Customer Reviews (1)

An Excellent Snapshot of Polish-American History.
If you've traced your Polish ancestors back to turn-of-the-century Chicago, You will find a lot of valuable insights on their experience by reading this book. The life of any new immigrant was never very easy in this country and Pacyga leads you through all of the hardships that these determined people faced. Unfortunately, Pacyga's focus shifts away from the immigrant towards the end of the book and he includes an in-depth history of Chicago's labor unions. Although the unions certainly affected the Polish immigrant's life, I thought that too much of the divergent chapters were off-subject. But, don't let that discourage you from reading it. There is real American history being told here. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americas (North Central South West Indies)   2. Chicago   3. Ethnic Studies - General   4. History   5. History - General History   6. History: World   7. Illinois   8. Polish Americans   9. United States - 19th Century   10. United States - State & Local - Midwest   11. Working class   12. Social Science / Ethnic Studies   

Subjects:  1. Calculus   2. Calculus of variations   3. Differential equations, Partia   4. Differential equations, Partial   5. Exterior forms   6. Manifolds (Mathematics)   7. Mathematics   8. Numerical solutions   9. Science/Mathematics   10. Mathematics / Calculus   

Customer Reviews (2)

For gnostics only...
I have not finished to read this book but so far I love it. The best part is the chapter with the recorded word of Jesus, which I find enlightning. It also makes me sad to realize that humankind has not evolved since then.

One last thing, if you are a religious ( ) (I believe 1000% in the bible...) do not buy with this book, you wiil not understand it.

The complete unearthing story!
". It contains a very complete story of the finding of GThomas and follows the ms to initial publication. There are photographs and a couple of maps in this first section. The text is done very much in the same style as Borgs recent "The Lost Gospel Q" and it features a few notes by J. D. Crossan. Also by Crossan, a five page commentary at the end called "Paradise Regained", where his emphasis is on the protology of and asceticism in GThomas. This is packaged for the general public but is worth the price for the 8 photographs, 2 small maps, and the complete "unearthing" story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Archaeology   2. Bible - Biography - New Testament   3. Cairo   4. Christianity - History - General   5. Christianity - Theology - General   6. Christology   7. Egypt   8. II, 2   9. Manuscripts, Coptic   10. Nag Hammadi codices   11. Religion   12. Religion - Church History   

Customer Reviews (1)

Brilliant
Brilliant book by the current authorities on social identity and social cognition. Don't miss it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Group identity   2. Psychology   3. Social Psychology   4. Social groups   5. Social perception   6. Sociology - General   

Subjects:  1. Genres & Styles - Classical   2. Genres & Styles - Jazz   3. Music   4. Musical Instruments - Piano   5. Songbooks - General   

Subjects:  1. Cognitive Psychology   2. General   3. Health & Fitness   4. Health/Fitness   5. Personal Growth - Memory Improvement   6. Psychology   

Subjects:  1. Aesthetics   2. General   3. History & Surveys - Modern   4. Philosophy   5. Theory of art   

Customer Reviews (7)

Qualified Praise
As a beginner to Visual Studio.NET, I have read and re-read sections of this book for several months now. 95% of the time I love the book and the other 5% I am frustrated and searching MSDN for clues on why something won't work. Chapter 2 is a good introduction to ADO. Not only are great practical examples given, but the authors explain the pros and cons of the alternatives for implementing something (e.g., datareader vs dataset).
Chapter 6 was my first serious contact with ASP.NET. I got off to a very slow and frustrating start when the connection string to the database would not work for my system and no guidance was given on how to customize it. When I did get the connection up and the the project running, I found that the supplied database had date values that had all expired months before I bought the book. A simple note to go into the database to update the values would have saved me hours of troubleshooting. However, now that I have worked through every page of Chapter 6, I can honestly say that I have built a non-trivial Website using both XML and SQL Server data sources, postbacks, and user controls.

The chapter on deployment was also very useful.

Different Code Versions for Book and CD
If you write the code as written in the book, you'll end up with a program full of errors. The book is simply full of erroneous codes that you will tear your hair out trying to figure out where you made the mistakes. On the other hand, the code from the cd will run right out of the box and the projects are pretty decent. But this cannot overshadow sloppy editing and a poor excuse for the authors not trying the book themselves.

Typical floating abstractions...
I don't how these people can give this book a good review, but...
I just got done throwing this book against the wall. The first chapter is enough to drive you nuts. Are you supposed to be typing the code in that he shows? if you do, you'll find that there are variables that aren't declared (until later). I kept leafing through the pages looking for a phrase like "OK - Enter the following code..." Nope. I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to be building these projects or just reading about theirs. The part on using the forms from the CD to make inherited forms didn't work like the book showed. all in all, I would NOT buy this one, if given the chance again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Basic (Programming Language)   2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming   3. Computer Books And Software   4. Computers   5. Hardware - Personal Computers - General   6. Internet - General   7. Microcomputer Application Software   8. Programming Languages - Visual BASIC   9. Basic, Visual Basic & QBasic   10. Computers / Programming Languages / Visual BASIC   

Subjects:  1. Discrimination & Racism   2. Ethnic Studies - General   3. General   4. Minority Studies - Race Relations   5. Social Science   6. Sociology   

Subjects:  1. Education   2. Education / Teaching   3. Higher   

Customer Reviews (4)

A Good Book to Understand Financial Crises
Contrary to conventional belief, the authors propose that roots of a financial crisis lie in microeconomic rather than macroeconomic factors. Their evidence is convincing.

This is a good book for anyone who wants to know why the past financial crises happened and how to cope with them from both the public and the private perspectives. The authors also present the "ten warning signs of a financial crisis" based on macroeconomic data that can be used as a guideline to predict a crisis in certain economy. But the problem is they cannot predict when it will happen.

The authors' objective to "offer some unique perspectives, case examples, and practical solutions, and an actionable, strategic blueprint that our clients can tailor to meet their specific needs" is well presented.

A must read for crisis management
If you have no other book on financial crisis management, you must have this one.

The authors succinctly and clearly explain why economies in crisis do not behave the way economies normally do. They then identify key weaknesses in the financial sectors of crisis economies, and explain why they occur.

The book then goes on to provide a thorough and clear exposition on how crisis economies can be turned around, and what needs to be done, both politically and financially.

At this point the book turns to consider bank restructuring (a very specialised subject) and recovery of NPL portfolios in crisis economies. It concludes with recommendations for strengthening the international financial system to limit early economic collapse and prevent international financial contagion.

I really like this book, both as a guide for students, and a "how to" for CEO's and the financial sector. It is brilliantly clear and practical.

If you want to protect yourself and your organisation from financial crisis, or understand what happens when the economy you're operating in suffers collapse, get this book.

A unique and intriguing book
If you are interested in financial crises in emerging markets, or have to manage a company during one, you will learn from this book.

Two features make the book unique in the financial-crisis literature. First is real-world experience. While the authors are up on their economic theory, the book's real contribution is the fruit of years of practice. From poring over the innards of banks' loan books to working out a national re-structuring plan, these guys have actually done it, and done it in multiple nations. Until now, the theoretical works of academia and the IMF/World Bank have had the field pretty much to themselves. This book is a refreshing break, and a vital complement.

Second is that the book speaks not just to policymakers, but to the private sector. There's plenty of advice out there for central bankers and finance ministers for crisis-management; there hasn't been anything for corporate executives and bankers. This book fills that void. If I were a CEO managing during a crisis, I'd want this book on my nighttable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General   2. Business & Economics   3. Business / Economics / Finance   4. Business/Economics   5. Crisis management   6. Economics - Microeconomics   7. Executive Management   8. Finance   9. Financial crises   10. Monetary Fluctuations   11. Business & Economics / Finance   12. Management & management techniques   

Subjects:  1. Children's Baby - Picturebooks   2. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas   3. Juvenile Fiction   

Customer Reviews (11)

strange book
Its a weird one, this book. Some sayings of Jesus, strained and purified by the Crossan mind, written down, one to a page, and interspersed with ancient artwork. Historical notes to the texts and an introductory essay complete the work. I suspect readers divide, oh so predictably and depressingly to this non-American, along partisan lines: the liberals love it and the conservatives hate it. Well, excuse me but hold on a minute!! Must we be so partisan? Haven't we got a minute or two for reflection and humility here? Of course Crossan's thesis as a historical thesis is subject to challenge - Crossan thinks this is true as much as anyone else (indeed, he challenges us to do better than him, historically speaking, in his previous volume "The Historical Jesus" which is presumed reading for this book). But this book is rather different to a simple historical thesis - it invites reflection on (the? some?) sayings of Jesus. Now who, being interested in Jesus, can have a problem with that (bar those who can't see past their partisanship)?

PoSTmodERnFoOL

Excellent light reading
This book is simply an extremely basic view of Crossans much larger book "The Historical Jesus". For those out there who don't have the time, patience, or just plain level of understanding to read four hundred and fifty pages of scholarly language can find this an excellent introduction to the works of Crossan. It is also very useful for the Christian without a lot of time or attention span. I gave this to a Christian friend of mine who is severely dislexic and cannot read the bible easily. Crossan breaks everything into well spaced easily readable texts. This book is great for people who have difficulty reading for any reason and does not require a great attention span. The book can be set down and picked back up at the drop of a hat and the reader will miss nothing. I found this especially useful reading for when I was travelling as I would often break from it to look out the window or talk to the driver. Of course, it lacks the depth of Crossan's "Historical Jesus" upon which this book is mostly based; but not everyone wants that much depth.

What is essential?
It is hard to be objective about a text such as this, being a Christian myself. In trying to be objective, I keep finding things that are not here that I would consider essential.

John Dominic Crossan, a former Roman Catholic priest turned academic 'faithful sceptic', has been a member of the Jesus Seminar since its beginning. He has written extensively on the life of Jesus, public perceptions of Jesus past and present, and now this slim volume that is a part of the Essentials series (see my other reviews; titles such as the Essential Kabbalah).

As a guide for meditation and contemplation, this volume works very well. It introduces the reader to many of the statements by and about Jesus, as newly translated by Crossan. The reader must be careful here, however, to be open to the new translations with a critical and discerning eye. Crossan gives and example of how he translates:

'I seek to be at the same time minimal and poetic. For example, the twenty-one words of Luke 9:58 and Matthew 8:20 are verbatim the same in Greek. They are translated in the older and newer Revised Standard Versions with twenty-one words as, respectively:

Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

My own translation [operating within principles he explains, largely those of minimal and poetic] is this (with fourteen words):

Every fox has a den
Every bird has a nest

Only humans are homeless.'

This is a fascinating view and reframing of a traditional text, but is it in fact true to the meaning of the Gospel? Each reader must decide that individually.

The concerns about translation and limitation aside, this is a wonderful collection with which to meditate and get a sense of the spirit of Christianity. Crossan has a brief essay of historical introduction and translation principles, but, by and large, lets the texts speak for themselves, accompanied by artwork taken from the first few centuries of Christianity (stone, painting, etc.).

For instance, no. 33:

'The Kingdom of God is like this:
A fisherman drew his full net from the sea
Among the many small fish was a single large one
He grabbed hold of it and threw back all the rest
(But how is the Kingdom of God like that?)'

This piece faces a picture of a communal meal, a typical eating scene taken from the catacombs, a festive meal with joyful people.

Crossan often asks inviting the reader (as the final question in the example above indicates) to really reflect on what has been said, rather than leaving it there as valid and true, but unexamined.

Crossan also provides notes on the texts and the artwork to satisfy the academically inclined. I find that some days I want to use these, and other days just want the texts themselves to speak to me.

This is a very down-to-earth book. It does not get into high Christological issues, but rather looks back to an early church view when Jesus was remembered more as a revolutionary healer and leader (a view that many modern scholars attempt to support today). It is a challenge to look past Crossan's bias, however, as I want so much for the Jesus I've come to know to be the one upon which I meditate. And perhaps that also reveals the true value of the book--to help break down preconceptions so as to experience the spirit anew.

A good use for any book, of any spirituality. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - CriticismInterpretation - New Testament   2. General   3. Religion   4. Religion - Commentaries / Reference   

Subjects:  1. Debates and debating   2. Education   3. Interpersonal Communication   4. Logic   5. Reasoning   6. Interpersonal relations   7. Business Communication   

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction to narrative theology
The Dark Interval: Towards a Theology of Story is one of the best introductions to narrative theology in print. Yes, this is the same Crossan associated with the search for the historical Jesus - but avoiding that strain of contemporary theology is no excuse to miss this gem.

Crossan is widely educated and very comfortably draws from a number of literary, philosophical and theological sources. His argument on the relationship between limit, game, and narrative is especially thought provoking. His analysis of parables as cross-expectations is one of the more interesting and thought-provoking studies of parables.

The net result of his line of thought is that the reader gains a pratical rather than strictly theorectical understanding of narrative theology ... and comes to see it as a natural tool of interpretation of life - one's own or Christ's/ ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity   2. Literature   3. Literature - Classics / Criticism   4. Literature: Classics   5. Philosophy   6. Religion And Art   7. Religion and literature   8. Religious aspects   9. Semiotics & Theory   10. Storytelling   11. Theory Of Literature   

Customer Reviews (1)

Their feet are on the ground
There are several reasons why this book is worth reading. First, when the authors speak about bread, you can see the dough on their hands--they have breadth, so to speak, of experience. They speak with authority.
Second, they explain some complex Buddhist doctrines in such a way that teenager would be able to understand them, while at the same time, a PhD would be able to appreciate them.
Third, they vivify their ideas with an abundance of living examples. Any seasoned public speaker will testify to the effectiveness of examples: people remember the examples long after the principles have been forgotten. These examples help us to see what is going on in our own lives. They show us our lives through the lives of others.
Last, they write in a style which is pleasurable to read, literate without being in any way stuffy. It's the style of grounded intelligence.
I am confident that other readers will find additional reasons for appreciating this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Buddhism - General   2. Buddhism - Rituals & Practice   3. Business / Economics / Finance   4. Personal Finance - Money Management   5. Religion   6. Religion / Buddhism   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Capitalism   5. Congresses   6. Europe - Great Britain - General   7. Industrial Economics (General)   8. Industrial management   9. Industries   10. Industries - General   11. International - Economics   12. Public Policy - Economic Policy   13. Social aspects   

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent source for therapy options
This book was immensely helpful in my practice. Dealing with affective disorders can be trying, but this book lays out different methods for those with bipolar disorder to cope effectively. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clinical Psychology   2. Cognitive therapy   3. Manic-depressive illness   4. Mood Disorders   5. Psychology   6. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior   7. Treatment   8. Cognition & cognitive psychology   9. Psychiatry   10. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology   11. Psychotherapy   

Customer Reviews (1)

The Grand Tour
Outstanding in its ability to capture the range of Mexican architecture and design from the historic haciendas to the stunning modernist houses of Mexico City.
The best part, however, are the amazing sensual houses of Careyes and Cuixmala, you can practically feel the sea breezes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture   2. Architecture, Domestic   3. Criticism   4. History - Specific Styles   5. Interior decoration   6. International Architecture - General   7. Mexico   8. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings   9. Architecture / Decoration & Ornament   

Subjects:  1. Cognitive Psychology   2. General   3. Health & Fitness   4. Health/Fitness   5. Personal Growth - Memory Improvement   6. Psychology