Philosophy Books

We all talk. (Some of us more than others). But all humans -- barring a problem such as deafness -- talk. Even our deaf friends talk by means of a complicated language of visual signs.

And Steven Pinker tells this story, the story of human language, and why it's so essential a part of our humanity, well. Following Chomsky, he posits a universal language structure, an innate part of our being who we are, and how small children grow quickly into complex grammatical and syntactical structures.

And for the most part, this is a good read. My only complaint is that on occasions, Dr. Pinker waxes a bit too eloquent, telling more information than is needed for the argument, giving pages and pages of examples when one or 2 would do. But this is a good introduction to the whole question of why and how we talk, and by inference how we think.

i liked this book better than pinker's "how the mind works." it was a little more focused, obviously, and i feel that pinker had better explanations for his ideas re language and linguistics than for the mind as a whole (tho he did use examples from the "mind" book here, and vice versa). it got a little thick thru the parts discussing grammar rules, but on the whole a good read that kept my interest. less dense than "how the mind works" and on the whole more intriguing.

I found this book to be an interesting and informative read. While I am interested in linguistics (and thus was probably a bit more excited about the topic than the average person), I think this book would also be enjoyable for anyone. Pinker writes in an understandable manner, mostly avoiding linguistic jargon and always explaining complex topics in a generally understandable way.

Additionally, the latest edition includes a "P.S." addition at the end that incudes Q&A with Pinker as well as a summary for each chapter of new advances that have been made since the book was originally written--a nice addition to an already great book.

I give this book five stars not because its reasoning is impeccable, or its writing everywhere beautiful, or its theme always engaging and irresistible. In none of these dimensions is it flawless. But I would nonetheless recommend it without reservation to all readers, so I feel I must give it five stars.

This book is great because of its fascinating subject, and the myriad of relevant ideas and examples it reveals. The book is more of in interesting discussion on a topic than an orderly defense of a thesis. But so many of the examples are utterly fascinating that, were there no attempt to patch them together into a single narrative, this book would still be intriguing and enjoyable. To give you a sense of why I love this book I must mention a few of these here.

Pinker discusses:

>how children, in a single generation, can transform a pidgin (an awkward combination of two languages created by the mingling of two populations with different native languages) into a creole (a composite language that is no longer awkward but instead melds the parent languages into a new one with all of the richness and complexity of any other natural language). He further describes how deaf children creolized artificially constructed sign languages into a natural language with all of the features and depth of expression that extant languages have.

>in depth, the concept that language defines the boundaries of thought and expression.

>how varieties of brain injuries and genetic mutations can alter very specific language abilities while leaving other general cognitive functioning unharmed.

>efforts to teach other animals language.

>how languages change over time and what rules the changes preserve and what aspects of language are up for grabs.

I will force myself to stop. As I flip through the pages of the book I find countless other examples and frequently get caught up in them all over again and have to tear myself away.

Now, I must warn you, that if you are not interested in theories of linguistics and cognition and computer science then there are, here and there, some more nuts and bolts discussions of how language works that you will find to be a bit dry. They're really not bad, and if you ARE interested in the above they're actually quite fascinating. But if you find your interest waning as you encounter these rougher patches, never fear, they are a relatively minor component of the book, and there are many more vigorous discussions yet to come.

If you are interested in language, how it works, how we learn it, and how it affects us, then you will love this book. I find Pinker's arguments in favor of the view that language is innate in humans to be compelling, and I think that most people would find the suggestion to be pretty intuitive. But don't let your feelings about the outcome of this argument obscure the many simpler pleasures available to the reader who innocently enjoys the many vistas afforded by this excellent tour of the world of linguistics.

I thought this was going to be a book about HOW to learn a language. I'm giving this four stars, b/c it's not really the author's fault that I picked the wrong book for my purpose. It's written well and explained well, but I really don't need someone to spend a whole lot of pages explaining to me that we instinctively learn. BUT I understand that there are people who do want to read a whole lot of pages explaining this theory, so...four stars it is. In case you didn't get that, it's NOT a book that teaches you how to learn a language.

The first thing to know about this book is that it is not about Physics, or even more broadly about Science. The book is about what the author believes and wants the reader to believe about various public policy issues. I agree with many of his beliefs, and disagree with a few. He is entitled to his opinion, but he should present his opinion as Science.

The author leads you to believe that what he is telling you is Science, not opinion when he writes, "I'll bring in engineering aspects they are needed, but the focus here will be on the science. Laws of countries can be changed, but laws of physics are pretty much set." However, he fails to meet the goal he set. He also writes, "Physicicsts, by tradition, have a more stringent standard than the courts: if you get caught exaggerating, distorting, or cherry picking, your scientific reputation is damaged if not destroyed." But then he goes on to exaggerate, distort, and cherry pick himself.

Even in cases where the situation would present a great opportunity to introduce the reader to important ideas from Physics, the author fails to present the reader with the information that would argue against his opinion. For example, as a physicist, the author surely understands what thermodynamics says about limits on the conversion of heat to work, but he treats all energy forms as equivalent by quoting their heating value. Given the difference in work that can be obtained from gasoline (his favorite fuel) and electricity, this is a serious distortion.

As an example of cherry picking, the author dislikes electric cars. He claims his dislike is based in physics, but it is not. He cites the energy density of batteries compared to gasoline to show that electric cars are impractical. That is cherry picking, because there are other relevant facts he refuses to tell the reader.

This book also provides little basis for the reader to learn more on his or her own. The "facts" presented are not substantiated with references, or only with the claim that the author heard it from an acquaintance. However, some of his facts are incorrect.

I do not recommend this book.

What drew me to this book was not so much its title, although it is quite intriguing, but its author. I had read a couple of Professor Muller's books in the past and found them to be very engaging as well as models of clarity. This book is no exception. Using logical scientific reasoning, the author addresses various topics that a future president would likely need to deal with. The topics are: terrorism, energy, nuclear matters, outer space and global warming. Removing any mythology and misinformation that may be associated with these issues, the author carefully analyzes them from a physics perspective; this is to help any future presidents in making solid well-informed decisions. The contentious matter of global warming is dealt with particularly well; in fact, it is one of the fairest and most level-headed discussions of this matter that I have read thus far. A set of notes at the end of the book contain a few simple calculations that complement some of the statements in the main text. However, a reader who is math-phobic need to not worry since the notes are not essential to fully appreciate the book's content. The writing style is very clear, accessible, authoritative, friendly and quite engaging. This informative book can be enjoyed by anyone, especially those interested in the use of a logical scientific approach to address important world issues.

This an important primer for non-science types (i.e. those of us who avoided the sciences, especially physics, in colleges and elsewhere like the plague, but still have lots of opinions about energy and international policy, etc.) - nicely organized, clearly delivered, thought provoking, good humored, and humbling. We need a lot more conversations in this country in a process where citizens and their elected officials actually listen and learn from those who have been studying the topics Richard Muller presents in this book - and this is a great way to begin. Thank you, Dr. Muller.

Muller's basic thesis is that we are sure we know certain things, but these things are actually false. He aims to give the basic science behind current issues like climate change, alternative energy sources, nuclear proliferation, and space.

I am not a scientist, but I often spent my time in high school study halls perusing physics texts rather than doing my homework. This book spares the reader all manner of arcane formulae and mathematics. It tries to present the bottom line on why and how things work they way they do. The net effect is to neutralize many fears common among the public. For example, a nuclear reactor cannot explode like an atomic bomb. It does not have the right kind of uranium and should something go wrong, the nuclear reaction naturally stops of its own.

Muller tries to distinguish between the science of something and its interpretation for what ought be done about an issue. When he violates his own rules for his book, he tries to tell the reader he is doing that.

Some basic factual information is repeated several times in the book. While that could be annoying, it serves to reinforce those concepts.

I found some parts of the book more interesting than others and expect that will be true for any other readers. But, those parts of greater interest to others may be the parts I found less interesting. This would be a good book for any voter to read. Our public discourse would be based more on facts and less on feeling. Still, as the author indicates, there are some areas where the science alone does not dictate how a decision should be made in some problem issue. Maybe the science is not even conclusive as science.

Issue: "The burning jet fuel that took down the twin towers ... ." (From review of Muller's book in S.F. Chronicle, 8-3-08, by Graeme Wood, editor at Atlantic).

The physics of burning jet fuel and the melting point of steel do not provide an explanation as to the twin towers collapse.

Wood writes in his review of Muller's book:
"Muller has lucid explanations of how the World Trade Center collapsed ... ."

"The burning jet fuel that took down the twin towers ... ." (from the review of Muller's book).

This is not possible due to the physics of the problem:

Steel has a melting point of about 1370 Degrees C, or about 2500 Degrees F.
(Source Funk & Wagnall's New Encyclopedia (1983 edition, Vol 14, page 243).

Jet fuel when mixed in precise proportions with air will burn briefly at about 1800 Degrees F. The "open air" burn temperature of jet fuel is much lower. In fact "turbine inlet temperatures cannot exceed about 1100 Degrees C, or about 2000 Degrees F, because of the thermal limitations of the materials" in the jet engine. (Ibid, Vol 15, page 42). This temperature is INSIDE the jet engine with highly compressed air burning with the jet fuel in the "combustion chamber," not the "open air" burning temperature of jet fuel which took place in the Twin Towers.

A google search under "burning jet fuel temperature" is instructive.

Muller has not proved "lucid explanations of how the World Trade Center collapsed ... ."

It is intriguing that Muller, a "polymath in Berkeley's physics department," (Wood) is presenting "physics" which do not agree with the physics of the problem he is discussing.

This was a Christmas gift for my college age son. Book was in excellent shape and delivered in a timely manner.

Plato's philosophies regarding how to organize society is very real in today's modern world. The ideas regarding the honor class are clearly seen if one looks closely. I think this book should be required reading at some point in high school--perhaps people would be better able to see the reasoning behind many social structures thereby allowing them to make more informed decisions about what they believe and to whom they consider to be good leaders.

Plato's 'Republic' is one of the most important works of ancient Greek philosophy, and one of the foundation pieces of political science and political philosophy of that and subsequent ages. It was one of the first pieces I read when undertaking a political science degree.

Plato was not only a great philosopher, but also a great writer. While few master the classical Greek language sufficient to undertake its study in the original language, the text appears in countless translated forms of varying degrees of integrity. This particular translation is one that is often used in schools, and is fairly careful to the original text.

The text is traditionally divided into ten sections, although some scholars see this as being a function of the papyrus and scrolls of original composition more than being integral to the structure of the text itself. One of the interesting features of the Republic is that it was not originally intended for scholars and philosophers primarily, but for the common (albeit educated) reader, and remains one of the more accessible texts of ancient Greek philosophy.

In typical fashion, this is done in a dialogue fashion, with the lead character Socrates (fashioned after Plato's teacher, the great philosopher Socrates, although the words Socrates utters in this and many other Platonic dialogues are undoubtedly Plato's own). There is a discussion on method (the Sophist Thrasymachus shows up early to make disparaging comments about the Socratic method) whilst trying to determine an adequate definition of justice, as well as a discussion on the virtues and/or utility of wealth and old age early in the text. Socrates moves the discussion of justice away from the individual toward the communal, and this is where the political philosophy gets played out in full.

Book II shows the setting out of an ideal city (city-states being the most common form of political organisation in Greece at the time of Plato, with Athens and other cities competing for dominant role). Division of labour becomes an immediate necessity if a city grows beyond a small village setting, according to the theory here. These essentially become classes of people, with different rights and responsibilities, and different expectations of education and material well-being. The guardians or army class is the first one introduced, including an extensive discussion of the type of education and indoctrination such a class should have - this involves political and religious aspects.

It follows from this discussion that censorship is not only tolerated, but selectively preferred. The guardian class is elaborated upon - they are to be divided into rulers and helpers (officer and enlisted class, perhaps?), and they should live separately from the city they guard, owning no private property so as to not be corrupted or corruptible.

After establishing the just foundation of the city, the discussion returns to justice for the individual (interesting to note that what is not discussed is if justice is attainable in a non-ideal city). Justice, after all, is that state when everyone is doing what he or she should be doing, not meddling in other affairs, and exhibiting the virtues of moderation, wisdom, and courage. Justice becomes one of the virtues, and is part of an inner state of the soul of one living in such a society.

Interesting parts of the Republic include the very early idea for equal rights and responsibilities for women, particularly in the guardian class. It is unclear whether Plato was aware of how self-serving his dialogue would seem, since his argument leads to the `natural' conclusion that the only ones who could really be in charge in such an ideal city would be the philosophers. Plato is not an advocate for democracy, and pokes fun quite a bit at democratic structures; he similarly disapproves of most of other types of government (oligarchy, plutocracy, timocracy, etc.) - one can discern the frustrated politician here.

However, the real power of the Republic lies in Plato's remarkable images and metaphoric stories in the second half of the dialogue. These include his expositions on theories of the Forms, and trying to explain what the Good is, and how humankind interprets such things. The images of the ship, the Sun, and the men in the cave are powerful images that have lasted in popular literature since the time of Plato.

This is a classic of Western literature and of world literature.

The Republic is a grandiose work, without doubt the most important of Plato and one of the most impressive mankind' s intellectual monuments. Although it has regarded the Republic as the first politic utopia, one must not interpret this book solely as a work that it purposed itself as the description of an ideal State, but, above all as a text disposed to offer norms that, applied to the existent regimes at its historical moment, would rectify its deficiencies, specially in what concerned to Athenian democracy.

According Plato, the foru historical regimes are: the timocracy, the oligarchy, the democracy and the tyranny. So the democracy remained in a transient state between oligarchy and tyranny.

But this extraordinary essay does not exhaust itself in the theory of the State. Also contains the essence of the metaphysics and the theory of the knowledge. Specially famous the cavern's allegory, that exposes through a myth ( what so weird didn't you?) the platonic theory of the knowledge.

It has been said - with knack - that Peloponnesian War was the first ideological war in the history, dispute in which Esparto and Athens confronted themselves I mean the authoritarianism of the first one against the Athenian democracy, a true maritime Empire in those ages. and I think to myself that for Athens, the dispute was still more dramatic whereas some of their main families were traditionally enemies of its democratic system and obviously were congenial with Esparto, being perhaps the fundamental device that impulsed Plato to write this supreme bequeath for the posterity.

I just had one brief comment to make, more on the concept of justice as a whole as expounded on in The Republic, rather than on the many other facet's of Plato's classic.

Early on in the book there is the famous exchange between Socrates and the Sophist, Thrasymachus. Socrates asks him for his definition of Justice, and Thasymachus responds that "Justice is the interest of the stronger."

Socrates then uses his famous eponymous method to seemingly demolish the Sophist's position, and then presents his own view instead.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Thrasymachus here, if only on practical and historical grounds. Justice usually is the interest of the stronger. Perhaps this is not what Justice should be in human and social terms, but that's the reality.

Socrates' definition is a nice ideal to strive for, but it rarely works out that way in practice. If one thinks of Thrasymachus' definition as simply pragmatic and realistic, and Socrates' definition as being the ideal that a true republic (or whatever society) should strive for, then I think this is a more accurate view of the situation. Socrates makes Thrasymachus' idea appear invalid, but in fact, his idea is more accurate in terms of how things actually work out in most parts of the world (and even in the US) than is Socrates' idea.

Furthermore, one only has to think of the U.S. and how much influence the special and monied interests have on the political process to see that Thrasymachus is basically right. Money is power, and power is what politics is all about. And whoever has money controls the political process.

Not that this is right or even desirable, it's just the way things are. Finally, it seems to be human nature to falsely profess to high ideals that one has no real intention of following oneself, but that if one can get others to ascribe to them, you will have an advantage. Perhaps this is another factor at the root of politics, in addition to the obvious ones, which are the money, power, and sex that ultimately drive it.

I enjoyed it that much, and need to appreciate his expertise even more.

I really appreciated the sensitivity to theology from the scientist. I have read attestations to belief in deity by other scientists who should have consulted a theologian to frame their case.

The Languag of God had a profound effect on me. As a corporate director for a fortune 500 company I continually strive to incorporate spirituality in the workplace. Not as an in-your-face endeavor, but rather as an example. With the way the world is becoming and indeed, our own nation, I find this to be an ardous task.

This book, helped me over some rough spots. Having recently read the God Delusion and God Is Not Great, I was in dire need of a refreshing view from my side of the fence.

This book will fortify what you already know and will be a great comfort to you as you live out your life in this changing time.

Now I only need for the author to continue the tread and write several more books. I can assure you that I will buy and cherish all of them.

Michael L. Gooch, SPHR - Author of Wingtips with Spurs

Thank God for Francis S. Collins and his creative scientific perspectives concerning the natural aspects of God & Nature.

Thank Amazon.com for the fine service it performs bringing products and information like this to the public.

I was very disappointed in this book.

I have studied the theories of origins for 10 years. My educational and career background is in both biology and theology. I very much enjoy exploring the various theories, opinions, and points of view---when they are credible.

I could not believe my eyes when I read many blatantly false and flimsy statements in this book! What the heck?! This author is supposed to be a brilliant scientist!

Concerning several of the theories he "critiques," he did not do his literature research well. Some of his arguments have strong, published rebuttals that anyone with half a brain would see the perfect logic and scientific merit in.

In addition, his lack of scriptural knowledge is very obvious to anyone who is intimately familiar with the Bible.

I was hoping for a thought-provoking, ground-breaking idea from this guy. What I got was a bunch of grossly misrepresented and misinterpreted science and scripture.

Don't waste your money.

The glaring gap in Dr. Collins's intellectual development from atheist to theist is his lack of knowledge of metaphysics. He falls for Stephen Jay Gould's idea that science and religion are two different "magisteriums" (Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life). To understand evolution a scientist needs to know that there are three methods of inquiry: science, metaphysics, and theology. The existence of God and the concept of the human soul are formal results in metaphysics arising, respectively, from the two existential propositions that human being are different from one another and yet equal to one another. For this branch of knowledge I recommend The One and the Many: A Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics by Norris Clarke, S. J. Metaphysics helps us to understand evolution in two ways: 1) Evolution only applies to the bodies of human beings, not their souls. 2) Intelligent design (ID) is bad science, not because of its critique of natural selection, but because ID is metaphysics, not science.

Great classroom resource. Photocopy the worksheets to organize your groups with ease. Activities of what students not in teacher led groups could be doning with photocopy cards you can use in a chart to organize.
This book was highly recommended to me, I borrowed a copy, then decided I needed my own.

Fountas and SuPinnel have written a book that has all the answers to any questions I have ever needed regarding teaching reading with groups. I have been teaching for 5 years and have finally found a book that really gives me clear explanantions, ideas, etc. The biggest question any teacher (especially beginning teachers) I know has ever asked themselves (including myself) was: "WHAT ARE THE REST OF THE CHILDREN DOING, while one works with a guided reading group? I have heard many ideas BUT this book has the best and most organized answer ever. If you have the same question(s) then you have to get this book. The entire book is fantastic, as Ms. Giacobbe put it, in the foreword, "why didn't someone tell us this before?" I felt the best part of this awesome book was Chapter Five: Managing the Classroom. The "Work Board" idea is one I've seen before but never truly understood until I read this book. The authors clearly tell you how to make, organize, and use the work board. They even explain, in detail, each Literacy Activity: Browsing Boxes, ABC, Listening, Art, Writing, Reading Around the Room, Independent Reading, Poem Box, Buddy Reading, and much more. Chapter Thirteen had some great ideas for Literacy Activities, specifically the Letter and Word Activities. The ABC Center ideas were excellent. Reading this book makes you want to do it all! I can't wait until the Fall!

Great book to help teachers organize their classroom for guided reading groups. Has wonderful ideas to impliment learning centers and management of those centers while teaching guided reading groups. Our school has a copy of this book for each teacher to model their classroom after.

I had this book at close tabs at all times. I really loved the icons they have at the back of the book (these are center icons). I photocopied and laminated them, and used them to rotated the children through their centers daily. I LOVE the list of books for each reading level. A big help when choosing books to read with each reading group. Excellent book. A must have in each classroom.

I knew that my guided reading program needed to change, but didn't no exactly how to go about improving it. This book has all the answers! Although I'm on summer break, I can't wait to go back in the fall and get started on my new literacy program, putting into practice all the things I've learned from this book.

Thomas Paine is the Main Man who started the two Revolutionary Wars, first America which took 7 years then afterwards France starts her own Revolution with Thomas Paine's help but hers is won almost overnight. Thomas Paine not only started these Revolutions but he participated in both. This book is a real page turner that you won't be able to put down!

With all of the current claims by people of what the Founding Fathers intended for our country I decided to begin reading them for myself to achieve a personal perspective on what the Founders intended. This book and the writings contained are an excellent source of information and insight as to what Thomas Paine's intentions were.

Thomas Paine is an important figure in the founding of the United States. Although he was later ignored by the United States (when he was a prisoner in France...).

The book is a good compilation of the works of Thomas Paine. Paine was a smart man and his writings were influential in the American Revolution (Common Sense) and the French Revolution (Rights of Man). This book combines the writings into one book.

Common Sense is a short phamplet that greatly influenced the United States foundation. The sensical arguments seem obvious to readers in the 21st Century but in the late 18th century they were ideas that people needed to hear, and was a kickoff to the drive for independence. Common sense was read by a lot of Americans at the time and would do students of American History well to get the feelings of the Revolutionary period.

In today's politically heated atmosphere, people seem to have forgotten what this great nation was founded on. Reading this book is enlightening, awakening, and reminds us of what it took to make America. Sadly, it's also a pretty sharp reminder of how more and more of our rights are being stripped away from us. I think this book should be required reading in school, and certainly before any political discussion. I recommend this book to ANYONE of ANY AGE. Absolutely amazing.

I have read much on the history of our beautiful country and also of other countries as well.

This book by Thomas Paine "COMMON SENSE AND THE RIGHTS OF MAN" is an extraordinary out line of how man should form his government and live in harmony with his fellow man in this world. Thomas Paine, one of our founding fathers, is a man that saw the rights of man being trampled on by England. His writing is plain common sense, of which many of us fail to utilize, about what a government should be and should not be. Our founding fathers gave us a Republic, if we could keep it. So far we have taken the declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights completly our of context. We are nowhere near the government our founding fathers gave us.

Those who wish to find the truth are compelled to read this book. Those who are satisified with the status quo will continue to be so. Read one of the best books ever written on the Rights of Man and then make your decision whether you want to live free men or langour in slavery.

Thomas Eby......

Whether you have taught for a while or are just starting out, this book is a good resource. It goes through the components of reading and shows how to plan lessons according to what your students need. I found it very helpful in organizing materials and plans.

This book is really good. I saw it in a workshop I was in and definitely recommend it. It has a lot of really good information and for a good price on here.

Debbie Diller shares lots of tips to help you get organized for small group instruction. Also, there are lots of lesson plans and examples of how to teach various skills in small groups. I am an experienced teacher, but still got a lot of very useful information from this book. It is a book that I am sure I will use often.

Couldn't put the book down. This book has a wealth of information. Coupled with Debbie Diller's other book about work stations, this is a must have.

Debbie Diller has written another fantastic resource for reading teachers. This book is full of helpful ideas for teaching each of the five areas of reading and give tips on organizing. Well worth the money--one of the best resources I have seen in 27 years of teaching.

I ordered this book paying extra for overnight shipping, because my next class was 4 days away, and a week later, the book is still not here, along with the estimated shipping date being another week away.

I've called Amazon and they said it was in the hands of UPS now. I call UPS and they state it's a backlog from the holidays.

If I pay for overnight shipping, which is quite expensive, I expect it to be here in at least 3 days. The book was ordered before the holidays, and honestly, I wouldn't mind if my book were to be backlogged one or two days, but it's taking two weeks now and I'm falling behind in class.

I should have paid the $250 at my local bookstore and gotten it the day before class. I guess I won't order from Amazon again.

The book was just like what it was described as and it was fast service.

I never received the item but they were very cooperative when I requested a refund. The refund was credited to my bank account the next day and I was sent a very apologetic e-mail from the sales associate that I dealt with to get my refund.

came in a week usefull book if taken psy good deal to saved 20 bucks

A good but very basic and superficial introduction to the field. I would prefer to see some topics explored more in-depth.

This is a great book for anyone interested in meditation. Since mindfulness is at the core of meditation this book helps to explain not only what mindfulness is but how to put it into practice by making mindfulness part of ones daily life. A gem of a book. khudos to Thich Nhat Hanh.

Interesting, easy to read and follow the author. Didn't agree with everything, but overall it's alright. I had to read it for a class.
Book received as described by the seller.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote "The Miracle of Mindfulness" in 1974 to help the politically-neutral aid workers in Vietnam deal with the trauma of war and the challenges of their work. The book is a remarkable reminder of the power we have to be effective, and that power is rooted in our willingness to bring attention to exactly where we are.

What I really appreciate about this book is that it is about "Engaged Buddhism." In this school, awareness is not just something you gain sitting still in meditation. Rather Hahn emphasizes that awareness can also be gleaned and expressed when you get to work in your life!

If what you seek is practical enlightenment, I suggest you read any of Ariel and Shya Kanes' books: Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation,How To Create a Magical Relationship,Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. Like Hahn, the Kanes support their readers in gaining and utilizing awareness in a way that is clearly effective, both personally and globally!

This author has a unique ability to boil down a concept to a simple easily understood recipe that most people can quickly grasp. He has written a Manual on Mindfulness meditation in a 148 page back pocket sized book. It contains picturesque examples and a choice of a variety of exercises that the reader can use to enjoy life in the moment and appreciate the interrelationship of all things.

Nhat Hanh's Mindfulness exercises teach us to become aware of the miracle of life. We do not think of things as being good or bad, we simply observe them as they are breathing, observing, appreciating, and letting thoughts pass. We practice and live our life in mindfulness of and the interrelationship to all things. When we eat a tangerine, for example, we do so thinking and enjoying exactly what we are doing in the moment. Our mind is not on what we will do when we are finished with the task at hand or day dreaming about something else. We feel the texture of the tangerine as we peel it. We note the spray and fragrance that the fruit releases during the process. We taste each juicy bite and enjoy the succulent fruit being thoroughly chewed and swallowed in the moment. We take the time to pause and think of the mother of the fruit, the tree and how the flowers and leafs are bathed by the sun and rain. We imagine the bee's pollinating the flowery tree. We appreciate tree roots roll receiving and transmitting the earth's nourishment and the rains moisture.

In addition to awakening us to what is, Hanh teaches us to liberate our hearts and minds from incorrect thinking and to have compassion for those not yet awakened to truth.

This is a lovely book with many practical tips on meditating.

My particular favourite is the reference to 'washing the dishes to wash the dishes' - the idea of living in the present and enjoying tasks that we all want to put off. By focusing on the job in hand and not ruminating or thinking about what we are going to do next, Hanh rewards the reader with very simple but profound advice. - my dishes have never been cleaner and my mind is certainly less cluttered as a result!

this was a great book. it was very insightful. the author did a great job of defining and describng the most prominent worldviews held in todays world.

We used this book in our class on Western Heritage. It is really useful in explaining the differences in current world views as well as the development and historical aspects of our own.

If your question is "which God?" this is a great place to begin. If it weren't for this amazing book, I might still be floundering around in search of the truth.

The Universe Next Door
James W. Sire
This review is on the Second Edition of the book, copyright 1988. That being the case there may be major changes in the book that address some current trends in worldviews (I hope that's actually the case).

What's the Point of The Book?
To give us a basic overview and introduction to several worldviews beginning from the author's own worldview (Christian Theism) all the way through the New Age Movement. The author is not trying to indoctrinate us in every point found in the worldview or even the major divisions throughout but he wishes to underscore some major features and question some major problems.

The Good
This is tough because it could also be a "bad" and only that because of the date of the original publication (1976). The meat of the book comes in 219 pages with bibliographical notes that bring the count up to 241 (The remaining 5 pages are devoted to the index). Those biographical notes are a godsend for anyone wanting to dig further into the material and are stated as such by the author. This edition actually features a much appreciated rewrite of the New Age movement section in light of how much has happened from 76 to 88. The worldviews are given pretty fair treatment considering what the author is doing (overview and not in-depth apologetics). The language is fitting with the subject and as worldviews grow increasingly complex the author stands with that view and exposes us to the language being used.

The Bad
The theistic section should have covered different theistic worldviews. I know his purpose was to give an overview and finally summarize how each of these fall short but by ignoring alternate theisms he doesn't really underscore how Christian Theism stands out. In this book it seems that it's either Christian Theism or Naturalism and all that grows out of that. Failing to mention, say Islamic Theism, is a huge oversight and one that can leave the reader saying "fine, naturalism is wacky but why not believe in {X Creator God} instead of the Christian God?" I also think that the nihilism section may have consisted of some ungrounded generalizations for instance he opens that chapter with "Nihilism is more a feeling than a philosophy. Strictly speaking, nihilism is not a philosophy at all." After this he proceeds to show how nihilism leads to despair and despair is the teaching of nihilism that grows out of a naturalistic framework. If he established it up front I wouldn't be as critical.

The Ugly
The cover illustration is dated but that is to be expected with a 1988 title. The book could have been longer and still accomplished its overview goal while simultaneously shedding some light on alternate worldviews.


Star Rating
All my remarks aside, I still think this book is well worth reading as an introduction into worldviews and understanding that the author doesn't intend for the book to do any more. I would warn the reader that the section on Eastern Pantheistic Monism is utterly confusing and demands a second and third reading but that is no fault of the author. Some of the things being dealt with in that philosophy are so outside Westerners' thinking that he or she may have to saturate themselves with the words so as to understand what is wrong with them.

There are a number of reviewers who are under the impression that the only way to write a world-view catalog is from an objective position which has no bias at all.
This is unfortunate, because the book tries to show us how everyone has a presuppositional bias: there is no objective middle ground from which to weigh up the others.

This was required reading as a theology student, and I found it useful. His 7 questions are powerful and useful in deconstructing longer texts, but other sets of questions are more useful and easily deployed in analyzing world-views on a regular basis, such
1) what is my relationship to creation in this view
2) what is my relationship to other people in this view
3) what is my relationship to God in this view.

Another useful one is
1) What is the problem
2) What can save us/them from the problem
3) What does the world look like once it is saved?


Personally, I found it helpful to realize that not everyone thinks like me, and to use this book as a very useful quick guide to the way others may think. Of course he generalizes. Of course he is simplistic. But he is also helpful.

I recommend.
To those who criticize this book as validating Christians in their blinkered view, I suggest finding a different book to validate them in theirs. But isn't that rather Sire's point about us all having a world-view based on a series of assumptions which may or may not stack up?