This is an excellent study of John Paul II's difficult encyclical on faith and reason. Most of the contributions deal with the vexed issue of "Christian philosophy," a much disputed topic in the 1930s which has been given new life by our reigning philosopher-pope. Highlights are the fine essays by Avery Cardinal Dulles, placing the current issues in historical context, and the remrkable essay by David Meconi on the Marian dimension of philosophy.

We have long needed this book. Historically, most texts have either concentrated on describing the natural history of venomous organisms or the medical implactions of envemonations (a noteable exception is the excellent contributions by Halstead). This book provides a great deal of biological informtion about toxic marine organisms and then combines this with the latest information about medical treatments for envenomations. In addition, this book also contains an excellent reveiw and classification for cnidae, which I have personally been looking for for a while. I honestly can't say enough about this text. Although this book is not really for the layman (you won't find much in the way of popularized accounts of injuries), it is an EXCELLENT text for specialists.

I bought the series some years ago and have lost one and would like to replace it. I would also like to have my books autographed by Mr. Eckert.

I have recommended this writer to many friends and have bought the soft cover prints for several.

Written in the 15th Century and directed towards monks, this is a devotional for Christian living and Monastic life. While noting the time period helps give depth to the historical backdrop of when Thomas was writing this book, it is perhaps more important to know the audience. The intended audience for The Imitation of Christ was monks. This is obvious in the text and it should be kept in mind while reading this work.

This highly influential work has a very simple message: live like Christ. Presented in this book, it is a very strict message. Thomas takes a very strict interpretation of following Christ and the message is very much rooted in the idea of works. It is the actions that one must perform, and not so much the inner state (though he does stress that the inner state is important). This would be a difficult message to take or to give, but again, we must consider the audience: monks living in a monastery. They must live a harsher life and because of their vows, this devotional makes perfect sense.

This can be read as a historical document in Christianity or as a devotional. Either way, one can find great value and and some illumination of the words of Christ through this volume.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

I dicovered this book by accident in a used book store a few years ago. My first introduction to Barbara Tuchman, and I was hooked. The other reviewers have highly rated the ease of reading this book and I wholeheartedly agree. This is a substantial book on many levels. I would like to comment that in addition to its ease of reading, it brought to light a man that I believe has been neglected by post World War II historians, politicians and his own military. I recall the (1960s) film titled Merrill's Marauders in which General Stillwell makes a brief appearence. Little did I know then what depth of involvement he had in China and that theatre of the war. One knows of Patton, Nimitz, King, Halsey, and of course, Eisenhower and MacArthur, but Stillwell, well, he truly had the most thankless job in WW II. Ms. Tuchman did a wonderful job of describing a China caught between feeble attempts at modernizing and reverence for the old ways, competing political systems and national interests at a time of great change in the world at large. I came away from this book with the utmost respect for General Stillwell.

This book is about a period that is both so important and yet largely neglected in American education. The book is quite easy to read with its strong steady narrative flow, its interest in the personalities at play as well as its study of the background of their struggles. Since the book came out around the time of the Vietnam War, I assumed it would be more anti-American foreign policy in tone than it is. It's quite balanced.

Tuchman obviously regards Stilwell as the hero of the tale. It's hard to come to any other conclusion about this deeply humble but brilliant, unwearying but always frustrated man. Yet she is quite fair in assessing the difficulties faced by Stilwell's close-to-home antagonist, Chiang Kai Shek. She is also not sparing in describing the courage, success and tactical genius of Claire Chennault, whose (clearly wrong-headed) conception of the War was opposed to that of Stilwell.

The story of America in China in WWII and its aftermath is so fascinating, so HUGELY important - and still so relatively little publicized - especially in relation to the affairs of MacArthur, Nimitz and Halsey in the Pacific or Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton in Europe.

I long for a movie that will show the fascinating struggle among Stilwell, Chiang, and Chennault in relation to the Japanese and Mao's Communists. It can be said that America's foreign policy in 1943-50 has far less immediate impact in post Cold War Europe today than in Japan, China, Burma, and Indonesia. America's two costly wars since WWII have been in Asia. This book gives a wonderful background to anyone interested in how did the existing state of affairs in China come to pass?

America was intimately involved - particularly two Americans - 1) Claire Lee Chennault, a maverick Cajun from Louisiana who resigned from the American Air Force in rage at their refusal to adopt his revolutionary views on fighters and bombing - and became the head of China's Air Force in 1937; 2) Joseph Stilwell, an upper middle class WASP from a family that went back to the early 1600s, who had been intimately involved with China since the 1920s.

It's just a great story, and it's unlikely you know much of it.

This book won the Pulitzer prize for the soundest of reasons. As the other reviews indicate, this book gives perspective to the actions and times of General Stillwell in China, but like Ms. Tuchman's other books "Stillwell" operates on several levels, giving a sensible and ultimately useful history of Sino-American relations since the arrival of the American missionaries in the middle of the 19th century. By the time I finished reading this book, American foreign policy towards China made great sense even when those policies were ill-founded. I don't believe you can find a more profitable or enjoyable read in all of history. Definately give this book a read.

I read Bad Boy with great anticipation and came away with mixed feelings. "If only we had another Lee Atwater" is a sentiment that resonates with today's too-often clutzy, tone-deaf GOP. But the Lee Atwater presented in Brady's comes off less as the strategic Messiah lionized in Republican circles and more like a go-getting prankster. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Typically, Brady obsesses over the Willie Horton episode, even though he does dislodge the pervasive myth that Atwater was somehow the prime mover behind this over-hyped episode. Still, these pages would have worked better as a more detailed account of the strategy behind the '88 campaign. (That's why I bought the book -- not to read more re-hashing of the Horton claptrap.) After enjoyable and vivid accounts of Atwater's early South Carolina campaigns, Bad Boy starts to disappoint and doesn't shed much more light on the politics of the 1980s and beyond.

Atwater may be called the master of negative politics, but after watching the latest episode in Florida and recalling the impeachment ordeal, I doubt that this is what will distinguish him in the pantheon of political masterminds in years to come. Atwater's legacy will be that of a strategist who had a unique sense of what was really going on in his generation, and one of the first to recognize the current transformation of politics from a battle between left and right to contest between libertarian-minded thinkers who relish progress and freedom and traditional populists who want to control it.

Like Lee Atwater himself, this biography is entertaining, and quick-and-dirty. Also like Atwater, it is essentially skin deep, offering little assessment on how a figure like Atwater could arise and become so powerful within the Republican Party so fast. There's also not much about Atwater's innovation -- "oppo" research-based politics that turned the nascent 24-hour news cycle to the advantage of the savvier campaign. Atwater invented the style of "war room" campaigning that was enhanced by another southerner, James Carville, four years later.
Still, the book is well-crafted and does an excellent job of chronicling Atwater's life. It is especially admirable for revealing the truth about Atwater's alleged deathbed renunciation of hardball politics -- which never really happened. The real story is far more interesting.

Lee Atwater knew politics and how to work it. This book gives a compelling look at the transformation of a good ol' boy into the man responsible for the election of the most powerful man in the world. Mr. Brady does a fine job of showing all sides of Lee. From the insecurities that drove his attitude through the frailities of a man on his death bed,this book does justice to the real man. Lee Atwater set the trend for the future of politics. This book is a must read for anyone in the business of getting people elected.

I read this book in a last minute panic for my term paper on John Paul II. It was extremely helpful. Most of the authors got at the reasons behind the pope's positions on moral and political issues. They did a fine job showing how the Pope's view of Christ or of the law or the person influences his positions on abortion or on economics. My complaint though is that the book seems very tilted toward the right. These Jesuit authors don't seem very typical of the Jesuits I know in my college and in my parish. The authors don't seem open to any real changes in the church. Although the intro talks about theoilogical pluralism, I think that most of the authors probably find Ratzinger too liberal.

John Paul II has changed the face of the world. The rebirth of democracy in Eastern Europe, in Latin America, and in the Philippines is in large measure his work and the work of his church. The Jesuit writers of this book explain the moral vision behind the Pope's titanic political struggle---and they are clearly cheering him on!

This is an impressive book on the moral thought of John Paul II. The Jesuits write with verve about the moral views of the pope. The viewpoints go from liberal to conservative. The most interesting chapters talk about how the Pope's moral theory affects the political activism of the church.

Victory is in many ways more fluid and readable than Conrad's more dense works (for comparison sake I'd previously read Heart of Darkness and Conrad's collection of short stories Tales of Unrest.) In Victory we have Conrad's standard fare of tragedy and man's isolation, but in this case wrapped in a tale of adventure and swept along by an uncharacteristically eventful plot.

Conrad's works have, of course, been reviewed to exhaustion; the only thing that I could hope to add would be my emotional response to the novel as a reader.

Personally through the majority of the novel I found Heyst to be the only truly well defined character. Much of what we learn of him is revealed indirectly through the observations of others, but somehow Conrad manages to use this method to flesh out a complex and intriguing figure in Heyst. The remanding characters, while interesting, serve mostly as scenery. The villains Jones and Ricardo, while interesting, struck me not so much as human characters but as forces of impending doom; they could have as easily been an approaching storm or a plague or any other brand of natural disaster. The girl Lena in the end is the one exception; perhaps the one thing that I found most gratifying is the way in which her character developed as the novel neared its climax.

The Penguin Classics version is well footnoted for those of you (like me) that would have missed some of the more obscure Biblical references and allusions to Paradise Lost. The notes also comment on the narrator's shifting viewpoint, and on revisions Conrad made to subsequent editions. For those readers interested in an insight into Conrad's thinking I'd recommend this version.

Victory is the story of a man named Heyst who leads an isolated life in the South Pacific. However, he is drawn out of his isolation when he brings a woman to his island home. A chance encounter between a dishonest German who dislikes Heyst and two criminals sets up the dramatic ending. Conrad's style is as fluid as in his better known books, such as Lord Jim, and it is amazing that someone could write English so well who did not learn it until later in life and who always spoke it with a heavy Polish accent. Victory is similar to Conrad's other works in that the plot flirts with melodrama, but always is rooted in realism. Those who read the book will find the title apt.

Victory is the best of the handful of Conrad novels I have read (for reference sake, the others are Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, Heart of Darkness, and Nostromo). For one thing, the other novels were much heavier in their narrative and descriptive content. As a result, I often suffered from mental imagery overload when plodding through a page-long paragraph. Victory has more dialogue, making it an easier read. Conrad's characters are always great, and the ones in this book are no exception. I also really liked the correlation between these characters and their environment. Heyst living in a serene yet isolated island matched his aloofness perfectly. As the book reaches its climax and tensions reach a boiling point, Conrad adds to this tension in godlike fashion, as the storm evinces the internal and external struggles occurring in Heyst. Of course, Conrad don't write no happy tales (sic), but in the end, I think that the title Victory was still very appropriate. This was an excellent read and one of the best novels I have read in a long time.

My name is Kelly, and I am a junior in high school and I was recently assigned to read John Stienbeck's novel OF MICE AND MEN. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book, for many different reasons. For instance, Steinbeck uses a storyline that grabs the attention of all ages, young or old. In the begining, we are introduced to George and Lennie the novel's two main characters. They are fleeing from their former hometown in search of a new job opportunity on a ranch located in the Salinas Valley. The two fathem a dream of owning their own ranch one day with lots of acres and rabbits. They work out a plan to earn money so this dream can be fulfilled. While on the ranch the young childish Lennie is objected to numerous situations, in which they put George in akward posiitions. George's loyalty is constantly tested throughout the novel. With a surprise ending their dream seems to fade away. This book is one everyone should read, because it teaches the meaning of friendship and the "American Dream".

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from end to end. I give it a 4 ¾ star rating because of... oops this is still the introduction! I hope you enjoy this review and read the book!

The book is mainly about two men named Lennie and George and their travels to reach their dream of building a great farm and "livin' off the fatta da lan." I like this book because just by reading it you know that John Steinbeck put his heart and soul into this book. If "Of Mice and Men" were a food I would describe it as rich and satisfying. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that especially in the beginning it would go away from the story and describe the landscape it in great detail. Don't get me wrong! I like detail but it took too long to get back to the story. Speaking of detail. When the detail in then book was focused on the story it gave it an amazing effect! The character development in this book was also very good. From main characters like George to main characters like Crooks, John always let the reader know lot about the character. Finally, the dialogue in the book is excellent. Everything is said right and right at the correct time. WOW! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an enriching story but can handle a little tragedy.

This concludes my review of the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. For all of you who decide to read it... ENJOY!

Inspired by Steinbeck's centennial celebrations last year, I picked up a copy of "Of Mice and Men" because I had read it was a thriller of sorts. As a mystery fan and writer, I am always interested in sudden apocalyptic dénouements. I read the book in a couple of hours and, let me tell you, I'm still thinking about it two days later.

The story of George Milton and Lennie Small - who was, in every sense of the word, a "brute" - develops fast up to its high climax, and its end hits you like a thunderstorm. They are a couple of illiterate men who travel together, going from ranch to ranch in the Salinas valley at the time of the Great Depression, and "buck barley" for a living. They have no home or family, but they have each other, and they have a dream, which is repeated as an omen throughout the story: to save enough money to buy their own ranch and "live on the fatta the land." George, with a small physique, has assumed the role of caretaker of Lennie, who is mentally retarded but naturally (or unnaturally?) strong. This trait of his had cost them their last job, but no matter what, they continued to stick together, true to their dream and their promise of honest friendship. Two days later after they arrive at their new place of work, the picture is totally changed and - in order not to give away the ending - I'll say so is the dream.

This is an excellently crafted novella, where every single character, event and word has been assigned a key role; and only a writer as talented as Steinbeck could have achieved it. It no only takes full manageability of the writing craft, but also an implicit trust on behalf of your readers in order to accept such a moralizing tale. Personally I like Steinbeck's omniscience, and anyone who knows about the context of his lifetime would understand why he thought a writer should always offer something for the betterment of mankind.

"Of Mice and Men" offers a perspective into us. It is a rite of passage from dreams to reality and back, an understanding of the true nature of friendship and the shattering reality of its breakage, where the pieces can no longer be picked up because they are no longer important. A novel that will make you want to hug the people you consider your friends.