surveys Books

Would you like a less conventional interpretation of the universe and all within it, including everything you find in your day to day world? If so, few books will be more user-friendly in getting a foot in the door than "In Search of the Miraculous."

Few books can beat this one for giving you a completely different story. If the ideas in this book remind you of any you have read in any other books, then you have been reading some extremely rare, possibly nonexistent tomes. The content of "In Search of the Miraculous" is Mr. Ouspensky describing Gurdjieff's system, as he, Ouspensky, got to know it while he was a member of one of Gurdjieff's early groups during the second decade of the 20th century. Ouspensky eventually (as he recounts near the end of this book) parted ways with Gurdjieff, to form his own school-- one which, if Ouspensky's lectures collected in "The Fourth Way" are any indication, offered rehashings & reconstructions of the teachings we first learn of in "In Search of the Miraculous."

Gurdjieff himself, I think, is the real nugget for you, if you like stretching your imagination. Ouspensky certainly shows in "In Search of the Miraculous" that he felt that Gurdjieff's teachings were ushering him into the antechamber of the worlds deepest, most hidden truths. He pondered the rest of his life where the roots of Gurdjieff's profound system lay.

One wonders if much of it didn't spring from Gurdjieff's own creative juices. All the journeys Gurdjieff took, dervishes he met, and keepers of ancient lore he spent time with growing up, cannot account for the amazing originality of his views-- which is what "In Search of the Miraculous" serves up from start to finished.

Are you interested in evolution? Ouspensky & Co., at Gurdjieff's feet, learn that apes are descended from man, not the other way around. How about the cause of war, and when it will finally end? Everyone is longing for that answer. Well, it won't end. It's driven by the momentous, elemental, cosmic forces that enslave us unconscious human automatons-- which means, therefore, that the likelihood of stopping war is that of stopping the world revolving. Sounds odd? Maybe this will clear it up some: all the blood shed in warfare does serve a purpose-- it feeds the Moon-- which, through such mad energy transformations, is growing to be more like the earth, which is becoming more like the sun. (You find that hard to believe? Then you'll believe anything, I guess!)Oh-- and then there's this one: Is there a deeper purpose to the conventional world of social calendars and events? Yes; in fact, all such occasions for conviviality are merely opportunities, in disguise, for people to have more sex. Makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Or does it?

As Ouspensky has Gurdjieff tell it, human beings, in their unmystically-schooled, underdeveloped condition-- are complex, unconscious machines, whose physical, metabolic, psychic, interpersonal, and social activities have all been magnificently harmonized and developed by galactic, solar, planetary, lunar, & sublunar forces to produce byproducts necessary for the ongoing purpose of the Ray of Creation, a strange something which is marvelous, obscure, and, for the normal, unenlightened human being, a spiritual death sentence.

The chances are slim, I think, that reading "In Search of the Miraculous" will spur many to go off and join an Ouspesensky/Gurdjieff movement or school, although this would be the most practical course an appreciative reader could take.

Unpractically, though, "In Search of the Miraculous" can offer the same rewards as the best poetry or fiction (not suprisingly, many artists & creative people were drawn to Gurdjieff's early groups)-- respite and relief from mind numbing conventional stabs at ultimate meaning proferred by popular science, pop-religion, anti-science, and anti-religion.

To get really into Gurdjieff's beneficent and highly refreshing world, after getting an introduction through Ouspensky, one is best advised to get into Gurdjieff's masterpiece, "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandchildren," a work of pure genius, which includes most of the ideas taught in "In Search of the Miraculous," only in a highly condensed (or, is it expanded?), oft-bewildering, unsparingly enchanting guise.

this book has obviously meant a lot, and many things, to many people.

possibly Ouspensky's work overall has some of the beauty of the late 19th and early 20th centuries about it.

usually I wonder how this book would have turned out had he published it himself. the author might have changed some things, written a preface, and so forth; that is, provided an orientation for the reader.

written after the fact, it may even show the author's reservations from the first chapter, not the last, and the fact that he recorded his subject's statements doesn't necessarily mean that he endorsed them all -- duh!

Have you been searching for spiritual truth and have had to traverse the myriad of paths? This is the book to read as it contains what one truly needs to know in one book. The teachings contained in this book plants the seeds for the expansion of mind for higher consciousness.

This is an extraordinary mind-altering book, if you allow it to be.

You cannot truly understand G.'s teachings from your own perspective. You have to see it from the perspective that G. wants you to see it from. You have to relinquish your current thinking and surrender to his view, then you can see the truth that lies behind the illusions... This is his way of teaching, not by ways of deception, but through submission. By showing you the possibilities that lie within another dimension of perception. Only then can you truly see your 'self'.

P.D. Ospensky as a teenager decided to forgo an academic education and instead to search for or hidden knowledge. His search lead him to study Theosophy, to travels in the East, to India, and such. Yet, he remained dissatisfied with what he found. Little did he know that he would find what he was looking for (The Miraculous) in a teacher who showed up from the East in his very own Moscow!

This book is about Ouspensky's experiences learning from this teacher, a mystic and very strange one at that, G.I. Gurjieff.

Gurjieff teaches Ospenskys things he never knew, gives him experiences he never thought possible. This book is Ouspesnky's gift to us from of what he learned and experienced.

Certainly, this book works mostly on the intellectual mind, and yet, Ouspensky frequently tells us that we must find an 'emotional state' and that, my friends, is 'The Work'.

This is easily the most important book I have ever read, and afterwards, I could lo longer see the world the same, or live my life in the same way.

The book is in pristine condition and arrived as timely as could be expected, considering the location of the shipper. Now I am actually capable of DOING my philosophy homework! Thanks!

Plato Complete Works - Plato did arrive on schedule and in great condition. It will be good to get to know him after all these years. Thanks for send him to me. Now we will get to learn from his insight.

Plato Complete Works edited by John Cooper is a great book. This is a complete compilation of all the stories written by Plato. Translated and edited properly in a way that makes Plato understandable to the reader. Highly recommended.

Nice quality book overall... Pages are super-thin, Bible-style, and the binding is medium-high quality... but it's the Complete Works for under 50 bucks!

I have not yet finished this book, but so far it appears to be a great collection for those interested in philosophy. The topics it covers are varying and very different from other books I have read. An example of this is that one of the "books" is a discussion of names and their relation to the things that they name. That is something that I have not been introduced to yet in my studies and it is good to get a broader knowledge of such things. However, I think that this book will most be enjoyed by someone who takes philisophy seriously, as a person who is just begginning or is just meerly interested, it might be somewhat confusing.

For anyone who is a lover of the English language, this set is incomparable. The scope of the achievement of the OED is epic. You will need four feet of bookshelf space to house the set, but it will anchor any literary collection and allow you to peruse not only words but the history of the english language itself. Churchill once said, "The man who cannot say what he has to say in good English cannot have very much to say that is worth listening to." The OED will back his assessment.

There are no words to express my satisfaction about The Oxford English Dictionary. It is the most academic linguistic tool available for those who have passion for the English language. Highly recommended!!!

The definitive collection of words for the English language, and then some. Clear bold type, arranged with an encylopedic approach to language. I can't imagine anything more useful and so physically attractive in every way. And an incredible dollar value.

As many reviewers have stressed out, there are many good dictionary that one can benefit from. But the OED is the only one that in addition to its definitions exhaustibly explains etymological information of its words as well as it shows quotations. The latter is the zenith of this dictionary. I can spend hours reading those quotations that may date back from the 12 century up to now. One may not find such a rich citation bank in any other source. So it is a real pleasure to browse through these twenty volumes and finding so much information.

I study several languages and I'm unaware of a dictionary in any language that provides such an abundance of information such as the OED. If I had to choose any book from my library to take with me to a desert island I'd certainly not hesitate in taking the OED.

In addition to its phenomenon lexicographical content it is an extremely well-bound dictionary that stands beautifully in my bookshelf. Luckily, I've purchased from Amazon for a real bargain ($398.00). For this reason, I suggest those interested in purchasing this multi-volume set to constantly keep an eye on its price fluctuation from Amazon, as another reviewer has stressed out.

Acquiring this book is like a long-cherished dream come true! You cannot but marvel at this awe-inspiring compendium of English words.

I am still reading the rather elaborate introductory pages so that I can appreciate this awesome book better and also make the fullest possible use of it.

If you are an ambitious writer, a journalist, a voracious reader or simply a lover of English words, you just cannot do without this book!

The only complaint is that the shipping was delayed a little (though I had opted for the expedited option); it took about 15 days to receive the 20-volume set. (I had also asked for the 3-volume Additions Series which I received in exactly 3 days and in excellent condition too.)

But I must say that Amazon compensated me and also promptly responded to all my queries. Also the books were in such excellent condition. Here in India, even if I purchase new books from the biggest bookshops, I rarely receive books that are in such excellent condition. The books were also packed with meticulous care and still retained the fresh crisp smell of new pages and printing ink! What more can a bibliophile ask for?!

Excelente libro para manterner un equilibrio personal y no entrar en dimes y diretes con otras personas.
Lo sugiero para trabajar con la actitud personal y con otras personas.

this book will change the way you react to anything said about you...
the first and second agreements I have read about five times.......

I will keep reading it at least once a year

me encanta la lectura y est elibro me enseno muchas cosas de mi relacion con mi ex-esposo

El autor sabe cómo explicar muy claramente el objetivo , de la vida, de las cosas, de las personas que nos rodean. Nos da una cierta visión de como tomar las cosas, buenas o malas y poder darle un sentido mejor y más valorado. Aunque algunas veces un poco repetitivo, la guía es una buena opción para tomar algunas decisiones en tu vida, lo recomiendo ampliamente.

El autor sabe cómo explicar muy claramente el objetivo , de la vida, de las cosas, de las personas que nos rodean. Nos da una cierta visión de como tomar las cosas, buenas o malas y poder darle un sentido mejor y más valorado. Aunque algunas veces un poco repetitivo, la guia es una buena opción para tomar algunas decisiones en tu vida, lo recomiendo ampliamente.

Who was the first to understand that newer, better ideas are always rejected and even violently resisted, before being finally accepted? Was It Schopenhauer? Was it Tom Paine, Louis Agassiz, George Bernard Shaw, Max Planck, or Gandi? Or perhaps the idea is as old as the ancient legend of Prometheus who "stole the fire of the gods," and in the process taught primitive humans all of the arts of civilization; for which he was punished by being bound to a rock eternally by Zeus so that an eagle could eat out his liver.

In modern times at least, the answer seems to be Arthur Schopenhauer, (1788 - 1860), who early published what may be the first clear formulation of the idea. Following are some memorable quotes from Essays and Aphorisms, which give an idea as to what is meant.

"The discovery of truth is prevented more effectively not by the false appearance of things present and which mislead into error, not directly by weakness of the reasoning powers, but by preconceived opinion, by prejudice. (Essays and Aphorisms, 120 § 9)
"Truth that has been merely learned is like an artificial limb, a false tooth, a waxen nose; at best, like a nose made out of another's flesh; it adheres to us only because it is put on. But truth acquired by thinking of our own is like a natural limb; it alone really belongs to us. This is the fundamental difference between the thinker and the mere scholar. (Essays and Aphorisms, 91 § 4)
"Truth is fairest naked, and the simpler its expression the profounder its influence. (Essays and Aphorisms, 205 § 8)
"How very paltry and limited the normal human intellect is, and how little lucidity there is in the human consciousness, may be judged from the fact that, despite the ephemeral brevity of human life, the uncertainty of our existence and the countless enigmas which press upon us from all sides, everyone does not continually and ceaselessly philosophize, but that only the rarest of exceptions do so. If they should ever feel any metaphysical need, it is taken care of from above and in advance by the various religions; and these, whatever they may be like, suffice. (Essays and Aphorisms, 123 § 16)
"Great minds are related to the brief span of time during which they live as great buildings are to a little square in which they stand: you cannot see them in all their magnitude because you are standing too close to them. (Essays and Aphorisms, 226 § 5-D)
"The difference between the genius and the normal intelligence is, to be sure, only a quantitative one, insofar as it is only a difference of degree: one is nevertheless tempted to regard it as a qualitative one when one considers how normal men, despite their individual diversity, all think along certain common lines, so that they are frequently in unanimous agreement over judgments which are, in fact, false. (Essays and Aphorisms, 131 § 23)
"To estimate a genius you should not take the mistakes in his productions, or his weaker works, but only those works in which he excels. For even in the realm of the intellect, weakness and absurdity cleave so firmly to human nature that even the most brilliant mind is not always entirely free of them: whence the mighty errors which can be pointed to even in the works of the greatest men. (Essays and Aphorisms, 223 § 5-A)
"The great misfortune for intellectual merit is that it has to wait until the good is praised by those who produce only the bad.
"It is the fate of the great here on earth to be recognized by us only when they are no more.
"After a hundred years Copernicus had not yet supplanted Ptolemy. Bacon, Descartes, Locke prevailed very slowly and very late. It was no different with Newton. Although Newton lived almost forty years after the appearance of his Principia, his theory was, when he died, recognized only in England, and there only partially, while abroad he could, according to Voltaire, count fewer than twenty adherents. Hume, although he wrote in a thoroughly popular style, was disregarded until his fiftieth year. Kant, although he wrote and taught his whole life long, became famous only after his sixtieth year. Artists and poets have a better chance than thinkers because their public is at least a hundred times bigger: and yet what did Mozart and Beethoven count for during their lifetimes? or Dante, or even Shakespeare? Every Portuguese is proud of Camoens, the only Portuguese poet: but he lived on alms procured for him in the streets. (Essays and Aphorisms, 224 § 5-B)
"As the sun needs an eye in order to shine, and music an ear in order to sound, so the worth of every masterpiece in art and science is conditioned by the mind related and equal to it to which it speaks. Only such a mind posses the incantation to arouse the spirits imprisoned in such a work and make them show themselves. The commonplace head stands before it as before a magic casket he cannot open or an instrument he cannot play. A beautiful work requires a sensitive mind, a speculative work a thinking mind, in order to really exist and live. (Essays and Aphorisms, 225 § 5-C)
"The poet [and novelist] presents the imagination with images from life and human characters and situations, sets them all in motion and leaves it to the beholder to let these images take his thoughts as far as his mental powers will permit. This is why he is able to engage men of the most differing capabilities, indeed fools and sages together. The philosopher [and scientist], on the other hand, presents not life itself but the finished thoughts which he has abstracted from it and then demands that the reader should think precisely as, and precisely as far as, he himself thinks. That is why his public is so small. (Essays and Aphorisms, 118 § 4, brackets added)
"If you want to earn the gratitude of your own age you must keep in step with it. But if you do that you will produce nothing great. If you have something great in view you must address yourself to posterity. (Essays and Aphorisms, 131 § 25)
"Talent works for money and fame; the motive which moves genius to productivity is, on the other hand, less easy to determine. It isn't money, for genius seldom gets any. It isn't fame: fame is too uncertain and, more closely considered, of too little worth. Nor is it strictly for its own pleasure, for the great exertion involved almost outweighs the pleasure. It is rather an instinct of a unique sort by virtue of which the individual possessed of genius is impelled to express what he has seen and felt in enduring works without being conscious of any further motivation. (Essays and Aphorisms, 131 § 26)

Schopenhauer said that the creative genius must write for posterity and expect to be rejected in one's own lifetime. That is a pessimistic attitude; or a self-deluded one if one's theory is wrong. But it may also be practical. Until a new theory is finally accepted, it can not be considered "true" objectively. And "accepted" must mean by a large enough scientific, philosophic, or academic community to make use of the idea, and to give it reality by passing it along to the general public. In the long run it must be accepted by society at large, or at least by a much larger group, or it will forever remain a cult phenomenon.

What it all comes down to is that the creative genius must have a sufficient degree of confidence in the truth of an idea, that one is willing to put one's life on the line. Possibly not in a sudden, life-or-death gamble, though that too sometimes happens; but--what can be more difficult--in a slow ebbing of the life-force that occurs when one risks everything on an idea that for the present is rejected by almost everyone; and gambles it on an unknown future where it will probably fail, or worse; where it may never see the light of day. But it also might be a future in which the new idea succeeds, thereby ushering in a future that will be better than the present, perhaps immeasurably so.

A. Schopenhauer and Ralph W. Emerson deserve to be read together. I remember reading these two at roughly the same time and they blew my mind open, splattering it on whatever was behind me. Schopenhauer writes beautifully, with great wit, humor and massive quantities of vitrol all at once. R. J. Hollingdale, famous for his superlative translations of Friedrich Nietzsche's writings, does justice to this collection; it's only a shame that he never translated the rest of his writings, or at least the World as Will and Representation.

A brief passage for those who might be otherwise daunted:

"Dilettantes! Dilettantes! -- this is the derogatory cry those who apply themselves to art or science for the sake of gain raise against those who pursue it for love of it and pleasure in it. THis derogation rests on their vulgar conviction that no one would take up a thing seriously unless prompted to it by want, hunger, or some other kind of greediness. The public has the same outlook and consequently holds the same opinion, which is the origin of its universal respect for 'the professional' and its mistrust of the dilettante. the truth, however, is that to the dilettante the thing is the end, while to the professional as such it is the means; and only he who is directly interested in a thing, and occupies himself with it form love of it, will pursue it with entire seriousness. It is from such as these, and not from wage earners, that the greatest things have always come." pg. 227

My copy is showing age and serious wear; I'd recommend picking up two, you'll be reading this into the dust.
If you enjoy the 'gallant' misogeny and self-sure egoism in passages like those from his essay "On Women" I'd reccomend Max Stirner's "Ego and its Own"--a must for rampant individualists. Another plus: caustic enough to rile the ire of a young K. Marx. Thoreau minus patience.

I came to Schopenhauer's work reluctantly, having been put off by two things: first, his well-known belligerent attitude towards women (misogyny is an understatement); and second by Nietzsche, who - despite an early infatuation with Schopenhauer - later turned against his "mentor" (of sorts), claiming his work lacked any ethical applicability.

Yet, as an avid reader of philosophy in general, I found myself repeatedly drawn towards Schopenhauer through various resources. After putting my prejudices aside, then, I have to say that I consumed this volume with great enthusiasm and found Schopenhauer to be one of the clearest, most articulate philosophers in the Western tradition. He was, in a word, a genius.

Sure, the "Buddha of Frankfurt" (his nickname) was not saint, but Schopenhauer himself would have been the first to admit it. That said, I think the chapter on women and Nietzsche's complaints should be kept in mind, but not used to disallow the rest of his brilliant methaphysical writing.

I want to mention here, too, that the introduction by R.J. Hollingdale is outstanding and helpful. I have read Kant, but I still found his summary of philosophy leading up to Schopenhauer to be a refreshing and lively review (compared, say, with the dull, unhelpful introduction by Dave Berman in Everyman's edition of The World as Will and Idea). It is hard to sum up Kant's thought in a few pages, but Hollingdale does a great job, I think.

Finally, I don't think you need to have read Kant to understand most of the ideas presented in this text. Also, I have to concur with Schopenhauer's university philosophy professor, G.E. Schulze, who told the young thinker to stick with ONLY Plato and Kant - but to that small list I would now add the name Schopenhauer.

I highly recommend this text for both beginners and experts in the field -it is THAT good...and it just might change your whole perspective, if not your way of life. Amazing!

What shall I say of Schopenhauer? I've read much of his "The World as Will and Idea," but I like his "Essays and Aphorisms" better. The "Essays" state all of his major ideas but in a more enjoyable and palatable form. His magnum opus explicates his philosophy more completely, but I was bogged down by his incessant treatment of Kantian transcendentalism, which contextualized his work and gave it legitimacy within his time period.

But I would argue that Schopenhauer is known for his pessimistic interpretation of existence, and his intellectual and artistic reworkings of Vedantic and Buddhistic philosophy. He was able to enmesh Kantian and Eastern idealism within a conernful way of life within the world.

One delights in Schopenhauer's verbal abuse of life, Christian metaphysics (not Christianity itself), and optimisms of every kind. He has a way of reducing cherished sentiments and ideals to the absurd mechanisms of control and torture: the systems of human existence.

Read the "Essays" if you want to be challenged, if you want to have some wicked fun, and if you wish to consider your own existence within a definite and different (but not necessarily definitive) framework.

This is a brief compendium and collection of Schopenhauer's expository writing, suitable for a quick introduction to many of his ideas and most famous sayings. Few philosophers were as clear and concise in their writing as he was, and this little book contains many of most quotable and trenchant passages. The Schopenhauer neophyte as well as the more experienced reader will find much to reflect on and to entertain here.

Personally, I like Schopenhauer despite his overall downer message, although his philosophy and metaphysics, which is which is called absolute voluntaristic idealism, hasn't faired that well in the last 100 years, although when I was in college 30 years ago he seemed to be popular among the students I knew who were studying philosophy.

There are several reasons why Schopenhauer's thought is still important. An idealist like Kant, he kept Kant's distinction between the noumenal and the phenomenal, between the mental and external representations of reality. Kant's defense of idealism, that some ideas or at least mental processes are innate, is still relevant in modern brain science and neurobiology and in Chomsky's theories in linguistics, especially in regard to Chomsky's ideas about language learning and acquisition, in which there is support from brain science for a built-in facility in humans for language, and possibly an innate syntactical generator component to language ability.

Although innate ideas probably don't exist in the way that Kant envisioned them, modern brain science has supported his theory that the mind or brain is actively involved in the organizing and structuring of the data from the senses, and that we couldn't make sense of reality if we didn't have inborn aptitudes and capabilities to do that.

Schopenhauer emphasized the importance of Eastern philosophy and the validity of its introspective methods, while maintaining his overall empirical approach. His moral and ethical philosophy is based on compassion rather than on practical and reasonable considerations like Kant's. He was probably the first important western philosopher to give credit to Zen and Buddhist thought, while remaining faithful to the empirical principles of science.

Outside of philosophy his thoughts have had a major impact on psychology and the arts. He was the most important influence on both Nietzsche and Wittgenstein, and he also had a great influence on Freud and Jung, and on writers and composers from Wagner to Tolstoy. During the 20th century, Schopenhauer's reputation faded and the importance of his work has been to a great extent overlooked, but recent books show that his importance is being rediscovered and reappraised.

I have to include this brief passage on his thought, since it's excellent, which I obtained from the biographies section of Bluepete website.

"Schopenhauer's system of philosophy, as previously mentioned, was based on that of Kant's. Schopenhauer did not believe that people had individual wills but were rather simply part of a vast and single will that pervades the universe: that the feeling of separateness that each of has is but an illusion. So far this sounds much like the Spinozistic view or the Naturalistic School of philosophy. The problem with Schopenhauer, and certainly unlike Spinoza, is that, in his view, "the cosmic will is wicked ... and the source of all endless suffering."

I have a personal anecdote to recount. My college roommates and I used to read Schopenhauer at night to each other over a couple of beers, and we found his acerbic, trenchant style and sharp wit a delight to read, and this book is perhaps the best example of his prose in that regard. One Schopenhauer quote I still remember after 30 years is: "Intellect comes from the mother; character from the father," which might say a lot about his family life and how he grew up.

Schopenhauer is also famous for quotes such as:

"The two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom."
(from his Essays, Personality; or What a Man Is).

"I have long held the opinion that the amount of noise that anyone can bear undisturbed stands in inverse proportion to his mental capacity and therefore be regarded as pretty fair measure of it."

"To marry is to halve your rights and double your duties."

I have to include my favorite quote on marriage here, although it isn't Schopenhauer's, and I don't know where it came from, although it echoes his sentiments: "Marriage is the institution where the woman loses her the name and the man his solvency."

His dyspeptic view of life might have been fostered by his delicate digestive system. He would spent many minutes poring over the menu before ordering his food in the cafes where he usually dined, because a wrong choice "could send his nerves ringing for days," according to one comment I read about him. Whatever the source of his pessimism, Schopenhauer seemed almost embarrassed and ashamed to be in a human body, because he did not seem to find much good in humans or human society. No doubt he would have preferred to be a higher, more intelligent species than humans, if such exists somewhere else in the universe. But Schopenauer didn't seem to think that intelligent life existed here. :-)

Whatever the current fate of his reputation, Schopenhauer was a uniquely gloomy intellect who contributed much to several areas of philosophy. And not the least of his virtues is that he was a true cynic and pessimist--surely the most accurate view of life, after all. :-)

The explosive, defiant spirit of Nietzsche is engraved in his very own fierce writing. His words are alluring and somewhat dangerous, as the reader will come to feel guilty for recognizing sparks of truth even in his most provocative & offensive ideas . His defiant character makes you shiver from pleasure: here is someone who has no fear of sounding raw and brutal. His ferocity and cynicism will often make you laugh; the painful laugh of realization.

The best first and/or last step into Friedrich Nietzsche's thought. It reads quickly and gives a fair cross-section of his writings chronologically: just before TSZ, right after his "free spirit" epoch, and Bk. V from around the time of Beyond Good & Evil. Only a shame that a Hollingdale translation is not available in English.
And now some buffoonery from yours trulery.

Down Going Limerick

Zarathustra is now down going
And so he speaks in rhyme:
The madman said, "God is dead.
Where is he? Is it we who killed a lie?"

Now I Exhort You to Love What is Most Distant, to
Dionysus Against the Crucified.

Burn Your Ships and move to Inland Deserts
Onward--To the Great Noontide,
For The Twilight of the Idols Approaches,
And The Overman's Time is Well Nigh.

At Last Behold the Higher Man--
Whom With Hammer Doth Philosophize:
"You yourself are this Will to Power,
and nothing else besides!"

Now Completely Drunk With Laugher,
And Unafraid to Die
The Higher Man Declares: Amor Fati!
Finally Dionysus Will Fly!

Thus Spoke Zarathustra in His Down Going
Of the Innocence of Becoming from on High.
"Together, Apollo and Dionysus unite
Against the Crucified."

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

The Sorcerer unpursed his lips
laying his flute beside him, and sighed.

This work of Nietzsche may be the most accessible for the casual reader. For philosophers and scholars, it may be one of the deepest. Many reviewers here have noted the "God is dead" stated for the first time in this book. To fully understand Nietzsche's perspective, and "God is dead" statement, one has to read deeper into - Heinrich Heine and his writings. Like Heine, Nietzsche does not write for the small-minded reader. This is why both of them are often misunderstood.

"The Gay Science" is also a magnificent literary achievement. This is the book to be read and re-read whenever you have a chance. The aphorisms are very well-suited for that but do not forget that all Nietzsche's writings are just the tip of the iceberg and that full appreciation comes from knowing them all (or most of them, at least).

Nietzsche's Die Froliche Wissenschaft may be a great and brilliant book precisely because it is impossible to say exactly what it is about. On the one hand, we are given the Nietzsche who repudiates the assumptions of Christian morality and German Nationalism, as well as the familiar Nietzsche who rejects dogmatism and rationalism, but we are also given an unusual Nietzsche who discusses the tremendous potential of the theoretical and physical sciences. There are also profound discussions on women in the Gay Science which break with his otherwise overt misogyny. Additionally, Nietzsche provides very lucid repudiations of all forms of nihilism (aphorisms which are often overlooked by contemporary commentators who wish to write Nietzsche off as a nihilistic thinker). Nietzsche also introduces a number of his most important philosophical ideas in the Gay Science, namely the notion of ressentiment, slave and master morality, 'God is Dead,' and the eternal recurrence of the same. This is a hugely important opus in the history of modernity, and it is an immensely pleasurable and satisfying read.

For the admirers of Nietzsche and those who love to read him, "The Gay Science" is somehow their FAVOURITE BOOK. In this work the hughe, great German philosopher and psychologist (honour to whom it deserves!) confronts us with a rather fleet-footed, almost "dancing" way of writing about his eternal themes that never ever have left his thoughts, his way of thinking and his brilliant pen.
HERE is a work that is EXTREMELY RICH, OF GREAT VALUE:
* For the FIRST TIME he announces the death of God;
* For the FIRST TIME his thoughts about eternal rebirth are formulated;
* He introduces the reader into his theory of "THE DANGEROUS LIFE": the author even recommends this to his readers (see too: "Thus spake Zarathustra", "Beyond Good And Evil" and his splendid "Antichrist").
At the same time I have to say that this however fabulous work, is a VERY CONTROVERSIAL writing of Nietzsche. At many places in the book he is dealing with - what I will call here "DELICATE THEMES" as there are for example "THE JEW" and "THE WOMAN". Passages where every reader of these days (early 21st century) cannot read those paragraphs without frowning the eyebrows, not to say will be "feeling uncomfortable with".

Now, quite REMARKABLE is that "THIS FAVOURITE" was written in the years 1881-1882, so about the same period the author "created" his "Zarathustra"! Knowing this AND knowing the subjects of Nietzsche, I cannot say elsehow - about the writer as a man as well as about his eternal themes - that right here "we" meet/deal with the greatest of all contrasts in his entire, well-filled life and work. In fact "THE CONTRAST" which cannot be found elsewhere in his oeuvre, is the "HEAVY PROPHETISM" of his "Zarathustra" versus "The Gay Science" of which the character is to be defined "RATHER AIRY, LIGHT-HEARTED AND PLAYFUL".
BUT: do NEVER let this contrast be the (false) reason not to read this beautiful "product", ON THE CONTRARY!!! No more, no less it is showing THE REAL GENIUS of the author (there exist/are/were far more less than one would like to think or thinks!). Without any doubt this PHENOMENON OF CONTRAST must be seen, interpreted as the REAL, IMMENSELY GREAT TALENT of Nietzsche: as well concerning the literary point of view as to his INEXHAUSTIVE, UNLIMITED CAPABILITY to play with words and thoughts. JUST AS IF it were the most common thing on earth to do so, while in fact this GENIUS (noblesse oblige!) is playing, juggling with the most difficult items of philosophy, psychology, even theology, in a way ... it can be read by all.

ESPECIALLY HERE, ABOUT "THE GAY SCIENCE", this has to be said all over again - whether one is PRO or CONTRA Nietzsche: the phenomenon of his GENIUS will and can never be denied. It is INTELLECTUAL HONESTY that makes, requires one to consider him that like. The book is AGAIN one of his "creatings" that is very well readable AND that will be re-read. RECOMMENDED FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND REASON, MY WHOLE BEING!

The Consolation of Philosophy is a work of genius. In the Middle Ages, it was the second most widely read book after the Bible. Combining allegory, poetry, and platonic thought, Boethius (475-525 CE), sought to address philosophical questions that still plague us today: issues of God, time, free will, and justice. And he did it all while in prison, awaiting his execution by the Gothic emperor Theodoric, which makes it all the more immediate, urgent, and absorbing.

Boethius illustrates, among other things, that evil people live in their own hells; that vanity and worldly pursuits are empty; that God is good. And Boethian thought is reassuring and familiar; partly due to the fact that many of us are products of the Middle Ages culture that he helped to create, but also because the Greek philosophy that supports his philosophic contentions is also implicitly pervasive. Whatever the reason, reading him feels like being aquainted with, and being consoled by, an old friend.

Each time I teach Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy in my Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy course, I'm struck by what a wonderful text it is. There are at least three reasons for this.

First, it's as good an introduction to the worldview of the late antiquity/early medieval periods as one's likely to find. That worldview is likely to strike contemporary ears as foreign--Boethius' conflation, for example, of the good, happiness, and God in Book III--but it's well worth attending to.

Second, reading Boethius is an education in good argumentation. One can disagree with the premises upon which his arguments rest while still admiring and profiting from the rigor of the arguments themselves. Boethius himself tells us that his method is to "unfold" conclusions "without the help of any external aid"--tradition or authority--"but [instead] with one internal proof grafted upon another so that each [draws] its credibility from that which preceded" (p. 82). And he lives up to his word.

Finally, the existential questions Boethius explores in the Consolation are astoundingly vital today. Here's a guy who was once one of the most powerful men in the Roman empire fallen from grace and facing a very messy death. In writing the Consolation, he tries to come to terms with the fickleness of fortune, the problem of evil (why do bad things happen to good people), the secret of happiness, the issue of free will, and the meaning of human existence. Boethius finally concludes that he, like most humans, had been suffering from what might be called philosophical amnesia. He'd allowed his fast-paced lifestyle to induce forgetfulness of who he was and the way he should live his life. In those final months of his life, living in a solitary jail cell and pondering his own mortality, Boethius begins to remember. Reading his wonderful little book can help us, fifteen hundred years later, to awaken from our own amnesias.

Of all the translations of the Consolation I've read, Victor Watts' is my favorite. But be forewarned: his Introduction to the book will tell you almost nothing about the contents and issues of Boethius' book.

The Lady Philosophy appeared to Boethius in a vision while Boethius was in prison for political crimes. This book, while highly entertaining, set the stage for medieval philosophy. Among others, St Thomas Aquinas would be in constant conversation with Boethius.

The first section contains a fiery retort by Boethius concerning his imprisonment.

Eventually he and Lady Philosophy get into a discussion concerning true happiness (which St Thomas would essentially copy several centuries later). They define happiness as participating in the highest good, which is God. All other definitions of happiness cannot simultaneously maintain the qualifications for happiness.

The problem of evil: Boethius follows St Augustine in defining evil as a privation of being. Boethius takes it one step further in saying that evil men do not exist! I will let you figure this one out.

Time and eternity: Boethius defines eternity as the simultaneously possessing the fullness of life without end, always appearing in the present.

Conclusion: A masterful and stirring read. Philosophy at its best. A few qualms: I don't think Boethius fully held together is discussion of fate and free will and providence. Good yes and quite original, but...

Anyway, a wonderful read.

"Consolation of Philosophy" was on the syllabus for a "History of Philosophy" class I took my senior year in college. To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I still have the copy I read back then (academic year 1980/1981) and I have re-read it several times over the years. I treasure this book like none other.

I looked through my copy to type out a passage that I find particularly inspiring, but found that I couldn't because there are so many. I've recommended it to literally dozens of people, and every one to took me up on my suggestion thanked me for it.

The Consolation is a philosophical treatise written by Boethius (c. 480-524 A.D.) while awaiting his execution after being imprisoned by the Gothic emperor Theodoric. The first time I heard of Boethius and his most famous composition was, as so often is the case, when I was reading another work. The work in question is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole. The main character of O'Toole's novel, one Ignatius J. Reilly, had based his entire life and worldview around the philosophy of Boethius and his assessment of Fortune. A great work in its own right, A Confederacy of Dunces left a lasting impression in my mind and, when by chance I came across a copy of the Consolation in the used bookstore I jumped at the opportunity to see for myself what Boethius had to say.



The work is composed of five books beginning with Boethius struggling to make sense of his imprisonment and pending execution. Confronted with a fate that is seemingly at odds with the virtue and faith with which he has conducted his life, Boethius is about to succumb to the sorrow that is filling his thoughts. Just then he notices the presence of a woman in his cell, the awe-inspiring Philosophy. She bemoans that Boethius, once such an avid student of hers, is now about to abandon all that he had previously gained. Thus begins a journey of reason and contemplation between the two until Boethius in the end finds the consolation that he had almost given up upon. Interspersed between the dialogues of Boethius and Philosophy are a number of poems that range in subject matter and content. More numerous at the beginning of the work, the poems often times serve as transitions between arguments or help to put difficult concepts into a clearer light. Thus a remarkable harmony is reached between prose and poetry that can be appreciated even in an English translation, a rare feat indeed.



It is perhaps significant to understand the time in which Boethius lived a bit better to gain a more accurate reading of his work. Living long after Constantine's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century A.D., it is widely accepted that Boethius was a Christian and believer of the tenants of the Catholic Church (at a time when the Gothic emperor Theodoric, also a Christian but belonging like all Goths to the heretical Arian sect that believed that the father and son were not of one substance). One must find it a bit peculiar than that at no point in Boethius' text is Christianity mentioned in any overt context. To find a believer in his last days before death turning not to theology for comfort, as one might expect, but rather to philosophy has raised many questions about the nature of Boethius' belief. But one only has to look to the title of the work to see that Boethius is choosing philosophy for the subject of his work and could very well indeed have thought theology a better consolation, although one that would be and should be treated in an altogether separate treatise. With this in mind, Boethius draws on the works of the great philosophers and thinkers of antiquity; Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, St. Augustine, the Stoics, and the Neo-Platonists. This feat being all the more remarkable because Boethius apparently relied on his own memory to produce the arguments and passages seeing as he had no access to any literary sources while imprisoned.



Boethius has rightly been called the last classical man. Indeed his thoughts and works can be seen as forming a bridge etween the classical world and the Middle Ages. The Consolation influenced countless numbers of theologians throughout the Middle Ages and direct references are to be found in the works of masters such as Dante and Chaucer. His lonely contemplation of good and evil, fate and free will, fortune and the nature of happiness certainly still have an allure to inquisitive minds to this day.

Friedriech Nietzsche lends some profound insights to the human psyche. His "will to power" idea is very compelling indeed. I liked this book much better than "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". In "All Too Human", Nietzsche is more direct, less thick and more clear. His ability to know the human soul makes this work almost as much an outstanding work of psychology as it is an outstanding work of philosophy. Sometimes, it is almost scarry how much Nietzsche probes into the dark reccesses of the human mind. Certainly Nietzsche's psychological ideas are as valid as Freud and Jung's rather far-out notions.

In some ways, Nietzsche's ideas are close to William James' theory of "habit". In other ways, he is close to Alfred Adler's "striving for superiority".

It is power at the base of all things: power over nature; over others; over even ourselves. I don't know if I agree but it gives a person a lot to think about.

This book is written in the form of 638 commentaries on various subjects. Some commentaries are in the form of one sentence; others are up to a few pages. These commentaries can be read in sequence or in random order.

I would say that this book is a useful addition to anyone's psychology library.

(My comments on Nietzsche are hardly worth noting; his fame and notoriety, his value as a philosopher and writer, will not be affected by one Amazon reviewer. I intend my review to be a comment on my own sentiments in reaction to the work, and also to reflect on the make of the book itself.)

Nietzsche is fascinating and thought-provoking. This book is a great primer for anyone who eventually intends to tackle some of Nietzsche's more cryptic or "heavy" works. It lays out some of the thoughts he will develop more thoroughly later in his life, and is helpful for finding orientation within his philosophies. As a Christian, I strongly disagree with Nietzsche's opinions about religion, the freedom of the spirit, and so much more,--nevertheless his thoughts here cannot be ignored or easily brushed aside, and his style is so infectious, compelling, and mystifying that I cannot help but be haunted by those thoughts, cannot help but respond and react and expose deeply buried sentiments in myself. Furthermore, in reading Nietzsche's "psychological observations" (what he calls "reflection on the human, all too human") there is much insight gained into many of the prevalent European and American philosophies present today. I may disagree with him on a number of points, but he is clearly a penetrating and insightful beholder of the world whose thoughts have been steeped into our modern or post-modern culture.

(As I wrote above, my like or dislike has no bearing on his indispensable value in the history of philosophy and understanding the present-day philosophies.)

I would recommend Human, All Too Human, especially to someone who cannot commit an intense few weeks of serious study to one of Nietzsche's later works. The observations are arranged in aphoristic style, and there are many different themes throughout the work, making this one of those philosophical texts that can be opened at almost any page and read at leisure. Some of Nietzsche's observations would make more sense with a background in early Kantian philosophers, along with Rousseau, Pascal, and La Rochefoucauld, the Bible, and Greek philosophy and tragedy, and a handful of other works. But if experience here is lacking, most of Human, All Too Human can still be read an enjoyed.

The Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy soft-cover edition is right on par with all of their books. Solid binding, nice white pages, pleasant typeface, clean printing; if the reader likes to pencil in notes, he will find these pages treated very well to make erasing effective and clean. The introduction is weak, but that's to be expected from these editions. Introductions usually should be skipped anyway.

The following review pertains to the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy edition of Friedrich Nietzsche's `Human all too Human' edited by Schacht and translated by Hollingdale. The current text is compilation of three texts, `Human all too Human' (1878), `Assorted Opinions & Maxims' (1879) and `The Wanderer & His Shadow' (1880 ). These texts were rereleased 1886 as a 2-volume set with new prefaces. As with the majority of Nietzsche's work these texts received little recognition during the author's lifetime.

First, kudos to Cambridge University Press for its the Texts in the History of Philosophy series with its objective of increasing access to important but lesser known philosophical works. This series promises to be an excellent resource for students of philosophy. This edition of Human all too Human is a helpful and accessible compilation of some of Nietzsche's lesser known writings. While translation is always a challenging and often a contentious issue, Hollingdale appears to have achieved an appropriate mix of readability and literalness - he is effective in maintaining the poetic feel of Nietzsche's prose. One minor criticism of this edition is the small font, while probably necessary to keep the text to a single volume; it can make reading less comfortable.

With regard to the work itself, Human all too Human is often seen by scholars as a transitional work in Nietzsche thought. And, has tended to be overlooked in English for reasons of accessibility (limited translations) and perception (not seen to add to his latter corpus). For example, Walter Kaufman the great post WWII popularizer of Nietzsche did not choose to translate these texts.

While clearly the themes evidenced in Human all too Human are further developed in Nietzsche's later work, I believe the text has its own inherent value. Though somewhat more nuanced and less polemical than his more mature work, it provides wonderful insight into his views on a plethora of subjects, religion, art, epistemology, psychology, sociology and culture. It is also a treasure trove of ideas that are further developed by subsequent thinkers such Freud, Jung and Heidegger etc. Overall, it is a brilliant, insightful and wide-ranging text - highly recommended for all students of modern philosophy.

Human All Too Human and Daybreak can be considered as volumes one and two of the same work. As Nietzsche said in Ecce Homo, a careful reading predicates a full understanding of his later polemics. Here, the bombast is not yet as evident but the seismic rumblings of the will to power, the eternal return, the death of god, the over and last-men all are all foreshadowed in Nietzsche's grand, classical deftness and precision of thought. Nietzsche's largest printed work, HAtH has perhaps the broadest and best sustained discussions of nearly every topic of importance to thoughtful and reflective thinkers. This, together with Dawn is a great place to begin reading Nietzsche.

In response to some of the prattlings below-only those who do not know the first thing about Nietzsche think that he was at all anti-Semitic. He wrote clearly, very clearly, against that and against nationalism. In one of his books he stated that Germany should not admit any more Jews inside of her borders. Why? Because he felt that the German people lacked an identity, and knew that Jewish people had a very strong identity. He did not think that Germany, weak and unrealized as it was, could stand an influx of a people that he repeatedly characterized as remarkable.

I am somewhat obsessed with Nietzsche, and this book started it all. Do not dive into his later, more well known masterpieces (Beyond Good and Evil, the Genealogy of Morals, The Gay Science) without acquainting yourself with this book. It is an introduction to his style, and there is no better example of his mastery of psychological observations. In this book he comments on all elements of social reality ("no one thinks to thank the clever man for restraining his wit when in the company of those who cannot practice wit" for example), going into love, friendship, the tenor of social gatherings, absolutely everything that is psychologically investigatable. He brings this method to his later books, in which he tackles larger issues, like the history of religion, philosophy, morality, and other things. But it all starts here-his later critiques of Christianity and everything else are far more understandable after a thorough acquaintance with his psychological method, first and best presented here. If you are at all sensitive and introspective, this book will move you to tears more than a few times.

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Annals of the World is an excellent source of world and biblical history. No historian or bible student should be without it!

Good book full of a lot of infomation, it will be useful in research.

A great reference source.

Still getting into this book. It appears to be everything I expected. I only saw one once before finally ordering years later, glad I did. Can be hard to get from time to time, frequently backordered. Great for anyone interested in history. In light of how poorly kids are educated of late...maybe get one and supplement the public school fodder with this... Lastly, I asked around at several large bookstores, libraries, etc. and almost no one even knew what this book was. It's actually the antithesis of modern pop culture nonsense. A hidden gem!

This is a great book. A classic of history republished in English.

The way Ussher weaves secular and biblical history together is fantastic. From an historical point of view the book is valuable. From a current perspective, it is a 'poke-in-the-eye' for long age indoctrinators. Whatever one thinks about the biblical timeline, this book is a worthy addition to one's library. The only criticism I have pertains to the CD-ROM included with the hardbound edition. Although it has much information, I feel that it is presented poorly... but you would not purchase a work like this solely for the CD-ROM!!!

Consistent with postmodernism's morbid taste for irony of every stripe, this book is itself to be read most ironically. For, though Glenn Ward clearly didn't intend to do so, he here brilliantly exposes postmodernism as the fundamentally anti-philosophical, decadent, thoroughly nihilist sigh of defeat that it is. If you have any doubts about the utter bankruptcy of what has come to be known as postmodernism, this book should dispel them all. Highly recommended.

P.S. For more amusing and devastating exposures of postmoderism's silliness, see The Sokal Hoax: The Sham That Shook the Academy and Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science. Also see the website, The Postmoderism Generator. For antidotes to this nonsense, begin with E.F. Schumacher's excellent Guide for the Perplexed and James V. Schall's Another Sort of Learning.

The book provides a comprehensive, yet cautiously and circumspectly written, overview of the philosophical tradition that constitutes "postmodernism." It is the ideal introduction and orientation to the subject, and like a good map, facilitates further study in greater depth. It managed to answer all of my questions and illuminate all of the references to postmodernism that I have been tripping over in various other works. That is what I bought it for and that is the service it has provided. It does not "dumb down" the material, but distills its essence. It is, of course, as superficial as any introductory overview of any field, but it is certainly comprehensive. An excellent topographical map of the terrain! Recommended.

This book has a lot of information in it. I am using it in a class.

Being heavily interested in art, I fell in love with the philosphy of postmodernism as it is an issue, and a period, in which we live. While philosphy is often incredibly dense, this book helps lure you in as it gives a simple, unbiased overview of different aspects, reasons, and affects of postmodernism. It draws on several different critics of postmodernism and branches out to discuss the cultural, architectural, artistic, political, and self-developmental issues. After reading this, I find it hard to objectively view everything in life as I somehow draw connections back to postmodernism. The book also gives suggestions for further reading if you're interested in a certain viewpoint and would like to explore it in greater depth. Unfortionately, there are some issues in the book that you wonder why people would actually waste their time studying as they are rather pretensious, but nonetheless, it is a nice, easy, broad introduction into an boundless area of study.

I had always heard the term "postmodernism" and never really put much thought into it. However about four years ago, while I was working on my masters in social sciences the term was brought up again and again. After reading many philosophy type books, I thought the concept was grasped. Consequently, the notion of postmodernism was still nebulous, evasive and elusive. I can recall asking my advisor in my graduate program what defines a postmodern theorist. He simplistically stated that a postmodern theorist will claim he/she isn't a postmodern theorist. Also postmodern theorists tend to not agree with one and other.

Ultimately I felt quasi-comfortable about my knowledge in postmodernism, yet I had a thirst for more. This led me to look for a book on the topic and to "Teach Yourself Postmodernism". I have to say that I am very pleased with the content within the pages of this paperback by Glenn Ward. This book spoke of postmodernism in terms of architecture, art, music, film, history, politics, fashion, languages/words/text and psychology (to list a few). Another thing that I liked about this book is it provided many lucid and tangible examples when discussing concepts. For instance, the movie Blade Runner was used as paradigm of postmodernism.

Modernism was also tackled in this book, mainly because there can't be postmodern without modern. The book also is reader friendly. However, there were some aspects/points that were totally over my head. I reread many components several times and grasped it and other things were just way too abstract for me to clench.

Other cool parts of this book:

* Ideas are broken down by chapters
* Theorists from both modern & postmodern are reviewed
* Books on similar subject matter within a chapter are provided
* There is a chronological list dates of postmodern history
* A glossary of key terms used throughout the book
* As noted prior, many lucid examples of postmodernism

Overall, I felt like this was a great book to learn about not only postmodernism, but society and really the world people live in. The book is only about 232 pages, but Glenn Ward packed a great deal of information in this book. I would be really interested in reading another book by him, just based off this one. After finishing this book, I feel like I have a more solid understanding of the complex perception that is postmodernism.