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Explorer, scholar, travel writer and poet, Charles Doughty was the progenitor of a noble tradition that includes Lawrence of Arabia (to whom he was a mentor) and Wilfred Thesiger: British writers who have been fascinated by the Bedouin, and in particular by that strange, mythic part of the world, the Empty Quarter (a phrase which Doughty introduced to the West). In the 1870s Doughty spent two years wandering through Arabia, first with the Haj pilgrimage, then joining nomadic bands of Arabs, sometimes staying as a virtual prisoner in far-flung desert towns. Unyielding in his independence of mind, the tall, red-bearded Doughty's aggressive refusal to conceal his Christianity made his travels all the more dangerous: he was threatened with death several times, spurned, insulted and often beaten by angry mobs. The story of his archaeological investigations and his wide-ranging observations of Arabia and desert life were published in 1888 as the famous Arabia Deserta, with its haunting opening sentence "A new voice hailed me of an old friend when, first returned from the Peninsula, I paced again in that long street of Damascus that is called straight."Feted by the literary establishment, Doughty risked all many times over in his obsesssive quests in Arabia. He often seemed possessed by an almost messianic vision of himself and found among the Bedouin a chivalry and honour that suited his temperament, as it did Thesiger's. Often, too, he found himself at odds with the authorities, his work and his genius, as he saw it, neglected. His long, impassioned and often paradoxical life makes him one of the great British scholar-eccentrics. ... Read more

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A biography of the engineer who led the team of engineers that developed the first successful video tape recorder. ... Read more

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Excellent Book
The Political Theory of Jon Taylor of Caroline is book which should be on the shelf of any Jeffersonian.Professor Hill provides in detail the complete political theory of John Taylor
and his defense of agarianism.The author provides information on
Taylor's relationship with other Jeffersonians and how they
fought to implement limited government. My only disagreement
is that too much emphasis is put on minor differences with
Taylor's friend and collaborator, Thomas Jefferson.Although it

is true Taylor and Jefferson disagreed on minor points of
banking, he and Jefferson were friends and kindred spirits.

Jefferson and Taylor agreed on the fundementals of republican
government: agrarian democracy, the sovereignty of the people
limited federal government, reform of the federal judiciary,
and individual liberty. They did very much disagree on the
issue of slavery. Taylor reamined loyal to Jefferson
throughout his political life, twice being an elector
for him, and introducing the Virginia Resolutions in the
Virginia Legislature in 1799. Professor Hill does show
Taylor's greatness as an American philosopher.
Overall an excellent read. ... Read more

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One of this century's most influential musical intellects takes center stage in Taylor Greer's meticulously wrought study of Charles Seeger (1886-1979). Seeger left an indelible mark in the fields of musicology, music criticism, ethnomusicology, and avant-garde musical composition, but until now there has been no extended appreciation and critique of Seeger's work as a whole, nor has an accessible guide to his texts been available.Exploring the entire corpus of Charles Seeger's writing, A Question of Balance highlights the work of those persons who most influenced him, especially Henri Bergson, Bertrand Russell, and Ralph Perry. Invited to inaugurate the music department at the University of California's Berkeley campus in 1912, Seeger became keenly aware of his deficiencies in general education and put himself on a rigorous regimen of intellectual development that included studying history, anthropology, political theory, and philosophy. For the remainder of his life his ideas about music heavily influenced the development of ethnomusicology and systematic musicology.Charles Seeger is perhaps best known as the father of the folk singers Pete, Mike, and Peggy Seeger and as the husband of the innovative American composer Ruth Crawford. This book makes clear that Seeger was an extremely important thinker and educator in his own right. Seeger's intellectual curiosity was as eclectic as it was enthusiastic, and Greer skillfully weaves together the connections Seeger made between music, the humanities, and the sciences. The result is a luminous tapestry depicting Seeger's ideal schemes of musicology. At the same time it reflects the turbulence and vitality in American musical life during the early decades of the century. ... Read more

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The influence of the Benedictine monk John Main, who helped the church rediscover its contemplative roots, continues unabated more than 25 years after his death. The spiritual family of groups he founded, united in their daily practice of meditative prayer, consists of over 110,000 members in more than 100 countries. Each year, many gather at the John Main Seminar, a major conference that promotes his vision and teaching.The 2007 conference hosted some outstanding speakers and their talks are collected here in this new volume. They include: Charles Taylor, the leading contemporary philosopher, who considers the place of religion and spirituality in human society, Laurence Freeman, John Main's successor, who reflects on spirituality in a globalised world, Sarah Bachelard, and Anglican priest and lecturer in theology in Australia, on the contemplative dimension in theology, Yvon Theroux, Professor of Religion in Montreal, who asks whether John Main is a prophet for our times. Together, these and the other essays clearly demonstrate the breadth and depth of John Main's thought, and its increasing relevance in our world today. ... Read more

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John Main: The Expanding Vision
This is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to learn more about the life, teaching, and legacy of John Main. The collection of essays is varied and balanced; scholarly, yet not at all pedantic; thought-provoking and reflective, but also very accessible. John Main's life and teaching have had a profound impact on the world. His influence continues today, and the community that grew from his inspiration continues to teach the importance of a daily practice of meditation. Each of the book's contributors has been touched in some way by the life of John Main, and the strength and depth of that encounter is clearly visible on every page. The gift of John Main's life and teaching has been passed on in many ways, but mostly significantly, and perhaps most simply, through the gift of meditation. ... Read more

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Fresh, enjoyable biographical portraits of distinguished and interesting Canadians: Scott Symons, James Houston, Emily Carr, Herbert Norman, Bishop William White, and Brigadier James Sutherland Brown. ... Read more

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This book seeks to clarity the marketing function played by signs and the overall importance of signs to the economy and to society. ... Read more

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The most interesting entry point to the demarcation problem in science since Poppers seminal formulation.Steve Fuller, Professor of Sociology & Social Policy, Durham UniversityWhat is science? What isnt science? And who draws the line between them? These are rhetorical concerns, as Charles A. Taylor demonstrates in this ambitious book about the theoretical and cultural underpinnings of scientific practice. By showing how boundaries between science and nonscience are rhetorically constructed and socially enforced, Defining Science reveals the political and philosophical significance of such distinctions.Taylor examines the traditional demarcation problem, the problem of defining the boundaries of science, as an ongoing rhetorical negotiation involving a full range of historical interests and social actorsfrom researchers and lab technicians to governmental and industrial patrons, program administrators, political representatives, journalists, and educators. His case studies of the recent debates over creationism and cold fusion clearly demonstrate how the rhetorical dynamics of science operate within different fields. In both cases, presented here with concision and insight, prevailing demarcationsor defining portrayals of scienceemerge as far more nuanced than traditional accounts allow.Taylor analyzes traditional approaches to demarcation in science in order to incorporate their insights into his larger rhetorical view. His reformulation of philosophical, historical, and sociological accounts of science clearly illustrates the intellectual value of an interdisciplinary rhetoric of demarcation. Furthermore, Defining Science suggests how we, as a community, can positively influence future constructions of science and society.This book confronts what is arguably the late twentieth centurys definitive problem in a provocative and interesting way. It will be of interest to anyone engaged with the question of knowledge in public life.Charles Arthur Willard, Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, University of Louisville

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With the Warsaw Pact countries in a state of economic and political chaos following the collapse of communism, a deadly, well-trained group of deposed communist elites plots a strike against emerging democratic forces. ... Read more

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Tom Clancy Move Over......
The US Navy Seals join forces with the KGB in the battle for the New World Order! One of the best naval thrillers since Hunt for Red October. Gripping reading from the first intriguing page to the edge-of-your-chair finale. ... Read more

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The term "artificial life" describes research into synthetic systems that possess some of the essential properties of life. This truly interdisciplinary effort includes biologists, computer scientists, physicists, chemists, geneticists, and others. The field may be viewed as an attempt to understand high-level behavior from low-level rules--for example, how the simple interactions between ants and their environment lead to complex trail-following behavior. An understanding of such relationships in particular systems can suggest novel solutions to complex real-world problems such as disease prevention, stock-market prediction, and data-mining on the Internet.Since their inception in 1987, the Artificial Life meetings have grown from small workshops to truly international conferences, reflecting the fields increasing appeal to researchers in all areas of science. ... Read more

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The chapters collected here explore a number of differentissues, including the operation of the tariff-rate quotas establishedunder the Uruguay Round Agreement, the implications of sanitary andphytosanitary restrictions on trade, and the growing controversy overgenetically modified organisms. In addition, several chapters analyzethe interaction between agricultural trade and environmental concerns.

The relative prosperity in U.S. agriculture that attended the passageof the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 wasfollowed by a general decline in U.S. agricultural prices from 1998 to2000. This trend in declining prices continues through the year 2001,despite the movement toward more liberalized agricultural trade. Tradeliberalization has been the result of a variety of factors, includingthe implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreement, and theestablishment of a variety of regional trade agreements, such as theNorth America Free Trade Agreement. Needless to say, in the face offalling agricultural prices and increasingly liberalized agriculturaltrade, the agricultural policy scene is an extremely complex one, bothlocally and globally. This volume does not pretend to offer a single, systematicprescription for what the next agricultural policy should be. Rather,the arguments and analyses contained herein are intended to highlightseveral issues that must be considered in the continuing debates onagricultural policy. ... Read more

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Here is a wonderful collection of heart-warming, stimulating, thought provoking, humorous, and sometimes challenging stories and personal anecdotes - mixed with bits of truth, trivia and nonsense. You'll find it to be an excellent traveling companion or for bedtime reading. Friends and colleagues liken Mike's style of writing and story telling to that found in Garrison Keillor's "Lake Woebegone". ... Read more