Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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York Notes Advanced offer a fresh and accessible approach to English Literature.This market-leading series has been completely updated to meet the needs of today's A-level and undergraduate students.Written by established literature experts, York Notes Advanced intorduce students to more sophisticated analysis, a range of critical perspectives and wider contexts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Scholarly, informative, and highly recommended
William O'Brien believed in the British Parliament's capacity to give good government in 19th Century Ireland. His attempts to secure liberal reform were largely unsuccessfully, and he entered the 1840s with a growing conviction that the Irish Members were wasting their time at Westminister. In 1843, his political campaign for "justice" in Ireland prefigured the tactics of Parnell, but the effort ended in disappointment and O'Brien joining the Repeal Association in October of 1843. For the next five years he was a major political figure, and finally, a leader in the 1848 Irish rebellion. In William Smith O'brien And The Young Ireland Rebellion Of 1848, Robert Sloan provides the reader with a remarkable and informative political biography, as well as a "window in time" to the events that led up to Ireland's doomed rebellion against an unresponsive and exploitative British rule. Scholarly, informative, and highly recommended.

Not really a review
OK, slight admission - I've never read the book.Frankly, failed Irish rebellions (of which there seem many) are not really my interest.However, the author is my history teacher at school, and a really good bloke.He deserves to do well out of this book, so even if you don't like the subject, buy it and give him a nice supplement to his teacher's salary! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Overview on Latin America
This is a great book to see how countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Mexico made their structural reforms to fight for a democracy and to be part of the most potential countries in the region. Definitely, thisis a book that the congressman in Paraguay should be reading, and everyother country in Latin America that wants to follow potential countrieslike Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. ... Read more

Product Description
Emphasizing the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this volume brings together scholars from nine countries who study coffee markets and societies over the last five centuries in fourteen countries, on four continents, and across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The chapters analyze the creation and function of commodity, labor, and financial markets; the role of race, ethnicity, gender, and class in the formation of coffee societies; the interaction between technology and ecology; and the impact of colonial powers, nationalist regimes, and the forces of the world economy in the forging of economic development and political democracy. ... Read more

Product Description

William French Smith was one of the inner circle of powerful men who moved to Washington in 1981 ablaze with loyalty to a new president called Ronald Reagan.Smith spent four years as Reagan's first attorney general and offers an inside look at the Department of Justice, which he headed, calling it one of the least understood institutions in the Capitol.Admitting candidly that "starting a revolution is one thing, but getting results is another," Smith recalls the administration's efforts to reduce violent crime and address the nation's drug problem.Although the justice system faced budget cuts, it was expected to reform the laws on illegal immigration, enforce civil rights laws while eliminating the remedies of quotas and busing, modernize antitrust policies, and convince policymakers and the public that "bigness is not necessarily badness."Diminishing political activism in the federal courts and struggling to protect the prerogatives of presidential power were also expectations of the new administration.In this memoir, completed shortly before his death in October 1990, Smith graphically describes the petty political consideratiions and popular misperceptions that handicap clear thought and decisive action in Washington.Here is an intimate and often humorous portrait of Washington as "the hub of the most effective (though possibly also the least efficient) system of government yet devised by mankind."

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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A compelling story of racial self-hatred in America and of a black man who became a pariah among his own people--William Hannibal Thomas's transformation from a critical but optimistic black nationalist to a cynical black Negrophobe at the dawn of the twentieth century. The book opens a whole new perspective on the question of race in American history. Winner of the Mayflower Society Award for nonfiction. A major contribution to black intellectual history. --William Van Deburg, American Historical Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

black critic savages own race
In words that only a white bigot could appreciate, william hannibal thomas uses all manor of invective to decry the condition of his own black race.In his book 'the american negro', published in l901 by macmillan, thomasdecries the condition of what he still called freedmen, 36 years afteremancipation.Ironically, in the decades before publication of thebook, thomas had been a most intelligent observer of conditions for blacksin the post-bellum south. he pointed out the degradation that had occurredas a result of the violence and intimidation by whites, angry at theprivileges they lost from the civil war. attempts at race redemption werethwarted at every turn and there was no better example than the life ofthomas himself.Thomas had some education as he grew up in ohio,partially as a result of brief schooling in his teen years and the restfrom the efforts of his mother. he fought courageously alongside both freeblacks and newly-freed slaves in the civil war, losing an arm in the finalmonths of combat.The turning point in thomas's life as well as thoseof his darker skinned brethren was the election of l876 in which theelection of rutherford b. hayes was traded for the end of reconstruction,removal of federal troops from the south, and the betrayal of the negro byresumption of white rule for the benefits of whites south of themason-dixon line. in the process, thomas lost a seat in the south carolinalegislature he gained by public vote and soon had to leave the statebecause improprieties and scandal of his own making made him a fugitivefrom the courts.the author of this biography, john david smith, pullsno punches in describing the wayward and sometimes corrupt behavior ofthomas, but also presents evidence to redeem the character of the man whowas to become a target of black leaders across the country.in manypublications and speeches as a minister, thomas decried the conditions offormer slaves in the south. neoslavery is the term used by thomas todescribe the loss of the promise of the war and war amendments in thedecades that followed. education, training and land were what was needed,but thomas also felt that moral transformation from the degradation anddependence fostered by slavery was of the utmost need.yet thomasdeserted his wife and children, leaving them on public assistance inphiladelphia, and eventually found a new wife and settled in in a suburb ofboston. it was there that all the frustrations and failures to achievenational fame as a leader of his race came to a head. the constant painfrom his wound also is said to play a major part in the transformation froman observer and critic of race relations to an unrepentent cynic and enemyof his own race.web dubois makes the obvious point that what isimportant in thomas's book is not the content, but what caused a black manto foresake his own race, perhaps to gain favor from those who had drivenhim to write it by their own degraded behavior with the blatantly statedpurpose of maintaining political, social, and economic hegemony in thesouth.Despite all this, thomas has something to say to twenty-firstcentury americans, black and white. redemption for the african-american,and just as much for the entire country, does not come from politicalaction and social improvement. the moral content of each individual must betransformed or regenerated or the bonds of slavery will not be taken allthe way off.

An outstanding contribution to Black biographical history.
Black Judas provides the first biography of William Hannibal Thomas, who betrayed his race by writing The American Negro, an insulting attack on Afro-Americans. Black Judas examines the roots of Thomas' thinking and histransformation from an optimistic black nationalist to a man who attackedhis race. The detail and in-depth coverage is invaluable. ... Read more

Product Description
Stelarc is the most celebrated artist in the world working within technology and the visual arts. He is both an artist and a phenomenon, using his body as medium and exhibition space. Working in the interface between the body and the machine, he employs virtual reality, robotics, medical instruments, prosthetics, the Internet, and biotechnology. Stelarc's art includes physical acts that don't always look survivable—or, as science fiction novelist William Gibson puts it in his foreword, "sometimes seem to include the possibility of terminality."

Although there have been hundreds of articles written about Stelarc since he began performing in the late 1960s, Stelarc: The Monograph is the first comprehensive study of Stelarc's work practice in over thirty years. Gathering a range of writers who approach the work from a variety of perspectives, it includes William Gibson's account of his meetings with Stelarc, Arthur and Marilouise Kroker's emphatic "We Are All Stelarcs Now," and Stelarc himself in conversation with Marquard Smith. Taken together, these writers give us a multiplicity of ways to think about Stelarc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

glittering vision of a transhumanist future
In the early 80s, I brought Stelarc to speak at Caltech. He showed up with a mechanical third arm and a collection of slides. He proceeded to declaim at length about his previous art performances throughout the world, and his vision of what his performances were meant to convey to a lay audience. Then, I recently ran across this book, with a foreword by William Gibson, no less.

It is a collection of essays by various intellectuals, revolving around analysing Stelarc. His worldview is presented. A different approach from that epitomised in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Kapek's RUR, Saberhagen's Berserkers or the Terminator movies. Those echo the fear of a machine, born of man, that turns against humans. Instead, Stelarc's view is much cheerier. He is a performance artist, whose exhibitions are physical metaphors that suggest a peaceful evolution of humans, where we incorporate technological items into or perhaps on or around our bodies. He draws a distinction between Darwinian evolution, where obsolescence can mean extinction. Instead, any differences between us and machines are elided, as we absorb what they can offer, to exhance and extend our capabilities.

To some this is repulsive. To others, it is a glittering vision of a transhumanist future. Where we can someday (soon?) overcome the limitations of frail flesh. The book has echoes of views espoused by Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil. Though it does not go so far as to posit a technological singularity in the near future.

The photos in the book show Stelarc's remarkable talent. He has exhibited in Tokyo, Copenhagen, London and many other places since the 1980s. In many of the photos, he is naked, but adorned with some strange electromechanical gizmo, that has some type of feedback with his body. (When he spoke at Caltech, he was fully clothed.) Other photos show him dangling by many fish hooks through his skin. In one instance, one storey above a city street.

At least one chapter comments on the irony of his exhibitions. While he speaks of a metaphor of transcending the human form, his very nakedness starkly emphasises that form.

Of course, when he first did his exhibitions, all he could provide were rough metaphors. Limited by the crude mechanical devices of the time. But as microminiturisation proceeds, and as genetic engineering takes on more of an engineering aspect, all coupled with a world wide web, then he looks prescient. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

Baltimore's "Do It Now" mayor, two-term Maryland governor, and recently elected comptroller of the treasury, William Donald Schaefer may be the most colorful character ever to play on the Free State's political stage -- though competition for the honor is intense. In this wonderfully readable account, Fraser Smith explores the formative influences, backroom deals, personal relationships, quirky Baltimorisms, vicious fights, civic pride, splashes in the National Aquarium seal pool, victories, defeats, draws -- everything that makes Schaefer's career colorful and that helps us to understand the man himself.

A seasoned reporter who covered Schaefer's terms as mayor and governor for the Baltimore Sun, Smith takes a serious-minded but also throughly human-interest approach to his subject -- a study in character and the capacity of certain people to make a difference in the story of their time and locale. In Schaefer's case, the story concerns the struggle of Baltimore to survive and, if possible, renew itself. Smith draws on a sizable body of documentary source material; his scores of interviews provide him with juicy quotation and vibrant commentary. The book includes a gallery of photos, most never before published, which recall memorable moments in Schaefer's eventful career.

William Donald Schaefer: A Political Biography will fascinate Maryland voters, appeal to students of twentieth-century America, and engage anyone who loves a good story well told.

"His life in politics had been vouchsafed by do gooders, club house operators, slick businessmen, and others. He managed to find the best in each of these without being a servant to any. He was a classic 1950s-style Can-Do man, a veteran of the Second World War, a holdover from the time in American life when learning from experience and respected elders was a way of life. He was a career politician who ran for office to serve -- to work for people, to care about their welfare. He wanted to think of himself -- and to have others think of him -- as a distinguished city father, a public servant. He seemed to be the last Baltimorean to see how well he had succeeded." -- from the Preface

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent details and good humor
Having lived nearly my entire life under Schaefer's management, first as Mayor, then as Governor, I wanted to read about his personal qualities that made him such a success. This books explains that, as well as the manyundercover forces as well. The only element missing is a discussion of whymany of his successes were not enough to save the city from its currentdecline.

A Splendid View of Big City Politics
If you are interested in the politics of American cities this marvelous biography of the four-term mayor of Baltimore should be on the top of your reading list. C. Fraser Smith, a veteran reporter for the Baltimore Sun,has used the life of William Donald Schaefer --a lackluster wardpolitician who surprised almost everyone by becoming one ofAmerica's mostsuccessful big city mayors --as a vehicle for examining the innerworkings of Baltimore during the last half century. In doing so he opens upa window through which to view and better understand every American city.With a sharp eye for detail and a knack for compelling narrative, Smithguides us through the morass of city politics, introducing usup-close-and-personal to an array of interesting characters who, at onetime or another, performed on center stage with Schaefer. They includemembers ofthe mayor's staff, party godfathers, business leaders,neighborhood activists, obscure but powerful civil servants, blackpolitical leaders, and owners of sports teams, to cite a few. In hisability to employ ordinary citizens to tell a city's story, one is remindedimmediately of J. Anthony Lukas' Common Ground, the Pulitzer-prize winningdissection of Boston. The reader senses that Smith, as a reporter on cityand state beats, knew personally and had earned the trust of most of thekey players he interviewed. They felt comfortable revealing to him the mostintimate stories and opinions.

Yet despite all its attention to thepolitical context, the book stays true throughout to its basic purpose ofcreating a rich, reliable biography of a remarkable public servant. It willbe as valuable to scholars of urban America as it will be enjoyable topersons wanting simply to immerse themselves in big city lore.

fantastic
Just a terrific political history of Baltimore over the past 40 years. Wonderfully told.

A MUST read for an insight into the Schaefer regime!
If you weren't around to witness first hand the fabulous Mayor Schaefer years in Baltimore (or Governor later), or just want to reminisce this -isa must read. I was entertained and inspired, this man gives a new meaningto the word dedication.Highly recommend it, even if you're not fromBaltimore! ... Read more

Product Description
6 X 8 In, 304 PpThree Diverse Authors Have CompiledEssays Written By Distinguished LdsWriters Who Have Documented A Wealth ofInformation and Experience OnEnvironmental Situations Affecting Utah and Surrounding Environs Today. ThisMaterial Encompasses The Sweep andMajesty of A Land of Astonishing BeautyThat Cries For Understanding and RespectFrom Its Inhabitants and Visitors Alike.Your Outlook On This Area of "God's Country" Will Never Be The Same. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Interesting and occasionally profound
Overall, this book is a collection of essays having something to do with the environment and the Church of Jesus Christ (Mormon).If you're not Mormon you won't get a lot of the allusions to religion.However, there are plenty of essays mostly on environment or how family, community, and spirituality are tied up with environment.

Some of the essays are from critics of the Mormon church and some may be put off by these essays.Many of the essays are from Mormon authorities like Vaughn Featherstone or High Pinnock.Quite a few Utah politicians write about environment also.

The essays are quite uneven.Some are deeply intellectual;others are emotional.A few times I finished and essay and wondered what I had just read.But usually I finished an essay with a greater appreciation of this beautiful world we live in.

If I had to give a theme to this book it would be stewardship - that is, the idea that God gave us this beautiful world to care for and not to destroy and abuse.And as I watch the Utah I knew and loved turn into tract housing and fill with cars and people and smog, I think that many of us are not being wise stewards.

One criticism would be not including any conservative viewpoints.Congressman Hansen or Bishop ought to be in here.And writers who live on the land like ranchers, miners and the like.They too have a land ethic and excluding them so completely leaves a large gap.

In general, I commend the editors Terry Williams (Author of Refuge), William Smart (former Deseret News editor), and publisher Gibbs Smith.

Spend your money on environmental writing with substance.
Mediocre, with a few moments of good writing, but the entire theme is contrived. Spend your money on real environmental writing, for example Paul Shepard and Jerry Mander.

Thought provoking and spiritually stimulating. For anyone.
Although the contributors to this book are all Mormons the plea they make is universal.Our ties to God's creations are real.We derive emotional and spiritual strength from them.The earth is given to us as astewardship from God, to use, but also to protect and"replenish".The contributors cite personal examples to explaintheir interpretation of this "stewardship." I recommend thisbook! ... Read more

Product Description
Fiona Smith shows you how to make some of the best dim sum -- and lots of modern variations. She has included dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan, as well as from China -- all ready for you to recreate when you entertain. Fiona's ideas are based on tried-and-true, easy-to-prepare recipes that she uses in her own catering business. The emphasis is on lots of flavor, finger-food-sized morsels, and cooking methods that are simple enough for home cooks to manage. Just one or two of these recipes will make all the difference to your next party. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great recipes!
Great product.Easy to read and follow.Would order from them again without hesitation.

Fusion cuisine at its most delicious
Every recipe comes with an artfully arranged photo as background, showing what the recipe will (ideally) look like when you're done with it. The photos are gorgeous and wonderful to look at, and sometimes aid you in figuring out exactly what the author means when she gives an instruction on how to put something together. (Not that her instructions are confusing, but sometimes pictures can say things that are difficult to get across through words.)

The recipes are fairly simple and short, and simply arranged. Ingredients are nicely separated from directions, and directions are divided into short paragraphs. Each recipe comes with a brief paragraph commenting on some aspect of the recipe or the tradition behind it.

The book includes a very brief introduction to the idea of dim sum-this really isn't an introductory text, and would not be best as a first dim sum book unless the cook using it is experienced and confident in the kitchen in general. (Ellen Leong Blonder's Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch makes a great starting text.)

Recipes range from "crisp vegetables with roasted salt and pepper dip" (read: tempura), to sweet and sour pickled vegetables, wilted bean sprout and peanut salad, salmon and Asian pesto packages, mussels with egg noodles and black bean sauce, shrimp and scallion fritters (which are "based on a Mexican original" with "a Chinese twist"), little Szechuan chicken steamed buns, steamed dumplings with kaffir lime and lemongrass, peking-style duck pancake wraps, and a decent spread of dips and sauces-as well as other dishes.

The recipes don't call for a lot of unusual ingredients. We can find many of them at our local generic grocery store (and it doesn't have a lot of odd stuff), and sometimes substitutions are suggested. For example, when making sticky rice in banana leaves with chicken skewers, it's suggested that you could use foil instead of banana leaves.[...]can be a good source of some harder-to-find ingredients such as lemongrass.

The recipes come out uniformly delicious and delightful in our experience. The chile beef wontons are, so far, our favorite of the various fried wonton recipes we've made. The tiny pork, tofu, and broccoli spring rolls are delicious. The mango wontons with lime sauce were to die for. And this book is one of the best sources, among the dim sum books we have, for sauces and dips. There are only four of them (technically there are a few additional ones to be found among the other recipes), but they're perfect: a sweet chile sauce that goes well with almost anything, plum sauce, soy and ginger sauce, and a sweet and sour sesame sauce that's even better than the sweet chile sauce (and beats every other "sweet and sour" sauce we've tried so far, hands down).

Fiona Smith's approach to dim sum may be slightly unorthodox, but if you enjoy dim sum in specific or small appetizer foods in general, it's well worth a look. The recipes are fresh and creative, fairly easy, and absolutely delicious!

"Dim sum?"Hardly.
From the title of this book one would expect to find real dim sum recipes inside.Instead, most of the recipes are Asian-inspired finger food, which is not at all the same thing.Dim sum is a Chinese food, not a general Asian-ish type of cuisine.To call these recipes "dim sum" is almost as inaccurate as calling French hor d'oevres "dim sum" simply because they are small, bite-sized treats.

I might come across as a bit pedantic here, but this is not simply a matter of semantics.If the author had used a more accurate title such as "Asian Finger Food" I would not have lowered my rating by 2 stars.The actual recipes are good and certainly creative, but they do not fit the title of the book.

Bottom line: if you are looking for true, traditional dim sum recipes, look elsewhere.There are better books on the topic.If you are thinking of getting this book, know ahead of time what you are getting and you will not be disappointed, because this is a good recipe book.

Little Heart's Delight......
Beautiful little book with a treasure of recipes.Dim sum translates from the Chinese as "heart's delight".Tiny dishes that make up the great yum cha lunches served in Chinese
Restaurants. Yum cha means drink tea. Dim sum are usually, little bits of deliciously seasoned foods wrapped in a delicate dough and either steamed, boiled or fried. Nowadays, some dim sum are wrapped in lettuce leaves instead of dough. Dim sum are served with savory dipping sauces.
Just think of Dim Sum as Chinese Tapas.
It is a great little cookbook and one I am very pleased to have.

Large Chinese Appetizer Treasure in Small Package
Truly a beautiful collection of Dim Sum in a small book, only 64 pages.Don't let the small size bother you, though this is serious great food.

30 recipes of asian inspired snacks from potstickers to egg rolls to wraps to soup to custard tarts, this is just beautifully done photographed and step-by-step instructions.

Feast your tastebuds on such as: Steamed Dumplings with Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass; Fish Balls with Shredded Wonton Coating; Salmon and Asian Pesto Packages; Jicama and Lime Salad; Shrimp and Scallion Fritters; Peking-style Duck Pancake Wraps; Orange and Almond Fortune Cookies; Five-Spice Custard Tarts; Steamed Pear and Ginger Puddings.

There are five great dipping sauces recipes included.

Great gift idea for party giving friends or for yourself to throw that casual finger food party. ... Read more

Product Description
Joseph Wambaugh's Echoes in the Darkness and its subsequent TV dramatization have made household words of both Susan Reinert, the murder victim, and Dr. Jay Smith, a high school principal and her accused killer. Here is the first-hand account of Jay Smith's trial, sentencing, and ultimate acquittal, written by his defense counsel. Costopoulos will tell you how three key pieces of evidence ultimately surfaced, proving that the prosecution had falsified its case and overturning the verdict. As flamboyant on the page as in person, Bill Costopoulos will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Much better than Wambaugh
If Echoes in the Darkness was a novel, then it would be the better book.But the key test of nonfiction is truthfulness and accuracy.On that score, Wambaugh comes out third.(Engaged to Murder is better than EitD).

Read this book and watch how Wambaugh's pursuit of a good story ended up distorting our justice system.

He was a demon
I went to Upper Merion high school, the old one, where I was told the moview was made. It was a crime free great environment. My daughter went to Upper Merion, the new school, where Dr Smith ruled. She always hated to be sent to the principle's office because he would be sitting there in his underwear and smoking pot. He said bizzare things over the intercom. Things even the students thought were strange.

The strangest thing is that none of the kids told on him. They were too scared so they just gave him a wide bearth. If anyone belongs to still be in prison, it is he. He was lewd, a thief (Sears), sadistic drug addict. And not with just pot. He should still be in prison. I have no doubt he committed the crime himself. He would enjoy that.

An amazing story, masterfully written
This book is the conclusion to the part true, part fairy tale originally written by Joseph Wambaugh called "Echoes In The Darkness". Wambaugh traveled to Southeastern Pennsylvania in the early 80's to write a book about a school teacher who murdered and her children who have never been found. His book and influence and promises of money to State Police members actually helped convict two men and have one of them, a school principal, sentenced to death. The story seemed to end with the death sentence in 1986. However, lawyer William Costopolous was assigned to handle the appeal of the convicted principal Jay Smith. Six years later the truth began to be discovered - in a box in the attic of the Pennsylvania State Police's lead investigator on the case. Although I pause to recommend Wambaugh's book, it is easier to appreciate this incredible story if you read that book first then read Principal Suspect. If you only ever read oe more book in your life it should be Principal Suspect.

Not very convincing arguments
by Mr. Costopoulos, whose writing style is not bad but not compelling either. Unlike Wambaugh, who tried to provide a balance of information, Costopoulos is an advocate, and so he stresses the strengths in the evidence while ignoring the weak parts of his case. For example, he doesn't adequately explain the presence of the little green pin with the "P" worn by Karen Reinert in Jay Smith's vehicle (although it's obvious to anyone that Bradfield could easily have planted it; something not discussed by Costopoulos), nor does he even mention the fact that Jay Smith said he was home during the time frame of the murders and that the purchaser of his home was there, when she testified she wasn't, and was at the shore herself. Nor does he ever explain why he didn't call Bradfield to testify at Smith's trial, although the State didn't and the strategic reason for such an omission.
Nonetheless, new facts come out in this book that aren't mentioned in other publications on this murder mystery. For those who are interested in this baffling case, it is still a worthwhile addition to the collection of printed material available.

Whimpers in the Darkness
In comparison with Wambaugh's taut, suspenseful, brilliantly woven account of the Main Line murders, Costopoulos' book (which is bad enough on its own) seems all the worse.Costopoulos is not a good writer by any stretch of the term, and his arrogance and self-absorption certainly do not help his case.Some of the sentences in this book are so poorly crafted you almost shudder in embarrassment.If I had not read "Echoes in the Darkness" already, I would not have been able to follow what happened--this is how poorly and confusingly Costopoulos sets out the facts.The ONLY things this book has going for it are the pictures included of the actual people involved in the saga (sorely missing from Wambaugh's book) and an update on what has happened to some of these people since Wambaugh's book was published. ... Read more

Product Description
Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814) was a German philosopher. He was one of the founding figures of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, a movement that developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Kant. Fichte is often perceived as a figure whose philosophy forms a bridge between the ideas of Kant and the German Idealist Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Recently, philosophers and scholars have begun to appreciate Fichte as an important philosopher in his own right due to his original insights into the nature of self-consciousness or self-awareness. Like Descartes and Kant before him, the problem of subjectivity and consciousness motivated much of his philosophical rumination. Fichte also wrote political philosophy, and is thought of by some as the father of German nationalism. His works include: Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation (1792), Foundations of Natural Right (1796), Characteristics of the Present Age (1806) and Addresses to the German Nation (1808). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Neglected gem of Fichte's popular works
This is a review of the importance of this work by Fichte, not the translation, which is more or less accurate to Fichte's German.

The Characteristics of the Present Age belongs with Fichte's popular works, for they were given publically and were intended to work out the implications of his transcendental idealism for practical matters such as history and politics. In this, these lectures serve an analogous function to Hegel's own lectures on the philosophy of history (given as college lectures and not public talks per se), though Fichte's lectures have never served as popular introductions to his speculative philosophy, as Hegel's lectures on the philosophy of history did for his thought. Indeed, Fichte's Characteristics of the Present Age have suffered from benign neglect in the non-German speaking world; while the various editions of the difficult and even byzantine Wissenschaftslehre are studied regularly, Characteristics is relegated to obscurity as an idiosyncratic statement on historical necessity by a philosopher about to be eclipsed by younger, more radical thinkers such as Hegel. Collingwood (1994:108) sums up much of the scholarship dealing with Fichte's philosophy of history: "The chief difficulty which a reader finds in dealing with Fichte's view of history is the difficulty of being patient with what appears so silly," though he does not think that this verdict is completely warranted, and for good reason. For just as Fichte's Wissenschaftslehre is widely recognized as the most important link in the development of idealism from Kant to Hegel, so is Characteristics the single most important link between Herder's romantic appropriation of the philosophy of history from Voltaire, and the full flowering of philosophy of history in Hegel. Herder provided the impetus for looking at historical ages as actual histories which had value in and of themselves; Fichte is able to take these histories, more specifically the history of his own time, and infuse them with a universal philosophy which, though Herder had warned against such all-encompassing systems of thought, was able to perfectly catch the Zeitgeist of the emerging nineteenth century political and philosophical ferment. Though it remained for Hegel to make the philosophical understanding of history truly philosophical in a way that his contemporaries would embrace, Fichte is the first important post-Kantian philosopher to offer a comprehensive system of history and philosophy which attempts to come to terms with both actual history, and universal philosophical claims. ... Read more