united states

Rising Tide- The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America

5 stars (Of Man and the River) - If you thought Hurricane Katrina packed a devastating whallop to the Louisiana and Mississippi Coast, wait until you read this engrossing story of the 1927 Great Mississippi Flood which inundated the entire Misssissippi Delta. Barry does a great job of providing the background for the levee system which has repeatedly failed the Delta because beauracrats were unwilling to bend to any common sense when it came to handling the mighty Mississippi. They insisted on building their levees higher and wider, channeling the river into a raging torrent come high water. The Army Corps of Engineers chose to cling to outdated manuscripts rather than study the situation first hand, which was repeatedly asked for by civil engineers who saw a monumental crisis in the making. Barry makes a good case for Eads' proposal for jetties in deepening the mouth of the Mississippi and creating a greater flow of water into the Gulf of Mexico. While this was done primarily to increase navigation into and from the Port of New Orleans, jetties would have made a lot more sense than a system of levees that essentially served to choke the river. To make matters worse the Corps systematically closed off spillways and refused to cut canals even after the 1922 flood should have served as a warning call. But, Barry treats the rising Mississippi as a metaphorical tool as well, describing Jim Crow South in intimate detail, contrasting the bigoted paternalism of the Percy family with the malignant growth of the Ku Klux Klan, and its impact on Southern politics. It is a well written book that focuses mostly on the Mississippi Delta, the cultural and economic battle for this prized acreage and the river that would ultimately engulf the region. 5 stars (Prophetic and lively read) - John Barry's superb RISING TIDE can be viewed through many prisms, but obviously today, we will all see it through post-Hurricane Katrina eyes. Let it first be said that Barry is a superb ...
Simon - Schuster :: History & United States & 20th Century :: United States - State & Local - General :: United States - 20th Century&20s :: Natural Disasters :: Mississippi Rive :: Rising Tide- The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America

MyFlag

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Exotic Products Of Tucson :: wallpaper :: flags :: freedom :: united states :: america :: justice :: MyFlag

The Republican War on Science

5 stars (Global Warming, evolution incommensurable issues ) - I found this to be an eloquent but flawed indictment of the ways in which conservatives are doing an endrun around science to promote their various agendas. But as a science supporter, but a Darwin critic, I was a little alarmed by the bad advice the author received from the very peer review bodies he promotes. The problem is that, for example, global warming, about which the book is excellent, and evolution, the most confusing of the issues, are not really in the same category. We can demand science on the issue of global warming, and expose conservative fraud, but if we demand science on evolution, then we should subject the current reign of Darwinian theory to scrutiny, there to find that, as theory, its scientific status is open to question. The behavior of creationists is a very distracting noise here, because it drives science defenders further into dogma, and into a hole. The author shows how relying on the standard sources of science advice, like the NCSE, will simply fill your head with the Darwinian boilerplate syndrome, which, whatever else their failings, the rightwing critics are well aware of. Having studied Darwinian theory carefully from the suppressed science critics they realize that they can trump the wrongly educated Dawkins/science generation. It seemed impossible ten years ago, now it's happening. Time to wake up on Darwin's theory, which means accepting the reality of evolution, but looking critically on the theory of natural selection. Science journalists ought to learn to be skeptical of the failed peer review system in biology and evolution. It's going to be the undoing of science, and one dreads to think what the next ten years will bring. Beyond that, many of the other issues raised make for an insightful expose, it is a pity the author is suckered into the Darwin trap. 5 stars (Global warming, evolution incommensurable issues. ) - I found this to be an eloquent but flawed i...
Basic Books :: United States :: Sociology - General :: Sociology :: Social Science :: Science :: Republican Party (U S - 1854- :: Politics - Current Events :: Political aspects :: :: The Republican War on Science

Dry - A Memoir

5 stars (Not So Dry After All) - Perhaps the most astonishing thing about this powerful memoir is its essential kindness and good feeling for humankind, an attitude sustained through a series of dizzying life experiences which could have soured the Dalai Lama. Burroughs' cheerily ironic point of view encompasses his terrifying childhood,his surreal career in advertising, and, most powerfully, his experiences in rehab. While on this journey with him, you experience his growth through a process of discovery, as layer upon layer of denial is peeled back and his true history and true self are revealed to him and to us. The dryness of the wit lies entirely in his refusal to feel sorry for himself; and the final phase of his recovery begins when he is at last willing to open that hardest of all human doors, love. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down, and read entranced on the bus, at the lunch counter, and through one very dull concert. It will certainly offer you several of the more entertaining hours of your life. 4 stars (Excellently written) - Mr. Burroughs has done an excellent job in communicating his experiences of alcoholism and the struggle of rehab and the 12 step programs. He has been able to share the reality of his experiences and at the same time show a great deal of humor and sophisticated irony. A very good book and one that I will read again. 4 stars (Very Good) - I started this book yesterday and read about 3/4 of it in one sitting. It's an interesting read - and the subject matter is a little less uncomfortable than "Running with Scissors". I can't help but compare this to "A Million Little Pieces", which also deals with someone going to rehab. I feel that James Frey's book was more upsetting but geniune. There were times that I had to put the book down because it was so graphic and heart rending. Anyway, "Dry" is a good read, and if you liked "Running with Scissors" or books in the vein a la David Sedaris, read it. ...
Picador :: Reading Group Guide :: Biography & Autobiography & General :: United States :: Personal Memoirs :: Novelists :: American :: New York (State) :: New York :: Literary :: :: Dry - A Memoir

God-s Politics - Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn-t Get It

5 stars (True Christianity returns to the mainstream. Thank you, Jim Wallis!) - Kudos to Jim Wallis (best known until now as publisher/main writer of of the Christian magazine "Sojourners")for crafting such a well-considered read at a time when the American Church really needs it! Any Christian who is alarmed by the deciededly un-Christlike tactics & teachings of the Relgious Right (epitomized by shamefully out-of-touch leaders such as James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, & Pat Robertson) should buy this book and read it as soon as possible. Wallis lays out a viable plan to "take back our faith" from the hands of the Republican Party, and return Christianity to it's first century roots - a faith of compassion, peacemaking, and service to our fellow man. In one of the book's more facinating chapters, Wallis discusses the theological presuppositions of George W. Bush, and how they have lead him to confuse American imperialism with the Kingdom of God. But it should be noted that Wallis is equally critical of the secular left, and makes some good arguments that true Christianity can never be represented fully or faithfully by ANY political party. As a Sojourners bumper sticker campaign put it, simply by honestly, "God is not a Republican...Or a Democrat". All in all, an EXCELLENT read for anyone who has ever thought that something just doesn't smell right with modern mainstream Evangelicalism. 4 stars (A Very Timely Book) - As a Christian, I have become increasingly troubled by the direction of conservative Christianity in America. Christian leaders seem blindly willing to sell their integrity and their witness to a political party that largely ignores 95% of the Biblical message, all it seems for the sake of political power. I have also been less than enamored by the political left which seems to ignore the importance of faith in people's lives. When I saw a television interview with Jim Wallis, I was so taken with his thoughtful and refreshing approach to faith a...
HarperSanFrancisco :: Religion & Church & State :: CHRISTIAN LIVING PRACTICAL LIFE POLITICS :: United States :: Religion :: Politics & State :: Religion - Christian Living :: Religion :: :: God-s Politics - Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn-t Get It

An Introduction to Community Health- Web Enhanced

An Introduction to Community Health: Web Enhanced...
Jones -amp- Bartlett Publishers :: United States :: Public health :: Nursing - Home & Community Care :: Medical care :: Medical & Nursing :: Medical :: Health Care Issues :: Health Care Delivery :: :: An Introduction to Community Health- Web Enhanced

CLA Review Manual- A Practical Guide to CLA Exam Preparation

5 stars (A great review manual and reference book) - This book was my primary source when I was preparing for the CLA exam. Coherent, organized and thoughtful, it is a "must buy" for CLA candidates. Until my book was borrowed (and not returned) by another legal assistant, the manual served as a handy reference manual in my practice. ...
Thomson Delmar Learning :: Business & Economics & General :: United States :: Reference :: Professional Education :: Professional - General :: Legal assistants :: Legal Reference & Law Prof :: CLA Review Manual- A Practical Guide to CLA Exam Preparation

Down Came the Rain - My Journey Through Postpartum Depression

4 stars (Rainy days) - Despite the misinformed rantings of people like Tom Cruise, clinical depression is a terrible and widespread problem. The best description I've heard yet is that it's a cancer of the soul. And of all the types, postpartum depression is perhaps the most neglected -- some people don't even know it exists, let alone how it should be treated. That is the heart of Brooke Shields' memoir "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression." This is not a glitzy showbiz autobiography, but a wrenching look at one woman's struggle to have a baby, and then to regain her own happiness. In 2001, Shields married producer/writer Chris Henchy, and soon they were trying for a baby. But because of cervical scarring, getting pregnant was difficult, and despite all the people prattling about adoption and relaxation, Shields and Henchy tried in vitro fertilization (IVF), and after a traumatic miscarriage, finally had a baby girl. But baby Rowan was less than a day old when Shields began feeling depression and anxiety attacks. Initially she chalked this up to the difficult C-section birth and the newness of the experience, but her feelings continued over the months that followed. Though she tried to tackle her postpartum depression by herself, the help of friends and the drug Paxil were what brought her back out of the pit. The first fifty pages of "Down Came the Rain" make it seem like this will be an up-and-down story, with generous amounts of self-deprecating humour. Shields lightens the mood with humour and a willingness to reveal her unflattering or goofy thoughts, such as thinking about those chest-bursting scenes from "Alien" during a C-section. But after that, a grimmer tone takes over the book. Shields' detailed descriptions of her torment, doubts and increasingly deteriorated life are almost harrowing, as well as her description of how she couldn't even connect with her newborn daughter. It's exhilarating when she finally beats the po...
Hyperion :: United States :: Shields :: Brooke :: :: Rich & Famous :: Pregnancy & Childbirth :: Postpartum depression :: Patients :: Mental Depression :: Individual Actors And Actr :: Down Came the Rain - My Journey Through Postpartum Depression

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen - Listen So Kids Will Talk

5 stars (A Great Guide For Parents) - Of all the parenting books I've read this year this one has been most helpful. I love the cartoons! Sound advice for people who want to improve parenting skills. 5 stars (How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk) - Excellent book. This is as close as I have come to an instruction manual for parenting. 5 stars (the best for parenting) - This book examines love, communication, and methods for bringing up happy, secure, and respectful adults. Isn't this the major goal we all wish for? If you read it, you'll reread it dozens of times. ...
Collins :: Family & Relationships & Parenting :: United States :: Parenting - General :: Parenting :: Life Stages - Adolescence :: Interpersonal communication :: Family & Pa :: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen - Listen So Kids Will Talk

The American Accent Guide- Second Edition- A Complete and Comprehensive Course on the Pronunciation

5 stars (Wonderful) - Great purchase and I highly recommend it. The CDs are easy to understand and the notebook is clear and simple. Not to much talking; just to the point. 1 stars (For a college grad from an English speaking school) - Totally useless for anyone but a well educated native English speaker with an accent they want to change. No Tesol grad can get anything from this material. The book reads like a post grad textbook. A truly tough read even for me, a college grad and professional and a part time English teacher. This material is completely inaccessable to my wife who is learning english as a second tongue. Waste of our money. 4 stars (great book) - that was really nice trainnig methods once it not only teaches you word repetition but also works on the functional aspects of phonation - great for a Brazilian guy that had a hard time to learn how to "untie" his tongue to speak. ...
Lingual Arts :: United States :: Spoken English :: Pronunciation :: English language :: Dialects :: American English :: Accent reduction :: Speech :: Phonetics & Phonics :: Language :: F :: The American Accent Guide- Second Edition- A Complete and Comprehensive Course on the Pronunciation

The Glass Castle - A Memoir

5 stars (Excellent) - This book was excellent. Recently i have started to get into "memoirs" and Jeannette Walls memoirs was one of the best! Her parents...they give new definition to the word crazy! Jeanette cooked her own hotdogs at the tender age of 3 she was also caught fire by cooking those very same hotdogs at the age of 3...her family was always doing the "ske-daddle" from bill collectors so they were constantly on the move. Jeannete has two sisters and one brother. Her mom is a very eccentric woman who loves to paint and teaches her children to always be "self-sufficient" her father is a drunk but she loves him deeply. They move from town to town all over the mid-west to the west coast. They go from rats being on their kitchen counters and in their sugar bowls to eating "lard sandwiches" at her grandmother Erma's house. This is a book that will keep you interested from start to finish. Never a dull moment. I highly recommend it. 5 stars (Shocking Yet Truly Charming) - I loved this book. The author writes in such a style that enables the reader to absorb the harshness of her tale - without being angry. Her childhood was what it was. As adults, we cannot do anything about a tough or neglectful childhood. I applaud the author for telling it like she remembers it. Best book I have read in a while. 3 stars (Horrifying if True) - There seems to be some doubt as to the veracity of Walls's memoir. It does seem as though certain situations are far too detailed to be credible rememberances of a 3-year-old or even a slightly older child. However, the book is an absorbing read, which is why I gave it three stars. No stars, even as birthday gifts, for the self-absorbed, sick parents who brought their children up in such a lazy, dangerous way (if Walls's account is true). A mother who hides candy from her starving children? Refuses treatment for her burned, blistered daughter? A father who throws the family cat out of a moving car but protests when a mountain lion is...
Scribner :: Biography & Autobiography & Literary :: West Virginia :: Welch :: Walls :: Jeannette :: United States :: Problem families :: Personal Memoirs :: Literary :: Family Deve :: The Glass Castle - A Memoir

Transforming the Difficult Child

5 stars (A Must for Every Parent and Teacher) - This book absolutely transformed my relationship with my difficult teenager. We had been stuck in a pattern of disappointment and poor school performance for years. This book was the missing ingredient and now his father and I are proud and completely hopeful for a boy who was headed down the wrong path. 5 stars (Busymomof4) - My oldest son is 17 and has been displaying defiant and baffling behavior since he was in 2nd grade. We have been to numerous counselors and psychologists, and no one could ever explain his behavior to me. He is an under-energized kid with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and now in drug treatment. THANK YOU HOWARD GLASSER, for the first time I feel like I understand my kid and I have a direction to go in when he finishes treatment. I have three other children, who are not currently experiencing any difficulty, but are all highly energetic. My 4-yr old is eerily similar in lots of ways to his big brother. I am using the positive remarks and it has worked tremendously in the last few days to help reduce bad habits like screaming in the car, leaving the dinner table continuously, and ignoring directions. I feel absolutely wonderful and optimistic that I can handle my older teenager now. 5 stars (The greatest book on parenting ) - This book teaches you a new way of life in a busy world with our kids. I have never read a book like this. It is easy to read. Please read this book and see how it can change your life to. ...
Nurtured Heart Publications :: Teaching :: Classroom Management :: Attention-deficit hyperactivit :: Attention-deficit disorder in :: ADHD :: United States :: Problem children :: Parenting - Hype :: Transforming the Difficult Child

Losing Moses on the Freeway - The 10 Commandments in America

5 stars (Text: 5 Title: 0 Marketing: - 10) - I purchased my copy of this abominably titled book in Borders, in the "Christianity, Practical Living" section. I am not a Christian and sought it out solely because of my familiarity with Hedges' earlier work. This is not a "Christian" book, any more than Krzysztof Kieslowski's "The Decalogue" (its model) is a "Christian" television series. Kieslowski and his writing partner, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, a lawyer from whose experiences several of the episodes were taken, focused "The Decalogue" on the fictionalized lives of people entangled in ancient moral dilemmas in bleak 1980s Warsaw. Hedges takes the same tack with ten non-fictional vignettes from life in 21st century post-industrial America. I find Hedges' writing almost unbearably intense; his moral authority clearly hard won. Even when I disagree with him, I have nothing but respect for his courage in refusing to look away. Here is a man who has obviously been deeply affected by what he has witnessed and experienced in life and is determined to learn---and teach---from it. That the teachings are very, very old only makes this book all the more worth reading, absorbing and passing on---whether you are a Christian or not. 5 stars (Losing Moses, but finding a great book. ) - I would highly recommend Hedges' book on the Ten Commandments. It is far more than your typical study guide. Rather, it provides a deep understanding of the ripple effect that our moral and ethical lapses have on those around us. In a world that is consumed with the end justifying the means, Hedges addresses in this decalogue the means that all might do well to consider. 5 stars (A New Code of Ethics to Live By) - Many Americans want to reduce the Ten Commandments to an idol to be worshipped in a public place. This book lives up to the original intent of the Ten Commandments - a guide to meditation on what really makes an ethical life. Read Jesus's Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters...
Free Press :: Religion & General :: United States :: U S - Contemporary Politics :: Ten commandments :: Philosophy :: Moral conditions :: Hedges :: Chris :: General :: Ethics & Mora :: Losing Moses on the Freeway - The 10 Commandments in America

Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration- Ninth Edition

5 stars (Review of Law in Medicine) - Pozgar's book is organized by legal topic and cites relevant case law in all instances. It is an excellent overview of American law as it applies to the health care practitioner or organization. He has taken a topic that it difficult to communicate and made it very enjoyable reading. Students will find it much easier reading than most graduate level texts. 4 stars (Great information for those new to health care law.) - This book was very useful to me. I am a health information management student planning to enter a graduate health administration program. I took the class and this particular book was the text. Our instructor is a lawyer and runs risk management at our university hospital. The text further explained basic legal priciples and related them to health care. The text is easy to read and gives several references to actual documents. ...
Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc :: Medical & Administration :: United States :: Medical personnel :: Medical laws and legislation :: Medical Law & Legislation :: Malpractice :: Legal Reference & La :: Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration- Ninth Edition

Plan B- Further Thoughts on Faith

3 stars (I wanted to love this book, but...) - ...I got so weary of the incessant complaining about the current government administration. I would've rather she filled those pages with more stuff about her family, her mom, her son. But every time she turned around she was complaining about the government. It was the same kind of thing that really hurt Tony Hendra's "Father Joe" in my opinion, but here it's much more damaging to the flow of the book. Once I "kinda" got past that it was a great read, but not nearly as memorable as her previous memoir, "Traveling Mercies." Worth a read if you love Annie's writing, and I do, but probably to be missed otherwise. 4 stars (For Lamott Readers, But Certainly NOT For Bush Fans) - Anne Lamott is a writer's writer. And what I mean by that is that she writes on a level most writers would LOVE to make it to. She's easy to read while, at the same time, having a deep message, and a raucous sense of humor. I got hooked on her years ago when I read BIRD BY BIRD, a book that I still refer to often whenever I need to "get real" about my own writing life. I was pleased to learn that these are short memoirs of her life, a collection of short stories. The short story form seems to be making a modest comeback, and I loved the fact that a collection of them made it to the New York Times' list, too. But lets get into the meat and potatoes of the book now ... This is a look at Ms. Lamott's life through her own eyes, and she wears everything on her sleeve, including her disdain for the Bush administration, her dislike of young children, her poor motherhood skills, and her struggles with faith. Examples ... Lamott has to deal with the death of her Alzheimer's mother, pulling the urn that contains her mother's ashes out of her closet. And as she does, she reminisces about the final months of her mother's life: "Her purse was a weight, ballast; it tethered her to the earth as her mind floated away. It was also health and preparedness, filled...
Riverhead Hardcover :: Religion & Spirituality :: Women :: United States :: Spiritual :: Religious :: Religion :: Novelists :: American :: Lamott :: Anne :: Inspirational :: Faith :: Christian biog :: Plan B- Further Thoughts on Faith

Delivering Health Care in America- A Systems Approach- Third Edition

5 stars (The Best) - I've seen a lot of health care texts and this one is by far the best book of its kind. Very current and thorough coverage of all aspects of health care delivery. This book really shows you how all of the components of the health care system fit together. The author has done a remarkable job and all students in health care and health administration need to read this book. KUDOS!!!! 1 stars (Fluffy) - This book is near 600 pages, but it could be condensed to 300 easily: by cutting back on some simplistic flow charts and over-explanation. Maybe the goal was to make the book readable for the high school level, but I didn't find its style or level appropriate for a graduate (MBA) textbook. One further annoyance was the authors' shameless and open promotion of socialized health care. A more balanced take would give the authors greater credibility. 4 stars (Good introduction to the American health care system) - The book is a good basic introduction to the American health care system. If you are doing advanced health policy research this book is not for you. If you are teaching a class for undergraduates (or are someone who wants to know about 'nuts and bolts' issues) this would be perfect. For what it does (basic intro), it does well but do not look for sophisticated analysis here. ...
Jones - Bartlett Publishers :: United States :: Sociology :: Public Health :: Medical policy :: Medical care :: Medical & Nursing :: Health Care Delivery :: Administration :: Douglas A :: Ph D Sing :: Delivering Health Care in America- A Systems Approach- Third Edition

Mother Angelica - The Remarkable Story of a Nun- Her Nerve- and a Network of Miracles

5 stars (The Return of Orthodox Catholicism) - This is an exciting, well written book, something that I was not expecting at all. I began watching and contributing to EWTN during a difficult period of my life and Mother Angelica's network is a blessing to all, but especially those who are going through hard times. This book is a terrific read about how it all came about and it spends a lot of time on her battles with certain members of the American Church hierarchy - many of whom were exposed in the 2002 sex scandals for their less-than-Catholic actions and unconscionable lack of leadership. Mother Angelica is the primary figure in the ongoing renaissance of orthodox Catholicism among the laity and, equally important, in the seminaries. Mother Angelica and EWTN are providing wonderful tools for taking back our Church from what Raymond Arroyo (charitably) calls the "progressives" in the USCCB and their bureaucracies. What a wonderful book! It makes me ready to join the fight! 5 stars (BUY THIS BOOK) - This is one of the most exciting, well written biographies to come out in a very long time. Its about an underprivileged woman who became a cloistered nun and changed the world. Mother Angelica is a woman who somehow balanced real orthodoxy with brilliant management vision and skill without what seems any worldly qualifications whatsoever. Moreover, here's is a story of overcoming great suffering -- both physical and emotional -- and allowing God to transform her life without ever looking back or counting the cost. (It's worth noting too this is no saccharine sweet nun's story, to be sure!) This wonderful biography really shows us she is "The Patron Saint of CEOs" -- and patron of anyone else who by God's grace, must overcome a legion of what seem like insurmountable problems. Mother Angelica's life turns our natural aversion to personal suffering on its head and makes clear that miracles really do happen. --Enjoy. M. Hart Volant, PA 4 stars (A Dangerous Book) - ...
Doubleday :: Biography & Autobiography & Religious :: Women :: United States :: Religious :: Religion :: Poor Clares :: Mother :: :: M Angelica :: Eternal Word Television Network :: :: Mother Angelica - The Remarkable Story of a Nun- Her Nerve- and a Network of Miracles

Borror and DeLong-s Introduction to the Study of Insects

5 stars (Important for both biologists and non-biologists) - Everything about insects is fascinating, and this book gives a comprehensive overview of their behavior, anatomy, and classification. For non-experts in entomology, such as this reviewer, the book provides the necessary background for further study. Topics such as the molecular genetics of insects and the genetic engineering of insects are not covered, but there are plenty of other books that treat these topics in detail. Only the first four chapters were read by this reviewer, but only chapter four will be discussed here. Early on in chapter four, the authors dispel the prejudice that since insects have small nervous systems and have short life spans, they are not automatons and can exhibit a remarkable degree of spontaneity. Insects can adjust to the circumstances of their environment and the organization of their activities can be extremely complex. What is most interesting about their discussion of insect behavior is the emphasis on how it depends on the internal state of the insect, and not only its nervous system but also its internal organs. The authors view the basic unit of behavior in an insect as being a `refle'x. A receptor that is stimulated will cause a particular group of insects to contract, which is observed as a body movement of the insect. A `releaser' is the stimulus that actually triggers a specific collection of movements. This results in what is called a `fixed-action pattern', which, as the name implies, occurs the same way every time it occurs. To be contrasted with these are the `modal-action patterns' that adapt to changes in the body position of the insect relative to external objects. A `central pattern generator' the authors write, is responsible for the leg and wing movements of insects, and allows them to navigate in noisy environments. All of these considerations of insect behavior are interesting in themselves, but even more so considering that they are being applied t...
Brooks Cole :: Science & Entomology :: United States :: Science :: Nature&Ecology :: Nature :: Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology :: Insects & Spiders :: Insects :: Entomology :: Ch :: Borror and DeLong-s Introduction to the Study of Insects

National Electrical Code 2002

5 stars (easy to understand) - Book contain useful topics, easy to understand, clear picture, helpful for practical work and passing exam. ...
Thomson Delmar Learning :: Technology & Technical & Manufacturing Industries & Trades :: United States :: Technology & Industrial Arts :: Technology :: Technical & Manufacturing Trades :: :: National Electrical Code 2002

The Power of Myth

5 stars (Thoroughly enjoyed) - Wonderful audio presentation of the Bill Moyer interview with Joseph Campbell. We originally checked it out from the library for a road trip, but just had to have our own copy. Listened to it twice on a recent cross-country road trip. 3 stars (Amazing Mythological Comparisons) - This is written in an "interview" form. I probably would get more out of the DVD format. It has very interesting comparisons of our life to mythology. Although very interesting, some ideas seem a little far-fetched. 4 stars (Intriguing, important but sometimes contradictory) - In our current secular culture where everything is de-mythologized, this is an important work. Campbell shows how the existential angst and meaninglessnes of modern toil is inextricably linked with our devaluation of mythology in the 21st century. From a philosophical point of view I especially admired the colourful way in which Campbell accounted for the dualism of the human predicament eg. In the Garden of Eden fall from unity into the knowledge of "good and evil". Buddhist conceptions of duality were also well integrated. However, in parts I found Campbell's message somewhat contradictory. Especially concerning the gnostic view that the material world is "bad", and the eternal world of the spirit, our real home. In some instances he seems to support this gnostic view, in others he wants us to embrace the tactile reality we find ourselves in, submerging ourselves in its goodness. Perhaps I just misunderstood. I would welcome enlightenment from fellow readers. Perhaps the greatest "take-away" for me was the value of investing myth into your everday world. As the Postmodern philosopher Rorty said: there is no true view of the world (even the scientific one), only a view which is the most useful. Personally I often find the meaninglessness of the materialist view pretty useless (for me, anyway), and a view rich with myth and mystical connotation might be infinitely more livable....
Anchor :: Philosophy & General :: Campbell :: Joseph :: United States :: Sociology of Religion :: Sociology :: Religious :: Religion historians :: Religion :: Philosophy :: Mytholo :: The Power of Myth