Customer Reviews:
"I am not a Freemason,Dr Morris,though I have great respect for it."--Abraham Lincoln.......2007-10-06
Though never a member of any fraternity,I have always had a passing interest in what they were all about.The author claims that the Freemasons are the world's oldest secret society.Whether that be true or not;it has existed for a very long time in one form or another. He makes a good attempt to trace it roots back to the building of Solomon's Temple.With all that has happened since that time,all the histories that have been written,all the organizations that have existed,and on and on;it is unlikely that complete agreement on all the history of the Freemasons will ever be resolved.Heck,the author shows that even the Freemasons have widely different views. What we seem to find is that there were organizations from Solomon's time and probably even before,and without doubt organizations of Masons exist today;how they got from there to here is intriguing.
I have read quite a bit of history,from Ancient times to the present and Masons,Templars or whatever form or organization was involved at any particular time;there is little doubt that they existed and played important parts in all areas of history.Remember, it is the people who belonged to them is what was important;even moreso than the organization itself.
Yes,they are a secret organization,not unlike many others. Yes,there are many things said about them,both good and bad.Yes ,they have been maligned and persecuted by just about every country and organization imaginable.All one can really say about that is;"Well,join the club!"
The author has set out to show as fairly as possible the history,aims and whatnot and ,rather than make any judgements,leaves the reader to make up his own mind as what to make of it all.
Quite honestly,I didn't think he exposed any sinister secrets. Heshows tha Freemasons had major involvement in the development of the United States and Canada.Whether you look at Political leaders,businessmen,Scientists,Mosicians,leaders in the Arts,Medicine,Generals or any other walks of life;you will find men who believed in God,and wanted to do all they were able to serve their country and fellow men.Of course,this was not onlytrue of Freemasons;many other people and organizations had similar aims and also were subjected to similat persecutions and misrepresentations.
If one reads this ook with an open mind ,one would come to the same conclusion as did Abraham Lincoln did in my title.
Organizations,down through the ages,with the highest of principles and aspirations have had problems with human failings amongst its members,and have been maligned for all kinds of reasons The Freemasons seem to be no different.
I thought the list of Famous Masons the author provided shows that Freemasonry cuunts some of the finest people who made tremendous contributions in the development of the United States and Canada.
Maybe we are all better off by thinking about what these people saw,believed and how they led their lives;rather than looking for something sinister in the organization. This applies to many other fine organizations as well,and I doubt that any of those Famous Masons listed would disagree.
Beginner Book.......2006-12-08
Before I get to the subject matter, I must say that this book definitely should have been edited much better. There are small, but distracting mistakes quite often. Secondly, the way this college professor cites his sources is disappointing. It is difficult to find where he gets what from unless he comes out and says the author's name in the text, which is not incredibly often. If his "Titles for further reading" in the back is his bibliography, 17 sources from the same publisher? I agree with one of the other reviews. There is not much here that I haven't heard already. It is a wonderful book for beginners who have no clue what masons say about their own organization or if one wants masonic gossip. Personally I would have enjoyed a more balanced book. Why not get perspectives from those masons who have quit the order? Instead of spending gross amounts of time on telling us names of people who were masons and showing us small insignificant branches, why not ellaborate on groups like the illuminati? Thats a pretty major group not even touched. It might be more controversial? This book pits the gossip of ages against what well-rehearsed masons say about it. It doesn't give any well-thought-out arguments against masonry any real heed. It would just be nice to get an honest discourse instead of this off kilter type of research.
an excelent read.......2006-06-01
Like many before me who have writen reviews on this book I to am a mason and I found this book extreemely useful in my studies.
If you are a Mason, wishing to become a Mason, or just plain curious then I higly recomend this book.
Nothing New, Some Mistakes.......2005-08-15
This book does not contain much that hasn't already been exhausted in previous books. I read this book the day after finishing Jasper Ridley's volume on Freemasonry, and it seems like the author of this book (for the most part) paraphased Ridley. I recommend Ridley's book. Also, there are some incorrect statements- one being that the eligible age of joining DeMolay is 13. The correct age is 12. That was not well researched. A simple visit to demolay.org would have fixed that problem. As a senior DeMolay and Master Mason, I prefer reading books on Masonry by Masons. Among the great authors are S. Brent Morris, W.L. Wilmshurst, and Allen Roberts. Also recommended are the books by John J. Robinson, who became a mason shortly after writing his 3 books on Freemasonry.
Two Thumbs Up.......2005-08-02
This book is a must for any persons who are interested in secret societies. The information provided by this book will not only help readers understand the history of Freemasons; it also paves the way for scholars and investigative reporters in comparing secret societies of the West and the East.
Book Description
Life itself as well as the entire human economy depends on goods and services provided by earth's natural systems. The processes of cleansing, recycling, and renewal, along with goods such as seafood, forage, and timber, are worth many trillions of dollars annually, and nothing could live without them. Yet growing human impacts on the environment are profoundly disrupting the functioning of natural systems and imperiling the delivery of these services.
Nature's Services brings together world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines to examine the character and value of ecosystem services, the damage that has been done to them, and the consequent implications for human society. Contributors including Paul R. Ehrlich, Donald Kennedy, Pamela A. Matson, Robert Costanza, Gary Paul Nabhan, Jane Lubchenco, Sandra Postel, and Norman Myers present a detailed synthesis of our current understanding of a suite of ecosystem services and a preliminary assessment of their economic value. Chapters consider:
- major services including climate regulation, soil fertility, pollination, and pest control
- philosophical and economic issues of valuation
- case studies of specific ecosystems and services
- implication of recent findings and steps that must be taken to address the most pressing concerns
Nature's Services represents one of the first efforts by scientists to provide an overview of the many benefits and services that nature offers to people and the extent to which we are all vitally dependent on those services. The book enhances our understanding of the value of the natural systems that surround us and can play an essential role in encouraging greater efforts to protect the earth's basic life-support systems before it is too late.
Customer Reviews:
A classic and a must-read.......2006-08-15
Are you interested in environmental issues, natural resource policy, or understanding how ecosystems silently enable our society to function? If so you must read this book.
Almost 10 years has passed since this edited volume was published (edited by Gretchen Daily), and there has been considerable progress on some fronts. Accordingly and expectedly, some of the estimates of the values of services are out-dated, but there are crucial contributions here in the framework for understanding and characterizing such ecosystem services (the flow of benefits from ecosystems to people). This book sparked an immense scholarly and public interest in ecosystem services that has not even begun to peak. In order to enable our society to persist sustainably, we *must* understand our dependence on ecosystem services and incorporate this understanding into societal decision-making.
Top-notch scholars contributed to this excellent volume, which continues to be cited frequently in first-rate academic papers and to cause ripples in broader society.
Francisco gets badly translated........2001-10-09
I haven't read this book. But I think that maybe it would be good if the only review --which is in spanish-- were translated. I'm supposed to be a native speaker, but I'm more like Tarzan...be that as it may, here's Francisco's review:
This edition is important on the themes of environmental economy and the underestimation of the health of ecosystems, for humanity surges to break the little known of the ecosystems, of the synergies, and the diverse benefits they bring, much of which we don't know.
So, this book approaches the important elements, for the process of optimizing the utilization of the ecosystems, from philosophic, environmental, and economic perspectives.
I made it sound like stereo instrucions, sigh.
un aporte a la valoracion de los servicios ambientales.......2000-05-22
Es bien importante que se editen textos en estos temas de economía ambiental pues la subestimación del valor de los ecosistemas para la humanidad surge a partir del poco conocimiento de los ecosistemas, de sus sinergias y los diversos beneficios que brindan, muchos de ellos no reconocidos. Así, este libro aporta elementos importantes, para el proceso de optimización de la utilización de los ecosistemas, desde la perpectiva ambiental, filosófica y económica.
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Nature's Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems. (book reviews): An article from: Issues in Science and Technology
Kenneth Richards
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This digital document is an article from Issues in Science and Technology, published by National Academy of Sciences on December 22, 1997. The length of the article is 1797 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Nature's Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems. (book reviews)
Author: Kenneth Richards
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Issues in Science and Technology (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 1997
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Volume: v14
Issue: n2
Page: p88(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Toward a Sustainable Society: An Economic, Social and Environmental Agenda for Our Children's Future
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Green Planet Blues: Environmental Politics from Stockholm to Kyoto
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The revised and updated second edition of this cutting-edge collection brings together readings both classic and new on the theme of global environmental politics from a diversity of viewpoints and values orientations. In selections chosen for their authority and edited to preserve their integrity, Green Planet Blues speaks with many voices-from Garrett Hardin and Herman Daly to Tanvai Nagpal, Chico Mendes, and Gita Sen, and from the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme to indigenous peoples of the Amazon. North-South relations combined with an emphasis on class, race, and gender are leitmotivs threaded throughout the selections. The paradigms of sustainable development, environmental security, and ecological justice are used to explicate topics ranging from climate change, population growth, deforestation, the ozone layer, acid rain, and toxic dumping to transboundary pollution and the global commons.
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An Environmental Agenda for the Future
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An Environmental agenda for the future
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Green Planet Blues: Environmental Politics from Stockholm to Rio
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Trade Negotiations In Agriculture: A Future Common Agenda For Brazil And Canada
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U.S. Agriculture in a Global Setting: An Agenda for the Future (RFF Press)
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Books:
- Ginger: My Story
- God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia
- Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir
- Heal & Forgive: Forgiveness in the Face of Abuse
- Homestead: Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility
- I Like Stars (Step-Into-Reading, Step 1)
- I Was Dreaming to Come to America: Memories from the Ellis Island Oral History Project
- Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition
- In Brief: Short Takes on the Personal
- In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)
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Meaning of Masonry
