Book Description
A compelling portrait of a Polynesian island community caught up in a world of change Thousands of years ago, Polynesian voyagers discovered and settled Nanumea atoll, a tiny cluster of coral islets in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The community prospered, first evolving into a traditional culture finely tuned to the atoll's limited environment and then weathering new changes imposed by missionaries, colonial officials, and Westernization itself. Now one of eight separate island communities comprising the modern Pacific nation of Tuvalu, Nanumea faces new challenges: rising sea levels, globalization, and massive social and economic changes. Using personal stories that evoke the difficulties and excitement of fieldwork, Keith and Anne Chambers draw on more than twenty-five years of ethnographic research in Nanumea to craft an engaging account of Nanumean culture and social organization. Readers will come to appreciate how the community's intense sharing obligations, service-oriented chieftainship, and a flexible system of extensive kinship reckoning define a lifestyle that differs fundamentally from modern Western society. Caught up in the Internet revolution and the many forces for change sweeping the Pacific, Nanumeans look ahead to the twenty-first century with mixed feelings. Will the community's cultural treasure, its "unity of heart," be able to sustain them in the twenty-first century? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The period of ecumenical counclis
The late Father John Meyendorff was a deeply knowledgeable historian of Christianity, who, unlike most of his peers was Orthodox, but also of the west. Church history has lost a major scholar and writer.
The material in this volume covers a period during which the Roman government at Constantinople sought to unify the church.Unfortunately, many regions (Egypt and Syria, as well as those areas which had never been part of the empire) were hostile to theological developments championed by by the government and to the position - second in the pentarchy of patriarchs, after the pope - that the councils decreed.This estrangement was a major factor in the spread of Islam.
There is also an excellent summary of Christianity in areas that had never been in the empire. (Persian, Caucasian, Armenian, etc.)
This is volume 2 of a series of 6.Volume 1, part 1 Formation And Struggles: The Church Ad 33-450: the Birth of the Church Ad 33-200 (The Church in History) and volume 3, Greek East And Latin West: The Church AD 681-1071 (The Church in History) appeared in late 2007.Volume 4 The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy: The Church 1071-1453 A.D (Church History, Vol 4) appeared earlier.Volumes 5 and 6 are yet to appear. ... Read more

Book Description
Describes the anatomy and physiology of breathing and phonation and examines the acoustical laws necessary for an understanding of resonation. Extensive bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent overview of vocal mechanism
The book gives a comprehensive look at all the physiological aspects of singing, including the mechanisms of breathing, phonation, and resonance.It also addresses posture, anatomy of the larynx, and other related topics.It is a great book for anyone planning to teach any type of singing.I also recommend McKinney's Diagnoses and Corrections of Vocal Faults as a companion book.

A Fabulous and READABLE Reference for a Music Student!
I am not a singer.In fact, I'm the one on the other side of the microphone in front of the mix board. As a part of a audio term paper, I found this book amazing.After pouring over books which made me quickly revert to 10 from 38, Ms. Doscher's book was a breath of fresh air.Amazingly readable and comprehendable!
Thank you!

Excellent Handbook for the Voice Teacher/Student
Doscher does an excellent job of organizing the pedagogy of the voice into a comprehensive, easy to read format.This book is a must for anyone starting out in vocal pedagogy, and an excellent reference to have in thestudio. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The biologist Edward O. Wilson is a rare scientist: having over a long career made signal contributions to population genetics, evolutionary biology, entomology, and ethology, he has also steeped himself in philosophy, the humanities, and the social sciences. The result of his lifelong, wide-ranging investigations is Consilience (the word means "a jumping together," in this case of the many branches of human knowledge), a wonderfully broad study that encourages scholars to bridge the many gaps that yawn between and within the cultures of science and the arts. No such gaps should exist, Wilson maintains, for the sciences, humanities, and arts have a common goal: to give understanding a purpose, to lend to us all "a conviction, far deeper than a mere working proposition, that the world is orderly and can be explained by a small number of natural laws." In making his synthetic argument, Wilson examines the ways (rightly and wrongly) in which science is done, puzzles over the postmodernist debates now sweeping academia, and proposes thought-provoking ideas about religion and human nature. He turns to the great evolutionary biologists and the scholars of the Enlightenment for case studies of science properly conducted, considers the life cycles of ants and mountain lions, and presses, again and again, for rigor and vigor to be brought to bear on our search for meaning. The time is right, he suggests, for us to understand more fully that quest for knowledge, for "Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission natural selection, the force that made us.... Soon we must look deep within ourselves and decide what we wish to become." Wilson's wisdom, eloquently expressed in the pages of this grand and lively summing-up, will be of much help in that search.Book Description
"A dazzling journey across the sciences and humanities in search of deep laws to unite them." --The Wall Street Journal

One of our greatest living scientists--and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for On Human Nature and The Ants--gives us a work of visionary importance that may be the crowning achievement of his career. In Consilience  (a word that originally meant "jumping together"), Edward O. Wilson renews the Enlightenment's search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities.

Using the natural sciences as his model, Wilson forges dramatic links between fields. He explores the chemistry of the mind and the genetic bases of culture. He postulates the biological principles underlying works of art from cave-drawings to Lolita. Presenting the latest findings in prose of wonderful clarity and oratorical eloquence, and synthesizing it into a dazzling whole, Consilience is science in the path-clearing traditions of Newton, Einstein, and Richard Feynman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (146)

Reductionist Science and Transcendentalism
As an earlier reviewer (Howard Taylor) probably correctly points out, there are many mysteries reductionist science may never lead us to fully understand. That is, assuming that we are even competent to achieve this mysteriously exalted state: assuming the human mind is not just another circumscribed object with no more of a chance to encompass a full understanding of anything else than any other object in the Universe. Anyhow, be that as it may, our very awareness of these unresolved mysteries is to a large extent the result of reductionist science. Getting to a point where you know something is complex or even intellectually intractable is a sort of understanding. Seen in that light, it's hard to argue that reductionist science has failed to increase our understanding. In my opinion, reductionist science has gotten us a lot further than have the millions of transcendentalist mystics who ever sat cross-legged humming on some mountain top; or the legions of true believers who ever pressed forehead to tile in abject submission to unconquerable ignorance. And a capitulation to complete ignorance is what transcendentalism finally boils down to. You may get a nice wooly-headed buzz from it, but it doesn't help you to know that you don't know. Reductionist science will, at very least, get you that far. E.O. Wilson is, if not on the right track, quite possibly on the only viable one available to our poor species at this point in time.

A third Pulitzer Prize"?
Wilson already has two Pulitzer prizes.With this book he could, and should, get a third. Not just in Letters, but in Science - if there is such a category for that prize.Wilson not only places science and culture in an evolutionary context, which makes them both more understandable than either, together with the other, was before, and he provides leads and notes to his sources for anyone who wants to follow up.He writes with enviable clarity, untangling, what are often, convoluted, subtle arguments, which upon reflection, often become self evident.The Science that he brings to bear is always fully explained, and at just the right level.There are few books that change the way we look at the reality around us - this is one of those books.

Where do you stand? Where do we?
My reading of the then most recent book by this reknowned entomologist, widely accorded the title of "father" of sociobiology, was immeasurably heightened by knowing that I would be able to toss him some questions the next day, albeit indirectly. My friend, colleague, and boss, John Huie, would be interviewing Mr. Wilson first thing Monday morning, for the environmental journal I edited -- what an opportunity! CONSILIENCE offers a grand vision of the future of science as perceived by a brilliant and fearless thinker. Wilson believes that, just as physics and chemistry have deepened biologic understanding, so biology is poised to inform the social sciences and the arts, to bring all human knowledge into one coherent world view. His explanation of the way genetic and cultural evolution shape each other is very difficult to confute. Wilson is not without his critics, many quite heated. Wendell Berry even went so far as to write a book (Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition, Counterpoint; New Ed edition, 2001) refuting his stance, which utterly removes God (gods, etc.) from action beyond that of Prime Mover, and posits our experience of self (soul) as a construct of perception. Perhaps most deeply unsettling to many is his suggestion that free will probably doesn't exist, but since we will probably never be able to prove it, the illusion is secure. A profound statement from one of our era's heaviest intellectual hitters, I highly recommend this book no matter which side you might take on its fundaments.

Religion, a natural evolution
The more you know about any subject, the higher the need for systems thinking and the more you should try to understand the relationship of everything with the whole. Social and natural sciences are intimately connected. That is what Edward Wilson wants to explain with his thesis of the unity of knowledge. Nothing could be more challenging taking into account the limitations of the human mind on one hand -reasoning capacity, time availability, reading & listening speed, understanding ability- and the uncontrollable growth of human knowledge, on the other. Doctor Wilson succeeds in the transmission of his message. The fact that, as Doctor Wilson states, "human mind has evolved to believe in gods not in biology," complicates the issue. Consequentially, religions are a natural outcome of evolution. The biologist does not refer to any religion in particular, even though he acknowledges his Christian background. He quotes Spinoza on the interchangeability of the concepts of God and nature. Buddhism is not even mentioned in the book. But I find that "consilience' as a word is very close to "Dhamma," the Buddhist expression for NATURAL ORDER. And both the Buddha and the scientist agree that moral is a very human subject.

Call in the Devil's Advocate!
This book tries to pull everything and everyone on earth into itself and, using scientific methods, organize them all - or plan their organization - into one big master survey and plan.
Dr. Wilson is a real polymath. He's brilliant, intellectually honest, and benevolent. But I didn't always get the feeling that he had really digested all the material he had used, especially the parts about philosophy and art.
I have to admit I don't usually read this type of book. I came to it via Tom Wolfe's excellent collection of essays, "Hooking Up." In the essay, "Sorry, Your Soul Just Died," Wolfe says sociobiologists (such as Wilson) contend that, not only is there no God, but also, no soul and no free will. Wolfe, though no scientist, is a wise observer of human nature, and his exploration of the ramifications of the trickle-down effect of this and other, similar scientific theories (in "Hooking Up" and another book, "I Am Charlotte Simmons") are well worth examining.
But I think both Wolfe and Wilson himself overestimate the strength of sociobiology's (and consilience's) arguments. For one thing, Wilson himself seems, excuse me, but not at all a critical thinker, at least not as far as non-hard science texts are concerned. I mean, here's a guy who, as he says in the beginning of the book, read the Bible, cover-to-cover, twice, and still believed it was literally true until he went off to college. Didn't it occur to him to ask, at least, where Cain's wife came from?
Wilson talks about how science and the arts will someday be conjoined theoretically so that, for instance, biological and neurological principles will be used to understand how a painting is analyzed. But he greatly oversimplifies the task of analyzing a painting. Many people who are not real art lovers think that we are taught art appreciation like we are taught biology: that it's a matter of memorizingwhy this painting is significant, why it is art, what its meaning is, as if there is an objective consensus which, once reached, is definitive. They completely leave out the individual response, or else, plot it on a bell curve. But I think most artists, writers, etc., would say art is all about subjective (and even preferably untaught) response. Off-the-curve responses are just as legitimate as typical ones. And the rules are constantly shifting, because art is based on expectation of response of the observer by the artist.
An example of Wilson's formulaic attitude is found on page 28, when he starts a section with, "All histories that live in our hearts are peopled by archetypes in mythic narratives..." as if that were established fact. I know that's a major theory nowadays - even the Disney scriptwriters use it - but I don't accept this dry cutting-and-bundling as fact. Besides, how is this proveable in the scientific sense? It would have to been done through survey, which is inherently subjective. Or somehow found in our genes, which hasn't been done yet.
In general, throughout the book, Wilson over-depends on Delphic decision-making: when faced with a difficult subject, such as art, you survey the opinions of the top experts, choose the opinion which seems most true, then treat that opinion as if it were established fact. I don't think these opinions can be relied upon: they tend to reverse every generation, and often are arrived at, not by rational debate, but by the intellectual bullying by the loudest and most politically cut-throat of the faculty members of some "top" university. Devil's advocates are in short supply in such places!
In regards to the contention that, if neurobiology can in the future completely predict an individual human's behavior, then that would prove we have no soul... well, Wilson backs off that question by saying that it'd be too much work to do this, and that no one would bother. (!) But he seems to suggest that the brain will be so well understood that science will be able to predict virtually all mental responses. (He didn't give examples, so I was left wondering: predict what? presidential elections? who should marry whom?)
And, does Wilson really have a grasp of how complex thinking is? As far as I can see, he seems to think it's sort of like mapping the Earth's oceans and all their inhabitants and all interactions - (my analogy, not his). Then you could, for instance, know where an individual whale could be found at any time. In fact, it's even more of a problem when you consider that, every time we have a chat, read a book, or look at a painting, we're interacting with another brain or, in effect, mixing our ocean with another planet's, separately evolved ocean. That whale would be awfully slippery, even if you did tag him with tracking device! Throw in self-awareness (the whale knows he's being hunted?) and the thing seems impossible.
Let me say, the book is very readable, and well worth reading for its explanation of epigenetic rules - the proof that we are hard-wired, so to speak, to, for example, find incest repulsive. These certainly will be, as Wilson states, useful in banishing the "There Is No Absolute" theory that has so weakened the productivity of intellectual thought lately. But the idea that we can discover all these rules and then build a more consistent code of ethics is, I think, naive. What if we find a gene that makes some people homosexual, and another that makes other people repulsed by homosexuals? Scientists are not Solomons.
Wilson says that a better knowledge of ourselves through the understanding of epigenetic rules will make us happier. I think it could certainly contribute. But it's far from a panacea. What about the Dostoyevskian idea that suffering is what makes us compassionate? Or Socrates' question, "What is the Good Life?") These are very vital moral questions demanding consideration.
It would be great if Wilson could get together with Tom Wolfe.
... Read more

Book Description
This unique volume gathers together for the first time the religious and philosophical writings of the founders of Russian religious philosophy, Aleksei Khomiakov and Ivan Kireevsky. Both began their intellectual careers in the literary world during the 1820s. Khomiakov was for many years best known as a poet of the Pushkin school, while Kireevsky was well known as an original literary critic.

The texts collected here make available to Western readers two of Russia's great gifts to world thought: the philosophical concepts of sobornost (community, universality, wholeness, ecumenicity) and integral knowledge, which overcomes the subject/object dichotomy, making sobornost possible. Based on the primacy of the heart, the spiritual wholeness of the human being, and the cognitive will, integral knowing moves beyond rationality to union with the object of knowledge in knowing.

On Spiritual Unity provides not only a fascinating introduction to Russian religious philosophy, but more than that a profound, meditative text for anyone concerned with human and spiritual unity. Also included in this collection are two responses to Slavophile ideas by the prominent Russian philosophers Pavel Florensky and Nikolai Berdiaev. ... Read more

Book Description
The essays collected in this reader represent the extraordinary vitality of recent historical literature on early America, and suggest ways of synthesizing the vast proliferation of knowledge. Phillip Morgan explores the history of previously neglected groups, and uses methods of historical demography or historical anthropology to yield rich results. As the horizons of scholarship have expanded to encompass the intimate details of everyday life, and the beliefs and ideas of ordinary people, the knowledge gained by these advances are fitted into the broader patterns of interpretation.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Quite a challenge
This was one of the most challenging books on the Christian faith that I've ever read. Dunn explores the charactaristics of the early church to explore what the prevailing theology of the time period was. His findings are at times shocking with the diversity of lines of thought and the quite shattered church that he discovers.
This book's writing style is quite boring and the amount of footnotes is distracting at times. Unless you love the subject it has a high chance of lull you to sleep quite quickly. Its implications however, are both challenging and compelling.

Great Book!
James Dunn's book, Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, is his endeavor to demonstrate the unity and diversity of first-century Christianity. He extends back into the New Testament to inquire whether we can speak of orthodoxy and heresy in early Christianity. He attempts to answer the question, "Was there a unifying strand in earliest Christianity which identifies it as Christian?" (page 6).

The book is divided into to main sections. In the first part, Dunn attempts to find the unifying strand in earliest Christianity, locating it in the " affirmation of the identity of the man Jesus with the risen Lord" (page 227). In this first part, Dunn examines the major kerygmata of the New Testament (of Jesus, Paul, Acts, John, Dunn seems to favor John), the primitive confessional formula (Dunn feels that early faith could be reduced to slogans), the role of tradition, the use of the Old Testament, the ideas of ministry, patterns of worship, sacraments, Spirit and experience, and Christology. Dunn shows a unity, Jesus, in each area he examined, while simultaneously illustrating the diversity of belief and practice.

In second part of the book investigates the diversity in early Christianity, withemphases on Jewish, Hellenistic, Apocalyptic Christianity, and Early Catholicism. Dunn shows that the center of unity here also exists in Jesus, "The unifying element was the unity between the historical Jesus and the exalted Christ" (page 369). He demonstrates that the early Christians accepted a wide range of beliefs and practices provided only that a connection to the human and exalted Jesus was established. This was all that orthodoxy embodied for early Christians, "there is no single normative form of Christianity in the first century" (page 373).

Dunn concludes the book with a chapter on "The Authority of the New Testament."Here he examines the diverse New Testament canon's role for Christians today.He makes a good suggestion that the canon limits the acceptable diversity of Christianity.

What first impressed me about this book was the breadth and at times depth of the material covered. Dunn has selected a wide range of topics to cover, it is a good collection of important issues with very good bibliographical references. Examples of sections that I found helpful are 16.1 "The role of tradition within Judaism," and 22 "Jewish Exegesis in the Time of Jesus," (page 82). These two sections contain good definitions and comparisons of Midrash, Halakah, Haggadah, Targum, and Pesher. The data presented in Section Two on the early sects was also excellent, I like the case for pre-gnostic thought existing in the first century.

In 9,"Jesus is the Son of Man," (page 35) Dunn argues that the Son of Man title grew out of a conviction of the early church, and was a distinctive theology in early Christianity. The expression also occurs in three Jewish apocalyptic works, Daniel, 2 Esdras, and 1 Enoch, although there it is applied to non-human or superhuman figures. The term also appears in some Qumran texts. There is much more debate on the titular use of Son of Man then Dunn gives credit. It's lack of use by Paul is may have been due to its awkwardness in Greek (it works better in Aramaic), and not necessarily a divergent Christology.

The title Son of God (page 45) is found in Dead Sea Scrolls, 4QDanA, and is mentioned by Dunn. The siglum 4Q246 also contains Son of the Most High. Dunn states that the title "came to full flower within the widening mission of Hellenistic Jewish Christianity." If this titles appear in the Qumran texts, wouldn't they have closer ties with Palestinian Jewish Christianity?

Dunn presents his arguments well, and I coincide with him on most issues and with his conclusion. It is one of the better books I have read in New Testament studies, I found all of it interesting. I still feel that in the end I have been short changed with Dunn's findings. Intuitively, Ifeel there should have been more unifying the early Christians. By claiming Jesus alone to be the unifying force is a not far removed from claiming all early Christians believed in Christ, and therefore shared a common name.

How diverse was too diverse in the early Church?
James Dunn has done a masterful job of portraying the range of beliefs within first century Christianity.The earliest Christians were not a monolithic group who had an official doctrinal statement such as those we find in today's denominations.However, the one central characteristic which gave unity to the term "Christian" was the belief in the continuity between the earthly Jesus of Nazareth and the exalted Christ who was raised from the dead.

In regards to first century Christianity, Dunn examines the different confessions used in reference to Jesus (Son of Man, Messiah, Lord, Son of God).He examines the various ways in which the Old Testament was used or not used.He also covers diversity in worship, sacraments, religious experience, and christology.All of these areas and others demonstrate Dunn's thesis -which is that there was a tremendous amount of diversity accepted within the New Testament churches.

He then examines different segments of Christianity - Jewish, Hellenistic, Apocalyptic, and Early catholic.Within each of these categories he reviews what the dividing line was between acceptability and heresy.For example, Jewish Christianity became heretical if it "persisted in clinging to a limited view of Jesus and his role".The Ebionites were an example of this.As mentioned earlier, the dividing line in each area was in how Jesus was perceived.

One area of disagreement I have with Dunn is in how he overstates his case in some ways by being too simplistic.For example, he seems to treat each New Testament book as if it were a complete summary of the beliefs of the writer of that particular book.This often gives a skewed perspective on things.We know this by examining Paul's letters.If we only had 1 Thessalonians, then we would have a much different perspective on Paul than we do by comparing all seven (or more) of his letters.In the same way, I don't think we can claim as much as Dunn does in regards to the writers of such books as Hebrews, James, Matthew, and others.However, this doesn't detract from the fact that this is a highly informative book which accomplishes its task of showing how diverse Christianity was in the first century.

So, they lied to me in Sunday School!
For the pensive and discerning reader, struggling through Professor Dunn's compact and rich text can be as significant an event, as reading Luther's "Introduction to Romans" turned out to be for Wesley.Certainly for those of us who attended traditional, conservative and orthodox Christian seminaries, this text can be an eye-opener.Similarly, for the laity whose spiritual guides graduated from such seminaries, this book can be liberating.

Contrary to what many of us learned in seminary (and others have simply assumed through denominational hubris), Dr. Dunn goes to great lengths to demonstrate -- from the canon of the New Testament, itself -- that there is no historically-mandated, one, proper way to be a Christian.Bishops and Church Councils may declare what they wish to declare, but often those declarations are simply not supported by the experience of the earliest Christians, as recorded in the New Testament.In one, bold move Professor Dunn minimizes both the teaching magisterium of Rome, and the most confrontive claims of the Protestant traditions.

Quoting extensively from Scripture, Professor Dunn demonstrates that: (1) there was not one expression of the Gospel, but several within the earliest Christian communities; (2) the confessional formulae and their settings for proclamation varied; (3) that the concept and structure of ministry varied widely among the earliest Christians; (4) that the structure and practice of worship was not unified; (5) that different Christian communities experienced the Spirit of the living God in different ways; and (6) that while all of the early Christian communities were unified by centering their lives and proclamations around the risen Christ, all of the early Christian communities did not understand the risen Christ in the same way.In short, Professor Dunn shows us that the earliest Christians were unified in their devotion to the risen Christ, but greatly diverse in the way that they experienced his presence among them, and told his story to the world.

Living in an era when denominational antagonisms are too often glossed over by a thin veneer of polite ecumenicity, reading Professor Dunn's book can be a humbling experience.Buy two copies of this book: one for yourself, and one for your least favorite, pompous member of the clergy

An Eye-Opener
What a book!Christians today, having been indoctrinated by whatever demonination they have aligned themselves with, live comfortably within the unity of their own sect's dogma, presuming that the New Testament lendsthis dogma unquivocal support.This sort of tunnel vision is certainlytrue of Catholicism, in any case--*my* sect.

Dunn's book examines earlyChristianity, and reveals a broad--a shockingly broad--range of beliefs andpractices among early Christians, and he bases his examination on ananalysis of the New Testament itself.He begins, for instance, byrevealing the different "kerygmata"--or messages--among Jesus,Luke (Acts), Paul, and John, and how each emphasizes something differentabout Jesus, promotes, as it were, a different agenda.For instance, inthe synoptic gospels, Jesus preached repentance, proclaimed God, andpresented himself, often subtly, as an apocalytpic figure.Paul, however,says nary a word about repentance, and instead of proclaiming God, heproclaims Jesus--the exalted Jesus.He shares Jesus' apocalyptic vision,believing that the parousia is just around the corner (as Jesus did). BothActs and the Pauline epistles barely touch on the historical Jesus.

There was a fairly wide range of worship, too.Paul, for all hisranting, was remarkably tolerant of different beliefs.

Dunn examines awide range of diversities within early Christian communities, and in doingso presents a very good introduction to the New Testament, and one that isa far more interesting read than a survey might be (for instance RaymondBrown's Introduction to the New Testament).

The one thing I foundannoying about this book--and it is, in my opinion, a problem with manytheological works--is a tendancy to cite chapter and verse without actuallyquoting it.There are far too many scriptural citations to quote them allin this already thick-ish book, but certainly in each group of citations,at least one representative quotation could be given.It is VERY annoyingto have to CONSTANTLY stop to look up citations, and after a while, I foundmyself simply not doing it.

This is a scholarly book, not a feel-goodbook book on spirituality.It makes demands on the reader, but it is verywell organized, with subheadings and numbered paragraphs, making it VERYeasy to preview a chapter and make notes.This was my preferred way ofreading this book, in fact...I would preview the chapter, and jot down anoutline based on the subheadings , and then fill that outline in as Iplowed through the body of the chapter.Dunn's presentation of a greatdeal of information, in other words, is very accomodating. ... Read more

Book Description
Many churches today are caught in the worship war.Services are split into styles--contemporary, traditional, liturgical.Discussions and sometimes arguments arise over whether or not to have a pulpit, use drums, sing hymns, or use movie clips for illustration.These varying styles and preferences have caused many to change churches or even skip worship all together.This division of the Body of Christ is a cause for great concern and is jeopardizing the true meaning of worship for future generations.InThe Worship Plot , Dan Boone exposes the distorted motives of battling over worship styles.Instead, he attests we should strive to combine our diversity to celebrate our common story.Boone explains that worship is not about personal preference or platform performance.Worship flows from the heart of God through His Son and His Spirit.Worship invites us to step into this flowing stream of celebration, thanksgiving, and love--a stream that connects us to God and to each other.Boone encourages churches to use the differences of their people to tell and celebrate the story God has plotted for us--the unifying story of the love of Christ.He affirms that when we move through worship together, through specific stages that have been plotted out to follow, we can go out with blessing and boldness, empowered by grace--ready to serve the people of the world and share with them God’s amazing story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Absolutely necessary for pastors and worship leaders!
Dan Boone is a powerful writer and communicator.This book is a wonderful book that helps make worship on Sunday mornings fluid, narrative and understandable.It serves as a great book for pastors, worship leaders and planning teams.

This is definitely a must read! ... Read more

Book Description
Approach page design in a revolutionary new way! Unlike other graphic design books, The Elements of Graphic Design reveals the secrets of successful graphic design from the unique perspective of the page's "white space." With the help of carefully selected examples from art, design, and architecture, the role of white space as a connection between page elements is thoroughly explored. Clear, insightful comments are presented in a dynamic page design, and interactive design elements, thought-provoking captions, and scores of illustrations challenge designers to "think out of the box." This unique resource is guaranteed to inspire more creative and thorough thinking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Good book for learning graphic design principles and where the process came from.
This book was the course material for a beginning graphic design class I took.It was very fitting for a beginning class. The book goes over where graphic design came from in history regarding movements and art. It also covered design principles.

A Great Start for the Budding Graphic Designer
I found this book very useful as both an introductory into the field of Graphic Design as well as a reference source for future projects. This book will remain in my permanent collection!

The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity
Great book for visual graphic design on how to get your message noticed, weather it's a business card, sales flier, or logo. Highly recomend it!

Very high density of information
The cover page is very good at describing what the book is like. It is super-dense, with so much information and advice on each page that if you are looking for a light read, skip this one. At the same time, the cornucopia of information can become a little overwhelming. My suggestion is to read this book slowly and carefully, practicing the principles as you learn them.

The book reads more like an organization of the author's learning and experiences over time and so can sometimes be a little less "objective" than one might wish for. However, the author makes clear up front that fashion is an inseparable part of design so that what "looks good" today may be passé or even "bad design" another day. The one consistent theme throughout these design books is this: if you want to be different, be bold, not a wuss. Breaking rules is good if you break them like you mean it!

I have yet to encounter a more detailed treatment of white space and how it affects design but for the other topics you will need specialized books such as Lupton's "Thinking with Type" to get a deeper understanding.

All in all, excellent value for money.

Visually confusing, the layout makes the content questionable.
The layout of this book is confusing and really, really bad. The content is repetitive and dull, and is very basic. I hope nobody learns to design like the author, his book is a trainwreck.

I like The Non Designer's Design Book for really basic stuff, and I am a huge fan of Designing With Type for typography.

Don't buy this book, it is dissapointing ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Introduction to Unity School of Christianity
Although I read this book several years ago, it is the book I recommend most often to anyone new to the Protestant sect called Unity School of Christianity. Unity Church is a haven for people from all religions who are looking for something more than just a bunch of dos and don'ts. At Unity Church I know Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Protestants--every religion and denomination is represented at most typical Unity Churches and services. This book explains the religion in clear and entertaining language for the general reader. It is not just another gee-whiz public-relations book. It is a book solidly based on both knowledge and spiritual understanding. Unity's God and Unity's Jesus are the INNER God and the INNER Jesus, not the outer God with a long white beard sitting on a cloud in heaven. Unity is a practical religion, showing folks how to apply ancient and modern spiritual truths and values to their everyday lives. The book introduces the religion and the church, which can be seen as part of the New Thought Movement, although the Unity religion stands firmly on its own foundation. The religion is growing fast throughout both the United States and the world. Its teachings are drawn from ancient spiritual principles and truths; Unity is definitely NOT a cult. I recommend this book very highly. You can't go wrong reading it even if you never enter a Unity church. ... Read more

Book Description
The saga of humanity's destiny...Following a cataclysm, humanity has been divided into two mutant forms: the Simes and the Gens. Gens consider themselves to be the true humans, with little outward change, but their bodies produce selyn, an energy that Simes can't live without. The stronger and faster Simes develop the means to extract selyn from the Gens, a method that kills the Gen in the process. Gen communities are raided by Simes, the Gens rounded up and held in pens for Simes to use when needed. This is the saga of how these two disparate peoples learn to live as one.Sime~Gen: The Unity Trilogy presents three classic novels of the future struggle of humanity:In House of Zeor by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Hugh Valleroy, a Gen, must rescue the woman he loves from Sime raiders. To do so, he must learn to cooperate with and trust a renegade Sime, leader of the infamous House of Zeor.In Ambrov Keon by Jean Lorrah, Risa Tigue, having just witnessed her father's death in a hurricane, stumbles upon a Gen man who saves her life and discovers that she is much more than what she seems. Can she admit the truth of this discovery?In Zelerod's Doom by Lichtenberg and Lorrah, Gen numbers are dwindling, which spells the end of Simes as well. As Gens rise up to fight back against the tyranny of the Simes, the two must find a way to live together or both will be destroyed.Sime~Gen: The Unity Trilogy kicks off a massive six-book series, featuring the reprints of all eight classic Sime~Gen novels as well as brand new novels and short stories. The Unity Trilogy will be followed in July of 2004 with the first new Sime~Gen novel in over 20 years, To Kiss or to Kill by Jean Lorrah!The Unity Trilogy will be available in both hard cover and soft cover. The hard covers will be shipped with a beautiful bookplate designed by Sime~Gen art director Patric Michael and autographed by Jean and Jacqueline! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Sime~Gen
Anyone reading the Unity Trilogy SC for the very first time will be amazed at just how incredibly fantastic it all is. But for those who are more familiar with her writings there should be no real surprise. Anything by Jacqueline Lichtenberg is always ranked among the very best in fantasy and science fiction.

Jacqueline has been a professional author and member of the Science Fiction Writers of America for many years. Her vivid imagination has taken readers to places well beyond wherever most other sci fi can only pretend to. Her Sime~Gen works are just such wonderous reading.

There are always curious twists and turns along the plotlines, as well as a wide array of interesting characters. Even for those who are not fanatical sci fi enthusiasts, the Unity Trilogy will still hold interest. Jacqueline always includes a wide scenereo of sub-plots, highly believable relationships, and endless difficulties to overcome.

The reader finishes the book always wanting more, but nevertheless having enjoyed it thoroughly. And, perhaps best of all, actually having learned much. But don't just stop with this work, by all means go on to any and all other Lichtenberg books. There's many more surprises in store. And the educational adventure, combined with the entertainment value, never fails.

You definitely won't be disappointed.

{:-) Jeff Redmond
redmondjeff@hotmail.com
www.erdabooks.net

Symbiosis Out of Balance
The Unity Trilogy is a book that landed in my lap -- nearly literally! I swear, I showed up one night for the writers' group I'm in and my friend Alan was there with a white box. "Hey, remember how I mentioned we could maybe use you as a proofreader?" he asked, before handing over the box. Inside were three manuscripts, since it was a trilogy being republished as an omnibus by Meisha Merlin. A couple of weeks later, I went to start proofing and boom, I was totally hooked by the first page!

So what is Sime~Gen about?

Let see... Set some centuries in the future, Sime~Gen has the human race divided (through either evolution or genetic manipulation, nobody knows) into two groups: Simes and Gens. Both groups basically look the same, but there is one big difference which dominates all goings-on between them: Simes have tentacles on their arms and need selyn to survive, while Gens don't have tentacles and produce selyn. Selyn isn't any type of bodily fluid but an invisible life force almost like chi, which builds up naturally in Gens but whose absence in Simes will kill them if they go more than a month.

Ever since the mutation divided the species, Simes and Gens have understandably been at war. In Sime-controlled territories, Gens are raised in pens like animals and bought and sold like they're food - stripped of their selyn and tossed away. In Gen-dominated territories, by contrast, there is a saying that "The only good Sime is a dead Sime." And what makes it scary is that Gens can have Sime children and vice versa - nobody knows until they hit puberty. If Gens have Sime children, they kill them, and when Simes have them, they can of course kill them or sell them to Gen dealers.

This is the basic set up of the trilogy and the plot, as it develop, involves efforts on part of Simes and Gens to overcome all the prejudice and enmity and achieve unity. After all, if Simes kill all the Gens, they'll die, and it's already a given than Gens can't kill all the Simes.

None of this is explained in boring history lessons, but laid out in the stories of individuals. In House of Zeor the story centers of a Gen named Hugh Valleroy, who goes on a dangerous, secret assignment into Sime territory in order to rescue an important Gen official who also happens to be his girlfriend. (Yes, this sounds cheesy and it sort of is.) Hugh doesn't infiltrate Sime territory on his own, however, but instead is paired up with Klyd Farris, head of the titular House of Zeor. Even though Hugh has actually grown up as a Sime sympathizer (who expected he'd "changeover" at puberty), he's never been to Sime territory and arrives completely unprepared for what he finds.

House of Zeor is a "householding" which, running again most prevailing laws and attitudes, is a community where Simes and Gens live in harmony. Harmony is achieved by a special kind of Sime called a Channel. Unlike regular Simes, Channels don't need to kill Gens to get the selyn they need. Channels have two "selyn transport systems" and can collect selyn from dozens of Gens, just like milking cows almost, and then go to Simes, who then take the selyn - instead of killing Gens. Channels also have selyn needs of their own, of course, and for that reason, and because they're just so important to householdings, each Channel has a Companion. Companions, Hugh learns, are Gens who produce an extraordinarily large quantity of selyn and are able to give their selyn freely to serve the appetite of the Channel. Little does Hugh know that he's natural Companion material - for Klyd, the head channel of House of Zeor!

There's an awful lot of plot over the course of these three books. House of Zeor is a dive into the world of Simes and Gens and follows the story of Hugh and Klyd, while the middle book, Ambrov Keon, takes place in another part of the world. It centers on another householding, Keon, starting with the arrival of Risa Tigue, a "junct" (killing) Sime who stumbles upon a householding and learns she is a Channel. Risa has a lot to learn and although she fights it, she ends up being a big part of bringing her corner of the world towards unity. The final book, Zelerod's Doom, brings Hugh and Klyd together with the cast of of Ambrov Keon for a battle that eventually achieves the beginning of what gets to be called Unity - the day Simes and Gens begin to forge a truce. This story gets deeper into some of the relationships, in particular Hugh and Klyd's, and reveals a race struggling to figure out what they are about and how they can survive.

One thing I'll say about these books is that although I did enjoy them quite a lot, the writing style, plotting and other bits of it can get to sounding cheesy. It certainly isn't the sort of rich descriptive narrative I'm used to reading (Storm Constantine, Ursula Le Guin). Instead, it's more the kind of writing you'd find in a Star Trek book, which makes a lot of sense since the authors are huge Star Trek fans and have, in fact, written Star Trek novels. This doesn't stop the books from being enjoyable, but I think it is something that needs to be noted, in case a reader is expecting great literature.

Since reading Sime~Gen I have found myself wanting to read more and luckily, there is more to read, not only more books, which Meisha Merlin will be publishing over the next few years, but whole novels already online and a huge load of fan fiction, which the authors are OK with and even host on their own web site. I am so glad Alan handed me that white box!

One of my Longtime Favorites
When you open the cover, you first "see" (visualize) two army professionals nervously awaiting a meeting with some type of spy.As yet, there is little hint that you have entered a world where emotions become real flaring beacons, where actually destroying the people you love the best is a literal possibility, and where philosophical questions take on a new depth of tangibility and beauty.The characterization brought me to these books the first time, and kept me reading as I struggled through the trick of reasoning within an alien world (a mental challenge that is incredibly attractive to science fiction readers).House of Zeor (the first book in the trilogy) has a point of view character who is also unfamiliar with the key concepts, so it makes a good starting place, and I caught on just by reading.There is a world of incredible beauty and fascination between these covers.They remain some of my favorite books (over five years after my first introduction to House of Zeor), and I am very pleased that they are finally republished.Keep on reading even through the alien words like "zlin" and "field gradient" --trust me, it's worth it.You meet people like Klyd Farris, who has a "brittle strength" and more courage than I can fathom; Risa Tigue, who says the funniest things; Muryin and Virena, two girls who come from almost opposite interpretations--and you unveil philosophical questions that seem so simple at first glance, but continue to develop and deepen, and finally remain unresolved--but tantalizing and invigorating.I would highly recommend this trilogy--probably because I still read it!

Alisa from alisaandmike.com
I just finished House of Zeor from Sime~Gen and loved it!I look forward to finishing the other two stories.I have actually spent my entire night reading - it's now 5:36am and I have had no sleep.Shame on Jacqueline Lichtenberg for writing such a captivating story!What a brilliant feat to create the Sime~Gen world.It is hard to believe this is her first novel published in 1974.It is not dated at all.I look forward to loosing more sleep.

# sf classics that are great today
Background.Humanity evolved into two species following the cataclysm.On the surface the only obvious physical difference is the arms of the Sime.However, in reality, the Simes were much bigger, faster, and deadlier than the Gens.The Sime need selyn to survive while the Gens contain that energy source within their bodies.Over time the Sime began drugging and herding the Gen into pens so that they could suck dry selyn from its source leaving the Gen dead.

"House of Zeor".Gen intelligence operative Hugh Valleroy is considerably distraught over his beloved Aisha being apparently abducted by the Sime.He plans to risk his life to bring her home, but to do so he must meet with Klyd, a Sime.Klyd is a new type of Sime.He serves as a channel between the species, killing no one but providing nutrients for his race.Both are little regarded amongst their respective people.Hugh is considered a Sime lover because he speaks the language, which he learned from his Sime expatriate mother.Klyd and his House of Zeor are considered lunatics because the Gens are a source of food and death is a by-product of that feeding frenzy.Neither trusts the other.Yet if they fail to cooperate, they not only will falter on their quest to save Aisha, but they will also destroy any hope of peaceful coexistence as dreamed of by both men.

"Ambrov Keon".Simes Morgan Tigue and his daughter Risa were sailing home on the Mizipi River when the storm suddenly hit killing the father.Risa barely survives, but to do so drains much of her internal supply of life energy selyn.She must find herself a Gen so that she can replenish her source of life-energy.Risa meets Gen Sergi ambrov Keon, who has the uncanny ability to provide selyn yet control the Sime so as to give enough for the feeder to live yet not die in the process.Sergi offers shelter and selyn to Risa.Having just failed to keep alive a channel, he hopes she is the one that along with him will prove they can live in harmony.Sergi believes she has that ability, but can he persuade her to stop the killing.

"Zelerod's Doom".The end times have arrived for both species of the human race.To survive the life giving Gens and the feeder Simes must find a way to cooperate with channels being the obvious avenue.Failure to do so means the end of the Gens, which mathematically implies the termination of the Simes.Most Gens never heard of channels while most Simes think these renegades are depraved lunatics.Humanity is on the brink of extinction unless the two species stop the animosity and prejudice to reunite the human race into one people.Together in harmony all live, but divided in discord all die.

The Sime-Gen novels are some of the best post apocalypse books written and to see this reprinting in one volume will bring plenty of pleasure to genre fans.The tales focus on the Gen-Sime relationship, but the key to these three books is that the two species seem real regardless of whether Jacqueline Lichtenberg or Jean Lorrah or both wrote the tale.Readers will be caught up in the action, but will appreciate the depth to the prime cast members such as Hugh and Risa.Whether the player is a Sime or a Gen they seem genuine and stay true to their people.Fans of vampire tales in a different setting than Transylvania or London will clearly want to read the great Unity Trilogy novels rolled together in one superb collection.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Book Description
From the unique organization to the exceptional art, to the complete integration of the text with technology, Saladin has formed a teaching system that will both motivate and enable your students to understand and appreciate the wonders of anatomy and physiology. Saladin's third edition is the most market responsive text ever published for this course.

This distinctive text was developed to stand apart from all other anatomy and physiology texts with a unique approach, unparalleled art, and a writing style that has been acclaimed by both users and reviewers. Designed for a two-semester A&P college course, Saladin requires no prior knowledge of college chemistry or cell biology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

My absolute favorite
This is by far my favorite text on Anatomy and Physiology. Since I was introduced to it in College I have used it time and again in grad school. Saladin has introduced the complexities of A&P in a manner that seems at least, intuitive and memorable. This text brings Anatomy and Physiology together in a way that unifies the body rather than continuously breaking it apart and compartmentalizing. My many thanks to Ken Saladin!

anatomy & physiology the unity of form & function 3rd edition
i got the book in a speedy manner recieved the book in graet condition as promised will be purchasing future textbooks through this process

Beginner's anatomy 101
I have used this for my anatomy/physiology classes and found it to be very descriptive & helpful.I have compared the 3rd & 4th edition, there is no difference what so ever; Saladin is a great author as well as a excellent teacher. The 4th edition is only about 30 pages shorter, content taking out...

A very difficult read for the average person.
This book is a very descriptive book on anatomy and the author covers the human body in great detail and provides many examples and good illustrations. Here's why I only gave it 2 stars.This book is NOT an easy read by any means. It is truly college level reading material. I am a student majoring in Nursing and I have to tell you that the author does not do an adequate job of simplifying the material, which gets VERY complex in later chapters. Frequently throughout the text when describing something, say an organ, he will give you every last ounce of info on that organ but truly fail to tell you the BASIC FUNCTION that it performs. He uses a page of text when a paragraph will do. I frequenlty had to have a dictionary by my side reading this. Many of my classmates shared the same opinion.Hedoes not "Dumb it down" so to speak for an average person who is reading this. Frederick Martini's version of Anatomy is much better. He really simplifies the complex concepts and his way of writing is much more decipherable and READER FRIENDLYthan Saladin's. Many college students I know have struggledmightily reading through Saladin's technical writing and wish they had asimpler book to read. I probably would have done much better in my anatomy classes had they issued us a better textbook than this complex, indecipherable encyclopedia.

A+++++
I am beginning medical sch in the fall and needed a solid summer review book. This text is great. The first ~5 chapters are mostly review concerning organization of the body and various physiologic functions that covers most of the highlights from undergrad. The next section is a great introduction to histology, followed by the body systems, pointing out all bones, joints, muscles, blood vessels, etc. that will be covered again in Gross Anatomy, all while presenting a coherent and easy-to-read accompanying text. In addition the illustrations are WONDERFUL. No sacrifice of details ocurred here.
One of the major contributions of this text is the online study materials. Saladin has provided a plethora of study guides, review questions and exams, all with answers, relevant weblinks (the LUMEN histology slides and practicals are a must), crossword puzzles, and perhaps most helpful, labeling exercises, to help get a firm grasp of the material. Gross is a hard hard hard class, and unless some review is done prior, it's almost impossible to learn and retain all of the material required. This is an excellent summer review tool! ... Read more

Product Description
Nowhere are the stakes of sectarian conflict as high as in the Middle East, and nowhere is the practice of interfaith dialogue (IFD) more fraught with difficulty. The questions, then, naturally arise: What sort of person tries something as audacious as interfaith dialogue in such a polarized climate? And what do they hope to gain? The answers to both questions are surprisingly diverse. The authors, after briefly introducing IFD's central concepts and terms, its various models, and the nature of IFD in a Middle Eastern context, go on to discuss the intricate relationships between interfaith activities and religious identity, nationalism, violence, and peacemaking in four very different settings: Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. But they have gone beyond mere reportage and analysis, interviewing the whole cross-section of local IFD workers: not only clerics anddialoguingprofessionals, but also Palestinian housewives, Maronite civic leaders, Israeli schoolteachers, Coptic storekeepers laypersons who are often more eloquent than any scholar at expressing the realities, hopes, and frustrations of IFD within their home countries. Liberally quoting these frontline workers, the authors take on the perennial dilemma faced by IFD proponents: avoid politics and risk irrelevance, or take up the political questions and riskpoliticizingthe dialogue, with all the disruptive effects this implies. Above all, this important book demonstrates the desire for interfaith dialogue in these polarized societies, and the extent to which, against strong odds, religious communities are connecting with each other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Issues underlying Christian unity and a shared faith
The Basis Of Christian Unity is comprised of two of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' address to the Westminister Fellowship in 1969 which were original given against a background of ecumenical discussion and debate with respect to issues, problems and promises underlying Christian unity and a shared faith. After an informative introduction, The Basis Of Christian Unity presents "The Teaching of John 17"; "The Teaching of Ephesians 4"; "New Testament Corroboration"; and "Conclusions". Dr. Lloyd-Jones is one of the most respected theologians of our time. The Basis Of Christian Unity makes some of his best work available to a whole new generation of Christian readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Understand and Value the Different Ways of Following Christ
From the cover of the book: "Why is it that people who read the same Bible and talk about the same Christ, even when they belong to the same church, have trouble getting along with each other and committing themselves to a common witness in the world?"

This book helped me see why others approach their faith different from the way I approach mine, and how we should value our differences instead of trying to change each other's mind! ... Read more