Western Books

Copleston has done it again. I have read the first five volumes of this history and just finished the sixth. Though he is a Jesuit (of course a Catholic) his elucidating History, which, perhaps one may think to lean slightly in favor of the Catholic point of view in regards to Epistemology and Metaphysics, among other things, comes nowhere close. He balances his own beliefs, telling the reader at some points, I believe thus and thus, while concurrently maintaining his objective role as scholar and historian of Phiolosophy. He will often make statements like, "if it is in fact true," for instance, regarding the existence of God. Though his own beliefs are ultimatley positive in this respect, he does not forget that he is writing a history and does not sacrifice the beliefs of any given philosopher for his own.


This is just one example among many in this book, and I have done so purposely for the sake of brevity. I do not enjoy reading nine and ten paragraph reviews and rarely will do so. All that needs to be said of a product, with very rare exception, can be done so in three or four paragraphs at most.

If you are thinking of purchasing this product, think no more, but act. If you have read previous volumes from this author, you do not need me to tell you how wonderful this History has been...

Copleston's series, "The History of Philosophy", is quite possibly the best introduction to the history of philosophical thought that has ever been published and certainly the best currently in print.

You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of solid philosophical surveys in one place. The beauty of the series is that Copleston has clearly done his research on each period and each thinker of Western philosophy.

I cannot recommend this series any more highly. It is a must-have collection for anyone who is a scholar (professional or casual) of philosophy, theology or any of the arts.

If this isn't on your bookshelf, it should be!

This book is excellent overall. The author tackles some very
difficult philosophical issues that have been the subject
of much debate over the centuries. He explains how St.Thomas
gave philosophy its charter with important theological and
philosophical arguments. In essence, he argued that God is the
cause or reason for our existence. St. Thomas was a realist
in that he attempted to formulate his arguments through logic.

The early philisophic Christians drew hostility from pagans and theoretical atheists who decried the role of God in the affairs of man/persons.

The Gnosticists spoke of a duality between God and matter conceptually similar to Grecian arguments. St. Anselm sought to prove God's existence pointing to a perfection of creation through the greatness of the deity and wisdom-presumptively Divine wisdom.

Copleston's work is a comprehensive rendition of philosophy
over thousands of years. He tries to cover too much.
In so doing , the author brings a certain "unity" of the
work to the complex subject of philosophy. This concept of
unity is seen in the works of St. Augustine and St. Bonaventure.

St. Augustine was a great theologian and writer of foundational
Latin, literature and grammar. He developed a theory which
postulated that everything would evolve given the passage of
time in the famous "rationes seminales". The author explained
the development of the "university system" during the
Middle Ages. The university provided modern Europe with
grammar,logic,geometry, math, astronomy and other subjects
in the sciences and social sciences. Ibn Sina was a great
Moslem philosopher who lived around 1000 AD. He developed
logic, physics and higher mathematics into practical
applications. St. Bonaventure studied in a Franciscan order.
He perfected programs in philosophy and theology. In addition,
he attempted to unify the concept of man and matter.

This work will benefit historians, philosophers, logicians,
theologists and a wide constituency within Academia.

As with the other books in this series on Western Philosophy, Copleston provides an in-depth tour of the thoughts of the greater and lesser thinkers. Read Copleston only if you really want to explore the ideas that are presented here from Voltaire and others and their relationship to one another.

More than 200 pages of Copleston's Vol. 6 is devoted to the notoriously difficult writings of Immanuel Kant, in effect a book within the book. You will find there a detailed explication of what Kant wrote, what he was trying to accomplish, and why. The discussion is both scholarly and very readable.

As my title states, this is a very powerful book. Mr. Boye walked the trail that the Cheyennes travelled in their tragic journey to get back home (from Oklahoma to Montana). Along the way the author meets up with two Cheyenne men who travel with him for the better part of the journey. When they leave he meets a mid-20s Japanese man who travels with him for a while. Why is this Japanese man touring the American West? Read the book to find out. Despite my praise for this book, my rating is a 4.5 out of 5. Why? I will give two examples (not that there are many more):
1 - On p. 225 he states that hundreds of Indians were killed at the Battle of the Blue Water (the number was about 86 and his own source--Utley, Frontiersmen in Blue--states 85).
2 - Following Little Wolf's capture his followers shortly after became scouts for General Miles to fight the Sioux. Boye only mentions his surrender. He should have gone on to include this important detail.

Having said that, the book is still a very good read and I really enjoyed his journey and his dramatic retelling of the Cheyennes' escape from Fort Robinson. I would like to know more about the film made by some Cheyenne's as mentioned in the book. Final verdict: Recommended.

I'm not much for history as it is taught in our schools, but this book is great. It is a perfect blend of history, present day (in the form of the author's trip), and thoughts and stories from the author's personal life.

I recommend this tome to anyone that likes travel stories. Especially if you dont know, or want to know more about, the Cheyenne Exodus. Expensive, but worth the money.

This is a story of heartache and strength, of hope and struggle...it is the story of a man's love of the land and a people's fight to keep their homeland. Boye is a gifted and talented writer whose words flow as he leads us from page to page, back into the past and then gently into the present. He is a writer that truly cares about his story and the people that inhabit it. He opens his heart and the words come tumbling out. A wonderful MUST READ for all nature lovers and history buffs.

Alan Boye has written a stunning book on an obscure piece of Americana that will charm, amuse, and anger you. It will also touch your heart, and not only because of what happened to the Cheyennes 120 years ago, but also because of the people Boye meets on this journey and his--and your--reaction to them.

If you're willing to take this walk, by the middle of it what Boye has been experiencing and relating to you will gently and subtly make you more aware of the world and your place in it. By the end of the walk and the book, you will have shared with Boye and his Cheyenne friends their humanity and yours will be the better for it.

That's a big bite for a book on a singluar event in Cheyenne history, which most of us know little or nothing about. I'm not sure how Boye did it. Probably he used skill, tact, wit, and humanity. That's probably all it took, but it was enough.

This is a magical walk through a dark time in American History...Alan's own experiences are so materfully intertwined with history on this voyage, the past truly comes alive as you feel every step and face every fear. With each step, with every encounter along the way, you can feel the ghosts of the Cheyenne people walking in your own shadow. Make no mistake, HOLDING STONE HANDS is a Masterpiece...you'll feel the pain of endless walking, the anger for what the Cheyenne people were forced to endure, and the sorrow for the pointless death as they tried to make their way to the only land they would ever call home.

Been looking for a good resource for trivia and information about the horses from various TV shows and movies. This is it. Some wonderful pictures accompany the informative text. This is a good compilation for anyone who loves horses and remembers them from the TV or Movie screen.

This is an excellent book on horses in pop culture. Well written, lots of great pics. From Muyrbridge's first equine moving images of the horse (1879), to The Lord of the Rings, the equine stars of almost every major (and lots of minor) horse movies are profiled.

Not just the horses, the stunt doubles and wrangler are profiled here as well. Stories about the wranglers and hollywood horse suppliers abound.

The section on the rise of Humane treatment of horses in movies is very interesting. Esepcially the role of Errol Flynn, who led the humane crusade after witnessing the destruction of horses injured in the filming of a scene.

Great present for your horse loving friends.

More than I expected. Informative, great pictures, good text. Nice hardback book. A great deal for the $$$.

Reading the review/description on Amazon I rapidly came to the conclusion that words can never do this book justice; it's just too incredible. This is a beautiful and very informative coffee table book with exceptional photographs and movie poster art. Although it does not include information on every horse movie it does an amazing job on most films from the start of motion pictures to things like "Spirit," "Lord of the Rings," and "Hildalgo." Ms. Mitchum spent a ton of time interviewing the top stunt riders and horse trainers in Hollywood and it shows - every page is filled with insightful stories about filming, training, and actors. Well worth the cover price, you won't want to put it down!

I purchased two editions of this book. One for my Husband who is a western movie buff and the other for our adult son who is in the horse business and knows many of the people in the book. Both spent half of Christmas day perusing their books and discussing many of the old and current horse trainers.

I loved this book! It was so good I read it twic

I really loved this book about romance, and honor in the state of Colorado in the Post-Civil war era. Abbie and Monte are great characters and the plot took me off guard a couple of times. I like all of Kristen Heitzmann's books so far. They aren't dull, boring and same old kind of plot all the time. She is doing a great job on her books. Abbie is wondering why Monte's property is being sabotaged and when her determination takes over, a gun battle takes place and the results leaves Abbie devastated and shaken. Monte is being pulled back in the days of the Civil War and there is one enemy he must fight to protect Abbie and his ranch before it is too late. It shows us that God is with us in all we do and will forgive us for our sins. All in all this is one great addition to Kristen Heitzmann's ROCKY MOUNTAIN LEGACY series. You won't be disappointed in this book! I certainly wasn't!

Abbie has consented to be Monte's wife, but she has NO idea what it means to become a Southern Lady and give up the independence she knows she handles so well. This causes division between herself and Monte. At the same time, too many bad things are happening, Monte cannot explain them, but he vows to find the culprit. Cole is showing his true personality and loyalty throughout this whole book. I like him more and more all the time. Relatives from the defeated South have come to live with the newlyweds which turns out to be one long, horrid nightmare both financially and emotionally. The orphan children all have to have a home and Abbie volunteers without consulting Monte!

The town is growing, the train is coming and with it the threat of low life living, gambling, drinking and ladies of the night. When a family member becomes entangled in this mess, the whole area is affected and Abbie and Monte both have their lives threatened and attacked.

The author is developing an excellent story line for this new Colorado territory settlement, keeping Christ front and center with love at the root but the scars from the Civil War keep playing their part in the strife. Abbie's love for Monte along with her spontaneous and sometimes deadly decisions and actions cause her to extend herself and she ends up paying dearly. Living in her home is a snobbish, impossible sister in law who makes life in general torment for Abbie.

When a 14 yr. old girl ends up as a pawn in a horrible railroad land deal gone sour, the reader wonders just what makes some people tick. Suspicion, danger, violence and tragedy contine to dog this little family for whom the reader has now established a fondness.

This book has definitely improved and deepened over book one, and I have already started book 3 in this series. Thank you, Kristen.

I loved this book! It was so good I read it twic

This book is really great! It develops more of Abbie and Monte's relationships, taking us through their rough times. It's very excitng too! Way to go Kristen!

It was my favorite as a kid now I hope to read it to mine in the future. Great book.

A hysterical lesson in the old adage that cleanliness is godliness. My children loved it!

Story is soooo cute and teaches a great lesson I have not read the book, but have heard the story..when my younger brother was approx. 5 years old (15 years ago) he had a copy of the house that had enough on video..not sure where my mother got it, but it was more like a book anyway, because it was not animated..it was just the pictures from the book, and then someone was narrating.

My tattered old copy from when my youngest was a boy is now hardly readable. So I wanted a new copy for my first grand child and I can't find it anywhere! Western, reprint it please!!!

Here's a message that every parent wants to send to their kid -- Clean up your stuff! The way P. E. King gets that message across is sheer brilliance. My daughter asks me to read this one over and over again. Then she just laughs and laughs and laughs. . .

Dewey's "How We Think" is the first book of his I have read. What a joy! I am in the "thick" of my doctoral dissertation, and am struggling to present and unfold my research work in a way that is clear to my audience (in this case, the members of my dissertation committee). Dewey's analysis of thought has helped me to consider important elements of thinking (and writing) such as: (1) the iterative "ebb and flow" between inductive and deductive thinking; (2) what is necessary to train my own mind to think "better"; etc.

Following my reading of "How We Think," I am now reading Dewey's "The Quest for Certainty" and "Knowing and the Known."

Reading "How We Think" is not difficult; however, it does require one to pay attention to what Dewey is saying to his reader audience. Now that I've read through it once, I will likely read through it again (fairly soon), as I work to tighten up my Ph.D. dissertation.

In conclusion, whether you are a student, teacher, or just plain interested in analyzing the world around you, then reading this book is very worthwhile.

As a professional educator, it's always great to review and reread works by the great theorists such as Dewey. Great information for business and educators alike!

It is very good to see this book appearing in new editions. This is a classic book about thinking. Dewey studies thought from the psychological and philosophical points of view and derives practical ideas for education.

Reading this book, I was surprised to see the applicability of its contents to my main activity field, which is business management. Today's main effort in business research is toward innovation and learning. Thus, thinking skill is probably the most important resource of any organization.

Dewey's view of thinking is surprisingly consistent and as fresh as any of the new management theories. Just to mention one aspect, he warns about the confusion of mental analysis (looking for the general aspects of an object) with physical analysis (dissection into parts), which leads to study living objects as if they were dead. This is the essence of systems thinking, which is so fashionable today!

The ideas Dewey presents about education are very useful for today's business environment. Business leaders, consultants and scholars should look carefully at his advices! His study of work and play is a great lesson of wisdom.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone seriosly aiming at world class business performance.

I had never heard of John Dewey until I took a philosophy class. When I first received the book, I read through it relatively fast. Much of the material went over my head. However, on the second reading it was as if the pages were illuminated. In this book, Mr. Dewey gives his opinion on how we humans learn. It takes every day simple actions, breakes them up into their smallest unit and discusses why we did it that way.

What have I gained from this book? Everytime I do something, I attempt to break it down into its simples being, and determining how this breakdown fosters greater intelligence within myself.

As a text book or a book one wants to learn something from, I give it five stars. For just general reading it will garner 1/2 of a star.

John Dewey book "How We Think" concludes that we can be taught to "think well". Ways to do just that are discussed. He starts with beliefs and then considers the consequences they bring about. He suggests that knowledge is relative to its interaction with the world. He seems to conclude that real freedom is intellectual and then defines that as the ability to just turn things over in ones mind which he calls the power of thought. Thinking is according to much of what he says more important than what is being thought about.

Thinking is about cause and the effects that follow. A process is implied and likewise a connection is made to influences that have a negative influence on the process. Thoughtful conclusions are less likely when influences from unbalanced appetites, caprice or the circumstances of the moment.

The book concentrates on the influences to thought. In addition to beliefs it looks at logic, language, and simple observation.

This book is a good foundation for digging deeper into literary cannon and its interpretation.

An easy book to read. Well worth it.

All parents of an autistic child in the public school system need this book. Very imformative and offers great strategies to build a good relationship with the school system.

I used this while preparing for my autistic son's transition to kindergarten IEP meeting. I feel that it provides a good base on the things parents need to concentrate on to ensure their child is getting the most of his/her education. Though each state has different guidelines, the templates in this book are a very valuable resource to draw from and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the IEP process better.

It realy outlines step by step what an IEP should focus on and say from the first page to the goals and measures. It really was a good book to have along side knowing the laws and rights that other books focus on- it helps you understand how to truly make and IEP individual for your child (very ASD focused). Good for parents and administrators.

This is the best book I have seen yet relating to IEPs for children with autism. The authors focus heavily on creating measurable goals and objectives...something I have not found in other IEP books I have read. I highly recommend this book for any parent of a child with ASD who has an upcoming IEP.

This comprehensive, well-researched and practical guide to developing an IEP that will optimize service delivery to your child exceeded my expectations on all levels. Although useful for any parent or teacher trying to gain a better grasp of the workings of the IEP, it is especially useful for those of us dealing with autism, since the authors chose to focus on this baffling and challenging condition due to their knowledge of the subject and the many difficulties it presents to writers of IEPs. The book also discusses key legal issues associated with IEPs.

Here is a sampling of some of the areas covered in the book: A detailed, insightful discussion of each of the components of an IEP and the relationship of the components to each other; the elements necessary to prepare an effective Present Levels of Performance (PLP), which forms the basis for generating annual goals and represents a baseline against which to judge progress; why specifying underlying conditions clearly is so important; the relationship between clearly written objectives and appropriate methodology; knowledge of ASD and the way in which it affects the student who manifests it as the most basic building block of appropriate IEP development; why IEPs should specify prompt levels in the objectives as well as a system for fading them back; discussion of a "prompt hierarchy"; the need to build generalization strategies right into the objectives so the child learns a skill across a variety of settings, people, activities, etc., right from the start; breaking down multi-dimensional behavior such as "crossing the street" into its basic components so that behavior progress can be measured; how not to confuse a process with a product outcome (e.g. developing understanding vs. demonstrating understanding); the difference between accommodations and modifications (the latter reduce the standard and result in lowered educational outcomes); guidelines for prioritizing needs and sample IEPs covering such content areas as concept development, critical thinking, making inferences, etc. The above list is only a sampling of the issues covered. This book is written from a highly-informed, sensible and practical perspective. Having read this book, I feel like I'm in control of the IEP process and not vice-versa. Highly recommended.

This book amazed me. It opened my heart to feeling such love and bliss that it seemed I was standing in the Rose Garden of Love Adi Da was depicting. As I read further he revealed that I am fully capable of entering into this sensual, blissful domain of perfect love he offers, that I am already in and only have to become aware that this is so. It blew my mind that I and everyone can feel this love at all times if we follow his instructions about how to relate to him and everything.

Hridaya Rosary is, without question, the greatest poetry ever spoken.

What purpose could art and poetry ever serve, but the awakening of the heart to love beyond darkness, beyond any further clenching need? Hridaya Rosary, or the Four Thorns of Heart-Instruction, pierced me in just that way. There is no preparation I could have had for the sublimity that awaited me. I couldn't spoil the surprise for you even if I tell you the ending.

Many books, perhaps too many, are on today's bookstore shelves trying to explain what God is. But if you want to actually feel the Divine in what you are reading, I recommend the Hridaya Rosary, the Four Thorns of Heart Instruction. There I found crystal clarity side-by-side with the language of ecstatic love. Adi Da writes poetry of deep wisdom and incredible passion. He writes in such a profound way that the Truth slid around my chattering mind and touched my heart and soul. Rarely can written words move me into a state of deeply relaxed being and heightened awareness, but the Four Thorns has this power.

In one essay in this book, Adi Da says, "You cannot merely read my Wisdom-Teaching and 'get it'". He is right. I found that these writings were addressing some part of me far deeper than the thinking mind or even the emotional being. Throughout the book, he describes and recommends a process of "melting down" which I found overewhelmingly attractive at the deepest level. Carrying out the instructions in the book has re-arranged my orientation to life and my place in it. I feel more real, more balanced, more sane than ever before.

The essays and talks in Hridaya Rosary are sophisticated. When I tried to grapple with them mentally I just became frustrated. When I was able to relax the mind, then the words somehow enforced themselves at a primal point in me, at the heart. In these moments the wisdom of the book became intuitively clear and I felt a profound relief. At these times, it was obvious that the way things really are, Reality (with a capital R), is much different from what I ordinarily assume.

I believe this is the most efficacious instruction I have ever read.

The Hridaya Rosary is profoud, sublime and utterly brilliant. No scripture or esoteric spiritual text can equal the magnificence or the overwhelmingly direct transmission of tangibly felt Love-Bliss this book and the essays and talks which accompany it convey. Adi Da Samraj does not spout poetry in the conventional sense. His words inherently go beyond language. I couldn't (and I don't think anyone can) read this book in a conventional way, for it took me on a deep feeling odyssey into the ultimate spiritual process. I found its mysteries are fundamentally unspeakable, but spoken with perfect eloquence and discrimination. Every cell of the body was screaming YES! to this outrageously sensual, delightful infusion of Divine-Bliss. Adi Da Samraj writes, "I Am not elsewhere, and yet I Am Infinitely Beyond... evey thing and every one Is in Me." This book convinces me that this is completely true.

John Earman has written a wonderful book that shows the value of using the precision of probability theory to bring clarity to a murky issue. Long have certain philosophers marvelled at David Hume's essay, "On Miracles," supposing it to be an original and creative refutation of believing in miracles. Earman shows that Hume's arguments are neither original nor sound at establishing his pessimistic outlook on miracles. Moreover, using probability calculus, Earman is able to establish clearly that Hume's argument is a failure. In fact, Earman shows that many of Hume's contemporaries were familiar with probabilistic reasoning and were able to demonstrate Hume was wrong within in his own lifetime. So, not only was Hume wrong, but his failure cannot be attributed to the lack of development of inductive reasoning in his time. Earman works hard trying to understand what exactly Hume meant by examining Hume's personal letters and the developments of Hume's essay as it was published in various editions. After several attempts to read Hume charitably, Earman finds Hume's application of probabilistic reasoning is muddled and confused, at best. Furthermore, Earman shows that if Hume was right, this would spell disaster for inductive reasoning that confirms (or disconfirms) scientific reasoning. Those who endorse Hume's argument against miracles are supporting a line of reasoning that would eqully undermine science.

Earman's book is commendable for a number of reasons. First, it is a first-rate work in philosophy that is written clearly. Earman's rigor coupled with his readable prose make for a rewarding study. Second, this book makes significant contribution to Humean scholarship where Earman convincingly argues for various ways to interpret Hume, which he substantiates with cross-referencing the work of Hume and his interaction with his contemporaries. Third, the book is a powerful lesson in probability theory (especially Bayesianism). Some background in probabilistic reasoning may be needed to understand parts of the book, but even a cursory knowledge of probability theory will be nourished by Earman's work. Fourth, this book puts forward some substantial theories relevant to philosophy of religion, especially the nature of miracles. Fifth, the second half of the book is filled with important sources on the 18th century deist controversy, which are invaluable to studying probability and confirmation of miraculous events by eyewitness testimony. For those who find these issues to be important and wish to get a better handle on how to think clearly through these issues, this book will be a welcome piece of scholarship.

This is a fascinating and useful new approach to the question of Hume on miracles, including many of the original essays relevant to the debate, plus an extended argument using Baysian probability logic. The result was quite eye-opening, and, although the classic arguments of Hume have an Enlightenment aura, there is a need for a more robust approach to the skeptic stance toward miracles. I doubt if theologians will get any ammunition from this argument. In the period of the New Age movement when a book like Ouspensky's In Search of the Miraculous is used by sufi sharks to lure people into cultic dependencies we need more than Hume's classic but limited consideration. Perhaps a warning about Mephistopheles and Faust might help.
There is something historically apt in the treatment here, since the use of Baysianism is also its history, in simultaneity historically with the life and times of Hume.
Great little book. I found this looking for the author's other book, Bayes or Bust, which I didn't obtain, but which looks interesting as a resource for this one.

Introductory philosophy courses in college or university invariably include Hume's argument against miracles in the philosophy of religion unit to convince students that one cannot use evidence of miracles (such as the resurrection of Christ) to argue for metaphysical truths. Of course, Hume's argument SHOULD be included in the course--but in the LOGIC section as an archetypal piece of bad reasoning. Finally, a professional philosopher--who is by no means a Christian believer--has done a thoroughgoing scholarly critique of Hume's argument, showing beyond all question that the argument is perfectly circular: Hume, with a pre-Einsteinian, 18th century mindset, assumes that "uniform experience" exists against miracles and concludes--surprise, surprise--that no evidence can ever be effectively marshalled to prove that a miracle has really occurred. This book should be read by every naive philosophical rationalist. It will open epistemological doors to a new appreciation of the potential of miracle arguments as a prime support to claims for a genuine, historical incarnation.

In Hume's Abject Failure - The Argument against Miracles, John Earman offers a cogent and comprehensive refutation of Hume's argument against miracles originally published as "On Miracles" in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.

Hume's contention is that given the "unique" nature of miracles no human testimony can suffice to render them credible - i.e. day-to-day experience necessarily trumps claims of the miraculous or novel. This argument has provoked interesting and occasionally heated discussion throughout the years. While containing some apparent truisms - such as the need for good reasons in an evidentiary construct and the gullibility of people- Hume's claims are generally viewed as being overstated. In criticising Hume, Earman is not arguing for the truth of any alleged miracles, rather he is contending that Hume's attempt to dismiss miracles a priori is unwarranted. It is interesting to consider the implications of Hume's assertion if it were true - much modern scientific theory such as quantum mechanics or Darwinism would be decimated. Some commentators have tried to minimize this logical extension by arguing that science deals with a different subject matter and as a consequence is immune from this criticism- this seems contrived and unconvincing.

Though not original in his assessment of Hume's failure, Earman's exposition of the issue is the most comprehensive and well articulated that I have encountered. He highlights two important factors that likely contributed to Hume's failure, an inadequate understanding of inductive argumentation and wishful thinking. With regard to former, Earman highlights many of Hume's shortcomings and in the process does a nice job in explaining Bayesian probability.

While, in regard to wishful thinking, seeing what we believe is not unique to Hume. It seems evident that reason can be skewed by belief and emotion. Arguments concerning ethics or faith issues are particularly notorious in this regard. As Earman notes, faith positions (e.g. naturalism or atheism) often seems to play a role in defences of Hume's argument against miracles. It is interesting that at the outset Earman feels compelled to state his lack of theistic belief - in an apparent effort to diffuse similar criticism.

This small book (approx. 200 pages) is divided into two parts. In the first part, Earman lays out his case, while the second part is comprised of various historic writings that pertain to the issue. These extracts include "On Miracles" and various other historic criticisms of Hume's. I find this structure very helpful - not having to go back and forth to primary sources. Aside from the lucidness of Earman's argument I was especially impressed by the quality of thought exhibited by some of Hume's early critics whom I had not previously encountered, Price is especially impressive.

Overall, this is an outstanding book. I highly recommend it to students of philosophical history and the philosophy of religion.

C. S. Lewis exposed the circular reasoning in Hume in the book by Lewis entitled "Miracles." David Hume is often portrayed as a skeptic. On the contrary, he was a freemason and therefore a gnostic. He was skeptical of nongnostic positions, such as Christianity. He was an apologist for gnosticism. When looked at in that light, Christians are skeptics with respect to freemasonry. The title "skeptic" is a propaganda term much coveted by freemasons and juwes in order to assume the position of intellectual superiority.

Mr. Earman, who is nonChristian, has done a great job here in reviving criticism of Hume. Hume is worse than any god worshipped by any heathen since he demands uncompromising devotion to his position whether or not he is right or wrong.

Hume's chief argument against miracles is circular reasoning. Hume argues that miracles violate uniform experience. However, if uniform experience is against miracles, then they cannot happen. "Uniform experience" is his presupposition. And he defines "uniform experience" to exclude miracles. In other words, he begs the question. If miracles didn't happen, well, they didn't happen. This is Hume's argument in its circular entirety. This criticism came from Lewis. Although, I have a better argument than Lewis's and Mr. Earman's.

I would simply point out that pure logic cannot dispense with the empirical question of whether miracles happen. Afterall, mathematics is made up of tautologies. As such, pure logic or pure mathematics cannot have physical meaning. Pure logic, as Hume employs, cannot tell us anything about the world. Therein lies the sophistry. It boils down to the distinction between analytic and synthetic statements. Whether or not miracles happen depend not on logic, but on the existence of God who intervenes in human affairs and human life. As the former atheist Antony Flew said, it is impossible to argue against the existence of God in light of the evidence of the obvious intelligent design of the universe.

As soon as Hume "defined" a term "uniform experience," and inserted it in his argument, he entered the world of pure logic. In that world, no matter how far you search and how much you struggle and no matter how much you indulge in rationcination, you will end up where you started: with nothing. Beware of someone who makes definitions in the process of their argument with you.

If anyone went to the moon and found a green house that supplied oxygen, food and other human necessities, they wouldn't hesitate to posit an intelligent creator of that house. So why would anyone question the existence of God in light of this wonderful planet that supports our lives?

Atheism and pantheism are really the same thing. One denies God and the latter calls everything God. "Miracles" only make sense in a universe with a monotheistic God, not in a universe where nature is postulated as a god.

Earman makes reference to modern physics, which is unnecessary. Newton's physics didn't give any credibility to Hume's arguments since his arguments were pure sophistry. Anyway, Newton already embarked on relativity theory in the querys to his Optics. Query number one and number thirty already impinged on general and special relativity respectively. (Einstein, who plagarized Josiah Willard Gibb's book "statistical mechanics" in the Einstein papers on brownian movement also plagarized special relativity theory. Poincare, Fitzgerald, Larmar and Lorentz already conceived of special relativity. And the equations for general relativity divided by zero. David Hilbert noted that Einstein's equations were wrong, and Friedmann, the Russian pointed out that Einstein divided by zero three times.)

Intelligent design is all you need to establish a creator. A creator is all you need to ground miracles. Earman's book should be read. It's a welcome treatise in an age of brainwashed academics. The relation of academics to their students is well summed up in the parable of Jesus: "When one blind man leads another blind man, sooner or later they will both fall into a pit."

Unlike all other religions, Christianity offers the empirically grounded fact of Jesus's resurrection from the dead. Accept Him as your savior or be subject to Him as your judge.

As a collector of cookbooks (more than 600 titles) with an emphasis on the "Junior League" books, this is one of my all-time favorites. I have tried many, many recipes and they are all great. I found lots of "different" recipes that were simple to make and tasted great. Definitely add this one to your collection.

I have to say that I was on the "testing and planning" committee for this cookbook and I can't be happier reading everyone's reviews. Over 600 recipes were triple-tested in order to get the ones for this volume. I have used it over and over for gatherings and meals for my family. I'm always pleased with each recipe. It has something for everyone and the history about Cincinnati is wonderful. It makes a great gift for someone!!

I love this cookbook. It is one of my favorites - I've never been disappointed with any recipe I have tried. The design is aesthetically pleasing, the facts about Cincinnati are interesting (and I lived there for four years), and the Teller's House Salad can't be beat. I've bought this cookbook at least five times for friends and family and will continue to do so. My only complaint ... where is volume 2?? :-)

this cookbook has a wonderful variety of great, elegant, and easy recipes for casual entertaining with friends and families. i happen to love cookbooks, and this is a wonderful addition to my collection.

The cookbook has never failed me. I have given it to several people as a gift and they also raved about it. Has both simple and complex recipes. Also need tidbits about Cincinnati in the margins.