Social Sciences Books

Thank you it was exactly what I needed and wanted. Fast shipping too! Thanks!

The text is very clear and informative. I've only just started reading it but the format and the language used is great. It really puts the decision of becoming an educator in perspective. It's almost like a parent saying, "Are you sure this is what you want to do? Have you considered, this, that and the other?" I like it! It's exactly what I needed.

This is a very good, probably the best textbook available in the U.S. regarding the topic of history and philosophy of education, intended for undergraduate students. The authors did minor updateds to the previous edition. Since there has been little change as to history and philosophy of education in the last few years, you do not have to buy the last edition unless your instructor requires so.
The content is presented in 16 chapters, as follow:
1-2 Teaching profession, preparation of teachers
3-5 World roots of education, Pioneers, historical development of education in the U.S.
6-8 Governing-administering, finances and legal aspects of public education
9-11 Cultural and social aspects, race/social class, equal access to the educational system
12-14 Philosophycal aspects, the purpose of education,curriculum
15-16 Internation education, school effectiveness and reform in the U.S.

I expected this book to be inspiring, since I have collected quotes from these speakers.... It lived up to the promise and then some. There is such a compelling glimpse into history and moments of greatness, probably seen best in hindsight.

I would love to see this book used in schools!

I received the book even faster than I thought I would. It is in great shape as described.

Great Speeches by African Americans: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and Others (Thrift Edition)

It was wonderful to find a compilation of full length speeches by African Americans. The speeches span from 1843 to 2005, and include lesser known speakers such as Henry Highland Garnet and Jermain Wesley Loguen, to the renowned Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois. As interesting and historically significant, if not coincidental, and timely, are speeches by Shirley Chisholm, and Barack Obama. Both were graduates of Columbia University. While Ms. Chisholm was the first African American female to hold office in the House of Representatives, Mr. Obama is the first African American male to hold an office in the Senate, since reconstruction. Additionally, one sought, while the other is seeking to hold the highest office in the United States - President. This compilation is a great addition to any household library.

This book was bought for a missionary in the rain forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for his schools. The schools are for the Batwa pygmy students. Their tribe in recent times was dominated by the Ekonda Master tribe. Now they are schooled together. This is for their English and History classes and their library.

The missionary who started the schools through Mission Pendjua, Dr. Jerry Galloway MD, feels this book will be a powerful influence and also give them the insight into the American expression of being an African American.

In a sense, "what comes round goes round" and this book and it's information and hope are being returned to Africa. It is powerful to realize that generations later, these authors and speakers are leading the way for the coming changes of the African continent.

Joyce M. Grubbs

The book above was suppose to arrive sooner than when I received it. Unfortunately I had to send it back as my wife could not wait for an extended period. Please credit my card back once you receive the item back. Thank you David

I found this to be a page turner. The book is actual history that reads like fiction. There is a fair amount of repitition that bogged the story down a bit but I still recommend it.

I have to read this book for my Social Welfare Policy class but I can't put it down! The writer is incredibly engaging even when talking about all the backstage drama surrounding the 1996 welfare bill, which I think is a huge accomplishment of and in itself. It is a great blend of legislative history making AND seeing the effects on the welfare recipients.

A friend recommended this book. I picked it up, expecting it to be hard to read (public policy books usually are), but this was nothing like that because the author shapes the story around the lives of real people, including 3 women in Milwaukee who have been receiving public assistance. What amazed me, after reading the book, was how little changed in their lives even when 'welfare as we know it' ended. Two of them became steady workers, for the most part, but they were still poor, still struggling to buy food and pay the utilities, and still had troubles with the men in their lives.

I really loved this book. Its a very quick read and its also extremely informative. You will learn so much about what its like to live in poverty in the US. It also details the history of welfare in America, how it was changed, and where it stands now. The book is no liberal propaganda either. The NY Times reporter who wrote the book comes to some very surprising, often conservative-leaning conclusions. You will be amazed at what he found and often moved to tears by the stories of the three women. An absolutely essential read.

The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know EverythingAnother great book from American Girl. This book really brings up so many of the 'sticky' situations that we all face growing up and also brings up lots of situations that thankfully we never face, but it is good to know what to do. For example, I certainly almost threw up in school and it was a real fear. On the other hand, I never was worried about a tornado, but still as a kid I would have enjoyed reading about how to protect myself.

As a positive psychologist and also the author or a book for girls, The Truth, I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything, I am always looking for books that help to quiet fears and give girls courage to express their feelings and inner thoughts. This book is in that category and I would recommend it. It is a very quick read that can be kept around the house and used as conversation material and/or reference material for daughters and moms.

I found that my daughter was coming home every night with "so & so did this" or "someone said that or did something." Having this book gave her a place to look and read about it and have some tools to handle the situation on her own the next day. It helped her tremendously.

I bought this for my 10 yr old and she couldn't put it down! It gave us lots to talk about and opened several conversations. I am very glad we found this one.

Before your young lady starts Junior High School please add this litle book to her library. This books offers answers to the preteen on handling situations that could be potentially embarrassing. This book will help your child develop more self-assurance.

A Smart Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations is an absolutely wonderful book for preteens about some of the weird situations that people of any age can find themselves in. With very appealingly silly illustrations, the book covers the expected items like flunking a test, not getting picked for a team, looking goofy in photos, etc.

However, there are some serious situations that are beautifully handled. For example, information about what to do if you are separated from your family in the city could save a child's life. Knowing how to handle false accusations could save a child's sanity!

Little sidebars called "Disaster Blasters" provide information to prevent all manner of inconvenience, embarrassment and grief! While some reviewers have stated that this is merely a compilation of common sense, keep in mind that maturity comes with age and experience, and this book is aimed at a very young audience.

I really do wish that I had this book, myself, many years ago, and I highly recommend it for any young lady in your family circle.

As a frustrated Democrat who is tired of seeing his party cede important cultural territory, I devoured this book. The Political Brain is perhaps the best book I have read on crafting a party message that resonates with the American public. Drew Westin offers helpful advice to Democrats by showing them how to frame an emotionally compelling and principled stance on the issues that Republicans have used to defeat Democratic contenders for decades. Starting from the perspective of a cognitive psychologist, Westin weaves together the clinical and the politically practical in his diagnosis of the Democrats' "values" and message problems. This book is a perfect companion to George Lakoff and should be required reading for any Democratic strategist. If you have ever asked yourself what Democrats stand for or have noticed some dissonance between the Republican master-narrative and their governance, I suggest that you read The Political Brain.

Drew Westen's The Political Brain describes why Democrats routinely lose to Republicans despite being right on the issues. Democrats approach elections like job interviews, whereas Republicans see elections as dates. Specifically, Democrats foolishly believe that voters are "dispassionate" calculators of relative utility whereas Republicans understand that to win the mind you must first capture the heart.

Democrats will find the passages dealing with Bush/Gore and Bush/Kerry agonizing reading. Again and again, George Bush and his attack dogs mauled Al Gore without any response. Gore foolishly allowed Bush to go scot free on his drunken-cocaine-belly up business record.

Kerry stupidly allowed draft dodging war zero Bush to "swift boat" him into oblivion. Both Gore and Kerry thought they were taking the high ground by ignoring Bush's slimy attacks. Instead, they took the fast track to oblivion.

In both cases, Kerry and Gore chose not to rebut Bush's vicious attacks and by so doing, they appeared weak. Voters thought 'if you can't fight back against Bush, how will you fight back against America's enemies'?

Westen's most compelling passages are his proscriptions to Democrats. When Republicans demagogue on Flag Burning, Democrats should counter with "Flag Hiding" proposals that legally require all deceased service people to be brought home in flag draped coffins in public. That way, Republicans are forced to show the true cost of their wars and bloodlust.

The GOP "death tax" is countered by a Democratic charge of a Republican "birth tax", i.e., the monstrous Bush-Cheney deficits impose a gigantic tax burden on every baby born in every state in this nation.

Some of Westen's more detailed explanations of scientific procedure and methodology are turgid and difficult reading. But hopefully, he can release a new book in a role playing format.

Barack Obama receives high marks for his intuitive, charismatic style. But all Democrats can and should learn from this important book.

I teach Spanish in Edinburgh, I have masters in media and I want to congratulate people who were working on that soap. First, Cast is brilliant, I know them because they have been on many soaps in Chile (I'm from Argentina in case) I don't agree with bad reviews, I'd advise this soap maybe better in classroom and not self-study cause many things (even there is a guide) you could miss contexts. About speed, look I'm using with intermediate and it's great. Other review said it's slow, great you might be master-advanced in Spanish, have a look at film "Nine Queens" (Nueve Reinas) to test how fast you are catching a true speed of spoken Spanish!
I highly recommend this soap Sol y Viento but maybe linked to a proper Spanish course, so Sol y Viento as part of ways to learn the language!!

This series is awful. The soap opera is extremely slow-paced, boring, and cheasy. There are very, VERY long musical interludes and a LOT of talking in English. In one of the first episodes, they spent about 3 minutes talking in English about looking at the expressions on the characters faces to figure out what's going on. Uh, isn't the idea of learning Spanish supposed to be that you can understand SPANISH, not basic human interaction? This is just one example of the overuse of English. It's boring, it's long, and there isn't much Spanish on it. A huge waste of money. It teaches you little and takes so long to do it. And what little it does say is very difficult to understand - you just get the broad strokes from the exaggerated acting, but you're not really LEARNING anything. If you're a teacher, try just finding free Spanish video clips online ([...]) and take a few expressions and explain them. If you're an independent learner, dear god, don't put yourself through this childish video.

Genius move combining a soap opera with a textbook. The book is easy to follow, hits relevent topics to learn Spanish and for travelling in Spanish-speaking countries. This book lasts for 4 semesters and it makes me want to take all 4 just to see the end of the drama. I'm amazed that I can speak full sentences on relevent topics after a one night a week class for 7 weeks now. Bravo!

they took almost a month to ship the book to me.

The 74 year old Goldberg boldly recounts the interview he did with 17 year old Maria Sharapova for HBO's Real Sports in 2007 and admits that it was one of the most disgraceful and embarrasing things any reporter has ever done on national television. In this great, great book, Goldberg asks forgiveness from Sharapova and her family and from the nation for his creepy and highly disturbing behavior with the teenage tennis star. He acknowledges that his behavior during the 16 minute interview, with his flirtatious comments, leering eyes and very weird teen-like come-ons coupled with Sharapova's horrified reaction to being hit on by a dirty old man, fell just short of a nationally televised child molestation. Although he blasts Rosie O'Donell and Don Imus for being crazy and stupid, at least he is enlightened enough to recognize his own perverse and disgusting traits.

I've read Benard Goldberg previously and was so impressed by his honest, clever and fair writing that I bought this latest book 'Crazies to the Left..'without having read a single review OR the back cover!. I wasn't disappointed, as a matter of fact I believe this is his best book yet.

There is much to learn from the former Democrat and media insider regarding the obvious topics like the blatant liberal bias in the media and Hollywood lunatics spouting their illinformed, hateful liberal rhetoric. But what was very interesting to me was Goldberg's use of the term BDS or "Bush Derangement Syndrome". A resonable explanation (mental condition?) for all the frothing at the mouth that occurs at the mere mention of Bush's name. We all know someone like that. It's funny but true.

Goldberg also sticks it to the wimpy Republicans who for years now have been selling out. Crippled by political correctness and too afraid to stand up to hot button issues (race, Islam, over spending). Instead of honest, critical, valid scrutiny of these topics we just get the pat answers, whitewashed of all "offending" words or observations. The biggest one that comes to mind is President Bush declaring Islam is a Peaceful Religion! While it's scary being on the right while our leaders have seemingly buried their collective heads in the sand, it's still better than being on the left.

I highly recommend reading this and passing along the information to any friends or family who have managed to get this far in life blissfully unaware.

This book is great because it doesn't say which side is correct (hints though). But displays the facts for you to choose.

He is also almost extremely right on what he says. (Not right as in conservative, but right as in correct.) He shows how, like the title says the Liberals have changed their attitudes and stances, while Conservatives have lost there will to speak up and be heard.

I highley suggest this book over any other political book. Expecially if your independent.

Excellent book. Bernie does it better than anyone. Pure analysis and a great grip on the whole political side of life. A good read, and one to share with friends!

When this book first was published, I decided that I pretty much knew Goldberg's positions on most of the issues and having read "Bias" didn't think "Crazies..." could add any additional ballast. Boy was I wrong. Fortunately I was going to take a car trip and needed a talking book on CD to help pass the time. I stumbled on "Crazies..." at my library and decided it couldn't be that bad.

Maybe it was the fact the Bernie Golberg read the book that it really struck home as he was able to inject the emotion that you can't get from a page. What ever it was, the book (CD) was stunning.

Goldberg doesn't just rattle off a series of platitudes or invectice criticism, he presents example after example of the type of inconsistent and disengenuous dialogue typically offered by the arrogant left. Further, he criticizes the Republicans for abandoning their core beliefs and not having the courage to stand up to the left. He is particulary critical of journalists who don't do their jobs.

A couple of specific examples from the book show the hypocrisy that is rampant on the left. At a dinner party, a woman opines that we shouldn't judge Palestinian suicide bombers until we understand the root causes of why they are killing allegedly innocent Isrealis. Goldberg counters by asking if the woman if she attempted to determine what the root causes were that led whites in the 1950s south to murder and lynch blacks, Somehow, she didn't see the analogy.

Goldberg presents us with the hypocrisy of the New York Times that choose not to print the Danish cartoons of Mohamad because they should present "gratuitious images that are an afront to a religion." Yet the very next day, the Times publishes an article that deals with the issue of why they didn't publish the cartoons, but somehow sees it as illuminating to the readers understanding of the issue by including a photo of the portrait of Mary the Madonna with elephant excrement. Somehow the Times didn't quite get it either.

Liberals should try to get through this book as it might make one or two at least question their biases.

In summary, I recall a story from "Bias" where an upper west side (of New York City) matron notes that she couldn't understand how Nixon deafeated McGovern since she didn't know one person who voted for Nixon. Oh yeah, Nixon won 49 states in that election. Apparently she didn't get it either.

Three generations of females in my family (ages 6, 26, and 65) are thrilled by this story!
Buy it now, in this election year in the US, if you've got any girls in your family.

No matter your political party this a great book. It speaks to confidence, over coming fears and being honest.

My two granddaughters loved this book. They are 5 and 6 years old. They have requested that it be read many times.

This is a fabulous book that can be used as a primer for educating children about how elections work in our country. Kelly DiPucchio has taken a complicated subject and made it completely user friendly for children to understand. It is a fun story to read, and factual at the same time. I love how the author assigned children in the classroom to represent states and their electoral votes. I loved that her character was a girl that decided enough was enough and it was time for a woman to become president without making an issue out of which political party she represented. And I loved that at the end of the book, the deciding delegate cast his vote for the best "person" to do the job. This is just a great book and very timely for an election year. Go Grace!

Of all the "election" books I could find, this one really stood out as being entertaining, informative, and extremely insightful. While Hillary's run is now over, the book subtely points out that at our most basic level we identify with our gender over other differences; and the use of Wyoming, "The Equality State", to overcome the gender bias is really well-done. The character Grace's honest incredulity that there has never been a woman president despite the obvious 50/50 split of girls and boys resonates in a sweet way.

Though many of you would already know this, I think it's important that lay readers realize that this book contains direct translations of these tablets--so chunks of text will be missing from the stories. This is not a transliteration, so you're not going to have a series of stories that read particularly easily.

However, if you need to do research on ancient Mesopotamian mythology this book is a true treasure to behold. I'm writing a novel that requires me to dig deep into everything we truly know about these ancient civilizations, and I feel very confident that the book makes the most truth-preserving claims as the author could make, regarding what we can say for certain. She puts relevant background information as well as brief histories on the studies of each myth, then tells the tales while preserving the poetic style that the mythical originators wrote with.

Revised review: I read the revised edition of 2000 - with 10 new primary sources - of the originally 1989 book. The author chose rather the Akkadian versions over the Sumerian ones. Included are ten stories of variating length: Atrahasis, The Epic of Gilgamesh*, The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld, Nergal and Ereshkigal*, Adapa, Etana, Anzu*, The Epic of Creation, Theogony of Dunnu, Erra and Ishum. (* = including standard version and older & shorter version). As you see, there isn't a story called "The Flood" as suggested by the title of the book. However, the flood is a recurring theme in several of the other stories.

Usually I detest footnotes, however, it makes perfect sense to use them here, as a translated text by someone else, from a distant civilisation has to be explained. Lost in translation puns and alliterations are pointed out. Also variating translations, which differ considerably. If the Bible translations via various languages have been done in a similar vagueness, I am not surprised that one or the other message has been misinterpreted. This book now uses modern English, which I am very thankful for, as it wouldn't make any sense to indulge in some sort of pretentious antique "translation". Stephanie Dalley is a perfectionist in the sense that she meticulously includes any missing line and lost word. Which sometimes leaves only a word per line extant. That is frustrating for sure occasionally, but unavoidable, if a reliable translation is sought. With some pages I was happy that I still have 99% of human vision, this tiny the text has been printed.

Though at times purposefully repetitious, the stories themselves are mostly interesting or/and indeed worthy to read. Not only for themselves, but also for the origin of some Western-known stories. However, one should be careful to draw direct lines of origin, as for one thing the same subject may be very different or, as the author points out, may variate considerably WITHIN the very long time of the Mesopotamian culture(s). In fact, the longer stories have largely been pieced together from different sources.

What she fails to mention is that the Mesopotamian culture(s) are derived from the Egyptian culture, as she avers the Mesopotamian one would be the first of mankind. That's an old Western urban legend attempting to dissociate from African culture, from Black culture as far as possible. Which is rather futile as Mesopotamia is located in Africa in geological reality for one thing and for the other, these specific ancients had been Black just the same. Which doesn't become clear at all in this book. Read The Africans Who Wrote the Bible or When We Ruled: The Ancient and Medieval History of Black Civilisations among many other books elaborating on that. However, I find it amazing that the derivations of the goddess Ishtar are mentioned, but she herself is presented as the original. Whereas it is long and officially accepted fact, even by the conservative science establishment that Ishtar in turn is derived from the Egyptian "Isis". In other words the Mesopotamian version may just be a sister derivation from Egypt, not the direct source for Western culture. In some instances that sister culture got remarried into the sources for later Western culture.

Speaking of conservatism and pseudo-origins: Elsewhere, the Epic of Gilgamesh is fancied as the first homosexual story in the world. To begin with, again, the Egyptians are able to top that. (For example with the story of Horus and Seth, though of course the concept of "homosexuality" differs from the modern one.) For another, the Gilgamesh story is rather bisexual, using modern Western terminology, as that concept was viewed differently back then and there as well. However, I find it remarkable that Stephanie Dalley isn't including that information in her veneration list. Accordingly, one can almost read this translation without noticing its however homosexual content. Gilgamesh's mother clearly speaks of Enkidu as if a son-in-law, but in the rest of the text he is translated in the like-a-brother routine. Well, maybe a "warm brother" as dated German slang would term him. Personally, I don't care about the translator's or my own view on this issue. It's even fun and safe for me, no matter my personal opinion, as in Rasta terminology, homosexuals happen in "Babylon" anyway (smile)... It's just interesting that she obviously leaves her path of perfectionism as soon as it comes to her bias. As I am a layperson on this, I wouldn't know, where else she missed some points. But maybe the reason for this is that the running gag in this story is that as soon as it turns homosexual, further text has been lost... Sure interesting to read in the ancient text that God made some humans nonbreeders to slow overpopulation. That almost sounds like modern slang.

I do recommend this book. Be sure to get the latest revision or another more recent book respectively.

This is a thorough compilation of Akkadian myths. These are modern translations based on up to date scholarship. While Dalley does a good job of bringing out the poetry of these myths, these are direct translations of the original texts showing all omissions and as yet untranslated words and phrases. This approach gives a very good idea of both the character of the myths and also of the difficulties encountered by scholars in reconstructing these texts from the fragmentary available records. Readers will end numerous echoes of better known myths in these translations. The introductory essays, footnotes, and background information are excellent.

A collection of the major Mesopotamian myths translated by a respected scholar. This is an excellent source for those desiring an authoritative translation. Even so, these myths can be somewhat awkward to read given Dalley's use of square brackets to indicate gaps in the text and omission dots to indicate an unknown word or phrase. No doubt these are accepted academic techniques for translating ancient texts, but I do hope someone will come along and render these myths in a more enthralling format. For just such an example of how ancient texts can be made to come alive for the modern reader, see "Gilgamesh: A New English Version" by Stephen Mitchell . Nonetheless, I give Dalley five stars, but also highly, highly recommend Mitchell's new version of Gilgamesh.

This is an excellent collection of several ancient Mesopotamian mythical stories. The original sources used for these translations were all written in Akkadian (which includes Semitic Babylonian and Assyrian dialects). Included in this collection are "Atrahasis", "The Epic of Gilgamesh" (standard and Old Babylonian versions), "The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld", "Nergal and Ereshkigal" (standard and Amarna versions), "Adapa", "Etana", "Anzu" (standard and Old Babylonian versions), "The Epic of Creation", "Theogony of Dunnu", and "Erra and Ishum".

This large collection of stories, along with the well written introductions and notes provided, enables the reader to put these epic stories into context, and recognize the parallels within the different stories. I prefer this book to those that concentrate only on the Gilgamesh epic.