ERA Reviews

If the cover of Sophie Aldred having dealt the Black Dalek with her aluminum bat doesn't convince Who fans that she's the toughest companion since Leela of the Tom Baker era, nothing will. Sophie is well-placed to tell her experiences in Doctor Who, as she was the series' last companion. She came in the wake of a tough transition in Doctor Who's history--following the dismissal of Colin Baker and the installing of Sylvester McCoy, Sophie was chosen to succeed Bonnie Langford as the new companion.

Mike Tucker, her collaborator of this work, was the visual effects designer during Doctor Who's dying days. He too provides his point of view and remembrances with equal aplomb.
In each of her nine stories (Dragonfire, Remembrance Of The Daleks, The Happiness Patrol, Silver Nemesis, The Greatest Show In The Galaxy, Battlefield, Ghost Light, The Curse Of Fenric, and Survival) she provides vivid commentary and detail from her diary of her experiences. There's lots of behind the scenes photographs in B&W and colour, early design sketches, listings of the cast and production team, director, story number, number of episodes and date broadcast--it's pretty comprehensive.

And yes, the famous incident of her while shooting Battlefield is included. Basically, she was in a water-filled tank and was to be pulled up. Sylvester McCoy noticed the glass bulging and then... CRACK! Sylvester shouted for the crew to lift her out, which they did, before anything happened to her. She also tells about this in the More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS video.

Considering how she was one of the few ex-alumni of Who to come out in the More Than... video, it shows how much she loved the show. She was very heartbroken when Sylvester McCoy told her that there wasn't going to be a 27th season, and that too is included in the book.

At the end of the book are photos and text of some of her post-Who efforts, including More Than A Messiah, an episode of the Stranger, the short-lived Colin Baker series, and Shakedown, a Who-spin off that not only featured the return of the troll-like Sontarans but paired her with Carole Ann Ford, Dr. Who's first ever companion. Then there's an interview where she tells what her favourite story was, plus her favourite Doctor. I have to commend her on her answer--she has good taste.

This is a splendid companion-piece after watching any of the 7th-Doctor/Ace stories. If you can find this book--get it. Break through hoardes of Daleks to get this treasure.

Sophie Aldred was the last companion for the longed lived Doctor Who program. She and special effects wizard Mike Tucker give their thoughts on the last three seasons of the show. The book is filled with pictures from the show and behind the scenes. It also contains quotes from various people including Sylvester McCoy, AKA the Seventh (and final of the series) Doctor. It really is a good read, whether you like Sophie or just like Doctor Who in general. It also contains mainly behind the scenes antics, even the infamous tank scene, where Sylvester became an actual hero.

This really is a perfect companion book to go in any collection.

This book has it all; full colour pictures, many from the private collections of Sophie and SFX creator Mike Tucker, the technical working of the show, and witty, genuine commentary from Sophie herself. By reading this book you get a real understanding of how episodes in the Ace era were produced, what the cast and crew thought of them, and what they got up to on set. Sophie is full of information, and you'll want go back and watch all your videos again and go "Ah! i know how they did that!"

For years I have been embarrassed to affiliate in any way with the category of 'Christianity.' The current mainstream of fundamentalism, literalism, sentimentalism, and moralism have robbed me of some of the deepest poetry by which I understand myself.

Gene Marshall's, The Call of the Awe, has helped me to reconnect with the center of my being.....the same center that has inspired all of humanity's religious creations over the centuries. Marshall invites us to enter, quite personally, into a never-ending dialogue with the Never Ending. He challenges us to become personally connected with the Infinite Actuality that is present in every moment of our existence. He gives us permission to become encircled and centered in the Awesome Presence that is everywhere present.

This book goes a long way toward moving us beyond the obsolete metaphors of transcendence poetry to a transparency metaphor that more clearly reflects the reality of our secular, scientific age and yet connects us powerfully with the Mystery and the Awe at the center of life.

Most of all, this book brings a giant sized dose of clarity for all who would seek Truth in our time and who would seek to trust that Truth at their deepest core.

I highly recommend this book.

The Call of The Awe
By Gene W. Marshall

A response by Joe Slicker

In these interconnected times, organized religions around the world are spewing out prescriptions of divisiveness, moralisms, hatred and violence that will destroy the world as we know it. Each has its own true God and usually a book to prove its god and its pronouncements are true. Furthermore many say they are willing to defend their prescriptions with their lives. But you may respond that you are not members of one of these religions, or that if you are, you don't agree with their prescriptions. Then why don't we hear this? Does it mean we are part of a silent minority or majority that disagrees? Are not we silent partners just as guilty of letting those prescriptions go unchallenged?

Enter a book whose time has come.

The Call of the Awe: Rediscovering Christian Profundity in an Interreligious Era by Gene W. Marshall starts from his journey into the Christian faith in this country. This continues in his many years of work in other cultures resulting in his experiential dialogue with Christianity and the world religions. This is not just an intellectual dialogue but a dialogue of one's life covering the last fifty years.
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The book is divided into two parts. The first is the journey of the author standing in the Christian religion. It is a radical journey of seriously living in the 21st Century and at the same time digging deep into the Christian faith with ones total being until the profundity of that faith flows through him. The call is for each of us to do the same thing with our lives. This is one half of the book. The subject is looked at from many perspectives and questions, which all of us have in entering such a dialogue. Some of which are God, Christ, resurrection, Holy Spirit; plus a delightful one called 'Infinite Awe and Finite Religion'. These are restated so they are existential possibilities for all people. The Call of the Awe is solidly anchored in Part One.

Part two moves on. Ones dialogue is finally incomplete unless he enters the dialogue with other religions or traditions that are oriented toward finding and articulating that profundity. One almost wishes there was more on the Tao, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism plus one on Mysticism. But what he shares does the job. This is not the ordinary abstract 'How we have different beliefs', but digs down to the basic profundity as articulated by these religions. For example, reading the Buddhist prayer for enemies on page 226 yields enough Awe to carry the reader through the whole section. One sees that other religions are pointing to the activity of the Mystery in surprising and profound ways. The author shares how many misunderstandings can be overcome by realizing this. Also, he presents many of the edges of this dialogue indicating places of disagreement, and those ripe for further understanding and mutual interaction. The Call of the Awe is like a global trumpet in Part Two.

The book has two parts plus a delightful another: "The return of Antiquity". Here the dialogue moves on to the 'Great Goddess and Post-Patriarchal Patriarchal Religion'. It is an exciting and wonderful addition to the whole dialogue. Feminine energy is fully recognized and released to be part of the great creative activity of all of life. This is followed by a warm dialogue with 'Primordial Manyness and Biblical Oneness' especially the tender one on tribal religions. One almost hears a native flute playing to the opening of the heart. The Call of the Awe is now dancing all over the place.

The book ends with 'Some Non-Concluding Remarks on Interreligious Dialogue'. The last question the author raises is "Will participating in Interreligious dialogue mean that Christians will tend to lose their Christian identification?" The response is "No.....If we want to maintain our Christian identification, we must not only understand our heritage better; we must also practice a resurgent form of Christianity."
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The author is inviting us to join him on this journey with our own depth wisdom and understanding. Do we have a choice? I think not. It is not whether one agrees with him. It is not about the validity of the task. It is not about even whether making a needed change is possible. What is required is to enter the dialogue.

If your are a member of a church, attend or teach church schools, circles or bible studies, then this book is for you. If you are a seminary student, a member of the clergy or pastor this book is for you. If you have quit the church or given up on its antiquated messages and irrelevancy then this book is for you. If you are a religious person at heart then this book is for you. If you are a secular person at heart then this book is for you.

If you have longed to work with or dialogue with people who are struggling in today's world to make sense out of life, then this book is for you. If you see yourself as a global citizen, but don't know how to express it or respond to it, this book is for you. If you long to move beyond the old clichés and live in the world as it is, then this book is for you. If you long to work with people who love Being, the good earth, its people, and themselves, then this book is for you.

Perhaps you wonder how you can make a change in the world situation as an individual person, or whether you are properly equipped to undertake such a venture. If so, this book is for you. Enter the dialogue. Immerse your life in this challenge as deep as you can. Leave the results up to the Mystery. If you want to change the world you first have to change yourself.

Although grounded in Christianity, Gene Marshall rejects the idea of dual realms of natural and supernatural. He does not talk about a literal supernatural realm of being. He says: "--if God is a being in a supernatural realm, I cannot believe in God." God is a word he uses to point to an awesome infinite presence that has nothing to do with belief, but is a mystery we experience every day in this ever-present eternity, whether we are aware of it or not. Marshall shows how awe has been at the core of religions down through the centuries and gives a brief and understandable history of how religions develop. He brings meaning to ancient scriptures written centuries ago by interpreting them into our 21st century.

Having been on a journey of trying to understand my Christian upbringing and its outdated language in today's world, I found this book hard to put down and a refreshing encouragement. Gene Marshall picks up where such writers as Marcus Borg, Brian Swimme, and John Shelby Spong leave off. I expect their readers will be delighted to find this book. It is a book that will stimulate the renewal of Christianity and increase the common ground for dialogue among all religions.

This book covers the period very well, giving a detailed overview of each "sub-era" nicely, without reverting into a who-finished-where-for-each-race format. It includes articles from the period from vintage magazines, photos (including some nice color photos from the early '50s) and illustrations on every page, detailed descriptions of significant technological advances, as well as the personalities of the day. It's a nice intro for those unfamiliar with the period, and a nice review for those who are. My favorite part: the chapter covering the "Silver Arrows" from the '30s, Mercedes and Auto Union. Although it's titled "The Front Engined Era," Ludvigsen also covers the early rear engined cars as well, such as Cisitalia's Porsche-designed Type 360, the Alfa Romeo Tipo 512, and, of course, the Cooper-Climax.

I was born in 1951, and didn't really pay serious attention to F1 until Mario made a serious run at the title. This book has gone a long way toward filling a major hole in my understanding of Grand Prix racing. It's a superb book. The writing and the photos are first rate. I wouldn't have imagined that I would find the early cars as interesting as Ludvigsen made them. I had no idea that GP cars had as much power as they did, as early as they did. Coupled with the so-called tires of the time, and the agricultural "suspensions", Ludvigsen has given me an inkling of the courage and skill of the drivers who drove some of those beasts. Now I'm reading Classic Racing Engines, but that will be another review...

Classic Grand Prix Cars provides an excellent history of the Formula 1 era from 1906-60, with liberal doses of vintage black and white photos accompanying information on the sports cars and engineers which powered them. Prior fans of auto racing history in general and Formula 1 in particular will find Classic Grand Prix Cars a keepsake history packed with lively descriptions and technical insights on the cars. Very highly recommended for all Grand Prix racing fans!

It's amazing to even try to fathom the depth of this work - in the years before personal computers and the Internet, Hazel Marie Weatherman painstakingly gahered information from various resources to create this book. Mrs Weatherman even went door to door in areas where the factories had closed down to talk to the workers.
The result is a beautiful labor of love. Catalog reprints, arrangements of glass, print ads and info on the various factories fill this well researched book. Almost anything you can think of (advertising premiums, fish bowls, ashtrays) is in this book.

If you are interested in this beautiful glassware, or know somebody who is, this is definitely the book to own. You will refer to it constantly.

When this book first came out in 1974, it gave glass collectors more new information than we imagined existed! This book is still pertinent today as it covers products from many many glass factories in the U.S. that are no longer in business. This is the only book that covers such a wide variety of glass products, companies and types. There have been many more books published with detailed information and pictures of one particular glass company, but this one is still tops for the mass of information it includes. The newer books have many color pictures, but for sheer reference material, Hazel Weatherman put more information into this book than any other book in my library. From A to Z in the glass industry of America, this is our Glass Bible.

With grateful thanks to the late Hazel Weatherman for her efforts to educate glass lovers of the world.

This book has everything you'd want in terms of references for depression glass collectors. I am totally enthralled by the comprehensive nature of the information available. This compilation of companies and catalog references that Hazel Marie Weatherman has researched is an absolute must for American glassware collectors! This book has 40 some glass companies represented in it pages with indepth information about the glassware lines and times of production. In addition, I was able to get a hold of the 1979 Supplelement and Price Trends for Book 2 which added excellent supplemental information to the lines of the glassware already provided in the Big Book 2. While the prices are out of date, the info was very helpful and completed the total picture of the glassware lines. This books is not only a great reference book for depression glass, but it is FUN to look through and enjoy on its own terms. As far as I am concerned, Hazel Marie Weatherman's Colored Glassware Book 2 should be the bible for all DG collectors!

Likely to be controversial and at the very least provocative, Mariana Caplan's Do You Need a Guru: Understanding the Student-Teacher Relationship in an Era of False Prophets is an invaluable resource for any spiritual seeker who is considering or who is already involved in a guru-disciple relationship. In fact, if you have been outright opposed to such an arrangement, you may find this book an eye-opener. Yes, we have seen many scandals on the spiritual scene, many abuses of power, but we Westerners have also been enculturated to protect our independence and individualism at all costs, perhaps causing us to miss out on one of the most transformational relationships of our lives.

Weaving together her personal journey, extensive knowledge of psychological projection and power dynamics from her years as a psychotherapist, and interviews with teachers and students alike, Caplan makes the case for having a guru, emphasizing that the greatest benefits come from engaging the relationship as a conscious disciple. Her finely tuned discrimination continues to feed me as it did with her Halfway up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment. She tends to pose questions for the reader to consider, rather than revealing black and white or even gray answers. I was initially concerned that her anecdotes about her early encounters with New Age shamans, wannabe gurus, etc., would be distracting. Ultimately, however, I found these sections of the book to be refreshingly honest, poignant, funny and all too familiar!

While she never lets spiritual teachers off the hook with respect to their own integrity and their immense responsibility in shepherding their students through the labyrinths of the path, she insists that the more responsibility we as students take in selecting and relating, committing and surrendering to our teachers, the greater and richer our spiritual progress. Reading this book gave me a whole new embodied sense of how conscious surrender to the teacher could be an act of maturity, integrity and great strength, rather than a replay of childhood patterning around authority figures. At the same time, she never suggests that this path is easy or without its dangers, but for me she also fueled a yearning that makes a "safe" life feel like a death sentence! Warning: Read this book at your own risk-it's hot!

Likely to be controversial and at the very least provocative, Mariana Caplan's Do You Need a Guru: Understanding the Student-Teacher Relationship in an Era of False Prophets is an invaluable resource for any spiritual seeker who is considering or who is already involved in a guru-disciple relationship. In fact, if you have been outright opposed to such an arrangement, you may find this book an eye-opener. Yes, we have seen many scandals on the spiritual scene, many abuses of power, but we Westerners have also been enculturated to protect our independence and individualism at all costs, perhaps causing us to miss out on one of the most transformational relationships of our lives.

Weaving together her personal journey, extensive knowledge of psychological projection and power dynamics from her years as a psychotherapist, and interviews with teachers and students alike, Caplan makes the case for having a guru, emphasizing that the greatest benefits come from engaging the relationship as a conscious disciple. Her finely tuned discrimination continues to feed me as it did with her Halfway up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment. She tends to pose questions for the reader to consider, rather than revealing black and white or even gray answers. I was initially concerned that her anecdotes about her early encounters with New Age shamans, wannabe gurus, etc., would be distracting. Ultimately, however, I found these sections of the book to be refreshingly honest, poignant, funny and all too familiar!

While she never lets spiritual teachers off the hook with respect to their own integrity and their immense responsibility in shepherding their students through the labyrinths of the path, she insists that the more responsibility we as students take in selecting and relating, committing and surrendering to our teachers, the greater and richer our spiritual progress. Reading this book gave me a whole new embodied sense of how conscious surrender to the teacher could be an act of maturity, integrity and great strength, rather than a replay of childhood patterning around authority figures. At the same time, she never suggests that this path is easy or without its dangers, but for me she also fueled a yearning that makes a "safe" life feel like a death sentence! Warning: Read this book at your own risk-it's hot!

The topic of this book is the guru: what is a guru and are they necessary for spiritual growth? Dr. Caplan takes the reader through a detailed and careful examination of these questions, using examples from her own life with her guru and from interviews with numerous contemporary spiritual leaders that are considered gurus. She explores these examples with admirable honesty, giving equal time to the negative as well as the positive aspects of the guru-disciple relationship.

Her point is to offer a model of a mature, responsible approach to the guru-disciple relationship, that she names "Conscious Discipleship". Her position is that if both the teacher and the student approach the relationship with careful, responsible, mature attention, then it can be a deeply rewarding and important one.

Dr. Caplan's writing style is excellent. She writes with depth, and warmth, and just the right touch of humor to avoid taking the topic too seriously.

This is an intriguing and thought provoking contribution to a difficult topic. It is very well worth reading. I highly recommend it.

I found the book to be as entertaining as it is informative. It's amazing how the philosophy of the past can still be applied to the situations of today. It's a relatively quick read, but take the time to think about the scenarios described and how the author's advice applies to those scenarios. Read through the book and consider how the information conveyed can aid you in your day-to-day dealings with other people.

With all the powerful technology that is at our fingertips, bottom line is that it still takes people to get things done. This book contains within its' 63 pages the simple wisdom of an era not long ago that still applies today. It appears that technology is winning out over common sense these days. Thanks to Les for writing this book and bringing some values back into human mankind.

This little book made me smile, made me chuckle, made me laugh and made me stop and think. The author relates the wit and wisdom of an era now bygone to the world we live in today. The wisdom is timeless, and the lessons drawn from it are expressed in a thoughtful, yet lighthearted way. In these pages there should be at least a couple of sayings for almost anyone. There are all too few real "characters" in our world today, and the "daddy" in these pages was obviously a character. We need more wit and wisdom in our world today--- if the past is where we find it, then let's have more little books that take a look back!

"Everyone Is A Customer"(2002) is a companion book to last year's "Collaborative Communities"(2001), which taken together, present a realistic roadmap for companies interested in changing with the times. They build on Peter Drucker's insight that when a business thinks through the relationships that make the most sense, it is the customer they should focus on to increase sales and profits. According to authors Jeffrey Shuman and Janice Twombly with David Rottenberg, This well written and insightful book, takes the reader step-by-step through an understanding of what it takes for a business owner to survive, innovate and prosper in the new era of collaborative business that relies so heavily on the networking of relationships to succeed.

The authors urge business owners to recognize the natural process of change that takes place once a business is started, resulting in the unforseen development of new products,new service, and new customers. They call this process the "rhythm of business." For companies and business owners interested in better understanding the expectations of their customres and what it takes to succeed in today's economy, this book is highly recommended.

Finally, an innovative method for entrepreneurs and business professionals alike. It's about time someone has come up with a method that makes sense.
Shuman and Twombly have developed and innovative method for measuring and managing the value in your business relationships. It sounds obvious at first however; their methodology shows you how to systematically work towards making each interaction a win-win situation.
This method is of significant value for entrepreneurs. In today's economy start-ups are having a hard time obtaining funding. Everyone Is A Customer show how entrepreneurs can start-up a business with less money than one would expect.
Business professionals will also receive value from this as the traditional way of doing business has died. More companies need to be customer focused and this can only be achieve by win-win relationships between your company's community and their customers.
I highly recommend reading this book, as it will open your eyes to a different yet common sense way of doing business.

Two of the most celebrated teams were comprised of the animators at the Disney Studies who produced the first feature-length animated film (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and the team of physicists at Los Alamos who designed the first atomic bomb (dropped above Hiroshima and then Nagasaki). Most other teams receive no publicity although what they contribute is of great importance to their respective organizations. With the assistance of David Rottenberg, Jeffrey Shuman wrote The Rhythm of Business in which he asserts that each organization evolves in often unpredictable ways and to an extent takes on a life of its own. The challenge for decision-makers is to recognize that "rhythm" and then ensure that everyone involved is in "harmony" with it. Later, again assisted by Rottenberg, Shuman co-authored Collaborative Communities with Janice Twombley. In it, they correctly explain why and how communication, cooperation, and collaboration are essential to the effectiveness of teamwork. No news there. What differentiates their book from so many others is that they define "community" so as to include literally anyone who is directly and even indirectly associated with a given organization.

In this volume, Shuman and Twombley develop in much greater depth several of the ideas which were introduced in the previous book. For example, they explain how and why an organization's effective communication, cooperation, and collaboration can nourish and indeed strengthen its relations with customers. In fact, according to them, literally anyone associated directly or even indirectly with that organization must be viewed -- and treated -- as a customer. Moreover, they introduce and then explain a proven method for measuring the value of every relationship, both within and beyond the organization.

Shuman and Twombley carefully organize their material within three Parts: The Era of Collaborative Business, Purposeful Collaboration, and Choreographing Your Success. They agree with Drucker's admonition that "you increasingly have to think through what relationships make the most sense -- the customer is the most important relationship." The challenge is to identify all customers, classify them according to the nature of their relationship with the given organization, and then determine with meticulous care their relative importance to the organization's own objectives. This is an on-going process, requiring both rigorous vigilance and absolute precision, because the relative value of customers can increase or diminish and do so suddenly and unexpectedly. Shuman and Twombley explain HOW to design, implement, and then monitor this process by guiding their reader through it (literally) step-by-step. Throughout the book, they also provide dozens of "Figures" which graphically support key points. For example, Figure 8.2 illustrates the "Relationship Scenario Matrix" whereas Figure 10.1 illustrates the "Purposeful Collaboration Process." Shuman and Twombley are well aware of all the risks involved. They identify them and then suggest how to avoid them or at least minimize their impact on the value measurement process.

Obviously I think highly of this book. I also have a healthy respect for the difficulty of applying Shuman and Twombley's ideas. My own rather experience suggests that most people do not fear change; rather, they fear the unknown. Hence the importance of effective communications and the even greater importance of getting everyone actively involved in the process, but only after they fully understand what the objectives are as well as why those objectives are important, not only to the organization but also to every individual within that organization. I also agree with Drucker about customer relationships while presuming to suggest that the value of those relationships is almost entirely dependent on those employees (or if you prefer, associates) within the organization who interact with customers.

Near the end of the film Spartacus, the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus (played by Laurence Olivier) and his slave master Lentulus Batiatus (played by Peter Ustinov) walk among the survivors of the defeated gladiator army looking for Spartacus. They are told that unless they identify him or his body, they will be crucified. One by one, they stand up proclaiming "I am Spartacus!" I recalled that scene as I finished reading this book. It is not enough merely to measure the value of customers. That value must also be sustained, preferably increased. When a corporation (let's call it OmniGlobal InternationaI) achieves both, every one of its people can proudly proclaim "I am OGI!"

In fact, from a customer's perspective, anyone with whom she or he interacts in an organization IS that organization, for better or worse.

A superb book that is a "must read" for every African African American man, woman and child. This book is the stuff of seminars, workshops and discussion groups at all levels. One of the fascinating positions exposed by Gomez was why it took the diverse ethnic Africans to achieve an African American consciousness. The depth of documentation was monumental. I always wondered why the color "red" had such significance in the African American "red clawt" tales. Gomez' book inspired me to research this aspect of African American tales. Thank you Mr. Gomez!

Gomez has done a tremendous service to the study of Africana by giving tangible evidence to what have heretofore been the answers rather than the questions on the who, what, where, when and WHY's of the African slave in America. Readers will be surprised at the degree to which something other than fact has helped form the base of their "knowledge". Suddenly the image of tobacco or rice will gain greater resonance than cotton. Virginia and Senegambia, for example, will have new and sharper meanings as we better ferret out who we were as Ghanaians, Senegambians, Angolans, etc. and how we became who we are as African-Americans.

Prof. Gomez has used a wealth of sources, many of which have been underutilized or neglected, to write a rich and nuanced meditation on the evolution of identity among Africans and their progeny in North America. His use of folklore points the way for new research in a field that oddly fails much too often to consider the voices of people of African descent. Every student at every level with interests in African-American studies or African Diaspora Studies must know this work.

We're not boat fans but really enjoyed the photography. Beautiful boats and lots of color, b/w and historic action and promo pics. Great

At the National Boating History Symposium in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 17, 2001, "Gar Wood Boats: Classics of a Golden Era," was selected as The Classic Boating Book-of-the-Year for 2001 by the National Boating Museum, Washington, DC. This prestigious selection is made annually to the book that contributes significant original research and valuable historic information related to boat building, design and performance. As the author of this book, I am pleased to share this information with potential readers.

A Wonderful Portrayal of Classic Wooden Boating A one of a kind historic journey with Gar Wood, one of the pioneers of motorized wooden boating. The author's insight and knowledge of the subject is quite evident in page after page of the book. The pictures and illustrations are exquisite and beautiful to look at. This is a must read for anyone who loves classic boating, boating in general and American history, as you are taken on an epic journey with one of America's leading industrialists of a Golden Era. My kudos to the author for a job well done and express my hope that boaters across the nation will add this tome to their maritime libraries!!!

Giordano Bruno is not only a writer of marvelous wit and virtuosity, and the only one since Plato to breathe life into the philosophical dialogue, but also a thinker of great consequence, imagination and purity. While he is generally seen to stand at the threshold between the medieval and the modern, cabilistic magic and scientific rationality, it is wrong to regard him merely as an anticipation of Leibniz and Spinoza. In certain respects, indeed, he goes farther in freeing thought from the residues of Scholasticism, and if his understanding of the coincidence of absolute potentiality and absolute actuality as the ground of Being points the way to Schelling, the freer winds of his thinking, with its wondrous openness towards the possibilities of the body as the possibilities of life, make him a kindred spirit of Nietzsche.

This book consists of 2 parts. The first part "Cause, Principle and Unity" is about his theory of an infinite universe. While you may either agree or disagree with him on certain points, I think (maybe you, too) will find the idea of a "world-soul" intriguing. This part consists of 5 dialogues.

The other part comprise two essays, one on magic and the other is his treatise on bonding in general. This part presents some ideas which I think would be interesting not just to magicians but anybody who wants to know and wonder, from a philosophical point of view, what magic is and bonding in general.

Any student of philosophy is likely to enjoy this book (either the first or second or both).

This is certainly one of the most hilarious books ever written. No philosopher has ever combined brain-busting metaphysics with slapstick comedy the way Bruno consistenly does. Bruno is known primarily as a fascinating loose cannon in the history of philosophy, but read his critique of Aristotle patiently and you will find that it has profound merits. If only more philosophy books were written in a style similar to this one!