2 comments about Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious.

1. The logic of Freud can sometimes be overbearing when he is dealing with the makings of a joke. However, he does at times seem to drop his guard, speak in easy to understand terms, and give information that can be understood. If anyone is pursuing comedy in any form, this book would be helpful, and will help you compare your analyzation of what you do with someone who knew very well how the human mind worked. I've applied several of his concepts on stage and have found them successful.



2. Freud did not see jokes as minor nonsense and insignificance. He saw them as deeper messages delivered to us from our unconscious. He saw them as telling the secrets about ourselves to ourselves and the world that we do not necessarily want to tell. He saw them as acts of aggression and as acts of self- defense. In fact Freud is one of the few theorists of jokes and laughter that the world has had. In my opinion while Freud's understanding of jokes is not exhaustive and all- comprehensive it does illuminate much about a certain kind of humor. And it does teach us something about ourselves which we had not really noticed before Freud taught it to us. Freud himself is of course a source of endless jokes today , but it is not wrong to say that at least some of these jokes should be about his great genius and ability to see and say where others before him did not.

2 comments about Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego (Norton Library).

1. In his Pulitzer-Prize winning book, The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker wrote that Freud's "great work, Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego...in my opinion is probably the single most potentially liberating tract that has ever been fashioned by man." I haven't read this work of Freud's yet, but I will soon, because of Becker's comment. I've read many of Freud's works and have found them fascinating and very helpful, even though they're far fetched at times and I don't share Freud's disdain for religious faith. Becker's work is wonderful (I'm reviewing now from cover to cover the many passages I've highlighted) and voices both appreciations and criticisms of Freud throughout his work. So if he says this about Group Psychology, I've got to read it!



2. Classical Freudian Psychology...his discussion on Group Behavior and the Ego (leadership functions and issues) is insightful and provides provocative understanding of group process....traditional Psychoanalytic thought.....

No comments about Life and Words: Violence and the Descent into the Ordinary (Philip E. Lilienthal Books).

No comments about The Aztec World.

2 comments about Great Jobs for Anthropology Majors (Great Jobs Series).

1. Great Jobs for Anthropology Majors is a 'must-have' for those in Anthropology. This book covers a lot of ground concerning direction in such a vast field. It opens options outside of teaching and field work, as well as helping you improve your part in the applying/hiring process. As a graduate of an Anthropology program myself, I found little help in finding what I wanted to do with my education and how to do it. This book answered many of those questions and gave me some direction in the use of my education. Although it would've been more helpfull when I was in college, it still helped me tremendously as a graduate. I highly recommend this book for those in Anthropology.



2. This book, while offering good advice for career paths in general, is not very useful for the Anthropology student. As a graduate of Anthropology I have been working for the last year in a job completely unrelated to my major. I am constantly searching for work and even internships or volunteer opportunities in Anthropology. Because I am having trouble finding work like this, I decided to buy this book. The only resources that they mentioned are things that I have already tried (such as the AAA website). While this book is good for most careers, it is not specific enough to help anyone in Anthropology when looking for a job in the field.

5 comments about Being in Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires (2 CD Set).

1. I set this on the coffee table and pick it up periodically to read a chapter. It is short and to the point. Wish I had this a year ago.It helps me daily. Thanks you Dr. Dyer!



2. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason! This book fell into my lap through an incredible offer from a television home shopping network - one which whom I never pay any mind to. However, after reading and loving "The Power of Intention", which was my first real exposure to Dr Dyer, the message that he would be featured on the show piqued my interest and got me to tune in.
   
   It doesn't end there though. I didn't dive in to the book immediately upon receipt - was I not ready for it yet? Hmmm...
   
   So a few weeks went by and in the meantime I happened to see the recently released movie "The Secret". One word to describe it, "WOW"! I was and continue to be blown away!
   
   So out of the 10 or so books that I had on deck to read, this book "Being in Balance" kind of jumped off my shelf at me - Why? I didn't know, but I pick it up and started reading it.
   
   One by one thoughts and concepts passed on by the author just seemed to resonate with me - Do you know that `popping' sound when something just clicks with you?
   
   This was the quintessential "right book at the right time" for me. It not only solidified some concepts that I just picked up from "The Secret" but it simplified and expanded my understanding of them.
   
   It became even more evident to me that Dr. Dyer is simply tuned in! I'm about to embark on another book by him called "Inspiration" and I'm just thrilled with anticipation!



3. After 20 years, it shouldn't be hard for him to come up with this stuff, but nonetheless, this little gem is got all the right principles, in an easy to read and delicious to feel little book. Almost a mini-reference manual. I recommend it.



4. Wayne Dyer again presents us with another piece of inspired writing that helps lift your soul from the shadows of darkness to the light of day. This book, Being in Balance is a tool needed for many to get their mind and attitude right. It empowers you to cleanse the negative and self-doubting thoughts that consistently prevent you from achieving your dreams and aspirations. In chapter six,"You can't discover light by analyzing the darkness", reinforces the dilemmas and barriers we place in front of us that prevent us from achieving prosperity, whether monetarily or spiritually.
   If you are lost and looking for direction this book is a great guide to bring your life back into balance.



5. Great book... Wayne Dyer just keeps the great works coming for us! Highly recommend

1 comments about Talent is Never Enough Workbook.

1. PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door
   
   In John C. Maxwells book he gives very specific outlines and tools to maximize your talent. The stories and lessons learned here have assisted me greatly with breaking down barriers that have kept me from reaching my fullest potential

5 comments about Secrets of Voodoo.

1. This book is nice and Im glad I bought it. The veves are nicely illustrated and the content is pretty informative. The only reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because theres some small content on cabala which has nothing to do with voodoo. There are some other authors out there that want to mish mash everything together but its just not so. I would still reccomend MAMA LOLA over this book but this one is better than alot of the others out there. Just remember, avoid anything with the llewyllyn markings and it should be fine.



2. Anybody who is a Pagan who knows about Raymond Buckland's Blue Book. Well, Milo Rigauld has his own blue book and it is a MUST for people interested in Voudoun minus the tv/movie hype!
   Milo Rigauld cites the Holy Trinity of Voudoun, has many black and white photographs and thoroughly discusses the basics of Haitian Voudoun. You won't go wrong in reading this treasure.
   
   AMber



3. To my mind only Milo Rigaud has so far written a truly profound, comprehensive and authentically esoteric exposition of Voudon in this classic study, originally published in French in 1953. Rigaud's grasp of the intricate inner symbolism and arcane mysteries of Voudon as a pathway of cosmic initiatory Magic goes deeper than all the others who have written on this subject, only he has really done the subject justice. His masterly study is especially useful because Rigaud is qualified to highlight the Hermetic and Cabalistic affinities within Servi Lwa as only a true initiate could and thus reveals the sublime mystical heights of Afro-Haitian esotericism in its dazzling complexity and detail. The erudition which he brings to bear in his description of the traditional symbolism, geometric secrets of the veves, langage chants and ritual songs is of the highest order and one must also admire the dense and beautiful texture of his prose as he articulates the inner aspects of this subject. The chapter on 'Performing Voodoo Magic' is a concentrated grimoire in itself and the Mysteries of Magic are superbly expounded. Voodoo has been written about by many authors and has even become faddish in latter years - Milo Rigaud's fantastic, scholarly and beguiling book is unsurpassed and stands as a true exposition of Voudon by a gentleman who clearly possessed a genuine understanding of the innermost Mysteries of Servi Lwa in their loftiest philosophical abstractions and their applied magical modes alike. Simply put this is the very best book available on Voodoo and a classic text of the Primordial Tradition of Esotericism.



4. I haven't finished reading it yet. The service of the seller was very good, prompt delivery.



5. As an aspiring author myself, I purchased this book to use as reference.
   I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. The book was written in the 1950's by a man who was raised in Haiti and thus offers first hand accounts of a few specific ceremonies and how they are performed. It also includes several lovely veves and interesting photographs along with translations of ritual chants used by Haitian practitioners.
   Lists of Loas by nation and descriptions of some of the more prominent ones were quite helpful.
   I am sure the religion has changed and adapted over the past few decades, and this book covers only the voodoo practiced in Haiti. I am still searching for a fresher take Voodoo practiced in America but this book is a wonderful starting point and I am sure it will help my Mama-Loa character seem much more realistic now that I understand more of the religion and its history.

5 comments about Memory Power: You Can Develop a Great Memory--America's Grand Master Shows You How.

1. I had found this book after being interested in memory, and I was very glad I bought it. It doesn't get much into mastering the techniques until later in the book.
   
   The book is VERY easy to follow, and is organized well. I had a hard time putting down the book, as it's really interesting and doesn't discourage you with the too much information at once. I've bought a few books on memory, and I would definitely recommend this as a starter.
   
   The only complaint I have with the book is how he doesn't show all of the techniques used by the memory champions in great detail. He seems to much prefer the 'Roman Room' method, than the 'Journey Method'. There isn't anything wrong with this, but he didn't seem to mention the 'Journey Method' much, if it all.
   
   If you're looking for a beginner book getting you into having a better memory, I would highly recommend this book. Though, if you've had an advanced background on mnemonics and memory, most of the information in this book will not be very beneficial to you.
   
   I hope you too will find this book a great starter to your new memory.



2. I went to highschool with Scott, and have been kept up to date on his memory powers. This book is very easy to read. Scott has a gift for narrative writing. As for the effectiveness of his techniques, I can't really say if they work for me or not. I have a very good memory, so a lot of his suggestions were not really useful to me. The Roman Room did not help me, as I have a great eye for detail. Scott provides a lot of charts and a way for the reader to implement the techniques. But since he is an engineer and thinks with the mind of a scientist/mathmetician, they were a little too technical for me and made me stress!



3. I've read other books describing The Roman Room and other techniques. This book made it make sense to me and practical. I think that is the big plus of this book; the author provides practical applications.



4. If you have a chance to read this book, then you will find the way how to improve your memory. And also bring you to the place that you have never been through. This book is the one that you should make it through your eyes.



5. This book really does address issues specific to aging and memory loss from a lay persons perspective. In addition, the author gives many pointers on compensation techniques to improve or enhance individual memory issues. I have enjoyed the book and as an educator and geriatric social worker working with clients dealing with cognitive issues and dementia, I have learned some new techniques to offer both my students and my clients in the field. A very good book indeed.

5 comments about Twilight of the Mammoths:: Ice Age Extinctions and the Rewilding of America (Organisms and Environments).

1. Twilight Of The Mammoths by Paul S. Martin is a book I wanted to read because I wanted to see what the author had to say about the overkill idea. That Ice Age extinctions were caused by human invasion of the New World and not by germs and sudden change in the climate.
   I have to say he did a good job not only of explaining and defending his hypothesis but at pointing out the weak points in the other theories of how the mass extinctions of the megamammals came about. The book is a solid read but somewhat dry. Lots of data on kill sites, pollen, climate changes and lots of dung.
   He also takes a few chapters to talk about the idea rewilding the New World. In some ways that has already been going on so we may wish to take a controlling hand in the process.
   Published in 2005 the information is up-to-date and hard to argue with. But who knows what will be discovered in the years to come?



2. This is one of those books that may jolt the conventional wisdom implanted in your brain, especially if you are an environmentalist. First the negative...I thought the first 5 chapters, about one-half, of this book to be a bit boring, telling me more about sloth dung than I really wanted to know. But then the book picked up -- way up -- in interest.
   
   The true "natural" environment of the United States, in Martin's view, existed 13,000 years ago before man got here and that it has been out of balance since. Martin comes down strong on the side that human beings were responsible for the extinction of many large mammals in the Americas about 13,000 years ago and his argument is persuasive. He also makes a strong case that human beings have lived in the Americas for little more than 13,000 years. This is a hot-button issue among archaeologists, but Martin's point is: if the Indians were here more than 13,000 years ago where are the signs of their presence? Not many, if any, have been found in a hundred years of looking.
   
   His most interesting point and new to me was his proposals to re-people (wrong word, maybe "re-animate"?) the New World with representatives of the large mammals that became extinct. For example, why is that our government is trying to kill off the burros and wild horses in national parks? Horses originated in the Americas; they became extinct about 13,000 years ago. Why not allow them to reestablish themselves as a native species?
   
   And then he really gets off on a speculative tangent, "rewilding America." Camels and Llamas lived in the United States until 13,000 thousand years ago; why not reintroduce them as native, wild species. Similarly rhinocerous, elephant, lion, tiger and other mammal species. To be sure the species of the mammals that became extinct are not exactly the same species that now live -- but close enough, in his opinion. An Asian elephant, he says, is closer genetically to extinct mammoths than it is to the African elephant.
   
   Smallchief



3. Paul Martin makes a strong arguement for human caused extinctions of ice-age mammals including the mammoths through human overkill hunting behavior. Insted of presenting an idea without support, Martin provides extensive documentation to support his position. However, as intriguing as his ideas about human involvement in the loss of ice-age and post ice-age mammals are, it is difficult to believe that humans spread to every nook and cranny of north, central and south America causing the extinction of every large mammal grouping present. Questions also arise regarding the type of animal they might have hunted versus other available animals. Why would early humans decide to hunt to extinction the giant bison when smaller and presumably less dangerous bison were available? Why would they possibly hunt the American lion, sabertooth tiger or dire wolves when there was, according to Martin, a wealth of animals available for food, skins and bone? Obviously, something happened toward the end of the last advance of continental ice sheets and the early peopling of the Americas, but I do not believe overkill is the sole cause of the disappearance of large mammals of the Americas. A combination of factors including human most likely is the cause of their loss.



4. This book is an excellent, reasoned discourse on the evidence chain and the theories behind why large mammals in North America went extinct all at the same time - about 12,500 years ago. Before I read this book I had heard of the popular theories of why the north american megafauna went extinct, but had not heard which theory was most likely. Martin makes clear that the overkill theory has the greatest logical and evidentiary support.
   
   it's important in science to keep an open mind about causes. Recently, more work has been done on an ash layer in the geologic record that suggests a great fire or possible comet explosion that may have occurred around the time of the megafauna extinctions in north america. I can believe that such an event had a contributing impact. After reading this book though, there is no question in my mind that n. american megafauna would have survived even a great fire or comet blast so long as they were not also subject to human induced causes.
   
   The other great theories for ice age mammal extinction are referred to as 'overill', for disease-related explanations, and 'overchill', for cold climate explanations. Martin skillfully and convincingly refutes these theories for their unsound logic and lack of evidence.
   
   It is clear to me now that the reason for this debate between overkill, overill, and overchill persists only because the evidentiary chain is not clearly in favor enough of any one of the 3. But the preponderance of evidence, and the soundest reasoning, favors overkill by at least a 10-1 compared to overill or overchill. I would expect future archaeological and paleontological discoveries to add to the evidence supporting overkill.
   
   One final note: I am now a huge supporter of the Pleistocene park concept, and am hopeful that humans are able to rescue the remaining African and Asian megafauna from extinction with park reserves in Siberia and the Americas. I can envision now a park in Texas with asian elephants replacing mammoths, African or Asian lions once again bringing the lost American lion back to life, camels returning to their evolutionary American origins, wild horse herds, introduced threatened African or Asian ungulate species to stand in for their recently extinct American cousins, cheetahs returning, and even threatened tigers getting a second life as the replacement for now-extinct scimitar and saber tooth cats. I leave it to a zoologist to figure out how to replace a giant ground sloth, or even a Shasta ground sloth.
   
   Other pleistocene park possibilities exist in other parts of the world. South america could easily see a return of elephants. The remaining ancestor of the short faced bear, which is the South American spectacled bear, is itself threatened and could use a reserve somewhere else in the world.
   
   Enjoy this book!



5. Well written and interesting, but not light reading for the average reader without a background in anthropology. Still, you will probably learn a lot, if you skip over the latin.