We tend to think of our Judeo-Christian heritage as being responsible for our sexual mores. Rev. Raymond Lawrence's Poisoning of Eros concludes that so called Judeo-Christian sexual puritanism has its origins not in the Bible, but in the synthesis between classical pagan neo-platonism and the teaching of the later church fathers, especially Augustine. Lawrence interprets the Old Testament from a Hebraic as opposed to a Hellenic perspective and concludes that modern christianity has ignored the obvious polygamy inherent in Old Testament times. Even the New Testament is far less averse to a more "open" sexuality than one might think. Lawrence argues that Paul's epistles have been mistranslated so as to make Paul opposed to matters sexual. Lawrence believes that Martin Luther more earthy approach to sexual mores was very much more appropriate for a christian, than are today's constrained viewpoints. Lawrence concludes that original christian teachings were not hostile to an open sexual culture and were more realistic than today's constrained christian sexual ethics. Regardless of whether one agrees or not with his thesis, Lawrence's book will do that which one should expect of any good book: it will make the reader think.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Civil War is the way in which strategy was determined not so much by military necessity as by the interplay of politics and personalities. While this is true of the Union, it seems to be more so of the South. In this slim volume, the authors take the reader through a study of the prevailing strategic thought (Napoleonic/Jominian) and then discuss how this thinking was applied by the major Southern Commanders. Their conclusions: Lee contributed little to the overall strategic thinking of the South; the commanders in the Western theater (Bragg, A.S. Johnston, Joseph Johnston, Beauregard, et al.) may have had a greater conception of the South's stategic requirements; and, Jefferson Davis was caught between the two. The result? Neither Virginia nor the Western theaters got the military treatment that was required for successful war.

Naturally, it is easy to oversimplify these conditions. Yet, the authors demonstrate that Lee, concentrating on the Virginia front, seemed unaware of the Western theater, resisted efforts to strengthen the West through transfers from the Army of Northern Virginia, and continually requested that the Western theater support his operations with either movements of their own or transfers of troops to Virginia. This criticism of Lee is always a touchy issue (see, Joseph Harsh, Confederate Tide Rising for a contrary position).To his credit, Davis resisted all of these requests and, on one occasion, overruled Lee to have Longstreet's corps sent to the West prior to the late 1863 battle of Chicamauga.

Davis, a Westerner himself (Mississippi) faced a formidible group in what the authors call the Western Concentration Bloc, a group united by family or geographical ties and a mutual hatred of Bragg. Among them, Connelly and Jones seem to think of P.G.T. Beauregard as the best of the strategic thinkers. Davis himself added to his own problems with the departmental system, a possibly unnecessary complication added to already complicated command problems.

The authors, having emphasized strategic thought in Chapter 1, do not demonstrate how those strategic theories were applied by the Southerners. Perhaps this is because these theories, in the purest sense, were never applied, except in the desire to concentrate forces, which may in fact have been a function more of theater jealousy rather than application of Jominian doctrine. The student of strategy, academic or armchair, might find a better discussion of this topic in Jones' Civil War Command and Strategy (1992). Even so, this is a well-written study with valuable insights, and certianly rates 5 stars.

This is great for general reading on Foucault. It does a great job tying together a lot of the things Foucault tried to say in his books. If you're a policy debater trying to become a Foucault buff, get this book. The chapter on critique does an excellent job drawing the distinction between criticism and transformation. It's good stuff :)

I love everything about this terrific little book. It has an exciting adventure-filled plot, stout-hearted little heroes and scary adversaries. It has a quest filled with peril and great hope. There are just barely possible tasks to be fulfilled some sorrow and some mystery and some happiness, too. The illustrations are very lovely and filled with details that take you to the heart of this story of the last five survivors of an ancient Peruvian race of tiny folk who must journey to find a new home knowing full well that it is prophesied that only three will survive the voyage. They set off across the vast sea, afloat in an old earthen poppykettle and you will eagerly rock with them upon the waves through many an astonishing adventure. Children will love this and so will any adult with a gypsy soul and a child's heart.

This is an excellent book that explains how the theories of Lawrence Kohlberg and use of the Defining Issues Test (DIT) have led to current theories on moral judgment development. A large amount of data has been collected using the DIT over the years, and this book digests those findings. Very readable.

David is a member of one of the surviving tribes all along the Northwest American Pacific coastline. Annette Island in Alaska is where David's great-grandfather lived & died, where David's father spent his childhood & learnt much of his wisdom. Here on this little island is where David's father will hold a potlatch for the people to honor the life & heritage of David's great-grandfather. An evocative coming-of-age photographic record of traditions newly revived & a boy at home in his culture. Deeply satisfying, full of interesting sights & new things to learn. END

I have the 3rd edition and was checking to see what newer edition there might be. I am surprised there is no review of this book, so allow me to fill you in! We can all put words on paper, but how do you make a plan for an effect essay? A plan is more than an outline, it is a flow. There is a natural way to reach an audience than you might include in an outline, but cannot come from merely using an outline. This book will help you very well with that, and with the styling of sentences. I have three "college handbooks" of writing, none of which help me at the creative stage of planning an essay. I recently had to take some scholastic entrance exams that involved writing essays. Even 25 years after completing my freshman english classes, I still have Baker's "The Practical Stylist". In just half an hour of review, it all came back to me. As I sat there in the exam with the clock ticking, I was very comfortable in my writing. I knew what I needed to accomplish and how to do it. Thank you, Sheridan Baker, for your timeless instruction. (If you wonder how the book might have changed from the 3rd to 8th editions, it has enlarged. What was a small chapter 1 now is 2 chapters. The core material is still there, starting at chapter 3.)

The challange of Br. Lawrence's spirituality is its simplicity. The reader is presented with a common sense approach to the spiritual life the carries a great challange. The idea of carrying on an on going conversation with God wherever we find ourselves is the heart of this spirituality. The challange comes in when we attempt this in a world filled with distractions. This particular translation gives the reader more insight into the living out of "the Practice of the Presence of God." I find it a good source for those seeking a way to draw clser to God.

I'm not given to gushing, but i must do so for the Practice of the Presence of God. Lawrence is simple and straight forward about seeking an awareness of God's presence. Even more practical than St. Teresa's writings (which is saying a lot), Lawrence explains that "pleasures" or "spiritual consolations" (to use Teresa's term) are all well and good, but that these are not the REASON for seeking the presence. Rather the awareness of the presence IS one's reward. It is not to make you a better person or more just, etc. It simply is to give you an awareness of God, which nothing can then take away from you.

Excellent read!!

Finally, a book that clearly combines sound theory into a practical delineation of what it takes to produce high student performance. Marazza moves from the merits of collaboration to chaos theory in order to provide definitive guidelines for administrators, teachers, and parents that are understandable and easily put into practice.

The "Five Essentials" avoids the bandwagon approach to prescribing change. Rather, Marazza successfully teaches how benchmarking, collaborating, planning strategically, governing by standatds, and engaging the stakeholders are not only simultaneously necessary for organizational excellence: but, by their nature, must be integrated. He provides excellent illustrations and constructive exercises that facilitate implementing the "Five Essentials."

Innovation and communication drive a successful school transformation. When adults collaborate, they become invested in the success of the outcome. Marazza has truly captured the spirit of transformation needed in schools today.