Tempted (House of Night Novels)

Review
Praise for The House of Night:



“Move over, Stephenie Meyer.” –People on Hunted

“Zoey Redbird's first-person adventures take on added danger and importance in the latest House of Night release. Forced by circumstance to grow up quickly, Zoey's emotional and spiritual evolution is fascinating. The Cast duo breathes life and vibrancy into the characters and makes each one an integral part of the saga. Awesome and unforgettable as always!” --Romantic Times (4.5 stars) on Hunted

“The Cast duo has done it again! These ladies appear to be an unstoppable force within the world of YA literature… Teenage readers will be drawn to Zoey’s everyday, angst-riddled life. Not only does she need to save the world, Zoey needs to solve some major vampyre/human boy drama. These stories are surreal, yet shockingly accurate when it comes to teenagers and their lives.” –TeensReadToo.com (5 stars) on Hunted

“Teenage issues can seem like life or death, but in this haunting series, House of Night, that’s really the case. Through Zoey’s eyes readers are led into a world that’s getting more complicated by the minute, where friends and enemies can switch positions in a heartbeat. The remarkable Cast duo continues to build a world that you won’t soon forget!” –Romantic Times (4.5 stars) on Chosen
“This highly addicting series offers a unique twist on the standard vampyre story....These books will have the reader laughing hysterically and sobbing unreservedly –sometimes all at once.”
–VOYA on both Marked and Betrayed

“Marked is one of the best coming of age stories to come out of Oklahoma since S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. It teaches about the beauty of being a social outcast, friendship, and finding your own inner spirituality.” –The Beltane Papers

“Readers will identify with many of the characters, especially the protagonist.” –Library Journal on Marked


Product Description

So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night Series, Tempted.


About the Author

P.C. CAST is an award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author, as well as an experienced speaker and teacher. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious Prism, Daphne du Maurier, Affaire du Coeur, and other awards. She lives and teaches in Oklahoma. KRISTIN CAST has won awards for her poetry and journalism. She also lives in Oklahoma where she attends the University of Tulsa as a communications major.

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Product Description
From two of our most fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.

With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope.

They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad. That Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time became a surgeon. A Zimbabwean mother of five, counseled to return to school, earned her doctorate and became an expert on AIDS.

Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty.

Deeply felt, pragmatic, and inspirational, Half the Sky is essential reading for every global citizen.

About the Author
Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are the first married couple to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism; they won for their coverage of China as New York Times correspondents. Mr. Kristof won a second Pulitzer for his op-ed columns in the Times. He has also served as bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo, and as associate managing editor. At the Times, Ms. WuDunn worked as a business editor and as a foreign correspondent in Tokyo and Beijing. They live near New York City.

Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government

Product Description
FUNNY.

FRIGHTENING.

TRUE.

It happens to all of us: You're minding your own business, when some idiot informs you that guns are evil, the Prius will save the planet, or the rich have to finally start paying their fair share of taxes.

Just go away! you think to yourself -- but they only become more obnoxious. Your heart rate quickens. You start to sweat. You can't get away. Your only hope is...

...this book.

Glenn Beck, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers An Inconvenient Book and Glenn Beck's Common Sense, has stumbled upon the secret formula to winning arguments against people with big mouths but small minds: knowing the facts.

And this book is full of them.

The next time your Idiot Friends tell you how gun control prevents gun violence, you'll tell them all about England's handgun ban (see page 53). When they tell you that we should copy the UK's health-care system, you'll recount the horrifying facts you read on page 244. And the next time an idiot tells you that vegetable prices will skyrocket without illegal workers, you'll stop saying "no, they won't" and you'll start saying, "actually, eliminating all illegal labor will cause us to spend just $8 a year more on produce." (See page 139.)

Idiots can't be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. If you know someone who fits the bill, then Arguing with Idiots will help you silence them once and for all with the ultimate weapon: the truth.

About the Author
Glenn Beck, the nationally syndicated radio and Fox News television show host, is the author of three previous #1 New York Times bestsellers: An Inconvenient Book, Glenn Beck's Common Sense, and the novel The Christmas Sweater. His children's version of The Christmas Sweater is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster and America's March to Socialism is available now from Simon & Schuster Audio or downloadable from Simon & Schuster Online. He is also the author of The Real America and publisher of Fusion magazine. Visit www.glennbeck.com.

Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind by Ian Stewart

Product Description

Peppered with wit and controversial topics, this is a refreshing new look at the co-evolution of mind and culture. Bestselling authors Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen (The Collapse of Chaos, 1994) eloquently argue that our minds evolved within an inextricable link with culture and language. They go beyond conventional views of the function and purpose of the mind to look at the ways that the mind is the response of an evolving brain that is constantly adjusting to a complex environment. Along the way they develop new and intriguing insights into the nature of evolution, science, and humanity that will challenge conventional views on consciousness. The esteemed authors tantalize the reader with these bold new outlooks while putting a revolutionary spin on such classic philosophical problems as the nature of free will and the essence of humanity. This clearly written and enjoyable book will inspire any educated reader to critically evaluate the existing notions of the nature of the human mind.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #340646 in Books
* Published on: 1999-10-28
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 340 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
In Figments of Reality, mathematician Ian Stewart and biologist Jack Cohen's thesis (or schtick) is that human minds are produced by complicity between human brains and culture. In their earlier book The Collapse of Chaos, Stewart and Cohen used the power of Humpty Dumpty to redefine complicity to mean properties that emerge from the mutual interaction of complex systems. "Our minds, our societies, our cultures, and our global multiculture, are all evolving within a reality that we mould in images of our own creation. We are a figment of reality--but reality is increasingly a figment of us."

Reality is not the only figment in the book. Stewart and Cohen use a group of eight "weird alien beings from the planet Zarathustra, resembling fluffy yellow ostriches but with much stranger habits" as a sounding board, as comedy relief, and as a philosophical-experimental playpen. To quote:

"Ringmaster: What is this?
Liar-to-children [=teacher]: A continuing educational narrative of some kind, Ringmaster. Based upon a revered/reviled (delete whichever is inapplicable) ancient text. [Watches the screen and interprets the tale that unfolds--a long and dramatic story of an exploding universe, elements born in stars, complex carbon-based molecular machines, a doubly-helical genetic molecule, the origins of life, evolution, sense organs, brains, minds, and intelligence.]
R: What a fascinating narrative.
LtC: And such a convincing story.
Destroyer-of-facts [=scientist]: Such vigor and power! Such unified scientific insight!
R: Not a word out of place, no loose ends--amazing!
ALL: [In unison] Must be wrong, then."

Read it and think, read it and giggle, read it and come back for more. At long last, a worthy successor to Gödel, Escher, Bach, updated, twisted, and put through a Monty Python filter.

From Library Journal
Mathematics and geometry professor Stewart, who writes the "mathematical recreations" column in Scientific American, and biologist Cohen are witty, erudite, clever, at times funny, and generally clearheaded in this rationalist's view of the universe and human evolution. Their thesis is that the human mind evolved in response to the complexity of the world and that language?and, indeed, culture?are inextricable parts of this process: there could be no mind without evolution but no evolution without mind. As is apparently mandatory in books on this subject, the authors include examples, anecdotes, and samples from literally every field of human and animal endeavor to illustrate, illuminate, and elucidate their thesis, making their case by seemingly having on hand millions of bits of information. A delightful but heavy read that is excellent for academic collections and general collections with a highly literate readership.?Mark L. Shelton, Univ. of Massachusetts Medical Ctr., Worcester
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"One of the most heartening and innovative books of the year...This kind of book explodes the notion of the imminent and final theory of everything; by the same token, it shows that the death of science has been greatly exaggerated." The Sunday Times of London

"[The authors] are witty, erudite, clever, and generally clear-headed in this rationalist's view of the universe and human evolution...delightful..." Library Journal

"It analyzes the evolution of mankind's consciousness from a new and intriguing perspective. It argues that the mind evolved in the context of culture and language, aiding survival in a complex and competitive world." Biology Digest

"The most thought-provoking book I've read all year." Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series

"A stimulating theory of how mind, consciousness, and culture have coevolved to create our species by two masters of informed, scientific speculation. Try it...you'll learn a lot. Who could ask for more?" John L. Casti, Santa Fe Institute and Technical University of Vienna, author of Would-Be Worlds

"Figments of Reality is highly recommended for college-level collections and any non-specialist general reader." Bookwatch

"A delightful read that is excellent for academic collections and general collections with a highly literate readership." Mark L. Shelton, Library Journal

"Stewart and Cohen show how intelligence and extelligence interact by way of language and how the end product formulates culture...the authors are quick-witted and provide a lively exposition." Science News

"While the subject matter is rather heady, the authors are quickwitted and provide a lively exposition." Science News Books

"It analyzes the evolution of mankind's consciousness from a new and intriguing perspective. It argues that the mind evolved in the context of culture and language, aiding survival in a complex and competitive world." Biology Digest
Customer Reviews

Evolution of mind and human culture4
While there is relatively little about the brain itself in this book, the authors do consider the importance of symmetries in neural processing. Thus, a discussion of the recognition of male and female faces takes advantage of an eigenvector (or eigenface) that embodies the difference between an average him and her. (Enthusiasts of the quantum mind approach to consciousness studies should note that such ideas are the coin of modern nonlinear science, and not at all dependent upon the extrapolation of quantum theory to the macroscopic world: a point that was clearly made by Niels Bohr back in 1933.)
Unfortunatly, there is no mention of recent research by Hermann Haken and his colleagues in connection with this work, although this sort of eigenvector analysis is closely related to ideas presented in his book Principles of Brain
Functioning (1996).

A short chapter on free will is interesting but ultimately somewhat disappointing because the authors seem to be sitting on both sides of the philosophical fence. Recognizing that the assumption of free will is necessary for the orderly functioning of any culture and scornful of the inflated claims of genetic determinists, they note that theoretical reasons can be imagined for anything that occurs. To me, at least, this is as true as it is unconvincing. It is always possible to cobble together some sort of explanation of whatever transpires after the fact. Does this imply that the future is determined by the present? What might such an assertion mean? This chapter ends with the statement: ``Therefore free will is not just an illusion: it is a figment rendered real by the evolutionary complicity of mind and culture'' (p.241). Maybe I am dense, but this doesn't mean much to me. Perhaps the authors would have been wiser to omit this chapter, admitting that they do not know what free will is.
Two final chapters deal with some of the details of our many interactions with the surrounding culture, noting that a very large amount of knowledge is presently available to us all through libraries, schools, theater, television, and more recently the World Wide Web. The first of these chapters, entitled Extelligence, considers in some detail the ever increasing pool of information in which we are embedded in by our technological culture. The authors consider their notion of extelligence to be somewhat different from (say) Karl Popper's World 3, because it involves complicit interactions with individuals in a culture. This is, in my view, such an extremely important aspect of the overall subject of consciousness studies, that it deserves a book of its own. Perhaps the authors will team up with an informed and imaginative ethnologist in the not too distant future and work on such a project. The last chapter - entitled ``Simplex, Complex, Multiplex'' - describes the relationships between the organization of biological cells and human social systems. From this perspective, the village is analogous to a bacterium, whereas a town is compared to an eukaryote, and a city to a multi-celled organism. The chapter title alludes to increasingly sophisticated ways that individuals have of perceiving the intricacy of their social environments in a human culture.

Alwyn Scott
http://personal.riverusers.com/~rover/

Life, consciousness, mind, and reality explained5
How does life arise from inanimate matter? How does consciousness arise from life? Is consciousness of the universe an illusion? Or is mind itself an illusion?

The British authors of this book are a mathematician and biologist pair who boldly tackle these classic questions in philosophy with some original approaches. Maintaining that life, consciousness, and culture cannot understood by reducing them to the material elements from which they arise, the authors deftly develop a set of interesting concepts. Some of these are not especially original, but they are presented in an unusual light particularly as the authors ably illustrate them with very accessible descriptions of complex biochemical pathways of living matter.

A key concept is that of emergence - well established in philosophy and roughly equated to the popular idea of the whole being more than the sum of its parts. The authors couple this concept with one of their own - complicity, or the interaction of different things which lead them to become entirely new things. A third, among several others, is that of extelligence which arises from the interaction of the intellegences of individuals and is rooted in human culture. Using these and other concepts, the book, which is at the nexus of science and philosophy, seeks to explain how life, consciousness, culture, and reality arise and the relationship between them.

Be prepared to wade through these pages slowly to enjoy the masterful exposition of this book. Or, if you find this tedious, enjoy the elegant prose which uses the lens of science and philosophy to describe events which we might normally frame in different language. In the four-page prologue, a graphic sequence of events unfolds which chart the creation of the universe to the emergence of the symbolic literary creatures which constitute the human species: QUOTE Fifteen thousand million years ago the universe was no bigger than the dot at the end of this sentence......today, the two descendants of those tiny creatures are busy delineating their own limited version of the entire story in strange, angular geometric symbols impressed in contrasting pigment upon sheets of impressed white vegetable matter. UNQUOTE

Having long forgotten more than half the courses I took in college, this book allowed me to relive and reinforce the pleasures of two wonderful philosophy seminars - on theories of mind and philosophy of science. Expect, if you get through the book cover to cover, to see the world a little differently from when you start at the prologue.

Gets one thinking along new channels.5
Okay, okay, I admit it; I should never argue with Steven Haines about a book. I had first discovered the title Figments of Reality while reading another author. When I finally got the book, though, I discovered that I really couldn't get into it, but Steven Haines' review was so enthusiastic

The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives by Zbigniew Brzezinski

Product Description

As the twentieth century draws to a close, the United States has emerged as the world’s only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that bestride the globe. Yet the critical question facing America remains unanswered: What should be the nation’s global strategy for maintaining its exceptional position in the world? Zbigniew Brzezinski tackles this question head-on in this incisive and pathbreaking book.The Grand Chessboard presents Brzezinski’s bold and provocative geostrategic vision for American preeminence in the twenty-first century. Central to his analysis is the exercise of power on the Eurasian landmass, which is home to the greatest part of the globe’s population, natural resources, and economic activity. Stretching from Portugal to the Bering Strait, from Lapland to Malaysia, Eurasia is the ”grand chessboard” on which America’s supremacy will be ratified and challenged in the years to come. The task facing the United States, he argues, is to manage the conflicts and relationships in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East so that no rival superpower arises to threaten our interests or our well-being.The heart of The Grand Chessboard is Brzezinski’s analysis of the four critical regions of Eurasia and of the stakes for America in each arena—Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and East Asia. The crucial fault lines may seem familiar, but the implosion of the Soviet Union has created new rivalries and new relationships, and Brzezinski maps out the strategic ramifications of the new geopolitical realities. He explains, for example: Why France and Germany will play pivotal geostrategic roles, whereas Britain and Japan will not. Why NATO expansion offers Russia the chance to undo the mistakes of the past, and why Russia cannot afford to toss this opportunity aside. Why the fate of Ukraine and Azerbaijan are so important to America. Why viewing China as a menace is likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why America is not only the first truly global superpower but also the last—and what the implications are for America’s legacy. Brzezinski’s surprising and original conclusions often turn conventional wisdom on its head as he lays the groundwork for a new and compelling vision of America’s vital interests. Once, again, Zbigniew Brzezinski provides our nation with a philosophical and practical guide for maintaining and managing our hard-won global power.

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #550973 in Books
* Published on: 1997-10-09
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 240 pages

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review, Bernard Gwertzman
Brzezinski has now stated and restated his concerns. His books are there for any political leader to use as material for future policy declarations. But it is difficult in the current situation to imagine much of a competition to take up Brzesinski's ideas, however well they are argued here.

The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Walter Russell Mead
At its best, The Grand Chessboard makes permanent contributions to the national debate over American foreign policy and power. At its worst, it demonstrates the need for contemporary statesmen and political thinkers to immerse themselves more deeply in the rich tradition of Anglo-American strategic thought that brought first Britain and now the United States to global preeminence at an astonishingly low cost.

From Kirkus Reviews
The former national security advisor is still a believer in geopolitics after all these years. Like most foreign-policy aficionados weaned on the Cold War, Brzezinski (Out of Control, 1993) has been forced by the disintegration of the Soviet Union to broaden his perspective--but not very far. He sees the US as the only global superpower, but inability to maintain its hegemony indefinitely means that ``geostrategic skill'' is essential. To what end is not specified beyond the vague shaping of ``a truly cooperative global community'' that is in ``the fundamental interests of humankind,'' but in this genre, goals are commonly assumed rather than examined. In any case, Brzezinski casts Eurasia as the playing field upon which the world's fate is determined and analyzes the possibilities in Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans (interpreted broadly), and the Far East. Like a grandmaster in chess, he plots his strategy several moves in advance, envisioning a three-stage development. Geopolitical pluralism must first be promoted to defuse challenges to America, then compatible international partners must be developed to encourage cooperation under American leadership, and finally the actual sharing of international political responsibility can be considered. The twin poles of this strategy are a united Europe in the West and China in the East; the central regions are more problematic and, for Brzezinski, not as critical in constructing a stable balance of power. This updated version of East-West geopolitics is worth taking seriously but it is also an amazing example of how a perspective can be revised without actually being rethought. (Radio satellite tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Customer Reviews

Advisor to Barack Obama3
As recently reported, the author of this book Brzezinski has wholeheartedly endorsed Barack Obama for President for 2008, and was one of the first well known foreign policy experts to do so. Brezezinski has been chosen by Obama as his key foreign policy advisor. Barack Obama has also been very forthright in his praise of Brzezinski as "someone I have learned an immense amount from", and "one of our most outstanding scholars and thinkers".

Brezeinski's daughter is a regular TV host on various MSNBC news talk shows.

American Hegemony 1015
Basically, this book is the work of a mastermind geostrategist that outlines his view of America's global role, and what we need to do to maintain our global preeminence. The book is dated-it was published in 1997-but in a way this makes it interesting as we can see how some of Brzezinski's predictions have come to fruition.

First things first, Brzezinski is not some kind of devious Dr. Evil, and he has been highly critical of American actions under the current administration, so to say that he is some sort of pre-cursor to the Bush doctrine is unfair and inaccurate. Obviously, any book that refers to the potential fate of whole countries as a grand game of chess is certain to ruffle feathers, but this is basically what international relations experts do. This is a practical, unsentimental, and insightful argument for American global primacy and how we should use our power and influence for good. This is not to say that I agree with this worldview, I don't, but there's no need to get hysterical about it.

Brzezinski mostly concentrates on Eurasia, which according to him is the central battleground for competing global powers. Not only does it have plentiful natural resources, but its geographic location-the meeting point between Europe and Asia-essentially make it the center of the advanced world. Brzezinski fluently describes the potential problem spots in this area as well as potential rivals, allies and global aspirants. France, Germany, Russia, China, and to a lesser extent Turkey and Iran are all important world players in this chess game and for what it's worth, Brzezinski favors friendly relations with all of these countries. Unlike our current leaders, he opposes the demonization of any country and insists that all the aforementioned powers can be brought into a mutually beneficial relationship.

To be fair, Brzezinski argues that a sudden end to American supremacy would likely be disastrous to the region, causing massive instability and anarchy. He also claims that if we abandon our imperial role, this will only leave the door open for another, perhaps less benevolent power to take our place. He also claims that America's hegemony is best understood as a temporary substitute for a more equal global partnership. Of course this is all debatable, and it is fair to argue that imperialism is the cause of this region's problems, but Brzezinski sees the world as it is, not as it should be.

So whether you see Brzezinski as a benevolent visionary, or a maniacal plotter of world domination, this book is an excellent glimpse into the mind of a brilliant globalist and international strategist. Highly recommended to anyone with the slightest interest in international affairs.

Brzenzinski's Blueprint for US domninance - follwe to the T by Bush5
Everyone should read this book.

In the late 90's Brzenzinski gave his plan for how the US should dominate the world.

Bush has followed it to a T.

Interesting - Democrats plan - Republicans execution.

Fantastic that all the news sources have pretty much given it a pass.

B explains that to get the US people to attack middle asia - which he feels we must - it will take a Perl Harbor class event.

He also explains why it is necessary to dislodge governments friendly to Russia from the countries near russia.

Read it and think

Success Secrets of the Rich and Happy by Bart A. Baggett

Product Description

Discover the Secrets to Being Rich and Happy! Happiness is a decision. Wealth is a choice.

23 chapters of of research, stories, and analysis of how you can implement the strategies to become more rich and more happy.

Much more than we can every type here.

25 Universal Truths

How to change your belief systems relating to money

Change your rules for being happy.

The trick to building assets and residual income.

Why you might not want to be self-employed and how to save $ on your taxes.

Lots of handwriting samples of rich and happy people (Oprah, John Gleen, Michael J. Fox, George W. Bush, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Helen Hunt, Drew Carey)

Entire chapter on Health Habits of the World's healthiest people.

The spiritual laws of success

Finanical strategies you can use to day with no extra income

Whymost people never get rich.

How to control your emotional state at any time.

Develop instant rapport using body language.

Sooooo much more.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #1171626 in Books
Published on: 2001-07
Binding: Paperback
448 pages
Editorial Reviews

John Harricharan, Independent Writer, April 2001
"...With deep insights and great simplicity, Bart has created a manual for success that should be read by everyone..."

Daryl S. Rembisz, Dallas, TX
"The [money] I used to purchase Success Secrets has already and will continue to pay for itself 100 times over..."

Patty Yates, Plano TX
"...I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make dramatic changes in their life."
Customer Reviews

Highly recommended!
A definitive and thoughtful analysis on personal development. Done with a sense of humor that will have you laughing all the way to the bank!


Reginald V. Johnson, Author, "How To Be Happy, Successful And Rich"

Easy-to-Read,, Fast and Insightful
Bart shares his insight in a charming and interesting way that is deceptively simple. And he knows what he's talking about, having been a savvy, successful entrepreneur and handwriting expert since the ripe old age of 14.

Buy it, read it, and read it again. I guarantee you won't look at things the same once you do.

A fantastic read!
What an enjoyable book to read! It's highly useful and offers so many great techniques. This book was was worth ten times more than the price. I highly recommend it.

Academic Writing by Stephen Bailey

Product Description


Writing essays and dissertations can be a major concern for overseas students studying at English-medium colleges and universities, as most courses are assessed by written work. Academic Writing is a new kind of writing course for all international students who have to write coursework or exams in English. This practical book thoroughly explains the writing process and covers all the key writing skills.

Clearly organized into four parts, this new edition of Academic Writing allows both teachers and students to quickly find the help they need with all writing tasks. Each part is split into short sections containing explanations, diagrams and practice exercises, for use in the classroom or self-study.

The text is complemented with cross-references and answers are provided to all of the exercises. Various writing models, such as CVs, letters and essays, are included.

* Explains the writing process from understanding the title to proofreading
* Covers key writing skills such as referencing and paraphrasing
* Contains 20 units on accuracy in writing
* Adaptable for both long and short courses
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #38379 in eBooks
Published on: 2007-04-16
Released on: 2007-04-16
Format: Kindle Book
Number of items: 1
Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Stephen Bailey is a lecturer at the University of Nottingham, UK, and has been teaching English for Academic Purposes for over 10 years. He also has vast experience of teaching English as a foreign language overseas.

Academic Writing by Stephen Bailey

Product Description


Writing essays and dissertations can be a major concern for overseas students studying at English-medium colleges and universities, as most courses are assessed by written work. Academic Writing is a new kind of writing course for all international students who have to write coursework or exams in English. This practical book thoroughly explains the writing process and covers all the key writing skills.

Clearly organized into four parts, this new edition of Academic Writing allows both teachers and students to quickly find the help they need with all writing tasks. Each part is split into short sections containing explanations, diagrams and practice exercises, for use in the classroom or self-study.

The text is complemented with cross-references and answers are provided to all of the exercises. Various writing models, such as CVs, letters and essays, are included.

* Explains the writing process from understanding the title to proofreading
* Covers key writing skills such as referencing and paraphrasing
* Contains 20 units on accuracy in writing
* Adaptable for both long and short courses
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #38379 in eBooks
Published on: 2007-04-16
Released on: 2007-04-16
Format: Kindle Book
Number of items: 1
Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Stephen Bailey is a lecturer at the University of Nottingham, UK, and has been teaching English for Academic Purposes for over 10 years. He also has vast experience of teaching English as a foreign language overseas.

Knowledge in a Social World by Alvin I. Goldman

Product Description

Knowledge in a Social World offers a philosophy for the information age. Alvin Goldman explores new frontiers by creating a thoroughgoing social epistemology, moving beyond the traditional focus on solitary knowers. Against the tides of postmodernism and social constructionism Goldman defends
the integrity of truth and shows how to promote it by well-designed forms of social interaction. From science to education, from law to democracy, he shows why and how public institutions should seek knowledge-enhancing practices. The result is a bold, timely, and systematic treatment of the
philosophical foundations of an information society.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #421248 in Books
Published on: 1999-03-25
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
424 pages
Editorial Reviews

Review
`Once again, Goldman has done a huge job in collecting relevant information for his evaluative enterprise. ... Its lucid style makes it accessible to people without philosophical education.' Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol. 79, no. 3

`interesting and insightful ... offers a rich supply of insights into the veritistic properties of society.' Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol. 79, no. 3

`well constructed and well written ... The topic is worthy of attention and the ideas are provocative ... Goldman does raise interesting questions for assessing quality and utility in an era of information overload.' Deborah Barreau, Jnl. Americ. Soc. for Inf. Science and Tech., 01/01/01.

`one of the most recent contributions to the field, and a very welcome one too.' Luciano Floridi, TLS, 28 Jan 2000.

`An important work of monumental scope. Its central concern is the ways in which social practices and familiar institutions contribute to and undermine the pursuit of knowledge. To that extent it reveals a sensitivity to the animating, if ultimately misdirected and misleading, insight of the postmodernists that we are socially situated beings; at the same time it brilliantly defends the idea that this fact about our situatedness does nothing to undermine the possibility of truth and objective knowlegde. This is a book of singular importance to lawyers, political theorists, social and natural scientists as well as to educators and theorists of education. It is a major contribution to all these fields and not just because of its insights into them, but for its accessibility to intelligent practitioners as well. It may well be the most significant interdisciplinary philosophy book of the decade.' Jules Coleman, Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School

`"Alvin Goldman's Knowledge in a Social World belongs to a sparse tradition in epistemology given to the epistemic evaluation of social institutions. Landmarks in this tradition include Bacon's The Advancement of Learning, Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education, and Dewey's Social Inquiry. Goldman's book is the equal of these influential volumes in breadth of vision, mastery of relevant contemporary thought, and practical utility, and surpasses them in theoretical depth. It is a work crafted with supreme philosophical skill.' Frederick Schmitt, Professor of Philosophy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

`Alvin Goldman, the premier epistemologist of the past two decades, has written a pioneering book that will define the field of social epistemology. Scholars will learn from his judicious and lucid proposals, and they will be wrestling for years with the exciting and important problems he raises.' Philip Kitcher, Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University, New York

Card catalog description
Knowledge in a Social World offers a philosophy for the information age. Alvin Goldman explores new frontiers by creating a thoroughgoing social epistemology, moving beyond the traditional focus on solitary knowers. Social, cultural, and technological changes present new challenges to our ways of knowing and understanding, and philosophy must face these challenges. Against the tides of postmodernism and social constructionism Goldman defends the integrity of truth and shows how to promote it by well-designed forms of social interaction. He urges that social discourse promises more than the mere politics of consensus, and that suitably norm-governed debate and belief-revision can increase veridical knowledge.

About the Author
Alvin I. Goldman is one of the world's foremost epistemologists; he is Regents Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona, and a Past President of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association.
Customer Reviews

Review of Alvin I. Goldman, Knowledge in a Social World
In his earlier book Epistemology and Cognition (Harvard University Press, 1986), Alvin I. Goldman sketched a distinction between individual and social epistemology, offered his own account of the former, and promised a sequel devoted to the latter. Knowledge in a Social World is that sequel, and offers a systematic treatment of social epistemology. It is original not only in substance but in conception, opening up whole new avenues of epistemological investigation. As Goldman treats it, social epistemology "is linked to those social science and policy disciplines that study knowledge in its social and institutional contexts." (ix) His aim is to offer a social theory of knowledge, which takes full account of "the interpersonal and institutional contexts in which most knowledge endeavors are actually undertaken" (vii); and, in light of the fact that "social practices can make both positive and negative contributions to knowledge," aims "to show just which social practices, under what conditions, will promote knowledge rather than subvert it." (viii) The book is a tour de force: wide-ranging, ambitious and challenging. It is engagingly written: non-technical, exceedingly clear, and witty. It treats a wide range of social domains and practices, including science, education, law, testimony, and argumentation. It uses examples deftly and tellingly; its arguments are consistently powerful. One couldn't ask for a better demonstration of the relevance of epistemology to a broad range of social and policy issues. Those who disagree with Goldman's conclusions, and his recommendations for truth-enhancing practices, will have to confront this book. It is a must-read for scholars from the gamut of disciplines that treat the issues it addresses, and to the intelligent non-specialist as well.

Academic Epistemology Meets Real World Social Issues
In this path-breaking book, Alvin Goldman brings academic epistemology to bear on important real world issues in information technology, the media, science, law, politics, and education. The motivating idea of the book is simple: Knowledge (in the weak sense of true belief) is important. Social institutions and practices can and should be evaluated on how well or how poorly they contribute to true belief. Taken as a whole, this book is one of the most effective explanations in the philosophical literature of why truth matters, both theoretically and in practice. This book is not for everyone. Its careful attention to evidence and its sustained philosophical argument demand the full attention of the reader. But unlike many other types of academic philosophy, here the evidence and argument are brought to bear on fascinating real world issues, including policies for freedom of speech, publishing on the World Wide Web, the adversary system of justice, political campaign fundraising, and proposals for curricular change in education. The depth and breadth of Goldman's knowledge on the variety of issues that he discusses is remarkable. In addition to presenting and defending Goldman's own well-thought-out positions on the issues, the book as a whole provides a powerful philosophical response of the theoretical excesses of deconstructionists, postmodernists, social constructionists and extreme pragmatists on these issues. My one reservation about the book is that, for a book in social epistemology, it sometimes tends to be overly individualistic. For example, Goldman's discussion of the jury system pays more attention to the evidence on the cognitive limitations of individuals than to the evidence of how juries as a group are often able to compensate for those individual cognitive limitations. But this is only a matter of emphasis. In his discussion of other examples (e.g., the scientific community), Goldman does highlight ways that the group can correct for individual cognitive limitations. If you identify academic epistemology with the intellectual project of conceptual analysis-for example, the attempt to discover necessary and sufficient conditions for knowledge-you should read this book. Goldman shows how epistemology can be much more relevant to real world social issues than you might ever have imagined.

Philosopher King-Sized Social Epistemology
I must agree with the review that appeared this week in the TLS (Times Literary Supplement, London, 27.01.00), which managed to describe the book without talking about the social character of knowledge - except to say that Goldman has a 'dirigiste' view of how knowledge should be controlled and communicated in society. His own euphemism is 'epistemic paternalism', and readers might want to judge for themselves what it all means, once the dogmatic philosophising and gratuitous formalising is removed. This reader found the implications rather scarey, though luckily this philosophical stuff rarely gets beyond the seminar room. A definite step from back (and away) from Fuller's work on social epistemology - and even more conservative types like Kitcher and Longino.

Introducing Evolutionary Psychology, 2nd Edition by Dylan Evans

Product Description

Using evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology as well as anthropolgy, primatology and archaeology, characters such as Dawkins, Gould and Dennett are beginning to piece together the first truly scientific account of human nature.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #191567 in Books
Published on: 2006-01-25
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
176 pages
Customer Reviews

Introducing the "Introducing" series.
If you've not read any of the "Introducing Such-and-such" series (or the similar "For Beginners" series from a different publisher) then I'll have to describe the overall series to you as well as this particular book.

Both of these series have the simple goal of serving as a brief introduction to the topic for an intelligent layman. The series makes use of copious illustrations throughout, so that they almost look like a comic book.

I sheepishly have to admit I picked this book up because I knew the Wachowski brothers, creators of The Matrix, had all their principal actors read it.

That said, this book fulfills the goal of giving a simple overview of the basic concepts of evolutionary psychology. I do a fair bit of self-directed reading about various psychology topics, so I found the subject interesting. The authors describe the origins of evolutionary psychology and how it's distinguished from the larger field of general psychology. Various topics covered include the evolution of human social behavior (and why reputation is so important to us), dietary habits (why fatty, sugar-laden foods are so hard to ignore) and mating patterns.

I have only two major criticisms concerning this book. The first is more of a minor annoyance than a significant flaw: Important figures are usually pictured as well as named. Later in the book these people are shown describing through speech bubbles important points of their theories. The problem is that their names are only given the first time. I found it very annoying to have to go back every time a certain picture was presented to remember the name and associate the theory with the correct person.

The second and more important problem is this: Although the authors present several objections to the theories of evolutionary psychology, their responses to these objections feel a bit too pat. They simply don't seem to be taking these arguments seriously. Of course, this is a short book intended only as an introduction to the field, so the authors had a limited scope, but I still found their approach to their critics a bit too dismissive.

Overall, if you're a curious, omnivorous reader like myself, you'll probably find this a good read. As other reviewers have noted, the book includes suggestions for further reading at the end, so if you really enjoyed the subject you already have directions for further research.

Short & Sweet
This book provides a brief introduction to the field of Evolutionary Psychology, defined as a combination of cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology. I finished it just as quickly as "The Zen of Farting" by Carl Japikse, but needless to say, this book was far more enlightening. The pages are almost in comic book format with pictures taking up the lion's share of space. The pictures weren't necessary to get the points across, but alas, to sell a brief and rudimentary book such as this, volume is necessary.

The author, a Ph.D. student in cognitive psychology at the time the book was written offers a great introduction to the field of evolutionary psychology and provides a laundry list of further readings on the subject.

If you have little to no exposure to this field, this is an excellent book to get you started. I highly recommend it.

This review not based on content but presentation
There's no way I can review this book based on content because I'm not very familiar with the fields, but I did appreciate how well the authors presented the theories on such a controversial theory. They did manage to shed some light on method of explaining human behavior that I never thought of and took for granted (my folly considering I'm an aspiring Sociologist).What's best is at the end of the book there are suggestions for further reading.