With over 500 pages of listings, the "Dictionary of Ancient Deities" is an excellent guide to ancient deities, as well as related topics such as spirits, festivals, places, sacred objects, heroes, monsters, demigods, and mythical beasts. Not only mojor religions represented (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc.) but also various mythologies (Norse, Roman, Greek) as well as less commonly found info on Native American and African deities.

The index includes not only the entries, but aslo subjects (such as dreams). Each entry includes its source in parentheses, plus alternate spellings and similiar entries from other cultures.

The index does include some useful groupings (i.e. India, Norse Mythology, etc) but an appendix that grouped the entries exclusively by culture or religion would have been a nice bonus. Also, there are some strange omissions: Archangel Gabriel is listed, but Michael is not; Abraham is here, Moses is not. Still, this well-indexed book is highly recommeded for researchers, students and those interested in comparitive religion.

Go to the mythology section of any bookstore and peruse the shelves--what is the ratio of Greek/Roman & Norse mythology to any other? As much as I love delving deeper into the more well known myths/religions, a little variety would be wonderful. And it just so happened that one day it was necessary.

I was hunting about for some information on Egyptian and Slavic mythology, but found precious little on the latter and only a little more on the former. That's when I came across the *Dictionary of Ancient Deities*. I flipped to the index and found every name that I was looking for(including some obscure ones that I had found no mention of in any other books.) This wonderful reference tool spans just about every continent and gives a concise accounting of people, places, etc.

Sure, the entries may not be incredibly long, but it's the best starting place I've yet to find. And even just thumbing through it, stopping when an interesting name or ritual popped out at me, gave me some interesting writing ideas. *The Dictionary of Ancient Deities* is surely a must for anyone wishing to explore world mythology.

This reference was filled with a smaller number of Gods and Goddesses than some other books that can be found, but as far as the references go, They were down to the point and yet still full of usefull information. I recomend this book to those who wish to crss reference Gods and Goddesses from many different religions and just read in general.

Since I live in what might be called "Mosby's Back Yard" --- the Washington, DC suburbs of Northern Virginia --- I thought I should learn something about this man for whom several local streets, highways, and bridges are named. A friend recommended "Mosby's Rangers" by Jeffrey Wert; my wife suggested a new book, James Ramage's "Gray Ghost." But I opted to begin my study with Mosby's own account of his adventures: his own memoirs.

I know that old soldiers tend to exaggerate their war stories; and they occasionally ramble. But Mosby's Memoirs are still fascinating, and I think the exaggeration is kept to a minimum. The story does get a bit bogged down in Chapter 12 --- talking about events leading up to Gettysburg. The good colonel, like all soldiers, is also somewhat wordy discussing the merits and failures of various generals and officers in the war.

Still, all things considered, I found this to be quite interesting. I don't usually read military memoirs, but I enjoyed this. Now on to "Gray Ghost!"

Oh, another thing that made this book (and, presumably any book on John Mosby's exploits) fun to read: he mentions so many towns, roads, and places already familiar to me. Last weekend I took a drive to Beaverdam, VA just to see what was left of the train station near where the Yankees captured Mosby early in his career (he was shortly released). Couldn't find the station, but the tracks are still there! If you're familiar with Northern VA & the Shenandoah Valley, check out this book!

(submitted by Jeremy Richmond) Great book about Confederate guerilla cavalryman John S. Mosby(he says that he was termed a "bushwacker" by Union guys). He has great descriptions of what he did.

I read this book in less than 3 weeks! It was great, and for those who don't know the Civil War it's even better because you don't know what's about to happen. I really liked it, and you should check it out.

What struck me is that this book analyzes natural law within a legal context: many of the contributing authors are attorneys as well as philosopher. This is particularly helpful to our nation today, as I think more citizens will have to reassess the role of the judiciary these days.

For the latter half of the 20th century, worries over "judicial acitivism" and judges' making decisions that should be made by legislatures have been the domain of conservatives, with Roe v. Wade probably being the chief example. But now liberals have said similar things about the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision. It is high time for intelligent discussion, and this book is a solid foundation for a dialogue.

By looking at natural law historically, legally, and philosophically, the authors of this book examine how natural law works and various challenges to it. This book is a very good introduction, and I have come away with a greater respect for natural law and its vital role in our nation, and also new questions to pursue (and more books to buy...).

The contributing authors are an impressive team of formidable thinkers, and while most of the writers clearly come from a religious background, the are pretty good about keeping what they say applicable to a secular society (the last two essays tend to be more theological than philosophical, and I thought that hurt their impact).

I think MacIntyre's essay on the role of the ordinary person in natural law is particularly valuable: if the American citizenry cannot execute sound moral judgment, our nation as a constitutional republic is in grave danger. Fuller's essay on Locke's struggles with natural law is an honest and challenging look at natural law's theoretical chinks. Riley's essay on tort law gave excellent lessons on liability, but with lawsuits being as common as they are nowadays, I would have hoped for more practical insights on today's situation, and possible remedies.

On the whole, this book is a good read and a good challenge. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in ethics or concerned about the present condition of the United States.

Common Truths: New Perspectives On Natural Law is a collection consisting of cogent remarks and prescient essays: Are There Moral Truths That Everyone Knows? (Ralph McInerny); Natural Law: The Legacy of Greece and Rome (J. Rufus Fears); Aquinas, Natural Law, and the Challenges of Diversity (John Jenkins); John Locke's Reflections on Natural Law and the Character of the Modern World (Timothy Fuller); Theories of Natural Law in the Culture of Advanced Modernity (Alasdair MacIntyre); What Dignity Means (Virginia Black); Natural Law and Positive Law (Robert P. George); Natural Rights and the Limited of Constitutional Law (Russell Hittinger); Natural Law and Sexual Ethics (Janet E. Smith); Contract Law and Natural Law (Edward J. Murphy); Tort Law and Natural Law (William N. Riley); Criminal Law and Natural Law (Ian A.T. McLean); and Natural Law in the Twenty-First Century (Charles E. Rice). Common Truths is scholarly, intellectually stimulating reading for anyone wanting to better understand and appreciate the permanent norms of human action and their relationships to a moral and political life.

I would give 5 stars to Russell's essays but 3 stars to this edition.
This edition contains most of the important/technical papers that russel wrote & are still worth reading for any serious philosophy student. The editor did a great job at selection but his snobbish introductory essays prefacing each russell essay is a complete waste of space & (your) time. The editor should have but didn't bother to update the logical symbols in the 1st russell essay, 'logic of relations', with the result that it would be incomprehensible even to people trained in symbolic logic.
'philosophy of logical atomism', for me anyway, helps me understand wittgenstein's Tractatus, which was otherwise incomprehsible to me.
I didn't make it through 'on denoting'. Who would really care about this important but by now mainly historical essay if you have already learned quantification theory & description theory?

This book reproduces Russell's famous article 'On Denoting' that appeared in "Mind" in 1905. It provides the earliest account of his theory of descriptions that was later developed in principia mathematica and 'improved' by W.V Quine. (It is however, a dog to read!) It is truly a fundamental work in logical analysis and I recommend it to you all.

Will Rogers said Charlie Russell wasn't "just another" cowboy artist, he wasn't "just another" anything. Though remembered mostly for his paintings, this book proves that Charlie Russell was a keen observer of human nature. This is a sentimental look back at a world that disappeared in Russell's lifetime. The stories will leave you nostalgic for a time you never knew.

This book is one of my top ten favorites. I bought my first copy in 1972 for my father who passed away a year later. I have re-read this book many times with increased pleasure each time. It not only has Charles Russell's drawings and paintings, it has some of the best short stories I have ever read. I've lived in the West pretty much all my life and the characters he portrays ring so true that you know he knew them. He not only knew them, he was able to capture their essence in a few words. I usually don't laugh out loud at what I'm reading, but many of these stories are just plain "laugh out loud" funny. Anyone who enjoys Cowboy Poetry needs to have this in their library. It's not poetry per se, but gives you the same Western flavor in its writing. Most of the stories can be read in 5 minutes or less. I give it a solid 10 out of 5 stars.

This is Dickens' tale (and some would say lecture) about selfishness. Dickens' presents characters that embody different aspects of this vice, from the hypocrisy of Pecksniff and Mrs Gamp, to the thoughtlessness of young Martin Chuzzlewit and Mercy Pecksniff, the suspiciousness of old Martin Chuzzlewit, to the vengefulness of Charity Pecksniff, from the villainy of Jonas Chuzzlewit, to the duplicity of Tigg Montague. But Dickens doesn't stop here: the book also explores this theme on the larger institutional and national scales, as well. The American detour can be seen as a condemnation of the hypocrisy of the U-nited States of the early 1800's. And the Life Assurance Co scam is clearly an indictment of selfishness when its ambitions grow to encompass those beyond one's immediate circle. To his credit, Dickens doesn't lay these latter evils at the abstract feet of 'countries' and 'companies', but shows that even in these suprapersonal entities, the original sin lies with individuals.

With this novel, Dickens left behind the shallow characters that sometimes marred his early works, and developed full-fledged people. Pecksniff and his daughters are marvelous creations that make one cringe with embarassment while laughing at their incredible selfishness. Tom Pinch is another character in a distinguished line of "too good to be true" Dickensian personalities, but he is shown to suffer and grow into a believable human being. The American episodes are biting in their satire, but overall they are on the money. Dickens' contempt for American armchair philosophers and "freedom-loving" slave owners fueled some of his most pointed social commentary. As always, there is a happy ending, but the plot is more complex than anything Dickens had written before. I have read Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiousity Shop, and Barnaby Rudge, and Martin Chuzzlewit ranks right up there with his best.

Martin Chuzzlewit gets its start much like any other Dickens novel--we are introduced to the rather blase main characters and the amusing minor characters, and Dickens slowly--and I mean slooowly--weaves the web of his drama. We meet the Chuzzlewit brothers, Mr Pecksniff and his daughters, and (among others) the lovable Tom Pinch, who is utterly devoted to Mr Pecksniff. "Another middle-period Victorian comedy of manners," we presume, and read a few pages at a time, until BAM! the novel kicks into high gear. I won't spoil the unforgettable final half of the novel for you, but suffice it to say that I read it ALL in one day, spellbound. Any would-be author of pageturners could learn a lot from the story of Jonas Chuzzlewit, masterfully spun by the greatest novelist in the Englsih language. Enjoy it, one and all!

A classic, been out there for as long as our teachers can remember or more, why? cause it gives u the most important points in nearly every thing, it picks a flower from every different flowerbed. it wont expand much on the types of coils used for cerebral aneurysms for example, but will tell you what u need to know about the main title, how to diagnose and general principles of management. it is not for seniors who will most certainly find it deficient. It is a good choice for medical students and surgical residents in there very beginnings but not beyond. This edition has been printed in style, if u have ever passed over the previous ones u could realize the differences.
still though it needs more on managing trauma, and more details regarding laparoscopy. And probably a larger chapter on operative techniques in general. The images are generally good although some of them date back to really old editions.
It really depends on what u want from a book, thats all.

This book is very useful for both medical students and basic surgical residents alike. While the older editions tend to be tedious and frustrating due to the inconsistency in font size and style as well as formatting, newer editions are better. The pictures and illustrations are what made this a classic basic surgical textbook. It explains the fundamentals of basic surgery. It is a good launch pad to cover all aspects of surgery at a core level and allows the reader to head off and search for more specialized text in inspired topics.

This book attempts to be the one stop shop. It goes through from anatomy/physiology -> pathology -> diagnosis -> operative techniques -> postop management.

That is both it's good and bad point.

Good as it succeeds. Bad as it is not big enough to really finish off the job.

However, as a busy medical student looking for concise yet comprehensive treatment of ALL fields of surgery.....this is the book to get. Sabiston and the rest are all too big....unless of course you don't go out much and read it all night.

Accessible and highly useful, the format of "Cecil Essentials of Medicine" is unique. This is one of the few broad-scope medical texts, which used simple language to present advanced information. The book is dynamic; and very easy to understand. Its strengths lie in the methodological manner with which it tackled clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and therapeutics. It gives detailed information in each case, without dabbling into anything that is unnecessary.
Anybody who reads this book will appreciate the depth of its coverage. It is a quality designed: a valuable compilation with both doctors and students in mind.

I am a 4th year medical student and have referred to this book contantly on my rotations. i find that the chapters were lucid and covered just the right amount of depth for each topic. Best of all, the authors focused on all the clinically relevant points of each disease which is a must for the busy clinician. Get it now!

David Horowitz has done an excellent job of detailing the ministry of Pastor Charles Taze Russell ... too often documented as "the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses", this book shows that Russell is in no way their founder. The work Pastor Russell has done towards the Jewish people, is unfounded today. And the Jehovah's Witnesses who claim him as their founder have turned their backs not only on him, but on God's chosen people, the Jews. This book is recommended to all interested in learning about Charles Taze Russell, and his ministry towards the Jewish people, and how today the association he founded, [Associated Bible Students - biblestudents] continue his work in comforting God's covenanted people.

As the parent of a child with autism, I was very excited by the possibilies this book offered. There is limited availability of books for children on autism. I was saddened though as a I read this book and looked into Russell's eyes. The pictures made him seem so isolated from his family and the world. All children have gifts and this book did not share Russells' gifts. It did not make me want to know Russell only feel sorry for him. My son's brother did not want this book read to his classmates as it would make them feel sorry for his brother.

This book describes Russell, a boy affected by autism. It uses Russell's particular story as a jumping off point to describe some other aspects of autism. This is not a book about mild autism. It shows the difficulties and the rewards of dealing with a child who has significant challenges.

I liked the fact that this book is illustrated with photographs of a real child and his family. The illustrations clearly convey the caring bond between Russell, his parents and his siblings. Sometimes photographs can be more evocative than even the most sensitive drawings.

Carol E. Watkins, M.D.

I found this book extremely helpful in educating my family about my son's diagnosis. Not only did my younger nieces and nephews enjoy the book, but it was a simple and straight forward way of explaining austism to adults as well. This book contains many pictures and and describes how Russell can be a happy child and brother, and yet be very different. My original copy is out on loan and I will be ordering another.