Having personally studied with Professor Kashap I can attest to his incomparable mastery over Spinoza. There are hundereds of books on Spinoza but this one is a gem, indispensable to the understanding of Spinoza. Kashap studied with the best in Oxford and his style is lucid and penetrating. You will not regret this purchase.

This wonderful short work by prominent Czech author Ivan Klima could do much to provide insights and understanding into the heart of Prague: the Czech people-- their history, what they've seen and who they've become. If you haven't read any Klima, this collection of essays is a fine place to start.

Essay, A Rather Unconventional Childhood: "...I remember every detail of the day when I stood by the razed prison fence, which I had once understood I would never be allowed to cross, and watched as endless columns of Red Army soldiers, tired horses, exhausted people, dirty tanks, cars and cannon, all filed by, and for the first time I saw a portrait of Marshal Stalin, a man whose face I long afterwards associated with that moment, and I sobbed uncontrollably at the knowledge that I was free. As I watched, a German civilian was beaten to death, and a tank ran over a prisoner who too greedily flung himself on a pack of cigarettes someone had tossed on the ground, but none of this could spoil my mood..."

Essay, The Powerful and the Powerless: "The strength of the powerful never (or almost never) derives from some higher mandate, or from spiritual values, or because they had a corner on truth or wisdom, though the powerful may have tried to claim this. It comes only from a preponderance of strength. The strength is then generally based on the number of souls dominated, on the power of their weapons and on their ability to organize...

The author explores literature, journalism and trends among other things. But it is not a textbook. It is pure art.

The educated layperson will find Dr. Thompson's *Spirit of the Soil* to be a perfect introduction to the bewilderingly complex ethical and economic questions that increasingly surround modern agriculture. The author ruthlessly dissects politically charged and often intentionally vague terms and concepts such as "sustainability," "stewardship," the consumer mentality, and the flawed yet indispensible materialism of modern production agriculture. This book will be enormously helpful to anyone who wants to attack farm policy with a more mature understanding of the ethical issues upon which the cultural and physical sustainability of modern agriculture depends

This exceptional book contains the Wednesday Catechesis of the Pope from 1989 to 1991. The Holy Spirit is the great unknown among many Christians. Here you have, divided in three sections, a great summary about the reality of the Spirit of God. The first part deals with the revelation, analyzing the main texts in the Holy Scripture. The second one studies the relation between the Paraclete (the Advocate) and the Church. Finally, in the third part, we have the life of the Holy Spirit in our souls, which is a brief treatise of spirituality. In this remarkable work, you will find pages containing a broad spectrum of themes: from the difficult matter of the Holy Trinity to very practical issues of our daily life, such as the role of the prayer, love, freedom and joy. All of them are supported with quotations from the Bible and the saints, especially of St. Thomas Aquinas, the great medieval thinker. Each catechesis, four to five pages long, is presented with the clarity and precision of one of the most eminent theologians of our time.

I read this book two years back. It is as good as realization of truth in black and white. It is a must for a modern man who is seeking the peace of mind. It explains very well the variety of aspects of thinking of a man and the crossroads in the daily life where one is likely to step wrong. Daily reading followed by serious contemplation for about two months, helped me refine my ways to think and correct myself from the doorstep of mistakes. This book also tells about the do's and don't's for a common man in this modern-machine world. Elaborates the concept of the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient system what may be termed as God and shatters all the idollic images of God. It convincingly asserts the highly balanced nature of the system and its evolution. I strongly recommend this book for those who are looking for the truth beneath the surface.

The late Passionist Bennet Kelley left this gem of a book which integrates contemporary interest in spiritual direction with writings from the letters of Saint Paul of the Cross, who directed many folk in various stations of life. I came to the book because of my interest in the saint and because of the relative paucity of published material in the United States about him. I found a book rich in encouragement, practical advice, and suggestions well within reach of ordinary Christians.

Paul's understanding of the challenge of family life is a particular boost -- speaking across almost 300 years in this book, it is clear that he "gets it" and tailors his recommendations accordingly. Throughout the entire book, Fr Kelley never allows the reader to lose sight of the great compassion of this saint and of his great practicality. Accordingly, this is a book to which I return time and again. It never fails to uplift, to challenge, to renew my faith.

Pual Twitchell examines various world religions and their treatment of experiential religion.

This book teaches an attorney what is not taught in law school, strategy, the single best book I've ever read. Highly recommend it to any litigation attorney.

Throughout history, we humans have cherished notions of holding a special place in the universe. Although we have had to (reluctantly) relinquish the idea that the rest of the universe revolves around the earth, we rarely if ever question the perception that the inside each of us resides an agent of free will which is our essential self. Unlike plants, animals, and other phenomena of the natural world, we see ourselves as "uncaused causes" which are capable of actions free from the influence of genetic and environmental history. We believe ourselves to be like gods, having the supernatural power of uncaused causation. The Spontaneous Self presents persuasive evidence and logic that challenge this belief, and makes a strong case that in every respect humans are just as much natural products of prior events as the rest of the universe. Approaching the issue from the perspective of Western philosophy, Paul Breer's book is a nice complement to the books by Alan Watts, which have done so from the context of Eastern spirituality. Taking the issue to the next step, The Spontaneous Self explores the costs and benefits of giving up the idea of free will, making an effective case that we would be better off individually and societally by doing so. Throughout the book, the psychotherapist author cites his own experiences during an ongoing systematic program of self-therapy to rid himself of the free will illusion.

Me being a Mets this book is one of my favorites of all time. It has everything from his sighning with the Mets in '69 to his induction into the Hall of fame in '91.