There is NO cd-rom inside. Yes, Nothing, not even a floppy disk !

What is the use of a book titled "Computer-Assisted" without any CD/disk ? Tell me !

They mention about the CD everywhere! From the front cover to back cover, book description, book content, their web site, etc. GOD, where is the CD?

I think this is not Amazon's mistake. The front cover and the back cover of the book clearly say "FREE CD-ROM INSIDE".

I will try to contact the Authors to see if they will give me the CD! I will post an update here if they do. Until then, please save your money, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK.

If you are the authors or anyone who is responsible for this CD-ROM, please do something!

I finally received e-mail from the author. I have to thank Amazon.com here for sending me the CD free of charge.

The Ground We Share is by no means a pioneering or revolutionary work in the area of serious interreligious dialogue. The book is an edited transcript of a week-long retreat that took place in Hawaii, during which Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, and Robert Aitken-roshi, a Western Zen master, sat down and chewed the religious fat in front of a tape recorder during the early 1990s. It is informative more in the sense that we are privy to an actual verbal dialogue between men of different faiths than in the sense that something revolutionary is happening. (Buddhist-Christian dialogue is not a new field.)

The overarching theme of the discussion was practice, but within that framework the topics ranged from sexuality to student-teacher relationships to everyday morality to philosophy.

Disappointments first: the preface informs us that the morsels of dialogue are no longer in their original order, but were edited with an eye toward subject coherence. It might have been more interesting had the original spontaneity and choppiness of the dialogue been preserved. The book in its present state feels somewhat stilted.

Brother David also proves disappointing in two respects: first, because he has studied Zen under some of the same masters who taught Aitken-roshi, he does not approach the dialogue with a recognizably traditional Christian theology. He happily agrees with most or all of what Aitken-roshi says because he has found his own way of interpreting Christianity in a manner friendly to Zen. While this is laudable in and of itself, it makes for a dialogue between two polite fellows who agree too readily on all topics. I have never read a more conflict-free book, and I wonder to what extent such a book would benefit those Christians whose theological proclivities are more middle-of-the-road than Brother David's.

Brother David's other fault is his volubility. An Austrian by birth, Brother David has carried over into English the germanophonic tendency to speak in long, exhaustive paragraphs. The transcript is dominated by his lengthy discourses, making Aitken-roshi sound at times either meek or uninterested.

The dialogue is occasionally reminiscent of the story of the Zen master who was hosting a philosophy professor. The professor, in an attempt to impress the master, began expounding almost as soon as he entered the master's dwelling. The master, saying nothing, began pouring tea into the professor's cup. As the professor talked, the master continued pouring until the cup began to overflow. Startled, the professor cried, "Stop! No more will go in!", at which point the master said, "So it is with you. If you wish to learn something, first you must empty your cup." Brother David is obviously a learned, well-traveled individual, but I was left with the impression that his cup was full.

Despite these faults, the book is excellent as a study of how decent, civil interreligious dialogue could and should take place. It wasn't exactly a dialogue between equals (the more taciturn Aitken-roshi ends up making the deeper impression), but it produced a clutch of insights worth dwelling upon. For those looking to round out their Zen-Christian reading, I would heartily recommend this book, which also includes a fabulous list of references in the back.

Very good example of polite monastic dialogue, but one wonders how useful the mainstream Christian will find it. Enjoyable all the same.

I'm rather surprised at the positive reviews of this book. It is, in my opinion, the poorest excuse for a Theory book I have ever seen. It is nothing more than a skeletal outline. The language is extremely dense with new terms. For example, the paragraph describing V7-I chord resolution uses the terms "leading" and "tendency" tones, having never introduced them before.

I have an Engineering degree, and am studying for a degree in music composition. This book is more difficult to read, and more poorly written, than most of the books I used in engineering school.

The thought of using this book for three semesters is excruciating. The authors were clearly more interested in showing off their knowledge, instead of teaching it.

Can you tell I hate this book?

Everyone in the class is utterly baffled, and some have just stopped coming to class, thinking that they are not smart enough to get music theory. This book has broken the spirit of young musicians. Way to go.

This text is an outstanding book on music theory. Complete with exercises, concise examples and reference materials packed into the 282 pages of this text. While not the complete reference manual for theory, it is a great general tool/text for education in music theory and the fundamentals of music notation, musical structure and musical form. Fat paced book covers all the details, and includes a reference section which details and demonstrates the handling of many musical techniques and analysis in a concise, direct way.

Highly recommended!

I read this book as part of a correspondence course through the University of California, Berkeley in 1997.

The book is 8x11, about 350 pages, color photos and diagrams. The typography and layout are very good. Text is dense. The writing style is clear.

Chapter topics: Intro, Darwin, cell biology, genetics, race, human variation, primate evolution, living primates, primate behavior, hominid origins, interpreting early hominids, homo erectus, homo sapiens, lessons learned.

I rate the book average because topic coverage seemed thin. Later editions of the book contain more material. The book is graphics-rich. Lots of drawings, photos etc. More so than I am used to seeing in textbooks.

Having the large Nelson is much better. Too large for pocket

I just had to loan this book from the local library to see if the reviews here were at all accurate. They are. I'm not sure what the aim of this book is. Is it to give Finnish-Americans with an interest in new age gibberish some sort of connection to mythic, mystic past? That's my theory, because it certainly doesn't have much to do with bonafide Finnish history or culture.

The authors carelessly intermingle Sami and Finnish cultural traditions, misspell or misuse Finnish words, and even worse, create something of a mockery of Finnish culture by creating this bizarre, frankly non-existent mismash of cultures and positing it as "Finnish". All I can say in conclusion is that I wish I could get back the time I wasted reading this horrid book.

I dropped this book on the floor, the minute this supposed scholar wrote Lapp. First of all, the correct term is Sami. Secondly, if you want a decent book on the Sami, don't look here. I picked up a good book while in Snasa,Norway at a Sami museum. If you want authentic information, get it directly from the source!

I'm tempted to lean towards one and a half stars for this but E-bay doesn't really let us do that.
Anyway, this isn't a horrible book. It certainly does not give any insight into authentic Finnish (or Saami) traditions, it does give some insight into modern "neo-shamanic" beliefs that are built around a historic base... and the inherent weaknesses within. In my mind, there are several great problems with the book. Not the least of which is that the author appearently doesn't speak Finnish! Aside from that, he blurs the line on the differences between Finnish, Saami and Scandinavian culture and mythology. That he calls the Saami "Lapps" (an antiquated term which many consider offensive) MIGHT be overlooked, but to claim that the Saami and Finns borrowed all their cultural beliefs from the Norse is far worse. This is not new amongst neo-Pagans, many of whom are quite intent on stealing native cultures for themselves, often strainin them through a Eurocentric medium. I can think of countless New Age gurus who claim ancient Native American or Maori secrets, often made up at the spur of the moment. So definately avoid thinking that this book provides any information on authentic Finnish culture.
Also, his other great error is that he relies far too much on literature. While the Kalevala may indeed be an excellent source for pre-Christian Finnish beliefs, it seems that he based a large portion of his book off the great epic. Again, this is rather sloppy scholarship. It would have been better to include a greater focus on archaeological studies, or even making educated guesses based off studies of other Finnic cultures. Furthermore, the fact that the book is written with a "do-it-yourself" attitude strikes me as potentially dangerous. Yes, hallucagenic mushrooms, animal sacrifice and bath houses played a major role in shamanic rites in the north, but including potentially dangerous mis-information to the public is not a good idea. It is very possible to injure oneself using mushrooms or bath houses, and improper animal sacrifices are just as bad.
Having said all of that, I do admit that it gives some insight into the thoughts and beliefs of at least some so-called "Neo-shamanists" who have appropriated cultural and religious practices and adapted them to their own culture. Such a thing is not new, nor is it entirely European. The best way to approach this text is with a skeptical, scientific view; its better to study neo-shamanic/new age beliefs with than "ancient and enlightened" Finnish culture.