Book Description
Thank You for Arguing is your master class in the art of persuasion, taught by professors ranging from Bart Simpson to Winston Churchill. The time-tested secrets the book discloses include Cicero’s three-step strategy for moving an audience to actionÑas well as Honest Abe’s Shameless Trick of lowering an audience’s expectations by pretending to be unpolished. But it’s also replete with contemporary techniques such as politicians’ use of “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges, including:
The Eddie Haskell Ploy
Eminem’s Rules of Decorum
The Belushi Paradigm
Stalin’s Timing Secret
The Yoda Technique
Whether you’re an inveterate lover of language books or just want to win a lot more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is for you. Written by one of today’s most popular online language mavens, it’s warm, witty, erudite, and truly enlightening. It not only teaches you how to recognize a paralipsis and a chiasmus when you hear them, but also how to wield such handy and persuasive weapons the next time you really, really want to get your own way.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Book for The Writer or Public Speaker.......2007-09-16
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Public Speaking or persuasive writing. Heinrichs keeps his readers interested in everything he has to say through the use of real-world and pop culture references. Random bits of information in the margins keep every page interesting and well worth your time.
Good but a lot of information.......2007-07-30
This is a great book if you like the subject matter. But don't think you are going to walk away ready to put all this into practice in your next public address or debate with a recalcitrant teen. Keep in mind the author's subtle point that the book effectively represents a summary session on a discipline that is thousands of years old. Not that you won't have fun trying it out though.
Excellent read.......2007-07-13
This is an excellent work and I highly recommend it. I just completed a class in composition and rhetoric at college and this should have been the text book. It is funny but highly informational at the same time.
Remedial Rhetoric.......2007-07-04
I enjoyed the book so much that I signed up to received regular emails illustrating "figures" of speech, as they are used popular media. Jay Heinrichs presents the fundamentals of rhetorics in an unpretentious and transparent manner. A lot of information is presented, and I have come to regret, like Heinrichs, that rhetoric is not taught in schools. I would have benefited from having learned these concepts in grade school. Having been persuaded the power of these techniques, I did get a little bored with the ending, where he makes a case that a rhetorically-trained society would be a more democratic one. While I enjoyed the book tremendously, I didn't give it a "5" because I felt the production of the book was poor. I had to send back my first one because it was defective (missing 30 pages), and the layout of the pages looks like it was done by a high-schooler. Also, I thought the conclusion a bit anticlimactic.
Great introduction to persuasion.......2007-05-30
Jay has written a thoroughly enjoyable book that is not only informative, but funny. Many of the concepts Jay writes about I feel I was following naturally, but never saw written down so succinctly. It is good to know that other people enjoy the useful form of argument, the art of rhetoric, still. I feel that most people I meet these days shy away from a good old fashioned debate, just for the intellectual fun of it! My Italian wife was born and raised in this rhetorical way, and this book reminded me how lucky I am to be with someone who can argue, without fighting.
Book Description
The Oxford Translation of Aristotle was originally published in 12 volumes between 1912 and 1954. It is universally recognized as the standard English version of Aristotle. This revised edition contains the substance of the original Translation, slightly emended in light of recent scholarship; three of the original versions have been replaced by new translations; and a new and enlarged selection of Fragments has been added. The aim of the translation remains the same: to make the surviving works of Aristotle readily accessible to English speaking readers.
Customer Reviews:
Marvelous- It's ALL in here folks! (BOTH VOLUMES).......2006-11-26
I studied philosophy in a French speaking Institute in Europe. These two volumes came in very handy. The first question that may come to mind for those shopping for Aristotle is whether it's necessary to purchase the "Complete Works" and not just a volume of Major Works. In fact, it's not necessary- you'll get so much enrichment from even one major work of The Philosopher, especially with the aid of a competent professor. However, the complete works will ensure you that you have everything, and provide a good deal more reading enjoyment (even Aristotle's final will and testament is printed in Vol. II).
Aside from that, the translations contained in these works are considered the best available in English (and perhaps any) language other than the original Greek. To testify to this fact, some of my native French professors would occassionally ask to borrow my volumes to make photocopies of certain passages (or more), telling me that they felt the English translations were far better done than those in their native tounge! (And we know how much the French care for their native tounge!)
All in all, excellent books and money well spent.
a bit of irony.......2006-05-07
is that, although these volumes contain the absolute worst translations of aristotle available, they're probably the best bet for people who are serious about aristotle and the worst bet for people who are just reading this or that text for a class, personal interest, etc. the reason they're good for people who are serious about aristotle is the very simple reason that it's all there, so if you're scanning your bonitz and bonitz says the definition of some term or another is in one of the writings on animals, you can at least (with a bit of detachment) see what in hell he's talking about (if the greek isn't there) without having to get up! in other words, you've got it all, sister!, which is really the only advantage to be culled from having these books. the margins are just meaty enough to import greek phrases, retranslate sections of text, etc., so it turns out to be a nice reference tool for scholars. why? because it's all there! now, if you're just 'into' aristotle, as i said, don't (for godsakes) get these books. read apostle's translations. sachs is alright, but he can throw you off. of course, you can also get the real cheapies from hackett, and some of them aren't bad (in general, by the way, hackett's the way to go for translations). besides, these things are weighty and difficult to maneuver; they're really for reading at a table, so you can't really tuck up with them, if you see what i mean. another nice thing about these volumes is that they stay open by themselves (no finagling with or breaking the binding)! i'm not joking: aristotle scholars couldn't have a better english-language resource.
Where's Volume 2?.......2004-12-01
(This is not a review, it's just instruction for those who, like me, had trouble finding Volume 2 or the two-volume set). If you're at the "Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1" page, you can click on "Other Editions: Hardcover" to get to Volume 2. But how do you get to the two-volume set? The easiest way is to do a normal search for books by Aristotle. You will find an entry for "Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1". Neither the second volume nor the two-volume set will appear in the results! Instead, click on "Other Editions: See all (3)". Then you'll get a page listing each volume individually, plus the two-volume set. (I had to give a rating just to post this, so I just gave it a 4 for now.)
for the student of logic and biology.......2004-09-03
The first volume of Aristotle's complete works will give any Analytical Philosopher a fine felicity. However, if, like myself, you find logic to be a tedious and removed (although worthwhile) activity, you will find the first 314 pages to be, well, an antidote to insomnia (However to note, the medievals considered these logical works to be some of the finest of Aristotle's. There are also some good sayings, such as '...if you can find noone else to argue with, then argue with yourself' in these works). Then, you will reach the Physics, a must read (along with Augustines Confessions (Book 11 in that work I believe) and Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason) of any student who considers the contemplation of time a worthwhile activity (in my own philosophy, I consider the contemplation of time to be that which is most important in Philosophy, mainly because it allows us to realize that 'given enough time everything becomes insignificant' and therefore, what has significance, the 'given' or now, is what should be given priority, rather than the secondary relations to social and bodily pleasures which for the most part, dominate our lives, and make the enjoyment of the given, life itself, forgotten). After the Physics, there are 13 smaller works that deal with topics such as the heavens, memory, dreams and youth and old age. These begin to become a precursor for Aristotle's zoological works 'History of Animals', 'Parts of Animals', 'Movement of Animals', 'Progression of Animals' and 'Generation of Animals'. These works are interesting mainly from a historical perspective (hearing Aristotle talk about the flatulence of elephants is intriguing to say the least). Then, you will come to works which many believe to be authentically Aristotle's, 'On Colours', 'On Things Heard' and 'Physiognomics'. With that ends volume one of Aristotle's Complete Works. For the reader who is not disciplined in Philosophy, I would not recommend diving into Aristotle without first finding some gear (i.e., previous philosophical experience) otherwise you will find these Aristotlean waters to be cold and uninviting. You may want to pick up an introductory title to Philosophy, such as The Story of Philosophy, then read Plato's complete works, and then come to this book, and then volume 2 (which should be read by every man, woman and child on this earth.)
Also recommended: Toilet: The Novel by Michael Szymczyk. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. The Collected Dialouges of Plato. Volume 2 of Aristotle's Complete Works.
Great for Classicists and Novices Alike.......2003-08-16
Barnes' translation is painstakingly accurate as well as highly readable, making these the best (as well as, quite obviously, the most comprehensive) Aristotle volumes on the market, for those familiar with the Aristotelean corpus in its original Greek, as well as for anyone who wants a good introduction to the seminal thinker.
As seems to be a common complaint--alas, the index leaves very much to be desired, and the editorial introduction is not great: Durant's famous essay (available in the "Story of Philosophy") eclipses it easily. Nonetheless, these two volumes should replace all the Aristotle on your shelf: they are a pleasure to own and read.
"Ho anexetastos bios ou biotos anthropoi--the unexamined life is not worth living." Said by Plato, proved by Aristotle.
Book Description
Professionals and business people in midlife are increasingly asking themselves 'what's next?' in their careers and personal lives. This book draws on the wisdom of the ages to help contemporary men and women plan for satisfying, useful, moral, and meaningful second halves of their lives. For centuries, the brightest people in Western societies have looked to Aristotle for guidance on how to lead a good life and how to create a good society. Now James O'Toole-the Mortimer J. Adler Senior Fellow of the Aspen Institute-translates that classical philosophical framework into practical, comprehensible terms to help professionals and business people apply it to their own lives and work. His book helps thoughtful readers address some of the profound questions they are currently struggling with in planning their futures:
Customer Reviews:
Strong start, disappointing finish.......2006-04-05
This book starts out with a strong review of Aristotle's ethics the application of these ethics to life in the 21st century. The writing is clear and easy to follow, even if you have no background in philosophy.
The second half of the book is weak. The book profiles people that the author believes have clearly failed or succeeded at finding happiness as Aristotle would define it. Unfortunately, almost all of the examples cited are wealthy, white men in their 50s, 60s and 70s. The book would have been much stronger if the author had profiled a broader range of people.
Different Recast on Aristotle's and Adler's work.......2005-05-31
The book is a recast of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics which was summarized ih Mortimer Adler's Time of Our Lives. What James O'Toole does well is to weave his personal story and struggles with these issues in a language and context of today. I found this personal view refreshing and move Aristotle's theory to a very practical level. The book is clearly aimed at baby boomers, like himself, who are struggling with meaning and unfulfilled career aspirations. Personally, O'Toole's writing got me to think more about the question of whether all vices are "fun and exciting" and all virtue is "boring". The book is easy to ready and allows one to access easily Aristotle's important writings. I recommend it for anyone struggling with these issues.
P.B.
Boston, MA
A contemporary as well as classical guide to happiness.... .......2005-04-13
Perhaps you're now asking the same question I once did: "Given the fact that he lived almost 2,400 years ago, what could Aristotle possibly have to say that is directly relevant to me?" In fact, a great deal. So many of us today -- especially those at mid-life -- are engaged in a search to find meaning and happiness. We often ask, as Peggy Lee once did, "Is that all there is?" The purpose of this book is show how Aristotle is an effective guide on that search, and how he can help each of us find our own practical answer to a critically important question, "What's next?"
In an interview to appear in the July/August (2005) issue of Chamber Executive magazine, O'Toole observes that "Aristotle was the most practical of all great philosophers. His audience was the business and political leadership of his day. He offered them wisdom they could apply in their own lives -- practical advice on matters ranging from ethical business practices to effective philanthropy. Aristotle even describes 'virtuous non-retirement' -- the lifelong commitment to engage in leisure work which is characterized by pursuit of the 'highest good' of individual excellence and the 'complete good' of community service. He offers practical tests to help us determine how much wealth we need to support us while we engage in those activities."
O'Toole goes on to say, "So my challenge was not making Aristotle relevant to today's successful professionals and managers; instead, I faced the nearly impossible task of making his difficult language clear to modern readers [begin italics] without dumbing it down [end italics]. I had to find a way to explore the depth and complexity of Aristotle in a way that makes sense in an age of sound bites and blogs. After all, who ever heard of a [begin italics] serious [end italics] self-help book? But that's what I set out to write."
As O'Toole explains in this book, Aristotle struggled with many of the same difficult circumstances (more than two centuries ago) which most of us face in 2005: "...in his career as a teacher and a consultant to leaders of ancient Athens, Aristotle thought long and hard about what it means to live a good life and how much it takes to finance it. His thoughts on this matter are particularly applicable today, given the baby boom generation's anxiety over insufficient retirement savings and shaky investments: Aristotle shows how we can find happiness at almost any level of income. Moreover, he argues that the ability to find true contentment correlates only tangentially with the amount of money one has cached away. Unlike so many of today's `life advisors,' Aristotle integrates financial planning with the broader task of life planning."
Throughout human history, there has been a constant challenge to get lifestyle and quality of life in appropriate balance. As O'Toole notes, "Aristotelian ethics concern moral decisions related to how we should allocate the limited time of our lives. We must each plan how we will allocate our energies among such activities as earning, learning, playing, being with friends and family, and participating in the community. As we make these choices, Aristotle warns, we will fail to achieve 'the chief good' -- that is, we will fail to be happy -- if we pursue the wrong ends."
If the pursuit of philosophy is to serve as a practical guide to action, and I believe it is, then the wisdom which Aristotle gained from his own experiences will guide and inform our own pursuit and achievement of "the chief good": personal happiness. In the Foreword to one of O'Toole's previously published books, The Executive's Compass, Lodwrick M. Cook (former chairman and CEO of Atlantic Richfield Company) explains O'Toole's use of the central metaphor: "The beauty of the compass is that it provides a framework for the executive to create order out of the growing chaos of cultural diversity and conflict of values. Like a real compass, [O'Toole's 'value compass'] helps us to find where we are, where others are, where we want to go, and how to get there. Like the Aspen experience itself, O'Toole's compass is aimed at developing executive judgment by expanding our understanding of the interrelationships of fundamental values."
Cook's comments are also relevant to Creating the Good Life. For those now struggling to define and then create the good life for themselves, whatever their current circumstances may be, Aristotle's wisdom can indeed serve as a "compass." In this volume, O'Toole prepares his reader to use it effectively.
Book Description
Dressage, the equestrian practice in which a horse makes highly precise movements in response to barely perceptible signals from the rider, has taken hold of America’s equestrians. Participation rates have risen by 200 percent over the past twenty years, as baby-boomer riders have discovered dressage to be less strenuous and dangerous than jumping, yet offering the satisfaction of mastering techniques and the opportunity to compete and advance to higher levels of achievement.
101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider, presented in Storey’s highly visual “Read & Ride” format, features a full arena diagram and stepby- step instructions for each exercise. The exercises address all levels of riders, starting with the basics and moving up to maneuvers developed by members of the U.S. Olympic team. Training tips and masterly guidance make this an indispensable reference for all dressage riders. Even Western riders interested in enhancing their performance will find these foundational exercises useful.
Dressage riders are information-hungry readers, often referred to as “the thinking horsemen.” This book’s sturdy format, combbound and drilled so it can be hung on a ringside post, will appeal to these reading riders, whether in or out of the saddle.
Customer Reviews:
Loving this book!.......2007-10-07
I love this book, it is simple for the simple minded. Allowing your brain to open without hurting! lol! So highly recommended!
Exercises make hard work more fun.......2007-09-24
Dressage requires great attention to many small details and a clear head to keep them all straight. 101 Dressage Exercises helps you focus on the details in a fun way. At my barn we often challenge each other to see who can do an exercise most correctly with our trainer as coach and referee. We have ended up riding better becuase we made these into a good-natured game.
Exercises for Dressage.......2007-05-29
This is an excellent way to keep track of your progress and stay focused on your work. It starts out with simple exercises and continues to progress in skill levels as you accomplish each one. Great warm ups, easy to understand.
dressage exercises.......2007-05-16
This is a terrific book, very simply designed and expressed.
It has given me a large number of ideas for warm up, planning my sessions and the exercises to improve my dressage skills.
I just have to make the time to get on with the exercises now.
For Riders of All Levels.......2007-04-10
Even a beginner will be able to follow the simple diagrams, and advanced riders will love the suggested exercises.
Book Description
A longtime investigative journalist uncovers one of the great untold stories of twentieth–century international intrigue, and the secrets it has held 㟵ntil now.
Shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and Bobby Kennedy, two of the world's richest and most powerful men, disliked one another from the moment they first met. Over several decades, their intense mutual hatred only grew, as did their desire to compete for the affections of Jackie, the keeper of the Camelot flame.
Now, this shocking work by seasoned investigative journalist Peter Evans reveals the culmination of the Kennedy–Onassis–Kennedy love triangle: Onassis was at the heart of the plot to kill Bobby Kennedy. Nemesis meticulously traces Onassis's trail – his connections, the way that he financed the assassination – and includes a confession kept secret for three decades. With its deeply nuanced portraits of the major figures and events that shaped an era, Nemesis is a work that will not soon be forgotten.
Customer Reviews:
You won't be disappointed...........2007-06-25
Fans of Callas, Onassis, & Kennedy(s) should embrace this book a.s.a.p. Peter Evans does a wonderful job. What an extraordinary story that is told. I couldn't put this book down for several weeks. Even after I've finished it, it inspires re-reading. Highly recommended!!
Confusing.......2007-06-09
I thought that this book would be interesting to me because I like the Kennedy family and am interested in conspiracy theories, but I was wrong. This book is pretty good, but it is really confusing with so many people involved that sometimes it is hard to keep straight who this person is and what they did.
Rumors and Questions Answered.......2007-03-24
Those who find a conspiracy in every world event will be satisfied with the well-researched and well-written account of the possible involvement of Aristotle Onassis in the assassination of Robert Kennedy. As to the oft-asked question as to why Jacqueline Kennedy would want to marry the Greek tycoon, it is answered with a new understanding of the greed and lust that drove these compelling personalities. The narrative fairly jumps from the pages of this very fast read. Even the footnotes are fascinating.
Whoa!.......2006-05-04
What a fascinating, very well written book! It seemed every page had a juicy morsel or two and really opened my eyes into what was really going on during the last months of John Kennedy's life and why Jackie married Aristotle Onassis. As a teenager, I was shocked she'd married someone who obviously wasn't a friend of the United States. But Peter Evans portrays Onassis as someone so fascinating, even desirable in his "bulldog" approach to women, maybe money wasn't the only reason. Then again, once you read this book your whole image of "Camelot" and the "Holy Widow" will never be the same.
Review for Seller.......2006-01-15
The book came quickly and in exactly the condition stated: like brand new. Will definitely look this seller up again next time I'm shopping for books.
Book Description
A journey into the wonders of science from Joy Hakim, the best-selling author of A History of US.
The story of science is the story of some really interesting people who continuously question the world around them. In the first book of her three part Story of Science Joy Hakim invites readers of all ages to meet the forebearers of modern science—Thales, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Aristotle, Arab and Chinese thinkers, Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon, and many others—and share in their exciting discoveries in astronomy, math, and physics. 300 color photographs, illustrations, and maps.
- Individual volumes in the series can be read as a set or individually
- Each book packed with 256 pages of thought-provoking ideas, math and science concepts, history and literature
- Character- and idea-driven narratives that read like an adventure story
- 300 illustrations in each book, including original art and contemporary photographs
- Sidebars highlight fascinating facts and ideas of related interest
- Call-outs define unfamiliar words and build vocabulary
- Suggestions for further reading on many topics
Customer Reviews:
Great in so many ways..........2007-09-08
I will organize my review into 4 parts: 1. What I was looking for, 2. The ideal audience for this book (just my opinion), 3. Strengths and weaknesses of this book, 4. Who could benefit by owning this book.
1. People of a certain age may remember the Time-Life series of science books. I especially loved the volumes devoted to physical science and math. Those books were written for kids in the upper grades but, in fact, the text was at an adult level. Even today, I enjoy actually reading them, not merely browsing, as the text is sophisticated enough to "pull me in". The photo essays were also magnificent: dramatic, human, entertaining and adult. I was looking for something like those, but of more recent vintage, when I came across "The Story of Science". Did I find it? No, not exactly. But I bought the book anyway. Read on.
2. This book is written for 5th-graders. Period. End of story. I will not negotiate that point. The evidence: words such as "ratio" and "circumnavigate" are defined for the reader. I clearly remember "ratio" being introduced in 5th grade. The other words which are defined are of similar level. Also, the book, while not thin, is built for small hands in terms of height and width. Finally, there is a general lack of sophisticated vocabulary and a peppering of the text with leading questions, meant to induce thinking. These are all hallmarks of a book written for children who are still rather small. The constant interruption of the narrative by questions would be annoying to an older child or adult. If your 7th-grader is still reading this book, you need to push her to move on; she will fall behind in reading skills. Trust me on this; I have taught alot of kids.
3. Weaknesses: None. This book is superb in every way.
Strengths: The text is well-written, lively, questioning, just like the topic it explores.
Words are defined, pronunciation is indicated.
There are numerous side-bars to explain even off-topic issues which have been briefly touched upon.
Example: the King James Bible is quoted at the beginning of chapter 1 (as are other mythological texts; this is not a narrow-minded book). Will a Junior High School student know who King James was? I hope so! An adult? Uh, if you have to ask.... But, normally, a 5th-grader will not. So, Ms. Hakim explains a bit about him in a side-bar. Very nice! It is this, "no stone left unturned" approach that makes this book so excellent.
The graphics are great to look at, informative, and add a delightful dimension. They are sophisticated enough to give this book an adult feel. Only the text, really, clues us in to the target audience.
4. Anyone can benefit by owning this book. I find the text too simple, and too frequently interrupted by simple-minded, kid-type questions, to be really engaging. It doesn't pull me in the way the Time-Life books still can. But, the text is certainly "browsable": read a bit, and then pore over the great, informative graphics and side-bars and, in general, just delight in the lively, colorful presentation of the material.
So, finally, I am still looking for those elusive updated versions of the Time-Life books. But, this book is great on its own level. Give it to a 10- or 11-year old and watch her take off! But, be wise. Unless your kid is remedial, snatch it away when they enter Junior High. Replace it with what? Well, you can always get the Time-Life books at an online auction. They will complete your child's science and literacy development to the intelligent High School level.
An excellent book, and even better read!.......2007-07-09
I typically don't go around recommending books, even good ones. However, this book is well worth the recommendation. It approaches the subject assuming the reader is interested and gets them even more into the subject. It covers math, technology, philosophy, language arts, and geography. Makes mention of art, poetry, exploration, socialization and other factors that influenced the thinking of the ancient thinkers.
It is recommended for K-8 but I have learned so much just by going through and making a lessonplan based on the book. One little problem, it is so interesting I keep reading and studying and the lessonplan is taking forever. LOL
Hats off to Hakim again,
Maeven6
Excellent in Parts but Marred by Anti-Christian Bias.......2007-03-18
As a homeschooler who follows the neo-Classical approach, I had high hopes that "The Story of Science" would be a valuable addition to our study of Ancient times. The first 21 chapters are a fascinating look at the scientific knowledge of ancient civilizations including the Sumerians, Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Ancient Chinese, and of course the Ancient Greeks. Ms. Hakim does an admirable job at explaining often complex topics in a comprehensible and entertaining way.
Unfortunately, the last 80 pages of the book covering the medieval period have a serious anti-Christian bias. For example, Ms. Hakim promotes the false story that St. Cyril had the Library of Alexandria burned, when in fact it was most likely done by a lawless mob of peasants that included both Christians and pagans. She also criticizes monastaries for "locking up" knowledge behind closed walls, when actually they were sanctuaries in a continent overrun by barbarians. She selectively quotes early Christians such as St. Augustine, St. Jerome, Tertullian, Lactantius, and Cosmas to portray them as backward and anti-intellectual while portraying Islamic, Jewish, and Chinese scholars in a completely positive manner. The great Christian intellectuals Sts. Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas are only portrayed positively because Ms. Hakim considers them to be "rebels" against the Church.
I would give 5 stars to the portion of the book covering the Ancient times but only 1 star to the portion of the book covering the medieval period. My advice to Christian homeschoolers wishing to use this book would be to stop on page 189 and skip the remainder.
Wonderful!!.......2006-10-01
I can't sing Hakim's praises enough - from her History of US series to the The Story of Science, all three volumes so far. I've been an avid science fan my whole life, but not a hard science major, and I gasped all the way through these books as I learned things I never knew, but thought I'd known, or finally understood things I'd known about but that had puzzled me. Get over the "distracting" sidebars - they didn't bother me at all and they were full of great stuff. I ate these books up and I was only reading them to preview for my homeschooler who hates math and is bored by science, but loves history. Joy Hakim has a wonderful ability to take a huge subject (all of US history, for instance, and the development and progress of scientific thought in this case) and make it manageable, new and a fun read. I have a new respect for Mathematics after reading this book. My daughter is discovering that science and math really are amazing and play a critical, pivotal role in the unfolding of human history.
Very insightful and a pleasure!.......2006-04-07
I enjoyed Hakim's Story of Us, so naturally i was looking forward to getting my hands on this series. I have enjoyed reading this book. I love how she shares what the different cultures beliefs were regarding different areas of science, and of course with time some of their ideas were proven wrong. I really learned through this book to appreciate Science for what it is . . . . a way of thinking, questioning, and testing. Its trying to understand ideas and concepts bigger than oneself. I've enjoyed the sidenotes- yes it does mean you have to turn the pages back on occasion to read it all but it is great. It's kind of like reading a magazine in that respect, with more than one story on a page. You read one and go back to the other. This is an interesting approach to science - learning the who, and why part of how. I recommend it highly.
Book Description
Aristotle is one of the greatest thinkers in the Western tradition, but also one of the most difficult. The contributors to this volume do not attempt to disguise the nature of that difficulty, but at the same time they offer a clear exposition of the central philosophical concerns in his work. Approaches and methods vary and the volume editor has not imposed any single interpretation, but has rather allowed differences of interpretation to stand.
Customer Reviews:
Metaphysics.......2005-01-19
Barnes' interpretation of big A's "Metaphysics" in this book is the best I have seen. It really was right on que, and a very easy read, which if you know Aristotle, is as hard to imagine as saying Dr. Seuss is complex. The section on Psychology interprets "De Anima" quite nicely. Barnes also edits "The Complete Works of Aristotle, Vols 1&2", so if you are looking for an excellent commentary on Aristotle, want to read Barnes' work, but don't feel like reading over 2000 pages, get this.
The Cream of the Companion Series.......2003-04-12
The 'Cambridge Companion' to philosophy series has put out some great products. In my opinion this may be the best. Absolutely splendid articles that help the reader understand Aristotle rather than some philosopher's interpretation of him. For such a polymath as Aristotle, the authors did a good job of focusing on key facets of his philosopy that adequately prepare and stimulate the reader to investigate other of Aristotle's writings, which the Companion could not cover for lack of space. The bibliography and subject guides to the secondary liturature are well done.
The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle.......2002-06-17
The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle edited by Jonathan Barnes is a is an excellent book. If you are studing Aristotle or just reading him, you've probably gritted your teeth and started to put the reading down for later. Being that most of us do NOT read Greek, we rely on someone who can and the translations do vary. We also need a way to study and a plan to organize our reading in a logical manner.
This book is an excellent choice for that purpose. This book helps to alleviate some of the fears one has in reading a great thinker who is not only difficult and challenging but also complex. The content of this book are as follows: Logic, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Science, Science, Psychology, Ethics, Politics, Rhetoric and poetics. There is an introduction and a suggestions for reading section which are invaluable and help the reader to understand and comprehend what is trying to be said.
If you need help with Aristotle... look no further than this book to help you get organized and to better understand Aristotle. Approach and methods vary from person to person, but if someone has proceeded you in understanding it is prudent to follow those footsteps... then make your interpretation.
The editor has written an excellent chapter on Metaphysics. Metaphysics is one of Aristotle's most difficult books to understand. Here the editor helps the reader to understand it and also how to read Aristotle with a logical approach.
Remember the best aid to reading Aristotle is Aristotle himself. Aristotle is difficult so read him slowly, very slowly, then he is inspiring and gripping. But, it helps to have someone to rely on and this book will help.
A excellent guide to reading Aristotle himself.......2000-03-09
The work of Aristotle is difficult, wide-ranging and dry. As Joanathan Barnes explained in the introduction in this book, this is probably because Aristotle's work is an unauthorized collection of lecture notes. Therefore, an introduction to the main themes in his work is an invaluable help to approaching the master's work. The Cambridge guide has chapters on metaphysics, logic, ethics, philosophy of science, science, psychology, politics, rhetoric. It also contains a massive bibliography. The essays concentrates on explaining the content of Aristotle's work, but it also introduce readers to modern controveries in interpretating Aristotle. The essay of Barnes on the very confusing work Metaphysics is pure gold. Other essays are excellent too.
Amazon.com
Philosophy purists take note: yes, this is a business self-help book. But Tom Morris has plenty of philosophical street credibility: after getting his Ph.D. from Yale, he taught for 15 years at the University of Notre Dame (where stunts like bringing the ND marching band to class for an impromptu "pep rally" before a big test made him one of the most popular professors on campus). And Morris isn't dumbing down his message for the corporate culture. Rather, he's genuinely interested in fostering a workplace environment where one can seriously think about truth, beauty, goodness, and unity. "If we let the great philosophers guide our thinking," he says, "and if we then begin to become philosophers ourselves, we put ourselves in the very best position to move towards genuine excellence, true prosperity, and deeply satisfying success in our businesses, our families, and our lives. Why should we settle for anything less?" Why indeed?
Book Description
Since its hardcover publication in 1997, If Aristotle Ran General Motors has been one of the year's most talked about books, not only in the United States but around the world, where it has been translated into many languages. Author Tom Morris has emerged as one of America's most popular motivational speakers, bringing his inspirational message of ancient wisdom in modern business to thousands of employees at major companies like ATamp;T and Merrill Lynch. In 1998 Morris will give more than 100 keynote speeches at corporate seminars to further establish If Aristotle Ran General Motors as a must-read for anyone doing business today.
Customer Reviews:
If an irrational populist ran a non-profit agency.......2004-09-19
This book is neither about Aristotle nor General Motors. Do not be fooled into believing it is in any way an application of Aristotelian ethics in modern business; it is not. Morris consistently contradicts Aristotle throughout the book.
An example is Morris' proselytizing conclusion that leadership requires humility. To make his point Morris quotes ancient Hasidic verse and the Tao Te Ching to establish that we are all worms. Nobility, Morris suggests, is lowness.
Did Aristotle ever say this? No. Could Aristotelian writing lead us to these conclusions? No again. Is Taoism consistent with Aristotelian reason and logic? No, no, no. Is Hasidic verse? Definitely not. So what is going on? Did Morris forget to read Aristotle?
Aristotle understood Man as a rational being with happiness as the moral purpose of his life. Morris does not. This book does not.
Morris peppers his book with quotes at the furious rate of no less than one or two per page. He quotes every thing from fortune cookies to Einstein. Ironically with all this mad quoting he never once, ever, (I checked) quotes Aristotle - never.
This book could better be titled, "If an irrational populist ran a non-profit organization."
The prefaces of basic economic texts usually contain better discussions of the practical intersection of business and philosophy.
Brilliant.......2002-09-16
When you ask business people what they think about ethics and morality, they usually answer that these are important things in today's business environment. When you ask them what they REALLY think about ethics and morality, most of them don't want to answer you in any detail. A few will reply that morality is "idealistic" and that one must be "pragmatic" in everyday business practice. The belief that "morality is a topic to be debated after the bills are paid" seems to be the dominant belief in business (and other) circles.
This book, brilliant in every way, attempts, and succeeds, in arguing that wisdom and its concrete manifestation in ethics, should be the cornerstone of business life. The author is a philosopher, and not a business owner, but with his insight into the dynamics of the marketplace and its optimization, his ideas are clearly thinking "out of the box". One can only hope that business leaders (and others) will discover the ideas in this book or some other like it. With today's headlines in corporate fraud and other scandals (some justified and some not), business people need to start believing in the efficacy of ethics in optimizing their business ventures.
The preface to the book concerns "reinventing corporate spirit", the author drawing on the thoughts of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle to set up the foundation for his arguments in the book. He recognizes correctly that it is ideas that fundamentally move the world.
Throughout the book are many interesting insights into the psychology of business practices. When speaking of happiness for example, in relation to Aristotle's notion of eudaemonia, one of these is the recognition that money is frequently not the end goal for business people, the real goal being to achieve admiration in the eyes of others. The resulting ostentatious lifestyle is primarily done to impress, this being a transient and ultimately unsatisfying motivation in the eyes of the author.
The book is divided up into four parts: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and Unity. Each of these stand for respectively, the intellectual, aesthetic, moral, and spirtual necessities for achieving true happiness.
In "Truth" the discussion is interesting in that it emphasizes the importance of telling the truth not just from the standpoint of what it will do in relation to others, but what it will do for the individual involved. Telling a lie damages one's self confidence. Individuals who practice the telling of falsehoods are intimidated by truth and do not have any confidence in the efficacy of their own minds. In addition, the author discusses the importance of "open-book management": that the sharing of knowledge results in greater productivity among the employees. This is to be contrasted with the nervous attitude among some managers who feel threatened by information, again lacking self-confidence and are in a perpetual state of worry that the dissemination of knowledge among employees or co-workers will result in their comptetitive demise. These views on truth are most refreshing. "Lying is the most dangerously corrosive and subtly destabilizing activities to be found in human life" he says. He's right.
Quoting the Hindu proverb "The true nobility is in being superior to your precious self", the author encourages the view of competition as being one in which individuals surpass their former abilities, instead of worrying about their status in relation to others. He's right.
Even more important is that the author addresses the influence of philosophy in the development of ethical attitudes in business. Ethical relativism and nihilism have wreaked havoc in society as a whole, not just in business, and the author emphasizes the need for coming to grips with these beliefs, and replacing them with sound philosophical systems that are both rational and meshed with common sense. "Ideas rock the world" he states. He's right.
Most refreshingly, the author does not shy away from addressing the issue of self-interest. Confronting the "What's in it for me?" question that is asked by some, he clearly believes that self-interest is not something to be swept under the rug in discussions on ethics and morality in business. "The view that ethics requires total personal disinterestedness is a dangerous distortion of the truly moral point of view", he states. He's right.
Peer pressure and "going with the flow" are always issues that everyone has to deal with in the business environment. Not being labeled as a "team player" can be detrimental to one's growth in a particular organization. The author asks the reader to count the costs of conformity and not to "associate with evil men, lest you increase their number", quoting George Herbert. He's right.
But ethics is not merely a collection of arbitrary rules to follow, the author argues. The right course of action is built into the nature of reality and meshes with human nature and human needs. Since this is the case, the practice of true ethical norms is not only productive, but pleasureful to the individual, and instead of causing boredom as some might believe, alleviates it, argues the author. He's right.
Some might label, and the author does unashamedly, the framework outlined in the book as "spiritual". Goal-oriented, truth-valuing, truth-loving conduct results in a productive, life-loving spiritual individual, in complete antithesis to that of a sterile, non-creative, cynical one who views life as a burden with crosses to bear.
Some of course might view this book, and one on ethics in general, as being "idealistic" or "naive". Such individuals may not wish to even pick it up, let alone read it. But individuals who practice these ideas, or ones very similar, haved moved the world, and will continue to do so.
Genuinely non-Aristotelian look at Business Leadership..........2002-07-20
Despite a provocative and promising title, Tom Morris delivers neither a new nor a true approach to the art of business leadership. While the book is occasionally clever and sometimes humorous, the vast majority of this book is mostly just a hodgepodge of relativism only somewhat related to the art of management and leadership. In short, the content of the book leads the reader miles away from what might result from the title scenario.
Morris falls short perhaps because he is simply a mediocre scholar of Aristotle, perhaps because he was a professor of philosophy at a Catholic university, or perhaps because he is simply just a below-average writer. Regardless, the author comes up lacking in both the style and substance of a book premise that could be truly great in more capable hands.
As to style, the book is replete with anecdotes that sometimes illustrate points quite well and sometimes are clearly inserted only because the author had them at his disposal. Likewise, the book is peppered with quotations that interrupt the flow of the narrative and only rarely have anything more than a tangential relevance to the text surrounding it. One such quote, from the author himself, neatly summarizes my view of this production: "Obscurity is not a mark of profundity, however many confused writers have hoped to bully us into believing otherwise." How true, how true indeed: I wonder how many of his students felt the same way after one of his philosophy lectures.
As to substance, the book is almost a complete loss. I say almost because, to be fair, Morris does come close to painting an Aristotelian view of life when he delves into the meaning of life. The author frames up his answer beautifully but then promptly undermines it in his attempts at clarification. To be more specific, Morris claims that the meaning of life is to be found in "creative love" (or, more accurately, in the love of creativity). While this sounds at first blush to be both logical and promising, not unlike the true motive power behind human innovation, Morris explains his surmise so ineptly that it becomes readily apparent to the reader that any proximity to the truth was merely an accident. Far from leading the reader closer to any meaningful answers, Morris abandons the audience as if in mid-thought, convincing them that his conclusions were as much the product of coincidence as of rational thought.
This is just one example of the sort of philosophical inconsistency that exists throughout this book. In nearly every chapter, Morris makes sweeping, unsubstantiated statements and then proceeds as if these statements were self-evident truths. This might be passable if the author were able to consistently proceed from these sweeping statements in a logical progression. However, the reader frequently gets no more than one or two steps away from an assertion masquerading as immutable law when the author creates transparent straw man arguments to bolster his tenuous premises. Even if the reader can forgive (and accept as true) the first premise of the author's progression, the subsequent steps are so disorienting and fallacious that it is hard to move past them.
Perhaps the most obvious example of this is how Morris routinely equates rational self-interest with intellectual myopia. For instance, in painting the entire philosophical landscape, he cites only three schools of thought: Nihilism, Relativism, and Absolutism. While he aptly defines the concepts of Nihilism and he readily betrays himself as a Relativist, he casts Absolutism as the province solely of religious zealots.
Morris's emphatic use of the relativist's scale on which to measure thought is perhaps the fundamental flaw of his book. It is a small wonder that he finds no thematic consistency when he shows us a different yardstick for the measurement of each new topic. This changing standard sometimes becomes outright silly. For instance, on nearly a half dozen occasions, Morris attempts to weave coherent messages by juxtaposing concepts from the writings of Aristotle next to those of prominent theologians. The result of this sort of conceptual looseness is that better than half of the supposed insights delivered by the book turn out to be little more than fortune cookie proclamations-statements devoid of both context and independently verifiable meaning.
All of this should be hardly surprising from someone who openly claims that any "unifying principle of philosophy is a dream." The question that remains for the reader, however, is: Why choose Aristotle if you believe philosophical unification is unachievable? Why co-opt the one Philosopher who may have come closest to philosophical unity than any other? Why not be honest with your readers? Why not entitle the book: If Dale Carnegie Ran General Motors? Even Plato or Immanuel Kant or William James would have been better choices, but that discussion is for another time.
Like so many academic philosophers and modern business writers, Morris selects philosophical concepts based on their emotional appeal rather than with regard to any underlying consistency. This book, like virtually every business book on the market (with a few highly worthwhile exceptions) simply promotes the art we witness in greeting cards and long-distance phone commercials on television. From it, we get nothing more than the regurgitation of unthinking, it-takes-a-village drivel that characterizes so much of todays supposed non-fiction writing. Morris' entire effort seems to be very much like a Hollywood production-aiming to tug at heartstrings with nothing more substantive as a goal. In the end, that is all this book is equipped to do: provide us with a feeling...sadly, that feeling is simple, straightforward disappointment.
makes philosophy come alive.......2001-10-28
I had never been a philosophy
buff, but reading this book has changed my mind . . . I now
see that the subject can be fun (if you can believe that), as
well as interesting to study . . . Morris takes ancient truths
and effectively relates them to the business world, as well
as to life overall . . . i'm now looking forward to getting his
first effort, TRUE SUCCESS: A NEW PHILOSOPHY
OF EXCELLENCE, which somebody else has
recommended to me.
I know i'm really "into" a book if I find myself taking all
sorts of notes on it, not only for my own use--but to share
others . . . the biggest problem I now
face is to edit these down to just a few passages, but let
me try:
If Aristotle ran General Motors, everyone employed there would
think of it as one large partnership, encompassing myriads
of smaller partnerships for the purpose of living well. If he
ran the corner grocery store, he would instill in everyone there
the same mindset. And if he offered you advice, I think that this
would be at its core: Always think of yourself as entering with
other people into partnerships for living well. This highly general
truth about the deep beauty of business can provide us with an
important perspective on many specific decisions we face. We
should always be asking ourselves whether what we contemplate
doing will enhance or diminish this crucial function of the
business within our own domain of influence. Are we building
partnerships for living well?
I saw the professor later that day and asked him about it. He
answered with a big smile, "At Hampden-Sydnery, we have a rule
that every student must greet everyone they pass on campus."
I said, Why do you have a rule like that?" And he explained, "At
Hampden-Syndey, we believe that etiquette is where ethics
meet everyday life. . . . If we don't help our students get
it right in the little things, they'll never be in a position to get
it right in the big things. We teach them to be courteous,
hoping that this will help them to be moral."
In an office building full of hundreds of Ph.D.s, whenever anyone
faces a personal challenge, has trouble at home, is bothered by
any sort of worry or fear, or just needs a spark or renewed energy,
they easily discovered that the wisest course of action is to seek
out the one man in the building who didn't graduate from high
school, Brother Jeff. He whistles while he works, he sings,
he greets everyone with a big smile and a kind word: "How
are you today, my friend?" An otherwise dour face may
brighten and respond, "Fine, Jeff and how are you?" The
inevitable answer: "Everything's pretty!" A conversation
then may or may not ensure, on almost any topic imaginable.
But if it does, it always ends with a hearty send-off: "You
have yourself a great day, my friend!"
I find myself enjoying this over and over.......2001-05-08
I purchased the audio version of this book to listen to during my commute, and a year after the original purchase I realized that I've played this tape more than any other.
Why?
Aristotle's ideas can be like knives cutting through cluttered thinking, but his presentation can be a bit long and dry. Morris does a nice job of presenting Aristotle's virtues of Truth, Goodness, Unity, and Beauty as they can be applied to business while putting a fun and popular face on them.
You can find good arguments in many books for being honest in business as well as doing good and creating a sense of unity. Beauty was a surprise, but Morris argues well for it. I felt that the combination of ancient wisdom with modern examples made Morris' message meaningful and more inspirational than many other business books.
I've gotten a lot of mileage out of these ideas, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to find Aristotle's virtues in the workplace.
Book Description
Preserved by Arabic mathematicians and canonized by Christian scholars, Aristotle’s works have shaped Western thought, science, and religion for nearly two thousand years. Richard McKeon’s
The Basic Works of Aristotle–constituted out of the definitive Oxford translation and in print as a Random House hardcover for sixty years–has long been considered the best available one-volume Aristotle. Appearing in paperback at long last, this edition includes selections from the Organon, On the Heavens, The Short Physical Treatises, Rhetoric, among others, and On the Soul, On Generation and Corruption, Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, and Poetics in their entirety.
Customer Reviews:
"Basic" and enough for a solid reference and good overview.......2007-07-30
This is a concise singular source on Aristotle and with enough in it to understand a great deal about him. Since so much of what he had to say has been taken apart by later philosophers it is helpful to have the real "basics" for a reference.
It's approach is especially useful in comparing him to Plato. Plato's world was one of changeless things assigned for lofty contemplation and for Aristotle, as we are told in the introduction, it was a world for empirical investigation. In this volume these works are found nearly complete: The Physics, On Generation and Corruption, On the soul, the Metaphysics, the Nicomachean ethics, the Politics, and the Poetics. The contents list a Preface, Introduction and Bibliograhpy as well as chapters on, Organon, Physica, DeCaelo, De Generatione Et Corruptione, De Anima, Parva Naturalia, Historia Animalium, De Partibus, De Generatione, Metaphysica, Ethica Nicomachea, Politica, Rhetorica, and De Poetica.
I recommend the Hardcover over the paperback. I also recommend this over the multiple volume approaches to his life and thoughts. Even if you don't find the introduction to be complete it is still very useful, as an overview of all that this author felt was needed for a "Basic Works".
Not for a permanent place on your shelf.......2007-05-12
I won't be the first reviewer to point out that this book is shoddy in binding; my son's school copy fell apart after less than two weeks of teenage reading. Surely, if one is still to take Aristotle seriously, one will need a longer acquaintanceship. If one is only "cruising" through Aristotle, then this flimsy volume includes far too much.
Nevertheless, what a thrill to review the nearly complete works of Aristotle in one quick paragraph! No one could deny his central role in the intellectual history of the world, but one shouldn't forget that his influence was as much pernicious as valuable. If, as might well have happened, his works had perished and Anaximander's survived into the Middle Ages, would we not have dodged a lot of dogmatic bullets?
Good collection of Aristotle.......2006-11-18
After Plato, Aristotle is by far the greatest Athenian Greek Philosopher. A polymathic genius whose interests ranged from poetry to theology to astronomy, physics and biology, Aristotle systematized Western thought and laid down many of the basic rules for argument and rationality which still stick with us today.
This collection includes Aristotle's major works including logic, metaphysics, scientific works, and works on ethics.
Aristotle Rules !.......2006-02-24
I don't understand much of what i read, particularly because he was Greek, but also because they talked different back then with regards to what words mean. However, I can see he knew how to think, especially with regards to thinking things through. Thoroughly enjoyed it. ...
You may have more luck with the Greatest writier of Western Literature, Herr Shakespeare. WIth the recent discovery of further Court records it is now clear there was more than met the eye going on in Elizabethan England, and Shakespeare seams to have torn the cover off the ball!
So, dip into this volume as you want, but then run, don't walk to my review of REVIEW OF SHADOWPLAY by Clare Asquith. You may find it highly stimulating and even p r o f i t a b l e ... It becomes obvious Shakespeare's been underrated as a Historian!
TRUST ME ... you won't regret it.
Problems with this edition.......2005-10-14
I love Aristotle and this is a good collection, but my book fell apart! I had a course that used just this book, and despite the fact that we all took good care of our copies, nearly all of our books tore in half or lost pages. Some actually had to make a new book out of it!
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