ET Books

I have a large AVM and owe my life to this brilliant neurosurgeon.

Dr. Yasargil, named "Man of the Century" by NEUROSURGERY--the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, has been a pioneer in microneurosurgery for more than 20 years. This 4-volume set is the standard-setting guide to the field!

Volume I: Microsurgical Anatomy of the Basal Cisterns and Vessels of the Brain

Volume II: Clinical Considerations, Surgery of the Intracranial Aneurysms and Results

Volume IIIA: AVM of the Brain, History, Embryology, Pathological Considerations, Hemodynamics, Diagnostic Studies, Microsurgical Anatomy

Volume IIIB: AVM of the Brain, Clinical Considerations, General and Special Operative Techniques, Surgical Results, Nonoperated Cases, Cavernous and Venous Angiomas, Neuroanesthesia

Volume IVA: CNS Tumors: Surgical Anatomy, Neuropathology, Neuroradiology, Neurophysiology, Clinical Considerations, Operability, Treatment Options

Volume IVB: Microneurosurgery of CNS Tumors

MG Yasargil is the father of miconeurosurgery and, in my opinion still one of the leading sources from whom to learn, not just "the tricks", but equally, "the trade" itself. His trans-sulcus approach to intra-parenchymatous tumors provides for good exposure with less surgical trauma. Dr. Yasargils experience and his passion for the field comes through in his writing. Though this may not be the first book a young and aspiring neurosurgeon should aquire, the book is a must for the libraries of neurosurgical groups and hospital departments. Having worked in this field for more than 20 years, I still consult this book, because of its illustrations and the transparent description of preparing for surgery, of the notes on complication avoidance and, equally importantly, on complication management.

I was lucky enough to get this book for Mother's Day. What a beautiful treasure it is! This solid hardcover has a satiny ribbon mounted in the binding to mark your place & it's page edges are shimmery gold. It's loaded with the whimsical art of Mary Engelbreit along with lots of stories and poems written by multiple authors.

This is one of the most delightfully beautiful books. I feel fortunate in owning it and will derive hours of pleasure from it. When the day grows hectic, it's a delight to pick it up and remind yourself of what really matters in life. It would make a wonderful gift for your mother or any special mother you know, even a new mom. A truly wonderful book!

This Mother's Day 1999 I received this book and it is filled with wonderful thoughts about mom. The art work is great. So many things I wish I had thought to tell mom all in one tiny book.

This book is the perfect gift for any mother, especially yours! It's jampacked full of touching and cute poems, artwork, thoughts, stories, and quotes. I bought this for my mother, and she loved it.

This encyclopedia is a monumental reference work that addresses the broad interest in Christianity and religion around the world today. Comprehensive, up to date, reflecting the highest standards in scholarship yet intended for a wide range of readers, it describes the Christian faith and community in their myriad forms today and throughout the 2,000 years of Christian history. It also looks outward beyond Christianity, considering other world religions and philosophies as it paints the overall religious and socio-cultural picture in which the Christian church now finds itself in the new millennium. Written by leading scholars from many countries and cultural backgrounds, the more than 1,700 articles depict Christianity in its global context. Separate articles for every continent and for over 170 countries examine both the history and the current situation of the Christian faith worldwide. The book portrays Christianity in its widest ecumenical context. Major articles detail Christianity's rich spiritual and theological diversity in order to inform readers about religious traditions and perspectives beyond their own ecclesiastical frameworks. In its portrayal of Christianity, this encyclopedia also takes into account the current socio-cultural context, including other world religions, secular philosophies, cultural trends, and modern political and economic forces. Covering such current topics as abortion, atheism, Islam, modernity, and psychoanalysis, these articles describe the multifarious settings in which the Christian church today must maintain a credible witness to the ancient gospel. Finally, the encyclopedia presents Christianity in its rich historical context, starting with the biblical tradition and showing how the apostolic tradition developed and how the church has sought throughout history to keep faith with its traditions while engaging the world around it. Volume 4 contains 299 articles constituting the alphabetical entries P-Sh-articles on significant topics ranging from Paul, process theology, and the Qur'an to religious liberty, salvation history, and scholasticism. Like each volume in the complete encyclopedia, this book incorporates many enhancements of and additions to the third revised edition of the German Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon: Internationale theologische Enzyklopädie, on which this encyclopedia is based. Among the features of this English work are the following:
· articles on all but the smallest countries of the world, including former communist states that have gained their independence since 1989;
· the latest, best statistical information, compiled by David B. Barrett, on the religious affiliation and ecclesiastical breakdown of each country and continent;
· the addition of over seventy biographical articles on prominent figures throughout church history; and
· many expanded or entirely new articles that address topics of particular interest to English-speaking readers. Unparalleled in scholarship and breadth of content, the Encyclopedia of Christianity will long serve as the standard reference work for the study of Christianity in the past and the present-and its trajectory into the twenty-first century.

I'm a parish pastor, and spending over a hundred dollars for one reference book better be worth it. It is. Volume One contains 465 articles (alphabetically from A-D). Topics of current interest include "Abortion" and "Abortion Counseling" and "Black Churches." Information on most of the world's countries and the latest statistics are at my fingertips. Although the encyclopedia is based upon a massive German publication, this edition is written in American English. In my opinion, many of the articles would be useful for high school students and Sunday School teachers. I'm going to put Vol. 2 on my next Christmas "wish" list.

Every pastor and every lay person actively involved in the pastoral care of others in the life of the church should have this book on their near shelf for easy reference. It is an excellent resource - I especially enjoyed the variety of articles, some long and some short. Wide ranging topics - from "psychodrama" to "alcoholism", from "spiritual direction" to "retirement", it seems that nothing is left out. All articles appear to be well researched from a variety of fields, giving the reader a sense of the deep reliability and relevance of this truly interdisciplinary project. Useful!!!

Written in a concise, readable pros, worthy of comment itself, this book presents the reader with choicely-picked selections from the 14th century to the early twentieth to demonstrate the author's argument of how prose has evolved but not necessarily improved. Excellent and readable book.

Written in a concise, readable pros, worthy of comment itself, this book presents the reader with choicely-picked selections from the 14th century to the early twentieth to demonstrate the author's argument of how prose has evolved but not necessarily improved. Excellent and readable book.

Written in a concise, readable pros, worthy of comment itself, this book presents the reader with choicely-picked selections from the 14th century to the early twentieth to demonstrate the author's argument of how prose has evolved but not necessarily improved. Excellent and readable book.

I am the lecturer of the module Operations Management for the Masters of Business Administration(MBA) study at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam(University). I find this an excellent book,describing all the various aspects of Operations, varying from Production oriented to Service oriented companies, covering the whole spectrum of Operations in Business. The visual aids by way of diagrams and photo's makes it easier for students to identify with the key challenges that Operations managers face. I would recommend this book to any Operational manager who wants to top up their theoretical skills, and for academics who wants to get a view of the world of operations.

Regards
Gideon Potgieter MBA
Accredited Associates of the Institute for Independent Business

This book by Slack et al is an excellent introductory text to the subject of Operations Management. The book is well structured, clearly written and provides good coverage of the subject including operations strategy, design, planning and improvement. To enhance the learning process, each chapter contains numerous practical examples and illustrations.

In this textbook the writers learn the reader every step of the operation management from the design of the product, the needed design for a factory, layout and flow and job design, to all steps of planning and control, till the first product is created and from then on improvements on the system and the production process. A thick book that provides minor information of a lot of different subjects, but still the writers succeed in giving the reader the idea to read and learn new thinks. Especially for people new in production industry this book is useful for a first introduction in the jargon used and the problems encountered.

Quite frankly, I think that this is the greatest piece of critical philosophy written in the 20th century, and it is definitely in my top three. It was so good that it virtually destroyed the attempts of the Realist schools in the earlier 20th century to replace epistemological dualism with epistemological monism. And of course, in case the idealists started to get too proud, Lovejoy showed quite clearly that unless they were trying to claim insights they were not rationally entitled to, there is nothing about reality that supports the claim that objects of perception are found in an Absolute Mind.

I bought this book almost a year ago and it collected dust on my shelf because I lacked the level of philosophical sophistication required to attack it directly. Over the past year, I became more acquainted with philosophy and its history, most especially the works of Brand Blanshard and Laurence Bonjour.

I was arguing the case for psychophysical dualism on a website recently. I was already an epistemological dualist, having come to the conclusion that even the best-developed forms of rational and objective idealism were essentially dualistic. This is even more obviously the case if one incorporates the insights of modern physics about the constituents of matter, and its insights into time and space. However, psychophysical dualism, mostly because it is related to interactionist/dualist beliefs about interaction between the mind and the body or the mind and the brain, is associated with mysticism.

To see if I could find anything to make or break my belief in psychophysical dualism, I picked up this book, which I hadn't picked up in a while, having being frightened by such terms as the *cognescendum* a year ago. It was a great joy to read, as Lovejoy carefully laid out the secular and rational case for epistemic dualism and the related psychophysical dualism, while refuting philosophers that are far more famous that he was. Lovejoy explained that illusions and dreams, amongst other factors, created a problem that was best handled by the separation of the physical from the mental and the development of a gradually developed epistemology to make the causal connections work.

Bertrand Russell's realist position was criticized so devastatingly by Lovejoy that Russell because a dualist, with the belief (shared by most epistemic dualists) that the objects of our immediate perception are fundamentally mind-related. The trick, as Lovejoy noted, is to draw the right causal connections from the objects presented in perception to the subject matter of the physical sciences while being wary of the mind's ability to fall into error.

Epistemological monism has been slaughtered. As Brand Blanshard said, _The Revolt against Dualism_ is their `tombstone'. Anyone wishing to argue uncritically against the bifurcation of mental objects and physical reality should read some philosophy, and then pick up this book. In fact, I might one day make an attempt to make its insights far more accessible to the common reader. However, common people sometimes know far more about these things than some so-called "great philosophers" - they just get carried away by the first philosopher that floats an idea around them.

The ideas in this book are a great antidote to such a problem. Lovejoy discusses a problem of great importance, especially to those who practice any field that involves epistemology.

Highly recommended.

This book explains why epistemological dualism must remain an objective reality. Arthur Lovejoy counters all of the historical and contemporary philosophical arguements against dualism with learned and precise answers to why we can never fully be connected to the world, at least as far as our perception is concerned. This book is liable to cause a crises in the minds of the "we are all one" and the "I am one with the world" types. The one consolation they may have is that Lovejoy never himself made an effort to experience the more Eastern states of meditation, such as Zen or certain Hindu forms. Thus he is only qualified to state his claim of dualism in intellectual and objective terms, and not by all subjective experiences. He brushes the subjective off rather quickly, and focuses on the scientific and objectively verifiable flaws of monism. It is a fascinating book to read for the pedantically philosophical and metaphysical scientist types (not "New Age" metaphysics, which naively has misinterpreted metaphysics as a path to monism), but CAVEAT EMPTOR, this is some thick stuff and requires a certain degree of hard prior study in the fields of critical thinking, the history of philosophical ideas, and metaphysics. A partial knowledge of the general concepts of physics would also make this book more enetertaining. If you are not entertained by this book, then you probably shouldn't be reading it.

This is not a book for those with a merely casual interest in philosophy. It is much too technical and difficult for the general reader. But for advanced students and the philosophically literate, this book is a must. Lovejoy was a brilliant master at the art of philosophical dissection. In "The Revolt Against Dualism," he dissects the view advanced by the so-called "neo-realists" which denies the traditional distinction between the perception of an object and the object itself. Lovejoy subjects a variety of inordinately technical arguments defending this view to devastating analysis, demonstrating how each of them fails to make its case. Lovejoy argues that all of these attempts to ignore the distinction between the perception of things and the things themselves constitutes a futile revolt against epistemological dualism.

Although this issue of epistemological dualism and distinguishing between perceptions of objects and the objects themselves may seem to be a mere technical problem without any real world significance, it nevertheless is one of the most important issues in philosophy. Confusion concerning the relation between ideas and the their objects in reality has probably given rise to more errors in philosophy than any other issue. All doctrines of philosophical idealism, whether skeptical or mystical in nature, are rooted in the failure to understand the duality between perceptions and the things perceived. The belief in what one philosopher called the "efficacy of consciousness" (i.e., the belief that consciousness can be regarded as a power in and of itself) can also be traced to this revolt against dualism. And so, although the issue of epistemological dualism may be a mere technical problem without any immediate practical significance, it is not without importance in philosophy. If a philosopher is confused or mistaken on this issue, he is likely to be confused or mistaken on a great many others. Hence, the significance of Lovejoy's masterful analysis of the revolt against dualism.

I have read quite a few materials on education related issues in India. Most of the literature is either quite dry or full of anecdotes and no data, or focused on specific area/issues. The PROBE report is different.

It is an easy to read, lively presentation of the current knowledge and understanding of issues relating to children's education in India. The authors examine the problem as a whole: ie. what does it take to educate a whole population? What has been done so far? What is education? What are the key challenges? How well are the teachers trained? Do rural parents actually value education?

The primary source is a survey of the BIMARU states (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan & UP) and Himachal Pradesh. But it also includes insights from a range of sources such as dissertations (Nidhi Mehrotra) to leading social workers (Mrs. Shantha Sinha) to NGOs (Eklavya in MP) to governement officials. To understand why some states (eg. Himachal) are succeeding, while others are not, they compare the story of Himachal Pradesh with those of BIMARU states. Key factors that lead to positive results are identified.

A must read for anyone intersted in basic education.

This is a highly unusual and readable report. It comes from India,researched and written by Indians who evidently care deeply about how their country fares and how their children do. But what it says it applies to the universal issues of basic education that are asked just about anywhere in the world. So anyone who wants to move beyond the "oh isn't it terrible?" mode to the "how to fix it?" mode will find this book worth reading. The report is really well researched for the five states of India which are its focus: Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. But its power is not in its numbers, nor in the rehash of what "we know". Many other documents, such as World Bank documents, might do a more complete job of that. Its power is in the freshness and the passion coming out of the field investigations. Indias poor "shine through". We hear them speak in their own voice. And it is not just a keening about problems. It is a focussed and powerful statement of where the solutions are and how to get at them. It looks intensely at pockets of success and really asks, "why is that so?". This approach works in this report.

The Public Report on Basic Education in India (PROBE Report) must be the best and most genuine overall account of the state of basic education in the BIMARU states (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, & UP) of India. The Report is based on a field-survey carried out by a team of investigators in the last few months of 1996. Simply put, I believe it is an absolute must for anybody interested in India's educational backwardness, and indeed anybody interested in the problem of development generally. The Report gives substance to a lot of what most people vaguely 'know' about the problems with rural elementary education. It ends up making a strong and very valid plea for, among other things: forming an effective lobby for rural and basic education; raising state investment in basic education; raising the awareness & improving the attitude of urban elites and middle classes and (ironically enough) the media to basic education issues; increasing the accountability of teachers; drastically improving school infrastructure; changing pedagogical styles; recognizing and overturning the elite bias of school curricula; making students less alienated from the educational environment; making basic education a participatory process between the students, their families, the teachers, and the community; and giving more value to the work of teachers and helping them overcome the manifold frustrations they face in their work. One thing the Report stresses is the benefits of making basic education a Fundamental Right rather than merely a constitutional directive.

A mere summary will not do justice to the Report - reading it is important because it not only provides detailed information, but it also hits one hard. However, here I will just point out some facts and myths about elementary education, as mentioned in chapter 2.

Fact 1: Low Achievements: Half the country's population (61% males, 36% females) cannot read or write. Less than 30% of adults have completed 8 years of schooling. Female literacy rates in India are much lower than in sub-Saharan Africa.

Fact 2: High disparities: By region, class, caste, gender (an extreme eg: literacy rates for an urban male from Kerala is 96%, and literacy rates for rural SC females in Rajasthan is 5%). Only 5 countries have higher male-female literacy gap than India - and Rajasthan alone has a larger population than these countries combined.

Fact 3: Slow progress: The increase of literacy rates is so slow that the absolute number of illiterate persons is still rising with each year.

Fact 4: State inertia

Myth 1: Parents are not interested; Myth 2: Child labor is the main obstacle; Myth 3: Elementary education is free; Myth 4: Schools are available.

One final word about the Report: it combines reasonable academic rigor with personal narratives, so that it is pitched at both the academic and the layman.

In these stories of escape from maritime disasters, Chatham paints vivid portraits of human heroism in the face of danger. Based largely on survivor interviews, these true stories made me feel the hopes and fears of people facing incredible odds. Chatham gives us the hard facts culled from official investigation reports but concentrates on the human element. His gripping writing and expert story telling made this book impossible to put down!

I was honoured to have received a copy of this book from the Author himself and highly recommend it. While the target audience is school age children and young adults, readers of all ages will enjoy the gripping detail of these stories. Take it from this ancient mariner, you won't be disappointed.

This book is part of a series of Famous Canadian Amazing Stories. You don't have to be Canadian to appreciate these accounts. These are *human* stories. The author, Mark Chatham, is a Coast Guard radio officer with the Canadian Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS). As a trained Emergency Services employee and a professional writer, he's able to organize these stirring tales of human response to deadly peril on the beautiful but potentially deadly Atlantic Ocean.

The three stories covered in this book are Blowout on the Vinland, an account of a rescue of personnel on a drilling rig; The Last Voyage of the Rowan Gorilla I, a fascinating tale of the struggle to save a rig and her crew during transport; and The Sinking of the Flare. Each story was researched by consulting eyewitnesses (when available), responders and official documents. The stories contain so much data and so many details that they may stand alone as concise case study digests. Common patterns emerge from the stories: Some people are heroes, and others struggle with moments of terrible weakness and fear, and most often people find themselves in that very human "gray area" in the middle. Good training makes for conditioned response to crises. As a fellow public safety employee, SAR volunteer and EMT in the States, my eyes teared up from time to time not only at the plight of the victims, but at the selfless responders of all stripes who would be rescuers, even if they themselves risked becoming victims.

A great feature of this book is a sort of chat with the author at the end where we get a chance to learn more about his experience and his contact with the figures in the stories.

In addition to the wrenching stories of the struggle for suvival, the author also tells us about lessons that were learned from each of these tragic incidents. Those lessons, which will save untold numbers of persons in the future, are a part of the legacy of those lost. Keep an eye out for additional book(s) in this series by this author.

Yehiel Dinur, Ka-Tzetnik 135633 survived the horrors of the Holocaust only to discover that survival alone would not end his torment. Hunted by distressing symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) he underwents a supervised LSD treatment program. Unfortunately after many sessions his situation deteriorates and he decides to leave the program. He writes near the end of the book: "I can't stop thinking that maybe I shouldn't have provoked fate by trying to rewrite my life script. Maybe I should never have made that trip to En-Dor, should never have used LSD to conjure up the secret that a Hand, keeping its own counsel, had cared enough to hide from me."

Short, honest and heart-wrenching book highly recommended to all transpersonal psychotherapists, underground psychedelic therapists, Holotropic Breathwork practitioners and everyone else interested in the depths of human psyche.

This book is not for the faint hearted or for the person whio is interested in history. The premise of the book is that the author relives his Aschiwitz experence through LSD treatment by a psychogist. Some things he remembers are likley to have happened to him, and some are a nightmare of things he cannot escape. If you want to read any of this authors books you need to have a strong stomach, It is a very rewarding and powerfull book if you are up for it

This book is a great insight into the personality of the author Yehiel Dinur a.k.a Katzetik. The book stands on its own as a powerful recording of the events that took place in the life of the author during the holocaust. As with all of Katzetnik's books the events are heart wrentching. Particulary worth recalling in this book is when he for the first time goes to a beach in Europe during his medical treatment of the 1970s and exposes his arm that was tatooed in Aushwitz with his inmate number 135633. The scene is chilling and unforgetable. The premise of the use of LSD to come to terms with his lifelong nighmares about his experiences of the holocaust is secondary except for the fact that it is through this means that the author comes to terms with his pain caused by the cruel germans and their helpers. Overall, this book is an important read and is even more stunning if you read Katzetnik's other books. Katzetmik is one of the most powerful and important authors on the subject of the holocaust and his books are a must read for everyone lest the world forget what happened.

The Dover Thrift Edition of "Short Stories" by Louisa May Alcott contains 5 pieces: "Obtaining Supplies," "A Night," "My Contraband," "Happy Women," and "How I Went Out to Service." The book includes a brief introductory note on the life and career of Alcott.

The first two stories are from Alcott's "Hospital Sketches"; together with the third story, they deal with protagonists who work as nurses for Civil War soldiers. "My Contraband" has as a key theme the legacy of slavery. "Happy Women" is more of a sketch celebrating single women, and the final piece tells the "serio-comico experience" of a young woman who goes to work as a domestic companion.

I read this book shortly after reading Alcott's novel "The Inheritance," written when she was only 17; that simple but charming work makes for a fascinating contrast with the polished maturity of the pieces in this volume. Overall, this collection shows Alcott's wit, humor, compassion for humanity, attentive eye, and particular concern for women's issues. This short (55 + vii pages) book is a wonderful collection by one of the most remarkable figures in American literature.

Even though Miss Alcott didn't have as much writing experience when she wrote these short stories, they are still a wonderful read. The first two stories are from 'Hospital Sketches'and are wonderful. "A Night" is a gripping acount based on her experience as a Civil War nurse. In the story a nurse is staying up all night with a dying soldier. The story is beautiful. "My Contraband" is a sad tale of how the war and slavery tore apart families. The last two stories are an enjoyable read also. Hey, for 90 cents this book is more than worth the price. If you like Louisa May Alcott, you won't be dissapointed with these stories, so give this book a try.

Many of these brief but captivating stories are lovely, but one in particular captured my interest, and that was about the secret lives of silverware. There are other nonsensical but entertaining stories in this volume, all of which are perfect to read aloud to young children. The fact that these are lesser known makes it an all the more intriguing addition to your library. Simply enchanting!