ET Books

Are we hopelessly aggressive stupid apes? Is the stupid, aggressive, short-sighted-selfish behavior, which is so typical of our present society, also typical of our ancestors; or were they different. Is the blind and destructive impulse this society an aberration? Leakey argues that the fossil, paleontological, and anthropological evidence from millions of years ago and the present show that our current society is a dangerous aberration and degradation from millions of years of human and pre-human societies based on sharing and altruism. This is arguably one of the most important books ever written.

ITs essential to read this book, in order to get a good handle on paleontology, anthropology ,and sociological phenomenon. Really explains alot about humankind.

CAN YOU HELP ME, I WANT SUPER PROJECT TO COMPAGNIE EVALUTION

CAN YOU HELP ME, I WANT SUPER PROJECT TO COMPAGNIE EVALUTION

This book provides a very thorough review of the neck, shoulder and brachial plexux. I was able to utilize it to study form my hand certification exam and the chapter on the brachial plexus was very helpful. The chapters providing the orthopedic shoulder information were also very thorough and helpful.

The fourth edition looks the coolest of all previous editions due to its metallic blue cover. The information inside ain't bad either.

Written by a physical therapist, this book is more for people in the field, such as PT's, athletic trainer's or even ortho docs- in other words people who specialize in the shoulder. I found it to be a great reference book to keep on my desk as it covers every major shoulder problem, from frozen shoulder, to impingement issues, to brachial plexus problems. However non-medical readers looking for a less technical book to treat their shoulder pain might be interested in Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff.

Positioning to Win is the finest book I have in my library on the subject of developing new business. The authors have provided a unique blend of sage advise with good implementation techniques. The information is good for the business development professional or marketeer in any company down along with the proposal writer and system implementer. Everyone involved in the Business Development process should read this book.

I read this many years ago, have used it for years as have many I've told about it. It is extremely powerful and far more advanced than most proposals you'll see. Not difficult to implement for a one-person firm or a large professional practice. Buy it for your friends and hide it from your competitors.

Great advice, clearly organized. I do wish that some of the pre-reading quiz questions had follow-up so that I was never left with a question mark. And I'm shocked by the high price for such a thin book. It's not thin on content, though. If you can find it for less than fifty dollars, I highly recommend it.

We used this as our main text in a teacher training program and it is straightforward and clear. It is full of helpful tips like: "Teach the students, not the book." "Don't overcorrect." "Nothing is "interesting" if you can't do it." and my own favorite" "Don't flog a dead horse."
Each chapter has a checklist to check before reading the chapter for the reader to check what you may have learned or changed your mind about after reading the chapter.
The book isn't weighted down with a lot of extra information. Just the basics that are most helpful when starting out.

This is a great book and one I think anyone who has aspirations for leadership in any form should consider as a permanent part of their library. Also, if you are having difficulty understanding the leadership competencies of someone you are under this book is a great source.

Robert K. Greenleaf published his seminal essay, The Servant as Leader, in the early 1970's. Since then, leaders committed to finding a better way to serve their organizations have embraced the idea. This volume contains a rich olio of essays by writers, drawn from diverse fields, looking to bring servant leadership from theory into practice. James Autry's essay, "Love and Work" is stunning in its message and based on the fact that the messenger is a former CEO of a large publishing company. Others explore the links between servant leadership and board chairmanship, restorative justice and ethical leadership. Don't pass up Meg Wheatley's essay, "From Hero to Host."

Russell explained in depth the power balance in China among British, French, Russia, US, Germany, and Japan in the late 19th century and early 20th century. As a peace lover, Russell disgusted at the Japanese invasion and control in China. He was able to explain the root cause of the Japanese aggression using the Race, Culture, Religion, and Industry development factors. As he stated the Chinese culture could not incubate aggression as contrary to the Japanese culture. Since the Far East culture root is deep and usually carries along for centuries, I believe his view still holds true in the 21st century. This book also explained the possibility of a 'Red China' in 1922. Because Russia was a traditional enemy of Japan in the Far East, Russell thought Russia would have a huge impact on 'Young China' because "one's enemy's enemy is usually a friend". I was so much impressed by Russell's social analysis and insightful thought on China. I wish he were still alive today so he could educate the Westerns about who is the true peace loving people in the Far East.

In this book, Bertrand Russell expressed his ideas about both the positive and negative characters of Chinese. It can only be written after carefully thinking over what are in Chinese people's mind. And only you have been to China for over 6 months can you really understand what he really means. This is perhaps the best book for western people to learn the way of thinking of Chinese and the character of the Chinese people. After reading the book I think people will rebuild an idea about China, thus they can understand the Chinese people in American better.

Virulent anti-Catholic bigotry was at the dark clotted heart of American Protestantism, from the New England Puritan zealots to their postmillennial evangelical Yankee descendants of the 19th century.

Billington's seminal study is legendary in its detailed scholarship and narrative presentation.

Highly recommended!

Ray Billington, a pioneer in the study of nativism, helped to bring the study of nativism into the mainstream in the 1930s. As a student of American social and intellectual history at Harvard under Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr., he began to study the social significance of Know-Nothingism, and in 1933 finished his doctoral dissertation on the origins of American Nativism. His dissertation eventually became The Protestant Crusade 1800-1860 in 1938. Like his contemporaries, he focused heavily on nativism as an anti-Catholic movement. That Billington began his work with Know-Nothingism helps to explain why he focuses on anti-Catholicism almost to the exclusion of other manifestations of nativism. He also acknowledges the influence of Schlesinger throughout the process, which further helps to explain the scope and direction of Billington's work. Schlesinger believed anti-Catholicism to be one of the most persistent themes in American History, and his declaration seems to have strongly influenced his student. Billington's equation of nativism and anti-Catholicism does not, however, detract from his work. In 1996, historian of nativism Dale T. Knobel wrote that, "although dated, Ray Allen Billington's The Protestant Crusade, is still the place for a student of the nativist movement to begin." Billington presents a thorough and detailed description of anti-Catholic movements in the first half on the nineteenth century, at times touching on anti-foreign manifestations of Know-Nothingism, but only as peripheral to his anti-Catholic focus. Billington treats nativism as an Anglo-American cultural inheritance and often as the practice of and the mob, but he nevertheless provides a careful description and at analysis of the important events, organizations and individuals.

Billington argues for two causes of the eruption of nativism into national politics in the early 1840s, first "a hatred of Catholicism bred by the forces of organized No-Popery," and second "a fear of the immigrant, not only as a Catholic, but as a menace to the economic, political, and social structure." He also traces the development of anti-Catholic sentiment into organized movements and sees their propagandizing through sermons, lectures, periodicals and tracts as influential in bringing the issue into the political realm.

Thus, while Billington deals well with nativism as an issue of national policy, he is less effective in dealing with the underlying causes of nativism. For instance he sees propagandizing as influential in swaying public opinion toward the nativist cause, but fails to explain either why certain Americans decided to spread such propaganda, or why the American people were so receptive to it. So too, he argued that the Know-Nothings faced ridicule for their principles inimical to the founding principles of the nation, but Billington fails to explain why Americans who might at one time have ascribed to Know-Nothingism suddenly found its principles untenable.

Even so Billington's careful narrative history of the antebellum anti-Catholic movement is unsurpassed. Moreover, the book is beautifully written and an excellent read. Anyone with even a passing interest in nativism and the history of American anti-Catholicism will thoroughly enjoy this book

Brimner's Raindrops is a gentle, poetic tie-in to primary science units about the water cycle. Big and bold illustrations by David Brooks in soft, pastel colors are dreamy--as if seen through a soft rain. Brimner, who is one of the best loved writers for kindergarten and first grade, has a winner here. Like this one and you'll enjoy some of his other emergent readers--Cowboy Up!, Nana's Hog, Firehouse Sal, How Many Ants?, and the hysterical duo Max and Felix. Kids love them (and so do their teachers).

A first-grade team teacher, I find Brimner's emergent reader to be a useful tie-in to our science unit on the water cycle. Although he doesn't clobber readers over the head with scientific facts--it is, after all, fiction--the cycle is there for young readers to discover and enjoy. An excellent choice for anyone wishing to tie scientific fact to the realm of young fiction.

Charles Homer Haskins' book titled THE RENIASSANCE OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY is a well written, well researched book that refutes the notion that somehow the years between c. 500-1500 AD were "the Dark Ages." Haskins book is "a must read" for those who have an interest in Medieval History.

Haskins presented an interesting thesis about cultuural/intellectual exchanges prior to the 12th.century(1100s). The book challenged the notion that Medieval Europeans were ignorant and unlearned prior to the Crusades (1096-1291). Haskins argued that there were cultural/intellectual exchanges prior to the Crusades espeacially in Southern Italy. The Byzantines Greeks and Arabic Moslems had trade in this area even after the disintegration of Roman Empire. Haskins suggested that the market place of goods was also a "market place of ideas." Gradually such exchanges and ideas penetrated Northern Europe.

Haskins dicussed early Medieval intellectual centers which were concentrated in the monestaries and cathederal schools. The monestaries were in effect beacons of light and learning. A point that other Haskins and other Medieval historians have made is the intellectual debt that Western Civilization owes to the nameless heroic monks and nuns.

The chaper on the production and publication of books is simply an important part of this book. Haskins gave precise details of how the monks hand copied books including the Ancient Clasics and the Bible. He commented that writing/hand copying books was "a labor of love." The monks believed that every word, sentence, and page meant the forgiveness of sins. There is an anecdote whereby one monk wrote one more word than he committed his sins which led to his salvation. The work of book production was so important that those monks who did such work were relieved of physical labor. Often groups of scribes would collaborate to get a book finished, and when the book was finished, there was celebration and a feast. The value of books was very dear. Haskins provided and example whereby in 1043, the Bishop of Barcelona gave a house and land for two books. Books were indeed valuable. The notion that anti-Catholics use that the Catholic authorities did not want people to read the Bible is ludicrous. Haskins stated that Bibles were chained in the cathederals and monestaries to prevent theft. These Bibles were chained to insure their continued use rather than any attempt to restrict their use. Readers must know that just how hard book production was and the arduous efforts involved in such publication efforts.

The teachers and students were also involved in reviving and enhancing the Latin Classics and the Latin language. One must know that the Latin language was the universal language of all teaching, learning, and the Catholic Church. The Latin classics and translations of Greek literature was at first read and learned for moral instuction. Gradually such learning was done for the joy of great literature. While some Catholic authorities were cautious of such learning from pagans, the decision was made to encourage such learning because Catholic authorities did not want ignorant priests and monks.

The introduction of Aristotle's philosophy was an interesting part of this book. Church authorities were concerned of Aristotle's influence corrupting the Catholic Faith. While there were offical restrictions on teaching and learning of Aristotle in the Medieval schools, these were never rigidly enforced. By 1255, such restructions were abondoned. While the Latin Classics were never abandoned, they were reduced in importance by the introduction of Aristotle's logic and dialectic. Haskins cited a Medieval work about the War Between the Liberal Arts and Logic in which Logic won.

The section of the revival of the study of law was also informative. The Medieval Canon Law jurists not only revived Roman Law and developed Canon Law, the Catholic Canon Law jurists developed a "scientific legal system." Roman Law was viewed with suspicion in Medieval England, and Henry II (1154-1189)tried to eliminate such studies. Haskins was very specific to explain that improved studies in Law began in Italy and preceeded Gratian's exhaustive work which was produced c. 1140.

One must ask how so much learning that was written in Greek and Arabic became available in the Latin West. Haskins gave a detailed explanation of the translators who did the translations to make Greek and Arabic knowledge available in the Latin West. Such work must have been taken seriously. Historians have combed a monastary that existed c 1140. Historians discovered texts written in Arabic, Greek,and Hebrew. This undermines the notion that somehow the monks were ignorant and unlearned men.

The chapter on translators was logically followed by the revival of studies of philosophy which became "the handmaid of theology." As one might expect that while there serious studies of Plato's DIALOGUES, Aristotle's philosophy dominated philosophical studies. Yet Haskins made clear, Aristotle could be just as mystical as Plato.

The chapter on universities is thorough. One can glean this topic by reading Haskins book THE RISE OF THE UNIVERSITIES which this reviwer has previously reviewed. Haskins undermined the notion that everyone was forced to think the same which is simply not true. Rarely did the Catholic authorities interfere, and Medieval teachers and students thought of themselve intellectually free. An important part of Medieval teaching and learning was the debates which, according to sources, were lively and spirited. For example, Peter Abelard (1079-1142)wrote a university text titled SIC ET NON (YES AND NO)in which he showed students the apparent contradictions of the Bible, Church Fathers, Catholic Church councils, etc. Abelard did not resolve these apparent contractions, and he used this text to have his students logically resolve these problems. Abelard was never admonished for this book. Further examination of Medieval universities can be learned from the above mentioned book.

Haskins book is a good comparison and contrast of contemporary learning and teaching. Compared to totalitarian regimes and their control over education, this book is refreshing antidote. One must also consider the childish and nonsensical political correct atmosphere of most U.S. unversities which discourages intelligent debate and exchange. Medieval universities encouraged intense learning and debate which was "uninhibited, robust, and wide open." One wonders which age was the "Dark Ages" when comparing the two concepts of teaching and learning. Contemporaries can read and enjoy this book if only as an escape from what many try to pass off as education.

Despite its age, this book is still the premiere piece fo scholarship on the Twelfth Century. The late Harvard professor Haskins was a master at presenting detailed, insightful research in an easy, accessible manner. Everyone, from the average reader to the advanced researcher will be greatly satisfied with this erudite work.

In this book, which he did throughout all of his career, he presents history in the broader sense: history that is flowing and morphic, not static and pigeonholed. He believed that breaking history up into little arbitrary units of measure, like the century or a decade, while convenient, led to unrealistic expectations of periods or breaks between events, eras, and cultures. History for Professor haskins was very much alive and could not be contained for our convenience, hence it overflowed our self-imposed boundaires, and events which occurred in one era, had their origins far back in time and their ramifications felt far forward in time. Nothing is encapsulated and cut off from the rest of time.

The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century is a very important book, because it recaptures the early Middle Ages from the dustbin of Dark Ages ignorance where all the centuries after the Fall of Rome and the better known Italian Renaissance of the 15th Century are thrown. It proves that scholarship and learning were vigorous, that the liberal arts flourished in towns, cathedrals, monasteries, and the newly founded universities (which is covered much more fully in his book The Rise of the Universities), and therein lay the expansion of the earlier Carolingian scholarship, the salvation of the Latin classics and laws, and rediscovery of Greek philosophy, literature, and sciences, and the influx of Arabic learning that was so influential in the later eruption of learning that led to the greater Renaissances and modern times. He proves however, that there were local origins of learning and that the arts grew very much out of their own cultural bedrocks. These were not ignorant scribes only copying work from far away and a millennia before, but intelligent and resourceful scholars who bettered themselves and their times.

Haskins is a master historian and this book remains a classic of the genre.