Sachs Books

Smart, sensible Laura is constantly getting annoyed with her little sister Amy. As cute and blonde as Laura is tall and plain, Amy is constantly getting her own way! It doesn't help matters any that their mother has just returned home from months in the hospital after a serious accident, and the entire family struggles to keep a constantly happy atmosphere for her recovery.

Nonetheless, it's Laura who comes to Amy's rescue when she has trouble with her schoolwork, or when their father scolds her. She can't help it...no matter what happens, Amy is still her little sister, and she's bound to stick with her.

But when Laura attracts the wrath of Veronica Ganz, the school bully, who will help *her*?

i read this book as a young adult. it has been over 30 years since i've read it - but the faint memories have remained with me. it is one of the only books i read as a young child i remember and i remember how much i loved the story. i plan on buying the book so i can re-read it to refresh the memories and pass it on to my nieces to read.

This book, discontinued for quite a while, is a landmark in sisterhood. Know this now that it is no "Little Women", or other sisterly-love books, and only that it is a work of Marilyn Sachs, who is not a popular author. The book takes place in the late 1930s' in New York. The Sterns', mostly Amy and Laura Stern, are the main characters in this book. They're different as night and day, but one thing makes them grow together. And that's Mrs. Stern, who got hit by a car... but lived.... and has come home as a whole different mother to the girls.... which causes problems. Amy is having trouble in school with a teacher that is extremely cruel. Laura's now hall monitor, and her main problem is Amy. Amy can't stand it when Laura won't help her anymore with schoolwork. Laura learns how to ride a bike and almost kills herself. What are they to do? Things get worse in the final chapter. Amy gets a great grade on her progress report - which makes Laura feel as if she's the jealous one now - and that she's not smart anymore, and the brains of the Stern family have escaped from her and into Amy's brain. Laura's report is fine, too... but somehow that's not good enough for Laura... and she gets ANGRY. Amy gets angry too, when she realizes how much Laura doesn't "care" about her anymore and would rather ride her bike - and Laura just explodes about it, saying that if Amy's so smart, why is she so stupid, which makes Amy just feel so angry she can't be so "outshadowed" anymore, so instead of saying that she's not stupid but Laura is, she scratches up Laura's face, which makes Laura hit Amy hard, which makes the girls end up rolling on the floor and pulling hair and biting. There is no exact ending to this story, but you would enjoy this story if you had a sister.

This last book in the Amy and Laura series, sort of wraps up the first two books. The chapters alternate between both Amy and Laura's point of view. Amy and Laura may be sisters, but they are as different as night and day. Laura is heavy-set, shy and awkward, and Amy is scrawny, gregarious and outgoing. Laura is smart and Amy is, well, a lazy scholar. Laura has always protected Amy from bullies, and done her homework for her. I first read this book when I was 11. I had seen it in my friend's hands in 3rd grade when i was 8 and was interested, checked it out later but didn't really get into it. One day I was in a used bookstore with my mom and she handed me a book called "Amy Moves In" and I recognized the name and the picture of the frizzy-haired girl on the cover, and the author's name, Marilyn Sachs. And my name is Amy, too. My mom remembered me reading Amy & Laura, so I started that series. Later I bought this one at Dalton Books and really enjoyed it. Amy has a mean teacher and Laure takes up a bicycling interest and becomes hall monitor, and is too busy to help Amy with her assignments. Both sisters discover new things about each other and themselves, and the ending has lots of surprises; I only wish Sachs would continue this series. It is so good.

Great for both the big and little sister, Amy and Laura concludes the three part "Amy and Laura" trilogy that has been out of print for years. Now back in print, it's a chance for all sisters to read this book and really understand the meaning of sisterly love.

Amy is ten and a half, her sister Laura twelve. They don't look alike and don't act alike either: Laura's a bookworm, Amy is loud and boisterous. She makes friends with the wrong crowd, Laura's friends are mainly her books and her refuge isn't the schoolyard, it's the library.

But they share something in common. Mama's coming home from the hospital after a long stay, and both girls are excited to see her again. But when Mama comes home, she's changed -- and Laura and Amy aren't used to the changes. But through it all, they learn just what it's like to have a sister that looks up to you or you look up to her, and how they are friends underneath all that.

Glad it's in print again -- you'll love it!

What a disappointment... Every chapter reads the same and there is not one true "take-away" that working moms can use... Meanwhile most of the mothers interviewed are high-profile execs who can probably hire nannies, etc. Not reality at all...

Ms. Sachs absolutely gets it. The interviews and observations in her book really describe what I've been going through, trying to balance the two very important parts of my life. Who says we have to choose one over the other? Who says we have to figure it out all alone? Above all, this book proved to me that we're not alone and that there just might be strength in numbers. Thank you, Ms. Sachs! Keep it coming.

I highly recommend this book to any working OR stay at home mom. It has been such a refreshing read. Since I rarely get time to read it was a blessing that I saw the author on a morning news program and heard about her book. It has really lightened my mental load and made me realize that I am not the only working mom that struggles with the daily grind as well as the often self-induced guilt. Enjoy!

What I loved about this book is that she clearly expressed so many feelings that I have had over the last 3 years of being a professional, working mom. She covers all the aspects of my life; kids, husband, work! And, while there are some tips on how to effectively organize time, etc. this book is really just about helping me feel like I'm not alone. I was so happy to read that other women have experienced all the exact same feelings and frustrations as myself.

This book is really targeted towards professional women who work. She does not have a lot of empathy or understanding for stay at home mom's (she believes it's hypocritical to get a high level degree and then decide not to work anymore), so if this would offend you, don't read this book. For me, it was perfect because I tend to agree, but it's not something all moms agree on. Also, the research presented is strongly supportive of working and does not present research to support mom's staying at home. In that sense it is one-sided. However, for a mom who does work a lot and wants to feel validated it's wonderful.

At first, I was frustrated when reading this book because I thought it would give me tips on "how to really do it." But I am glad I kept reading because although the book does not offer hints on how to organize yourself or your house, it does tell you how different women approach their roles as mother and worker/professional. The inspirational stories in this book really helped me to see how choosing your mindset can make balancing family and work life easier.

This is an eminently practical and insightful book, written with empathy and humor. The overall approach encourages parents to deal with each other from their "true self," and to engage with each other frankly and meaningfully, but without the need to succumb to trendy pscho-jargon. New parents, or any couple expecting a first child, would benefit from a look at this book, and many will find very helpful advice that makes them realize they are not alone! Then they will read it cover to cover. Note that the author assumes a heterosexual couple, but much of the advice will be of use to same sex couples as well.

Since reading Dr. Sachs's THINGS JUST HAVEN'T BEEN THE SAME, things have been a lot better for my husband and I. With two boys under the age of three, our marriage has suffered. Yet Dr. Sachs's words of wisdom have been quite helpful to us. He has helped us both to move from blaming (each other and ourselves) to understanding, and, in the process, my husband and I have found ourselves fighting less and compromising more.

It is reassuring when someone with his clinical and personal experience validates the vertiginous experience of early parenthood, and, in particular, its impact on marriage. I found myself thinking of all of the people who should get this book, or should have already read it.

THINGS JUST HAVEN'T BEEN THE SAME reads beautifully, translates complicated psychological theories into real-life language, and, mostly, creates a mood of optimism and hope. I finished the book thinking, "Wow, there's a chance we're really going to get through this, and in better shape than before!"

For a thoughtful, interesting, and elevating experience, read THINGS JUST HAVEN'T BEEN THE SAME.

Jennifer Longley

There are some ideas that might be useful to a new parent who has had no exposure to children. The "insights" provided by the author are more or less rehashed parenting stuff. The author writes at a high school level of prose. very much self-indulging. he talks alot about himself. It appears to be a vanity book - meant to promote his position amongst psychologists. You could learn more from "Parenting isn't for Cowards" by Dobson. And you might also be inspired by Dobson's view of life.

This book was excellent. Dr. Sachs really addressed what life is like emotionally as a new parent. He delves into the depths of your psyche and describes what is happening to your family dynamics. This is a must read for every couple with a new born baby. This book should be given at every baby shower in America!

The is Langrish's second book in her "Troll" series...the third being the forthcoming Troll Blood. In Troll Mill we join Peer and the Eiriksson family several years after the events of the first book. Here Peer and Hilde are now 15 years old, there is a new baby in the house and a lot of romantic tension between Peer (who finds himself in love with Hilde) and Hilde (who has feelings for Bjorn's Brother)...and of course...trolls! This story gives equal time to two different storylines, the first is that of Peer who is happy to live with the Eiriksons but longs for a way to prove himself more of a man (and thus more attractive to Hilde) and which touches on his past with the mill and his uncles through a chrisis of identity. This time around we find Peer trying to establish himself in the world, returning to the mill and trying to make a go of it again on his own only to discover that it has been running at night...on its own. This initial storyline is engaging and exciting on its own and becomes even more intriguing when pared with the second storyline which focuses Bjorn and Kersten (the neighbors who helped so much in Troll Fell while Hilde's father was away). Kersten has just had a baby and one night while coming in from fishing with Bjorn, Peer finds himself being handed the young infant as Kersten runs off and jumps into the ocean. As the story progresses, we find that it has long been suspected that Kersten was a Selkie (sea-maiden)...as the fisherman and Hilde's father search the seas day after day for Kersten (and Bjorn becomes more and more distant, eventually not even coming to see the baby anymore), Peer and Hilde find themselves in the middle of two mysteries, both of which are threatening to tear these families and friends apart.

It is rare these days for a second book in series to be as good as or better than the first...but in the case of Troll Mill, Langrish has managed to pull it off spectacularly! I particularly liked that Granny Greenteeth, the Lubbers and the Nis got much bigger parts in Troll Mill, so we got to see more of them and learn more about what they are and how they live....and of course there are the trolls...it is Troll Mill after all, so they are also worked into the story this time around! I think Langrish does a fine job of aging and developing the characters from book to book and it's done in a way that is filled with suspense, interesting plot twists, and all manner of creatures, each out to get what they want while Peer and Hilde (and the rest of the family) try to figure out the mysteries before it's too late!

Overall, I give Troll Mill five stars. It is, in my opinion, as good as (if not better than) the first book. Langrish uses the same Scandanivian folklore/mythology as the first book in the series and build on it further...so you get trolls and get to experience the world of the selkie and the realm between humans and selkie all the while still being treated to a detailed look at the in's and out's of day to day life in the given time period. Troll Mill manages to do all of this and not drag or become mired in the detail...it manages to say fast paced and intense while providing a wealth of information. I'd recommend it for young readers interested in fantasy. I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with Troll Blood, the third book in the series (Troll Blood).

Katherine Langrish's Troll Mill is a stunner. A book is like a recipe. It should have all the correct ingredients like a well-developed plot, suspense, conflict, and a hero who saves the day. These ingredients must be put together just right, to come out with an enjoyable end product. This book certainly did the job. I especially liked it because the book was so intense I didn't feel like stopping. It was a page turner with a lot of action. The action is incredible. Although the plot was well-developed, there were a lot of things going on at once which could confuse the reader. However, the way Katherine Langrish weaves toghether the story makes you understand what the characters feel, and in a way, be there. The story is about a boy named Peer Ulfsson, an orphan who lives with his friend's family and is astonished when one night, Kersten (who is rumored to be a seal woman) dumps him with her baby and then disappears into the ocean. Then there is the forgotten mill that Peer plans to take charge of starts working at night...by itself. With so much going on in his life, Peer is caught in a web of problems. Can he work it out? Read this fast-paced thriller and find out!

Katherine Langrish returns to the world of trolls and Nordic legends in "Troll Mill," the sequel to her excellent debut. And if anything, Langrish does an even better job -- plenty of action laced with humour, solid writing, and some romantic tension between the leads.

Peer is shocked when a fisherman's wife (who's rumored to be a seal-woman) dumps her newborn in his arms and leaps into the sea. Not sure what to do, he brings the baby to Hilde's family, but even as the fishermen hunt for the missing woman, Peer and Hilde realize that nasty creatures are after baby Ran -- including the lubbers and evil Granny Green Teeth.

While this is going on, Peer decides to clean out and repair the old mill, in the hopes that he can impress Hilde with it. But they soon discover that Peer's evil uncle Baldur (now a troll) has been using the mill to grind bones for bread. And even worse, two babies have been stolen from Hilde's house -- Hilde's baby brother, and seal-baby Ran.

Usually sequels are less interesting than the book before them. But Langrish actually makes "Troll Mill" better than "Troll Fell" -- it's more polished, better paced, and her writing has matured with the characters. In short, this book is everything a good fantasy story should be.

The plot unfolds very gradually, and Langrish's writing is solid and descriptive. There's even a bit of horror -- the lubbers and ghastly Granny -- romantic sparring, and some tragedy. There's even a bit of moral indecision when Peer tries to understand how an otherwise good man could kidnap the seal woman.

But Langrish doesn't forget the humor, such as a precocious troll baby tormenting the twins with gross songs and stories, or Gudrun giving the troll princess some parenting tips. Those little moments keep an otherwise grim plot from getting too heavy and/or dull.

We also get to know Hilde's family a little better, especially her mother. But Peer is still the hero, and he's struggling to overcome his abusive childhood, even as he tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Hilde is a bit more stubborn, since she obviously doesn't realize how much Peer means to her.

"Troll Mill" takes all the good things about Katherine Langrish's debut, and makes them even better. A charming, chilling sequel.

Fifteen-year-old Peer Ulfsson still feels like an outsider perhaps because of his past when his evil uncles tried to sell children to the trolls (see TROLL FELL). Peer lives with the family of his only friend Hilde, but though they nurture him, he feels that he does not belong. Besides which he finds it increasingly difficult to hide his deeper regard for Hilde. He begins to wonder if he is in love.

Bjorn's wife Kersten dumps her infant into Peer's arms before jumping into the nearby stormy sea. The locals insist that Kersten simply returned to her natural habitat as she was obviously a seal-woman, but Peer has doubts that this is true. At the same time, the millpond witch Granny Green-teeth demands possession of the so-called "seal baby" though Peer fears what she would do to the female infant. He also wonders who is running the abandoned mill that his uncles operated before they became trolls and whether that malevolent species is planning a new assault. Peer believes he must keep the child safe, uncover the secret to the mill, learn if the trolls are on the march and persuade Hilde to be his girl. Three of the four seem relatively easy to the teen.

This terrific character driven fantasy sequel stars a troubled teen struggling with his heritage in light of the nefarious activities of his former guardians, his uncles whom Peer had to stop. He also has an apparent unrequited crush on Hilde to add to his internal confusion. The story line is action-packed as the hero hardily investigates the secrets of the old mill and the goings-on of the trolls. Along the way, middle school readers accompany Peer as he meets up with the witch, selkies and trolls, all who seem authentic.

Harriet Klausner

What is the good life? What is courage and how do we become courageous? Aristotle provides rational answers and insights to these questions and many more that we often ask ourselves- clear answers which are relevant to us today.

Stan Faryna

I read this book for a graduate seminar on Aristotle. I think Aristotle's ethics is his most seminal work in philosophy. In the early 1960's virtue ethics came to fore. It is a retrieval of Aristotle. It has very close parallels to the ancient Chinese philosophy of Confucius and the modern philosophy espoused in the 1970's called Communitarianism.

For Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics, (EN) is about human life in an embodied state. Area of inquirery for EN is "good" this is his phenomenology. What does "good" mean? He suggests good means "a desired end." Something desirable. Means towards these ends. Such as money is good, so one can buy food to eat because "eating is good." In moral philosophy distinction between "intrinsic good" vs. "instrumental good." Instrumental good towards a desire is "instrumental good" like money. Thus, money is an "instrumental good" for another purpose because it produces something beyond itself. Instrumental good means because it further produces a good, "intrinsic good" is a good for itself, "for the sake of" an object like money. "Intrinsic good" for him is "Eudemonia=happiness." This is what ethics and virtues are for the sake of the organizing principle. Eudemonia=happiness. Today we think of happiness as a feeling. It is not a feeling for Aristotle. Best translation for eudaimonia is "flourishing" or "living well." It is an active term and way of living for him thus, "excellence." Ultimate "intrinsic good" of "for the sake of." Eudaimonia is the last word for Aristotle. Can also mean fulfillment. Idea of nature was thought to be fixed in Greece convention is a variation. What he means is ethics is loose like "wealth is good but some people are ruined by wealth." EN isn't formula but a rough outline. Ethics is not precise; the nature of subject won't allow it. When you become a "good person" you don't think it out, you just do it out of habit!

You can have ethics without religion for Aristotle. Nothing in his EN is about the afterlife. He doesn't believe in the universal good for all people at all times like Plato and Socrates. The way he thought about character of agent, "thinking about the good." In addition, Aristotle talked about character traits. Good qualities of a person who would act well. Difference between benevolent acts and a benevolent person. If you have good character, you don't need to follow rules. Aretç=virtue, in Greek not religious connotation but anything across the board meaning "excellence" high level of functioning, a peak. Like a musical virtuoso. Ethical virtue is ethical excellence, which is the "good like." In Plato, ethics has to do with quality of soul defining what to do instead of body like desires and reason. For Aristotle these are not two separate entities.

To be good is how we live with other people, not just focus on one individual. Virtue can't be a separate or individual trait. Socrates said same the thing. Important concept for Aristotle, good upbringing for children is paramount if you don't have it, you are a lost cause. Being raised well is "good fortune" a child can't choose their upbringing. Happenstance is a matter of chance.

Pleasure cannot be an ultimate good. Part of the "good life" involves external goods like money, one can't attain "good life" if one is poor and always working. Socrates said material goods don't matter, then he always mooched off of his friends! Aristotle surmises that the highest form of happiness is contemplation. In Aristotle's Rhetoric, he lists several ingredients for attaining eudaimonia. Prosperity, self-sufficiency, etc., is important, thus, if you are not subject to other, competing needs. A long interesting list. It is common for the hoi polloi to say pleasure=happiness. Aristotle does not deny pleasure is good; however, it is part of a package of goods. Pleasure is a condition of the soul. In the animal world, biological beings react to pleasure and pain as usual. Humans as reasoning beings must pursue knowledge to fulfill human nature. It must be pleasurable to seek knowledge and other virtues and if it is not there is something wrong according to Aristotle. These are the higher pleasures and so you may have to put off lower pleasures for the sake of attaining "higher pleasures."

Phronçsis= "intelligence," really better to say "practical wisdom." The word practical helps here because the word Phronçsis for Aristotle is a term having to do with ethics, the choices that are made for the good. As a human being, you have to face choices about what to do and not to do. Phronçsis is going to be that capacity that power of the soul that when it is operating well will enable us to turn out well and that is why it is called practical wisdom. The practically wise person is somebody who knows how to live in such a way so that their life will turn out well, in a full package of "goods." For Aristotle, Phronçsis is not deductive or inductive knowledge like episteme; Phronçsis is not a kind of rational knowledge where you operate in either deduction or induction, you don't go thru "steps" to arrive at the conclusion. Therefore, Phronçsis is a special kind of capacity that Aristotle thinks operates in ethics. Only if you understand what Aristotle means by phronesis do you get a hold on the concept. My way of organizing it, it is Phronçsis that is a capacity that enables the virtues to manifest themselves.

What are the virtues? Phronçsis is the capacity of the soul that will enable the virtues to fulfill themselves. Virtue ethics is the characteristics of a person that will bring about a certain kind of moral living, and that is exactly what the virtues are. The virtues are capacities of a person to act well. All of the virtues can be organized by way of this basic power of the soul called Phronçsis. There are different virtues, but it is the capacity of Phronçsis that enables these virtues to become activated. Basic issue is to find the "mean" between extremes; this is how Aristotle defines virtues.

Humans are not born with the virtues; we learn them and practice them habitually. "We reach our complete perfection through habit." Aristotle says we have a natural potential to be virtuous and through learning and habit, we attain them. Learn by doing according to Aristotle and John Dewey. Then it becomes habitual like playing a harp. Learning by doing is important for Aristotle. Hexis= "state," "having possession." Theoria= "study." The idea is not to know what virtue is but to become "good." Emphasis on finding the balance of the mean. Each virtue involves four basic points.

1. Action or circumstance. Such as risk of losing one's life.
2. Relevant emotion or capacity. Such as fear and pain.
3. Vices of excess and vices of deficiency in the emotions or the capacities. Such as cowardice is the excess vice of fear, recklessness is the excess deficiency.
4. Virtue as a "mean" between the vices and deficiencies. Such as courage as the "mean."

No formal rule or "mean" it depends on the situation and is different for different people as well. For example--one should eat 3,000 calories a day. Well depends on the health and girth of the person, and what activity they are engaged in. It is relative to us individually.
All Aristotle's qualifications are based on individual situations and done with knowledge of experience. Some things are not able to have a "mean" like murder and adultery because these are not "goods."
Akrasia= "incontinence" really "weakness of the will. Socrates thought that all virtues are instances of intelligence or Phronçsis. Aristotle criticizes Socrates idea of virtue, virtue is not caused by state of knowledge it is more complicated. Aristotle does not think you have to have a reasoned principle in the mind and then do what is right, they go together.

The distinctions between continent and incontinent persons, and moderate (virtue) and immoderate (not virtuous) persons is as follows:

1. Virtue. Truly virtuous people do not struggle to be virtuous, they do it effortlessly, very few people in this category, and most are in #2 and #3.
2. Ethical strength. Continence. We know what is right thing to do but struggle with our desires.
3. Ethical weakness. This is akrasia incontinence. Happens in real life.
4. Vice. The person acts without regret of his bad actions.

What does Aristotle mean by "fully virtuous"? Ethical strength is not virtue in the full sense of the term. Ethical weakness is not a full vice either. This is the critique against Socrates idea that "Knowledge equals virtue." No one can knowingly do the wrong thing. Thus, Socrates denies appetites and desires. Aristotle understands that people do things that they know are wrong, Socrates denies this. Socrates says if you know the right thing you will do it, Aristotle disagrees. The law is the social mechanism for numbers 2, 3, 4. A truly virtuous person is their own moral compass.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.

Aristotle was a philosopher in search of the chief good for human beings. This chief good is eudaimonia, which is often translated as 'happiness' (but can also be translated as 'thriving' or 'flourishing'). Aristotle sees pleasure, honour and virtue as significant 'wants' for people, and then argues that virtue is the most important of these.

In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle makes the claim that happiness is something which is both precious and final. This seems to be so because it is a first principle or ultimate starting point. For, it is for the sake of happiness that we do everything else, and we regard the cause of all good things to be precious and divine. Moreover, since happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with complete and perfect virtue, it is necessary to consider virtue, as this will be the best way of studying happiness.

How many of us today speak of happiness and virtue in the same breath? Aristotle's work in the Nicomachean Ethics is considered one of his greatest achievements, and by extension, one of the greatest pieces of philosophy from the ancient world. When the framers of the American Declaration of Independence were thinking of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, there is little doubt they had an acquaintance with Aristotle's work connecting happiness, virtue, and ethics together.

When one thinks of ethical ideas such as an avoidance of extremes, of taking the tolerant or middle ground, or of taking all things in moderation, one is tapping into Aristotle's ideas. It is in the Nicomachean Ethics that Aristotle proposes the Doctrine of the Mean - he states that virtue is a 'mean state', that is, it aims for the mean or middle ground. However, Aristotle is often misquoted and misinterpreted here, for he very quickly in the text disallows the idea of the mean to be applied in all cases. There are things, actions and emotions, that do not allow the mean state. Thus, Aristotle tends to view virtue as a relative state, making the analogy with food - for some, two pounds of meat might be too much food, but for others, it might be too little. The mean exists between the state of deficiency, too little, and excessiveness, too much.

Aristotle proposes many different examples of virtues and vices, together with their mean states. With regard to money, being stingy and being illiberal with generosity are the extremes, the one deficient and the other excessive. The mean state here would be liberality and generosity, a willingness to buy and to give, but not to extremes. Anger, too, is highlighted as having a deficient state (too much passivity), an excessive state (too much passion) and a mean state (a gentleness but firmness with regard to emotions).

Aristotle states that one of the difficulties with leading a virtuous life is that it takes a person of science to find the mean between the extremes (or, in some cases, Aristotle uses the image of a circle, the scientist finding the centre). Many of us, being imperfect humans, err on one side or the other, choosing in Aristotle's words, the lesser of two evils. Aristotle's wording here, that a scientist is the only one fully capable of virtue, has a different meaning for scientist - this is a pre-modern, pre-Enlightenment view; for Aristotle, the person of science is one who is capable of observation and calculation, and this can take many different forms.

Aristotle uses different kinds of argumentation in the Nicomachean Ethics. He uses a dialectical method, as well as a functional method. In the dialectical method, there are opposing ideas held in tension, whose interactions against each other yield a result - this is often how the mean between extremes is derived. However, there are other times that Aristotle seems to prefer a more direct, functional approach. Both of these methods lead to the same understanding for Aristotle's sense of the rational - that humanity's highest or final good is happiness.

There is a discussion of the human soul (for this is where virtue and happiness reside). Aristotle argues that virtue is not a natural state; we are not born with nor do we acquire through any natural processes virtue, but rather through 'habitation', an embedding process or enculturation that makes these a part of our soul. However, it is not sufficient for Aristotle's virtue that one merely function as a virtuous person or that virtuous things be done. This is not a skill, but rather an art, and to be virtuous, one must live virtuously and act virtuously with intention as well as form.

Of course, one of the implications here is that virtue is a quantifiable thing, that periodically resurfaces in later philosophies. How do we calculate virtue?

This is a difficult question, and not one that Aristotle answers in any definitive way. However, more important than this is the key difference that Aristotle displayed setting himself apart from his tutor Plato; rather than seeing the possession of 'the good' or 'virtue' as the highest ideal, Aristotle is concerned with the practical aspects, the ethics of this. Based on Aristotle's lectures in Athens in the fourth century BCE, this remains one of the most important works on ethical and moral philosophy in history.

I have been researching GSE for years and find Dr. Sachs' contribution to humnaity's understanding of this holistic miracle to be the most impressive yet. Bravo

The book is ok as your 1st information about the subject.

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It is too bad this book is out of print, as it is nicely written and addresses a mathematically sophisticated reader with a solid background in differential geometry. It is written by two very competent mathematicians, and still could be read as background for more modern developments in general relativity, particularly singularity theorems and as mathematical preparation to the current research in quantization of gravity. It could serve as a textbook in a class the mathematical foundations of general relativity at the graduate level.

I took the course on which this book is based from Mr. Sachs at UC Berkeley when the book was in the form of printed handouts.
This book is aimed at readers with a fairly advanced level of mathematical background - differentiable manifolds and some basic riemannian geometry (e.g Warner "Differential Manifolds"). This background is assumed and a prospective reader without this knowledge would be well advised to use the Hawking and Ellis book The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics) as a companion volume.
Penrose's Techniques of Differential Topology in Relativity (CBMS-NSF Regional Conference Series in Applied Mathematics) (CBMS-NSF Regional Conference Series in Applied Mathematics) is also a good companion volume.

As a student of physics, I'm always plagued by the presentation of any modern physics. Questions of "where does this come from" or "what does this mean" are never answered and rather students are expected to simply work calculations until those questions fade away, answered (or rather unanswered) by a new familiarity with just how to do calculations. It is as if understanding the theory was only a means to an end.

Anyway, this book went a long way for presenting the material in a way that satisfies those questions. Even if the answer is just "it seems somewhat plausible to define something that way based on what we observe experimentally", the book actually gets down to it and says that and defines it -- rather than just assuming that you knew it was obvious to describe particles using a mass density function, for example.

Also, the book actually covers not just GR, but also electrodynamics (the foundational way) and also matter models. It's worth it just for the chapter on matter.

It warms my heart to see there are people out there researching and preserving the history of those cultural heroes whose work often goes unsung. This book is a mine of information on Roy Ashton, the make-up artist responsible for creating most of Hammer's most memorable monsters in the '50s through '70s, including the Mummy, the Werewolf (in Curse of the Werewolf) and the Reptile. The amount of previously unseen material, including photos, original designs and technical and biographical facts, is astounding. Good job, boys!

Greasepaint& Gore.What a wonderful title for a truly epic book,which has information that no true fan of the genre of horror,can afford to miss.Messers Sachs & Wall,are to be heartily congratulated on what is definately a modern masterpeice.Every aspect of Roy Ashton's make-up expertease,is covered in detail,including a very great number of props are shown. Don't waste time,buy a copy,you'll be glad you did.

Fans of Make-up, Hammer Films, or the film industry in general could find no more entertaining read. As an insight to a time and place, this book is fascinating. I learned so much about the moviemaking at Hammer, and in England in the 1930's through 60's. As a make-up artist myself, I was intrigued to hear so many stories that resonate with my own, more current, experiences. My only real complaint is that the book contains very little in the way of detailed explanatiuons of how Mr. Ashton created his make-ups or products used. However, I understand that is not the intent of the book. It does achieve it's goals very well and belongs on the bookshelves of any true fan!

I arbitrarily assigned 5 stars because my submitted remarks are essentially a response by the author, Robert Sachs, to a review by someone identified as Anderdog. (I have not read the book. I merely pointed out Anderdog's review to Mr. Sachs, who sent me a reply.) Following is the author's comment regarding Anderdog's perceived contradiction in Mr. Sach's description of yin and yang:

Perhaps whoever made the comment will eventually contact me. To explain, all phenomena have yin and yang aspects and these aspects differ even at the level at which one is perceiving phenomona. Thus, something that has a yang structure can have a yin function or energetic pattern. When I studied with Michio Kushi, indeed Japanese, the emphasis was more on function rather than structure. The result:a seeming contraditiction with how things are identified in more static systems. Thus, at the level I am addressing in the book, reflect on the accuracy,not based on classic static description, but by the movement implied.

A fascinating book easy to read informative concise highly recomende

This book is well-organized. The reader can jump right in and almost immediately begin analyzing their nine star ki chart. In terms of clarity and accesibility I would give it five stars. For a newcomer to oriental astrology who wants a fun and largely insightful introduction, this book may fit the bill. The potential reader should note that the author approaches the subject with somewhat of a "Japanese" bias. My background is in Chinese philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine. Most of the concepts the author discusses agree with the philosophy of the Chinese systems but there are a few peculiar deviations which troubled me. One of the most basic elements of eastern philosophy is the theory of yin and yang but the natures the author attributes to these forces are sometimes the exact opposite of what is accepted in Chinese philosophy. The author describes yin as 'expansive' and yang as 'contracting'. This is the opposite of what is widely accepted in Chinese philsophy. This may seem like a minor thing but since these basic forces shape the rest of the reading, having it backwards could have a significant impact on a reading. Some of the information in the appendix appears to be reversed as well - absolutely backwards in terms of Chinese philosophy as well as all the contemporary Japanese medical texts I've studied. The system may be accurate and revealing but until I see an explanation for these seeming contradictions, I am afraid to invest too much time in the book. It may all be a matter of semantics.

If your marriage has lost it's bliss, spontaneity,and just the overall fun..(that you used to have)..Then you need to check this book out and read it from cover to cover. Great ideas, and some provacative thoughts to get your LUST for each other back on track! Great book for parents and married couples without children also.

Anne Mayer offers the nuts and bolts of getting away together for an evening or weekend as well as ideas for keeping romance alive everyday, it was very informative for keeping love alive while being nuturing parents too, i definitely would recommend this book to all parents.

I read this book for the first time after the birth of my first child, when I felt the romance and spontaneity slipping away from my marriage. Anne Mayer makes many lighthearted, yet helpful suggestions for getting it back and keeping it. It's been two months since I had my third child, and I pulled out this book for the third time to refresh my memory, and my husband's! An excellent book for any couple, whether you have small children, older children, or are just planning to have children