Any astronomer with even the remotest interest in Dobsonian telescopes MUST buy this book.

It doesn't matter if you want to build one, use one, or buy one pre-built. David Kriege and Richard Berry do an absolutely tremendous job of taking the reader through all the construction steps of a large-aperature Dobsonian telescope, of describing how to use it, how it will impact your life and your family and what's the best size for you.

"The Dobsonian Telescope" is extraordinarily well-illustrated, contains a wealth of technical data that generations of astronomers found the "hard way," yet is very easy to understand and apply.

Kriege and Barry also realize that not everyone can afford or has the space for the monster scope of their dreams, so there's even a good chapter on building a much more modest scope from off-the-shelf items. Best of all, all the "big scope" information is still useful for the smaller one (8") and just a plain, good, read.

Finally, the book is fun. Both authors have a dry wit that livens up what otherwise could have been a rather boring, technical monologue.

For anyone who's ever craved an owner's manual that tells them what they really want to know about their purchase, "The Dobsonian Telescope" is a "best buy." Even better, you don't have to buy the telescope to enjoy the book.

Excellent, interesting, and practical treatment of how you can build a state of the art, large to "giant"(8" to 40"+ aperture!) portable telescope. Uses the right amount of thorough well written engineering theory to justify the surprisingly simple component designs, materials, and construction techniques. The authors clearly want you to succeed. If your contemplating building a telescope based on your preconceptions, forget them, and read this book. The dobsonian approach featured here is a relatively recent major breakthrough in telescope design that few in the general public are aware exists. I can't imagine a "hotter" garage project for a dad to get into with his son or daughter.

This well-written, extremely thorough book takes the reader through the steps needed to build your own large Dobsonian telescope. More than a simple cookbook-type how-to book, the book takes you into the reason and motivation behind design details so you can make your own trade-offs for your own needs.

The book also takes you through the steps of building an 8 inch Dobsonian for your "small" telescope with the same detail and precision.

I am not a hard-core ATM, but read the book to understand the design and construction of Dobsonians in general, and to get an idea of how to make my own small, 8 inch Dob work better.

The book can be read at least 2 different ways: First, how to construct a large Dobsonian telescope. Second, what to look for when *buying* a large Dobsonian telescope. While the book makes the design, building, and construction of a large Dob seem both exciting and interesting, the entire time I read the book, I teetered between getting enthusiastic about building my own telescope, and the sinking feeling of truly understanding the enormous number of considerations, trade-offs, and important apparently minor details that make the difference between a good telescope and a great one. With all that goes into making a good telescope, you might be better off just buying a good quality telescope.

I recommend this book to owners of *all* size Dobsonians as an aid to truly understanding the Dobsonian design for both using, and modifying your own telescope. And to be clear, you *will* modify your telescope, even if it's just adding a finder and having to rebalance the scope. Contains and excellent section on collimation.

I came to this delightful book from the perspective of a daughter helping to care for my dear mother in the last 5 years of her life with Alzheimer's. Oh, how I wish I had read the book 7-9 years ago for its insights about relating to someone with dementia. Yet I think readership of this book should not be limited to people interested in this growing health problem. The book is a guidebook to enjoying life more fully, especially in the city/area where you live, as the author and David did with the many field trip pleasures of Denver. If you feel that a key ingredient of a good story is how people transform one another through their relationships, you will find yourself instantly captivated by Marilyn's and David's encounters and ensuing bond. They each possess charm, wit, and intelligence. Marilyn has an endearing ability to put herself in David's shoes, trying to understand his shrinking world and helping him uncover his genius. Marilyn's gift for language and her perceptiveness gives this book an energy that carries you to the end and leaves you regretting you're on the last page. You counter the regret by sharing this gem with others.

A friend recommended this book to me, and after seeing what it was about, my first reaction was to pass. I was expecting a heavy and depressing memoir about caring for the aging. In fact, it's a sprightly and life-affirming story about the continuity of love. First of all, David Touff is no ordinary dementia patient. He has lived a remarkable life as a businessman, community leader, and world traveler, and his kindness, sense of humor, and vitality are keenly observed and vividly brought to life. Even more importantly, author Marilyn Mitchell is no ordinary caregiver. Mitchell was originally hired to provide "adventures" for David, and these adventures, which take place throughout the city of Denver, keep the narrative fluid and interesting. She repeatedly engages David with a remarkable zest and creativity that is both a lot of fun to read about and an outstanding example for people caring for a friend or relative suffering from dementia. Mitchell always gives David the benefit of the doubt, and where other people might dwell on what he can't do or remember, she always finds a surprising cogency and consistency with his core personality.

What emerges in the end is the story of an improbably intimate relationship between two very different people. Dementia is a disease that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I came away from this book less afraid of it than I used to be. I know now that love between two people can persist in the face of severe memory loss.

After reading this beautiful book, it stayed with me for days. I laughed, cried, and shuddered (see Riding the Light Rail vignette, page 64) but couldn't put it down. David's struggle with Alzheimer's validates my own mother's story and the challenges we had in finding good care for her. Even the title connected with me. My mother loved to dance and one of the dearest memories I have toward the end was dancing with her in the kitchen of the group home to "String of Pearls." How blessed David was to have Marilyn in this part of his life, and how blessed I feel having read their experience. What a gift she has for being so perceptive and seeing such love and beauty in human kind. Thank you Marilyn Mitchell for sharing that gift!

My copy recently arrived and I'm greatly impressed. I'd first heard of this book from its web site, but nothing seemed to be happening there so I'd assumed the project had failed. Suddenly, while searching for photography books, up it pops. I had to get a copy. It has a great range of photos which really capture the feel of a world in celebration. The range of people featured makes it great to pass from page to page and dip back into the new year

Dawn of the 21st Century is a phenomenal photographic expression of the 24 hours surrounding the change of the millennium. A tremendous project undertaken by one man(Alx Klive) and his volunteers to collect and cull the best of over a quarter of a million pictures taken by thousands of photographers as the millennium dawned over a year ago. The pictures, however, remain timeless and serve to remind us what a wonderful art photography is for capturing an eternal moment. I'm proud to have been chosen as one of the Millennium Photo Project photographers and hope that you enjoy the book as much as we enjoyed producing it.

I first heard about this project through a colleague in the publishing industry. Apparently this renegade group of people (from Toronto I think) put together this whole thing completely on their own, after everyone in the publishing industry turned them down. They went ahead with it anyway and organized the whole thing on the Internet using amateur and enthusiast photographers from around the world. I was skeptical of what the final quality would be like but decided to order one to see for myself. I have to say I was blown away when the book arrived in the post. The pictures are astounding and very very different from any photography book I've ever seen before. They are incredibly 'real' - that's the best way I can think of describing it. Lots of ordinary people getting ready to go out, meeting up with old friends, celebrating at home, praying and so on. Basically the book is a visual feast that focuses heavily on the human experience. It is simply fascinating to see how different people from all different cultures and backgrounds celebrated the same event. My favourite photo is of a Masai tribesman standing on the plains of Kenya, where the human species is thought to have first evolved. It is a stunning and poignant image that should perhaps have been considered for the cover. But that is only a very minor criticism of what is overall an astounding achievement. The top art book publishers in the world (Phaidon? Taschen?) would have been immensely proud to have put a book like this together. The fact that a bunch of amateurs did it on their own makes it all the more remarkable. Whoever in the publishing industry turned this project done must have been out of their minds. Kudos to the sheer guts of the people who went ahead and did it anyway! Bravo!

David J. Miklowitz brings clear, easy-to-follow plans to this guide to everything about bipolar illness. His definitions are simple and well-illustrated with real scenarios from sufferers of bipolar illness. The book is a worthwhile purchase just for the examples of mood diary cards, but it is full of all sorts of other practical advice in plain language. It is the best, most comprehensive guide I have found. Miklowittz refers to the well-known scientific and clinical studies without bogging down the text, a common problem with even the most well-respected authors of books about bipolar disorder.

I amt the webowner of Bipolar Disorder Today and have the bipolar disorder myself. This book contains excellent material with self management information, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder. Up to date information. I recommend this for consumers and familes. Good stuff.

I found this book to be extremely helpful in dealing with and accepting my 39 year old son's ten year battle with bipolar illness. I have entered an order to buy three additional copies for family members-who sometimes are in denial that it is a real medical illness & think of it as only an excuse for not taking responsibility. I have read several books on bipolar disorder but find that this book gives one a real sense of empowerment. David Miklowitz has written a book that is clear and concise and ends much of the confusion as to dealing with the illness.

I bought this book as a birthday gift for my fiance. We have been together over 2 years and are getting married in about 100 days.

I thought that this book would be very sweet if I filled out everything up to the wedding/marriage part. However, I think that this book might be a bit hokey if just bought and given to someone blank. However, if you're willing to start filling it out, it gives your companion an interesting way to look at memories and will encourage him/her to fill it out further.

I would not suggest getting this book if you are only dating or if you are newly dating: it defines and confines your relationship too much. But this is a great book if you are a couple who are not always together. My fiance lives in England, and we often enjoy sharing memories of our courtship, our vacations, etc. This is a perfect way for your partner to hear your voice and cherish memories when he/she is alone, or when you are unavailable.

A good gift for someone/a couple who is romantic, nostalgic, and interested in a little project or creativity.

This is great! I was looking for something unique for my husband for our upcoming Anniversary (on Valentines Day). I wanted to do something more than a box of chocolates. I can't wait to present my beloved with this nice-looking journal, all filled out with the many wonderful memories and stories of our courtship, wedding, early years and now middle years together. The prompts on each page really helped get my memories flowing, so it was easy to fill out. What a great way to say I LOVE YOU!

I have several friends getting married this Spring so I've been looking for inexpensive yet nice, thoughtful gifts. This book really fits the bill. I'm buying one for all the showers I'm going to. It's a wonderful way to show your support for the couple's future together. It's a lovely, touching book that shows you care.

There is a secret inside this book. Inside is a collage showing about 200 people. These people were instrumental in getting Russia's October Revolution off the ground. Stalin is not one of these people. Therefore, to maintain the myth that Stalin and Lenin were the "Two Leaders" of the Revolution, Stalin had to kill off three quarters of the people on the collage because they "knew too much." And the great purges are what the rest of the book is about.

Stalin, more than anyone else in history, has altered the past to serve the present. His censors have visibly altered old photographs in order to remove the latest denounced "traitor to the working class" (or whatever) from old group photographs. With the old Soviet archives now open to the public and ex-Soviet citizens now free to view the unaltered archives in the West, we can see today how extensive this process was.

Trotsky, his chief opponent, was systematically removed from thousands of photographs -- those where he stood next to Lenin. With Trotsky gone, the 'Trotskyists' (however Commrade Stalin defined them) were next. The group photos had to be cropped in order to cover up the dwindling number of Revolutionary heroes. The comparison between the 'before' and 'after' pictures is chilling reminder of the immense suffering that Stalin caused to people who were as dedicated to the same ideals as he was -- but not as ruthless.

This book is fascinating. I really appreciate the explanation of the individuals involved, as most people are not familiar with all the enemies of Stalin who were victims of the man and his underlings' airbrush.

The alterations of photographs are at times sophisticated, but at other times so clumsy it reveals that even the Soviet propaganda machine, in the middle of Stalinist terror, would slip into "government work" syndrome. I suppose even Soviets get senioritis.

The book also reminds me of a personal experience. In around 1979, (communist) China invaded (communist) Vietnam. A high-ranking Vietnamese Communist Party official, Hoang Van Hoan, defected to Beijing. That year, I attended an exhibit of photographs. There's a picture of the Vietnamese Politburo, and to one side, there's a blacked-out shadow of an absent member. I was only 15 years old, but smart enough to realize that that was where Hoang Van Hoan stood.

That was thirty years after Stalin died, in a country thousands of miles away.

How a dictator's legacy can reach so long and so far.

Amazing.

This is a great book for all readers interested in how modern totalitarian propaganda works. My family comes from USSR, so I learned much from my grandparents about the events of the 1930s. They told me stories of people "taken in" at midnight after telling a lunchtime joke two days earlier. My grandfather was, in fact, one of those people. Luckily, that was the time when NKVD chief Yezhov was himself "disappeared" and replaced with new chief Beria. My grandfather was later released without permanent physical damage.

This makes it even more interesting to see how cleanly were the NKVD ranks decimated after each purge. There is a 1922 picture on page 90 of the 12 of the top leadership of Cheka. All of them have been executed before 1940, except the few who were lucky enough to die on their own earlier. Makes it easier to understand the secret of a successful dictatorship - eliminate all potential rivals before they even realize who they are.

The only problem I have with this book is that it needlessly glorifies the victims of Stalin's purges. All those "good" Communists ascended the ranks of Soviet government because they themselves killed millions of Russians, Ukrainians and others. An example of this is a note on page 100 about Sergo Ordjonikidze. It says that "he committed suicide in 1937, ... in protest against Stalin's murderous policies." Right above this line, it says that he was a "political commissar in the Red Army during the Civil War." He led the Red Army to destroy a moderate left-wing government in Georgia and killed most of its leaders in 1920-21. Also, he was "a key figure in the massive Five-Year Plan." Plus, he was in charge of collectivizing southern Russia and Caucasus mountain regions. He must have been responsible for tens of thousands of murders of innocent civilians during his career. It obviously did not bother him to send non-Communist peasants to Siberia when the Party directed him to do so. So I don't think he and people like him deserve any sympathy for the suffering they were dealt.

These people wanted to play God and rebuild the world in their own image. They obviously had to destroy the existing world before they could rebuild it. To that end, they happily killed many people. To their surprise they found out they could not control the monster they unleashed. Oops, tough luck. This book shows the kind of behavior that such efforts lead to.

David Martin has written many fine books through the years but I consider this his best.

I live in Appalachia and I can say that Mr. Martin knows of what he writes. This book rings true through and through. I have met a man similar to Bear, the socialy backward and emotionaly wounded farmer. I have also seen the yuppies and hippies come and go. Some, like Katie, stay to lend their ideals and compassion.

I have read some reviews in which ''Crazy Love'' is likened to David Martins pre-thriller novels. I agree with this but would add that what makes this book his best is the warm sensitivity he brings to the cutting edge of his early works view of life as a hard, tough and cold struggle for liberation.

As with every David Martin novel that I have read, Crazy Love is populated with fascinating and well-rounded characters that live in your memory long after the last page is turned (which happens much too soon). Katherine and Bear bring this gripping story to life in a way that lets the reader feel completely involved with the story. I can't stress enough how much readers of quality fiction are missing if they don't read the books of David Martin. So few authors these days are as reliable for a solid story with gripping characters, plot twists and satisfying endings. David Martin will not disappoint you...

Treat yourself.
Read Crazy Love!!!

This beautifully crafted novel tells an amazing story about two people who are opposites in so many ways but who nonetheless fall deeply in love with each other. The fact that they are opposites -- she is a yuppy/socialite from Washington, D.C. and he is an eccentric farmer from Appalachia -- is exactly what allows their crazy (and perfect) love to develop. When she is terribly traumatized and reacts in an uncontrolled manner that would drive any normal man away, he is there for her . . . as solid and constant as a rock. And she returns the favor by having the intelligence and sensitivity to see his eccentricities (perceived by most others as the actions of a retarded madman) as interesting character traits that make him a unique individual.

These are all great concepts, of course, and "Crazy Love" is not the first novel to explore them. What sets this novel apart from others is the way David Martin describes the characters and tells the story . . . by the end, you will feel as though you know these people closely and have experienced life with them for a snapshot of time. And that is why this novel will break your heart, mend it, and send you off filled with hope.

I have always suspected a tad of psychic ability in my bloodlines. After reading this book i can attest to the fact that WE ALL DO! It is a known fact that we use only 10% OF OUR BRAIN! This book gives much insight on how we can use the other 90% to benefit our physical lives as well as our spiritual lives. It is not magic and it is not spells. It is nature! EVERYONE HAS THE POWER and this book shows you step by step, precisely how to use it. This is the first piece of literature i have bothered to read on the subject and after getting "hooked" i can find no other which can compare to the genuis of Mr. St. Clair. For the Doubting Thomases of psychic phenomena, this book is a MUST!

It is a real shame that this book is no longer in print - I buy every used copy I come across to give to friends. This book will change your life. It is an easy read, and the excercises work from the very start. IT IS NOT FILLED WITH THE TYPICAL DRIVEL THAT IS IN MOST PSYCHIC?ESP BOOKS! I agree with a previous reviewer, you will get more out of this book than sever hundred dollars worth of seminars.

I saw this book in a bookstore in Atlanta, Ga over 17 years ago in it's first edition. While I had not been impressed with other "How to 'do' psychic stuff" books, and was also under considerable parental pressure not to acquire more (being a young and "impressionable" teen at the time), a cursory read of the text showed what appeared to be quite simple instructions and a fascinating breadth of supposed psychic abilities covered. So, impressed, I snuck up to the counter when my Mom wasnt looking and bought it.

As other reviewers have noted, the most amazing fact about this book is that you start seeing results from the moment you put its techniques into practice. You will have some degree of success with everything mentioned in the book, from seeing auras to table tipping. There will be points during practice of the excercises when you make a breakthrough, and your hair will literally stand on end.

As one of the most easily accessible texts on psychic abilities I have ever encountered, it is indeed a shame that this text has gone out of print. Having said this, a more widespread reading of the text and practice of the excercises would no doubt make many of the "extraordinary" abilities listed in the book become downright commonplace. The author, and the book, are really that good!

Hume is rightfully an important philosopher. Philosophy had been mainly a metaphysical/rationalistic field until Hume (in addition to Locke and Berkeley) came along. His basic philosophy is this: induction is the only principle by which we can have knowledge, but induction is fundamentally flawed. Thus, there is no belief of which we can be totally certain of. Hume even questions whether we can be as sure as Descartes was when he asserted "Cogito Ergo Sum". To Hume, one could consistently maintain that the "self" was just a bunch of thoughts in succession. Hume believed that there were no strict identities in nature, but only resemblences which the mind tends to treat as identities. He also treated ideas as imperfect images of our experiences.

The problem I have with Hume is on resemblence and his treatment of ideas. I agree with him that there are resemblences in nature which humans tend to treat as the same--but then what is this resemblence based on? The nominalists have to account for why resemblence is there in the first place. Perceived identity must have its basis in reality somehow. And his treatment of ideas is just plain wrong--our ideas are not just images, although they can include images.

I obviously can't give a complete criticism of Hume's philosophy in a review, so if anyone wants to discuss this with me just email me. But I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy--any complete philosophical theory must challenge or incorporate Hume if it is to succeed.

This is a good edition of the first but fundamental book published by Hume in 3 volumes (1 and 2 in 1739; 3 in 1740) dedicated to the methodical study of knowledge, passions and moral, through experience and practical observation. It is with Hume that empiricism (following Locke and Berkeley) reaches its complete expression as a "modern" classical system, against previous dogmatic visions of philosophy. According to Kant, Hume awoke him from the dogmatic dream......
With Hume, english illustration comes to a definitive expression. Through his opus, empiricism is systematized and acquires a new dimension that expands its influence on all fields of philosophy. Previous conceptions about the theory of knowledge, ethics, politics, esthetics, and the philosophy of religion, all are transformed or renovated by Hume. In spite of his critics, Hume's system dwelled with different topics of modern interest: positivism, psychology, nominalism, critical skepticism, determinism, agnosticism, moral philosophy, political economy, etc.
No serious philosopher after Hume, has been able to avoid a careful look at his system. So if you are a student or scholar of the subject matter, I highly recommend this edition of Hume's seminal work.

This is a superb edition of one of the basic works in Western philosophy. Designed to be used by both casual and serious students of philosophy, this edition contains the text of Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (EHU) and a series of other sections that provide background and further directions for studying Hume. Included are an excellent precis of the EHU, a first rate annotated bibliography concerning works by and about Hume, considerable background material on Hume, and excellent notes to the text of the EHU.

The EHU is a concise and charmingly written presentation of Hume's views of the nature and particularly the limitations of human knowledge. The EHU presents Humes basic concepts of human thought, human pattern recognition, and then proceeds to Hume's revolutionary analysis of the problem of induction. Hume exposes our limitations in establishing certain cause and effect relations. Hume's analysis of this problem and its corollaries leads to ultimate skepticism about our ability to know the external world with certainty and undermines much of the basis for religion. Hume presents his ideas in an attractive style that owes much to famous 18th century essayists like Addison.

A fundamental work and very readable work.