Western Books

Kahn offers the fragments of Heraclitus in solid translation, with an extensive and thoughtful commentary that both takes account of a great deal of secondary literature and provides the author's own valuable insights.

Kahn's approach to the interpretation of Heraclitus is orthodox but sensitive. He appreciates Heraclitus' intentional and artful prose style, including his use of ambiguity and wordplay to create a multiplicity of meanings in many of the fragments. He also gives proper attention to the resonance between fragments, often picking up an echo of a word or image from one fragment while interpreting another.

I enjoyed and learned much from Kahn's commentary, though I would rate his overall success at drawing a systematic Heraclitean worldview from the fragments a limited success at best. In this I think he is surpassed by Roman Dilcher and perhaps M.L. West as well. However, Kahn's command of the ancient material, the secondary literature (in several languages), and the history and culture of the ancient world in general, is truly impressive. His erudition serves the reader very, very well, opening up a wealth of other sources and making connections that only someone with such a mastery of classical and archaic literature can. I would also strongly advise interested folks to hunt down the hundreds of footnotes in his already weighty commentary, as they frequently provide a gem of a comment or an important bibliographical reference.

All in all, this book is essential for any serious study of Heraclitus. Its staying power is testament to Kahn's superb work. I personally feel deeply in Professor Kahn's debt for his fine volume, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. My one and only complaint has to do with his decision to reorder the fragments and number them with Roman numerals...it's truly and deeply annoying, but if this is the only fly in the ointment, I suppose we can forgive Charles Kahn. A wonderful book.

Rather than Charles H. Kahn's 'The Art and Thought of Heraclitus: An Edition of the Fragments with Translation and Commentary' (ISBN: 052128645X), I would suggest that those who are interested in acquiring an edition of Heraclitus which gives them the Greek text with translation and commentary look for a copy of Philip Wheelwright's possibly more interesting 'Heraclitus' (ISBN 0199240221).

I would also suggest that the more scholarly inclined turn to Thomas McEvilley's 'The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies' (ISBN 1581152035) where, in Chapter Two, 'The Problem of the One and the Many,' they will find a fascinating treatment of Heraclitus which goes far beyond anything Kahn has to offer. On page 149 of this same book they will find a valuable footnote (92) which will provide them with a good idea of the quality (or lack of it) of Kahn's 'scholarship.'

As for the general reader who simply wants to read an English translation of Heraclitus, their needs will perhaps be better served by a book such as Guy Davenport's '7 Greeks' (ISBN: 0811212882) which gives an excellent translation of the complete fragments.

Davenport's translations really are superb and the 124 fragments he gives us, which are tragically all that remain of Heraclitus, take up a mere 12 pages of his book. As a bonus, the remainder of '7 Greeks' is devoted to equally fine translations of Archilocus, Sappho, Alkman, Anacreon, Diogenes, and Herondas.

Davenport's Heraclitus is pithy, pungent, and very much to the point:

16. "Awake, we see a dying world; asleep, dreams."

82. "Defend the law as you would a city wall."

97. "Life is bitter and final, yet men cherish it and beget children to suffer the same fate."

107. "Having cut, burned, and poisoned the sick, the doctor then submits his bill."

Another of Davenport's 7 Greeks, Diogenes, was for me a wonderful find and I'm still chuckling over this one:

Diogenes 109. "I've seen Plato's cups and table, but not his cupness and tableness."

The affluent student who simply must own every edition of Heraclitus should by all means acquire Kahn (and also McEvilley who translates and comments on many of the fragments). Others may find Davenport's translations adequate to their needs, somewhat more memorable than Kahn's, and his book better value for money.

One of the things that is most interesting to me about this book is the way it illustrates how we can know so much about someone whose main book is not available to us. By writing about nature in a way that emphasized the power of fire, war, and strife, Heraclitus produced a book that was so well known to ancient writers that many of them lifted ideas for their own purposes. This combination of the knowledge that we have from many sources produces a picture of the permutations that basic philosophy is prone to fall prey to in a history which never finds any particular idea useful for long. I find the application of such ideas most interesting in the field of deep politics, where the idea of "killing the killers," mentioned in connection with the riddle which Homer couldn't guess at the time of his death according to the tradition explained in this book, could be related to some modern despicabilities.

Devoid of all "Slave Morality" influences from Semitic thinking, Heraclitus is pure European thought at its finest. It's usually proclaimed, that all Western philosophies are but a footnote to Plato. I disagree. Even Plato is subjected to Heraclitus. These fragments shine through, and Charles Kahn does an excellent job of giving his opinions about each fragment without forcing them down your throat and proclaiming his opinions as 100% the ONLY way they can be understood (but, in my opinion, he makes a good case for this reasons). After reading these 123 fragments, you'll see that philosophers such as Plato through Hitler among others owe much of their thinking to this one man. An Excellent Read.

This text is not for the beginning student in philosophy or philology. As someone interested in the history of philosophy, works like this compilation/commentary by Kahn are always valuable. The aim of this text is to provide a method for organizing the fragments of Heraclitus' philosophy in a manner that differs from the original Diels-Kranz method. Kahn's translations are markedly different from the now standard translations of Kirk and Raven; the differences are intertwined with the method of organizing the order of the fragments. In assessing any particular fragment in this work, one should always consult the Kirk-Raven text on the Presocratic Philosophers, have at least a passing knowledge of Greek, have read some Heidegger, and know a good bit about the controversy surrounding the arranging of the fragments. The arrangement of Heraclitus' fragments is a project that is just as perilous as attempting to ascertain the order in which Plato wrote his dialogues. I don't particularly find this sort of lexicography to be very fruitful in terms of having definitive answers, but Kahn's arrangement here is very good at placing itself within the context of what has come before in the way of scholarship. Referring back to any particular fragment in Diels-Kranz or Kirk and Raven is easy because Kahn cross-references each of his numbered translations with their numbering systems. It is hard to challenge the authority of this work, but it is by no means the final word on Heraclitus.

we have all seen the finished products of any artist but knowing what goes through their mind is fascinating at times. It shows us the human side of the artist which makes him more complete as a person - very nicely done

This is a useful book for anyone who is intersested in Richard Avedon's work "In The American West" and should be considered as a companion volume to Avedon's book. It gives a lot of background, both to individual images and to the "In the West" project as a whole: how subjects were found, how the images were photographed, a sense of the time and effort involved, Avedon's method of work, some comments on particular subjects that particularly struck the crew. My only real complaint about the book is that could have contained more information and would have been more interesting as a result. For example, almost no precise technical information is given. Even so, it does help one to understand Avedon's "In the West project", which I consider a significant piece of work.

After seeing the show at the Amon Carter in Ft. Worth, and listening to an incredible talk given by a most knowlegable man there, I ordered three copies of the book. What appears at first to be simple shots of working people, becomes an insightful slice of peoples lives in the American west.

I think this book is amazing. The stories really gives you a deeper understanding of why Richard Avendon picked his subjects. Laura Wilson does a great job documenting the step by step shoots of Richard subjects "In the American West". I really felt after reading the stories and looking at the pictures again, it meant so much more. These pictures showed the truth and some of the people in the photos agreed that "It's how I feel".

I recommended this book to anyone, who is looking to find a sence of meaning to their craft as a artist. This book makes to think about yourself, and what you can do to give depth to your work.

I wish other art book would explain the process of their work. Then more people would enjoy what they see instead of brush it to the side.

The book is a gem. Not only sheds a bit of light into Avedon's technique and working methods, but also brings to life the often sad stories behind the powerful images. Highly recommended. Now, if they would only re-issue the original monograph..

Very well written story of the Rangers - based on solid factual research, uncovering many detailed stories of this outstanding unit and putting them in context in an excellent, compeling, narrative about the men who attacked and secured the most dangerous front-line positions and opened the way for victory in WW2.

This book was certainly worth the price. I had been searching for a book that including the experiences of my battalion and this one was it! It not only including the listing of my fellow soldiers, but my name and rank as well, which made this a great book to pass on to my children and grandchildren. Thanks to Robert Black for another great book about the Rangers.

This book tells the true stories of gallent men who did so much and asked for so little in return.A generation of men that has no equal, may we never forget their sacrifices.

When you want true, indepth storytelling, you can always depend on Author Col. Robert W. Black. I have read all his books and found them educational as well as entertaining. The war-time accounts of The Battalion are events of historic magnitude and are artisticlly narrated. This book is written for the experienced WWII veteran as well as the young gung-ho soldier and every reader interested in learning about history thu the mind and words of a storytelling genius. Learn about this historic event in Ranger history and get to know some of the great personalities in war-time drama. Here they are brought to life like the characters in a renowned novel. Read the book now, because The Battalion will undoubtedly become an award winning movie and you will want to say...I new that story when...!

Rangers remain a special breed of warrior. Aggressive, confident, self-starters. The author's description of the small groups (2 to 3) of Rangers reaching the top of Point du Hoc and immediately moving forward to their objectives typifies the traditional Ranger action-spirit and ability. Twenty three Rangers have been awarded the Medal of Honor. The book is an enjoyable read as one learns about the famed 2nd Ranger Battalion in a factual way interspersed with the author's wry humor, insights and honest reporting that flows throughout the book. The cast of characters found in the Rangers is captured - one of whose favorite war cry was "We're heading for pay dirt!" Weapons and their care is given high importance by the Rangers, and their on-going marksmanship training pays off as they aggressively and effectively use their favorite weapons (Thompson, BAR, M-1) to kill the enemy. Respect and appreciation is accorded to the Navy support on D-Day - with a breath-taking description of the gallant and gutsy USS Satterlee (DD626) moving at flank speed parallel to and "so close in shore it appeared to be only a few feet off the beach" off Pointe du Hoc as it effectively blasted the Germans with its 5-inch and 20mm guns. And, toward the end of WWII when the 2nd Battalion teamed up with the Armor (102nd Cavalry) to roll across one objective after another with the enemy only being administered swift death and destruction. Worth its weight in historical-gold are the Appendixes that contain, among other things, a complete roster of the 2nd Battalion. Anyone interested in learning the type of American who volunteers for the Rangers, should read this book. Its author is a fully-credentialed combat veteran Ranger, and is one of 228 select members of the Ranger Hall of Fame.

Hildebrand is quite fair in rectifying the philosophically muddled caricatures of Dewey and the classical pragmatists that have been popularized by neopragmatism. This is a must-read for anyone who has been introduced to Dewey via Rorty or Putnam. Not only does it provide brilliant scholarship in sorting out the misinterpretations made by neopragmatists, it offers a thoroughly comprehensive articulation of Dewey's actual philosophy as well as the sorts of debates that framed much of Dewey's writing.

The greatest strength of Hildebrand's argument is found in his technique of casting neopragmatism's preoccupation with much of the philosophical conversation surrounding realism vs. anti-realism in the context of these early idealism vs. realism debates that Dewey effectively overcame. The moral to take away from this story is that it is often all too easy, despite these contemporary attempts to recapture the spirit of Dewey, to become caught up in the underbrush of one's own theoretical discourse. Hildebrand makes a convincing argument that by rejecting Dewey's metaphysics and method of inquiry (as Rorty does), pragmatism becomes anemic--unable to fall back upon the "practical-starting point" that enabled Dewey to so elegantly diffuse criticisms from both idealist and realist camps. While the work of Rorty and Putnam may face similar challenges today, it seems that without the insight that Hildebrand explicates in Dewey's view, neopragmatism is unable to deflect many of its major criticisms.

The scanned copy of this book does not have the back cover blurbs, which I think are worth reading:

David Hildebrand's attempt to restate Dewey's central message is intelligent, well-informed and well-argued, as are his polemics against what he takes to be Putnam's and my own misunderstandings of Dewey.
--Richard Rorty, Stanford University

Pragmatism was revived, in the 1970s and 1980s and was led at once into philosophical dead ends that John Dewey had already skillfully dismantled. Now, David Hildebrand corrects the record; provides an informed, splendidly argued, indispensable part of the recovery of Dewey's analysis of realism still hardly bettered by anyone today.
-- Joseph Margolis, Temple University

Beyond Realism and Antirealism packs a double punch. Mobilizing a meticulous study of early twentieth-century classical pragmatism, Hildebrand engages the key neopragmatic positions of Richard Rorty and Hilary Putnam. Then, driving his own thesis home, he offers what he terms Dewey's "practical stance" as a corrective to the limitations of the linguistic turn.
--Larry Hickman, Director, The Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

I'm not sure what philosophers intend to create with their endless excursions into varieties of ways to navel-gaze, but this book has helped me interrupt the endless loop I've seemed to have been caught in with philosophers for several years now. It's certainly not for lack of effort on my part that I've perpetually ended-up confused. Now I learn that increasing the level of confusion has actually been part of the philosophical agenda.

David Hildebrand does me two incredibly welcome favors with this work. First, he gets me started in the right place. That is, he gets me out of theoretical epicycles and returns me to the radical world of reality. Needless to say, having a proper starting point makes a huge difference that I notice immediately.

Next, he tells me what philosophy is capable of. That is, philosophy can actually be engaged in as a MEANS to study, perchance to improve, the experience I find myself immersed in before I open my mouth to speak or poise my pen to write or or even begin to compose sentences.

I have turned an important corner here in my own personal quest to effect improvements in the world. If I never learned where to start or how to employ philosophy, then I'd remain lost in it's self-absorbed, subjective/reflective mazes until I died.

While I admit benefitting from having an erudite response constructed logically to help contextualize Putnam & Rorty, I enjoy most of all the freedom to take my own personal set of capabilities, such that they are, and investigate whether or not I am able to effect improvement in the real world.

I feel very much liberated and very much encouraged in being a practically-minded human creature.

I will add my own deeply sincere thanks to those of the other reviewers here. I look forward to what follows this volume.

Hildebrand's book sets the record straight regarding Rorty and Putnam's failure to properly understand Dewey's metaphysics and epistemology--a failure that results in their unwitting support for the very philosophical positions that Dewey had explicitly rejected. But the reader is in for much more than an informed correction of two prominent neo-pragmatist philosophers. This book offers a compelling interpretation of Dewey's metaphysics and epistemology, the key to which, Hildebrand argues is Dewey's practical starting point. This thesis is well researched, clearly presented, and rigorously argued. Finally, Hildebrand concisely presents some of the key debates between Dewey and his realist and idealist critics. The reader gains much from this book: a thorough account of contemporary debates in neo-pragmatism, a compelling interpretation of Dewey, and a concise overview of some of the most important philosophical debates in early twentieth century American philosophy. And all of this is presented in clearly written prose. Additionally, the book has many helpful diagrams of key philosophical concepts. This is the sort of book that will benefit analytic philosophers and those interested in American pragmatism. I highly recommend it!

Although many essays (and anthologies of essays) have appeared on the topic of classical pragmatism versus neopragmatism, this is the first book-length project I know of to tackle the controversy from a viewpoint fully conversant with and sympathetic to Dewey's signal contribution. It is quite refreshing to discover a scholar who not is not only aware of, but champions, the vital Deweyan conceptions of having versus knowing, primary experience, and the centrality of inquiry. Hildebrand's grasp of Dewey's engagement with direct and critical realism is exemplary, and his "deconstruction" of Rorty's antirealism is nothing short of amazing-"wicked" comes to mind! Although Hildebrand's alternative "practical standpoint" falls short, in my view, of Dewey's full transactional integration of experience and nature, this book opens up an area of research of vital importance. It is well written, informed, and cogent.

A lot has been written about the history of bluegrass music, much of it hearsay and mythological in nature, but this is probably the most authentic book written on the history of bluegrass music and its development.

Bluegrass music's greatest practitioners have always been plain-as-burlap folks who wouldn't give a hoot about dissecting and intellectualizing the music that pops out of them as naturally as sweat. As an appreciator of real deals, I wouldn't have it any other way. However, I'm glad that folklorist/musical historian Neil V. Rosenberg has been around for several decades now, poking his scholarly nose into the fascinating haystack that is bluegrass and putting the needles into cultural perspective. This sweeping and heartfelt book, Rosenberg's crowning achievement as the planet's foremost bluegrass oracle, will stand as the last word on the subject for a long, long spell.

Unlike rock 'n' roll, whose Big Bang genesis one fateful day in Memphis reverberated like a sonic boom, bluegrass had more fitful beginnings. The music's raw ingredients had been fermenting in Appalachia for untold years in the form of homemade "hillbilly" music before a shy Kentuckian named Bill Monroe began distilling them in the 1930s into a distinctive musical form. Monroe deliberately crafted the sound and personality of bluegrass and, much more round-aboutly, gave it its name. As the central figure in bluegrass, Monroe's patriarchal spirit looms magnificently large over Rosenberg's history, which, after all, is ultimately Monroe's story.

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, arguably the next most important innovators in bluegrass, also figure prominently. In the 1940s, the two had been underpaid sidemen in Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band before abruptly striking out on their own in 1948 and becoming Monroe's main competition. Heavy turnover was a fact of life with the Blue Grass Boys, but the mercurial Monroe was outraged by the pair's defection and didn't speak to them for over twenty years. Transformed in the Sixties by television ("The Beverly Hillbillies") and movie ("Bonnie and Clyde") exposure into world-wide icons, Flatt & Scruggs achieved fame and commercial viability the likes of which bluegrass - including its inventor - had never known. Rosenberg's delineation of the famous Monroe/Flatt & Scruggs "feud" is one of the best things in the book.

Rosenberg's writing style can be stiff and he tends to exaggerate the significance of certain events, such as the use of a bluegrass soundtrack on an obscure experimental art film called "Football As It Is Played Today." Also, his laborious investigation into how the term "bluegrass" came to be applied specifically to the music is a bit of a yawn. The book is thorough almost to a fault, but it's petty to criticize Rosenberg's leave-no-stone-unturned work ethic. He has written the definitive bluegrass bible and clearly done it from the heart. If you appreciate true country music, of which bluegrass is the truest, this book will both delight and enlighten you, as it did me.

447 pages (including index), extensive notes, bibliography and discography, 40 pages of photos.

Rosenberg draws from his experiences working with Bill Monroe and other bluegrass musicians in this compelling and intriguing history of bluegrass music. The early chapters sketch out an interesting history of folk music genres that laid the foundation for bluegrass. Rosenberg then provides special attention to Monroe's role in helping to create a new sound. I especially appreciated the metaphor between playing bluegrass music and playing baseball. Rosenberg explores the symbolic and literal connections throughout the book to provide a great way to understand how the music (and game) is played.

If you're interested in the history of bluegrass music, I would recommend that you begin with this book. Rosenberg is an engaging writer and a fine historian. He also performed with Bill Monroe and has continued to maintain a strong presence in bluegrass music. The work rightly focuses on Monroe's early contributions to bluegrass music, and Rosenberg demonstrates how the musical structure and context is linked to major social issues and cultural expressions in American life. The connections that Rosenberg makes between bluegrass and baseball are fascinating and right on the money.

Rosenberg is a practing academic, and it shows in his attention to detail and writing style. However, he is also a former Blue Grass Boy and manager of Bean Blossom, and it shows in his thorough love of the Music. Fascinating details alternate with a comprehensive picture of how Bluegrass fits into the wider context of American popular music. The Big Mon (Bill Monroe) comes out as a true creative genius, yet still very much subject to outside forces, for example, the folk music revival. Rosenberg avoids sensationalism, which sometimes limits the "juicy" stories that can be told about Monroe and many others, and instead focuses on the movement and the social forces around it.

Highly recommended for fans and scholars alike, even if somewhat hard reading for non-academics.

I just wanted to say in response to the previous review, that I purchased this book specifically for the theological content and I was more than satisfied with what I got. I started reading Paracelsus somewhat incredulously because of people like the reviewer below. Paracelsus has acquired the reputation of a heathen magician and that kind of thing usually attracts a large following of cranks and charlatans; but despite my trepidation, I was curious about him because I knew he influenced Jacob Boehme and William Blake, both of whom I have been impressed by (not surprisingly they also suffered from bad reputations). I have now read a few of his works and am no longer unsure as to where he stood.

Paracelsus' views on medicine are refreshing even more than 400 years later. Doctors would do well to familiarize themselves with his writings. He believed in healing the whole person not just one part. Medicine in the 21st century is more about alleviating the symptoms and not the cause of the illness. Part of this is the product of treating the patient as only a physical being and not a composite of Spirit, soul and body. Paracelsus understood all three parts.

Largely, Paracelsus believed in spiritual alchemy more than in literal elemental alchemy and his theological bent is absolutely necessary for understanding his writings on alchemy. Blake and Boehme both recognized that this was really Paracelsus' intentions and they correctly applied his ideas in their works. I will not waste my time citing the biblical references to spiritual alchemy because most people reading this won't care, but needless to say alchemy in the right context is scripturally supported but in the wrong context... well I'll leave that alone.
Paracelsus was a Christian, which can easily be surmised from reading this book. It is very difficult to find books that go into his theology and I know that there are more of his works that have yet to be translated into english. It is also difficult to tell all the writings that are really his; indeed, it is obvious that spurious writings were often pseudonymously attributed to him and that is another element of the reputation he has received through out the centuries. It is indeed sad that he is one of many Christian writers that is often misunderstood, both by Christians and non-Christians.
If you want to understand Paracelsus the man, his theology is inseparable from his alchemy. Get this book and when you've absorbed it, then get his alchemical writings. You will need to understand the one to understand the other. If you want to separate Paracelsus the alchemist, from Paracelsus the Christian, I would suggest bypassing his works altogether and purchasing someone else's works on alchemy; maybe John Dee or Cornelius Agrippa - their reputations as sorcerers are well deserved.

Overall, this is a decent effort. The long introductory essay puts Paracelsus' life and works in perspective. And the many wood-block reprints from the general period are interesting--if a bit distracting, since they are interpolations not drawn by Paracelsus himself and not appearing in the original works. But certainly, after hearing so much about Paracelsus from various readings in alchemy (including Jung, who wrote the Preface here), I quite enjoyed reading Paracelsus himself. The downside is that this primer is composed of short paragraphs plucked from all of Paracelsus' published works, shorn of context, then thrust into juxtaposition with whatever else the editor thought fit into the same category. So the readings are jumpy, paragraph by paragraph leaping amongst all 13 or so of Paracelsus' collected works. Many of the most interesting subjects are not covered at all or only thinly, including Paracelsus views on astrology, alchemy, magic and medicine. And much of it is given over to his (largely Christian) theological speculations--even tho' no one reads Paracelsus for his theology. All in all, this primer will whet your appetite for something more substantial. Personally, I can't wait to get a copy of "Archicoxes of Magic" or the A.E. Waite collection. But this book will point you in the right direction.

The main thread of Paracelsus' theology is that man is the "Little Universe" while the Universe is the "Great Being." To Paracelsus, however, this is not just a passing thought or a nice philosophy, but one to be explored, understood, and lived every day.

This selction of works gives a basic overview of Paracelsus' writing and thought in a comprehensive, yet, fairly easy to digest compendium. Edited by Jolande Jocobi for the Princeton "Mythos Series" does a wonderful job splicing together many of Paracelsus' works together in a rather cohesive and streamlined format. The subjects range from the creation of the universe to the practice of the physician to alchemy and art in general. If one is looking for a specific aspect of Paracelsus, this may not be the book to get, however, if one just wants to read or get a trace of his writings, then there is no better book to buy.

The writing is somewhat archaic, however, if one takes the time to understand what is written in the first couple of pages, then one can appreciate the point of view Paracelsus is coming from. In another way of saying this, according to Paracelsus, God and Man are intricately united and there is nothing on this Earth or the Universe that can separate the two. From this understanding Paracelsus stems all his other experiences and revelations.

The introduction by Jacobi is a fairly extensive biography of Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hoenheim called Paracelsus (which means "beyond celsus"). Throughout the book are many engravings from various artists from his books or other various books that pertain to the topic at hand. As stated, the book offers a wide variety of subjects for the reader to chew from which may make this book limited in range as it is a book of "Selected Writings", however, I believe if one is beginning to look into the works of Paracelsus, this might be the best place to start.

I found this book to be fascinating. Paracelsus seemed way ahead of his time medically. He was against the medicine of humors then current. Paracelsus was against autopsies for studying how the body works, because he felt it to be more important to study the living and their environment, rather than the dead. He championed metallic medicines, and the distillation of natural plants for medicines. His attitude was if something doesn't work as a cure, throw it out, it's not worth keeping just because it's "been written." Paracelsus would study with village healers, and "witches," if they were successful healers. He advocated sensible diets, sleep patterns, exercise and cleanliness. Paracelsus lectured in the vernacular, German, not Latin. He even anticipated the genetic theories of Mendel over three hundred years earlier when he spoke of seeds, not genes, for all the body parts. If all the seeds came from the father you would be an exact duplicate of your father, but you're not because some of the seeds came from your mother.

this is an overview of everything paracelsus thought about. he thought a lot. that is what hes known for. so this antholgy probably spreads itself a little thin, right? yes, now that you mention it. it doesnt contain any of his alchelmical texts or his texts on magic or his texts on medicine...do you understand? i myself was expecting a few alchemical texts or something. instead, it takes exerpts from nearly all of his writings and weaves them together show you how morality relates to medicine, magic, cosmology, alchemy... and delivers it all in clear language along with 150 great medieval illustrations, wood cuts, engravings and whatnots all very nice. a good starting point. but just keep in mind that it lacks actual complete texts. have i made myself clear? barely huh? well pull yourself together. its a great book and it will leave you wanting more.

I just finished reading Border Dogs by Ralph Cotton. What a story teller. He makes the characters so real I feel they are friends of mine. I would certainly recommend Ralph Cotton's books to any western reader. I have recently published a western, Tonto Yoder, Western Scout. Keep reading those Westerns.
F. L. Fear

The way Ralph Cotton writes, you can smell the burnt gunpowder; you taste the dust in your mouth; you feel the oppressive heat of the mid-day desert and you almost gag at the stench of the dead bodies. He puts you IN the story. Border Dogs is a good read and I look forward to Ralph's next book. Keep 'em coming, Ralph. Your reputation is spreading like one of the desert fires your describe!

Though not a huge fan of westerns, I've been getting into them lately. Border dogs is a great tale of gunslinging action you will find hard to put down.

You feel as if you're really there, out there in the desert watching your own back. The descriptions are excellent, the plot is unpredictable and original, and the characters are great.

I'm a fan of this book, and would recommend it for western fans, or just action fans in general. I'll be searching for other Ralph Cotton books now.

I heard about Ralph cotton from several friends and at their urging I decided to see what all the shouting was about. This is the first western in years that I have read from start to finish, nonstop. Cotton has a way of drawing the reader in and not letting go! Now I find myself looking for his other book, and hopefully his next one.

Shadow of the Noose was the first Ralph Cotton book I ever read. As soon as i finished it, I bought Border Dog not really thinking it could possibly be as good. Man was I ever wrong! Border Dogs is the wildest, meanest bunch of cavalry, southern rebels and just plain outlaws and saddle bums to ever plunder the old west. In their midst comes the coolest, calmist and deadliest law man and law women who are just as wild and deadly as they are! Even in the most serious situation one of these gunslingers does something so crazy that it makes you want to stop and laugh your head off, and then go back and reread it to make sure it really happened. This book is one that I know I will read more than once or twice. If all the Cotton books are this good I see why he is a best selling western writer.

Not being a real fan of the shoot em up variety of westerns I found this book to be everything I wanted it to be. Mr Hyson is obviously a "real" cowboy and it is my guess he is putting a lot of his own life experiences into this novel.The book gives a taste of what real "cowboying" was ( and in many cases ) still is all about. It mixes fact and fiction in just the right doses, to make this an interesting and informative read.

I loved this book. Hyson really gives a tenderfoot like me the taste for the cowboy life. In it he also gave me a mystery, romance, and a number of really hard laughs! (RC really cracks me up!) I really enjoyed the book and recommend it. It is a really good read.

Hyson's novel is a curious mixture of tell-it-like-it-is cowboy life and melodramatic fiction. The setting is ranch country in the far northeast corner of New Mexico, and the time is the 1950s. The story is told by Frank Dalton, a half-breed from Oklahoma, with the name of a famous outlaw. There are numerous plot threads, most of which can be found in other cowboy novels - including the saving of a ranch, a bitter father-son relationship, and the education of a young cowboy into the ways of "the calling," or cowboying. There's also some Southwest history, dating back to Spanish colonial settlement. There are mysteries to solve. And there is not one but two love stories.

The romance of Frank and Roberta is an unusual storyline for cowboy fiction, where women rarely intrude into the all-male world of working cattle. The two characters fall in love and into bed without much complication, and Hyson describes the intensity of their love affair without embarrassment. For once, an author has written about a cowboy who doesn't reserve all his affection for his horse.

While the various threads of plot hold the story together over the length of its many pages, what may interest readers more are the factual descriptions of ranch work, like the process of feeding cattle in the winter, the breaking of a horse, working a deal with a cattle buyer, and the way a team of men goes about branding calves. A section describing how a rodeo comes to town, the lives of rodeo cowboys, and the author's inside tips on bull riding make the novel come to life with a vividness and immediacy that do not come so easily on other pages. Also contributing to the realism is a surprising candor in the cowboy talk, often bawdy and humorously coarse.

I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cowboys, ranching, and the Southwest. Readers will also enjoy MacKey Hedges' novel, "The Last Buckaroo."

The books starts well and continues telling the every day life of a cowboy in New Mexico and the people he associates with. It is a history, a love story, a geography study of New Mexico. It is not a real fast read - it just stay interesting throughout.

Even though it is a fictional story, I suspect there is a lot of truth in "the way things were" in this novel. Hyson, having lived the life of a rancher/cowboy, allows much of his own experience to influence his writing. I believe this book to be an authentic depiction of ranch and community life in Northern New Mexico during a particular time period. "The Calling" has it all: romance, adventure, mystery, and binding human relationships. This story would make a great movie along the lines of "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Horse Whisperer."

A great book, but Johnathan Barnes, the editor, must be the living embodiment of Aristotle's philosophy: Lean, uncompromising yet humorously and unknowingly pompous in the extreme. Please Please read his introduction. It reminds me of my college days when we were all so insufferable know-it-alls.

Again, if you want to see Aristotle live and breathe, get this book

This is the best introduction to one of the most - if not the most - important philosophers in human history.

Aristotle's body of work is extremely wide-ranging as well as dense in detail, and often extremely complex and subtle. This Cambridge Companion simplifies and explains - without the loss of fidelity to the complex and subtle and innovative nature of his teachings - the most important of his teachings.

This Cambridge Companion to Aristotle has essays by preeminent scholars in the field. The book focuses on the most important and influential of Aristotle's philosophical thinking.

It includes essays on Aristotle's logic, metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of science and science generally, and psychology, poetics, rhetoric, and politics. These are the core subjects in Aristotle's canon. It is generally believed among scholars that most all of the work of Aristotle that has survived and come down to us today, consists of copies of lecture notes that his students took at his school (known as the Lyceum). Thus, much of his "writings" - though copied for generations and then edited by translators - often seems disjointed or unnecessarily complex in terms of its clarity and organization.

If you are new to studying philosophy, I suggest you start with this Cambridge Companion or the one on Plato. If you start with the one on Aristotle, I suggest you read this Companion and then either at the same time or right after, begin reading the primary texts. You can read all the secondary and ancillary texts you want on philosophers and philosophy, but they are never a substitute for the primary texts. The primary texts are infinitely more rewarding, provided you are able to understand them - and that is where guides like this one come in hand.

To start off on some of his most readable and understandable works (yet still highly important), I suggest you start with poetics (which is about the construction of and study of drama and story (think "plays" or stories like the Illiad by Homer), and narrative structure. What we have of poetics is short, excellent, and is generally believed to be only one part of a larger teaching that has been lost to humanity. I then suggest you read Aristotle's Rhetoric and then Politics. These are easy to understand, but you will gain tremendously by re-reading them over time in greater detail. You can then move on to his Logic (which Aristotle is known as the founder of logic, he invented, or depending on your view, discovered, the tri-partite syllogism and syllogistic structure and logical argument. You can then move on to his Metaphysics, but I suggest that you read and study Plato before embarking on Aristotle's Metaphysics, as you will understand Aristotle better by first reading Plato, as Aristotle was a student of Plato, and Aristotle's Metaphysics takes into account, is a reaction to, and is an extension and modification (or overturning of most aspects- depending on your viewpoint), of Plato's metaphysics (Plato's Ideas vs. Aristotle's Universals). The Cambridge Companion to Plato is also excellent. If you are embarking on a serious study of philosophy for the first time, you may want to read Plato and the Cambridge Companion to Plato before embarking on Aristotle. You will understand Aristotle better if you understand Plato's works first. These are the two most important philosophers in Western civilization, and in my view - and depending on your viewpoint - world history and civilization.

In any event I highly recommend this Cambridge Companion to Aristotle. This is the first one I purchased and read, and I have subsequently enjoyed and found extremely useful other Cambridge Companions for other philosophers.

The 'Cambridge Companion' to philosophy series has put out some great products. In my opinion this may be the best. Absolutely splendid articles that help the reader understand Aristotle rather than some philosopher's interpretation of him. For such a polymath as Aristotle, the authors did a good job of focusing on key facets of his philosopy that adequately prepare and stimulate the reader to investigate other of Aristotle's writings, which the Companion could not cover for lack of space. The bibliography and subject guides to the secondary liturature are well done.

The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle edited by Jonathan Barnes is a is an excellent book. If you are studing Aristotle or just reading him, you've probably gritted your teeth and started to put the reading down for later. Being that most of us do NOT read Greek, we rely on someone who can and the translations do vary. We also need a way to study and a plan to organize our reading in a logical manner.

This book is an excellent choice for that purpose. This book helps to alleviate some of the fears one has in reading a great thinker who is not only difficult and challenging but also complex. The content of this book are as follows: Logic, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Science, Science, Psychology, Ethics, Politics, Rhetoric and poetics. There is an introduction and a suggestions for reading section which are invaluable and help the reader to understand and comprehend what is trying to be said.

If you need help with Aristotle... look no further than this book to help you get organized and to better understand Aristotle. Approach and methods vary from person to person, but if someone has proceeded you in understanding it is prudent to follow those footsteps... then make your interpretation.

The editor has written an excellent chapter on Metaphysics. Metaphysics is one of Aristotle's most difficult books to understand. Here the editor helps the reader to understand it and also how to read Aristotle with a logical approach.

Remember the best aid to reading Aristotle is Aristotle himself. Aristotle is difficult so read him slowly, very slowly, then he is inspiring and gripping. But, it helps to have someone to rely on and this book will help.

Barnes' interpretation of big A's "Metaphysics" in this book is the best I have seen. It really was right on que, and a very easy read, which if you know Aristotle, is as hard to imagine as saying Dr. Seuss is complex. The section on Psychology interprets "De Anima" quite nicely. Barnes also edits "The Complete Works of Aristotle, Vols 1&2", so if you are looking for an excellent commentary on Aristotle, want to read Barnes' work, but don't feel like reading over 2000 pages, get this.

I love all the Hank books, and this is a great one for the Christmas season. These books are hilarious and more important to the young reader, fun to read. I'd also check the rest of the series.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

The best mysterious book I ever read.Full of laughter.Great book for kids under 14.I wish there was more characters.

This book is very good because Hank go's fishin' with little Alfred and gets very mad at Drover because he eats the bait and while hank was yelling at Drover Hank found some of the bait and ate it. To find out if there was a fishhook attached to it read the book.

I liked the book, The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook, because it was funny. One of the funniest parts of this book was when Hank, the cowdog, ate the soap. Hank had swallowed a fishhook. Then he swallowed soap to help him spit the hook out. This is the funniest "Hank" book written by John R. Erickson. I give this book a five-star rating and I recommend that you read it immediately!

I admit it...I am definitely "hooked" on Hank's latest adventure. Here's why:

1) John Erickson gets better with each Hank volume. In each new book in this series, he fine tunes the characters, until they become more and more life-like. Although I enjoy Hank, Pete, Slim, Loper and all the other characters, Drover is my favorite...and in this adventure his true "Droverness" comes shining through. This new book is a wonderful example of Mr. Erickson's talents. It is great reading for kids of ALL ages!

2) I didn't actually count them, but it seems there are more illustrations in this book than in the previous Hank titles. Gerald Holmes really knows how to capture Hank and his cohorts in his drawings. The text is hilarious, and the illustrations really bring the book to life.

3) Hank is now being published by Puffin Books, and the book itself is a higher quality than seen before.

4) I hereby affirm and admit that I am a Hankoholic, but even if I had never read a Hank adventure before, I would enjoy this latest story immensely. This is a "must-have" for anyone who enjoys reading...

5) You may have noticed from my e-mail address that I am a big admirer of Hank. I want to let you know that I am in NO way associated with the author, illustrator or publisher of the Hank the Cowdog books. I am the fire chief in a community of about 16,000. There have been times in my career when I have had to make a tough decisions. I then ask myself, "what would Hank do in this situation?" And, he hasn't steered me wrong yet. I'm just one of Hank's biggest fans...in fact I weigh about 170 lbs. :-)