Winquist's co-edited 'Encyclopedia of Postmodernism' would be minimum background reading before even thinking of getting into any serious postmodern reading (like Winquist's own 'Epiphanies of Darkness' ?). Short articles written by a wide variety of authors (thankfully not many by Winquist) and (mostly) clear writing makes getting a feel for postmodernism as pain free as it could get. I would buy this encyclopedia if it were in paperback. A good addition to any reference library.

Hegel is notoriously difficult to understand. When an exposition of his philosophy, entitled "The Secret of Hegel", was published in the 19th century, a critic accused its author of "keeping the secret." Charles Taylor, by contrast, without academic arrogance--in fact, with characteristic humility--makes brilliantly accessible this abstruse philosopher. Taylor eloquently extracts the essence and logic of Hegel's arguments; and shows the relationships between Hegel's metaphysics and social philosophy; thereby revealing to the reader the whole system of Hegel's philosophy, rather than its isolated components. Along the way, he dispels many of the false myths that surround Hegel's often quoted but rarely read philosophies. And not only does Taylor make sense of Hegel in the philosopher's own historical and intellectual contexts, but, as the title of the book implies, Taylor shows the relevance that Hegel's ideas still hold today. This is a gem of a book for people studying Hegel, for people studying philosophy, political science, or history. Highly recommended.

This is a superb book, bringing forward the startling testimony of 20 former slaves about the terms of their captivity. These narratives are both literary and true, and 200 million people should read them.

There are many books on Juneteenth, but none so informative and accessible for both kids and adults as this one. Learn why the Emancipation Proclamation did not free any slaves and other things not often taught in school. Great book for anyone interested in United States history. Very colorful.

Can't wait to see this one. Lilla and Dworkin is like a collaboration between Ken Vandermark and Wynton Marsalis.

This book is great! The images are phenomenal. As an artist I can really appreciate this work.

Master Handbook of Microcomputer Languages is a very well-written introduction to 12 well known and used languages. Languages covered include BASIC, COBOL, LISP, Logo, PILOT, Forth, Prolog, Pascal, Ada, C, Fortran and Modula-2.

The basics of all of these languages are covered (ie data representation, program structure, file I/O, arithmetic and logical expressiona, etc), as well as sample programs and each languages strengths and weaknesses.

If you're looking for a book that compares these languages then you can't do better than this one. Sure it was written before newer languages like Java, but for those that are interested in the more traditional languages, you can't go past this book.

When I received the Oxford Book of Science, my first impression was that, though beautifully produced and illustrated, it would be too demanding for children in the 9-12 age group. I was wrong. My nine-year old son has been avidly reading this book for weeks, along with his copy of The New Way Things Work. Unlike, say, the also excellent DK Science Encyclopedia, which presents scientific concepts in short, easily digestible sections, The Oxford Book of Science takes the reader on a tour of the physical world through 22 chapters covering broad topics such as images, sounds, energy, and the human body. The authors explain scientific principles in a very accessible style, using many fascinating examples and illustrations. Definitely recommended for budding scientists grades 4 and up.

The Political Theory of Jon Taylor of Caroline is book which should be on the shelf of any Jeffersonian.Professor Hill provides in detail the complete political theory of John Taylor
and his defense of agarianism.The author provides information on
Taylor's relationship with other Jeffersonians and how they
fought to implement limited government. My only disagreement
is that too much emphasis is put on minor differences with
Taylor's friend and collaborator, Thomas Jefferson.Although it

is true Taylor and Jefferson disagreed on minor points of
banking, he and Jefferson were friends and kindred spirits.

Jefferson and Taylor agreed on the fundementals of republican
government: agrarian democracy, the sovereignty of the people
limited federal government, reform of the federal judiciary,
and individual liberty. They did very much disagree on the
issue of slavery. Taylor reamined loyal to Jefferson
throughout his political life, twice being an elector
for him, and introducing the Virginia Resolutions in the
Virginia Legislature in 1799. Professor Hill does show
Taylor's greatness as an American philosopher.
Overall an excellent read.

Introduction Chapter 1 -- Four Aspects of Premarital Guidance (1. Religious marital preparation; 2. Couples' issues and tasks: Getting a blessing, Leaving, and Cleaving; 3. Pastoral Resources: the pastoral person, Scripture, Christian tradition, contemporary theology and ethics, covenant communities, prayer and rites; 4. Bringing together issues and resources) Chapter 2 -- Skills for Couple Care (The opening session: How did you decide to marry? Why a Church marriage? Negotiating the contract; Presence skills: attending, positioning, observing, and listening; Proclamation skills: assessing, challenging, reviewing; Guidance skills: goal setting, developing programs, and planning implementation; Structuring tactics: engaging both partners and regulating the depth of inquiry) Chapter 3 -- Session Components (handling initial concerns, reviewing preparation, setting the agenda, exploring and expanding understandings, negotiating contracts, and getting information) Topics (communication, conflict resolution, role relationship, sexuality, spiritual values and religion, children, family of origin and friends, relaxation and leisure interests, personality and relating style, finances, and marriage expectations) Chapter 4 -- Common Couple Tasks (Getting a blessing: the bonding process, the choice of mates, complementarity between partners, the religious dimension of bonding, getting the relationship blessed, problems getting the family blessing; Leaving: children and leaving, cultural differences in leaving, leaving as a step of faith, leaving is not running away, some are not ready to leave, leaving comes before the wedding; Cleaving: marriage in societal transition, cleaving as "bonding in the desert", difficulties with cleaving) Chapter 5 -- Teaching Scripture Pastorally (Ephesians 5:21-33 -- The context: Christ breaking down the dividing wall; the beginning of the passage: verse 21; the meaning of "to be subject"; mutual self-giving; out of reverence for Christ; resources to sustain mutual submission) Chapter 6 -- Preparing for the Wedding (The six questions; praying the rite and scripture; elements of a marriage policy; rehearsal and family conference) Chapter 7 -- Reflections Appendix A (Workbooks; Premarital Inventories: Facilitating open couple communication, understanding and study (FOCCUS); The premarriage awareness inventory (PAI); Prepare/enrich inventory (P/E); comparisons of inventories; Courses: "Growing Together" and "A Decision to Love") Appendix B (Praying the Service and Scriptures (Praying individually; praying as a couple)