Although this is an outstanding series, I thought I was ordering the teachers version of this book. This is the student workbook. It is still a great series though.

My interest in the topic of workplace theft began, unexpectedly, after a recent outbreak of crime in my office. As a federal employee, I had always considered myself immune to the disruptive impact of workplace theft. That naivete ended when I became seperated with some objects of high sentimental value. Confused and distraught, I looked for some answer to this violation and began to research the available literature. Neil Snyder's book was the first one I discovered, and his writing proved to be especially supportive and helpful. His chapters explained the risks, the statistics, and essentially lifts the wool from over your eyes to reveal that the successful workplace is a defensive workplace. I have since formed a watchgroup and a worplace preparedness commission to help institute Snyder's and others teachings about this very important topic. A must read for anyone concerned with their safety while on the job.

This is quite a nice compilation of the writings of differentAfro-American philosophers. The book covers a wide array of differenttopics, such as racism, feminism, and philosophical theology. With each essay, the editors present study and discussion questions. The negative points: there is no index, [and] no bibliography...

Very good for in-class work, it is perfect for an introduction to the world of statistics and data. Good for grades 4-8.

This book is "about the epistemological foundations of anthropological theory, or the essential nature and ultimate source of anthropological knowledge." It is not "a history of anthropological thought... a catalogue of paradigms... a prospectus for a particular theoretical perspective... or a treatise on research methodology". (p.xiii) Lett's goal is to detail the process of rational inquiry. He is using interpretive anthropology to illustrate his points since he feels it often violates basic principles of rational inquiry. Lett admits he will be using more extreme examples from interpretive anthropology, and not accurately representing it.

In the opening chapter, Lett discusses the science vs. non-science debate in anthropology, briefly discussing the origins and goals of interpretive approaches, accusing it of producing irrational arguments. The strength of the book lies in chapters 2 (The Nature of Knowledge) and 3 (The Scientific Approach to Knowledge). In chapter two, Lett discusses the differences between analytical and sythetic propositions, subjective and objective statements, and falsifiability. In chapter 3, Lett presents a detailed definition of science, and outlines methods in which to analyze and evaluate arguments. The remainder (and weaker portion) of the book is devoted to a citique of interpretive anthropology's contributions, and the future of anthropology as a discipline. This is an excellent manual for learning how to construct and evaluate arguments.

However, my two problems with the book are: (1) Lett's insistence on evaluating the truth claims of religious beliefs, that science can and should be used to test the claims of religious beliefs. Rather than focus on the function of religion, Lett believes that anthropologists should evaluate religious beliefs in terms of their accuracy. He seems to have a partisan ax to grind, exemplified when disproving the statement "God exists" (p.53), violating his own logical principles that he just outlined. (2) Lett's use of the most rediculous (i.e. Sasquatch example that is constantly used) and extreme examples of interpretive anthropology is weak. Although he himself admits he misrepresents the field in his examples, a more balanced approach could have been taken. It is easy to prove the illogical argumentation of an individual maintaining that Bigfoot is alive and well, running through the Pacific Northwest.

Overall, Lett is a clear and concise writer, and has produced a highly readable and useful volume for the study of scientific reasoning in anthropology.

Other similar books: Reclaiming a Scientific Anthropology by Lawrence Kuznar

In this work, Dr. Metcalf adopts a new and refreshing approach, placing the main emphasis on the interior perspectives of his subjects, but without abandoning his academic objectivity. Long-time members of fifteen communities on five continents tell their own stories, responding to a set of questions prepared by Dr. Metcalf. We are given an insider's view of the different motives which inspire people to live in communities, and the various outcomes. The result is a fascinating snapshot of this unusual aspect of human nature as people confront the clash between ideal and reality. Their responses, as they struggle to find a 'modus vivendi', are as different as their original motives. Some of the communities are religious, some spiritual not tied to a creed, and some are secular. Most are rural, but two are urban. In a few, government is paternalistic, but most are democratic, some consensual, yet others an eclectic blend. A few embrace gender roles, others determinedly eschew them. All fifteen are open to the outside world and in that important respect avoid the charge of cultism.

Like the wider world, these communities face ongoing challenges of personality, governance, growth and maturity. Strong personalities may provoke conflict, alternatively the loss of a leader can be devastating. Growth produces bureaucracy which may stifle the inspiration of the community's original ideals. Techniques to resolve conflict and circumvent an arthritic maturity are as essential to the enduring community as they are to a city or country. There is instruction for all of us in the ways these social microcosms meet the challenges. One common feature, often neglected by our wider society, is that they seem to have fun together.

This is a very good book and may deserve a more expensive format to allow better reproduction of the many photographs which illustrate the text. It should be recommended reading, not only for social and political scientists, but for all students of human nature.

I read the book The Sorcerer of Kings, by Dr. Stein, and have a few comments on it. First of all I found the book very didactic and well organized. It also provides a good source of bibliography for those interested in spiritualism. Some passages are even comic, when you imagine someone in a scene trying to grab a spirit.!

However, in my opinion, the book is highly biased to prove that William Crookes was a fraud. Actually, right from the foreword (by James Randi) one can feel that. The author should rather present the facts, and let the conclusion to the reader. In a book of this sort this is an unforgivable mistake, just because the author tries to show that William Crookes was himself biased to accept spiritual reality.

I feel extremely uneasy to accept that William Crookes was a fraud (being this the main conclusion of the author). At the beginning of the book he appears simply stupid, an easy-to-fool person. His character then slightly changes from stupidity to quackery, which is of course a heavy charge over such a scientific personality. If he was a fraud as a spiritualist investigator, I cannot see why he would be so serious and brilliant as a scientist (before and after those years of spiritualism). I simply can't accept that. I cannot accept either he could have been fooled over and over by the mediums he tested.

So, in my opinion, remains the mystery about Sir William Crookes. I tend to believe that he died convinced about some of the phenomena he investigated, but felt not worth continuing his research, simply because the scientific community wouldn't accept that, and because he had detected trickery in many cases. The book of Dr. Stein does not prove "the truth" about him. Nevertheless, it is a book worth reading by those interested in spiritualism, in general, and in William Crookes.

I.S. Oliveira - Physicist, Ph.D. Oxford/1993

My grandmother was one of the authors of this book, but that isn't the reason I like this book. The book has a lot on my ancestors, and it is so cool to learn where I cam from. I definatly think that if you live in the low country, it is worth reading.

Although the century old language is a bit difficult to read initially, once you get rolling, it isn't difficult. The neatest thing is how amazingly applicable James' observations are in today's society. The book is fun and interesting to read. I learned a great deal.

I teach High School English and am always looking for new ways to help the students understand Shakespeare's words. This collection of teaching activities has been very useful. Dr. William Liston's Entry on paraphrasing Hamlet is now a daily activity in my room. There are writing and project ideas that are appropropriate to all secondary and college levels .Great production ideas, and role playing activities too.