I must admit to being rather enamored with the work of Greene and Greene. I've visited a number of their homes in Pasadena, but have not yet had the opportunity to view the Blacker House (from the inside anyway). Over the last ten years, I have read about every book written on the brothers, and when I read the pre-release description of this book I was very excited. In particular, I was interested in learning in detail how this wonderful quality work was reproduced and restored by today's craftsmen. While this book does a great job covering the history and detail of the house, this is not new territory if you're familiar with the previous body of work. I really had my hopes up that the hammer and nails detail of this monumental restoration would be covered in such a fashion as to provide working information applicable to new design. The work of Greene and Greene carried residential detail design in wood and metal to it's zenith. With the structure exposed, this was really a magnificent chance to highlight the subtlties that set their work apart. This does not happen here. My comments may be a little unfair but this book ends up being another "architectural" reference. I was looking for something that broke new ground. This being said, I still love the book, and am glad to have it in my library.

I guess it's a small world, as I was also at the Blacker house on 6 October. (It was a Pasadena Heritage event. They play an important role in preserving the work of Greene and Greene and other outstanding architects in the Pasadena area.) While I agree that this is an excellent book on the Blacker House for those interested in Greene and Greene or in Craftsman architecture in general, I would recommend that anyone looking for an introduction to the work of Greene and Greene start either with one of Makinson's books on their work or with Edward R. Bosley's recent book. When you get hooked you can come back for this book.

A great deal has been written about the work of architects Charles and Henry Greene, but never before has such a detailed monograph been published about one of the homes that they designed. Randell Makinson's narrative provides a thorough historical background of the Blacker Family from their Ontario origin to their final home and its construction by the Greene brothers in the Oak Knoll subdivision of Pasadena. The story continues with the 1947 subdivision of the 5.1 acre estate into seven separate parcels and the eventual removal and sale of the original furniture, light fixtures and art-glass windows (all designed by the Greenes). The book concludes with a detailed description of the restoration process that began when the current owners purchased the home in 1993, and was basically completed in 1998.

Historical narratives, while full of useful and interesting information, are typically a little monotonous. That is not the case with this book. Mr. Makinson's obvious passion for the work of Greene and Greene, and for this house in particular, is evident. His description of the removal of 53 light fixtures from the house in 1985 left a lump in my throat. I could not put the book down until I read the happy ending about the house's restoration.

I had the privilege of visiting the Blacker House on October 6th, and viewing firsthand the results of the restoration effort. While nothing can quite compare to walking through this masterpiece and touching the magnificent woodwork, I can assure you that the marvelous photography of Thomas Heinz and Brad Pitt comes very close. The collection of photographs in this book is absolutely wonderful. The interplay of light and shadows, the warmth and depth that the colors bring to the images, and the visual compositions themselves cause me to rank these among the best architectural photographs ever published.

This is a must-have book for anyone interested in Arts and Crafts architecture. The contribution of Charles and Henry Greene to the American architectural vernacular can never be overstated, and this house is certainly one of their most important contributions to the art. Thank you Randell, Thomas and Brad for supplying a valuable addition to my library. I hope this is the first in a series of books about the "ultimate bungalows."

Just the title of Robert Greene's book, "The Death and Life of Philosophy" caught my interest! As a business student in college in the late 1960's I was exposed to only two basic philosophy courses. Although they interested me greatly, I have had little contact with anything related to the field since then.
Now with the demands of career and family waning I find more time to read. I am thrilled that I found Mr Greene's book at this time in my life. I found "The Death and Life of Philosophy" to be both fascinating and thought provoking. It has rekindled my earlier interest in the subject and has led me to search out other related books to enjoy.
Clearly written and easy to understand, I would highly recommend Mr. Greene's book to any non-academians who, like myself, have an interest in expanding their intellectual life.

To Redeem Philosophy

Robert Greene has written a highly unique and admirably readable book, which accomplishes three main tasks. These are to: 1. give a summary of western philosophy from Plato to the present, 2. describe the sorry state of modern philosophy, particularly in the academic arena, and 3. to show how this situation might be redeemed.

The book itself is divided into two parts. The first, called "The Death of Philosophy", consists of three chapters:
Attempts to Define the Discipline
A Brief History of Philosophy
The Breakup of Philosophy
which aptly describe their contents. This part of the book is very accessible and even entertaining as it contains some personal recollections of the author. The second part, consisting of seven chapters, is more challenging reading and has as its centerpiece the extended chapter, Putting Mind Back into Nature with the Aid of Aristotle. The ideas presented here are fundamental, and in no way utilitarian.

I am generally well educated, but not especially trained or widely read in philosophy; still I can recommend this book to others like myself, who may be curious about philosophy or wish to review what one has studied long ago. In fact, it is so approachable that even if you do not care about the state of philosophy in academia or even that much about Aristotle, it is well worth reading. Greene's summary of the history of ideas is so lucid that that the book succeeds on this alone. The personal anecdotes illustrate, but also serve to set this apart from encyclopedia articles on Western Civilization. The potential readership for this volume is wider than one might at first surmise.

To Redeem Philosophy

Robert Greene has written a highly unique and admirably readable book, which accomplishes three main tasks. These are to: 1. give a summary of western philosophy from Plato to the present, 2. describe the sorry state of modern philosophy, particularly in the academic arena, and 3. to show how this situation might be redeemed.

The book itself is divided into two parts. The first, called "The Death of Philosophy", consists of three chapters:
Attempts to Define the Discipline
A Brief History of Philosophy
The Breakup of Philosophy
which aptly describe their contents. This part of the book is very accessible and even entertaining as it contains some personal recollections of the author. The second part, consisting of seven chapters, is more challenging reading and has as its centerpiece the extended chapter, Putting Mind Back into Nature with the Aid of Aristotle. The ideas presented here are fundamental, and in no way merely utilitarian.

I am generally well educated, but not especially trained or widely read in philosophy; still I can recommend this book to others like myself, who may be curious about philosophy or wish to review what one has studied long ago. In fact, it is so approachable that even if you do not care about the state of philosophy in academia or even that much about Aristotle, it is well worth reading. Greene's summary of the history of ideas is so lucid that that the book succeeds on this alone. The personal anecdotes illustrate, but also serve to set this apart from encyclopedia articles on Western Civilization. The potential readership for this volume is wider than one might at first surmise.

This is the usual text for introductory Topology at UCLA, where I took the course. The authors (who teach at UCLA) have "if you haven't chewed through every syllable you are not learning" mentality. In short, the book is terse and demands a lot from the reader. Looking back, this was great preparation for graduate school and is probably the best philosophy for the serious undergrad. The book contains all of the information one needs for an introductory course, but absolutely no more. Not a single character is wasted on "extraneous" explanation. Be ready for battle when opening this one, but it's worth it.

I used this book to teach myself the basics of point-set topology and homotopy theory. What makes this book so great is that the author doesn't waste words in delving into the heart of a concept, while providing insight into it. A good collection of interesting problems, most with solutions in the back of the book. This makes this book very good for self study. If you liked Rudin, you'll probably like this book as well, as it is written in a similar style. If someone knows of a better introduction, do let me know.

This is a lean fast introduction to topology at the third or fourth year level. Pure math types only. The book is terse but the topics are selected with care and one things leads to the next. The proofs are sufficiently detailed. Nearly every exercise has a solution in the back. The clearest exposition of the fundamental group I've seen.

This is an entertaining and practical book detailing a number of different methods for attaining personal empowerment - The 'laws' are applicable to many situations in the day-to-day world of office politics. These 'laws' appear contradictory and somewhat repetitive at times but it is assumed that the intelligent reader would apply different 'laws' to different situations - something that the book is not always helpful with. However, to give it it's due, the history lessons used to illustrate the various examples of different 'laws' are in many cases highly amusing and are definitely informative - it is also a credit to the authors that they have endeavored to put the reversal of each 'law' where applicable, which makes this a very well-rounded read. The Machiavellian leaning reader however might do well to remember the famous quote of the historian Lord Acton - 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

I have not finished reading this book yet, I am only a third of the way through it. But I find the information valuable. I am a Christian and naturally I try to give other people a chance and take them at face value.

Something that I've found to be quite deadly in the business world.

After being "Had at" twice in a year and a half by two employers. Whom initially gave me the impression they were pleased with me. I realise that I can not continue to go on to simply assuming that peoples smiles are sincere. This book has served as an excellent guide. I strongly believe that The Lord was the one who led me to this book. On the surface 48 Laws might seem as a book on how to gain power by any means necessary. But if you read below the surface Greene is warning you to peoples under handed and duplicitous tricks. The book also serves as a nasty wake up call as to how the world really works. We may like to think that we live in a civilized society where people are not nasty and vicious. But the truth is things have not really changed that much at all. The only difference is that nowadays the viciousness and nastiness has become more cultured and refined. And harder to detect until the very end when you've been badly hurt.

The (business) world is not a logical place. People will try to get at you out of jealousy, spite, pettiness or insecurity. Sometimes this will be in ways you will not be able to imagine, you would not expect someone to go "so low". But they will.

I strongly recommend this book to Christians out there or anyone else out there who has pledged to live a moral and upstanding life. You are sheep among wolves and it is best that you educate yourself in order to combat them. By all means continue to live right, just remember that there are people out there who do not share this philosophy and will attempt to harm you. Without a single mark on their conscience. I can not recommend this book enough-please buy it. If not for yourself then maybe for a loved one whom you know is being taken advantage of time and time again.

I would also like to recommend "Cain and Abel at Work" as well as "Thick Face Black Heart".

To be forwarned is forarmed.

This is indeed the best non-fiction book I have ever read. Praise to Greene who had properly put his thought clearly into the most linear'ed' and segmented idea organization you can ever found.

Each law is supported by its Judgment, Trangression & its Interpretation, Observance & its Interpretation, Keys to Power, and its Image .

Read insights into some of the ancient war moves e.g. Bonaparte, Alexender the Great, etc; political and modern day strategist like Henry Kissinger. Even better, read the ways of how some of the famous con men in history; e.g. Yellow Kid Weil preyed their victims.

The first law: Never Outshine the Master is the best start for me as after reading it, I understand better one of the Malaysian's most scandalous political action.

The Judgment of the first law reads:
"Always make those above you feel comfortable superior. In your
desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite-inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power."

Throughout history, no presidential administration needed to be given more benefit of the doubt than that of Gerald Ford. While other administrations had to come into existence as a consequence of death by natural causes or assassination, only Ford had to follow a person who resigned in disgrace. The political atmosphere was forever changed by the actions of Richard Nixon, as the American public no longer took the word of the president on faith. Jimmy Carter, who defeated Ford in the next election, made a simple, effective campaign pledge, "I will never lie to the American people."
However despite all of those problems, the sheer resilience and strength of the American political system was demonstrated, and that is the main theme of the book. Yes, Ford had his faults and probably could not have otherwise gained the presidency, but he is a good man and was the right person for the times. As someone addicted to the political theater, I was mesmerized by Watergate, disgusted with Nixon and sometimes laughed at Ford. And yet, I still liked him, and do so even more now that I have read this book. Given all the political problems, Ford did many things about as well as could be done. His downfall was the one really big mistake that he made, namely the premature pardon of Nixon.
Had he waited longer to issue the pardon, more could have come out, tensions would have been eased and the act would not have been quite so controversial. While I know why he did it, I will never understand why he felt he had to do it so soon. The behaviors of Nixon even as the pardon was being discussed and described in the book are amazing, showing a man who was still contemptuous of the political system. A delayed pardon may have altered that.
Gerald Ford was not a great president in terms of great accomplishments, initiatives or rhetoric. However, he was and is a decent man who was forced to pick up after an indecent one. For that reason he needs to be respected for what he did, helped make the political system work. This description of his presidency is a tribute to that decency and I encourage you to read it and pay a little more attention to him the next time you see him speak. I know I will.

Gerald Ford is not the most popular of presidents to write about. He's almost forgotten in studies of America after 1945. This book gives him his due. Profesor Greene does a fine job of examing the important issues that faced Ford, like "stagflation," the Mayaguez incident, and dealing with the Cold War. It's a balanced account and written for scholars and the general reader.

Greene adroitly recognizes that Ford's domestic legislative proposals faced staunch opposition from a Democratically controlled Congress. In foreign affairs, Ford failed to get SALT II ratified and an Egyptian-Israeli accord never materialized during his term. In addition, the author acknowledges that Ford used assertiveness in the Mayaguez incident. Furthermore, Greene avers that Ford received bad publicity from the press. Finally, Greene argues that Ford did not make a secret bargain with Nixon for a Presidential pardon. This book gives a balanced account about a much maligned President.

This book is a good start for someone that has no idea what to do to take care of their muscles and joints. As a martial artist, active in the gym (weights) and a therapeutic massage therapist, I found this book to be a waste of time. On the positive side, it is a quick read and I have reinforced, by second oppinion (the book), that I know more about taking care of myself than the average bear. In purchasing this book, I was hoping to find something that I didn't already know or something that I didn't think was common sense. If you have never played sports, never taken care of your body (stretching, contrast therapies, proper posture) then this book is for you.

The average career lifespan of a massage therapist is something like 5 years or less. The cause? Burnout usually derived from the physical wear and tear on the body that occurs in this physically demanding occupation. "Save Your Hands!" is an excellent resource for prolonging one's career relatively pain and injury-free by reminding the massage therapist that taking care of one's own body first is not a luxury, but a necessity!

I find that most massage therapists LOVE what they are doing and "Save Your Hands!" can help them continue to do so well beyond the 5 year average.
Highly recommended!

This book is an awesome guide to anyone studying the healing arts. It is a must-read book for how to extend your massage therapy career by saving one of the most valuable tools, your hands. It indeptly describes guides of prevention, exercises to strenghten hands, and tips every therapist needs to know. If massage therapy is your career, this is one book that should not be left out of your collection.

This was one of the best books that I Have ever read. Know I know what career I want to go in to.

The title of this book is "The Presidency of George Bush." Needless to say, to adequately cover even the most insignificant president you need more than the paltry 200 pages that this book provides. So if Mr. Greene believes that he has written a major book on the Bush administration, he falls well short. Nevertheless, perhaps Mr. Greene sought to write a book offering fewer facts but more analysis. In that case, he also falls a bitshort. The final result is a hybrid of newspaper reporting, old and new facts, and a sprinkle of original analysis. It makes for a repectable work that is worth reading. Mr. Greene's final analysis of the Bush presidency is a positive one. He finds that "Poppy's" virtues of prudence and patience worked well in dealing with foreign countries and in conducting the Persian Gulf War. While admitting a dearth of domestic accomplishments, the author does praise Bush for the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act, both passed in 1990. One thing that stands out in particular is the author's emphasis on Bush's charcater. He sees the ex-president as a genuinely warm friend and gentle family man. This is absolutely true. In comparison to the other post-WWII presidents, George Bush probably would be the one you would most want to be your father. Nevertheless, I do not see why this quality should be an end in and of itself. This goes back to the recent debate over the role that character has for those who preside in the Oval Office. I do not believe that private values are an end. Instead, they should be a means to articulating public values. This lesson has been imprinted on Bill Clinton. Bush was a decent man but his public values were either a failure or more likely, unknown, because he never artiuclated them. The "vision thing" plagued him throughout his public life and his four years on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue did not awaken him to this essential aspect of any great presidency. There are three significant features when looking at the Bush presidency. First was the ending of the Cold War. Bush is given credit for this development even by many of his critics. But let's not forget that in 1989 when Bush took the oath of office, the die had been cast. The USSR was dying of a terminal disease. Bush largely sat and observed. He does deserve credit for not tipping the boat but that's hardly a compliment to build a legacy on. Bush deserves real applause for his handling of Germany's reuinfication. It was there that the Loan Star Yankee took an active and positive role. But should we ignore his appeasement of China following the Tiananmen Square masacre or his shiflessness on the ethnic cleasness in Yugoslavia? Its a mixed record. The second key issue was the Persian Gulf War. And clearly Bush's orchestartion of the allied campaign against Iraq was nearly flawless. But for every compliment that Bush receives here, he deserves criticism for his policies toward Iraq immediately prior to and following Deset Storm. With a little less prudence and more decisiveness, we could have either avoided the invasion of Kuwait completely or is so, removed Saddam Hussein from power following the war. The third issue was Bush's undoing: his lack of a domestic agenda of any shape or form. In 1989 it is true that he faced severe limitations when working with the legislative branch. But after the Gulf War he could have gotten a 30-acre personal mansion from Congress if he requested it. Instead, he rested on his own laurels, convinced that there was nothing he could do to help an American public, hurt and restless in the midst of an economic recession. He chose to do nothing and worst of all, he seemed blind to the concerns of his citizens. Who will ever forget the supermarket scanner? The result was a re-election fight that ended with 62% of the voting public unmoved by his pleas for a second chance. George Bush is a good man and he was not a bad president, per se. But he obviously had serious shortcomings as both a president and a public leader.