Product Description
In his groundbreaking work, Paul Heelas traces the growth and development of the New Age Movement, identifies some of its key characteristics, and provides a critical perspective. This unique and extensively documented volume provides a balanced treatment of New Age "celebration of the self", and situates it within the broader cultural context for the first time.It shows how the New Age is ambivalently related to modernity, offering both a radical spiritual alternative to the mainstream and a celebration of some of the characteristic features of modern life. Heelas thus views the New Age both as an alternative counter-cultural movement and as a spirituality of our times. The volume, with its clarity of form and its critique of conventional opinion, serves as an excellent starting point and mature contribution to the study of contemporary spirituality. This will be a core text for courses on the Sociology of Religion, and should be of enormous interest to all those concerned with the study of culture and the utopian anthropologists of modernity, historians of oppositional movements, theology students, clergy, and New Age activists alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Still the Best Scholarly Book on the Matter

It is surprising that after after so many years since its publication, this excellent book hasn't had a review at Amazon yet. Paul Heelas is a top scholar on the subject New Age, and has been studying the phenomenon - objectively and rigorously - for over 20 years. In a field dominated by biased anti-New Age and pro-New Age authors, Heelas' summary account on the origins and nature of the movement is certainly a much needed necessity for those who are looking for an impartial introduction to the matter.

Yet, much has happened with the New Age since this book's publication in 1996. The New Age has been transformed, either co-opted into media and business devices, neutralized into "feel good" commodities available at holistic shops and resorts, or, still, it has become part of a new environmental religion, often associated with new artistic and ecological experiments.

For updated accounts on the New Age, Heelas' new book "Spiritualities of Life" should not be missed. Other references include Graham St John's "Rave Culture and Religion" showing how music and spirituality come together in youth subcultures of self-transformation. Another interesting read is Anthony D'Andrea's "Global Nomads", an anthropological study on the globalization of New Age lifestyles, expanding from marginal expatriates subcultures into the mainstream of media and tourism.
... Read more

Product Description
The Coming of the New Deal, 1933-1935, volume two of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and biographer Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr."s Age of Roosevelt series, describes Franklin Delano Roosevelt"s first tumultuous years in the White House. Coming into office at the bottom of the Great Depression, FDR told the American people that they have nothing to fear but fear itself. The conventional wisdom having failed, he tried unorthodox remedies to avert economic collapse. His first hundred days restored national morale, and his New Dealers filled Washington with new approaches to recovery and reform. Combining idealistic ends with realistic means, Roosevelt proposed to humanize, redeem, and rescue capitalism. The Coming of the New Deal, written with Schlesinger"s customary verve, is a gripping account of critical years in the history of the republic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Reads, in part, like current events
Everything old is new again.The book reads like current events.It is also handy to combat the FDR/New Deal rebutals being circulated by faux news and the like.

Required Reading For Any Student of the New Deal
"The Coming of the New Deal" is the second in Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.'s trilogy, "The Age of Roosevelt".Covering the period of 1933-1934, it is a worthy successor to its predecessor, "The Crisis of the Old Order" (see my Amazon review).

This volume is organized by the various challenges faced.Separate chapters are allotted to agriculture, industrial planning, public works, the labor movement and the coalescence of opposition to FDR.The book ends with an assessment or Roosevelt's leadership style.

I read this in preparation for a continuing ed class on the New Deal and found it to be very helpful.

The New Deal was immediately faced with impending crises, including the imminent collapse of the banking system and a real risk of social revolution.The controversial remedies chosen to combat these are covered in some detail.This book provides the reader with an understanding of many of the New Deal projects, including the NRA, the PWA, CCC and the agricultural plans, which included the destruction of piglets and the plowing up of crops in times of famine.His initiatives on soil conservation and conservation mirrored those of his role model, Theodore Roosevelt.

The opponents of FDR, Al Smith, Huey Long and Fr. Coughlin are presented in their goals, tactics and the effect they had on the New Deal and the country.

FDR's political efforts in the 1934 election are examined and assessed.For all his success in building a Democratic majority, he was less successful in building a liberal majority.I was surprised to find that FDR had one of the highest veto totals up to his time.

The personnel with whom he dealt with including the cabinet, Vice-President John Nance Garner and Joseph Kennedy provide interesting insights into other prominent characters of his era.

Analyses of FDR and his practices by Schlesinger and others, including Oliver Wendell Holmes give the reader a depth of perspective in judging the most loved and hated of American leaders.

"The Coming of The New Deal" provides the reader with an in depth study of a crucial two years in American history. It is clearly written by a liberal and, to some extent, the bias shows.Despite that, this book is not an unmitigated paean of Roosevelt and does, I believe, convey a reliable record of the times.It is must reading for any student of the New Deal Era.

Franklin Roosevelt:A Great Man
Arthur M. Schlesinger wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning series on "The Age of Roosevelt" almost a half-century ago.This volume is the middle volume of that trilogy, covering the period 1933-1935.

In assessing Roosevelt's role only a generation removed from the activity itself, Schlesinger chose to utilize Plutarch's approach of evaluating the man and his character to see how history developed.

Schlesinger takes into account much more than just Franklin Roosevelt; he looks at the supporting cast of the FDR administration as well.By evaluting primarily Roosevelt, his cabinet, and his advisors, Schlesinger has given us a fabulous biographical view into the decision making of the first few years of the New Deal era.

Schlesinger has opted to take a primarily topic based approach rather than a chronological approach to addressing the major issues faced by the administration during these years.The primary areas he looks at are agriculture, industry, economics, social relief, labor, conservatism, and the start of the "imperial" Presidency.By evaluating each of these topics using a person-based approach, the reader is able to garner an understanding of why the Roosevelt administration was so successful in its efforts to combat the fear prevalent in America at this time.When FDR told America in his first inagural address that "...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." he truly meant that he wanted to make his administration an effort to conquer the concerns ravaging Americans.

By evaluating individuals rather than just events, Schlesinger has presented the reader with a biographical sense of why each initiative was undertaken, and that FDR was not afraid of "failure" - if an effort did not pan out, he simply discarded it and tried something different to solve the problem.

This book certainly is not about the long-term effects of the New Deal, nor does it give us tremendous background on all of the individual efforts of the Roosevelt administration to beat the Depression, but it isn't really meant to.The book accomplishes everything the author has set forth to achieve, and is a spectacular read. ... Read more

Product Description
Noted astrologer and spiritual teacher Barbara Hand Clow channels the voice of Satya, a Pleiadian goddess. Satya describes the huge cosmic drama taking place simultaneously in nine dimensions, with Earth as the chosen theater. The Pleiadians are a group of enlightened beings who believe that the end of the Mayan Calendar will signal a critical leap in human evolution; the Pleiadians will be there to guide us for that leap. This shift is the coming Age of Light, and the entry of our solar system into the Photon Band and the Age of Aquarius. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Difficult
This book is difficult though sometimes...s o m e t i m e s compelling.
The problem that I have with the book is, that Barbara seems to want the reader to
take in all of the information as fact. Rarely does the message come across as an offering
for consideration, but more like shoving the information at the reader.
I also found this kind of authoritarianism pushy (as though SHE KNOWS
listening to her in interviews!! It is rough delivery of important topics.
And, YOU ACCEPT, point blank). That bothered me a good deal and I could not finish the book.
It is true that it is not for beginners either (which I am not) because there is little
encouragement to test the information in your own intuition or good cosmic open sense.

Incoherence hurts great theme
Maybe I should not be reviewing this book, which I have only superficially skimmed -
wanted to dig in but found it unreadable.
Correct me if I missed Clow describing the actual "channeling" session? I guess lineality is antithetical, so there's no explaining about how much of the text is pure channeling or a combination of the author's expression and Sayta's. To add to my dilemma, I'm totally lost on Astrology, a very serious underpinning for this work. Yes, I think Universal Gravitation affects us in a personal way but I'll never be convinced that enough people could be studied to make it a science.
Clow/Satya speak of nine dimensions - I still do not understand the first four. What makes a dimension? A part of space our sensoriums can't deal with? More depressing confusion.
Why don't the Channelers ever ask the Chanelees how to cure cancer? Have they? Once again, I ask for guidance.

The Truth Matters
Want to know the truth about the way things really are?Want to understand what you don't understand?Want to know the truth about religion?You must read this book.It is NOT an easy book to read, might take you awhile.You also might have to read sections over again to really get it, but in the end, it's worth it! The writer channels the information from the Pleiadian's so it does not flow well, but really opens your eyes to ideas that would have never occurred to you. The book helped made sense out of situations that all my life have plagued me because they didn't make sense. You have to give this book a chance if you have a need to know what is beyond this place we call earth.

What IS the agenda behind this book?
It is important with channeled information to tune into it's vibrational level, and how it effects one.This is a tricky book.It is full of useful, mind-expanding information, and in that way extremely valuable.Much of it in general seems offered in a well-intentioned, loving way.However, there are aspects of it in which the motivations of Satya, the stated Fifth Dimensional Pleiadian who organizes it, do not seem pure in their positive intent.When she speaks so often of us as being "jerked around," "used," and "manipulated," it is deeply disturbing and upsetting; retraumatizing, in fact.It is not that the material she is sharing with us is false; most of it has been reported elsewhere as well. However her perspective colors the information a way that is not always helpful, to say the least.I understand that not being human, she does not have the capacity to empathize with the emotional impact of her harsh and even mocking choice of words at times. However, as a fifth dimensional being of unconditional love, she would not express herself in that way at all!Therefore, I have my doubts about the "agenda" behind the delivery style of this being. In many ways, this book distracts us from what we most need to be doing at this point: staying in the present and in peace!My own intuition and experience with channeling make me think there may be some "gslactic politics" being played out with this book, and it's stated motivation to enlighten and support us now on earth is mixed with other, unaddressed, intentions as well.If you read it, be careful to regulate its effect on you.Discernment is always crucial when receiving channeled information!

Pleiadian Agenda is a fabulous book
Being discouraged by greedy capitalist, religion, a for-profit health care system, the government,I had to shift gears and get another opinion.I knew there just had to be higher intelligence out there.. it's certainly not here on earth in the third dimension.We do nothing but cause wars and take capitalist actions that are destroying the planet...all in the name of profit and greed.What really amazes me is while reading this book I was watching "What on Earth is Wrong with Gravity" on the Sci channel and Partial Physicist Dr. Brian Cox was stomped..and guessing there must be more dimensions than what we are realizing! Amazing! I was just reading in this book that there are multiple dimensions and that we can move to different dimensions by meditations and thought processes.Our thoughts are very powerful.We can heal ourselves.. well I guess after we make ourselves sick. (oh, oh, don't let anyone know that.. there goes the for profit health care system right out the window).And what about these UFO spotting we hear about from time to time? In this book extraterestials are beyond spacecrafts and move in space and time as self contained mobile beings. A bit of humor -extraterestrials are lining up at near and far galaxies to observe and see just how we do destroy this planet. I read that we will merely move to another dimension when we do destroy it. Well I guess those that know they can move to another dimension. I feel this is an excellent book (and all her books) to prepare myself for 12/21/2012.. the end of the Mayan calendar. Many books on the subject say the powers that be here on earth are holding information from us..I'm beginning to think..they are too focused on power and greed to see the big picture and the negative results of their greedy actions.The book gave me hope.. and a sense of individual power when there are those earthly powers that be whom I'm sure would prefer we not ask questions but merely follow their lead. ... Read more

Product Description

As the aging population of the United States continues to increase, age-related policies have come under intense scrutiny and have sparked heated debates. This revised and updated edition of The New Politics of Old Age Policy explains the politics behind the country's age-based programs, describes how those programs work, and assesses how well -- or poorly -- they meet the growing and changing needs of older Americans.

The chapters address theoretical approaches to age-based policy; population dynamics and the impact of growing diversity within the older population; and national, state, and local political issues associated with major age-based programs. The contributors are leading experts whose essays range across disciplines, including political science, sociology, law, social work, social welfare, and gerontology.

More than any other source, this book presents the most current information on growing older in the United States, including detailed analyses of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing initiatives, the Older Americans Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and tax policy.

Contributors: Christina M. Andrews, M.S.W., University of Chicago; Jeffrey A. Burr, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts--Boston; Andrea Louise Campbell, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Caroline Cicero, M.P.L., University of Southern California; Kerstin Gerst, Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch; Judith G. Gonyea, Ph.D., Boston University School of Social Work; Colleen M. Grogan, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Madonna Harrington Meyer, Ph.D., Syracuse University; Christopher Howard, Ph.D., The College of William and Mary; Ryan King, S.B., Renewable Energy Systems Americas, Denver, Colorado; Sandra R. Levitsky, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Frederick R. Lynch, Ph.D., Claremont McKenna College; Laurie A. McCann, J.D., AARP Foundation Litigation, Washington, D.C.; Kimberly J. Morgan, Ph.D., The George Washington University; Jan E. Mutchler, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts--Boston; John Myles, Ph.D., University of Toronto; Christy M. Nishita, Ph.D., University of Hawaii; Jon Pynoos, Ph.D., University of Southern California; Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Ph.D., Oregon State University; Molly E. Trauten, M.G.S., Oregon State University; Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, J.D., Attorney, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Janet M. Wilmoth, Ph.D., Syracuse University

Praise for the first edition

"This is an excellent book for those who specialize in American social policy." -- Ageing and Society

"The volume will be a useful introduction to the contemporary policy." -- Canadian Journal on Aging

"The contributing authors do an excellent job of dissecting and illuminating the many policy options involved in current national debates. The book is a valuable resource for students and professionals in the field." -- Family Caregiver Alliance

Product Description
The highly anticipated follow-up to the 2,000,000 copy bestselling inspirational book, The Power of Now

With his bestselling spiritual guide The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived "in the now." In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.

The Power of Now was a question-and-answer handbook. A New Earth has been written as a traditional narrative, offering anecdotes and philosophies in a way that is accessible to all. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, A New Earth is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life—and for building a better world.

About the Author

ECKHART TOLLE is a contemporary spiritual teacher who is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition. In his writing and seminars, he conveys a simple yet profound message with the timeless and uncomplicated clarity of the ancient spiritual masters: There is a way out of suffering and into peace. Eckhart travels extensively, taking his teachings throughout the world.Amazon.com Review
Amazon.com Exclusive Content
Download "The One Thing," an exclusive essay by Eckhart Tolle. [pdf] ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1541)

A Logical Spiritual Teacher


From the first page of this book I was mesmerized and a believer --- what an interesting read!!. . It's not any easy path that Tolle asks you to consider.I was brought up in an eastern religion (not buddhism) but Tolle really helped me understand the root teachings of history's great spiritual leaders.I have a much deeper understanding of common spiritual concepts than I did previously.I'm nowhere close to being totally present, (perhaps a little more than I was before reading his book). But I never realized, that life itself, each of our "present moments," can become an act of meditation! What a revolutionary way to live your life, it's an entirely different way of being! How unbelievably cool and liberating that would be. I was inspired when I read this book 2 years ago and continue to believe in the tools it provides the reader with . .

Thank You
Every single word of this great work rings true for me. Thank you so much Eckhart.

Another excellent book from Eckhart
One of the greatest gifts in the world is to be able to take very complex and subtle material and make it understandable to everyone. Anyone who has ever tried this immediately understands what a challenge it is to simplify something without losing the essence of the teaching. No one should be excluded from the Path simply because of where they are along the way. I would imagine that anyone who is familiar with what I'm saying would agree that is what Eckhart Tolle is, in part, attempting to do in 'A New Earth'. I respect that.

I know because that's what I do in my Full Spectrum Coaching practice everyday: Share all the things we should've learned but were never taught about understanding yourself, having deep healthy relationships, and navigating well through the world so you can live happily and successfully.

At the core of so much of our suffering is a lack of real understanding of the ego and its shadow. Eckhart does a nice job of explaining the many ways in which negative aspects of the ego show up in ourselves and in life. Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy, is often quoted, "Nothing changes until it becomes real." How true. A New Earth really helps one to realize (ie: to make real) a very simple and powerful truth: the cause of your suffering is 'you', or rather, your mistaken identity as just an ego. For those who are willing to do the work the rewards are literally more than you can imagine. I've seen the lives of my clients transformed as they apply the ideas that Eckhardt writes about here. Anyone who applies the contents of A New Earth can begin that same kind of transformation.

The only reason I hesitate to give 5 stars is because one needs more than just understanding, one needs a practice or set of skills to engage in order to be able to change through experience. Its the only way. I wish Eckhart had included more of that in this book. Well done.

A Path to Individual and Collective Knowledge
Mr. Tolle provides insight into our destructive ego driven lives. After reading his book, I was able to more easily spot my ego based thoughts and smile at them.Mr. Tolle's speaks of who we really are and our connectedness.His discussion of our pain bodies resonates.So many of us are acting from our pain. I have purchased a number of copies and sent them to folks in my immediate circle asking them to pass on copies to folks in their circles.They have reported that they have benefited from their reading and engaged in discussion different aspects of the book.It is really time for us to awaken from our illusions of reality.Thank you, Mr. Tolle.
D. Watson

Waste of time and money
If you are a beginner in your spiritual path, this book might be ok but for most this will be a big waste of time. He spends the first half of the book talking about ego (could have done it in a few pages) and the second half he rewrote most of his points from the Power of Now. He gave Oprah a small % and the they are both taking advantage of the poor reader. My sugestion is buy Infinite Self 33 steps and the Power of Now and you will be very happy with both. ... Read more

Product Description
Old age in America is not what it used to be

In 1994 New York Times writer Dudley Clendinen’s mother—a Southern matron of iron will but creaking bones—sold her house and moved to Canterbury Tower, a geriatric apartment building with full services and a nursing wing in Tampa Bay. There she landed in a microcosm of the New Old Age. Canterbury was filled not just with old Tampa neighbors but also with strangers from across the country. Wealthy, middle class, or barely afloat; Christian, Jewish, or faithless; proud, widowed, or still married; grumpy or dear—they had all come together, at the average age of eighty-six, in search of a last place to live and die.

A Place Called Canterbury is a beautifully written, often hilarious, deeply moving look at how the oldest Americans are living with the reality of living longer. Peopled by brave, daffy, memorable characters determined to grow old with dignity—and to help one another avoid the dreaded nursing wing—A Place Called Canterbury is a kind of soap opera. Likewise, it is a poignant chronicle of the last years of the Greatest Generation and their children, the Boomers, as they are drawn into old age with their parents. A Place Called Canterbury is an essential read for anyone with aging parents and anyone wondering what their own old age will look like. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Just didn't find this one entertaining
This book got a lot of positive press here in Tampa Bay so maybe I had too high expectations.Whatever the reason, I found it to be marginally interesting, kind of like a letter from a cousin regarding family activities.Not my cup of tea.......

If you're in a three-quarter-life crisis because of your parents...or yourself, this is the book
This is the warm, moving memoir of a woman's last years told by her son. The author gets to know--well--the neighbors, staff members, and administrators at his mother's Tampa retirement home during long years of her decline following several strokes. He tells all their stories, interwoven with his mother's life.

He also has to make repeated, painful decisions about life support, care, and medications. He develops warm bonds with others there, only to be witness to their deaths.He has a lot on his plate, since his "real" life is 1,000 miles away.

Depressing?Not for a minute. This is a zone of life where increasing numbers of long-lived Americans will be spending time, either personally or while caring for someone else. Frankly most of us would be extremely lucky to find a place half as nice as Canterbury sounds.

Loved this book.

More insight please
While the individual "tales" were well told and interesting, where was the insight into his situation and behavior.The author skims over the fact that, over and over, he broke his word to his sister.And defied his mother's wishes, too.Why?So he could fly down at his convenience (stated repeatedly in the text), at the very most once a month and often three to four times a year. Repeatedly he is weak, and gives in to what's best for him.As a doc told me after finishing my own Advance Directives: give copies to your children and make them promise -- no matter how hard it may be! -- to follow your wishes.Mr. Clendinen sadly did not have fortitude to do that.Not the first year, not the fifth year, not the ninth year.Heartbreaking.The honest part of the book is his quoting the geriatric specialist who, at the end, reminds him: his mother actually "died" maybe five year ago.

The "Towers" in Tampa
This wasatotal surprise- not until I opened the book was I certain it was the same "towers" my mother lived in for five years before the period described in this book. Sheloved it- I loved visiting her there- gorgeous views out of her 12thstory windows overlooking the Bay!This book brought back many wonderful memories. I would urge anyone who ever had a loved one at theTowers to read it. I would urge anyone who has a parent in any of the many Continuing Care facilities around the country to read it. itis full of wonderful characters they will recognize!

Selfishly enjoyed for no good reason
I really love reading this book.It is one of very few that I want to read over again the minute I finish it!I am not personally dealing with issues of aging parents, nor having any other specific connection to the stories of living an aging life.I just selfishly love reading it merely for enjoyment!Other reviewers are correct in that stories don't necessarily lead to any grand conclusions.The stories are just glimpses into someone's life which is very different from my own at the moment.And for that, I appreciate the author letting me draw my own conclusions, lessons, and opinions because he leaves that door wide open for the reader. ... Read more

Product Description
The variety and extravagant energy of innovation that characterize New York are captured in the pages of this engaging book. From the very beginning, diversity has been one of the city’s primary characteristics. The first Dutch colonists arrived in 1624, and by 1664, New Amsterdam had a population of 1,500, including Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, Spanish, Portuguese, West Indian, Calvinist, Catholic, Lutheran, Puritan and Jewish people. "A kaleidoscope divine," was one of Walt Whitman’s many descriptions for New York and its teeming, motley crowds.

While a gateway for immigrants and the nation’s commercial center since its inception, it was only for a brief period at the nation’s birth that New York served as the country’s political capital. Over time, the city became the artistic center, the intellectual heart, and the sports capital of America. A place of subways, skyscrapers, jazz, theater, and publishing, the growth of New York is a tribute to the country that nourished and never stops being fascinated by it.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book about NYC!!!
This book is great! It's got so much information and so many great photographs. I'm really excited to read it with my students who are learning about NYC this year!

An illustrated look at the history of the Big Apple for kids
This look at "New York" for the Great Cities Through the Ages series provides an overview for young readers of the history of New York City from its founding by the Dutch in the 1600s to today in the aftermath of 9/11.In between Paige Weber makes it clear what the city was like when millions of immigrants came to its harbor to enter the New World and why this is indeed the "Big Apple." Each "chapter" in the book is a two-page spread, where there is a brief paragraph of text and then most of the information is dispensed in the captions that accompany the photographs and illustrations.

As opposed to other volumes in the series that deal with cities a thousand years older, Weber devotes relatively few of the chapters to specific periods in the history of the city: Dutch New Amsterdam (8,000 B.C.-1664), British New York (1664-1783), Reinventing the City (1783-1825), The Metropolis of America (1825-1865), Bright Lights, Big City (1865-1898), Greater New York (1898-1945), and 1945 to the Present (1945-2002), with a page dedicated to September 11. The rest of the chapters are devoted to specific topics such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the NYC Skyline, as well as the subject of Immigration and the city's rich history of famous Artists, Writers, and Intellectuals.There are also sections devoted to the boroughs of Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn and Staten Island.For each section there is usually a main illustration, such as a detailed map of New Amsterdam and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. But mostly there are a collection of smaller photograph and illustrations cramming a lot of information on each page.

A timeline at the top of the page covers the key events that happened during the specific period being covered (there is a miniature map of NYC next to the timeline and I am still surprised it does not show the growth of "Big Apple" as we go along). This is where young readers find out that New Yorkers replaced British currency with dollars and cents in 1797, Elisha Otis installed the first passenger elevator in the Haughwout Building in 1857, and FDR became the first President to appear on TV at the World's Fair in 1939. Pay attention and you can see how many times in the 20th century New York City built the world's tallest building.

The Index on the back page is pretty detailed so that students assigned to research a particular aspect of New York City should be able to find what they want within these pages, but if it does not easily fall into the categories defined by the chapter it might be difficult. The Great Cities Through the Ages series from Enchanted Lion Books is dedicated to exploring the colorful histories and striking characteristics of some of greatest cities in the world. In addition to Paris the other initial volumes are London, Paris and (surprise) Venice (you were all expecting Rome, admit it). The strength is that it does provide a series of looks at the same city over time, although I would certainly like to see more maps or illustrations that give a sense for how the city was growing and changing over time. But there is still a lot of information here providing a breadth of coverage that can be given depth by moving on to other sources, albeit ones probably a lot less illustrated than this one. ... Read more

Product Description
Bioethical dilemmas—including those over genetic screening, compulsory vaccination, and abortion—have been the subject of ongoing debates in the media, among the public, and in professional and academic communities. But the paramount bioethical issue in an age of digital technology and new media, Joanna Zylinska argues, is the transformation of the very notion of life. In this provocative book, Zylinska examines many of the ethical challenges that technology poses to the allegedly sacrosanct idea of the human. In doing so, she goes beyond the traditional understanding of bioethics as a matter for moral philosophy and medicine to propose a new "ethics of life" rooted in the relationship between the human and the nonhuman (both animals and machines) that new technology prompts us to develop.

After a detailed discussion of the classical theoretical perspectives on bioethics, Zylinska describes three cases of "bioethics in action," through which the concepts of "the human," "animal," and "life" are being redefined: the reconfiguration of bodily identity by plastic surgery in a TV makeover show; the reduction of the body to two-dimensional genetic code; and the use of biological material in such examples of "bioart" as Eduardo Kac's infamous fluorescent green bunny.

Zylinska addresses ethics from the interdisciplinary perspective of media and cultural studies, drawing on the writings of thinkers from Agamben and Foucault to Haraway and Hayles. Taking theoretical inspiration in particular from the philosophy of alterity as developed by Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas, and Bernard Stiegler, Zylinska makes the case for a new nonsystemic, nonhierarchical bioethics that encompasses the kinship of humans, animals, and machines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Morality-free ethics, a non-starter
Sometimes one reads a book wherein the content simply does not "come together' for the reader. Such is the case with "Bioethics in the Age of New Media". In approaching a book with this title one would expect to find a framework developed that provides the scope of the inquiry along with the types of questions it should address. One would also expect to find a discussion of some of the more important questions. But no, what one finds here is a highly cursory discussion that flits about the titular topic but never becomes grounded in it. In this sense it is frustrating to read. One expects the creation of a way to ask and answer questions as to the "rightness" or "wrongness" of a bioethical situation. But no, that is not what we get. The author says, for example, "I realize there may be something rather frustrating about a bioethics that refuses to evaluate the morality of the actions in which the producers, participants, and audiences of the radical makeover show `The Swan' are engaged." Frustrating indeed, when evaluating the morality of such a situation is exactly what ethics is about. Instead we have "a content-free obligation that these other bodies and lives make on me, and that call on me to respond to them. The ethical response would consist in the minimization of violence, it would be a form of hospitality toward alterity that responsibly negotiates, always anew, between the self's desire for sovereignty and self-sufficiency and the other's challenge to this sovereignty." What the "response" and "challenge to this sovereignty" mean are not further explored.

This work is rooted in the ideas of the 20th century French philosophers Levinas and Derrida, modified and reshaped by ideas drawn from many other 20th century philosophers. One gets the sense that the ethical framework is melded in some fashion with politics, including feminism and Marxism. This is a notion with which this reviewer wholly disagrees. Politics, as with any other human activity, should be guided by ethics, not be part of it. Marxist politics, a magnificent failure and the biggest single cause of human misery the world has known, is especially to be avoided, yet the author specifically references it, saying "it may provide a valuable perspective for conducting this sort of investigation" into her "alternative bioethics."

Let us turn to the "age of new media" that this bioethics is to consider. The discussion touches on several areas of interaction of people andtechnology. Specifically considered are blogging, "life management" via medical technology, and bioart, such as the "Swan" referenced above, that is, the use of the body as a medium. Blogging is analyzed from several perspectives, but one cannot find a specific connection to ethical behavior. The author asks and answers, "Are they ethical? Possibly. But, also, perhaps, rarely." What does "ethical" mean here? This reviewer could not tell.

Regarding "life management" there is an extended discussion of modern technology as applied to decoding "the secret of life." Here again one sees a mix of philosophy and politics, perhaps a criticism of capitalism, described as the "corporatization of the biotech industry" and "the biopolitical machinery oftechnocapitalism, with human and nonhuman lives all assigned a biovalue that determines their visibility and legitimacy." What ethical considerations one can take away from the discussion is difficult to say.

In the area of bioart topics such as genetic manipulation and integration of technology with biological systems are explored. Once again, one searches in vain for a framework to evaluate the ethics of a work of bioart. Instead, the author speaks of "the question of responsibility without needing to rely on the preestablished value system that legislates it or resort to an unreconstructed a priori moralism. "

What can we take away from this book? The jacket liner says "In this provocative book, Zylinska examines many of the ethical challenges that technology poses to the allegedly sacrosanct idea of the human. In doing so she goes beyond the traditional understanding of bioethics as a matter for moral philosophy and medicine to propose a new `ethics of life' rooted in the relationship between the human and the nonhuman (both animals and machines) that new technology prompts us to develop." Does she actually do this? If yes, this reviewer does not see it. What he sees instead is an extended discussion of philosophical concepts mingled with ideas about the relationship of those concepts with modern technology. Along the way are hints about the author's conception of "bioethics," principally that ethical considerations are all situational, that there are no moral absolutes, hence each situation requires a separate analysis to formulate an ethical position.All this is conveyed in "academic lingo," which is to say, complex writing andword use, and an assumption that the reader is well versed in 20th century continental philosophy. Is the book provocative? Yes it is, but perhaps not in the way the author intended. This reader, at least, came away wondering what was the point of it all.
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Product Description
David Lanz - Solos for New Age Piano ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Easy as Pie
Very close to the actual version that Lanz plays on his CDs. I detect some slight variations to improve playability by less advanced players such as myself. But this doesn't detract from the beauty of the pieces so I encourage you to get this book if you want to dip your feet (or fingers) into Lanz's beautiful music.

Beautiful piano pieces!!!
This music book came recommended by our daughter's piano teacher so we ordered it. There is exquisite music in this collection.

Which book do you suggest then
As said by the previous reviewer who said some notes are missing in the books. Do you suggest any other book which is more precise?

Song List
Not much in terms of a review to add.I'm just a beginner, and, well, the notes look right:) But I would like to add a list of songs featured, as Amazon has left that out of the description...

This book features the songs:

Behind the Waterfall,Courage of the Wind,Cristofori's Dream,Dream Field,Faces of the Forest,Farewell Amparo,Heartsounds,Leaves on the Seine,Nightfall,Song for Monet,Spiral Dance,Summer's Child,Valencia

Lyrical Lanz
If you are a pianist, and love David Lanz you will love this book.If you haven't heard Lanz, then listen to a clip from one of his CD's on this site, and be hooked. This book contains songs from four of his CD's, Heartsounds, Cristofori's Dream, Natural States and Nightfall.

If you, like me, took piano lessons as a child and can play classical music and written music, but lost the love of the piano and the desire to play, this book is for YOU!When I first heard Lanz's CD Cristofori's Dream, I wished that I could play music like this.I hadn't touched my piano in years because I wasn't enjoying the music I could play.I found "Solos for New Age Piano" and found that I COULD play this music."Cristofori's Dream" and "Spiral Dance" are lyrical, romantic and very relaxing to play."Behind the Waterfal" and "Courage of the Wind" are robust and magical, just like the bit of nature they describe.

On first play, some of Lanz's songs seem difficult, but don't give up because the reward of mastering these songs is well worth the effort.I would highly recommend "Solo's for New Age Piano" for any but the beginning piano player. ... Read more

Product Description
Follow the Ring of Fire from New Zealand to South America. Navigate the Blue Nile and walk the Great Wall of China. Meet the first person to reach the South Pole and witness the "Green Revolution" in India. Explore the people, landscapes, and languages of our fascinating planet and uncover the answers to all your questions about world geography . . .

How old is the earth?See page 8.

Can volcanoes form underwater?See page 14.

What are maquiladoras?See page 50.

Why are rain forests so important?See page 63.

Where and what are the Pillars of Hercules? See page 77.

Is the Red Sea really red?See page 88.

What languages are spoken in Africa?See page 112.

Do any plants or animals live in Antarctica?See page 133. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

amazing world geography ; a book of answers for kids
My grandkids loved the book, they can read it one chapter at the time, great for car rides as they can ask each other questions from the book. I would recommendThe New York Public Library Amazing World Geography; A Book of Answers for kids/ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting
Initially as I skimmed the book looking for what it was, I thought it a useless waste of money. As i picked it up and read it, the book had plentiful information on each of the cards. Also very interesting spreads were included for each of the cards and the suits. This is a cool book. It is one of the more unique books of the several available for the famous Crowley deck. ... Read more

Product Description
Your Soul’s Plan (which was originally published under the title Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth?) explores the provocative premise that we are all eternal souls who plan our lives, including our greatest challenges, before we are born for the purpose of spiritual growth. Through compelling profiles of people who knowingly planned experiences such as AIDS and cancer, parenting handicapped children, deafness, blindness, drug addiction, alcoholism, losing a loved one, and severe accidents, this book shows that suffering is not purposeless, but imbued with deep meaning. Working with four of the country’s most gifted mediums, author Robert Schwartz reveals the significance of each individual’s soul plan and allows us a fascinating look into the “other side.”

Each personal story focuses on a specific life challenge, organized by type for easy reference. Accessible both to those familiar with the metaphysical aspects of spirituality and to the general reader, the moving narratives that comprise Your Soul’s Plan help readers awaken to the reality that they are transcendent, eternal souls. With this stirring book as a guide, feelings of anger, resentment, guilt, and victimization are healed and replaced by acceptance, forgiveness, peace, and gratitude. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (118)

Looking for the Truth
An excellent book for those searching for answers that are not related to religion.This book makes you think and gives honest insight into questions you may have. If you are interested in your soul and a truthful answer this book is for you.

Informative & Easy to Follow
This book was full of examples that help open a person's mind to the possibility of reincarnation. It provides stories from peoples lives that help explain the purpose behind reincarnation. By understanding the purpose behind it and the benefits that come from it, it helps bring a different outlook to both good and bad experiences in life. It shows how bad experiences aren't necessarily the punishments or unfair evil happenings that we make them out to be. Every incident in our lives is a lesson that is preplanned by us,to aid in our individual growth. It's a good little book. I would recommend it to others.

Another great suggestion for learning about reincarnation is: Journey of Souls by Michael Newton. Everything in the book is based off of information jotted down during the hypnotism of his clients. It covers soul purpose, describes the layout of where souls come from as having a structure much like a school, and it even touches base on Ora colors and each color's meaning. The layout of the book seems odd at first, but stick with it and you'll get sucked right in.

Your Soul's Plan
I found this book to be credible since the author had accumulated several people with the same skill set to do the readings on people.Even though the concepts made me think twice about how we tackle our issues on Earth, it made me rethink how I look at life situations for the better.I have told many people about it because it has made me look back on my life and be more alert to what is happening to others.

Life Changing
This book has taught me a new way at looking at life and at reincarnation.

An interesting point the author elaborated on in person was the difference between our soul's chosen path and our free will.In our pre-birth plan we will make a few different plans to learn a specific lesson.Let's say for example a man soul and a woman soul agree to meet when they are 30 years old and get married.The marriage will be tumultuous and they will divorce but learn a tremendous lesson from it.If the woman at 25 chooses to learn the lesson another way then her and the man at 30 will never meet.If they do meet there will be no attraction because her consciousness has risen and he remains at a lower level.

I have done a lot of healing on mental and spirtitual levels.This is just a new way to open my mind at the possibilites that are out there.Initially I was a little skeptical with the mediums and channelings. Then I realized I do believe in spirit guides.I do believe in getting help from the unseen and spirits. I have experienced it many times in my life.So why wouldn't I take advantage of all the help I can get and use the resources that are available to me in this new age.

This Book Changed My Life
After reading this book i felt compelled to write my first amazon review because it really changed my life for the best. This book opened me up to the possibilities of reincarnation because it just made sense while reading this book. I now no longer fear death, which is allowing me to enjoy life so much more. ... Read more

Product Description
National Geographic has always given readers the bigger picture of our world. Now The World Made New shows children the bigger context of American history. Written by award-winning children's author Marc Aronson and John W. Glenn, this innovative title will lead children through the causes and consequences of the defining age of exploration. Its unique approach will provide children with new ways of thinking about and learning from history, and instill a lasting sense of our country's past.

The World Made New provides a detailed account of the charting of the New World and the long-term effects of America's march into history. The text uses primary sources to bring history to life and features evocative profiles of the major explorers of the age. The book is beautifully illustrated with full-color artwork, multiple-time lines, and six custom National Geographic maps. The text and layout combine to provide an enlightening overview of New World exploration, and outline the historical context for the discoveries that literally changed the world.

The narrative carries young readers through this age of glorious, and sometimes inglorious, adventure. Follow the timeline of history unfolding; how the early colonies were established; how dissemination of products like the potato, tomato, tobacco, and corn made the Americas a major part of the new world economy; and how the Caribbean became a major trading hub. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book about early exploration...
We really liked the way that all of the information in this book was organized and presented.Excellent spring-board type book for a study on early exploration.Great read aloud for the whole family with plenty of pictures.I, as well as the kids really learned a lot! ... Read more

Product Description
Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first comprehensive analysis of New Age Religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions. While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought
Private symbolism and the dissipation of mystery are indeed connected. The New Age movement tends to make each private individual into the center of his or her symbolic world; and it tends to seek salvation in universal explanatory systems which will leave no single question of human existence unanswered, and will replace mystery by the certainty of perfect knowledge. The reader of this study will have to make up his or her own mind about whether the attainment of such knowledge would save the world or, instead, deprive it of all meaning.

Thorough and compelling research of new age religion
I have just finished reading this lengthy book after a month of heated night readings.
This one is really a milestone in the research of the new age phenomenon, as it is the first (and up until now the only) book to seriously and exhaustively research the variety of new age ideas, their inter-connectedness and their origins.

Haanegraaf doesn't leave the discussion on a sociological level, as other authors on the new age have frequently done. He isn't satisifed until he enters the core of every doctrine and theory and explains it thoroughly to the reader.
Haanegraaf covers an unusal amount of material over the 525 pages long primary text of the book. He presents ideas and comments about them briefly and concisely but also profoundly and always in an interesting and intelectually stimulating way.

The different observations and structures Haanegraaf presents in this work are bound to become a basis for future research of the new age phenomenon.

This is one of the best books i've read in a while, and a must for anyone interested in New Age.

A must read!
This book is a MUST READ for any student of religious studies. Its provides a consolidation and analysis of the new age literature. Extensive use of references and footnotes - you won't be disappointed... ... Read more

Product Description
Most of us have dreamed of sitting in the dugout with our favorite baseball team, and at sixteen Matt McGough was no different. A few months after sending a blind application letter to George Steinbrenner, on Opening Day 1992 Matt found himself walking into the legendary Yankee clubhouse. There, amid the chaos and excitement, he was greeted by none other than his idol Don Mattingly — who promptly played a prank on him.

Thus began two years of adventures and misadventures, from being set up on a date by the bullpen to playing blackjack on the team plane to studying for an exam at 3 am in Yankee Stadium. Through these often hilarious experiences, and especially through his friendships with theballplayers, Matt learned priceless lessons about honor, responsibility, and the importance of believing in oneself. A magical tale of what happens to a young man when his fondest dream comes true, Bat Boy wonderfully evokes that twilight time just before adulthood, ripe with possibility, foolishness, and hard-won knowledge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Entertaining, quick read.
Entertaining book. Worth the read . . . and I'm by no means a baseball fan.Good value product.

Not even a baseball fan, and I loved it.
Well, I played baseball in high school, but I never watched it. Didn't matter. This book is a delightful read for anyone who loves re-living the first-time experiences and lessons-learned of adolescence sweetened to perfection in an incredibly unique environment. It's the Wonder Years of baseball stories.

The best baseball book I have read
The purpose of a book, in my opinion, is to take the reader away and allow him to experience what the author writes about. McGough has done an excellent job of doing this in his debut.

As a kid, I was obsessed with baseball. It was a rite of passage in our country for young boys to collect baseball cards and idolize the players on their faces. McGough was able to gain access to this world, which is a privilege most of us would have died for. He preserves that childlike wonder throughout this book. Rather than becoming annoying, this tone allows the reader to empathize with McGough's struggles and cheer at his triumphs.

The book also gives a fresh new look at the inner workings of a baseball team. Most sports books are written by players or journalists. Both groups have a certain detachment from society as a whole. McGough is an average kid from New York city with an average kid's problems. He writes about how his grades suffer, struggling to talk to girls, and other situations an adolescent male would find himself in. The difference is that most kids don't have millionaire pals who will lend a helping hand in impressing a young lady. McGough's description of his interactions with the players is very humanizing. In a way, McGough takes these players off the pedestal society has placed them on and shows the reader they are average guys.

This book is my favorite baseball book by far, even surpassing Jim Bouton's Ball Four. If you have a baseball fan in the family, get this book for them. You won't be sorry.

Bat Boyby Matthew McGough
Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. The author (Matthew McGough) takes you behind the scene of one of the most prestige franchise of any sports teams. You'll experience what it was like to be on the inside of Yankee Stadium. The star struck kid interacting with the "Stars in Pinstripes". It's a must read book for anyone who has ever dreamed of being a bat boy for a professional baseball team. Anyone who has ever wanted to know what takes place before, doing, and after a baseball game this is also a must read book. You'll also read about the "good guys" and the not so friendly guys who played for the Yankees. Find out it's not always glamorous being a "bat boy". Finally a "kudos" to his parents who made sure school work was always his priority over working Yankees games. Enjoy the adventure!

Andre' Fontenot (former bat boy San Francisco Giants 1974)

READ THIS BOOK!!!!
You don't need to be a Yankee fan or a baseball fan to enjoy this book. As a diehard Red Sox fan, I feel guilty that I've taken a liking to a Yankee's team written about in this book.Mr. Mcgough does an incredible job of making you feel that you're part of the locker room, in the dugout, and on the field with the team. ... Read more