Typical of the Praeger series in Human Evolution & Intelligence but unlike most books on evolutionary psychology, this fine tome covers a lot of ground. It originated from papers read at a meeting of the European Sociobiology Society in Darwin's own Christ's College, Cambridge.

The organising theme is Darwinism across the full span of scholarly interests. Chapters span themes of humanities, social sciences, clinical application, the genetics of neurotransmitters and even theosophical considerations of the extended phenotype in human affairs.

Like most books edited from congress papers, this has its rough edges and uneven spots. Still, all in all it is a fine smorgasbord of topics with greater breadth amd sometimes greater depth than most other books concerning Darwinian approaches to contemporary studies ranging from humanities and social science on through medicine and philosophy.

It clearly surpasses books of more limited range such as Darwinian Psychiatry (Triosi & Maguire), Evolutionary Psychiatry (Stevens & Price) or Darwinian Medicine (Williams & Nesse). In fact, this book is to be recommended to an exceptionally broad range of scholars in disciplines from literature to pharmacology, not to mention alert lay readers.

For the millions of descendants of those erstwhile Islay citizens who left those shores for "new worlds" Freda Ramsay's edition of this diary is a strongly framed portrait of the currents of daily life on this speck of land which was once the seat of the Lords of the Isles and a major crossroads of Western Europe.

For the neophyte historian or searcher for genological roots, the daybook's entries will regularly pose questions which should send the reader scurrying to other resource material. For those better versed in island history of this period, this Day Book provides a reliable view of community affairs on Islay and similarly on other nearby islands.

The few stateside copies of this book are crumbling so it is tragic that the Aberdeen University press is not keeping it in circulation. Send them an e mail to encourage reprinting. END

With this book, you will go a long way towards understanding the congenitally misunderstood figure of Charles de Gaulle. And he's well worth understanding. This book is not a biography and is not organized chronologically. Rather, each chapter delves into different aspects of his political philosophy -- what were his ideas and where did he get them from?

Here is a sampling of some of the themes explored in this book: How de Gaulle interpreted French history, with a discreet preference for the Old Regime and ambivalence towards Napoleon, whose grandeur led him to contempt for moral and physical limits. An analysis of his early writings where he gives a self-portrait describing the "man of character" who is "made for great deeds." His deep moral sense of Christianity and democracy combined with his "egotism, pride, hardness, and cunning." How de Gaulle came to his 1940 decision that resistance was the only legitimate course of action. Why he saw the "constitutional correction" of 1958 as necessary. His views on European union.

The author is obviously admiring of de Gaulle but does not brush away his weak points -- the main one perhaps being that de Gaulle rhetorically treated the two superpowers as though they were an equal danger to France. In the end de Gaulle emerges as a supporter of democracy, but one who is not afraid to criticize its negative aspects. His idea that one must work against democracy's tendancy to promote mediocrity and conformity of ideas is straight out of Alexis de Tocqueville. If you want to get inside the head of de Gaulle, you've got to get your hands on this slim and profoundly thoughtful volume. I found it absolutely fascinating.

I have listened to Setlock's readings, this one in particular, many times. He is very close to Joyce's voice, in interpretation and execution. The readings are masterly. This recording just grows and grows on you.

Having thrilled to the writings of Ernest Becker for years (especially "The Birth and Death of Meaning," Second Edition; "The Denial of Death," and "Escape from Evil"), it was heartening to eventually discover the Ernest Becker Foundation (EBF). To connect with the EBF is to connect with a diverse network of scholars, practitioners, and others who value and utilize Becker's profound synthesis of what it means to be human - that is, a self-conscious animal that knows it will die. To connect with the EBF is to also connect with Daniel Liechty, foremost expert on Ernest Becker and author of numerous books and articles incorporating Becker's ideas.

In "Death and Denial: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Ernest Becker," Liechty brings twenty-five of those diverse scholars and practitioners under the conceptual umbrella of Generative Death Anxiety (GDA), a theory which "suggests that at the deepest level, human behavior is motivated by the unavoidable need to shield oneself from consciousness of human mortality." Liechty's superb introduction provides an overview of GDA as an "organizing principle for the social sciences and humanities," including where Becker's work fits within the context of other psychological theorists, and where GDA fits as a competing depth-psychological theory - duly noting how Terror Management theorists are putting that part of GDA amenable to empirical laboratory investigation to the test (see Chapter 1). Liechty then introduces the chapters and contributors to follow, appropriately divided into five categories: psychological reflections, psychotherapeutic reflections, social scientific reflections, philosophical reflections, and religious reflections.

This volume is a "must read" for any serious student of Ernest Becker or those inclined to dig deep into the fundamental nature of our species and the challenges we face. As a non-academic type, I did find some chapters to be a tad too scholarly and esoteric - for my tastes, anyway. But there were plenty of others I could really sink my teeth into, like the beautiful summary of terror management theory and current research (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, and Solomon, Chapter 1), forgiveness and connecting with others in real ways beyond "heroic illusions" (Halling, Chapter 3), a call for medicine and psychiatry to understand the dynamics of neurosis and existential anxiety and appreciate the upsides of living with less denial and illusion (Elgee, Chapter 13), our existential vulnerability to toxic leaders and finding the courage to move beyond their simple answers to grapple with anxiety and the search for meaning (Lipman-Blumen, Chapter 15), and the processes by which we transform our enemies into enemies of God, thus making warfare "applied theology" and a battle against good and evil (Keen, Chapter 21). There are others, and these are just examples of the rich, thought provoking contributions collected in this work. For Becker aficionados and kindred souls, there's something here for everyone, and thus, I would recommend it without qualification.

Decoding the Church seeks to present a biblical ecclesiology that emphasizes the organic and biotic images rather than static or institutional images. Just as DNA determines what a living organism becomes when appropriately developed, the authors contend that the church has DNA or genetic predispositions for its identity and health. In addition to the historic descriptions of the church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, this book seeks a broader perspective that reveals the "missing half" of the church's genetic code that the church is also diverse, charismatic, local, and prophetic.

Viewing the church as a complex organism, this book affirms small actions, interrelationships and structure, uniqueness, and "emergent structures." Emphasizing the church as organism in community, this book focuses on the DNA of church structure, the DNA of mission, and the DNA of public discipleship. To recover the dynamism of the New Testament Church, Scripture must be our primary source along with learning from the history of renewal movements and utilizing an ecological model that emphasizes interrelationship and interdependence. Christian mission emphasizing community, simplicity, and humanity must provide creative alternatives to the effects of globalization. The authors call for public discipleship built on love and grace and active in issues of economic justice, responsible earth-keeping, and prayer for governments and global concerns.

Decoding the Church is a valuable resource combining several themes from Snyder's earlier writings regarding church renewal, mission, church ecology, culture, and futurism. Readers may not agree with every insight or critique but should appreciate the rich combination of biblical and historical insight with cultural awareness and church life. The material is presented in a helpful format that provides insights, implications in principle and practice, the ongoing story of a fictitious though realistic Heartland Evangelical Church, and questions for group discussion and personal reflection. This book will be especially valuable for North American pastors, educators, and church leaders seeking a biblical ecclesiology giving primary attention to the biotic images of the church.

Well done and informative

Robert Drury was a 15 year old English sailor when his ship The "Degrave" ran aground on Madagascar in the early 1700's. All the crew were either killed or enslaved by the natives. After 15 years, Drury escaped and returned to England. He left this account of his adventure when he died. Some say his journal is fiction and is the work of Daniel Defoe. But "Sources for Robert Drury" tells how church records of the time list a person who's name was Robert Drury or Robert Jury, and who was not only born at the time of the protagonist, but entered the navy at the same time. A recent expedition to Madagascar found that all locations and historical references in the book are accurate. If Defoe realy did write the book, then he first heard the story from the real Robert Drury.

Sidak's amazing book transformed my thinking on deregulation. A MUST read for anyone interested in the subject.