Sure, we've got a warmongering emperor who can't walk and chew gum. But now we've also got American Newspeak from Wayne Grytting. Although neither a dentist nor a furrier, Grytting can walk, chew gum, dissect mendacity, and wisecrack at the same time. He's not only a hilarious satirist but also a mountain climber, a special-ed teacher, an advanced Zen Buddhist, and an ex-commercial halibut fisherman.
This delightful book gathers together Grytting's exhaustive--but never exhausting--examples of linguistic nonsense by the media, corporations, and government officials. It's a joy to read, and I think George Orwell himself would have applauded Grytting's literary style, social savvy, and philosophical perspective. And jokes. Did I mention the jokes?...

Wayne Grytting has assembled a hilarious collection of doublespeak and idiocy from our nation's highest politicians and corporate executives, accentuating it with his own scathingly funny commentary. In thematically arranged chapters such as "Legal Disorders", "The Education Mall" and "McHealth and Science-Mart" he exposes examples of newspeak that are beyond anything Orwell thought up. Once again, truth is far stranger than fiction. One of my favorites is an ad executive complaining about advertising in today's oversaturated market: "Consumers are like roaches--you spray them and spray them and they get immune after a while." There are also the perennial politicians condemning soft money while on their way to soft money fundraisers, news anchors condemning a media circus, etc. The un-logic and disconnect from reality displayed by the victims of his satirical pen is mind-boggling and goes a long way towards explaining the cynicism and apathy of today's society. The genius of this book is that after you're done laughing at the absurdity of it all, he gives ideas on how to do something about the absurdity, how to use humor to reconnect with other people and subvert the efforts of the politicians and corporations that try to numb our brains.

A very sophisticated piece of work. With great insght into many medical/historical perceptions and social mechanisms!
Absolutely Stunning!

P.S: Looking forward to another one.

A disquieting and destabilising experience is what I was left with after reading Butchart's Anatomy of Power. On beginning the book, I at first thought that it was just another social history, albeit incredibly detailed in its probing of what doctors did in the name of science. But, as a I read on, the commanding thesis of the work took ever greater shape, and by the end I was as convinced as Butchart is of the argument that without the socio-medical sciences there can be no bodies at all. This leaves one with a real dilemma in terms of what to do in terms of liberation and the struggle against oppression. While the book doesn't answer this key question, it surely poses it with a greater degree of lucidity and insight than many other books about Africa, colonialism and liberation.

Highly recommended!

Daniel Kuhlmann, Stockholm

I was referred to this book by my lecturer in applied athropology. Reading it caused me to rethink and rewrite my assignment. Fergusson can be a bit irritating but he certainly has researched his field well and shows a great insight into the politics of foreign aid and economic development in the 3rd World.

Ferguson's study of development projects in Lesotho brings a much needed dose of reality to the subject of modernization and aid. While others might stress the need for appropriate technology or bog the reader down in economic formulae, Ferguson examines the ways in which local and global politics influence the success of even the most carefully planned and well-meaning of projects. A must-read for anyone interested in the development business.

Foucault suggests that the very idea of order as such, along with the larger idea of episteme, which through implication that "The Order of Things" was organized around cultural totalities, was a mistake. In this book Foucault makes a huge reversal. We know also that outside "The Archaeology of Knowledge" Foucault does not limit himself to discourse, even though it remains central. And within it, he clearly allows for primary relations between institutions, techniques, social forms, etc., which are not discursive in nature. We are left with weak answers. Maybe, because "The Archaeology of Knowledge" really deals with knowledge, discursive relations are sufficient. Knowledge is found for the most part in texts, documents, books. Maybe we can excuse the oversight by the fact that it was only after "The Archaeology of Knowledge" that Foucault clarified the intimacy of power and knowledge and went beyond the early view that power in knowledge simply controlled and excluded discourse. Moreover, how do we deal with the problem of savoir and connaissances - granted one finds there the visible/invisible couple, the question of epistemic knowledge (savoir) and accumulated knowledge (connaissances), the concept discursive practice, the critique of systems, and the Center (or, the principles of the Author, the Origin, and so forth). But, by what right, do we introduce the axis of fact, and the dimension of knowledge production? Are they not interpreters' inventions? I'll say this much, as much as "The Archeology of Knowledge answers it begs more questions. Let me just close by saying to be fair to Foucault that it was an "in-between" book - assessing where he came from and outlining where he was going. Complicated? Yes, but a valuable resource in understanding "Discourse" - good luck.

Miguel Llora

Let's be childish enough to use coarse categories: "Discipline&Punish" is Foucault's most beautiful book. "The Order of Things" is the most brilliant (that's why it made him a star). Let's also say "The History of Sexuality" is his most exciting book. Then "The Archaeology of Knowledge" is the most fascinating: it is Foucault's attempt to write a theory of what he is doing. And it is a brilliant failure: this is the only time that we see Foucault, the master of brilliant formulation, completely naked. It is endearing to watch how he is trying to write a piece of philosophical theory, while all his other books demonstrate how unnecessary such theory is.

This is no light reading and the English translation is barely comprehensible. I bet that there is a serious mistranslation on any given page. With good translations at hand, some notorious readers (Foucault lovers and Foucault enemies alike) might actually have understood what the words "discourse" and "dispositif" mean. Countless articles and books would not have been written. That's why a good German translation would have been even more desirable (the one in print is as miserable as the English one, same bet)...

This book of art from the Pokemon 2000 (Revelation Lugia) movie is wonderful, to say the least. I was greatly impressed, it easily surpassed my expectations. Though the art is fantastic and plentiful, some of the most noteable features is information; the book gives a nice synopsis of the film and the short that was played with it, as well as a nifty little Pokedex for the new Pokemon featured in the movie. It's a great addition to any Pokefan's collection! I highly recommend this one.

This book is really good, but unfortunately I found a few misprints. But, then again, every book has misprints, so I shouldn't be so nit-picky. Also, I noticed something: in this book, Lugia said, "You, who recovered the two treasures, are our best hope," when it's saying that Ash is the Chosen One. But wait! In the movie, Lugia said that only with the help of the true Chosen One (Ash), would the Ice Sphere glow brightly like the other two. So I think they took that particular sentence in the book from the Japanese version of this movie. Also, about those weird drawings on page 44 . . . who drew them? The reason I'm not giving this book less than five stars is because it answered a lot of my questions. I hate to admit, but I didn't really understand the real reason that Moltres and Zapdos were attacking each other in Lawrence's airship. And that's just one example. There were a lot of other things I was sort of confused about that this book explained. Last note: this book tells you the name of the Pokemon collector! Lawrence III! But why doesn't the elderly man (you know, the one who told Ash that the festival was just for the tourists) have a name?

This was an excellent book and fun to read. I've been a lover of astronomy for 7 years since I was 13 years old! I've read dozens of astronomy books and this one really is a great one. It definitely made my class easier and more enjoyable. The CD-ROM helps too! Nice big book with tons of color pictures, and interesting facts. Not boring at all. It was a good choice for the class.

This book is a well expresed and enjoyable introduction toastronomy; pictures and graphics, text-boxes on seminal concepts,clear writing do it an amazing reading. Programs and texts on CD arethe precise aid to textbook as a powerful tool for those that want learn about modern astronomy, this thanks to up-to-date references and glossary.

I really loved this book because it had some awesome monologues and it helped me be more creative with my acting. I would recomend this book to everyone. It has a varity of pieces. It is awesome!

Audition Monologues changed my daughters life. My 14 year old daughter has attended auditions on a regular basis for over 2 years (unsuccessfully). Finding the appropriate material that would allow her to demonstrate her skills was next to impossible. It simply didn't exist until now.
We bought the book and began practicing on a nightly basis. While the monologues are brief and easy to deliver(under one minute), they are exciting and allow for artistic expression. Using these monologues, my daughters confidence soared. She was actually able to identify with the characters which gave an authenticity to her presentation that she previously lacked in auditions.
Using these at auditions allowed her to demonstrate her full range of acting abilities. As a result, she landed the part in two of her last three auditions, the latest a speaking role in a national T.V. commercial.
Audition Monologues made this possible. My daughter and I are grateful. I would reccomend it to anyone.

to talk about greed, his new books, and how people take things for granted these days. We must accept the blessings that come to us and be thankful for them, not take them for granted. Gary gave several great examples adapted from Authentic Faith. I enjoyed the lecture and I got his autographs on the book and Seeking the Face of God. Also, I learned so much from his chapter on the Discipline of Forgiveness. I do need to forgive a coworker who sinned against me not too long ago and its going to be hard to decide on an obligation whether to forgive him or wait more weeks. Good work and thank you Gary!!

*Publishers Weekly* says that "Thomas shows great potential for becoming the Henri Nouwen of evangelicalism."

Become The Dream is a powerful and practical teaching tool for professionals in any of the health and counseling fields, and an inspiring and provocative book for anyone seeking self-knowledge and actualization. Randal Churchill is Director of the Hypnotherapy Training Institute and originator of Hypnotic Dreamwork™. In this book he introduces a revolutionary combination of therapies that brings Gestalt dreamwork together with hypnosis. The vast majority of dreamwork methods rely on analysis and interpretation. By contrast, Gestalt dreamwork brings the dreamer into a deeper experience of the dream itself and allows the individual to find the unique relationship of the dream to his or her own existential experience. The addition of a wealth of hypnotic techniques takes the dreamer much further, with a variety of effective options such as hypnotic deepening, ideomotor methods, regression and positive suggestions for further insight and integration. Actual transcripts from a wide range of fascinating dreamwork sessions draw the reader into an intimate look at therapy from the inside. With great sensitivity and skill, the author demonstrates the remarkable potential of this unique work to tap into the receptivity and wisdom inherent in the subconscious mind and the potential for profound change.

Easy reading book that has helped me understand the real meaning of my dreams. Uses hypnotic, self-hypnotic and gestalt psychology techniques to do it. Includes actual case histories that are phenomenally interesting to read. Now I know the message that my dreams bring to me. I can then take action to change my life in a positive way. Different than any other "dream" book I know. Highly recommended to anyone interested in knowing more about their dreams, discovering a consistent technique to do it, and then using that information to make positive changes in one's life.

Karla McLaren's workshop on tape is just about the right length, and presents about the right information at about the right depth. The idea of someone being or wanting to become an empath speaks volumes about that individual even before the first step is taken or the first idea is taught. If the meek are to inherit the Earth, you'll find a quorum here.

It has been said that the voice is the barometer of one's being, and if so Karla's is beautiful (in both respects). Here is the voice of experience, one who has taken her childhood wounds and used them as a vehicle to transcend the common mold, to become a butterfly rather than choosing to remain a victim.

Karla explains what an empath is and highlights the differences between clairvoyance, clairaudience and clairsentience. She explains the theory of the five elements of the human personality and presents a powerful working model for balancing the psyche. No part of the personality should be squelched because a person is "too sensitive". What really needs to be accomplished is the balancing of a dominant attribute by bolstering other aspects of the personality. (This portion of the tape alone is so interesting and useful that it could be considered a seminar in its own right.)

Karla teaches the inner skills of self knowledge, emotional agility and humility, and the importance of external support systems such as healthy relationships, good boundaries and the ability to create separations. She explains how to maintain a sense of personal space, of grounding and image releasing, and other skills necessary to protect against the energy overloading that may be associated with emotional over-exposure. She also teaches the skills of listening without projecting one's own judgements into the picture.

She talks about the primary emotions - anger, fear, sadness, depression and suicidal tendencies - their many and varied derivations and disguises, and shows that emotions are messengers, not problems. She exposes the awesome primal power that can be tapped into by communicating with the emotions and the deep insights they can yield, and provides the specific questions that should be asked in the presence of each emotion. Fantastic!

I think the word "skills" is the cornerstone of this seminar. It's all about learning how to handle situations with finesse, rather than force, and a bit of "by the book" is a nice balance to the obvious emotional predilection of the subject matter.

Wondering how empathic you are? One thing for sure--you ARE empathic! With these tapes you can figure out if you use projection, mimicry or clairsentience when relating to others. Learning three internal skills, you can work from a place of wholeness. Learning emotional agility allows you to ask the right questions and move through emotions to healing. And learning three external skills cultivates and supports your empathic skills. Speaking of support, Karla says that empaths need the company of other empaths for understanding and exchange--and that includes your partner at home.

Karla also gives three steps to clear empathy that are important when helping others and maintaining yourself. And if you're like me, the advice to do some "conscious complaining" is pure joy!

The skills in the last session are some you've seen before if you've worked with Karla's tapes, but done this time in a different context. At the end, two Sufi meditations are suggested for those in conflict in close relationships.

These are powerful tapes! I highly recommend them to everyone, as we're all living on some empathic level. I love Karla's music, her voice, and her awe-inspiring connection with that misunderstood and neglected part of us--the emotions.