I've only gotten half way through it but this is a wonderful book! Dr. Pearce writes with authority and grace, and has read widely and compiled the most essential findings from the ongoing revolution in the biology of intelligence. Surprisingly, it turns out that our hearts are largely composed at the cellular level of glia and neurons, and connections with our brain and nervous systems are so extensive that one could refer to the heart as the fifth brain. I've read in the other reviews where one reader refers to the author as a "psychopath". This is really hard to swallow, especially considering Dr. Pearce's straightforward honesty, humility and humour in describing some extraordinary experiences from his quite extraordinary life. It's also rather ironic that such slander should be thrown at a person who has devoted a lifetime to investigating and exposing how our industrial, materialist society twists our youth's natural processes of intellectual and emotional growth... and spurs instead, at a biological and neurological level, the deformity of violence against self and others.

Reviewed by Elliot A. Ryan and Charles O. Bubar

Many books have one or a handful of fundamental concepts. This book has dozens, woven together in a powerful fabric to provide intelligent clothing for a new paradigm of transcendence. A major argument of this book is that transcendence, the ability to go beyond limitation and restraint, is our biological birthright, built into us genetically, and blocked by enculturation. It is an inspired and heretical work as all great truths are heretical in the context of the culture that encounters them.

Depending on your cultural and religious background, it will be either joyful or somewhat disturbing to read. Nevertheless, for those who deeply understand its profound implications, The Biology of Transcendence can be a blueprint for a new paradigm in child development.

In this powerful work, Pearce draws on research from a wide range of the physical, social, biological, and medical sciences. His bibliography contains over 100 sources from Frederick Leboyer on birth and bonding to Paul MacLean on the brain, Jean Piaget on development, John and Beatrice Lacey on the heart, the Holy Bible on religion, David Bohm and Rupert Sheldrake on science, and Rudolph Steiner on spirituality.

Joseph Chilton Pearce reveals the biological and neurological underpinnings that help us discover the underlying principles of our own deepest nature.

This is a book which can be productively read numerous times, each time grasping more of the interrelationships among the fundamental concepts and understanding their implications for our own lives and those of our children.

This book deserves to be a best seller, yet even as the Bible is a best seller, the Bible is often not read by those who own it - or if read, may be fundamentally misunderstood. In the same way that the Bible is a profound affirmation of spiritual possibility and an indictment of "the world", The Biology of Transcendence is an affirmation of our transcendent birthright and an indictment of cultures which oppose this birthright.

An important goal of culture is to inhibit destructive impulses and behaviors. Unfortunately, culture can result in a failure in nurturing and a consequent failure in the brain development of the child's prefrontal cortex - the brain system which, when developed and integrated, internally inhibits the same destructive impulses and behaviors in children and adults which culture has failed to externally control.

Pearce offers evidence of the growing failure in nurturing of children in the United States and the increase in destructive impulses and behavior. By the end of the 20th Century, 6000 American children and teens were being killed annually by their peers. Further, suicide has become the third highest cause of death by youth between ages 5 and 17, with suicide attempts in this age group occurring on the average every 78 seconds.

Pearce shares many of the transcendent experiences of his own life of 83 years, which provided his powerful personal motivation to understand the true nature and source of these experiences and the framework of child development principles which can open this potential to our children.

In explanation of "unconflicted behavior" he describes two such instances from his own life that occurred due to his discovery in his early 20s of how "to bypass my body's most ancient instincts of self-preservation, which resulted in a temporary absence of all fear and subsequent abandonment of all caution. This enabled me, at particular times, to accomplish things that would have been considered impossible under the ordinary conditions of the world," (1) such as sleep and operate a check-proofing machine at the same time plus take customary coffee breaks and (2) climb a sheer cliff straight up from the ocean with an overhang at the top. His implicit trust in the force of unconflicted behavior operated the check-proofing machine and propelled his body up through an avalanche of dust and debris. Unconflicted behavior allows no space for doubt.

Pearce sees these fundamental concepts as part of the process of building lifeboats to ferry humankind out of a growing chaos and into a new realm of transcendent possibility. These concepts provide affirmation of the innate intelligence of mothers who possess strength and self-confidence, who are deeply spiritual in a personal sense, who exhibit freedom, and who exude inner security, confidence, and the intelligence of the heart. For fathers, their most important role is to provide mothers with a safe space, free from fear during pregnancy, childbirth, and their son's or daughter's early childhood years, so that the child's safe space is never in question. After the first three years, the father provides the model for bridging between the nest and the world.

Pearce's The Biology of Transcendence has the ability to transform the reader's mind, and ultimately, life. This compelling novel shows why humans are stuck in a realtiy of violence and hatred, and how we can transcend that reality. Pearce explains the different parts of the human mind scientifically, but in a way any reader can understand. The importance of the heart is revealed, and Pearce discusses the field effect and the model imperative. In the second section, the book gives a stunning description of where we have gone wrong, and that one of the main problems is Christianity. The last part of the book tells us how the world can change for the better, and how we can be part of that transformation. Although The Biology of Transcendence can be difficult for a reader not well-versed in science and philosophy, no one should put this one down before the last page. Pearce explains everything and gives us a good picture of modern man.

This book is the wellspring of Fitzgerald's literary genius. The first treat is Brucolli's informed selection of Scott's some 165 works and his brief, beautiful preface...followed by 43 perfectly crafted gems from the master: Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. I read a clutch of Fitzgerald novels in my late teens. More than 20 years later, I started on this impeccable volume, which unfurled an additional world of wonders. Brucolli has gathered the best of Fitzgerald's short stories--in other words, the best of 20th century American short fiction--and provided brief, illuminating introductory passages for each journey into Scott's glorious prose. Some stories are realistic, while others are full of phantasm. Some are cruel and unnerving, while others are sweet and whimsical. But all of them are informed by Scott's style: poetic, melancholy, vibrant, forlorn, youthful, aged, dated, and eternally modern. I literally fell in love with Fitzgerald over the course of this book. He may have been an alcoholic spendthrift in life. But, in the undying world of words, he was a man of almost painfully honed sensibilities. Prepare yourself for a slow read--because you'll want to reread each phrase, each sentence, each paragraph, and each story....over and over again. This century has produced a pantheon of titanic American masters of short fiction: Hemingway, Faulkner, Welty, O'Connor, Cheever, Porter, Jewett, Stegner. Yet, when the sun sets, Scott Fitzgerald, gone too soon at 44, towers above all. Buy it! You'll savor it for a lifetime.

As a devoted admirer of the form, I can tell you that this book has more gems in it, POUND FOR POUND that virtually any other book of it's type.

Do you enjoy the poetry of Keats and the other Romantic poets? Do you enjoy Shakespeare's sonnets? Then you'll LOVE this book. It BREATHES, it shivvers with vitality and lyricism. I've read the entire book twice, and individual stories like "Rich Boy", "Babylon Revisited", "Absolution"; which many consider as a trial for the "Great Gatsby", "Jacob's Ladder", "Winter Dreams", etc., too many times to recount. THERE IS BEAUTY AND POETRY IN THE WRITING! Does the plot always nail us to our chairs? No, not even in Gatsby; but the writing does. That is why I agree with Gertrude Stein's assesment of Fitzgerald vis-a-vis Hemingway: That his flame burns a little brighter. She was so enraptured by "Gatsby", that she drew a line on her wall, with the request to "please, next time, write one THIS thick".

Are they all great? Well, to a degree, greatness is in the eye of the beholder. SOME individual stories which are raved over by critics and readers alike leave me relatively cold. "Benjamin Button"; the case of a person born elderly and "aging" in reverse, to me reads like bad science fiction. "Diamond as Big as the Ritz", is interesting only in several short sections in which Fitzgerald is trying to describe the most opulent scene which his fertile imagination can create. The rest of if to me is more farce than satire; and what precious little satire is available, seems a bit threadbare.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A SENSITIVITY FOR PURE POETRY, you can not help but be moved by this book. Look at it this way, Hemingway wrote "Moveable Feast", BECAUSE HE WAS INTIMIDATED BY FITZGERALD. Did Fitzgerald drink too much? Sure he did, but so did Joyce, Faulkner, Lardner, and Hemingway himself. It's nothing but lamentable, but we can't start disregarding writers because of their personal habits, or we're all going to be reading O Henry and James Whitcomb Riley.

Did Fitzgerald flunk out of college? Yes, that is true also, but Hemingway didn't even GO TO COLLEGE, and has a memorable quote in a short story that "education is an opiate of the people". Edmund Wilson was a fantastic scholar--and a boring writer. Don't judge the EXTRANEOUS, judge the writing itself. Don't confuse brilliance with being an academic. Einstein himself was a "C" student.

Too much is made about Fitzgerald's own negative assessment regarding his short stories. Scott could never handle pressure. He attributed this facility for "wavering at the critical moment" as a bequeathal from his father. It may have made him feel better to belittle the work he did everyday to earn his bread--so at least he could not be held to his own impossibly high standards for something so mercenary, or so goes the logic. But he was craving desperatly for money during much of his life, so doesn't logic also imply that if he could earn more money for ONE story than the years of labor that went into "Tender is the Night" , that he would put forth something VERY CLOSE TO HIS BEST? When he was flat broke and his daughter and wife needing support and if his story wasn't accepted by a major magazine of the time, they would suffer terrible consequences? I can guarantee you that he tried and very hard. The proof as they say is in the pudding.

This book deserves a PROMINENT PLACE in any library where the premium is paid to writing for its own beauty and elegance. You too will wish this book of short stories was a little "thicker" by the time you finish it.

For God's sake, you should by this book if for no other reason than to honor the man's life. The fact that it IS so good, is more of a break than we typically get in life.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote tons of stories during his lifetime--something around 134, total. This book, however, contains the most elite chunk of those writings. To start, "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is one of Fitzgerald's most-read stories. I have read it myself, but have found better ones. "The Ice Palace", for instance, has a remarkable ability to make its readers walk away saying "I relate to this!". "May Day", my personal favorite, is about people on top sinking to the bottom, and people on the bottom sinking lower. At least, that's the abridged summary, there's alot more to it then that. "Winter Dreams" is another winner, but I liked "May Day" better. All of his stories generally pertain to Fitzgerald's masterpiece, "The Great Gatsby". In other words, they all contain that one character desperately searching for the missing piece of the puzzle. That can be either the one element that would make his/her life complete, or launch it in a different direction. Why does he do this so well? Because this theme is partially autobiographical. Fitzgerald started off at Princeton where he made hardly any friends. Then he moved on to the Southern US when he joined the army. This is where he met Zelda. But Zelda did not want to marry him due to his lack of money. So Fitzgerald began writing in persuit of the dollar to support Zelda. His plan worked and he was a big success...for a while. Then he moved, in despiration, to Europe in order to gain a better status. This didn't work either and he ended up dying in Hollywood at age 40. His wife, Zelda, went mad and was institutionalized a few years prior. This should be kept in mind as you read his short stories, there are definate parallels!

The story of JPK's life is just as sordid as you have been led to believe. As another reviewer here says, Mass. voters should read this before continuing to sustain this political dynasty. Maybe they just don't care how corrupt their "public servants" are. I was aware of JPK's ties to organized crime and the lucrative bootlegging business he ran in the 20's, but this book relates a great deal of info on how he engaged in insider trading and stock pools before laws were passed to make these activities illegal. Ironic that JPK was the first SEC chairman. The prose here is typical newspaper journalist fare: it's written so that people with a typical substandard American education can read it without too much trouble. The author also helpfully explains events about which any American citizen ought to be at least a little bit knowledgeable. I haven't read the Whalen book on JPK (1964) to compare the writing; it can't be much worse than in this book. However, this book may have the advantage of including facts that have come to light in the last 30 years.

This book truly reflects the character of Joe Kennedy: ambitious, ruthless, and charismatic. To really understand Jack and Bobby Kennedy, one has to understand their old man. His influence on their lives was indelible, and in many ways, tragic. But I think the author could have done a better job of bringing out the fact that even Joe Kennedy's children saw his flaws and often remarked privately that they didn't agree with him. Bobby Kennedy was a true friend to Israel in his latter years (remember why he was shot to death), and yet his father was virulently anti-semitic.

Kessler puts forth a most direct and cards-on-the-table account of Joseph as the patriarch and architect of today's most powerful political family. Its an interesting account of how Joe bullied his children to do as he wanted when he wanted; Joe Jr died in WWII, so he decided it was Jack that was going into politics and become the first Catholic President of the United States, something that Joe Sr had failed at. This book goes to dispel the illusion effectively, and rightfully, that the Kennedy Clan was a model family for the annals of American History. I highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the history of the Kennedy Clan.

I'm using Ed Tetz's book to study for my A+ exams, and I have found it to be very clear and easy to understand. The "A+ Certification Bible" is a fairly comprehensive technical computer book , that provides end of chapter multiple choice test questions. This book also includes simulate test questions on a CD-rom. It is also packed with pictures, diagrams, and descriptive learning objectives. This is a great book for computer owners and professional technicians alike. It has large easy to read type, is well illustrated . This is a great book to help you "ace" the A+ exam. I definitely recommend this book.

The A+ Certification Bible is an addition to the rapidly expanding bookshelf of study guides which aim to address the new A+ objectives set out by the compTIA.

Each chapter within this book, targets specific objectives by providing comprehensive information on the relevant technologies, end of chapter questions, scenarios, and a number of lab exercises.

By injecting an element of personality into its text, avoiding technical waffle and making liberal use of photos and diagrams, the A+ Certification Bible is as pleasurable to read as it is informative.

Due to its comprehensive and accessible content I recommend this book as an essential purchase for those who want a resource which will serve as a useful reference in the future as well as providing the necessary knowledge to pass the A+ exams.

CompTIA has released the newest version of the A+ exam and it is very important to make sure you stay on top of the objectives in order to ensure you pass both exams on the first go round.

In this 1,150 page book there is seven parts, each part taking a piece of the exams and breaking them down in a manner that makes it understandable and covers the exam objective very well.

From part 1 - Hardware like CPU, motherboards, RAM, CMOS to part2 - installing and configuring hardware, peripherals and portables. Part 3 is the troubleshooting section. While part 4 deals with the OS basics in the areas like commands and file management.

Part5 is the installation and configuration of Windows 9.x, NT Workstation and 2000 Professional followed up with part 6 as the troubleshooting section for the Operating systems. Finally Part 7 - networking. There are labs; review questions step by step instructions and cd with test question using the Boson engine.

Overall I would say the author has put together a real winner.

I first learned of Eva Peron through a recording of "Evita," the musical play based on her life. Peron, who served as First Lady of Argentina before her untimely death in 1952, was one of the most intriguing women of the 20th century. "In My Own Words: Evita" contains an English translation of a document (entitled "My Message") that claims to be Evita's deathbed testament.

In addition to this document (which has been translated from Spanish by Laura Dail), the book also contains several other components: a 46-page introduction by Joseph A. Page; an account of an interview with Juan Jiminez Dominguez, who was an aide to Evita in her final days (the account is written by Alberto Schprejer); a collection of black-and-white photographs from Evita's life and career; a few facsimile pages from the contested manuscript; and a chronology of Evita's life.

As Page notes, the authenticity of the document has been contested. Was it really dictated by Evita? How much of it is reliable? We may never know. But if it is authentic, it affords a fascinating window into the mind of this extraordinary woman. The document is largely a single-minded defense of Peronism, the political philosophy of Evita's husband, Argentine President Juan Peron. The document speaks of "the absolute truth of Peronism" with a sort of religious fervor. Also interesting is the document's support for a revolutionary, socially-conscious Christianity; if the document is authentic, then Evita could be seen as a forerunner of Latin American liberation theology.

The document's weakness is the fact that it seems to be more a political treatise than a true personal testament. But the document, Page's introduction, and the other materials in this book are still very interesting. Eva Peron is a true international cultural icon, and those who have been captured by her spell should explore this controversial, intriguing book.

Yes, this book is undoubtedly Peronist propaganda. But, as Fraser and Navarro point out in "Evita: The Real Story of Eva Peron," Evita meant every word she said. Evita asked the people to give their lives for Peronism, but she led by example and gave /her/ life for Peronism - which is something much different from what most politicians do, say one thing and then do the other.

Evita was not perfect, she was a human being limited by time and place, as we all are. Just as she was no better than any of us, she was no worse than any of us either. Evita did many wonderful things to empower women (for one, she helped Argentine women get the vote. A commemorative peso, with Evita's profile on the front, has been issued in Argentina for the 50th anniversay of the law granting for women the right to vote), and to inspire the poor, including building schools in the poorest neighborhoods, and building thousands of houses for the homeless. And thanks to Evita's foundation (which, by the way, was NOT a cover for extortion, though many people have claimed that it was. There has never been any evidence to support these wild accusations), and through the training of thousands of nurses and the employment of the most advanced medical equipment available at the time, there was for the first time in Argentine history no inequality in health care. She did a lot of wonderful things that she is seldom given credit for. People seem unable to get past the fact that she was so beautiful and so aware of the power of media representation - what can I say? Evita was ahead of her time. Why does society have trouble understanding that beautiful women can also be intelligent, and that it /is/ possible for beautiful women to achieve success in life without it meaning that they had to "sleep around" to get that success? See, Evita was a feminist in many ways, but she was a feminist with the power to help pass laws that helped women, amoung them the law that made divorce legal. Some people will never be able to forgive her for not remaining constrained by the dictates of a conservative society's ideas of what women should be.

As for the allegations that Evita and Juan Peron were involved in "such corruption," well, name me ONE politician who /wasn't/ involved in corruption. Let's keep in mind that the United States was founded by slave owners who wrote "All men are created equal." Isn't it corrupt to then go against one's own words and hold slaves? Or shall we just brush that bit of American history under the rug and feel smug to point out the errors of foreign leaders? Yes, there was corruption in the Peronist government - but there is corruption in EVERY government. Let's keep in mind that leaders, all of them, are human. This doesn't excuse corruption, it just helps us remember that we are all cut of the same imperfect cloth.

I would recommend this book for those who are interested in learning about Evita's inner life. Again, yes, it /is/ propaganda, but she meant and lived by and believed what she said. Even her most venomous opponents admitted that she lived by her romantic and idealized Peronist rhetoric. In her will Evita wrote, "If I have committed any errors, I know God will forgive me because I committed them out of love." And I hope a male dominated society will some day forgive Evita for having been so powerful (by some estimates, the most powerful woman of the 20th century) and for not being what they wish she was - a shallow, empty-headed bimbo who only got where she was because of her looks. If you are someone who is willing to look beyond the myths and prejudiced opinions, then I would recommend you reading this book.

Of all the books I've read on Eva, this has to be my favorite. I was glad to see a more personal side of Eva, to read her own thoughts. It was intriguing to read more about Eva's personal life and feelings (i.e. towards her husband) rather than the deeds she did, which I feel most people are already aware of. No matter how well the authors of other books "knew" Eva, there will always be a certain something lacking. No one will ever know Evita as well as she knew herself. Therefore, I recommend this book to anyone searching for a more personal side of Eva Peron: Spiritual Leader of the Nation (Argentina).

This book is really for the Soviet cognesceti since it does not have enough rigor and scholarship to qualify as a primary text. Nevertheless, it is a measure of the "through the looking glass" criminality of the Soviet experiment that the reader is constantly asking whether the author's account could be true. A quick read but "Caution-Thin Ice" Perhaps better to stick with Amy Knight, R. Conquest, Volkoganov pending corroboration.

Peter Deriabin served in Naval SMERSH, the Guards Directorate and the Foreign Intelligence Directorate of the KGB in Moscow and Vienna. His story of the "Saboteur-Doctor's" , Kirov's death, Stalin's murder by Beria, Beria's removal, and the Sled-Chast [special investigative unit]reveals what those serving in Lubyanka at the time knew of these events as they occurred. His version of Stalin's murder has never been told in print before this book. While some of the stories told originate from close KGB friends, others are supported by various authors and news account cited in the end notes, and Deriabin's own experiences. Deriabin provides new information about KGB officers known to many. The chapters about his defection Vienna are well documented. Joseph Evans, an experienced CIA clandestine service officer, worked with Deriabin for years and finished the book after Deriabin's death. This is a remarkable contribution to the intelligence literature with many new details of the KGB as it functioned under Stalin.

This is the memoir of a high ranking officer within the bodyguard administration of the Kremlin (Stalin's bodyguards). The author is the only know member of Stalin's bodyguards know to have escaped to the West. This book was published some 6 years after the author's death. The interworkings of the dark side within Stalin's Kremlin is detailed. The book mainly details the Stalin Beria relationship and the author's conclusions of how the ruthless Beria ultimately murdered Stalin. A very captivating and intriguing read, the book is filled with little known details of the Stalin era and fills in the gap where other books leave out. This book tackles the big issues-Stalin's death-by providing the knowledge learned by the author, who was there. Other works simply don't discuss this. As a memoir with an easy suspenseful read, history buffs must focus on the details throughout the work. The author does substantiate claims made. The author clearly shows how Stalin was losing his power and protection in the year prior to his death. Beria's behind the scene maneuverings and Stalin's own paranoia were responsible for much of the stripping of Stalin's protection. (The author even provides a list of those fired or executed during Stalin's last months in chapter 14.) Even on the pages of Pravda Stalin was reduced to Secretary from General Secretary-as Pravda had always printed-announcing that Stalin's position was weakening. It is these significant facts added to the author's own experiences that give new weight to Stalin's demise. As far as I am aware, other works have not mentioned this. Another example is the author's revelation that Stalin murdered his wife, and how he was almost removed as leader because of it. The author then reveals that Stalin ordered the executions of all the doctors who signed her death certificate (verified by other sources) to cover his tracks. That the gun used to kill her was Stalin's. It is these added details that give credence to the author's claims. He goes beyond other works. The author does not hesitate to address controversial areas. After reading the author's first book, The Secret World, first published in 1959, which is a complete autobiography of the author that details his extensive career in the KGB and the Communist Party, I understood the terror that Stalin spread through his reign. The author has written many books about Russia and has used his experience from within to share with his audience. A gripping account of great historic value. Highly recommended.

Took a college course entitled survey of physiology of psychology last fall. The textbook we used was physiology of behavior by Neil R. Carlson. A few weeks into the class I purchased synaptic self and began reading it. Stopped reading after about half way through because I lacked the necessary mental framework to understand the gist. After finishing the physiology course I picked up synaptic self and started over from page one.

From my point of view the average person with no prior knowledge of brain physiology would be in need of some sort of primer before attempting this book. There are 11 chapters. Chapters 1-10 read like a college textbook in order to set up the author's final conclusion in chapter 11. The last chapter is my only complaint about the book, because I thought his main point wasn't elaborated enough.

This book is as good as a popular science book can be, and explains in easy terms some of the most important concepts in neuroscience. For this it should be widely read. However, Ledoux wants to explain the self, and not only to write a popular book on cognitive neuroscience. Now, given that it is very difficult not to accept that the self at some level is nothing but synapses, Ledoux does seem to base the self on neurobiological mechanisms. But this is no more enlightening than sayying that vision, attention, language, or even qualia are nothing but synapses, claims that at some level must also be correct. So one would expect the bulk of the book to develop principles that tie or at least correlate the self with brain mechanisms. Do we get this in Synaptic Self? well, yes and no.

Ledoux concentrates on memory, having in his last book focused on emotion. He explains memory systems from molecules to circuits, with the classical and most recent findings, including some from his own lab. He also gives a quick overview of the emotional systems of the brain, the working memory complex of the prefrontal cortex, and motivational systems of neuromodulator and brainstem and thalamocortical systems. He calls that the mental trilogy, namely cognition, emotion and motivation. Ledoux also wrote a nice chapter on some brain diseases that seem to alter these functions selectively. And thats it. Ledoux has explained the self. Or has he? Well, memory, emotion, cognition and motivation surely contribute to the making of the self, especially memory. How much of a self is left in a retrograde and anterograde severe amnesic? But this is not saying that putting them together is all the self is about. Its like saying vision, attention and waking are what consicousness is. Vision provides content, attention access, and waking a necesary condition for consicousness, but together they are not the phenomenon in question. I bring out consicousness because Ledoux says the really hard and important question in neuroscience is the self, and not consciousness. To me it seems almost silly to try to understand the former without the latter.

Ledoux then forgets about the feeling of the self itself, the possible bases of it on body schemas and body signals, the primacy of movement. He does touch on volition and free will, and is as naturalistic about these issues as one can be, which I think is a good thing. The final chapter presents 7 principles he can extract from his discussions, and meybe here we can find his theory of the self. Unfortunately, he seems just to add another thing, binding, to the picture. So binding, convergence zones, emotion and motivation, memory, placticity, hebbbian mechanisms of memory, together are the self. Again, I would say they are an important part of the self, but not the self itself. I may be wrong or maybe dogmatic about what would count as an explanation for the self. Maybe there is nothing more to the self than those mechanisms Ledoux lists. But work in theorethical neuroscience like by Damasio, or Patricia Churchland and philosophers like Bermudez show that the self is more complex than Ledoux seems to think.

At the end this book is of value, and I never said it did not make progress on the problem of the neurobiology of the self. However, it does not by any means solve it. It presents a nice theory of the integration of cognitive and affective mechanisms, and manages to cover a great deal of issues in simple terms, and that is always an achievement.

LeDoux starts his first chapter with a quote from Bart Simpson: "Dad, what is the mind? Is it just a system of impulses or something tangible?" My kind of humor.

LeDoux's Synaptic Self is a wonderful book loaded with clear understandable explanations and insights (his wife, a "fantastic writer," assisted) on how the brain works based on the most current neuroscience (e.g., how neurons/synapses/neurotransmitters/neuro modulators work/don't work, implicit/explicit learning/memory mechanism explanations, nature/nurture considerations, the "mental trilogy" of cognition/emotion/motivation, and much more). The book's bottom-line, he writes, is "you are your synapses." With this book, "know thyself," and even fix thyself, seem more attainable. It's a book I'll reread/study for a while.

The following are quotes from the last chapter:

Life requires many brain functions, functions require systems, and systems are made of synaptically connected neurons. We all have the same brain systems, and the number of neurons in each brain system is more or less the same in each of us as well. However, the particular way those neurons are connected is distinct, and that uniqueness, in short, is what makes us who we are.

What is remarkable is that synapses in all of these systems are capable of being modified by experience... Emotion systems [as an example]... are programmed by evolution to respond to some stimuli, so-called innate or unconditioned stimuli, like predators or pain. However, many of the things that elicit emotions in us or motivate us to act in certain ways are not preprogrammed into our brains as part of our species heritage but have to be learned by each of us. Emotion systems learn by association - when an emotionally arousing stimulus is present, other stimuli that are also present acquire emotion-arousing qualities (classical conditioning), and actions that bring you in contact with emotionally desirable stimuli or protect you from harmful or unpleasant ones are learned (instrumental conditioning.) As in all other types of learning, emotional associations are formed by synaptic changes in the brain system involved in processing the stimuli. Some of the brain's plastic emotional processors include systems involved in detecting and responding to danger, finding and consuming food, identifying potential mates and having sex.

Because synaptic plasticity occurs in most if not all brain systems, one might be tempted to conclude that the majority of brain systems are memory systems. But [as LeDoux argues in chapter 5], a better way of thinking about this is that the ability to be modified by experience is a characteristic of many brain systems, regardless of their specific function. Brain systems, in other words, were for the most part not designed as storage devices - plasticity is not their main job assignment. They were instead designed to perform particular tasks like processing sounds or sights, detecting food or danger or mates, controlling actions, and so on. Plasticity is simply a feature that helps them do their job better.

Functions depend on connections: break the connections and you lose the functions...

From LeDoux's Synaptic Self

Many years ago I picked up a copy of 'Catch 22' and found myself totally engrossed for a whole weekend. The book was funny, original and unlike anything I have read before or since. I have read this novel no less than 5 times and have been recommending it to people for years.

I picked up Heller's memoir expecting the same witty bizarre writing as that in C22 but alas it was not to be. Quite a lot of Heller's memoir is based around growing up in Coney Island. I would suggest that this section of the memoir would be of interest to people either live or have lived in or around that locale.

What I was hoping for was more detail into the events which shaped Heller's views and eventually gave rise to C22. There is some detail of his wartime exploits but it is very quickly skirted over and dosen't leave one any wiser as to how/why Heller developed his bizarre comical view of the world and war as depicted so clearly in C22.

Perhaps I do him an injustice with the inevitable comparison but there is little evidence of the witty, clever writing so abundant in C22. In fairness though Heller seems to have been more interested in writing a frank succinct account of his life and times, particularly growing up in Coney Island. Notwithstanding these criticisms Heller does bare his soul here and discusses openly very personal details of his life. There is some sadness . The Father he never knew is an aspect of his life he discusses in great detail. The memoir however ends on a positive note as he reflects on his health, his achievements and his general outlook on life.

One is left with the impression of a fundamentally decent guy. Someone whom it would be nice to know and maybe share a beer with.

From the author's point of view the devil's bargain involved in producing a massive, iconic work like Catch 22 precludes literary relaxation. Like it or not, the reader-fanship base will forever be on the lookout for those nuggets of pure genius that enriched, even changed, their lives. But, like it or not, literary relaxation is what Heller delivers in this beautiful, delicate memoir, a book that easily transcends the nostalgic epitaph it might have been and instead, appropriately, resonates like a profound, spiritual coda, inciting the would-be writer. This is mostly about the rites of passage of an average young man, bred averagely in Coney Island in the thirties and forties, growing through the anguish of war to the illuminated empowerment of a life of the imagination. Heller writes with such ease that is surprising to read of his literary failures - and surprising to discover that editor Ron Gottlieb cut 50 pages off the front of Catch 22 before publishing it. There is color and anecdote aplenty, but what prevails is a sense of modesty and curiosity, a delight in humanity and a cast-iron sense of humor. This isn't a "how to" writer's manual, but it has that kind of inspriational energy. It also possesses that leanness of exposition that makes for great American writing - a sinewy, non-adjectival poetry in direct lineage from Mark Twain and far superior to the flowery excesses of comparable contemporary memoirs from the other side of the Atlantic. Poetry it is. Heller's descriptions of Coney Island and New York in the middle century have a creamy, dreamy impact that lingers long after the book is done with. Philosophical musings and self-analysis, scattered like fairy dust, heighten the experience. This is among the best of Heller, written "on spec" (as opposed to by publisher's decree), and vastly the better for that. How beautifully and simply and honestly he wrote! How we miss him!

As a person who also grew up in Coney Island all be it some thirty years after Mr. Heller did, I found this book to be a delight. It was really something to read about some of the people that I knew and some that my parents had told me about, as well. I totally disagree with the premise of some of the other reviewers about Heller not giving insight into how he came about to write such a classic as, "Catch 22". Actually it is in fact the environment, ethnicity and characters of Coney Island of that era that gave him his wonderful wit. I should know I have plenty of them in my immediate family. It was also nice to know that I am not the only one who felt the way that he did about swimming out to the bell buoy. All that aside, the book is very interesting and profound, and definately gives us all an insight into the heart, mind and life experiences of one of Americas great satirical authors.

Fast paced adventure novel. Has the same type of feeling as Die Hard, but the villian isn't as good as Hans. Great fun to read.

This is another boonie dog book review from Wolfie and Kansas. We really dug Joseph Flynn's novel "Digger". Ever since the tunnel rats stole the show in Stephen Hunter's "The Day Before Midnight", we've waited for a thriller giving subterranean Vietnam veterans a leading role. Mr. Hunter went back to snipers, but Mr. Flynn has come through with a superb tunnel rat book that has action, a mystery, and some spirituality.

"Digger" tells the story of how some former tunnel rats used the tunnels they dug under their midwestern home town to intervene in a violent labor dispute. We found "Digger" to be truly inspirational. After reading this book, we dug two new tunnels under the fence surrounding our yard.

I am normally a "skip-reader". I could not do so with this book. I learned a tremendous amount about the concept of the Vietnam war that was so much a part of my life. I want to know more. Is there another book by this author?

I have been a devotee of Tolkien's works for nearly 20 years. As a theologian, I have long been interested in the philosophical/theological ramifications of the man and his work. I was hoping for much more than Mr. Pearce provided in this book. As I was reading it, I kept getting the feeling that I had read it before -- and much of it, I had, in Carpenter's biography and collection of letters. Frankly, in my opinion, far more material than was appropriate was culled from Carpenter for this to be considered a truly original work.

Oh well! I guess if I want the definitive philosophical/theological work on Tolkien, I'll have to write it myself!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the man behind the LOTR, The Hobbit, and the Silmarillion. Largely based on Tolkien's own letters, as well as perspectives from critics, friends and family, Pearce's book offers a fresh and insightful perspective of Christianity's influence on Tolkien's philosophy and use of myth. I have seen no other work that provides such an articulate and well documented linkage between the man's faith and his works. Pearce succinctly and effectively dismantles claims that Tolkien is either reactionary or escapist, while furthering the case that the creative genius is one of the most important and influential authors of this century. As a Christian, I am inspired by Pearce's description of Tolkien's Theocentric approach to life and to his work. Traveling in Christian "fundamentalist" circles, I too often see Tolkien's name associated with occult and New Age activity. Of all criticisms leveled at the man and his works, I'm sure that these unfair allegations would hurt this devout Christian more than all others. Only a profound misunderstanding of the man and his myth ( and Myth, in general ) could lead to such a confused opinion. T:M&M also educated me as to the profound impact Tolkien had on his fellow Inkling, C.S. Lewis, the renowned Christian apologist, whose own works, including the Narnia tales ( which were heavily influenced by Tolkien), are staples in every Christian bookstore. And yet Tolkien's name is often pronounced with contempt in Christian circles. Again, this book may help to silence this kind of calumny. Furthermore, Pearce's book has prompted me to read the works of G.K. Chesterton ( another noted apologist ) , as well as more of the letters, essays, and unfinished tales of Tolkien himself. T:M&M reminded me of my early days as a born again Christian. Having discovered Tolkien two years before I "discovered" Christ, I now recall the odd sense of familiarity and recognition when I read the Bible for the first time. At the time I simply attributed this to a primitive recognition of the Truth which is hardwired into the hearts of all men. I still believe that, but I also recognize that I was "remembering" my previous experience with Tolkien. His myths were just as he had intended them - a variation on the theme of the "True Myth" of Christ Jesus. Thanks to Mr. Pearce for helping me recognize this.

This is an excellent look into J.R.R. Tolkien's life. Joseph Pearce tries (and succeeds) to explain the works of Tolkien by looking at the beliefs the man held. This biography especially focuses on the Christian faith held by Tolkien and how that factored into the development of his philosophy on life and life beyond death (and hence into his fictional works). A very interesting read if one is curious about the man behind such wonderful literature like the Lord of the Rings. It also does a fantastic job of showing how friends and acquaintances helped encourage him to keep writing (particularly C.S. Lewis). Highly recommended.