An excellent overview of most atomistic thought; unfortunately, it is strongly biased by Pyle's uncritical(!) acceptance of modern classical mathematics. This is not an unusual condition, but it does affect the descriptions of pros and cons for atomism. He also lumps atomistic thought too closely together, again, not an unusual method. This is an excellent "second" source book, but not one to use as an argument for or against atomism, logical or physical. If the choice were available, I would rate it at three and one half stars. It is worth the purchase cost for some one seriously interested in becomming aquainted with the philosophical thought surrounding atomism.

Pyle's book Atomism is an astonishing masterpiece which details the history of the study of matter and voids from Zeno to Newton. The work details the debates of those who maintained that the foundational atomic material of nature is extended (Democritus, etc.) and those who maintained that the foundational atomic material cannot be extended and is thus unextended (Zeno, Galileo, Boscovish, etc.). Also, the work details the critically important debates over whether or not absolute perfect voids or nothingnesses exist. The implications of these questions are unfathomably critical in the progression of philosophy, physics, and the study of matter. This book is a must for physicists, philosophers, chemists, ontologists, and mathematicians who are studiers of matter and seekers of the final atomic entity. Most questions in this book are overlooked by contemporary physicists and philosophers, and this fact leads to much error and wasteful research due to contemporary physicists and philosophers missing the points of this book. (An example would be Miles Brand's theory of instantaneous causation, which is shown to be logically incoherent by work Aristotle did in The Physics, but which Brand either ignores or overlooks.)For those interested in doing real, productive work in the study of atomism and matter, Pyle's book is the place to start.

This is a great work in the history and philosophy of science. It is both authoritative and well written, highly recommended for anyone studying either philosophy (esp. 17th century) or the history of science, or just anyone who wants to know how we got from there to here (well, at least to Newton).

I listened to the recorded, three cassette version and really think I missed some of the depth of Robert Peck's childhood-based story. I heard the re-recorded version narrated by Johnny Heller.

Shakers in Vermont must have been quite a peculiar people, and young Robert showed extreme gratitude and happiness when a neighbor gave him his first real gift, a tiny piglet he named Pinky. Robert's father was a butcher and made his living from pigs. At first the father would not allow Robert to accept the gift until it was given as advance pay against labor promised in the future.

Life was tough and Robert worked very hard on the farm. His parents' strict Shaker faith would not allow for idleness or waste. Therefore, it was a very big task to expect this young lad to take a neighbor's cow to the fair and show the cow in spite of the fact he wanted to show his own pig. He made good choices -- most of the time.

In spite of the incredible sadness at the end of this book, Robert's heroic act of saving a cow and her calf by pulling a goiter from the cow's throat with his bare hand puts this book on a must-read list for children over 10 (due to occasional profanity and gory descriptions of life on the farm).

The book leads to many possible avenues for lively discussion for children....family life, responsibilities and friendships. Animal care and appreciation are stressed as important.

Probably the most important aspect for discussion is what to do when your family is apt to go hungry and your very best friend is your pet pig which would feed your family.

A great springboard for imaginations and young people exchanging ideas!

This book was one of the best books that I have ever read. The ending was wonderful and made the whole book worth reading.

Going by the Shaker Book, Robert Peck and his family never accepted any frills. Robert's father, Haven Peck, kills pigs for a living. One day, Robert is given a pig by his neighbor for helping him with his cow. He names his pig Pinky. The author describes Robert's and Pinky's lives together, and how happy Robert is that he has something that he can call his own. This is a very sad and compelling book. Although their are some deaths, it shows how a family unlike other neighbors of theirs can keep their Shaker religion, even if it causes them to be different.

I enjoy the book but unless someone is knowledgable in electronics I would not suggest this book. I know some electronics and I found this book lacking in respect to listings of parts values in several projects. I have basically had to guess at parts values. Several projects require winding ferrite rod coils and neglect to say with what kind of wire (ie magnetic or coated). There are references to using potentiometers but a failure to list what ratings. Just stating a 47 ohm potentiometer is not sufficient. This actually makes the projects more costly to build. Some of these parts you cannot readily find anymore in electronic shops whether looking in a retailer like Radio Shack or a surplus place. I have found that Ferrite Rods can be ordered online and thats about it. I would say that knowledge wise this book is great but it is not very detailed in its listing of parts values which is pretty critical I think. It has caused me several headaches as it is.

This is a great collection of projects. I got the book about a year ago. I constructed some of the projects and I am working on another one right now. They have all been fun and the book does a good job of documenting the projects. The results of some of the experiments are quite interesting. I don't know if there is anything paranormal going on, but it is hard to explain some of the phenomena. Recommended for the amateur scientist!

This book is technically very good, the author is a respected educator, and potential buyers should not be put off by the paranormal aspect of it. The experiments are interesting in any context. Just as a book about, for example, fly fishing does not guarantee that fish exist, this book does not address the question of whether any spirits really are out there attempting to communicate with us. It does, however, present logical ideas about how we might detect such attempts if they do exist. It follows in the footsteps of similar studies conducted by many respected scientists and engineers, including Edison.

Four stars out of five? By what standard? Well, anything by Shepherd is a five star read, but when judged against "In God We Trust" and "Wanda Hickey", "A Fistful of Fig Newtons" doesn't quite rise to his own very high standards. Still, don't let this turn you off to this fine little book. While the stories (some are really essays) are not as consistantly good as some of his earlier efforts, "Lost at C" is as good (and funny!) a short story as has ever been written. All of us can identify with the poor slobs stuck in the back row of the classroom, (the "alphabetical ghetto") struggling to comprehend algebra. "The Whole Fun Cataloge of 1929" is a brilliant essay which nails American culture better than any Harvard sociologist ever has. Jean illustrated this book with his own excellent and charming line drawings...another talent not many people knew Jean had. So, for dedicated Shep fans, by all means read "Fig Newtons", and for anyone interested in a funny book, you won't be dissapointed.

12 hilarious stories about common catastrophes, humiliating experiences, picking on toddlers and tailgating on the Jersey Turnpike. A testimonial for virtually every teen growing up in America today.

Not as good as Shepherd's first two books, but entertaining nonetheless.

Only the fertile mind of humorist Jean Shepherd could have thought of it. His Hoosier alter ego Ralph Parker reminisces on past events in his life once again, but this time against the backdrop of a rush-hour traffic jam in the famed Lincoln Tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. In "A Fistful of Fig Newtons", Ralph's memories are not limited to any particular period in his life, as was the case with "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash" (childhood) and "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters" (adolescence). Rather, he spans a wider field including summer camp, his first day of high school, Army life, and college. The reader will also enjoy a "critique" of the legendary Johnson Smith novelty catalog plus an amusing look at New Jersey. While still very witty and entertaining so as to earn a 9, "A Fistful of Fig Newtons" is more caustic and saltier than Shepherd's previous two books, mainly when Ralph's adult life is profiled. This book holds its own well as a work by a master satirist. Coming soon, my review of the fourth and last installment in the "tetralogy" of Shepherd books: "The Ferrari in the Bedroom".

The book offers an interesting twist at the end that children and parents will enjoy. Cute, humorous book

A clever new take on the beloved fairy tale of the enchanted frog. Children and those who read to them will enjoy recognizing other story friends; story-hour librarians will love the wonderful twist at the end! I pointed it out to our librarian at work, and she set the book on display in her office. My daughter, who is also a librarian, will be getting a copy for her birthday. :-)

Beginning like any other Fairy Tale "The Frog Princess?" utilizes other well known Fairy Tales that lead to an unexpected ending. A story with gleeful illustrations that only add to the odd twist of plot, this book is a must for everyone, especially children and school librarians!

The book Cowbow Ghost is about a kid his name is Titus our Tim. He grows up with a wonderful mother and a bashful father. Him and his older brother Micah dont get along very good in the begining so Tim tries to earn his brothers respect when the go on there first cattle drive. I woul recommend this book to the younger era of children that need to learn to respect there elders. I think that the author Robert Newton Peck is trying to get to the reader that when someone ignores you are doesnt like you try to give them there space and earn there respect.

This book was a pretty good one. It had everything a great book should have in it like a father that pays no attention to the young one and the older one gets all of the attention. The young Titus reminds me of... well...me. I'm not trying to be personal,but this book interested me for just that simple fact. Thumbs up all the way.

I thought this book was very good and had a lot of exciting part.It never seem to get boring because Titus and his brother always had something to do so if you like adventures, cowboys, and and horses i totaly recemend this book to you

The book, Isaac Newton and the Scientific Revoultion, was a good book beacause it went futher than the inventions and into Isaac Newton, the man. The book showed his public and private fueds with rival scientists. The books also shows his emotions; lots of resenment and hate, love of the unknown, and joy of experinicng life to the fullest. The only bad part of the book was it was to fast; it didn't show enough of the discoverery, it raced along to show what happened to Newton after the discovery like his fame and how it destroyed his rivals. But in the end you feel like you knew Newton and lived in the Scientiic revolution.

This is not just a great biography'it's one of the best-written science books around for young people. Christianson has sifted through the historical documents and accounts of Newton to paint a convincing and intelligent picture of the complex and at times irascible genius. Even more remarkable, the biographical portrait he presents is a compelling story. It begins with a beheading'that of Charles I'and ends with the poetic image of visitors to Newton's gravesite pausing "in silent tribute to the sacred permanence of the dead." The author demonstrates a remarkable sense of Newton and his times. For example, while many other biographers struggle to explain his experiments in alchemy, Christianson puts them in context of the great scientist trying to unravel the mysteries of the atomic world with the best tools available to him. The narrative also shows how Newton changed as he grew older: from a young, intense, reclusive academic to a living legend justifiably vain about his reputation. Reproductions of documents, Newton's sketches, and paintings of well-known figures illustrate this fine book

I have never read a biography quite as good as this. This book has some of the best descriptions of Newton that I've ever heard: "Like Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton was not just an aimless childhood tinkerer, but a tinkerer playing with ideas and mechanisms." It has so many interesting details about his life, such as the jumping contest at school, or the many different clocks that he made. This book made me realize that Newton wasn't just a great scientist, but a political figure as well, with a seat in Parliment, head of the Royal Society, and Director of the Mint. If it is possible, Cristianson would be my nominee for the Pulitzer Prize.

This isn't a review. This is to say how much I enjoyed this extremely well-written book. Unlike most fiction, it's not a book quickly forgotten. Is it ok if I say "there's more to it than meets the eye". Last time I enjoyed a book of fiction this much was Bonfire of the Vanities.

This is one book I couldn't put down. I read it straight through. The characters are so real that I felt like they were part of my life (and I hope I have a Joseph in my life somewhere). The plot and the switch from present to past was done with great expertise. When is his next book coming out?

This debut novel by Newton, while seemingly a paranormal story, has significant subplots revolving around the ongoing lessons of one man's life. The plots are interwoven in a manner that allows the reader to have the "aha" about the connections between two time periods and one supportive black man. The main characters are engaging and much can be said about the symbolism each brings to the story. This novel exemplifies the need for humankind to resolve their spiritual issues in the midst of whatever situations occur. An entertaining, action-packed, and thought provoking read.

This is a good compliation of Huey Newton's speeches and writings. The 1967 essay "Fear and Doubt" is a good summation of the psychological challenges Black men (particularly those in the ghettoes and who may lack education) face then and now. He also presents some progressive ideas on multiethnic coalitions being organized to fight oppression worldwide.

However, the writings take a downward turn around the time that Newton had been confirmed to have been taking hard drugs. His 1971 Yale speech is a mess of long-winded Marxist psychobabble and his defense of Melvin Van Peebles' ... pseudorevolutionary film "Sweet Sweetback" is laughable to those who are familiar with this ... film. Newton was killed in a drug deal gone bad some 17 years after this book appeared, and many of his earlier brilliant ideas died with him. A testament to the destruction of drugs.

Huey does a remarkable job in explaining many of viewpoints and objectives of the Black Panther Party. If you really want to gain an understanding of the Black Panther Party, especially Huey, this is a must read.

The political thinking and organizing of Huey P. was par none! Too bad about his problems with cocaine. Read also, of course: Seize the Time by Bobby Seale. To move beyond Huey, I recommend "Black Panther Party [Reconsidered].

Caulfiel's look at the sensational murder of Battle Creek, Michigan anchor woman Diane King is extremely detailed and encompasses a wide range of issues. To Caulfiel's credit, he avoids overdramatizing events and putting a distinct spin on the story. This is a pitfall some true crime writers fall into but Caulfiel does not. He also paints a vivid picture of the small town atmosphere of Marshall, Michigan. The comments from King himself are also intriguing.

My main complaint with this book is that it is far too long. Much of the more boring mintuae of the investigation is unnecessary and plodding to read. A lot of issues are rehashed several times. Also, very little detail is given about how King's children were faring with her family after the trial. That would have been time better spent.

All in all, it's a good effort but could use some paring down.

Another masterpiece by Mr.Cauffiel.He has the ability to make me feel I was actually there watching this sick scene play itself out. How could king do this to the mother of his kids?!This guy is actually one of Cauffiel's oddest killer's yet.How did he think he could get away with it? How could he have actually ever become a cop?? Also included in this book are some good family photos,including some unintentionally hilarious pictures of killer king himself,obese and bald in a cheap looking plaid suit.What did these women see in this absolute moron?A MUST READ

Eye of the Beholder is thoroughly researched and a very well written true crime novel. Lowell Cauffiel tells of the investigation and prosecution of Brad King for the murder of his wife and TV news anchorwoman, Diane King, in a way that makes you really understand the human failings in the investigation which are made up for only with dogged determination and some wonderful strokes of luck. As a former law enforcment officer and current prosecutor, I found it to be a fair telling of the investigation, warts and all, as well as an accurate portrayal of the interaction between many law enforcement agencies. Proof once again that human beings investigate crimes and do make mistakes; but that mistakes made, if recognized and admitted, can be remedied.