This book was not what I had expected. Having recently embraced atheism I was looking for personal guidance: how is it possible to live a meaningful life without God? What are morals based on without God? etc. This book, though, is not written to answer these questions for the individual, rather, it answers the more general question, "Can society live without religion?" Although it wasn't what I had hoped for, I think it succeeds fairly well for what it attempts. It vaguely makes reference to the questions I had but mostly focuses on the needs and effects of a secular society, covering a wide range of areas such as politics, government, education, secular institutions, etc. Not much depth but a worthwhile read for people interested in how a secular society might work and what would be necessary to bring it about.

Paul Kurtz is a prolific writer and apologist for the cause of what is usually called secular humanism. In this book he addresses two questions that seem to have nearly equal importance to him: (1) Is it possible to live a good life without religion? (2) Should secular humanism be called a religion? His answer to the first is an emphatic Yes. He chooses the term Eupraxophy -- from the Greek roots for "good," "practice," and "wisdom" -- to name an approach to life that comprises these elements: a cosmic theory based on the best available science; a method of testing all claims to truth based on rationality and a "positive" skepticism; an ethical stance founded in the "common moral decencies" (Kurtz detailed his approach to humanist ethics in another book, "Forbidden Fruit"); and finally, commitment to a set of political ideas derived from these things. Kurtz enthusiastically paints an attractive picture of a committed, engaged life founded in human rationality. His argument in this area is flawed only by his frequent digressions into religion-bashing. He seems compelled to not only paint a positive picture of Eupraxophy, but at the same time to denigrate the theistic approach to life. I found these negative passages intrusive. The second question (what is a religion and should humanism be called one?) is perhaps important to Kurtz, to other leaders of the humanist movement, and to their opponents in the religious right who would like to bring their critics under the same legal constraints that bind them. However, this question has little interest to the general reader looking for models of how to live well, and I wish Kurtz had reserved it to a different forum.

This book comes nowhere near living up to its title. It is an extremely topical discussion of 1) the British and American experience in Counter Insurgency and LIC, and 2) the history of the 22 SAS and the US Army Special Forces. In both cases the author simply re-hashes old and tired arguments in a "cliff - notes" form, never spending enough time on any subject to develop his own thesis. From here he completely changes gears and discusses two hostage rescue operations that have absolutely no relevance to the previous discussion (he makes a big deal about the "fish in the sea" aspect of guerrilla warfare, and how one must win the "hearts and minds" of the locals, and yet chooses to discuss the hostage crisis at Princess Gate for Britain and the American Embassey takeover in Iran for America. In both cases none of the previous discussion about COIN applies. The respective countries could have cared less about the "hearts and minds" of the population surrounding the crisis site.) He then seems to decide he must live up to the description of his book, so in his conclusion he begins to throw out a bunch of thoughts about international cooperation during hostage rescue operations that bears no relevance to the previous discussion, and is so topical it almost appears that he wrote it as an afterthought. Finally, what really took the cake for me was the inaccuracies regarding operations and units in the book. Time and time again he makes the mistake of quoting a newspaper that was inaccurate to begin with, then uses that quote to buttress his argument. Bottom line: This book is not worth [...it]. The title is misleading and the book cannot decide what it wants to discuss. It frenetically skips around from topic to topic with little thread to pull the thoughts together.

This is an excellent study of the evolution of British and American counter terrorist CT teams. As well the author provides a well documented and detailed analysis of the problems that have been and continue to be faced by the political and military leaders/operators in hostage type situations. The detail for this study was drawn from interviews with experts and operators in the intelligence and spec ops communities,government and contemporary studies of these incidents, as well as an extensive list of books, historical papers and articles. In short this is not the book for those seeking a quick study of special forces and heroics, but rather a serious study for those professionals in the special operations /intelligence community, as well government leaders and academics who are focused upon the issues relating to terrorism and how to most effectively counter the manifestations of this phenomena.
This book is obviously a product of extensive research and provides the reader with little known insights into the British and American hostage rescue operations in London and Teheran in 1980. There are lots of interesting nuggets in the footnotes predicated obviously to Taillon's extensive research. The author also lays out to the reader an important set of criteria so as to maximize the opportunities for success in future CT operations. From the two hostage rescue case studies (NIMROD/EAGLE CLAW) Taillon draws a number of important lessons learnt, some of which can be tough medicine, particularly if you have any politcal or military biases. Reflecting upon the recent events in New York these lessons appear to require re-learning, particularly the criticality of timely and accurate intelligence.
Overall, this is a superb book authored for professional students of this type of warfare and stands alone as an excellent analysis of what critical issues demand to be taken into account, particularly when the negotiations with the terrorists ends, and the political/military operation, which hostage rescue is, begins. A must read for Delta/ SAS/GSG9 and those interested in special operations and counter terrorism.

This book is about 460 pages and contains fives sections. He starts with the chemistry of explosives. The next section is on thermodynamics properties followed by a section on shock waves. The last two sections are on detonation and initiation. I was particularly interested in shock waves. I found the book inadequate in every possible sense. The notation is an absolute disaster. There is no saying what represents what and sometimes the same symbol has been used to represent several different quantities in the same place. One must try very hard to figure out what is actually meant. The mathematical treatment of shock waves is primitive and almost non-existent. I got the impression that the author does not have a good grasp of the subject. The book resembles an internal report or a collection of white papers as it is customary in some companies nowadays. The book needs a lot of editing, as some sentences are incomprehensible. Here is an example sentense form page 208 : "First we will look at the P-x diagram, a few diagrams in time of the shock presure and the interface, Figure 18.5. " If you know nothing about the subject, then this maybe a place to start because the book is very basic. Just be sure you are not confused by the inconsistent notation. If you are interested to learn about the shock waves and their interaction, I recommend "Physics of Shock Waves and High Temperature Hydrodynamic Phenomena" by Zel'dovich and Raizer.

Paul Cooper has done an outstanding job of detailing the diverse world of explosives engineering. Included is sufficient detail to get a researcher new to a topic started and enough background to help an 'old timer' teach. The last five chapters on Engineering Applications is an unequalled summary of the use and analysis of the practice of explosives engineering. I use this book as my 'carry along' reference for both R&D testing and systems analysis of explosive devices.

This method of learning German is not for beginners! Having had previous German study, I was able to understand the concept and process of this course, but with difficulty. There are no English translations on the tapes. The course is more book intensive, and there are two booklets that accompany the tapes. They must both be used simultaneously, which is cumbersome. The rules of grammer are not introduced or discussed; reliance on a separate grammar section is required, and could be understood only by individuals who have had previous study in a foreign language. Sometimes the speakers' voices trail off, and occasionally pronunciation is not distinct. While this is how we will probably hear the language, it is not helpful in the learning process. I think many of us expect to use tapes for learning a language in a more passive way, i.e. in the car. The neccessity to have both books at hand during each lesson makes this kind of learning impractical.

I am attempting to learn German on my own. I'm a native english speaker who has learned a moderate amount of Spanish; I've learned how to learn. I bounced from one "system" of learning to another--tapes, books, etc, and had found nothing useful. They all had greivous flaws: one obsesses over lots of obscure nouns, another fails to provide a reasonable audio track / book material matchup, etc.. This system is a bit cumbersome; one must have two books open and the finger on the CD pause button.. but it is workable.. enough so that I'm going to purchase it (it was checked out from a library). The speakers have REAL German accents and reflect what you can expect to hear. Additionally, the situations presented are very poignant.. the phrases you memorize by going through the dialogues are among the most pragmatic I've seen yet. Bottom line: if you are SERIOUS about learning and are willing to WORK for it, this is good material *in my opinion*. This plus a German dictionary and maybe a German computer language program (for all basics like hours, money, numbers, days.. the endless repitition you need to do to " get" the sound and mimic) are all you really need.

A short while ago, I wrote a favorable review of "Against Method" by Paul Feyerabend. This book, though, is much more difficult to swallow. Feyerabend suggests that many Western intellectuals (by this, he usually means Karl Popper) are skeptical of relativism and after reading this, I can see why. Feyerabend is almost too good at what he does. The relativism, or Rorty-like 'pragmatism', that he seems to champion, undercuts him at every turn.

First, this book focuses more on culture than scientific belifs. Feyerabend makes clear from the get-go that he is a believer in 'democratic relativism" - literally, that what works for one culture may not work for another. This is really not a radical view untill you take Feyerabends conclusion that because of this, there can be no objective truths, standards, or even critierion for deciphering either. Here's how he undercuts himself though. For Feyerabend, this relativism demands that we recognize our ability to learn from other cultures, engage in dialogue and even argue from time to time. The problem is that if reason is just as good (no better) than any other way of proceeding, it is difficult to imagine how dialogue can proceed, outside of a reasoned structure. At the end of the first essay, Feyerabend stretches further still. If quarks and gods are both theoretical (that is, not empirical) then isn't it strange to regard quarks as more 'real' than gods. Well, Paul, not if you consider that quarks are a) open to falsification, b) accountable to scientific prediction that CAN falsify them and c) have so far enabled us to make accurate predictions without being falsified, then I guess the answer is "no".

Many readers will also read this book as a diatribe against Karl Popper. I would urge these readers, if they've not read Popper, to first read either "Conjectures and Refutations" or "Objective Knowledge". Many of Feyerabends characterizations are wrong. Feyerabend constantly underestimates Popper's recongintion of theory and ideology in conjectures and observations. Feyerabend also miscarachterizes Popper's falsification as a view that as soon as an individual sees her theory falsified, she should abandon it as quick as possible. Nope! She should defend it while keeping in mind that she could be wrong. Third, Feyerabend misconstrues Popper as an elitist of science who claims that Western scientific conclusions are the most valid. Popper would be the first to admit that good ideas can come from anywhere. Popper's only suggestion is that matriculation of those ideas into our lives involves making up our minds, which involves reason and that empirical methods are good insofar as they HAVE TO BE the common denominator of intersubjective discussion. Overall, Feyerabends conclusions are all-in-all self defeating, his arguments are largely misunderstandings and his book is verging on being a waste of time.

Once again Paul Feyerabend has produced an energetic commentary on the modern philosophical constructs of the philosophy of science, especially those of Popper. In this, his second book, he concentrates on the main on answering negative comments on his earlier book "Against Method" by various philsophers of science such as Popper and Putnam. Although this seems to occupy his attentions there are chapters on various aspects such as Xenophanes, Greek Gods, a fascinating chapter on Aristotle's theory of the continuum, the role of theories in science, relativism and a very interesting and rare discussion of Mach's theory of research.

As usual his groundwork is thorough, although not as detailed as that in "Against Method", and full of interesting asides which both support the argument and fascinate the reader. His energy is infectious although some of his comments are quite abrasive especially those concerning Popper. It compares well to the first book and is far better than his last "Conquest of Abundance" which seemed tired by comparison and lacking the zest of the earlier works such as this one and the first. To me, the two outstanding chapters are the ones on Mach and Aristotle which alone make the book worth buying. Feyerabend is a rare breed of philosopher in that he does not construct systematic theories but rather deconstructs existing ones and criticises them consistently at the same time giving credence to his ideas of relativism which are quite at odds with the usual interpretation of this idea. Feyerabend does not constrain himself overly in the sense of a solid theoretical basis prefering to remain loose and free to move. There are many advantages to this process although it does not introduce new ideas or concepts which by themselves could lead to further insights, this is possible without stagnation or a crystallisation of views which often occurs. He is also aware of his own propensity to intellectualise, something which he tries to supplement with a kind of living discourse which partly compensates.
An energetic read.

the anecdotes that go with the recipes are nice, but these famous chefs don't give any of their secrets out. The beef bourguignon recipe, for example, is absolutely horrible. Better know what you're doing if you use these recipes, and be prepared to either alter them or eat bad food.

A wonderful book that reminds the reader of all the great meals they have had in France. The receipes may be a bit complex for the weekend chef such as I, however, the stories will inspire any food lover.

Totally dissapointed in the book. 53 pages devoted to the history of drafting. What I expected and needed was a step by step explanation in user freindly terms of the functions of the CAD system. The book ( since I bought it in Canadian dollars) is way over priced for the content even if it is a hard cover copy. Sorry to slam it but it did not suit my needs.

I really found this book useful. The biggest plus for me is the extensive diagrams that make it a great reference, as well as a great step by step publication.
Definately recommended.

A sloppily argued, near-incomprehensible exercise in nostalgia, nihilism, and name-dropping. This book has almost no explicit connection to the events of 9/11 or the titular "Ground Zero." Virilio may be right about the dangers of modernity, but his argument is superficial. Be sure to read translator Chris Turner's footnotes.

Incomprehensible to most Americans, this expressionist poem explains why terrorism is the new world order; a brilliant analysis of the superpower syndrome, dirge for the global glutton. An apt companion work is Emmanuel Todd's L'Apres Empire, translation due February 2004.

I just bought last week the newly revised Paul Glassman *Guatemala Guide* that is part of the "Open Road" series. I was very disappointed --particularly because I had been waiting for its release date since January. It has larger print which translates to less info per page than the "Rough Guide" or "Lonely Planet" series. It was more superficial in terms of presenting/explaining history, culture, traditions, sites, and in fact, omitted places discussed in the "Rough Guide" or "Lonely Planet" books. Glassman apparently lives in Antigua, but it didn't feel like an insiders guide to me. He does, however, list some hotels that were not mentioned in the other guides--nonetheless I don't think anyone goes to Guatemala for the hotels. My advice, invest in another guide book.

Glassman's guides to the hotels is crucial to some tourists and business people, especially if you're not planning to stay in a downscale establishment and might actually expect to find a working shower, private bathroom, and a restaurant.

Though many people coming to Guatemala aren't interested in upscale establishments, they do exist, and Glassman outlines them in a relatively no-nonsense fashion. For example, Pension Bonifaz in Quetzaltenango is the best hotel in town. It's is also where anyone flying in and out of Xela must go for pickup to the town airport.

There are other guides, but I wouldn't dismiss Glassman's guide out of hand. We live in Quetzaltenango, and run a Spanish language school there.

Fans who have read the entire series of Doctor Who New Adventures may find this book more rewarding, but for those who haven't followed the entire run will find this book too convoluted with appearances of characters from the previous 49 novels of the series. Adding to the plethora of characters is a plot which lacks any real drive and reading like a Saturday morning cartoon version of the classic science-fiction television series.

I'm not sure how often a series of TV tie-in books gets celebrates its 50th volume. On the other hand, I'm quite sure that when it does happen, very rarely is the occasion as voluble as "Happy Endings".

50 volumes of original "Doctor Who" novels was, make no mistake, a big deal. Where most tie-in novels supplement an ongoing TV series (the gold standard being "Star Trek"), the New Adventures of Doctor Who had a different aim: to replace a series that ended two years before the first book came out.

"Happy Endings" was penned by Paul Cornell, the first star of the NAs: in 1991, he became the first previously-unpublished author to get his first book deal through the "Doctor Who" book line. Cornell in this book writes the wedding of a character he created: Professor Bernice Summerfield, the first "Doctor Who" cast regular who never appeared on TV. And he places the book in the year 2010, in a setting he created: the pastoral British village of Cheldon Bonniface. Beyond that, Cornell also includes characters from nearly all of the 49 previous NAs, and is allowed to tie up several dangling plot threads from those earlier books.

Apart from all the celebrating and indulgent literary tricks, "Happy Endings" is not a book to be read on its own. There's not much plot, apart from the wedding and just a couple of minor alien nuisances. This is a flat-out camp comedy, and extremely British in style. Many characters burst into song (not an easy thing to do on the printed page). Peppered throughout are numerous asides on how Cornell presumably would like society to look in the year 2010: the English monarchy is dissolved, the whole country's gone vegetarian, and a Wiccan handfasting ceremony is the book's emotional touchstone.

In the end, when the humor and social commentary subside, "Happy Endings" remainss a charming novel. If you followed the earlier books in the series, you'll enjoy the return of all the prior characters. Certainly when a series reaches a certain point, it's allowed to rely heavily on its past (think how the 7th season premiere of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" concluded with a lengthy parade of every major villain from the show's past).

However, the line of original DW adventures that "Happy Endings" celebrated, ended less than a year later. Original DW novels are still published, but through a different publishing company, and with entirely different regular characters. Reading this novel so many years after publication is a lot like watching an old rerun of a TV reunion special. Hopefully, you'll be able to say that you remember all the great old moments, and this book will make you smile nostalgically, and just a little bit wistfully.
But another of Cornell's themes is that "Doctor Who" has become far more than just another TV series. On that note, that central message of "Happy Endings" remains true to this day.