I really enjoyed this book. Basically this is a history book of science and religion and how they have interacted over the history of mankind. Bertrand explains how almost every great scientific finding or revolution is oppressed ...by religion in some way or another. Copernicus, Newton, Galileo, Darwin, Vesalius, Harvey, Simpson, and many other distinguished scholars have all been at least fearful of the reactions of the churches, but also of the general population. Bertrand also goes into detail how the idea of ?soul? has changed through time: ?We not only react to external objects, but we know that we react. The stone, we think, does not know it reacts, but if it does it has ?consciousness.? Here also, on analysis, the difference will be found to be one of degree.? I rate this book with five out of five stars; I enjoyed it and still do enjoy it thoroughly.

Russell's "Religion and Science" explores, in a thoughtful and intelligent fashion, essentially the dark side of religion and its historical resistance (to say the least) to scientific discovery. This is clearly a must read for any rational thinking human.

"Religion and Science" provides excellent insight into the historical struggle between religious faith and the scientific pursuit of facts. Russell outlines the differences in methodologies that inevitably lead to conflict between religion and science. He sites various examples of such conflicts including opposition to the heliocentric view of the universe and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Russell infers throughout how science is superior to religion, at least from a pragmatic standpoint. This is perhaps not a revealing fact to enlightened readers. However, as Russell points out, in every age there are religious adherents and systems that have opposed progressive ideas and technologies made possible by scientific discoveries. Russell makes it clear that the reader should at least be aware of such historical precedence in order to be prepared to handle modern instances of conflict between religion and science.

I was, and still am, a devoted daily reader of "God Calling", by A.J. Russell. I was ecstatic when a friend from my Bible Study Class/Group, informed us that she had found the companion volume to "God Calling", being "God At Eventide", in a Good Will store, of all places. I immediately tried to buy and order a copy from one of our bookstores here in town. Astonishingly, I was told that it was no longer available. I quickly searched Amazon and found a used paperback edition. (Thank you God). Anyone who thinks that a mortal human being could write a devotional such as this, surely is in denial about the reality of Christ, Jesus, our Savior. This is truly the work of our Lord, our Savior, reaching out to us, to give us encouragement, hope, faith, comfort, and understanding in this nonsensical world in which we live. He gives us the answers to thoughts and questions which could, (if we did not have his guidance), torment our souls and make us into bitter pitiful human beings. Every single word must be read to comprehend his message to us. However, one must be fairly advanced in a personal relationship with "Him" in order to remotely understand what he is trying to tell us. Some people, or rather a good number of people, do not seem to connect at all with this book and it's companion book. This is a tragedy, for here is "His" wisdom, comfort and guidance. The words speak to you as though Christ, himself, was sitting in your living room or walking with you along the ocean as your best friend, giving you counsel. Also, you begin to understand the actual "Man, Jesus". He gives you glimpses into his character while being our teacher here on earth. He loved to prepare a feast for his disciples along the lakeshore, as a surprise! Jesus liked to cook! He also loved giving the wine gift at a wedding festival. For anyone who hungers and longs to know the Christ, Jesus, intimately, this book is a window into "Him." Also, he intended for this to be read in the evenings; thus, the meditations are shorter than those in "God Calling." "He" knows that we are tired at night and sometimes could fall short of the deep understanding for which he desires. He understands us. If one loves Jesus, you will love this book.

See "Review" for "God Calling". "Truly beneficial to the spirit's well-being!"

This is a continuation of God Calling. It was written by the same Two Listeners who and A.J.Russell edited this also. The readings tend to be a little shorter than God Calling, but the same warmth and love is evident. It is simply written, and will speak directly to the reader;there is noting vague about the messages. For those who enjoy a daily devotional that always seems to be right on target with where they are today, this book, like God Calling, will hit the mark.

Russell became famous as a mathematician and philosopher.

But when he won the Nobel Prize, it was for Literature. When you read this book of essays, you will see why.

It is beautifully written and has all of Russell's virtues: clarity, wit, humor, forcefulness, simplicity.

Even better, it is a brief education in itself. Most of the essays were written just as the Great Depression was beginning, and Russell gets right to the heart of a problem Capitalists and Socialists do not usually address: How much work is needed, and what is the ultimate point? He constantly stresses that we do too much work, and most of it is unneeded, and makes life grim. He never ceases to remind us that we should work to live, not live to work.

He addresses this point in many ways--through economics, through architecture, through the then-raging problems of Fascism and Communism. And though he treats serious problems seriously, he always has time for the breathtaking perspective and the ligtht touch--as with the essay, "Man Versus Insects."

A wonderful, even life-changing book.

Written by a very advanced thinker, this book represents a shattering statement against the Christian petit-burgois morality of work, a true revolution and evolution in man's thinking.

Russell explained in depth the power balance in China among British, French, Russia, US, Germany, and Japan in the late 19th century and early 20th century. As a peace lover, Russell disgusted at the Japanese invasion and control in China. He was able to explain the root cause of the Japanese aggression using the Race, Culture, Religion, and Industry development factors. As he stated the Chinese culture could not incubate aggression as contrary to the Japanese culture. Since the Far East culture root is deep and usually carries along for centuries, I believe his view still holds true in the 21st century. This book also explained the possibility of a 'Red China' in 1922. Because Russia was a traditional enemy of Japan in the Far East, Russell thought Russia would have a huge impact on 'Young China' because "one's enemy's enemy is usually a friend". I was so much impressed by Russell's social analysis and insightful thought on China. I wish he were still alive today so he could educate the Westerns about who is the true peace loving people in the Far East.

In this book, Bertrand Russell expressed his ideas about both the positive and negative characters of Chinese. It can only be written after carefully thinking over what are in Chinese people's mind. And only you have been to China for over 6 months can you really understand what he really means. This is perhaps the best book for western people to learn the way of thinking of Chinese and the character of the Chinese people. After reading the book I think people will rebuild an idea about China, thus they can understand the Chinese people in American better.

World War One was an epoch-making event which transformed the philosophy of Bertrand Russell from based mainly on logic, mathematics and epistemology to haumanitarian issues such as pacificism, freedom and the role of the state. "Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell: Pacifism and Revolution, 1916-18" provides glimpses into this transition and elucidates Russell's main arguments for pacifism and socialism: "No good to the community, of any sort or kind, results from the private ownership of land. If men were reasonable they would decree that it should cease tomorrow..." As private property is protected by the State, and the fraud and plunder that constitute property are sanctioned by legislation and enforced by weapons and war, Russell argued that the State is therefor a great evil and its functions must be taken over by community-based cooperatives and worker's syndicates. Fascinating, provocative and necessary reading.

Bertrand Russell often gathered essays he thought would have lasting value, and published them as collections. This book not only has essays, but the text of talks he gave on the BBC. The topics are wide and disparate. He begins with books (and their authors) that made a deep impression on him while he was in his formative years. Then follow essays on politics, starting off with "What is Freedom?" and "What is Democracy?" -- two basic questions that many people don't even think about. The "Divertissement" section contains pieces of fiction. Russell stated that he found fiction a useful medium to express ideas he half-believed in, but had no firm grounds for belief. The last section is on "Peace and War," and includes the famous Vienna and Manchester addresses on nuclear bombs. His style is incisive and pithy as usual. If you like Russell, you should not miss reading this book.

A superb collection of nine favorite H.C.A. stories (see below), wonderously illustrated with something like a hundred hig-quality reproductions, at least half of which are full-page, drawn from the work of twenty of the greatest artists from the "Golden Age" of children's book illustration (around the turn of the century). The art is simply mind-blowingly beautiful.

The tellings themselves are very fine. The language used is both delightful and sophisticated, making this a fine volume to entertain good readers amongst older children, and to expand their language skills. Of course, less able readers and younger children might like the stories just as well if they were read to them. There is no information in the book or on the publishers website regarding the origins of these particular tellings.

A sample paragraph, from "Thumbelina":

"Then they came to the warm lands. The sun was shining much more brightly, the sky was twice as high, and the most wonderful green and black grapes were growing by the roadside and on fences. Lemons and oranges hung in the forests, and there was a scent of myrtle and curled mint, and pretty children were running by the roadside playing with big colorful butterflies. But the swallow flew still further, and everything became even more beautiful. There, beneath magnificent green trees by a blue lake, stood a shining white palace, with vines climbing up it's lofty pillars. At the top were lots of swallows' nests, and the swallow carrying Thumbelina lived in one of them."

This collection contains the following stories:

The Emperor's New Clothes The Little Mermaid The Little Match Girl The Nightingale The Princess and the Pea The Steadfast Tin Soldier Thumbelina The Tinderbox The Ugly Duckling

The compilers, Russell Ash and Bernard Higton, must be very proud of the beautiful object they have produced. The publisher, Cronicle Books, deserves praise and support.

This book is a must, either for the child's library or the collectors shelf.

Genius in their Own Words: The Intellectual Journeys of Seven Great 20th-Century Thinks is an anthology of writings and statements by seven of the greatest thinkers of modern times: Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Buber, A. J. Ayer, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and Hans-Georg Gadamer. A superb selection of scientific, sociological, and spiritual wisdom, Genius In Their Own Words makes for unique, fascinating, insightful, and occasionally inspiring reading.

Beneath the facade of Art-talker, museum director and starving artist (in early years), Russell Connor has a wicked wit, a gifted mind and is a supreme painter. In "Masters in Pieces", a collection of his works, he juxtaposes magnificant copies of paintings by different artists, even different eras on the same canvas with glee. Imagine Manet and Goya on the same canvas, as "The Spanish Visitors," and you get the gist. Elements of Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party" and Gauguin's "Tahitian Women with Mango Blossoms" appear to Connor's world as "Club Tahiti."

His is an exercise in intellect and art, asking us to override all the art cliches and art history in our mind, and look at things differently.

In addition to the more classical canvases, Connor has also created a number of shirts with messages for our times (an illustration from Picasso's "Guernica" on a Right-to-Life shirt or Raphael's "Madonna and Child" on a Planned Parenthood shirt.)

Iconoclast to many, Russell's hijacking of the masters tweaks our mind, tests our wit, always just short of "STOP THIEF!"

What shines thru is his "mastery of the artist." His are skilled reproductions of the Masters, albeit a bit rearranged. While he describes himself as a "pirate," he is truly "an artist of his own time."

This published collection is well worth owning and sharing; it will provoke lively discussion.

One gets the impression, as one reads the brilliant character sketches Russell draws of the scholars and lords and ladies who made up his circle of aquaintances, that the English upper class was mostly mad, scoundrels, or geniuses, with a fair amount of overlap. (The author as an outstanding case in point.) The keenness of Russell's insight into character, vivid descriptions, and eye for the absurd, make many passages of this book a delight. "My advice to anyone who wishes to write is to know the very best literature by heart, and ignore the rest as completely as possible." "The past is an aweful God, though he gives life almost the whole of its haunting beauty." "(Plato's) austerity in matters of art pleases me, for it does not seem to be the easy condemnation that comes from the Phillistine." Reading Why I am Not a Christian ..., I got the impression that he had a gloomy outlook on life. But here, I often found great joy in poetry, nature, and the wonder of life. "I had never, till that moment, heard of Blake, and the poem affected me so much that I became dizzy and had to lean against the wall." Tempered, however, by morbid thoughts, and fear of insanity.

One of the odder aspects of the book to me was Russell's "idealism." On one page, he speaks of a mystical experience in which gave him a universal compassion for all mankind: on the very next page, he relates how he "fell out of love" with his wife, and then, how he ditched her. Passing from the same Bodhissattva-like musings elsewhere, he relates, on the next page or so, how he tried to strangle a friend in a rage. He can be sympathetic and even kind, but for a would-be Boddhisattva and fighter for the rights of women, he seems to have hurt a lot of ladies, in particular, rather badly. Yet his friendships in general, with both sexes, seem warm and affectionate.

I docked the book a star because the version I bought (Bantom) seemed dishonest in its packaging. The front and back covers show an old man, though this version only covers the period to 1914. On the back cover, it promises "more exciting episodes than most novels, details more intimate than most exposes, and more intensity of emotion than most fiction writers would dare ascribe to a single hero." Largely hype. This is not Dumas, or Augustine. It's a different kind of story.

Someone else on the back cover calls Russell "a Genius-Saint." Genius, maybe, but the second accolade implies very low standards for sainthood. The book did make me think Russell a more balanced figure than I thought. But part of that balance appears to have been something like madness, and something like cruelty. Intellectually, Russell was a brilliant man. Emotionally, he often strikes me as a lonely and bewildered child, angry at being abandoned, not sure where to look for love, and not sure how to give it.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

One may hypothesize that all works of philosophy are in essence works of self-reflection. From blatant examples such as Augustine's "Confessions" to more subtle parts of Descartes' "Meditations," philosophers have often used their own experiences to help us understand the world we live in. In this sense, we can contrast to the former works the works of philosophers such as Aristotle or Heidegger who shy away from using the first person and deal with subject matters not only strictly of interest to the writer, but which seek to gain popular understanding. Bertrand Russell is a curious mixture of the two approaches. His committment to objectivity and to rigorous thought that is arguably impossible without a certain degree of "common ground" frequently seems to overshadow his own subjectivist foundations in which he approaches the questions of philosophy. In what is perhaps the most powerful two pages of the book, at the introduction, Russell outlines three primary principles that have motivitated him to do what he did in life. In a sense, then, the autobiography provides the reader with comforting answers as to why anybody would wish to live such an amazing life. In this sense, it is perhaps Russell's most self-reflective work of philosophy. The book is entertaining, the stories enjoyable, and the message deeply profound: how Russell came to appreciate the fields that he was interested in, and how he found the principles that guided his life. He had also been kind enough, in the edition I read, to include copies of letters of correspondence and pages from his diary as a youth. While this may have been motivated by a less-than-humble desire to provide future scholars with primary source material to study himself, they are themselves works of philosophy, and many of the doubts about life Russell struggled with as a youth strike a chord in all of us. Indeed, Russell's Autobiography is an entertaining and personally illuminating approach to one of the most fundamental philosophical questions of how one's life is to be lead.

Not only was Bertrand Russell a gentleman, he was a peer. In some cases this can be seen as stepping out of the frying pan into the fire. In Lord Russell's case, it just may have helped.

Apart from stating the obvious, that Bertrand Russell needs or should need little introduction, it is as well to say that his long life was spent, as far as it was public, in defending or promoting causes. Having gone to prison at a young age because he could not stomach the Kaiser's war (at least not quietly), he later returned, if only briefly, way off in the 1960s, defending the cause of CND in Trafalgar Square. That's quite a bit of history to cover, all from the same angle. It seems he never regretted the stand he took, nor altered his views substantially over the decades. He either had to condemn war openly and publicly, or condemn man privately, which meant taking his own life, something he says he thought about very seriously and decided against. For all his faults, whatever they were, it's quite hard to fault him!

The autobiography allows us to accompany him through the bulk of the twentieth century and see the development of various movements worldwide, in which he was always involved, at least at the level of the heart, but often actively. He uses letters a good deal in this text, and these throw light on that outer world which was so often pulling in an almost opposite direction. Yet he had his friends and in the bad years when he was a political outcast, a pariah of sorts in his own college (Trinity College, Cambridge) there were always those who could see his point of view and respect it. He was a stubborn man and his stubbornness allowed him to hang on for much longer than most people would have bothered. In fact, it seems that he remained true to himself right to the end, and in the end, that is what gave him life. An interesting book about a lively intelligence, sometimes brilliantly displayed.