very useful book, which contains clinical tips

I am a CRNAP practicing in an ansethesia group that does a great deal of regional anesthesia. We have developed a library of texts to be used for reference/review. This text is the best of the lot with clear concise illustration and excellent text. If you wish to have just one book to use as a reference, this one is it.

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Bill Viola rules my dreams. The exhibition at the Whitney stunned me and it stayed with me for a long time. I wish there were more images from his notebooks in this collection since the display of notes/inspirations were as fascinating as the installations themselves. You might have seen some of his work featured in the recent Nine Inch Nails US tour. If you want to see the zenith of video/installation art, you must spend some time with Bill Viola's work. (He's also a delight to meet).

More than any other of Aristotle's writings, the Nicomachean Ethics speaks in a powerful voice to our own age; not only as an artifact of thought, or as a key to the historical interpretation of "Western Metaphysics", but as a challenge to our values, our assumptions, and, above all else, the complacency with which we approach the task of living life. Yet precisely because of its apparent immediacy, we must remain vigilant regarding the prejudices that we bring to the act of reading. Even the title, in this regard, presents difficulties. Ethics, for Aristotle, is not the same as "morality" or "right conduct": rather it means the cultivation of habit of the soul, --- a disposition towards the passions --- that is conducive to virtuous action. The very notion of virtuous action is itself misleading. Aristotle is not so much concerned with individual "actions" - let alone with the "moral dilemmas" so many so-called "ethicists" - as with the activity that, as the proper work or function (ergon) of human beings, grants a unifying purpose to all the "doings" that constitute life. This "work," - which must be nothing else that the work of our entire lives -, is either the political life or the life of contemplation. The first is the highest purely human life; the latter, in contrast, is divine. Perhaps the strangest notion of the Nicomachean Ethics, however, is pleasure: pleasure is neither a passive sensation, nor some sort of activity, but rather that which brings the activity to perfection, supervening on the activity like "the bloom of health in the young and vigorous."
If we have learned our lessons from Darwin, and have the strength of mind to behold a nature without purpose and a human race with no proper and essential function, what can then remain for us of an ethics grounded upon a natural and immanent teleology? Must we insist upon the fact/value distinction in all its rigor and exile ethics into the stars? Or are we left only with an act of pure, groundless will - a will that exists only through the act of positing values, of assigning to things their worth and thus giving human kind its end and meaning? Perhaps Aristotle's "pleasure" points towards another possibility: the joyful contemplation of this life in the blossom of its ephemerality and contingency.

It seems rather foolish to 'review' Aristotle, THE Philosopher. Nothing in the Western intellectual tradition isn't touched by Aristotle's works. The Nichomachean Ethics, unlike say, the largely irrelevant Physics, or extremeley esoteric Metaphysics, is a very accessible. It's also the work that probably best sums up Aristotle's practical philosophy. To summerize in a way that is completely insulting to the work, Aristotle applies his idea of moderation, the Golden mean, to numerous ethical situatlions, in an attempt to discover what constitutes the Good life and the Good man. AS previous reviewers have said, there isn't a chapter of Aristotle that does not produce some revalation or insight. And with over 100 chapters...well, you get the idea. Anyway, in addition to providing a basis for understanding the very workings of ethics and morals in a timeless sense, reading Aristotle changes the way in which you think. Literally. He has a distinctive, ordered, logical philosophy that anyone who want to be taken seriously in argument needs to learn. Simply, this is only of the most important books ever written, and anyone, philosophy scholar or not, owes it to him or her self to read it.

The Nicomachean Ethics is the first systematic description of an ethical system. It has the clearest formulation of the questions that Ethics asks: 1. How should we live? 2. Why? 3. Why is that best? Aristotle's answer to 1. is that we should avoid extremes, because (answering 2.) every extreme is evil, and (answering 3.) since the opposite of any extreme is itself an evil extreme, we must therefore avoid extremes. The book has been read by every serious ethical philosopher since history began. Because of this, every serious ethical work can (and should) be read as a dialogue with Aristotle, as he sets the rules, and then challenges, "I know of no good that crosses all the categories . . . but in each category there is one particular good." Kant's Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals is an attempt to find a normative good that crosses all categories, a "categorical imperative." Likewise Bentham's discussion of what has come to be called utilitarian ethics. Really, a most important book.

Showing the best of the game, the Angelic players guide gives so many ideas on playing a truly angelic character. But, you really need the core rules book, and the Infernal Players guide. Its also a good idea to have Liber Canticorum, the book of songs. Otherwise your character will only have the few powers in the Angelic Player's Guide. So, while its a good book, you need more than just the book to successfully play In Nomine.

that's right, i said "ever". this is the most captivating, best illustrated, and most useful book for In Nomine that i have seen. not only does it really let players and GMs figure out angelic life, trials, and tribulations, but it makes anyone wonder what those demons are talkin' 'bout. personally, it made me turn from a GM who never really thought about playing, into a psycho-smart GM who would kill for the chance to use my Ofanite of Creation (in service to Yves, of course). the only other book that has even close to this much to offer to IN enthusiasts is Revelations II: The Marches, for its Sorcerer rules and its Marches info (buy both!).

Unfortunately I can not be extremely positive about this work of Ross. Still how you will benefit from the work will depend on your expectations. If you need some summary to draw upon in an undergraduate course, this work will be helpful. But the work will not give you real insight, either because it does not intend it, or simply because it can not achieve it. Sorry that I have to talk like this on a great scholar's book.

Sir David Ross' explication of Aristotle's philosophy is most helpful. Aristotle's works that have survived to today seem to be post-lecture notes, a sort of "here's what I covered in today's lecture" recap. As such, Aristotle's books are sometimes confusing, occasionally contradictory and often just plain difficult to understand. In addition, Aristotle was a scientist first and philosopher second. This makes his works, which we read for their philosophical content, more difficult to grasp in some cases. Further, as with any translated works, various translators convey Aristotle's assertions in different ways, some of them more useful than others.

Ross' deep understanding of The Philosopher, gained through years of study, teaching and translation, gives him the background needed to help the reader understand more clearly Aristotle's position on various subjects. Ross is able to reconcile some apparent contradictions, to point out some of Aristotle's underlying assumptions and make confusing passages clear.

As a graduate student in philosophy, I find Ross' work to be very helpful and expect to use it extensively as background material for my thesis. But the value derived from reading and understanding Aristotle is not limited to students or philosophers, and the value of Ross' book is wide-ranging as well. Aristotle will be helpful to students, teachers or lay readers interested in philosophy but struggling with some of the archaic attitudes presented in many translations of The Philosopher's work.

I don't know what happened to Ross, but I do wish he would get back to writing Westerns. "Beyond the Stars" is every bit as good as a Terry Johnston story - which is a great compliment for you non-western readers. Mr. Ross, where are you?

What Naxos has done here is put together an anthology of Christmas poetry, musings and other Christmas fair to serve up a delightful listen. Starting with an ancient Christmas carol and even a recipe circa 1300 the listener is treated to poetry, thoughts and reflections from various authors on what Christmas is, and is not about. I have to admit it took me a while to get into this recording but once I did I found myself touched by the Christmas spirit. Indeed I actually bought this last year and saved it for this year's holiday season to listen to. Among the poetry and observations, there are also a few short stories, and evena play. As well interspersed throughout the readings are Christmas carols and classical Christmas music. Its a fine collection although its mostly for adults. In adition one truly must be a lover of English literature to fully appreciate this anthology; the overall theme of this after all has to do with Christmas time in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I would highly recommended if one enjoys works and authors from these time periods. Its great to listen to with a cup of cocoa, or exotic coffee. This book contains 2 CDs and is read by a variety of readers. merry Christmas.

David Shackleton, in the opinion of Professor Martin, is one of the great un-sung heroes of the early Labour movement in Britain.In his book, Ross Martin attempts to redress the balance somewhat by re-constructing the life and work of this remarkable gentleman through some very determined research, made difficult at times, as Shackleton seemed wholly uninterested in preserving his image for posterity. As an illustration of the extent to which history has tended to overlook Shackleton, the author notes in his introduction that when in 1956 the Manchester Guardian published a photograph of the leaders of the Labour Party, 1906, the paper could only come up with the names of three of the four men in the foreground (Ramsay McDonald, Kier Hardie and Arthur Henderson). Shackleton was the fourth. On reading the book, one is treated to a review of a remarkable life. From cotton loom operative through to Knight Commander of the Bath, and the Permanent Secretary of the first Ministry of Labour in Britain. On the way, he effectively led the parliamentary Labour Party in the time of Kier Hardie's often nominal leadership - was chairman of the TUC, and took active part in the workings of Lloyd-George's war cabinet. The book is divided into two main sections. The first half is as detailed an account of Shackleton's career as Martin has been able to re-construct. It can be difficult work getting through this section. Professor Martin utilises so many sources (the bibliography bears testimony to a remarkable amount of research under difficult conditions) that keeping track of the main text can be a challenge at times. The second half of the book attempts to build up a profile of Shackleton as a person - often anecdotal, but describes with barely disguised admiration the profile of a man worthy of great respect - and in Ross Martin's opinion, worthy of far more recognition amongst Labour historians than has hitherto been the case. The Lancashire Giant is certainly a book which should be referred to if one wishes to broaden one's perspective of the early Labour movement in Britain. Most other leading figures from that time have been researched in depth, but the Lancashire Giant not only goes some way to putting Shackleton in his proper place in Labour history, but it also sheds light on many other early goings-on in the Labour movement, which less objective biographers may have overlooked. I myself have been aware of Shackleton since my earliest days (he was my Great Grandfather), though never aware of the real nature of the pioneering role which he played in improving the conditions of the working men and women of Britain, until I saw this book. It should be read by anyone with an interest in the history of Labour in Britain.

And I expected great what with Catholic guilt and hockey and comic writing all in one novel. There are some very funny moments -- for example, a devastating take on tap dancing and the poor starving children of -- in this case -- Latin America. The memories of the Canadiens and the other original NHL teams before expansion, and the frigid days and nights of street hockey are exactly right. Plus, Uncle Reginald and Draper Doyle are consistently engaging and give the book most of its considerable energy, although it stretches credulity that a nine year old boy should so completely recall over several detailed pages a dream absolutely crucial to the novel's climatic moments. Bigger problems: Draper's mother is too peripheral, as ethereal as the ghost father, and Aunt Phil and Uncle Seymour are so unremittingly mean-spirited that they become more parody than human. Finally, the twist as Draper Doyle begins to recall the lost week of his father's death is unexpectedly nasty, and leaves this novel uneasily perched between the comic and terrible personal discovery. Still, while The Divine Ryans is not a must read, it is the work of an author with talent clearly under development.

I picked this book up mainly for the name and intriguing cover (yes, you can pick a book by the cover!). Inside was a look into a child's life, reminding me of Angela's Ashes... this poor child suffered at the hands of his relatives and lineage. I probably wouldn't read it again, but I will pass it along to my friends who read.

I found this book quite intriging. In the spirit of "American Beauty", it is a tale about a dysfuntional family. It is told as almost a bitter sweet memoir of a real person's childhood in Newfoundland in the 1960's. You learn to dislike and like the different characters in the childs eyes and see how his divine family has truely fallen from grace. The characters in the book that should be the most devout and true are the most ignorant and irritating, these people being the preist and nun in the family. The leader of their Irish-Catholic, you could almost say cult, is the aunt of Draper Doyle (the young child). She is the most nauseating character I have yet to come across. She is filled with Hipocrisy and all the things that she is against. She also threatens the safty of Draper Doyle's newly widowed mother. Their entire future depends on Draper Doyle's recognization of his nightmares which cause him unbelievable embarassment in the face of his relative. His only refuge from his devout aunts and uncles is his uncle reginald who is one of the most endearing and genuinly funny characters I have come across. This book is fantasticly written (unlike this review, I have need of spell check) and keeps your attention from one paragraph to the next which is always a Divine thing in a book.