I'm quite surprised this hasn't been reviewed yet; it's a wonderful book. Likely not for undergrads, Giddens is able to tie together in novel ways some of the key concepts that connect the writings of Marx, Weber and Durkheim. A good deal of the book summarizes the key writings of each author-- which is useful in itself-- and supports much of the summary material with compelling quotes and citations of both the author in question, as well as others who have done secondary analyses. Giddens also devotes a few chapters to analyzing the three authors in comparison, and spends a good deal of time teasing out differences between the three that were not, for me at least, apparent right away. In other words, a solid and original analysis. Not five stars because there was less on similarities of thought between the authors than I would have liked to have seen (and no explicit comparative analysis of Weber and Durkheim, only Marx vis-a-vis the other two), but this is probably due to the fact that Marx, Weber and Durkheim diverge in so many fundamental ways. Nevertheless, truly a must read for those who want to begin to get a grip on classical western social theory in a more sophisticated fashion than what most textbooks (which this is not) might have to offer. Get it, because if it's this old and still in print in the academic world, there's a reason for it...

Giddens is the most well-known British social scientist after Keynes and one of three masters in sociology with Bourdieu and Habermas. This book has been widely used as textbook in classes on the history of sociology, while his more recent book, ¡®Introduction to Sociology¡¯ ahs occupied most introductory classes of sociology.
1. Giddens might be the best and deepest understander of three father of sociology. The prestige and appeal of his structuration theory might be rooted in that mastery. Before proposed the outline of structuration theory in ¡®New Rules of Sociological Method¡¯, he spent about ten years in digging into three founders: Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. This book is the fruit of that effort.
Unlike usual textbook, this book us not simple introduction to classical theorists. The need to read classics lies in the problem sociology poses to itself: ¡®what is the modernity?¡¯ Whereas other sister disciplines pose somewhat narrower problems-capitalism for economics, democracy for political sciences- sociology questions the modernity itself. That¡¯s the very problem three fathers posed over a century ago. But still we question the same problem in the way they set. So we should always return to classics when meeting the fundamental problem.
2. The style of this book is clear, easy-to-follow, and jargon-free enough to be used in undergraduate introductory class. But it doesn¡¯t mean that there is no depth in this book. Giddens argues that thoughts of Weber and Durkheim should be understood as the reaction to Marx. His emphasis is convincing and offers a good standpoint to look up three fathers as a whole. Such a point is invaluable to beginners. Moreover, his interpretations are opposite to conventional wisdom, with solid grounds. He contends that there is no discontinuity between young Marx and late Marx, against humanist views like Frankfurt school¡¯s and structuralist exposition like Althusser¡¯s; there is no inconsistency I Weber. He was always a radical neo-Kantian; the relationship of Weber and Marx should be seen as creative tension rather than antagonism; Durkheim¡¯s point lies in not primarily in ¡®the problem of order¡¯ but in the changing nature of order in the context of social development.

Well, to sort of disagree with the previous review, I feel that this book is great for Undergrads! I, myself had the opportunity to read this book in a social theory class and have since relied upon Giddens excellent analysis of these theorists! It really helped me grasp the detailed (and often times confusing) ideas and theories of the classical theorists. After reading the book, I was able to more fully understand the actual works of these individuals. I use this book as reference guide to refer back to what Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber said.

This book is very helpful if you need help on Spanish grammar, but it is mainly only good for that. With supplemental books (or other teaching tools) on the language, this book is great. A must for anyone trying to increase their competency in Spanish.

This is a very helpful study aid for Spanish speakers at most levels. I consider it a study aid only because it uniquely covers grammatical points that are geared towards the Intermediate and Advanced speaker but it certainly does not go into depth and definitely does not cover any complex structures. I found it to be very practical, with clear and concise explanations and examples provided. It's not a workbook so don't expect any practice exercises. The back of book serves as a handy reference and covers subject matters outside of the grammatical realm such business writing, idiomatic expressions, thematic vocabulary etc. This book is an excellent complement to a good grammar book. It definitely is handy for clarifying doubts from time to time and the grammar topics cover are the most typical reoccurring grammar points that present difficulty for learners of the Spanish language. The lessons are in English with relevant examples in Spanish.

Too bad the Cassell's Contemporary Italian/French/Spanish/German series are now out of print. I have them all the they are the best grammar books I own. I am a language buff and own several grammars and these can't be beat! I had been looking for the Cassell's Contemporary Italian recently and discovered the Langenscheidt Pocket Grammars are the Cassell's Contemporary series in new editions. They are identical.

Cluster is the first book in a 5-book sci fi series from Piers Anthony. It is highly recommended for entertainment. Follow the adventures of Flint, a cave-man in a futuristic universe. The alien species created by Mr. Anthony are very interesting both culturally and anatomically. The commentary on inter-species prejudice is a valuable reflection upon modern society. This is a short book, about 300 pages.

The characters in this book are great. I would recomend it to anyone.

Cluster is a very in depth book that alows you to imagen about aura's and host bodies. An all around good book.

if i had to describe Anthony Hecht in one word, it would be regal. there is no poet who looks more dignified or acts with more dignity. and his poetry is full of grace, dignity, and a quiet power. it is no wonder that hecht is as respected as he is. the poems in this collection are ones to be read slowly, over time, in order to fully digest what makes hecht such a magnificant poet.

Anthony Hecht's poems are such carefully crafted masterpieces, unfolding beautifully, quietly creeping into the heart. For those who recognize and appreciate the flow of language, the meter of words and syllables. Read "A Letter" and "Sestina d'Inverno." True works of art.

Anthony Hecht is Moses coming down from Mount Parnassus with these Collected Earlier Poems as his Ten Commandments on the craft of ARS POETICA. He is perfectly at ease with all the elements of style and leads the reader easily into his world of observed treasures- Venetian Vespers - Cape Cod Lullaby - and for a change of pace, Third Avenue in Sunlight. An absolute master of his craft.

William Anthony Parker White (1911-1968) is perhaps best knownas one of the founding editors of the Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction. He was a distinguished book reviewer (for the NewYork Times and Herald-Tribune) and did much to raise literary standards for SF, both as an editor and critic, and as the author of the wry, literate, understated and still very readable stories collected here: 43 sf/f/h shorts (plus a 'poem' and a recipe), mostly written between 1940 and 1952.
This is a collection to be read a story or two at a time, or at least that's how I read it. Boucher's best stories -- "The Quest for St. Aquin", "The Compleat Werewolf", "Snulbug", "They Bite", "The Star Dummy" -- have entered the permanent sf/f/h repertoire and will be familiar to most, umm, 'mature' readers. I would urge younger readers, who could hardly be expected to drop 25 bucks on a collection of half-century old stories by someone they've barely heard of, to borrow the collection from your public library, and try (at least) the stories listed above. As in any complete collection, there are minor works, though I found everything here at least readable.
As always, NESFA books are a pleasure to read & hold: smooth, creamy paper, solid, full-cloth bindings, and a fine period cover of "Wolfie" by Jane Dennis. I do wish that editor Mann would have included a bit more biographical information about the author -- a page and a half seems skimpy.

Tony Boucher was one of the great editors of SF. He was the editor of the Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy in the 1950's, when the magazine was first finding its way. To this day, it still retains some of the glory and sparkle that he put there.

Before he was a great editor, he was a great writer. This book contains his short stories.

It is good that the NESFA keeps the names of Anthony Boucher, C.M. Kornbluth, Cordwainer Smith and other writers of the past alive. Their stories should be read and re-read even today.

Some of these stories are dated, but some are very powerful. I particularly recommend "We Print the Truth," a long story about the corruptive nature of power.

The book I just read lately was Captain Hawaii by Anthony Dana Arkin. I really enjoyed this book because it had a lot of adventure and lots of excitment as the author took you through Aaron's adventure in Hawaii. There were lots of intense passages such as "Suddenly I lost my grip and fell. Kate was gone. I slipped backward into a whirlwind of water, watching the Menehune race and laugh and wink their green cat eyes." page 234. After reading that passage I was in suspense and had to keep reading, and of course the next passage was just as intriguing as the first one. "I woke up with my head spinning and my stomach rolling. The sun beat on my eyelids, causing an awful pounding inside my brain. Someone splashed cold water on my face." page 234. After reading certain passages in this book, you just had to keep reading to find out what happened next, and that's what I loved about this story.
The theme of this book is that you never know how a family vacation can turn into such an adventure and have so many twists and turns. Not only comes adventure on a family vacation but there's also a teenage romance. I agree that this is an adventure story because everyone was trying to get the treasure map and a lot of the action was between the good and bad guys on the island. Along with adventure came romance between Aaron and Kate. This gave the story a little twist. My life can relate to the summer vacation romance at the beach because I always have fun meeting new people and hanging out with them for the week I'm there. My life has never been as adventurous as Aaron's with trying to find a treasure map, and being chased by Zodiacs and Menehunes.
I would recommend this book to anyone who first likes adventure and second likes to have a little romance in it too. This book is a fairly easy read. At some points in the book it's hard to put the book down because you can't wait to find out what happens next.

In this book Arron goes on a vacation to Hawaii and finds much more than he planned on. First he is chased by strange men and gets lost in a cave. He finds a backpack in the cave that belongs to the "missing" Vanblone. This backpack has journals that tell how to find a map. The map leads to the home of the Menehune. These are little men on the island. Arron finds the map and then is kidnapped by Mr. Mckraft (he also wants the map.) What will happen? Does Arron escape? Who gets the map? To find out what happens read Captain Hawaii. I never knew what was coming next; I couldn't predict what was going to happen, like you can in some books. The author kept me reading and hanging on till the very end. Captain Hawaii was full of thrills, mystery, and much more. I would recommend this book for my friends to read and you should too!

This is a wonderful book for people of all ages. You must read it

"Cheevey took me a while to get into. I didn't exactly understand everything that was going on. Cheevey and his whole family are messed up. Cheevey is at his 20th birthday, and his whole family is falling apart. His parents are divorcing, his brother's an alcoholic, and his sister is obsessed with the subject of her thesis. Cheevey is the one who is trying to hold his family together, and it isn't working. I thought this book was sad, and I couldn't read it for a long time because I got depressed. "Cheevey" is definitely not light reading.

"There are families and anti-families. . . . Families are dense and produce gravity, Anti-families are hollow and therefore without gravity, and mine is exploding outward into the universe."

This statement is central to Gerald DiPego's Cheevey, a novel that poignantly portrays the miscommunication and tension among members of a quintessential American family, a topic that is currently receiving a great deal of attention in this election year. DiPego has not, however, filled this book with 1950ish scenes of a happy family being broken apart by modern American tensions, but instead focuses on a much more subtle force, the inability of most family members to properly express their love, or any emotions for that matter, for each other.

The novel follows the experiences of Claude Cheever--Cheevey--just prior to and following his 20th birthday. The reader watches Cheevey, a remarkably caring and empathetic character who, as the youngest of three children, deals with the tensions of young-adulthood while attempting to hold his family together. As his sister says, he tries "to be the hand" that will connect the five separate fingers of the family. The family, however, seems intent on breaking apart: his frugal father retreats into a television set while his mother goes "to France," the term for her study where she dreams and plans for her eventual escape to the actual country; Phil, the angry eldest son, drinks heavily, picks fights, and rarely speaks to either parent, forcing Cheevey to serve as his messenger; and Mari, the most caring and communicative of the family, attempts to balance the demands of her doctoral dissertation, the motherhood she feels emotionally unsuited for, and her miscommunicative, troubled marriage. As Cheevy nears adulthood, the emotions his parents have been "tunneling" since his birth finally begin to emerge and reshape into bitter, seething anger and resentment. Deeply pained, Cheevy seeks for a method to resolve the hatred between his parents, whose stares clash across the dinner table like "crossed swords."

In Cheevey's exploration of relationships, love, and communication, the reader becomes deeply involved, hoping that Cheevy will find a way to hold his family together, or at least be able to remain intact himself; whole, against situations that appear bent on emotionally fragmenting him as completely as the novel's other characters.

As powerfully as Cheevey is portrayed, however, the most sympathetic character in the novel is his sister, Mari. She struggles against her own sense of fragmentation caused, in part, by memories of her parents's earlier battles, before their "tunneling," and against her current marriage to a man who constantly shouts at her to "grow up." Despite her fragmentation, Mari's wit and insight make up much of the novels's force. She always utters the right phrase to humorously and pointedly describe a situation, but remains unable to fully find a resolution. Mari's ability to understand but not to resolve the family tensions builds toward the novel's devastating tragedy, the outcome of which forces the others out of their emotional isolation and shows them the importance of life.

Also, a central metaphor of the novel emerges in the guise of Mari's academic research. She is writing a dissertation on an obscure novelist, Coretti, with the hopes of explaining his work, making him understandable, an effort that will hopefully bring him out of a self-imposed exile. She believes that a message is lies within the work, possibly encoded, and studies code-breaking manuals in her research. While her attempt fails, Mari's insight nevertheless allows the reader to see that this type of coding exists in the characters's own communication. Cheevey's father, for instance, in a rare attempt to express love, explains that he never fixed his car radio, asking if anyone understands that. This explanation baffles Cheevey, who tries "to understand a man who loves you by not fixing his radio." This type of attempt to express love in obscure ways, fruitlessly hoping others will somehow see the message, be able to crack the code without ever expressing it in words, fills the book. Love is present, but unspoken, encoded, and difficult to find, and the inability to state it becomes a void that expands throughout the novel, pushing the family apart. But, it is finally Mari (and I am attempting here not to give anything away) who begins to bring the family together when she, too, takes heart-breaking action and forces the family to see the result of their emotional "tunneling."

The novel's only weakness is in the opening Prologue, where the image of a shattered mirror becomes a metaphor for the explosive fragmentation of the family. "But the fall and crash of the Cheever family," Cheevey says, "unleashed more than glass and dust. There were truths in the rubble, some shameful and some exalting, and all of them still too sharp and clear to be called memory and to be removed from sight. We are the pieces, and we cannot be swept away." Fortunately, DiPego, who is primarily a screenwriter, quickly shifts from the somewhat sophomoric tone of this last line to a more direct, highly visual first- person narrative filled with powerful, witty dialogue, and the book becomes much more forceful and engaging. The dialogue, and many of the characters's inability to use it, is what makes this novel so effective. In it, the reader can see the complexity of each of the characters, comes to care for them, is lifted with their humor, with Cheevey and Mari's insight into and embrace of life, and is emotionally, and painfully, wrenched when such an embrace doesn't seem to be enough.

This is a great book, a must read. Cheevey is dealing with his world falling apart as he nears his 20th birhtday. He's a good kid trying to be grown, while at the same time trying to keep all the people in his life (family and friends) functioning. While he doesn't quite make it, it's a fun read and a moving book.

I was a student of Mr. Buckoski's and decided one day to read his books in an attempt to understand him better. Polonaise seems to have a very large shadow cast over it. I was basically unimpressed with the majority of the stories. I will admit to getting in to a couple, but beyond that, they didn't seem to be very distinguished. None really caught my eye. I discussed this with Buckoski and ventured into a debate. He is a wonderful man, but aside from that, his writing is for the birds.

In a blowing, icy storm of clashing cultures, Bukoski climbs an aging train trestle that straddles a frozen river. He pins his characters' stories of hope, their cries for compassion, for deliverance, for understanding even within themselves, to rusting bars. Fluttering madly about, the fragile pages, filled with enduring themes, hold firm.

Scale the trestle and read his provocative words placed in an unusual setting! They are worth exposing yourself to his elements, for Bukoski captures unique emotions from protagonists young and old.

He know his people and lets us glimpse the stranger's mind.

Anthony Bukoski grew up and lives in Superior, Wis., which provides the setting and the material for the stories in this story collection. Superior's working-class Polish community, with its church, school, and cultural life is more than just a backdrop, but forms an integral part of these stories. This is a rich selection of stories about an ethnic group whose experiences are not well-known and not well-appreciated, especially by those who proclaim the doctrines of multiculturalism. Bukoski's work is an important step toward remedying that situation. The story "Old Customs" is especially noteworthy. Told from the perspective of a young school girl watching her elderly Polish aunt in the last days of her life, living in a house and a garden filled with butterflies, the story highlights the losses and pain of the Polish experience in America. Aunt and niece share time looking at a book of dream interpretations, as the girl listens to fragments of her aunt's me! mories and imagines what life in Poland and as an immigrant was like. When young Marta learns, in school, that her aunt has died, she realizes how little she knows about this woman who has been so close to her. Bukoski has a singular ability to ambush the reader's emotions with a single line of dialogue. As Marta runs home, she cries: "Czekaj, auntie! Wait!" But it is already too late, for as a corridor of butterflies opens to the aunt's house hung with black crepe paper "where the old Polish ladies are already washing her body." Other ethnic groups are also present here: Native Americans, Vietnamese, and others, providing a full and rounded picture of ethnic diversity in a northern industrial city in the rust belt. The only minor criticisms of Bukoski's work are his very occasional errors in Polish history (Polish cavalry never charged Nazi tanks) and translation, and the sense that his characters sometimes exude that they, as Polish Americans, are dying o! ut. As CHILDREN OF STRANGERS shows, however, this is hardly! the case. Along with Suzanne Strempek Shea, Natalie Petesch, and others Bukoski is among a renaissance of Polish American literature, written in English, that is helping to redefine the experience of a major ethnic group in America. This book is highly recommended for readers of all ethnic backgrounds.

Conspiracy is what got me hooked on the Kennedy Assassination but the real bottom line book on the case is Case Closed as it refutes the main ideas of all the conspiracy theories.

One of the best volumes of inquiry into the conspiracy behind John Fitzgerald Kennedy's murder.

Although the author,Anthony Summers,sticks mainly to the official story-(that Lee Harvey Oswald fired 3 shots from the 'Book Depository' building)-he DOES explore the many disturbing yet fascinating avenues of revelation that surfaced with the Congress-appointed 'House Select Committee on Assassinations' investigations of the mid to late 70's.

The real significance to JFK's death was covered up~(knowingly or not)~in 1964 when the 'Warren Commission' staff examined the evidence before them. They covered up everything really; The grassy knoll rifleman--(50 odd witnesses in Dealy Plaza,that day,mentioned commotion behind the white picket fence on the knoll...some even saw smoke...the 'Warren-Report' basically disregards this lead altogether)--the late 50's/early 60's CIA/Mafia alliance which was conceived in-order to kill Fidel Castro--(which may of 'backfired' on the Cuba sympathising Mr.Kennedy)--,the mob ties to Ruby,the intelligence ties to Oswald,the intelligence ties to Ruby,the mob ties to Oswald..; all of which establishes a conspiracy.... (for me,anyway)

Summers compiled this one nicely. Probably his best book. Worth the investment.

Anthony Summers' comprehensive work on the assassination of JFK is among the top books on the subject, ranking alongside Gaeton Fonzi's "The Last Investigation." The author's voluminous research brings together the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in a lucid and rare way. In a nutshell, the anti-Castro Cuban organizations [CRC, Alpha-66, etc.]and their right-wing American supporters [Gerry Patrick Hemming and Interpen, for example], the Mafia [Trafficante, Marcello, Giancana, Roselli], and elements within the CIA [David Atlee Phillips, E.Howard Hunt, Theodore Shackley, David Sanchez Morales, William Harvey, etc.] and their numerous contract agents [David Ferrie, Guy Banister, Lee Harvey Oswald(?)]were collaborating in an effort to assassinate Fidel Castro and reverse the socialist revolution in Cuba. The Mob wanted their gambling casinos back, while the anti-Castro Cubans and the CIA wanted multi-national corporate capitalism back. In a classic case of "blowback", the forces working to destroy Fidel and the Cuban Revolution failed in their efforts and subsequently conspired to destroy the man [JFK] they believed responsible for their failure. Elements within the CIA, CIA contract agents, Mob and anti-Castro Cubans had the motive, means and opportunity to effectuate the "blowback" assassination of JFK. For the meticulously researched details which support this thesis, read Anthony Summers' work: "Conspiracy". It's one of the most well-reasoned and articulate works on the subject of the JFK assassination.

Contraceptive Technology is perhaps the best book available for understanding and using contraception. It should be in the office of every gynecologist, family physician and nurse practitioner and family planning clinic. The book explains complicated concepts in accurate, but easy to understand language.

But it has not been updated since 1998 and it is now somewhat out-of-date. Most of the information in the book is still solid, but since publication, new technologies and understandings have occurred and these new data make it imperative that a new edition be issued before this book can maintain its role as the "bible" on reproductive health and technology.

I have checked this book out of the Seattle Public Library so many times that I'm considering buying it for my personal reference library. I have recommended this book to many men and women. Excellent information (and things you did not expect to read) about differernt methods of birth control. If you want to be informed and educated about oral contraceptives, abortion and gynecology then you will find this book helpful.

This is my second purchase of this excellent, comprehensive book. (It's updated periodically). It's an essential reference, a practical guide, a one-stop shopping not just for contraception but for a general approach to appropriate medical care for women. I highly recommend it. Pepi Granat, M.D.