Product Description
The assumption that Christianity in India is nothing more than a European, western, or colonial imposition is open to challenge. Those who now think and write about India are often not aware that Christianity is a non-western religion, that in India this has always been so, and that there are now more Christians in Africa and Asia than in the West. Recognizing that more understanding of the separate histories and cultures of the many Christian communities in India will be needed before a truly comprehensive history of Christianity in India can be written, this volume addresses particular aspects of cultural contact, with special reference to caste, conversion, and colonialism. Subjects addressed range from Sanskrit grammar to populist Pentecostalism, Urdu polemics and Tamil poetry. ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Robert Asprin, writing with Eric Del Carlo and Teresa Patterson, delves into the dark secrets of the New Orleans French Quarter in this suspenseful tale of ghosts and haunted dreams, voodoo and mysticism and swords, murder and revenge, justice and unexpected courage.

Fans of Robert Asprin's Dragons Luck and Dragons Wild, the adventures of gambler/dragon Griffen McCandles, will recognize Bone, Maestro, and other denizens of NO Quarter's haunted French Quarter from their minor roles in that series of novels. Those fans who knew Bob well will recognize his fictionalized self portrait in the character of the mysterious, pool-playing swordsmaster, Maestro.

Once upon a time, before Katrina ...
Sunshine came to New Orleans to escape her past and to catch up with her elusive dreams, but she got lost in the old city's seductive Southern nights. The tempting dark side of the French Quarter catered to her weaknesses, offering her just exactly what she desired-cheap drugs, the wrong kind of men, and the thrill of living on the edge. Alienated from her friends and in need of help, she called out to one of them ... but her message didn't get through in time. When she tries to go it alone, she walks down the wrong street into the wrong patch of darkness and meets the brutal, bloody end to her dreams at the point of a knife. In another city, her death might be written off as a mugging, just another statistic on the police blotter. Not so for the NOPD, to whom the safe reputation of the French Quarter is a priority, even if the victim is a waitress and not a treasured, pampered tourist. Not so for the French Quarter locals, because no matter how far she'd fallen, Sunshine was one of their own. And no mere mugger in New Orleans or any other city would have left a victim's body framed by the crude remnants of a botched voodoo ritual, a display designed to insult the true practitioners of that esoteric religion. To Maestro, Sunshine's death represents not only a tragedy but an obligation, because he's the one who missed responding to her call for help. A master of both the pool cue and the rapier, a man of regular habits and close secrets, he prefers keeping to the shadows-but to avenge Sunshine and to satisfy his tarnished honor, he'll risk opening his own less-than-savory past to question. To Bone, a waiter, and his girlfriend Alex, Sunshine was family, and the pain of her savage murder is made even more crushing by their recent estrangement from her. Because of his past connection to Sunshine, and because of a bitter, public argument with her, Bone becomes a suspect in her murder. When Sunshine's ghost begins to haunt his dreams, he comes to the realization that just clearing his name won't be enough for him. Even justice won't be enough. His heart cries out for vengeance, and Alex refuses to be left out of his quest. But what can three ordinary people do that the police can't? As fate draws Maestro, Bone, and Alex together in the hunt for the murderer, they find unlikely allies among the street people, bartenders, performers, and other denizens of the French Quarter. Their hunt leads them through the darkest corners of the Quarter, into the dangerous depths that lie beneath the benign "party-town" surface of the old city-and into shattering revelations about themselves. Death and destruction lie in the turning of the Tarot cards, and blood will lead to blood before honor and desire are satisfied. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

No Quarter Review
I have never read a Robert Asprin work before but I do frequent the French Quarter a couple of times a year, which was my main reason for picking the book up. I was drawn immediately into the story and was unable to let go until the blood was being cleaned up. The characters were so real I could swear I have seen them and quite possibly have. I know when I'm there in June I will make it a point to locate the side streets and establishments that played major roles in making this voo doo inspired, murder mystery a great read. One scene in particular, when the action took on an escape route, the trek was so vivid I have marked it in the book and plan on following the same path while reading it again. Nothing like actually being there even if it is after the fact and, of course, fictional. I understand Mr. Asprin is no longer with us and for that, I am truly sorry. When I was done reading I still wanted more. The only thing missing was my favorite off Bourbon Street haunt, the Jimani Lounge on Chartres Street. I have already recommended this book to my fellow New Orleans frequenters and would highly recommend it to anyone else whether familiar with the Quarter or not.

No quarter
I bought this for my husband who has enjoyed Robert Asprin for 20 years.He said this one is totally different, and he struggled just to get through it.

Murder in the Quarter
Interesting story well grounded in the French Quarter.I could almost taste the beignots.

A side rarely seen
Everyone has heard that crime is high in New Orleans (as in most large cities), but this story paints a view of the French Quarter which the tourists often don't see - the interconnectedness of the place and how the locals always look out for other locals.Interestingly, this book was written before the murder of a bartender in January, 2009 that rocked the city.As in NO Quarter, the locals banded together.The suspected perpetrators of that murder were turned in to police - by their mothers!NO Quarter catches the multi-layered feelings that exist in the French Quarter and the deep friendships that develop there.Robert Asprin had lived in the Quarter for many years when the book was written, so while it's not the humor that his readers had come to expect, it's a bird's eye view of the French Quarter that is hard to see from the outside.

'No Quarter' -- A Review of Robert Asprin's Last Book
It was with mixed feelings that I picked up 'No Quarter', the last book completed by Robert Asprin before his untimely death last May, at age 61. I have been a fan of Asprin's work since 1977, when I discovered 'The Cold Cash War'. He quickly became one of the few authors for whom I would search for something new every time I went into a bookstore. So, reading 'No Quarter' would be more than simply reading a new book by a favored author; it would also be my "good-bye" to him. The question, at that point, was would this be his valedictory, like Spencer Tracy in 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?', or his ultimate embarrassment, like Peter Sellers in 'The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu'. Let me say right here that this is a book which he can be proud of.

As with most of Asprin's work over the last decade or so, 'No Quarter' was a collaborative writing effort. Eric Del Carlo and Teresa Patterson were his "partners in crime", as it were. I feel that is an appropriate way to describe their partnership because, unlike anything else written by Aspirin (that I know of), 'No Quarter' has no fantasy or science fiction elements in it. Set in New Orleans's famous French Quarter (Asprin's home for many, many years), it is a straight murder mystery (as a friend of mine put it "a hard-boiled mystery served over Easy"). Now, more books than I would care to count are set in New Orleans, both fiction and non-fiction, including "insider" books written, like this one, by residents of the French Quarter. With this specific work, however, I think that Asprin gave us a literary first. As with his creation of 'Thieves' World', the first "shared universe" specifically created for multiple authors to write within, Asprin has, for the first time (to my knowledge) set a book with no science fiction or fantasy elements in a world that he had first created for the setting of a fantasy series.

With his two books in his 'Dragon's series' (his last two books written before 'No Quarter' AND, interestingly enough, his first two books written in a LONG time without any co-authors), Asprin created the French Quarter settings which he then also used as the setting for 'No Quarter'. Minor characters from the background of the 'Dragon's series' also appear in 'No Quarter', including that of Maestro (a character Asprin based on himself) moving from a walk-on role in the Dragon's books to a lead role in `No Quarter'. While we can't really know what Asprin had planned, if he had any ideas of intertwining the two, I do believe that this is the first time a non-genre (science fiction / fantasy / horror) book has shared a universe with a genre universe.

As for the book itself, I found it to be a very satisfying read. It uses first-person narrative structure, except that the narrative switches back and forth between two of the three main characters in succeeding chapters. The characters are very well developed and the mystery is compelling. The insider's view of The Quarter, of the places that only those who live there know, gives us a setting that is both familiar and unknown. The mystery itself gives you everything you need to know to work out whodunit, while, at the same time, keeping you from recognizing many of the clues so that the ending is surprising enough to reward the reader. I think that 'No Quarter' would be a worthy Edgar Award nominee.

Now, there are things that could have been done in 'No Quarter' which, in my opinion, would have made it even better than it is. For one thing, a map of Asprin's French Quarter would have been helpful for visual learners like me. I had difficulty following where locations were in relation other locations. I hope that the publishers will do a hardback commemorative edition (especially if it is nominated for or wins any significant awards) and include a map in it. As hardbacks are my preferred binding, I would definitely buy another copy of this for my collection. For another thing, the third main character in the book, Alex, was female character with an interesting background and perspective, but we never get to hear any of the story in her voice, as we do with the two male leads (Maestro and Bone). Finally, the books gives enough detail and interesting characters that it could easily have been an on-going series. It read to me as if it was the first of several books. While I hope that Del Carlo and Patterson will continue to work together to better explore this fascinating little corner of the world for us, Asprin's voice would not, of course, be part of it, although I think that his spirit would be.

Now, to end with positives, let me say a few things which might be of interest to bibliophiles, like me. This book is the first publication for a new publishing house, Dark Star Books. I have read many books, from publishers large and small, new and old, with which the aesthetic of the books themselves were an annoying distraction... bad bindings, pages which fall out, type too small (or large), etc. This book has none of those drawbacks. Published as a trade size soft cover, the binding is excellent, the spine didn't break as I read it, and the type used was a very good size and style for an older reader, such as me, who has trouble with small print now-a-days. The cover itself is glossy and feels good in the hand, and the original illustration, by Nathan Smith, wraps around to encompass front, side and back to give you a work of art that might be suitable for framing and hanging on the wall. As a trade size book, the pages are large enough to make the book easy to read without either trying to cram too much on each page to simply save a few pennies for the publisher or too few to make the book seem like it is larger than it really is.

All in all, I am very happy with this book and am looking forward to reading more from Dark Star. ... Read more

Product Description
In this remarkable and beautiful anthology featuring the likes of MauriceSendak, Robert Sabuda, Rosemary Wells, and Eric Carle, twenty-three ofthe most honored and beloved artists in children’s literature talk informallyto children—sharing secrets about their art and how they began theiradventures into illustration. Fold-out pages featuring photographs of theirearly work, their studios and materials, as well as sketches and finished artcreate an exuberant feast for the eye that will attract bothchildren and adults.

Self-portraits of each illustrator crown thisimportant anthology that celebrates the artistsand the art of the picture book. An event bookfor the ages.

Proceeds from the book will benefit the Eric Carle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Artist to Artist
Artist to Artist is way more wonderful than expected. If you are interested in exceptional children's book art, this is for you.

Artist to Artist
I find the book very entertaining and informative at the same time.I actually get to know many of my favorite authors and their illustrations and their stories behind their creativity.An eye-opening piece, really.

Love this book!
I have to confess I bought this book for my 4 yr. old daughter and ended up keeping it for myself! It's still in the family so I think it's okay--besides I think she's a bit young for it! I bought it because I thought it would be inspirational for my young daughter and as I started reading through it I found it inspiring myself. I love the way the artist's talk about their experiences with art.I also enjoyed looking at the art they created when they were young. Many of the artists also give bits of inspiring words for the young artists to think about. I think this book would be a wonderful gift for a young inspiring artist or anyone who enjoys art!

More stars, please!
Sometimes a really creative artist has vision beyond himself and philantropic urges to propel him. "Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art" is just one product of the merger of these three qualities in Eric Carle, children's book writer and illustrator.

But wait, there's more. He and his wife developed and built a museum called the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Boston. Here the art of the picture book from around the world is celebrated. From the website comes this statement about fulfillment of the mission--"...by collecting, presenting and celebrating the art of the picture book from around the world and by providing interactive experiences and programs that are engaging and educational." One area Carle most values in the museum is the art studio where visitors (activity geared toward children) can actually create a "masterpiece." If you adore picture book illustrations (as I do), then visit the website for its treasures.

A second enterprise that sprang from the concept of "Artist to Artist" is the degree program with Simmons College, also in Boston. A student could earn a master's degree in Children's Literature or a joint art/literature/writing degree. For teachers and other professionals, an every-other-summer program focuses on picture book art. Visit the website for more information.

The proceeds from this book go directly to the museum. Even if there were not a museum, this book alone is a treasure in itself! Because Carle's desire--with talent behind it--to create art began in childhood, he conceived the idea of an anthology of picture book art dedicated to children who also discover the talent and desire to create art. He cites his mentors and tells children that they can think of this book as their mentors.

The 23 artists whose work comprises the pages of this book are certainly inspiring and exemplary. The layout for the pages of the first artist of the 23 is like the layout of the last one and all the ones in-between: A one-page letter to the reader/child--including a childhood picture of the artist, two pages of art, including a photograph of the artist's studio, and a self-portrait.

The first artist included in the book is Mitsumasa Anno (with whom I just recently became familiar) and the last is the collaborative team of Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart --the others in between are arranged alphabetically. I don't know why Sabuda and Reinhart are the last ones unless it is because they are pop-up artists. Perhaps they are placed last because their art is so different. I'm just guessing.

Here are statements from some of the 23 artists about their childhood dreams:

Mitsumasa Anno: "I believe that the culture that is part of your being from childhood is of great importance."

Eric Carle: "But I also try to keep an open mind, to listen to my intuition and allow for the unexpected, the coincidental, even the quirky to enter into my work."

Tomie dePaola: "I am just as happy as a lark that I am an Artist....But it is hard work....You have to practice, practice, practice--and don't copy."

Steven Kellogg: "One of the most fascinating things to me about drawing was the fact that I could create stories with my pictures."

Maurice Sendak: "As an aspring young artist, you should strive for originality of vision. No story is worth the writing, no picture worth the making, if it is not a work of the imagination."

Rosemary Wells: "Few people in this world can truly say they love their jobs and the meaning of their work. If you stay true to yourself and practice, practice, practice, you will have a life where you love what you do."

Oh so inspiring, so full of worthy quotes and childhoods rife with possibilities--the artists in this book, their lives and their work, make "Artist to Artist" a must-have book for teachers and parents, especially if you have an aspiring artist in your child--and definitely one or two for the school library!

Excellent resource for picture book artists
Artist to Artist is a book conceived by Eric Carle and written by twenty three major children's book illustrators to children interested in picture book art,Each artist has written a personal letter describing their feelings about art and literature with bits of their biographies and samples of their artwork at different ages and stages in their lives.The book provides encouragement for young artists and enlightenment for anyone interested in the art of creating picture books for children.The book provides personal stories and proves, in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, "an artist is not a special kind of person, but every person is a special kind of artist." ... Read more

Product Description
A man without a past is washed into the nets of a fishing boat with no idea of who he is or how he got there. All he has is a passport in the name of Jason Bourne. Over the course of three books, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, he gradually comes to realise who and what he really is - a strange amalgam of a man named David Webb, and a deadly killer: Jason Bourne. Now David Webb is living a peaceful life as a university professor in the backwoods of America with his wife and children. But someone is reaching out to take him out of the game forever. A deadly assassin is on his trail and his former handler has been brutally murdered already. It seems that David Webb must once again turn to Bourne to save his life and family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (136)

The Bourne Legacy
Hey - I thought this book was fantastic.I have read this book in 2 days times as it was that good to put down.I am now waiting for the last book "The Bourne Reality" to come out.

A great read ...
I'm not a literary critic so I'm not going to deeply analyze the plot or compare Lustbader to Ludlum.However, having read ALL of the Bourne series from the original 3 written by Ludlum to the additional 5 I think it is now by Lustbader it is all good fun.If you like the Bourne character, the genre, and the general storyline then you will like all of them.I read for entertainment and for something to help me escape reality when I am frequently stuck in "cattle class" on a US air carrier, on a plane that is loaded to the gills, surrounded by screaming kids, and a beer will cost me $6.Cracking good read all, great for escaping air travel hell or enjoying a day at the beach.

The adventure Continues
Van Lustbader continues where Ludum left Jason.The first book in the
series by Van Lustbader is focused on David Web and his struggle to
separate his idenity from that of Jason Bourne.Of course Jason's idenity
keeps getting in the way.So it's Jason that caries the story.In the next
book in the series continues with Web's struggle, but Jason is still there.
You must read the entire series to see who wins out.

A note: If you read these out of sequence you will be confused.

Honest offer
Bought a used book from Amazon.Good condition as described and printed on fine paper not the pulp paper used for cheap books.Very happy to receive a good deal, thanks Ama!

The Bourne Anamoly
There is definitely a distinct and obvious difference between Ludlums bourne and Lustbaders bourne. I was a bit annoyed that Lustbader left out some key elements of Jason Bourne in the book, such as his age growing and his reflexes deteriorating as well as Bourne's inner emotional struggle between his dual personality's(which someone else noted, the DCI from ULTIMATUM somehow disappeared, not a single mention of Marie, his Brother in law, barely a mention of The Jackal who played such an important role in The trilogy,or any of Bournes other old friends and allies.
Anyways if I was not mistaken I would say that Lustbader either ignored alot of relevant info on Ludlunms Bourne or decided to take Bourne in another direction.
That being said, the Bourne Legacy is a great action thriller but if you are looking to see what happens to Bourne after the Ultimatum then look elsewhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good sci-fi ideas
I also read this book out of sequence. Although I became aware that there were past events that I didn't know about, I didn't find it any problem. I think the book stands alone nicely.This is not a fast moving action sci-fi with monsters, gore, and shoot outs in space. There are a lot of interesting ideas here. What would it be like to explore another Earth-like planet?The authors have given this a lotof thought. I found the characters interesting and liked that the lead character was female.The ideas about exploration, and the origins of humans in the galaxy make this an interesting book. Events move along quickly and yes, sometimes skip years to get to good parts.I would like to read the other books in the Island World series.

A nice if somewhat rushed short novel
I happened to pick up this book by chance. Also it is only part of the Island Worlds series by the authors (the others being Act of God, Between the Stars, & I beleive one titled simply Island Worlds though they allappear out of print so it is hard to tell for sure until I find more of thetitles), so my opinion of the book is going to note the fact of this bookon it's own & not as part of the group. It starts as a rather normalsort of hard SF plot, with the basicis being the exploration of a planet inof all places the Delta Pavonis solar system. It quickly jumps ahead &tosses in characters from previous books without introducing them very well(short one paragrpah discriptions generalizing why the are important), thatedge the plot toward a sort of race to decipher some alien artifacts thatare found. I like the plot though at times it seems to skip ahead by monthsor even a couple of years without much of an interlude. My only realcomplaint abotu teh book is the fact that it seems as if it would workbetter compiled with teh other books of the serious with the way pastcharacters are handled & the fact that they jump ahead in time withoutmuch notice or recap of what happened until they seem to remember theyskipped telling us this part of the story. I still recomend it, but if youcan do yourself a favor & get the whole series at once or in order. ... Read more

Product Description
Eric Fischl emerged in the 1980s as one of America’s most important figurative painters. His paintings compel the viewer to participate in a world of middle-class suburban ambiguity and drama. Engaging and distinctly American, Fischl’s canvases present a world in which narration, sexuality, and psychology are preeminent.

This volume is the most comprehensive and current examination of this important 20th century painter. More than 200 works – selected in conjunction with the artist – present the full scope of Fischl’s career and span three decades: the 1970s, with Fischl’s seminal formative works; the 1980s, and his burst onto the art world; and the 1990s, with the artist’s mature works, often of a personal and contemplative nature. In his most recent works, Fischl has turned to portraits of his most intimate circle of friends, including Steve Martin, Mike Nichols, and April Gornik, the painter’s wife; these engrossing images have been accomplished with a mastery that has been compared to that of Caravaggio.

The introduction, by philosopher and critic Arthur Danto, places Fischl in the context of his contemporaries. Commentary drawn from interviews with Fischl – conducted by noted writer Robert Enright – accompany the paintings. Finally, a witty and personal afterword by Steve Martin – best known as a gifted comic and autor, but also as an astute collector of modern art – discusses Barbecue, a famed Fischl painting from his private collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book on Fischl, but.........
This is what a book on an artist should be, lots of nice big images, early to current work(presented chronologically) and not too much BS, except for an essay written by Steve Martin(yes the comedian).

.........But the more I look at the book, the more I think Fischl has quality control issues.The more I look at it, the more bad paintings I notice.Don't get me wrong, this is a great book and Fischl has done some great paintings, but the more you look at this book, the more you notice how bad he can be at times-quality control.Some of the paintings should have never left the studio except in a dumpster but when your getting as much money as he gets for work....................I imagine its hard not to think everything you make is great, when you get the "status" he has as an artist.

but this isn't an art critique, this is a great book on a well know contemporary artist.If you like Fischl, this is the book to get and it may give you more insight then you want, if you have any asthetic sensibilities.

knowyourproduct
Integrading wireless data technology with assorted meats and cheeses. ... Read more

Product Description

Turn to the classic primer of Molecular Neuroscience for a complete understanding of nervous system function and its relationship to human neurologic disorders

4 STAR DOODY'S REVIEW!
"This is an outstanding new introductory textbook on neuropharmacology and its implications for cognitive neuroscience. Anyone who wants to keep abreast of this rapidly emerging science needs to learn the fundamentals which this book would help facilitate. I highly recommend it."--Doody's Review Service

Molecular Neuropharmacology offers a clear, thorough explanation of the molecular functioning of the nervous system in normal and disease states. More than three hundred concept-clarifying full-color illustrations along with didactic text boxes provide an in-depth understanding of nerve cell receptors, their effectors and second messenger targets, and the molecular genetics that are often impacted by these systems. You will also learn how malfunction of these molecular systems relates to human disease and the corresponding medical treatment.

Customer Reviews (3)

A Truly Thorough Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience
Brief Review
This review functions to evaluate the book "Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience" in the context of providing a meticulous background of the pathophysiology of neurological disorders. The book thoroughly completes this task by first reviewing neuropharmacological fundamentals of a functioning nervous system, in terms of both biochemical and organism-level homeostasis. The book then proceeds to review the major mechanisms that explain how a nervous system augments its behavior from a biochemical level, by reviewing the effects of drug action. This second segment reviews the natural neurotransmitters which elicit a response, including amino acids, monoamines, neurohormones, and atypical neurotransmitters in a natural setting within the body.
The final segment of the book, its main point, is the neuropharmacology of many neural disorders or behaviors. This section uses the main neuropathological concepts presented in the first two parts of the book to explain how slight irregularities in the biochemistry of neuron interactions can lead to a wide array of clinical manifestations. This section of the book is dense, thorough, and well written. This textbook is a great reference for any student wishing to bridge the biology of neurological disorders with the clinical symptomatic outcomes in order to truly understand the pathology of neurological disease.

Structure, Style and Figures in the Book
The text is broken into three main segments, as previously mentioned, with chapters in each. Each chapter begins with a list of key concepts which state the main facts and points to be discussed. The chapter then thoroughly explains the mechanisms of each point. Reading the key points ahead of time allows one to know the ultimate effects of drugs and neurologically active substances before reading about the minute details which lead to an effect. Knowing the effect ahead of time boosts understanding.
Within each chapter lie text, tables, diagrams, and figures that help to explain the intricacies of many chemical environments and signaling mechanisms. Hardly a page goes by without a half-page figure reiterating a difficult pathway in a pictorial representation. A great plus are the plethora of citations involved in many of the figures and tables, which thoroughly combine data into a modern view of the neurological school of thought. The true power of this book lies in its descriptive figures; the text seems to place them into human and physiological context. For many visual learners, this aspect of the book is particularly appealing.
Many of the figures exhibit parallel structure, in which recurring ion channels are similarly shaped and proteins have an analogous representation. Biochemical synthetic pathways are listed with an almost identical shape and form, and are usually accompanied with a figure box. These explain some clinical outcome, such as postpartum mood disorders, with reference to an inability to move from one step in the biochemical pathway to another. It's useful to directly correlate a specific point in an organic chemistry reaction with an actual neurological disorder.
The end of each chapter lists a section for suggested readings. Unlike many books, the references are stratified by subject which allows one to easily sort through references if it's necessary.

Opinion of Part 1: Fundamentals of Neuropharmacology
This first section of the book reviews the basic elements which are common to the neurological system; enzyme and drug efficacy, cellular bases of communication, synaptic transmission, and signal transduction in the brain and central nervous system. Although this section is somewhat of a review for students with an elementary understanding of neurobiology and biochemistry, it provides a useful introduction into the way in which many neurological drugs are classified as agonists, antagonists, or partial/inverse antagonists/agonists. Additionally, methodologies are explained which are utilized when creating new drugs and analyzing their effects. The chapters become increasing complicated and soon switch from generalized cell diagrams to neurons and effects of specific substances, such as lithium or acetylcholine. Part 1 ends with a review of signal transduction in the brain and, for the first time, discusses higher-level symptoms from biochemical phenomena.

Opinion of Part 2: Neural Substances of Drug Action
Part 2 of the text utilizes the basic principles in part 1 in order to thoroughly review the specific molecules used in synapes between neurons, and the general strategies used in neuropharmacology which augment the neuroendocrine system. Each neurotrasmitter, or neurologically active molecule, is analyzed in genetic and proteomic contexts, with specific focuses on transmembrane receptors and, ultimately, a molecule's excitatory or inhibitory effects. This part of the book densely covers amino acids, monoamines, neuropeptides, and atypical neurotransmitters in order to explain their normal function on a cellular level. Detailed diagrams with specific and complicated receptor families are the main focus of this segment of the text, and it serves are a more complicated primer for the third and main focus of the book.

Opinion of Part 3: Neuropharmacology of Neural Systems and Disorders
Parts 1 and 2 of the text describe how a functioning nervous system works and the specific molecules and biochemical phenomena to keep the nervous system in homeostasis. The final part of the book, the main point of the text, systematically lists clinical disorders and explains their pathophysiology with reference to some sort of disorder in a system which previously functioned in parts 1 and 2 of the text. This section of the book is why people should buy this text.
The first two chapters in this part (Chapters 9-10) review the effects of the neurotransmitters listed in part 2 with reference to the major antonomic processes in the body and lists a series of neuroendocrine systems and axes which act in concert to maintain the internal milieu. From here, the final 9 chapters of the book explain the biochemical bases and pathology of pain, inflammation, sleep, arousal, behavior, mood, emotion, addiction, schizophrenia, neurodeneneration, seizures, strike and migraine. Each topic is described in terms of biochemistry and symptoms, but not as a reference to perform diagnosis.
The sections concerning schizophrenia and other psychoses are especially interesting because they reiterate the profound and real impact that a relatively minor DNA augmentation can have on the consciousness and vitality of a human being. The inability to regulate dopamine or the release of a serotonin can dramatically affect the life of a patient. As in other chapters, descriptions of the drugs used to treat the disease, along with other useful considerations during treatment, are discussed.

Summary of Opinions
In summary, I highly recommend this book. It does a perfect job of synthesizing biochemistry with clinical outcomes. It is also helpful to note that this book isn't a clinical neurology book; few protocols to test for the disease are mentioned. Instead, the book is a pharmacology reference, which starts with changes in cellular phenomena and extrapolates to organism-level diseases. This book truly is a wonderful reference and guide for understanding the pathophysiology of neurological disease from a biochemical point of view.

Recommendation to future readers
To anybody purchasing this book, I would advise to approach each chapter in a similar fashion. First, read the key points in the beginning of the text. Next, scan through the chapter and review each of the figures as an introduction to how the facts in the "key points" sections actually occur. Usually, this is thorough enough of a reference for somebody wishing to obtain a general view of the pathological mechanisms. However, if a more detailed understanding is required, reading the text provides in-depth description and insight that the figures alone cannot address. The key points, figures, and text can be used alone or in concert depending on the level of understanding which one hopes to obtain.

aoutsanding neurobiological description of main psychiatric diseases
This book has everything I am looking for to have a good perspective of the neurobiology of the main psychiatric disorders, like depression, addiction, psychosis and anxiety. It is easy to understand difficult concept from the neurocircuitry of depression to the neuronal plasticity. It saved me so much time by giving me in a concise manner, the understanding of how research is done in the neurobiology of psychiatric disease. For a clinician like me who likes to give lectures on neurobiology of depression to student or to coleagues from other specialities, it is the perfect tool.

Getting better, one of the best for psychiatry use
I found the first edition of this book a bit heavy on scientific details and a bit light on clinical perspective.The current edition seems much more integrative of cognitive neuroscience, making it much more clinically relevant.It's not perfect (would be nice to have more consistency in discussions of functional neuroanatomy and more anatomical drawings - there are some, just not a lot), but these are critiques I could make of all similar books.I think this is one of the best textbooks I've found for introduing psychiatry trainees to principles of clinical neuroscience. ... Read more

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With the aid of a perfect peach, a silver fife, and his own resources, Petit Jean outwits a dishonest king and wins the hand of a princess. ... Read more

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The word Amazement means a great deal more after reading E. Robert Morse’s ambitious philosophical exploration of that name. With Amazement as the focus, Morse takes his audience on a journey into a timeless volume which is also offered at a most timely age in the course of humankind. By balancing an investigation of modern social structures such as the contemporary family and popular culture with age-old philosophical mysteries such as free will and the meaning of life, the author is able to accomplish what has been rarely attempted in history. Morse uses three divisions, The State of Ideals, The Roots of Modernity and The Path Towards Amazement, to analyze humanity’s challenges, their source and, with a ground breaking series of proofs, the nature and attainability of the solution—what he entitles Amazement. Generally a philosophical text, the work also offers fresh portions of the social sciences and history sure to illustrate the writer’s love for many facets of life, but what will be most clear to his audience after completing Amazement is that Morse has an limitless devotion to humanity, America and God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An attempt to awaken our sleeping society.
In this book, Morse focuses on many of the problems that society is facing today and attempts to find a solution to reestablish values and increase spiritual meaning in modern life.While this is certinly laudable, it is an enormous undertaking, and his book has many shortcomings.

Morse begins the book by trying to pinpoint the problems of modern society and reduce these "symptoms" to one basic problem, "the neglect of fundamental, life-affirming practices".The author claims that the behavior which lies at the base of the problem is "missing the point," which means that society has been trying to treat the "symptoms" of the basic problem rather than reaching a deeper understanding of the root of all our problems.

The "amazement" is the term Morse uses for the soul, or society's collective soul.He claims that modern society is approching a hedonistic society and that modern music, video games, movies, and disintegration of family values is part of the cause.Society should instead be concerned with "self-actualization" and a move toward increasing our awareness of the collective soul and strenghtening moral ideals.

Morse also tries to prove the existence of the amazement, to describe what the amazement may be like physically, and explain how it may interact with the physical parts of the body and the mental parts of the brain.This is one of the weaker parts of the book.None of his ideas are very grounded in scientific fact and his theories are poorly pieced together.This causes his book to lose a lot of credibility.

The book is poorly written and has many gramatical errors and misused words making it hard to concentrate on the content.Morse uses a very casual writing style that makes you feel like you are listening to a conversation or sitting in on a debate class.This style detracts from the deep subject the author is dealing with and lessens the effect on the reader.His arguments are weak and he does not always use strong logical reasoning to prove his points.Morse uses examples from, history, economics, philosophy, and science to back up his theories, but it seems like he does not have a strong background in any of these fields.

Overall, I think the book was writen with the good intent of trying to reawaken lost values in society, but falls short of Morse's desired impact.

A Young, Conservative Idealist's Take. . .
. . .on an Aging, Liberal Realist's Society

This was one of the early titles for this book, revealed in the preface.It is a good summation. The writer's style is often conversational, a possible turn-off to many who would normally desire a more scholastic approach to such weighty issues.However, I found it refreshing.One cannot talk about the decline of our culture without bringing up some of the most extreme examples of its lunacy (one of Morse's favorites is the pre-teen donning a glitter-embroidered "porn star" T-shirt), and a long, academic approach to such societal missteps would be laborious.It is what it is- absurd.

There is a noticeable synthesis of Plato in Morse's analysis of popular notions of good and bad in our society."The Amazement" has much in common with Plato's description of "The Good".However, Morse's Amazement is much more dynamic, going beyond a simple source of ethics.The Amazement is a supreme metaphysical understanding that is accessible to the mind of every human being, albeit with much difficulty.It's remarkable to me how frequently one can find references to this part of the mind in different books.The fact that it's called by so many different names (mysterium tremendum, Godhead, supraconsciousness) may prevent a widespread acceptance of it, but turn over a rock and it's there, waiting to be re-discovered and wanting to provide unity to all of humanity

A study of the cycles of civilizations usually hints at the waxing and waning of the use of this part of the mind within the general populous.What is so insightful about this book is its analysis of exactly how a society cuts off contact with this part of the mind on a large scale without even knowing it.According to Morse, unity in our society that stemmed from our idealism was dissolved by the Baby-boomers. They surveyed the idealism of their parents in the midst of the societal ills of the 60s & 70s and rejected it as a form of hypocrisy.Idealism became realism, and society lost its hope.For the sake of tolerance and diversity, the Baby Boomers sacrificed unity.At this point, the only thing that remained to drive society was hedonism and escapist fantasies.

To Morse, the best way to take the pulse of society's rising and falling disillusionment or idealism is through popular culture. He gives several examples of recent movies and music that hint at an idealistic renaissance.To his, I would add the enormous popularity of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.His thesis is that the Millennial Generation, given nowhere else to go by their disillusioned parents, are moving towards idealism.I can share in Morse's optimism for this generation up to a point.However, I worry that the insidious "dumbing-down" of kids in our public school system generally prevents any idealist daydreaming. On this argument, I defer to John Taylor Gatto and Allan Bloom.

Even if every other premise of Morse's book was found to be incorrect, there is one certain truth contained in the title- our society is asleep.Science seeks to convince us that mankind is on a course to perfection.It is a convincing illusion when we consider the remarkable achievements of this scientific age. Yet, is science really providing humanity with happier, more fulfilling lives?The overwhelming evidence (Prozac, etc) says "no".We climb into our posh SUVs, sip our lattes, tune into public radio in an attempt to be "well-informed" and suppose that we are the quintessential modern, thinking man.We are ignorant. Unfortunately, just because one sucks at the teat of NPR and The New York Times does not mean one is wise. The pseudo-intellectuals of our society convince us that they have it all figured out- our society is the most enlightened of all antiquity, and we can dispense with the foolish idealism of the past; realism reigns. Yet, we have so much left to discover about ourselves and humanity as a whole.One hardly knows where to start!Start with this book.

Renaissance Man?
Abrilliant attempt at tackling the world's problems by someone who seems to be modern society's only Renaissance Man. Who is this man and what else has he written? We need more thinkers like this in the world. Keep it up, E. Robert! ... Read more

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This collection of letters exchanged between Robert B. Heilman and Eric Voegelin records a friendship that lasted more than forty years. These scholars, both giants in their own fields, shared news of family and events, academic gossip, personal and professional vicissitudes, academic successes, and, most important, ideas. What began as simple exchanges after Voegelin moved to LSU soon grew into full-fledged correspondence-beginning with an eight-page letter by Voegelin commenting on Heilman's manuscript on Shakespeare's King Lear. These letters represent Voegelin's most prolonged correspondence with a native-born American scholar and provide readers with an insight into Voegelin as a literary critic. Readers will also appreciate not only Heilman's elegant style but also his efforts to clarify for himself the meaning and implications of Voegelin's developing philosophy. ... Read more

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This is a one-stop resource offering complete textbook for courses in seventeenth-century literature - progressing from introductory topics through to overviews of current research. ??i??The Seventeenth-Century Literature Handbook??i?? is an accessible, authoritative and comprehensive introduction to English literature in the seventeenth century. It provides a one-stop resource for literature students, with the essential information and guidance needed at the beginning of a course through to the development of more advanced knowledge and skills. It includes: introductions to authors, texts and contexts; guides to key critics, concepts and topics; an overview of major critical approaches, changes in the canon and directions of current and future research; case studies in reading literary and critical texts- an annotated bibliography (including websites), timeline, glossary of critical terms. Written in clear language by leading academics, it is an indispensable starting point for students beginning their study of seventeenth-century literature. ??i??Literature and Culture Handbooks??i?? are an innovative series of guides to major periods, topics and authors in British and American literature and culture.Designed to provide a comprehensive, one-stop resource for literature students, each handbook provides the essential information and guidance needed from the beginning of a course through to developing more advanced knowledge and skills. ... Read more

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Robert Fripp has been an influential presence in contemporary music since he founded King Crimson in 1969. Renowned among fellow musicians for his electric and acoustic guitar technique, Fripp is also a producer, teacher, composer and writer. He has worked with Brian Eno, David Bowie and Talking Heads and has produced albums for Peter Gabriel and Darryl Hall. Eric Tamm is the author of "Brian Eno: The Vertical Colour of Sound". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A glimpse of a guitar genius
Eric Tamm's book started out as a master's dissertation and became an enjoyable, although at times heavy, insight into rock music's quirky guitar genius Robert Fripp.Much background and insight is given to King Crimson, all the way up to and including the album Three of a Perfect Pair (the book was released in 1991 and so doesn't cover anything subsequent, nor does it go into great detail on the touring life within the band).Tamm then takes the reader into a week in GuitarCraft, Robert Fripp's week long guitar seminar.Much is also discussed on Fripp's philosophical views and a number of pages are devoted to Fripp's study of the teachings of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, from which I was able to cull enough information to develop a sense of curiousity about this 'prophet'.

At any rate, the book is out of print, and hard to find (even harder to pay for, or so it would seem).For those who'd like a chance to read this book, may I suggest going to Eric Tamm's personal web site, where you can download the text of the book for free.

This book is a fascinating read, and the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it does get pretty heavy at times, but for the reader who perseveres comes the reward of some greater insight into a complex musical genius.

An excellent book that's gone out of print
Eric Tamm originally envisioned this book as a master's thesis and, in the process of researching the book by enrolling in a Guitar Craft session, was encouraged instead to write a thesis on Brian Eno instead.He later returned to the subject of Fripp to write this book.What is offered is a more technical approach to Fripp's life than most biographies.As a fan, it was most satisfying.

I searched for my copy of this book for about 2 years, finally finding a copy in Salisbury, England while travelling.When I expressed my surprise to the clerk on finding the book, he replied that they felt obligated to carry it since he shopped at the store.I hope that's at least slightly amusing.

If you want to read more about the author and check out some related links, I recommend visiting [...]

MORE WAYS THAN ONE
A case could easily be made againstthe widespread cultural abuse of music. From muzak in its many and more "progressive" forms to advertising jingles to radio and clubs, music has been enslaved to commerce, to celebrity and to perpetuating fairly vacuous states of mind among listeners. (Someone still has to prove that a majority of people actually listen to music instead of simply "hear" it). It's also become clear that, even considering the popular music press, we approach our understanding of music in a purely colloquial way. Reviewers resolutely do not take on music as music, they simply describe it through metaphor and excessive use of the word "like". Listeners seem to accept this. Through the wordless collusion of the industry, the publications and even the artists themselves, current popular musical culture is essentially illiterate, bigoted and unable to imagine any other future for itself.

Eric Tamm's book on the work of Robert Fripp is precisely the sort of cure music needs. The book actually manages to combine a musician whose work and music strives to change both the business and the audience with a writer whose own musical credentials are up to the task specifically because the author's perspective on the work and on the man is one that remains open, receptive and critical. This is not a book about being a fan. This is not a book for fans. This is a book about how music can shape and guide us to a more profound view of the lives we live by giving the practice of music the importance and attention it actually deserves.

Mr. Tamm is eloquent on both the music and the meanings which Fripp seems to intend. The author never lapses into a false certaintyabout what he hears and what he understands, giving the book the right sense of investigation and learning. He manages to tell us things that matter about the music in musical terms. Fripp's propensity for odd meters are made intelligible. Some fundamentals on scales are also very helpful. The writing does not descend into a parochial tone accessible only to those who have studied music theory. The facts of the music are made quite clear and are readily graspable by anyone interested in getting at the content of what he or she happens to be listening to. Besides, it's never a bad idea to read a little over your head.

But beyond the recorded catalog of Fripp's work, Mr. Tamm is eloquent in his presentation of time spent in Fripp's Guitar Craft classes. These pages provide a glimpse of how music might function among artists and audience, free of the preoccupations of the industry. And, as we can at least assume Fripp inteads, Guitar Craft goes further, to connect principals of music with principals of life. Reading it lets us ask a question about what the practice of music can really be about, and how the pursuit of music can ultimately affect our lives and our thinking about the world. If you care about music it's worth the effort to find this book.

Well Worth Seeking Out
I pretty much agree with the other two reviews that are here: it's a good book with lots of detail about each KC album as well as Fripp's solo material.The chapters devoted to the author's Guitar Craft experiences are particularly interesting.There *is* a lot of musical "pedagogy", but you have to remember that book was originally begun as a dissertation.(Tamm ended up dropping the project at the time and instead wrote his dissertation on Brian Eno, published as "Brian Eno: His Music and the Vertical Color of Sound".That book is also good, but is REALLY HEAVY on the pedagogy!)

Anyway, the Fripp book, while out of print, is well worth seeking out.If you can't find it, though, don't despair:Tamm has made the full text available on his .......

The Science of understanding Robert Fripp
Overall I felt the book was fair in most conclusions regarding Fripp'scareer choices, musical directions, and mastery of his instrument.Thereseemed to be a few conflicts regarding his position as a fan or an authorof a subject.The most disappointing slections were those that includedthe authors lack of appreciation for Adrian Belew's contributions toFripp's more recent work andBelew's amazing diverse talents.Belew ismore responsible for resurrecting Crimson and their fresh sound than anyoneelse.All serious Fripp fans should read this book.Next subject Mr. Tammtry an objective biography of Adrian Belew! ... Read more

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A Hachette Kindle book. ... Read more

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Eric Sams' study of Schumann's 246 songs (Faber 1961, revised 1993) - a companion volume to his The Songs of Hugo Wolf, also available in Faber Finds - remains a classic text. By providing a translation, commentary and notes for each of the songs, tracing original sources and relating recurring themes vividly to Schumann's life, Sams provides a unique documentary of Schumann's song-writing art.The book includes a foreword (to the First Edition) by the legendary accompanist, Gerald Moore,who writes:'So felicitous is the writing that one is hardly conscious of the erudition and profound thought that have gone into the making of it . . . Eric Sams has produced a work that will be read and read again as long as Robert Schumann's songs are loved.' ... Read more

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This comprehensive, fully revised and expanded 2nd Edition of Clinical Botanical Medicine provides clinicians with updated practical information on a broad range of diseases and conditions for which botanical medicine is effective. Special attention is given to toxicity and drug-herb interactions to ensure that the clinician is fully informed about the safety and efficacy of each botanical. Clinical Botanical Medicine, 2nd Edition discusses the interactions between the human body, pharmaceutical drugs, and plants and explores the multifaceted nature of botanical medicine. The book is comprised of revised and updated articles published over the years in Alternative and Complementary Therapies which illustrate the depth and complexity of botanical medicine s role in healing, and demonstrate how our western science-based understanding of herbs can benefit from acknowledging an approach that treats herbs as a whole, living part of healing. ... Read more

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'Building upon four decades of his own scholarly work in the field of history, Frykenberg presents a notable achievement for clarifying the rich overlap between facts and theory, evidence and belief, history and religion, East and West. He deserves to be commended.'--Lamin Sanneh, Yale Divinity School ... Read more

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Eric Robert Morse, author of the philosophical and political works 'Amazement' and 'Justice and Equality', turns his focus to something that has baffled man since the beginning of time: love. Inspiring thinkers, poets, and mystics alike, love can well be considered the dearest subject of all literature. In this long essay, Morse adds to the host with an elegant proof of what is perhaps the most logical and practical conception since Plato's, finding truths about love where least expected. ... Read more

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A beautiful explanation of the complexities of Love
In this essay, Morse delves into the complex nature of Love, explaining why it can be the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of our lives, as well as why our search for Love often fails. The author's examples clearly illustrate several kinds of Love and provide a means for finding that which we're all searching for: true Love. The result is a finely crafted piece that presents the essence of Love in a logical, accessible manner, perfectly capturing a beautiful concept and the ideas that support it. Whether you're in a relationship or not, this essay will provide you with a deeper understanding of Love, how to attain it, and how to make it last. ... Read more