Research Books

D.O.M.A. is a great gift to us.

I bought this book and am very pleased with my purchase. Besides the historical information and knowledge presented, I find Mr. Hall's wit and humour to be excellant. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to learn more.

Considered the definitive work in the field of hermetic arts, this wonderful large book is also very ornate, containing full-color plates and two-color manuscript section. Most notable of these images is the only known representation of the Temple of the Rosy Cross from an engraving in 1618. The book contains the English translation accompanying a facsimile of the original eighteenth century manuscript, which is of particular interest to the more serious scholars. Also useful was the commentary, which threads together fragments of history pertaining to the Rosicrucian foundations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The famous psychologist C. G. Jung, in his work entitled Psychology and Alchemy, reproduced the plate of Michelspacher's Cabala and made numerous other references to material contained in Codex Rosæ Crucis.

If you are a student of the hermetic arts this book is a must for your collection. It is always nice to find a book whose content value is equally matched with its artistic quality. If you are just dabbling in the occult, this book would probably not be of much use other than as eye candy.

I cannot attest to this manuscript's rarity, as it is being mass-produced.

However, I can say that it is, indeed, a very aesthetically pleasing tome. Even the cover is lovely to look at. The plates inside are of excellent quality. While you may not spend months with your nose in this book, there is knowledge to be gleaned from it. I do find it a book of value for one who is interested in the esoteric.

I bought this book based on the above review, and at first, I was doubtful after I ordered it, but when it arrived, I was very, very glad I did! This is a beautiful oversized book, with many illustrations, and much information I have never seen before. I find the whole Rosicrucian movement fascinating, and this book has information you will not find anywhere else, to my knowledge. Get this book, it is worth the price. Also check out the "Golden Game". Another beautiful book but focusing more on 17th century alchemy in general.

The alternate title of this book should be: THE ~COMPLETE~ AND ONLY GUIDE TO COLLEGE DEGREES BY MAIL AND INTERNET YOU WILL NEED TO READ. Excellent and up-to-date information regarding courses, tuition, residency requirements. I will FINALLY be able to confidently and comfortably select 'THE' Masters Program that is right for me! Tuition is quite varied and ranges from low to very high...Bears' Guide saved me the time and frustration of looking at schools with astronomically high tuition rates. If you are just beginning to look at Distance Learning programs, have been looking for awhile and are not able to make a decision, or you are just thinking about a DLP, this book is essential.

As I have been contemplating receiving my Bacherlor's degree through a University's Distance Learning Program, I was lost as to where to start. That is, until I found this book. BEARS' GUIDE TO COLLEGE DEGREES BY MAIL & INTERNET. John Bear's book contains listings of tons of colleges, that offer correspondence, independent study, and internet degrees. With information about each school, website addresses, e-mail addresses, etc. that make it easy for the interested party to find out everything they need to know. One thing that I recommend to everyone is to find out the accreditation agencies that support the schools listed before you sign up with them, as not all are regionally accredited. Overall, this was a fantastic book, and a must have for anyone who is interested in pursuing a degree through distance learning.

Erika Sorocco

I have read this book, as well as a number of Bear's titles, and I find it very well researched (and quite readable), considering the fluid nature of the topic. John, daughter, et al are to be commended for a fine project!

John Bear is a nationally recognized authority in school accreditation and has appeared as an expert witness in many trial venues. His list of enemies is quite long, as he has been partly responsible for the closing of a large number of diploma mills and con-game colleges, hence the slanderous reviews. He has also been involved in advising (and occasionally running) non-traditional schools (no crime there) that never claim an accreditation they don't have. Some of these schools have done well, others have not. Some are still around, others are not. (Still - no crime there.)
College is nothing if not market-driven. (Welcome to America; that's how it is done here.)

It should go without saying, but anyone foolish enough to believe everything they read in a Google search is certainly in need of an education!

Books by John & Mariah Bear have literally changed people's lives. This is no less true for this book. Although not quite the behemoth that the larger "Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (14th ed.), this book instead provides a tight focus on specific programs for those who either need a little more guidance or for whom smaller/less expensive works better. It still provides the same solid advice that readers have come to trust from the Bears.

College Degrees by Mail and Internet provides all of the information necessary to earn a degree (BA, MA, PhD) through distance learning. Now in its eighth edition, this book has stood the test of time.

If you're looking to change your life (more money, better work, etc), you need to check this book out.

If you want to get your education and not go into slavery with your student loans. Then get this book ASAP, it covers just about everything one needs to know on how to get your degree. I really think the future of higher education is going this way. But if you want to spend a lot of time, money, grief and get a real ration of manure. Then don't read this book!

I love this book! Very thorough and gives lots of practice overall. There are only two things I wish it had: an answer key and more practice with the script (reading and writing).

As a self-taught student of the Yiddish language, I've sought out many Yiddish language text books. Uriel Weinreich's "College Yiddish" is by far the definitive book on the subject. All other first-year books pale in comparison. Each lesson is presented and structured in an extremely logical and coherent manner. The scope of "College Yiddish" covers the language so extensively that before you know it, you're able to read Yiddish books and newspapers without much effort. If you are a student of other foreign languages, you will be amazed at just how well this book was written. You'll wish that Uriel Weinreich had written books covering other languages as well.

The Yiddish texts at the beginning of each chapter are intelligently written--not "dumbed-down" as most language books do. "College Yiddish" doesn't just cover grammar and vocabulary, it also includes the history of the language, Jewish culture in Europe, anti-Semitism, folklore, Zionism, creation of Israel, etc, all presented in a very appealing way.

While studying from "College Yiddish", I also recommend that you purchase Uriel Weinreich's "Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish-English Dictionary". After your completion of "College Yiddish", you should continue your studies with "Yidish af Yidish" by David Goldberg and "Yiddish II: An Intermediate and Advanced Textbook" by Mordkhe Schaechter, both of which continue from where "College Yiddish" left off. I recommend that both be purchased because they both cover different aspects of Yiddish; "Yidish af Yidish" being more academic where as "Yiddish Tsvey" is more colloquial.

Those who have spent any time looking for good information on the Yiddish language know quite well how difficult it is to find anything of any quality. "College Yiddish" is the best source I have ever found in three years of searching. Besides containing very clear explanations of grammar accompanied by exercises, the cultural information included is of immense interest. I heartily recommend this book.

Too many books that purport to teach you Yiddish treat it as either a joke or a relic. Prof. Weinreich's "College Yiddish" treats Yiddish as a living, expressive and literary language, not as a compendium of phrases to say to your bubbe when she visits, or as a collection of cursewords. The book consists of 30 graded lessons, each based on a text which covers some aspect of Jewish life, culture and history, and especially of the Jewish communities of central and eastern Europe for whom Yiddish was a bond. At the end of the book is an excellent precis of Yiddish grammar. But this book isn't "dry as dust," either: Prof. Weinreich takes Jewish humor as seriously as he does Jewish culture and literature! Very highly recommended.

As a self-taught student of the Yiddish language, I've sought out many Yiddish language text books. Uriel Weinreich's "College Yiddish" is by far the definitive book on the subject. All other first-year books pale in comparison. Each lesson is presented and structured in an extremely logical and coherent manner. The scope of "College Yiddish" covers the language so extensively that before you know it, you're able to read Yiddish books and newspapers without much effort. If you are a student of other foreign languages, you will be amazed at just how well this book was written. You'll wish that Uriel Weinreich had written books covering other languages as well.

The Yiddish texts at the beginning of each chapter are intelligently written--not "dumbed-down" as most language books do. "College Yiddish" doesn't just cover grammar and vocabulary, it also includes the history of the language, Jewish culture in Europe, anti-Semitism, folklore, Zionism, creation of Israel, etc, all presented in a very appealing way.

While studying from "College Yiddish", I also recommend that you purchase Uriel Weinreich's "Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish-English Dictionary". After your completion of "College Yiddish", you should continue your studies with "Yidish af Yidish" by David Goldberg and "Yiddish II: An Intermediate and Advanced Textbook" by Mordkhe Schaechter, both of which continue from where "College Yiddish" left off. I recommend that both be purchased because they both cover different aspects of Yiddish; "Yidish af Yidish" being more academic where as "Yiddish Tsvey" is more colloquial.

I own an earlier edition of this book, written before
the internet stuff was added.

Still, Drayton Bird is a fine writer and he explains
things lucidly and he has hella' experience and knows
of that which he writes.

He has a good sense of humor. Sort of droll.

No book can cover it all, but this one does a good job
of touching on major points any direct marketer should
really get a grasp of.

It isn't until about half-way through that Bird gets into
Copywriting but he covers a lot of ground quickly in this
area. If you write copy you SHOULD read a lot of books
and read a lot of copy - one book doesn't do it.

It's not obvious to everyone but there are some "copywriters"
out there that don't actually know marketing very well.
They are best avoided if you are paying for copy, and this
book will help you a lot if you are thinking of writing
your own copy or thinking of hiring somebody to do it for you.

Favorite quote (of many):

"If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys"

Funny guy, that Bird.

I read a number of marketing books before this one,but after read Drayton's book I understand how to create and execute a direct campaign.The best side is,I think, the simple words due to the writer experience in the marketing business .If you are looking for the best combination of experience and easy reading with a ''How to...'' aproach ,this book is the best.

Possibly a great book for those that know something alreadytoo, just look at the endorsements. Not a step by step book - no hardand fast rules to DM - goes to the principals derives guidelines and provides examples. A good approach that suited me - I always want to know why something should be done a certain way not just follow a prescription.

This book contains all of the information you need to know about direct marketing. It puts aside the myth regarding the 1-2% return on mailings. I had no idea that a 50% return was possible! The book is full of proven advice and tips; planning, list selection, the offer, pricing...it goes on and on. Reading it from cover to cover gave me the information necessary to execute my own mailing which cost me less than $200 but reaped close to $100,000. Read it!

That O'Toole can write is no surprise to anyone who has seen him act, since--although he is saying others' lines on screen--a pulsing intelligence comes through in his performances. (Brando can't write in SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME, and neither could KATHERINE HEPBURN in her autobiography. As good as they are as actors, they don't suggest eloquence on the screen...despite the quality of the lines they say). But O'Toole is not one of the greatest writers alive. This volume shows that. His writing needs to be more linear. He IS one of the greatest actors alive, however. So I wish he would leave his desk and get in front of a movie camera or on stage instead. I don't believe there is such a thing as a genius actor. But if there is, O'Toole is it (and the only one). There has certainly never been an actor as charismatic (well, maybe Cary Grant. But could Grant have played serious drama as well as light comedy? He never played in a drama that I know of).

I want Peter O'Toole to scrible my life story. One of our grandest actors turns out to be a remarkable writer. If he was writing about any other person than himself, this would be a great book; a most enjoyable reading experience; and a primer in how to tell the story of a larger than life person. As it happens, Peter O'Toole, the exceptional writer, is writing about Peter O'Toole, the peerless actor.

And this is Volume Two! Do grab the first book, "Loitering With Intent: The Child." It is not only a fascinating story of the very early years of O'Toole's boyhood in Ireland, it is also a personal account of the world plunging into the chaos of the 1930s that became World War II.

Read them both...preferasbly in order. And pray Mr O'Toole is with us long enough to craft volume three!

Peter O'Toole continues recounting his early years in the second volume of his biography. It has a slightly different style than the first volume (The Child), but is still extremely enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Who says a great actor has to be a self-absorbed boor with no life or thoughts of his own offstage or off-camera? This second installment of noted actor O'Toole's autobiography brims over with vitality, quirky charm, and loving reminiscences of fellow drama school students, teachers, and a host of other fascinating souls. O'Toole is clearly one of those people who makes his own fun, and naturally finds kindred spirits wherever he goes in life. He doesn't choose his friends based on their status or what they can do for him, he just enjoys their company. And how! The myriad, unorthodox ways O'Toole and his pals devise to obtain lodgings, food, semi-clean laundry and other of life's necessities will have you laughing out loud. One of many highlights concerns the delightful, party given to celebrate the final hours of leaky old houseboat, where guests take turns pumping the sea back out even as it sloshes at their ankles. A rip-roaring good time was had by the artist as a young apprentice, and his mates!

O'Toole has a gift for the English language -- you just want to read whole chapters aloud, to enjoy the sound of the words. There are also scores of laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes sprinkled throughout, all told with wry joy. This isn't a typical actor's memoir -- this is way more fun.

If you practice law and are finding that clients are increasingly demanding you to be more tech-savvy, you'll want a copy of Jerry's book on your shelf. Sharing the same high-quality information that Jerry has put into his presentations for years, he makes this book a superb collection of lessons that will keep you flipping pages through to the end. This book is not one that you'll read once and put away - you'll find it answers just about any question you'll have about using the Internet on a day-to-day basis. Unlike most books about the Internet, this is one whose value will remain for quite some time.

Jerry Lawson's The Complete Internet Handbook for Lawyers (1999), is the standard reference for attorneys who use the Internet or who don't yet but should. Besides providing his own substantial guidance for using the Internet, Mr. Lawson surveys, organizes, and synthesizes data and resources from and about the Internet. If there is one book for attorneys about using the Internet, The Complete Internet Handbook for Lawyers is it. The book is a bargain at $50 given the time it will save and revenue it will help generate.

You could run all over the Web just identifying the opportunies and issues presented by the Internet for your law firm. Then you'd need to evaluate a slough of disparate information to arrive at answers to those questions. Or, you could buy this book and have an astoundingly comprehensive and qualified treatment in one convenient and easy-to-ready package. I had a copy that somehow walked out of my office. I know why it's not coming back. Whoever has it is using it. I bought another copy, which I am now guarding.

T. R. Halvorson, author of Law of the Super Searchers: the Online Secrets of Top Legal Researchers.

The Complete Internet Handbook For Lawyers is comprehensive, definitive, and exceptionally well organized survey and explanation of the Internet specifically designed for law students, practicing attorneys, legal paraprofessionals, and law firm staffers. From the essentials for getting started on utilizing the Internet, to doing legal research on the Internet, to marketing legal services on the Internet, to ethic and security issues involving the Internet, to philosophical and practical considerations for the present and future practice of law and the influences of Internet, Jerry Lawson's The Complete Internet Handbook For Lawyers is a highly recommended, essential, practical reference and guide.

Rarely, law books are published which teach a complex and essential subject effortlessly. This is such a book for Lawyers about the Internet. The author's explanations of relatively new and still arcane subjects are excellent. His section discussing Public Key Encryption is a good example of the style and ease of learning thoughout the book. Other lawyers have tried and generally failed to explain this type of encryption in a way which is comprehended by the average lawyer who barely passed or may have even flunked algebra. Using a 250 word analogy, author Lawson teaches it in a manner that lawyer and layman alike can easily understand. Realizing that the Internet is new and changing in ways no single person can fully comprehend, the author also includes a unique chapter by a number of knowledgeable lawyers and support personnel who contribute their own observations and conclusions. No lawyer who has to practice for the next decade can ignore the Internet. For those who haven't started, or those who haven't yet incorporated the Internet and Email into their practice, there is no better place to begin than with this handbook.

I also used the first edition of this book. Several copies of it in fact. The first two editions were true handbooks that were never out of reach from my desk (unless "borrowed") for over thirty years. I cannot recommend this book too highly to anyone who will be using statistics. May it be as true a friend to you as it was to me.

(But did the price have to increase so drasticly?)

What is the best way to learn and be secure in your learning -- work a problem through with expert guidance. This book provides clear advice about what statistics to choose for what problem and then provides small data sets. You can confirm your capability by working the problem step-by-step with the authors -- that includes understanding the meaning of your result and drawing an appropriate conclusion. Students love it. Me, too.

I cut my teeth in statistics with the first edition of this book in 1968, back before we had computer programs to do our statistics for us. And I have kept the second edition on my shelf since 1977. The book leads the reader step by step through the hand calculations for all the basic statistics, and for some relatively obscure ones as well (such as tests of the difference between two correlations or between two proportions). These days, students of statistics go right to their keyboards, and the statistics come out a millisecond or two later. But if you want your students to see how these things are actually calculated, there is no better reference than this.

Had orginally purchased an edition in 1974; carried it with me for 24 years and then lost track of it. Remembered how good it had served me. One of few places I could find a point-biserial correlation. Step-by-step approach extremely helpful. Examples useful.

I cut my teeth in statistics with the first edition of this book in 1968, back before we had computer programs to do our statistics for us. And I have kept the second edition on my shelf since 1977. The book leads the reader step by step through the hand calculations for all the basic statistics, and for some relatively obscure ones as well (such as tests of the difference between two correlations or between two proportions). These days, students of statistics go right to their keyboards, and the statistics come out a millisecond or two later. But if you want your students to see how these things are actually calculated, there is no better reference than this.

Clifford A. Pickover is a Renaissance man. He may not like the label but for me it is one of the highest accolades of intellectual accomplishment. A quick scan through this book is enough to confirm his standing: mathematics, computer programming, art, medicine, music, speech, biochemistry, electronics, education, biology, aesthetics etc. etc. It's all there.

This is one of my favourite books and is getting quite dog-eared by the constant use it gets. It is a book to enjoy as well as to refer-to, a book to cheer you up and to fill you with wonder. Not that it is perfect mind you. Far from it. It is now quite dated and the illustrations could do with a decent makeover. The treatment is often abrupt and episodic and the writing is sometimes hurried and muggy. But who cares! The overall effect is of frenzied genius and lively enquiry.

My main interest was in Chapter 14. Dynamic Systems. It is not an in-depth treatment by any means but it yields some beautiful ideas. I implemented and experimented with most of the algorithms in the chapter. They work and provide some essential insight into the evolutionary nature of most complex systems.

Get the book. The reference list by itself is worth the price.

Perhaps for the new century the technology is a bit out of date, but this book is a well written introduction to both basic and complex computer graphical ways of describing mathematics and natural phenomena.
An excellent feature of the book is its pseudocoding used to explain concepts and to be used by the reader as stepping off points for the amateur computer programmer to play.

In Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty, Clifford Pickover focuses on how theories of fractals and chaos lead to computer-generated graphics - and how graphics in computers have connections to the unseen world. From how data is processed and displayed to patterns present in complicated data, this provides both artists and scientists with an intriguing set of concepts.

This book inspires and entrances with something for everyone, from the adventurer with an artistic eye, to the most esoteric mathematics devotee. At practically any level of understanding, it provokes the desire for learning, and an aesthetic appreciation for math that is usually reserved for those who make higher math their lives' work. Best of all, this book can be "grazed", i.e., read out of order and sporadically, gaining benefit where one may. A must-browse for anyone who has ever wondered how mathematics could ever be interesting or powerful.

The algorithms presented in the book are simply too fascinating to be true. Each illustration of fractals or the strange attractors are accompanied by an algorithm which I tried with "C" language. They work excellently and it is a visual treat to watch the fractals unfold, strange attractors trace out intricate patterns and the Pascal Triangle rise like a phoenix before your own eyes. Each algorithm you translate into a program gives you immense joy at having discovered a new hidden hand that leads nature and beauty through the illuminating principles of mathematics and reaveals the deepest mysteries of nature in close collusion with the arcane folds of mathematics.

Connecting Online is a fascinating text that explores two worlds--the Internet with its many tentacles and the public relations industry--and how to merge them with powerful results. Sherwin and Avila start off with a well-written explanation of the Internet-not just the World Wide Web, but also ftp, e-mail, Usenet, Internet etiquette. In short, all the various pieces that fit under the umbrella of the Internet. They also explore the public relations world if briefer than they did with the Internet--releases, media relations, crisis communication. Having accomplished the groundwork, they set out on their main objective--explaining how to have effective public relations online.

They demonstrate a variety of interesting, if not necessarily the most innovative techniques. Examples abound, including finding the right consultants, costs, hardware, software, and utilizing websites for maximum advantage. In this, Connecting Online is none too dissimilar to Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, which also covers using the Internet as the means to attain public relations objectives.

Drawing upon their experiences in both the Web and in the public relations industry, Sherwin and Avila provide several valuable pieces of advice. What makes this text even further stand out is the style in which it is written. Deft uses of humor in the technical explanations assure that even those with a layman's grasp of the terminology and technology will have little difficulty in understanding, grasping, and using Sherwin's and Avila's methods and advice.

In Connecting Online: Creating A Successful Image On The Internet, Gregory Sherwin and Emily Avila draw upon their extensive expertise and experience in clearly and definitively explaining the history, demographics, features and benefits of the Internet; show how to utilize email, the World Wide Web, Usenet, FTP, and other Internet tools; explain Internet etiquette, press release, crisis communications, security, and other public relations essentials, reveal how Web pages work and provide some strategies to research, build, maintain, and keep websites current. Connecting Online also covers issues such as costs, hardware, software, hiring consultants, and obtaining proper technical support for establishing and maintaining a website or an Internet presence. Connecting Online is an ideal, informative, comprehensive "user friendly", and highly recommended guide for learning all of the aspects of establishing a an effective online public relations strategy.

This book was exactly what I was looking for. Although, I am not sure I agree that my business isn't ready to jump into online sales... the significance of applying public relations techniques and solid, thought-out strategies online is certainly important to me at this point in my business' life. Connecting Online provided the answers I was looking for on the relationship between the Web and maintaining my company's overall image. The book also offers some great information, data, and step-by-step procedures. Although I wasn't looking for a site management book, this book covered new territory that will certainly help my communications with our Web team...all on terms I understood. In fact, the humor in this book made the most technical areas quite fun!!! What can I say, I just got done reading it and I highly recommend it! What a great read!

Connecting Online: Creating A Successful Image On The Internet explains why it is essential to establish a solid image and a communicative environment with specific Internet audiences. Authors Gregory Sherwin and Emily Avila have collaborated to created a guidebook that will help the most novice of computer users to get up and running with image building strategies, even when they have had no prior experience with, or training in, public relations. Connecting Online covers the history, demographics, features and benefits of the Internet; how to effectively use email, the Web, Usenet, FTP, and other Internet tools; Internet etiquette, press releases, crisis communications, security, and public relations essentials; how Web pages work including strategies to research, build, maintain, and keep them current; costs, hardware, software, the hiring of consultants; the technical support required to establish and maintain a website or an Internet presence; and much, much more. Connecting Online is "must" reading for those new to Internet communications and public relations and a handy reference for anyone needing a refresher in the art and craft of building a successful and profitable Internet presence.

The authors of Connecting Online have chosen to supplement the book with a companion Web site of the same name, which includes a wealth of information for PR people who want to use the Internet to its full advantage. This site contains updated links, organized by chapter, to all of the Web sites mentioned in the book. Connecting Online is the best resource I have seen for online PR professionals.

This book is fantastic! Anyone who is interested in the stem cell research debate from a secular point of view. There is no mention of God or religion or the bible. Just clear, rational thinking about the debate. Smith, I believe, is the pioneer of the "human exceptionalism" philosophy, which I very much admire him for.

I found this book to be extremely informative and learned quite a bit from reading it. Prior to reading this my exposure to the issues inherent in some of the biotechnological initiatives discussed here was what is presented/argued about in the mainstream media. Mr. Smith has done an admirable job in describing the details associated with cloning and stem cell research , embryonic as well as adult. His arguments regarding the scientific and ethical dilmma that these potentially powerful technologies represent are thought provoking and logically presented. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation out there regarding these issues on both sides of the argument. This book lays out the conservative viewpoint in scientific terminology and I beleve that Mr. Smith has made a valuable contibution to the debate that our society is engaged in on which direction to take with these technologies.

Wesley Smith is a leading voice in the public debate surrounding the hottest issues in bioethics and biotechnology. His latest book, "Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World," is essential reading for those who wish to better understand many of these important issues and what is at stake.

Smith makes abundantly clear the ethical dangers involved with embryonic stem cell research (ESC) and human cloning. The creation of human life in laboratories purely for the purpose of destroying it and harvesting it as raw material is a frightening prospect. And Smith makes a strong case for the banning of human cloning.

All the while, he is careful to draw a distinction between research involving ESCs and research involving adult stem cells (ASC). The latter procedure is NOT controversial and to this point has proven the most promising in terms of positive medical breakthroughs. In fact, Smith goes on at length in describing all the many wonderful benefits that we can expect and should actively seek through biotechnology.

Biotechnology is very exciting and quite promising. Government funding for biotech is entirely appropriate and should continue. Private R&D should likewise be promoted. But, like in any industry, there must be at least SOME ethical guidelines that should be adhered to if we value the equality of all human beings. When the genetic makeup of humanity is itself altered--like through the creation of clones or human-beast chimaeras--the equality of all human beings is eroded.

What Smith warns against is scientific research completely unhinged from ANY sort of ethical bounds or considerations. He speaks out against a new eugenics that would allow human life to be treated as a resource for harvesting, as if it were a scene right out of "The Matrix."

Smith also provides insight behind the radical ideology driving many cloning advocates (scientism, elitism, transhumanism, etc.) Very important is Smith's discussion of the PR campaign waged by Big Biotech, which seeks large infusions of cash from governments by making lofty promises about the sorts of immediate medical breakthroughs that can come from cloning and ESC research. Such promises play upon those who find themselves or their loved ones in desperate situations, offering imminent miracle cures, when serious medical progress remains years or decades away.

This book is very readable, highly engaging, and strongly recommended!

(This reviewer works for the Discovery Institute, which the author has an affiliation with. Yet, I had zero input or involvement on the book and these views are my own.)

The title is tongue in cheek: This is the ordinary person's guide to how NOT to end up in the nightmare scenario of Aldous Huxley' "Brave New World." The author is a non-scientist, which actually helps, as he explains terms like "somatic cell nuclear transfer," "embryonic stem cell" and "regenerative medicine" so the generally educated reader is enlightened rather than turned off. Smith's argument is that these new biological powers have implications that are far too important to be left to the scientists, the biotechnology companies, and the tame ethicists who work for them -- they pose dangers to our very idea of human equality and human rights. The book closes with sensible recommendations for things society should oppose, and things it should support, to advance medical progress without losing our sense of humanity. A very timely must-read.

In 1932 Aldous Huxley wrote his prophetic and chilling novel, Brave New World. In it he mapped out a future in which science, instead of being a great help to mankind, becomes the undoing of human nature and personhood.

Seventy years on one has to ask where we now stand. Smith thinks the picture does not look good. While we can all be grateful for advances in science and technology which have extended life, healed diseases, and made us all much more comfortable, there is also a dark side to this progress. It is this negative side, and its potential, that this volume addresses.

Smith looks at many of the recent and controversial issues in biotechnology, chief among them, genetic engineering, human cloning and stem cell research. He does a good job of explaining where we are with these developments, and the various possible shortcomings they may raise.

But of real value in this book is the author's concern to not just focus on the biotechnologies alone, but to look at the bigger picture. Where are these developments taking us as human beings? How are these new advances impacting on our understanding of humanity and human worth? Are moral and ethical concerns being swept under the carpet as we race ahead with scientific breakthroughs?

Smith reminds us that it is all too easy for prudence and ethical interests to be sidelined in the chase for fame and fortune. Careful, objective science can easily be compromised and marginalised when so much is at stake.

Smith notes that we now see the rise of a new scientific-industrial complex, every bit as worrying as past alliances with the private sector. Both academia and the scientific community are becoming increasingly cozy with the profit-making community. While that may not be bad in itself, an unduly cozy relationship may well mean trouble ahead.

Thus the reality of Big Biotech is now a genuine concern as much as is Big Oil or Big Tobacco. As but one indication, in the past quarter century $100 billion has been poured into the biotech sector. As a result biotechnology companies today are largely research and fund-raising machines. And the old adage of `those who pay the piper call the tune' is very much a real concern.

And the money trail flows in all directions. Not only does Big Business drive much of the biotech agenda, but the latter in turn spends billions each year in public relations and political campaigns. The industry has many staff working full-time as paid-lobbyists and PR wizards, actively seeking to influence not only public opinion but the flow of tax-dollars.

Of course many of these biotech companies have ethical advisors who are meant to act as a safeguard against any untoward influences. The real fear is that this is just a case of ethics for sale. Many of these bioethicists are simply putting the company spin on things. Few are genuinely objective, neutral and independent. Most are in the pay of their masters and will happily do their masters' bidding. After all, if the main concern is to get a good return on investment to stockholders, what company will hire an ethicist to work against that concern?

Smith documents numerous cases of such questionable ethical advice, and how financial concerns very clearly determine much of the direction of the biotech industry.

Another major concern highlighted in this book is the transformation of objective science into scientism. Scientism is the idea that science alone, unclouded by any moral and other input, can decide what is best for us. Science is seen as saviour and the sole source of truth. The humility and objectivity needed for good science are jettisoned for an ideology that eschews other considerations.

This of course is a real concern, since much of the new bioscience is dealing with issues that have profound consequences for humanity and society. With so much at stake, other influences need to be brought to bear. Philosophical, theological and ethical input is crucially needed, but is often rejected altogether. Science begins to be seen as an end in itself, instead of a means to an end.

Thus science itself is becoming tainted in this process, and any concerns about how humanity may suffer as a result are seldom discussed. But Smith certainly raises the issues. He knows that the political and financial pressures brought to bear on the biosciences are having a very real negative effect.

One clear negative effect is the return of eugenics. This can especially be seen in the rise of Transhumanism. This philosophy states that any means available could and should be used to enhance individuals and their progeny. A very well funded and organised Transhumanist movement is quite clear about its goals: the transformation of human evolution by means of bioengineering and other emerging techniques. The aim is to create a "posthuman" species, free of the defects and limitations of mere humanity.

But the pursuit of human perfection always comes at a price. We should have learned our lessons years ago. But we are ignoring those lessons and repeating those mistakes. All the warnings of Huxley and others are falling on deaf ears.

Thus this book serves as a wake-up call. There are tremendous goods and benefits to come from the new technologies, and Smith is quick to point those out, but there are very real fears as well.

The future is very much in our hands, and Smith reminds us that it is not enough to have science alone or the marketplace alone determine how we proceed. The advances of science and technology need to be counterbalanced by advances in ethical and social reflection. And this volume very nicely serves that purpose.