This book was the main text for a cultural anthro correspondence course I took through the University of California, Berkeley in 1997-1998.

The book is about 350 pages, 8x11 format, black and white, no color. I would rate the typography and lay-out as average to somewhat below average. Graphics are simple block diagrams. Text is dense but easy on the eyes. The book is organized around the following broad topics: people, kinship, power, meaning, context, and has 15 chapters.

I enjoyed reading the book. Bohannan has a conversational, clear writing style that keeps the book from being dry and scholastic. The scope of the book is excellent. He covers a wide variety of topics very thoroughly, The book is punctuated with side-bars titled "We the Alien". They contain examples of parts of our own culture that illustrate the topics in the book--and do it in a very surprising way.

His goal in writing the book is to use other cultures to make us much more aware of our own. He accomplishes this very well. Lots of thought-provoking material.

I teach cultural anthropology to undergraduates. I have seen a lot of textbooks on this subject. Bohannan's text is different from all the others. In my opinion, the difference lies in the intent behind the writing. All the other authors intend to tell students about what anthropologists do and what anthropologists have learned. Bohannan intends to present questions and observations for students to ponder. The others present findings. His book presents the possibility for insight and personal growth - something everyone needs, regardless of whether they want to "be" an anthropologist. I would recommend this book not only to students of anthropology, but also to anyone who wants to explore what it means and can mean to be human.

As a former Navy carrier pilot flying F4U Corsairs during the Korean "police action" years, I was particularly interested in Paul L.Cooper's detailed story about being pulled in from reserve inactive duty to suddenly find himself aboard a just-activated carrier, the USS Princeton (CV-37) -- with an almost completely reservist ship's crew, and in a completely-reservist Corsair squadron, VF-871. Based on his personal diary, and extensive research, Cooper brings to life the personal considerations and the doubts and fears about being thrust into a combat zone, and the turmoil of leaving his home and family for an undefined period, and then watching pilots he knew get killed flying missions over Korea. Cooper was not a pilot or aircrewman, but performed one of the many essential tasks provided by the large contingent of enlisted personal that are required to allow the pilots and their planes to fly. Written in plain, uncluttered, easy-reading language, yet filled with incredible detail that pulls the reader into a you-are-there experience, Cooper is to be complimented on his bringing perspective to the "forgotten war" that was so costly in over 50,000 lives during the early 1950s. He describes lessons that SHOULD have been learned, but were later ignored and repeated in the Vietnam War. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Korean War, and to all who wonder what life aboard a carrier at sea in a combat area is like.

The author, an enlisted man, was activated with his California Bay Area Naval Reserve comrades in 1951 and served with a very active F4U-4 Corsair squadron aboard a demothballed aircraft carrier in the Korean War.
Cooper's work details Navy life in the 1950's, with the minutia of everyday life as well as the more exciting shipboard and aviation action. His descriptions of Navy life, with photos and some historical background, will give readers of the future a good look into the times. Readers wishing to follow the missions of the squadron will have to furnish their own maps.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score' books."

This is a great book for any young reader, especially those interested in fantasy and mythology, although some parts are much different than the "tradional" view of merfolk in general (such as removable tails), but the story was good. What I noticed first was the ommission of various details, such as how they suddenly learn of the mermaid's name or leaving out details in the battles towards the end. I did find, however, that the narrator does a good job of telling the tale, like a mother would tell it to her daughter. All in all, a good story with a little action and lots of magical adventure.

I love all of E. Nesbit's books; they are some of my dearest childhood favorites. I also really like the Enchanted Castle, The Magic City, and The Story of the Amulet. Wet Magic is more poetic and literate; there seems to be more visual beauty, and I love the scene where the book characters are literally coaxed out of all their books to help with the battle.

I give it four stars although if judged strictly by its content alone, it's worth maybe three and a half. But given the sheer volume of intolerable turgidity, confusion and pretentiousness in architectural writing out there, this book is like a breath of fresh air in its regular-bloke-rambling style of writing. The author is British and there is some Brit slang as well as references to British examples and geography. This may hinder understanding somewhat if one is not familiar with places and life in the UK. The content does ramble a bit, and the intensity of focus is not quite there. Topics raised are never quite pursued to the depth the author seems to be capable of. Nonetheles, the author does everyone in the field of architecture a favor by reminding one that architecture is not about buildings alone, but about the structuring of three things, all strangely intangible and formless: landscapes, buildings, machines. Desires, really, rather than things. He cites Vitruvius as evidence that that's the way architecture was conceived from the beginning. The book is a teaser of sorts, and does have moments of real poetic insights about the subject matter. The book has spurred me to think about certain things that the author himself does not mention. For example, the consequence of Vitruvius's definiton of machine as 'cyclice kinesis', circular motion. Chatty, yes, but still not really for the layman. Which is just as well, since only architects read architecture books. Very British in the framing of the issue and very AA in presentation. On the whole, the book reads like a document of the author's speculations about things and questions concerning that bloody thing called architecture. I just wonder if he should not have titled the book, What WAS Architecture? Well, do ya now?!Roight,then. Cheers, mate!

An absolutely brilliant book. Highly recommended for those who see architecture as hobbby as well as those who have been in the profession for years. Truly refreshing and innovative.

Conklin does a wonderful job outlining Darwin's impact upon early 20th century intellectuals and their attempts to explain, interpret, or reject the implications of evolution (as they saw them). What kept me from going "five-star" with this work is mostly stylistic - Conkin appears to be a fan of the words "clearly," "obviously," and uses vague pronouns excessively. Substantively, however, this book is a gem. Conkin adheres closely to the value of coherence in religious doctrine, and I really enjoyed his comments regarding the worth and relevance of intellectual and academic good faith. I also enjoyed the fact that I could not determine what Conkin himself believes throughout the piece. An all around good read.

When All The Gods Trembled: Darwinism, Scopes, And American Intellectuals by Paul Conkin (Distinguished Professor of History, Vanderbilt University) is a collection of superbly reasoned and presented historical essays about the overwhelming impact science has had upon American religious thought, especially during the 1920s when "all the gods trembled" before the evolutionary theories of Darwinism. A well-balanced, intellectual and thoughtful discourse on the very serious and perplexing questions that science poses to faith When All The Gods Trembled is highly recommended reading for both students and general readers with an interest in the impact of 19th and 20th sciences on religious belief systems in the United States.

This book completely changed the way I viewed my child's anger. Now I can be more understanding of the real underlying issues involved and respond in a more constructive and confident manner. His anger is a plea for help and I am now his helper. Reading this book certainly improved our relationship.

An absolute must. This book is brief, to the point and sensible. It doesn't waste your time with a whole lot of psycho babble, but helps you discover the causes of anger that lay beneath the behavior you see. Most important for parents is to be educated on HOW we handle anger so we can make the changes in our own behavior that will break the anger cycle. An absolute keeper.

I have been my own boss for several years and compared to the 20+ I spent wokring for someone else, this is heaven! When I decided to take the plunge and work at home, one of the first books I read was The Edward's Making Money With Your Computer at Home. In their new book I found the boost to my self confidence that every beginning or experienced business owner needs now and then.

I particularly enjoyed the many tried and true words of wisdom and found reassurance learning that others make some of the same mistakes I have. Over the years, I read a variety of books about being self employed.

There are many others who have shared their working formulas in this best yet HOW TO BOOK by Paul and Sarah. One is Jodi Lynn, author of Mommy-CEO. In her book, Ms. Lynn brings first-hand guidance to the challenges of balancing family life, personal life and running your own business.

Kudos to the authors and everyone who was brave enough to take a stand and "tell it like it is."  Now, I know why I decided to be my own boss and am inspired more now than ever before. 

T. Collins, Founder
SilomarkHouse.com

Paul and Sarah Edwards founded the Working From Home Forum on CompuServe back in 1983 (that's 20 years ago, folks!) and they have been going strong ever since! Not only were they the first to spell out the necessary steps to start and run your own home business, but they have also proven to be the far and away leading mentors in pursuing a dream to become your own boss. They meticulously detail steps you need to take, questions to honestly ask yourself, and strategies to ensure your success. And, as with every book they have written, they include many interviews with people who have gone through the rigors of self-employment and pass along advice to those just starting out.

If you are serious about finding out if you can make it on your own, then this is the book to start with!

Reddin's book takes a look at America's reaction to the closing of the west as a frontier. Reddin takes his reader from the rise of wild west shows to its eventual demise along the way you get to know not only the people that were involved to the shows but an insight into how it went from the idea of preservation of a cultural history to an entertainment for world wide audiences. The book is painstakingly researched by the author and fits well in any library of western americana or study of the Guilded Age in America. A must read for anyone with an intrest in the history of America between Civil War reconstruction and WWI.

This is an outstanding book. It is well researched, well written, engaging, and fun. Reddin discusses not only Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West show, but also the painter and showman George Catlin, the Miller brothers and their 101 Ranch and wild west show, and Tom Mix, the silent film cowboy. The Catlin segment of the book is fascinating and well conceived. I recommend this book highly.

A relative glut of periodicals and books exist on decisionmaking, whether personally or professionally. Many have solid foundations, many are commercialized tripe. In MAKING DECISIONS, authors Russo and Shoemaker hit on a timely subject for professional managers or entrepreneurs. The economy has plummeted and the stock market has deflated propelling each individual responsble for their company's path to success into crucial, perhaps vital decisions on a daily basis. And the rapid rate of change is forcing all executives and managers to make decisions faster.

Given the current environment, it is well worth the time to revisit an executive/manager's most basic of tasks: making a decision...a subject devoid of attention except in academic journals or business books. In a straightforward, well-presented fashion, the authors break down the decisionmaking process into four steps:

1. Framing or deciding what you are going to decide-and not decide;
2. Gathering intelligence-real intelligence, and not just information that will support your internal biases;
3. Coming to conclusions-determining how your company acts on the intelligence it gathers, and;
4. Learning from experience.

The authors guide the reader through each of the steps providing insight into the process, highlighting key concepts, and providing case studies and worksheets so the reader can begin to track their own issues at hand. Russo and Shoemaker have presented this material in such a way as to demystify the "process" of decisionmaking. The "process" gets so much attention as being clandestine, complex and erudite. However, by providing a detailed framework reflecting a relatively mechanical and logical process to making a decision, the authors have uncorked the mystery. When confronted with the need to assess a situation, gather information and reach a decision, most managers depend on a hit-or-miss approach. This approach is different from executive-to-executive and is measured relative to the frequency and experience an executive may have "putting out the proverbial fire." While there's nothing inherently wrong or incorrect about this type of venerable process, this process typically results in a lower-end spectrum result when nothing but mid-high to high results will suffice as a necessary competitive edge.

The alternative approach presented by the authors allows executives/managers to reframe issues by asking such questions as "What is the crux of the issue that I am facing?" so that they don't end up solving the wrong problem (i.e. analogous to "looking from the outside in"). It also allows them to increase their options by doing such things as "not necessarily taking yes for an answer," when it comes to initial research findings. In fact, these alternatives may result in something quite creative and innovative, a veritable whack on the side of the head.

As they should, the authors stress to the reader that improving one's decisionmaking skills is not an ironclad guarantee to success. Execution of a solid operating (business) plan and being in the right place at the right time (luck) are factors tantanmount to any successful venture. However, it is rational and logical that if one makes better decisions, one's odds of success are bound to increase. And, as one gains experience in making decisions and acting upon the achieved results, desired or not, success rates grow exponentially.

A solid read.

I was considering to buy this book, but I had a hard time making up my mind...

Henissart details the last year of French rule in Algeria which resulted in the General's Putsch and the formation and destruction of the OAS. If the reader is looking for an account of the fight of the FLN, you will not find it in this book. This is strictly an account of the OAS and pied nor fight for French Algeria.
This is a account of the guerrilla role played by the OAS in their fight for French Algeria. Henissart details the brutalities of the OAS, especially of the Delta commandos. Salan's role in the uprising is also examined. Since the struggle occurred mainly in Algiers and Oran, this is where most of the history of the conflict is written. The author also summarizes the politics of the Fifth Republic and De Galle. Since the Fifth Republic was so divided politically by the war in Algeria, Henissart gives the reader an overview of the opinions of the French public.
This is an excellent book on the last days of French Algeria. Again I would caution the reader that this book is about the OAS and not the struggle of the FLN. One only gets pieces of info on the FLN, and thus an incomplete picture of their struggle. For a more complete read of the struggle in Algeria, read Alistair Horne's excellent book A Savage War of Peace.

Such a masterful recount of the whirlwind of events involving France's last days in Algeria! I have now picked it up for the third time in almost as many decades. The book concerns a failing, teetering colonial policy and its impact upon a military sworn to carry it out. The result is a shock wave, where policy ambiguity clashes with the dedication (in some cases, fanaticism) required by a military mindset engaged in the midst of a civil war. The author even follows the detritus from this clash down to the individual level, giving fascinating portraits of the key individuals involved. It is a arresting, breathtaking piece of writing! Nor is it all so far-fetched either in place or time. The book can add a new dimension of perspective to events in places like Northern Ireland today. The work is timeless.