Only having read about ten percent of this book so far, one might say that a review may need to wait. On the other hand I rarely see a technical book showing as much craft and wisdom that I have to write something immediately.

Mr. Gautschi has given us a text that primes us for both the technical aspects of the subject as well as the deeper, understandably hard-to-ferret-out details of the topic. I'd say it's anecdotal at times, but he's taken a typically dry subject and made it come to life by weaving historic, and at times obscure side notes to the discussions on his chosen subject.

The wisdom of the book is quite evident, and I appreciate this immensely.

The book also contains applications information that is a welcome departure from the steady grind, grind, grind of analytical proofs that only a molecule could appreciate.

Sure, there's that stuff, too. Yet this book combines a lot of information on the subject of piezoelectric devices and sensors to the point it is actually useful and meaningful as a stand alone reference.

P. Gibson
Electrical Engineer

Although I have not done a complete page by page reading, I have gone through the beginning few chapters from which one can get a thorough birds-eye view of the message and content of the book and what the author purposed to lay out. This book is worth reading and studying for its revelation of where the Church of Jesus Christ, the Body, is positioned today in God's prophetic time-table. The prophecy of Malachi that Elijah shall return is being fulfilled today in this decade in the spirit and power of Elijah, through the Church, the Body of Christ. The prophetic position of the Church run parallel to the restoration of the office of the prophet. God is bringing the Church through the phase of a Prophetic Church prior to restoring the Church to becoming the Apostolic Church. Every church leaders should know the prophetic calendar of God and through this book, the author brought out this very clearly.

...or what we now refer to as Spiritual Emergence, he amplifies the chakra symbols with such interesting illustrations that the book is well worth the price paid for it.

Jung tries his hand at a psychological interpretation of ancient and contemporary art and culture; several interesting studies here as well as more info about what Jung means by "spirit."

Michael Washburn's approach to transpersonal psychology is excellent in many ways. His synthesis of Freudian, Jungian and Wilberian theories, along with Christian and eastern mysticism draws an incredibly rich spectrum of human evolution. Although it seems to be based just on theoretical knowledge and not on empirical one, his ideas are so intelligent and have such precission that I wonder if the books mentions on the bibliography are his only sources. In fact, I think the last chapters lack some refereces to the source where his theory is based upon. However, it's a great contribution to transpersonal psychology and I would say a must read for those interested in it.

P.S: If you read Wilber's opinion about this author, naming him as "romantic", you should know it's absolutely unfair. It seems he hasn't read this book when he says that it's about the regaining of the lost paradise of childhood. Washburn never says that childhood is a paradise, nor he says that transcendence is a return to this pre-egoic ideal state. He just points out some good and bad characteristics of non-egoic potentials, and then the same with the egoic ones. Transcendence happens when you get to integrate these two spheres succesfully. Just the same, ironically, as Wilber says about premodern times and modern (and posmodern) times, and I'm sure he wouldn't like someone to say that he's proposing a regression to the eden of premodern times. I appreciate Wilber's work, but his model, being attractive and interesting, does not match reality of human development half as good as Washburn's model does (even if Washburn himself doesn't get to explain certain things in the best possible way). Just to warn to those who got here after reading Wilber's critique of this author and are sceptic about his value.

Henningsen's work is an intriguing study of this overlooked era in Spanish history. He walks the reader from the beginnings of the witch trials (very similar in formation to the more popularly studied Salem witch trials) through the intercession by the Spanish Inquisition and to Antonio Salzar de Frias' posting of the Edicts of Grace. This is a book of political and theological intrigue and a mystery thrown in for good measure. While reading it, I kept wondering what was going to happen next even though this is a history text and not a novel, though there is more than enough information and a strong enough plot within the history to fashion a novel. If you are a lover of history (especially historical texts), this is one book that is difficult to put down. Even if you are not a lover of history texts, the "plot" of this study is one that will probably keep you hooked until then end.

Carl Jung's character has taken quite a shellacking of late in new biographies by Richard Noll. In contrast, Smith's book is sympathetic both to Jung's cause--the healing journey toward wholeness he termed "individuation"--and to the deeply disturbed, dissociated psyche that relentlessly drove Jung, both personally and professionally, toward the fulfillment of his destiny: his "daimon." Smith focuses on Jung's relationships with his parents, arguing that it was mainly Jung's ambivalent feelings toward his mother--not his father, as most biographers believe--that most powerfully influenced his peculiar psychic development. Smith also emphasizes the famous Freud-Jung friendship, and its daimonic character, noting that both men had enormous stores of repressed anger or rage which both drove their prodigious creativity and caused serious interpersonal difficulties. Smith's brief biography, despite its limitations, perceptively illuminates in ways others have not the darker side of C.G. Jung--his repressed rage--and in so doing, deepens our understanding of and compassion for the daimonic Dr. Jung, and, hopefully, our own daimonic qualities.

Carl Jung is highly respected by psychologists, both private and religious. I read some works by Jung on dreams and people who claimed they saw flying saucers. These so much impressed me that I also formed a high opinion of Jung. I then read Jung's "Answer to Job" when I researched a book I wrote about "Revelation and the Fall of Judea." I had read commentaries by many authors to make sure I understood what others had said. "Answer to Job" touched on the same topic. What an eye opener! This man, so highly revered as an expert on human thinking, doesn't himself understand who God is and what God has done, even with Job.

Jung claims that God once was in a state of unconsciousness and was prodded by Lucifer, who was inclined to make use of God's omniscience, into acting unfairly with Job. Job proved himself morally superior to God. God then became the human being, Jesus Christ, so he could suffer the way Job was made to suffer. Jung's position surprised me because God was never in a state of unconsciousness. God is unchanging. Jung mentions Lucifer. I'm surprised that Jung didn't believe the biblical text that it was Lucifer who brought suffering onto Job. Lucifer did it to demonstrate before God that Job would blaspheme God if Job experienced misfortune. God gave Lucifer permission to harass Job but set limits on what Lucifer could do. Job actually proved himself morally superior to Lucifer because, even when suffering misfortune, Job would not rebel against God, whereas, Lucifer, without any suffering, rebelled through pride.

Job had three friends who tried to convince him that he offended God somehow, and that is why misfortune came. Their opinions were not true. Scripture has it that Lucifer brought misfortune to goad Job into rebellion. God permitted this because God had already informed Lucifer how faithful Job is. Now, under fire, Job's faithfulness is tried and proven. Spiritual growth came out of Job's suffering. That's why God permitted it. When the book of Job ends, God told Job to pray for his three friends because their untrue advice had offended God. I'm surprised Jung didn't pick up on that. God's asking Job to pray for his friends is one of the keys to understanding the book of Job.

I have read this book twice in ten years and will probably read it again. I like this book because Jung is expressing his feelings whilst using his immense experience and accumulated knowledge. Although many references are made to other sources, I do not feel as if I need to know very much more than the average person brought up in a mild Christian society, to gain substantial benefit from the book. What seems intense to me is the underlying issues of how we (as humans) relate to our sense of reality and justice. For me, this is not so much an answer to Job as a comprehension of the inherent correctness of the dilemma that Job is faced with. I gave this book a rating of 4 on a scale of 5 because I still do not feel that I understand fully what Jung is saying. But I am not sure that he is sure either. It certainly elucidates, for me, the very real dynamics between the conscious and the subconscious. I gives me insight into the difference between children's immediacy which can be without sympathy for the effect of their actions on the outside world, and the same immediacy that adults can attain with complete responsibility for the effect of their actions. Immensely supportive book and an important aid to self improvement, which is our inherent right as human beings. Don't expect to get all the benefits of this book for months or even years after reading it.

For me this book is a wonderful example of how Jung was able to work with archetypes and myths when dealing with his own relationships. One familiar with the letters between Freud and Jung will find in the description of Yahweh and Jung's complaints against this punishing, abandoning, and at times unself-aware image of God the very real feelings he experienced with Freud.
I believe Jung did in this book what he could not do in his real life experience with Freud. That is reconcile parts of the relationship that hurt him deeply while finding a way to understand the limitations of both Freud and the PsychoAnalytic community which he felt abandoned him after the break with Freud.
He did this by attributing to God the containment of all things of the paradoxial nature of being both light and darkness/ evil and good.

The Red Badge of Courage is an interesting story in many ways. The tale follows a young Union soldier named Henry Fleming for a day or two as he cuts his teeth in Civil War battle. Simple enough. But the intrigue is how author Stephen Crane--born nearly two decades after the war--could have written such an accurate-sounding depiction of battle. We read the book in present day with the benefit of having viewed countless images of Civil War battles in movies, television, and real-life reenactments, and after reading many books on the subject (i.e., The Killer Angels, The Last Full Measure, The Civil War, etc.). It's easy to forget that he didn't witness the war, nor had he witnessed any war at that point in his life. And publishing it in 1895, Crane never had the luxury of movies. Yet, Crane's account still rings true. The battle scenes come from a vivid imagination and, no doubt, newspaper articles and old photos. It is a commendable accomplishment that has stood the test of time.

Another interesting aspect is that the book is not plot-based in the mold of a Dickens novel. It is essentially a "slice of life" piece. Crane drops us into the action just before Fleming faces his first battle. We aren't told where or when this battle takes place. We don't know who the senior commanders involved are or whether the scene is fact-based or total fiction. And it doesn't matter. The particulars on who's fighting, why they're fighting, and whether they're winning is immaterial to Crane. His focus is not on the glory or spectacle of war, nor the ultimate goals. His book is a study in fear and courage. Henry Fleming is scared to die. But he's more afraid that he'll panic and run, exposing cowardice. Death is not something the living can comprehend. Shame in the face of comrades is.

There is also an interesting contrast between the gore of battle and Crane's poetic prose. Not a book that will change your life, but worth the quick read it presents. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

Imagine standing in the middle of a battlefield having to watch your friends suffer and eventually die from bullet shots. This is a typical scene from the Civil War, which had the most loss of American life than any other war. "The Red Badge of Courage" horrifically, yet accurately, depicts the true nature of war. Crane uses excellent imagery to describe what is happening in the mind of the protagonist Henry Fleming, a young soldier. Although the language is somewhat difficult to comprehend because of the dialogue, the story itself is not difficult at all because of the intensity of battlefield and descriptiveness of the scenery. Crane's descriptions make it clear that war is a traumatizing experience for everyone. Although the experience may be disturbing, cowards should not be involved in war, as Henry beautifully demonstrates. While most war stories present heroes of the war, Henry is portrayed as the exact opposite. He starts out as a boy going into war for the first time, and at one point runs away from all the fighting. In time, he matures through experience while facing the horrors of war. He eventually desires the red badge of courage, a wound that would mark his involvement in the war. All history lovers and those who love bloody and gruesome "Braveheart" type stories should read "The Red Badge of Courage."

Why is the Red Badge of Courage so hard to read until about the middle of the book? I think it's because Crane throws us into the world of fear in the first half - fear, cowardice, panic, the confusion and disorganization of war. We're not used to being treated like this, either by books or the real world. I can identify with Crane because the first half of my life was like that. It's OK to be afraid. You can even start reading from the middle and eventually go backwards if it's frustrating. As for life, at some point in life, if you really keep trying, fear gets tiresome and repetitive. You begin to despise yourself as a coward, and you only see images of cowardice around you. The uselessness of following the crowd and some of the fairy tales you learned hit you like a brick. You see too much destruction, whether in hot wars or cold wars, industry or the academic world. One day, when you have nothing left to lose, you try a new strategy called courage. You might feel a lot of anger when doing it, but you have to eventually learn to act out of calmness and yes, even love. You fight back because of the things and people you've lost. You become a Veteran, whether in war or in peace with illness like Crane himself. You learn that there are things more important than your own life. Then you're like Audie Murphy, Mahatma Gandhi, Stephen Crane, Galileo Galilei, Saint Thomas More. And the strangest thing of all is that they're right. There are things more important than your own life. One of them is called Courage.

Tarot Book Review: Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey

by: Sallie Nichols
Weiser Books
1980
ISBN #0-87728-515-2

I had greats expectations for this book - and as often happens when we start out with expectations, they were not met. The very nature of Tarot is that it is a spiritual journey, a guided journey taken through the auspices of Jungian archetypes. I was very excited by the title of this book - I had visions of deepening my understanding of the archetypes and trotting through Jung's mind and works with great abandon. What actually happened is that I encountered a book that, while it had its moments, was very unevenly written, so that one was never sure what to believe and what not to believe.

The first sentences from this book read:

"The Tarot is a mysterious deck of cards of unknown origin. At least six centuries old, this deck is the direct ancestor of our modern day playing cards."

For a supposedly scholarly work, the author lacks depth in her understanding of the history of Tarot. The Tarot can be traced to northern Italy, during the time period of the early fifteenth century, where they were comissioned by nobility. As for the supposedly "mysterious" nature of the deck - this smacks of "hidden information" and elitist fraternities, and really has no place in a book of this caliber.

Nichols goes on to talk about the Tarot "suddenly" coming into the public consciousness. This book originally came out in 1980, so we need to reference that time period. Tarot decks were not as easily accessable then as they are now, but they were there. The plethora of books on Tarot that we have now were not available then - but they were there.

"Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey" is presented as a study of the major arcana (the archetypes of the Tarot) - drawing upon the author's background in Jungian psychology and delving into mythology, literature, art and other sources. The purpose is to facilitate accessing the archetypal parts of our psyche. Nichols has chosen to do this through the use of the imagery in the Marseilles deck - calling it one of the earliest example of "true" Tarot. She goes on to say that she chose the deck because it had no accompanying text, so that the learning of the deck was facilitated strictly through its imagery.

Nichols feels that any book that accompanies a deck is of little importance, that it simply reflects the world view of the author, and is basically not staying "true" to Tarot. (Here she includes A. E. Waite, Aleister Crowley and Paul Foster Case.) Nichols also has strong objections to "non-Tarot" symbology - the decks that include other systems, such as the Hebrew letters, or astrological associations.

We also need to remember that Jung himself had little to to with the study of Tarot, or with its evolution. His thoughts and writing have been applied to the Tarot, and provide a tool for understanding it, but the two are separate entities.

From the book:

"The pictures on the Tarot Trumps tell a symbolic story. Like our dreams, they come to us from a level beyond the reach of consciousness and far removed from our intellectual understanding. It seems appropriate, therefore, to behave towards these Tarot characters pretty much as we would if they had appeared to us in a series of dreams picturing a distant unknown land inhabited by strange creatures. With such dreams, purely personal associations are of limited value. We can best connect with their meaning through analogy with myths, fairy tales, drama, paintings, events in history, or any other material with similar motifs which universally evoke clusters of feelings, intuitions, thoughts and sensations."

Nichols begins the book with a basic description of the 22 trumps of the major arcana, and the "journey" that they comprise. She presents The Fool, the one who takes the journey, as separate from the rest of the cards. She then proceeds to group the remaining 21 cards in three rows of seven cards each, which is a traditional representation of the Fool's Journey. This section is fairly lucid, and fairly well written.

From there we look into the Fool and each of the 21 trumps. There is a interesting process of presentation here - comparisons of the same card in different decks,the symbols included on the cards, real life figures that embody the principle of the card (I was amazed to see "Squeaky" Fromme presented as the Fool!), as well as paintings and art work that reference each archetype.

The problem with this book - aside from a lack of understanding of Tarot history - is that Nichols simply does not write well. She is wordy, and her thoughts are often very disconnected. One would have to have a strong background in the Tarot, and the study of the archetypal energies, to separate the wheat from the chaff. It would be all to easy for a novice to accept her premises - many of which are without a solid foundation. That thought gives a whole new meaning to "fuzzy logic"!

The one "bonus" to the book - a fold out section at the very back with color scans of the Marseilles deck. This made me smile.

I would recommend this book to very few people. To those who are new to Tarot, it would be very confusing. To those who want to study Jung in relation to Tarot, either read Jung's works directly, or go to the more Gnostic Tarot books. To those who want to read a more cohesive, coherent view of Tarot history, Tarot and the Jungian archetypes, read "Tarot Celebrations", by Geraldine Amarol and Nancy Brady Cunningham.

Those who might enjoy and benefit from this book are those who are in their intermediate to advanced level of study with the Tarot, are interested in working with symbols, and are open to coloring outside of the box. Nichols, through her presentation of multiple streams of consciousness (art, myth, personal experience) encourages the reader to experience the Tarot in a very expansive manner. This is not really a referrence or a resource book, it is something that may be fun to read if one can ascertain what is fact and what is fiction, and doesn't mind giving the author a great deal of leeway!

Sallie Nichols has written a different kind of Tarot book. She uses the Marseilles deck, which I think is a bit of a drawback, but the outstanding thing about the book is that she illustrates her points with information from Carl Jung, the great transcendentalist psychologist. She paraphrases Jung and makes his commens easy to understand.

Nichols also includes examples from great literature, painting and sculture which support the points she is making. This gives you some unforgettable visuals to associate with the cards. This is turn makes it easier to remember their meanings.

Nichols' book deals only with the Major Arcana and it is definitely for the serious metaphysical Tarot student. It wouldn't lend itself well to telling fortunes or anything like that and it does not deal with spreads.

I don't think Nichols is the most naturally talented writer in the world but it is obvious she has put a great deal of energy and, more importantly, LOVE, into her work. I'd really recommend it ... get a used copy and put it in your permanent Tarot library. It will provide some information you can't get elsewhere.

Very deep study of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. the author is well knowledgeable of what she is talking about. Gives a new persepective, more throughout than all the newagie psycho-blable we are fed with.