was going to be more critical, he faltered, and I do the same. I also thought it was partly because he is not entirely honest. He keeps thinking of the criticisms of his statements and is not certain he is answering satisfactorily. As I watched I was of course applying these observations to myself." (94) The volume is full of what one nineteenth-century after-dinner speaker called "carriage speeches"--the revised discourses he made to himself on the way home in his carriage.

Bushman includes curious speculation about the nature of ultimate reality (60-62), which concludes with his pronouncement that "Mormons are not the only source of light" and that "Christ radiates throughout the world, through many voices." Yet he is willing enough to play down such sentiments for the present when Mormonism is "under attack from evangelical Christians." Bushman also expresses discomfort at Joseph Smith's polyandry and yet, for unspecified reasons, he swallows Smith's angels and golden plates whole. In the end, Bushman admits that by writing Rough Stone Rolling for both Mormons and non-Mormons, he attracted educated believers but lost readers at "both ends of the spectrum"--conservative Mormons who wanted an unsullied prophet with supernatural gifts and non-Mormons who were confirmed in their previous belief that Smith was only a charlatan.

Richard Bushman has published a brief account of dealing with his book, "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling." I have read several other accounts of author's process of writing and reacting (John Steinbeck most notably), but have not felt that I reached the heart and soul of a man as this book does with Richard Bushman. He leaves nothing out.

Most interesting are his attempts to deal with an anti-Mormon audience vs. conservative Mormons. His motivations are pure and having read "Rough Stone Rolling," I think he has pulled off a major accomplishment. He is a great and sincere man. He certainly is at the forefront of LDS historians and scholars.

I must have read it over a dozen time (in French) since I was 15. Can't comment on the translation, but I just wanted to say the original is truly a masterpiece. I want to live and wait at the fortress, forever.

Young, rich and idle Aldo longs for something indefinable, something to break the long dreary spell of his ennui. Opting for a post as an observer at a long decaying naval base, Aldo finds a n atmosphere suitable to his solitary, poetic nature. Ruminations abound in impressionable Aldos head. Gracq's prose works its spell on you just as the old fortifications and sea and desert landscapes work their spell on Aldo. Gracq's fabled land is reminiscent of Europe before WWI but the locales remain unspecific to make the experience all the richer, all the more evocative . His words keep you in a heady state of langurous suspense, his theme nothing less than a whole civilizations collective will which in its boredom has decided to invite doom upon itself. A book for true lovers of literature, French poetry,& war fiction though it far exceeds the usual bounds of that genre.

Even in translation you can feel the lyrical intensity and beauty of this novel which creates an atmosphere of tension which no reader will forget easily: Aldo, a young nobleman, has had enough of the decadence of his native Vezzano, a fictitious republic modeled on Venice. He has himself posted to a navy base which was once built to defend Vezzano against Farghestan. The two powers are still officially at war, but nothing has actually happened for 300 years. Now, however, there is a growing tension, not just inside Aldo, who dreams of the unknown Farghestan. People in Vezzano seem to be tired of its eternal stability, they long for action...

Most of the novel's plot takes place near the old navy base, which is surrounded by a desert landscape which is described with mesmerizing intensity. Little incidents are building up towards an explosion which is only hinted at in the book. People waiting for something to happen in a more and more uncanny slience - that may remind the reader of the fact that the book was written before and during World War II. The decadence longing for action, danger and change, however, seems to me reminiscent of World War I. This is not a book of easy historical analogy. It is a unique work of art which stands completely on its own.

Julien Gracq is one of my favorite french writers. I am a French former journalist, so I have read this book under its original title "Le Rivage des Syrtes". The very strange and mysterious connection with Buzzati's "Tartares" has never been explained. Both of them, in a very different style, write a story I would describe as a no-story. Men are awaiting an event which doesn't come. The event is not important. What matters is the silence, the wait, the days and nights so empty. This books really grabs you. But it is very hard to translate, so... Let's hope for a good translation. I highly recommend it.

Civilization has grown bored with itself and so in a richly detailed account of a fabled nations collective will, Julien Gracq shows how a people can arrive at a point where destruction is preferable to ongoing decay and stagnation. If you've read Balcony in the Forest you know that Gracq knows something about anticipation and suspense but this is a journey even deeper into the interior of the psyche and is an altogether unique reading experience. Julien Gracq's prose is best read slowly and savoured, he lingers in his descriptions and elaborates each thought with ever richer examples which hone and decorate his meanings. The plot progresses organically and instinctively like a dream unfolding and revealing episode by episode the destructive inclinations of late civilzation consciousness. Dense sensual impressions abound. If French poetry appeals to you as well as the war genre this is your book, though this book far exceeds the normal bounds of war fiction.

I have this deck and i'm just starting to use it. At first, the simple cards, just with the letters elegantly drawn, didn't seem to me very interesting. I bought it mostly for the book, which IS wonderful (i don't regret the money spent on it at all)!

Then...it started calling me. The gentle simplicity of the cards attracted me, the way the cards are small (at least in the brazilian version), i can handle them perfectly. I've been putting them under my pillow when i go to sleep - not that it has been giving me any big revelation dreams, no yet, but it feels...comfortable.
As i said, i've just started using it, but i feel that i get very insightful answers in the book whenever i draw a card. Even if apparently doesn't make sense first, later i realize what exactly the letter wants to tell me.

I think many of people might not feel atracted to this oracle because of apparently 'empty' the cards. Don't do this. It's a wonderful deck, in it's own way. When reading it, since the card shows only the letter and a few numbers, i don't find myself projecting upon it anything. I let the letter take me where i'm supposed to go - it tells me a story, then it listens to me. Feels like an old friend sometimes.

My experiences with this oracle are, so far, really great. I really recommend it to anyone studying the Kabbalah, the Jewish mysticism, culture and religion, the Hebrew Alphabet etc. It brings together things from different cultures and religions (like Zen and Mayan) but in a balanced way. Like the author himself said, it's no "new-age mish mash".

The Oracle of Kabbalah gives the reader an appreciation of the depth and richness of the Hebrew language. Richard Seidman gives you a guide into the mystical capacity of meditating on, and interpreting the Hebrew language. This is a journey into your mystical and spiritual capacity as you connect with the language of the Divine. The symbols are richly provided with both detailed information on the Hebrew language and its Kabbalistic interpretation. I suggest to my students to use the cards as both meditation and to delve into their current state of consciousness. Not just a divination tool but a tool to develop our own connection to the One.

Richard Seidman's Oracle of the Kabbalah is a gift for those seeking to apply traditional wisdom to their everyday lives. The ancient meanings of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are presented along with inspirational discussions that run the gamut from the humorous to the profound and draw on other wisdom traditions. The author's personal reflections help anchor the teachings to our common experiences.

Rabbi Kushner's foward and the author's introduction ground one in the history and application of these mystical letters. The book and its companion set of cards are very user friendly, providing one with an insightful and welcome perspective when seeking direction.

I'm grateful to Richard Seidman for providing me with both a compassionate form of guidance and a readily accessible introduction to these sacred letters. This is a book that I'll refer to again and again.

Usually people don't think of Jews as being mystics, but many of us are. Jewish mysticism is different from New Age mystricism in that Jewish mysticism is grounded in text -- and letters. From there, it takes flight. This book is a good start for Jews and non-Jews alike, especially if you have trouble with the conventional idea of Big-Guy-in-the-Sky God. If the idea of hidden depths in Hebrew letters intrigues you, also take a look at Larry Kushner's "The Book of Letters" ....

If you are interested in learning Hebrew letters,this is a great tool. I would recommend that you purchase this "New" rather than used.I purchased a used one and ended up with just the book and no cards.It was worth ordering again, as I use the cards as flash cards on a daily basis..Plus,the meanings are insightful.

Marshall retells many of the stories of Britain in a way that makes them easy to remember and understand.

We homeschool using the Charlotte Mason method, and my 8 year old son loves this book. His 14 year old brother doesn't have to read it, but often does...that's how interesting it is.

I read this aloud last spring to my 3 boys, ages 10, 12, and 13. They all really enjoyed it and I enjoyed reading it.
The only (small) negative I could give it is that there are several spelling mistakes-mostly a missing letter in a word. I corrected that as we went along for the next time I read it aloud. It really wasn't a problem but I just thought I should point that out.
We are now reading the sequel about our own country (America) called "This Country of Ours" and enjoying that one as well. I can highly recommend both books, as well as "Fifty Famous Stories Retold" which is usually bought along with these two. That one is especially easy to narrate from as the stories are very short-often just 2 pages.

I ordered Volumes I and II of the audiotape version of The Island Story (history of Britain from mythology through Queen Elizabeth I) and listened to it with my boys aged 10 and 12 before we went to England this spring. We all really enjoyed it. While written for children, the history and color (eg tie ins to words/expressions we use today) were fascinating for me too. The book was written in the early 1900's which makes a few of the references to Britain's current day "empire" amusing but no less interesting. I will be saving this set of tapes for my grandchildren!

We have been reading about one a week for over a year. My girls love these stories! One of our rabbits ended up with the name "Boudacia" after we read her story.
At the beginning they might be more folklore than fact, but none the less they are wonderful. There are some great moral lessons to be learned from many of the stories.
After I bought the Yesterday's Classics I found an old hardback with great color pictures. It cost a bit, but what a treasure!
Highly recommend.