More of a primer on critical thinking than simply a textbook on social problems, Dorn, Anderson and Baker have created a eminently useful and rewarding collection of excercises and articles in this newest edition of their popular text.

While this book was never used in any classes I took, I did take an undergraduate critical thinking class in the Sociology department at CSU Sacramento at the same time that Dean Dorn was teaching there. I think he integrated some of what Andy Hiken, who taught that class, used; the structured and extensive frameworks for critical thinking excercises and other bits and pieces of the curriculum. I have read this text and others that use a similar model and find that the Dorn/Baker/Anderson book is useful, rewarding and especially interesting for use in an undergraduate environment.

This is a terrific and highly readable biography of a fascinating and enigmatic ruler, set in a period of great political upheaval. Anyone interested in the details of "why" and "how" things happened - not merely "what" happened - will find this book immensely interesting.

Kendall's style is gripping, but he tends to be a partisan for his subject. At times, his bias becomes a little annoying, particularly where more than one "spin" could be put on a certain course of action. The reader must be careful to make his own judgements in many places.

That said, Kendall provides a wealth of quotes from contemporary sources, and his scholarship is unquestionable. This is a great book, covering a time and place that is too little addressed in most popular histories.

In LOUIS XI THE UNIVERSAL SPIDER, biographer-historian Paul Murray Kendall says the Burgundian chronicler Molinet called Louis "the universal spider" and the sobriquet unfortunately stuck. He says Louis was further demonized by 19th Century historians and writers who failed to do their homework. Louis XI was not so much spider as he was diplomat and peace-maker in an age when men looked suspiciously on such behaviour, and combat was viewed as the honorable and noble approach to settling disputes. Louis used his head and the end result was to bring the feudal era in France to a close and help usher in the modern world.

Louis reckoned the ceaseless bickering and fighting of the nobles was destructive to the health of the countryside and the people of France. The common people of the towns and villages agreed with Louis as did the merchants and tradesmen. Louis is not remembered for winning any great battles. The major reason Louis was so successful in defeating his enemies was owing to his understanding of finance. He understood that those who fight must finance their wars and without funds, their access to armaments and mercenaries evaporates. The clever king also understood that when the countryside is destroyed an army that crawls on its belly cannot fight.

Charles VII was the father of Louis XI, that same Dauphin whom Joan the Maid of Orleans managed to have crowned. The ungrateful Charles VII did nothing to save Joan once she had been captured by the English and the Duke of Burgundy, but the six-year old boy who became Louis XI never forgot the saint and he held a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary after his encounter with her. When Louis was most pressed he prayed to the Virgin, and his monument to her at Clery still exists.

The Duke of Burgundy during Charles VII's reign was Phillip the Good, and when Louis XI ran afoul of his father, he sought shelter with Duke Phillip who sheltered him. Thus Louis spent a good part of his young manhood in the company of his dour cousin Charles the Bold who became the Duke of Burgundy on his father's death. Charles also became Louis' life-long enemy and it was Charles' man who slandered Louis by referring to him as "the universal spider."

Louis had one aspiration--to unite France in peace, and promote commerce and the general welfare of the people. Charles the Bold fancied himself another Julius Caesar--a warrior-king. Charles set about expanding his Duchy until Burgundy reached from the county of Burgundy near the Jura mountains to Flanders and Holland on the North Sea.

Louis was no warrior-king. While other lords ran around in ermine and velvet and jousted at tournaments, Louis donned the hunter's clothes and spent most days in the rural areas chasing animals with his hunting dogs and comingling with the common folk. When he wasn't hunting animals Louis collected them for his vast menagerie.

On most occasions Louis tried to make peace not war. He used his head, outwitted his enemies including the English king Edward IV, and at the end of his life left his heir Charles VIII a united France. Kendall obviously admired Louis and remarks that he was one of the most formidable human beings who ever lived.

I have been reading the series Alison Weir has been writing on the English nobility, and enjoyed reading LOUIS XI not only because I want to know more about the history of France, but because in reading about Louis XI, I was able to understand why certain exchanges, conflicts, etc. regarding Edward IV were important. If you found Alison Weir's book on the WAR OF THE ROSES intriguing, you will appreciate this book. Kendall's writing is comparable to Weir's and he has based his writing on his original research--though he is quite dependent on Commynes as are most of Louis' biographers.

I bought this book from Alibris, and I recommend you find a copy if you're interested in this period of history. I am puzzled as to why this book is out of print.

Paul Murray Kendall's "Louis XI" illuminates a seldom studied area of world history. France of the fifteenth century was a fragmented collection of duchies and fiefdoms ruled over by independent nobles. Although they were technically vassals to the French King, in reality they often ignored the King and ruled their lands pretty much as they pleased.

During his reign from 1461 until his death in 1483, Louis XI used his wits and artful negotiation to beat the militarily stronger Duke of Burgundy and the other nobles of his kingdom while at the same time fending off foreign foes, Britain and Austria.

Louis XI was a king who travelled around his kingdom on a regular basis to learn what was happening in the towns and provinces of France. He also developed a network of communications to stay in touch with even the farthest reaches of his kingdom. This network of communications earned him the nickname "the Univesal Spider."

Kendall's book brings Louis XI to life in a very exciting narrative. The book gathers and holds the reader's attention until the very end.

Ralph's second adventure has him spending the summer at Camp Happy Acres, after departing the Mountain View Inn in a huff of Rodent Individualism. Yes sir, he has had it with being Unappreciated by his extensive family; he's tired of being caught in the Generation Gap--neither adult nor baby. Yup, he's made up his mischievous mind to show them all, to run away (with his famous wheels, all downhill, of course) to seek freedom (and hopefully PBJ sandwiches).

Unlike those travel ads about getting there being half the fun, Ralph eats enough dust to recognize the freewheeling lifestyle on the highway as bunk. But he meets quite a menagerie at Camp: kindly Aunt Jill, and an anti-social kid named Garf who sings horrid songs about maiming animals. Then there are the four footed pests: Catso--a feline who delights in torturing mice, and Chum--a grouchy hamster/cum temporary camp mascot.

How long will vacationing Ralph remain silent? And how can he ever ride his motorcycle back home again, since it is all uphill? Even before that quandry, how can he escape from his cage in the Crafts Shed and clear the name of his reluctant human friend? A cute read for fans of Ralph S. Mouse, Mouse about Inn and Country!

Runaway Ralph

The novel Runaway Ralph, by Beverly Clearly is a story about a mouse named Ralph and he runs away from home on his red chrome motorcycle. He ends up at Happy Acers summer camp.
Some of the characters I liked are Ralph because he is curious and exciting. Also Chum he is lazy and useless. A character I disliked was Sam because he was rude to Ralph. In Runaway Ralph the thing I like the most is how the animals can talk to each other and that the animals can talk to humans at the same time. The ending of the book Starts in the middle sort of because of what happens at this point of the book.
I think that this novel is written well. I mean that the way that this book was written fits the way this story is told. I think that this book is for people that enjoy animal Storys and fiction books. If there were an age lament I would say that the ages 8-12. I recommend this book to these ages because it is a story that a kid this age will understand this book. I give this book****.

"Runaway Ralph," by Beverly Cleary, tells a story about Ralph, a mouse who lives with his family in a hotel. Ralph finds himself in conflict with both the nagging older generation of mice and the annoying younger group; he longs for "a life of speed and danger and excitement." So he sets off on his mouse-sized motorcycle and has an adventure in which he encounters many new people, animals, and situations.

"Ralph" is a fun adventure story that is filled with humor and suspense. Cleary includes well-written characters and many clever details as Ralph's journey progresses. An important aspect of the novel is Ralph's ability to talk to both other animals (of various species) and certain humans. This fantasy element of the book, similar to the communication in the classic story "Charlotte's Web," is skillfully handled by Cleary.

Ralph is a great character. Despite his personal flaws, his essential courage and resourcefulness make him admirable. I see Ralph as a questing hero in the mold of such classic characters as Homer's Odysseus or Cervantes' Don Quixote. Finally, for an interesting companion text to "Ralph," try Felice Holman's powerful novel "Slake's Limbo."

Sass's view of Schizophrenia as an illness that is capable of being characterised as an excess of rationality misses what is the central feature of delusions - their fixity. He does so through his own belief that schizophrenics do not really hold to their delusions. There may be of course inconsistencies in action - between delusions of grandeur and say leading an ordinary life. However the use of Wittgensteins criticism of sense data as induced through a static staring, introduces an "as if" quality to delusions and moreover a voluntarist aspect or interpretation. So someone who thinks that his wife is the devil's agent and murders his wife under this delusion, is in some sense choosing this interpretation. This seems, at least wrong and dangerous. Interpretation engenders communication not dismissal. Sass does not offer any systematic interpretation only appeals to excesses of rationality and illustrative interpretations in Schreiber of the solipsistic viewpoint. This is but a starting point. Finally, invoking a refusal to enter the everyday as an aspect of the solipsistic,(a constant description and appeal in his book) reinvokes a meaningless imperative - be more involved in the world and your delusions will cease to be of relevance. But this suggests that the schizophrenic is somehow fixed in their focus. That is firstly to reintroduce the fixity notion and secondly to ignore the content of delusion (anything can become its focus) and possible structures of translation rather than interpretation (Jean Laplanche). Sass's book is fascinating in its diversity, but for those who have to work with people with acute psychoses not much use and errs on the dangerous. People do act on their delusions.

Sass presents an unorthodox view of the workings of the schizophrenic mind in his comparison of Daniel Schreber and Ludwig Wittgenstein. He explores schizophrenia not as a disease to be treated, but rather as an alternate view of reality whose credibility cannot be fully discounted. This blatantly contradicts traditional conceptions of the essence of this disorder. Sass virtually ignores the biomedical aspects of schizophrenia, opting for a more philosophical interpretation of the symptomatic delusions. He makes a unique correlation between solipsism's self-focused tendencies and the mental isolation of the schizophrenic. Sass employs several metaphysical analogies to illustrate the paradoxical nature of schizophrenia. Many of Wittgenstein's theories on literal tautologies and their place in schizophrenic thought can be difficult to grasp but are worth the extra words used to explain them. The nature of subjective and objective realities is analyzed in relation to the standards by which we judge consensual reality. The organization of the book is conducive to a clear understanding of the inherently complicated paradoxes that are central to Sass' argument. Endnotes enhance the points presented by providing more detail, context, and additional support. Sass presents a detailed glimpse into the mental turmoil of the schizophrenic mind through the lens of his own unconventional stance.

Sass offers a beautifully written and densely textured close reading of schizophrenic experiences in this book, adroitly weaving a fabric of connections between Schreber's bizarre subjective world and Wittgenstein's lucid philosophical writings. Through this juxtaposition, certain frequently ignored features of the worlds of schizophrenia are brought to light, such as the quasi-solipsistic structure of the schizophrenic's experiential world and the intricately tangled web of psycho-logical paradoxes that this structuring entails. Though Sass speaks little about the interpersonal, historical, or biological contexts in which delusions arise, such is not the point of the book. We need, Sass argues, to get clear on what a delusion IS if we are to accurately interpret why one shows up. And to do that, we need to do this sort of close phenomenological reading of schizophrenic experience. The previous reviewer misses the point. Not only is it flatly untrue to attribute to Sass the idea the schizophrenics do not act on their delusions (he simply does not say this), whether they do or don't is not what Sass is trying to determine. What is important here is the phenomenological texture of the delusion itself, and Sass explicates that admirably.

Hooray--our motorcycle riding little friend is back,and he's just as spunky and determined to be a Night Rider as ever!
If you enjoyed Ralph's antics when he received his very own motorcycle, you'll be delighted to continue reading his new adventures--this time at school. Also he has new boy to talk to and con into serving as his pit crew, accomplice and general gopher.

Feeling very much unappreciated by his
extensive rodent family, Ralph decides to leave the Mountain View Inn to spend a week at Ryan's school--hey, there's nothing like a complete change of scene to forget one's problems, not to mention, drown a slightly guilty conscience. But one never can count on the reactions of human beings; instead of being terrified by a live mouse in her classroom, the clever teacher
improvises an entire MICE unit for her students. Activities include pure biololgy, scientific experiments and literary data entries.

Unfortunately, her class falls victim to shoddy journalism, which proves a lesson for us all. Even feisty Ralph learns some non-violent strategies to cope with rowdies and bullies. But tragedy strikes during Ralph's acadeic sojourn; alas, will he ever ride his beloved motorcycle again? Or earn the respect of his family? A darling tale which will entertain kids of all ages!

This book is great to read because it has alot of adventure for people who like books that have adventure.Ralph the mouse,is a curious little mouse that has a lot of dreams and tries to make them comer true.I would recommend this book o everyone and I'm pretty sure they would love it.

It's about time someone put these books in a box! Beverly Cleary's beloved tales of Ralph the mouse and his motorcycle have been enchanting young readers for a very long time- I first read them 13 years ago.
Cleary has written countless wonderful books for children of all ages, from the numerous Ramona stories to the award-winning Dear Mr. Henshaw. The Mouse and the Motorcyle is aimed at the younger end of her audience, and kids can't help but love Ralph, the spunky little mouse with big dreams, who lives in a hotel and wants nothing more than a chance at riding that red motorcycle, the motorcycle that will lead him into countless adventures with his human friends.
In Runaway Ralph, Ralph's visit to a summer camp turns out not to be at all what he expected. Can he avoid the more unpleasant kids in the cabin, and get back to his hidden motorcycle?
In Ralph S Mouse, Ralph goes to school in a human friend's pocket, unaware of the new adventures in store, that will earn him the name of Ralph S-for-smart Mouse.
These books are a marvellous addition to any child's collection.

A timeless classic, written by Robert Louis Stevenson was a great book for those of us who like adventure. The book begins at the Admiral Benbow Inn, which Jim Hawkins, the main character works. Suddenly, from out of the blue a rough sea faring man appears named Billy. That is when the real adventure begins!! Jim and his mother find a treasure map in a dead customers sea trunk. Jim got a couple of respectable people together and they bought a ship named the Hispaniola and set of sail for Treasure Island, not knowing the problems that lay before them. I think the author wanted the them to be, be careful whom you trust. I fully enjoyed this book and I think you will too. To find out the rest read, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

"Treasure Island," written by the 19th century novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson, is the timeless story about life on the high seas with pirates, treasure, murder, and treachery.

When young and naive Jim Hawkins is given a treasure map from the mysterious old pirate, Billy Bones, adventure and trouble are not far behind. Soon Jim finds himself aboard a ship with a villainous crew led by the cunning and mendacious pirate, Long John Silver. Greed and the lust for gold driving the pirates, they have murder in mind when they reach the dubious Treasure Island.

Skillfully yet simply written, Robert Louis Stevenson gives us an alluring tale that sparks the imagination. With its dastardly plot and mothly crew of rogues and villains, it entrances the reader, and keeps them wanting more. "Treausure Island" is the perfect read for anyone just wanting a good, exciting story.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is by far one of the best adventure stories I have ever read. This book deserves all five stars, it has everything you could ask for such as, suspense, comedy, action, drama and a great plot line. R.L. Stevenson puts a lot of detail into his main characters such as Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins just to name a few. He describes the scenes with such great detail that at times I had to remind myself that it is only a book. I spent more than 2 months reading this book and I enjoyed every part of it. I could RARELY find a paragraph that was dull, the book was very exciting overall. This book is fairly easy to read and I would recommend it to adults and children of all ages. The book moves at a very good pace, not too fast, not too slow. This book is anything but boring, something new happens in every chapter for instance, when Jim witnesses a murder and when he gets into bar fights, those are just some of the many things that happened. I was very surprised myself when I read this book because it seems a little childish but in fact it's quite the contrary. I highly recommend that you go out and read this book!

Let me first echo the sentiments expressed by others and comment on what a beautiful edition the Univ of Nebraska Press has produced. The margins are indeed wide and the type very readable. This edition is easily held, the illustrations nicely complement the text and the binding is quite durable. The introduction by Joyce Carol Oates is helpful albeit pedantic. Also, those who've read the Univ of Calif Press edition of Frankenstein will notice some overlap between this introduction and the one that Ms. Oates wrote for that particular edition. Nonetheless, the introduction is valuable.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of those stories, like Frankenstein and Dracula, that seemingly everyone has heard of and believes they understand("mythopoetic " in the language of Joyce Carol Oates). Much like the aforementioned works, the actual details of the story may come as a surprise to those who assume they know the story based solely on the popular understanding. For that reason alone I think the book is worth reading.

Dr. Jekyll is a respected if somewhat reclusive London doctor who has, through the course of years of experimentation, managed to create a solution which brings to the fore his evil alter-ego. Unlike many gothic literary villains, Hyde is not imbued with superhuman strength or exceptional gifts of any kind. In fact he is of a smaller and less imposing stature than most men. What he does possess however is a complete lack of compunction with regards to others. Hyde for example ruthlessly runs down a small child who gets in his way. As is the case with Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll creates something that he can't control and which eventually destroys its creator.

The inhumanity that the fictional Hyde displays can be seen in the non-fictious world on a daily basis. As such, there is a realism to the story which is missing from many horror stories past and present. The fact that such a short and captivating work exists in an attractively packaged edition makes this one classic that will be a joy to read for all.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a clasic so, naturaly, I had high expectations. I certainly was not let down. It has a totally unique style with much detail and extensive writing. Yet, this novel is a very quickly read novel, unlike other excessively detailed books like Dracula. This book is not boring. This book is fun. It doesn't ruin the plot with too much detail like other books. Other fantasy books are usually not even close to realistic. Whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is close to being conceived realistic. This book has a general morbid feeling to it where other fantasies are sometimes cheerful and happy. Robert Louis Stevenson is a realy good writer in my opinion.
He uses a very wide range of vocabulary. Stevenson uses many 19th Century terms that seem weird and different to me.
One thing bad about his writing is his punctuation. He uses way too many semicolons and comas. He makes one sentence out of six or seven sentences.
This book was not the best book I ever read, but was not the worst either. it was mediocre. however It was miles ahead of Dracula. Dracula is boring, whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is fast paced, quick, and fun to read. its pritty morbid which is kind of a down side, but Since it is very short it is a good book on my list.

The University of Nebraska Press edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is beautiful! The illustrations by Barry Moser, woodcuts that progress chronologically through Dr. Jekyll's life as it is described in hints throughout Robert Louis Stevenson's story, are atmospheric and evocative; a picture of a boy being guided by his father, for example, echoes Dr. Jekyll's comments that he has a "fatherly" interest in his alter-ego, Hyde, while Hyde has a son's "indifference" to the father; the cover illustration is a portrait of Dr. Jekyll's father destroyed by Mr. Hyde on a rampage.

Joyce Carol Oates's introduction is worthwhile, especially for those readers who know the story, as most English-speaking people do, in its basic framework, but who have not yet actually traveled the dark road with Dr. Jekyll and his friends.

It is a pleasure to read a classic book in such a carefully crafted edition. Too often books such as this are printed in cheap editions with narrow margins and lousy type; this one fits comfortably in the hand and is easy on the eye as the reader is drawn into this allegorical nightmare.

This review refers to the University of Nebraska Press edition only.

This book s a great chiller I chould not put the book down. The way he just kept chageing back and forth was great. Oops! don't want to spole it This book is great if I had 1 wish it would be for everyone in the world to read this BOOK!.so please read this book it is proboly the BEST BOOK I have ever read in my life .If you like short scary chillers read this book.

This book is a great tool for better understanding Lehmann. After several weeks of slogging through Ethics in a Christian Context, I was relieved to find this book. However, I was really disappointed to find that it did not have a topical index. I had to search all through the book for things I was trying to look up. I happen to know that an index was written, I just don't know what happened to it. But I would definitely recommend this book if the concepts of humanization and koinonia are confusing you.

I bought this for my husband because of the blurb on the cover saying it would be "a favorite gift to husbands from their wives." If she wants her husband to believe she needs to "repent" if she is not always as eager for sex as he is (so that he can then graciously forgive her), she should buy him this book. Or if she wants to be viewed as "weak" and "easily deceived" and treated in a condescending and controlling way she might want to give this to her husband. Priolo's interpretation and application of Scripture (often out of context) is highly questionable in many instances and directly leads to these extreme views.

Also, the publisher did a very poor job with glaring typo's and difficult-to-read, extremely small type. Cheap looking and not the thing I want to give anyone as a gift. I threw it in the garbage. Best place for it.

This is an excellent book that is challenging for a husband on any level. The book primary deals with communication and attitudes which is 95% of marriage anyway. Only one chapter is devoted to the physical aspects of marriage in very general terms. If you purchase this book, be ready to change your thoughts, attitudes, and actions towards your wife. The only minor flaw is that the scripture quotes are not from the NIV but from another modern English version.

A very practical guide on being a husband, the role and responsibilities. Focused on biblically based precepts and principles. Emphasis is on application and not just theory. Good for a newly wed as well as a refresher course reading for the seasoned husband. Would recommend as a good read for wives as well. Recommended reading for small bible study accountability groups as well.