Humphrey's book has two major virtues that every book should have: it is very entertaining (in an intelligent way), and it actually manages to make a couple of novel points, which is more than can be said for a lot of contemporary publishing... The topic of "Leaps of faith" is what seems to be the eternal (but is in fact only about a couple of centuries old) battle between science and myth. Where "myth" includes the paranormal and in general, explanations of the world around us that are non-naturalistic, or transcendental. Telepathy, psychokinesis, ghosts, and the power of prayer are all under fire in this fascinating compendium of skepticism and logic. But, Humphrey criticizes the usual ways in which scientists have defended their skeptical position, such as directly challenging people like Uri Geller (the infamous "spoon-and-fork-bender"). The author explains that some courageous approaches to the rebuttal of the paranormal may be dangerous and ineffective. For example, the notorious magician James Randi has for years challenged people to bring forth claims of paranormal phenomena. Randi offers a prize if he cannot repeat by perfectly normal means the supposedly supernatural feat. However, Humphrey points out that there are two flaws in this strategy. First, just because James Randi (or whomever) can imitate a phenomenon by normal means, that does not automatically prove that the phenomenon itself is not genuinely paranormal. Second, what if some day the good Randi is actually unable to duplicate a supposedly paranormal phenomenon? Does para-Randi imply para-normal? Of course not, but since it is possible - indeed likely - that Randi's abilities are limited, his strategy might dramatically and embarassingly backfire one of these days... What's the alternative? What the author refers to as the "argument from unwarranted design". It works quite simply and convincingly. Humphrey asks what are the circumstances surrounding the manifestation of paranormal phenomena, regardless of what specific phenomenon (telepathy, psychokinesis, miracles, or what have you) has allegedly occurred. There is no a priori reason why these circumstances should not be as varied as the human beings, times, and countries in which they purportedly happen. But upon even a superficial scrutiny, we do not find anything like a random background. Somehow, paranormal phenomena always manage to occur under circumstances that can be quite reasonably defined as "suspicious". Either there is only one witness, or they can never be repeated in front of an investigator, or their physical evidence somehow disappears without leaving a trace. Indeed, even parapsycologists recognize this, and have elevated it to a "principle", which states that for whatever reason, the presence of an investigator, or of circumstances leading to repeatability (the cornerstone of scientific investigation), somehow "depress" the likelihood of the paranormal phenomenon actually happening. Now, would you by a car if the salesman insists that the car will start only when he is present? But Humphrey goes even beyond the unwarranted design argument, twisting around an old favorite of mystic-oriented people. The usual tenet of many religious people and believers in the paranormal is that "the world wouldn't make sense without it" (where "it" is some sort of supernatural or transcendental power). Actually, the author of "Leaps of faith" argues, it is quite the opposite. If indeed the soul existed, if there really were a way to maintain your personal self forever, if you could bypass the laws of physics and read people minds or move objects without touching them, the whole fabric of the universe would simply be torn apart! Why live a meaningful life on Earth, if you know that it is only an irrelevant and astonishingly brief moment in your "true" existence? Could you really stand the idea that every single thought you think, no matter how remote in your subconscious, can be public knowledge by a simple act of will on someone else's part? And what would be the meaning of the laws regulating the universe, if they could be broken at any given occasion? Would you really like to take the chance every time you walk out of the front door that the law of gravity might have been temporarily suspended ? Meditate, people, meditate...

There are now, thankfully, a number of very good books debunking paranormal beliefs (Shermer's Why People Believe Weird Things, Sagan's Demon Haunted World, for example). Most provide a devasting critique of those beliefs and almost all approach belief in the paranormal in a similiar manner. Humphrey provides some new arguments and insights and hence, Leaps of Faith serves as both a great introduction to skeptical literature and as a source of new insight for people who have already sorted through most of the traditional arguments against the existence of supernatural forces in our daily life.

Humphrey's 'Argument from Unwarranted Design' turns out to be an incredible analytical tool and he uses it compellingly in a number of contexts. While most author's content themselves with trotting out the litany of scientific disproofs of the supernatural, Humphrey raises logical objections to alleged paranormal phenomena. Why should strange little phenonoma such as spoon bending bother to exist at all? How and why would they have been created in contravention to the rules of science and the dictates of normally parsimonious design? In short, Humphrey makes a strong case that the supernatural is both empirically AND logically unlikely.

One more thing, Humphrey has a very readable style. If the concepts sound complicated and off-putting, they become vivid and immediate as Humphrey gives simple examples and compelling illustrations. Wonderful to read!

Buy the book!

What has always turned me off about debunkers and "professional skeptics" is the low, (very low), road they often take of ridicule, snobbery and an almost Evangelical Skepticism. Then there is this wonderful book by Nicholas Humphrey. Where other would-be Rationalists fail, Humphrey succeeds. He lays out for us elegantly, reasonably, sanely and with humour and compassion, the Materialist case; pointing out more succintly than anyone else I've read the flaws, not only in the logic of "Paranormalists", but many of the logical flaws "debunkers" fall into. The style of the book is relaxed and conversational, honest and straightforward and enjoyable. Sane medicine for the intellect. Highly recommended.

"Faith and Rationality" is not a layperson's book (what did you expect!). This is the introduction to the whole notion of "reformed epistemology." The essays are composed by Alston, Mavrodes, Wolsterstorff, Plantinga, Marsden, and D. Holwerda. The theme of the book begins with the rejection of "classical foundationalism," which is later supplemented by an agument for God's existence (God's existence is properly basic). I was very surprised and intrigued by D. Holwerda's essay. His eerie essay critiques Wolfhart Pannenburg's theology and thought on the Resurrection of Christ. Good book before reading Alvin Plantinga's Warrant series.

An excellant and in-depth look at the underlying dynamics on one the greatest wine regions of the world. So much goes on.....and we the wine afcionado's know so little. If you are passionate about wine and history this book will give you an enormous perspective on the Bordeaux wine world.

As the child of parents who came from the strictly Orthodox Jewish community of Hungary, and as one raised within that Orthodoxy, albeit transplanted to America, this book exposed me to a portion of Hungarian Jewish history I never really knew. This book speaks of the tragedy of so many Hungarian Jews. Jews who were totally estranged from their ancestral faith, who had no attachment to their heritage. For those people, Judaism was an undesirabe yoke to be cast aside or at best ignored. This book tells the reader however that one cannot truly escape his true identity. The true hero of the book, the author's father, discovers this in the hell of Bergen-Belsen. His uncle, the priest, spends the war in relative safety, but always in fear that he would be denounced. That uncle also has to contend with the very real possiblity that his Hungarian coreligionists "allowed" him to escape to Italy into the warm embrace of Padre Pio and the Capuchin monks not out of dedication to him in the spirit of Christian fellowship, but rather out of a desire to be rid of another Jew.
The emotions that pervade this book are powerful. The characters are real. The dialogue, while made up, displays the pathos of the characters and speaks to the reader's soul.
This book is about many things: religion, families and their dysfunctions, theodicy, Catholic-Jewish relations, and overding all of those, this book is about the complexity of life. Like all great works, the message of this book will be shaped by the reader and his/her weltanschaung.

I hate to disagree with 3 5-star evaluations, but I thought the story was insightful and interesting but I did not find the reading process as easy as another critique stated. If the book was decrased by about 50 pages, I believe it would be even more compelling than it is.

I have read a number of holocaust books and this family did not have it as bad as others, but I assure you all of them were near death except the Catholic Father.

I particularly liked the beginning and end when the author was talking in the first person. A fine read.

A very thoughtful and sensitive family story. Very insightful. It helped me to understand my own parents better. It is very well written, easy to read and I couldn't put it down.

i've yet to read this book, but i've attended Joe White's camp Kanakuk for 6 years and got to hear Joe speak, he spoke from this book so i know basically whats in it. And its a amazing for those of you that defend the faith commonly or if you are just curious about why evolution is wrong. from hearing Joe speak i'm sure this wont be another 40letters in every word, but will be easy to read and understand.

This is the greatest book in this area. Even if you don't believe in God, after reading this book you will agree that evolution is not possible. It should not be tought in our schools as fact. Evolution is scientifacally impossible, and there are countless facts to prove it. Evolution is the biggest fraud in the history of man. Any good scientist will say, the only facts that matter are the facts against a theory. The facts against the theory of evolution are huge. After reading this book you will laugh at the theory of evolution.

This book fills a gap in the ongoing Creation-Evolution debate. It is pitched at the uninformed High School and Undergraduate age-range who have imbibed evolutionary presuppositions and evidence along with their mother's milk and find it hard to consider any other position, especially if they have never been exposed to any conflicting evidence.

It is well written and illustrated and martials some fascinating and intriguing biblical and scientific arguments at both the presuppositonal and evidential levels. It also contains important philosophical and historical data. It is designed to make people think and seriously question the many superficial and unchallenged evidences for evolutionary science they may have been taught, and that is exactly what it does.

I have not yet come across a book that so ably and clearly sets forth the relevant issues for this intended audience. Highly commendable.

It was a pretty good overview of fire investigations. I was bothered by proofreading errors.

Readers of chapter 3 (p34) strained to understand how a fire could creep along a low incline rather than flame upward. They were told this was due to the "...so-called colander effect, whereby jets stick to walls." If they were imagining some sort of sieve, they were mislead. The effect which causes fluid jets to bend around gentle curves is properly called the Coanda effect, named after a hydraulics theoretician.

A few other minor errors like a "Kray-2" supercomputer mar the account, which is otherwise good reading.

I was happy to see a chapter discounting the widespread belief that crowds of people tend to panic in fires.

Very informative book. Needed to list more details of the actual forensics of fire and how it acts.

hi my name is chris j coombes and i love to red about fire behavior fire is vere dangeris and it can hurt you .if you are a firefighter you know how fire can burn fast and you have to be on the look out for a fire. we thank that fire is safe but it,s not fire can burn evere thing you have to the ground. thank you for your help chris j coombes...

This book attempts to introduce the reader to a very broad spectrum of British ships and smaller craft, ranging from great ocean liners and warships to fishing and recreational boats. Using a very good array of photographs, both black and white as well as colour, this book does provide a good overall historical chronology of the development of British shipping and boating, and includes profiles of several selected ship and craft from the liner SS Southern Cross to Motor Torpedo Boats, the Norfolk Wherry, and "Golden Hind" class sailboats. All in all, a good coffee table book for light reading, but the serious maritime enthusiast or researcher might be a little disappointed.

This is a book about air accidents written from the point of view of the crash investigation agencies. It describes the investigations and the conclusions reached and subsequent events.

This means that it is not really a book about air accidents but, neither is it a book about air accident investigators. The book does describe some aspects of the investigations but it does not really analyse the work of the investigators.

It is really a collection of annecdotal accounts of a number of accidents that were featured on an associated TV series.

The books title is rather misleading. Nowhere does the author attempt to say "Why air safety is no accident" rather, he just reports on the investigations.

I do have one major caveat about the factual accuracy of the book. The author's description of part of the Tenerife two-jumbo accident is at odds with the other descriptions that I have read. In particular, he states that there was some confusion about what the FO of the KLM aircraft said as it commenced its take off roll. The author states that it was not clear from the tape whether the FO said "we are at take off" or "we are taking off."

According to other reports of this accident, the FO clearly said "we are at take off" but they made the point that, in the grammar of his native Dutch, the meaning of that phrase is the same as the meaning of the English phrase "we are taking off." Indeed, the author fails to appreciate that this accident led to a major change in the approved phraseology for radio communications between pilots and controllers.

On the positive side, desipte its shortcomings, the book is interesting to read and I certainly enjoyed it.

I must be a rubber-necker to the highest degree because I always enjoy these type of books. It has the standard fair, nothing really new on the format. The author does give us a good amount of detail, which she is known for. I would always like more photos, but there is enough to tell the story. If you like this type of book then you will enjoy this one.

Nicholas Faith has written other books about disasters, notably "Mayday: The Perils of the Waves" about shipwrecks. Both of these books are the companions to a BBC television series and that might be why some of the text seems to be a little sensationalist. Then again, it's hard *not* to be dramatic about horrific events like commercial airplane crashes. Still, that's a tiny criticism of what is an otherwise well-researched and well-written book.

Faith does approach his topic anecdotally (that is, using specific crashes to explain the many causes of airline accidents), but in this way he covers every conceivable cause of commercial crashes *and* keeps the reader interested by offering concrete examples.

I would say the title is quite accurate, because Faith's primary sources of information throughout the book are the air accident investigators themselves--both current and former members of the British Air Accidents Investigations Branch and the American National Transportation Safety Board. The inclusion throughout the book of descriptions and explanations of crashes in the words of investigators themselves, is what makes this book so valuable as a source. Another reason it's valuable is that there are really no other books like it on the market today. I would recommend this book for everyone from the casual reader to the student writing a report.

i did not find it very interesting cause need for further info
10xxxxxx

This is a handsome personal view of world railways, past and present, by an author with no hidden agendas. The author's style is clearly polemical, and none the worse for that. The illustrations are interesting and attractive. However, don't use it as a work of reference. The author has been let down badly by his editors and verifiers, and the book is littered with mistakes and inconsistencies. For instance, every railway fan knows the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened in 1825: this book gives 1824, 1825 and 1825 on three separate pages; it spells the name of the architect Philip Hardwicke in two different ways on the same page; another railway, described as cable-hauled, clearly uses locomotives in the illustration a few pages away; another picture purports to describe an electric loco as a diesel, and actually illustrates a driving luggage van! Buy the book for the attractiveness of the illustrations and the robustness of the author's views, but take the captions and the text with a large pinch of salt.