5 comments about There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.

1. This is a great little book.
   
   Tough going for one not involved the details of the controversy though - Flew hits the high points of the various arguments but I think I'm going to have to read a few of the materials he references to really get a handle on his point of view.
   
   In any case, the controversy seems a tad amusing to me from afar. Flew simply changed his mind on the existance of god after many years of thought. This is just his short, interesting and well considered view of matters. The tone of some of the reviews is awfully strident. On the subject of god's existance no one's got a lock; as Randy Newman sang, "there ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy, there's only you and me and we just disagree."



2. I read this book with the idea that Antony Flew really had something new to add to things. I was wrong. And disappointed. The cosmological arguments for a deity - and not even a deity really but just some kind of intelligence that brought the universe into being, some kind of extraterrestrial something about which nothing else specific can really be said, are not, to me, compelling. And Flew's book does not make them any more compelling. I think the Deists were in a much better position in the old days before it was understood that organic chemistry did not involve some "vital essence" and there was really nothing other than some kind of supernatural/spooky basis for life and living things. But with that gone, explaining the fine structure constant and such is an exercise in "what ifs." One might as well believe in Star Trek's "Q" and that such beings made our universe for sheer boredom relief. Flew does OK rehashing the usual cosmological stuff but there's nothing really new here.



3. I remember seeing the headlines in late 2004/early 2005. One of the world's most famous atheists, Anthony Flew, had declared his belief in "a God". This was a major coup for the theists in the atheism versus theism battle. So, when I saw the book "There Is No A God" had been published, I had to get it. I had to see what new evidence had persuaded one of the most prominent philosophers of our time. Anthony Flew was an atheist for more than 60 years. He spent time debating Christian apologists (including presenting papers to C.S. Lewis. You may know that C.S. Lewis was, at one time a pretty staunch atheist before he became of the best known apologists for Christianity. I want to know what makes men like that tick; men who are willing to completely change their views on something as critical on whether or not there is a God based on reason and logic.
   
   The subtitle of the book is "How the world's most notorious atheist changed his mind". The book begins at the beginning- talking about Flew's youth, his days in school and what led him to being an atheist in the first place. His father was a minister. So, he did not start off as an atheist. But, in his teens he had already decided there was no God. The book takes through his formation as an atheist and the reasoning that led him there. Early on in life, he decided to "follow the evidence wherever it may lead", which is a Socratic principle. When I made that commitment to myself a couple of decades ago, I didn't know it was a Socratic principle. But, I decided that I would pursue truth above all else, even if it led me away from Christianity. It's fascinating that the same commitment that led Flew away from being a theist over 60 years later brought him right back.
   
   The book is written in language a layperson can understand. I've struggled to read some philosophers as they speak their own language and even seem to use their own logic. However, Flew and his co-author Roy Varghese speak in language the common man can understand. Flew's "religion" would probably be called Deism. He is not a Christian, even though he has acknowledged that the Christian argument for revealed religion is probably stronger than any other. Flew's religion is not "revealed" and is not based on either faith or personal experience. He came to the conclusion that there is a God simply based on logic/reason/philosophy although recent scientific discoveries (including the Big Bang theory) certainly helped. Actually, the core of Flew's argument, IMO is the fact that there is something rather than nothing. He goes on to talk about the fact that there seems to be a goal or a design to life, talks about the rising of the living from the non-living and the intelligent from the supposedly non-intelligent. In each case, he tells why materialism/atheism simply doesn't work to answer the questions that a simple acknowledgment of a Creator answers. IMO just the fact that there is something rather than nothing means that there has always been something because every effect must have a cause. Nothing exists completely independently of everything else. Materialists choose to believe the universe has always existed and have come up with some fanciful and intellectually dishonest ways of explaining how something can come from "nothing" (like "nothing" is unstable and kind of decays into "something") or the multiverse theory which attempts to explain the fine-tuning of the universe with the theory that there are an infinite or almost infinite number of universes. I've actually come to the conclusion it takes a lot more faith to be a true atheist (as opposed to an agnostic) than it takes to be a "believer". Some philosophers get themselves so twisted up that they begin to doubt the existence of their very selves and their own minds. As one philosopher said to another in the book some of their theories don't really require refutation. If they actually believe the stuff they say, they need help. If your philosophy causes you to doubt your own existence or the existence of your mind, it's time to put down the books and get back to the real world.
   
   The description of Flew's journey from atheism to theism is followed by two appendices. The first is a refutation of the "new atheism" which is really a rehashing of materialism or positivism and is nothing new. The second is a defense of the divine relevation of Christianity. I didn't find this defense to be particularly strong and I'm kind of surprised Flew does. But, when it comes to believing in a Divine Mind, a Creator, a First Cause, I think Flew shows conclusively this is exactly where the evidence leads us. Whether one chooses to call this "God" or not is a matter of preference. But, there is sufficient reason to believe that the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being does indeed exist and to believe so doesn't require a great leap of "faith" or really any faith at all other than the faith to honestly follow the evidence where it leads.



4. It's the rare intellectual--and especially the rare philosopher (I speak as a member of that strange tribe, by the way)--who's courageous enough to publicly admit error. In his old age, Augustine famously penned a series of Retractions that pruned and corrected his earlier writings. The twentieth century philosopher Wittgenstein eventually repudiated his first work, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. But for every Augustine and Wittgenstein, there are scores of philosophers who become wedded to their systems and simply can't bring themselves to doubt--much less repudiate--cherished conclusions.
   
   That's one reason why Antony Flew's There Is a God is a remarkable work. Whether or not one buys his argument, one can't but admire his insistence on "following the argument where it leads," a bit of Socratic advice which Flew has made his professional motto, even when it leads him to reject positions he earlier championed. The positions which he now rejects are, specifically, that there is no God; that causation is best understood in Humean terms; and that compatibilism is the best way to navigate the free will/determinism debate.
   
   Flew's purpose in There Is a God is to present arguments for his new conclusion that there's evidence to suppose the existence of a divine First Cause. Ultimately, his point is that in the absence of a God, one must settle for mystifying and implausible conceptual leaps. His critics might say that he's simply appealing to a "God of the gaps" move, and perhaps they're correct. But Flew would respond by challenging them to explain, in non-question begging ways, (1) why nature is lawlike (did laws emerge, or did they have to be existent for cosmological events to occur in the first place?), (2) how end-directed and self-replicating life emerged from matter (Flew accepts a neo-Aristotelian understanding of telos), and (3) how nature itself came into being (why is there something rather than nothing?). These, Flew argues, are the types of questions that must be addressed philosophically. Cosmological and biological data are relevant in their investigation, but the questions themselves can't be adequately answered by addressing them as "hows," but rather only as "whys."
   
   Flew's book has generated an enormous amount of heated and sometimes ugly controversy. The militant New Atheists, led by Richard Dawkins, claim that Flew is senile and that the book was ghost written by Roy Abraham Varghese. Christians insist that the book shows that Flew has converted to their faith. Flew, while acknowledging that he's old and that Varghese did much of the actual writing, insists that the book contains his own ideas. To Christian enthusiasts, he insists that he's a deist rather than a theist, and that he hasn't converted to Christianity. How unfortunate that the current theism/atheism debate has become so polemical and recriminatory that all sides have great difficulty following the argument where it leads with civility and grace. The goal seems to be winning a debate rather than discovering truth.



5. I am amazed at Christians who get all excited that a scientific
   man has embrased some kind of "deism", like Thomas Paine who wrote the "Age of Reason" and argued that the god of the bible was more like a demon then anything. According to Orthodox Christianity, such a man is destined for everlasting hell. So, how does Flew help the Christian cause? Where is his proof that god exists? Is it found in probabilities? Let's say that there is some cause to pause and say there could be some kind of designer. Is it the god of the bible, whom science has completely demolished? Is the designer Allah, some Hindu god, etc? I think if we dissect each god there wouldn't be one left standing. So, if there is a Deistic kind of god, so what? What does he/it have to say to us? NOTHING! The only thing that matters is us. Life is what you make it and the best way to be happy is to understand our own psychological make up and 'do what thou wilt'. Even more fundamental to the discussion is what it means to use the term god. What is a god and how would you know one if you came accross one? I lost my faith because when I think of a god I come up with a blank. There is no substance to the word 'god'. If you mearly mean a 'creator' then you ascribe to him some kind of action but have no clue as to the properties of this suposed being. You can substitute the word god for just about anything and it will only make slightly more since then useing the empty word god.
   And then there are the idiots who when discussing this matter talk of this as if it were of eternal importance/consequence. So, this is circular because we are supposed to start with fear of our eternal well-being before we contemplate the matter before us with reason. So, we are kinda supposing this 'god' and the fact that he wishes to torment us for being on the wrong side of the fence, before we analyse any data to conclude whether or not there is this 'creator' terrorist. Wow, and you wonder why the "new atheists" are polemic in nature? Theism, in general, is scary business!

5 comments about All Creatures Great and Small.

1. I bought this edition as a gift for a graduating vet student (every vet needs a copy in his or her office). The book is a classic, and the hardcover is suitable for gifting.



2. Wonderful and inspiring stories of a country vet are humorously written but also deliver a good amount of practical veterinary insight. It's nice to read from the point of view of a kind-hearted yet practical country animal lover.



3. I can't add much more than the previous reviews. How many books on Amazon have a 5 star rating with 100+ reviews? Missed this one during school and read all three of Herriot's books in my 40's. Truly lovely, wise, and transporting. I will make sure my children don't wait as long as I did to discover these classics.



4. One of the best books I've read in my life. A must read. Very well written. Makes you want to write like him.
   
   I remember seeing my high school biology teacher reading this book at her desk while she had some time to herself, while we did our thing with dissections, etc. It seemed that she couldn't get her hands off this book. And I'd wonder what the book was about. Something about creatures. Maybe it was about GOD and church and religion.
   
   Now that I've had a chance to read this book, twenty years later, I can say that it is a wonderful book! You don't want this book to end. And now I understand why my biology teacher was so hooked on it.
   
   This is a nonfictional book about an English veterinarian writing about his funny and sometimes dramatic profession. From how he started, to his everyday events in a small town (away from the big city such as London) to how he meets his future wife, and his gradual establishment of his veterinary life. This book is filled with funny moments that makes you pause with a smile on your face. And has its poignant moments that makes you realize its wonderful writing.
   
   This book gives you a glimpse of what the veterinary world is like on his side, on the countryside of life, with real people and real stories, and of course, with real animals. Animals and people and veterinary work that you will come to love.



5. Mr. James Herriot is an uncommon writer, possessed of extraordinary skill and a mastery of the English language. When speaking of works of fiction, he is my favorite writer. His ability to choose perfectly appropriate and descriptive words, phrases, and metaphors to verbally illustrate unique characteristics, landscapes, feelings, and situations still has me mesmerized.
   
   "All Creatures Great and Small" is autobiographical in that Mr. Herriot is the central character of the book, though James Herriot is the pen name of the real author, Jim Wight. However, since the work is defined as a novel, then one may assume that Mr. Herriot took certain liberties in relating many of the tales he unfolds. Mr. Herriot is a veterinary surgeon, and much of his novel specifically involves dealing with particular cases of sick livestock and ailing house pets. One should not quickly conclude, however, that this story is merely about the ramblings of a country animal doctor who at times finds himself in interesting situations, as some reviewers would suggest.
   
   Instead, my feeling is that Mr. Herriot utilized his visits to multiple and varied farms and residences in the British countryside to highlight the individual conditions, attitudes, and distinctive persons he discovered at each location. The book becomes absolutely delightful and poignant, for instance, when Mr. Herriot kindly sits at an aging woman's bedside and tenderly comforts her with his voiced belief that her devoted, loving dogs and cats are indeed possessed of souls and that she need not fear that they will again be her companions in the afterlife.
   
   And I do not believe I have laughed out loud so frequently while reading one book. Some of my personal favorites are when his brakes go out on his car and he must navigate a steep and winding descent to the bottom of a low valley, where his next veterinary visit is scheduled, and when he finds himself on his first date with the woman he is destined to marry and the only respectable dress suit he owns is several years out of fashion and far too tight-fitting, which is partly why he becomes far too nervous and a bout of awkward conversation and actions follow. Additionally, much might be said here about the quirky relationship Mr. Herriot has with his unpredictable and explosive yet perfectly harmless and generous employer, a Mr. Siegfried Farnon, and Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan. Farnon's demanding attitude regarding his veterinary business affairs, especially in the face of Tristan's irresponsibility in mishandling assignments and responsibilities, is often the basis for much of the hilarity in the book.
   
   In speaking of his relationships with those to whom he is closest on a personal level and the frequently visited owners of his animal patients, Mr. Herriot has an especially profound gift when it comes to praising the best characteristics that are found in the human race. He speaks with eloquent fondness when describing the beautiful traits he sees in his lovely Helen, his soon-to-be wife. And when he stumbles upon a man or woman who he feels is in ownership of certain admirable exceptionality, such as industry or thrift or honesty or discipline or gentleness, his written accolades of such persons is heartwarming and deeply inspiring.
   
   Thus I would say that this book has everything. It touches upon the topics of death, faith, humor, love, devotion, stewardship, human strengths and frailties, prosperity and poverty, work and idleness, occupation, and the list goes on. Given that these interesting topics are handled so capably by Mr. Herriot's writing talent, I doubt that any sensitive reader would find this book to be anything but delightful and praiseworthy.

5 comments about Marley: A Dog Like No Other.

1. Purchased as a gift. Have received good feed-back from the recipient, who, by the way, is a Marley fan.



2. Loved the book --it made me laugh, smile, cry. I bought three -- two were gifts and one for myself, which I also loaned to all my dog loving friends.



3. In this condensed version of John Grogan's best-selling Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, the author has written an adapted version of his life and times with his Labrador Retriever, Marley, that's perfect for younger readers.
   
   Having read and fully enjoyed Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog when it was first released, I was a little anxious to see how Mr. Grogan would handle a shorter, easier-to-read version for the middle-grade set. Fortunately, MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER is a fun, vibrant, and compelling read that even older elementary school students will enjoy.
   
   When John and his wife, Jenny, first pick Marley out from a litter of pure-blood Labradors, they have no idea that their small bundle of fur with the big paws and blocky head will eventually turn into a 97-pound drool-machine full of nerves, excitement, and limitless energy. This short story (196 pages) is a testament to the trials, tribulations, and ultimate loyalty of a dog who ended up starring in a feature film.
   
   Marley is the type of dog that you love, despite his flaws (and there are many!), and even the youngest of readers will be overjoyed to read about the trouble that he finds himself in on a daily basis. And, I admit, I shed a few tears towards the end of this book, but they were well worth it, because Marley was worth it.
   
   One great benefit of this version of Marley's story are the numerous full-color photographs that the author has included. This addition alone makes MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER an asset to your home library.
   
   Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"



4. This book is excellent for dog lovers. It spans the gambit from laughter to tears. A MUST READ!



5. Marley is a great book about a dog. He is crazy but still very cute. He is not obedient at all and when he's in public he is very naughty. This book goes from the beginning of Marley's life to when he gets really old. Marley is a golden retriever. He is so big that everyone is scared of him. When anyone walks into the house Marley dashes up to them and jumps up on them. This book is so good I couldn't put it down. These are some of the reasons I liked the book:
   
   1. The book has to do with animals being treated fairly and I like that.
   2. It taught me how much a dog can connect with its owner. It was touching.
   3. The book was thick but I couldn't get enough!
   
   There is just one thing that made me sad. I won't tell you what it was but I will say that it was so sad I actually cried. I hope this review helps you decide if this book is for you or not.
   
   (Review written by Tysha)

5 comments about The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition.

1. Possibly the best Buffet book ever written. If you only have two investment books, this should be one and the Intelligent Investor the second. Mr. Hagstrom covers several famous Buffet transaction's. The basis of Buffet's investment philosophies and several relatively easy examples of how to judge a company. A novice book but a fun read for experienced professionals.



2. es uno de los peores libros que he leido, no esta ni cerca de ser interesante, de hecho lei 10 libros desde que empece a leer este y aun no lo termino. Si necesitan saber algo mas de Warren busquen otras opciones.



3. Warren Buffet, the world's richest man, without a doubt, is the greatest investor today. Buffet's the only investor using fundamental analysis who can beat market indices. Unlike the vast majority of money and mutual fund managers who charge high management fees and consistently lag their respective market indices, Buffet has beaten the market for decades. The one lesson this wise investor imparts is to invest in only what you understand. By following this discipline, Buffet bypassed nascent companies such as Microsoft, as well as, the dot.com mania in 1999 and 2000. This is when the RMC Q Trader [...] makes sense, picking up where Buffet and fundamental analysis stops. With a Q Trader program you benefit from diversified investment techniques.



4. I ordered this book and never got it. I inquired about not getting it twice. I think I got bored with chasing it down after that.



5. 
   
   I think it is a very good book to understand how the guys thinks about the whole game of investing. You can clearly see the signs of a seasoned investor throughout the book. But how much useful will it be for people like you and me, that's questionable. Imagine if Tiger Woods tells you how he plays golf or Mozart tells you how he composed those lyrics. It is kind of that. I think it is just a knack of things that either you have or you don't have. But do read the book just to get some idea about the financial market and its potholes that you need to be aware of.

5 comments about Shakespeare: The World as Stage (Eminent Lives).

1. This book is a great fun read, busting all the myths out there. Any lover of Shakespeare will love it. As usual, Bill Bryson's thorough research sets out all the facts while thoroughly entertaining us.



2. Frankly, I have always admired the idea of Shakespeare but never had a great desire to actively listen to or read anything he wrote. I feel that I am a fairly well read person but listening to Shakespeare seemed as interesting as watching dental plaque build up on my kids braces. Having heard and read a number of Bryson's books I figured that I might as well give this one a shot. I was not dissapointed. In fact I have listened to several of Shakespeare's plays on audiobook since listening to this book and I now appreciate his complexity and depth thanks to the insight that I gained from listening to this book. In reading some of the negative reviews I can understand that some would prefer for this book to be rather more critical of the Bard's identity or they would have prefered for him to dautle on other ideas. I disagree. Those ideas are covered but I believe that Bryson's main point was to bring an appreciation of just how interesting Shakespeare and his works truly are and he accomplished that fully. Perhaps Bill will one day write a book that I find utterly uninteresting but this one is not that. It is yet another dose of his unique wit and insight.



3. I am one of those individuals who enjoy Bryson's work. When I read this author's books, I get the impression that he does not take himself all that serious, much in the same way I take myself. I can relate. This little volume on the individual who is probably and arguably the greatest of all our English writers is no exception. It, as others here have pointed out, is sort of a book about nothing. By that I mean, we know almost absolute nothing of the man, William Shakespeare. We don't even know for sure how he spelled his name due to the fact that he, himself, did not spell it the same all of the time. Bryson has taken nothing and turned out a work, 196 pages of work, of something. Now if you think that is easy, try it some time.
   
   This is not a scholarly dissertation (thank goodness) which tries to pass itself off as the beginning and end of all that was ever written about the life of Shakespeare. It is a short study of just what we do not know about him, which we find, is quite a lot! I picked up absolutely dozens and dozens of facts as to what I did not know, and until I read this book, did not realize I did not know. In addition to this I picked up some wonderful trivia (and some information that was not trivial at all) concerning the era in which Shakespeare wrote, if indeed, he wrote during that era. I had no idea of the words and phrases, which happen to number in the hundreds, which were introduced to the English Language via Shakespeare. As one reviewer has pointed out, this is really not a biography, but rather a history lesson, a lesson of little facts that you would not normally be exposed to. Bryson has done his home work and we have all benefitted from his seemingly endless curiosity.
   
   Now for those folks who are Shakespearian scholars. This probably will not be all that much help to you; of course picking up the book, noting that it has only 196 pages, should pretty well tip you off to that fact pretty quickly. If it doesn't, perhaps you might want to find some other line of work. This is a readable book, an interesting book, written for those of us who have not made the study of Shakespeare a profession or made it an obsession, which ever the case may be. It is not a book that you can use as a substitute for a sleeping pill, as so many hard core books on this subject are. It is for those of us who are curious, and who want to know bits of this and pieces of this and that. I will say though, that by reading this work, I have gained even further appreciation for the work of Shakespeare, which says a lot, as I had already admired him greatly.
   
   I did enjoy the last chapter or so, as it addresses the many theories of the many rather odd individuals who have been obsessed over the years, trying to prove that Shakespeare was not Shakespeare, or that someone else wrote his writings. These nut jobs seemed to have started from the beginning. The neat thing about it is, as Bryson so well points out, we know even less of the basis of their theories than we know of Shakespeare. Some of them are pretty funny though and worth taking a look.
   
   Bryson does have a low keyed sense of humor and this fact shines through on ever page of this work. His style is easy on the eye, and in this work, there are no pretentions. It is sort of what you read is what you get. I enjoyed this one front to back and feel much richer for having read it. I did give this one five stars as I truly enjoyed it and felt, for me, it was a very worthwile book. Others may disagree with this, but hey, they can write their own review.



4. Bill Bryson
   
   Shakespeare
   
   
   Fact and main theme:
   
   There is very little that we know about Shakespeare.
   
   
   This is an exceptional book for one with little knowledge of the history of the period and the man himself.
   
   
   It covers not only the person, but some information of the history surrounding Shakespeare in a very entertaining simple way.
   
   
   What does Shakespeare look like?
   
   There are 3 possible likenesses:
   
   1) 1839: Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandon Grenville purchased the "Chandros portrait," hought to be Shakespeare during the period 1590 -1610. Interesting to note that black was various prosperous due to the cost of dye for black.
   
   
   2) "Martin Droeshout engraving" - Copperplate engraving appeared as the frontpiece of the collected works of Shakespeare in 1623 - the famous First Folio.
   
   
   3) Painted life-size state at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare is buried (and was born): Created by Gheerart Janssen in1623.
   
   
   Side note on researchers: Charles and Hudda Wallace, in the early 1900's Went to England to search for Shakespeare. Went through public records. Went back to Texas and became a millionaire in oil.
   
   
   It is not surprising that little is known as it is noted that other playwrights were even more famous than Shakespeare at the time, but even less is known of them: Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson.
   
   
   First Folio, put together by Henry Condell and John Heminges, is the basis for much of our knowledge of Shakespeare's 884,647 words
   
   
   Early Years, 1564-1585
   
   Exact date of birth not known but accepted as April 23, St George's Day, also the day he died.
   
   Date of Baptism April 26.
   
   But born under the old Julian calendar, not the Gregorian (pope Gregory XIII) which was not created until 1582 and rejected in Britan until 1751: Thus, confusing the matter even more. Thus, April 23, is really May 3.
   
   
   Religion of the day was keyed to ruler at the time: Protestant under Edward V to Catholic under Mary Tudor and back to Protestantism under Elizabeth.
   
   
   Parents: John Shakespeare was Stratsford mayor 1568. Died in1601 at age 70.
   
   Mary Arden, mother of 8 (4 girls).
   
   
   Family:
   
   Shespesare married November 1582: The bride according to the ledger, was not Anne Hathaway but Anne Whaeley of nearby Temple Grafton. The marriage Bond correctly notes Anne Hathaway, but "Shagspere," one of many spellings to be noted.
   
   
   3 children: Susana in May 1583, twins Judith and Hamnet in February 1585.
   
   
   Shakespeare's career as a playwright began in about 1590.
   
   The comedy of errors, the two gentlemen of Verona, the taming of the shrew, Titus Andronicus, King John or the three parts of Henry VI are thought to be his first works.
   
   
   Purchased a coat of arms, allowing farther and son and all their heirs in perpetuity to style themselves gentlemen.
   
   
   March 1616 Shakespeare changes his will, left in Britain's National Archives at Kew in London with 3 of 6 Shakespeare's signatures.
   
   February 1616 daughter Judith (31) married to Thomas Quiney,
   
   April 23, 1616, Shakespeare dies.
   
   
   Wealth: 200 to 700 pounds per year
   
   Comparable: Sir Francis Drake - 600,000 pounds in 1580.
   
   15 pounds comparable to 15,000 pounds in today's money.
   
   
   Lost years, 1585-1592
   
   The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
   
   Spanish Armadas spread over 7 miles in the sea.123,000 cannonballs with 3,000 "bronze" cannons, which required to be cooled after every 2-3 rounds..
   
   English had "cast-iron" cannons. 3 weeks Spanish Armada was decimated.
   
   
   Plays were held by the company not the playwritght.
   
   
   Christopher Marlowe, killed 1593 at Eleanor Bull in Deptford in south-east London by Ingram Frizer.
   
   
   By 1594 2 main troupes: Admiral's men under Edward Alleyn and a new group, the Lord Chamberlain's Men led by Richard Burbage, (died 1597: AT 67) associated with Shakespeare.
   
   
   Reign OF King James, 1603-1616, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, after the death of Elizabeth (March 24 under the Julian calendar at 69. King James famous for the King James Version of the bible (1604-1611).
   
   
   Sonnet is a 14 line poem from Francesco Petrarca, 14th century Italian poet. Word comes from "little song'"
   
   
   Rules of plays: "law of re-entry, which stated that a character couldn't exit from one scene and reappear immediately in the next.
   
   
   Anatomisms - getting one's geography wrong.
   
   
   Oxford Dictionary of Quotations - roughly one-tenth of all most quotable utterances written or spoken in English since its inception - a clearly remarkable proportion.
   
   
   Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC, Henry Clay Folger (dies 1930), President of Standard oil and member of the Folger's coffee family. Collection of First Folios and other books: 350,000 in total.



5. Let me start by saying I LOVE Bryson's work.
   
   I was very drawn into this book because I knew very little about the story of Shakespeare. I learned a LOT about the man and his family and friends and about that time period. I couldn't put it down.
   
   However, about 2/3 of the way through the book it started to get really dry and boring. That surprised me a little. I am very glad to have read the book and when I think back to the beginning parts it was a really good book. It just ended pretty dry for me.

5 comments about Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood.

1. This is not a book is fascinating, though not the best pick for those with a weak stomach. It's painfully honest and that's why I loved it. The author has a really rich yet simple way of writing, so you feel, smell, see, taste the entire experience they had growing up in Africa. It's far from a comfortable way of life, and it's downright depressing in some parts, but that's part of its honesty and richness. I really respect someone who is able to write about their own life without glamorizing it nor condemning it.



2. Okay, now as a former and recovering English major I'm going to admit that Ms. Fuller is actually a decent writer, But I do want to point out a few things the other reviews don't cover.
   First, Ms. Fuller is stridently politically correct and distorts the historical facts of the former Rhodesia in an effort to demonize the whites. The distortion does border on reverse racism, however much I hate to trot out the r-word.
   Secondly, this woman is absolutely obsessed with toilet functions and other bodily things and takes any opportunity to describe them--particularly her own. She takes an almost narciscisstic delight in describing herself in these terms.



3. This family is composed mainly of fighters, people who decided to forsake the clotted cream comfort of their native England for the thorny bush country of, what was then known as, Rhodesia.
   
   In poetic prose that the reader occasionally stumbles over, Fuller takes us on a dense tour of her life in Africa, thesaurus in hand, and describes the stunning beauty and hopeless squalor of the land with a series of adjectives and adverbs that occasionally seem shoehorned in but rarely off-the-mark. This makes for an occasionally jarring, though still beautiful, journey, much like what the young author must have experienced perched on the spare tire of her family's bucking Land Rover. Some of Fuller's descriptive metaphors, however, are quite luminous; they stay with you.
   
   Still, she hits home with her prose more often than not, and produces a thoroughly readable if somewhat detached report on the life of her family, and how they bear up as trauma eclipses joy after a series of dismal events, including the deaths of small children and runs for the border of several African nations as things (i.e., the political landscape, war) shift and change. These things would loom large in anyone's life, and they are told here with an air of inevitability and acceptance . . . even excitement.
   
   Here's a family who thrives on adventure.
   
   There were several times Fuller had me right there in the back of the Land Rover with her. I was unsettled and awed by what we saw together. She's an amazing writer when she gets going.
   
   Great read.



4. I found this in audio at an audio rental store. The front intrigued me so I read the back and decided to give it a go. I liked it so much that my husband decided he wanted to listen to it too! What an interesting life to have lead at such a young age!



5. Although mostly well-written, this memoir is very depressing. I was expecting more about Africa from this NF book, but it's largely the tale of a highly dysfunctional family that suffers blow after blow, bringing much of it on itself. And no one seems to learn anything from their mistakes. The Book of Job is uplifting reading by comparison.

No comments about Rant: The Oral Biography of Buster Casey.

5 comments about The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS.

1. Dr. Pisani is a rarity in that she is a scientist who can write! She is a former journalist turned epidemiologist (aka "epi")working in AIDs research amd prevention. Her book will interest not just those readers concerned with AIDs, but anyone who wants to understand the effect politicians and bureaucrats and competing NGOs(Non-government orgaizaions) have on public health. Often only scientists and academics can grasp the process and explanation of scientific research. Dr. Pisani explains it so clearly that the general reader will understand as well. However, she hasn't "dumbed down' the scientific research process and data analysis. Through out this excellent book she shows a deep respect for the intelligence of her reader. No matter what opinion someone has regarding AIDs and its victims, this book will help improve understanding of the disease, its transmissions, the risks of being infected, and how its spread could be stopped. The title may be shocking, but sometimes it take a shock to get many of us to pay attention. Buy this book! Once you start reading you will not put it down until you reach the final page!



2. Elizabeth Pisani's The Wisdom of Whores - Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS is a great book (along with a great website). Elizabeth Pisani is an epidemiologist with years of experience working on HIV/AIDS (or sex and drugs, as she puts, which sounds a lot, well, sexier) at a variety of agencies, including UNAIDS. The book is the story of her frustrations at the way the international community, national governments, NGOS and AIDS activists have dealt with the epidemics, as well as her hopes in some of the progress made.
   
   I got interested in the book when I read an interview Pisani gave to the Guardian. The interview kinda billed the book as a controversial work where Pisani would be the mean lady who said people got AIDS because of their stupid behavior and not enough was being done because of political correctness. So, I was ready to get really pissed off with the book. That has not been the case at all.
   
   Elizabeth Pisani is a scientist and that perspective is pervasive in the book. That's a good thing. I much prefer sober, "just the facts" perspective to touchy-feely stuff. Actually, one of the main frustrations that Pisani deals with in the book is the fact that AIDS had to be made about innocent wives and children for the international community to gear into action, as opposed to the real populations at risk in most parts of the world (except Africa, and she shows that even in Africa, the innocent wives and children trope does not work, as the data show): drug injectors and people who buy and sell sex.
   
   To me, precisely because the book is data-driven, it was not controversial. My reaction was more, "well, if that's what the data show, so be it." But also, I think, the book was billed as controversial because Pisani calls things what they are: penises, receptive or insertive anal sex, etc. and she does spend a lot of time describing her study in red light districts of Jakarta and other (mostly Asian) place. She discusses the brothels, the warias (transgendered male prostitutes) and rent boys, the drug injectors. She does spend a lot of time describing that world that a lot of people would rather never hear of: the stigmatized, the marginalized, those we can safely ignore and those that don't get politicians votes come election time. Doing nice things for whores and junkies carries no political rewards. Doing things for innocent wives and children does. So, that's what has been done with HIV/AIDS and this has been a tragic mistake.
   
   But these descriptions are unvaluable and fascinating because we never read about them. If you read about HIV/AIDS, you will read a lot about Africa (which does make sense since the high rates of infection in the general population are to be found in Eastern and Southern Africa). The problem is that the African patterns of infection have been assume to apply everywhere, especially Asia, where that is just not the case. So, the solutions and programs suggested are inadapted.
   
   The programs needed in Eastern and Southern Africa are not those that are needed in Asia. In these parts of Africa, AIDS does affect the larger population but that's just not the case in Asia where most of the solutions described by Pisani involve programs to distribute condoms, lubricants and clean needles. It is also one of Pisani's other frustrations: we know how HIV is transmitted (biologically, that is), we know the types of behavior most likely to facilitate this transmission, so, we know what kind of prevention is needed. And yet, there is too much focus placed on treatment, rather than preventing people from getting infected in the first place.
   
   Another thing that definitely comes through as Pisani tells the story of her peregrinations through Jakarta, trying to collect good data to design good public health policy, is that, whether she likes it or not, she comes across as someone who really does care about all the junkies, whores and warias she meets along the way. Her scorn is reserved for other people: UN bureaucrats who do not want to call things what they are because of who might get offended, religious conservatives who lie and work their hardest to prevent good prevention or good policy. But don't think the liberal crowd, the NGOs or activists are off the hook either.
   
   Pisani has no patience for distraction, a major one being that AIDS is a gender / development / poverty issue. Pisani shows that this liberal idea, favored by a lot of NGOs and UN agencies and other donors is a distraction. First, it's a distraction because first, you may have the causality wrong (AIDS causes development / gender issues rather than the other way around), second, as shown in the book, even in Africa, that's not always the case, and third, because, again, that gets in the way of common sense prevention which should be the main focus, along with treatment for the already infected population. But again, focusing on women and children makes the AIDS issue more palatable to donors than those filthy whores, junkies and fags, so, Pisani and her colleagues at the AIDS Mafia, as she calls them, played that game too. After all, once you have the money, you can still get stuff done.
   
   And, of course, I particularly enjoyed the chapter blasting the Bush administration and its faith-based initiatives and PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). Although she does credit the Bush administration for putting money on the table, Pisani makes mince meat of the Bush and his religious nuts crowd for their hypocrisy and nonsensical attitude. She deals swiftly with Virginity Pledges and the creepy Virginity Balls and the whole family values crowd.
   
   Finally, Pisani has also no patience for the workings of the international community and civil society, the demands that donors put on local activists, the circuits of money distribution which end up sometimes producing ridiculous policies: like having an AIDS program in East Timor when there is no AIDS problems in East Timor (although there are other problems that would need funding but don't get it).
   
   Again, let me state: when was the last time you read an epidemiology book that was a great read, straight to the point, data-based, sometimes fun, but always informative.



3. I am seldom found without at least one book close at hand, and end up trying to give books away in order to keep my shelves from collapsing. But I'm not ready to give this one away, I intend to read it again in a while. What I might do, however, is to order a few extra copies and have them delivered to people I know. Why just this one? Because it is one of those books that you come across once in a while, that works on more than one level. It is a book that keeps me turning the pages, with the energy that comes from a genuinely engaging story. Then there is the author's solid knowledge of the topic, and her ability to present it in an accessible way. This is a writer who knows her tools: she knows how to structure a presentation and how to juggle angles to keep it interesting, all in a style that gets the message across clearly and simply, with a strong personality and sense of humor. But the main reason why I want to gently blackmail my friends into reading it by buying it for them, is the information it contains and the message that it spells out. It is an important book. It untangles the facts about HIV and HIV prevention from the myths, which is good. It also shows clearly how ideological/religious/political/economical agendas often play a bigger role than science, which is depressing ... but essential to know. Getting the facts straight, about the infection and about the HIV/AIDS industry, is vital. And in my mind, Elizabeth Pisani is exactly who you should turn to for those facts



4. For sheer accuracy of synopsis, maybe "The Wisdom of Whores"'s subtitle ought to be "Practical Epidemiology, What We Know About Solving the AIDS Crisis, and How the Politics of International Aid Complicate Matters." Though Pisani probably wants to sell a copy or two.
   
   This is one of the few books I've read that actually lives up to its jacket blurbs. One author describes it as not only a work of science, but also a page-turner. And indeed it is. Pisani holds a Ph.D. in epidemiology, and you can tell from reading The Wisdom of Whores that she has the chops to do serious data analysis. It's data analysis in the service of a practical end, namely figuring out the most efficient ways to stop AIDS. Pisani has been on the ground interviewing prostitutes and junkies for a couple decades now, so she's learned a bit about how the disease actually spreads.
   
   Part of the answer is just common sense: HIV spreads when an infected person's blood comes in contact with an uninfected person's blood. When heroin users share needles, the risk of HIV's spreading rises. Unprotected sex is riskier than protected sex. Unlubricated sex is riskier than lubricated sex, because the risk of causing tears is higher. Uncircumcised men are at higher risk than circumcised men. Prostitutes and their johns are at higher risk than non-prostitutes, because they have more partners.
   
   This much should be common sense; the fact that this common sense often doesn't translate into policy is where the "bureaucrats" in the subtitle come in. The Bush administration and many other nations have changed the conversation: we don't talk about the actual mechanics of sex and drug use, in part because prostitutes and drug users are considered wicked, and it helps no politicians to aid the wicked. From a public-health perspective, most of our effort ought to be focused on the populations that are most at risk: addicts, gay people, and prostitutes. But that doesn't sell. What sells is to talk about "neutral" topics: pretend that consumers of prostitution come home to their innocent wives and unwittingly give them the disease, which then spreads to their kids. When you frame the issue as "AIDS hits everyone," surely you can get votes. Likewise with international aid: if you tell your voters that "poverty and gender disparities" cause AIDS, you can sidestep the icky topics of sex and heroin injection.
   
   Once the money flows, there's a great risk of corruption and waste. Fortunately, Pisani tells us, there are a lot of people on the receiving end of that money who are really trying to do right by the world's taxpayers. And there are organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that seem to disburse funds more efficiently and measure programs' effectiveness better than a lot of governments do. And the governments are learning from their mistakes, in no small part because the epidemiologists on the ground are pushing back on them. Pisani never takes the step that a lot of libertarian fanatics do, namely jumping from the observation that foreign aid can be wasteful to the conclusion that all foreign aid should end. That's because Pisani isn't a libertarian fanatic. She's a hardworking, nose-in-the-details scientist who, like a good disciple of Herb Simon, tries to assume as little as she can before she starts gathering data.
   
   Indeed, the big takeaway from The Wisdom of Whores is that reality is complicated, and that the only way to actually help solve the AIDS epidemic is to dig into the details and be honest about how the disease actually spreads. Don't let ideology, for instance, blind you to the virtues of free condom distribution. Don't let ideology stop needle-exchange programs. At the same time, don't let ideology convince you that needle-exchange programs always work: look at the data first. This book is what happens when a truly scientific worldview merges with the passion of an activist.



5. I read a lot, on a wide variety of topics. If it has words on it, I'll try to read it, even if I _don't_ know the language, I'll try to decipher it. But some books are much more rewarding than others, and this is one of the most rewarding books I've ever read.
   
   The other reviews cover the topic well: she's a great writer, a person who really cares about people and not just people who are like her, a scientist who can understand numbers and make them make sense to others. She has a wide-reaching understanding of how AIDS is transmitted, and how that transmission is partly biologically determined and partly culturally determined. And she can convey that complex and detailed understanding in a simple way. Repeatedly, so if you miss it the first time, you get a lot of additional chances. And with hilariously shocking illustrative stories, so there's no remote chance of boredom ever setting in.
   
   I know there's no way she's going to slog through bureaucracy for a second cause -- that would be unfair to ask of anyone. But I hope global warming/climate change/peak oil/etc. gets someone half as brilliant as Pisani. Hopefully several someones.

5 comments about Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism.

1. Temple Grandin's book is amazing! I can barely wrap my mind around some of the things she says, but I really learned a lot about autism. I highly recommend this book to everyone - not just someone researching autism - but everyone. Our whole book group loved it.



2. Fascinating insight into the autistic mind and the different ways of being human. Also provides insights into how more "normal" minds work by contrast. Highly recommended.



3. A friend recommendeded this book for me. I hesitated for a while before buying it - but once picked up I can't put it down. The book brings me to scope of thinkings that is beyond my imagination. I can't wait to recommend this book to my friends even before I have finished it for the first time. I've now re-read this for two to three times, and each time my mind was further enlightened. Sometimes I give away books after reading but this will be a copy I will keep and read over and over again.



4. Excellent book and tool for those dealing with adult Asperger's. Until reading this book, there was no pragmatic connection with my brother, 53 years old, who has been isolated from family all his life due to his inability to see cause and effect. Visiting with psychologists in his early years did nothing to help parents understand his lack of emotional ties or connectivity to anything. He was labeled as very intelligent in certain fields (science, telecommunications, automotive knowledge)but had no common sense and kept repeating same mistakes over and over.
   
   He was incarcerated for 17 years for sexual abuse of a female girlfriend and we could not understand how he failed to get parole or help while in prison while some of those serving time for far worse crimes, including murder, were paroled after only half the time. We now know that sensory problems and being able to "go with the flow" in the prison system kept him incarcerated to serve his entire sentence.
   
   Luckily, family was able to run across articles about Asperger's and did research on it concluding that so many adults such as my brother had not been identified with this symptom. We are much more successful with dealing with him after reading Temple Grandin's book and have pegged her thinking to be very similar to my brother's--he also thinks in pictures but could not describe it and frequently did not know what we were talking about since he was unable to feel emotions as related by Ms. Grandin. He has read her book also and is reading it a second time. It has given the family insight into our brother's condition for the first time in 53 years and we are so very thankful for this book.



5. Dr. Grandin lectures on animal husbandry as well as autism. I've seen her speak in person. She's a very interesting individual. Her way of speaking comes through in the book. She writes very well for the layman.
   
   She covers her career, her interests, and her autism. If you are interested in animal husbandry, interesting women, autism, then this is a good book. If you have autistic kids and feel really under it, its very reassuring to see how this one autistic person has done very well for herself, thanks to early intervention by her parents as well as determination and intelligence on her part.
   
   I also like her personally, because I have had mixed feelings about being an omnivore and am glad she's out there making the experience of animals in our food production a lot less harrowing.

3 comments about Alpha Dogs: The Americans Who Turned Political Spin into a Global Business.

1. In the early 1980's, I remember walking into the Manhattan offices of Sawyer Miller on East 60th Street, and wondering what went on beyond its reception desk's wall of television monitors. Were they part Madison Avenue, part CIA and NSC? Who were these green beret alpha dogs who parachuted into campaigns to save the day? How did a Mayflower descendant/son of a shoe company exec (Sawyer) team up with the son of a shoe salesperson (Miller)? How did Miller, the man credited with "Coke is it," "Have a Coke and a Smile," and "Great Taste, Less Filling" end up selling candidates to American and international voters? Now I know. James Harding explains the history of modern political consulting, and gives detailed accounts of the growth of the self confident Sawyer Miller Group, its tactics, clients, successes, speeches, ads, and failures, and its growth around the world and effects on international elections. It is a fascinating read. At times their negative ads turned off voters, but engaged others; some were informative, others were created to "relate" to the voter, and sometimes their clients political and corporate clients lost, proving that ads are not always magic potions. As for going negative: the author tells us that even Thomas Jefferson went negative against George Washington in 1796, and Cicero, in 63 BCE, wrote about how it is delicious to go negative against your opponent when running for political office.
   
   The author writes on how Sawyer Miller's clients ranged from the Dali Lama and Vaclav Havel to Lech Walesa, Shimon Peres, Puerto Rico's Colon, Chile's Valdes, Ecuador's Borja, Bolivia's "Goni,"and Corey Aquino, and from Chris Dodd, Jane Byrne, and Scoop Jackson to Bruce Babbitt, as well as saintly domestic clients and international rogues known for alleged torture tactics. They worked for Amex, Drexel, BAT, Goldman, Resorts Intnl and more. The consultant who penned Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, also penned documents for Tony Blair, Boris Yeltsin, and Silvio Berlusconi. The author explains how politics became tactics instead of ideologies, and candidates were packaged like consumer products. In Harding's hands, we learn about the machinations of Black, Manafort ,Stone; Squier, Napolitan, Garth, Schwartz, Wirthlin, McCleary, Grunwald, Carville, Sawyer, Miller, and more.
   
   Chapter 1 tells the story of the birth and growth of consulting by framing it within an exciting fly on the wall account of consultant Ned Kennan's (aka Nadav Katznelson) meeting with Boston's multi term mayor, Kevin White. Kennan, who focused on the driver's of voter behavior, loved to give bad news to the powerful, which he did to White, who was 20 points behind in the latest polls. In Chapter 2, we watch as Sawyer learns the limits of consulting, polls, personalities when he heads to Venezuela and tries to turn a pussycat of a candidate into a tiger. Chapter 3 relates the story of New Coke, its political-like battle with Pepsi, and the lesson it has for understanding polling results. By far my most favorite chapters were Chapters 4 and 5, which tell the stories of American political consulting in Israel and the Philippines. The account of Mrs. Aquino, the downfall of Marcos, and the roles of Cardinal Sin, Reagan, the U.S. media, certain Senators, and "American" consultants were so enlightening and suspenseful that I read that chapter a second time.
   
   Briefly, to K.I.S.S. and Keep on Message, I recommend this as a lively informative and necessary read in this Presidential election year.



2. With only a limited understanding of political campaigning, mostly garnered from an appreciation of Josh in the The West Wing, I thought this book was a well-intentioned but ultimately misguided gift from a friend which might, at its most useful, end up being re-gifted. But from the first few pages I found myself completely sucked into this authoritative and beautifully written account of Sawyer Miller, a political consultancy firm which sold the art of American politics to the rest of the world. A must read for anyone who wants to read between the lines of political spin - and about the people who wrote them. Outstanding.



3. Any regular watcher of Jon Stewart and 'The Daily Show' will recognize this author, who made a hilarious appearance there a few days ago to talk about this book. The surprise is: the book behind the author is actually quite good.
   
   It's about the political spinmeisters who brought behind-the-scenes image consulting into its modern form. James Harding bores in on one particular political consultancy, Sawyer Miller. It's an excellent choice. The opening story about Sawyer Miller's counseling of Kevin White, the Irish mayor of Boston, is equal parts funny and insightful. ("Voters don't like you!" the consultant tells the candidate, while devising a strategy that helps him win anyway.) The consultants go around the world -- helping Cory Aquino oust Marcos in the Philippines, another riveting story -- and in and out of countless elections and boardrooms to find ways for candidates to get out the right message. It is not always pretty, what goes on out of view of the camera. From bare-knuckled fighting to seat-of-the-pants improvising, the tactics of a campaign invariably tell a memorable tale.
   
   Harding is a knowing, graceful guide. He has a sensible grasp of politics and the unpredictable dynamics that rule virtually every campaign. His writing weaves subtle observation and sharp insight into the narrative with seeming effortlessness. He always offers just the right amount of historical background to any episode. He never gets bogged down in more policy than you want. Yet I really appreciated his smart, illuminating explanation of the politics in any situation his protagonists wandered into, and they did wander far and wide.
   
   A highly enjoyable book.