Westerns Books

This book was recommended to me by an art teacher and it is excellent, showing a chronological history of art with great images. A great reference.

Gardner's seperates the chapters in this book into regions, cultures and era's.
It includes cultural context informaion essential to understanding art and architecture. There are two ways to explore a piece of art: (1) analyzing the technique and (2) understanding the purpose. Like modern day song lyrics, many pieces of art and architecture were created for some type of political purpose. This book not only discusses the technological advancements in art and architecture, but shows the influences behind the creation of the pieces.

I let someone borrow my ninth edition and my friend lost it. So I got the tenth edition. I love it. It gives breif history on the popular artists. It gives enough background so you are able to use it for references. I'm not an art major, but I really love the fact that it compiles many artists together. I was at the bookstore and I was looking at individual artist's books. That was when I realized how much I love this book. All the great stuff are in here.

I was introduced by my art history class. But now it's a hobbie to just read up on it.

Before reading this book, I was of the opinion that philosophy, really, was nothing more than the study of the pyschology and personality of the philosopher. After reading this introduction to Nietzsche though, I am pleased to have discovered that the relationship between the philosopher and his or her philosophy is more involved - and interesting - than I had first thought.

In this book, Nietzsche comes across as someone who seemed as if he was overwhelmed by the gravity of his philosophical discoveries. I'm not completely sure if this is true or not but in one sense this is irrelevant as Mr. Tanner has succeeded in making me want to find out more for myself.

More than just relating 'facts & figures', Mr. Tanner has succeeded in letting Nietzsche's discoveries reveal their own life - and worth - to the extent that the only thing left now is to read Nietzsche and find out for myself.

When I bought this book I expected a brief introduction into the Philosophy of Neitzsche. Instead, I got a brief intro into Neitzsche the man. Sure he is an interesting character, but Tanner spends more time framing Nietzsche psychologically and gushing over his writing style than talking about his contributions to philosophy. He spends more time talking about Neitzsche's works then what they are actually about.

This would be a great book if you were already familiar with Nietzsche's works and wanted some insight to his motivations. For a beginner, I suggest you look elsewhere. Finally, the author often presents philosophical terminology without explanation and uses vocabulary beyond the scope of the casual reader. While some of it makes sense in context, I often had to use a dictionary despite six years of college education.

This is a superb introduction to Nietzsche, one that goes beyond a recitation of works and main points, although it contains that aspect, also. Tanner knows Nietzsche from the ground up, and he has produced an overview and evaluation that is at once sympathetic and tough-minded. For example, there are many who claim that 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' is Nietzche's greatest book; Tanner explains why it isn't, by a long shot.

Nietzsche's works are complex and unsystematic, his themes are many and sometimes mixed together without warning, and he changed his mind about some of his crucial early concepts and positions later on. All of that makes a short summary and evaluation a very difficult thing to pull off, but Tanner has done it better than anyone. Tanner has also written the introductions to many of the Penguin editions of Nietzche's works. Highest recommendation.

Nietzche is indeed a rather interesting philosopher however I feel after reading this book that I still do not know much about his philosophy. I can contrast this to the outstanding VSI book on Kant from which I think I learned a great deal. The author has the tendency to write very obscurely which is not a good thing for these kind of books which are written about authors or subject matter that often considered obscure to begin with. I think one would do a lot better just to pick up one of Nietzche's books and have a go at it.

I picked this book up, because I'm interested in getting a high level overview of Nietzsche. The title read Very Short Introduction, so I assumed it would be a great starting point to figure out if I would want to dive into some of Nietzsche complete works and study him over time. Now, I'm not an English major, but I do hold a Masters degree, so I am educated. I found this book terrible in communicating its point. Yes, Tanner has a wonderful command of the English language, but does his book really need to require a dictionary to read? It's almost as if he ran it through a software thesaurus that converted every word to the most obscure word he could possibly use. Yes, Mr. Tanner your language is impressive, but if the average reader, like me, can't understand you then what's the point? Keep it simple; always use the simplest most widely used words to communicate the point. Anything else is just egotistical in my opinion.

The VSI series can be a bit mixed, but Singer's entry in the series on Hegel is outstanding. It offers a superlative introduction to the complexity of Hegel's thoughts and does so in clear and engaging prose. My primary complaint, although I sympathize with the reasons that Singer offers, is the scant treatment of the Science of Logic. It is immensely important to understanding Hegel, and other works, like The Philosophy of Right, which Singer devotes a chapter too, rest on the views put forward in the Science of Logic. My other complaint is Singer's repeated emphasis on Marx and Marxism in relation to Hegel. There are far more important ways, philosophically speaking, in which Hegel has influenced thinking. I would rather have seen discussion of the interplay of analytic philosophy with Hegel and his interpreters. Nonetheless, don't let these complaints mislead: Singer's VSI is excellent. Buy it.

I have a couple of the "V. Short Introductions". Reading this book, one should bear in mind that by himself Singer is something of an anti-Hegelian, as well as an expert. His reservations spill over into his follow-up intro to Marx. Compared to Roger Scruton's V. Short Intro.s, Singer is summary and helpful, but after reading, you will remain a beginner. Scruton's intro to Kant is much, much harder, and much more rewarding. I feel like I still don't know anything about Hegel, and I think a slightly deeper introduction, by a more sympathetic commentator, is advisable. If you're as slow as I am, by all means take it out of the library. But put your money somewhere else.

Peter Singer's clarity is astonishing. This Very Short Introduction is a great read, and so is the one he wrote on Marx. I wish he'd write more of these books, thy're a great way to get to know the basics on these thinkers without spending too much time on it.

Probably not very many people will plunge into Hegel on their own, and most of those will quickly plunge back out. As Bryan Magee said, "His writing is almost uniquely obscure -- it positively repels the reader...One can read page after page of Hegel, racking one's brains and thinking: 'What the HELL does he mean?'" Hegel may just be one of those writers best approached through the secondary literature -- at least you will come away with something.

Even if you intend to take the plunge, a preparatory introduction seems like a smart idea. I can't imagine a better warm-up than this little book by Peter Singer. It is a model of clear writing, and I have no doubt that Singer is superb in the classroom. He has taken a good deal of trouble to organize the book so that the reader is carefully shepherded along, step by step, through the ideas and arguments. It gives you the feeling of being in a seminar with a master teacher who really, really wants you to understand the material. This is a true introduction, not a once-over synopsis, a careful job in every sense of the term. Highest recommendation.

The author here presents a short overview of the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831). As with most of the books in the Very Short Introduction series from Oxford University Press, the presentation is clear, straightforward, and lucid.

Singer's overview briefly cover's Hegel's life, and then turns to major works - Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Right, The Phenomenology of Mind, and Science of Logic. Each of these works is briefly discussed, with the longest discussion being reserved for the Phenomenology. It concludes with a brief look at the Young Hegelians; Karl Marx was one of them, and Hegel was an important influence on the development of Marx's philosophy.

Singer clearly has a strong interest in Marx (he wrote the Very Short Introduction to Marx) and frequent references to Marx and Engels throughout the book reinforce Hegel's influence, if unintended, on the development of Communism.

Recommended as a first foray into the study of Hegel - the original writings of the philosopher are quite difficult, but this volume makes Hegel's thought relatively accessible.

Book has alot of highlighting and written notes on several pages in the book and is very distracting especially when learning a new subject for the first time.

This textbook is the most bland and uninteresting of every textbook I have ever read. The content is generally written out in an extended technical format with virtually every chapter packed full of formulas, graphs, and tables without nearly enough descriptive information to make sense of it all. So much material is glossed over in each of the 19 chapters, it is difficult to digest most of it especially in a distant learning 1-semester college course (without having in-class lectures).

I have to say, for a "basic economics" book, this is anything but. In fact, the material written about is so complex and the quizzes and tests so challenging that, for an added fee, you are encouraged to purchase an additional "study book" to accompany the main book! The author clearly knows a lot about economics, but not a lot about making the material interesting nor digestible. I read each chapter twice, studied the review notes and chapter summaries, and still struggled to grasp many of the economic concepts. The quizzes and tests released by the publisher are likewise so challenging that it is terribly daunting to take them, even with an open-book policy.

Finally, for being a 14th edition the book and its accompanying material surely isn't devoid of any errors! Some portions of this book are updated to reflect 2005 and even 2006 information, while other parts have been carelessly neglected and still contain conflicting information from earlier editions. The PowerPoint summaries provided by the company are riddled with typos and technical/formatting issues; some even have "editor comment" notes still stuck to various slides. Finally, both the quizzes and tests have multiple blatant ERRORS in them, so answers which are factually correct based on the book's own material were scored as incorrect on more than a few occasions. I can't believe that such an expensive book, at its 14th edition, would still have such errors within its materials. Apparently the author doesn't believe in proofreading or just dreads reading over his own sandpaper-dry material. This book has left a bitter taste in my mouth and was anything but enjoyable to read. Based primarily on the errors encountered in the book and related materials, I have recommended that the professors at my college explore other alternatives, and they agree.

I buy a lot of my textbooks on Amazon. I have always gotten great service and substantial savings.

It was rather slow in arriving, but the price was good and the quality was fine (it was a new book).

Newbigin does a great service in this book. He gives an introduction to practical thinking about ministry in a changing and postmodern world. Highly recomended.

In this work, Newbigin explores the relationship of Christianity to power with a searching honesty that few others have matched. While appreciative of Christendom's accomplishments, Newbigin suggests that the power granted the church in Christendom overestimates Christians' grasp of the truth and underestimates the tendency for power to corrupt the church. But the failures of Christendom do not thereby justify completely abandoning the attempt to influence the powers of secular society. Newbigin forcefully argues that Christians cannot simply set aside efforts to influence worldly powers in favor of "sectarian protest" against those powers. Society and it institutions will be guided by some vision of the good life (they cannot be neutral in this regard), and if that vision is the wrong one, much needless harm and spiritual suffering will result. In service to the world, then, Christians must offer their vision of the good life as the truth which should guide individuals and their institutions. Newbigin attempts to articulate an intermediate position (along the lines suggested by Abraham Kuyper) that falls somewhere between Christendom and sectarian protest. Serious questions may be raised about Newbigin's proposal, but his unwillingness to settle for the extremes makes this work a wonderful launching point for further reflection. Whatever model one adopts for Christian activity in the secular sphere, Newbigin suggests that for any engagement with secular culture to be successful Christians will have to first grapple with postmodern pessimism towards the concepts of truth and knowledge. Newbigin considers postmodernity's legitimate insights into the relationship between knowledge and power but moves beyond postmodern skepticism to sketch an epistemology that is appropriately humble yet also hopeful about the possibility of gaining insight into the truth.

This is an excellent resource that presents a fresh approach to its topics and offers a creative and effective presentation of the role of theology in public life and discourse. I would say that its minor weakness would be an incomplete understanding of economics and an (understandable, given the time of its writing) preoccupation with the polarity between capitalism and communism. The result is that Newbigin's economic critique is a bit off-target. There are legitimate critiques of capitalism to make from his perspective but they require a better appreciation of the virtues of capitalism than he demonstrates. One hopes a latter day disciple will issue a fresh edition with a new foreword that could address this minor shortcoming in an otherwise superb small volume.

Lesslie Newbigin's asks the question, how can the Gospel transform a western culture that has fragmented life into two categories: Facts and Values. Facts are scientifically proven matters of public knowledge where there is either Truth or False. Values are the private beliefs a person lives by and makes decisions by. They are not provable according to the scientific method, so there is no way to state them as fact. So, is this the realm of the Gospel? Should the sovereignty of God and the sacrifice of Christ stay carefully stowed and talked about in the private parts of our lives? Or should the Gospel become a mandated part of the public life? Throughout the book she discusses the delicate dichotomy between and the tightrope we as recipients of Grace should live. It was an eye-opening and profound book. My one critique is that the content at times was so thick I got lost in the minutia versus the heart of her message. I think anyone interested in the conversation of Christianity, Culture, Capitalism, and the desire to prove all facts with the scientific method would be benefited by reading this careful academic text.

This book was very helpful in deciding what to see on a recent trip to Yellowstone. I really liked that it had what to do if you only have one or two days in the park and then went much more in depth if you have more time.

This book helped us alot! The information is detailed and just what we wanted. We only were in Yellowstone for 2 days, so we wanted to see all we could, and there is a chapter that is just for that. You can use this kind of like a tour guide. It tells you what you'll see, some history (not too much though), what to expect, etc. It was VERY helpful. We also used this is Grand Teton. The book also give you ideas where to eat and stay (we used the dining info, we had already made our lodging plans before I got the book). I highly recommend this book. I also purchased the Bryce and Zion book, as we were going there too on this vacation.

I found it very helpful in mapping out our trip that we will take this summer. great insight into where to stay and eat.

This book was not what I expected - I would not recommend it at all. It stayed in the car packed away. I also bought Scenic Driving Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, 2nd (Scenic Driving Series) and Outdoor Family Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks (Outdoor Family Guides) which were excellent.

We bought this book, but ended up using other guides. It is a fine reference for some people, but I'd recommend:
Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park (Great for more in-depth research)
and
National Geographic Road Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (NG Road Guides) (Quick roadside reference)
instead.

This reviewer considers Hannah Arendt as a "Renaissance Woman." She was learned individual who wrote profoundly on philosophy, history, political thought, etc. Her book CRISES OF THE REPUBLIC again demonstrates her knowledge, profound thought, and ability to write. THE CRISES OF THE REPUBLIC is a book that clearly diagnoses political problems in the United States which she states undermine both civil liberties and government honesty.

This book was first published in 1969 in the midst of the controversy over the Vietnam War. An import section of this book deals with the China Series documents and correspondence between Mao tse Tung who approached American diplomats to extend diplomat overtures because of Chinese leaders fears of Soviet power and influence. These efforts were ignored and only came to light in 1969 which was 16 years after the conclusion of the Korean War which involved the Chinese Communists vs. the Americans. Miss Arendt also reveals documents that showed that that Ho Chi Minh appealed American policy makers to extend U.S. control over Vietnam to avoid re-occupation by the French who had Vietnam as a colony prior to World War II. These efforts were refused and kept secret from Americans so that a Cold War mentality could be maintained at the expense of truth and then the lives of American kids who suffered and died in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In other words, Miss Arendt reveals that documents demonstrate that neither of these wars were necessary. What happened and is happening is that political and bureaucratic blundering have been substituted for truth and honesty.

Part of American political history in the late 1960s included dissent and civil disobedience. Those in power claimed that public demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the draft were part of a secret conspiracy. Miss Arendt demolishes this conclusion by writing that a public demonstraion by its very nature is not a secret conspiracy. Otherwise it is not public. She also warns that radicalism on campuses had a dangerous tendency to impose ideology rather than achieve goals and inform "public opinion."

The latter sections of the book are informative regarding the status of those in power on the other side of the Iron curtain. An interesting point that Miss Arendt makes is that for all the communist propaganda about the Capitialisic West, the gulf between rich and poor behind the iron curtain was much greater. She comments that the communist authorities had devolved from socialist ideals to entrenched bureaucrats who tried to protect their "turf" from economic and political realities. Events since the late 1980s have vindicated Miss Arendt with the collapse of Big Communism.

Hannah Arendt shows her vast knowledge and profound thought in one of her last books. CRISES OF THE REPUBLIC is timely and well written. She makes remarks that should alert Americans about blundering into quagmire wars and creating enemies to insure that useless bureaucrats maintain their positions by lying about supposed enemies who in reality do not exist. This has been expensive in terms of treasure and blood.

I have an earlier edition of this book (when it was only 35 bucks.) And it tells you just what you need to know about modeling with VBA, concisely and with clarity. The author's OR model examples nicely demonstrate how functionality can be built into a closed form modeling application.

Another reader lamented the lack of models applied to the physical sciences in the book. For those readers, don't worry about that. Anyone interested in modeling will be able to take the author's programmatic guidance and transparently apply it to models in their own domain.

The one tutorial I missed not having in the first edition are examples of calling external analytic engines using the Windows API. A common model development practice is to use Excel as the model management interface for the end user, and have VBA call an optimization or simulation engine to do the actual hard work. If that material is in the current addition, that would be a real plus.

But all in all - a great book I refer to time and again.

In a class where learning VBA was a sink-or-swim endeavor, this book is a real life-saver.

This is not an advanced book. Most of the references are very generic in nature and utilize approaches that I've have used previously. I didnt get much out of this book.

I am a little surprised at the high rating that this book seems to get from the current 13 reviewers but, then again, these are probably memebers of the books target audience. When Albright refers to "modelers" in his title he is constraining the definition very tightly to those in the business world who develop models for "management science". This book has little to do with the more general concept of modelling as it might be found in the physical sciences, engingineering, the social sciences and anything else you can think of outside of management science.

What is good about this book is that it provides a fairly basic introduction to VBA in the first part in a nicely laid out fashion. It then goes on to develop example code targeted very specifically at the management science student or professional. I think this is an admirable approach and this book is probably very useful to the "management scientist" who wishes to learn VBA as it is implemented in Microsoft Excel. It is also quite nicely written. I think that within its target market this is a book that could be recommended. However, if you are not into business modelling or don't make extensive use of the Solver Add-In that ships with Microsoft Office then this book is probably not for you.

Again, I wish to emphasise that this book is very tightly focused on a particular type of VBA developer: i.e. the "management science" specialist who makes extensive use of spreadsheets. As I said, the introduction to VBA programming is well laid out but there are better texts and this one is really very basic (excuse the pun). The scope of the book is not broad so don't expect to learn a lot about much of VBA that does not fall within the fairly narrow constraints of business modelling.

For a general introduction to VBA programming that is far more wide reaching than this book try one of the editions of Walkenbachs "Power Programming with VBA". If you are already competent in VBA or VB programming and want a good reference book on VBA with excellent examples and a very far reaching scope then there is nothing better than the Wrox books by Bullen et al: my "Excel 2002 VBA" serves as an irreplacable reference bible even after 4 years and an upgrade to Excel itself.

I am not a "management science" professional. I have been developing a number of fairly extensive specialist VBA Add-Ins as a scientist/engineer for several years now and I can honestly say that this book taught me nothing new. I didn't actually find anything wrong in any of the text or code that I studied but from my point of view the code examples are highly repetetive and very simple (definitely aimed at the novice VBA programmer). Possibley a great book for management scientists wanting to learn VBA but others can find far better in terms of both introductory texts and advanced programming texts.

For mangement scientists wanting to learn VBA I would give this five stars but for all other Excel users, or potential users, of VBA I can only give it one star.

The biggest problem that I see with learning VBA is not trying to figure out topics such as object hierarchy, syntax, or "if" statements (there are plenty of excellent VBA guides for that!) No, figuring out what to do with all of the "stuff" you just learned is the bigger challenge.

That is where Mr. Albright's book really stands out. While the first few chapters do provide some basic treatment of VBA, it's the other half of this book that really shines! Here you will find 16 full-blown programs that cover everything from industrial applications (process blending, product mix, production scheduling, etc.) to financial analysis programs (stock trading, portfolio optimization, etc) and much more.

In these 16 chapters is where you will learn to use all that "stuff." And not only use it, but get creative with it. Mr. Albright has done a brilliant job at not only walking through the code step-by-step, but also imparting to the reader the all important "why component." After spending some time with this book, you will undoubtedly be a better technical, and equally important, creative programmer.