In recent years, many languages thought dying or dead have been revived and the number of native-speakers of these languages has greatly increased, particularly among the Celtic languages of the British Isles. One of these has been the ancient and extinct language of Cornwall, thrilling for me as I may have a West Countryman or two in my family tree.

I should say at the outset that I am not a trained linguist, so I do not know if the principles undergirding this book are sound or not. But they seem to be. This dictionary will go far toward keeping Cornish alive, perhaps even extending its influence to Cornishmen on this side of the Atlantic. Highly recommended.

Filing for Social Security Disability benefits is not easy. This guide explains EVERYTHING in easy to understand terms. I wish I had ordered it before the first denial. I am using this book while filing a reconsideration. The suggestions provided have really opened my eyes to the process. I highly recommend this book to people who want a little extra information on the SSA's thought process when going over your application.

From record players to answering machines, David Morton's history of sound recording explains where these everyday technologies came from--and why some of them, like the 8-track tape, ultimately met their demise. Chapters cover the record industry, radio broadcasting, dictation machines, answering machines, and tape recorders, but the book is as much about American culture as it is about machines. Where did the cult of "high fidelity" come from? Why was using recordings on the radio highly controversial at first? The answering machine chapter offers commentary from social notables ranging from Miss Manners to Blondie (would she have been "hanging on the telephone" if a machine had picked up?), and we learn that recording piracy was an issue long before Naptster. The writing is not overly technical and has lots of illustrations of little-known machines and the often hilarious advertising campaigns that promoted them. A fun read.

This is a good book for health professionals to read. To learn to be with the patients, it is necessary to read this book first to acquire the understanding of the positions the patients take, the process they go through, the ways they are--the personality types. This is my favorite book on these topics.

I teach French to kids age 6 - 14. This is a charming book of letters between a French-speaking student and an English-speaking pen pal. The letters are relatively simple, yet not boring and would be excellent examples of first letters to a French-speaking pen pal for kids or adults with elementary French skills. The letters could be read to younger children but are probably best for kids 8 and up who are learning French.

This is a practical, easy-to-understand and comprehensive manual for dog and cat owners, written by a veterinarian who obviously loves animals. He illustrates his points with very interesting anecdotes from his many years of practice. The book covers basic information (choosing a pet and choosing a vet, training, feeding, vaccinations, and what exactly happens when you leave your pet for surgery or tests at the vet's office. The second half covers all the major illnesses and problems that can be encountered and what to do. There are loads of helpful tips (i.e. that chocolate is poisonous for dogs and cats, that Tylenol is equally poisonous, what to do if your cat eats thread or string, etc.) This delightful book is written in a style that blends Dr. Spock (for pets, of course), with James Herriott. Highly recommended.

The title of this book proposes it as an 'introduction', and it is. But it takes you much much further than that, without making you feel like you are struggling to get there.
My only complaints about this book are very minor. There is one paragraph in the book which I disagree with, and have strong evidence to show that it is an error, wheather the author would agree with my position, I don't know. This being the only piece of text I would really change. Not bad for a book of this size.
My other minor quibble is that this is a text book and has the look of a text book. Why not shop this book to a wide audience ? It's far far better than any non fiction philosophy book I've seen, marketed to the public.
Oh, and one other thing, that goes hand in hand with the above point, the index is ok, but could be better.

I read this book soon after it came out and what I learned has been very valuable since then.
If you know nothing about philosophy and want to become a crack philosopher over night, or if you are already a crack philosopher and want to see how to write a great book, go out and buy Mortons Philosophy In Practice - Now !
Highly Recommended !

Morton White has long been a distinguished scholar and historian of American ideas, especially the philosophy of pragmatism. Here he analyzes that crucial historical intersection between abstract ideas and the practical needs of governance as found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, ideas such as, self-evident truth, unalienable rights, and pursuit of happiness, concepts and words that now define the nation's foundation. In illuminating fashion, he traces their historical origins to such European thinkers as Burlamaqui, Blackstone, Aristotle, and of course, John Locke. Just as importantly, he points out the elitist ambiguities that historically lurk behind these seemingly universal prescriptions. Self-evident truths?- Self-evident to whom? Everyone? God given rights - What exactly are they? Who decides? Do they include property rights or are those human inventions? Additionally, he points out the origin of our long national debate on the proper ends of government. Is government's purpose that of simply preserving rights (modern conservatism) or is it obligated to to increase popular well-being (modern liberalism)? These and other key questions are discussed within an historical framework and should be of interest to anyone wishing to know more about the intellectual origins of the world's remaining super power. Some background in philosophy is helpful but not required, and though the text is sometimes over-professionalized for the casual reader, the ideas and language remain accessible throughout. Recommended.