This is an excellent introductory work. The author walks the reader through philosophical mindsets beginning with the Greeks and ending with Kant. The chapter on Kant is a good short outline of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. The first year philosophy student would do well with this book in their backpack.

Short but informative book on the life of four prominent philosophers conscripted into the existentialist camp.

The book is a biographical sketch of Magee's intellectual life. I began by reading the chapters on Kant and Schopenhauer and liked Magee's writing so much I read the rest. Magee is entertaining and candid. The book should be an encouragement to anyone who enjoys studying philosophy.

The selection on Ghandi was most startling. Ghandi was not very good at fathering; he was extremely hard on his children and they did not want anything to do with him. Interesting read.

Good but not great.

I have been toiling with Kant and his Critique of Pure reason for over a year now and have found this is the best exposition of his work. Hartnack provides a reasonable exposition that purposefully walks you through what Kant was trying to do. Unlike many other Kant expositions Hartnack is disciplined in his approach: he does not revert to his opinions or ancillary philosophical debates. Highly recommended.

I am in awe of Isaac Newton. I can not fathom the intelligence required to write this work. It is truly an impressive accomplishment and I am luck to have found such a nice copy.

When I first came across this book in the bookstore I hesitated, but I am very glad I bought it. This is an excellent introduction to Nietzsche in general, but also as a study of genius. Pletsch is not a Nietzsche theorist who attempts to explain all of Nietzsche through on idea such as orphan, scorned lover, homosexual, etc. Pletsch looks at all of the occurrences of the young Nietzsche's life, many source documents, Nietzsche's own words, his friends, teachers and others, gives them a balanced treatment, and presents a young man who desired genius for genius sake. In the work we see the development of the idea of genius and its working out in relationships to Wagner, professors, friends and others, his desire for autonomy, and its attainment. Many early works are discussed. Many of Nietzsche's lectures, letters and notes, some of which were not translated until more recently, are discussed in detail. Nietzsche's later and major works are not discussed. It would be wonderful to see Pletsch write a follow up volume on Nietzsche.

I enjoy this series very much and the Kant tape in particular but the works are slightly overdramatized. The characters accents are thick and exaggerated whereas a slight accent would suffice to dramatize the readings. Other than that I recommend keeping these in the car to maximize their use.

This book was endorsed by mainline protestant theologians upon publication; many would not endorse this book now. I believe the book uses faulty historical data and draws bizarre conclusions not supported by scripture. While this book provided much fodder during non-ecumenical times its current value is limited - at best- if not worthless.

This is a nifty book for those who enjoy sources of biblical interpretation from non-traditional venues. The book provides a very good definition of "archetype" - a concept difficult to explain - and other psychological concepts pertinent to Jung. Although the author writes from an evangelical perspective the work is not critical but explanatory. Rollins has made a great contribution the fields of psychology and religion.

I am not a fan of time travel adventures but this book is the exception. This is one of my favorite all time Sci-Fi books. It is definitely not steam punk. Much like his work On Stranger Tides, the origin of Pirates of the Caribbean, this book is populated by the most enticing characters. The premise is a return to the London, England of the Romantic Poets, Coleridge, Byron and others. Mixed throughout the plot are beggar guilds, thieves, gypsies, secret societies, body snatchers, indescribable creatures living in sewers and even egyptian magicians. No spoiler alert needed: this book has so many twists and turns I would not dare venture a summation. Slight patience may be required but once you pick up the cadence of the book you can not turn the pages fast enough. I just finished reading this for the second time - I originally read this in the 80's - and I definitively give it five stars.

Burdett manages to play the social critic, western philosopher, metaphysical theologian, Buddhist, karmic card with the aid of his character Sonchai Jitpleecheap, a half cast Thai police officer. This book and this series is cultural phenomena. I am waiting for Hollywood to catch up! Like Hawaii 5-O and Miami Vice, Thailand and Sonchai would make for good TV. My favorite cop-detective-mystery series right now.

When I attended the Citadel this book had been around for eight years. Many alum were sore about its publication and the portrayal of life at the institution. For my part I found the book - while fictitious - generally portrayed the attitudes and mores of the cadets accurately. Notice I did not say institution. The school tried for years, and by and large has succeeded, to eliminate much of what is portrayed herein. How much credit Conroy should get for that I cannot say. The book itself is a very good read. Conroy is an excellent writer. I read this book once before attending and once after attending and will read it again now that my twenty year reunion is approaching.

This book surprised me. Once I started I could not put it down. Burdett reached out to an ambitious breadth of topics - Thai culture, crime, suspense, witchcraft, snuff, prostitution, corruption, Buddhism, etc. - and pulled it all together. Sonchai is a great character and I look forward to now reading the rest of Burdett's works.

This is my favorite history book when it comes to Western Civilization and the kingdoms of Europe. I read this book twenty years ago and it has afforded me a general understanding of history. It is not the most in-depth in nature; the material is succinct but well outlined and chosen. The illustrations are excellent. This is a very good book for any young student wishing to become familiar with Europe's history.

I just finished Slaughterhouse Five and I am pleasantly surprised - as always - with Kurt Vonnegut. I enjoyed this book much more than Joseph Hellers' Catch-22. Vonnegut is succinct and therefore efficient. He is able to deliver the message in rhythm. I enjoy his humor as well. Both are important works but in my humble opinion Vonnegut has the slight edge.

Catch-22 is an insane book. It is 20th century absurdist to the max. I imagine it has remained popular mostly because Catch-22 is more descriptive of the American soldier experience than many of the non-fiction war books covering the same material. It's influence on shows like MASH is obvious. I did find the book disjointed at times. And I did find myself speed reading through some of the material. But at times I found myself laughing out laud. Overall I am glad I read this highly influential book.

This is a verse by verse commentary of Genesis. The commentary is basic in nature. This work is good for sunday school prep or devotional time. Mostly a good starting point.

The author of this book now goes by the name Rick Warren and is better known for his current bestselling phenomenon The Purpose Driven Life. Dynamic Bible Study Methods is maybe his first published work. Rick's book as the title states covers basic study methods such as topical, verse, etc. This is a good book for anyone new to bible study. Those who have been at it a while might use it as a refresher.

This is a well written traditional exposition of Genesis. Leupold writes in the Lutheran tradition. It will be a good starting point for basic research.

Brueggemann is on point and ahead of the curve once again. I really like this commentary. I return to this reference ever so often for nuggets of information.

I spend a lot of time in the book of Genesis and this is one of my favorite translations. I just appreciate the variety this book provides. Overall well written with valuable references and commentary. I go back to it time and again.

Crumb provides a graphic rendition of Genesis that is faithful to the text. I commend Crumb for being graphic and not vulgar. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to take a long hard look in the "mirror" that is Genesis.

This is an excellent exposition of the Reformed spiritual tradition. My observations from within the reformed landscape lead me to believe many more books on reformed spirituality need to be written. Many reformed types will be surprised at the richness of spirituality within their tradition. Rice has done his tradition a great service. I fear though is no one is reading.

This of course is a classic in the spiritual tradition. Very engaging. Anyone interested in spirituality, intimacy with God, meditation, etc. should read this book.

If you are frustrated by the ambiguous nature of contemplative writing you will appreciate this book. It is a well written introduction to the contemplative tradition. In this book many aspects of the contemplative tradition are explained in clear language. Even so, the book is engaging. Those who follow this tradition will find much to enjoy in it.

Well written book on doctrinal prayer. Bloesch is interested in a reformed or traditional expression of prayer. Bloesch criticizes mystic contemplative traditions of prayer. Those with traditional views will appreciate this book.

This is an excellent starting book for anyone interested in learning about the Holy Spirit. Catherine Marshall decided to do a personal study on the Spirit and this book is the result of her efforts. It is not scholarly but personal. The chapters are short; one for each day of the month. One of my favorites.

Malcolm Gladwell is an excellent student and writer. This is one of my favorite books. In it Malcolm discusses the issues most likely to lead to success; although none of them guarantee success. This is not a self help book. It is not intended to give you the shortcut to success. That is too shallow an expectation. Instead Malcolm points to the variables that consistently explain why some do well and excel at what they do while others limp along. His examples vary, hockey players, The Beatles, game show players, providing entertaining variety. I recommend this book to anyone coming out of college or looking to break new ground. This book may encourage you, or it may caution you. After all most of the variables like the 10/10,000, ten years or ten thousand hours, are not easy to accept when you are facing the start. Also, I particularly liked Malcolm sharing personal family history - a nice touch.