a good primer to open your eyes
343984
The layout of this book is beautiful, with many full-color, full-page pictures of farm animals. The text is easy-to-read and flows smoothly, with short sections (at most two pages) discussing the different kinds of intelligence of the animals. It is beautiful to look at and hold, and the vocabulary is not over-the-top where the studies are concerned.

I give this book a 3-star rating because I found the level of writing to be a little too basic. If you have had any experience with animals, whether a pet-owner, a hobby farmer or anything else you probably won't be surprised by the information contained in this book, especially if you are already familiar with the basic ideas behind animal rights. The coverage is just not in depth enough to really interest me as a reader. If gives you tantalizing tidbits and then moves on. Even the studies that are repeatedly mentioned and referred to in the text are only portrayed in the briefest of overviews.

If you are completely new to the animal rights scene and have never had a personal experience with a farm animal then you may well be impressed by this book and it will probably open your eyes to the complex creatures that we routinely eat and abuse. If you are trying to broach this subject to someone who is against it, or teach older children about animals as more than food this book may be very useful to you. (I wouldn't recommend this for very young children except as a picture book, some of the terminology that is used in conjunction with the studies is a little large.)

After reading this book (relatively quick read as well, I finished it in one sitting of a few hours) I was left wanting more, more information about the studies and how they were preformed, more than the short anecdotes that filled the pages, and more than the fairly repetitive quotes that are liberally sprinkled throughout the book. I did like the fact that this book did not try to shove animal rights down your throat, it was not in-you-face and did not use scare tactics, it admitted that in many of the studies the scientists weren't sure that they were measuring things correctly and that the things they were trying to measure were very difficult to isolate. The author plainly stated in multiple places that the studies weren't perfect, but that the overarching evidence pointed to these creatures being more than mindless automatons. That gave this book points in my eyes.

It is an enjoyable book, but not a blow-you-out-of-the-water amazing book unless you have never had any kind of contact with farm animals before.
3142555
This was a pretty clear cut read. I thought that it had some interesting points and it would be a decent choice for the beginner reader on this topic.
2257213
As a curious human being, I thought it would be good to have basic knowledge regarding this religion, especially with all the islamophobia present today in the USA. What I read proved my original premise: ignorance is at the base of the fear. This book has opened up the commonality of the major Abrahamic religions. We are not as different as some would like to think. Granted, the world is full of nut jobs with radical religious views. This book helps dispell what the narrative often has become. I recommend you read it, even if you don't particularly have any interest in comparative religion study.
76097
Good intro with some nice insights. Worth the few bucks and little bit of time it takes to read this.
3602375
This is my first book on mindfulness. After being only about 100 pages into it, I can say its clear, readable and practical. I don't believe in past lives or that the self is a illusion or a delusion like the book says. And I was put off by the recurring statement that mindfulness meditation enables one to see reality as it is. But while I have doubts about mindfulness meditation leading to seeing the ultimate reality of life or the universe, getting passed barriers of repression, and the storms of insecurity, anxiety, lust, greed, etc and seeing clearer one's own psychological truth seems quite possible, at least that's what I'm hoping for. So there you go, a few comments from an absolute beginner at mindfulness mediation who needs calmness and clarity and hopes there's some of that here.
2677227
For the person looking for a nice overview ans new to the subject.
604033
A word of caution before reading this book: an open mind is required in order for you to understand and fully appreciate its contents. I myself have always been interested in the spiritual, the supernatural, the psychic, but I do get why a lot of people don't. However, I think if you're a non-believer and you read this book, you might just start to consider that these things could possibly exist. This book takes on the topic using psychology (the author is an expert in the field, after all), and it offers a more scientific explanation of the psychic realm. For the believers, this teaches you some basic & advanced techniques in exploring your psychic energy. Overall, this is a great overview to the possible psychic abilities of your mind.
4585240
You have to have an open clear mind to read this book. It is very helpful in the way it is detailed. You can choose what you like to work with first. Everything expands with small steps and goal by goal. You have to be willing to make a change to see what can become. It also opens your eyes to notice the world around you and the people who you work with and associate with.
3754970
Acharya has researched a variety of sources to pull together truths that lift the comfortable veil shadowing most of humanity today.  At first for people embedded in one of the main world religions, as it was for me, this can be a disturbing read.  If one keeps an open mind and is willing to independently see truth, Acharya's books are important towards deprogramming people.  The importance of deprogramming oneself is to develop critical thinking skills vital to independent individual thought instead of mass movement or mass thought which overwhelms and substitutes independent observation.  Note that:  1984 is only possible when groups organize at the expense of the individual.

We see clearly all around us how the impetus for many wars and manipulations are abusing the good intentions of people who have believed en mass without question the "sacred" books.  As one withdraws support from mass manipulations, it becomes clearer that mind control actually is  used to tie humanity to needless suffering -- both self-imposed and externally inflicted.

I actually was afraid to write a review for a period since the mind control programming was so strong.  People today are still entrained to shun those who are not of their particular belief systems.

If one is willing to leave the shores and explore, a wise life choice, Acharya's books are a good place to begin.  It feels like a medicine that tastes bad almost bad enough to kill you, but it is effective.  The scholarship is extensive and this book is a bargain.  If read with an open mind, this book can be life changing, if you'll let it.  If you do, you won't want to go back.  You'll find you're beginning to buy your own freedom of choice and can choose life in ways perhaps previously unavailable to you.

At the very least, it's an interesting read.  Also consider, the more something is opposed (the more energy that goes into putting something down like these books), the more important it is to understand what's behind the efforts to suppress the information.
3621467
This is a basic level guide to computer security. People who have a background in the subject will probably find that they already know most of these concepts. For people trying to learn in the first place, this is a good place to start. The book covers the sort of threats and security measures that come up with individual machines as well as broader networks, and emphasizes the importance of "non-tech" security measures as well, including those posed by physical threats (namely theft), environmental problems like excessive heat, fires and humidity. There are plenty of illustrations and lots of examples using utilities already available to Windows users, which might infuriate Linux and Mac types but is probably the smart move for a general audience.

Overall, a good primer for the basic concepts.
4788652
I found this book to be a very good intro/primer for someone wanting to dip their toes into the waters of religious philiosophy.  Ganssle doesn't get bogged down by the technical nuances of rational proofs like a number of other philisophy books. And yet he is still able to make the points necessary to introduce the reader to the ideas of thinking rationally about a God that we must take by faith.
3262541
Do you want to know everything??? Well this book is a good start. Whether you're eight or eighty, everyone can take something away from this book. This is one of those books that you can judge from the cover (kind of). First off, it is a summary of just about everything from the big bang to the dinosaurs, to modern day particle accelerators. This may sound somewhat boring to some, but the author does a very good job at explaining everything in a very easy to understand way. Not only that, he keeps it interesting with jokes and great facts. Like for one thing, did you know that during the Tertiary Period, there were guinea pigs the size of rhinos and rhinos the size of a two story house? It is staggering to think about.
 I could only really find one downside to this book, and it was that not everyone is interested in everything. This led to some chapters being a little more enticing than others. Although the author does a great job at keeping your attention, I did find myself enjoying the chapters about Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein a little more than the chapters that described biologists and taxonomists fighting about the differences between lichens and mosses.
 I do think that everyone should check out this book though, regardless of age or background. It opened my eyes to so many fields that I did not know a thing about. At almost 500 pages, its a bit hefty, but that's what it takes to fit the history of almost everything.
292856
Sometimes you look at something without understanding why you do or don't like it. This book helps that understanding. Its not the easiest book to read and make sense of - but once you start, you'll want to read and re-read until it makes sense. If its for you, it will open you eyes - what you see is up to you.
1094083
Explains things in a way that you can understand without a degree in psychology, and doesn't patronize the reader. I found many of the concepts and explanations in this book to be very eye opening, insightful, and helpful.
168553
An easy to read book that will test your preconceptions of what is meant by 'just'. While I wasn't convinced by the chapter on ethics (omitted Virtues which seem to more closely fit with the notion of Just), and his solutions appear recursive, the book contains more that enough to make it a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf.
1111819
These three books make a good Chomsky 'primer' for the newly converted, or for those who have often wondered, "just who exactly is this guy, and why is he quoted so often?".  The interview format and speeches give the reader a good idea of where Chomsky is coming from, and what arguments he has to support his beliefs.  They are also very insightful and informative for those who have read Chomsky, as well.
As the saying goes, "get informed, get angry, get organized".
1375996
I liked this book because it does a good job of showing the differences between the world's major religions. While this is more of a taste-test outing it still is very useful. It is not a pro-god book but an unbiased (as much as it can be) look at different beliefs. Don't be put off if you don't believe in invisible sky wizards. This is simply a good book if you want to educate yourself even though it is a bit dry.