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Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Western", sorted by average review score:

Philosophy and Philosophers: An Introduction to Western Philosophy
Published in Hardcover by McGill-Queens University Press (August, 1993)
Author: John Shand
Average review score:

An agile and thorough survey ideal for introductory courses
This text should become standard issue for A.P. high school and entry level university courses in Western Philosophy.

Philosphy and Philosphers
An excellent beginner's book without making you feel like a dummy or one that leaves you feeling you should never of opened the book. Dr. Shand is truly a needed author for the likes of people like me who have tried to read and understand philosophy and never could read or understand the main concepts of this interesting and challenging field of everyday thoughts.

Plus the bonus of him being British. The Brits have a remarkable ability of making something difficult easy to understand. Dr. Shand starts out with the Presocrates and ends with recent Philosphers. Examples of recent Philosophers: Saul Kripke, J.L. Austin, W.V.O. Quine and many more. A beautifully written book for the average person.

The book also includes an excellent bibliography with a brief word about each of the books mentioned.

The world needs more people and books such as this to kick start our student's and the average person's interest in philosophy.


Phoebe Clappsaddle and the Tumbleweed Gang
Published in Hardcover by Pelican Pub Co (October, 2002)
Authors: Melanie Chrismer and Virginia Marsh Roeder
Average review score:

I couldn't resist this book -- and I'm not even a little kid
Phoebe is well-mannered, feminine, and nice to everybody,
nasty Tumbleweeds and all animals included, but she is most definitely not a sissy. Sure, this is a great book for girls, but I'll bet even the little boys will love it!

Virginia Roeder's illustrations are priceless. They're clever, beautiful, and adorable; I'll enjoy looking at the pictures again and again, and reading the story over and over, too. I've cleared a place of honor on my bookshelf for Ms. Clappsaddle and the gang.

Phoebe Equals Fun!
This book is a must for all the young cowpokes in the family. Phoebe's outstanding rodeo talents leave the Tumbleweed Gang in an uproar; their only hope...to get even! Of course Phoebe doesn't take this lying down, but she handles it like a true lady. Chrismer is genuinely gifted in use of Texas dialect. Her characters are fun and her tall tale outrageous. Phoebe Clappsaddle is a treasured addition to my family's bookshelf.


The Plains Across: The Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60
Published in Hardcover by Univ of Illinois Pr (Txt) (December, 1993)
Authors: John David Unruh and Doyce B. Nunis
Average review score:

Par excellence
An exceptional in-depth study of the Oregon/California Emigrant Trail. Each chapter is thoroughly researched and written very well, with excerpts from the overlanders' journals and diaries, along with references from various newspapers throughout the country. The reader is first introduced to the political and social ramifications from the news media of the pros and cons of overland travel to Oregon and California. Next, Unruh unravels the "whys" as to the emigrants' desire to pursue such an endeavor, risking loss of everything, including possibly life itself. We also get a feel for how the overlanders got along with each other; their relations with Indians; the battles of overcoming hunger, thirst, cold, etc. There is also mention of private entrepreneurs along the trail who were trading and selling goods at exorbitant prices; the "white Indians" who were white men masqueraded as Indians taking advantage of the emigrants; the Mormon influence throughout the Salt Lake area, along with the "Winter Mormons" who were average non-Mormon emigrants wishing to overwinter in Salt Lake but subjected to cruel and unjust treatments. Then the federal goverment comes into the picture by improving roads, establishing forts along the way and implementing troops to guide and protect the overlanders to safety. We read detailed descriptions of how west coast assistance was a major factor in helping settlers make that final push into either Oregon or California. The book is totally amazing! A definite page turner. Even if one is not into Western U.S. history, this book will make one look at the hardships, perils and sacrifices these people overcame to establish a new life for themselves, families, friends and relatives.

Very Very Thorough
This is an excellent book for learning the intricate details of the Oregon Trail crossings. Mr. Unruh has obviously done his research.


Plants and Animals of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Guide to the Natural History of Western Oregon, Washington and British Columbia
Published in Paperback by University of Washington Press (June, 2003)
Author: Eugene N. Kozloff
Average review score:

Plants and Animals of the Pacific Northwest by E.N. Kozloff
This is the best PNW plant and animal identification book on the market (and I have lot of such i.d. books). Lots of really good color pictures and detailed b/w's. Informative text on life history/cycles. Good index and well-organized. Great for helping children get going on school projects (the Latin names are there, but the text is plain English, flows well, and provides information that interests ordinary persons of all ages who enjoy the out-of-doors). Would make a nice gift for someone new to the area or otherwise interested in the topic.

What a beautiful book!
I fell in love with wild plants at the tender age of 11 when I went to camp with my 5th grade class. We did plant identification and I became intrigued by all the wonderful plants in the NW. WHen I got home I poured through my mom's copy of this book. I had been seeing it on our coffee table since I was like a tot! I fell in love with plants. This book has beautiful color pics of all kinds of wonderful plants and animals. It's awesome!


Plotinus
Published in Paperback by Arrow (A Division of Random House Group) (1998)
Author: A.H. Armstrong
Average review score:

An Excellent Edition of Plotinus
As is typical for the Loeb classical library books, the volumes are physically small, and the original text (Greek, for Plotinus) is given on the left hand page, with the English translation on the right.

The Preface describes the historical context within which Plotinus wrote, offers a summary of this thought, and a survey of Plotinus translations, commentaries, and studies. This material is supplemented by short introductions and synopses at the start of each chapter, and by abundant and detailed footnotes. The footnotes explain translation difficulties (not uncommon with Plotinus), and also identify the sources of Plotinus' references to other writers. These materials are excellent.

The only thing that this edition lacks is an index. The editors plead the difficulty of indexing Plotinus, and recommend "Lexicon Plotinianum" by J. H. Sleeman and Gilbert Pollet as an alternative. This work is, however, out of print (is it even in English? I am not sure) so it is not a very helpful suggestion. As it is, given Plotinus' rather scattered way of writing, an index is missed.

The Enneads are a collection of Plotinus' writings from fairly late in his life. Porphyry, his student, encouraged him in writing down his teachings, and acted as his posthumous editor (he also wrote a short biography of Plotinus which is included in the first volume). The works as they exist today are as they were received from Porphyry. As editor, Porphyry created his own organization for the works based on subject matter. This order is completely different from the order in which Plotinus wrote them. Porphyry, however, did document the original ordering.

From my own experience, however, I would recommend strongly reading Plotinus' writings in the order Plotinus wrote them rather than the order in which Porphyry arranged them. The major advantage I found was that it was much easier to follow the reasons why Plotinus believed what he did, even if the subject matter does jump around a bit. I tried Porphyry's order first, and almost gave up in despair before trying again in Plotinus' order. I have come to the conclusion that much of Plotinus' reputation as a bad writer is due to unfortunate but well-intended editorial decisions by Porphyry. Given that the Loeb edition presents Plotinus' writings in Porphyry's order, and that the Loeb edition is in multiple volumes, reading Plotinus this way does have a certain entertaining quality as well (first get volume IV, read a treatise, then get volume VI, read another, then get volume I, read another, and so on).

An important recommendation I would make for the reader is that he be properly prepared in his background reading. All of Aristotle and all of Plato would be ideal (as well as a worthwhile activity in its own right), but if the would-be reader of Plotinus finds that a little daunting and wants to get started sooner, there are still a few works that he should make a particular effort to read: Plato's "Phaedo", "Republic" (Books VI, VII), "Parmenides", and "Timaeus"; Aristotle's "Physics", "On the Heavens", "On the Soul", and "Metaphysics". Plato, as the earlier writer, should be read first (by the way - don't be discouraged when you find you don't understand the second half of "Parmenides", Plotinus is going to tell you what he thinks it means in due course, so all you need to do is understand the references). If you don't have Plato or Aristotle, for Plato, Cooper's "Plato: Complete Works" (in one volume), and for Aristotle, Barnes' "Complete Works of Aristotle" (in two volumes), are excellent.

The Loeb Edition Table of Contents
This Loeb Classical Library edition of the works of Plotinus is in seven volumes. The titles are as follows:

Plotinus I: Porphyry on Plotinus, Ennead I (Loeb Classical Library, 440)

Plotinus II: Ennead II (Loeb Classical Library, 441)

Plotinus III: Ennead III (Loeb Classical Library, 442)

Plotinus IV: Ennead IV (Loeb Classical Library, 443)

Plotinus V: Ennead V (Loeb Classical Library, 444)

Plotinus VI: Ennead VI, Books 1-5 (Loeb Classical Library, 445)

Plotinus VII: Ennead VI, Books 6-9 (Loeb Classical Library, 468)

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Below is the combined table of contents for those volumes:

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME I:

Preface (editors)

Sigla (editors)

On the Life of Plotinus and the Order of his Books (Porphyry)

Ennead I:

1. What is the Living Being, and What is Man? (53)

2. On Virtues (19)

3. On Dialectic (20)

4. On Well-being (46)

5. On Whether Well-being Increases with Time (36)

6. On Beauty (1)

7. On the Primal Good and the Other Goods (54)

8. On What Are and Whence Come Evils (51)

9. On Going Out of the Body (16)

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME II:

Sigla (editors)

Ennead II:

1. On Heaven (40)

2. On the Movement of Heaven (14)

3. On Whether the Stars are Causes (52)

4. On Matter (12)

5. On What Exists Actually and What Potentially (25)

6. On Substance, or On Quality (17)

7. On Complete Transfusion (37)

8. On Sight, or How Distant Objects Appear Small (35)

9. Against the Gnostics (33)

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME III:

Sigla (editors)

Ennead III:

1. On Destiny (3)

2. On Providence I (47)

3. On Providence II (48)

4. On Our Allotted Guardian Spirit (15)

5. On Love (50)

6. On the Impassibility of Things without Body (26)

7. On Eternity and Time (45)

8. On Nature and Contemplation and the One (30)

9. Various Considerations (13)

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME IV:

Preface to the Loeb Plotinus IV-V (A. H. Armstrong)

Sigla (editors)

Ennead IV:

1. [2] On the Essence of the Soul I (4)

2. [1] On the Essence of the Soul II (21)

3. On Difficulties About of the Soul I (27)

4. On Difficulties About of the Soul I (28)

5. On Difficulties About of the Soul III, Or On Sight (29)

6. On Sense Perception and Memory (41)

7. On the Immortality of the Soul (2)

8. On the Descent of the Soul into Bodies (6)

9. If All Souls are One (8)

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME V:

Preface to the Loeb Plotinus IV-V (A. H. Armstrong)

Sigla (editors)

Ennead V:

1. On the Three Primary Hypostases (10)

2. On the Origin and Order of the Beings Which Come After the First (11)

3. On the Knowing Hypostases and That Which is Beyond (49)

4. How That Which is After the First Comes From the First, And on the One (7)

5. That the Intelligibles are not Outside the Intellect, and on the Good (32)

6. On the Fact that that Which is Beyond Being does not Think, and on What is the Primary and What the Secondary Thinking Principle (24)

7. On the Question Whether there are Ideas of Particular Things (18)

8. On the Intelligible Beauty (31)

9. On Intellect, the Forms, and Being (5)

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME VI:

Preface to the Loeb Plotinus VI, VII (A. H. Armstrong)

Sigla (editors)

Ennead VI (continued in volume VII):

1. On the Kinds of Being I (42)

2. On the Kinds of Being II (43)

3. On the Kinds of Being III (44)

4. On the Presence of Being, One and the Same, Everywhere as a Whole I (22)

5. On the Presence of Being, One and the Same, Everywhere as a Whole II (23)

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR VOLUME VII:

Preface to the Loeb Plotinus VI, VII (A. H. Armstrong)

Sigla (editors)

Ennead VI (continued from volume VI):

6. On Numbers (34)

7. How the Multitude of Forms Came into Being, and on the Good (38)

8. On Free Will and the Will of the One (39)

9. On the Good or the One (9)

The numbers in parentheses indicate Plotinus' order of composition, which differs from the order given them by Porphyry and which this edition follows.

The bracketed numbers for the first two chapters of Ennead IV are an alternate ordering for them.


Political Pilgrims: Travels of Western Intellectuals to the Soviet Union, China and Cuba, 1928-1978
Published in Paperback by HarperCollins (paper) (January, 1983)
Author: Paul Hollander
Average review score:

The disaffected. secular, leftist intellectual
or, possibly more correctly, the adolescent who sometimes never grows up. We all want Heaven on Earth, don't we? Too bad it's not possible. Unfortunately, the attempt to create Heaven on Earth only creates a Hell. In this important but not terribly well-known known book, Paul Hollander traces the journeys of Western leftist intellectuals as they, blinded by self-deception, journey to the hellholes of the Soviet Union, China and China, and pronounce them wonderful societies. The obvious question: why? Estranged from their own societies, they seek meaning and community elsewhere. We all need it, and we all want it, to the point where some of us imagine it when it's not there. For the leftist, their gods have evaporated, leaving them in a vacuum. They seek religious certainty, meaning and comfort in trying to create a heaven right here. But the gods of leftism have turned out to be demons. Instead of trying to change the world, they should tend to their own gardens first.

Excellent diagnosis of campus nonsense
Paul Hollander is one of our best critics of the kind of foolishness that motivates intellectuals today and has done so for centuries. This book is well worth reading. It demonstrates most amply Hollander's contention that intellectuals are not characterized solely by their critical abilities and habits. Rather, as Hollander points out time and again, they are also characterized by their opportunistic use of these abilities, and by their incredible credulity. Sartre is only one case in point: his fabulous skepticism is employed to prevent himself from coming face to face with the fact that Stalin was a monster and that Marxism could neither save a nation nor prevent mass murder. Our hyper-politicized faculty on Kampus today employ the same kinds of denial and opportunistic critique to save thier silly beliefs in the beneficence of multiculturalism, in the existence of patriarchy and in the explanatory power of cultural critique. Hollander's book is a must read for anyone who needs distance from the nonsense of our postmodernists, deconstructionists and other allegedly radical dogmas of the aging flower children. All of them practice selective attention to their critical principles, scepticism for their enemies, and utter credultiy for their pals.


Portals of Hell (American Chronicles, Vol 5)
Published in Paperback by Bantam Books (December, 1993)
Author: Robert Vaughan
Average review score:

most underated series ever
i loved this whole series, and the portals of hell was great too. i especially love how caughan covers every side whether it's the american side, the japanese side, the german side or the jewish concentration camps. it's something that's rarely done. it was perfect.

World War Two in all its pain and glory
As a student of history, I found Mr. Vaughans depiction of the "great war" to be very real and compelling. He brings out the horror and complete evil of the times. Once you begin to understand Mr. Vaughan's true feelings of the American experience in the war, then and only then will you understand the impact it had and still has to this day on the American psyche. Mr. Vaughan, please keep up the great work!!


Potter's Fields
Published in Paperback by Bantam Books (November, 1996)
Author: Frank Roderus
Average review score:

I only wish I could give 6 stars
This is it. This book is by far the most powerful thing I have ever read. I actually cried as I read the ending. This is the first book by Mr. Roderus that I have read but it will certainly not be the last. I have only 3 words of advise to you if you have not yet read this one. "BUY IT NOW !" This one will change your life.

A great achievement
In my opinion few writers can handle a novel where very few characters are onstage. Mr Roderus has given us a great novel. I read Potter's Fields at one sitting and I am sure that you will too. I was right there with Joe Potter in that line shack. I looked around and saw how miserable and ornery and cold it was and how a man carries more than just his emotions around with him. And how the tenderness of a woman is something that man ignores to his detriment. In short, this book is great -- buy it.


Prairie Cooks: Glorified Rice, Three-Day Buns, and Other Recipes and Reminiscences
Published in Paperback by HarperCollins (paper) (May, 1997)
Authors: Carrie Young and Felicia Young
Average review score:

Like Grandma used to cook everyday!
This is a great book for Scandinavian recipes used EVERYDAY in America. There are tons of cookbooks for those special occasions, but the recipes which are hard to find are the ones that grandma didn't write down; she used them everyday; no need to refer to a recipe card! I found SIMPLE recipes that were used when the goal was to just feed the family, not to "entertain." But these are GOOD recipes, quite literally, like "Grandma used to make." If you're looking for a recipe that isn't fancy, but a family favorite, this is the place to find it!

A Wonderful Book for Scandinavian-Americans ! ! !
You won't be sorry you picked up this book. I've read two other books by Carrie Young, and they are all just a treat to read. I grew up eating this kind of food, lovingly cooked by my Norwegian grandmother. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these recipes and accompanying stories. The stories are often hilarious, and they all ring true for those of us with similar backgrounds. I'm picking up another copy of this book as a birthday gift for a relative, I know she'll love it!!! A great book for Scandinavians, for persons from the midwest, or for anyone else!!!


Prairie Kitchen Sampler
Published in Hardcover by Prairie Winds Press (February, 1990)
Authors: E. Mae Fritz, Krista F. Rogers, and Alice Mickish Hendrickson
Average review score:

Wonderful stories and great recipes
This is an enchanting cookbook, full of stories from the author's mother about cooking in the 20, 30's and 40's. The recipes are easy to follow. Every one that I have tried has been delicious, family-pleasing, "real" food not gourmet stuff. This would be a great bridal gift. My girls will get their own copy when they leave home. A must for the collector!

A must-have addition to every kitchen!
A cookbook that actually reads like a story. Readers are taken back in time with the author and her mother as they share stories from the Nebraska prairie days. Packed full of recipes you'll have to try! This book paints vivid pictures of what life was once like...cooking on large, corncob stoves, stoking the fire to keep just the right consistency for making a cake. We have it easy with today's kitchen technology! This book would make a great bridal shower gift or just one to add to your kitchen shelf...


Related Vacation Book Subjects: Massachusetts
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