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Book reviews for "Smith,_William" sorted by average review score:

Strata: How William Smith Drew the First Map of the Earth in 1801 & Ubsoired the Science of Geology
Published in Paperback by Tempus Pub Ltd (2001)
Author: John L. Morton
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The extraordinary story of of an eighteenth-century blacksmi
In an age of innovation, William Smith's unique devotion to fossils and understanding of geological structures allowed him to break the scientific mould and produce the first ever map of the rock layers beneath our feet. Two centuries on, the scientific world still owes a debt to the 'Father of Geology'. Yet Smith himself saw little recognition in his lifetime, earning his keep through canal engineering work where he could get it and scraping together the finance to publish his precious magnum opus.
Charting his travels across England, his changing employment and his personal misfortunes, this book shows how the sometimes penniless son of a blacksmith became a pioneer in the science of geology. John Morton, in combining Smith's personal history with the genesis of a new science, has created a fascinating history of an extraordinary man who was devoted to mapping the geology of England.
John Morton was a pilot until his retirement in 1990. After retirement he read for a degree with the Open University, studying, among other subjects, geology and the history of science where his interest in 'Strata' Smith was first awakened. This is his first book.


The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counseling
Published in Paperback by Image Books (01 August, 1996)
Authors: William Johnston and Huston Smith
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Transformative
I have an earlier printing of this so I don't have the print quality issues. This is the best book on religious contemplation I've read. It helped change the way I think about God. A good deal of thinking is necessary to get anything from this work, but it is definitely worth it.

A primer on mystical prayer - knowing the God beyond knowing
This is the best book I have ever read on the life of prayer, and it has transformed my prayer life. It was originally written as a series of letters to teach mystical prayer to one particular monk. This book tells us that our minds are too small to grasp God, and when we try to approach him intellectually, we freeze up, entering into a "Cloud of Unknowing" which our minds can not penetrate. Yet God is approachable - "Because he may well be loved, but not thought. By love he can be caught and held, but by thinking never." We are told to long for God, to "strike that thick cloud of unknowing with the sharp dart of longing love". This longing love calls us to give up everything else for the sake of God - "a naked intention directed to God, and himself alone, is wholly sufficient".

Discerning the Cloud with a pricked heart
The theme of the writings:
In short but instructive chapters, the mysterious Briton, who mastered the way of the mystics gave an admirable essay on Christian life and its development through contemplation. Prayer is in fact the core of Christian life, and the backbone of this marvelous work, where he explained conducting oneself with respect to examining and silencing the thoughts with humility. Love is the goal in which a faithful should abide through contemplation.
His smaller work "the Book of Privy Counseling," is a more mature but moving treatise on attaining salvation by enlightenment through kenosis (self denial). What is left should only be consciousness of the presence of the Lord!

Apophatic tradition of the Orientals:
Eastern monastics started the root to mysticism, practicing the Macarian arrow prayer (K. Ware, in Study of Spirituality p176), carried to Europe as "The Jesus Prayer," through the Praktikos of Evagrius Ponticos.In chapter 38 of the Cloud, this holy English mystic speaks of a little prayer of one syllable Kyriya Elaison (Lord have mercy) that is powerful enough to pierce the heavens.
Origen was the initiator of the Apophatic concept (commentary on song of Songs), carrying over from Philo, based on roots that go all the way to Asaph, Ps 73:21-24. But, the crystallization of the whole theology took final shape in the writings of a Syrian monk of early six century of pseudonym Dionysius the Areopagite (who was probably a student or companion of Severus of Antioch), taking to himself the name of St. Paul's Athenian disciple.

The wave of Mystical Milieu:
During 14th and 15th century Europe, a pilgrimage to the unknown God started by Eckhart and his fellow Dominicans Susa and Tauler based on spiritual poverty. In England, Rolle, Hilton, and Julian of Norwich took the same road. These were all disciples in the school of negation. The influence came through John Scotus who in the ninth century translated the corpus Dionysium into Latin, initiating a chain of commentaries from Aquinas, Bonaventure, and Gallus. The English Counselor translated Dionysius' Mystical Theology under the title" Hid Divinity"
Rowan Williams, wrote in his book (The wound of knowledge); "The unknowing Englishman gave a brilliant little summary of the Dionysian ideas"

Enjoying the way of Unknowing
After reading the expert introduction by Wm. Johnston, helpful for a reader of some background on the subject, but the seal of the deal is reading his Privy Counselings. The less informed could attain a better appreciation after reading "The wound of knowledge". Many books on mysticism explain Apophaticism or the way of unknowing in elaboration.

Companion reading
The Foundation of Mysticism, Bernard McGinn, The mysticism of Dionysius, pp 157- 182


Black Judas: William Hannibal Thomas and the American Negro
Published in Hardcover by University of Georgia Press (2000)
Author: John David Smith
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In defense of William Hannibal Thomas
It is extremely racist for the author and other "liberals" to denounce William Hannibal Thomas for "betraying" his "race." Isn't "race" a fiction? A mulatto is not a Negro. Thomas was really no different from the average mulatto in his views regarding mulatto superiority and Negro inferiority. He was just more public about it. Even your mulatto "black" hero W.E.B. DuBois believed in mulatto superiority. What do you think his "Talented Tenth" was? Do you recall how DuBois described Marcus Garvey in the most perjorative racial terms because the latter was black and not mulatto?

If the liberal author condemns Thomas as a "race traitor," then he is indirectly endorsing the view of white supremacists who believe in white "race traitors." If "race" is not a biological fact, how can there be any "race traitors"?

In defense of Thomas and other Anglo mulattoes and mixed-whites who proudly reject the black stigma, may I ask why Latinos (also a mixed race, partially black group), Indians, Asians, etc. have never been condemned for the same "sins" of looking down on blacks and identifying more with whites? Mexican elites, for example, were willing to condemn blacks as inferior as long as Mexicans as a group could have the honored label of "white." Why don't they receive the condemnation and sneering that Anglos of mixed-race receive even when they just live their lives and make no statements on "race"? Why? Why don't liberals rejoice at THEIR misfortunes and proclaim that the uppity in-betweens had it coming to them?

Smith should condemn himself as a "racist" for promoting the "one drop" myth and forced hypodescent. As a liberal, he misleads people of good will into endorsing anti-mulatto racism as a defense of blacks. That is the source of the "race traitor" accusation against William Hannibal Thomas. He is being used as a scapegoat.

A.D. Powell has issues
As a biracial, i'm compelled to say: You are a bigoted woman. Most mulattoes do not think they are superiour over blacks, they are not hateful like you. W.E.B Dubois was proud to be a negro, he help found the NAACP.

You Must Read This Book--Excellent
A thorough, detailed account of how William Hannibal Thomas transformed from an activist and advocate into someone who projected his own feelings of insecurity and inferiority onto his fellow African-Americans. The author does an excellent job of giving Thomas's changing perceptions historical context. All in all, a compelling book.


Environmental Science
Published in Paperback by McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math (1999)
Authors: William P. Cunningham, Barbara Woodworth Saigo, Eldon D. Enger, and Bradley F. Smith
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Tree-hugger only
The teacher who teaches this is an enviromentalist wacko and this book can be used solely for that purpose.

Well-researched and thoughtfully presented
The authors obviously put a lot of work into making science accessible and interesting! The information in the book is up-to-date, and the approach is balanced. Great text!

A clearly defined study of environmental science
This text is a clearly defined study of environmental science. It is full of content and each chapter offers extensional learning through the use open-ended presentations of current events applicable to the content. There are loads of interesting topics and there are also references to Online sources for additional information. This is an excellent book for the study of environmental science.


Five Great Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature)
Published in Paperback by NTC/Contemporary Publishing (1998)
Authors: William Shakespeare and Emma Smith
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To be or not to be
I want to coments this lin

It Rocks
Shakespeare shalt always be my favourite.. The tragedies are just too good...Just need to read a couple'a times juss for gettin hold of it... Watchin the movie also helps..


New Genesis: A Mormon Reader on Land and Community
Published in Paperback by Gibbs Smith Publisher (1998)
Authors: Terry Tempest Williams, William B. Smart, and Gibbs M. Smith
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Spend your money on environmental writing with substance.
Mediocre, with a few moments of good writing, but the entire theme is contrived. Spend your money on real environmental writing, for example Paul Shepard and Jerry Mander.

Thought provoking and spiritually stimulating. For anyone.
Although the contributors to this book are all Mormons the plea they make is universal. Our ties to God's creations are real. We derive emotional and spiritual strength from them. The earth is given to us as a stewardship from God, to use, but also to protect and "replenish". The contributors cite personal examples to explain their interpretation of this "stewardship." I recommend this book!


Shut Up and Make More Money: The Recruiter's Guide to Talking Less and Billing More
Published in Paperback by Innovative Consulting (1995)
Authors: William G. Radin, Betsy Smith, and Bill Radin
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Not Quite For Modern Recruiters
While much of this material would have been great for the late 80s and very early 90s, with todays phone butlers and very savvy gatekeepers, this book is absolutely no help. The strategies are simply out of date. Buying this book is a waste of money and reading it is a waste of time. I've noted one endorsement on Amazon from another author of books for recruiters. He must be a close friend of Radin and is probably looking for a reciprocal endorsement. Radin does have some great books out there - this isn't one of them.

Not much help
Tired concepts, outdated ideas, and transparent gimmicks. I would not use these ideas and if I were a client I would not fall for them. Pretty much a waste of money.

Get The Edge and Make More Money
In Shut Up and Make More Money, Bill Radin provides a well needed reminder to remember the service side of the industry and get paid for remembering it. He provides simple ways to get the edge while maintaining and increasing both professionalism and revenue. Although technically, some of his ways are outdated, a good recruiter will find great resources within this book's pages. Because it's technically outdated, I wouldn't recommend this book for a brand new recruiter. I would, however, recommend it if you'd like to find a myriad of ways to get the immediate edge on your unwitting competition.


The Philippines: Colonialism, Collaboration, and Resistance!
Published in Paperback by International Publishers Co (1993)
Authors: William J. Pomeroy and Betty Smith
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The US is evil incarnate..or so Pomeroy says
Yay! More anti-American polemic, from a non-Filipino who feels the Phillipines don't rebel often enough. There are some nice facts in here, like about how George Bush praised dictator Marcos for his "adherence to democratic principles and democratic processes" but most of it is full of highly anti-American rantings. A balanced picture is not something you'll get out of this book.

The truth hurts
Interesting isn't it that when America's many embarrassing colonial misdeeds in the Philippines are exposed all the Right can do is blame the messenger and dismiss the work as a leftist "rant"?

With history generally written in a self-serving, sanitized fashion, it's refreshing to see a different take on US involvement in the Philippines -- one more in keeping with the general Philippine view of the situation as well, I estimate.


Compilation of Epa's Sampling and Analysis Methods
Published in Hardcover by Lewis Publishers, Inc. (1991)
Authors: Lawrence H. Keith and William, Smith, Davi Mueller
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A useful handbook for environmental analyst
The book is a analysis method database which contains a total of about 1700 analyte/method summaries involved in waters and soli waste analysis. The analytical methods were listed according to chemical names or CAS number in order to consult.In this point,it is more reasonable to published in electronic or web edtion. EPA's Air Compendium Methods were not included in the book. Because of continuing updated EPA methods,the book ofen need to be revised.


The Map That Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Published in Paperback by Perennial (2002)
Author: Simon Winchester
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