Philosophy Books

A fun and informative read. Robert Burton informs,presenting factual and ironic detail of the brain an our behavoral responses to external and internal memory. Recomended for students of psychycolgy, marketing and those interest in broadening their understanding of human behavior.

I think my title above gets to the substance of Dr. Burton's narrative. How do we know what we know? Dr. Burton posits that the feeling of knowing is a necessary biological function required to allow humans to contemplate thought and take action. In other words, there has to be some reward for a person to think about and know what they are concluding and this reward comes in the feelings of knowing, certainty and correctness. The problem is that the feeling is not always corroborated by the facts. How many times have you been dead certain of something, only to be later proven wrong? And of those times, how many are followed by hindsight reframing of the situation to maintain your correctness?

Burton delves into the physioligical details, philosophical ramifications and cultural and social implications of the reality that we may never be able to grasp 100% certainty on any subject. The subject poses conundrums about issues like free will, religious beliefs and other areas, and Burton explores these in his text.

My concerns are that Burton starts out by stating that some of what he discusses is his own speculation, but never clearly tells us where that occurs. In addition, he is guilty of his own bent towards certainty when he states that the case for evolution is air-tight (it's not). Finally, someone once said that the seeds of destruction of a false belief are contained in that fasle belief's own logic. So, if the conclusion is that we can never be 100% right, then that very conclusion can never be 100% right, so maybe it's wrong and we can be 100% right. Kapeesh?

That being said, there is a lot of interesting material about how the brain works, and a lot of food for thought about how it is that we know what we know.

A readily readable and thoughtful look at how our minds work in relation to things our minds produce like thoughts and ideas. It goes on to raise important questions about the implications of "the feeling of knowing" for philosophy, psychology and indirectly politics. It is a worthwhile read. It might have been improved by a more extensive look at the neurology of this erstwhile affect.

I rank this second among my favorite three books this year on the topic of the oddities of normal human thinking - right after How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of "Intangibles" in Business and just above Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.

How Burton treats the issue of certainty is an interesting compliment to how Hubbard treats uncertainty in How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of "Intangibles" in Business. Burton looks at situations where we can feel certain but be wrong. Likewise, Hubbard looks at how we can be "statistically overconfident" and will usually underestimate our uncertainty if we attempt to assign odds to uncertain events. Hubbard seems to offer more empirical data on this topic and, more importantly, how to adjust for this error.

There seem to be more and more books in the genre of quirks in human reasoning and perception - specifically, how we feel certain or uncertain. But these are among the very few I would recommend. Save your money on the rest.

I am always slightly annoyed when a book is not about what is is supposed to be about. A few chapters of this book - those towards the end - are on why the feeling of certainty is just that: a feeling. This leads the author to some interesting discussions about how the 'feeling of certianty (a feeling though it is) is something that tends not to be subject to reason, but owes more to emotion. The author also goes into some really interesting thoughts about evolutionary reasons why the feeling of certainty as a tool to help us survive in an uncertain world (where we have to act, so we might as well act with conviction).

Unfortunately, this only happens well into the second half of the book (maybe 2/3rds of the way through). The first many chapters are stage setters. There are chapters about distinguishing what is meant by "mental states," "feeling" and "sensation," chapters describing how we know that emotions like fear, deja vu, and religious experience are chemical in nature, and how the "mind" is an emergent property tying together several components of the brain into a unity.

The author also spends quite a bit of time talking about what neuroscientists term the "hidden layer." That is, when we make decisions, the brain "surveys" a whole host of things - past experiences, attitudes one has acquired, things one has learned, etc. - to come to a conclusion, but this is all "hidden" form our consciousness. Thus, the author concludes that while we may feel like our deliberations are conscious, often the bulk of our deliberation is unconscious.

All of this, the author tells us, supports the thesis (that he eventually gets to) suggesting that certainty is a feeling,, and not always one subject to rationality as we generally assume. Since we have seen that attitudes like fear, deja vu, and sense of purpose are feelings like any other, and we have seen that feelings like these are often not subject to rationality (try convincing a clinically depressed person that the feeling of purposelessness is only a chemical "illusion"), and we know that much of our thought is unconcious, we can also infer that the feeling of certianty is subject to all of these. (Try convincing a young-earth creationist that the earth is more than 6,000 years old and that their certainty is not due to the strength of the idea.)

Really, I don't have any huge qualms with this. We've all seen people be so certain of something that is (to us) obviously wrong, and know all to well that people's attachment to ideas often has not a thing to do with rationality. (And we all, if we are honest, realize that we have been the 'dummy' in this scenario as well.)

My biggest problem, from a literary standpoit, is that the author takes a very long time to get to his point, beginning many chapters with something like: "I want to talk about the feeling of certainty. But first, let's..." Once that happens too many times, I begin to lose patience, particularly when some chapters (like that reviewing the difference between "feelings" and "sensations") simply go on longer than they should.

My philosophical beefs with the book is: the author, who suggests may times that we cannot step beyond our feelings of certainty if they are strong enough, would be well served to have included a chapter on examples where people DO change their minds about things they were once deeply certain about. The fact that this happens - albeit happens only with difficulty and pain - gives empirical lie to this thesis.

Really, this is a quite interesting book with an interesting case that simply takes the author too many pages to make. I resisted the urge to skip ahead numerous times (and did skip half a chapter that seemed to veer frequently off topic). I wish the author would have discussed the issue of 'certainty' more than the tertiarilly related matter of brain states like fear and deja vu.

In the end, I would reccomend this book to people as a follow-up read to books like "Mistakes Were Made," which give a much more direct discussion of our brain's tendency to fall into illusions of certainty. This book does that, but simply tries to do so much more that it may better have been written as a collection of loosely related essays.

I don't usually use introductory textbooks in my philosophy classes, preferring to give primary readings coupled with lectures and discussion. Being pricey, textbooks are also something of a burden, when other material is available. What recommends this text, however, is its arrangement by philosopher rather than the more traditional presentation of philosophy by topics. If one must use a single text, this one isn't bad.

Soccio is fair to each author or movement he covers, an achievement in itself. It is nice to see thinkers like Marx covered as philosophers in their own right (he was very important for post-Hegelian European thought, regardless of the opinion one might have of his economic thought in practice), and Soccio rightly divides the twentieth century between Wittgenstein and Heidegger, both of whom are sometimes overlooked in intro classes. The text also spends a good third of its pages(6 of 18 chapters) on ancient thought from the Presocratics to Stoicism, another nice touch. I give the table of contents below, it will give a better idea of what is going on in the book.

CONTENTS:

1. Philosophy and the Search for Wisdom.
OVERVIEW OF CLASSICAL THEMES.
2. The Asian Sages: Lao-tzu, Confucius, and Buddha.
3. The Presocratic Sophos.
4. The Sophist: Protagoras.
5. The Wise Man: Socrates.
6. The Philosopher-King: Plato.
7. The Naturalist: Aristotle.
8. The Stoic: Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.
9. The Scholar: Thomas Aquinas.
OVERVIEW OF MODERN THEMES.
10. The Rationalist: René Descartes.
11. The Skeptic: David Hume.
12. The Universalist: Immanuel Kant.
13. The Utilitarian: John Stuart Mill.
14. The Materialist: Karl Marx.
15. The Existentialist: Søren Kierkegaard.
16. The Pragmatist: William James.
17. The Anti-Philosopher: Friedrich Nietzsche.
18. The Twentieth Century: Ludwig Wittgenstein and Martin Heidegger.

I got tthe book on time but when I opened the book I found that it wasn't the book that i had order and had got an older version than the one that I had wanted to buy!

Buy this book if you are seeking an intro to philosophy and get ready for an entertaining, yet educated reading of some of history's most renowned figures.

Book includes contemporary issues which have to do with a certain philosopher's thought, small bibliographies of thei lives and what influenced their way of thinking; and it really presents the subjects in an academic, objective light with no bias on the authori's behalf of thought tendencies of his own.

This is the 2nd edition, but buy the latest edition from Soccio for a current events version of the book.

I tried for an hour to desrcibe Dr. Soccio as both a professor and an author but I can't capture the experience in words---see for yourself!

For those familiar with the elusive jargon of most philosophy manuals, this masterful text will come as a pleasant and shocking surprise. It highlights complex thoughts without lapsing into confusing or vague terminology. It also ventures beyond the philosophical triumvirate of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle by introducing the reader to other philosophers frequently over-looked in traditional Phil. texts. Chalked full of modern examples and written in a concise and critical manner, Archetypes of Wisdom is a great introductory host to one of the oldest disciplines in the humanities. An added bonus in this text is the slight, but still present, sarcastic humour of Doug Soccio. I have been fortunate enough to have had Professor Soccio as an instructor and his unique blend of humour and intelligence transfer to the pages in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone with the phil of soph.

This is a great read for anyone who is interested in the field of Psychology or Philosophy or anyone that is interested in Freud, whether an avid reader or new to his works. This book takes an amazing look and analysis of the world of religion and its effects on civilization and the individual, which can still be applied to our present civilization. Anyone who can appreciate the work of great thinkers will definitely enjoy this work. My only complaint is that it is so short.

I decided to buy this book after having seen it referenced by many contemporary thinkers (e.g. Daniel Dennett) in their books. Sigmund Freud, the famous Austrian psychiatrist, writes about mankind's struggle with religion and considers what civilization or society would be like if weaned of it. His arguments - bear in mind this book was first published in 1927 - are of the kind a modern-day informed atheist might secretly wonder. I found myself nodding in agreement with a number of Freud's matter-of-fact observations about religion.

For example, he says that mankind will likely focus their energies and learn to adapt to the (harsh) realities of this life if they withdrew their expectations from the vacuous promises of the hereafter. The style of writing is clear but a little weird at times, especially when he pretends to be another party and questions himself on the ideas being argued. In summary, Freud appears to have believed that mankind, in the not-too-distant future will have found a way to go about his daily life without believing in gods or the supernatural and that science will have a significant role in it. I particularly like the last paragraph of the book which states: "No, our science is no illusion. But an illusion it would be to suppose that what science cannot give us we can get elsewhere."

At 67 pages the size of Reader's Digest magazine (not including the biographical introduction), this little blue book is moderate-level reading for anyone interested in the psychology of religious beliefs. It is also a nice addition to any library. I personally, bought this edition because it is rather difficult to find where I live.

This is a very slim text that addresses some very big issues. I would recommend it as part of any Freud collection and also for any collection on religion. Certainly a requirement that one have at least a primer on Freudian concepts so the nature of Illusion can be placed into some kind of meaningful context.

This book describes religion as a universal mental illness, which says it all. As such, Freud predicts a time when we can rise above it.

"Religion would thus be the universal obsessional neurosis of humanity; like the obsessional neurosis of children, it arose out of the Oedipus complex, out of the relation to the father." If this is true, then Freud supposes that "a turning away from religion is bound to occur with the fatal inevitability of a process of growth, and ...we find ourselves at this very juncture in the middle of that phase of developement."

It is worth reading quickly, as it makes the same few points over and over.

In his 27 Feb 2006 review of Freud's The Future of an Illusion, Roger Schmeeckle misrepresents Freud's explanation (on pages 38-42 of this Norton publication) between Illusion and Delusion.

Roger correctly identified Freud's concept of Delusion as "something that is believed that is not true" -- but then oversimplifies by stating that Freud said an Illusion is "something that may be true or false, but is believed because we want to believe it."

This oversimplification ignores what Freud goes on to say, "Illusions need not be necessarily false - that is to say unrealizable or in contradiction to reality. For instance, a middle-class girl may have the illusion that a prince will come and marry her. This is possible; and a few such cases have occurred. That the Messiah will come is much less likely. Whether one classifies this belief as illusion or something analogous to delusion will depend on one's personal attitude."

The point being, that while the "absolute" truth or falsity of an illusion is debatable - common sense and reason enable us to infer or deduce where the truth actually lies. For instance, it IS possible that the Sun will rise in the west tomorrow (as I am unable to prove something false which has yet to occur), but I would be a fool and utterly devoid of reason and intellect to presume that it will occur.

Roger then asserts that Freud was "not so much atheistic as irreligious." That Freud was irreligious is certain (what atheist wouldn't be) -- but I do not understand how anyone can read The Future of an Illusion and not easily conclude that the author was a confirmed atheist. The entire work is a testament to atheism. Accordingly, it is absurd to suggest that because Freud does not simply state "I do not believe in God" there is reason to infer that he may have believed in one.

Roger continues by arguing that Freud had a "bias" or "prejudice" against religion, whereby Freud's "wish" for there to be no God led him into his own Illusions of atheism. This is quite a stretch and a distortion of Freud's dissertation -- which has at its core the fundamental assertion of reason and the power of the intellect to overcome humankind's infantile and primitive need for "wish fulfillment" in the form of a protective and benevolent God.

And in a final shot, Roger accusing Freud of being a prisoner of his times -- a subject of "materialistic determinism" -- and for not having investigated or being familiar with "the evidence and reasoning of those who defend their own religious belief."

Yet, that Freud was all too familiar with and understanding of the nature and roots of religious beliefs is the hallmark of The Future of an Illusion. That he might have been a "materialistic determinist" is unknown to me -- but that he was a genius as well as great "Humanist" with a profound regard for and understanding of the Human Race seems clear.

This is one of the best, most intelligent and broad introductions to buddhism and buddhist philosophy available. An important addition to your library.

This book did a great job to introduce Buddhism ideas in a clear and plain way, which makes Buddhism easy to be understood and easy to be accepted. Moreover, I'm also glad that he wouldn't simply follow whatever in the Buddhism texture without reflection, like most Buddhist scholars did. He reflected the ideas, explaining them reasonably and even asked readers to think, reflect and then see if they could accept or not...The author himself is a peaceful and great figure in modern Buddhism society. The experience of reading his book always brings me a peaceful mind. If you're interested in Buddhism but hesitate for its complicated terminology, this book is highly recommended.

This is a very well written introduction to Buddhism and Buddhism's primary concepts and teachings. As always, Thich Nhat Hanh is very easy and enjoyable to read.

I enjoyed this book, I found it to be very informative, and I liked the writing style of the author.
I just started delving into the realms of Buddhism. Any input from anyone who is an actual Buddhist and not a Professor or Doctor who only studied Buddhism and claims to be an expert is appreciated.

"The Heart of Buddha's Teaching" is one of the best books I've read. It's a great introduction to the basic principals and ideas of Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh really explained things in such a way that I feel I'm walking away with ideas and resources to help deal with everyday problems.

I'm tempted to call this a self-help book with how every chapter seemed to address things that I as a person am confronted with and am trying to understand. How Hanh applies Buddha's teaching to suffering, anger and how to achieve peace and zen is something I believe everyone needs and will benefit from reading. I've read other books that felt as if they were speaking of things beyond my grasp and ability to make sense of; this was not that book. Everything flowed nicely, the concepts were presented in terms that weren't too complicated, the examples given were ones that did not distract from the ideas and points.

Definitely a must read and worth your time and attention.

Its was a well done order i had no troblems receivin it. It came on time.

Thanks for offering this product --- I had been looking for this and found it in great condition used from Amazon. It arrived on time and all went well with the transaction. Thanks for making things so easy.

As an avid reader of history, poetry, philosophy and our founding prinicples; I found this book an excellent read.

Although I agree that Emerson may trt to make every individual see their own specific capabilites, inner strengths and power and their own worth; he did so under the premise that God and faith and moral truth were always there (and required) to attain such independence and I never got the impression that he ever turned away from faith or Divine inspiration as the foundation for "living well" and living life to its fullest.

He correctly addressed his displeasure with the entrenched trappings of those so engrossed in symbolism and dogma that many a religious figure and religious organization had wandered away from the light and the truth of what being moral and "holly" (for lack of a better term)really are.

He warned of putting too much trust and faith in those with fancy words, programs or gimmick when talking about truth, because we often find, they may seem to be wise, but they just take us for a ride in the clouds of hope and we are generally let down when we find out that they are as lost as anyone else on how we can truly find the path back to or closer to our creator.

Throughout this book I found just one inconsistency, one undelying war going on in his words. It was the Ying and Yang battle going on beneath the surface for me as i read this work, there seemed to be two opposing/fighting viewpoints).

The one warned us of false intellectuals and false philosophies and false leaders and how they pretend to know the way to salvation, forgiveness and ascension...yet in the second he gave poets way too much credit for being near godlike in their understanding of the universe.

Now I agree that poets see things in many cases with clearer eyes (or that special inner eye) for I have dabbled in poetry myself and found if very rewarding in the expressions of self from a seemingly higher plane; but I certainly do not give that godlike status that Eerson seems to ascribe to them.

However there is so much profound wisdom in this book, and Emerson deserves great credit for his powers of thought and his ability to make us think, that even I could not leave it for long without wanting to come back and finish it.

His words will certainly cause me to ponder the wisdom of his remarks for the rest of my days. An essential read for the critical mind.

While the text contains some real gems of Emersonian thought (i.e. Divinity School Address and Self-Reliance) it is not an adequate representation of his better works, leaving out "Nature," "The American Scholar" and other more important and influential essays. I, personally, order this text for my Freshman English classes because it's cheap and gives two exemplary representations of Emerson for a survey course; however, if you are looking for a total package text that reflects what Emerson is capable of as a writer and thinker, you are better off investing a little more money and picking up a Norton or Library of America Edition of his works.

This book has a collection of some of Emerson's best essays including "Self-Reliance" which is probably his most popular work. The underlying theme of all of them is essentially the same: "individuality." He advocated trusting and following one's own instincts and thoughts instead of blindly copying the customs and traditions of society. He encouraged people to search for the truth themselves rather than trying to find it in the works of other philosophers and poets. For example, in "Self-Reliance" he wrote, "In every work of genius, we recognize our own rejected thoughts. They come back to us with a certain alienated majesty."

His style can appear a little lofty at times, but he was gifted with the ability to articulate his thoughts extremely well and without equivocation. The fact that he is still widely read and quoted is a testament to the originality of his ideas and expression. I give this book five stars.

I am a Sanskritist and Vedic scholar. I have seen a number of translations of this classic but this is BY FAR my favorite. This book serves as a stand-alone guide for meditation and yoga.

This book is a wonderful introduction to the yoga sutras. Other interpretations on the sutras should be compared to this in my opinion.

The collection of concise yoga sutras, put together by Patanjali are an important read for any yoga practitioner--teacher or enthusiast. Swami Satchidananda has translated the ancient text into meaningful and practical explanations which really apply to modern living. This is not just a one time read, but rather a wonderful guide to reflect upon often. The text is organized into four books geared to inspire and teach a yogic way of life. Yoga is not a religion of any sorts but rather an eight limbed path leading us from suffering to freedom. The details of how we develop this peace are all included in the book. I highly recommend this book in particular because of its clear and thoughtful translations.

I enjoy reading this book! The author quite obviously knows what he is talking about. He gives wonderful explanations and provides insights to the Yoga Sutras. I am learning a great deal from his commentaries on Pantanjali's humanity-benefiting work.
Thank you, Swami Satchinananda!

I love this book! Easy to read, simple explanations from Sri Swami Satchidananda, allows you to dive deeply on the true meaning of each Sutra. Truly a book commented by an enlightened soul.

Again, I am fascinated by Gardner's ideas. The focus this time is more on the discipline, academics, and ensuring synthesis in learning. A worthwhile read for any educator.

Dr. Gardner is a visionary. His recommendations will lead us into the 21st century through a perception that applies to all aspects of our lives.

This book by Gardner is one of the most important about education and personal development.The concepts are new and well described.A book worth reading and rereading.

Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is a psychologist and author known for his theory of multiple intelligences. Application of his theory, especially for education, has been controversial. But I think his latest book, Five Minds for the Future, is a must read for technology professionals.

His thesis is that, "...vast changes that include accelerating globalization, mounting quantities of information, the growing hegemony of science and technology, and the clash of civilizations," requires, "capabilities that, until now, have been mere options." He describes "Five Minds," or cognitive abilities that will command a premium in the years ahead:

1. The Disciplinary Mind -- the mastery of major schools of thought (including science, mathematics, and history) and of at least one professional craft.

2. The Synthesizing Mind -- the ability to integrate ideas from different disciplines or spheres into a coherent whole and to communicate that integration to others.

3. The Creating Mind -- the capacity to uncover and clarify new problems, questions and phenomena.

4. The Respectful Mind -- awareness of and appreciation for differences among human beings and human groups.

5. The Ethical Mind -- fulfillment of one's responsibilities as a worker and as a citizen.

While the book is not directed specifically at technology professionals, I found much of what he said echoed characteristics of the most effective people I know: deep domain expertise, intellectual curiosity, creativity, global perspective, knowledge of and respect for diverse cultures, and teamwork. It is and will continue to be possible for anyone with a few of these characteristics to succeed in technology, but I believe those who excel and assume positions of leadership will exhibit all of these abilities.

Howard Gardner is a man of many minds. The Harvard psychologist, MacArthur "genius grant" recipient and prolific author started a revolution when he claimed that human capability couldn't be reduced to a single metric. Rather than accepting IQ as the whole story of cognitive capacity, Gardner said people have "multiple intelligences," a notion he popularized in his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Twenty-five years later, Gardner is still producing influential work on human mental skills and capabilities. In this clear, eminently useful book, Gardner describes five cognitive capacities that he predicts will be in most demand in the future and which everyone should practice. While he describes them metaphorically as "minds," these forms of thought are neither wholly innate nor immutable. All people can, through diligent practice, cultivate their disciplined mind, their synthesizing mind, their creative mind, their respectful mind and their ethical mind - and they should. Given accelerating technological change and vast increases in the flow of information and the necessity of working closely with many different kinds of people worldwide, getAbstract is of a mind to recommend this book to managers who are trying to think ahead.

This book is a very dense read, but it was required for my EDF 475 class... so I needed nonetheless. Once you get past the way the text is written, it's really not so bad.

This book helped me learn a little more about American Education and some of its "ins and outs".
I was surprised by the things I thought were true that were not. It is a great book for a student of Education (graduate students usually are required to read it at some point)

Very useful text for my graduate level course. Up-to-date information throughout the book, as well as historical aspects of education.

This book is a private college text, shared with the whole family, in addition to its use in the classroom. With the exception of some odd attributions to working class people (who are said to "act powerless" and view attempts at negotiations by children as 'sassing' or 'talking back'), possibly a misinterpretation of Annette Lareau's words, this working class family has enjoyed the book tremendously. The book offers the depth of insight necessary to anyone who teaches now or is planning on going into teaching.

This is a pretty good book for what its worth. I needed it for a class so its not like I had a choice to buy it. The writer has some interesting takes on things and I dont agree with everything he says. He does use a lot of charts and statistics which is helpful at times and other times just gets to be annoying. I like the book because it is not hard to understand and most of the time the writers writing flows pretty well.

I am well pleased with the book I purchased, as well as convenience
in ordering. This is not my first purchase, and have been very
pleased with other items I bought.

If you are looking for a good book on leadership and you need to decide on the myriad of books available on the subject, go with this one. Drawing on experiences from Washington's life, Brookhiser gives valuable insights to how Washington handled the many challenges he faced and then explains how we can use those techniques in our lives.

We often forget just how great our Founding Fathers were and how much they gambled to start the United States. The Revolution was no sure thing and the people who were the driving forces behind it could have paid with their lives. Washington is an example to all us today of, among other things, perseverance and guts. Despite great odds, numerous failures and never ending problems, Washington never gave up and was rewarded with success. Brookhiser should help end the fallacies that the Revolution was easy, eveybody got along and nobody played politics. Brookhise helps show that the qualities that make people great never change.

If you enjoy history and personal examples of success and failure in leadership styles this is the book to read. The book is not a boring biography on George Washington but a living story full of events researched from historical letters, records, etc. and recorded in well organized flow by the writer.

The Big Idea of this book is that Corporate America can learn a lot about leadership from George, the CEO of two startups:The Revolution and the first administration. And we can. What comes through, again and again, is that Washington put the enterprise ahead of his own needs. He subordinated his ego to what was effective.When some officers were plotting against him ,trying to get Congress to oust him, he remained calm, thought through what to do(he named the game to one in a short note), and it got resolved. He could easily have lashed out, but he did not: he restrained the desire because it would not have moved the ball forward. He never made enemies, taking the long view, knowing that today's enemy is tomorrow's friend. Sort of a cousin to Seinfeld's "friendemy." Good section on how he, as did President Kennedy, asked of others what they could do for their country, telling them at times of crisis, "My brave fellows", meaning "My fellows, be brave" trying to pull the best out of them, knowing he could not do it alone. Though a man of few words, he knew how to use them, and the writing on his address at Newburgh where he snuffed out an impending revolt of unpaid officers has the book's best writing. The idea tails off at the end, with a pointless side trip on "Sex...and Drugs" but still a worthwhile read.

This novel was written more than 50 years ago. It details a progression of events that accompany a society that forcibly takes from the most productive members to provide for those that are less productive. While it is noble and compassionate to help those less fortunate, I think that it is up to each individual and family to decide how much they can help, not the government. It sure sounds familiar to what has been happening in America over the past 35 years.

The appearance and physical quality of the book is wonderful. I first read this book many years ago. The 100 year re-print is a great reminder of the history of this classic.

While the pace and depth of this book may bore some readers used to Stephen King and other pop writers (I am a huge SK fan by the way...) it allows one to consider the author's philosophy and make your own judgement. Personally, I've read this book 3 or 4 times, and each time I experience it a bit difference depending on my current life situation and my willingess, need, desire, to examine my own beliefs.

Give this one a try, you may just find you see the world a bit differently.

A sprawling novel of nearly 1200 pages, this book was first published in 1957 by the Russian immigrant, Ayn Rand, writing in English, a second language she had to learn. It has continued to be read, explained, interpreted, memorialized, and frequently reprinted over the last 50 years for its unapologetic defense of capitalism and its often overembellished, overdramatized lectures about Ms. Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. While very stilted and repetitive in the frequent monologues of its main characters, its profuse examples and unflinching conviction embolden it to worship the accumulation of wealth through the pursuit of capitalist ideals.

The book is divided into three sections, each with a concise, inarguable statement of logic as its title. Part I, "Non-Contradiction", shows a world in turmoil in which the opposing forces of selfishness and selflessness are colliding. In Part II, "Either-Or", she explains why the profiteers - the "movers" of the world, as she calls them - are withdrawing their knowledge and refusing to participate in the system that the rule-makers - the "looters" of the world, as she calls them - have created. In Part III, "A Is A", Ms. Rand unveils her Utopian ideals, buffered with an uninterrupted speech of 43 pages by John Galt, to show why Atlas has shrugged only to once again take a strong grip on the world which he then holds in balance.

The beauty of this book is in the clarity of its ideals and the certainty of its characters as they commit themselves to the necessity of living by Ms. Rand's objectivist philosophy. However, when reading it, you must also be prepared to skim parts because the same messages are continuously pounded into your head like a throbbing headache - greed is good, need is bad; self-reliance is good, self-dependence is bad; individualism will triumph, collectivism will fail.

Ms. Rand is certainly guilty of an excessive amount of simplification as she draws distinctions between ideas as large and somewhat nebulous as those of capitalism and socialism and, at her most insistent, seems oblivious to the essential role of government in providing roads, bridges, highways, courts, prisons, schools, libraries, parks, water and sewage systems, street lights, airports, harbors, tunnels, as well as the military, police, fire, postal, and hospital workers. Surely without that core of essential products and services provided by a collectivist, profitless government there could be no economic system of any kind, let alone the one she blesses so reverently. It also seems overly presumptive, I believe, to ignore the government created and enforced role of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and property ownership that play such an important role in a system of profiteering. Surely the abolition of these would topple a system of capitalism as quickly as it would take mobsters and racketeers to take over the role of adjudicating justice.

Nonetheless, this is an important book for anyone trying to grasp the big issues which confront our world economically. But, like an excellent wine, if you drink it too fast, you will lose some of its finer points, and if you drink too much, you will be numbed by its inebriating qualities. While Atlas Shrugged is certainly a book to be savored, it is also one not to be overimbibed.

Ayn Rand is probably one of the finest authors I have ever read. She has amazing character development and explores issues that are incredibly hard to describe.

I love one of the many themes of this book -- how people who do their jobs well can get penalized by others who don't understand them.

This edition is particularly useful in that the forward includes notes from the author's journal as to her thoughts as she planned to write this novel. It is mammoth is scope, and reads very well. Anyone who is serious about giving Ayn Rand's ideas a fair reading should consider buying this edition, as it is a well made hardcover with clear text, and will endure a great deal of physical handling.
Anyone who remembers the childhood tale of the little red hen can relate to Ayn Rand's ideas. The little red hen was the only animal in the barnyard who worked and provided for others, until she decided to go on strike to protest the laziness of the other animals. This novel is somewhat more sophisticated in the development of a similar theme.