Kenneth Clark gives an unpropogating look at Da Vinci. All too often Leonardo's name has been attached to support a variety of causes of this or that nature. Being, seemingly, irreligious and unphilosophic while being the quintessential Renassaince Man. His name is often used as a mascot to justify the ideals of this or that group of whatever. He was clearly an animal rights lover, possibly a closet Franciscan, in all probability a homosexual (although not much of an activist). Leonardo was into his thoughts and had little patience for something that was already complete in his mind. He left scores of unfinished works, and minons of angry patrons - contrary to Bornstin's book that Leonardo was in constant search of patrons - Clark says he had many unhappy patrons. Leonardo was an animal lover who hated violence (although he designed armaments of various sorts). His depth of religious devotion could be argued, but he was not irreverant, as some have claimed. Leonardo was rather Franciscan and had a fondness for animals and individuality. He was free and valued his own individualism. Other than Da Vinci's notebooks nothing much authentic comes down to us. Every other work of Leonardo has been severally retouched or destroyed, what there is left of Leonardo's work is highly speculative - what bit is in his hand ect. Clark gives a healthy, vibrant, nonproselytizing look at a genius - something anyone might find interesting.

Kenneth Clark's book is probably the best available introduction to Leonardo da Vinci. It is both a good biography and an insightful analysis of Leonardo's art and artistic career. The text is appropriate for both laymen and students of art history. Clark's writing is concise and extremely engaging (to the point where I would recommend reading this book for fun), but it is also intelligent and very informative, with a clear thesis that ties the vast body of matieral covered together into an easily comprehensible package. This book is slightly out of date now, but Martin Kemp's introduction and revision help to ammend for that. I particularly recommend this most recent edition as it is well-illustrated.

This is the best book available in English on Leonardo da Vinci. True, the book was first published several decades ago, but the art historian Martin Kemp has added footnotes that bring the text up to date. Kenneth Clark made a tremendous contribution to the study of Leonardo da Vinci with this book - Science and Technology Museum notwithstanding!!!!

I have not seen the book, which I gather is loaded with color reproductions of art. However, I was asked by a friend to evaluate the CD-ROM that (apparently) comes with the book. I am not entirely clear on the exact relationship of the CD or how it is supposed to complement the book, but I will confine my comments to the CD 'as if' it were a stand-alone product.

The CD is deeply flawed in two key aspects: presentation and content. First, I am a professional multimedia designer who has designed an educational CD, as well as a fine artist who has worked in several media (ceramics, photography, painting), and taught digital design at the university level.

My initial impression of the content, including the text and silly little exercises, is that this product could be aimed at elementary school level instruction, and for that matter would be an extremely poor substitute for a scribbler pad and box of crayons coupled with some common-sense discussion of various, basic design elements. However as I read through the "Self-evaluation" section I realized that at least some of the vocabulary employed is really addressed to university-level literacy. If you are going to have students engage in digital manipulations, don't waste their time with these superficially clever exercises (rotating and scaling little lozenges, and filling them with colors and patterns in a tiny window). Give them the real thing! Even a basic freeware paint program has much more to offer.

The presentation itself is cold, clinical and utterly lacking in interesting visual dimension or texture -- a catastrophic failing in a publication purporting to teach "Art Fundamentals". Gimmicky rollover effects and slide transitions recall the worst of Flash eye-candy, and corporate Power Point sales pitches.

But there's more -- the excessive text is so badly presented that it is functionally illegible, considering the quantities the poor viewer is being asked to read. Pray that it merely duplicates the copy in the hard copy book, and there it is at least conventionally legible. A section of stitlted and programmatic exercises recall those matchbook covers for correspondance art instruction. Blech.

Finally I will comment on a series of video clips that explain various fine art media and techniques. The video quality is reasonably good, however the visuals are utterly boring, and the voice-over narration an excruciating, amateur, flat, monotone. Most of the artwork selected as examples during arbitrary, 'slide show' sequences is at best mediocre. What a crime to convey boredom and indifference about visual creativity in a textbook for foundation art students!

I'm very sorry to say that I find nothing to recommend about the CD that comes with this "best seller", because that is a reflection of the very sad state of visual literacy in North America. I am not tempted in the least to look at the textbook it comes with.

Popular with the Art Classes on college campuses nationwide, this book meets all expectations for an introductory art class. Covering Black and White design and history, the book covers styles and jargon used to describe the popular works. The Colour section does equally well, with vivid pictures of art work. Each era is discussed and the fundamentals of colour are provided. This is the book to get to get your feet wet in the world of Art.

I had to get this book for my Design class in college. Great book. We didn't go through the whole book, but I kept the book after the class was over because there is some practical information for the art student. There is a bunch of information that i can use to apply to my own artwork, as well as a history of some past art works used as examples. The photos are all in color and there is many of them.

This book is a great introduction, but it is a wealth of information. The reading is easy and doesn't bore me. I don't know about some people, but reading a text can be cumbersome, but not this book. I really do learn alot just from this book alone without a class.

The study of ecclesiastical history and the writings of the Saints are a necessity for a proper appreciation of Scripture and its interpretation. Philip Schaff's Church History is one of the few complete ecclesiastical history collections available. There are more modern and reliable translations of the ancient Greek and Latin texts (Ancient Christian Writers and Fathers of the Church Series), which abstain from sectarianism; unfortunately, the publishers have not yet gathered these works into a single collection. Despite the shortcomings of this edition, Philip Schaff's Church History is notable, if only for its presentation of the Reformed perspective on the development of ecclesiastic doctrine.

Schaff was guided by a number of principles in his History. He was convinced, for example, that other church histories conformed to a "dry, lifeless style" that failed to probe the "main thing in history, the ideas which rule it and reveal themselves in the process." Most church histories -he believed- failed to foster a sense organic development, leaving students unable to understand their movement's place in the overall history of the church.

Following philosopher G.W.F. Hegel, who posited that cycles of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis raise what is preserved to a higher level, Schaff maintained: "spiritual growth is likewise a process of annihilation, preservation, and exaltation." An example of this process in Christian thought and practice was -according to Schaff- the emergence of the Protestant Reformation out of the medieval Catholic Church. "The practical piety and morality of Roman Catholicism," said Schaff, "is characteristically legal, punctilious, un-free and anxious; but distinguished also for great sacrifices, the virtue of obedience, and full consecration to the Church." The Protestant Reformation brought a needed corrective through a faith that "is evangelically free, cheerful and joyous in the possession of justification by grace."

In effect Schaff presents Protestantism as the heir of catholicity at the expense of the Roman See (his description of "the Papists" is outrageous), liberating doctrine from the "constraints" of ecclesial authority. Yet he conveniently minimizes the shortcomings of Protestantism, namely its fractious nature and the replacement of Apostolic Tradition with the tradition of subjective interpretation of Scripture. Fortunately he recognized the need for union, envisioning the emergence of a synthetic "evangelical-catholic" Christianity in the future.

Schaff utilizes heavy editorializing to present the writings of the Church Fathers as representing his viewpoint; this unfairly forces the reader to accept his overbearing perspective at the expense of the Church Fathers. If you are approaching this work from a non-Protestant background, you might find it necessary to skip the introductions and the footnotes. Despite the sectarian presentation of Church history, I recommend this work, as it makes the works of the Apostolic Fathers accessible at a reasonable price.

In this series an indescribable wealth of primary sources will be found, which consists of apologetic, theological, philosophical, exegetic, ethical, dogmatic, and historical writings. Many documents and decrees, early church liturgies and hymns, along with an abundance of letters and tracts from the most illustrious and prolific authors of our Christian past are preserved here as well in a complete and clear turn of the century English prose translation. Moreover, this 38 volume set includes the principle writers of the Church from St Clement of Rome, a contemporary of St Paul, to St John Damascene, the last of the Eastern fathers who wrote during the 8th century AD. In the West, Pope Gregory the Great's works are the last included in this series, since the end of his pontificate essentially marks the West's shift from the world of late antiquity into the dawn of the Dark Ages. Arguably, some works by Latin authors like St Benedict, Isidore of Seville, Prudentius, Sidonius, and Rufinus of Aquiliea should have joined the ranks with other Western fathers, since the editors saw it necessary to place in the works of John Damascene, who wrote well over a century later than Isidore, the latest of the authors listed above. However, the editors judgement to place St Gregory the Great as the last of the Western fathers may be vindicated, although to leave authors like Prudentius, Rufinus, Sidonius, and Benedict out, who all wrote and thrived before Gregory's birth, may be open for scrutiny. Also, these works are all translated and edited by Protestant scholars and divines, so the footnotes, prefaces, and profiles of these Church Fathers and their works tend to be shrouded with Protestant leanings. Although, Catholics--and anyone for that matter--will nevertheless find this series to be the most complete and reliable source of early Christian writings. The Catholic University of America currently has many of the Church Fathers writings available, which are definitely worth checking out as well.

...This is an excellent resource, no two ways about it. I find myself using it all the time, looking up things I find quoted in books, tracts, etc. I found it very convienent to be able to get the whole set at once, and I might add, for a very good price ....

Just a caveat: this is not, and does not advertize itself as a complete compendium of the writings of the authors represented in this set. For instance, Origen, Jerome and Athanasius are given particularly brief treatments, as are most of the writers presented in volumes 25-38.

... This is a great resource, but some 120 years after initial publication, the body of manuscripts and scholarship used in translation has been improved upon. This cannot be looked upon as an intrisic weakness in this series, but rather an effect of aging which falls on all older works which rely on a body of historical writings which are under constant study.

Regarding the introduction essays, I don't have a huge problem with them. Not all of them are openly polemical. This was compiled by Protestants, so one should not be surprised to find pro-Protestant essays therein. One cannot possibly confuse these with the writings of the Fathers themselves, and can be easily skipped.

However, I did pick up a fair amount of attempted "damage control" in the footnotes, i.e. the footnote on Irenaeus' Against Heresies 3:3:2. Other examples could be cited.

In any case, I am not citing these things to "unpromote" the work, but simply discussing the points .... I am aware that there are newer translations of these writings available, but are only available piecework and for much more money.

This is indeed a great place to start, but people wanting more complete writings and/or more current scholarship might want to consider the Ancient Christian Writers series.

I am not impressed by anything that Berg writes. He is no kabbalist. This book demonstrates a real lack of understaning about some of the most fundamental issues.

It is no wonder that (on his website - ...) that he now sells bottles of "kabbalistic water" which have been "blessed" by Berg.

This book is shallow and has nothing to offer.

this is the first of many amazing Kabbalah books by Rav Berg. Each one is more & more amazing

Many people that write about Kabbalah. Here is someone that knows what it is. Great Start & should get more of latest books

While the author has some good ideas for start-up businesses, she is behind the times. Keep in mind it was most recently published 6 years ago. Read it to get ideas, but don't count on it to reflect current trends. According to the author, typing, word processing, old school computer languages, and pagers are all in hot demand.

I saw that the first two reviews listed here are for the old edition of this book! The new edition, just released last month, is completely updated. Here are just some examples covering virtually every established and emerging field, including the Internet: Internet marketing, designing web pages, ecotourism, gourmet food shop or producer, take-out restaurateur, adult day services provider, play gym operator, home health care provider, personal chef, dating service provider, B&B innkeeper, craft wholesaler, "whodunit" producer, party planner, and the list goes on and on. Each entry gives a complete behind the scenes look and relays success stories from real entrepreneurs, with verbatim comments and must-know secrets about every aspect of running the business. The introductory chapter gives you all the nuts and bolts information about how to succeed as an entrepreneur with topics like the positive character traits of entrepreneurs, and info about generating capital, business plans, finding lawyers and bookkeepers and bankers, marketing, working from home, finding and keeping employees, and more.

lots of fresh item

Monte Cristo is an old townsite below a sleepy glacial basin located eighty miles northeast of Seattle. It's the destination of thousands of recreational hikers annually. Hidden from their view by a century of harsh winter storms and avalanches is a rich mining and townsite history that Philip Woodhouse brings to life. We returned from a weekend hike so intrigued that we went directly to the public library Monday evening. We found precious little, mostly Washington mining reports and embarrassingly anecdotal histories. This book represents the only comprehensive, readable history of the environs. And it's a wonder to behold. Skillfully woven together are journalistic accounts, anecdotes, recognizable sketches and maps, and a narrative complemented by a generous collection of historical photos. Woodhouse is a writer evidently in love with these mountains and their history. His account is compelling and full of surprises, every bit as enchanting as the townsite it concerns.

This book gives a great history and background of the ghost town in Washington.I would recommend this book to people who wanted to know of Washington's past or if they liked history.

Darwin's "Origin of Species" is in fact an abstract of a 20 volume thesis containing the evidence gathered over many years which support the concept of evolution by natural selection. This way of describing the evolution of organisms on earth has by now become the standard and, in fact, one hardly ever thinks of evolution without automatically connecting it with Darwin's ideas.

At first, upon commencing reading this small book, I continued to ask `where is the evidence for that' but on realising that he had gathered a large volume of data to support this theory I simply continued to read on. Its not either an easy read or that complicated. Darwin looks at evolution in a very comprehensive way: first, linking the main idea with the variation of animals under domestication, something he himself had extensively studied in the case of pidgeons; second, associating this with variation under nature and the struggle for existence; he then goes on to describe in detail natural selection and the laws of variation. He follows this like any good scientist by an analysis of what may be the theory's weaknesses, such as the scarcity in the geological record and the lack of organisms in a state of gradation. He then applies the ideas to instinct, hybridism and then discusses in great depth the imperfections of the geological record. He also considers how geographical distribution can alter the results of evolution and how the embryos of various animals have a resemblance to that of other animals and how they also appear to repeat previous evolutionary steps as they mature.

Its too bad the 20 volume set was never published, even the incomplete version would have been better than only the abstract. Nonetheless it is well discussed and written as a comprehensive summary of the main thesis. At times the style can be repetitive and even dull but this is compensated for by fascinating little excerpts which are present throughout. This was, remarkably enough, my first reading of "The Origin of Species" and I do believe that every practicing scientist should read it as part of their education rather than accepting its tenets without question as is the wont. However rather than being a description of the true origin of species, it actually takes a change which occurs (by whatever means) and then describes the process the species undergoes from then on. Darwin never actually said anything about how new variations are formed, this was left for others to consider and eventually led to the modern Darwinian thesis including the idea of mutation caused by radiation, viruses or chemical agents. Much has also come to light over the last century such as the symbiosis of organisms producing the merger of cell and mitochondria seen in every cell today and similarly the recent evidence of gene swapping going on between bacteria and now also larger organisms, see "Lamarck's Signature" by Ted Steele. Since Darwin did also not explain form but rather the possibility of how form came about Brian Goodwin's Form and Transformation is a good place to start.

It must also be remembered that in his time the thesis was new even if many others were working on similar ideas Darwin was the first, in conjunction with Wallace, to expand on natural selection and obtain strong evidence for it. An essential read for any scientist.

It feels odd reviewing such a historic work as The Origin of Species, yet some warnings must be espoused regarding this volume as Darwin's work is often cited as the central document (along with the bible) in an argument over creation versus evolution. It is bad enough that people who so often are the most vociferous in this debate (on both sides) are relatively unread, but worse is that The Evolution of Species as a scientific manifesto is really of very little value today. Although Darwin was a brilliant naturalist, it would be as improper to call a scientist who studies evolution a Darwinist as it would be to call all computers Apple II's. Darwin has no working model of genetics, and while he proposed many excellent hypothesis about various forms of selection--he even wrote a book on behavior and facial expressions in animals!--we would be hard pressed to find Darwin as a citation in any of the modern literature. My rating of four stars is not entirely fair. I feel that people who wish to learn about evolution should seek out modern authors (I strongly recommend John Maynard-Smith's 'Theory of Evolution' as it is robust in its degree of current biological theory and will leave the reader not only understanding the biological theory of evolution, but also a lot of general biology.) On the other hand, if you are a person who is interested in history and in people, do read Origin or perhaps The Voyage of the Beagle (which I imagine must be an interesting read). Darwin sets a fantastic example of the dedicated naturalist, unbiased and thorough. His theories, which came later, were elegant--to such an extent that many of the detractors (even modern day) do not understand them. Darwin's biogeographical arguments for instance (I am thinking here about 'Darwin's Finches) stand unmolested by the diatribe of those who would make poor of a man just because they disagree with him. Neither do his opposers note Darwin's unwillingness to bring forth his theory. Truth be told, I care little whether or not people believe in evolutionary theory, only so much as they might at least understand how his ideas, humbly presented, changed the entire landscape of science. But most importantly I think people miss that Darwin was a good scientist--and there are a lot of bad ones. Science has recently taken the turn toward being all experiment and theory driven, with many of the funds in biology going more to 'gene splitters' or whatever you might want to call them than toward what little remains of descriptive science. Indeed it seems there is little room left for naturalists anymore--even to an extent that naturalists are sometimes not considered scientists. There are no more scientific works that are purely descriptive, or they are very rare, or worse done mostly for placement on coffee tables and not for the furthering of our understanding of the natural world. Darwin then is almost a sort of fatalist to his own kind; ushering in the modern age of a unified biology, he inadvertantly relegating the Conrad Lorenz's, the Jane Goodall's and (fill in the blank of your favorite naturalist) to antiquity or at least near-poverty. It might also be nice to remember that Darwin was above all interested in understanding the natural world, something he shared with a long history of zoologists before him who were of course creationists--and I see more in common between these people then I do between Darwin and the modern day evolutionist. Given all of this it seems very unfortunate the connotations and burden that Darwin's name has take on. Instead, it would be very kind if the name Darwin were flung about with the sort of respect I think it is due instead of attached to ugly terms like 'social' or as though the man had little red horns and a tail.

There is only one other book that is so widely known, discussed, and debated, yet so rarely read: that other book is the Bible. To make my point, here is a little quiz:

1) Which name is most closely associated with the theory of evolution?

2) Which book did this person write on evolution?

3) What claims are made in that book?

4) What else is contained in that book?

With astonishing regularity, the average literate adult will respond as follows: 1) Darwin, 2) Origin of Species, 3) Humans descended from apes, and 4) I have no idea. The first two are correct, the third is absolutely false, and the fourth is an admission of complete ignorance. Considering that "Origin of Species" is over 600 pages long, and took nearly two decades to write, one would expect it to contain something more than the four simple words "Humans descended from apes," which, in fact, it neither contains nor implies. So, what DOES it contain? There is one word that best summarizes the bulk of Darwin's magnum opus: "observation".

It is a lengthy book; at times it is tedious, at times politically incorrect, and at times scientifically off-base. But, despite its numerous flaws, it is one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. Even if you are among the few who refuse to accept Darwin's ideas, you cannot deny their impact. The theory is the cornerstone--if not the very foundation--of modern biology. Whatever your preconceptions, you will likely be surprised by this work. Darwin was the consummate naturalist and scientist, as well as a refined and articulate gentleman. "Origin" is a delight and an epiphany to read. It's amazing how much Darwin got right, despite the fact that he had essentially no idea of how inheritance worked. It's amazing how much data Darwin carefully assembled, analyzed, and described. It's amazing how meticulously Darwin weighed the evidence, noting when competing theories made different predictions, when the available evidence was not what he would have expected, and what future evidence could completely discredit (falsify) his theory. It's amazing in its honesty.

The misconceptions about "Origin of Species" are not merely rampant, they are effectively universal, fueled (largely in the US) by the rise of creationism, which seeks first and foremost to vilify the theory of evolution as well as Darwin (often failing to distinguish between the two). It's worth the time to read this enormous but meticulously crafted volume, if only to allow you to form your own opinions about such an influential book. Once you have, take the little quiz again. You may need 600 pages to answer the last question.

I'm not ready for the exam yet, but already I've picked out numerous typos, goof-ups and errors. Seriously it seems like they didn't even bother to proof read it before printing. The more I read the angrier I get - there's no excuse for this kind of sloppiness in a text that deals with very complicated material, where subtle differences in meaning make a HUGE difference for the exam. I'm tempted just to not finish reading it, it's very difficult to read, worded poorly and circularly, and often just does more to confuse me than help. The full size study guide is much better. Read that first and then approach these exam notes critically, and DON'T rely on them. If in doubt check your facts with other sources, cause this book can't be trusted.

I typically don't bother writing reviews but the quality of this book is upsetting. In terms of the content this book is alright but don't expect to get away without one of the larger ones. This is only a brief review after all and sometimes not well explained. However, I must say this book is the lousiest quality I have seen for a while now. More errors and typos than all the books together I have read during the last year. Be aware, this book is brief and compact and it gives you a lot of brief and compact misinformation.

I got the book and didn't see any of the typos that other people were mentioning and I am a consultant who uses the language quite a bit... perhaps it was a newer edition, but i found this book useful

Shannon and Blackman have written an interesting book about the career of Robert Philip Hanssen, the FBI "mole" who was arrested in February 2001 for spying for the KGB and its successors.

The authors' prose is clear and crisp, and in the end they settle for a "just the facts, ma'am" approach to the story. The book discusses Hanssen's childhood, education, career with the FBI, religious convictions, sexual fantasies, as well as the secrets he betrayed. Hanssen emerges as a study in contradictions: a vocal anti-Communist who spies for the Soviet Union; a devout Catholic who sells vital secrets to an atheist government; an apparent prude who patronizes a stripper and posts odd fantasies about his sex life on the Internet.

Hanssen betrayed everything that he claimed was important to him--his wife, his family, his friends, his religion, and his country. But the motive for his horrendous crimes, which he committed over the course of more than twenty years, is anything but clear. I would have loved it if this book had had more to say about the psychology of a spy, but it didn't. How can someone like Hanssen wake up and go to work every morning, knowing what he's risking and what he's done? Why doesn't the contradiction between his public image and his life cause him to break down? Is he able to compartmentalize things, so that the "good" Hanssen can live his life while the "bad" Hanssen" lives a lie? Is he just a sociopath, who doesn't really care about anyone or anything but himself? Maybe the FBI's own behavioral science unit will weigh in on this subject one day, but Shannon and Blackman don't venture down this dangerous trail. For better or worse, they describe "what" Hanssen is without really explaining "why" he is.

Another gap in the book is that, apart from a few generalizations, it doesn't address why the FBI and CIA seem so incompetent when it comes to catching spies (not that the KGB comes off looking a whole lot better). Perhaps the problem is that resources aren't allocated well, or that FBI and CIA personnel aren't trained to recognize the behavioral patterns of a spy--whatever the reason, the book largely leaves that problem to the reader's imagination.

The thing that should really strike you about this book is the realization that, for the last 25 years, there has always been at least one--usually several--moles who are busily selling vital American secrets. And those are just the ones that we know about. There is no obvious reason to think that there aren't just as many spies today as there have been in the last two decades. A book like this cries out for an explanation: what, if anything, are the FBI and the CIA doing to make sure that a disaster like Hanssen doesn't happen again?

I enjoyed this fast paced view into the life of a turncoat. Some interesting introductions to Opus Dei too. However, I found one glaring inconsistency that makes me wonder if something is left unsaid...

The fouth page into Chapter 17 (page 199 in my hardcover edition) the authors detail an investigation into a suspected spy at the FBI. Interviewing his children they "...seconded their father's assertion that his computer skills weren't remotely sufficient to have enabled him to encrypt messages to the KGB on diskettes."

In my reading of the book this occurs before October 1999. This is a full year earlier than the November 2000 acquisition of the KGB files that contained the encrypted diskettes. At the time of the interview the intelligence services did not have the details of Hanssen's betrayal. They supposedly knew nothing about the diskettes.

Did I miss something in the story? Or did the intelligence services know more about the betrayal before October 1999 than the book tells us?

Anyone else find this curious?

I loved every word. The Spy Next Door reads like the great spy book it is. Bob Hanssen is dissected with a scalpel by two skilled and meticulous writers who probe the traitor's life from childhood through his suspenseful and long-overdue capture by fellow FBI agents. After reading the book, I think I finally understand Hanssen well enough to know why he betrayed his country, but like any good mystery, there is no single, simple explanation. Shannon and Blackman explore every avenue and come up with some fascinating clues.