Having rafted the Colorado myself 2 years ago, this was a perfect souvenir-reminder of my trip. The photos in particular are exquisite - some I have no idea how he managed to capture without ending up in the river himself. I lost my Pentax to the very first rapid! This book definitely gives a sense of what the Canyon, the river, and the rapids are like. Makes me want to go back!

I have traveled through the Grand Canyon many times, both on the river and on the trails. John Blaustein has not only been able to capture the beauty of the canyon but also the soul of the river it contains. Abbey's journal is a fine compliment to the pulchritude of the pictures.

Any fan of unique photography and wonderful words should buy this reissue. Mr. Blaustein is a gifted photographer and abbey is equally adept in capturing the magic of this river trip. The book is a reminder of what could be lost, if we fail to preserve the glorious heritage of our national parks.

I found this book back in 1989, and have used it to great benefit. I wish I could find other works that have a similar approach and theme. If you find one, please let me know, prkwycoc@gate.net. This is truly an excellent book on helping personal productivity and happiness!

This is one of Molloy's first books. Its unedited style is great if you like to get to the heart of the matter: he tells it like it is. The techniques are great, but to me his best insights come in the single chapter on creative people. He surveyed people in non-artistic fields whose jobs are to create and who had succeeded at it by some objective measure: recognition in the field, patents, etc. He also interviewed their spouses and bosses. The habits and thought patterns of creative people differed significantly from those of the rest of the population. My arms ached from retrieving my jaw from the floor as he described - and reasonably explained - one personal characteristic of mine (I'm an academic researcher) after another. He talks about how some of the same characteristics that make someone creative separate him or her from societal norms. He also presents a set of principles that lead to creativity. He claims that many of these can be learned, and also states that many companies preferentially recruit such people. This book has changed my life and I wish I could get a copy of it rather than permanently borrowing my sister-in-law's!

This is an excellent guide to very practical methods of improving one's work behaviors. Charts are included to teach one how to exactly monitor on-task and off-task behavior, how to find the things that distract one from concentrating and working, etc.

This is a one-of-a-kind book, but if one is interested in improving one's ability to work in a concentrated manner, this is excellent and well worth having.

Dr. Steidle's ability to communicate the answers [to questions often diffucult to state] is incredible. This is information that my not be used today, but needed in the future. He covers all bases.

The book uses termnology that is easy to follow. It makes for interesting and informative reading of impotence.

this is a thoughtful and easy to read discussion to help you navigate the the current stream of information on impotence. The best review I have ever seen.

If you are not a Christian, don't assume that this book is only of interest to "the Godly" or those who want to promote Protestant education. Watt was a conservative but scientifically enlightened preacher and his advice, particulary in part II, where he discourses elegantly on how to be an effective classroom teacher, very often rings as true in the 21st century as in the 18th, and is full of common sense suggestions for any kind of teacher, from evangelical to atheist.

Isaac Watts has left us a rich inheritance in his book The Improvment of the Mind. His approach provides excellent advice on how to obtain knowledge through all aspects of life, yet keeps the larger reality of God always in view. This book is loaded with thought-provoking gems to make us more efficient and proficient at true learning. Dr. Watts' has established a sound basis for education from early youth all the way to old age. This book is a tremendous resource for educators, parents, and anyone concerned with making solid decisions about how to teach and how to learn. I consider this work to be a blessing offered to us as the legacy of a great man of God.

I must recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their mind, learn new study techniques, the true way to study, the reason for study, etc. This is a highly enjoyable book. Written in sections, you can pick it up and start reading anywhere that you find it interesting. There is a section on raising young men and women. A very godly man wrote this, and it shows through.

Sheldon

Pay attention to the photos in this book.

It's true what they say: many of the finest photographs you will ever see come from people you've never heard of. For every Ansel Adams, there are a dozen Arthur Lazar's hard at work. Perhaps you don't know their names, but the plain fact is, their images demonstrate not only a technical mastery, but a more human understanding of the medium as well.

I owe much of what I know about photography to Arthur Lazar, so I'm less than neutral. But that doesn't make the imagery in this book any less superb. Several images are among the very best I've seen; I wouldn't hesitate to compare them to the works of more famous artists like Adams or Weston. I was fortunate to be able to learn from this man; I just hope that with time my images will be equally compelling.

If you love B&W photography, get this book. You won't regret it.

Arthur Lazar's photograghs are spiritual and captivating, he is truly one of the finest photographers today.

"Intimate Landscapes presents for the first time many of Arthur Lazar's finest landscape photographs. Uncommonly sensitive and lyrical, these pictures reveal a world which is intricate, mysterious, and sacred. Lazar's work celebrates what is worth caring for in the natural environment and offers a vision of what is important to nourish within ourselves."

the books is set up of photographies of the kennedy brothers, there is a lot of rares photos of the greetest men in the american history.
I suggest to all the kennedy fans to buy it.

It is impossible to write about Robert Kennedy without including his brother, John Kennedy. Robert Kennedy was the brother who exemplified fraternal loyalty in his tireless efforts to promote Jack and to serve him during his tenure as president. Robert Kennedy was the man who, to some extent worked behind the scenes to promote his older brother. It has been said that a more devoted or more dedicated show of brotherly love in public office has yet to be found.

The one down side to Robert Kennedy's efforts is that he often sublimated his own identity, interests and needs so as to promote his brother. It is only in the tragic aftermath of President Kennedy's death does Robert Kennedy fully emerge as his own person. The same hard work ethic he applied behind the scenes is shown to the public at large. Robert Kennedy does indeed find his voice and his forte, which is commanding the interest and attention of his public. The man who would be president in 1968 becomes a symbol of hope -- he is the voice representing the disenfranchised, the minorities and those living in poverty. He is the man who becomes personally involved with a large segment of the population that had, up until recent history been excluded from many public fora. It is to Robert Kennedy's credit that he makes himself aware of such issues. Indeed, this book treats the brothers with respect and as with any work about Robert Kennedy, one is always left with the question of what would have been had this man lived to be elected president in 1968.

Jack and Bobby by Tom Murphy (published by Metro Books), is a photographic portrait of two brothers who have left their indelible mark on history. Filled with pages of captioned black and white photographs, this book offers an insight into the lives of the Kennedys through Jack and Bobby's political lives, their families, and their pain. It covers the men from their childhood through the death of Robert F. Kennedy. I recommend this book to any reader interested in the Kennedy family and their standing in United States history.

This is the complete text of all 24 of John Cassian's Conferences, some of which are translated for the very first time. This text could be, and indeed was, considered the advanced text on living the Christian life. While the stories of the desert fathers may sound daunting, their thoughts, as transmitted (and certainly adapted) by John Cassian are surprisingly honest, refreshing, and inspirational. These were people who truly sought, and knew God. As Cassian writes in the preface, we can criticize them as being too extreme, but the evidence of their lives testifies on their behalf. Virtually every aspect of life is covered here in some way, as Cassian relates his "conferences" with various monks in the deserts of Egypt. This book is so refreshing and stirring, especially given the "junk food" spirituality that most modern Christian publishers pump out. This way is not simple or quick, but it does point to a fuller life. All those who say they follow Christ should give this a read.

(...)

. . .is known for its critical editions of Patristic and Early Medieval writings. Again the series trumps with the addition of this title.

"The Conferences" of John Cassian are perhaps some of the most powerful commentaries on the eremetical, monastic, and spiritual ways of life ever written -- and they are all too often left unappreciated in today's world. This was not always the case. The great saints, monastics and mystics of the medieval period read and respected this work extremely highly.

The "Conferences", set up as though Cassian was in dialogue with the great hermits of his day (and in some cases, perhaps he actually was) deal with the various issues, choices, and crises which beset all Christians -- not merely those to whom the grace of the religious life has been given.

This is a book to be digested slowly, one "conference" at a time and to be meditated upon -- not to be rushed through.

Highly recommended.

A very important book ! If the greatest mind in the history of Western Civilation (i.e. St Thomas Aquinas) read it every day and always had it with him what more needs to be said ?

Locke's _A Letter Concerning Toleration_ is key for many reasons, not least of which is its startling relevance to contemporary society. Locke sees tolerance as fundamentally a "live and let live" situation, a state which must be acheived to avoid the endless relativity of a regime fueled by religion; as each man is orthodox to himself and heretical to others, he argues, religious tolerance *must* be a basic societal tenet for the state to function. Excellently argued and written, Locke's _A Letter Concerning Toleration_ is an "inevitable read" for most students that should be welcomed with open arms and minds.

This work by Locke, in spite of its brevity, is a required piece of reading in order to put in perspective the other endeavors of the author.
The issues discussed in this Essay were at the base of the formation of political theory in the Western world, during the centuries of enlightenment. Locke's effort in the case of this Letter (of the 4 he wrote, this is the first one, published in 1689 in English, from a text published some months previously in Holland) was the rescue of religious tolerance vis a vis political powers and structures, and the recognition of the need for a sphere of private religious freedom, legally guaranteed and exempt from the interference of political power.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: When Locke wrote this Letter, there was still controversy regarding the definition of the concepts of liberty of conscience and religious freedom. In fact, the first step of the ladder is represented by the idea of religious tolerance. The starting point of analysis, at the time, came from the observation of the fact that certain degree of intolerance has always existed (religious, political, racial) in the human nature. If one analyzes the origin of religious intolerance in the western world, it stems necessarily from the fact that every Church or denomination, claims with more or less clarity to be the sole bearer of the truth. In this context, what could be the meaning of "tolerance" as a concession or pretense ? To recognize to the dissidents and minorities the possibility to coexist peacefully in a certain society, without having to renounce the external manifestations of their beliefs. But the need for religious tolerance can only make sense in a society where a dominant religious majority has the power to impose onto others its dogmas, either directly (a theocratic government) or through secular political power (the papist states).
On the other hand, the concept of religious freedom implies the recognition for the individual of the natural right to freely profess and express his beliefs, without the intervention or interference of political power or Government. Accordingly, whilst tolerance had been considered historically as a "concession" granted by the dominant religious movement or Church to other religious minorities, religious freedom appears in the Western civilization only once the political power is separated from the religious community. And here the Reform had its influence.
LOCKE'S TOLERANCE: Against this background, the problem of tolerance appears to Locke as a political problem, based on his conception of the State as a society born out of the consent of free men. In his State, it is logical to deny the political power, the possibility to interfere in private matters. Locke defends religious tolerance recurring to several arguments.
Politically, war and factionalisms are not the product of religious differences, but of human intolerance. In other words, it is not a requisite for the State, in order to function, to have a unified religion. From the religious standpoint, the Church is a free and voluntary assembly. No man can be forced by the magistrate to enter or remain in a specific Church or religious denomination. Only if we freely follow the mandates of our conscience, we follow the road to salvation. Thus, all political efforts to force us to adopt the "true faith" are vain and anti-religious.
Persecution, in itself, is not Christian and Locke concludes that in all matters related to the faith, violence is not an adequate or acceptable mean to gain followers.
Religious freedom, therefore, is a natural right of the individual and truth cannot be monopolized by any single religious denomination or person.
RESTRICTIONS: Does Locke really advocate absolute freedom for all men of every sect or religion when he writes: "Absolute liberty, just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty, is the thing that we stand in need for"?
Not really. Tolerance has to be just, but practicable, in accordance to public interest. Therefore tolerance cannot condone ideas that are contrary to society or to moral rules required for the preservation of society. Doesn't Rome require submission from a catholic prince to a foreign power? For Locke, there is no real distinction between Catholics and atheists, from the political standpoint.
CONCLUSION: For Locke the only limits to religious freedom are the need to avoid damage to other individuals and the preservation of the existence of the State. On the other hand, such a freedom is only viable as a consequence of the secularization of politic and the separation between Church and State. I TRULY RECOMMEND THIS SEMINAL WORK. Time has not taken away certain lessons that are to be learned, if we want to live in a better world, a more tolerant one. GOOD ANTIDOTE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM.

John Locke's Letter Concerning Toleration is one of the most under appreciated texts in the liberal tradition of political philosophy. When read in conjunction with his Second Treatise, it clarifies the relationship Locke envisions between individuals and the Lockean state. The subject of the Letter is specifically religious toleration, but his general argument for toleration is also applicable to issues of more modern concern.

In the letter, Locke argues that all religious practices should be tolerated unless they are a threat to the proper functioning of the state. Some specific practices are not tolerated - Locke perceives the Catholic allegiance to the Pope, at that time, not only a religious leader, but also an influential foreign political leader, as a threat to the state, and he believes that atheists cannot be trusted by the state, since they have no higher power to whom they can swear an oath. Locke does not tolerate these individuals, because of his (inaccurate) perceptions of them, but religion is still not the basis for their non-toleration. (In the sense that others who are inherently untrustworthy, or bowed to a foreign ruler, would also not be tolerated, regardless of their religion).

The toleration of some other practices is situational. For instance, a state that normally has no law against individuals slaughtering animals (for food, et al) cannot prevent a religious sect from sacrificing an animal, but if that same state, needing meat for its troops in a time of war, bans all private citizens from killing animals, then this ban applies likewise to the sacrifice of animals as part of religious worship. This is not a state of license, in that the civil government does not actively promote a variety of (or for that matter, any) religious practices, but it is a state of negative liberty, in which the state remains neutral to the religious content of religious worship. Specific sects or acts of worship can be banned if they are "prejudicial to other men's rights" or they "break the public peace of societies," but they cannot be banned on religious grounds.

Some critics have argued that Locke's Letter is no longer very relevant: he deals only with religious toleration, and religious toleration is widely accepted and practiced in the modern Western world. However, the historical context of the Letter suggests it retains its relevance. In Locke's day, religion was not the dormant issue it is today; rather it was the most controversial issue of public debate. Before Locke, toleration was just something the underdog wished for in order to survive until he gained power over everyone else. Locke, however, goes beyond this pettiness and creates a theoretical defense of toleration as an extension of his political theory. While Locke probably did not imagine the controversial issues of political debate today, the broad basis for his defense of religious toleration implicitly justifies other sorts of social toleration in the modern world.

If a state is created for the purposes and by the methods Locke suggests in his Second Treatise, then the men who consent to form such a state retain a significant negative liberty of belief and action. Any of these beliefs or actions must be tolerated by the state unless they fail Locke's criteria for religious toleration, namely, unless they are "prejudicial to other men's rights" or they "break the public peace of societies."

If possible, I would recommend trying to find a copy of the Routledge edition of this work (ed. Horton & Mendus), which includes critical reactions to Locke's Letter. However, Amazon currently lists it as out of print. Whatever edition you can find is worth reading: the need for toleration is as great in our own time as it was in John Locke's, and his contribution to the debate is likewise as valuable now as it was then.

"Listen to the Trees" is some of the most beautiful photography I've ever seen. While he worked with Ansel Adams and chose similar subjects and locations (aspens, Yosemite, etc.) he has a very distinct vision... a very powerful one at that. I'd say there's a more "romantic" conception - in the musical or literary sense - in Sexton photographs in contrast to Ansel Adams more formalist approach. Some of Sexton's photo's might even be called "gothic" in that literary sense. The photography is technically virtuosic and dazzlingly so. It makes me want to buy a view camera and head out to the woods every time I look at this book. I look a this book often and share it with anybody who would care to look at it. Worth every penny.

I LOVE IT! This book is absolutely amazing. My all time favorite. The prints are amazing. I love these prints almost more then those of Ansel Adams. I dare to say John will be held up next to Ansel not too far down the road. This book shows why I feel this way. The work is . . . undescribable! The next step beyond the "Zone System."

Well printed on glossy paper, this book contains pictures of Aspens, Redwoods, Cottonwoods, etc. in grand locations like Yosemite, Zion, and others, all done using 4x5 camera (with notes on lenses and film used). Some pictures are tack sharp and contrasty, seeing the new white buds on fir trees, or white star-like leaves behind a black stream. Some are eerily grey, or shot on misty mornings. Nice to see a collection on one topic and using the large format negative. Could use even more pictures, or a "Listen to Trees" in color, but a great inspiration for nature photographers and black and white dark-room enthusiasts. Great coffee table book too!

This book gives a lot of layman explanations to medical technical jargon that the doctors throw at new patients. At times the reading was a bit dry, but this book serves as a daily reference to me with the many challenges I face as a newly diagnosed RA patient.

This book covers all aspects of this disease and is written by a practicing Rheumatologist. RA is considered one of the "inflammatory" forms of arthritis and is now generally considered an autoimmune disease. Topics covered in depth include what joints are commonly affected, other organs that may also be involved and some of the other complications that may be experienced. The testing commonly performed by Physicians is discussed at length and explained in lay terms. The general progression of the disease differs in different individuals and this is discussed as well. The treatments such as medications, therapy, surgery are discussed individually and in depth in lay terms. Exercise is also covered. Some other aspects that are discussed are emotional issues and disability. This book actually presents a solid in depth knowledge of the diease and contains a lot of information that many family practioners and generalist may not be aware of as they are not specialists in this disease process. This book should be read and owned by anyone with this disease or a loved one with this disease. All of the information is presented in lay terms that are easy to understand. There are numerous illustrations as well.

A very helpful, well-written guide that includes a detailed description of the disease, treatments, and coping strategies for everyday life, as well as an extensive glossary and bibliography.