Political Science: An Introduction (9th Edition)

Political Science: An Introduction (9th Edition)
Average customer rating:

Author needs to take Political Science 101

"Unbiased?" Yeah, right!

Political Science: An Introduction (9th Edition)
Michael G. Roskin
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Political Science

Modern Political Analysis (6th Edition)

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ASIN: 0131932918

Book Description

Exceptionally up-to-date and rich in cross-national examples, Political Science offers an unbiased and thorough introduction to the basic concepts and theories of political science. With a critical look at the major theories, it exposes students to many ways of thinking, and challenges them to think critically. Emphasizing both U.S. and comparative politics provides students with a solid foundation for connecting their studies ot what is happening in the world around them.

Customer Reviews:

Author needs to take Political Science 101.......2005-08-31

While study one night I had to stop and write up a review for this "textbook". I agree with the other 1 star reviewer. At first I thought the person was exaggerating. Boy was I wrong.

The author is very biased and one sided and that is just not acceptable when writing a Intro to Political Science book. There are ignorant and bias thoughts and sentences throughout. Here are two examples, both on the first page of the first chapter:

"Interest in politics in the United States has slumped. Not only students but also attentive and educated citizens have turned away from politics."

Here's another, a paragraph down.......

"Perhaps terrorism and recession are needed to renew interest in politics." This guy is an ass!!

Do no waste your money on this rubbish. I suggest in its place "Ideals and Ideologies: A reader" (5th ed. by Terence Ball) as an excellent Intro to Political Science textbook. If your professor requires this "textbook", bring to the attention of him or her that this is not good study material.

"Unbiased?" Yeah, right!.......2005-02-01

Let me start by admitting I have the Seventh Edition (2000), not the 2002 version. However, I doubt that there could be much improvement. This "textbook" can only be the product of gross incompetence or extreme bias, I will let you decide which.

For example, page 340 reads "It is true that some regimes commit acts of great evil; military regimes in Argentina, Chile, and Guatemala killed thousands on the slightest suspicion of leftism. But how is it that these military regimes came to power? Why does system breakdown recur repeatedly in such contries?"

So, does the author not know that we, the US, overthrew the democratically elected Arbenz in Guatemalla, and Allende in Chile? Everyone else knows this...and does the author not know that Chile, prior to this installation of Pinochet, was the one stable democracy in Latin America? So how then is Chile a case of this "recur(ing) repeatedly? (sic)" It happened once. Does the fact that two of his three examples of internal "system breakdown" leading to regime change actualy represent partially, or largely, the external actions of a superpower interfering in the internal affairs of weaker soveriegn countries not seem to be problematic? How can these be used as examples of internal processes when everyone knows what really happened, and that is not it? The author, in order to assert this, must be grossly ignorant of history (thereby disqualifying him as a viable authority in the field) or, knowing history, must be intentionally and knowingly distorting it for political reasons (thereby making him unquestionably biased, intellectually dishonest, and also therefore unsuited for the field).

On top of that we have the unfortunately normal systemic incompetence of the Political Science field in general. "Theory" and "causation" are words which they have no grasp of the meaning of in academic discourse. Methodology is a joke; a pile of correlations mushed together with assertions and assumptions (some already disproven for a few decades elsewhere) to create just-so stories does not make a legitimate theory or even hypothesis. We know too much about human nature, via studies done in Psychology, Neurobiology, and Evolutionary Psychology, and empirical information from anthropology, primatology, and ethology, and theoretical and empirical knowledge supplied by evolutionary biology, to just "assume" that humans are rational and go merrily on our way as Political Science is still doing. There is a huge body of knowledge on this question now, entire books debate it back and forth. It is in no way legitimate to simply plead ignorance and continue to build huge mental constructs of how the world works based on assumptions we in no way can justify making given what is known.

If this field were in any way deserving of the word "science," the knowledge that a fundamental "assumption" was seriously in doubt would result in massive questioning of the veracity of the ideas based on that assumption. That has not happened.

I urge you all not to waste your money on this book, I could give many more equally damning examples but the above should suffice. I also suggest that Evolutionary Psychology would be a far more profitable course of study if you want to know about human political behavior.

The History of Mathematics: An Introduction

Average customer rating:

Like New
Interesting reading
Easy to learn about the history of Math.

The History of Mathematics: An Introduction
David M. Burton
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0073051896

Book Description

The History of Mathematics: An Introduction, Sixth Edition, is written for the one- or two-semester math history course taken by juniors or seniors, and covers the history behind the topics typically covered in an undergraduate math curriculum or in elementary schools or high schools. Elegantly written in David Burton’s imitable prose, this classic text provides rich historical context to the mathematics that undergrad math and math education majors encounter every day. Burton illuminates the people, stories, and social context behind mathematics’ greatest historical advances while maintaining appropriate focus on the mathematical concepts themselves. Its wealth of information, mathematical and historical accuracy, and renowned presentation make The History of Mathematics: An Introduction, Sixth Edition a valuable resource that teachers and students will want as part of a permanent library.

Customer Reviews:

Like New.......2005-10-03

The book arrived in time for my class, and in almost perfect condition!Excellent Transaction!

Interesting reading.......2003-02-03

I haven't read much on this subject, but I enjoyed this book. The description above says that it's designed for college juniors and seniors, and many of the technical details really will require that level of mathematical maturity. However, there is enough of what the author calls an emphasis on the "bibliographical element" that much of it would be interesting to read through only skimming the technical parts. The author also tries to explain why progress was made at certain times in history but not at others.

The scope is relatively comprehensive: spanning from archeological finds that suggest early numbers systems to early twentieth century work in countability and set theory.

The text itself reminded me quite a bit of my old high school history books -- readable but a little slow-paced at times. More interesting, though, are the problems at the end of every section
-- problems that require the use of ideas and techniques from the time period being described. The author suggests these exercises as a good way to learn both mathematics and history, but they can be safely skipped.

Just a single complaint: the book seems to have a slight slant toward Western mathematics: early Greeks, Europeans from the middle ages, modern Americans recieve the bulk of the attention while there is a single ten-page section entitled "Mathematics in the Near and Far East". While not a fatal flaw (it is of course true that most of modern mathematics has its roots in the West), I would have liked to see a more balanced account.

Easy to learn about the history of Math........2001-05-07

I got a lot of information from this book. It has easy to follow explation about the therom.

Average customer rating:

Man's origins and developments for the general reader
A very decent book

World Prehistory: A Brief Introduction
Brian M. Fagan
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0131850628

Book Description

Written by one of the leading archaeological writers in the world—in a simple, jargon-free narrative style—this brief, well-illustrated account of the major developments in the human past (from the origins of humanity to the origins of literate civilization) makes world prehistory uniquely accessible to complete beginners. Up-to-date and state-of-the-art in content and perspective, it covers the entire world (not just the Americas or Europe), placing major emphasis on both theories and the latest archaeological and multidisciplinary approaches. The main focus is on four major developments—the origins of humanity; the appearance and spread of modern humans before and during the late Ice Age, including the first settlement of the Americas; the beginnings of food production; and the rise of the first civilizations. For individuals who want to get acquainted with anthropology.

Customer Reviews:

Man's origins and developments for the general reader.......2003-04-02

Man's innate curiosity with their past has given birth to sciences that attempt to satisfy such curiosity. Brian Fagan, an archaeologist himself, outlines brilliantly the major developments of humankind in prehistory, from that scientific perspective. Sophisticated theories and tools from disciplines such archaeology, biology, ecology, geology and even genetics and psychology are elaborated for the general reader. Utilising such diversity of disciplines, World Prehistory introduces to the reader, the developments of humankind- the origins, exodus and migration of man, food production and state formation- from the earliest times especially before written records were available.

Even before Fagan gets into details, he outlines the scope of the book and distinguishes the discipline of archaeology insofar as it is scientific, rigorous and it utilises tools and expertise from other disciplines. Throughout the book, there are scientific archaeological explanations in the form of theories, data and methodologies and at the very onset, the author derides the "romantic world of high adventure and exciting discovery" connected to pseudoarcheaology, which to him belongs to the "realms of religious faith and science fiction".

The book is divided into 4 parts in a generally chronological arrangement. The first part introduces to the reader the study of human prehistory with succinct explanations of the concepts of history, culture, space and time. Part 2 outlines scientific approaches to explain the origins of mankind and his relationships with other primates. The author draws evidence from geology, genetics and most importantly, paleoanthropology (the specialized study of human bone remains). Part 2 also presents one of the most controversial questions in anthropology, that is the path of migration of modern man. The author favours the "African exodus Theory"" and describes it in detail. Part 3 is a discussion of the birth of the modern world with special emphasis on the origins of food production, one of the hallmarks of ancient civilisations. The book culminates in Part 4, with very broad discussions on ancient civilisations in Western Asia, Africa, South, Southeast and East Asia and the Americas.

As an introductory book to world prehistory, it lacks detailed study of other aspects of prehistoric mankind's developments especially in the fields of language, religion and a new, exciting and only recently explored field of psychological archaeology, dealing with the minds and thinking of the earliest humans. The latter, the author concedes, must go beyond material remains and develop new ways to explore the minds of the earliest humans and understand why they developed the way they did.

However, as with most introductory books, World Prehistory can only describe its subject matter at surface level. However, after reading the book, I have obtained a general sense of the methods and theories that attempt to explain with the period of human history which was not recorded in writing. With so many theories, methods and even non-scientific explanations of mankind's ancient past, World Prehistory is a good book to introduce a reader to the latest and most widely accepted tools, methodologies and theories.

A very decent book.......2000-04-30

This book is not designed for the hardcore anthropology student as it doesn't delve into the extreme details of the subject, but it does give a very broad overview of the millions of years of human prehistory. Most of the time is spent talking about the journey from ape-like ancestors to the origin of food production and the large state-run societies that we have today. Therefore, when Fagan talks about specific cultures and societies he just gives an overview, he chooses to put most details to use describing why and how humans got to where they are today. Very good book is you want an effective and interesting introduction to human origins, but this isn't something that would be used for a 300 or 400 level class.

Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History (Longman Classics in Political Science)

Average customer rating:

Good Detail of Topics Relating to International Politics
An interesting book indeed
Excellent book :)
Superb, Post 9-11 Update, Excellent Adult Foundation
excellent intro book to International Affairs

Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History (Longman Classics in Political Science)
Joseph S. Nye
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321209451

Book Description

Written by renowned international relations expert Joseph S. Nye, this lively book gives readers the background in history and political concepts they need to understand the issues facing our world today: the war in Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran, and much more. Origins of the Great Twentieth-Century Conflicts; Balance of Power and World War I; The Failure of Collective Security and World War II; The Cold War; Intervention, Institutions, and Regional Conflicts; Interdependence and Globalization; The Information Age; A New World Order? Anyone interested in understanding international relations today.

Customer Reviews:

Good Detail of Topics Relating to International Politics.......2006-03-01

I had to purchase this book as a second book for a class I had taken. This book helped cover many of the topics I had to study and this book did a better job of describing several topics relating to nationalism, imperialism history of international politics, foreign policies, international law and organization and human factors in international politics. I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn the basics or even get more indepth details on certain topics of international politics.

An interesting book indeed.......2003-12-22

An interesting book indeed, written by an excellent writer who took me in a journey through history beginning with the Peloponnesian war and passing through world war one and two and the cold war after that, and ending with the new world order.

The book starts with the two views of the anarchic politics ( Realism & Liberalism ) and a very wise explanation for both of them, and I liked the way the writer analyzed the two world wars and their reasons and I agree with him about the inevitability part as I believe that the war wasn't inevitable but I quote him by saying "Ironically the belief that war is inevitable played a major role in causing it", and also the part about ethics and morality is very interesting and I liked what the French diplomat said when he was asked about what's moral and his answer was "what's moral is whatever is good for France", and also the part about counterfactuals was very exciting.

I don't agree with the writer about some points concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict but the book as a whole is a very good one.

I agree with the "back to the future" theory in some points as all I see now is "the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accepts what they have to accept".

I'll quote him again to end my review by saying "Has global society made war socially and morally unthinkable? We have to hope so, because the next hegemonic war would probably be the last".

Excellent book :).......2003-12-08

The basis for "Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History" is, as the author explains in the preface, a course on international conflicts in the modern world he taught for a long time in Harvard. Nye says that the aim of the book is "to introduce students to the complexities of international politics by giving them a good grounding in the traditional realist theory before turning to liberal and constructivist approaches that became more prominent after the Cold War". I believe he excels at doing exactly that...

I found the book very interesting, and full of examples taken from history that made the concepts easier to grasp. Moreover, it takes into account the three levels of causation: the individual, the state and the international system. It also includes suggested reading material, that allows the reader to delve deeper in those subjects she/he finds more interesting...

The book is very well organized. It was a foreword, a preface, 9 chapters and an index. Each chapter deals with a main theme, and some related topics. The themes of the chapters are:

chapter 1:"Is there an enduring logic of conflict in world politics?";
chapter 2: "Origins of the great 20th century conflicts";
chapter 3: "Balance of power and World War I";
chapter 4: "The failure of collective security and World War II";
chapter 5: "The Cold War";
chapter 6: "Intervention, institutions and regional and ethnic conflicts";
chapter 7: "Globalization and interdependence";
chapter 8: "The information revolution, transnational actors, and the diffusion of power";
chapter 9: "A new world order?".

All in all, I strongly recommend this book to those interested in international relations... I think the author was successful in doing what he set out to do: he didn't want to give all the answers, he merely tried to help the readers to look for them. In his own words: "provide our students with conceptual tools that will help them shape their own answers as the future unfolds".

On the whole, a keeper :) Enjoy it !!!

Superb, Post 9-11 Update, Excellent Adult Foundation.......2003-01-11

First, it is vital for prospective buyers to understand that the existing reviews are three years out of date--this is a five-star tutorial on international relations that has been most recently updated after 9-11. If I were to recommend only two books on international relations, for any adult including nominally sophisticated world travelers, this would be the first book; the second would be Shultz, Godson, & Quester's wonderful edited work, "Security Studies for the 21st Century."

I really want to stress the utility of this work to adults, including those like myself who earned a couple of graduate degrees in the last century (smile). I was surprised to find no mention of the author's stellar service as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council--not only has he had full access to everything that can be known by secret as well as non-secret means, but he has kept current, and this undergraduate and affordable paperback was a great way for me--despite the 400+ books I've read (most of them reviewed on Amazon.com) in the past four plus years--to come up to speed on the rigorous methodical scholarly understanding of both historical and current theories and practices in international relations. This book is worth anyone's time, no matter how experienced or educated.

Each chapter has a very satisfactory mix of figures, maps, chronologies, and photos--a special value is a block chart showing the causes for major wars or periods of conflict at the three levels of analysis--international system, national, and key individual personalities, and I found these quite original and helpful.

Excellent reference and orientation work. Took five hours to read, with annotation--this is not a mind-glazer, it's a mind-exerciser.

excellent intro book to International Affairs.......1999-11-11

One of the few textbooks I truly enjoyed, Nye's Understanding International Conflicts was a clear, easy-to-read, and yet insightful book. Its focus is on the three levels of influence on a state's behavior: the interstate system, intrastate politics, and individual. It is one of the few entry-level IA books to discuss the effect of personality on the actions of a state. Even in my graduate-level seminars and papers, I found it to be useful.

Complex Adaptive Systems: An Introduction to Computational Models of Social Life (Princeton Studies in Complexity)

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Annie Wu -- Book #1
The Emergence of Convergence

Complex Adaptive Systems: An Introduction to Computational Models of Social Life (Princeton Studies in Complexity)
John H. Miller , and Scott E. Page
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691127026

Book Description

This book provides the first clear, comprehensive, and accessible account of complex adaptive social systems, by two of the field's leading authorities. Such systems--whether political parties, stock markets, or ant colonies--present some of the most intriguing theoretical and practical challenges confronting the social sciences. Engagingly written, and balancing technical detail with intuitive explanations, Complex Adaptive Systems focuses on the key tools and ideas that have emerged in the field since the mid-1990s, as well as the techniques needed to investigate such systems. It provides a detailed introduction to concepts such as emergence, self-organized criticality, automata, networks, diversity, adaptation, and feedback. It also demonstrates how complex adaptive systems can be explored using methods ranging from mathematics to computational models of adaptive agents.

John Miller and Scott Page show how to combine ideas from economics, political science, biology, physics, and computer science to illuminate topics in organization, adaptation, decentralization, and robustness. They also demonstrate how the usual extremes used in modeling can be fruitfully transcended.

Customer Reviews:

Annie Wu -- Book #1.......2007-08-10

I am a purchasing agent who buys books for my faculty, and as far as I know, this faculty member is very impressed with this particular book.

The Emergence of Convergence .......2007-08-04

At the time of writing this review, this book isn't searchable through Amazon, that's too bad because if you're reading the reviews wondering if it's worth buying, just browsing through any page from the intro or appendix B would clearly resolve any remnant hesitation. This book is a must have for anyone even remotely interested in complex adaptive systems. Scott Page and John Miller dress the landscape and state of the art of computational social science, the issues are motivated from the ground up and the existing approaches to resolve them explicitly detailed, yet using clear and jargon free language. For example, descriptions of the many concepts repeatedly used in the scientific method (of CAS et al) such as ergodicity or optimization theory are refreshing and insightful, simply stuff you don't get from textbooks, but rather that one would learn over years of experience doing.

In summary, the authors are handing us an expert summary of literature and developments of a complex field in a concise, fun and delightful read, it would be a shame to miss it.

Myth and Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythology

Average customer rating:

Great Text Book
A New Standard
Mythology class book
Great for class or just to read

Myth and Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythology
Scott A. Leonard , and Michael McClure
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Inanna

ASIN: 076741957X

Book Description

Myth and Knowing is a rich resource of myths and mythology through the ages, in which scholarly and literary materials combine to provide a seamless portrait of this multicultural topic. Balanced and nuanced discussions explore the ways in which myths have portrayed both men and women. In addition, art and maps contextualize selected myths, providing insights into the cultures and religious traditions from which they originated.

Customer Reviews:

Great Text Book.......2007-06-27

This is a great book for an upper level anthropology class.
I'm reading it for my "Anthropology of Religion" class and it's been a very interesting book.

A New Standard.......2006-05-11

Though many have attempted such a feat, in Myth & Knowing, Leonard and McClure have finally written the foundational textbook for comparative mythologies, and, in doing so, have also created a remarkable text for exploring the transition from oral tradition to written text. As the title suggests, Myth & Knowing moves beyond a simple reiteration of the stories by grouping them into conceptual chapters (Creation Myths, The Female Divine, The Male Divine, Trickster Myths, and Sacred Places)which not only invites direct comparisons but creates archetypal structures that become the critical basis for analyzing modern mythologies and even modern epistomologies. I have used this text with great success in introductory mythology, religion, and literature classes.

Mythology class book.......2005-10-01

This was a book that I read for a Mythology and Folklore class. I liked the book because it was easy to read and it contained a lot of history. Having the background information to accompany the stories was helpful and made the reading more interesting. Highly recommended.

Great for class or just to read.......2004-03-19

Myth and Knowing was used for my Mythology in Literature class at University and it was a great book. The chapter divisions are helpful for the way my class was taught. The chapters are divded into groups like; The Male Divine and Creation Myths. In this format you can look at the many many different creation myths out there all in one section to see the differences and similarities. The book covers a huge range of cultures in the stories used for examples about the topic at hand. From Iceland to Africa and America it offers stories on how the many people groups of the world view the divine.

Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics (International Non-Aristotelian Library)

Average customer rating:

The map is not the territory
One of the best books ever
Science and Sanity
Semantics from the world of 1933
Unrecognized Genius

Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics (International Non-Aristotelian Library)
Alfred Korzybski
Manufacturer: Institute of General Semantics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0937298018

Customer Reviews:

The map is not the territory.......2007-05-25

During my junior year in college I found an original copy of "Science and Sanity" at a used-book store near Columbia University while traveling around the U.S.. I had learned that William S. Burroughs was highly influenced by it, and, being very intrigued by Burroughs and his cut-up writing method, I decided to read it while on the numerous trains that shuttled me across the country that summer.

For me the book seemed somewhat of a revelation in that Korzybski argued how language itself seems so important in defining one's perception of "reality" when at the same time it represents only a symbolic map of the actual objective(?) territory. An extreme example of this occurs in the computing field known as "automated reasoning", where the axioms of some mathematical theory can be represented as predicate-logic statements, which in turn are used by a computer to derive new true statement about the theory. In this case the territory is an abstract entity that is housed within the minds of a select group of humans, known as "mathematicians", while the map represents a collection of logical statements about the theory that represent "what is known" about it. To confuse the map with the territory in this case would represent ignoring the biological neural connections and brain patterns within the mathematician's mind that not only supports the theory by giving it meaning and relevance, but also relates it to other mathematical and scientific theories. In other words, the mathematical truths that can be discovered about the theory via automated reasoning on a computer is likely to be a subset of what will be discovered and "proved" by a human mathematician.

One of the more basic uses of this concept includes avoiding the "is" of identity. For example, "Johnny is stupid", "I'm a terrible driver", etc..
No, Johnny represents a unique, unspeakable, functional part of the universe in which we live. There may have been some behaviors that we observed in Johnny that disqualified him from being categorized as having a certain form of intelligence, but we should not identify Johnny with a word, especially such a negative and destructive one.

Then there is the idea that a given territory will likely have several different maps associated with it, and that quite often disputes arise because two parties have acquired very different maps of the same territory.

Fortunately these ideas have entered the mainstream of psychology and there seems to be much more thought being given to language and how it affects human minds; especially those of children who are always there to remind us of just how unique and miraculous the territory known as a human being can seem.

I gave the book only four stars because it does seem dated in terms of the level of science that is written about in the text.
May be it has already been done, but I would like to see someone write a follow-up book to this one that revisits Korzybski's ideas within the context of the 21st Century, and doing it with a more clear and concise approach.

One of the best books ever.......2007-04-07

Science and Sanity seems more like a condensation and culmination of a life work than a book. The range of topics and practical details is on par with the greatest achievements of all time such as Einstein's general theory, Euclid's geometry, and Newton's calculus. Science and Sanity presents a completely workable theoretical model personal empowerment and growth through more precise language (general semantics). Clear and intentional use of symbolism is a big theme in the book and I think anyone who is thoughtful and reflective will not only greatly enjoy the read but will benefit tremendously from the brilliance and clarity of the thoughts explored.

Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics (International Non-Aristotelian Library)

Science and Sanity.......2007-01-12

The structure of the human brain is language. Every power of the brain from consciousness to memory to imagination to thought, and even the will to act, is immersed in language. We are our language. And if we know several languages, they are prioritized 1, 2, 3, etc., in our brain. Korzybski shows how limiting the Platonic and Aristotelian notions of objectifying one's existence really are. Reason is enormously limiting. And if reason becomes the primary way in which a person is taught to perceive the world, his or her imaginative powers, which almost always begin as irrational impulses, are suppressed to the point of disfunction. The world is nearly bereft of the kinds of ideas which can only come through the imaginative powers, and which now seem so very quiet and still.

Science and Sanity introduces a much wider "logic," a much wider approach to seeing and functioning in the world. The classic Greek dualities, good OR bad, right OR wrong, logical OR illogical, no longer work alongside the growing illogical way in which modern complex societies actually operate. So we find ourselves forced into accepting good AND bad, right AND wrong, logical AND illogical, realities as societies get more and more complex.

I recommend this book to those whose mind is still pliable enough to leap over the debris of Western idealism and Manifest Destiny to a more tolerant, albeit more complex, way of life.

Semantics from the world of 1933.......2006-05-05

An interesting view that is not to be overlooked. As in physics we changed or concepts from Newtonian (space and time) to Einstein or non-Newtonian (space/time). We see this in any fields and some of us embrace the change and see how infinite our views can still work; others of us resist knowing that there is something fundamentally wrong if you can not put your finger on it.

Korzybski opens up our mind and world to the possibilities of Non-Aristotellian systems and general semantics.

"If one wishes to obtain a definite answer to Nature one must attack the question from a more general and less selfish point of view"
M. PLANCK

Unrecognized Genius.......2006-01-23

Korzybski aimed his discussion at professionals, so disregarded definitions (multi-ordinal anyway), etc. Despite this many criticisms resulted, some from professionals, notably Martin Gardner (1993): "...poorly organized, verbose, philosophically naive, repetitious, mish-mash of sound ideas borrowed from abler scientists."
Gardner had sought attention for himself via outing cults, which is not so here. Yet his comments typically betray that, he failed to make non-elementalistic connections (point of 'repetition'), resulting from an Aristotelian 'analysis' (compartmental 'thinking') of a superior, emergent, etc., structure (methodology). Made clear via a useful table comparing the Aristotelian with Non-Aristotelian systems provided by Korzybski (1941) in "Introduction To The Second Edition." While the "ideas borrowed from abler scientists" (apart from an ad hominen argument), misses the point of unifying anomalies. Further the implied not original, is not true, since Korzybski makes connections (Neil Postman's (1992) "unsupportable assertions") not made before (not by other supposed geniuses); though many involved conducted experiments by other scientists, while others can become verifiable, for example as did Albert Einstein's (1905, 1916) Special and General Relativity. Did not Isaac Newton (1642-1727) say, he stood on the shoulders of great men. Further Aristotle's (circa 350 B.C.) treatises often involved a commentary of others' works, for example Aristotle develops from his teacher, Plato's (circa 381 B.C.) universals. Thus innovating perhaps not original, but the basis of Korzybski's (1921) own Time-Binding. Whereas the 5th edition, has a note on errata.
Korzybski's comments were constructive, for example men and women regress to infantilism if they copy animals in their nervous reactions (conditioning).
Paradox: though discoveries involve seeing things afresh, we require systems to organize (from Greek organon), guide, etc., our search! So Korzybski left his system open, avoiding hindering human progress, dogmatism, etc., introducing General Semantics (replacing Aristotle's 'logic') as a basis for critical evaluating: feeling-thinking.

Introduction to Microbiology, with CD-ROM and InfoTrac: A Case-History Study Approach

Average customer rating:

great intro book
A teacher's perspective
A good introduction
I did not even purchase this book from this person and it was sent to me by mistake I ordered another book from wich was correct

Introduction to Microbiology, with CD-ROM and InfoTrac: A Case-History Study Approach
John L. Ingraham
Manufacturer: Brooks/ Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology (8th Edition)
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ASIN: 0534394655

Book Description

Would you like to bring guest lectures like researchers, physicians, or fellow instructors into you microbiology course? With this third edition of INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY you get the perspective of all of those three professionals. John Ingraham, a professor of microbiology at University of California at Davis, and Catherine Ingraham, his daughter and a practicing physician, utilize their experience within a case history approach complemented by a great technology package. Each chapter in INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY now consistently begins with a case history, which John Ingraham has found very motivational to students who are new to the study of basic science. Because Catherine Ingraham studied to become a physician by interviewing patients, determining causes and implementing solutions, she knows mastry comes from high interest human stories rather than clinical presentations. Many of the case histories found in this book are taken from Catherine's experience as a physician. This combination of experiences and talent brings a case-based quality to every lecture and homework session. This unique author team also provides up-to-the-minute currency. Coverage of new microbial "events" such as biological warfare, studied by John and its effects prepared for in Catherine's office, keeps students interested. The authors also highlight reemerging diseases, such as tuberculoses and smallpox. As with previous editions, this book takes a "body systems" organization. Students are exposed to the unknown, the world of the microbes, through the known, and the different parts of their own bodies. And, because art is so important, there is again a multimedia manager with this title, but with more exciting capabilities than ever before. Instructors receive powerful PowerPoint slides for all the illustrations, tables and figures from the text, plus several animations are at your fingertips.

Customer Reviews:

great intro book.......2007-03-28

I got this book with a Medical Micro book for a class. While the approach of this book is occasionally juvenal (I don't need a little story about a boy getting a puncture wound to explain the immune response), it has been a good fall-back reference as the material is organized differently from the other text.

A teacher's perspective.......2006-09-06

The textbook writing is simple but meanders enough to lose focus. The busy student could benefit from the many tables and figures, but somehow the link between text and graphics is lost in the voluminous chapters.The summaries are point like renditions of the text and do not highlight important material. Likewise the comprehensive self-test questions are not graded according to importance and carry no link back to the text.
Overall, a comprehensive textbook, but lacking the focus and layout for easy adoption and study.

A good introduction.......2005-10-07

This text gives pleanty of pictures and the cases studies help reinforce what the reader is learning in lecture and lab. I did not have to use the CD-Rom, but the lab book that goes with this text was a lot of fun.

I did not even purchase this book from this person and it was sent to me by mistake I ordered another book from wich was correct.......2005-10-04

This book was sent to me in a mistake. I never ordered this book from this individual. Honestly I do not know how this mix up was caused. I am not responsible from other peoples mistakes or the mistake of your services. I do not denie buying a book from him because I did but not the Micro-Biology book.
I would like to speak to some one verbally over the phone so that this can be risolved and at no expense to me. Because I did not order this book. I would like to be reemberst for the money spent to send this product back.

The African Experience: An Introduction (2nd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Over Priced, Poorly Edited
An overview of African history

The African Experience: An Introduction (2nd Edition)
Vincent B. Khapoya
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0137458525

Book Description

This book provides an introduction to Africa -- covering its physical attributes, history, social structure, and culture. It emphasizes norms, values, and historical experience as the key variables that define who the people are, rather than labeling them as "tribes." Describes the main traditional cultural forms and institutions found in Africa. Explores the geography and demography of the African continent. Takes a critical look at how the Africans have done since they inherited or recovered political power from the European colonial masters -- the problems they have encountered, the forces that have influenced leaders in their choice of strategies in nation-building or economic development, political and economic reforms.

Customer Reviews:

Over Priced, Poorly Edited.......2006-11-02

I had to buy this as a text for a course on Africa. It is poorly edited, including basic typos, missing words, and mistaken punctuation. Additionally, there are entire sections that repeat material found earlier in the same chapter.
If you're looking for something on your own, get this one instead. It is better edited, contains more in depth information (which is reflected in its larger page count), and is considerably cheaper to boot.

The African Experience is a big disappointment.

An overview of African history.......1998-07-28

This is a review of the 1994 edition of the book, of which the 1998 edition is an update:

"The African Experience" is an overview of African history. The backdrop is African political history, but it talks a lot about cultural, social and economic history as well. The first third of the book is about pre-colonial Africa; the middle third is about colonialism to modern times; and the last third is about South Africa and about modern Africa's international affairs.

This book is well organized and is written in a clear, coherent and interesting style. It gives a broad overview, serving as an excellent introduction to the history of Africa as a continent. Although its scope is general, the book does not overlook to explain the details of many significant historical developments. It is generally pan-African in its geographic range of coverage, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa, and a deliberately detailed chapter narrowing in on the history of modern South! Africa.

The tone of the book is that of one who is proud of the African heritage, yet scrupulously avoids distorting historical facts. The author is defiant towards scholars, politicians and other leaders who try to deprecate the worth and significance of Africa and Africans, yet he stays clear of the exaggeration and reverse racism of certain Afro-centric writers and historians. All in all, "The African Experience" is an excellent general resource and definitely worth acquiring.

An Introduction to the History of Mathematics (Saunders Series)
Average customer rating:

Great!

Excellent

When used as a self-study text ...

Outstanding!

An Introduction to the History of Mathematics (Saunders Series)
Howard Eves
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0030295580

Book Description

This classic best-seller by a well-known author introduces mathematics history to math and math education majors. Suggested essay topics and problem studies challenge students. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS sections explain the time and culture in which mathematics developed and evolved. Portraits of mathematicians and material on women in mathematics are of special interest.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2004-04-12

I agree with the person who said this book is very informative & it is also easy to read. I learned lots from doing the problems too, like for example, a simple algorithm on how to construct magic squares of odd size. This book was good for the course I did because there's only so much you can do in a course; Morris Kline's "Mathematical Thought From Ancient to Modern Times" is twice as long as this one so it goes into much more detail, but too much for a 1-term course. This book by Eves is a good INTRO to the history of math, I liked it.

Excellent.......2003-12-28

The careful documentation of the discoveries and history of mathematics is of overwhelming importance, especially in modern times where the advances are taking place so rapidly that the historical roots of some branches of mathematics seem to be getting lost. It would be a tragedy if the history of these important developments were not put into print so that later generations of mathematicians and students could have an understanding of how these came about. Thanks to the information age, the accessibility of mathematical documents has dramatically increased, but these documents usually do not include overviews of how the ideas took root and then flourished as independent research disciplines.

This book gives a general overview of mathematical developments up until the middle of the twentieth century. It is a fascinating story, and readers will realize to what extent mathematical ideas deemed complex by even modern standards were known by the ancients. Indeed, it is very surprising to learn that in 2000 BC the Babylonians were solving quadratic equations and even some cubic and quartic equations. The Babylonians did not produce an Evariste Galois, that took centuries more time, but they were dealing with mathematical constructions that were interesting to compare with modern methods.

One very interesting feature of this book is that it is meant to be used as a textbook, and not just in a course in the history of mathematics. The author has included "problem studies" and "essay topics" at the end of each chapter that challenge the reader to solve problems pertinent to the historical topics of each chapter. The inclusion of these problems will allow the student to gain insight on the difficulty in solving problems with the constraint of using concepts that were unique to a definite period in mathematical history.

The book also includes discussions of the history of non-Western contributions to mathematics. The work of the Hindus, the Chinese, and Arabs is included. The contributions of the Arabs are particularly important for later developments in the West, as it was they who revived Greek philosophy and mathematics and consequently changed dramatically the role of mathematics in Europe.

The reading of this book will give a greater appreciation of the developments in mathematics as they are done today. Mathematical research now is done by both human and machine, and no doubt this century, and others beyond it, will result in brilliant developments. Mathematics pervades every human activity in the modern world and every piece of technology. When books like this one are written in the future, readers who peruse them and take note of the incredible advancements made in mathematics in the centuries that preceed them, no doubt their predominant emotion will be astonishment.

When used as a self-study text ..........2003-08-04

When used as a self-study text, I found the book to be lacking a sufficient quantity of example problems solved in adequate detail to be truly helpful.

Outstanding!.......2003-05-02

This book is quite informative and interesting to read. If you love any math at all, you should definitally read it.

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