Book-value

Everytime I opened the book it managed to irritate me. As a representation of Pierce's pragmatism it is a non-starter.

Confession: On a scale of 1 to 100, my "qualifications" to write this review are probably in single digits, for a bunch of reasons. First among them: I doubt there is another book on my sagging bookshelves that has any words in the title remotely related to "pragmatism." My usual stack of current reading has titles like "The Dreaming Universe" or "The Wizards of Consciousness." "Pragmatism" sounds too much like "practical" and practical sounds too much like auto maintenance and investment planning and, well, .... work. BUT, I LOVED THIS BOOK! First of all, it made me think in ways I'm not accustomed to thinking... which I gather was one of (Charles Sanders) Peirce's objectives, and the objective of Phyllis Chiasson, the author of "Peirce's Pragmatism." The book's back cover blurbs and author bio suggest that Phyllis, and her husband, Hal Leskinen, have lifetime commitments to bringing their insights about new ways of thinking to educators and decision makers. Let me talk about just a couple of my favorite themes from the book: As near as I can tell, Charles Peirce was greatly annoyed by the fact that in his day (he died in 1914), as in our day, science is seen as hardheaded and provable and ultimately "practical," while philosophy and intellectual adventuring are seen as softheaded and ephemeral... something for graduate students and absentminded professors, not something for the "real" world. Peirce considered himself to be as hardheaded and interested in experimental proof as any scientist, and he challenged his peers in philosophy to develop their philosophies with as much experiment and "prove it to me" working scepticism as any scientist. This effort to demand the same standards of philosophers that we ask of scientists elicited plenty of surly growls from his fellow philosophers, but it also secured his place in the philosophical firmament as, according to many, "America's foremost philosopher." But, my favorite parts in "Peirce's Pragmatism" are about what Peirce called "Abductive Reasoning." I can't possibly do it justice here, but perhaps I can throw out a hint or two. Most of us have at least a fuzzy notion of what "inductive" reasoning and "deductive" reasoning are about. These are ways of thinking that begin with some sort of "givens" then move, by force of logic, to seemingly inevitable conclusions. "If A and B are true, then C must be true," that sort of thing. In abductive reasoning, which is the reasoning most like the artistic process, we might start by "musing" about something we're interested in, then start looking for, or being open to, associations, or connections, or unexpected insights based on some new "mix" of the variables we're musing on. Where deduction or induction might feel like being forced down certain "paths" by the dictates of logic, abduction feels more like stopping on the path, getting your bearings, then taking an interesting trail that appears to lead off the "correct" path, but may, in fact, lead to an even better path. Something like that. The bottom line for me is that Phyllis Chiasson gave me a new respect for being "pragmatic," one that even a confirmed New Age daydreamer like me could be enthused about. It is possible for an artistic type to be pragmatic! She also convinced me that Peirce's Pragmatism has transforming applications to our questionable methods for educating ourselves, especially our young people, and to the way we make decisions in business and politics, not to mention our personal lives. The book is written in a very personable, congenial style, as an ongoing series of coffee cup dialogues between Phyllis and husband, Hal. Very entertaining, very illuminating. It'll make you realize how much fun it can be to think!

I had bought this Anything Blank book for a romance book Journal because of the pretty daisies on the cover but when I went to start the journal I discovered the pages were unruled and I much prefer The Anything Blank books that have ruled pages because I have a tendency to write too big and ruled pages force me to write smaller and neater. I couldn't return this book so I decided to just use it to write down my to do lists, shopping lists and as scratch paper but i would have much preferred the pages to have been ruled so I could have used this as a romance book journal.I rate thsi 3 stars just for the pretty cover but it loses points for having unruled pages.

it started slow but after the 1st 3 chapters it picked up. this book introdused a new charictor names lily maid. not really a new person but this book was the first time i heard of her. the adventures are fast and fun. which show off lancelots sheald of conduct and the great ways he stoped foes.

I was disappointed in this book. Beautiful pictures and ok info, but not enough examples of Lefton china. I have several inherited pieces which are clearly marked. Found only 1 in this book. I guess if you can afford to buy a large library of hardback books, finally you find what you are looking for.

I think the only current author that puts out more books then this one is Stephen King although King comes up with new ideas. This was a sale table buy and is not bad for a few dollars. It basically gives you the overall view of some of the biggest / greatest battles of the war. It has a run down of who was involved, the leading commander, and the size of the force and then a good general description of the battle. We also get a number of maps and a good amount of photos. The best part of the book for me was the clear definition of the Krusk area battles and the large desert battles in Libya.

Overall, there is nothing really new here. The book is a nice overview that would be a nice primer if you wanted to learn more about any one facet of the war.

David Brion Davis is a leading American historian best known for his superb trilogy on the problem of slavery in western culture. This book promises us a fourth volume on the problem of slavery in the age of emancipation. In the meantime we have a collection of assorted articles published over the past fifteen years or so. Some historians have been able to develop this genre into important works: one thinks of Perry Anderson's "A Zone of Engagement" or Eugene Genovese's "In Red and Black." But such works often say little of originality or importance and often have an artificial unity imposed on them. Such, unfortunately, is the case with this book. This book consists largely of book reviews, most of which come from The New York Review of Books. In it we read reviews of such leading scholars as David Garrow, C. Vann Woodward, Eugene Genovese, Bernard Lewis, David Eltis, Robin Blackburn, Herbert Klein, Jacqueline Jones and Brenda Stevenson. There are also a couple of articles which introduce other, more scholarly articles on the nature of racism. Arguably these are the most important chapters in the book. There is also a useful piece which demonstrates the important if stunningly obvious point that the Jewish role in the Slave Trade was virtually non-existent. (In 1830 less than 0.3% of major American slaveholders were Jewish)

Davis' first essay is on the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and I have to say what one thinks of the book depends on your opinion of that most respected of theologians. If you think Niebuhr was a man of deep realism and profound theology you will appreciate this book. If, however, you think that instead of being "the American Jeremiah" (Davis' phrase) Niebuhr was more the American Tartuffe or the American Vicar of Bray, there will be something off about this collection. I have yet to encounter any liberal or socialist who has vigorously waved the banner of human perfectibility. Such technocratic shortcuts to happiness tend to be associated more with the right such as Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, Edward Teller and Newt Gingrich via Alvin Toffler. Yet Davis (in the age of Clinton no less!) feels it necessary to warn several times against the chimeras of utopianism and perfectability. Although elsewhere Davis writes of the need for government aid to solve poverty, his book is enfeebled by the NYRB fear of appearing too liberal. An article on the relationship between blacks and Jews looks more at the philanthropic activities of Jewish organizations as opposed to the racial views of the Jewish population. At one point Davis, with some pride, points out that a couple of Jews assisted John Brown. Yet at another point, in trying to show that C. Vann Woodward was not a sentimental deracinated liberal, he notes Woodward's distaste for those who engage in "uncritical worship of fanatics like John Brown."

Davis is a bit too indulgent about Genovese's truly awful "The Southern Front," and endorses a misleading point about Southern antebellum tolerance for Jews. (It is true that the first Jewish senator came from Louisiana, but Louisiana is the least Protestant of the Confederate states and no-one has ever argued that New Orleans is a triumph of the quasi-Calvinist Protestant hegemony that Genovese has recently championed.) Discussing the Moynihan Report he wonders how it would possible to support affirmative action and other remedial programs for Africa-Americans without it. But this ignores the manifold problems with the report. By emphasizing the damage slavery had done to the family, Moynihan left the impression that any weaknesses in the African-American family were the result of something that had ended a century and left the idea that the non-Southern majority of the United States was off the hook for anything that had happened since 1865. At the same time there is the perversity, as pointed out by Ruth Feldstein, of how Moynihan, in an age of segregation, disfranchisment and systematic discrimination, singled out the weakest and poorest segment of society, black mothers, and criticized them for, in effect, having too much power and having a bad influence. Similarly, Davis show more "realistic" Niebuhrian concern about the underclass and its mass unemployment and social disorganization than actual knowledge about it.

The reviews themselves are respectful, intelligent and usually thoughtful expressions of Davis' scholarly liberalism. But at the same time they do little to advance Davis' own scholarship. Individually the essays have some value, taken together it is a bit like reading a thirty page historiographical essay extended to 378 pages. Reading this book you will learn more about recent scholarship on the economics of slavery, the nature of abolitionism and the origins of racism. Like the readers of the New York Review of Books you will be updated more than you will be informed. The reviews are only a partial substitute for the monographs themselves.

Love...

What do we mean when we say the word? It takes many forms. There is selfish love. There is conditional love. There is erotic love. There is even a giving, redemptive, selfless love. What is interesting about Antonia Fraser's collection of love letters is how diverse they are in content and style.

All kinds of love surface in these letters. They are from diverse sources. Some letters are from famous historical figures. Others were written by relatively obscure sources. Some of the letters are very restrained. Others are full of passion.

"Love Letters" speaks to the core of what we humans deal with when it comes to love. So often represented symbolically with the rose, love too has its flower and its thorn; its spring time and its winter. Mrs. Fraser has caught the essence of love's many facets in her brilliant collection. It was a joy to read.

I recommend Antonia Fraser's "Love Letters."

The greatest failing of this book is that, if you didn't look on poetry as a burden in high school, you've probably already read this stuff. Satisfactory compliation of well-known poesy that puts it at your fingertips if you need something on the fly for a love letter, but other than that, it's best bought by someone who hasn't read too much poetry.

I got this book when my son was about 8 months old. He may not be typical, but by 9 months old he insisted on feeding himself rather than eat things offered on a spoon. The recipes in the 8-18 month chapter of this book are mostly soft, spoon-offered dishes which didn't get past his lips too often.

HOWEVER, the 18 month and beyond chapter is a real winner. Some of these dishes are so tasty I've served them to guests!

This Easter, Rabbit has to tend to his garden & can't play the easter bunny. Some of Pooh's friend's try on Rabbit's bunny suit to see if they could do it. Many pages go on to describe the ordeal. Pooh & friends decide to help Rabbit out in his garden so that he can play the easter bunny.

I have found that Winnie the Pooh stories usually, if not always, have some sort of life lesson tucked away in the pages. This one is on teamwork.