T Books

It is a difficult read, no doubt, but this is one book which each and every educated person must read; doesn't matter if it takes a lifetime. If one reads three pages a day, it'll take one year to finish the book; that is the kind of patience the book demands, but it's worth it and extremely rewarding. Logistics overcome, comes the barrier of prejudice; several of them: India, Hindu, Ashram, Philosophy, Spirituality, New-Age etc. But what is needed is an absolutely open mind and the book becomes a pure Life's User Manual.

The book itself is a Univeresity that breathes universality. During the course of reading, one gets attuned to many related areas and ideas by way of allusions and comparisions. It also solves progressively one's long-held doubts and discords. Besides, in whichever profession one is, it helps to improve on the practical aspects. Further, the poetic beauty of the text enhances the sheer pleasure of reading even while the insights gained expands one's sense of mundane existence. Two other booklets, "The Mother" and "The Mind of Light" or "The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth" are essential supplements, lest one's understanding of the author is prone to be lopsided.

Rating this book is like rating god for his creation-a joke of first order. This book is an eternal book, its language ancient, contemporary, futuristic and transcendant. the only way one can approach this book is in quiet contemplation and deep introspection. every thought, doubt and question that might have crossed the minds of humankind is addressed, explained. understanding this book is the puny first step. it needs to realised, acted, lived and revisited. that would be rare human who does not find this book has changed his/her life. one feels like annihilating oneself to greatness of this being.

This book is the greatest achievement of Mankind!It is the greatest philosophical book ever written and in the best English Language ever written too.It is the Ultimate culmination of a 3,000 year Indian Philosophic Thought.

Sri Aurobindo examines deeper than anybody ever did the Human Condition and treats with the utmost profundity,clarity,linguistic beauty,logical acuity,originality and imagination all the major questions of Life:Why is there something rather than nothing,what is the meaning of life,why are we here,where did we come from,what is our relationship to the ultimate ground of Being,what is the function of ignorance,suffering,pain,what is the Nature of the Ultimate Being.He surpasses Shankara,incorporating in his philosophy the Tantric idea of the meaningfulness and purposefulness of the Becoming,as well as all central elements of Buddhist Philosophy.In relating all these to modern man (Western and Eastern) and connecting everything together through the most plastic,expressive,exquisite language ever written,he achieves the Ultimate Synthesis of all philosophical and spiritual thought of Mankind.

Although one needs to become accustomed to his unique language and expression ,as well as to spend initially some time in understanding the way he uses certain terms (some of his own creation,so that the Inexpressible could at least be hinted at),this initial investment of time will more than reward the serious reader in the end.

Some,with whom I agree,suggest that one start reading the book from the chapter "The evolution of the spiritual man"(Book 2,chapter 24) and,after moving on to read the next two chapters too,to go back and start reading it from the beginning.These last chapters give an overview of his philosophy and are written in an easier language.

"THE LIFE DIVINE" is itself one of the most pure EMBODIMENTS of the DIVINE

This is a difficult book to read. Let us be under no illusions about that. It is verbose, repetitive and massive in its scope: tackling virtually the entire gamut of issues that philosophy traditionally deals with. But by the time you have finished reading the book (it took me three months to finish)it would have transformed the way you live your life. You may not agree with Aurobindo, and in fact, he probably does not want you to blindly agree with him, he would much rather that you think things out for yourself; but one thing that he certainly does is to question the 'commonsense' view of the world: the view of the world that we build up using bits of unexamined,untested, received, 'truths'. Take just one such 'truth': We believe--or at least we have done so ever since Descartes--that Matter and Consciousness are two separate things. Aurobindo puts forward the suggestion that the two are actually one and the same entity, only they are in different states being: somewhat like Ice and Steam being different states of water. If we concede that matter may be a form of consciousness, only in an inert state, all sorts of consequences would follow: especially with regard to our attitudes towards the environment.
As I had said earlier, the scope of the book is massive. Its three parts can be roughly divided into Ontology (where he discusses the Nature of the Cosmos), Epistemology (where he discusses the nature of Knowledge (&Ignorance), and the problem of Evil--which he attributes to Ignorance: a consequence of Ahamkara or ego-centricism) and finally, in the last part, he provides a broad, general direction for living our lives in accordance with our revised view of the world (Ethics). However, the book is not tightly structured (If you are looking for a book like Wittgenstein's Tractatus you will find yourself truly frustrated) it is loose, repetitive, and disjointed. Possibly because it was originally written as a series of essays and published monthly in a magazine called the Arya (between 1914 to 1919). He must have had to repeat himself because his original audience would have forgotten a point that he would have made five years ago. But the cumulative effect of the repetitions is that his ideas have a tendency to gradually seep in and sink into your mind, rather than strike you as a sort of brilliant epiphany.
Aurobindo's philosphy is ultimately rooted in ancient Hindu Vedic thought. In the course of the book, Aurobindo tackles Marx, Darwin, Nietzche, Freud, Hegel, Feurbach, (plus a whole range of European philosophers) and his idea is to adapt their philosophy to the 'Truth' as expressed by the Seers of the ancient Vedas. Does he succeed in doing so? I don't know. That is for professional philosophers to decide. For me, the book has been a revelation, the scales have dropped from my eyes: I see things differently now. Hopefully, I will continue to do so for a while before the snares of living in a modern city finally engulf me once again. Haven't they said that we can't stand to face the truth for too long?

There are very few great spiritual classics that each century produces. The Life Divine is one of these great spiritual classics, one of the key spiritual studies of the twentieth center, perhaps of all time. There are few great mystics and enlightened masters who are able to express themselves in extensive philosophy and profound poetry. Sri Aurobindo was one of these, and the Life Divine is probably his magnum opus.
The Life Divine is no mere call to a life of piety, asceticism or outward religious fervor. It is a call to bring the Divine as a force of higher consciousness into all that we are and do, both individually and as a species. The Life Divine unfolds a panoramic exploration of consciousness from the Absolute (Brahman), to the Cosmic Creator (Ishvara), to the individual soul (Jivatman), and all the realms of existence, manifest and unmanifest, known and unknown. There are few books that cover such an expanse and with such depth, direct knowledge and clarity. For those who want to widen their horizons and extend their awareness into the realms of higher consciousness, there is perhaps no other book that is as complete, comprehensive and challenging. Reading it requires both concentration and meditation of a very high order, but brings great riches of inner insight in return.
As someone who has studied the main religious traditions of the world, and has written extensively on the traditions of India, this book has remained with me as life time companion. I recommend it to all those who are looking at the spiritual life as a quest for a higher consciousness and grace that can transform all that we do. One can continue to delve into the book for new wisdom and insight year after year. The Life Divine teaches us in depth about the great spiritual traditions of India, Veda, Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Tantra and Buddhism, but from a view of practice and realization, and a seeking for the universal truth behind all these great teachings.
Most notably, the Life Divine outlines the spiritual purpose of the soul and of our human lives. It charts a way to a future in which we can go beyond our current mentality of ego and strife to a world of Divine peace, bliss and knowledge. It charts the transformation of our species from a confused adolescence to the maturity of wisdom and grace. Sri Aurobindo shows how the Divine Shakti can descend into our minds and lift us to a higher level of intelligence as our natural state of existence. The book is perhaps the best study of the spiritual evolution of humanity, the evolution of consciousness in man and nature, which is available.

Saving our children, families and nation, that is what Jennifer Roback-Morse is attempting to teach us with such insight. From her first adopted child from Romania being neglected to the love of her first born child and seeing a difference that love and attention can give to a child.

Jen relates to us that having stability in one's childhood will lead to a stable up bringing for our future adults and a stable society in general. Morse tells us how having a moral code that will guide children through their lives. The touch, closeness, warmth and love of a family environment is needed, so much so, to grant a strong foundation that a child can build on.

Loving guidance, warmth, direction and loving discipline will give a child the direction they will need in life. It will give them a view, a vision, of where they are going and where they need to be.

It takes the family to raise a child; to positively affect a village, town or city; to influence a nation to greatness. That is the story that Dr. Morse is teaching us.

Since the 1970s, the Chicago school of economics has applied the standard economic assumption of self interest outside the ordinary workings of the commercial marketplace. The public choice school of economics analyses the workings of a government system where politicians, administrators and indeed everyone involved in the system is motivated by personal gain. Criminal behavior is one more career choice. Children are conceived as consumption items for the benefit of the parents.
This way of thinking - which has now spread to many economists well outside Chicago -- provoked strong objections from the beginning. Among other problems, the critics argued that such an economic approach failed to take account of trust, loyalty and moral conviction in human affairs.
Chicago and other economists, however, dismissed these critics as simple minded moralists who were opposed to the advance of "economic science." They cannot make that claim, however, with respect to a new critic, Jennifer Roback Morse. Morse is a well respected member of the economics profession who nevertheless thinks that there is much more to the world than self interest.
In the commercial market place, as Morse describes herself, she remains a libertarian in her convictions. Within the family, however, Morse has concluded that the pursuit of self interest alone would mean the end of the family as we have known it. The experience of being a mother with two children (one adopted) taught Morse lessons more powerful than any she had learned in her education as an economic professional. As a devout Catholic, she also found that her own religious convictions could not easily be squared in the domain of the family with the standard economic ways of thought.
As Morse describes it, a marriage based on self interest by itself would be almost pathological. It would be impossible to live with a husband, or a wife, who was seen as loyal to the marriage only as long as it gave them "more utility." The old fashioned idea of love may not have any clear meaning within the framework of economic analysis but it remains for Morse an essential element of a successful marriage and the raising of children.
Morse is part of a wider current questioning of the methods of economics. The idea of "social capital" became fashionable throughout the social sciences in the 1990s as an essential element in economic growth. A "new institutional economics" is challenging many of the basic conclusions previously derived from economic models. Even some leading economists are now finally acknowledging that culture and belief are important factors in economic outcomes.
Most of this writing, however, is turgid and directed to other social scientists. Morse has rejected not only some of the foundational assumptions but also the heavy handed jargon and mathematical formulations characteristic of economists. Instead, she writes in a clear prose that aims to be accessible to a wide public. This may serve to discredit her with her fellow economists but it will win her high praise from many others.
Much of what Morse says will not be news to people who are already living lives committed to marriage partners, neighbors, and community. A focus on self interest, however, has become an accurate description of more and more people in contemporary society. When marriage is increasingly seen in such individualistic terms, it should not be surprising that half of new marriages today are expected to end in divorce.
Economists at Chicago and elsewhere did not create the "me generation" but they have tended to legitimize its preoccupation with self in the guise of "science." Not only economics but the field of psychology as well offers a social science grounded in "whatever works for me."
Morse's work should be read as a powerful plea for a return to the old fashioned verities in family life. However, she does not simply assert the necessity of moral behavior but argues logically and carefully for this conclusion. Her book is for the thinking person who understands intuitively the meaning of love but has found it difficult to give this an adequate expression in the contemporary vocabulary of the social sciences. Adam Smith regarded himself as a moral philosopher and Morse is trying to reassert this older tradition.
Economists should read this book but they probably will not. It might force some of them to rethink some of their fundamental assumptions. Rather than confront the necessity of basic change in the approach of economics, it is easier to continue with the familiar. Moreover, the approach of economics for many members of the profession is not only a method of analysing the world but an article of their own religious faith.
Morse offers a new and sophisticated voice for people who simply want to understand the world better and are not worried about the formal method. By distaining the formalisms of the social sciences, she is able to articulate in plain English a set of essential ideas for the workings of family and other non-commercial areas of the life of any society. It is a brave effort and Morse deserves high praise for taking on the pervasive cynicism of our "modern" age.

What does the free-market have to do with the family? What does libertarianism have to do with community? What does the minimal state have to do with social order? Indeed, what does love have to do with economics? Good questions indeed.

Those opposed to libertarian principles will of course answer these questions differently from those in favour. But Jennifer Roback Morse offers an interesting third proposal. She notes that attacks on the family have not just come from welfare statism on the left. It has also come from radical individualism on the right. Interestingly, while she is a political and economic libertarian, she is aware of the shortcomings of moral and social libertarianism.

Thus she is far from hostile to libertarianism. She is, in fact, a free-market economist. But she is not blind to the short-comings of laissez-faire social policy. Indeed, she believes it to be unworkable. Says Dr Morse, "We cannot afford to take a completely laissez-faire attitude toward the family and the issues that surround it."

So how does a libertarian defend marriage and family? Well, that is what this book is all about. She attempts to show that a genuine libertarianism must be one stripped of its "bankrupt materialism" and must be open in fact to the supernatural. That is, a secular, atheistic society does not contain within itself the ability to long sustain a free people. A free society requires three legs to stand on, as Michael Novak long ago pointed out. It needs economic liberty, political liberty, and moral-cultural liberty. The last, which includes the importance of religion, has too often been ignored in this discussion.

A minimalist state is one that depends on a substantial component of its citizenry exercising self-control and self-constraint. People making sacrifices for others, foregoing instant gratification, controlling anti-social desires are what make for a free society. And these kinds of virtues are basically learned and developed in the home, and buttressed by religion.

The internalised ethic of love, self-control and cooperation can nowhere better come into being than in the home, where mothers and fathers model such virtues to their children. The cooperation and restraint needed for a society to last is first and foremost found in the home.

It is in the home that a naturally selfish and me-centered child learns the rules of social harmony and cooperation. All of these virtues can be subsumed under the word love. And love, as the author reminds us, is not an emotion or a feeling, but is in fact willing the highest good of another. "Love is the force that moderates self-interest and makes it possible for self-interested people to live together without causing each other too much trouble."

If it is rare for an economists to talk about love, it is even more rare to hear one talk about God. As a Catholic, she knows that in God we have an infinite supply of love accessible to us. "A society of free people requires more human connections, more generosity, and more love than almost any other kind of society we can imagine. Surely the existence of an inexhaustible supply of love, available to anyone for the asking, is of more than passing importance for a society like ours."

But I have so far spoken in generalities. Also found in this book are detailed chapters of the importance of marriage, family and the problems of day care, and other related topics, all backed up with thorough documentation. For example, her chapters on the importance of fathers, or the dilemma of daycare, or the shortcomings of cohabitation, offer good assessments of recent research on those questions.

Taken together, here we have major social, economic and philosophical themes addressed with an eye to detail on the public policy connections. And we have a rare blend of a mother's concern for family coupled with the tough analysis of an economist. The result is an informative and an incisive look at some of the most pressing social issues of the day. A welcome volume for all concerned about families and society.

I can summarize LOVE & ECONOMICS with a true story: While I was a child, my (full-time) mother -- while in a state of total exasperation - lamented to me, "The hardest job in the world is raising children." Being the perfect child :-), I simply thought that her statement was a gross exaggeration. Raising my own child and having a greater variety of jobs than my mother ever did, I can say that my mom's original comment is a gross understatement.

I think that Roback and her colleagues at the Hoover Institute may have heart attacks as a result of my first reaction to LOVE & ECONOMICS. Many of the ideas Roback presents carry the identical theme found in Clinton's IT TAKES A VILLAGE. Here we find Clinton suggesting ideas like: We have two choices, to guide our children around negative influences and toward positive ones, or to allow our children to wander without us through a labyrinth of the predators which include violence, recreational sex, substance abuse, reckless conduct, and other immoralities. Do we live in an evil world? 59% of the children born in our regional hospital are born out of wedlock. Who is going to guide these children? Familyless children are the peers of my child. This is a fear that is shared by both liberals and conservatives.

Roback addressed the above stated concept by noting that in the late 60's, our society embraced a "me first" philosophy. We remain egocentric. This egocentrism that Roback has identified is the heart of the problem for the American family. She shocks us with some critically important information. Both Liberals and Conservatives embrace egocentrism. They do for different reasons, but they both do it. The important historical/sociological issue is, there are no credible voices that reject the "me first" philosophy. In fact, Roback may be the first. Even social institutions such as the Church (conservative and liberal) embraces egocentrism! What hope do children have? Roback states that our only hope is reshaping the American family. Focus on children, not ourselves.

I can make three additional but unrelated reactions to LOVE & ECONOMICS.

First on a scholarly level, Roback attempts to define, describe and/or explain the contemporary American family by employing one of two philosophical devices, reductionism and/or emergentism. Both efforts fail miserably. However, this is not the fault of the author. "Family" cannot be understood by employing either micro or macro concepts. There is simply no adequate language to articulate many of the complex concepts addressed in this book. Roback did the best she could with the theoretical frameworks currently available.

Roback failed to provide an economic explanation for the current family structure - but maybe that wasn't the point she wanted to make. She seems to be saying that children are an economic liability not an asset. They consume economic resources. They are economically unproductive and establish roadblocks for their parents' economic productivity. Those who are preoccupied with seeking wealth should not have children.

Lastly, I know both my sisters would dearly enjoy reading this book, but neither one would even consider it. Both found the title profoundly and patently offensive. It took me a very long time to understand their perspectives. I sensed that neither of them thought that the word "love" and "economics" should be in the same sentence. I think they would have read it, if it was entitled something like, THE LAISSEZ-FAIRE FAMILY.

Don't be like my sisters. Roback's work is worth reading. She is insightful, humorous and a solid writer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it without reservation to anyone who has an interest in family issues, whatever their point of view. My enjoyment was no doubt enhanced by the fact that I am basically in sympathy with Roback-Morse's point of view. I share both her concerns and her basic political values as a libertarian. I thus found her articulating many of my concerns, often more eloquently than I have done, and found her analysis, for the most part, satisfying. I am sure that she and I are in the minority, but this should not detract from the book's appeal. (My praise should not be interpreted to mean complete agreement with everything that Roback-Morse says and I will indicate some areas of disagreement below.)

It is articulate and avoids being shrill about very controversial matters. It is a voice of old fashioned sanity in a world of rapid, often frightening, change. It is likely to offend many in different places on the political spectrum, but it offers a point of view that is reasoned, often subtle (more than appears at first glance) and worth considering carefully. It is written as a popular text, but it has a lot to offer the scholar as well.

The subtitle "Why the Laissez Faire Family Doesn't Work" is a little misleading, perhaps overly provocative. The truth is Roback-Morse is not attacking laissez faire libertarianism, though her presentation often suggests that she is. This is because of her concern with the place that the family occupies in modern socio-political discussions. There is an irony. The feminist-Left has a very radical "libertarian" approach to the family in that they emphasize the role of "freedom of choice" and individual autonomy, especially for women, in way that is quite out of tune with their interventionist approach to social issues in general. Their approach turns out to be not so different from that of radical libertarians proper who appear to have very little truck with "traditional" family values, and view them as encumbrances on individual autonomy. Roback-Morse devotes a lot of energy to convincing her libertarian friends that she has not abandoned them and that libertarians should actually absorb her thesis into their credo. Her argument is quite subtle. She argues that a free society depends, as all good libertarians know, on the acceptance and smooth functioning of private property rights, including the fulfillment of contracts and commitments, and the latter depends on individuals exercising mature mutual respect and self restraint. Free societies depend on prior and continuously affirmed moral frameworks. Secondly, and persuasively to my mind, such frameworks have no hope of being established and reinforced if the institutions of marriage and the family are in disrepair. So, those who support freedom should also support those moral institutions that bolster the family. These arguments in favor of two-parent committed families are very passionately and persuasively presented and draw on a diverse literature including the role of Hayekian tacit knowledge as part of our valuable social capital. Marriage and the family are seen to embody "natural" wisdoms that are in danger of being lost.

As much as I sympathize with the general point of view, I think Roback-Morse's method of reconciling libertarianism with a commitment to "traditional" family values is the wrong method. I think the truth is much simpler. Libertarianism is surely not really in opposition to a principled approach to the family; it is completely orthogonal to it. Libertarians believe these are private matters about which libertarian theory per se has nothing to say. But, by the same token, libertarians cannot in any way object to individuals exercising their right of free speech in attempting to persuade others of the importance of certain types of institutions and behaviors for the very achievement of the type of society that they value. This book is, in the final analysis, an essay in persuasion. Roback-Morse offers no suggestion that government should impose or enforce the morality she so passionately affirms. The real enemies of libertarianism are compulsion, coercion and appropriation not moral commitment or even the right and necessity of moral judgment.

Finally, I found the chapters on love and religion a little too parochial for my taste - I think the book would be better without them. Also some of Roback-Morse's claims struck me as too sweeping, unnecessarily so. For example, her characterization of the role of the husband as moral authority, necessary to back up the mother (the father being the "strong man" figure), does not ring true in many Jewish families where the role of the proverbial Jewish mother has a key and very powerful moral component that is not at all dependent on the father for credibility. One other example, Roback-Morse does a good job of documenting the costs of institutionalized child-care that is implied by parents choosing to work full time. She might have emphasized that it is indeed working parents and not just working mothers that is the issue here. Undeniably the role of women in the market has changed and the clock is not going to be turned back on this. At the same time, however, fathers can and are playing a greater role in the details of their children's lives - I speak from experience. If anyone can substitute for the mother it is the father, though both are crucial in the development of healthy children. They are both substitutes and complements.

But these are quibbles, read the book, its great!

This book was an eye-opener for me. The discussion about our "shadows" was so important because for the first time in my life I understood my own behavior and what kinds of things trigger shadow behavior for me. The only thing that seemed unrealistic is that of all the examples Dr. Kantor used regarding relationships with couples he had worked with, the results were almost always positive if the couple was married; rarely did the couple actually split up and I remember one of the only couples who did split up were only engaged, not married. That's great if that's how this has really worked, but I suspect he left out stories about couples who ended up deciding not to stay together.

Turn off your phone, cancel your evening and grab your bright yellow highlighter...get in a comfortable position, fire up your itty bitty book light because you cannot put this down. You have been "put down" enough, or you would not be reading this...get real. This will do it!
How glorious the truth rang. Each theory is followed with actual couple stories. I felt like I knew these people...their stories are your stories, and my stories. David Kantor passes no judgement, and eloquently and calmly reports what he has seen and heard--- really points out how important "your life story is" when relating to an intimate other. It all makes so much sense...in these times of war, it would be lovely to dissolve the 'wars' between those who claim to love one another...this shows and tells. This book is the "bones" for any further relationship books you read---it will haunt you.
My bible...

This book is a must buy for anyone who is, or wants to be, married. The truth is this: everyone gets married twice, the only question is whether it is to the same person. This book gives couples the best chance to rediscover (or discover) true love.

You know as well as I do, that every author in this field has the magic "phrase", "touch", or "plan", even to the point of describing men and women as coming from different planets. And in these works, a lot of blame is foisted on environment, upbringing, etc.

What is refreshing about Kantor's explanation and experiences, is that the truth seems nothing more than what YOU feel and what YOU expect to feel about YOUR life and the relations YOU make within it. Face it, you've been betrayed as a child, you have expectations on how to recover from that betrayal, and you want your partner to represent that Hero who will rescue you from that situation so it never happens again. Unlike other works, he doesn't dwell on the mysticism of it all. He gives his diagnoses in frank, straightforward prose. I appreciated this approach.

I really liked Kantors questions on how to start to reveal your betrayals and your expectations to yourself. To get you thinking about your distant past, your relationship with your parents, he has you remember not only what your parents did or said to you, but how you remember them smelling. Wow, this is powerful stuff.

Having written that, I believe you have to be in the right frame of mind to get anything out of this book. I mean, a closed mind is closed and reading this work won't open it.

For those suspecting that they can do better with their partners or even the people around them, and needing a new path to explore, dive in to this pool. The water is fine.

"The couples to whom I have recommended this book all had a similar response after reading it: they identified with the couples and the issues described in the book, went through an initial crisis, and as a result of that crisis had a major breakthrough in their relationship leading to a much deeper understanding of each other's myths, more compassion for each other, a renewed commitment to their relationship and a more satisfying, passionate sex life. I will certainly continue to recommend Dr. Kantor's book to the couples I am working with, my students, and my colleagues. -Ulrike Dettling, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Arlington Reiki Associates

Lee Kennett brought the March through Georgia to life with letters by the men in Sherman's Western Army and the civilians in the area. This book even brings some of the Southern conceptions about what had taken place to be more along the lines of true stories being twisted to a point where the truth couldn't be found. Certainly there is some truth to some of the stories, some of the things that would be blamed on Union soldiers was the work of Wheeler's Cavalry and by some Civilians themselves.

This book did very well to keep a neutral tone and to let the reader come up with their own decision on whose side they would agree with, seeing as my father says there is no such thing to stay absolutely neutral on Civil War topics... and he appears to be right... to a degree. I would say this is a must on the shelves of any Civil War Historian or buff.

A very enjoyable book about Sherman's march through Geaorgia. A story of personal experiences of soldiers and civilians of the time.

Lee Kennett has made a major contribution to the literature of "The March." He has drawn from a huge number of little known sources; private correspondence, diaries,and eyewitness accounts. The book has a good "feel" of the history of the period. His writing style is informal and allows the reader to see the events as if through the eyes of the participants.
I have researched & written extensively on the history of Milledgeville, Georgia and can say that Kennett covered the Milledgeville period as well as it has been covered by anyone.

Hugh T. Harrington
author of: "Civil War Milledgeville, Tales From the Confederate Capital of Georgia," "Remembering Milledgeville, Historic Tales From Georgia's Antebellum Capital" and "More Milledgeville Memories."

Lee Kennett's Marching Through Georgia could easily be mistaken for a "popular history", the kind of work that scholars will occasionally endorse, but usually dismiss. Marching Through Georgia is certainly as readable as any so-called popular history but this work is a gem of historical scholarship, to be compared with the studies of such authors as Bell Irvin Wiley, James Robertson, Reid Mitchell, and Earl Hess. The number of primary sources consulted is positively staggering. Kennett understands, and communicates the character of Civil War soldiers and soldiering in the Western Armies (North and South) better than any author I've ever encountered with the possible exception of Larry Daniel. An outstanding book!

If you're looking for a tactical study of Sherman's Atlanta campaign, this isn't it. If you're looking to delve into the human aspects of a massive Civil War campaign, this definitely is it. If you're looking for a well written book of interest to a broad range of readers, this is also it. No need to be a "buff" to enjoy Kennett's fast paced work that is full of interesting stories and insights into a broad range of topics. His writing keeps the pages turning. It is a unique combination of "beach" book and reference. I have two quibbles with Kennett's writing and they are technical: 1) Stop separating full sentences with semi-colons. Use periods. It aids in reading. 2) Stop using French terms where they aren't necessary or translate them. The book is too good for that to matter much.

About the Book: Men Don't Listen
is a very well written and easy to read book. It is a recipe book on how to make a very good relationship and keep it. The title of this book is a definite attraction for all female readers, but I truly advise both genders to read this book. It teaches women as well as men to stop, listen and learn all those little things that chip away at our relationships, after all, men and women alike spend so much time and worry in regards to healing their frustrations where their inability to understand their partner is concerned. Men Don't Listen has it all. This book will take its readers from A to Z in what steps are worth climbing to meet one another at a very equal level. One may consider this a self-help book in relationships. They would not be far from the truth, in fact it will even take away any false ideas that our world has managed to implement in your brain and take you to a realistic level of what men and women are really about. I enjoyed the romantic section of this book; it added a nice desert to the dinner so to speak.

Recommendation: Womensselfesteem.com highly recommends this read to all women and men regardless of your relationship. It is a very positive and informative book on living a very happy relationship. Thank you Wayne, for requesting a book review by womensselfesteem.com, it was a very entertaining, not to mention valuable read.

I feel this is a must book for both men and women but even more so for women to read. Women have an easier time expressing their feelings and needs and I feel this book will help them understand men better and give them the tools to help draw out the man in their life if they are having any problems communicating. I am presently going through a divorce after a very long marriage and I know if I would have read this book several years ago maybe I could have saved my marriage by knowing more about how my husband was thinking and not giving up because I could not get through to him and us growing apart. The book was written from the personal experiences of the author which makes it even more useful and practical information to learn and hopefully helps the reader not make the same mistakes in their lives. I know I have learned some valuable insight into a man's mind in reading this book that will hopefully help me in any future relationships I am lucky enough to have. Thank you Wayne for sharing your life with the rest of us in an effort to help us avoid the mistakes you made in your journey through life!

This book should be read by all men and women. There is something for everyone to take away from it. The list in the book are very helpful and gives you a place to start. Women if you can get your husbands to listen to you for one minute ask them to read this book it could very well change there whole thought pattern . I loved it. Great Job Wayne!

Ah, what a great book! Being involved in Relationship Workshops, I feel this book is absolutely a must to read by women as well as men. It certainly offers insight into the world of men who listen but have found it difficult to feel. Women you must read this book! It will give you a greater understanding of men. I will indeed suggest reading it at my Relationship Workshops. Pattimari Sheets

Ah, what a great book! Being involved in Relationship Workshops, I feel this book is absolutely a must to read by women as well as men. It certainly offers insight into the world of men who listen but have found it difficult to feel. Women you must read this book! It will give you a greater understanding of men. I will indeed suggest reading it at my Relationship Workshops. Pattimari Sheets

excellent reference material has been invaluable to me in the last week and has steered me into making some difficult choices easily

This book, especially if used in conjunction with the author's web site (see ASIN B0000C7RBX), is one of the most valuable additions to the IT security profession that I've read. My reasons for making this bold statement include:

- The book provides a coherent and focused approach to developing and implementing a security plan. You can find numerous books on writing and implementing policies and procedures, or establishing a security posture, but this is the first book I've read that steps you through the process of conceiving, implementing and keeping alive a viable security plan.

- By separating the process into three distinct domains (referred to as 'stacks') you ensure that your plan encompasses and integrates the technology, process and business elements into a coherent strategy.

- Artifacts in the form of a complete set of worksheets provide a set of tools that give a framework and speed up the planning process.

The planning approach set forth in the book is straightforward and realistic - you're led through the preliminaries, which includes conceiving a plan that matches your needs, and selling the plan to sponsors (an often overlooked, but essential activity when fighting for budget). The next step is to perform an impact analysis, and this is where the book shines, because the author focuses on business issues instead of technology. This promotes awareness and goes a long way towards getting buy-in and funding, as well as laying a solid foundation for a long-term security plan. Next the author shows how to select the correct security model and avoid common pitfalls. These lead to building organizational consensus - buy-in from all stakeholders. The difference between this step and the preliminary step of selling to a sponsor and obtaining funding, which is vertical, you need to promote the plan horizontally as well. The final steps are to implement and continuously refine the plan.

Of course, the overview above only describes the approach contained within the book. There is much more to commend it, such as clear writing, superb page design that portrays information in graphs, illustrations and tables, and the details the author provides. There is not a single statement or recommendation that is unsupported, and the material is both sensible and accurate.

In Mission-Critical Security Planner, Greenberg lays out all the security elements that should concern you and what questions you should ask about them. With this book, half the battle is won because you at least know how to do the planning. You still have to do the planning, but with the worksheets and tips provided in the book, that will be much easier than it used to be.

I read the book twice: once to get an idea of what all the worksheets were about and once to really read them with all the technical and practical details provided by Greenberg.

Greenberg identifies 28 security elements, including 15 fundamental elements, (six of which are core elements), and 13 wrap-up elements. Core elements include things like authorization and access control, authentication, encryption, integrity, nonrepudiation, and privacy. Those may seem obvious, but Greenberg has a lot of useful things to say about them that others haven't said.

Perhaps the most valuable part of the book is all the other elements, which we tend to forget, including addressing and routing (with tips on how to get those right from a security point of view), configuration management, directory services, time services, staff management, legal issues, and so on.

I'd be interested to see some projects get implemented with Greenberg's methods. I think it should work quite well, although due to entropy, laziness, over-worked engineers, and other such factors, I would guess that some of the numerous worksheets will fall by the wayside. But I think Greenberg would be OK with that as long as most of the worksheets are maintained and the company adopts security as a way of thinking.

In summary, this book is definitely worth reading, probably numerous times!

The truth is, hackers and other attackers won't take no for an answer, and while there is absolutely no way to stop attackers from trying; there are ways to stop them in their tracks.

With that, Mission-Critical Security Planner is a surprisingly good book, aimed at someone looking to start developing their information security infrastructure. Rather than having to reinvent the wheel, the book provides planners with the framework and tools they need to create their information security infrastructure.

One good feature of the book it is large collection of templates and worksheets on various security elements. .../

The book is not overly technical and is quite good for those who need to get their security group up and running in a short timeframe.

For those that are serious about security, they will find that Mission-Critical Security Planner is like a cookbook. They can use it to prepare their security as needed.

Overall, Mission-Critical Security Planner is a very readable and useful book. Those who have an imperative to get their security groups up and running will find huge value in the book immediately.

It is very rarely, that you'd see a good high-level security book nowadays. There are lots of great "worm-eye view" books with nice detailed descriptions of attacks, defenses, secure configuration options, tools and tricks. However, many of the high-level books resolve to quoting some outdated CSI/FBI survey, blabbering about security policy and giving out piles of outworldly advice on how to "mitigate risks".

This visionary book proves the opposite: you can have a high-level security book, which is not just practical, but actionable. "Mission Critical Security Planner" delivers a portion of the security process, packed into one toolkit. Make no mistake - this book is about planning how to do security, not how to tweak your scanner or configure a firewall. However, planning is indeed a critical (and, as the author points out, often missing) piece of security conundrum, and the book delivers on that.

An awesome component of the book is a large collection of templates and worksheets on "selling" security measures, planning the implementations, organizing security team, dealing with various business people and many other occasions. The book has the printed versions while its companion website criticalsecurity.com has the download.

The main part of the book is organized around "security fundamentals", large domains of security (such as authentication, encryption, integrity, privacy, etc), which are used to structure the security planning process, described by the author. For each of the fundamentals, the content is organized in sections: summary, security stack (covering various aspects from physical to application level), life-cycle management (from technology selection to response), business (on dealing with various categories of business people, such as suppliers and customers) and selling security (to execs, managers and staff). All of the above contain various templates.

Among the more fun parts, the section on negotiating with hackers is just exclusive and of the never-seen-before kind. Section in hacker profiling is also of interest, since it seems to originate from author's experiences (and not in just reading about it on the news). The book also demystifies such elusive notions as "impact analysis", "security ROI". PKI also has a prominent role in the book. While PKI (as it is defined today) might or might not fly, the book gives a great example of large-scale production implementation, running for many years. Another great feature of the book is author's "future 10 attacks list" with his predictions on threat landscape.

Overall, the book seems indispensable to those responsible for securing networks. Security managers and CSOs will likely gain maximum benefits from using it (due to the book targeting), but other security professionals will benefit as well. Notice, that the benefits can be derived from "using" it as opposed to just "reading" it, although even the latter will prove highly enlightening. The "selling security" templates alone are likely worth their weigh in gold. The book is well-written and, while not possessing the lively style of some recent security books, will beat some of them hands down in real-world applicability. After all, even if you very well know that IDS is valuable, who will help you to "sell" it to the CIO? This book just might!

Anton Chuvakin, Ph.D., GCIA, GCIH is a Senior Security Analyst with a major information security company. His areas of infosec expertise include intrusion detection, UNIX security, forensics, honeypots, etc. In his spare time, he maintains his security portal info-secure.org

A strong step by step approach that illustrates how necessary it is for a company of any size to identify and focus on those customers that will add to company's efforts to grow sales and profitability . Mr Gordman makes us think about the 'right' questions and then through specific examples offers processes and tools a company can use to position its own 'Sweet Spot' business strategy.

If your business needs a tune up this book is a must read. Well written and fast paced.

Powerful ideas, backed up with practical guidance and fascinating case studies. The "Must-Have Customer" reads like a good novel - it's that hard to put down. And unlike many business authors, Gordman clearly knows what he's talking about.

[...]! After 35 years in Retail, finally a simple, step-by-step outline that teaches you how to add more customers that behave just like your best customers. No more beating your head against the wall trying to convert infrequent customers into core customers. IF you follow ALL the steps (and you're honest with yourself) ... IT ALWAYS WORKS!

Steve Rosen
Managing Director, Retail Marketing Solutions

The Must-Have Customer: Seven Steps To Winning The Customer You Haven't Got by Robert Gordman (President of the Gordman Group) with the assistance of professional author Armin Brott provides a powerful and persuasive understanding of an expertise developed through over thirty years of business consulting and executive management for retail companies. Introducing readers to the tactics and wisdom from Gordman which helped dozens of companies improve their sale range from about ten million to eighty billion, The Must-Have Customer comprehensively provides readers with "user-friendly" and persistently informative guide to productive and securing utilization of the business and consulting process for any company. The Must-Have Customer is very strongly recommended for all business executives, consultants, managers, and productivity assessment officers for its exclusive and complete mapping of the entire system.

this book is about nancy drew and her chums bess and george taking a trip to a beautiful seaside place.nancy has two mysteries to solve!her first one involves a lady that goes around selling perfume out of carts and cheating them off threir momey.bess is cheated when she opens the perfume and finds it fake.many other people find they have been cheated out of their money also.the other mystery involves nancy in a dangerous pursiut in a cave when the sound of a tolling bell runs through the cave warning poeple to leave before they drown.when nancy bess and george go to investigate they hear the bell and almost loose their lives!that dosent stop nancy drew though after threats and scares she goes on with the mystery.i would say this is in my top 10.the best part is chapter 19 when the extiment really gets suspenceful and nancy finds herself in dangerous trap!!find out how nancy drew gets out and solves both exiting mysteries!!!

What struck me about the Mystery of the Tolling Bell was its setting-- coastal New England! (Maine, maybe?) such a mystery would delight a Maine-iac like me! Also, it turned out that there WAS a tie-in between that mysterious cave and the
case that Mr. Drew sought to solve for Mrs. Chantrey. It was in this cave where the phonie cosmetic business was in operation. When, after boating accident, Nancy climbed to top of cliff to get her bearings, she felt weak and dizzy and went to sleep. In her dream, two elves carried her away and put them down. The elves were in fact part of the racket, Grumper (who did the chemical work) and his cousin Franz. So, this dream helped Nancy solve the case and bring the swindlers to justice (as she was able to identify two of the crooks). The ringleader, Harry Tyrox,
had a dozen ailases, like Monsieur Pappier, Mr. James et al. So did Mary Smith, the apparent front woman, who called herself Madame, Spanish Senora etc. Like all of the original Nancy Drews, this one is throwback to when many things we take for granted did not exist: there were no computers, transistor radios, dial phones, DVD's, audio CD's, or television (NOT EVEN MUNTZ TV's!) All in all, a very nice one.

This book actually deserves 3 1/2 stars. This is probably my favorite Nancy Drew book but they're not as good as the Annette books.
If you're going to read a Nancy Drew, read this one, but if you want a good mystery, try the Annette books which are better.

This is my favorite of all the Nancy Drew books. I love the story, plot, clues, and charecters. I think that if you only read one Nancy Drew book it should be this one.

This was the eighth book I read,and possibly the best! When Nancy goes on vacation she ends up in a mystery. Her father isn't there yet so she goes out looking for him. She also is sloving the case of the tolling bell which tolls right before water comes rushing out. Aperson dies and a ghost has been seen the end is for you to find out.

Few veterans describe themselves as "heroes." It's a painful word - filled with aspiration, horror and loss. Many veterans who write memoirs avoid the most devastating echoes of war - their own perceived culpabilities. It's understandable. Who wants to poke a finger into a festering wound?

Douglas Bergman is a brave man. Using a magnifying glass, he focuses a scorching sunbeam onto his own soul - allowing the reader to see his demons in great detail. It is unsettling in a world where few want to accept responsibility for their mistakes - where confessions are whispered litanies of shame washed away with a few penitential rosaries. My initial reaction was to look away but I soon found myself examining the author's broken heart like a curious onlooker drawn to a fiery car wreck.

This book is many things - a memoir, an adventure, a tribute, a confession and a sob. From the shiny hearse-white cover to the imagery-dense prose, Mr. Bergman's tale perplexes and intrigues. Vietnam was a conundrum for everyone. For the men who fought there, growing up was like peeling a scab off a half-healed wound. Boy soldiers drawn to the service to resolve other problems found new sorrows to occupy their nightmares. "Names I Can't Remember" is a close up view of a Vietnam Veteran's reaction to war - and a description of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that still torments many who were mere babies in the 1960s.

The author plunges into his story with profane vigor. He amuses and shocks with an almost adolescent glee - as though he has returned to his rebellious, angst-ridden youth and is set on taking the reader with him. He uses literary flourishes that complicate the read like a translucent veil draped over lovers laboring together for their love. You can see the movements, hear them moan - but their faces are dim behind the silken sheen of the fabric. Mr. Bergman peoples "Names I Can't Remember" with garish characters that touched his life but have now faded into ghostly symbols - a motherly whore, a man with a cat on his shoulder, a doofus unable to function in the jungle, an alcoholic CO who confuses courage and foolhardiness -- a nun and a Vietnamese child trying desperately to survive. Despite this distance - or perhaps because of it, this book is powerful and literate. I found myself lingering over the pictures the author created in my head - almost as if this was a novel. It was easier to appreciate this work on that level than to acknowledge the reality of Mr. Bergman's anguish.

The Vietnam War was not a Disney Movie -- neither is this book. However, if you are a student of psychology, a poet - or someone who wants to understand the warrior in your life, this is a wonderful read.

"Names I Can't Remember" is a tough, brilliant read of one man's journey into Dante's Inferno. All human foibles and flaws are put out for display. Mr. Bergman dares the reader to forgive him as he hasn't been able to forgive himself for thirty years. A piece de la triumph! 5 military gold stars - Lillian Cauldwell

"...there is something Keseyesque or Hunter Thompson - like about Bergman's prose: often profane and at the same time, image rich." - Daily News, Clem Richardson 7/8/05

This is not a book filled with words on a page, it is a capturing of a mans inner guts spewed upon pages from his tortured memory. We see the ramblings of a young boy yanked from the unsafe world of his home and the bottle, to be immersed into the world of drunking decisions, adult behavior expected from a still nursing infant. You need to digest every word and feel his feelings. Some of his experiences will fill you with disgust, horror, the need to nurture, but your diet will never be the same after you digest this meal of feelings.
Devour it...chew it... spit it out if you need to... But dont just sit there and read it........

"You'll be on an emotional roller coaster ride while reading this work. The author has given us a very raw look at a young life destroyed by a dysfunctional family drowning in alcoholism and how he carried that with him during his No Slack tour. Doug was in the same company as I was and we walked the same villages, but never met, the places he describes are familiar to me as they will be to others who read him. I wasn't ready for the constriction I felt in my chest as parts of this book made me wonder how he slipped through the cracks as he performed his duty as a platoon leader in an alcoholic fog. Read the book, it's a raw look at a personal battle with a life almost destroyed by abuse, mingled with war. Names I Can't Remember will shake your senses and make you ill but you will find that once you start reading it you can't put it down."
"Yankee Jim" Simchera - A Company 2/327th Infantry,101st Airborne Vietnam: 1969-70

It's so useful, especialy with me, a young I/O psychologist in Vietnam. Thank so much.

I get the feeling that some of the comments by readers suggest that managers cannot understand academic books. We can, if we buckle down and read them. Sure, the quick one-liners of a Covey or a Blanchard are cool and easy to understand. After a while, though, those books become a bit empty. Too much of "how too" and not enough of "why".

I kind of liked the challenge of reading a book that is written by researchers. All of the chapters (14 in total) were quite easy to follow except for the second chapter (about definitions of leadership), which I skipped, and also the last part of the third chapter (on using science to study leadership). The other chapters were very applied. I liked the chapters on traits, information processing, contingency models, transformational and visionary leadership, culture, and ethics. The Bennis chapter is pretty good too.

The Nature of Leadership is a book everybody claiming to speak about Leadership has to read. This book does not provide any easy method to be used to become a leader; instead, it demonstrates with scientific evidences what are the attributions of a leader. It will help any students interested by this field of research better understand what this matter is about.

Some of the reviewers below are bit too excited about this book. Okay, it is a good book but a bit heavy (I got a hard cover)! For the almost 500 pages you do get good bang for your buck ($50/500=$0.10 per page). What I liked about the book is the way it's laid out. It's pretty well organized and covers leadership from many angles. That's an advantage of this book. It doesn't have one message but many messages. The authors of the chapters know what they are talking about. The editors are psychologists/leadership specialists and have good credetials from Yale University. The downside (for some an advantage) is that it looks more at leadership models and says a lot about the state-of-the-art regarding leadership research but not about practice (well the book is not about that and the authors don't claim to do that).

This book will help you if you want to know what leadership model to invest your money in. It's a bit like a consumer car guide. Tells you what's good and what's not so good. If you have this book then you know how to spend your money wisely on other leadership books.

The reviewer that refers to this book as being "painful" is partly right. This book is difficult to read, that's for sure. However, leadership, as a topic is not simple. There are no quick fixes. To learn about leadership you will have to read a lot, particularly what the researchers have written. The topic is not simple and certainly cannot be summarized in simple graphs or charts. You'll need some level of intelligence to understand "The nature of leadership"

Managers or students, who have some basic education will be able to understand this book. If you are looking for quick stories, this book is not for you. Reading "Who moved my cheese?" or "Good to great" will be a better fit for you--these types of books are certainly easier; however, these kinds of books are very simplistic and not well researched (even though they pretend to be).

If you want to get fit, there is not simple way to do it. You have to watch what you eat, you have to exercise, you need persistence, and you need to work hard. If you are the type of person that believes in working hard then this book is for you. You are the type that likes to take the straight and narrow way. You believe in "No pain, no gain."