Intelligent, beautfully written, learned and accessible.
351042
This overlooked book is by far the best book in science I have read in a very long time and is as important as Kuhn.  I urge readers interested in the major ideas of science - from Plato to nonlinear dynamics - to buy this book.  It is beautifully written, elegant in its thought, embracing of the reader, and enormously suggestive.
1139591
Intelligent, well written, and totally accessible.  This is a book for everyone.  It tells not only one of the most amazing stories in history - the creation of our country's constitution - but also reminds us what this great document means for our future.

A must read, I highly recommend.
567095
A rare and beautiful acheivement, Goldschmidt has produced a textbook that is both informative and interesting.  His arguments are clear and well supported, and his breadth is commendable.  Footnotes would have been nice,  but the bibliographic essay is effective, I guess.  My students actually do  the readings, so who am I to be picky?
1292462
I used to read Ellen Goodman's syndicated columns regularly in our local paper.  I always found her intelligence very bracing and admirable; in fact I think she's one of the most intelligent contemporary writers I've ever read.  This book, a collection of columns from roughly a 3 year period in the mid-to-late 1970s, was passed on to me last year.  It had me up late at night, reading one entry after another.  It so perfectly encapsulates that time period, what was going on, what was discussed, and what current trends held forth.  Politics, family, women, social issues, relationships, people, parenthood - there is no topic in which Goodman is not acutely well-informed.  Her strength of being, wry wit, and unyielding classiness always prevails.  Goodman is that rarity: she is *never* annoying; ego, *of* the annoying type, never intrudes. Misguided people will take that to mean I think she's perfect, but my response to that is that I don't think on that sort of good/bad scaling judgment factor. Excellence is excellence. Good taste is good taste. Furthermore, her logic and reasoning in her observations are, to my mind, faultlessly established. It is an unbelievable luxury to be privy to this kind of advanced-thought sensibility.  This book - which resulted in Goodman's winning the Pulitzer Prize - is much too good to be forgotten.  Reading this kind of intelligence causes a change in me: I think better and process more logically.  I will for sure be acquiring Goodman's other books.
2289545
This book is extraordinary.  I don't believe I have ever read any other single book covering such a comprehensive landscape of scholarship all in the persuasive service of a unifying, creative theme: world history dating back to Democritus through the present with a cogent focus on WWI and its corrosive legacies; theology, philosophy, science, art, literature with generous references to the scores of great figures, movements and developments in each category. Reading it is like taking a graduate course in the humanities. Without the work, or the cost.  What a gift.  And so readable.  So eloquently and tightly argued, one thought inexorably leading to the next, sweeping the reader right along. I hope the book gets more coverage.  Its thesis, its breadth, cogency and readability make an important contribution to the dialogue on the eternal questions.
161840
TRAVELLING FAR AND NEAR and LESSONS FROM APPLE TREES, RAINY DAYS, AND JOHNNY WOODCHUCK are wonderful and wondrous books. Graceful and insightful, the essays in these books charm us with their wit and inspire us with their wisdom. Ellen Holmes Baer's prose is beautifully crafted. It invites us to come along with Baer for an adventure in which she teaches us to look anew at the world around us, to find joy in the simple, and to treasure each other. Baer is a master at capturing the small, but significant details that awaken our own imaginations. She has a gift for taking the material of our daily lives and transforming it into moments that are magical. She captivates us with her compassionate humor that gently leads us to learn something new with each essay.
Baer's essays are perfectly complemented by the artwork of Joyne Hopkins. In this case, you can tell a lot about a book by its cover.
I was so enchanted with these essays as a teacher, that I have used them as models in several writing classes. I'm happy to report that the students loved them too.
1297116
`Culture and Empire' takes a broad look at the development and growth of the internet and the challenges that virtual technologies face in their dealings with the established military-industrial complex.

The sweeping narrative, encompassing numerous ideas in relatively few pages and arguing for them fluently and cogently, with well-considered hypotheses and examples, is pleasing and refreshing.  Hintjens consistently ensures that his language is readable and laced with dry humour, which helps to sustain the interest of non-specialists.  I am grateful for his considerate clarity and his enthusiasm in engaging with those of us who are unfamiliar with the deeper intricacies of the internet.

I am very taken with his arguments for a collective human intelligence, which he applies not only in specialist virtual business models but also to human culture more generally.  That he is able to demonstrate how collective intelligence originates, develops and can be allowed to flourish, is most attractive, arguing for a consistent road to enlightenment.

If I have any comments regarding the text, these must be taken as the personal opinions of a virtual beginner.  Using human co-operative intelligence as his basic ideal, Hintjens shows how communal intelligence is scaled up in human society generally, and how its best characteristics can be, and often are, subverted by those with vested interests to protect.  This makes compelling reading, yet the darker aspects of the human story, which emphasise tribalism, territorialism and the manipulation of power, are curiously devoid of any reference to the influence of what we might call the `female' dynamic.

At its best, the internet demonstrates many of the networking and co-operative talents which may be extolled as 'feminine' in some quarters.  Yet, as Hintjens has written elsewhere, * the development of the internet, its software, standards and protocols has remained an almost exclusively male preserve. It is reassuring to reflect that poor outcomes appear to have less to do with gender politics than with bad management. In itself, that is a liberating discovery.

Hintjens is a passionate advocate for personal and group freedoms, and many of his considerations make sobering reading. Yet, we must grasp the unpleasant realities behind many of today's headlines if we are to retain our liberties. Hintjens' conclusions remain optimistic, and come from a deep belief in ability of our species to work together for altruistic and heroic outcomes.
I recommend this text as an interesting starter, a provocative introduction to the influence of the internet, its power and its future progress. Readers will find much to ponder and little to argue with.

Fran Macilvey, author, "Trapped: My Life With Cerebral Palsy"
*[..
966157
Richard Firmage is quick to point out in his forward to "The Alphabet Abecedarium" that this isn't your typical abecedary.  It's not a children's book, or a calligraphy manual, or a traditional book of fonts, though, as the author says "a sympathetic and active imagination may find elements of all in it". This is a book of letters unlike any I've read before. It's a book of history, lore, and "curious facts and fancies" about the 26 letters of the Roman alphabet that offers insight into the wonders and vagaries of written language in general. Firmage's highly literate, marvelously witty tour of our alphabet is a font of information and a true delight.

Don't skip the Introduction. It presents an abridged history of writing and of the Roman alphabet that is helpful in understanding the rest of the book. There is a chapter for each of the 26 letters of the Roman alphabet, as well as one commenting on the alphabet as a whole, and Firmage concludes with a chapter on auxiliary marks and signs. Each chapter follows the history of the letter from its Phoenician roots to its Roman form before delving into its mythology, its place in literature, religion, and culture, from the everyday to the esoteric. The book's intention seems not to be comprehensive, but to include what is essential and interesting. If there isn't much to say about the letter, the author goes off on a tangent, which never fails to entertain.

Happily, there are illustrations. A rectangular box at the bottom of the first page of each chapter shows a progression of the letter's development. Rectangular boxes on subsequent pages feature the letter in various styles or typefaces. Other illustrations are scattered throughout the text as well, all in black-and-white. "The Alphabet Abecedarium" is a treasury of facts and lore for anyone curious about the written word. It's especially enlightening in this computer age when working with fonts is a familiar activity, not confined to typesetters. For maximum enjoyment, I recommend reading the book a couple chapters at a time. Reading straight through can create a sense of information overload.
1015884
It's always a pleasure to encounter mathematics-related texts for laymen; they not only attempt to tackle a subject that many find unfathomable (if not downright terrifying) but are faced with the somewhat daunting task of not only breaking the subject matter down in such a way as to comprehensible but to make it fascinating and engaging as well. The writing of popular science books is, trust me, no easy task (I know this from personal experience having recently edited one such work for which Amazon is now taking pre-orders). The author must tread a fine line between scholarly-but-accessible presentation of the subject matter and avoiding the appearance of being condescending to the uninitiated reader.  David Wells manages to do just that in Games and Mathematics: Subtle Connections, a most enjoyable and readable entry into this field.

Mr. Wells proves an able and knowledgable guide as we're led through a series of puzzles (ever have dinner with Ray Smullyan and have him start working the room with a deck of cards?) and games, pointing out their connections, some (as promised) quite subtle--and therefore all the more beautiful--to mathematics. I've always felt that the best mathematicians, regardless of their formal education, are those who seek to understand the philosophical underpinnings of their art (and in fact am blessed to have professors who are simultaneously appointed to the programs in mathematics, computer science, and philosophy in my university) and one of the reasons I find this work so successful is that Wells makes it a point, in impeccably chosen prose, to provide insight into the thinking that forms the bases for the mathematics he introduces.

Bear in mind that Games and Mathematics: Subtle Connections isn't a work for everyone and unless one takes "Subtle Connections" at face value, much of what Wells is trying to convey will be lost. There is no way of spoon-feeding mathematics; no matter how well it's broken down, it ultimately requires effort (including rereading) on the part of those who wish to master those subtleties--therein lies its beauty. For those who don't mind expending some effort for the purpose of enjoyably broadening one's intellect, Games and Mathematics: Subtle Connections could provide a most enjoyable and profitable use of one's time. I plan to seek out more of Mr. Well's works.
2594833
Three comments about this work, which I like. First, it is a cleanly written testament to the ability of ample resources (time, focus, commitment, money) to make significant contributions to the physical and social fabric of the cultural continuum. Second, it is just as much a romance as anything a Broadway composer ever saluted, save that the romance is not between boy and girl but between a high-energy American couple very much of our times (Sally and Carl Gable of Atlanta, Georgia) and a Palladian villa whose needs make it vulnerable and whose historic beauty makes it irresistible (Villa Cornaro in Piombino Dese, the Veneto). Third, the "voice" of the book does not succumb to the usual traps of attempting to be either too academic for the purpose or too sentimental for the intellectual comfort of the uninvolved.

Rather, this is a straightforward, clear-eyed account of the relationship between the Gables and the villa and what each has brought to the other in the almost two decades since Sally first read the fateful ad in the New York Times. One of the most appealing aspects of the book is the way in which it presents the citizenry of Piombino Dese, not as eccentrics with lovable or irritating idiosyncrasies (as is so often the approach in such works), but as real people attempting to retain connections and customs that matter to them even as they inevitably bridge old socioeconomic patterns and new.

This is, in short, not a book for those looking for a cozy account of "ooh, sweet couple buy really nifty house and live happily ever after (although they appear to have done so)." Nor will it appeal to those seeking a professionally comprehensive history of Palladio, Palladian houses, the Veneto, and modern-day Italian politics. For those, however, who see important architecture as the embodiment in concrete form of the spirit of civilization past and its preservation and adaptive use as a test of civilization present, this book is a fascinating read, as much for what it leaves between the lines as for what went upon the printed page.

I enjoyed the book. I think anyone who's really into Italy or architecture will find it worthwhile.
718641
I first read this book 25 years ago in college.  At the time, it was one of those book I just wanted to get through for a grade, but there were details of it I remembered, such as the common practice of sllicing apples into thirds to represent the Trinity.
Well, picking up this book to re-read while living in Europe turned out to be a far greater pleasure than I imagined.  Huizinga offers an elegant portrait of an entire era, the Late Middle Ages, in both visual and intellectual detail.  You learn about codes of honor, the different ways in which life was perceived, and the practices of love.  It is beautifully written and vivid.
There are limitation to the approach, of course.  It is not about economics or living standards.  It does not function as a survey, and hence the reader must have solid knowledge of medieval history before starting the book.  You will have to get these elsewhere.  But if you come to this book with the right expectations, it is fascinating and wonderful from cover to cover.
Warmly recommended.
244893
Beautiful, wholly accessible, brought tears to my eyes.  As graceful as Jesus' parables must have been when freshly spoken, without the distortion of time and culture and multiple translations.  The Prophet had been on my list of "oh yeah, I've heard about it and probably should read it one day" books.  A friend's recommendation bumped it from there into my Kindle.  This is the book that motivated me to learn how to underline and save notes, the Kindle equivilent of dog-earing my favorite parts.  (Somehow less satisfying than a dog-ear, but really easy to retrieve later.)

Other books that have made it from the list to my shopping cart sit largely unread because they are just too much work.  I probably won't read Don Quixote, for example, until I'm sitting on the Spanish Med and polishing my classic Spanish.  Easy AND good for you.  How perfect is that?
1840301
BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN,BEAUTIFUULY ORGANIZED,SUCCINCT AND TASTY
2734829
I found this book remarkably readable - whether from impressive writing skills of the author or the skill of a brilliant editor, it flowed beautifully, coherent and well organized. The content itself provides an interesting, high-level overview of the topic, comprising many philosophical questions, concepts, and speculation.  There's not much hard science here, a few tidbits (though there are plenty of references cataloged for follow-up). If you're interested in philosophical/moral questions and speculation about rather unbounded future possibilities you may well enjoy this. It's not really a summary of current and near-future technology or development trends. Chace's "Surviving AI" is a good alternative or complementary summary, and the 1200-page textbook "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (3rd. ed.)" also has extensive introductory, overview and summary material - it's brilliantly written, very readable, and very firmly grounded.
3777341
I loved this book. Aptly named A Book of Wisdom and Delight, its content spans a wide range of literary and philosophical traditions, distilling these into what is no less than an instruction manual for a life well lived. It contains beautiful imagery and thought-provoking analogies, as well as practical information on such basic concepts as nutrition and exercise.

A lifelong scholar and former university professor -- to say nothing of being a two-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee -- James Nicholas has distilled a lifetime's worth of reading and wisdom into what could easily be expanded into a much larger work. Within a scant 210 pages, readers are exposed to the wisdom of everyone from Socrates to Reinhold Niebhur, by way of Stevie Wonder and kd lang. Structured as an eightfold path to a rich and fulfilling existence, A Book of Wisdom and Delight can be used either as a simple game plan for improving your circumstances and quality of life, or as a gentle invitation to go deeper in order to enrich life at every level.

The structure of the book also allows the more casual reader to dip into it at any point. Every page contains a nugget of wisdom, be it a quotation from Charles Dickens, a Sanskrit quotation, or a yoga pose. Even the footnotes -- which I tend to avoid in most books -- provide a wealth of information and insight. From emotional and sexual intimacy, to success in the workplace and in life, A Book of Wisdom and Delight brims with information that is both practical and more esoteric.

Written with a rare sensitivity to the human condition, this is a book that uplifts rather than chastises. The wisdom and delight presented in these pages will never beat the reader over the head with a great many "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts". Instead, it suggests an organic and relatively painless way of gaining a better quality of life by encouraging us to actively cooperate with and engage the natural world and the spiritual forces that sustain it.
3200432
I rarely write a review for a book before reading it in its entirety, but for this book I shall make an exception. The artwork is beautiful, yes. But the book's contents are even more lovely. The introduction is revealing, and the prose is well-formulated, insightful, and inspiring. I intend to gift this to someone very special.
1374527
Amazingly well written book, as well as educational.