Society Books

This is one of my all time favorite purchashes. It was wonderful. Thank you.

Gorgeous applique patterns for the advanced needleturn applique expert. These are really stunning blocks. I hope someday I can make some of them!

This book of patterns is fascinating! There are patterns for all kinds of things you can add to the quilt block, different arm positions, girl doing different chores. You can personalize your quilt with whatever designs you choose and it will be unique. The possibilities are endless. Great book!

This book is a wonderful way to bring back the past. If gives you many ideas and teaches you how to bring the girls to life with combining quilting, embroidery and embellishments. I am very happy the I purchased this book and look forward to making quilts with these lovey girls.

Another fantastic publication. I have just recieved this and cant wait to get started on an applique. Ideas etc are brilliant. Highly recommend even for a beginner. This is definately rates more than 5 stars.

There is a lot of parody in Cerebus, of Elric, of Batman, etc. In High Society, Sim starts to write longer continuous stories that a little bit deeper.

Cerebus is a barbarian, and the movers and shakers around him are looking to exploit that as he enters their high society circle. The manipulators get him elected PM, which leads to bad things.

After reading the first I was hooked and this second volume game me the only thing missing from the first, a solid plot. With Cerebus trying to move up into high society and gain the role of prime minister his character becomes even more diverse and you love the little ardvark more and more. Best comic series I have ever read.

After having amusing but ultimatly directonless adventures as a wandering sword-for-hire, Cerebus finds his way to the City-State of Iest, where the six or so years of the comic will be taking place. This volume is noteable because it's officially the point where things start to get good,and where Sim begins to explore the more sophisticated directions he will be taking Cerebus in. The story of High Society is a clever, ironic, suspensful and above all hilariously sataric one. As Cerebus get caught up in his burgernoning politcal career, Sim finds time poke fun at democracy, feminism, religon, comic conventions and the X-men while keeping the story moving along at a brisk, satisfying pace. High Society is probably the funniest Cerebus story though not the best-written overall. It remains, however, much,much better than 99% of the other comics out there. Once Cerebus gets ahold of some power, he finds he likes it very, very much, and this will be a major factor in stories to come. If you're planning to read Cerebus all the way through (and you should) you should probably start with the first volume, "Cerebus" but if you need convincing, High Society will definatly hook you,and you can always go back and read the first volume to fill in the blanks. Either way, this is a brilliant read, both on it's own and as a component the larger saga, and not to be missed.

To my mind, High Society remains a high point in the Cerebus epic. Like the much later "Guys," it is a (relatively) self-contained chunk of the story, and takes place largely in a single locale. The political parody, which normally would not be my cup of tea, works incredibly well here because of the *detail* Sim injects it with. I never would've imagined that an electoral process could be so much fun to read in graphic novel form. Unlike later books, in High Society, Sim manages to remain focused on the story itself, sparing us the pretentious trappings and scattershot, heavy-handed meanderings that would mar later segments of Cerebus. In other words, this is when Dave Sim was still doing Cerebus, as opposed to his "Hi, I am Dave Sim and I am very clever and here is what I think about the world and here is what I look like and here is my latest experiment in the comic medium and oh, by the way, this is a comic book called Cerebus and yeah, it has something to do with him, when I'm not writing about whatever famous author I just finished reading and when I don't have anything arrogant and irrelevant to share with all of my fans" -- work. I like a lot of what Sim's done, but he's at his best when he leaves himself out of it and concentrates on coherent chunks of actual story.

I started reading "Cerebus" when Dave Sim's independent black & white comic book was on the cusp of the "High Society" story line. "Cerebus, Book 2: High Society" (issues #226-50) constitutes the first "novel" in the history of the book and the point at which Sim had clearly moved beyond the idea of Cerebus the Barbarian stage, where it was basically a strange animal walking around in a world that was drawn in the style of Barry Windsor-Smith. I first became aware of Sim for the work he did with funny animals, beavers in particular, for "Quack." Actually, what got me reading "Cerebus" was not just that the comic book was getting a reputation for being one of the best of the alternative comic books put out by the independent press, but more importantly that there was a character in it who looked and talked like Groucho Marx.

That would be Lord Julius, one of several key characters in "High Society" who is introduced during the first two years of the title, along with the Roach, the would-be superhero that Sim would transform into a parody of whichever Marvel character was the current flavor of the month. Then there is Jaka, the dancer Cerebus first met in a tavern in Beduin. These three characters represent three major impulses in Sim's work. Lord Julius represents the inclusion of real characters into the world of Cerebus, which would eventually include the likes of Mick Jagger and Oscar Wilde. What began as a sort of simple joke (Groucho popping up is always going to be funny), became serious when the characters started symbolizing the reality of their real world counterparts. The Roach symbolizes Sim's commentary on the comic book business, which for me is the weakest of the three impulses. The whole Petuniacon takeover on a comic book convention is funny at face value, but it detracts a bit from the political satire that is at the heart of "High Society." Then there is Jaka.

It is hardly surprising that the original characters created by Sims would become the most important. In "High Society" this means not only Jaka but also Astoria and the Regency Elf. The Roach can move on to become first the Moon Roach and then Sergeant Preston of the Royal Mounted Iestan Police, and you can throw in the brothers Dirty Fleagle and Dirty Drew McGrew, but they are mere comic relief while the trio of feminine figures are at the heart of the story. Suddenly we have moved well beyond a funny animal to larger issues such as politics and gender (with religion and creativity to come in future novels).

Cerebus shows up in Iest at the Regency Hotel carrying with him the last few pieces of loot he has acquired on his travels. Expecting to be denied admittance, Cerebus is surprised when he is given free lodgings and food. Suddenly people are paying him bribes to just to remember the name of a company that makes gold-plated streetlamps when he talks to Lord Julius. From Cerebus the Aardvark to Cerebus the Barbarian we now have Cerebus the Lobbyist. Actually, it seems Cerebus is now a ranking diplomatic representative of a southern city-state and if you think the aardvark is in over his head, wait until Astoria shows up and starts dispensing political advice. More importantly, wait until Cerebus runs against a goat for the office of Prime Minister, because that is when "High Society" shifts into high gear, even as Iestan society falls apart.

That is also the point where "Cerebus" gets told sideways, starting in issue #44 "The Deciding Vote." I highlight that particular issue because it includes my all-time favorite page by Dave Sim, which would be page 383. In several of the preceding pages Sim shows Cerebus and another character traveling across a snowy landscape. What he was doing was drawing the landscape, dividing the drawing into vertical panels, with Cerebus and his companion shown in each panel making their way along. But on my favorite page on the dozen pages the first eight include the exact same drawing, with the last two being identical. What changes is the sound of Cerebus walking away on snowshoes ("WUFFA wuffa") and walking back ("wuffa WUFFA"). The page represents one of Sim's best jokes ever and whenever I have had occasion to lecture on comic book art I have always shown these pages along with those in one of Frank Miller's "Daredevil" comics when he retells the character's origin and has a line representing the Fixer's heartbeat indicating a heart attack going across the panels of DD chasing the man down.

"High Society" is my favorite Cerebus novel, although it is neither as ambitious as "Church and State" nor as polished as "Mothers and Daughters." But the impression it made when it was clear that Sim was now working the deep end of the poem has stayed with me and I do have an inherent love of political satire. Besides, Cerebus' reconciliation with Jaka is more touching than their poignant parting, the Regency Elf shakes up things nicely at inopportune times, and I love liberty as much as the next person raised in a free democratic society. Still, more scenes with Lord Julius would have been nice, especially if Astoria is involved. After this novel Gerhard starts doing backgrounds for Sim and the look of "Cerebus" changes dramatically (Gerhard did the cover, so if you compare that to the first splash page inside you can see how much of a difference this will make for the rest of the 300 issues of "Cerebus").

This book was great! It was very interesting. I couldn't put it down. It gives you a great insight into how big cosmetic companies really think.

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MAKEUP, IT IS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS WE USE ON ON BODIES! I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN.

This book provides enlightening insight into the ongoing deceptions in the skin care industry. There are numerous studies cited as to the effects of chemicals found in most skin care products. An absolute must read for anyone, especially those with children.

This book came quickly after I purchased it. The book is fabulous and I highly recommend it!

First let me put my biases up front. I do not like the cosmetics industry. I do not like the petroleum industry and I certainly do not like the advertising industry.

Having said that, let me try and and provide a constructive review.

This is a book that proposes to expose the seedy underside of the cosmetics industry. It is very readable and "user friendly". I read it from cover to cover in just a few days and in every chapter learned/was repulsed by something new. Given my biases I do encourage readers to check out the provided sources to determine for themselves the veracity of the information (I did so and was convinced). However, be aware that this is not an unbiased perspective. The author has a definite point of view (which I happen to agree with) but still raise some interesting and important issues that are worthy of further consideration beyond the "preaching to the choir" crowd. It is a well written, entertaining read and encourages you to pause and think a moment without being overly preachy. My wife is now regularly visiting the database the author and the affiliated organization has set up and made self informed choices about makeup, sunscreens and other cosmetics. Not as a reactionary "go all natural" consumer but being able to make reasonable choices about products that work for her and possible alternatives that are less risky/carcinogenic.

I highly recommend this book.

Some of the material in the book I could relate directly to myself.

Chapter 4 discusses Type I (rejecting a truth) and Type II (accepting a falsehood) errors. For years, I felt guilty for not signing up with Amway, thereby committing a Type I error. More recently, however, I have heard testimonies from former distributors, who believe that they had committed the Type II error.

On page 78, we see a chart which encapsules a wide range of religious and skeptical positions. On the vertical axis are three levels of God's involvement with the world: a personal god, a naturalistic god, and an uninvolved or non-existent god. On the horizontal axis, we see three stances regarding science and religion; the two as reconcilable, the two as separate, and the two as conflicting.

Just for fun, I copied this chart on Microsoft Excel, filled in the blanks with names of participants in a Creationist-Evolutionist thread, and posted it on the thread. The other participants liked that.

Chapter 7 asks the question "Is religion good for you?" It was interesting and informative, but there were just two points which I think Pigliucci missed:

--Some religious believers carry overactive Superegos. As a volunteer in a mental health center, I met people who were chronically depressed because they considered themselves hell-bound sinners.

--Other religious believers themselves serve as overactive Superegos for other people. I won't bother citing examples, because I am sure you have known such people.

On pages 118-120, Pigliucci offers arguments that Creationism and Evolution should be compared and contrasted in science class. I have always been a lover of smorgasbords, so this has been my stand also.

Chapter 10 recounts Pigliucci's debate with theist William Lane Craig. This was a quick review for me, because I attended that debate. I specifically remember Craig's argument that the Resurrection must have taken place because there were so many witnesses. This argument is valid only if one accepts the Bible, where we read of these witnesses. By Craig's logic, we will have to accuse Goldilocks of trespassing, because we find three witnesses to that effect.

I especially enjoyed Chapter 11, which summarizes Duane Gish's greatest hits. Here are some of Gish's psychological ploys:

--Gish sometimes begins the debate by congratulating the local football team, and thereby establishing a good-old-boy image. One wonders whether Gish is really a football fan, or whether he merely checks up on the latest local news on the night before.

--Gish declares that science, by definition, involves only what can be witnessed here and now, and therefore cannot encompass evolution. Pigliucci points out that Gish's definition is original with Gish himself.

--Gish tries to draw some sort of parallel between evolution and the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Pigliucci shows how ridiculous the parallel is.

--Gish claims that Cambrian life-forms bore no resemblance to pre-Cambrian forms. Pigliucci claims differently.

--Gish defines evolution as a "theory of origins," with a period after the word "origins." Either Gish thinks evolution encompasses the origin of the Universe and origin of the first living being, or he hopes that the audience does. Gish then sidetracks his opponent in debating cosmology and abiogenesis as well as evolution--unless his opponent happens to be Pigliucci.

If you read the transcripts of other debates, you will see that Pigliucci is quickest in catching these tricks.

The only chapters I didn't enjoy were Chapters 12 and 14. Chapter 12 discusses DNA, RNA, and the Miller experiment. Chapter 14 discusses chaos theory, complexity theory, and fractals. Perhaps Pigliucci should have explained these concepts more slowly and carefully--either that or include these essays in a book for the professional reader.

A wonderful collection of intelligent skeptical essays on philosophy, science, religion, creationism, and debates about where we all came from.

Mr. Pigliucci has put together a series of essays aimed directly between the eyes of the Christian right wing and the "psuedo-scientists" whose aim it is to confuse those searching for science in religion. The answer - You won't find it folks. Religious theory does not follow anything close to scientific method - regardless of what the psudo-scientists would like you to believe.

This is my second adventure with this author and this book serves as a refresher course more than anything else. Since I am of the same camp the book did not reveal much in terms of new ideas to me.

That being said, for those that are not familiar with the author's work Dr. Pigliucci presents a case for rational, free thought in three sections. He mixes personal experiences such as his own debates with creationists, philosophical discussions and news events to present, well rational tales.

The first section describes the philosophical underpinnings that propel him towards evolutionary thinking. The second section, while still philosophical, addresses various religious arguments and the combination of those two sections result in the third. He describes his own debates with William Lane Craig and Duane Gish, both prominent figures for the creationist side. This is a formidable task and having heard two of Pigliucci's debates I can attest to much of his descriptions. His opponents have to continually resort to irrational arguments but they often do it with a smugness that could incite violence. Those of us who fight this battle have to thank those who use this forum. Keep up the good fight.

In the realm of clear-thinking scientific rationalism, Massimo Pigliucci has few equals. He is articulate, creative, kind, frank, amusing and fearless. He writes informally, but is able to explain deep and difficult concepts without trivializing or oversimplifying them. From his position as a university professor and evolutionary biologist, Dr. Pigliucci reaches out to the general public with articles and essays on a broad range of subjects including philosophy, religion, the limits of science and the incomparable value of intelligently-grounded skepticism.

'Tales of the Rational' is a collection of 14 essays arranged as consecutive chapters under five organizing categories: Philosophical tales, Tales of science and religion, Creation tales, Tales of the personal, and Tales at the frontier of science. I found all of the book very interesting, but for brevity I'll limit my comments to several parts that struck me as particularly significant and edifying.

The second chapter compares methodological and philosophical naturalism. We should care about these stuffy-sounding terms, says Pigliucci, because behind them lie important reasons to be skeptical of religion. The author makes his points by contrasting the views of two well-known commentators on science/religion issues. Party A, invoking methodological naturalism, maintains that science merely ASSUMES a strictly natural (material) world in order to function, hence can't comment at all on purported supernatural phenomena. Party B, following philosophical naturalism, holds that the universe really IS material through and through, so science is perfectly well justified in skeptically examining any supernatural claims which have physical consequences, as nearly all of them do (for example, pick any of the 35 New Testament miracles). The crux of Pigliucci's argument is that both parties are actually philosophical naturalists in that they recognize the overwhelming plausibility and observational dominance of natural causes in all aspects of existence. But only Party B seems willing to concede that methodological naturalism IMPLIES philosophical naturalism, thereby enabling a sincere scientist to include within her reach any claim which can be checked for plausibility, regardless of the beliefs of the claimant. Pigliucci sides with party B in affirming that religious assertions, many of which are eminently checkable, should be treated no differently from the general run of far-fetched notions.

Chapter 4 neatly refutes the famous "wager" in which Blaise Pascal offered shallow and cynical encouragement to believe in god simply because it's a safe strategy. A glaring non-sequitur in this advice is that it requires deceiving a supposedly omniscient being while simultaneously trashing blind faith's only admirable feature -- its sincerity. Pigliucci mentions this but moves on to a more technical objection based on probability. He points out that Pascal's implicit assumption of a 50-50 likelihood for god's existence is dead wrong, and from this basis constructs a devastating critique based on simple reasoning supported by universally accepted scientific evidence.

Chapter 5 details the author's preferred case against the existence of any type of personal, interactive, theistic god. Although he is both interested in and knowledgeable about philosophy, Pigliucci makes it very clear that he has little use for formal philosophical proofs which attempt to emulate mathematics by ending in a triumphant "QED." As a biologist, he is dedicated to the natural scientist's view that the non-existence of ANYTHING is beyond absolute proof. So gods are properly classified as no more than routine examples of dubious concepts awaiting rational evaluation based on the credibility of the claims and evidence supporting them. Contrary to the position of Stephen Jay Gould and other "non-overlapping magisteria" adherents, religions do make (and always have made) countless claims for their supernatural figures which imply direct interaction with the physical world. In other words, gods ARE falsifiable, and the more completely they are described, the more testable they become. It was a pleasure to read Pigliucci's application of these principles to his sensible and powerful arguments against what are historically the most widespread, puzzling and harmful superstitions ever devised.

It has often been said that religion is helpful even if it's false. Pigliucci critiques this assertion in chapter 7, using an article by P. F. Fagan of the American Heritage Foundation as a representative source of evidence supporting religious ideas as socially and psychologically beneficial regardless of validity. Pigliucci (having himself spent some early years under the spell of "mild Catholicism") agrees that churchgoing, like any communal activity, confers the obvious advantages of belonging and sharing mutual concerns. But he does not buy most of Fagan's more substantive claims. In fact, he provides a convincing set of reasons for being skeptical even of the "hard" data which seems to show that a religious lifestyle confers statistical benefits in overall happiness, career success, family cohesion, reduced suicide rates, etc. His objections are based on logical failures like confusing correlation with causality, and (in the case of double-blind prayer studies) procedural oversights such as neglecting to provide proper control groups and allowing slips in the blinding protocol.

Chapters 10 and 11, categorized as Tales of the Personal, are first-person accounts of the author's public contests with Christian apologist William Lane Craig and young-earth creationist Duane Gish. Both are experienced, nationally-known speakers with a reputation for demolishing unprepared opponents, including scientists. In even attempting to take on a "world class" creationist, Pigliucci went against the advice of many scientific and educational organizations which worry a) that debates provide creationists with implicit issue-acceptance as well as the "worthy opponent" status they crave, and b) that the evolutionist might lose! Pigliucci is in the rather small class of scientists who have the breadth of knowledge and natural skills to survive, and are willing to research the opponents beforehand. Learning how the author made out, and how he dissected the strategies of his adversaries, makes fascinating reading.

At the end, Pigliucci steps away from issues directly involving religion to take up extraterrestrial intelligence in chapter 13 and the use (and abuse) of chaos, fractals and complexity in chapter 14. The author's thoughtful, lucid and penetrating treatments of these often-misunderstood subjects form a fitting conclusion to a truly outstanding book.

I was half way through the first volume of Foote's epic 3 volume "The Civil War: a narrative" when I paused for a breather and read Catton's Hallowed Ground.

So, compared to Foote's 3 volume The Civil War, Catton's Hallowed Ground provides a good overview of all the major battles in the Civil War. He had also included quotes from letters soldiers had written to family which I thought was a nice touch as it provided a different view of the civil war and illustrated how tough things were for them. What I also liked about Catton is that he had referenced the quotes and pointed to other books if you were interested in that particular regiment or battle.

For someone new to the civil war, I would definitely recommend reading Catton's Hallowed Ground first then refer to Foote for more detailed description of the more interesting battles. However, as another reviewer here points out, there is a hint of bias in favour of the confederacy in Foote.

Bruce Catton is one of the best history writers of the Civil War. He writes in a fashion that is easy to read yet leaves no doubt what he is saying. Very good way to enjoy history. It is almost like reading a novel.

I have been a reader of Bruce Catton's Civil War histories for years (I own 10 of them). I agree with the reviewers about Catton's vast talent as a storyteller and as a narrator of events. It was through reading his works that I first became aware of some of the lesser known colorful characters of the time, such as Gen. Phillip Kearney, Gen. D.H. Hill, and Robert Toombs. In fact, it was the writing of Bruce Catton that first turned me into a Civil War buff.

I have a rather strong objection to the subtitle of this work, which the late historian would never have approved were he alive today. This book is not "the Union side" of the Civil War; it gives BOTH sides. In fact, the author is more sympathetic to men like Gen. Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis than I would have been. For many years, some influential historians have sought to label any history that seems to hint that the right side won the Civil War as biased. (Over four score and seven years, actually.) This work is a balanced account, and one of the best one-volume histories of the war ever written, both on the battle front and at the home fronts. It deserves to be thought of as such.

If you're interested in the Civil War enough to browse this book, go ahead and snag it. To get a grasp on this period of our history, you must read Catton. He tells the overall story in the style almost of a novel. He is accurate and factual. Never fear. But this isn't reading history as you might remember. Catton will get your attention, draw you in and help you to feel some of the myriad of emotions that coursed through our ancestors on both sides of this conflict. He made me understand that wherever they trod was indeed hallowed ground after their passing.

Of all the heartbreaking, sacrificial, and exhausting wars that the United States has encountered, the Civil War is the most upsetting of all. Bruce Catton, part of the last wave of a generation of romantic historians, paints a vivid portrait of the Union side of the conflict. Like all war historians, he is impressed by the elements that are found in the crucible of a long fight: the pageantry, brilliant tactical moves, feats of individual courage, and the inexhaustible source of stories. But on the other, he has enough judgment to temper his own writing with accounts of casualty lists and useless battles.

Catton's main thesis is that although the war did not begin over slavery, it became so through the force of the war's tide, and that the tide only became inexorable after a series of poor decisions on the Union side. He is especially adept at tracing the threads of the various campaigns - the Army of the Potomac's stalemated situation in Virginia, for instance, is contrasted with Grant's quick thinking out west with the Army of the Tennessee. As the title would imply, the book focuses on the to and fro movements of the Union side. Lincoln, Lee, and the particularities of the situation prior to the war are not dealt with in any depth.

Nor is this is a book with a list of laundry items for the typical soldier and a slew of footnotes, although it is well-researched and thorough. Catton is more interested in quickly sketching an army as they march through the heat of the Mississippi and the lush countryside of Georgia. He unabashedly plays favorites with his "cast of characters" - Grant and Lincoln are praised, McClellan is not - but in most cases his biases are justified.

One could argue Catton's taste for drama and humorous anecdote overrides his ability to assess rationally the Civil War, but perhaps his romantic/realistic view of history is more in keeping with the age it is describing. The Civil War was fought by stubborn men who refused to cede a tenet long past its due date - and that in itself is the true tragedy.

As a fiber artist, I am very interested in the history of fiber. Elizabeth Barber's "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years" is fantastic, both as a history of the use of fibers and as a history of working women. I learned a great deal about women's role in society from her research, and it makes me proud to be a modern woman working with fiber, just as my ancestors did. Highly recommended!

Anyone interested in so-called gender studies, textiles, prehistory, or just in regular people ought to read this book. The authoress, in incredibly simple language (she can't REALLY be an academic, can she?), tells the story of women and the textile work that has (pre-) historically been theirs. Bringing the insight that only a practicing weaver or spinner could have to the dusty world of archeology, she sweeps the reader into the homes of real people. Lots of metaphors, but honestly, it's that kind of book: rich. I only wish I could read it again for the first time.

I ran across this book almost by accident. I was feeling rather glum one day, and I asked my wife to recommend a book for me - something that was out of the ordinary and would cheer me up. She recommended "Women's Work". I was a little skeptical that it would appeal to a techie guy like myself, but soon I was absorbed in Elizabeth Wayland Barber's storytelling.

"Women's Work" tells the story of textiles in human history. In nearly every society, spinning, weaving, and sewing have been done almost exclusively by women, so the history of textiles is also a history of women's work - or one important part of it. That's still reflected in our language, for example, when we refer to the "distaff side" - a distaff being a stick used to hold fiber for spinning.

Wayland Barber tells her story with with wit and clarity. And more than that, she tells the story of the story - that is, she traces not only what we know about textiles in ancient times, but describes how we know it. So, this is not only a fine history, but it's a fine, readable treatise on historiography as well.

I can warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in textiles, or women's history, or how history is written, or who has the blues and just wants to read a darn good book.

Interesting history of some parts of women's work. I enjoyed it very much. Whether you are interested in fabric or not, I think you'll enjoy this book. It is scholarly but still a good read that keeps your interest.

I bought this book on the recomendation of my spinning instructor. I was expecting the documentation of early spinning and weaving techniques, and the discussion of preserved textiles. I wasnt expecting to be inspired to go out and buy a copy of the Iliad and the Odyssey to read about the textile and history references that she brings up! I had no idea that Greek mythologies mention items of clothing that have been found in the area and dated to pre-Greco times....and were stil identifiable items of clothing in the last century.
Basically this book is a textile and history junkies best fix.
If you are a re-creationist,(such as the SCA) or particpating in Lving History demonstrations, you will definately want this book for its discussions of documented cloth finds,
If you like this book, you may also enjoy reading "Salt, a World History" as they mention several of the same places, and historical finds.

This book might be summed up rather simply rather than reading the numerous pages: truth is the search for yourself, and you won't find yourself while looking outside in the world. This is as simple as it can be put. Rose analyzes numerous paths for the reader to demonstrate how they all fail to meet some rather common sense criteria. His criteria are primarily: "elimination of concepts", self observation, self remembering, respectful doubt, development of intuition, and knowing the Real Observer. For those who don't have any particular beliefs, he doesn't go very far to tell you exactly what you should do. But if you take his logical analysis and common sense criteria to the point of negating everything, you may discover that everything in the world crumbles away like an illusion. And when the world crumbles away, you may discover something rather important. In particular, you may discover the pointlessness of the current existence you are in, find shattering depression, and then some illumination. Or, you may just jump to the marvel of existence. They are both sides of the same coin, after all. Buy it and read it, or begin looking carefully to see who you are.

If you are one of the one out of a million
who is seeking God (not the bearded lightning
thrower---but the SOURCE and the TRUTH) then this is a good
book for you, especially if you want to beat
the odds and become the one out of a billion
that FINDS God. This book is not for the blissed
out seeker looking to buy water by the river and
does a good job of exposing all those that would
sell water by the river at high prices! Mister
Rose explains all the other problems posed by
existence in a herd-like society and details those
practices that didn't work for him and those that DID
work for him, as he became one of the one out of a billion
that became the TRUTH. He's not a guru, he's not from
Bombay or Tokyo, Mister Rose just tells IT like IT is, whether
YOU like it or not.

Albigen papers is very good! Also of interest would be the online book :
http://www.onzen.com/atatitle.htm
The book describes the work and experience of David Gold, the author, when he was working with Mr. Richard Rose in West Virginia at Mr.Rose's Ashram.
Another great book by Mr. Rose is the Direct Mind Experience.

Richard Rose is an awakened teacher who has spent his life tirelessly pointing the way for others to awaken--and it has worked. Rose's plain-spoken, common sense approach to self-discovery laid the groundwork for several of his students--so far--to "make the whole trip," as Rose puts it. Rose, by his own admission is not a polished writer or speaker--"I'm a discoverer, not an orator," he has said on occasion--but "The Albigen Papers" is an excellent introduction to his teachings, and for the insightful student, it will provide a wealth of new and original ideas on the "ways and means" of Awakening.

The first time that I read The Albigen Papers was like a breath of fresh air. Here is an actual system that can be used to lead one out of the darkness, and into a more aware existance. There are very few books that are available that have the truth of human existance so deeply etched into the words that one is reading. Wonderful

If you are looking for a book to really understand the outgoing Net Revolution, don't look further. Martin takes you to the center of the digital movement in a cristal clear writing. This is a book to change the way we think, the way we live. The beggining of a personal revolution

An *EXCELLENT* book, written in a very easy-to-read style, that puts the Internet revolution in perspective. If you are a confirmed 'nethead, then this book is not for you - it is only telling you what you already know. If you don't "get it", and/or you are sceptical about the net, then GET THIS BOOK. It has changed our lives and will continue to change it for some time to come. Chuck uses real examples from real companies and people to drive home his points. Some of the links need to be updated on his website, but other than that, I highly recommend this. A good companion read would be James Martin's "Cybercorp"

In a domain positively viscous with lame literature, this book doesn't have any serious competition. It's very helpful at all levels, but its witty and humane approach is particularly good for business people moving onto the Web for the first time. Martin gives sound, detailed explanations of Web advertising, branding, business planning and building an on-line community by using the actual experiences of Net companies that are building today's new Internet economy

If you've been awake and actively using the net over the past few years, you probably already know just about everything in this book. Martin has very good insight into what the web can really be...beyond all the technology hoopla, building virtual communities, supplying appropriate content, making a corporate web site that is actually useful to consumers, etc.. A GREAT read for those trying to make sense of the web, understand how people use the web, and see how other companies have created successful enterprises or applications integrating the internet. The copy I got had some duplicate/missing pages in the introduction of the book.

This book is a "must read" for all company owners and managers involved in the corporate planning process. The Digital Estate digs into the successes and failures of pure on-line businesses and electronic efforts of other companies to define the principals of doing business today. This is not a "technology book" and is not targeted for "net heads" or persons already in the Internet business. It is a business book for executives that contrasts the "old way" and new methods that are transforming business thinking. It is a book for business heads that need a grounding in business on the Internet. Written in a clear and concise manner, sans hype and jargon, it is engrossing, clever and insightful. I can not over emphasize the importance of this book to all business executives.

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS features what I've come to expect from E. Lockhart - comedy, characterization, and competent writing. However, THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY is no fluff book. Frankie struggles to be recognized as an equal by her male peers and her family. She does this by orchestrating grand pranks at the Alabaster Preparatory Academy using the manpower of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Frankie is clever, ambitious, strong, and feminine. But E. Lockhart does not paint her as perfect.

She pushes things to the limit. She enjoys power. Her plans, while well-executed, do not have the expected effect on the populace. She's high-minded, reckless, and many of her actions should not be emulated. For all that, she's a wonderful heroine. She doesn't play nice, but she plays for the right things. Girls should be frustrated with being condescended to, and they shouldn't be underestimated due to a lack of a Y chromosome. (Actually, one of the book's few flaws came after the climax, so I don't feel right discussing it in the review, but it has to do with this concept.)

I also like that the boys who make Frankie so frustrated in THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY aren't bad people. They're just average boys. They make mistakes, but they aren't simply evil male chauvinist pigs.

Lockhart also plays with the way she tells the story. She begins with a framing letter and anecdotes, building an excitement for what Frankie will become despite a rather innocuous beginning. The tone is playful, but ominous. Lockhart plays with language not only through the structure, but with the dialogue. Both Frankie and her boyfriend Matthew enjoy wordplay. Frankie's is inspired by P. G. Wodehouse; Matt's comes from his inner copyeditor. Lockhart's choices come together to create a unique voice that helps THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY rise above her other novels just as much as the unconventional Frankie.

I highly recommend this novel. It's not perfect, but it has a spark to it. It sticks out in my mind from the other novels I've read recently. There's hijinks, anger, love, and plenty of food for thought. Frankie has good ideas and bad ideas, but many are ideas that should be heard and then pondered further.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books

The story is set in a prestigious east coast boarding school that has yet to shake off its boys school roots and features a clever, thoughtful, ambitious heroine who refuses to accept the status quo. The first 50 pages didn't fully hook me, but Frankie's obsession with her boyfriend's all-male secret society eventually drew me in and forced me to stay up late to finish it.

I don't know what it's being marketed as, but it read like a YA novel aimed primarily at adults, not teens. The biggest problems for me were my inability to like most of the characters, the neglected positives (clever but grating after the first few), and the supposedly entertaining conversations between the group of guys Frankie admires. And while the novel and especially the ending are gutsy, I'm not entirely sure they make up for the first half's skimpy plot. I'm glad I read it, but I don't know that I'll want to reread it.

Definitely one of the best books I've had the fortune of reading. Very reminiscent of Jaclyn Moriarty's "The Spell Book of Listen Taylor" (also similar due to their sudden shift from girly books to girl-power mysteries). I love the funniness, the cliche and the totally NOT. The basset hounds and the guppy and the whole idea of a secret society. Love love love Frankie's whole thing with making up words (it totally makes sense!). Love the "black-tiles only" thing (saw that at the museum in Canada as an obedience experiment, it's really interesting!). Love the reference to GMail XD Love the fact that the characters...they're marauder-esque. I just wish we found out what happened after, what became of Frankie's brilliance. The only real big problem I have with this book is that Frankie doesn't end up with Alpha. I'm very glad she broke up with Matthew, but I think she and Alpha had real chemistry and meshing [mischievous] personalities. *sigh* Amazing book. I don't think I'll get to read one like it in a looong time. Congrats, E.Lockhart, on this latest success!

According to the back cover, Frankie Landau-Banks as a freshman in high school was a slightly geeky girl in the Debate Club. But when she comes back the next year, nobody recognizes her because now she fills out her shirt. And that grabs the attention of a certain senior boy named Matthew Livingston, who soon becomes Frankie's boyfriend.

But Frankie isn't content. Matthew often acts distant and doesn't treat her like an intelligent human being. So one day when he cancels their date, she follows him and discovers that he's a member of an all-male secret society. Frankie wants in, but there's no way she can without him Matthew out that she lied to him. Frankie knows she has the brains to get in, so she creates a false email account through which she directs the secret society into performing various pranks.

Although these pranks have the desired effect of reforming some of the school's practices, no one seems to understand the significance, and whenever Frankie tries to explain it, people write her off as thinking too hard. And of course, the pranks can't last forever. Someone has to step up and take the blame.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks was an incredible novel and one that I won't forget for a long time because it provided a lot of food for thought. It got me thinking about concepts I never would've thought of before. Frankie's character is a mad genius and a work of art by E. Lockhart. I don't think I've ever read a novel with such an amazing and unique character as Frankie is. It was kind of strange how fast Frankie thought, but that is just part of her character. The ending was only slightly surprising, but then it was foreshadowed.

I highly recommend this novel to everyone, and it has become one of my favorites. Those who like secret societies such as the one in Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund will enjoy reading about the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound. Readers who like the boarding school setting will also enjoy this novel. I definitely look forward to reading more novels by E. Lockhart.

[...]

Two of my favorite themes in literature are coincidence and the search for identity --And when you get a book about how coincidence can have a part in shaping identity, all the better.

"How does a person become the person she is?" the narrator of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks asks, adding, "This chronicle is an attempt to mark out the contributing elements in Frankie's character. What led her to do the things she did: things she would later view with a curious mixture of hubris and regret."

We know from the outset of the story that Frankie has somehow infiltrated a secret all male society, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, on the campus of her exclusive prep school and masterminded some borderline criminal pranks. The story explores the how and the why.

The how is where coincidence comes in. Her father was a basset hound and she's heard his stories. Her new boyfriend, Matthew, is a basset hound and when he blows off a date, she follows him to a secret meeting. It just happens that her roommate's boyfriend has the keys to all the off limit places on campus. She met the basset hound "king", Alpha, on the boardwalk the previous summer and when he summoned away for a few days over Halloween, it gives Frankie the opening she needs.

The why is more complicated. Frankie is certainly tired of being treated like an innocuous "bunny rabbit" (her nickname) in need of protection. She's recently blossomed into a knock-out young woman, but she's not content to be anyone's arm candy. She's a firm believer in the equality of the sexes and it irks her to be shut out of "the old boy's club".

Frankie is a strategist, a debater, and someone who wants to be a real "off-roader". She asserts her unique identity by using "neglected positives" (i.e. ept to mean skilled - from inept) in everyday speech, by challenging the unwritten rules of who sits where in the caf, and of course by covertly taking over the basset hounds.

Frankie is a great character - one that I immensely enjoyed spending time with. And this is an excellent book - one that begs for a sequel!

Run and pick this one up ASAP. You will not be disappointed.

This is definitely one of the best books that I have read within years. I've read it a few times now and some passages - on the paintings of Chesley Bonestell (the Caspar David Friedrich of alien landscapes), which match the serenity and sublime poetics of those paintings, on Alexei Leonov's and Ed White's first spacewalks, on the lift off of the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket (gives me tears in my eyes, the same as if I see it on DVD), on Percival Lowell, on the fantasy worlds of Astounding Science Fiction and Startling Stories, to mention only a few - are so great! They give you a kind of experience which normally only good poetry can give you. I read these passages again and again, they are aesthetically addictive! It is impossible to convey the sublime poetic quality of Wachhorst's prose. Really, every sentence in this book is a gem by itself. There is no other book, not even the books of Carl Sagan, that convey that sense of wonder (what the old Greeks called thaumazein) that propels us human beings toward space travel so intensely as this book does. It's not only poetry of course, it's also a very informative book (Wachhorst is a historian), but this book teaches you how important the mastery of language is to get a message through. It is also a very philosophical book, not in the analytical sense but more in an existentialist way. You'll learn a lot about the meaning of human transcendence while reading Wachhorst's reflections and meditations on our ultimately incomprehensible and utterly absurd condition as lonely intelligences stuck on a small piece of rock somewhere in the infinite vastness of the cosmos. We are, Wachhorst writes at some point, 'the ballroom innocents of Spaceship Earth - frail seed of life itself, afloat for an instant on the surface of forever'. This wonderful, exceptionally well written book is a must read for everyone, not only space enthousiasts. I dare to say that it is essential reading. How great that this book exists!!!

Not what I expected. This is a philosophical rather than a technical book. It is very well written and quite enjoyable.
It has an engaging literary style.

"The Dream of Spaceflight" is a charming little collection of essays on the past and future of spaceflight and space exploration. More lyrical than substantial, "Dream of Spaceflight" is designed more to stimulate that place in the imagination that initially made man reach for the stars and seems to have been stymied recently as spaceflight has now become a glorified courier service instead of pioneering endeavor that it was intended to be. Why is it that it only took us eight years from the first astronaut orbiting the Earth to reach the Moon, but almost 30 years since the last moonflight, we barely reach beyond our own atmosphere anymore? Author Wyn Wachorst wonders this and seeks to have readers ponder the same questions and re-ignite their desire to reach beyond the bounds of Earth.

Certainly not a fast read, "The Dream of Spaceflight" tells the story of scientific pioneers like Johannes Kepler and Werner von Braun, as well as the brave men of the Apollo program. It remembers the imagination of past explorers while seeking to provoke the desires of the future explorers. This collection of essays may prove quite valuable in the future of our dreams.

I have been a space buff ever since I got my first telescope for Christmas, 1968, and got to use it on Christmas eve 1968 and looked at the crater filled moon as Apollo 8 orbited the moon, what magic, a time long gone. So I can relate to Wyn Wachhorst as he narrates this journey through our coming of age in the cosmos, from Kepler, Goddard, and others, to the present, always writing in symbolic and poetic style, neat to say the least.

I particularly loved the chapter "Abandon In Place", anyone well versed in space lore will instantly know what that term means, but in this chapter Wachhorst laments in great detail the lack of vision people in our society exhibit, and it's causes. Ask yourself this: how many people do you know, personally, that appreciate anything beyond normal everyday occurances, beyond the mundane, beyond the simple utility of everyday life and what is on television tonight, and if you are like me you will be able to think of perhaps one or two people only. This is a topic that Wachhorst discusses extensively and he writes that we need to have a sense of wonder, and the need to explore, and the craving for personal transcendence at the leading edge of evolution, in order to thrive as a species.

In this book you will read about the lives of several visionary people, and I think the tribute to Carl Sagan was the best anyone could ever write about another person. This volume is a jewel that is rarely encountered in the literary world, a joy to read.

Wyn Wachhorst has written some beautiful essays with the core theme of spaceflight and has collected them in his book The Dream Of Spaceflight. The essays aren't perfect. Wachhorst often takes disparate insights from others and tries to connect them, when leaving them to contrast with each other would have been fine. He is critical of the postmodern [which is fine by me], but he often uses terms in fuzzy and metaphorical ways reminiscent of many postmodern authors. But ultimately the purpose of any good essay is to get the reader to think and Wachhorst succeeded with this reader admirably. The deep and wonderful insights in the essays [e.g. The whole person must have both the humility to nurture the Earth and the pride to go to Mars.] come often enough to recommend the book with a four star rating.