Gutek's "Pestalozzi and Education" is a well written and interesting book.

The author writes about the political, social, economic, and intellectual settings of Pestalozzi's time. Througout the book Gutek summarizes Pestalozzi's life and work very well. Finally, he brings up some good points in "Attitudianl Dimension" (the last part of the book.) about education.

Unfortunately, the author often does not base his statements on primary sources. He normally uses English translations, which were published in the beginning until the middle of 20th century. -- There were many new and very helpful publications about Pestalozzi and his methods in 1980's and 90's in Germany and Switzerland. Moreover, Pestalozzi's writing was completely republished at the end of 20th century. -- For understanding Pestalozzi's ideas and methods, there is a real need for more information and specific quoatations of Pestalozzi's writing. Consequently, the consideration of the new publications about Pestalozzi as well as the revised editions of his writings is necessary.

For example, Liedtke`s monography about Pestalozzi is an excellent researched and written book about the educator's life and work. This publication is probably the most helpful introduction into Pestalozzi's life and work. Prof. Dr. A. Reble's editing of "Wie Gertud ihre Kinder lehrt" gives an opportunity for reading some of Pestalozzi's original publications. The unique and sometimes a little bit chaotic writing of J. H. Pestalozzi is published by "Julius Klinkhardt Verlag", Bad Heilbrunn, Germany. People, who are interested in knowing more about Pestalozzi's spiritual life, should read "Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi: Der Mut des Demütigen: Worte zum Glauben" -- written by Hermann Horn (ISBN 3-290-10995-X). This publication gives some insights about the belief and worldview of the Swiss educator. All these publications have been sold by Amazon, Germany.

In summary, Gutek's book is a good introduction into Pestalozzi's life and methods of teaching that is recommanded by the writer of this book review. Gutek's publication is a stimulating approach towards the life and work of this pioneer of modern education. Nevertheless, there is a need for a completion to this publication for giving a real overview about Pestalozzi's methods of education, life work and struggles.

The great German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also an enthusiastic amateur scientist saying that of all his work he considered his scientific work to be the most important. This is no trivial matter considering the great works of prose and poetry Goethe produced eg Faust, Erlkoenig etc etc.

Probably the most well developed of his scientific investigations is his book on colour theory which studied many aspects of the formation of colours. Proskauer in this book reviews and also extends some of Goethe's work on colour as well as allowing the reader to experience the phenomena first hand through a small prism attached to the book with special cards to serve as "light/dark" sources.

The book starts with an introduction to Goethe's work which contradicts Newton's theories such as the notion that ordinary "white" light is constructed from a combination of the colours and that the prism separates the colours already present in it. Proskauer demonstrates that the spectrum observed by the prism is in fact a construction which arises due to two distinct spectra overlapping and that a spectrum is noticed only in the presence of a light/dark boundary. Further fascinating aspects are disclosed and provide a strong argument for a scientific approach akin to Goethe's. The colour phenomenon is observed without abstraction used to construct a colour theory.

These are the good aspects of the work, however the writing is at times speculative and goes counter to Goethe's original approach to "never leaving the phenomenon". Somehow it never quite convinces but nonetheless it certainly wakes up the mind from the mechanistic slumber of ordinary science. Perhaps a deeper approach would remove some of these problems.

A good book with great potential.

The roots of strategy books have been an invaluble asset in my study of military strategy. The priciples set forth in Von leebs book should be read and if not implemented, certainly used as a spring board for further deliberatiion and study. I would strongly encourage the student of warfare to aquire this book and spend much time meditating on its contents. Although the material may seem outdated and archaic when viewed superficialy, many of the foundational points hold true. The middle book is especialy relevant to todays military comanders, As J.F.C. Fuller said, the art of generalship never changes.

Juan Sebastian Bach escribió 3 pasiones, la mas conocida es la de San Mateo y la de San Juan, esta obra es muy solemne, lleva el toque caracteristico de toda la musica de Bach, la representación mas grande de esta obra estuvo bajo la batuta de Felix Mendelsohn. En la obra está plasmada toda la pasión de Jesucristo según el evangelio de San Juan, valdría la pena que escucharas esta obra, No te arrepentiras!

This is a good book for learning about Tanganyikans...

It has alot of useful information for such a small book. For someone unfamiliar with the habits of Shell-Dwellers this is very informative. It gives you recommended tank sizes for most of the popular Tangs (Neolamps, Frontosa, Calvus, Lamps) as well as a limited compatability between certain species.

There is a section about which plants can survive in an African tank... this is hard info to find.

The only think that I found lacking was a complete section of photos, descriptions, specs and stats of each species. This would've added alot to the book and made it into a true reference guide.

In any case it is a very fun book to look at from time to time. There's always stuff in there to learn about.

There's not many classic books that are more well known than "The Swiss Family Robinson." A Swiss family is stranded on an uninhabited island and there doesn't seem to be any rescues that are lingering around the corner for many years. Soon the family is taming tons of new pets, fighting off animals such as anacondas and lions, and learning how to basically survive off the land the best they can. The Robinson family must keep an eye out for danger while also starting a whole new way of life for themselves.

I thought "The Swiss Family Robinson" was a spectacular adventure/survival book. You can say that the book is pretty much a long diary that is kept by the father of the family of everything that happens to them on the island. The book I read did have many references to God unlike some of the abridged editions. The only thing I didn't like about "The Swiss Family Robinson" is that when the family starts collecting and taming many animals that they find on the island, it gets a little tough to keep up with all the animals' names, but that wasn't bad enough to take anything away from the book for me.

I recommend anybody who likes survival or adventure books, especially if you like reading the classics, to get "The Swiss Family Robinson." I would recommend getting an unabridged version of the book if you can so you won't miss a word.

But let's be clear right up front. My 5-star rating of this book applies only to the original unabridged version in Johann Wyss' own words. The modernized versions are watered down, time-wasters for word wusses.

When I was nine years old I spent months struggling through this book for the first time. The old style language made for rough going, but I persevered. In the end I was rewarded with more than a classic tale marvelously told; I discovered a love of books and earned self-respect for tackling a tough read.

If I was a teacher whose task it was to introduce students to classic literature, I would skip Dickens and use this book. Kids love adventure, animals, and action. Swiss Family Robinson has it all. It's really a thriller disguised as a literary classic. All book lovers should read this one at least once.

And please don't watch the Disney movie and claim you've "been there, did that" on this story. The movie is totally different and in no way compares.

Never mind the film versions; the original unabridged Swiss Family Robinson is an exciting epic with a lot in it for the whole family.

Our third grade teacher read to us from this book every day and I could hardly wait for the next installment. Finally I got my own copy for a birthday gift, sat on the couch and read it cover to cover in one go. I still have this book, decades later.

From the opening, thrilling tempest scene to the very end and the "rescue", this book has plenty of action as well as creative solutions to problems. There is a lot of material for discussion, how the family solved problems, how they handled disagreements, adversity, disappointment, building of character.

This book definitely teaches values along with the adventure and the values are linked in such a way as to be an integral part of the story.

And Swiss Family Robinson is never boring. There is always an exciting new beast to be discovered, a new plant to use for food or clothing, a new machine or tool to be built, a new part of the island to explore. This is a wonderful book to read out loud to kids until they are old enough to enjoy reading it themselves. If you are bored with re-runs on TV, turn off the box and spend a half-hour or hour every evening reading this aloud. Everyone will have a great time, and kids who are read to, become readers themselves.

Disregard this warning at your own risk! Martin Greenberg believes that everything should be translated according to Wordsworth's dictum that poetry should be in the "ordinary speech used by men"--regardless of the language of the original. Could you imagine Shakespeare's sonnets being translated into common, slang-filled, modern-day say French or Spanish??? Well, that is what this absurdly dumbed-down version of Faust manages to do. By all means, read either the Oxford World's Classics paperback version by David Luke (easily the best) or the Stuart Atkins version in Princeton's Collected Works series. This book is trash, pure and simple!

This is an excellent translation of an amazing book.

Not only does Greenberg's translation rhyme (as opposed to the free-verse versions of lesser translators), but it's a great deal more intelligible to modern American readers than the other translations I've read. Nothing has been dumbed down, this book radiates the same brilliance and wit as the German original.

I highly recommend it.

After comparing most of the major English translations of Faust (Luke, Kaufmann, Arndt, Wayne) I found Martin Greenberg's to be the most beautiful and accessible of them all. Greenberg does an excellent job of suiting the tenor of the verse to the dramatic occasion, ranging from low comical to sublime lyric. Whereas the majority of previous English translations tend (mistakenly) strive for a uniformly "elevated" tone, Greenberg's translation gets the nuances right. A central idea running throughout Goethe's works is that in any comprehensive formulation of life, extremes must be united. The range of poetic styles in Faust--from high to low, comic to tragic, beautiful to sublime, "volk" slang to epic vaunt--also follows this general rule, and again Greenberg's sensativity to this range is wonderful. While the other translations are not bad, if you really want to experience the fantastic emotional-intellectual rollercoaster ride of Faust, this translation does it best.

I am looking for the best translation of this novel for my students. This translation of Catherine Hutter is utterly incompetent. Example: "I have spoken to my aunt and must say that I didn't find her to be the dreadful vehement woman with the kindest of hearts." The German reads: "Ich habe meine Tante gesprochen und bei weitem das boese Weib nicht gefundet, das man bei uns aus ihr macht. Sie ist eine muntere, heftige Frau von dem besten Herzen" = "I have spoken to my aunt and found her to be not at all the dreadful woman she is made out to be among us. She is a cheerful, energetic woman with the best of hearts."

I may have been unfair in my previous review. The foul-up I highlighted may be the printer's rather than the translator's fault. Anyway, a prose writer of Goethe's elegance deserves better.

goethe's morbid tale of a man madly in love is purely emotional and beautifully unrestricted. some call it over-exaggeration but when reading the book one must understand when goethe wrote it he wasn't trying to be subtle. the book, written in the form of werther's letters to wilhelm, already gives the reader a personal front. what werther thinks and does eventually, and how goethe writes it, is the strongest reason for this book's attractiveness. this is deep reading best for those who want to uncover a darker side to the human heart and mind

This book provides some info. on chins but after reading I was disappointed with how some parts of the book were so false. Chinchillas are not nearly as neurotic as what the author states. They arn't as alarmed by other household animals either. I currently have six chinchillas, four of which were bred recently. My chins live right next to my canary's and their singing doesn't disturb the chins sleeping habit at all! Yes, chins are semidemosticated but they are not nearly as untame as what the author states. I know this for a fact because after several months of training on a rodent harness my Chile can travel anywhere with me. Of course you can't walk him like a dog but every time I put the harness on him he dosen't figit at all, and after awhile of getting use to being outside he has come to enjoy our little outings. If anyone is thinking of buying this book, you should probably do a bit more shopping, you should also talk to pet store owners, vets, or any one with a chin. to get a first hand telling of what life with a chin. is really like, which for me has been a wonderful experience!

I shuddered when I saw the back cover with the picture of the chinchilla eating corn. According to the breeder from whom I bought our chinchilla, CORN CAN CAUSE FATAL BLOATING IN CHINCHILLAS. I even saw the painful effects of corn on a female chinchilla (she had to be euthenized). Most of the information in the book is solid, but the book lost credibility with me on this issue.

This book caught my eye at the pet store I work at. Having kept Chinchillas myself, I was very impressed with how thorough yet short the book is. The book is extremely accurate and detailed with regard to husbandry and makes potential keepers examine their ablities to keep such a beast. I have noticed that many people believe the book to be pessimistic, but in reality that makes the chin keeping experience more magical. The author, unlike many, puts all of the cards on the table and leaves the chinchilla owner with very few suprises. In animal keeping, suprises are not always great. Chinchillas can be difficult pets to keep, but the author, in the spirit of all honesty shows both the good and bad of chin keeping. In the many, many years that I have kept exotic animals and chinchillas this is by far the best book that I have found. I truly wish that this book had been available to me the day I first brought my little boy Cheech home, it would have definately made our life together less hectic and allowed me better to understand his needs and strange, strange habits. This is a must have for anyone who is considering a chinchilla as a companion, already keeps one or who just wants to know a little more about the crazy creatures.

The Suffering of Young Werther is a sad tale of young Werther's love for Lotte, told through letters to his friend Wilhelm. Lotte is promised to marry another man and Goethe relates the tale of their turbulent relationship. A classic example of romantic literature, Werther demonstrates violent emotions, often displaying passion and fury as if he were bipolar. Werther often depicts reality, or nature, as an extension of the way he feels towards toward Lotte. This novel is an excellent example of romanticism. I would not recommend it for those who think logically and analytically, or those who do not like dark imagery or to be depressed by a novel. However, if you are inspired by intensity, believe passionately about an ideal or rebel against the confines of mathematical reasoning, read Goethe's The Sufferings of Young Werther.

This book is an absolute must for anybody who wants to understand the spirit of the romantic era and the "Sturm und Drang" time. The feelings and emotions are driven to their limits, what lies in all of us is expressed unrestrictedly. The translator does NOT use the old English style (which some other translators inappropriately do), so he sucessfully comes very close to the German original.
Read it! You may discover how human you are!

a suicide and the love that precludes, defines, and concludes the life of a man. it's hard to describe a book of this magnitude, as it's likely that everyone who reads it will release different thoughts and emotions. definitely a human novel.