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Book reviews for "Williams,_Charles" sorted by average review score:

Modern Cabinetmaking
Published in Hardcover by Goodheart-Willcox Co (2000)
Authors: William D. Umstattd and Charles W. Davis
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Great general textbook on cabinetmaking
I have nearly always gone to school, but for the past several years I've rather lost my sense of direction with respect to educational goals. Recently, though, I was browsing through a catalogue for a local community college and discovered a cabinetmaking degree. I've gotten rather burned out on nursing--not enough to give it up entirely, but certainly to have doubts about working many shifts at the bedside once I'm past 62! But I'm also a bit of a workaholic; that is, I definitely need to feel like I'm doing something constructive. A career in cabinetmaking seemed to fit the bill, so I've registered for two night courses (out of 17 required) so that by the time I'm ready to retire, I'll have Plan B in place!

For both courses the recommended text is Umstattd and Davis's Modern Cabinetmaking. It's a beautiful, well written, and thorough book on the cabinetmaker's craft, and covers everything from design, drafting, forestry and milling principles, wood types, non-wood products (glass, plastic, ceramic), hardware, processing wood for products, discussions of tools and techniques, finishes, and furniture design, to the employment opportunities available in cabinetmaking. It's such an exciting and informative volume, that I got almost 1/3 of the way through the 854 pages of the book within a couple of days before my classes even began.

Tonight it's Basic Woodworking Fundamentals, tomorrow it's POWER TOOLS!!! (Boy, if anyone had told me when I was a little girl I'd be this excited about a trip to the hardware store, I'd have thought they were crazy.)


The New Painting, Impressionism, 1874-1886: An Exhibition Organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco With the National Gallery of Art, Washington
Published in Paperback by COFAM / DeYoung Memorial Museum (1989)
Authors: Charles S. Moffett, Ruth Berson, and Barbara Lee Williams
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A trip to the Salons of Paris
A catalogue/book of a 1986 exhibition organised by the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

An invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Impressionist period in modern art. The book begins with essays entitled: ' The Impressionists and Edouard Manet'; 'The New Painting:Concerning the Group of Artists Exhibiting at the Durand-Ruel Galleries'; 'The Intransigent Artist or How The Impressionists Got Their Name'; 'The End of Impressionism';

The works are arranged around the catalogues of each of the Impressionist exhibitions in Paris (1974, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1886). Each section includes readable essays on the particular exhibition, and reproductions of and notes on the paintings represented in the San Francisco/ Washington exhibition , as well as reproductions of the catalogs of the original Impressionist exhibitions.

The quality of reproductions is very high, given the limitations of still enabling the book to remain affordable to the generalist reader.

There is a wealth of detail in this comprehensive work. The book would be a valuable addiditon to any secondary school, college or public library collection.

Highly recommended.


The Novels of Charles Williams
Published in Paperback by Ignatius Press (1991)
Author: Thomas Howard
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A True Guide and Faithful Friend
What Beatrice was to Dante Thomas Howard is to readers of Charles Williams, whose novels are not exactly hell to read, but some may yet find them somewhat tough going. It's a pity, because as with the Latin Mass, if we only knew what we were missing we would clamor for more. Thankfully Ignatius Press has reprinted this book by Thomas Howard so that we do have a guide through this marvelous world. In this book, originally published by Oxford Press, Thomas Howard starts with the party line that Williams is a bad writer, and then shows us why he's a very good one (Thomas Howard can be very sneaky). He explains why CW can't be considered a "major" writer, and maybe not even a good candidate for a minor one, but by the end of the book one is convinced that the label "major" is too small to fit Charles Williams.

Howard is similarly dismissive of his own writing in this book, even though it stands as one of his best (his best to date, in my opinion, is On Being Catholic). He suggests the reader not even read the whole book, but just jump around to the relevant parts for the Williams novel he/she is interested in. Here again, I must take exception and express a minority viewpoint. The book that does seem pieced together this way is Howard's The Achievement of C.S.Lewis, whereas The Novels of Charles Williams reads seamlessly and grippingly start to finish. Not that Howard's Lewis book is bad--the bit on Till We Have Faces is very good, as well as parts on the Silent Planet Trilogy. But it seems to me that the prefaces for these two books got switched.

Anyone venturing into a Williams novel for the first time might find the water, as it were, initially cold and uninviting, regardless how heartily the swimmers urge him or her to dive in. Howard is like a personal trainer, both preparing the reader and helping them stay in shape when, gripped with the strange madness that afflicts readers of Williams novels, they recklessly swim further and further from shore. Howard is obviously among the initiates, and the more dismissive he is of Willaims' standing as a writer, the more you want to read him. 'Nuff said. Dive in. The water's fine.


Obstetrics and Gynecology
Published in Paperback by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers (2002)
Authors: Charles R. B. Beckmann, Frank Ling, Barbara M. Barzansky, Douglas W. Laube, and William N. P. Herbert
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Must have for OB/Gyn rotation
This book is absolutely an A+. Of all of the required texts I have purchased this year, this one is by far the best. It is very well written. The information is detailed enough without overwhelming a third year student. The book provided short and manageable chapters that could be read and digested quickly. The questions at the end were a life-saver come test time.


Paying for University Research Facilities and Administration
Published in Paperback by RAND (2000)
Authors: Charles A. Goldman, T. Williams, David Adamson, and Kathy Rosenblatt
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Informative, documented, and up-to-date
With federal spending on academic institutions running about 15 billion dollars a year (including a variety of projects to improve human health, our understanding of the natural world, education, and the national defense), concerned and involved citizens will appreciate the collaborative efforts of Goldman and Williams in their investigative survey report published and available as Paying For University Research Facilities And Administration. Highly recommended for both professionals and the non-specialist general reader, this report is informative, documented, and provides up-to-date quantitative and qualitative data on indirect and overhead costs encompassing both facilities and administrative education institutional costs that are federally reimbursed.


Philosophers Speak of God
Published in Paperback by Humanity Books (2000)
Authors: Charles Hartshorne and William L. Reese
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Talk and Talk...
Charles Hartshorne is one of the modern founders of process theology. A protege of Alfred North Whitehead, who plays a pivotal role in the foundation of process thought with his book Process and Reality. The particular subject here, Philosophers Speak of God, developed in partnership with William Reese, professor of philosophy at SUNY-Albany, is an anthology of philosophical writings from Western and Eastern sources. They span the almost the full span of human intellectual history. Hartshorne and Reese analyse and categorise the various writings, looking at underlying principles and commonalities, and overall patterns or systems. From the preface, the authors state: 'this work aims to present -- by selections from some fifty writers ranging in time and space from Lao-tse, Plato, and Sankara to Whitehead, Berdyaev, and Radhakrishnan -- the chief philosophical conceptions of deity. It also aims to aid readers in estimating the validity of these conceptions. The work is thus two things: (1) a book of readings in philosophical theology -- the first of its kind -- and (2) a systematic analysis and evaluation of theistic (and atheistic) idea.'

One of the real values of this book comes in the introduction, in the classification system Hartshorne and Reese set up for identifying the philosophical attributes of the worlds religious and theological systems of thought. This classification system shows both historical and systematic significance in the frameworks investigated. The system rests on five key elements:

E is for Eternal
Is God seen as eternal in some or all aspects of God's own reality, unchanging?

T is for Temporal
Does God change in some or all aspects? Is God capable of change?

C is for Consciousness
Is God conscious and self-aware?

K is for Knowing
Is God aware of the world? Does God know all there is?

W is for World-inclusive
Do all things have their being in God? Are all things God?

These are not all-for-once questions in the framework of this book. Rather, each will participate in different ways in looking at the theological texts provided. There are certain rules -- for instance, every combination will begin with E or T or ET, where the eternal and the temporal apply toward different aspects of God.

Panentheism, where Hartshorne places Whitehead (and hence, himself) involves all five elements. Placing different theologies becomes an interesting exercise: Aquinas belongs in a framework of ECK, for instance -- Aquinas doesn't allow for change or inclusion of the world in God, which is heavily influenced by Aristotle, whose classification is as EC. For those interested in philosophy of religion, this classification system alone would make the book worthwhile.

However, the substance of the book rests in the anthology section. Divided into three sections -- Classical views, Modern Views, and Skeptical or Atheistic Views -- the book covers theologians and theological families using the classification system set up.

One of the positive elements of this book is that each item is introduced by a sympathetic description and analysis from which criticism is largely absent. Critical commentary follows the selections. Another positive element is that items are grouped together for easy cross-reference -- for the religion scholar, to know such a wide range of similar viewpoints and the commonalities between them can be an invaluable aid; likewise, to know the dissimilarities between different schools of thought can be enlightening and useful for study, research, writing and reflection.

Certainly Whitehead's maxim -- 'Seek simplicity, and mistrust it' -- is not the operative feature here in the formation of the text. However, it is useful in the practical use of the text -- whenever there are simple connections, beware. Whenever there are simple solutions, beware.

Hartshorne and Reese's bias pokes through, nonetheless. When writing on Whitehead (who, while not having the longest section in the book, certainly has a generous number of pages), they make their bias clear: 'It is impossible to avoid a feeling of impertinence in attempting to comment on thinking so great as this.'

The preference of Hartshorne and Reese for panentheistic ways of thinking are present from the essays at the beginning and the end of the texts. In the introduction, the law of polarity is introduced as a standpoint of panentheism; the epilogue to the text is on the logic of panentheism. Taking a cue from mathematics, striving for precision in definition and method, Hartshorne and Reese argue for a modern panentheism in a process reality. Setting up yet another framework for consideration, the authors conclude the most likely case for God being in a process system.

To the extent that this preference influences the critical commentary and analysis of each of the texts presented here, some may find this a difficult text. However, every theological or philosophical analysis for critical commentary must begin somewhere. Objectivity at this level is a fiction -- the very act of choosing to do critical scholarship implies much. The framework selected here works well, admittedly better for those process theologians and philosophers than for those who aren't.

But regardless of this, the questions raised are valuable questions to be asked, no matter the underlying system of thought. For example, under the entry on Augustine, the authors identify the problem of how can an unchanging God, particularly one who is non-temporal, have been responsible for creation, which is a mutable and temporal reality.

Questions such as this one abound in each section, and with each text selection, key questions for consideration and critical reflection are raised, and an answer is attempted.

In all, Hartshorne and Reese have produced an invaluable volume and classification system for the consideration of religions, philosophies and theological frameworks. A must for any serious scholar of religion, philosophy or theology, it will also be appreciated by educated laypersons.

Excellent intro to process philosophy
Lucid, comprehensive and inexorable in its logic, "Philosophers Speak of God" remains one of the best summations of the philosophy of Charles Hartshorne and Alfred North Whitehead. I first read it in Dr. Hartshorne's last official university class, more than two decades ago, and it is still the one I turn to for a clear and concise explanation of Hartshorne's take on the classical philosophers. Hartshorne and Reese cover most of the major Western and a good number of the major Eastern philosophers in this wide-ranging analysis of the primary tenets of theology. I recommend this for anyone who is first reading about process philosophy, and wishes to understand the differences between classical thought and the panentheist approach.


Pitching in: Teaching Your Children to Work Around the House
Published in Paperback by Winch Assoc/Jalmar Pr (1981)
Authors: Charles Spellman and Rachel Williams
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it's about time
I have 3 children and I've read all the "how to" books I could in many subjects thoughout my 18 years as a parent. I found this small book in the library and I'm sad to see it's not printed new. They should bring this book out to publish again! It's old fashioned , right to point and a simple read. Many parenting troubles can be solved by having our children "pitch in"! I'm not even sure Mr. Spellman knows how this book is really much more than a book on teaching chores. It teaches love, sharing, helping and so much more. Not only did I get my children to help more but they have become so confident, and a pleasure to be around!We have fun as a family...thankyou Charles Spellman!


Plains Farmer: The Diary of William G. Deloach, 1914-1964 (Clayton Wheat Williams Texas Life Ser. Series, 4)
Published in Paperback by Texas A&M University Press (1991)
Authors: Janet M. Neugebauer, Charles Shaw, and William Green DeLoach
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The TRUE Story of Early Farming on the Plains
This is probably one of the most enlightening books about farming on the Plains that I have read. Farmer DeLoach kept a daily diary of his thoughts about the weather, crop prices, World War I and it's affect on life on the Plains, and other "routine" occurances. Editor Neugebauer has enhanced the content by explaining and documenting the historical events that DeLoach wrote about. For example, when farmers were shipping grain overseas during WWI, he feared starvation for people in the U.S. if the Germans kept sinking the grain shipments, yet DeLoach said no one could talk about it because of the sedition acts that had been passed. Editor Neugebauer explains the sedition acts and farmer DeLoach's fears. In another example, DeLoach mentioned that the President of the U.S. had appealed to cotton gins to shut down in an attempt to drive the price of cotton up. The attempt failed because too much of the bumper crop had already been harvested, Neugebauer explained. I found the editor's notes to be very helpful and the pen and ink illustrations to be outstanding. This book *shows* the kind of effort and persistence early farming on the Plains required.


The Poison Place
Published in School & Library Binding by Atheneum (1997)
Author: Mary Lyons
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Wonderfuly Written!
I would highly recommend The Posion Place by Mary E. Lyons. It is truly a gem of a book. A fasinating story, told in the words of a formor slave, makes it come alive, and keeps you wondering, 'What happens next?' If you don't like historical fiction books, you should still try this novel. It's difinetly one in a class of it's own!


The Political Theory of John Taylor of Caroline
Published in Hardcover by Associated Univ Pr (1977)
Author: Charles William Hill
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Excellent Book
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.


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