Customer Reviews:
Essential.......2007-10-05
This is the one book I would not be without.
It is very informative and helpful.
I am a soapmaker and use the information re: the essential oils to make aromatheray and therapuetic, skin softening soaps.
too general.......2005-10-10
Gives uses for many plants and the essential oils but no complete details for making the remedies with the oils. Eg. how much of each oil to put into the natural remedies?
Encyclopedia of Essential Oils.......2005-08-17
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils is a wonderful book to add to a collection of knowledge of Aromatherapy. It contains very detailed properties of each essential oil - easy to understand and great for reference for all to read, learn and practice. If you can't find what you are looking for specifically for an essential oil, you will most definately find it in this book.
Your Aromatherapy library is not complete if you don't have the book.......2005-08-03
If I had to have only two books in my Aromatherapy Library, this would be one of them, along with The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, by Salvatore Battaglia. I have been an Aromatherapist since 2003, I know - a relatively short time - but a productive time, and I could not have accomplished what I have without this book. It is a very complete list - if not the best list - of essential oils available in book form, with all their properties, chemical breakdown, methods of extraction, history, ancient uses for the plants and oils, modern uses, toxicity and as if this wasn't enough - the photos are marvolous and extremely helpful in identifying plants and the oil colour. Every plant gets a whole page and the format repeats and is so easy to follow. What makes this book stand out among its peers is the ease of use with an excellent index, glossary of terms, botanical index, botanical classification and references (just because a book has these thing doesn't mean they are always good or useful).
The most toxic of essential oils, which are hardly mention in other books , or, we are merely warned to stay away from for aromatherapy use, are also covered in Ms. Lawlwess' book, and I am glad for that because I want to know the "why" of everything. Why is it bad? After all - this is meant as a reference book, not a "how to". It is one of the most important books on essential oils and you are cheating yourself not to have a copy. I don't know if Ms. Julia Lawless is alive, and if she is, when she will come out with an updated version, but I sure hope so.
Illustrated Encylopedia of Essential Oils.......2005-08-02
I love the wonderful pictures and illustrations. This book is great and will get let you see the physical properties of herbs and oils. Great reference guide.
Book Description
Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear for much of the West. In No god but God, Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed scholar of religions, explains this faith in all its beauty and complexity. Beginning with a vivid account of the social and religious milieu in which the Prophet Muhammad forged his message, Aslan paints a portrait of the first Muslim community as a radical experiment in religious pluralism and social egalitarianism. He demonstrates how, after the Prophet’s death, his successors attempted to interpret his message for future generations–an overwhelming task that fractured the Muslim community into competing sects. Finally, Aslan examines how, in the shadow of European colonialism, Muslims developed conflicting strategies to reconcile traditional Islamic values with the realities of the modern world, thus launching what Aslan terms the Islamic Reformation. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account of a magnificent yet misunderstood faith.
Customer Reviews:
A good begining .......2007-08-27
If your interest in Islam stems from the media attention the religion receives then this book is a wonderful way of learning about the beginning of it all. Aslan's work is clearly structured and unbiased. I wants the reader to understand the gentleness of the religion as well as the powerful protectiveness of the muslims that practise this faith.
War can be found within any religion, just look at the Crusades.
The book is a wonderful piece that I would highly recommend to people who would like to learn more and make their own opinion rather than rely on the views of others.
Excellent Intro to Islam.......2007-08-18
After 9.11, there has been a sudden obsession with Islam. The extreme right-wing media would like to portray the religion as spewing hate and preaching violence. But what is the truth? There are so many versions out there trying to explain Islam to you -- but as an ignorant person, how do you determine what is true and what is fiction?
My knowledge of Islam is practically nil. With growing interest in the religion and my curiosity to learn the origin and spiritual leanings of Islam and the reasons behind the fanaticisms that seem to pervade through a section of the middle east - I decided to read No God but God. Basically, I wanted to form my own opinion rather than being fed with half-baked truths by the media, erroneously termed as facts.
I should also confess - I chose this book because of the author. Reza Aslan has appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher and on the Daily Show. On these shows, he appeared intelligent, eloquent, and exuded a firm grasp of the politics and history of the underpinings of the Islamic movement and the religion itself.
Needless to say, I was impressed. I wikkipedia-ed and googled him; read through his website and discovered he was a scholar - a major plus. Obviously, there are many books out there on Islam. However, as a researcher myself, I decided to go with my kind. I was not wrong with my choice.
The book is very well written. At no time, do you feel that you are getting a boring history lesson. The information is overwhelming, but at the back of my mind, I kept thinking - Does the author have an ulterior motive? Is there a hidden agenda? Is he espousing something specific? Unfortunately, it is difficult to know because I have nothing to compare to. He is a research scholar not the average novelist and therefore, I am inclined to accept his explanations and historical accounts.
The book does not disappoint, it is a fascinating read. I learned a lot and now have a better understanding of the nature of Islam and also, why a faction of Muslims are imposing their myopic interpretation of Islam.
He does a great job in narrating and combining history with current happenings. He beautifully leads us through the origins of the Prophet, his beliefs, principles, and persuasions behind the characterization of the Quran. You also read about the Ka'ba at Mecca, its inextricable link with the origins of Islam and the politics of the rulers that came and went. You learn about the struggle to dissociate Islam, the religion, from the politics of establishing law and governance, as espoused by the various Islamic sects. And finally, you learn about the continuing struggle - as Islam and its believers unravel what the Prophet truly hoped to establish and the future direction of this massive religious movement.
What I found most interesting was the confluence of the origins and teachings of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Ironically, despite the clear commonalities between these main religions, there is so much strife and hate.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Reza's work.
[...]
3 1/2 Stars. Not objective like the author intends, but still a good read.......2007-06-20
As a Muslim, I read this book with interest. In NO GOD BUT GOD, Reza Aslan attempts to narrate and analyze the Origins and Evolution of Islam, and a vision of its Future.
Starting with an exploration of Pre-Islamic Arabia, he details the life of the Prophet Muhammad (s), and follows up with the 4 Rightly Guided Caliphs. He then focuses on the evolution of Islamic thought, including the development of the Ulama in Sunni Islam, and the development of other schools of thought/sects such as Shiism and Sufism. He finishes by detailing the response of the Muslim world to colonialism, and modern issues today, especially Islam's struggle towards democracy.
Aslan aims to portray what he feels is an 'objective' portrayal of Islamic history, by correcting what he feels are errors by past scholars, especially Muslim scholars with idealized views. However, ultimately, he is not very successful in his quest. While he criticizes early Islamic historians for portraying '9th century Baghdad' rather than '7th century Madina', one can argue that his view of Islamic history is '21 century American' rather than '7th century Madinan.' His biases are evident, and are typical of 21st century America and the West: Denial of supernatural events, resistance to established historical (especially religious) authority, preference for free-flowing spirituality versus formalized doctrines of law, and importance given to issues such as democracy. (Note, as an American, I share some of these biases, but its important to note their existence as biases in a quest for objectivity.)
Aslan usually starts each section by presenting 'the idealized' view of a topic, as narrated by early Muslim scholars (what he terms as 'myth') and then presents what he believes 'really happened' (history). Myth typically includes miracles, and heroic portrayals of people involved. Those inclined to believe in miracles (and I am one) may have difficulty with this approach, as he flatly says that it doesn't matter whether or not miracles happened (ie, whether Jesus raised the dead) but rather, what role such myths play in shaping the beliefs of a particular religious community. I heartily disagree with Aslan here- I believe it matters a great deal whether or not the beliefs of a religious community are shaped by actual historical events (including wonderous, amazing ones) or whether such beliefs are based on, in the end, lies and falsehood. In any case, Aslan was not there to witness events such as Lazarus rising from the dead, and neither were the early historians, so ultimately, it is up to each person to make up their own mind about the actual historicity of such supernatural events.
Aslan also occasionally over stretches himself in his attempts to deny miracles. For instance, he suggests that its unlikely that the Prophet (s) was illiterate, because as a merchant, he supposedly had to be able to read and write. Clearly Aslan has not spent much time with illiterate people- and is unable to recognize just how much these people can do without reading and writing. (illiterate people today are health workers treating pneumonia and malaria using complex medical regimens, and performing internationally recognized research, including recording results, about endangered species).
However, I must admit that I greatly appreciated Aslan's candor about the religious personalities involved. Sunni Islamic scholarship presents early Islamic historical figures (such as the first 4 Caliphs) and the early Muslim community as incredible, nearly error free, almost absolutely perfect, human beings- almost super-beings. I was always struck at the incongruity of such idealized descriptions and the fact that within a few decades after the death of the Prophet (s), the early Islamic community entered a massive civil war from which one could argue Islam never recovered. I wondered, how could such a supposedly perfect community made with such supposedly perfect people get into such a serious mess so quickly? Reading Aslan's descriptions (which included Sunni, Shii, and western sources) of the personalities involved was very helpful in this regard: they weren't perfect people, but were deeply religious, well meaning people who, yes, had their share of faults, misunderstandings, and disagreements (about Islam and a lot of other things) which built up over the years, and in the chaotic transition after the Prophet's death, exploded into civil war.
Aslan is unable to hide his obvious disdain of the Ulama (Islamic Scholars who have codified Islamic Law, or Shariah). He paints them entirely in a negative light, as a power hungry, control-mad group which has stifled all flexibility from the religion. While this view undoubtedly has a good deal truth to it (I am extremely sympathetic), it must also be admitted that the Scholars did a great deal of work to preserve the religion, and its history, without which we may not even have the religion today, and certainly would know far less about the events surrounding its birth and rise. Aslan is equality negative about the Ayatollah Khomeni, who he feels promised democracy but in reality bamboozled the Iranian people into accepting a theocracy (in reality, a dictatorship under his rule) through his powerful persona. Aslan's views on Khomeni are understandable given the fact that he lived his early life in Iran, experienced the hope that the Iranian people felt during the revolution, only to have to flee the country with his family.
On the other hand, Aslan is quite positive about Sufism, the spiritual branch of Islam, defending all its variations, despite admitting that at least some Sufi beliefs don't square very well with the basic Islamic creed, "No God but God." Aslan correctly states that Sufism is quite complex, and is not generalizable. However, he occasionally tries to generalize anyway, with a view of defending Sufism against the barrage of negative criticism it has received for the unorthodox views of some of its branches. However, this approach leads to occasional contradictions: for example Aslan states that all Sufis follow Islamic acts of worship such as 5 daily prayers, but then also says that some Sufis believe acts of religious worship are only important for the masses, and others believe it is a shell that can be cast off once deeper layers of spirituality are realized.
Aslan's biases are finally represented in his vision of Islam's future. He clearly believes in Islamic pluralism, and believes that it can best be represented by a democracy. Furthermore, he believes that when God's law and the popular will contradict, the popular will should win out. The limits of Islamic pluralism is hotly debated today in the Muslim world, but for me, the claim, "No God but God" is the key to Islam, along with the belief in Muhammad (s) Prophethood. These two aspects should be the backbone of anyone calling themselves a Muslim.
The issue of popular sovereignty over divine law (properly understood and contextualized) is considerably more complex. I ultimately agree with Aslan, one cannot force on a community any law, including a law from God, over a people who do not believe in it, or do not want it implemented in their community. However, Aslan leaves it there, as if that is the end of the story. I would argue that every effort should be made to make the community see the wisdom of divine laws, emphasizing positive consequences in implementing them (improved justice, equality, social harmony, etc) and pointing out negatives of not following them (chaotic society, broken down families, etc), both in this world and in the afterlife.
As other reviewers mention, Aslan is a good writer. His writing is clear and he is able to explain complex concepts deftly. I actually found his 'idealized' sections (the 'myths') often even better written and more powerful than this supposedly objective analysis that follows: his 'myths,' whether of the Prophet (s), the companions, the Caliphs, or Sufi legends are dramatic and pulsating with life. After reading them, it was a bit of a let down (and at times, even irritating) to be told, 'well this is what REALLY happened' and reading an analysis of events that I did not find objective. Aslan should try his hand at fiction!
Know thy enemy.......2007-06-10
Being an agnostic, I look at this book as an analysis of Islam from a present and future aspect. I did not realize that there were so many sects within Islam. Most members of this faith that I have known or been acquainted with have been normal members of society,mainly of Pakistani origin. I am of Jewish origin and some Islamists, mainly from Egypt, would not talk to me. This is against the teachings of Mohammed, a fact unknown by most Mohammedans. The politicalization of this faith is also contrary to his teachings.Since there is so little organization within the relgious factions, I can now understand how the faith can be manipulated by a few. It is almost like the takeover of Germany in the 1930's by Adolph Hitler and his group. I used to think it was sloganism when people said that the faith was hijacked by radical politicians. Now It seems to me, after reading this text, to be a reality .I think it should be a must reading especially by our politicians,but also people of all faiths, especially Islamists!
Wishfull thinking.......2007-06-08
Not in our grandchildren's lifetimes will they see anything remotely resembling enlightened Islam. The author's major problem is that he grew up in America, and understanably, sees the Islamic world and history from that Christianized perspective. The Koran is written in an old fashioned language and script that is not easily accessible to the modern arabic reader. Couple that with the fact that illiteracy rates are very high in many Islamic-dominant countries, except his home country of Iran, and they are at the mercy of the mullahs who preach and teach whatever they interpret as "holy writ". With over 240 admonitions to control, convert, or kill the infidel, and only one or two mentions of Love in a Christian sense, it's no wonder the Islamic fundamentalist have won the reformation battle. Game over. Anyone who espouses a modernistic reform agenda will be be rooted out, and struck down. It's dangerous wishful thinking otherwise.
Book Description
In this absorbing tale, you watch the timeless principles of servant leadership unfold through the story of John Daily, a businessman whose outwardly successful life is spiraling out of control. He is failing miserably in each of his leadership roles as boss, husband, father, and coach. To get his life back on track, he reluctantly attends a weeklong leadership retreat at a remote Benedictine monastery.
To John's surprise, the monk leading the seminar is a former business executive and Wall Street legend. Taking John under his wing, the monk guides him to a realization that is simple yet profound: The true foundation of leadership is not power, but authority, which is built upon relationships, love, service, and sacrifice.
Along with John, you will learn that the principles in this book are neither new nor complex. They don't demand special talents; they are simply based on strengthening the bonds of respect, responsibility, and caring with the people around you. Perhaps this is why
The Servant has touched readers from all walks of life—because its message can be applied by anyone, anywhere—at home or at work.
If you are tired of books that lecture instead of teach; if you are searching for ways to improve your leadership skills; if you want to understand the timeless virtues that lead to lasting and meaningful success, then this book is one you cannot afford to miss.
Customer Reviews:
Poor allocation of regurgitated ideas.......2007-10-03
The only reason this book earns a second star is because the book chose good quotes and philosophies to review. This book could of been better had the Author left out all the characters in the daily classes and created a more personal relationship between the main character and Simeon where they explored Simeon's priciples deeper and with more theoretical applications and systems. But, it didn't and this book was painfully slow at times while on the tangents of the attendees of the leadership class. I really don't know how this book got such a high rating and waited for it to pick up the entire time I read it and it didn't. My opinion: Don't waste your time and money, stick with the classics - and this book it certainly no classic.
Fantastic Book.......2007-09-14
This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. I would place it in my top ten category, and I plan to read it again. James C. Hunter ties information together from several different fields of knowledge and areas of expertise. I plan to recommend this book to those I love and to those with whom I have influence. It was recommended to our class as optional reading by a professor of School Leadership in a doctoral class I am taking, and even though this book was simple and easy to read, the information contained in it was more valuable than the information I have obtained in some classes, where I spent an entire semester. Don't let the simple writing, storybook-style fool you- There are huge nuggets of wisdom in this book.
True servant leadership........2007-07-18
This book reads easily with a wonderful story of true servant leadership. Recommended for those in leadership or management roles.
Great Gift for Leadership Colleagues.......2007-07-13
This book has been a staple for new and tenured managers to communicate two very important aspects of leadership: 1. It's not about you; it's about others. 2. Balance in your life. No greater leader ever exemplified this better than Jesus. You don't have to be religious or spiritual to see the clear message this book sends.
Not just for work!.......2007-06-08
I read this book approximately 5 years ago as a loan from a friend and it has such great concepts it changed my perspective on many things in my life. It had such an impact, I decided to purchase so that I would own it and re-read it. It was almost better the second time around. It reminded of the background of many concepts I learned and now I have picked up on things I missed the first time. Definitely a great book for anyone to read whether for business or personal application - since as parents we must lead our children to success!
Amazon.com
Established in 1996, Scharffen Berger has become America's preeminent maker of cooking chocolate. Essence of Chocolate, by the firm's founders and food writer Susie Heller, offers more than 100 recipes for a broad selection of delights like Chocolate Pudding Cakes, Chocolate Marbled Gingerbread, Cocoa Caramel Panna Cotta, and Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake, as well as savory edibles made with chocolate like Tortilla Soup and Chile-Marinated Flank Steak. Unusual recipes also include the likes of Chocolate Chunk Challah and TKOs, a homemade version of Oreos that leaves those favorites on the supermarket shelf.
Arranged by chocolate intensity, the recipes come from the company's files and from chefs including Flo Braker, Jim Dodge, Thomas Keller, and Stephanie Hersh. Although the formulas vary in difficulty, most are within the range of all cooks interested in making something terrific. Readers should note, however, that the recipes require chocolate with specific cocoa-solids contents--62% semisweet, for example--that may be difficult to find. Most cooks will know, however, that one high-quality chocolate of similar cocoa content can usually replace another. With narrative sections in which Steinberg and Scharffenberger trace (at perhaps excessive length) their career trajectories, interesting asides such as "Bread and Chocolate," lots of chocolate lore, and a good primer on how chocolate is manufactured--plus color photos--the book makes a happy addition to the chocolate lovers' kitchen library. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
Established in 1996, Scharffen Berger has become America's preeminent maker of cooking chocolate. Essence of Chocolate, by the firm's founders and food writer Susie Heller, offers more than 100 recipes for a broad selection of delights like Chocolate Pudding Cakes, Chocolate Marbled Gingerbread, Cocoa Caramel Panna Cotta, and Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake, as well as savory edibles made with chocolate like Tortilla Soup and Chile-Marinated Flank Steak. Unusual recipes also include the likes of Chocolate Chunk Challah and TKOs, a homemade version of Oreos that leaves those favorites on the supermarket shelf.Arranged by chocolate intensity, the recipes come from the company's files and from chefs including Flo Braker, Jim Dodge, Thomas Keller, and Stephanie Hersh. Although the formulas vary in difficulty, most are within the range of all cooks interested in making something terrific. Readers should note, however, that the recipes require chocolate with specific cocoa-solids contents--62% semisweet, for example--that may be difficult to find.Most cooks will know, however, that one high-quality chocolate of similar cocoa content can usually replace another. With narrative sections in which Steinberg and Scharffenberger trace (at perhaps excessive length) their career trajectories,interesting asides such as "Bread and Chocolate," lots of chocolate lore, and a good primer on how chocolate is manufactured--plus color photos--the book makes a happy addition to the chocolate lovers' kitchen library.--Arthur Boehm
Customer Reviews:
Bravo!.......2007-07-04
What a beautiful book! I pretty much collect cookbooks and I definitely have my favorites. I had my eye on this one but I stopped myself from making the purchase (well... at least for a while). I am glad I did finally break down and buy it. Besides it being a truly beautiful book, it is filled with the inspiring story of how one can turn a tragedy around and how 2 people could do so much in such a short period of time (in the chocolate world). The recipes and pictures are truly inspiring. A lot of love went into this book!
Great Book on Chocolate!!!.......2007-06-20
I have learned a lot about how chocolate is created with this book. I have not tried the recipes yet but I have learnt what going into making chocolate. From selecting the beans to fermentation... I also like how the book give some nice tidbits about the history of chocolate such as how Devil's Food cake got its name and how Hershey started out.
Book Review.......2007-05-28
This is an excellent book with great recipes. It is well
worth buying. I loved it. Here are two men who have a
passion that is translated into a well written book that makes
you want to delve into their passion as well and bake.
Mouthwatering in Michigan.......2007-05-25
This cookbook is one of the most beautiful, delectible, irresistable books on chocolate I have ever seen. The photographs are stunning and the recipes are to die for. I just received it and can't wait to make wonderful treats for my family. You can tell the author's have a special passion for what they do. It is evident even in the quality of the paper used in this book. It is truely a work of art, even if all you do is dream of making the many wonderful recipes. I have many cookbooks but this one is my new favorite!! Purchase and enjoy!!
FABULOUS EASY TO MAKE CHCOLATE C AKE.......2007-05-12
I RECENTLY BOUGHT THE ESSENSE OF CHCOLATE AND IN IT WAS A WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE AND IT WAS REALLY EASY...WHAT I DID NOT EXPECT WAS FOR IT TO TURN OUT SO GOOD AND NOT TOO SWEET.I ALSO TRIED THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE AND IT TOO WAS WONDERFUL.SO GLAD THAT I BOUGHT THIS BOOK.CLEARLY THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK IS NOT ONLY A SPECIALIST IN CHOCOLATE HE TOO IS A GREAT BAKER !
Average customer rating:
- An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy
- a few good bits
- The Best of All Worlds
- A repentant look at Christianity
- McLaren the theologian?
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A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys)
Brian D. McLaren
Manufacturer: Zondervan/Youth Specialties
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN
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Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Cover Image May Vary)
ASIN: 0310258030 |
Book Description
By celebrating strengths of many traditions in the church (and beyond), this book will seek to communicate a “generous orthodoxy.”
Customer Reviews:
An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy.......2007-09-29
I absolutely loved Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian", a book that opened up a whole new world for me of possibilities of staying within the Christian faith, something on which I had almost given up. Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", in a different way, did the same. So I approached this next book by McLaren feeling exceptionally positive towards him and his writing.
I wasn't disappointed. However this book is very different than "A New Kind of Christian". Once you get past the amusingly-titled but a little wordy Chapter 0 McLaren goes on a tour through different denominations and styles within Christianity, highlighting the good points about them (as well as looking at the bad), showing what we can all learn from this part of the church, and taking those good parts in order to build them into a new 'generous' orthodoxy. It's a great idea and it's also good to read a book which is very positive about so many denominations.
Of course there are the negatives, and Brian says that he is from a particular part of the church and so perhaps he gives them a harder time (the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist wing). As this coincides very much with how I feel about that branch of Christianity that's no problem for me but I suppose readers from that tradition might find it uncomfortable reading at times. We're left in no doubt that McLaren is not a big fan of televangelists but he is a strong supporter of the green movement, that he is learning more to value the Roman catholic and Anglican ideas about liturgy and the mystical side of the church.
What works very well is that each of the different elements in the book (missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetical, biblical etc) get their own chapter where he delves into that tradition/idea and often gives the history of the movement which was fascinating for me with many of these. He seems able to see the bigger picture with many of these denominations and, as usual in his style, he is positive about many things within them. It was good to read an upbeat book although there were also parts where, with Brian, I almost despaired. The chapter arrangement meant that I read this book over a couple of weeks, dipping into a chapter here and there, and it gave me time to mull over what he was saying and to think about the overall point.
I salute Brian McLaren for this excellent look at a generous orthodoxy (or at least working towards creating one), a church for our 21st century which learns from the mistakes of the past but also doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater but picks up those good aspects of the traditions and incorporates them into our postmodern world. This was an excellent read, a book I am sure I will return to many times, and of course the author's humble writing style is, as always, appealing.
a few good bits.......2007-08-25
Its hard to pin this guy down. he doesn't seem to want to take a stand on much that is not PC. That does make him controversial.
His point about the Bible being narrative theology was well done, though I've thought about the Hebrew taking of the promise land in quite the terms he described. He seems to be open to evolution as an idea, which may bother some, but he doesn't really dwell on this. At one points he mentions that the substitutionary atonement was not in the original creeds and seems to infer that perhaps shouldn't be among our fundamentals (though he doesn't say this directly). Many others, including myself, see this as one of the very foundations of Christian belief and how one can practice the presence of God (which he calls us to) without experiencing this truth atonement puzzles me. I also am not sure what he has against the Patriarchs in the Bible bt he apologises for the fact that patriarchy is there.
His presentation of the Anabaptists was great. So was his presentation of Pentecostals and contemplatives, two groups that aren't often associated. He does sight the reformed faith as being a creed which led to slavery in the new world or at least justified it. As far as I know, it was the Northern part of America which tended to be of the reformed faith and the south (especially the rich slave owning ones) tended to adhere mostly to the Anglican Church. (I am neither)
I would disagree with one of his presuppositions, namely, that we need to change our message because we live in a dynamic context. I disagree. There is nothing new under the sun. The problems of sin, immorality, evil, depression that faced my parent's (and McLaren's) generation are the same today. Our reaction to them maybe different and our culture may be different, but our problems are the same and we need the eternal gospel preached to us, though perhaps in a different form, we need the same message.
The Best of All Worlds.......2007-08-22
Instead of criticizing and bashing those believers and sects of the Christain Faith who see and beleive things differently than he does, Brian McLaren takes a new and novel approach.
Instead of concentrating on and ferreting out things, views and perspectives that divide, sometimes little and insignifican things, he chooses instead to concentrate on things, views, perspectives, beliefs and actions that unite.
He seeks out and finds common ground of Christians of different persuasions...an impressive piece of work, as most of his books are.
Fresh, novel approach...a good addition to Christian thought and literature. An especially good book for those who are beginning to doubt and question the faith as a whole because of the actions of a fanatic few.
A repentant look at Christianity.......2007-06-06
So I had purposely put this book off in my "emerging/emergent" reading list until now because I was afraid of it. I was afraid of it because I heard all sorts of stuff about McLaren's views of scripture, atonement, doctrine, ec --- and I had heard that those views wouldn't jive with a good ole Lutheran boy such as myself.
They were partially right. There are some things in this book that I patently don't agree with because they're not really Scriptural. The whole idea of the Anonymous Christian is one of those ideas that I don't agree with that keep on popping up (an 'Anonymous Christian' is a Christian who doesn't know he/she is a Christian but is a 'Christian' by proxy through being led to do good works --- Click here for an explanation of the Anonymous Christian by Karl Rahner, one of the idea's main proponents) Part of that problem is alleviated for McLaren because he has a different view of Scripture than what I do, one that would be very comfortable in some of the more liberal branches of mainline protestantism.
Liberal theology is no new thing, however. Even the title of this brand of theology that tends to deemphasize Scripture and overemphasize acceptance shows its age. Putting "Liberal" and "Conservative" on opposite ends of a spectrum anymore is like putting "Communist" and "American" on opposite ends --- it still may be true, but it's missing the crux of the argument.
A Generous Orthodoxy seeks to momentarily deprive the reader of their security in their "spectrum opposite" thinking. It shows up on the cover --- an amalgamation of words that seek to explain who Brian McLaren is while being careful not to put him on a spectrum between "Liberal Protestant" and "Fundie" or "Heretic" and "Doctor of the Church."
Some have called this work by McLaren, "a manifesto of the emergent church." That's not what it is. It's a call to repentance that we should maybe pay some attention to no matter if we agree with McLaren on the atonement or not.
Manifestos and heresies often contain one thing that this book is very short on: answers. Don't read this book if you want "5 steps to a better church." First of all - answers don't sell nearly as well as questions do, which McLaren clearly identified when he put out his other book "The Secret Message of Jesus" alongside the DaVinci Code blow up. Instead, read this book if you're one of two kinds of people:
1. You're pretty sure that most everything your church body does and says is without error...even if you wouldn't agree to that sentence in public.
2. You would like to know what kinds of questions are fueling a national drop in church attendance across the United States.
Also - don't read this book if you're trying to figure out what Lutherans believe, because in the 3 or 4 times he mentions us - he gets us way wrong (i.e. McLaren says Lutherans go back and forth in between believing Baptism is a saving work of God instead of a human rite. Wrongo. Lutherans believe Baptism is God's Saving work, period.)
McLaren never went to a seminary. He's kind of a hack when it comes to some of this theological stuff.....ok, maybe amateur is a better way to put it than "hack." What McLaren is good at pointing out, however, is the dissatisfaction with "boomer-churchism" that has given us Emergent Village, Shane Claiborne, and Open Source Theology.
Oh...and no, I wouldn't give this book to an 11 year old to read because it has some glaring problems theologically - but it is hardly the "we're-gonna-burn-this-one-at-the-stake" kind of heretical work that everyone told me it was. Take heart, you're not going to go to hell if you read it as some might tell you, just don't swallow everything you read.
This book doesn't offer answers, but a call to repent. Honestly, that mirrors our own faith lives. We are called to repent because we know something is right. We know that we're not good enough inside to know what the right answer is. For answers we look to God. For questions, sometimes it helps to look at people we disagree with.
McLaren the theologian?.......2007-05-04
This reads like a theological autobiography with McLaren exploring the positive contributions of various theological perspectives. This is the main point of the book and as such it kind of leaves me wondering: What was the point? People who are generous probably already appreciate various perpectives, and those who are not generous will find in this book ample opportunity to attack McLaren on theological grounds - they have plenty of room to do so, because McLaren merely skates over many complex theological and historical issues.
That is why I was bored for the first 215 pages. I have mixed feelings about McLaren's appreciation for various viewpoints of Orthodoxy (and other religions, crf. chpt. 17). On the one hand Christians need to be generous and charitable. On the other hand, I fear that by appreciating all perspectives I wonder if we risk losing the real distinctives of any perspective. This feeds into our current culture's fascination for buffet style religion and doctrine: Take a little of this and a little of that and mix and match to suit your tastes. Fact: McLaren, himself, does not endorse this approach. But this goes back to my above question about what this book accomplishes.
But there is real genius in McLaren's writing and thinking, and this book is no exception. This first reveals itself at page 215:
"Each of these new challenges and opportunities requires Christian leaders to create new forms, new methods, new structures - and it requires them to find new content, new ideas, new truths, new meaning to bring to bear on the new challenges. These new messages are not incompatible with the gospel of the kingdom Jesus taught. No, they are inherent in it, but previously undiscovered, unexpressed, perhaps unimagined."
To conservative theological watchdogs this seems very threatening. However, the faith must be expressed anew in each generation. We can never be satisfied to pass down a doctrinal statement that is devoid of meaning and significance. This is all the more true in this generation where culture is moving at the speed of light. Frankly, I think most conservative theologians simply don't get it. They either are deficient in their understanding of postmodern culture or postmodern theory or both. But McLaren thinks outside of the box and understands the need to radically rethink how we express the Christian faith in the 21st Century. Unfortunately, as he himself would confess, he is no theologian. So, the more he wades into theological waters the more he is out of his element.
Amazon.com
Shortly after Elaine Pagels' two-and-half-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the religion professor found herself drawn to a Christian church again for the first time in many years. In Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, best know for her National Book Award-winning The Gnostic Gospels, wrestles with her own faith as she struggles to understand when--and why--Christianity became associated almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the fourth-century Nicene Creed and in the canonical texts of the New Testament. In her exploration, she uncovers the richness and diversity of Christian philosophy that has only become available since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts.
At the center of Beyond Belief is what Pagels identifies as a textual battle between The Gospel of Thomas (rediscovered in Egypt in 1945) and The Gospel of John. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, Pagels demonstrates that John, unlike Thomas, declares that Jesus is equivalent to "God the Father" as identified in the Old Testament. Thomas, in contrast, shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but, rather, is a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels then shows how the Gospel of John was used by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon and others to define orthodoxy during the second and third centuries. The secret teachings were literally driven underground, disappearing until the Twentieth Century. As Pagels argues this process "not only impoverished the churches that remained but also impoverished those [Irenaeus] expelled."
Beyond Belief offers a profound framework with which to examine Christian history and contemporary Christian faith, and Pagels renders her scholarship in a highly readable narrative. The one deficiency in Pagels' examination of Thomas, if there is one, is that she never fully returns in the end to her own struggles with religion that so poignantly open the book. How has the mysticism of the Gnostic Gospels affected her? While she hints that she and others have found new pathways to faith through Thomas, the impact of Pagels' work on contemporary Christianity may not be understood for years to come. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Special edition including the complete text of the Gospel of Thomas
Elaine Pagels, one of the world’s most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the National Book Award for her groundbreaking work The Gnostic Gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twenty-first century. This bold new book explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945.
When her infant son was diagnosed with fatal pulmonary hypertension, Elaine Pagels’s spiritual and intellectual quest took on a new urgency, leading her to explore historical and archeological sources and to investigate what Jesus and his teachings meant to his followers before the invention of doctrine–and before the invention of Christianity as we know it.
The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas’s gospel (which claims to give Jesus’ secret teaching, and finds its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy–and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources.
Drawing on new scholarship–her own, and that of an international group of scholars–that has come to light since the publication in 1979 of The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels shows that what matters about Christianity involves much more than any one set of beliefs. Traditions embodied in Judaism and Christianity can powerfully affect us in heart, mind, and spirit, inspire visions of a new society based on practicing justice and love, even heal and transform us.
Provocative, beautifully written, and moving, Beyond Belief, the most personal of Pagels’s books to date, shows how “the impulse to seek God overflows the narrow banks of a single tradition.” Pagels writes, “What I have come to love in the wealth and diversity of our religious traditions–and the communities that sustain them–is that they offer the testimony of innumerable people to spiritual discovery, encouraging us, in Jesus’ words, to ‘seek, and you shall find.’”
Customer Reviews:
She writes convincing material, but.......2007-08-27
WOW! She really writes convincing material and writes it well! She made me scared to study Gnostic writings, I was afraid they'd be right and I'd have to rework my faith of almost 40 years. As another reviewer pointed out, she does not really explore the Gospel of Thomas in this book...instead she trashes the Gospel of John. I found this curious. If the Gnostic writings are so great, then let's study them! But I have come to understand that the modern Gnostic movement is not about believing in Gnosticism...it is about NOT believing in the books of the New Testament. For after reading her book, I went on a journey of studying Gnostic writings as well as how the New Testament Canon was formed. Some of the major themes that are ascribed to Gnosticism by Pagels and others today are simply incorrect. The Gnostics did not believe in tolerance, they were a 'holier than thou' elistest group. And they also believed that salvation was only for men (Jesus is quoted as saying that he would turn Mary into a man so she would reach her spiritual path). The Gnostics were also strongly antisemitic. But Pagels doesn't share this information. And all this was the opposite in the teachings and actions of the apostles and early church, who were open,tolerant, and believed all were equal in Christ-including women.
However, in accepting books as being holy and to be used for doctrine, the early church followed some basic rules. The book had to be written by an apostle or someone who had been with an apostle, and the book had to agree with the teachings the apostles had given. Paul's letters are the earliest documents, and the doctrines he taught are the basis of Christianity, and these doctrines agree with writings of the other apostles. These works were written while people who knew the apostles were still alive. The Gnostics writings came later and were recognized as forgeries. They completely disagreed with the earlier teachings of the apostles: they were not like a different denomination of Christianity, they were a different religion altogether. The early church was tolerant, except when it came to untruth, and therefore the early church leaders tried to expose the hoax of Gnosticism. George Washington worked to prove the letters which were supposedly from him as a spy to the English govenment were forged letters. He did not do this for power or in order to suppress some secret. He did it because the letters were forgeries. In the same way the early church denounced the writings of the Gnostics: they did so because the writings were forgeries.
But I as said at the beginning, Pagels writes very well and very convincingly. I'm glad I read the book, for it sparked an indepth study of the early church which I am still pursuing.
Well written.......2007-07-19
I found this book well written and compelling , but not over the top. A good work to introduce and explain the relevance and works discovered known as the Gospel of Thomas.
An Argument for Gnosticism.......2007-04-27
Raised within the confines of fundamentalist religion, we found that asking Biblical questions could be extremely hazardous to our religious existence. After being excommunicated for numerous such affronts to the sanctity of the written word, we are especially appreciative of Ms. Pagels and her untiring efforts to shed light on so many of the lesser known aspects of early Christianity. Some readers have expressed their disappointment, feeling the book devotes too much attention to the formation of orthodoxy, the evolution of the Gospel of John and the suppression of many books labeled Gnostic. But, as pointed out by Pagels, these events still play a role in our cultural history and untangling these, ". . .complex strands have practical consequences as well as intellectual ones." We may not be aware of the cultural wallpaper we have assimilated until it is pointed out that it is indeed wallpaper, and it may be in need of refurbishing. As noted in the book, "orthodoxy tends to distrust our capacity to make such discriminations and insists on making them for us." It would be difficult to fully appreciate the radical differences contained in the Gospel of Thomas if we did not examine the thought processes involved in suppressing it.
As Pagels develops her arguments, she demonstrates how orthodoxy created an ever widening chasm that placed God, His only-begotten son and the church fathers on one side, and the congregation of sinners on the other. The increased value bestowed on Jesus by the church, equaled the speedy demotion of a flock whose only hope lay in their unquestioning belief in him. The writer of the Gospel of Thomas had the effrontery to suggest that Jesus' real message lay in his knowledge that all men, including him, were one with God. And, "Thomas' Jesus directs each disciple to discover the light within" through gnosis, an experiential knowing gained through a connection with higher consciousness. Shockingly, this message took church fathers out of the loop by suggesting that each person had an equal opportunity to save themselves. It is not surprising then that heresy was originally defined as "the act of choice!"
Orthodoxy attempted to control the people through selective information and the lack of choice. We, on the other hand, can easily miss the gifts offered by the Gospel of Thomas because we are inundated with information and choke on the multitude of choices offered to us on a daily basis. If we dismiss the Gospel of Thomas as another curiosity, we will miss the invitation Thomas' Jesus extends," If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you." Books such as Pagels' "Beyond Belief" and Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" offer proof that there is little reason to take a literalist view of the Bible. This does not mean that Jesus' teachings are inaccessible. It does mean that we must each choose whether we will be one who accepts what is found outside us, or one who searches for the answers within. Pagels' book offers a great platform for exploration.
Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism.......2007-03-19
My primary interest in reading this book was to better understand and appreciate the evolution of Christian thought and belief in the early church. On this score, Elaine Pagels definitely does not disappoint.
I found her choice of beginning this work with an intensely personal description of the spiritual journey she faced during her young son's fatal illness to be surprising at first, but through her book I came to understand why she introduced this work in such a way: all spiritual journeys are intensely personal. The authors of the "Secret Gospel of Thomas", the Gospel of John, and the later Church Fathers who built upon these writings, all faced challenging times. In seeking answers to the challenges they faced, they engaged in their own personal spiritual journeys, which resulted in their recording what they learned and believed in the texts that have been passed down to us.
Elaine Pagels engages us in the challenges and spiritual journeys of these early Christian writers, both known (mostly proponents of what became the roots of Christianity as we know it today); and unknown (mostly the authors of the Gnostic books found in the Nag Hammadi library, such as the Gospel of Thomas; and other works).
The Gnostic authors and their adherents found themselves marginalized if not actively persecuted as the well-organized and controlled universal Church took hold in the ancient world. Gnosticism is an intensely personal form of faith, where one seeks to find Spiritual truth for oneself instead of unquestioningly adopting an external authority's view.
Dr. Pagels referees for us the centuries-long debate between early Christian Fathers and their Gnostic counterparts - helping us see how the debate between control of doctrine vs. freedom of exploration changed and grew over time. She seeks to help us understand the complexities of the central question for us: What is truth, and what is lies? In making our spiritual journeys, how can we tell them apart? How do we find that truth for ourselves without falling into error?
The roots of that debate reach far back into Jewish history: centuries before Jesus started teaching. Therefore, Dr. Pagels knows she cannot answer the question. Instead, she seeks to help us understand the issues and the context within which we, as Christians, make our own journeys in search of spiritual truth.
The great authors of Orthodoxy - Tertullian, Athanaeus and Irenaeus, among others, all saw that allowing too much freedom of exploration often led to spiritual error and excess. On the other hand, they appreciated the importance of needing to explore one's own faith for oneself, and did not want to create a rigid and inflexible Christian faith that could not tolerate such journeys of faith. They understood that a balance between the two extremes must be found.
Ultimately, and as Dr. Pagels says in her book, it is not right, or wise, to accept spiritual authority without question, or to seek to eliminate the rich spiritual diversity found throughout the Christian world. Diversity brings strength and vitality, but too much diversity brings conflict and destruction. There is no simple answer to the question: we must each find an answer for ourselves.
Dr. Pagels' work is easy to read, well researched, well footnoted, and thought provoking. While I highly recommend this book, I would have to agree with what others here have said: that the title is misleading. This book focuses more on the evolution of orthodox Christianity than it does on the Gnostic tradition, or on the Gospel of Thomas itself. I give it a four star recommendation.
The Gospel of St John is more accurate.......2007-02-09
If you want a review of the gospel of Thomas look to the references cited in this book. The end notes are an excellent source of research in early Christian texts. This book is about the gospel of St John, how the politics of the time shaped what was written and how the work of Origen and the Emperor Constantine decided what gospels would constitute the New Testament. The writing is uneven or perhaps it needed tighter editing to have the work flow in a more even pace.
This mis-naming and awkward, read as uneven, pace seems to be characteristic of Pagels, her origin of Satan had similar problems. What she clearly possesses is the desire to ferret out the details and offer a plausible explanation.
Book Description
Profound content but easy to read, this book represents the definitive statement on the subjects of water and salt.
The book transports readers into the fantastic world of the two essential elements of water and salt and initiates them into the secret powers of nature. It also gives practical tips for increasing ones well being, finding ones physical and emotional balance, raising ones consciousness, and achieving unlimited energy.
The aspects about energies and the information that the original Himalayan crystal salt supplies to our body is especially fascinating. The book also conveys esoteric knowledge about how the basic elements of water and salt can be integrated into ones life.
The book paves the way to a healthy and holistic lifestyle.
Customer Reviews:
Overpriced And Overrated.......2007-09-06
I have a New Age junkie friend who insisted I read "Water and Salt." If you've been awake the past ten years, you probably already know everything included. Yes, we all come from the same primordeal soup. Yes, we're made up of water and salt. Yes, we need tons of water; preferably Artesian well water. And yes, we need (quality) salt; those low-salt studies from decades ago were wrong.
If you already know all of the above and are tired of spending time and money re-reading the same information, you really don't need this book. It's very pretty. It feels good in your hands. It's romantic, in the broadest sense of the word. But if you know where to get "Original Himalayan Crystal Salt," you can order a bag for your salt shaker and read about the other uses at any of the websites that carry the product.
A quick warning: If you decide to make "sole'" (a mixture of Himalayan salt and water that you allow to set for twelve hours) and try ingesting it (one teaspoon to tablespoon in the morning), be aware that salt water is an emetic. I had a long conversation with the people at my local New Age shop last Saturday and all but one had experienced everything from mild nausea to vomiting and diarrhea using sole'. Sole' may be wonderful, and bodies might adapt, but the quasi-disclaimer about "homeopathic-like" side effects in the book doesn't begin to describe the problems some people have had.
I hope this review saves at least one person money and grief.
10 pages of information spread out in a whole book.......2007-01-16
I can't say this book was worthless, so I gave it three stars. However, it is not a whole book's worth of information. Sure, there are lots of pretty pictures and the presentation is beautiful, otherwise they could not justify the price.
As for the content, it is helpful. I learned a little more about the specific qualities of Himalayan salt. If you are to believe this book, however, you need to buy cases of Fiji water and consume it in large quantities if you are going to get anything valueable out of the water and salt regimen. So as much as it gives information, the information they give limits your options for a good outcome.
So you buy a whole book for a little information just to learn that you need to do a lot more to gain any benefit. I just ended up feeling like it was too much trouble.
Expected more.......2006-11-10
After reading this book I felt that all that was said could have been condensed into half the chapters. Not that it wasn't informative but it seemed to rehash all the way through the book.
Only health book you will every need.......2006-07-20
Everyone should have this book, it is simple and affordable for all to use their health giving uses for sole. It will make sure that your teeth stay decay free and it will even eliminate decay and restore your teeth given time, it did for me and my family. It does not stop there either it will do so much for your health all over your body. It deserves 100 stars not just five.
Great information, Logical conclusion.......2005-05-07
I really enjoyed this book. It was recommended by a friend, who had read the book and began using Himalayan salt crystal around the house as well as a double shot of sole each day! She begged me to check it because of the differences it had made almost immediately in how she felt mentally and physically. She seemed "better" too, strangely.
The most poignant part of this book to me was the observation that we all came from the same soup and this salt is an essential ingredient. Table salt is reaped of all benefits and in fact causes numerous health issues. Himalayan salt is absorbed entirely different and contributes to human health and well-being. Plus, Himalayan salt lamps are absolutely gorgeous and soothing. The authors nailed it. Himalayan salt crystal is very special indeed.
Book Description
A bestselling collection of brilliant and quirky essays, on subjects ranging from biology to grammar to artificial intelligence, that are unified by one primary concern: the way people perceive and think.
Customer Reviews:
"This sentence is false." So what?!?.......2007-08-02
Before I begin, I want to first point that I gave Douglas Hofstadter's Godel Escher Bach which won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize, five stars.
His observation that the mathematics of Kurt Godel, the art of Maurits Cornelius Escher and the music of Johann Sabastian Bach which are all "shadows cast by the same source" managed to bring Platonic forms to life in a real and engaging way that, quite frankly, Plato himself failed to do.
Hofstadter discussed the liars paradox, perhaps most simply rendered in the expression "This sentence is false." Obviously, the statement can neither be true nor false in that -- if you accept it's falsehood -- it's an accurate statement about itself and alternatively -- if accept it's truthfulness in self description -- the statement belies its self representation. Either way, you're forced to create a third category by which you describe the statement. For mathematician Kurt Godel, that third category was refered to as undecideable.
And in 1931, Godel set the math world on its head with his paper "On formally undecideable propositions 1" ("1" because Godel thought at the time perhaps another paper may be necessary to make his point). The reason why his paper set the math world on its head was because it found that any sufficiently complex Godelian mathematical system would encounter propositions that it could neither prove true or false. Later research showed that Godelian mathematical systems could not even recognize which propositions they would be stymied by.
Because Godel's mathematical point of departure in proving his theorem was a mathematical version of the liars paradox, Hofstadter saw and wrote of similarities to this paradox in the art of M.C. Escher -- which featured such things as two hands drawing each other -- and the music of J.S. Bach -- which, e.g. the Crab Canon, could be played backwards or forwards.
In Godel Escher Bach, Hofstadter's main emphasis was on the way in which human consciousness resembled these self referential systems and in so doing shared their systematic limitations.
For this reason, I was kind of excited to pick up and read this book because I thought that Hofstadter -- having surveyed self referential systems in relation to consciousness -- would have perhaps been inclined to do so in relation to the natural world as well.
In that way, I remembered my John Wheeler. The physicist Wheeler, professor to Richard Feynman, was one of the great lights of 20th century physics. And in 1965 he said perhaps one of his most thought provoking ideas when he described what he referred to as the self aware universe. To understand his idea, we briefly revisit our Plato. As you may recall, Plato believed that the physical world we inhabit was but a manifestation of what he referred to ideal or perfect forms. Like prisoners chained to wall unable to directly observe each other, Plato said that all we really saw of each were our reflected shadows. In a similar way, Wheeler suggested that laws of nature gave rise to the physical world which -- in the case of certain individuals like us -- gave rise to a sentient world in which the laws of nature were themselves observed. From your quantum mechanics, you may recall that it the act of observation itself which causes probabilistic subatomic wave functions to collapse and thereby -- in a critical way -- "create" reality.
For those interested in an excellent statement of the foregoing, please read section 34 of Roger Penrose's Road to Reality.
In any event, the idea of a self aware universe, litterally creating itself from its own operations, seemed to me to be an excellent example of Hofstadter's self referential activity.
And admittedly, I was hoping somewhere -- anywhere -- in this book (originally a series of columns for Scientific American) -- he would note and discuss the natural connections.
But alas!
The book was merely more examples of ground he elegantly but thoroughly already covered in Godel Escher Bach.
In my own way, but like Hofstadter to be sure, I believe that recursiveness and self referential activity run to the heart of key aspects of how reality and consciousness work, but sadly books such as these only pound into irrelevance topics which legitimately (and maybe better than anything) give us a glimpse into the wonder and enigma of creation.
Brilliant and Thought Provoking.......2004-04-20
This collection of Hofstadter's columns from Scientific American provides wonderful reading.
One of the gems is his simple, but brilliant analysis of the Prisoner's Dilemma. The usual analysis notes that the Nash equilibrium is for both players to defect. Hofstadter notes (correctly) that if both players are rational, then because the game is symmetrical, both players will choose the same strategy. So, the only choices are for both to cooperate or both defect. Since both cooperating has a higher payoff than both defecting, the rational strategy is to cooperate. The Nash equilibrium isn't relevant because it considers pairs of strategies which are impossible if both players are rational, i.e., the pairs where one player defects and the other cooperates.
Hofstadter notes that many people when presented with the above argument still say that they would defect. His descriptions of his attempts to reason with his friends and the results of the lottery he conducted (he told readers of his column they could send in entries for the lottery, but the more that entered, the smaller the prize would be) are, as he says, amusing, disturbing, and disappointing.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.......2003-07-14
This collection of essays previously published as a column in Scientific American is very uneven. There are some true gems like he discussion of the game Nomic in which rule changes are part of ordinary play or the sections on self referential sentences. Basically everything is readable, but not all chapters make much sense.
Some parts are really bad. In chapter 5 he wonders why one can judge the intellectual content of magazines by their cover, not seeing the obvious solution that these magazines try to attract different audiences. He spends some time discussing the prisoners dilemma and he get's it completely wrong. He argues that a rational person would know that other rational persons would think along the same lines and therefore act the same way. So a rational person can use this knowledge to influence another person. This is complete bogus of course. People are rational when they act rational, if I cooperate in the prisoners dilemma, I am not changing the definition of rationality, I'm simply irrational. Hofstadter also discusses Axelrod's famous computer tournaments. A more realistic view on the topic is provided by a review of Axelrod's book by Ken Binmore. That review can be found on the web.
The book is still valuable for the good parts, but one should read the book with a sceptical eye. Hofstadter is a layman on many things he discusses, and sometimes this shines through. Another problem is that some issues like the cold war anren't really interesting anymore. People who like Hofstadter will surely like it and find enough pearls to make the buy worth it though.
Essence of Mind and Pattern.......2003-05-20
At any level of scientific comprehension, this book provides an intelligent subscription to pattern. Includes essays and 'conversations' on Alan Turing, and clear and relevant description of common and interesting science. The most valuable information is hofstaedter's creative description of thought.
Warning to Present-Day Readers.......2002-12-12
I liked GEB, and found it to have been a great influence in my decision to pursue computer science as a career. Much of this later book is similarly good. However, the political commentary that is interwoven throughout the book, and there is much of it, has not aged well. Dr. Hofstadter was a proponent of the popular (at the time) "Nuclear Freeze" Movement. Dr. Hofstadter pauses the narrative of the text often to expound on his beliefs in nuclear disarmament, nuclear war, and his support for activists like Dr. Helen Caldicott. Not only is this (arguably) off-topic and distracting to the narrative, but it seems somewhat aged (and naive) in the context of later lessons of history. These diversions would hardly be more distracting, and anachronistic, if he stopped every few paragraphs to laud how wonderful a President that Jimmy Carter was (or Walter Mondale will be), and why we should all vote for him in the next election, or even what a great invention brown polyester Sans-a-Belt (TM) slacks are, and why we should all wear them.
For example, we now know that this "Freeze" movement was influenced by the KGB, both via funding (cash, in U.S. Dollars, for full-page advertisements in the New York Times was air-lifted from Moscow in diplomatic pouches), and with personnel (lots of so-called "grass roots" local freeze groups were unknowingly populated by "agent provocateurs" who were members of the KGB. By way of analogy, imagine an "Inflation Freeze" movement heavily (and secretly) funded by corporations to influence labor unions by propagandizing such a movement as a grass-roots labor agenda. Consider the outrage among organized labor in response to a movement that used fear-mongering over inflation, economic recession, and potential job loss to pressure labor into rolling over and unilaterally accepting wage freezes and other labor concessions. Such freezes and concessions would be expected by management to be accepted without discussion or negotiation, including trying to correct present injustices, looking at the company's books, or verifying the future financial condition of the company. Look up the name "Lemuel Boulware" and the company "General Electric" for an example of how to negotiate in bad faith (and yes, I'm aware of the ironic connection to Ronald Reagan, see below).
If a nuclear freeze was adopted without question or consideration, or without even a workable verification system, it would have frozen into place a very tenuous situation with Soviet SS-20's poised over Western Europe and with nothing to counter them (or if countered, a hair-trigger nuclear standoff). What happened was that Reagan and Gorbachev negotiated a workable, verifiable, and stabilizing disarmament treaty that pulled back the SS-20's (and the U.S. missiles in Western Europe) and established a framework for realistic future treaty verification (leading to the establishment of a joint flyover program known as "Open Skies"). It was ironic that a individual recruited by Lemuel Boulware as a spokesman for GE would find GE Boulwarism and bad-faith "take it or leave it" negotiating tactics used against the United States by the Soviet Union. President Reagan's response, to approach from a position of mutual strength and dignity, and assure mutually-agreeable and verifiable terms, was almost pure anti-Boulwarism.
Very few people discuss, let alone advocate, a "Nuclear Freeze" today because the lessons of history have shown such a movement to be naive, tantamount to unilateral disarmament, driven mostly by emotion and FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt), infiltrated by foreign influences not in our best interests, intended by our adversaries as bad-faith negotiations, and substantially overcome by later events.
Average customer rating:
- Perfect Reference!
- Good Info
- concise, great reference!
- Good source of information
- A must have!
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Complete Book Of Incense, Oils & Brews (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)
Scott Cunningham
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn's Sourcebook Series)
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Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic
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Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
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Earth, Air, Fire & Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic (Llewellyn's Practical Magick Series)
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Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent (Llewellyn's New Age Series)
ASIN: 0875421288 |
Customer Reviews:
Perfect Reference!.......2007-09-17
Like all Cunningham books you'll wear this book out referring to it again and again for your rituals and magick. The section on substitutions in priceless.
Good Info.......2007-08-16
Has a lot of info if you are just starting out and are looking for a "for Dummies" kind of book. You may not necessarily agree with the author's philosophical and religious beliefs, but they're pretty easy to read through.
concise, great reference!.......2007-07-29
I absolutely adore most of Mr. Cunningham's work, and was very impressed with Incense, Oils & Brews. The incense section of the book alone is worth buying, even if you aren't very much into oils (I'm not). There are many, MANY recipes for an oil or incense mixture, and most of the ingredients are easily obtainable. I much prefer to make herbal sachets and incenses over oils, as these can be messy and expensive, but to each their own.
This should be in your library right next to his herbal and gem encyclopedias, as it is a book that you will refer to often.
Good source of information.......2007-06-29
As posted in my review of Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, I think Scott Cunningham is one of the easiest books to read. This book and the book Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents are my two sources for making my own incense.
A must have!.......2007-05-12
This book is a must have in your collection. It saves you from wondering if you are being the real thing at the local Wiccan, Pagan, or Botanica store. As everyone knows it is best to always do as much as you can yourself (even make your own candles) when doing any incantation or ritual.
Book Description
One of the most influential political science works written in the post World War II era, the original edition of Essence of Decision is a unique and fascinating examination of the pivotal event of the Cold War. Not simply revised, but completely re-written, the Second Edition of this classic text is a fresh reinterpretation of the theories and events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis, incorporating all new information from the Kennedy tapes and recently de-classified Soviet files. The Second Edition refines the arguments presented in the original book in light of Graham Allison's experience as the Assistant Secretary of Defense and the founding Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The Second Edition also features a new co-author, Philip Zelikow, author of the best-selling and critically-acclaimed The Kennedy Tapes, which was published by Harvard University Press in 1997. Essence of Decision, Second Edition, is a vivid look at decision-making under pressure and is the only single volume work that attempts to answer the enduring question: how should citizens understand the actions of their government?
Customer Reviews:
Very Pleased.......2005-07-12
Delivered early. Great condition. Good delivery info provided. I'll do it again.
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