Out of all of the pharm books I have used, this is the easiest to understand. Not as thorough as some but great. I recommend it. Wish I had it for the whole nursing program.

Plato is a master, because he is qualified to teach the beginning philosophers like us. He teaches the step by step process of moving from confusion toward peace. For example, Plato shows us how to become peaceful about the disturbing question of whether the fear of death may be conquered?

The things that bring about confusion in the human mind are problems. Problems are the unexplained differences in our observations. To illustrate, some people are fearful in relation to death. Mention the word "death" and the heart begins pounding, the mouth dries up, and one's skin becomes blanched. But Socrates was not fearful in relation to death. "He died so fearlessly," writes Plato. The heart of Socrates was calm and not pounding when he approached death. As a result, a person becomes confused when observing the difference between people with fear and a brave Socrates in relation to death.

Confusion is a good feature to have, because confusion leads to wonder, and wonder is the cause of feeling youthful. The youthful, honest observer is a person who naturally wonders about Socrates. Why is it that Socrates was calm at the time of his death?

The third step after confusion and wonder toward peace is Poetry. Poetry increases a person's wonder and brings about a desire for a solution to the problem. Plato introduces a poem about a ship, "in which, according to Athenian tradition, Theseus went to Crete when he took with him the fourteen youths, and was the savior of them and of himself." This poem supports the conclusion that wondering about the fearless Socrates will bring about peace. Just as Theseus saved fourteen youths from death, so to will Socrates save us from the fear of death.

Rhetoric is expressed with a speech that moves a listener from wonder and desire for a solution toward hope. Hope is an attraction for a person who has conquered the fear of death. Socrates triggers our hope with a trick of rhetoric when he says, "I do not grieve as I might have done, for I have good hope that there is yet something remaining for the dead." Socrates then stimulates our confidence in him by stating a major premise. "I think the true philosopher is always pursuing death." And because Socrates is a true philosopher, Socrates has always pursued death. Consequently, Socrates is qualified to conquer the fear of death.

Philosophy is next with its tools of definitions, arguments and challenges to the arguments. Socrates defines death as "the completion...of the separation of soul and body".

Every argument is composed of premises and a conclusion. Socrates employs five different premises to support the same conclusion: that we are going to be aware of organizing something after death. The first premise composing the first argument is the following proposition:
Everything that becomes "released" must be a thing that exists after becoming released.

The second argument is based on the following major premise:
Every thing with parts can be separated. For example, a tire can be separated from its car, because a tire is a part of the car. But, according to Socrates, no soul is a thing with parts. The soul is "not compounded". Therefore, no soul can be separated. And because separation is death, no soul has death, which means that the soul's organization activities will not become terminated, ever.

Argument number three opens with a clear direction from Socrates. "Mark the point at which I am aiming," he says. "Essential opposites exclude one another." For example, the number three is odd and cannot be even. "Will not the number three perish or undergo anything rather than be made an even number, while remaining three?" Again, a number cannot be three and even at the same time. But living is the essential opposite of dying. Therefore, living excludes dying. And because the soul is the source of living, the soul cannot die. Thus, the soul will be aware of organizing something after separating from the body.

The last stage from confusion toward peace is the experience of peace itself. Peace is rest with appreciation. But rest with appreciation is caused by good philosophical arguments. Therefore, peace follows good philosophical arguments. And the reader has several causes of thankfulness from the arguments and counter arguments above. First, we can be certain of our hope in Socrates. He shows us how to conquer our fears with poetry, rhetoric, definitions, arguments and sound conclusions.

Then, raising the cup to his lips, quite readily and cheerfully he drank off the poison. Up to then most of us had been able to control our sorrow; but when we saw him drinking and saw too that he had finished the drink, we could no longer forbear, and in spite of myself my own tears were flowing fast, so that I covered my face and wept, not for him, but at the thought of my own calamity in having to part from such a friend.

Socrates alone retained his calmness. The activity of focusing on the soul was a top priority for Socrates and he seriously addressed the fear of death. Plus, he showed kindness to his challengers Concerning these things we can be certain and forever thankful.

In Plato's Progeny: How Plato And Socrates Still Captivate The Modern Mind, Melissa Lane (University Lecturer in History at Cambridge and a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge) begins with an account of modern responses to the trial of Socrates and the controversial question of Socrates' relation to Plato. She explores the idea of Platonic origins in and for philosophy, as well as the Platonic foundations for philosophical politics. Plato's Progeny also explores the invocations of Plato as Lane persuasively argues that twentieth-century ideological battles have obscured the importance of Socratic individualism, the nature of Platonic ethics, and the value of Platonic politics for a contemporary society. Enthusiastically recommended for students of philosophy in general, and the contributions of Socrates and Plato in particular, Plato's Progeny is an ideal and exceptionally well written introduction and commentary.

As a medical student with an interest in integrative, complementary, and alternative medicine, this book provides a well-researched and logical approach to prescribing herbal remedies for common ailments. Herbs are indexed by common and scientific plant names, indications, contraindications, and potential medication interactions allowing quick access to whatever you are looking for. Dr. Johnson has been thorough in his research, and I am confident in making recommendations based on his work. The book also provides a rating system based on the level of human trial scientific research (from anecdoctal to randomized controlled trial) backing the principal indications for each herb. This book is a must have for those interested in herbal remedies.

Rarely do you find a book that is EXACTLY what you're looking for and EXACTLY what it claims to be. This is a superb book for intermediate Russian students who want to focus their study on Politics and International Relations. I treasure this book.

Lane Ryo Hirabayashi has done a great service to the Asian American Studies community with his study of the life of Tamie Tsuchiyama. Through her own words, Hirabayashi captures her struggles as a researcher coping with the daily exigencies of life in an American concentration camp. Central to his work is the relationship that Tsuchiyama shared with then JERS (Japanese Evacuation Resttlement Study) head, Dorothy Thomas. Not only is this meticulously researched, but poignantly recounted through Hirabayashi's deft analysis. I can't wait to assign this book to my own students.

I was in Dr. Hardy's precalulus course in 1965 at Armstrong State College, Savannah, Georgia. It was an excellent course from which he wrote the first edition of Precalculus Mathematics. Several years later, I purchased the first edition and had Dr. Hardy sign the hardcover book.

This book is a much needed explination of the insanity of Les Claypool's bass style. His slap bass style with bits of tapping, usually on a 5 string bass, occasionally fretless. I have been trying for years to decifer les's music, and now it's finally possible. worth every penny and every second of practice. This is perfect for any primus fan who is instrumental, but be warned, Les' music "is!" as hard to play as it sounds. Have fun.

Princess was one of my favorite books when I was 10 years old, and tonight I gave it to my 10 year old cat-obsessed son to read.

Princess is a pampered white Persian show cat, well loved by the family's daughter. When Princess gets lost the day they leave their summer cottage she is left behind, to everyone's distress. When Princess finally finds her way home she discovers that she has been abandoned and a feral cat and her kittens have moved in under the cottage.

Princess goes through a number of trials through the winter, learning that she does have the courage and resourcefulness needed to survive without people, while Minerva (the feral cat) learns someting about trust.

Don't worry, this story DOES have a happy ending.

Quiet Strength, by Rosa Parks is an amazing display of one woman's journey to understanding why. Why she and her people needed to justify themselves. Why she had to sit a certain place on a bus. Why she was so tired. Rosa Parks is grounded in her source of Quiet Strength through her relationship with her Creator - God. This relationship has been reinforced by her family and culture. "Love, not fear must be our guide," Rosa states - I would recommend this book to every human being who has a heart and soul.