I love the way the author set this book up. You gradually build on what you learn and never really feel that you are being thrown in to hard. The writing is fantastic. Not to difficult in technological terms for the novice and yet levels with the seasoned veteran just right. When you complete a chapter , you are introduced to a " In the field scenario" service call. You imagine yourself at the call working out the problem in the component. You see how to step by step, use the common sense approach to troubleshooting and gain good skills in those procedures. The calls vary from simple to very complex. One thing is for very certain. You will enjoy having this book in your professional HVAC/R library.

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.

The authors say : "Back before [school] consolidation, ... kids sat in alphabetical order and grew up reading about Puff jumping and Dick running, diagramming sentences, and passing Palmer Penmanship exams. If you can remember lining up with your parents for the Brand New Oral Polio vaccine, sitting under your desk during civil defense drills, ..."
And:
"[when] the year was divided into four different seasons: Planting, Haying, Harvesting, and Winter for Fixing. Similarly, the food groups were divided into Dairy and Meat in the barn, Grains in the granary, Fruits and Vegetables in the garden or cellar, freshly Baked Stuff in the pantry, and Snacks in town"
And:
"If you are old enough to have a small pox vaccination mark, the following photos and phrases are just what the doctor ordered."

This reviewer says: If you remember any of the above, this fun little book, "A Compendium of Phrases We Heard Growing Up," is sure to Take you back and bring a smile to your face!

What fun my sister and I had as we shared the comments from this book! Now, my mother has joined the laughter as we reminisce about the phrases that we heard during our farm years. This book brings back so many memories, so many words that we haven't heard for years. I recommend this book to anyone who has had the experience of living on a farm, and to others who would like to know what it was like.