Western Books

Excellent book!!!!!
In my opinion the beggining of the book was a little boring, but when I was around page 100 the story became very compelling, a page-turner, full of action, suspense and even romance !!! I highly recommend you to read it.

When Carina DeGratia finds out her fiancé has been unfaithful, she leaves her beloved Sonoma, California and heads for Crystal, Colorado. With the deed to her dream house in her hand and little else, she quickly finds out things are not always what they claim to be. Once in Crystal, Carina grabs the attention of two men. One a town leader, the other a man she just as soon wished she'd never met. Again, Carina learns a hard lesson in trust when she begins to realize neither man is who he seems. When violence begins to escalate in this small mining town, Carina must decide who it is she will turn to for help.

THE ROSE LEGACY, the first in a three part series, was a very enjoyable read. I'm glad I already have book two so I can plunge right in and see what else is in store for Carina, her husband, and the town of Crystal.

I have looked at Kristen Heiztmann's books on the bookstore shelves for years now, and never once bought one, thinking they were just the run of the mill historical Christian fiction, with not much meat in them. However, when I recently bought her books Secrets and Unforgotten when they were on sale for half price, I couldn't put them down! Upon finishing those two, I immediately took the Rose Legacy series books out of the library (whose storyline precedes that of Secrets and Unforgotten), and had them read in less than a week (ignoring other important tasks at times!) I love them even more than the first two I read. The characters are real and it was easy to hear the voice of the Lord in my own ear as I read their words. The Lord knew when and where I needed to read these!

I hadn't read Heitzmann before tackling this series, and I've got to say: she's good. The names struck me as a mite corny, but what did I expect from a historical, romance series? Once I got over Quillan, Flavio, etc I thoroughly enjoyed reading the series.
Only buy it if you're ready to put in the time though, cause you won't want to put it down for anything mundane like eating or sleeping:-)

Kristen has begun a new and certainly interesting series set in Colorado. Carina is running from a broken heart and hate for her sister. Instead of the "home" she has purchased, she finds herself in a tiny, canvas stall-type room and working for a dubious person, the only one who seemingly was willing to help. But, he had a motive. A dark one.

Quillan, both hero and scoundrel at times, plays a huge role in Carina's life. He harbors and lives a secret too painful to face. His only real friend is one legged Cain, a truly powerful Christian man whom Quillan would love to call his dad.

Mae and Emie become friends of Carina and she also finds some comfort in the priest and livery hands, but is forced to be near a horrible man she cannot figure out.

This book is set in the historical era many call the rush for silver and gold and lust and debauchery are in their heyday. Carina wonders if she has lost her mind trying to re-establish her life by coming to this small mining town. Some strike it rich while others become paupers, a few remain truthful while a sizable group become rogues and take orders from a ruthless man.

Throughout the entire book, Carina is constantly drawn to the Rose Mine/tunnel, riding there, spending time there, and trying to figure out the mystery this hole contains and why it has such a hold on her. "Wolf" figures to be part of the entire series but so far, not much is known about him.

The author does a great job of leading you straight to book 2. Thanks for a new twist to a Christian, historical, fictional book Kristen.

Daughter of a full-blooded Navajo father and white mother, Lori Arviso Alvord grew up on a New Mexico reservation in a family that took pride in its native heritage, but followed few of the traditional ways. She attended Navajo schools but never learned the language; she knew her clan relationships and enjoyed the security of tribal connections but seldom attended ceremonies or understood the depth of meaning in the Navajo concept "Walk In Beauty."

Such a person might expect to shed the remnants of tribal culture on leaving the reservation to become a high-powered surgeon, a career that by its very nature flies in the face of Navajo precepts like privacy and self-effacement.

Indeed, throughout her memoir, co-authored by Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt, Alvord seems to straddle two worlds separated by an uncomfortable gulf. She first looked upon the deepness of that gulf at Dartmouth.

"For a girl who had never been far from Crownpoint, New Mexico, the green felt incredibly juicy, lush, beautiful and threatening." Unable to see the horizon, she felt claustrophobic. But the culture shock was worse. "I thought people talked too much, laughed too loud, asked too many personal questions, and had no respect for privacy." Navajos do not put themselves forward and cooperation is valued over competition. Not a good prescription for success at an Ivy League school.

At Dartmouth she began to feel her tribal identity more strongly and wonder if a kinaalda ceremony (a celebration of womanhood) would have helped empower her in such alien surroundings. But not until after medical school at Stanford, where she was forced to break numerous taboos (Navajo never touch the dead, for instance) and joined a profession where it is essential to ask prying, intimate questions and invade another's personal space at will, did Alvord really begin to explore the philosophical grounding of Navajo culture.

Becoming a surgeon at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, close to the reservation, Alvord notices that her patients do better when they are calm and relaxed, that harmony - even in the operating room when the patient is unconscious - is important for recovery.

She grows more interested in the Navajo philosophy that "everything in life is connected and influences everything else." To "Walk in Beauty" a person strives to live in balance, symmetry and harmony with everything and everyone else.

While this is an ancient precept, held in common with many other cultures and enjoying something of a renaissance in American medicine today, Alvord comes up with a particularly striking example. One of her surgery patients, a young woman, was the first to die of a strange illness that swept through the Navajo nation, killing 11.

A doctor working for the Centers for Disease Control, Ben Muneta, visited a medicine man, a hataalii, who told him "the illness was caused by an excess of rainfall, which had caused the pinon trees to bear too much fruit." There was "a significant deviation from the natural harmony of the world."

The medicine man showed a sand painting of a mouse and said that twice before in years of excess rainfall a similar disease had struck. " `Look to the mouse,' " he said. Weeks later the CDC determined that the Hantavirus was contracted from the droppings of infected deer mice. The deer mouse population had surged due to an excess of pinon nuts. "It was the rain."

Alvord's tone is quiet, reserved. It does not seem easy for her to describe the alcoholism of her charming father or the difficulties and generosity of her (married at 16) mother. Though she takes us to a nightlong ceremony for the sick and celebrates the strength her patients draw from medicine-man visits, she never explains why it takes her so long to visit a hitaalii during her own pregnancy. Or why she never approaches a medicine man to discuss cross-cultural treatments despite her growing conviction of the efficacy of the "whole body" approach.

While most of the book concentrates on her work and her struggle to reconcile cultures, she provides a wide, sad look at reservation life, beset by poverty and "white mans'" diseases. The long grief of history resides in the alcoholism and the self-loathing of so many - a balance that can never be put right.

At last Alvord leaves. Seeing it as the next natural step in her own "life trail", she returns to Dartmouth as a surgeon and a dean of minority and student affairs. At Dartmouth, she hopes, she can teach the Navajo "Walk In Beauty" principles to new doctors as well as working within the established system to bring better care to her own people.

I am full-blooded Navajo, I was taught to believe in my traditonal ways and it disappoints me that she has talked about very scared ceremonies.

Lori Arviso Alvord walks in two worlds. Raised on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico -- "the rez" -- she is the daughter of a Navajo man and a white woman. Carrying this dichotomy into her education and career, she went from the reservation high school to Dartmouth College, then found her path to Stanford University School of Medicine and a surgical residency in New Mexico.

As the first Navajo woman surgeon, she learned to integrate the science-based world of medicine and the spirit-based Native American culture. The importance of the singing cures, native healing practices, and other spiritual traditions was brought home to her when she observed her patients' outcomes. Surgical skill was often not enough when delivered without respect for the language, culture and spirituality of the Navajo patients.

The main focus of this memoir is Dr. Alvord's path to acceptance of the first Navajo principles: balance, harmony and wholeness, known as "Walking in Beauty." Along the way we learn a great deal about Native American history and culture, sensitively presented.

Dr. Alvord speaks of the cultural bases for Native American alcoholism and the prevalence of gang culture, monumental threats to the health and well-being of her people. The healing of these ills will never be achieved in the operating room alone, and many patients' stories illustrate this lesson effectively.

The outcome of Dr. Alvord's journey is signaled from the beginning, as is often the case with a memoir. While this may dilute the dramatic tension of her story, we're rewarded with a thoughtful and inspiring look at one woman's life and work, in all its contexts. I recommend this book to readers young and old who have an interest in the cultural aspects of medical care.

Linda Bulger, 2008

I picked up this book and I could NOT put it down. What a wonderful journey described here....how she interlocks traditional medicine with Navajo, how harmony and positive spirit is such a process in the healing world. You will not be disappointed with this read. I have shared this with all those close to me. Make it part of your list

--Dr Alvord writes about her journeys as a Native American student and physician. The book seems clearly designed for non-technical readers rather than the professional medical community, and there's little medical jargon. She uses her own difficult pregnancy and the death of a beloved grandmother as case studies in integrating Western medicine and Navajo ideas.
--On the one hand, it's worth reading this book just to hear such an inspirational story from such a role model. Dr Alvord tells her story with dignity and courage and she has many good ideas about listening to patients and integrating Balance and Harmony in our profession (although these ideas don't seem as radical or as rare within the medical community as she seems to imply, and I don't think she does anyone a great service by implying they are).
--On the other hand, the authors remained disappointingly abstract, even given the limitations of confidentiality and space. The stories of Navajo healing barely scratched the surface and the book was pretty scanty with practical advice that would help non-Native healers understand Native American patients. I'd love to have heard her perspectives on the magnitude of Native American health problems, how she handled the constant pressures of time and funding, or how she successfully used traditional Native American methods to help manage serious medical-social problems (i.e. alcohol use, diabetogenic diets, family pressures, basic compliance and responsibility issues, etc). In short, I'd like to have heard more about her successes.
--The book's perspective gives a good counterpoint to those who criticize Western medicine as too impersonal/sterile/uncaring/whatever, while they fail to demonstrate how to predictably improve things and still efficiently deliver technically competent health care to people with different levels of motivation and understanding. Western medicine works beautifully in its own niche, but it will be made to work less efficiently if we mess around with the wrong things. Perhaps medicine will improve if we balance the responsibilities of patients to live a healthy lifestyle with the responsibilities of healers to carefully listen to patients and then help them heal.
--This book did not practically help me to do this, so I cannot give it five stars despite my respect for her credentials. I do look forward to a sequel.
--Other books which may be of interest include Blessings (by Dr. A. Organick), The Dancing Healers, and Primary Care of Native American Patients.

Maybe my hopes were too high due to the previous reviews, but I found it a little dull.

I loved the McKettrick's, every book I have picked up I cant put it down until I have read through, and cant wait till he next.

I love all the McKettrick Series stories, they are all different, but many of the same characters throughout. I really enjoy these type of books because it's almost like a continuation of the same story that I liked in the first place! Currently I am reading The Last Chance Cafe by the same author, and it is not about the McKettrick's, but is a wonderful story that's different but in the same style as the others.

One of the best books I have read, I have read the Trilogy and loved all three.

This is great book if you read the other two books of the McKettrick family you will enjoy it. Dont forget to read about the last or should I say first brother of the McKettrick Cowboys. Title: "McKettrick Choice".

Wayne Williams captures the beauty of the western United States in a way that inspires a respect for nature. Hopefully, everyone will have an opportunity to view this book and remember to treat our environment as the gift it truly is.

I have just spent an enchanted couple of hours visiting 'America's Vanishing Landscapes'. Wayne Williams has produced a visual feast and testament to the beauty of Nature. This book contains so many beautiful images, I felt compelled to write and reccomend it to you.
I am lucky enough to live by one of nature's rain forests in the West Indies. Everyday I am filled with awe and wonder by my surroundings. This book makes me feel the same way. What also impressed me too, was his mastery of the craft and it reminded me of Ansel Adams work. They have combined technological mastery of the photographic techniquies available to them; and have produced a vision that not only speaks to the senses, but also to the heart. This is a rare combination and achievement.

Breath-taking vistas!!! You want to run away and see America. I have never seen the jewels of our country captured with such feeling. This is THE book for every home that wants to "travel" the country. Gorgeous presentation, beautifully put together. Perfect gift item, but get one for yourself too. I can't wait for the other editions covering the rest of the country.

It's impossible to capture the grandeur and magnitude of beauty of nature in a photo but Williams comes as close as you can get in this amazing book. The greatest and worst terrorism is the terrorism against the environment. It dwarfs all the other forms. This book may give people the vision that is an antidote.

What would it feel like to be able to go back a couple of hundred years and experience in real life the magnificent vistas of the American west as they were then? Amazingly enough, this book of contemporary photography will magically let you feel that and then bowl you over with its message. It is simply the most moving collection of landscape images I have ever seen. The stunning beauty of these photographs of some of the American West's most spectacular vistas and the inspiration and purpose reflected in the artist's heartfelt interpretations of each image weave together a haunting sense of loss and, at the same time, a deep understanding of what we have done and must now do. It will be a long time before you make room on your coffee table for another book (probably about as long as it takes Mr. Williams to publish the next volume in the project). It will not take long, however, for you to make room in your life for its purpose. Thank you, Wayne Williams, for helping us see again with this important and beautiful work.

In the entire history of western philosophy, there is not one person I can praise more than Michel de Montaigne. Normally, any book over 500 pages tends to become tedious to me, and works of philosophy over that length become insufferable. The best praise I can give this book is to say that at 1200 pages, I was not the least weary of it. In fact, I wished it was longer! Montaigne is the definitive philosopher, a man driven to write out of boredom, who presents his essays as his views, never trying to categorize and name realities, but simply marvelling over everything, from literature to pets. His broad learning and wonderfully disorganized style lead the reader on a journey into the what ifs, and whys of existence. Montaigne is the epitome of a renaissance man. His views in most situations are more modern than yesterday. He speaks out for the virtues of women, carefully denounces war, subtly questions the more extraneous doctrines of Catholicism, and even denounces colonialism and promotes respect of racial and cultural differences. This is not a man one would have expected to find in the 1500s. But here he is. And his text! Often saying that his memory was weak, MOntaigne demonstrates it by going off on wild tangents for thirty pages, only to realize that he has succeeding in proving his original idea without his knowledge. His sentences and rich prose leap across the pages, and dance with ideas of the sublime and the ridiculous, ideas which he does not so much attempt to resolve as ponder upon a page. He never once falls into the philosopher's folly of stating his views as though they were fact, and is often very careful to say, "This is what I think" in one way or another. He never attempts to convince the reader, for he originally never intended his essays to have a reader. In situations where he would challenge authority, he is always careful to say, for instance, "But my own views are nothing, the church of course knows better". More than any other work of philosophy, the Essays are an adventure, leading one through the soul of a man, a man who thought so little of himself but was so great. It reads almost as a novel, and at the end, after 1200 pages of Essays, Montaigne stands before the reader as clearly as any historical or fictional figure ever has. This is the true Magnum Opus of western philosophy.

This English translation of Montaigne's Complete Essays is wonderful. Although I like it better than Donald Frame's version, I actually prefer J.M. Cohen's to either. Cohen's translation is only a selection, unfortunately. If you need the Complete Essays, go with Screech.

Screech's version, however, has a very annoying problem. As in Frame's translation, letters are used within the text to note differences between the three major editions of the Essays (A, B, C). Frame's version uses small capital letters inserted within the text; they are unobtrusive and can be ignored. Screech's version, however, uses full-sized letters within brackets with a lot of space surrounding them. They are just too darned disruptive. Why in the heck did they do this? Perhaps they intended it for academic or scholarly use. It's a shame. I hope that Penguin will issue a new edition or revision that will take care of this problem.

Use the "Look Inside" feature of this book to decide for yourself.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. It is one of those rare books that can change your life. Sure, many people say something similar about a particular book, but it is genuinely true in this instance. Montaigne is wise, humane, and very humourous. If I had to live on an island and could only take three books with me, this would be one of them. And, it would be an easy choice to make. I have read the Essays cover to cover twice already and plan to do so again many times in my life.

Here are some general points you might want to keep in mind when reading Montaigne's Essays: First, he doesn't always stick to the topic announced at the beginning of an essay. Sometimes, an essay appears to be about a particular topic but ends up being about something else entirely. Second, even when Montainge makes a half-hearted attempt at staying on topic, the journey is still the scenic route instead of a straight shot (but, this is half the fun of his Essays). Third, Montaigne's Essays are a perfect crash course on the wisdom to be found in the writings of the Latin authors. Finally, Montaigne is surprisingly skeptical and relativistic on many issues. This is obviously why his Essays are so relevant even today.

Now for a word on translations. The two primary translations that are easily available are this Penguin edition translated by Screech and the Stanford University Press edition translated by Frame. Each edition has its advantages and disadvantages, and it's a shame the editions can't be combined to create the perfect translation.

The Penguin/Screech edition includes the original and a translation of all Montaigne's foreign language quotations. The vast majority of these are in Latin; so, if you know some Latin, this is helpful. It also includes very helpful notes on obscure literary and historical issues, which provides for greater understanding. However, if you read the introduction and Screech's notes carefully, you will realize he does have an agenda. Screech plays down Montaigne's skepticism and tries to portray Montaigne as being more religious than he was.

As to the Stanford/Frame edition, its translation is much closer to the original French than Screech's. If you put the French text and Frame's translation side by side, you'll see what I mean (even if your French is pretty weak like mine). And, Frame does not play down Montaigne's skepticism - he lets Montaigne speak for himself. But, Frame's translation does have some flaws. It does not include the original for foreign language quotations. And, when Frame translates Latin poetry, he almost always makes it rhyme even when the original Latin does not rhyme. I find this jarring and not true to the original. Frame also does not include any helpful notes.

All in all, I'd like to combine Frame's translation of Montaigne's French with Screech's original and translation of all foreign language quotations. This would be the best possible version of the Essays.

This book is one of the finest products of the human mind. You will not regret the significant amount of time it will take to read these Essays. And, if you read them carefully, you'll never look at the world the same way again.

Montaigne. He has lessons for us all, I've found.

Some of the lessons are hard. He writes about everything, but most of all, he writes about himself. There is a painful clarity to his work - but that cliche term does nothing to properly explain what it is he accomplishes with his writing.

At thirty-three, Montaigne decided to retire to his home and write. He had vague ideas about writing a gentleman's book on warfare, and the first few essays reflect that. But, as he progressed, he kept going on little side journeys into his own thoughts and opinions. At first, Montaigne reigned himself in, struggling to stay true to the path he had decided for himself.

Happily for us, he failed.

He abandoned the idea of writing for gentlemen - though there are still slight evidences of this throughout the work. Instead, he decided to focus on the one thing he knew better than anybody else in the entire world - Montaigne. Who else could know more, or would bother to take as much time exploring this one man than the man himself? And why not explore his own mind - every day, he has to live and deal with the advantages and disadvantages, the habits and the thoughts, the opinions and the ironies of being Montaigne. Thus, he decided, it was worth exploring. In his view, there was nothing more important than understanding one's self. If you cannot understand yourself, how can you expect to understand anybody else?

There are moments of 'painful clarity', as I said above. Montaigne discusses (his) impotence, his imperfect marriage, the disappointments he has created in others, the times when he did not do what he should. But he also talks about how he can make himself a better person, and how, in a lot of ways, he is an admirable person. It is important to realise that Montaigne is not writing an apology for himself. He is putting himself on to paper, 'warts and all', and declaring it true. There is a point in one of the essays where he declares that he wouldn't want anyone to lie about the person he is, even if they flattered him or praised him. This is, in a nutshell, Montaigne's thinking. He is not concerned with being the greatest person ever known - he is concerned with understanding himself.

Four hundred years on, what is there to offer us, the modern reader, in Montaigne? An infinity of wisdom. Could I, in honesty, completely and unwaveringly disect myself for the consumption of both myself and others? I don't think so. I very much fear that the answer is no. And yet - why not? Is it shame? I don't think so, as I have nothing major to hide. Perhaps, then, it is simply the fear of unrealised ideas and thoughts. If I am unaware of myself, I cannot present it. Montaigne was and is aware of himself and thus manages to accurately describe the person that he is.

Montaigne's essays are invaluable not only for the man that they portray, but for the wisdom in what is spoken. Montaigne has thought about so many aspects of what it is to be a human and alive, and we can all learn from this. The topics he discusses go beyond mere 16th century issues, and deal with concepts, ideas and concerns that affect us now, and will affect us always. Absolutely essential reading.

What's not to like about Montaigne? Everytime I pick through parts of his essays [and it does not matter where one begins] I find myself in deep thought. Sometimes I feel as if Montaigne were speaking to me. I have the Donald Frame translation. Although I have read the Cohen translation too, and I do have a copy of it somewhere in this jungle I call my library. I have just recently purchased this Penguin edition, with another yet another translation. But no matter, the words and wit of Montaigne are, and will be as timeless as long as people are willing to open these pages and gather meaning from them. And I will always continue to do so.

These essays were meant to be read and re-read. And you know, I never tire of reading Michel de Montaigne. This mans works have been a part of my life for as long as I can recall. And how many times can you remember picking up the same books over and over again to reach words of wisdom? And Montaigne's humble wisdom and honest look at himself is what makes these essays so profound and enjoyable to read. Why? Because he took a long hard look deep into his own soul and wrote for himself, and to himself: And in turn, he imparted these essays to the rest of us. Which I am forever grateful to him for. If you have never read Montaigne, it's time you do. Highly recommended. Should be required reading in all schools today.

Durham evokes the wildness of the Plains and West with superb prose, sometimes nearly poetry in its details. Gabriel is a realistic depiction of an impatient, uncertain teenager. The plot line certainly keeps the reader involved, as we are curious to learn what new horror Marshall and Caleb will unleash on the people around them, as well as whether Gabriel and James will escape. But Durham's decision to present certain portions in italic with no names given to the people in them--even after we have been introduced to those people--struck me as striving too much for some mystical effect. I'm not clear on what this style is supposed to achieve and found it more annoying than effective.

The characters a full-bodied and mature. The story is heart-breaking and real to the core. One sympathizes with the protagonists and wishes the antagonists straight to hell. Now that is what I call a good novel. Durham has done a fabulous job...

Good stuff. Don't have anything deep and meaningful to add, but I liked this book and wanted to say so. It pulls you in slowly, so that you might think it's going to be one sort of book and next thing you know you're off on wild ride across the West. Literary and exciting; a western and yet subversive of the genre at the same time. And I thought the twist toward the end was great. Didn't really see it coming, but once sprung it all made sense.

Rarely do I read a book in one sitting, but I felt I had no choice in this one. I wish more books that I picked up held my interest, my imagination, and my heart as well as this one has. The main character, Gabriels, tells us a story of the American West in a unique manner far different than the "typical Western" we know. I highly recommend this book to those who are tired of cliches and formulas. I'm glad I found this little treasure.

Yes, Kansas was and is a Great Plains state, and anyone who first arrives might say, "I can't believe I'm in Kansas."

Kansas is an acquired taste, and Gabriel Lynch, a youngster frresh from the big eastern city of Baltimore, could not quite discover the tastefulness of farm life. Not many teens today could either. But they should read "Gabriel's Story" anyway.

This coming of age drama by David Anthony Durham has Gabriel run away from his mom and new step-dad to join up with a motley crew of vicious criminals. Gabriel soon learns to cherish a more simple life.

One might say he learned a lesson: Be loyal to your family. They're not as bad as you think.

Larry Rochelle, author of DEATH & DEVOTION: A Palmer Morel Mystery

In response to some of the prattlings below-only those who do not know the first thing about Nietzsche think that he was at all anti-Semitic. He wrote clearly, very clearly, against that and against nationalism. In one of his books he stated that Germany should not admit any more Jews inside of her borders. Why? Because he felt that the German people lacked an identity, and knew that Jewish people had a very strong identity. He did not think that Germany, weak and unrealized as it was, could stand an influx of a people that he repeatedly characterized as remarkable.

I am somewhat obsessed with Nietzsche, and this book started it all. Do not dive into his later, more well known masterpieces (Beyond Good and Evil, the Genealogy of Morals, The Gay Science) without acquainting yourself with this book. It is an introduction to his style, and there is no better example of his mastery of psychological observations. In this book he comments on all elements of social reality ("no one thinks to thank the clever man for restraining his wit when in the company of those who cannot practice wit" for example), going into love, friendship, the tenor of social gatherings, absolutely everything that is psychologically investigatable. He brings this method to his later books, in which he tackles larger issues, like the history of religion, philosophy, morality, and other things. But it all starts here-his later critiques of Christianity and everything else are far more understandable after a thorough acquaintance with his psychological method, first and best presented here. If you are at all sensitive and introspective, this book will move you to tears more than a few times.

O.k. So I have a minor in philosophy and Nietzsche was one of my inspirations to pursue this as a degree in college. Nietzsche deals with androgony. In more modern terms, men and women are crossing over the line of androgeny with their jock image. They are getting more and more androgynous you can't distunguish between even basic differences between the sexes anymore. While my philosophy professor and classmates dismissed Nietzsche as "not being a first rate philosopher," he does have his points about god and androgeny. This is part of our changing world and in philosophy class I did make my points.

I feel obligated to correct a distortion suggested by `unraveler' below. It is popular to suggest Nietzsche was an anti-semite, but this is a rather lazy habit. Nietzsche's remark on `the youthful stock-exchange Jew' was mentioned. Here it is in its proper environment:

. . . the entire problem of the Jews exists only within national states, inasmuch as it is here that their energy and higher intelligence, their capital in will and spirit accumulated from generation to generation in a long school of suffering, must come to preponderate to a degree calculated to arouse envy and and hatred, so that in almost every nation . . . there is gaining ground the literary indecency of leading the Jews to the sacrificial slaughter as scapegoats for every possible public or private misfortune. As soon as it is no longer a question of the conserving of nations but of the production of the strongest possible European mixed race, the Jew will be just as usable and desirable as an ingredient of it as any other national residue. Every nation, every man, possesses unpleasant, indeed dangerous qualities: it is cruel to demand that the Jew should constitute an exception. In him these qualities may even be dangerous and repellent to an exceptional degree; and perhaps the youthful stock-exchange Jew is the most repulsive invention of the entire human race. Nonetheless I should like to know how much must, in a total accounting, be forgiven a people who, not without us all being to blame, have had the most grief-laden history of any people and whom we have to thank for the noblest human being (Christ), the purest sage (Spinoza), the mightiest book and the most efficacious moral code in the world. . . .

Is this anti-semitism???

if you want to have your moral foundations knocked out from under you, read this book - and then build upon the ruins - Nietzsche's, in my opinion, most accessible work, as his aphoristic style floats over many different topics - don't stop here however, i recommend Kauffman's "Nietzsche, Philosopher, Psychologist, AntiChrist" as a starter if you find the complexity and diversity of Nietzsche's thought to be overwhelming or incomprehensible - he's frequently ambiguous and contradictory but it's more a positive trademark of his works and shouldn't dissuade one from further readings.

If you like aphorisms and philosophy, this book will become one of your bibles. If nothing else, it's just plain fun to read for his incredible wit. Of course you have to put his ideas in the context of the period in which he wrote and understand that he has his own odd prejudices, but the brilliance of his understanding of the human condition really shines through. The biggest mistake any reader could make is to think Nietzsche was an anti-semite---far from it. He was anti-neanderthal. In this book especially the reader sees his low tolerance for received wisdom. This book is nothing less than part of the origin of Western psychology as practiced today. It also represents the demolition of science and philosophy polluted by the received Western theological framework. Some of the best parts are when he skewers religion. You have to love his style even if you do not agree with his pessimistic disgust for piety. This is the kind of philosophy book you need not fret over, unless you harbor wishful thinking about a supremely benevolent deity. Instead of making an elaborate argument about the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin, as preceeding systematic philosophers did literally and figuratively, Nietzsche bends the pin and throws it in the trash. I wish I had read this before his Genealogy of Morals, as knowing his thoughts here would have made that book far more interetsing and understandable. I highly recommend philosophy students first approaching Nietzsche pick up Human, All Too Human to start their study. And if you are religious and want to bolster your faith, well, you should stay far away from this book.

This book is a fairly interesting book of New-Age philosophy but has little, if any, relationship with the Sufi tradition. One seeking a "practical" book on this tradition will find a superb primer in Robert Frager's "Heart, Self, and Soul". This is not to say that Shah's work is lacking in all respects; it is entertaining and will have appeal to many. My reservation is that the title, "A practical philosophy in the Sufi Tradition", is misleading. There is a harvest of quality books on traditional Sufism on Amazon.com, so keep looking.

I have come to almost despair that anyone really wants to know anything. Almost all people seem content with the hazardous situation of driving blindfolded. They seem satisfied with their imaginations or stuff fed to them by others. If I bring up the possibility of knowing anything, they appear bored. Many people laugh and say they left that back in their college dorms. At best, they seem only to want information (or even misinformation) that will help them become more successful. The rest be damned.

KNOWING HOW TO KNOW is for folks, of either gender, who want to know--and who kind of like reality.

The first thing I learned from KNOWING HOW TO KNOW was that knowing how to know is different than I thought it was. I was disappointed by every page. I was looking for a golden key or something, and it wasn't there. But there was a sensation that the author did know how to know, so I stuck with it. Here's an example of what I found (page 149):

"Exposure to teaching can improve man. If it has made him worse, it is the absence of knowledge on the part of the teacher, who has exposed him to study materials before correcting the inner tendencies of the man. In this case, effectively, there has been no teaching and no learning. If the man has been studying on his own, there has been no studying and no teaching. Hope of imporvement is not a substitute for capacity to improve. Some who have studied and worked may learn more than those who have not."

It all seemed obvious, until I realized that I had to read it again.

I began to realize that my opinion of myself, that I loved learning, was phony.

I had read recently (In Thomas Thompson's THE MYTHIC PAST) that the "fear of God" which is "the beginning of wisdom," (according to the biblical "Proverbs") is tantamount to recognizing one's own ignorance. Ah, perhaps things were not as bad as I thought. Could I be at the "beginning of wisdom"? I was certainly left with the knowledge that I am ignorant.

Was it unpleasant? Yes. And, no. It was unpleasant in the sense of being lost, but it was blissful finding myself in something like a charmed forest.

If I've gotten as far as to know that I don't know, well, that's something I think anyone who reads KNOWING HOW TO KNOW will get, so it's nothing to be particularly proud of. Still, it is beyond a doubt better than NOT knowing that I don't know. I know something, at least.

I'm glad I read KNOWING HOW TO KNOW. I'll have to read it again, I think. If I've attained the first step towards knowing, perhaps....

Knowing How to Know by Idries Shah

I started reading this book before our house burned down. Once the smoke had cleared and the ashes settled a bit I bought a fresh copy and continued reading, now a displaced person in the Village of Elora in Southern Ontario. The time honored "dog ear" method of reference was chosen to help make my way through the book and back again.
Again Shah has written a book extraordinarily rich and meaningful: a book on being human in society ... and sometimes missing chances to do so. For me, it started slowly: no turned down pages for the first 80. But by the end, I had marked 37 pages, stories and sections to re-read. This book jogs the memory, tweaks the emotion and exercises the mind. At the end one has gained new perspectives as well as an appreciation of the deep gentleness and generosity of the man and the teaching.

For a taste, here's a portion of Shah's account of a Q. & A. Session:
Q: Then how do you explain the following Sufi story.....?
The Frogs
There were once two frogs, which jumped into a pail of milk. The first was a logical one, and realising that he could not get out he calmly gave up and drowned. The second, though he did not know how to get out, went on struggling for hours. In due course, the milk turned to butter in sufficient quantities for the surviving frog to jump out.

A: As is usual, you have been told the story in a defective version. It does not end there. The end of the story is: `The turmoil engendered by the surviving frog's struggles had alerted a crane, which, as soon as the frog jumped out of the pail, pounced on it, impaled it on his beak and made a dinner out of it'.

Q: Then?

A: There was, in fact, a third frog in the tale. He knew how butter is made. When the crane had gone away, he jumped in, made butter by flailing around, called in friends to give the dead frog a decent burial, and they ate the butter.

Q: But what about the poor owner of the milk - he lost it . . .

A: You can't have everything at once: he turns up in another story.

For a taste, here's a portion of Shah's account of a Q. & A. Session:
Q: Then how do you explain the following Sufi story.....?
The Frogs
There were once two frogs, which jumped into a pail of milk. The first was a logical one, and realising that he could not get out he calmly gave up and drowned. The second, though he did not know how to get out, went on struggling for hours. In due course, the milk turned to butter in sufficient quantities for the surviving frog to jump out.

A: As is usual, you have been told the story in a defective version. It does not end there. The end of the story is: `The turmoil engendered by the surviving frog's struggles had alerted a crane, which, as soon as the frog jumped out of the pail, pounced on it, impaled it on his beak and made a dinner out of it'.

Q: Then?

A: There was, in fact, a third frog in the tale. He knew how butter is made. When the crane had gone away, he jumped in, made butter by flailing around, called in friends to give the dead frog a decent burial, and they ate the butter.

Q: But what about the poor owner of the milk - he lost it . . .

A: You can't have everything at once: he turns up in another story.

Shah frequently prescribes a dose of humility and self assessment, which can be uncomfortable since they tend to deflate the ego - mine anyway. But along with such correctives Shah also serves up thought provoking, disarming humor and many excellent lessons for conducting a productive life. The entry on Pashtun sayings is a riveting ­blend of practical country wisdom (with many touches of humor) and profound observations on the mind, spirit, and society. This is a great book.

In many ways, this book continues themes the author expressed and evoked in Learning How to Learn: differences between emotionality and spirituality, real and false teachers, real and false students, preparatory work, the never-ending struggle of sufism to overcome humanity's "herd instinct." Idries Shah employs essays, parables, lists, logic, and question-and-answer seamlessly.

If you're interested in sufism, or spirituality in general, this book is likely to disturb you as well as fascinate you. Sharp critiques of common illusions (and even delusions) are juxtaposed with rare subtleties. Either way, there are plenty of ideas worth contemplating. The short chapter on Exercising Power, for example, explains how the motif "Do this or I will make you uncomfortable" applies to both the superior and inferior parties in any power transaction.

Looked all over for this book and of course Amazon had it, I should have looked here first.
Great Book

The ideas in this book are not politically correct, but it is a very good representation of ideas at the time it was written about. Anyone with a love of classic Westerns should have this book on their shelf.

I was dubious about the novel after loving the film for so long. But was impressed with how closely Ford's classic followed LeMay's story. It also adds ALOT of backstory that fills in many lingering questions for devotees of the film. LeMay was apparently one of the few novelists who parlayed his talents into screenwriting as well, making a successful career in Hollywood and literature. This is NOT a lame pulp Western. It's a well researched novel that touches on history, race, love, loyalty...and hell it's just a bloody great adventure! If you love the film, then read the book.

I am old enough to have watched the original Hollywood version in person. However, several months ago (apparently while all the planets were in conjunction), I had the opportunity to watch it again via DVD at almost the same time I stumbled across a copy of the book. The printed page beckoned and curiosity overcame me. Le May wrote a simple, well-researched, and readable classic that Hollywood altered both for the big screen and contemporary political correctness. The book covers a wider range of human emotions and character types; it goes significantly deeper into both the history and the psyches of the frontier's men and women who settled Texas. If I had it to do over, I would just read the book and forgo the movie (may JW forgive me).

Wow, I would never have believed how good this was. I remember being disappointed when the book arrived, because I had assumed such a big story would of course be a BIG book. I usually won't touch a book under 400 pages, the bigger the better. I was wrong in this case, what an awesome story -- five long years searching for little Debbie.

The characters were wonderful, many tragic moments where you want to just cry, and other moments along the way to make you laugh and smile. As another reviewer noted A++ indeed. Highly recommended.

When I read a novel it has to hold my interest and The Shopkeeper did more that hold my interest--I kept turning the pages to see how the story would end. Whether you're looking for Western Fiction or just a good read, I heartily recommend The Shopkeeper. I'm looking forward to Mr. Best's next novel.

This was my first Western and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed it, in fact, I couldn't put it down. I love Steve Dancy !

This is a great book. Steve Dancy is a very interesting character. He has a modern mind operating in the old west.

I highly recommend this book.

This was an excellent read that once you started you couldn't put down. In every chapter there was a new twist that kept your interest level high. Even my wife, who would normally not read a western, was captivated by the story and thought it was an intellingently written, interesting book. When will the next one be released???

I chose this book because of the reviews as a gift for an avid Western reader who doesn't troll online or frequent bookstores because of an illness. He received this wonderful gift last Wednesday and finished it on his second day LOVING IT and wanting another "Steve Dancy" book NOW. He'll have to wait for Christmas it appears but thank you James D. Best for a fabulous new character and wonderfully written book from someone who loves his (quality) Westerns. You have brightened someone's days who needed some brightening! His daughter is jealous that SHE didn't give it to him. So, well done Mr. Best... Keep writing!!