It's really difficult to describe Daniel Libeskind's works when he doesn't profess himself to be an architect & yet, claiming that he's not a non-architect either. So, what is he? Anyway, his work is very abstract & cerebral. Daniel is a very eclectic & talented individual, with degrees in music, mathematics, architecture & upon submitting his pieces for competitions, he actually used music sheet! Then, he questioned if the outcome of the competitions was decided by a panel of jury, & was that the rite thing to do. In many instances, readers might feel that we're getting somewhere in understanding his works & subsequently, a curveball would be thrown & we would end up just as confused as when we first started. Suffice to say that he's an urban planner, looking at the overall picture, believes in evolution of designs which would benefit future generations. He argued that his high profile work for the connection between the Berlin Museum & the Jewish Museum might be nicknamed "zigzag" but in actuality, in real life, its presence conveys something otherwise. If readers could look beyond his supposedly desconstructive work, he's in fact a traditionalist & a realist. Daniel is forever arguing with himself & there's nothing more enjoyable to him than engaging in discussions. I wish that there were more pictures of his works but most of them were taken in a hurry, or that they were pictures of models. There were also descriptions of some kinds of his modern art works & sculptures (or machines)? The writings at the end of the book is intensive reading, but there's undeniable of Daniel's depth & it's about time someone of his calibre racks up the architecture world with his avant-garde thinking. Other projects worth reading here are Alexanderplatz, Berlin; The Spiral: Extension to the Victoria & Albert Museum; Jewish Community Centre & Synagogue, Duisburg; & so forth. Not for the faint-hearted but highly recommended.

Fans, just for fans,ONLY for those who had a previous approach to libeskind's work. (results as to much for first-timers) advanced desconstruction followers will feel satisfied of owning this piece. The "plus" comes in the writings, the way they are writen is pure and simple "congruence" something worth to be digested.

A sweet story that children can and will enjoy.

Charming, enlightning, marvelous illustrations!!! That pup Blueberry is a warming story about a little boy and his pup. Illustrations really tell the story of a great friendship. A must read for all ages!!

There is some really good material in this book, but the selections are profoundly one-sided. There is only one atheist article in the entire book. There is also one from an agnostic, but he is as critical of the atheist position as the theists are. Even were I a theist, this one-sidedness would certainly detract from the book's value as an even-handed treatment of a controversial issue. Additionally, I found it odd that nothing from Ted Drange was included in the book, particularly since his work is often criticized by theists in the book (one article is even devoted almost entirely to criticizing Drange). This book is a must have, however, if you are really interested in divine silence, as there are many articles from extremely important thinkers contained in the book.

It's obviously a paramount truth if God exists. This truth, most atheists and agnostics contend, could somehow be made more evident than it already is if indeed God does exist. Thus, to some degree, God is keeping his existence hidden, bringing to mind Bertrand Russell's famous remark upon being asked what he'd tell God if he discovered his existence after death: "Not enough evidence, God! Not enough evidence." The essays contained in this book deal with this problem.

One reply is that the proposition "God cannot be detected with the five senses, therefore it's unlikely he exists" is self-refuting, since the proposition cannot itself be detected with the five senses. Propositions are abstract entities with no physical location in space, not the physical marks on paper that express them. The sentence-token "God cannot be detected with the five senses, therefore it's unlikely he exists" can be written in Chinese, Russian, German and other languages that "express" the same proposition as the one written in English. So this form of crude empiricism fails to satisfy the very foundation the claims rests on. Another reply is that God has made his existence sufficiently clear for those seeking him with an open heart and mind, yet sufficiently vague for those seeking to reject him. So God's apparent reluctance to make himself visible is just God not being coercive.

Here's an opportunity to take a critical look inside the best training facility in the world for armored land combat. The author clearly explains the mission and composition of a armor/infantry task force during a month long rotation at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin during the mid '80s. He is able to provide both the commander-level view and the soldier-on-the-ground perspective. Many topics are covered, but key issues are: the difference between home station training and deployed training, the importance of logistics planning, the importance of a world-class OPFOR (OPpossing FORces) and the need to fight as a combined arms team. This is recommended reading for all members of the profession of arms, especially infantry, armor and artillery. A quick, easy, informative read.

CPT (now LTC) Bolger's book played a key role in understanding this place called the National Training Center. In the conceptual years before the majority of the armored forces conducted yearly rotations, the NTC became a never never land filled with stories of the invincible OPFOR and the unsmiling retoric of the Observers/Controllers (OC). CPT Bolger's book help put to rest the war stories and allowed his fellow soldiers to see the NTC as it really is . . . a training ground. The Army's gamble in this high cost training center paid off during Desert Storm as evident in our ability to plan and execute a complex operation with minimum loss of American soldier's lives. The only disjointed portion of his book is his reference to the "Great Game" concept. This concept stipulates that in order to be promoted, one must play the "Great Game" in becoming noticed. While this was common in the Army of the 80's, it served no purpose to the overall effectiveness of our troops and only took away from the book's effectiveness as a primer for armored soldiers. However, if one can look beyond this reference to the "Great Game", this book is filled with raw emotions and situations that a armored leader must face in a modern battlefield. Although outdated in some respects in weapons and tactics, it does portray nicely the thought patterns a leader must face in a high stress situation. Of particular note is the often overlooked area of military study called logistics. This book will clearly articulate the saying,"amatures study tactics, professionals study logisitics!" I recommend this book to all ROTC Cadets and company grade officers.

As a literary analysis of the discourses of martyrdom in early Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity, "Dying for God" is a complete success. Boyarin does a masterful job of exploring and contrasting significant martyr texts from both traditions, showing the various ways in which they deal with the question of whether martyrdom should be avoided, accepted, celebrated or even actively sought out, how they define and talk about martyrdom, how this discourse changes over time (from stoic acceptance of death as preferable to transgressing a commandment, to positive joy at fulfilling a commandment to love God with all one's soul), and the various motifs and themes that are sometimes shared between the two traditions. Boyarin convincingly demonstrates that the two developing orthodoxies were in greater contact with each other during the early centuries of the common era than either would later care to admit.

I found Boyarin's historical/cultural analysis less convincing, at least in part because his goal seems to shift. At some points in the book, he seems to be saying only that nascent Judaism and nascent Christianity were not always in utter opposition to each other, did not always view the other as "heresy," and that in fact they were often quite in sympathy, as they worshipped the same God and refused the hegemony of the pagan Roman state. There may have been (and likely were) "sects" that borrowed from both religions but which both religions would (in their "final" orthodox form) disavow. (As acknowledged in a footnote, the historical evidence for this "middle ground" is barely touched on in this volume, however. (202, n.89)) I have no quarrel with this conclusion, and indeed it is amply demonstrated throughout the book.

At times, however, Boyarin seems to want to go farther, suggesting that through the third (or, at times, even the fourth) century, Judaism and Christianity "were not yet at all clearly differentiated from each other." (17) This does not seem consistent with the fact that he cites texts from the third and even the second century as being peculiarly Christian or peculiarly Jewish, nor with his insistence that while something called "Christianity" was persecuted by the Romans, something called "Judaism" was not (although certain of its practices were forbidden). If Boyarin's point is simply that boundaries between cultural groups are fuzzy, that seems to me to be almost a truism. There are Jews for Jesus today, but that does not mean that Judaism and Christianity are not clearly differentiated.

This is a scholarly work intended for scholars, although it can be read and appreciated by a reasonably well-educated non-scholar with some basic knowledge of late antiquity, early Christianity and early Judaism (like me). Half of the book is endnotes and bibliography, which can be a terrible distraction from the main text (particularly on the many pages with 5 or 6 footnotes). Although I was not persuaded by all of his arguments, Boyarin writes well and clearly and lays out the evidence for the reader to evaluate for himself. Although this is not a history of martyrdom (or even a history of how Christianity and Judaism used their discussions of martyrdom to differentiate themselves), it will be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about this early, formative period of two of the great modern religions.

It is tempting to project the contemporary boundaries between Judaism and Christianity onto the first century BCE, but Dying for God clearly and convincingly explores the ways in which Judaism and Christianity were not discrete beliefs or practices not only during the life of Jesus but also for the generation after the death of Jesus . Not only was the line not clear between the two so-called sibling religions, each was forming a sense of identity out of a relationship with the other and the stories of martyrs is an especially telling tale of how such suffering and death was invoked and retold to shape communities understandings of themselves, the meaning of life and the meaning of death.

I am a sophomore in highschool taking an AP class with this book. It has a lot of information, which I guess is a good thing if you are reading this for your own personal gain rather than being tested on it. However, it is so dense that it is difficult to pick up key ideas. Every piece of information is important on some level, and the tests I take, which my teacher got along with this book, also treat every fact as important. I wouldn't mind reading this book if I wasn't expected to have a photographic memory but it just doesn't do a good job of helping me understand key ideas in history. Well, if you have to read this in your history class I hope you have a good teacher to guide you along in the reading. Otherwise.... I hope your memory is better than mine!!

Excellent book for senior high school-college-undergraduate studies, covering the broad field of world history. The text is structured in such a manner as to suit both brief studies of various areas and times, as well as more in depth, long term programs. A fascinating assortment of primary source excerpts have been included, from earliest human societies to issues facing humanity in the contemporary period. Though the text has a slight Western emphasis, it covers non-Western civilisations quite well.

Be prepared though for extensive reading. The complete set is very large, but shouldn't be an obstacle for those with a passion for both general and obscure history!

Three selections from the End of Ideology are worth the price of the book. First, the essay Bell wrote for this latest edition in which he makes a strong case that with the end of ideology, "history" has begun anew. Next, the new introduction he wrote in the mid-70s which discusses the critical reception of this book. Finally, the last chapter of the original book, a masterful history of Marxist thought.

In essay on the resumption of history, Bell clears away much of the underbrush that has grown up around the notion of "global capitalism" by pointing out that the end of empire (and that includes the Soviet Union) and the colonial era has had the largest impact on world politics over the past forty years. The reignition of various ethnic groups whose identities had been suppressed under various Uber states and ideologies is just as important a part of the story. The 1975 introduction is a fascinating refutation of his, mostly Marxist, critics. For instance, C. Wright Mills, the maverick sociologist, apparently came after Bell for his review of Mills' "The Power Elite" (included in "The End of Idelogy"). Bell neatly dissects Mills' both in the essay and in his answer to Mills' criticisms. Bell, the empiricist, is the clear winner in these two rounds. The last chapter on Marxism is worth re-reading and re-reading for Bell knows the subject and the players intimately, as only a former boy Socialist born in New York's Lower East Side could. He explains how Marx's transmutation of Hegel's ideas into "dialectical materialism" set the stage for generations of leftist intellectuals to misinterpret or reinterpret events into Marxist prattle according to their understanding or lack of understanding thereof. It's a post-graduation education on Marxism in 35 dense, but, brilliant pages.

Two juicy chapters on the American "mafia" and the inflation of crime statistics and the stoking of public fear by law enforcement, although somewhat dated contain some remarkable insights: among them that the "mafia," like American business in general had to move from "production" to the "consumption" mode, i.e., turning toward the consumer to make money through gambling, and away from more traditional, less lucrative businesses such as prostitution. These two articles, written when he covered the labor beat for Fortune magazine, still have an edge now, as the same "crime wave" and "mafia" hysteria continue to be generated by the media and law enforcement.

Bell's wide-ranging knowledge, his clear-eyed appraisal of the American scene, his tenacity in trying to discover the real levers of power, are qualities one rarely finds in this era where shouting and sloganeering still suffice -- although much of this now comes not from the left-hand side of the spectrum, but the right.

Although first published in 1960, just before a torrent of social change drenched the US and the world, sociologist Daniel Bell's insightful collection of essays comprising "The End of Ideology" still has much to offer, even at century's end. From his thoughtful assessment of the failure of socialism in the United States to his vivid description of the psychological strains burdening the average American worker--the latter still sadly true in the computer age--Bell believes that the day of traditional airtight ideological solutions and posturing has ended.

Much of what sustained the old "urban progressivism" which, despite its flaws, was a force for much positive social change in the US, has largely disappeared. Bell predicted conditions peculiar to American society combined with trends like the steady decline in labor union membership, the steady progress of workplace automation and, even then, the emergence of mass electronic communications would make humans less willing to accept the singular utopian pronouncements of what he called "millennial" movements. Instead, ongoing social fragmentation, diversification and conflict would make coping with major socioeconomic problems along traditional "party" lines unrealistic if not impossible.

Given the persisting belief among many that traditional "government" is failing us and the continued rise and influence of vocal, single-interest splinter groups with considerable access to a variety of media--despite their familiar revolutionary noises--it is hard to disagree. There is much Bell couldn't have foreseen given his vantage point at the very end of the placid 1950s, but his perceptive yet readable critique of our traditional way of looking at many of our pressing social issues and our political history still has a compelling, hopeful freshness, its basis being, as he had said himself, "is that the present belongs to the living."

As a nonnative speaker of English who teaches English as a second language I've found this book to be a source of valuable information. Its wide coverage and the inclusion of alternative or variant pronunciations are among its best features. However, it is not possible to approach it without a working knowledge of the IPA. The explanations given in the introduction are hardly enough to aid production of the sounds. Explanatory notes are few and far between. In this aspect, I believe J.C.Wells' Longman Pronunciation Dictionary is a much more complete and detailed guide (especially for nonnative speakers).

The 15th edition of Daniel Jones English Pronouncing Dictionary follows the tradition of its ancestors. It gives not only details on British and American English, but also includes international place names and internationally known proper names. It is userfriendly and easy accessible, although to use it properly, the reader has to be used to IPA (International Phonetic Association / Alphabet) symbols, otherwise the transcripts are not readable. Nonetheless, the book has to compete with Wells' Longman Pronuncation Dictionary, of which a second edition is to come up. Already the first edition of it is a concurrent of Daniel Jones, both books serve the same purposes and are equally good. Either the one or the other should be on the bookshelf of each English student.

I found question 12 on page 5 of the Chapter 1 review to be true. The author of the study guide lists the answer as false. The question is taken word by word from page 40 of the text book.

I really like the way this book is presented. It provides a really concise yet complete overview of the disabilities most commonly encountered. I also like the pages in the back of each chapter that give teaching strategies in respect to the disability discussed. This is a great book for general educators looking for some information on disabilities and for those beginning to learn about special education. This book gives a great foundation for all the other special education courses that follow it. Great book!

Geraldo is off-putting to many Americans to put it mildly. But that is because, like many extremely intelligent people (I'd say geniuses, but that might be a little strong) he is misunderstood. He wants to help people and is strong-willed. He knows what he wants and is vocal about it. That scares some people, but is these people would read his autobiography, thye would see the real Geraldo. The one that puts family ahead of his career; the one that spent two months in the Mediteranian with his wife and children and almost died (a harrowing and inspiring chapter). This novel paints Geraldo in an entirely different light than his public persona. And when he "exposes" that light you can read how good a person he really is and what Geraldo is really about. Hope for the future!

Even those of us who decry the tabloid twist of network news have got to love the brash, brassy, bold and bullish auto-biography of this true pioneer of the news and talk TV era. "Geraldo" is quite "up front' about his flaws. His book is worth seeking out.