This is, to say the least, explosive material. It amounts to a claim that the present cultural crisis of the Western world is directly rooted in some of the very ideas that have come to define our modern way of life. That, perhaps, is the most interesting facet of the book: it is a work of Marxist philosophy which makes the same fundamental point that certain conservative thinkers (e.g. Russell Kirk and Richard Weaver) have been harping on for half a century or more: namely, that the foundation of most of our current social pathologies lies in the rejection, at the beggining of the modern era, of the classical philosophical project to discover real, true, objective standards of good and evil and the consequent loss of any means of rationally choosing one thing over another on the basis of goodness or beauty. Thus, this work will be interesting and profitable to a large variety of readers. Marxists and other members of the Left will find in it an exemplar of what intelligent leftist critique is supposed to be and a clear explanation of who their real enemy is (hint: it is NOT traditionalist right-wingers); conservatives (especially Christians who are attached in one way or another to the various revivals of pre-modern philosophy) will find in it both a diagnosis of the West's disease that is as clear as any they have produced, and a stern warning that they cannot compromise with what they struggle against. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to any and all of the above groups of readers.

Horkheimer is writing in 1946 and is influenced by Nazi power in Germany. He is outlining how the Nazis were able to make their agenda appear "reasonable". He is also issuing a warning against this happening again. Horkheimer believes that the ills of modern society are caused by the misuse and misunderstanding of reason. If people use true reason to critique their societies, they will be able to identify and solve their problems.

This book will excite a child's mind, and thrill your own, as together you travel on an adventure of discovering the power that lies hidden beneath "ordinary" words. This book excites kids -- of ALL ages. If you don't have any kids whom you can read this with, then have no fear; just tell people it's for a "nephew" or "student" and buy the book for yourself.

I myself am all 'grown up' so I have to read it on the sly when I'm not around actual children, but when I do I can't wait to find some more 'kids' to share it with.

Because it's pure fun, and you don't have any other book like it' yet.

July 21, 1995 Purposely omitted, "the". Thus, an article averted. A catastrophe forestalled. Like my car when it was still moving, i.e., before it stopped moving, just in front of the new school called The New School, where I was taking a crash course--in hopes of preventing a car crash--in Kafka, (the) Diaries of. All by myself--teacher and pupil. I the teacher, I the pupil. And where was Kafka while all this learninhg was/wasn't going on? Sitting in my car, of course, asleep at the wheel, which turned round and round in his hands, like the globe in God's. Will I ever obtain a learner's permit? Will he? (Will He?)

"The GECCO conference continues the tradition of the GP and ICGA conferences of bringing together researchers from the entire spectrum of research in evolutionary computation, including genetic algorithms, classifier systems, genetic programming, evolvable hardware, DNA and molecular computing, evolutionary strategies, evolutionary programming, artificial life, adaptive behavior, agents, as well as real-world applications of all of these areas." - from the publisher.

The relentless high quality of the many papers in this book make it delightful and thought-provoking. (My copy is 944 pages - not "1876" as Amozon has it.)

Pay particular attention to "Releve", the story contributed by Patricia Wallace and her daughter. This story introduces us to Sydney Bryant, the private eye that Pat Wallace has featured in a terrific series for adults. The titles in the series include "Deadly Devotion" and "Blood Lies".

Other outstanding stories include those by Wendy Hornsby, Scott Turow, Stuart Kaminsky, and Sharyn McCrumb (and their collaborators). This is a book that parents can read and enjoy with their children. It might inspire them to collaborate on some mystery stories of their own!

I look forward to reading the companion volume, "Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories". I

"When you think of a mystery, what comes to mind? A dark secret? An unsolved crime? A curious detective hunting for clues?"

The only mystery, the only secret, the only crime is how this anthology could be so easily overlooked. "Great Writers and Kids Write Mystery Stories" (1996) is a collection of stories written by some of today's greatest mystery authors in collaboration with their children and grandchildren. Jonathan Kellerman, Sharyn McCrumb, and Scott Turow are three of the thirteen award-winning writers that create wonderous whodunits with their offspring, ages 6 to adult.

While written at about the junior high/ middle school level, this complilation is enjoyable to all. The stories are five to several pages. Some are written with the child as the amateur detective, some are written as a type of psychological thriller.

The introduction serves as a "mini-lesson" on mystery writing. And, each story features a short personal introduction by the adult and child writing team on what it was like to collaborate on their included story. Other contributors include Barbara D'Amato, Ed Gorman, Stuart Kaminsky, Elizabeth Engstrom, and many others.

This book has the unique ability to be educational as well as entertaining. Those that enjoy this book may also enjoy the first volume as well: "Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories" (1995).