Jean Baudrillard's The Illusion of the End is a fantastic read whether one chooses to take the author seriously or whether one simply wishes to loose himself in the author's creative metaphors which sum up the meaning of life and death in our modern (post-modern) society with a few hard-hitting words and phrases. Baudrillard's style is fairly simple, and I would say that his texts are easy to understand in French and in English although finding his texts in the original French can sometimes be problematic. Chris Turner's translation ... , does a great job of capturing Baudrillard's humorous and sometimes shocking ideas about the world and what he considers to be the illusion of time.

The central theme of this book is that time is becoming an illusion, and I would even say that Baudrillard already believes time has disappeared. Humankind, by falsely believing that time is linear and that "ends" exist, has created a reality out of illusions and is now gradually erasing history in an attempt to make itself "feel" better about living a life that is all but certain.

Baudrillard does not spend a great deal of time wading through previous critics' opinions about the nature of time or what physicists may say about the past, present, and future. He jumps right into his own theories which really ask the reader to rethink his notions about our world and where humankind is going, or as Baudrillard would say - re-visiting - in its attempt to revise all of those little unpalatable events from the past such as the Cold War, Persian Gulf War, and the Timisoara massacre.

Baudrillard is refreshing and shocking at the same time. Although his style is simple and stimulating, his ideas verge on the outrageous and the unpredictable. I recommend this book highly.

Jean Baudrillard - I must say that albeit he is a self-proclaimed postmodernist theorist, it is not at all fair to lump together with others (specifically those influenced from poststructuralism). Baudrillard is a materialist. In spite of that, he has other postmodern sensibilities (fragmentation, symbolic-surface function, etc.).

He talks about history and the linear construction of time, and how this has framed our thought processes. Because of this artificial linearizing of time, he pokes fun at "ends." For Baudrillard, time has, more or less, stopped. It is no longer a question of forward or backward.

He argues that we are speeding towards hyperreality, where everything is sterile and eternal. Using the example of the compact disc, he says (roughly) "If objects no longer grow old when you touch them, you must be dead." We need to see and experince death and decay to constitute life. My only concern is this implicit statement that there is a kind of default nature positon when things were right (vinyl records, no email, news travelling via mouth, etc.).

Overall, brilliant and stimulating.

Steve Turner has shed some refreshing light on an age-old controversial subject. Should a Christian's art be obviously Christian or is there room to fudge a bit? These and many other types of questions are answered by Turner. Perhaps the greatest insight he shares in the book is that a Christian artist is also a human being. The art created by this person is affected by all things in their environment. To create only art that reflects an inflexible spiritual message is ludicrous. If the artist is touched by the power of God, the artist paints it. If the artist is hurt by a lover's rejection, the artist writes a song about it. If the artist likes french toast, the artist writes a short story about it. Christian themed or not, it's art and it's justified. Let the fundamental, backward thinking, Super Christians beware. Steve Turner is a champion for the cause of Christians in the arts.

This is, quite simply, the best book on the issues surrounding the life of a modern day Christian artist that I have ever read--period. I say this for several reasons:

1. It is uncompromising, both in its descriptions of the artist's mind, dreams, and motivations, and also in its exacting analysis of what it means to be a Christian. Turner pulls no punches in describing the incredible dichotomy between the gift of new life we have been given as a result of faith in the death and resurrrection of Christ as atonement for our sins, and the very emotions, dreams, insecurities, and passions that drive the artist in his or her creative endeavors. It is true, at least in my experience (and as Rory Noland has written in his very good book, "The Heart of the Artist"), that Christians in the arts are often more prone to temptation since they allow their feelings and passions to not only enter in to their work, but to drive it.

2. It puts out a call for artists to not only do art in the church to glorify God, but especially to do art OUT in the world to carry His message of salvation to those who do not yet know Him. How often do we hear the statement that the "real" work of the Christian is religious in nature, or takes place in and around the church? But, as Turner writes, "Jesus is Lord" over the WHOLE of our lives, even and especially those parts that are very 'unreligious' in nature. We are called to live for Christ minute by minute.

3. It is also honest in its assessment that the church often does not know what to do with the artists in our midst, let alone present an atmosphere in which they can flourish in their gifts and talents. It is my sincere hope that books like this one and the aforementioned Noland book can serve as a wake up call, letting the modern day church know that there is a powerful group of servants here, and that we need to both minister to them and more importantly allow them to minister to us and to God with their creative talents.

4. Rather than a simplistic "Christian vs. secular" explanation of art in the world, Turner submits a very well-conceived philosophy of five concentric circles of varying degrees of the mix of faith and art. I found this very helpful both in better understanding the art I see in and out of churches around me, and developing my own philosophy of art and faith.

I am the Worship Arts Pastor for a medium-large (approx. 2000 members) Bible church near Dallas, Texas. This book makes statement after statement that my own heart (after nearly 5 years of leading artists, and creating worship services at our church) really resonated with. I found myself underlining sentence after sentence, and often entire paragraphs or pages! This stuff is really that profound.

I hope and pray that the book will help both church staffers and artists find their way to utlizing ALL that they are in the pursuit of God through their gifts. May the church once again become the incredible storehouse and "town square" for the arts that it has been in centuries past; and may more and more Christian artists embrace their gifts and calling, rather than feeling confused and dazed at the apparent lack of understanding by the world in general and the church in particular as to just what makes the artist tick.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It has already had a large impact on my thinking, and helped to clarify issues that have been clouded and murky for so long.

This is an excellent book with an extremely insightful and fascinating chapter written by Mark I. Gruhin. He is a very skilled writer and lawyer, and I look forward to his future writings.

Being a lawyer in NYC, I was very impressed with some Inside the Minds: Interne Lawyers. Although it is impossible to cover every Internet related topic, the book does a good job at covering some very interesting topics. In addition, the individuals portrayed in the book represent a good cross sampling of different talents related to Internet law. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Mark Fischer at Palmer & Dodge. If you are a woman, make sure to also check out Inside the Minds: Leading Women.

This book was a great book. The examples helped me understand communication theory and after I read the examples and the TIPS, I saw the relationship between theory and practice. Good job and a great price!

this book is very helpful in giving the main points of many important communication theories. i really understood how theory and practice relate after reading the tips and the examples. it is well priced too.

This is a coffee-table book you want to take to bed with you! The photos are stunning (as they were in the prequel, Wild by Law) but the stories are so compelling you can't put it down. The book details some of the struggles Earthjustice, the leading non-profit environmental law firm, has had fighting the good fight for civic groups, indigenous folks, and others unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire when the bad guys try to do their nasty deeds. It reads like a detective novel, but better illustrated!

Justice On Earth: Earthjustice And The People It Has Served by Tom Turner (Earthjustice Senior Editor) is a compelling collection of true stories about the endless battles to protect the earth from the depredations of big and small businesses. Illustrated with numerous full-color photographs, the informed and informative text recounts legal battles of the environmentally oriented Earthjustice legal organization, the centuries of history leading up to these often seminal litigations, as well as the very people and places that devoted public servants struggle to protect. Justice On Earth is a highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Environmental Issues reference collection or reading list.

Lynn Turner invites the reader to the sheltered coves and rock-bound coasts of Nova Scotia, introducing Keely Dunwich, successful city lawyer seeking a slower pace amid her small town roots. The suspicious residents of Gottingen offer a mixed welcome when she inherits her grandmother's weathered jumble of a cottage complete with obese pussycat. Troubles have plagued the Maritimes since jobs disappeared with the cod moratorium. Now a secretive German consortium arrives to gobble oceanfront property for an exclusive resort. Suddenly Keely becomes embroiled in a murder and enamoured of a handsome cannery owner with a dark and brooding side. To add to the distractions, it seems that her Wiccan grandmother's gifts may have skipped a generation. Did that crystal ball really change colours? What is the ancient cat trying to convey? Shrugging off the antics as coincidence, she resists experimenting with the family powers.

Turner's romantic touch is deft, the attraction between Keely and the bold and complex Jay building slowly and subtly. The secondary characters, especially the prickly Delu, enhance the lively pace of a crafted plot through their consistent human motivations. Above all, the sense of place shines through sensory details. Enjoy a bowl of creamy lobster chowder, smell the salt sea air, and pick your way across the jagged rocks dripping with seaweed, until a rolling fog blots out the land that time and industry forgot.

If you're a mystery buff intrigued by the alure of AtlanticCanada then I reccomend you pick up Last Resort; book one in theGottingen Witch Mystery Series by award-winning screenwriter/novelist,Lynn Turner. Ms. Turner knows how to spin a tale and this story hasit all; a brilliant setting, quirky characters, and a well-plottedmystery sure to have you begging for more. Great read! END

For the part of Leadership that can be learned- that isn't that charismatic indefinable quality- this book is the best. Train all committee members to be leaders and to understand what goes on among them as they work or learn. Group dynamics are not an exact science but neither are they a huge mystery, and this book pulls together solid organizational theory to give a very practical guide to understanding and working with groups. I recommend it highly to all in church leadership (including and especially lay folks.)

After critiquing quite a few books, Turner's was by far the best. This can be used by leaders and participants. This book is better than buying several individual books.

5 stars, because it is simply the best for all medical students. To be good in clinical practice you have to build a systamic way to examine any patient, this book help you to build that system! Give you outline (with explinations and some illustrations) on examination of all body systems. For all medical students who want to start their clinical years, this book should be in your pocket from the first day! repeating reading this book (which is small) will help you to master most of the clinical skills.

If you are searching for a pocket book containing consice, high yield clinical information then this is the one. It contains topics in several desciplins including: History and physical examination, special investigations and procedures, ECG reading, statistics and much more...with nice illustrations !. I recommend it for every medical student entering his clinical period .

This is a history of the Third Armored Division's participation in the war against the forces of Nazi Germany in Europe. It is very good and contains all the ingredients, pictures, text, maps and tatical maps, to make it a must for military history buffs. It was originally published and issued, after the war ended, to all veterans. I can attest to it's accuracy. I am a veteran of the Division. I am seeking one of the original editions published in 1945.

An outstanding publication summarizing much of what was published in the 1945 3rd Armored Division, "Spearhead in the West." See maps, personal photos from France, the Bulge, Cologne, all the way up to the present day memorials in Belgium. The 3rd Armored's role in Desert Storm is also summarized at the end of the book. I especially admire the "then and now" photos along with stories from WWII veterans who served proudly. This book salutes my grandfather and all of the brave men of the 3rd who helped bring down Nazi Germany. GREAT PUBLICATION!!

I am 61 years old and I read this series when I was in grade school. I read them over and over and they made a great impression on me. Each story made me feel as though I were a part of history. I admired these young girls and their families so much!
I have searched for years to find them and could find no one who had heard of them. I would recommend them for every young girl's library. They teach a lot about honesty, courage, and strength of character in addition to their historical value.
I am so thrilled to see these books in print once more.

Faith is a young patriot girl that goes to visit her aunt near Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolution. She learns a secret about the fort that helps Ethan Allen capture it.