While is true that you can't make someone believe, even in the face of insurmountable evidence, when they have already firmly chosen not to believe, in spite of the evidence, it is a sad day when someone, (for previously formed opinions?) bashes a book based on bad evidence. The reviewer who wrote "Based on 18th century axioms, since proven false" is himself making a false statement. His claim that the Bible (did he even read it?) is not infallible because it was written by liars might be a good argument had his second premise ("we can conclusively deduce that liars wrote the Bible") been true. But it is not. The Bible does not claim to be written by men, it claims to be written by men under the inspiration of God (the Holy Spirit - second person of the Trinity). There is a big difference. (Maybe not if don't believe in - or at least acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit.) But even if you don't believe in the Holy Spirit, the Bible still does not claim to be authored by men alone, as the reviewer claims. Although I do agree with his first premise ("all men tell lies") his arguement still does not show that all men lie all the time, therefore it would not follow that the men who wrote the Bible were necessarily lying at the time they were writing the Bible. Also, if we took his premise that the Bible is written by liars because all men are liars, does it not follow that we could not believe what he has written (or the authors he recommends) because they to would be liars. How then could we ever believe anything anybody ever says?
Would it not be better (and more honest) to simply say "I do not like this book because I do not believe in God"?
The reviewer has not given us any reason to reject Mr. Watts premise that the Bible "ought to be our final rule". Therefore, Mr. Watt's premise still stands. And after 2000 years of people trying to make Jesus out to be a liar, no one, ever, has been able to. Jesus claimed to be God (the book of John). The only logical conclusion is that He is. Believe it or not.

Isaac Watts' Logic and his companion volume The Improvement of the Mind are among the most extraordinary books I've ever read. The way in which Dr. Watts systematically approaches the subject of reasoning and search for the truth in common or theological matters is unique and very thought provoking. This is a book that ought to be read by many more people.

This is probably not the book to read if one is looking for an introduction to the elementary principles of logic. Not because it is lacking in substance, but rather, the 18th century syntax will probably be too difficult for the less serious reader. But, for that reader who is willing and able to find a quiet cozy spot and finds meditating on ideas for hours on end pure bliss, this book will not disappoint. It is more than merely an elementary textbook on the rules of argumenation. The first 150 pages consist of Watts laying forth a theory of metaphysics which accounts for the nature of ideas, their objects, and the role of the senses in the collection and cultivation of knowledge. I found the book to be fascinating, precisely because Watts is such a careful and deep thinker. Regardless of whether one agrees with his metaphysical presentations of the nature of ideas, one cannot help but recognize that he was truly a gifted and brilliant thinker. Though he was mistaken on a number of theological and philosophical formulations, nevertheless, he stands (to me) as a wonderful example of one who knew of the aesthetic joy of thinking as a hobby and a habit. Buy this, find a cozy and quiet spot in a neighborhood pub or coffeeshop, and endulge yourself with this sweet little book.

Like GOLD, the previous "final collection" of Asimov's work from HarperCollins, MAGIC is divided into three separate sections: The Final Fantasy Stories, On Fantasy, and Beyond Fantasy. As a compilation, I found this to be a decent, if not exactly exciting, read. Asimov usually isn't a spectacular writer, but he can be an interesting and engaging one. Even if I didn't fall in love with any of the short pieces presented here, I can't say that I hated any of them either.

The first section contains the fictional content, and is made up of eleven short stories relating to the fantasy genre. Unfortunately, a full eight of these are Asimov's George-and-Azazel tales, which are enjoyable enough, but they dominate the book and are rather formulaic. An entry from Asimov's Black Widowers mystery series (which certainly would certainly seem to fit more under the mystery genre rather than the fantasy) and a couple of delightful fairy tale stories complete this segment. The worst charge that could be leveled at any individual story is that it's a bit dull, and the best ones are fun entertainment. They're amusing diversions, but nothing much more.

The second section contains non-fiction, Asimov's thoughts on various aspects of the fantasy genre. There aren't any earth-shattering revelations, but Asimov had a very enjoyable prose style that quickly and carefully brings his point of view across. Here he writes about Tolkien, applies scientific knowledge to traditional fairy tales (there's a humorous section where he calculates the speed of Seven League Boots, which strongly reminded me of the "how fast does Santa travel on Christmas Eve?" email that now seems to be a holiday staple), and discusses the origins of the genre and many of its staples.

The third section is entitled "Beyond Fantasy", as presumably the title "Things That Have Nothing To Do With Fantasy But We Wanted To Include Anyway" wouldn't fit on the page. That alternate title fairly accurately describes the contents of this section, as it tackles subjects as far ranging as "Ignorance In America" to evolution to translating ancient texts from their various ancient tongues. They aren't exactly the sorts of essays that one might expect to find in a fantasy anthology, but they make for fascinating reading all the same. Asimov's philosophies and beliefs always come across as commonsensical notions that have been explained to you by an expert. There are only seven short entries in this final group, and I wish there had been more, as I found this to be the most interesting section. Of course, as mentioned, the majority of these were so unrelated to the main topic that one should probably just be grateful that they were included in the first place.

No Asimov-completist's library will be whole without this volume, and even people with little interest in fantasy will probably find a few things to enjoy here. I read this book while making a transatlantic journey, and it was a great way to fill those deadening hours of airplane travel. MAGIC isn't a book that demands much from the reader, but it makes for very enjoyable light reading that is still head and shoulders above the average work of most other writers.

Asimov was such a great writer. In this book, he will make you laugh, will make you think, will make you imagine. If you want to get started on SciFi, I think this is a good book to start with. One of the short stories I liked the most was the one telling the real BATMAN story. Overall: good book.

Isaac Asimov was always a pioneer in writing. Here is his foray into the then-new area of Fantasy. Azazel, the 2 inch extra-dimesional being, and the well-meaning George star in most of the stories. Like the proverbial genie, George helps his family and friends realize their dreams and wishes which they come to find aren't what they really wanted. Also contains a few of Isaac's witty essays on fantastic creatures and figures. A must read for fantasy readers.

This book really seemed promising, with a great title and a very fine first 50 pages or so. But then it sort of gets lost, meandering through a survey of all sorts of disconnected research material. It seems to be saying the same things over and over, pozing interesting questions along the way, but always just leaving them on the table and moving on. I had to fight to read the last 50 pages (I hate not finishing books). Good cover and publishing job.

In another lifetime, I would have studied neurobiology--and this book would have been what inspired me. I read this book a decade ago, and recently re-read it. It's still as good; and is enhanced by Asimov's forward. The book touches on the relationship between who we are physically, and what we think. There are chapters explaining the intricate link between our senses (visual perception and sound, for example--how sound can sometime produce 'colors').

The Three-Pound Universe discusses madness, heaven and hell, god, the neurobiology of madness, altered states of consciousness....it touches on a lot, without going too in depth. It was a great introduction, one that inspired me to read more on the subject. If this book had been published in the 1980's, and I had stumbled on it in high school, it could have changed my life.

This is one of those books that end up profoundly affecting your life and your world view. I changed the direction of my career because of things I read in here. Take a chance and read it. You will never view the world quite the same again. It led me to read at least ten more books that were mentioned in it and they were great too. Reading this book is really a worthwhile way to spend your time.

I was truly excited when I saw this book. Isaac Asimov was one of the first SF authors I discovered, and one who left a lasting impression on me; so to get a glimpse behind the fiction (and nonfiction) into the mind of the man who wrote so much stimulating, intelligent prose was a rare treat indeed.

Unfortunately, a glimpse is all that is offered. These are not the complete letters of Isaac Asimov, revealing his thoughts in the full context of his correspondence; rather, they are selected paragraphs excerpted from his letters. The book contains not the mind of Isaac Asimov as he wished to reveal it to his correspondents, but only a few sparkling facets carefully chosen by the editor (Asimov's brother).

Ironically, in one of the paragraphs selected, Asimov reveals that he elected not to write for television or movies because he dreaded the inevitable rewrites and editing of his creations, a decimation of his ideas perpetrated outside of his control. I cannot help but wonder if those words even registered upon his brother's consciousness as he dropped that paragraph, ripped from its surrounding context, into that book full of similar contextual decimations of Asimov's ideas.

To get even those brief glimpses into the mind of Asimov was undeniably enjoyable. However, I cannot but hope that, some day, someone will release a book that DOES contain the letters of Isaac Asimov, rather than mere brief excerpts therefrom.

I am only 1/4 of the way through this, and I am really enjoying it (to my surprise). Stanley Asimov did a great job pulling thousands of Isaac's letters together (from over many years), and editing them for presentation. This is a great book for any fan of Isaac's writing. You may not agree with every view he wrote in his many letters, but you will have a new found respect for his incredible work (in quality & quantity).

This was a wonderful book. I have read this compilation three times now and I enjoy it more each time I am lost in it. What a wonderful glimpse into one of the Great Grand Masters of Science Fiction. Isaac's brother Stanley finished compiling and editing the letters to and from Isaac, which make up this book, shortly before his own death in 1995. Stanley Asimov was a Vice President at Newsday before his retirement in I believe 1992 and you can sure tell the way his professionalism comes through. Stanley had done his brother proud and given the rest of us true treasure.

I loved and still love Isaac's science fiction work and some of his non-fiction work. Reading this book I came to the realization that I abhorred the good Doctors political views. You know what. It doesn't matter. I like Asimov more after reading this book then before. Asimov's candor, honesty and optimism surpass ideology.

This is a very similar book to Grumbles from the Grave by Heinlein. The Heinlein book was a failure for reasons outlined in a review at Amazon about the book by me. The Asimov book is great. The letters are categorized by type rather then year making it easy to read and follow. The commentary is light so as not to be distracting but very helpful and insightful when it was put there.

Thank you Stanley for a great piece of editing work.

The story takes place in the first half of the 20th century, a bad time to be a Polish Jew. We know that the Nazis are right around the corner. This is not a story of Nazis, though. It's about the very active but painfully confused lives of Jews caught in between traditionalism and the modern world. Warsaw is as lively as New York's Lower East Side when it was throbbing with the vitality of Jewish immigrants. The main character of this book, Asa, is a young man whose grandfather was a revered rabbi, but who doesn't really believe in anything himself. His personal life is shattered, not only by traditionalism, but by his own modern faults. It's a good book but it's something of a train wreck, which is why I don't give it 5 stars.

As strange as it sounds, there is a parallel between The Family Moskat and Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude. Both start from a semi-mythic past where the family patriarch is larger than life, and then slowly spiral towards an ending in time where historical and psychological decay in the family and in society devolve into a nasty and brutish finale to the family line.

And in both, the overarching movement of history serves to eventually crush the life out of the family, despite secular individual eruptions of creativity, wealth, or love. For Marquez, history is driven by the crushing oppression of poverty and the unjust Latin American social structure. For Singer, history is driven by the crushing oppression of European anti-Semitism.

Believe me, Singer is not the writer that Marquez is--the narrative arc bogs down in parts, and he does not use magical realism to inflate his characters, as Marquez does. Singer's people remain much flatter and closer to life. They are common people, ones we can imagine meeting on the street, perhaps getting pinned in a corner at a party by one, or maybe brushing by them in a store.

But in some ways this makes The Family Moskat even more harrowing. For we know from the beginning that Polish Jewry in the early 1900's was doomed to be destroyed in the Holocaust--we already know the end with a dread certainty. Yet in this book we watch each character struggle for individual freedom, we cheer for them to succeed and rue their human failures, despite the fact that it all has to end in a pogrom or a gas chamber.

Singer shows us the full range of means Jews used to try to deny the chains of anti-Semitism that constrained their lives. There are Chasidim who fervently believe that the Messiah is coming any minute, and other Chasids who dervishly dance the Messiah home. Mystics lose themselves in the Kabbalah, if religious, or in seances, if agnostic. There are those who try to deny reality by living in the fleshly moment of sex and food, and those who live to accumulate wealth. Some run to America, and others to Palestine, and there are even those who convert to Christianity.

Communists, socialists, capitalists, the devout, converts, agnostics, atheists, scholars, debauchers--all have one thing in common; they are Jewish, and so are hated by all non-Jews around them. No matter how they try, they are defined by their birth and circumscribed and twisted by its mark. And eventually, they all will die in a chamber where the gas does not make discriminations between an agnostic Jew, a converted Jew, and a Chasid.

For American Jews, it is easy to forget that anti-Semitism has been a form of oppression as deep and destructive as that of the poor in Latin America. I am certain that Singer did not mean for this when he wrote The Family Moskat in the near aftermath of the Holocaust--it seems more a reverie for a lost world--yet this book is a potent reminder to never forget the dynamic of oppression and hatred that made the Holocaust not only possible, but desired by so many Europeans. It is a reminder that only a generation ago Jews shared the same oppression that others now face, so that perhaps for once someone can help the oppression end short of genocide.

This is a warm, multi-generation story about a large Jewish family in Warsaw and in my view Singer's finest novel. The focus is on the human relationships within the family, magnificently and movingly described; but the novel's edge comes from the constant intrusion of grim outside reality, the tormented history of Poland between the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and the second-world-war Nazi storming of the Warsaw Ghetto. Counterpoint between inner and outer reality, between public and private life, between flesh and spirit, makes this book not just another family saga but a statement about Jewish (and non-Jewish) humanity at large. In that, "The Family Muskat" is characteristic of Singer's work - it is his universality, not his particularity, which makes him one of the most respected writers in modern times.

I purchased this book hoping for recipes for incense and oils but was sadly disappointed. It contained primarily charts listing the various correspondences -- colors, candles, chakras, deities, tarot, stones, etc.

If you need a spellcasting reference book to remind you that red is for passion, that saffron is a fire herb, that Marduk was the Great God of Babylon, buy this book. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

This book gives simple easy to understand information. Her story at ther begining of the book touched my heart and spoke to me. I kept this with me everywhere I went till my 14 y/o decided to keep it-then I bought a second copy. Most inforamitve-this is not a book that gives theory and history about Witchcraft, just formulas and simple spells. I was a little put off by the fact it is a catalog of sorts for a store, but I havent bought from them so I dont feel it is pushed on the reader.

This was a book that I picked up, and at first just used as a reference. It is meant as a very basic beginners handbook for spellcasting, energies, and all things related. Give it a whirl, it's very enjoyable and easily interpretable.

I borrowed this book from a friend to read recently. I am a secondary school teacher of chemistry in England (11 to 18 year olds) and I was interested to see whether I could pick up any anecdotes or teaching tips from the book, as well as expand my general knowledge of chemistry.

I found the book to be very easy to read. The complexities of chemistry are largely demystified and the writing is both simple and full of enthusiasm for the subject. The key point that Asimov puts over is that highly complicated concepts can be broken down into a series of logical, simple steps that most students can understand. There are also lots of little anecdoates that can be used in class as throwaway lines to emphasise a point.

A final comment concerning the book: although it was written in the 1960's, much of what Asimov predicts has come true, whether it concern space travel, global warming, increased use of computers etc. It is clear that he has an excellent understanding of chemistry, and the capability to put this understanding and enthusisasm over in a easy-to-read manner.

This is a collection of 17 essays written between 1959 and 1966. It's an anecdotal approach to chemistry. Plenty of history (the whos and the hows) along with the facts and figures.

It makes a good booster for high school or college students looking to understand what they're learning in class. Provides a different perspective than the typical textbook. I bought this when I was in high school and just looking to round out my understanding of chemistry; I've kept it long past that because it's just plain a good book to have around. It's not comprehensive but it does an interesting job with the topics it does tackle. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

i have enjoyed these books several times, several years apart. good reading that i enjoyed.

In the 1950's, Isaac Asimov, writing under the pseudonym Paul French (later the books were republished under the Asimov name), wrote six science fiction novels for teenagers about a young agent of the "Council of Science," an organization which has considerable power in a world in the distant future. The agent, David Starr, travels throughout the Solar System to combat crime and to protect Earth. Asimov was using these stories to teach the readers facts about the Solar System. Nevertheless, in an introduction written in 1978, Asimov apologizes for the science inaccuracies in this first volume that are now apparent after all of the space probes to Mars. But, as of 1952, it was accurate. (Actually, this introduction to a later reprinting of a science fiction novel is rather unique. I can not recall another author who makes an effort to point out the changes scientific investigation have provided since the original publication of a story. Asimov should be commended for this. In so doing, he continues to teach.) In this first story, David Starr must discover who is the cause of a series of fatal poisonings on Earth and who is blackmailing the farms on Mars. In so doing, he accidentally comes in contact with ancient Martians living beneath the surface.

It is tempting to compare this dictionary with the The Penguin Dictionary of Physics (ISBN 0-14-051459-7). They are both coming from an established British publishing house, both are paperbacks, both the same size, both updated in the same year (2000), and, curiously, they have both been prepared by Market House Books, Ltd.

Jumping to the conclusion that we are talking about variations of the same book would have been erroneous, though. A quick glance at the inside reveals the differences. Although the difference in the nominal number of terms defined is not that great (4500 for Penguin vs. 3500 - sometimes claimed even 4000 - for Oxford), the subjective feeling is that Penguin knows a lot more terms. Oxford, on the other hand, also contains short biographies of selected scientists, articles on each of the 109 chemical elements, some dozen two-page feature articles on selected topics like Big Bang, Free Electron Theory etc, and about just as many chronologies of selected areas of physics. Also, the definition of terms are on average longer in the Oxford dictionary - the definition of "orbital" is, for instance, two whole pages long, "death of a star" takes up one and a half page, etc. The illustrations in Penguin vastly outnumber those in Oxford, but I found those latter more informative. Both delve into technology as well, especially semiconductor technology, and, for my opinion, spend (or waste) too much space on computer science technology. Do we really need CPU, RAM, CD-ROM, DAT etc. defined in a Physics dictionary?

Which one is more useful? As a non-native speaker, it is likely that I use it differently than a native speaker would, so your mileage may vary. I've been educated in physics in my native language, and I think in it when I think physics. When I have to write in English, I occasionally encounter a term which I am not quite sure whether I know the correct English expression, although it is lurking somewhere in the back of my head. So it's a time to check it in the dictionary. It is likely that I will already find it in Penguin, and not find it in Oxford. In the latter case, I have to look for a broader term to find it. Searching through Oxford is therefore somewhat more time-consuming. However, the process is reversed when I don't already know in advance the term I want to check, but I do know the broader term, then Oxford comes in more handy. So, in a way, I find the two dictionaries complementary.

General describtion: This book describes hundreds if not thousands of different concepts of physics, in just a few lines. It covers concepts of brand new physics like string theory, and explains the most important concepts like relativity in a several pages long, well understandable article.

Style: Since I used this book to quickly find out what a certain concept meant, I was not always completely known with the physics sometimes required to understand the concept. Because of that, their were a few occasions were it was no use, because to be able to understand concept A, you first needed to grasp B, which required you to know C and so on. This however, is more to blame on me, for me wanting to know things I don't actually need to know, and therefor I often didn't have the required physics at hand. Complete 'newbies' to physics should not buy this, since one should be a bit familiar with basic physics, because the dictionary often refers to other concepts, to explain a certain subject.

Layout: It's naturally alfabetically sorted, but it lacks the black boxes at the side some dictionaries have, that indicate where a new letter starts. Looking things up is generally not a problem.

Plus: *At the back some good appendixes, rather usefull, though too few too my taste, but I usually want too much. *Very up-to-date

Minus: *No 'black boxes' that indicate where the letters start *The dictionary sometimes liked to refer too much to other concepts, causing that you need to read 25 different concepts to understand one single concept.

This book has very nice pictures of the 356. There are, however, few of the US specification Porsche. The book, being a British publication, has a lot of photos of cars produced for the UK market. There are some really beautiful cars to drool over in here!

112 pages and lots of very nice photographs (about 200), all in colour. The text is nicely wrapped around the photographs. The photographs are all especially made for this book, so they are all new and unpublished before.

The book forms an attractive and detailed guide to the Porsche 356 and the illustrations, besides being very nice, provide a good and complete reference source. It's the book to own when you like the classic lines of the Porsche 356.

A "coffee table" book (as opposed to a workshop manual). Stunning colour photographs throughout and an excellent condensed history of the type. You would not be dissapointed with this purchace. I am certainly very proud of it.