Drowning Towers is the first George Turner novel I've read and I certainly plan to correct that problem from now on. I was immensely impressed with the well-developed characters, the feasible futuristic world and how the plot itself kept moving and evolving right to the end. The novel was set in Australia but it could well have been set in any developed country. Though Turner's imagination delves into the politics, economics and technology of this future world it mainly is a human story. Its shows the possible results of how the communities and countries of the present could bring the future generations close to extinction. The main part of the novel revolves around 1 futuristic family and other individuals connected with it and their fight for survival and quality of life in a world that is spiralling into self-destruction. The switch between narrators gives the characters dimension and mortality. Turner's chapters, even his sentences, are rounded out and stand so well on their own - so many are poignant - but you don't get the feeling he was trying to show off...the wordiness works for him. By the end of the novel I felt attached to the characters and prompted to consider what seems to be a very realistic and well thought-out view of the future, hence, essential Sci-Fi and a very good read.

As this book is set in my home suburb, I feel close to the 'action' in a way. The book deals with overpopulation and how this will affect both the economic and social fabric of our society. It deals with the collapse of society due to population/global warming/lack of ANY contingency plans for economic collapse, through the eyes of a not particularly likeable family. It should make the reader think (which is always a good thing) about our political system which can see no further than the next election.

George Turner has an extraordinary way with characters and situations in a human culture rapidly on its way down. This novel is an enthralling snapshot before it hits bottom.

No aliens, no hard sci-fi, just an appalling vision of a degraded society reduced to "sweets" and "swill". Turner requires few words to paint a dense and intense reality peopled with unlovable but heroic and respectable individuals.

The story is told in the several voices of its players, a well employed technique that permits insight into the otherwise obscure internal worlds of the actors.

The main plot is concerned with a relatively brief incident that becomes a fulcrum on which are balanced and revealed remarkable revelations of the past that led to this extremity and of the possible futures that inaction and lack of forethought might well bring.

A most thought provoking and worrying novel, an intense good read, a plea for wisdom and more than just being.

Read this book!!!

Due Preparations for the Plague gets most of its impact from the tragedies of terrorist acts, such as Pan Am flight 103 and most of all 9/11. Further interest is drawn from our knowledge that the U.S. government, and specifically the CIA, has been involved in covert plots around the world that have ultimately been detrimental to the country's best interests.

Terrorism is today's modern plague and as Camus warned, we must be ever vigilant. Are you concerned that part of this vigilence includes keeping careful watch on the CIA? Do you believe that the U.S. government is capable of making deals with the enemy that may include some domestic collateral damage? Does the government sometimes believe that the ends justify the means? If you answered yes to these questions, then this book is for you.

DPftP also delves into the innermost thoughts of victims and survivors but it's a bit erratic in this area. Lowell's clunky, hard-to-believe actions early in the book when he is presented with evidence to solve 13 years of uncertainty, give way to a smoother, more convincing and gripping story.

The plot is tricky to follow with action continually jumping back and forth from 1987 to 2000/2001 and the inclusion some interesting relationships between the characters. It's made more complicated by male nicknames for many of the female characters.

Factual details of chemical warfare, voyeuristic death scenes and survivor's guilt make for some disturbing reading but if this type of subject matter fascinates you, make due preparations for spending time with this book.

With these words the random killing begins in the hijacking of an Air France flight to New York in September, 1987, a five-day ordeal which results in hostage taking, the release of poison gas, and, ultimately, explosions and death for more than 400 people. This fictional but very realistic depiction of the hijacking and the questions it raises about responsibility combine with Turner Hospital's atmospheric and richly detailed imagery to produce a novel that is powerful in its impact and almost surreal in its intensity.

In a style somewhat reminiscent of John LeCarre, Turner Hospital tells sinister, overlapping stories about the victims on the flight, the children who were released by the hijackers and survived to adulthood, and the family members who were left behind to mourn and search for answers. The narrative shifts back and forth through different speakers and points of view, from 1987 to the present and back, building a multi-layered and suspenseful story that is haunting in its emotional effect.

Though the plot is exciting, the focus here is as much on the characters' psychology as on dramatic action. The now-adult children of the hijacking victims tell their stories in the present as they recall events from the past and the questions which torment them still, while the actual participants in the 1987 hijacking tell their stories up to the moment of their deaths. As the survivors investigate the hijacking, they learn that it is not only possible but likely that members of US security agencies helped engineer and implement the catastrophe which claimed their parents. They believe a man called Sirocco commanded the hijacking, but they are also seeking Salamander, his American "controller."

Turner Hospital's eye for detail is unerring, and she uses metaphors with skillful effect to reveal a character's state of mind or create atmosphere. One child/survivor when dreaming, experiences "a terrible intrusive slash of sound, white at the center with red capillaries rivering out." Another character "moves in a weather of anxiety." The author broadens her historical perspective by showing that this kind of violence also existed in Sodom, Gomorrah, and more recently, Nagasaki From literature she cites Boccaccio, Defoe, Camus, and others, pointing out that these writers were condemned "to tell the stories of those who haunted them as an act of propitiation." Smoothly integrated and thought-provoking, these references add to the novel's impact and widen its scope. Though the author relies somewhat heavily on coincidence to resolve the story and create an ending that echoes with "happily ever after," the novel is thoughtful, vividly written, and hypnotic in its spell. 4.5 stars. Mary Whipple

I was unprepared for the impact of this riveting novel, defined by psychological tensions and a complicated plot, which presents a deceptively simple story. A number of young children are released from a hijacked Air France flight, although their parents meet a horrible death at the hands of terrorists, the children's lives forever tainted by what they have witnessed. But there is a subplot that implicates the government, notably the CIA, in the manipulation of information that led to the deaths of those on the flight. Over the years, the surviving children keep in close contact, desperately seeking emotional connections. They create a web site, where they request any information regarding the Air France hijacking incident.

Of the surviving children, Samantha is the most driven, unable to cease her relentless quest for answers. None of the children have attained normalcy, the devastation of early trauma marking each facet of their lives. Samantha has been phoning Lowell continuously, in search of yet another detail, as he lost his mother in the tragedy, but was not on the plane. Lowell, an ineffectual husband and father, tormented by nightmares, is the son of a suspected CIA operative in charge of Operation Black Death, code-named Salamander. Lowell is unaware of his father's part in the government cover-up, having spent years believing himself a disappointment to an emotionally distant father. But when Lowell receives a package from his father, recently killed in a car accident, the contents change his perspective and raise serious questions of personal responsibility.

When Lowell finally contacts Samantha, he is in a panic, afraid he is pursued because of the material now in his possession. Unsure whether they are paranoid about the surveillance, Samantha and Lowell secretly meet to review Lowell's contraband, faced with a difficult decision, balancing the explosive information and their desire for survival. There are a number of inexplicable coincidences, people who have known each other in distant places and circumstances brought together on the fateful flight. Both Sam and Lowell discover that some of their relatives are associated with the puzzle, although only tangentially.

Due Preparations for the Plague is a bold examination of an incident of terrorism and the subsequent obfuscation of facts by the CIA. The unacknowledged, clandestine operations of a government engaged in a different kind of war, deliberately invisible, albeit just as deadly, exists after all, unremarked by most. When evil is perpetrated in pursuit of power, there are those who seek to contain that evil, to balance the potential for destruction. But history is rife with examples of failure. In consorting with the worst of mankind, contamination by association is inevitable, small surrenders that deplete good intentions, until there is only the lesser evil and a decision to sustain collateral damage is made by the few for the many.

Yet there is redemption for Sam and Lowell, the intensley personal perspective of those that perished, as, unified, they oppose their tormentor with inordinate bravery. The author graphically illustrates the nature of the human spirit, transcending circumstances, transforming victims from pawns to examples of life at its most magnificent. In the most extreme circumstances, the human spirit demands an intimate communion with others, its pure flame annihilating differences. In a message of love and forgiveness, the dead send hope to future generations, survivors of indignity and shame that lift their faces, uncowed, to the light. "To state quite simply what we learn in a time of pestilence: that there are more things to admire in men than to despise". (Albert Camus, THE PLAGUE). Luan Gaines/2003.

Good book in that author exposes various styles to the new student. That is also the weakness of the book. Going from style to style with short lessons tends to confuse the student new to guitar fingerpicking.

A perfect start to learn fingerpicking style for guitar players.
This book is helping me a lot.

This book has helped me a lot. Excellent examples for a beginning fingerpicker.

This book is about the best I've located on the subject of Nat Turner and his rebellion. That, however, is not a good as it sounds since I've not come across hardly any books at all on the subject. The author does a good job in detailing the life of Nat Turner and his bloody slave revolt. The only qualms with the book arises 1) when the author glibbly dismisses the strong possibility of Nat being mentally unbalanced, 2) the author glosses over the more pressing reasons for the Civil War to only concentrate on slavery, 3) and the bizarre trip the author took through Virginia to get a feel for where the rebellion happened. This trip was very insulting to southern blacks and whites as the author acted as though he was taking a ride through Lion Country Safari and didn't want any of the "animals" (ie the county's people) to bite him.

This book is about the insurrection of Nat Turner against his slaveholder. This book is very good for a person who enjoys factual historical events about a slave striving for freedom. The book demonstrates the acts of the human spirit. It also shows the things Nat Turner did for freedom, however some of those acts were not becoming of a just person. Overall this is a great book that depicts the historical background of Nat Turner and his rebellion.

Nat Turner led the largest slave rebellion in American history. That is an indisputable fact. Unfortunately, not much else is known about the life of this legendary figure. Why did he do what he did? How was he able to do it? What was it about the man that made people follow him into insurrection? In his book, "The Fires Of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion", author Stephen B. Oates attempts to answer these questions. Oates clearly did extensive research on his subject. He manages to unearth many new facts about Nat Turner that were previously unknown. Oates presents a vivid picture of what Nat Turner's life must have been like as a slave. He presents enough facts about Nat Turner to give the reader the beginnings of an idea of what motivated the man. He describes in detail the visions that Nat claimed to have had and the formations of the planned rebellion. Then, once the rebellion starts, Oates gives a moment by moment account. As I read it I found myself picturing what it must have looked and sounded like as it was happening. I felt real tension. Unfortunately, many facts about Nat Turner will simply never be known. The historical records just don't exist. Despite this, Stephen B. Oates has crafted an extraordinary biography. His work has brought us closer than ever to understanding who Nat Turner was and what he did.

There is no question that when it comes to informational books on trading, Schwager is the best around. This book meets his high caliber of quality and informativeness. I can recommend this book to anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of fundamental analysis and the guts of what affects supply and demand. But I can't recommend the book wholeheartedly because basing trading decisions on fundamental analysis in itself is such a flawed approach in my opinion.

I used to pay a lot of attention to fundamentals. I would spend hours each day looking at news and research to get a feel for the reasoning behind the movement. After doing this for a while, I realized the inherent futility in the approach- if a trade sets up technically I will take it, unless there is some compelling reason not to, and if there is no technical confirmation, I won't take it, period- and so fundamental analysis just doesn't play much of a role in either case. Nowadays, I still keep tabs on fundamentals somewhat, but mainly only to avoid getting hit by a train- not taking action in front of a significant report or going short coffee in the freeze season, stuff like that. Below are a few reasons why my trading has become solidly technical:

1) Most daily news is worthless, and here is why: at any given time, there are half a dozen arguments for being bearish on a market, and half a dozen reasons to be bullish. When a market has a big move up and the reason isn't clear, the news services pick a couple of the bullish reasons and talk about those. If the market has a move down, they highlight some of the bearish reasons. It's total retrofitting, and thus usally a waste of time to read because there's usually not really a way to turn that knowledge into profit. The "traders" that the newsies interview are often just run of the mill clerks or brokers who don't really know anything special- or if they do, they don't tell. The classic filler explanations on the aftermarket newswires are "profit taking," "fund buying" and "fund selling." When you read about one of those three, the general translation is that the reporter dragged out one of the old standards because "who the heck knows" just doesn't make good copy.

2) Many of the best trades are the ones where the move starts before anyone knows why. Bruce Kovner talked about this concept in the first Market Wizards. (Incidentally, Kovner was making 300 million a year in profits at one point, so he might be worth listening to). If a breakout occurs when everyone is expecting it, then everyone is in already, and the odds are not as good because a lot of the buying (or selling) is already done. But if a breakout occurs and no one knows why, then there are (1) potentially powerful hidden reasons for the move, and (2) a whole group of traders who are not in the market yet and may want or need to get in (or out if the move is against them) once the reason comes to light. So, by deduction, if some of the best trades are the ones where the fundamentals reasons are not yet clear, then by paying attention to fundamentals too much, you run the risk of keeping yourself out of the best trades. You have to be willing to say, "I don't know why this setup is occurring, but the technicals are tellling me something that the news might confirm later." Because the news often comes after the window of opportunity has already closed, you often have to be willing to act before the fundamental reasons are clear.

3) Analysts are often biased and have a hesitancy to change views. When an analyst writes down his opinion on a piece of paper and then sends it out for everyone to see, part of his pride and reputation is staked on that opinion. It is a psychological fact that writing something down, and confirming something to other people, makes a person more committed to that belief because humans have a very strong desire to be consistent. That makes him very hesitant to change his mind, even when the facts change. If an analyst is bullish one week and then the facts turn bearish the next week, the analyst should change his mind- but the odds are that he will not, because he will be thinking "well, if i was bullish last week and do a 180 to bearish this week, then I will look stupid." But often that is the right thing to do! Especially for fundamental analysis, being flexible is very important. But most analysts are too worried about their reputations to have that flexibility. This is one reason trends occur, because the masses are hesitant to change their minds even when it is rapidly becoming clear that they should.

4) Much of fundamental analysis is either incomplete or just plain wrong. Even if you have 90% of the puzzle pieces, the 10% that you are missing could be important enough to turn the whole picture upside down. Or if you somehow miraculously have all the pieces, you still have to figure out how to weight them properly and determine what the market is going to pay the most attention to. It is almost impossible to get all the facts correctly uncovered and assembled without overlooking anything. And then there is always the possibility that something could come up by surprise that you were not prepared for. Different analysts with access to the same information will often have directly contradicting opinions on a market. What does that tell you? Generally the only time that the analysts are all on the same page is when the writing on the wall is obvious- and by that time, the move is usually almost done if not over. There is simply no free lunch.

5) Price- the ultimate value judgment of all underlying fundamentals- reveals itself in the technicals. The technicals don't lie and the technicals don't have an emotional bias. They represent the opinions of the entire market, with a heavier weighting towards the bigger and smarter players, and are thus more reliable than individual opinions subject to bias and error. For a fast mover such as myself, this is what needs to be known. I'm interested in the next three days, not the next three months or years.

For the above reasons, fundamental traders caveat emptor.

This is the most comprehensive books on Fundamental Analysis that I have ever seen. This book along with Schwager's Technical Analysis book are required reading for new futures brokers that I hire to my firm.

Mr.Schwager and Mr.Turner have put a very strong mathematical spin on how fundamental analysis can be accomplished. They dissect government trade reports and analyst reports and put an empirical face on the nebulus act of fundamental analysis.

In the preface of the book Mr.Schwager admits that fundamental analysis is not quite accurate. Which begs the question, "why write such a complex book?"

This book is not for the faint of heart, nor is it light reading. It is quite indepth and for the most part above the heads of many beginning futures investors. In order to understand any of the examples you have to have solid trading reference points in your personal trading life.

I recommended it for intermediate traders primarily.

After being involved with futures for 11 years and authoring three books on the subject, I am always impressed at Mr.Schwager thoroughness in researching.

This Series "Schwager on Futures" is the biggest work has ever been written on futures trading. As a Futures Trader I advise everybody to read these books before to starts any real trading in Futures, that if not taken in the proper way can be very painfull. As a Member of IFTA(International federation Of Tecnical Analisys)I suggest you to read it joint with John Murphy's "Technical Analisys f Futures Markets" and "Intermarket Technical Analisys" this will give you a integral knowledge of Futures Environment that is what you need on your Trading philosophy. I always let these books on my desk because I need them so many times during my trading day. THEY ARE A REAL REFERENCE. The good thing of this series is that you can test your comprension by the various study guides. Reading the book about "Managed Trading" You can even get able to judge the returns of the various CTA and decide when it is better to invest in them and to whom give your money.Probably you are not be interested in the Fundamental analisys book but remember, especially in the commodities markets, EVEN IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRADE TECHNICALLY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND FUNDAMENTAL ANALISYS!!! Thank you very much to have spent all this time for read me.

As I read, Turner took me on an alpine guided trip that allowed me to vicariously absorb the intimacies of nature and "sit" with him as he basked, observed and recorded the essence of nature and the Tetons. I felt like I was with him for every step and hold. This is a very sensual account of his year in the Tetons. The intimacies of his account are to be relished. He was generous to share his otherworldly view and "heightened" sense of what it is like to humbly share the earth with other beings.

Jack Turner has yet again produced a book with a sense of place and sometimes even an aura of the Tetons where he has climbed and guided for 40 years. Although this book is more relaxed and less intense than his powerful "Abstract Wild" it nevertheless provides a mature outlook on life in the Tetons. Turner is not afraid to reveal himself in this book and yet does not fall into sentimentality, the accounts of climbing and the experiences with friends are especially moving such as the tragic consequences of a fall for his friend Kim Schmitz who suffered in incredible agony after breaking just about everything or the death of Leigh Ortenburger, and yet there are great times too like the remarkable skiing of Mark Newcombe and Turner's love of Rilke and Haiku which also appeals very much to me. Surrounding these images of lost friends and at times extreme experiences is the national park itself which never leaves the scene always providing the glue which binds the whole together. Turner has a remarkable grasp of both the scientific aspects of the park such as the geology and the biology/ecology which is added to the feel of it at the same time, I mean the sense of being experienced when the mind is stilled, something which is always enhanced in a wild area where existence is forced upon you no longer escapable such as in a big city. Through the stories of the park, the people and his own very human outlook you can't help but feel Turner loves where he is and lives for it wholeheartedly, his own journey into philosophy, Zen show how deeply he thinks about his life and the natural environment. I also feel that he loves what he does and where he is so much that he not willing to give it up to go that extra distance needed in really deep meditation. My own experiences in this mean that joy can be found everywhere whether it is a city or in natural surroundings. Jack Turner is a man that I would like to meet, his energy, his dynamic outlook, his interest in just about everything is not that common nowadays. A wonderful book of a man and his love.

Each of the book's chapters represents a typical month during the author's decades of life in the Tetons. During each season you get up early with the author, have breakfast, go see some wildlife, experience the Tetons. The day-to-day and season-to-season details of his life were just what I was looking for: I wanted to get real close to what it would feel like to really be there. One third or less of the book covers climbing experiences, and even these accounts may have great appeal for non-climbers such as myself, because the author's attention is forever focused on the natural world around him. The book is especially rich for the author's gift at observing and describing the natural world. Other topics such as ecological issues and author's spiritual views are very subtley and concisely raised throughout the book and are only sidebars in what is an excellent journal about the wild world of the Tetons.

If someone is interested in a better understanding of conflict between game wardens and the public in Wyoming, a topic touched upon in Teewinot, I recommend "Wild Journey" by Bragonier.

A great set of details of the props used on the show, including several of the weapons, the TARDIS, and so on. Espcially amusing for children.

Have owned for years. Book is full of great information about the show and most of the important characters in the series. Has information on everything from the Tardis, K9 the Doctors Car and the Cybermen. Includes several colour photos from the show.
A must have for any Doctor Who fan.

Great technical drawings of most of the technology found in Doctor Who series. Included diagrams, workings etc of Tardis and K9. A must have reference book for Doctor Who enthusiasts :)

As usual, this Zubro mystery is well plotted. Also as usual, it is rather tediously written. It would seem the author was always instructed to give details, to carefully note the appearance of each character. What he comes up with is a detailed description of apparel for each character, from the top down: hair, shirt, trousers (or skirt), shoes. Colors, patterns, and fabrics are always noted. All very good, if or when these are noteworthy. But usually folks are wearing denim and cotton and etc., and giving these details imparts nothing to the reader.

This is just a warning--I shall probably continue to read Zubro's books. But I only WISH he wrote a bit better!

I've read most of Mark Zubro's work, and I think that "Drop Dead" is his best effort yet! A mystery that kept me interested and guessing, good descriptions of places in and around Chicago, likeable hero, and a keen, yet dry sense of humor.

"Drop Dead" features deliciously snappy dialog, along with Zubro's realistically drawn characters and well-paced action. In this latest addition to the Paul Turner mystery series, Zubro gets the balance just right. Read it!

I enjoyed this book very much and will give copies to my nieces and nephews for Christmas. They enjoy stories about snow and sled dogs, and they also like scary books.

This is a different kind of story that shows how parents can support their children when they have fears and peer pressures. Many children are afraid of the dark, as the character Jean-Paul was. All in all, this is a great family type book, and I think all ages should love it. After I finished reading it, the story stayed with me for a long time. I'd like to read other books by this author and can't wait till she published a sequel to this one.

I enjoyed this book very much. It's a different kind of novel, not a "problem" novel that we see so much of today, but more of the old-fashioned type of story that helps kids get in touch with the past. The setting was realistic and taught me a lot about the Arctic.

Jean-Paul doesn't sound very smart when the book first starts out, but by the time the story ends he is VERY smart... The Eskimo Chinook is also one of my favorites, because he's very funny, and I LOVE Jean-Paul's husky, Sasha...

I think this book is for all kids, even big grownup ones. People should enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the ending.

A great read for kids on a snowy winter night.

As previous reviewers have observed, though this book is eight chapters long you really don't need to read the whole book to get the message - because however radical some readers may think it, the basic idea really doesn't amount to much.

To summarise the whole business:

1. Chomsky says that we can only explain grammar by assuming the existence of a mental organ which no-one has identified or located and wich, according to Chomsky, sprang into existence without the benefit of precursor or the influence of natural selection, just "appeared".

2. Pinker and Bloom have modified the gross unlikelihood of any such event by invoking natural selection as the "father" of grammar.

3. Both views of both incredibly unlikely (though not impossible), says Turner, and "trades Occam's razor for God's magic hat".

4. The mythical grammar organ is not needed because understanding how parable works can explain the rise of both language and grammar.

The rest of the book rambles on, and on, AND ON, about not much more than the idea that we can understand why parables are comprehensible by understanding that meaning does not transfer directly from the source (the parable) to the target ("real" life) but goes through an intermediate "blending" process.

This conflicts, somewhat, with the sweeping claims in the Preface:

"In this book, I investigate the mechanisms of parable. I explore technical details of the brain sciences and the mind sciences that cast light on our use of parable as we think, invent, plan, decide, reason, imagine and persuade. I analyze the activity of parable, inquire into its origin, speculate about its biological and developmental bases, and demonstrate its range. In the final chapter, I explore the possibility that language is not the source of parable but instead its complex product."

Well, I came to the book prepared to agree with Professor Turner's proposition, and I still do - but NOT on the basis of this thin volume.

Not surprisingly, despite the small font, in only 166 pages (plus notes), the book tends to skim its subject in all areas. And the fact that the author keeps going back to describe the source -> blending space -> target model - without a single diagram! (how "literary" can you get) - serves to minimise the space available for any other discussion.

It would also help if the writer had a better grasp of the English language. Numerous expressions which he seems to think are every day language read as though they were invented to fit the discussion, such as "he had almost arrived at the point of having the job in hand".
His translation of Proust produces the phrase "I must have overslept myself" - perfect Hercule Poirot, but not regular English, I think.
And he has begun to rewrite the English language so as to use phrases like "When we see someone startle as he looks in some direction ...". Now a person can BE startled, and a person can startle someone or something else, such as the proverbial horses; but I must confess that I was not aware that someone could startle.

My point, pedantic as these criticisms may appear, is that I got the *impression* that the book was written in a hurry and never properly edited by the author. Should that last quotation have actually read "When we see someone start as ..." for example?

In practise, the book itself, short though it is, might have benefitted considerably from the use of Occam's razor.

So, an interesting thesis, *some* good supporting material, but seriously undermined as a whole by poor presentation.

Definitely one for the academics.

I'm giving this book a 5 star rating because of the first 3 chapters. You really don't have to read any more. After that, the author gradually seems to lose his direction and punch, but it really doesn't matter.

The book attempts a very difficult project, investigating the cognitive aspects of story telling. It seems simple enough on the surface, but quickly gets enmeshed in stories about stories. It gets very confusing.

Turner holds that stories are based on the combination of cognitive elements called 'schemas' and a cognitive process called 'projection'. An image schema might be a 'ball flying through the air' or 'a boy talking to his mother.' Schemas have their own intrisic value and emotional content. Via 'projection', schemas transfer their 'content' and 'emotion' onto entirely different schemas such as 'a baby horse talking to its mother.'

Turner's examples are excellent, particularly his parables. For a somewhat more complete study of cognitive aspects, look at Lakoff and Johnson's 'Philosophy in the Flesh'. Lakoff and Johnson avoid the technical term 'image schema' and use the more familiar term 'metaphor.'

Here is a quote from the introduction that gives a good outline of the book's project: "Story is a basic principle of mind. Most of our experience, our knowledge, and our thinking is organized as stories. The mental scope of story is magnified by projection - one story helps us make sense of another. The projection of one story onto another is parable, a basic cognitive principle that shows up everywhere, from simple actions like telling time to complex literaray creations like Proust's 'A la recherche du temps perdu.'...

Turner's contribution may turn out to be the most important among recent insights into the nature of consciousness. Also, less pretense, more content, and a wonderful writing style mark this work.