Benefits of Books

I can not say enough good things about this publication. It is an excellent resource for researchers and policy makers in the workers' compensation field.

The Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling is a slight misnomer. Though Dr. Ray does give some information about home schooling around the world, the book is largely about homeschooling in the United States and homeschooling in general.. This is not surprising because the United States has more experience, statistics, and personalities in the movement than other countries do.

As the president of the National Home Education Research Institute, editor of Home School Researcher, expert witness on homeschooling trials, and a homeschooling father of eight children, he writes authoritatively on the history of the movement, the benefits of homeschooling, the latest research on the adjustment of former home-schooled students to adult society, teenage's concerns, and general homeschool questions.

This is not a how-to book through he does answer some questions about starting. Instead, he provides " a quick and accurate overview of the homeschool movement and key topics related to it." (page ix) The book answers questions of potential homeschoolers, concerned grandparents, and the media.
Ray varies his format by chapter. Some chapters are in question-and-answer format while he uses straight narrative in others. He writes in a straightforward style with few anecdotes.

Each chapter contains profiles of homeschoolers. Most are leaders in the movement, but some are less well-known students and parents. He includes an appendix of homeschooling organizations from around the world, copious endnotes, and an index.
As a former homeschooler, I think this book would be helpful for anyone considering homeschooling or confronting skeptics. -- Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com

I read this book when it came to paperback a couple of years after its published date. I was so disturbed by some of the stories of freeloaders and tax cheats that I had to stop and google the offenders and to my surprise many of them are now behind bars for tax fraud!

No one likes paying taxes, but as a self-employed person I pay more than my fair share four times a year, and I am in the most likely group to be audited! So trust me I hate taxes as much as anyone.

But this book is really about the entire tax system and how it is broken and slanted for those with the very most. Mr. Johnston explains in detailed analysis going decades back into our tax codes, laws and rates and how over time the burden has been shifted from corporations and the extremely wealthy to ordinary working Americans. Johnston is also quite fair in blaming both political parties, and political leaders for their lack of tax understanding, tax laws and basic economic theory. The problems are on both sides of the fence, and we need to fix our system before things like the punishing Alternative Minimum Tax hit more and more middle income people.

Some other topics that Mr. Johnston brings up. How misguided political slashing of the IRS budget and staff has lead to an increase of audits of the poorest and the least able to fight back. And if you file for the Earned Income Tax credit, a credit for poor working parents, you are extremely likely to be audited. Meanwhile the extremely wealthy get by with huge tax scams costing the system billions.

Also a very quick read, Johnston has a way of writing complicated economic data simply. I read this in about 4 days. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Read this book yesterday! This is important stuff and will piss you off on every page--get to it!

I cannot offer enough enthusiasm in the written word to tell all Americans to read this book. It is easy and clear reading; but, I also add difficult because I could read only a few pages before having to take a breather. The book, by its revelations, so incenses me that I feel as though the top of my head will blow off.

How can we, as adult citizens, allow the wealthy and their hirelings to get away with screwing the general public so much? Johnston's book tells so much that it is almost too much. His next book, Free Lunch, is just as devastating to the wealthy. This country is going down the tubes and Johnston tells us most of the reasons why.

To some of the excellent reviews already published.
I just wanted to say READ THIS BOOK! The author does an enormous amount of personal research on the subject. Although it will outrage you, it will also enlighten you. I think this is one of the best books I have read in the last 10 years.

Johnston is an articulate writer who has a broad understanding of the US tax system, and has written on the topic for the NYT for some time.

This book, like his articles on the same topic, is well-written and a comprensive look at the problem of the manipulation of the tax code by special interest.

For any history buff interested in the pursuit of truth and reality, Burr, and anything else written by Gore Vidal (such as Lincoln), are "must reads"!!

Back in 1973 as a member of the Book-of-the-Month Club, I chose to receive BURR when it became the club's main selection. Since that date, I have not been without a copy of the book, while having several non-fiction studies of Burr as well on the shelves. How do I rate Mr. Vidal's work, well, the 5-stars above should pretty much sum up that question.

As Vidal stated in his disclaimer, back of the book essay of sorts, that he did not always agree with Aaron Burr's opinion on people and things, I can state the same concerning some of the opinions Mr. Vidal opines in this book. But whether Vidal is skewering or lauding individual members of our 'founding fathers' one thing many discerning readers of history will need admit, there is not much difference between the desire to succeed that all of them shared. Many were eminently more successful than Mr. Burr in that they either knew how to embellish their lives through media management, or were fortunate in their efforts to cover life's tracks better. And had Burr's papers and trunks not been lost at sea, who knows?

Some have stated here that maybe Vidal is too extreme, too opinionated, or even too lacking in historical laurels; however, for me Mr. Vidal is extremely qualified not only due his family background and years of associating with a United States senator but, when this book first came out, some have posited that back in the deep somewhere of ancestry, Burr and Vidal were relatives.

Another important consideration for me is that BURR initiated Gore Vidal's study of the United States. And for a fictional writer, and never forget that we are reading fiction with a historical background, these several books stand very tall concerning what most American authors ever attain. Mr. Vidal has left us a true treasure trove of American historical novels.

Having read Gore Vidal since about 1963, I do somewhat agree with some here who claim it can take some work accepting him as an 'historian', though he would never claim to be one. I say this because some of his work for me, and I stress only me, is much below his talent. Books such as Duluth and Myra Breckenridge will never find any space on my bookshelves. So with those books among others, I believe Mr. Vidal did himself little favor when later stepping out to assume the mantel of serious historical novelist. Be that as it may, since that is 'history' too, he not only did it, but he has done it very well.

But after reading most of these books, and being a history minor in college, I accede both adequate historical knowledge with the writing talent to this major American author insuring success. And much more, I applaud his books on American history, when most of our authors either do not care at all about their country's history or shun any part in the writing of it. Bravo, Gore Vidal. Bravo, indeed.

For any reader enjoying BURR you may wish to also read his more recent and non-fiction book on the early republic entitled: INVENTING A NATION.

Semper Fi.

To appreciate this novel you have to know the issues surrounding Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson. Having recently read Chernow's Alexander Hamilton and Isenburg's Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr I was glad to have the events still fresh in my mind. Vidal put it all together 30 years before these biographies, that is without the advantage of new research and contemporary thinking. This novel also, notably, predates DNA and the confirmation of Jefferson's "bright" children.

Vidal's cleverly grafts his outlook and sensibility onto Burr. We will never know, but it may be an excellent fit. In telling the tale through Burr's eyes he gives a stronger defense of Burr than the Isenburg bio. While fictional, all the events are here. At the end, Vidal has a short note clarifying the few occasions when he strayed from the facts and noting that much of Jefferson's dialog was taken from Jefferson's own, copious, writings.

I was laughing out loud at the Vidal/Burr takes on the Jefferson plantation, Jefferson's White House (the books, the garden tools and the mocking bird who lands on his shoulder), Andrew Jackson (dialog, sore false teeth and comments on Davy Crockett's demise) and of course Burr's terse comments on Hamilton. While this is all serious history, Burr (the character and the novel) doesn't take himself/itself at all seriously.

This book begs to be a movie. It would surely be a riotous and controversial one.

Gore Vidal's BURR is an interesting, if somewhat rambling account of a lesser known man from our nations origins. Burr has often been vilified for his fatal "Interview" with Hamilton on Weehawken Heights. This novel seeks to put a voice on a little known personage who inter-acted with all the famous founding fathers.

Vidal has taken a lot of historical research and novelized it in order to flesh out an individual who left little or no paper trail of his life. Much that we know about Burr seems to come mostly from others. He was vilified by Hamilton who became his arch-enemy. Vidal uses Burr as a means to provide a scathing and perhaps more realistic view of our founding fathers.

This book came out shortly before the Bicenntenial in 1976 and few dared at that time to have any but praise and admiration for our nations origins. Gore Vidal wanted to be controversial in his view of the early republic. In this book, Washington, Hamilton and Jefferson all come down a peg or two. The novel shows us that all these famous men were guys on the make with the insider knowledge to make themselves the ruling elite of the nation. Burr was merely one of the more controversial of the crowd. He certainly lead a fascinating life and could have been a man of great influence for his time.

The novel proceeds at a slow pace at times moving back and forth between the present and the past. The chapters which deal with Burr's supposed memoirs are by far the most interesting and entertaining parts of the book. The rest of the story tends to drag a bit, and while Burr's views are certainly interesting, much of the perspective comes from the hand of the author. Vidal has a generally bad opinion of the government of the USA, and one can see here that he believes its origins were in Burr's time.

His portrait of Washy as a stiff, arrogant elitest of little imagination will no dount rile up many of his hero worshipers. I suspect that this portrait, while exaggerated, is not that far off the mark! The same can be said for the novel as a whole: Exaggerated, but not completely so. While I am not a Gore Vidal fan, this was the first work of his I have ever read, I would say for those interested in the early republic period that it is quite worthwhile.

Fans of Vidal no doubt have long read this book as his following is a devoted one. I don't know if I will ever read another of his books, but I did find this one worthwhile. An interesting view of a man and his times.

Gore Vidal writes historical fiction with a sharp eye toward historical accuracy, but with the freedom granted by the genre to present history with a viewpoint. Aaron Burr provides an ample tableau for the talents of Vidal at the top of his game. Burr lived through the Revolution, serving briefly on Washington's staff and later with Benedict Arnold at Quebec. He soon became seriously involved in New York state politics and eventually became Jefferson's vice-president.

Burr seems to have always turned up in the middle of some controversy. He was nearly elected President instead of Jefferson due to a quirk in the electoral system of the day. He killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel while still VP and fled south and west to avoid prosecution in New Jersey. Jefferson soon charged him with treason for an alleged plot to separate the western states from the US. Burr was acquitted in a trial presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall. The reader meets lesser known characters such as James Wilkinson and Harman Blennerhassett among many others.

The story is told through the device of Burr writing his memoirs over a period of several years commencing in 1833 with the aid of Charles Schuyler, the book's only fictional character (aside from brief appearances by William de la Touche Clancey. This device allows Vidal to move back and forth between the Republic's early days and the end of the Jackson presidency. In the latter period the reader meets Matty Van Buren, the famed New York editor William Leggett, the corrupt collector of the NY ports Sam Swartout, and revisits Andrew Jackson.

Vidal presents the tale from his subject's viewpoint, one which is naturally quite favorable to Burr and somewhat at odds with the standard view in regard especially to the `Burr Conspiracy'. Thomas Jefferson particularly comes out poorly in this telling as does Washington. `Burr' was one of six works in what became Vidal's American Chronicles Series (Lincoln, 1876, Empire, Hollywood, and Washington, DC). I can also recommend Lincoln: A Novel and 1876 (Modern Library) to the reader (I've not yet read the others). Gore Vidal's `Burr' is a riveting ride through the early days of the Republic. Highest recommendation.

Steven Carruthers (Australia) Publisher Of Hydroponics and Greenhouse Magazine wrote this review.... Secrets to a successful Greenhouse and Business is written for the beginner or serious home gardener who wants to start a profitable home-based business growing plants in a greenhouse, or for educators looking for specialized classroom projects. It is also valuable text for existing commercial growers, if only to revisit some of the basics from time to time. Divided into 11 sections, Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business will tell you everything you want to know to get started in a greenhouse business. The book covers all major growing systems including hydroponics, organics, and good old-fashioned soil cultivation. It includes a basic plan to build a solar greenhouse, and information on soil and fertilizer mixes, insect and disease control, marketing, and guidelines to organize your greenhouse business. The section on ?Selling, Marketing, and Economics is especially useful for new comers to greenhouse production. Gone are the days of growing plants on speculation and hoping to find a market before the crop is harvested. The first step in any successful horticulture business is to identify your market, and to grow what the market wants. This section offers some valuable insights into how to go about that. The text explores the marketing process and includes developing sales concepts and marketing strategies, as well as establishing a realistic budget. I can't think of another text that says it better. There are also special treatments for marketing hydroponic and organic products, as opposed to soil-grown products. The section on ?Greenhouses? is succinct. The author leaves no stone unturned in his endeavor to cover every aspect of greenhouse production. Topics include environmental control, choosing the right greenhouse covering, operating costs and cash flow, ideas to improve your greenhouse, and much, much more. This section also includes a basic solar greenhouse plan, including a detailed inventory of materials (imperial measurements). The section on Specialized Projects with Excellent Profit Potential examines the major soil-less culture growing systems that are used in todays modern greenhouse, with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. There is also a special treatment for school greenhouse programs. There are few greenhouse texts that go beyond the hardware of a greenhouse business. This text does. The section on Guidelines to Organizing Your Business is about turning into actions. According to the author, people don't plan to fail they just fail to plan. In this section, apart from highlighting the need for good planning, the author explains the basic steps for organizing your greenhouse business. These include on sight considerations such as obtaining zoning ordinances and building permits, and types of financing, right down to Workers Compensation. Another section on Delivery, Collecting, & Using Computers, is a practical guide for those processes. The author covers everything including packing and labeling, box construction, and how to start with a small business computer. The author provides a practical explanation of the World Wide Web and its importance for communication, to quickly find or exchange technical and market information, or to develop new markets. The author also includes a lists of useful websites. This book is published in the Unites States, for a North American readership but its wealth of information gives it international appeal. If you are thinking of starting a greenhouse business, then this book is for you wherever you are. It is full of tips, ideas and resources, and generously illustrated.

This book has all the info I was looking for. Buyers, suppliers, greenhouse sellers and which type are the best for certain crops. Finding info on the right pot size and trays to use was very helpful. How to find a buyer and what to say was the most useful bit of info that I have never seen in any book. This is worth the cost alone. I have to remark about the review by Caraphor, who says the book is full of erros, and Boron is not harmful what a misleading statement...Completely WRONG ! Boron is harmful and a couple of errors in 180 pages not bad... thank you Mr. Taylor for the accurate info! Heres what the county health dept. says about Boron. "Breathing moderate levels of boron can result in irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes. Reproductive effects, such as low sperm count, were seen in men exposed to boron over the long-term. Animal studies have shown effects on the lungs from breathing high levels of boron.
Ingesting large amounts of boron over short periods of time can harm the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and brain. Animal studies of ingestion of boron found effects on the testes in male animals. Birth defects were also seen in the offspring of female animals exposed during pregnancy."

This book does have lots of good information, but the author could have at least used spellcheck. There are spelling errors on almost every page, as well as a few missing words spread around the book. There are even a few places that the author copy and pasted an entire paragraph. All of this left me thinking of this book as being cheap and I had to question the validity of the information if the author doesn't even bother to check for errors in his own book.

Hey Caraphor, "Appendicies" is SPELLED: a-p-p-e-n-d-i-c-e-s.
Now how can I trust your scathing review when you can't spell?

If you are considering going into a business requiring a greenhouse...READ THIS BOOK FIRST. There is just SO much valuable info here.

I was sceptical about buying the book because of a previous negative review. Yes, the book has a couple of typos but that was easy for me to overlook because of the wealth of good info I was receiving. I have been an organic gardener/farmer for 20 years and have not been confident enough about the greenhouse business to step out in it. With the info contained here I can make an informed decision about adding this to my business.

To the author...Thanks for the help!

This book embraced important issues about life-decisions very well. Marrage is business - ask an attorney or anyone in or near divorce.

Single or married, HAPPY PEOPLE DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE UNHAPPY. Most miserable people are so mixed up that they tend to follow nature's law of "like attracts like". Many insist that you join "their ranks", no matter what your personal feelings or costs will be. Truely happy and healthy people want you happy and making the best life-decisions for YOU.

I'm a medical clinician and have taken many very private personal histories over the years. Candidly, MANY married friends or aquaintences (a wife or husband - without their spouses present)have stepped up to the plate and have told me point blank in private HOW LUCKY I AM TO BE SINGLE. These stories happen over and over, year after year. I hear them from all levels - all the way up to professionally degreed ladies and gentlemen. They couldn't believe what they traded and gave up, wishing more than anything that they could get out of their marrages.

I was married once briefly and very happy then, too. Unfortunatley, she abandoned our plans of dual professioanl incomes, saving and investing. We were retiring early together to travel to follow a "lets have fun together following our instincts and interests" lifestyle. She wanted to retire THEN. I was loaded with all financial responsibilities with my new, irresponsible, yet loving (in her ways) wife. Six months after we married, a short gentleman's discussion cleared any misunderstandings that I may have had about our plans. We thoroughly discussed our marrage GOALS. I NEEDED to be sure she changed. Three days later, my divorce was on the way and I felt a tremendous sense of relief. One of my most happiest and most productive days was the day the judge signed my divorce. It felt I, MY ONE CHANCE IN LIFE, was born anew with a fresh start every morning.

As a happy single, I have to make up my own mind based on my true feelings. "Marrage pushers" grasp at holding "spouse power cards" - typically, the non-worker party (yes, they're having a party). The longer someone stays in a clear misadventure with wrong parties, the potential of great emotional and financial losses skyrocket.

Today, many younger first generation immigrants entering the U.S. refuse to get a U.S. marrage. They feelit's too risky for hard workers trying to embrace dreams of a new life. Their solution? They adopt or parent their children overseas and raise them in the U.S. independently. I've read through U.S. BLOG sites where ladies have "Divorce Showers" BEFORE saying vows. These groups plot and plan to take their husbands for everything, BEFORE the wedding day. The typical execution takes 1 to 3 years plus the pleasant divorce.

Need to valadate a potential spouse? Look at their Real World ADULT Report Cards: Family history, read their credit ratings, lifetime social security earning statements, financial records, and validate REAL Monthly Cash Flow. Are they "true" or are they taking monthly cash advances (your future debt, so get ready) to snow-job everyone concerned with your well-being and appear more attractive as a valuable mate?

Gravitating towards a variety of happy people who stay busy with socially healthy, personally challanging activities is probably the best choice. Validate their Adult Report Cards. Someone who loves you and looking out for your best interests, too, will discuss everything with you willingly and openly.

Of course, you can smile, date, go out, and just stay happily single. Spend that dough on you and protect your future!

I wish I could put a finger on it -- but this book has probably done more to convince me that there's something wrong with my single state than anything. It seems to suggest that there's no natural desire for a mate, that if it weren't for the marriage agenda we'd all be happily single, and it just seems to fly in the face of common sense and overstretch too often. I would prefer to stay single after a bad marriage but find it difficult to accept, and was hoping this book would give me more to support that choice. Instead I find myself going, "well, maybe it's not really all that natural for a married couple to invite a single to a social function in this or that circumstance...." Being single isn't about doing things alone (humans are social animals), and I think she misses that point often. That's not to say that there isn't plenty to ponder, but I don't agree with her conclusions too often. It's an interesting read.

XXXXX

"I do wish married people would understand that a lot of singles actually WANT to be single. Why does that bother you?...It is like the story my (happily married) friend...likes to tell about meeting the late Ann Landers, who said, `You tell that Richard Roeper to figure out what's keeping him from getting married and to fix it!'""

The above is found in this meticulously well-researched book by social psychologist Dr. Bella DePaulo (who is unmarried herself). (Specifically, the above quotation comes from an essay written by movie critic (of TV's "At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper") and columnist Richard Roeper's reaction to two married friends who wanted Roeper to get married.)

I think it's important for people to know what social psychology is: it is that branch of psychology that concentrates on any and all aspects of human behaviour that involve persons and their relationships to other persons, groups, social institutions, and to society as a whole. Social psychology exchanges freely ideas, models, and methods with other social sciences, particularly sociology.

This is why I chose this book. It's based on an objective social science (or, at least, it tries to be) and not on subjective opinions. This book is not a "diatribe" or a rant.

The best chapter in this book, in my opinion, has the title, "Science and the Single Person." Here, DePaulo looks at data and their numbers with regard to different kinds of people (single, married, divorced, etc.). She then interprets the data. The final conclusions are eye-opening and completely unexpected.

Then we proceed to examine the myths of being single that form the core of this book. Here are the myths that each form an independent chapter for analysis:

Myth #1: Marrieds (that is, married couples) know best.
Myth #2: You are just interested in one thing--getting coupled.
Myth #3: You are miserable and lonely and your life is tragic.
Myth #4: Like a child, you are self-centered and immature and your time isn't worth anything since you have nothing to do but play.
Myth #5: (For single women). Your work won't love you back and your eggs will dry up. Also, you don't get any, and your promiscuous.
Myth #6: (For single men). You are horny, slovenly, and irresponsible, and you are the scary criminals. Or, you are sexy, fastidious. frivolous, and gay.
Myth #7: (For single parents). Your kids are doomed.
Myth #8: You don't have anyone and you don't have a life.
Myth #9: You will grow old alone and you will die in a room by yourself where no one will find you for weeks.
Myth #10: (Regarding the term "family values"). Let's give all the perks, benefits, gifts, and cash to couples and call it family values.

In all chapters, Depaulo delves into history, tells us true stories, and logically analyzes arguments.

Finally, you would expect a book like this to be overly harsh on married people or couples. Actually, it's not. The book tries to be fair and balanced.

In conclusion, this book is an intriguing cultural study that gives a complicated subject the attention and respect it deserves. I leave you with other quotations regarding marriage and the single life (the title of this review is actually a quotation uttered by Mae West):

(i) Marriage is like a besieged fortress. Everyone outside wants to get in, and everyone inside wants to get out. (Quitard)
(ii) My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met. (comedian Rodney Dangerfield)
(iii) People think I'm gay because I'm single, slim, and neat. (comedian Jerry Seinfeld in the sitcom "Seinfeld")

(First published late 2007; 15 chapters; main narrative 260 pages; notes; bibliography; acknowledgements; index)

<>

XXXXX

A very selective review of the literature on singlehood. DePaulo has a good point--alone does not equal lonely, and our society should be aware and open to that. However, she protests too much--and misinterprets a lot of other people's meaningful words in very negative ways.

I know some people are marriage-obsessed and I've certainly experienced one of the main questions at a family gathering being, "So, do you have a boyfriend?"; still, I've never realized the extent of discrimination against singles. (And yes, Bella DePaulo is very aware that singles do not face the discrimination many other groups must survive.) Sometimes she seems to be digging too deep into a frankly benign situation, but other times she uncovers surprising truths. The tone rarely contains bitterness - yes, there is some, but DePaulo approaches her subject matter with humor. Each chapter focuses on a different subject singlehood in a fairly self-contained manner. She concisely debunks most of the popular myths about singlism.

In one of the concluding chapters, DePaulo writes, "I think that most Americans - including most single Americans - want the marital mythology to be true. They passionately want to believe that if only they find their soulmate, they will live happily ever after." My friends and I talk all the time about this concept, and we do want it to be true. We grew up in an age of high divorce rates, but we still hold the Disney dream close - jaded, cynical teenagers who still believe one day we'll find the one. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. Who cares? We'll be just fine on our own, whether Prince Charming arrives on the scene or not.

Don't be put off by the non-fiction aspect. SINGLED OUT is a fascinating read. It may not change your paradigm, but it will open your eyes to various injustices.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books.

In the Introduction to "On Liberty," Currin Shields, an English egghead, bemoans the fact that Mill's most "famous" essay is "more talked about than read."

I'm surprised it is even talked about, and I am very much NOT surprised that hardly anyone reads it. Mill takes about a hundred and twenty pages to say what could be (and was) summed up in an epigram: People should be free to do whatever they want, as long as it does not harm anyone else.

Not only does Mill subject the reader to pages and pages of supererogatory writing, but his prose is the epitome of Victorian verbosity, with more modifiers, clauses, footnotes, and parentheticals than there are alcoholics in Butte, Montana. (And there are a LOT of alcoholics in Butte, Montana.)

I guess if you're studying philosophy, you're gonna have to read this thing sooner or later...likewise if you're an autodidact.

A work every 21st Century conservative should read and understand.

In many ways, one is tempted to think that there is no such thing as liberalism alive in America today. It would do many well to read the work of the Englishman Mill in order to understand much of what is called both "liberalism" as well as "individual liberty." In addition, one of the growing issues of the contemporary political landscape in America is a polarization which is wholly unnecessary when analysis is applied the current plane of consideration. The reason for this conspicuous lack of reason for polarization is made obviously clear when one reads a work on liberal thought like that of Mill's. For Mill, individual liberty is a question both of social and political proportions, demanding a lack of interference by both government and social pressures. Additionally, he is keen in his analysis of the need for humility when it comes to humanity's apprehension of the Truth, thus necessitating free speech as a vehicle for the continual realization of those parts of the Truth which man so often forgets because of personal bias.

However, the analysis is weak insofar as it also denies the need for structures to educate humanity in a fallen world. His criteria for legal and social sanctions does overlook the necessity to draw on tradition to properly shape those in the world (while maintaining individual dignity). While he acknowledges that it would be preposterous to deny the necessity of interrelationships and sharing of experience, Mill remains somewhat weak on the necessity of tradition and community as related to individual liberty. However, on the whole, the work presents a decent overview of the need to acknowledge individual dignity through the liberty of the individual. Indeed, all communal criticisms aside, On Liberty does indeed serve as a corrective against crass traditionalism which propagates itself without true individual consent and embrace. Therefore, even in its weakness, it remains strong as a key text on the primacy of the human individual as the recipient and follower of the Truth. In a day when liberty is shouted by groups who have no interest in talking to each other, such a small text would do well to make all groups realize that our American (and indeed Western) goals aren't that different, that we are united in trying to express human dignity through the individuals.

I don't really like the fact that Mill wasn't religious- I don't believe you can have a just person who doesn't believe in a higher power, but the economics in On Liberty and the politics are amazing. It comes down to this: No one should be prevented from thinking or doing anything except that which harms others. In other words: government needs to get out of our bidness!

John Stuart Mill, 1806-73, worked for the East India Co. helped run Colonial India from England. Minister of Parliament 1865-68 he served one term. Maiden speech was a disaster his second was great success. He was first MP to propose that women should be given the vote on equal footing with the men who could vote. He got 1/3 support, England gives franchise to women after U.S. He was a great Feminist, his essay "Subjection of Women" is written with great passion and prose. It was a brave position for him to take he was ridiculed for it. He favored democracy, and letting more men from lower classes the right to vote, but believed that people that are more educated should have more votes then less educated because they would make better decisions about what government should do. He would have wanted to extend education to the masses, so that all may have gotten 2-3 votes and so on. He didn't think it should be extended to where a small elite could carry the day on votes. The idea was that if the working class, and middle class, where divided on an issue, the people with more intelligence would have the power to tip the balance. Mill thought that people with more education would probably not only be better able to make political decisions, especially in terms of intellectually being able to see what would be best for the government to do, but that they would also be more concerned about the common good publicly then people in general. He was intensely educated by his father James. John could read Greek, and Latin at 6 yrs.; his Dad tutored him at home. Dad thought environment was everything. He was treated like an adult, never played games with kids; he had a very cerebral upbringing. He had a period of depression in his twenties, it changed his philosophy, and he recognized the importance of developing feelings along with the intellect, this is something that he stressed in his work. He read poetry to get out of depression; he became devoted to poetry and became a romantic. He fell in love with a married woman Harriet Taylor, was a platonic relationship, after her husband's death they married 3 years later and probably never consummated the marriage maybe due to his having syphilis. His dedication to "On Liberty" is to her, very devoted to each other. Both buried together in Avignon France where they used to vacation.

Mill as a moral theorist subscribed to a theory we call Utilitarianism. It means---In some way morality is about the maximization of happiness. Whether actions are right or wrong depends on how happiness can be most effectively maximized. I say in some way, because there are allot of different kinds of Utilitarians. Allot of different ways of saying exactly how it is the maximization of happiness comes into morality. Therefore, happiness is clearly an important idea for Utilitarians. Mill has a hedonistic view of happiness, he thinks that happiness can be defined in terms of "pleasure in the absence of pain." What is distinctive about Mill in this area is that he believes that some kinds of pleasure are better than others are, and add more to a person's happiness than other kinds of pleasures. He believes in what he calls, "higher quality pleasures." These are pleasures, he says, that we get from the exercise of faculties that only human beings happen to have. So the intellect, imagination, the moral feelings, these are the sources of higher quality pleasures people use. His view seems to be that a certain quantity of intellectual pleasure just adds more to your happiness, and a given quantity of some lower pleasure like a kind we would share with the animals such as sensation, taste, sexual pleasure, etc. His "higher quality pleasures" in a way echo Aristotle's ethics. The idea of those things that make us distinctly human that are the real key to our happiness, that is in Mill also. It is not as limited to reason and intellect as Aristotle thinks. Mill recognizes the importance of the appreciation of beauty, aesthetic pleasure, and moral pleasure. He frankly owes a debt to Aristotle that he never properly acknowledges, never gives him proper credit.

"On Liberty" is Mill's is his most widely read and enduring work. It is an indispensable essay on political thought, which strenuously argues for individual liberty. He is defending what he calls the "liberty principle." It is a principle that guarantees individuals quite a bit of personal freedom. "That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant." These quoted sentences in John Stuart Mill's book, "On Liberty," embody the crux of his argument; that the power of the state must intrude as little as possible on the liberty of its citizenry. In essence, Mill was against using the power of the state through its lawmaking apparatus to compel citizens to conduct themselves in ways that society deems moral or appropriate. Mill thought that people had not only a right, but also a duty to develop their intellectual faculties, which is indispensable to maximize their happiness. He believed that society improved for all its citizens when they where left unfettered to the maximum extent possible, allowing them to use their imagination and intellect to improve themselves. Mill postulates a theory that societies usually institute laws based primarily on "personal preference" of its citizenry instead of established principles. This lack of clarity of opinion often leads to the government frequently interfering in the lives of its citizens unnecessarily. For Mill, there are very few times when the state can infringe on the personal liberty of others. Firstly, the state has the right to promulgate laws that prevent a person's actions from harming others. Secondly, the state must protect those citizens who are not mature enough to protect themselves, such as children. Thirdly, he exempts, "... backward states of society in which the race itself may be considered as in its nonage." In Mill's view, immature societies need a benevolent leader to rule them until they have developed to a point where they, "... have attained the capacity of being guided to their own improvement by conviction or persuasion ..." Mill said this third exemption did not apply to any of the countries in Europe. Mill believed that forced morality by the state on its citizen's liberties was destructive to their inward development, and could even lead to a violent reaction by them against the government.


There are different parts of his defense of this, different arguments that he gives. He has a long chapter on freedom of speech and press. He has some very specific reasons why he thinks those freedoms are important. Always in the background for Mill is the idea of development, and making it possible for more people to enjoy these higher quality pleasures. How do we help people develop their distinctly human faculties, in ways that will help them enjoy their higher quality pleasures? Because for him that is the way, we maximize the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed in the world, and that is the object of morality as far as he is concerned. Utilitarianists believe that maximizing happiness is ultimately, what morality is all about. That does not mean maximizing your own happiness that means maximizing the total amount of happiness that is enjoyed, not only by yourself but also by everybody else as well.

Roger Kimball, in his book "Experiments Against Reality" wrote, "On Liberty" was published in 1859, coincidentally the same year as "On the Origin of Species." Darwin's book has been credited--and blamed--for all manner of moral and religious mischief. But in the long run "On Liberty" may have effected an even greater revolution in sentiment.

I read this book for a graduate class in Philosophy. Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, political science, and history.

It answered a lot of questions so I am happy with the purchase. However, I found it incomplete as it did not include ANY information on upper body lifts. I was also looking for lazer treatment of wrinkled hands. The condition of the hands is usually a give away regardless of the beauty of the face (ed Priscilla Presley).

I knew very little about plastic surgery before reading this book. Dr. Loftus provides the perfect level of detail and "must know" information on each type of surgery/procedure. She writes in a very clear and concise manner that will help any reader to make appropriate decisions. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in plastic surgery or skincare options.

With clarity, precision and depth, this board certified plastic surgeon explains exactly what cosmetic plastic surgery can and cannot accomplish. Written in an inviting and understandable style, her book confronts many relevant issues from: tell-tale signs of cosmetic surgery and how to avoid them to medications that can ruin your results or lengthen your recovery, and just about everything else available in the cosmetic plastic surgery arena. From an overview of the different procedures to expectations, possible complications and recovery; this book offers an honest, ethical presentation of the field of cosmetic surgery.

I liked it well enough to list it as a 'Helpful Resource' in the back of my book!

Lois W. Stern
Author of Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery

It's been a year since I had abdominoplasty and mastopexy. I'm an RN, my mind was even more at ease after reading this book. You are spending a sizeable amount of money for surgery, be as informed as you can. This physician speaks to you, not at you. Follow her advice about board certification too.

Dr. Loftus has written a very informative, comprehensible and well organized book which can be quite helpful to someone considering cosmetic surgery.

I would suggest keeping in mind that this book was published several years ago, and that anyone considering cosmetic surgery make a point of also seeking out the most current information on any procedure they are interested in.

Cosmetic surgery techniques and procedures are an evolving field and there have been a number of changes and advances in some areas since Dr. Loftus book was first published.

I have been reading this book every night before retiring to bed and I am very intrigued by the information in the book. I am a bit disappointed that there is no mentioned on recommended manufacturer's of tea. Other wise; the book is a good read.

This book is just full of probably most anything you ever wanted to know about different teas! It gives you information concerning health issues and which types of teas to drink! Well worth the money to have on hand! :)

I gave this book as a gift, but noticed it had a lot about herbs as well as teas. Nice

very informative book. i bought it as a replacement for a copy i gave to a friend. was worth it all over again.

Based on the Zen principle that "how you do anything is how you do everything", I would say this book is primarily invented by the author. I started looking at her "translations" of the herb names and was floored by her bogus information. For instance, she says that Calendula in France was called "souci du jardin" or, according to Zak "sauce of the garden"! Souci is a French word for marigold! Souci du jardin simply means garden marigold. She also says that souci du jardin can mean "sun follower"--completely made up. She has other howlers in the book, mixed in with accurate stuff--my concern is that if some of the writing seems sloppy and improvised, then for something like medicinal herbal information a reader would do better to go to one of the standard publications on herbal medicines and tonics.

Truely a good strategic book for any organization. This book covers graduate theory and explains well in details; taking you step by step in the Scorecard practices.

Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step: Maximizing Performance and Maintaining Results

This book was an excellent resource on the Balanced Scorecard. Mr. Niven does an outstanding job of outlining the issues and history of the Balanced Scorecard in order to quickly get the reader up to speed before jumping into the actual implementation process. The book is written in a manner to accommodate the lowest common denominator, making it very easy for the reader to understand the points Mr. Niven makes.

As the title of the book suggests, Mr. Niven tackles the implementation process in a straight forward, step-by-step approach. He takes the reader along and builds the process like a pyramid, one layer at a time. Mr. Niven uses personal experience and examples of past failures and successes to drive his points home. At the end of each chapter he pauses to recap the major lessons that have been learned.

After guiding the reader through the implementation process, he then takes time to show how to maintain the Balanced Scorecard and to apply it to other areas, such as corporate governance and executive compensation. All in all, he makes the Balanced Scorecard a very understandable subject and provides much needed confidence in the reader that one can be implemented successfully.

This is a must read for both organizations interested in the Balanced Scorecard and students pursuing business degrees.

I read this book for a graduate accounting information systems' class and I LOVED IT!!! This book does a awesome job at presenting necessary information that all businesses should know.

Whether you are a owner of a large or small company, or a manager searching for ways to unite your department, this book will help you. It will enlighten the reader on the things every business must emphasize to maximize performance and profits.

It is written as a guide to first explain the importance of a Balanced
Scorecard, explain the making of a scorecard, then gives you detailed information on how to create a scorecard using simple to follow steps. Each step is detailed just enough to give the reader a solid understanding of each step and its' role in the whole process. Behind-the-scenes details such as warning signs to look for during the creating stages are also given.

The book finishes with a lot of hands on examples and helps the reader feel confident in the undertaking of the project. After reading this book, my understanding of a balanced scorecard was greatly enriched. I started out thinking it was another useless flow chart which no one would benefit from. After reading this book, I see it as a tool that no company should be without.

I feel this book is an excellent resource for any company to use to implement a balance scorecard. Even if you do not want to implement a scorecard, a lot of tremendously, helpful ideas on uniting workers for a common goal, bringing a work staff together, maximizing profits and overall, simply building a better business are in this book. It's a
MUST READ for all management and business owners.

Much more than "what is the BSC!" This book gave me the practical background necessary to forge ahead in my company with the BSC. Kaplan and Norton's text did a good job explaining what it is, but Niven gave me the confidence to implement. It's really a 5-star book and I highly recommend it. I've highlighted and tabbed so much of this book it looks like one of my graduate course textbooks.

I was looking for something to supplement Kaplan & Norton ... some different Strategy Map illustrations, etc. This book had been recommended by an acquaintance who had heard the author speak. I found the text to be somewhat rambling (almost like a folksy mind dump) and loosely structured. The examples and illustrations I was looking for weren't there. Maybe you had to hear the author speak.