Innsights: An Innsitter's Tale

Book Description

Come along with me on a most interesting journey. In my midlife I changed career courses from social worker to business owner. I became an independent contractor who takes care of bed and breakfasts on a temporary basis while the owner/innkeeper takes their vacation. I will take the reader along with me as I explain my life, which really was geared all along towards hospitality service and entrepreneurship. In this book I go into detailed discussion concerning how to become an innsitter, and I cover all aspects of running an inn. I include stories about unique and humorous events, episodes with eccentric people through which I somehow survived and flourished in business. My love for the people I serve and who have come to rely upon my service compelled me to write this "tale."

It's a Wonderful Life: The Fiftieth Anniversary Scrapbook
Average customer rating:

If you adore the movie, you will cherish this book!!

Excellent

"A must-have book for anyone that loves the movie..."

It's a Wonderful Life: The Fiftieth Anniversary Scrapbook
Jimmy Hawkins
Manufacturer: Courage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1561387673

Customer Reviews:

If you adore the movie, you will cherish this book!!.......2000-12-28

This book is an exquisite companion piece to the beloved, classic film "It's a Wonderful Life"! If the movie is one of your all-time favorites, you really should add this title to your literary collection. It is absolutely overflowing with gorgeous pictures, illuminating insights and general information concerning all facets of this film. Get a copy as a special gift for an admirer of this movie or indulge yourself and get a copy of your own. You might just wind up doing both, afterall, "It's a Wonderful Book"! ;-) (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

Excellent.......1999-02-13

This book has lots of info. and excellent photos, if this is your favorite movie you need this book!

"A must-have book for anyone that loves the movie...".......1998-12-08

I visited a friend that had this book on the coffee table and I spent almost the entire visit looking at this superbly illustrated and informative book. If you love the movie, then you will definitely want to keep this book in your literary collection.

Amazon.com

Pierre Levy sees us as moving past an information economy into an economy based on human interactions; a social economy. While the idea may seem startling, given our current emphasis on all things monetary, his reasoning makes you stop and give careful thought to ideas you may not have considered before. As technology advances, Levy points out, it's capable of taking on more and more advanced tasks--first simple labor and now the processing of information. As these capabilities become easier and well within everyone's reach, their value declines.

But the one thing that is beyond the reach of pure technology is the construction and maintenance of social interactions. What technology can do, however, is make it easier for humans to interact over greater distances and around obstacles. "Our humanity," Levy writes, "is the most precious thing we have." Levy, who is a professor in the department of hypermedia at the University of Paris, then predicts that we will take greater control of that value and everything related to it as we use technology to organize ourselves into what he calls Living Cities. Here, physical location is less important than the interactions of its members, and not surprisingly, the lack of territorialities will challenge present methods of governance.

Levy insists we are in the early moments of an historical paradigm shift of the magnitude of the Renaissance. And yet he avoids wild utopianism, keeping a clear eye on the realities and challenges inherent in any great transformation, complete with ample opportunities for things to go wrong. What emerges, however, is a different way of viewing the possible future, and plenty of reasons for asking why this utopian vision isn't attainable.

Book Description

"Collective Intelligence is incredible. Lvy's ideas shine through like a supernova at the human heart of cyberspace." -Mark Pesce, Cyberspace researcher and theorist, co-creator of VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language)

The number of travelers along the information superhighway is increasing at a rate of 10 percent a month. How will this communications revolution affect our culture and society? Pierre Lvy shows how the unfettered exchange of ideas in cyberspace has the potential to liberate us from the social and political hierarchies that have stood in the way of mankind's advancement.

Anthropologist, historian, sociologist, and philosopher, Lvy writes with a depth of scholarship and imaginative insight rare among media critics. At once a profound historical analysis of the development of human culture and a blueprint for the future, Collective Intelligence is a visionary work.

Customer Reviews:

Naive utopian view of cyberspace.......2002-02-17

Two things I really didn't like about this book: (1) The agonizingly painful (to read) language of post-modernist thinkers. Terms like "deterritorialization" and "rhizomatic processes" infest the text to the point where you feel like you're reading some strange dialect of the English language. It's maddening. (2) The author presents a charming but hopelessly naive utopian view of an emerging social world, centered around the sharing of knowledge within cyberspace, that will usher in a marvelous new era of individually-centered democracy and freedom - the notion of "collective intelligence." One wonders if Levy has actually spent any time at all communing with the people who populate the chatrooms and message boards of cyberspace - "collective intelligence" indeed, more like "collective prejudice and stupidity." It is completely beyond me how others have found this book to be of any value whatsoever.

Profound, and enormous range.......2001-10-17

Sometimes Pierre Levy likes Michel Serres a little too much. Serres, a brilliantly original thinker, often explains that what he says and how he says it are inseparable, and is thereby in the best French philosophical tradition. Which works very well in his books, for the initiated, but Levy's probable attempt to emulate this in Collective Intelligence doesn't quite reach par, although at no point is he difficult to understand - the prose is just occasionally over-baked.

This being the only reason the rating dropped from five to four stars, on to what makes this an essential read. The title is a little unfortunate, as it will have some buyers believing here is another new-age bible about networked togetherness and pony-tailed social savvy. It isn't. Like Becoming Virtual, this is a serious book of philosophy, sociology and anthropology, with concepts and insights that make other theorising in the area of information technology, for example, look positively anemic by comparison. Above all 'collective' has wider meanings than the normal usage, and explaining how is probably the best way to review the book.

'Collective' usually implies a collection, a group of distinct things gathered together in some way to make a bigger thing. Some reviewers of the book use this meaning, suggesting Levy's idea is that technologies such as the internet simply extend traditional communication processes over large geographical distances, so that we can 'share information' better, and so on. Levy's collective, on the other hand, derives from Serres', where all large-scale, collective phenomena are distributive rather than summative - you don't make big, 'global' things by stacking lots of smaller, 'local' things, Lego-block style, because the local and the global don't have any necessary relationship. In fact they're separate things - this idea takes a LOT of getting used to, but once you're there you understand why Levy's concept of collective intelligence is so powerful.

Take for instance a government, with a representative parliament. Common sense, at least since Hobbes, says this government derives its validity and power from the fact that it is merely the aggregate body of citizens, who are its Lego blocks, if you will. The government is this mass of citizens added up, and represented by a few who sit at its head. Not so for Levy - each person, including government ministers, remains resolutely 'local', and a government is as local as where it happens to sit. What gives it wider or global efficacy is simply the fact that this particular local institution has managed to embody or even create certain interests which are common to the multitude of people it represents - they grant it power or allegiance because of this, but everything stays local. Decisions made by this government then give the appearance of controlling society simply because every local interest these decisions move through allows them passage, or enacts them (and when this changes to refusal, we see 'government' itself, many times in history, come under threat). This is what Levy means by collective or distributed action, where large-scale and small-scale phenomena have no ontological difference, merely a difference in emphasis. You don't find the global only at the central point (here, government), but at each and every local point in the society - the government is simply that place which has drastically simplified these millions of local actions into a (relative) few formulae which all can agree on, in one local place - parliament. It's not imposing its will, but is the distillation of these millions of local wills.

So what is collective intelligence? To quote Levy, "It is a form of universally distributed intelligence, constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and resulting in the effective mobilization of skills...No one knows everything, everyone knows something...". Intelligence for Levy is a combination of skills, understanding and knowledge. Skills are what we develop when we interact with physical things; our relations with signs and information give us knowledge; our interaction with others gives us understanding. All three apply to the same object simultaneously - we 'know' about genes, for example, by studying them in their instrumental physicality (skills), in conjunction with our colleagues (understanding), while manipulating our papers and concepts about them (knowledge). Levy adds his notion of collectives to this schema to show how, with the help of new information technologies in particular, each skill, piece of knowledge and understanding is now distributed, rather than isolated in some one place. The Greenhouse Effect isn't your ordinary, isolable lab object, because AS an object it is the co-creation of many different types of scientist, as well as politician, environmentalist, farmer and so on. It is a collective object, and we have to learn to be collectively intelligent about it. Similarly marketing has long since abandoned the attempt to correctly predict what 'people will like' and has incorporated them collectively in the entire production process, so products are becoming more a co-creation of consumer and producer - they are collective products. As in the political example previously, nobody can centralise knowledge any more than power, it is global in each place, and the objects we now produce only exist or survive if they can be animated by each locality, and represented and 'controlled' by another locality which is intelligently sensitive to these localities.

The range of this book must escape the scope of any 1000-word review. Levy does some fascinating anthropological work here as well, tracing the emergence of collective intelligence through different types of societies. And lots more. Read it.

Theology as the Origin and Goal of the Internet.......2000-10-25

If you want an interesting book, I'd recommend 'Collective Intelligence' by Pierre Levy. This book examines the social impact of Internet technology and proposes a set of ideals that should be used to guide a society using it. Levy tries to show how his set of ideals would obtain the most benefits from society from this technology. An interesting part of the book occurs when Levy compares the mode of live in an Internet society with that derived from Catholic ideals. He recounts mediaeval Catholic philosophy on the means by which God's insight creates the world. God exists by hid contemplation his own existence since he is the essence of all things and out of this contemplation springs angels which can contemplate their own existence but need other things to exist. There are 10 ranks of angels each created either by God's or the next higher angel rank's contemplation of themselves. The contemplation of the lowest rank of angels creates our world.

The nub of this is that the world is top down. The ideal is at the pyramid of existence and goodness derives its meaning from the top. Levy contrasts this with the new conception of the Internet. The lowest rank which is our world can create a new world above it. In our case, it is the lowest level of connectivity of the Internet. This new world is good in so far as it enables the inhabitants of our world to flourish. The lowest levels in cyberspace can create higher levels of existence with no limits on the number of levels which corresponds to the ranks of angels. Goodness flows up these levels from the real world in direct contrast to Catholic theology. Another view on this can be found in, 'The Religion of Technology' by David F. Noble. This book traces the origin of the Internet and the attitudes of its developers to Protestant theology. Instead of goodness entering the world through God's omnipotence, Protestants believe that they are required to build God's kingdom in this world. The drive in northern Europe for technological enhancements to life derives from this.

These two books support each other. Levy offers this Internet world as an ideal and contrasts it with the Catholic ideal. Noble examines it as an historical process and notes its derivation from Protestantism.

These are two very interesting books.

Personal, Social, and Knowledge Space.......2000-04-08

This dude is a heavy hitter, and it says a lot that this one made it over the water from the French original. Clearly a modern day successor to Jacques Ellul (The Technological Society) and before him Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Levy begins with the premise that the prosperity of any nation or other entity depends on their ability to navigate the knowledge space, and the corollary proposition that the knowledge space will displace the spaces of the (natural) earth, (political) territory, or (economic) commodity. He is acutely conscious of the evil of power, and hopes that collective intelligence will negate such power. He ends with a warning regarding our construction of the ultimate labyrinth, cyberspace, where we must refine the architecture in support of freedom, or lose control of cyberspace to power and the evil that power brings with it.

the review of Collective Intelligence.......1999-03-17

In the book, Collective Intelligence, by Pierre Levy, is shows that mankind is emerging into a world of computer life. The book was rather dry in some points and other then that it was well written. The writer gave a good and strong introduction to collective intelligence. First Levy tells about the ethics of collective intelligence and whether it is a necessary thing. Next he discusses the economy of collective intelligence and how with the growth of technology it is forcing people to abandon their homes, cultures, languages, and even destroying the conventional ideas of a community. He goes on to talk about the technology of collective intelligence and how it is altering life, matter, information, and human communities.

Levy explores the emergence of cyberspace as it effects us in a world of reality and the real world. Levy goes on to discuss a world where man is not ruled by machines. Levy talks about how cyberspace influences people and how it will change and alter people's lives. Levy tells about how with the Internet grows and emerges in people's lives the concept of the individual's idea will change into the concept of a group of minds that will connect over the Internet and come up with new ideas instead of the individual's.

Cardboard Heroes Bases Assorted (Cardboard Heroes)
Average customer rating:
Cardboard Heroes Bases Assorted (Cardboard Heroes)
Steve Jackson Games
Manufacturer: Steve Jackson Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Misc. Supplies
ASIN: 1556345003

Radiata Stories(tm) (Bradygames Official Strategy Guide)
Average customer rating:

Too complicated

Easy to understand

Help with recruiting

Required Reading

Great Guide Book

Radiata Stories(tm) (Bradygames Official Strategy Guide)
BradyGames
Manufacturer: BRADY GAMES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Radiata Stories

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ASIN: 0744005817

Book Description

BradyGames’ Radiata Stories Official Strategy Guide includes the following:

A comprehensive walkthrough leading players step-by-step from beginning to end and along every plot branch!
Exhaustive character coverage of Radiata's 170+ characters, with in-depth stats, skills, resistances, relationships, attacks, and much more!
Recruiting guidance to assist in finding, recruiting and assembling the most effective party members for any situation!
Time-based strategy tips to help master time-sensitive encounters and events!
Complete maps pinpointing important locations, items, and more!
Plus expert combat and boss tactics, comprehensive weapon, armor, bestiary, and item data to help learn every command, skill and link.

Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Role-Playing Game
This product is available for sale in North America only.

Customer Reviews:

Too complicated.......2007-02-09

I was hoping for something more comprehensive than this. It's got all the characters and how to find them in the beginning in alphabetical order. Chronological order would've made more sense, cause I have to keep going back and forth and hoping I don't miss someone I want.

Easy to understand.......2006-07-25

It is nice to use a guide that has all the info I want in it.

Help with recruiting .......2006-02-22

Radiata Stories is a pretty good action RPG, but it involves a lot of party recruiting (about 177 are possible). Because each character has a daily schedule, it can be hard to track them down. You must also recruit some characters (and level them up) before you can recruit others. This guide does a good job of explaining which characters are worth recruiting and how to go about doing so. A guide like this is a must if you wish to get the most out of Radiata Stories.

Required Reading.......2006-01-12

Radiata Stories is a game that desperately needs a game guide. Not because the story itself is difficulty to work through. The games mission structure guarantees that you will always play through the required steps - even if it is possible to postpone the inevitable for some time in many cases. It's the ongoing quest for recruit and friends that demands detailed information.

This is a game that requires relationship builds both to build the primary character, but also to assemble a team of characters that can actually win the game. Each character has special requirements for friendship and much of the games problem solving is in working one's way through the requirements of the various levels of characters, many of which require that you have made other friends earlier. This is complicated, and a guide is needed if you want the play with maximum strength.

Brady's guide provides this information in deep detail, but the arrangement is a bit frustrating. The character section is separate from the walkthrough, and the latter rarely ever gives you a hint on when it is best to start recruiting which character. You simply have to look each character up as soon as you meet them and hope you can keep things together in your head. Other than this particular frustration, the walkthrough itself is excellent. Maps abound, as well as plentiful enemy descriptions. There are occasional mistakes where a particular building or store is mislocated. Assume you will have to know your turf thoroughly whether you have this guide or not.

The guide is well illustrated, and provides a much better explanation of play than either the manual or the game itself. This is important, because development is complex, and you are likely to realize the importance of some activities too late to take advantage of them. I consider this a successful manual because it extends the game, rather than shortens it. This is one of Bradygame's better efforts.

Great Guide Book.......2005-11-07

Wow, what can I say, this book is full of information on the game. It is one of the best that I have seen, I really do not think that the publishers left anything out of it.

This Strategy Guide is a must to have to play this game.

Beyond These Four Walls: Diary of a Psychic Medium
Average customer rating:

Beyond These Four Walls

NOT TOO PLEASED WITH THE BOOK.

Excellent, Honest

Inspirations and unique stories

Homey View of Psychic Phenomena

Beyond These Four Walls: Diary of a Psychic Medium
MaryRose Occhino
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425200213

Book Description

Born to a family of "intuitive" women, MaryRose Occhino uses her "celestial whispers" to open the minds and the hearts of everyone who has sought out her remarkable abilities as a link to loved ones who have passed on. But her powers also became her connection to the outside world-both real and spiritual-after she struggled through an isolation that grew out of her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis at the age of thirty-nine. Filled with startling revelations, this fascinating book is also MaryRose's own inspiring true story.

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Customer Reviews:

Beyond These Four Walls .......2007-08-08

I loved this book!!! This book was so interesting I didn't want to put it down. Awesome Book!!!!!!!

NOT TOO PLEASED WITH THE BOOK........2006-11-10

i WAS NOT TOO PLEASED WITH THE BOOK. I AM SORRY I BOUGHT IT. MY SISTER SUGGESSTED IT, WE DO NOT ALWAYS LIKE THE SAME THING.THE BOOK WAS IN TOP IN CONDITION. I JUST DID NOT LIKE ALL THE CONTENTS.

Excellent, Honest .......2006-09-23

This book is interesting and well written. MaryRose Occhino talks about some of the challenges in her life, and her upbringing in a large family. In 1992 she developed multiple sclerosis. She describes how that disease affected her physically, but also augmented her psychic gifts.

MaryRose's psychic journey took a sudden turn with the 9/11 attack, and soon she was flooded with requests for her talents, and eventually achieved a great deal of exposure. These encounters and developments eventually led to her being tested by Gary Schwartz, M.D., of the University of Arizona, in double blind experiments. MaryRose was found to be extremely gifted, with results that astounded many.

This book is full of fascinating examples of Mary's gifts on display, her dialogues with those who have passed into the afterlife, and her constant amazement and appreciation for what she experiences. Her humility shines through.

Inspirations and unique stories.......2006-06-29

All of us want to believe our loved ones are still with us. "Beyond These Four Walls", simply written, Mary Rose Occhino helps us to understand, by all of her readings, this is possible. She comes across as believable. A very interesting and good read. I recommended this book to readers who had no previous interest in this type of subject, yet, nevertheless found her very helpful.

Homey View of Psychic Phenomena.......2005-12-01

I wasn't going to review this book. Then I came here and saw a couple of negative reviews and thought I really wanted to put my two cents in.

Mary Rose Occhino presents, in this book, convincing evidence of the reality of psychic phenomena. There are a couple of reviews here that dismiss her gift as hallucinations or coincidence. Those comments miss the mark entirely. They could be made only by folks who are so hostile to the concept of psychic phenomena that they resist all evidence.

If these reviewers have proof that Ms. Occhino is a hoaxer, then, by all means, let them present their proof.

Absent proof, they are just blowing smoke.

Again, a couple of reviews dismissed the book as being poorly written.

Well, one reader's pleasure is another reader's bore.

I enjoyed this book. Ms. Occhino writes as what she is: a New York area, ethnic woman from a working class, immigrant background. Her voice is authentic, and an authentic part of the American pageant. This isn't James Joyce, but then many of us don't want to read James Joyce everyday.

I felt very comfortable reading Ms. Occhino's prose. Her style can be compared to the style of a letter from a good, old girlfriend. There are family tragedies and triumphs, bouts with serious illness, trips to Catholic Church, and the occasional celestial gift.

I was thinking of buying a copy of this book for a young friend who is just now discovering her own psychic powers and struggling with dealing with them. Ms. Occhnio presents an example of how to cope with the mixed blessing of psychic ability, and remainging a warm, genuine person at the same time.

Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World
Average customer rating:

Muslim History from a Muslim Perspective

Don't forget the sidewalks!

Best single book to introduce the Muslim world today!

Taqiyya at its finest

A Perfect Guide to Islam for the Interested Reader

Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World
Akbar S. Ahmed
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1860642578

Book Description

Although there are over one billion Muslims in the world, and over ten million in the West, most discussions of Islam are based on clicheacute;s or outright prejudice. This lively and compelling book sets out to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding. Islam, argues Akbar Ahmed, does not mean the subordination of women, contempt for other religions, opposition to the modern world, or barbaric punishments for petty crimes. One cannot fully come to terms with modern Islam without understanding its sources and traditions.

Customer Reviews:

Muslim History from a Muslim Perspective.......2007-05-12

Akbar S. Ahmed lays out for the reader the history of Islam in a quick read. He spends time on Spain, Turkey, Iran, and India/Pakistan. He also obviously loves and admires his religion. This leads him to gloss over negative aspects of the regimes he writes about. Overall, an informative and interesting book with a definite bias.

Don't forget the sidewalks!.......2007-01-07

This book is written by a Muslim, albeit a scholarly one, who describes the book as part travelogue, part history. If you read this book, balance it with Sam Harris's chapter on "The Problem with Islam" in his book "The End of Faith." What we really need from scholars with insight into Islam, as well as other religions, is better understanding of how religion is used to manipulate people to commit universally recognized criminal acts. This is not such a book.

I found useful history in the book, filling in some missing pieces of knowledge, especially on the Mughals. On details about the assasination of the Prophet's grandson Hussain, however, which is associated with the Shia/Sunni split, I do not know why authors on this subject find it so difficult to get the facts across as simply as Wikipedia does. Also, I thought the sections dealing with Turkey covered material missed too often when looking at that critical country. Overall, however, the image of Islam created by this book is misleading, even for one who shares the author's admiration for architecture associated with the Islamic realm.

The author describes an "Andaluz syndrome" I found amusingly fearful: it describes Muslim sentiments associated with loss of their world primarily in Andalusian Spain, but also in Jerusalem and other places. The loss of Andalusia was after 800 years of occupation, which was clearly not accepted enthusiastically by all the locals. No doubt Muslims would love to take it back, but I doubt they would be welcomed with flowers and kisses. The author does not seem to ponder this point. The loss of Jerusalem, also, has to be reconciled with the God of Abraham's apparent promise of the land to Jews - did something get lost in translation?

Part travelogue, part history: okay, but if I were writing about Paris, I would feel compelled to warn visitors about Parisians love of their dogs and disrespect for sidewalk hygiene.

Best single book to introduce the Muslim world today!.......2005-03-11

Written shortly before 9-11, this book is still probably the best single volume for introducing Islam and the Muslim world today!

Consider the daunting task. Who can find or would presume to write one book explaining Christianity and politics and society of the entire Christian world in one short volume? Ahmed does this rather well for the Muslim world.

Of course everyone would have alternative emphasis or focus and the broad coverage and discussion necessarily leaves out things that may have been of interest or `hot' news items. Understanding, not sound bits: maturity, not hypercritical unbalance focusing on Armenian persecution or a cottage industry of hate that sees little but dhimitude (whose followers ought better study "democide" that is much worse, much more common, and much more relevant)is achieved. It is likely that a reviewer suggesting taqiyya (in ay case largely a Shia not Sunni practice) suffers from such a perspective.

Ahmed is not apologetic but rather critical of many faults in the Muslim world. If anything, he `lets off' the interventions and policies of the US and of Israel with too little criticism while emphasizing both Muslim and social-anthropological roots of problems.

Although the selection of Ottoman, Mughal, and Saffavid Empires as background seems peculiar to an Arab and post 9-11 Osama obsessed American it is entirely valid, helps understanding the political and social issues and provides necessary perspective. There is no space for significant thought centers and the large Muslim population of Indonesia however. The book is current if the goal is understanding. (Although the perspective is not that of international relations that is wanted by some readers who don't first have understanding of the countries involved.)

Arab countries are discussed largely in the topical essays about democracy, family, and identity. Central Asia is surveyed. Muslims as minorities in various areas are described. The observations and opinions are always worth consideration and reflection. Coincidentally, and usefully, one will always form a somewhat personal view while reading.

Some Islam phobes will miss focus on key pet polemics, but they will find honest if brief discussions of favorite critiques about such things as women's rights and even their "pet" crimes like mutilation. Sorting out what is Islamic and what is not - whether literalist or from understanding of principles and spirit of Islam is useful.

My own major criticism would be that the treatment of Western media is too forgiving and he has not opportunity to deal with the perverted impact of polemic, ignorance, and the extreme forms of `orientalism' and neoCons so pervasive in government, among pundits, and reviewers who are multiple `experts' hateful and/or believing all attacks on Islam help their `causes' a book of this kind is much needed. (Readers would do well to read "Why America's Top Pundits are Wrong" for analysis and critiques of Huntington (by extention Lewis's "Rage".)

This should be the first book for the "general reader" and for others exposed to only the popular media. Many concerned Christians would also do well to read this book as would American 'patriots'who may not appreciate how fortunate they are.

Taqiyya at its finest.......2004-06-27

This is a beautiful example of the Islamic concept of lying to propagate one's faith. Ahmed tells many pretty stories, most of them untrue, and can come up with excuses for nearly anything. It's not really oppression: Muslim women want to stay confined in their homes at all times. It's not murder: Salman Rushdie hurt our feelings. It's not blatant discrimination: dhimmis want to be treated like dirt. Do not waste a minute on this book. Go read Ask the Imam or Islam Q&A if you want to know what this religion is really about.

A Perfect Guide to Islam for the Interested Reader.......2003-07-26

The Western Media is so disparaging to Islam and Muslims, sometimes overtly but usually covertly, that truthful and authoritative writings such as Dr. Ahmed's are very important to publish and circulate.

Here's hoping that the 21st century will bring much understanding and fraternal dialogue among Muslims, Christians, and all the other precious faiths and traditions of this world.

As is written in the Quran: "We have divided you into different tribes so that you may know each other" ... there is so much that is interesting to learn and appreciate about all the different traditions practice today. Try this book to learn about Islam and Muslims. This is a must-read for Muslims themselves especially.

Customer Reviews:

These "Readers" are Just the Author Promoting Himself.......2007-02-09

The book is nonsense. The author has attempted to promote himself by writing phony reviews.

Biobalance.......2004-09-17

A physicist, the author of this book doesn't get to the diet until page 133 of a 172-page book. You'll find the actual diet in the Appendix! What is the rest of the book devoted to? Expounding on the evils of other diets and psychotherapy. It's not that the author is wrong in his stipulation that pH balance in the body may be the most important aspect of health and nutrition; however, 1.) he takes a very narrow view of a large picture, and 2.) he doesn't help you gain an understanding of balancing pH in your body. (Plus he wastes a lot of the reader's time trying to convince you about the value of his diet based on his anecdotal experiences.) If you want to learn the basic principles involved (which explain why some of this author's recommendations might actually make sense), read Sang Whang's "Reverse Aging." The book is also a much more pleasant read lacking the harranging and condescension of Dr. Wiley's book.

Reasons why this book never caught on..........2003-08-23

While well intentioned, this book is a mess. As another reviewer mentioned, his main point, that what works for one person could be very harmful for someone else, is what everyone should remember. It applies to this book as well. Clearly, it has helped some. Nevertheless, a reviewer asked "Why hasn't the press made BioBalance a household word?" Perhaps because it's so poorly written, organized and confusing. The INDEX alone is a disaster: A couple of readers mention a caffeine test, or how you can determine your profile by your tolerance to caffeine. Caffeine isn't even listed in the index, and coffee, even though the word can be found on at least a dozen pages, is listed as being on page 124. Look on 124, and it is nowhere to be found. "Krebs Cycle" is listed as being found on page 113. It is not there. "Dogs", yes DOGS is listed in the index, as being discussed (why?) on page 135. Again, not there. These errors are INEXCUSABLE, and the reason why this book did not catch on. As others have mentioned, he spends way too much time with verbose, complicated case histories, spends 75 pages trashing other's books, when he should be succinctly explaining the details of his program. The author claims you can quickly and easily determine your metabolic profile. Again, not from checking the index. And his list of foods to lower ones acidity includes hot dogs, french fries, heavy cream, fried chicken. Do those sound like alkaline foods to anyone? I was going to resell my copy, but I thought that would be cruel and unusual punishment for the buyer. There has to be better books on the subject.

Unbalanced Book.......2003-05-26

It wasn't until page 133 out of 198 internal pages did I finally get useful information on how the plan works. Prior to page 133 it was filled with repetitive comments on how Dr. Wiley funded his own research and has no more money. It also contained detailed drawbacks to other programs such as Fit for Life, Pritikin, and many more. His message was harsh and not well written.

I am well-read and have been told by those with a master's degree in nutrition that I understand the chemical process of nutrition better than they do. I say this to help the reader of this review understand that I was expecting a detailed book on 'The Acid/Alkaline solution to the Food-Mood-Health Puzzle" not a book on how bad other programs are and that more research isn't possible because the Dr. ran out of money.

This is the first negative review I've ever written as well.

I will continue looking to find a book that addresses the acid/alkaline issue.

Speaks for itself.......2003-03-27

If only Western medicine could catch up with this truly fascinating, scientific approach to health! I use this book as my bible to food intake. The approach to each type(acidic,alkaline, or mixed) is simple although a bit tougher for females (due to menstruation). I had a feeling that I was acidic just based on the food that I prefer and from a test used from another acid/alkaline book, "The Acid Alkaline Balnce Diet" by Felicia Kliment(using niacin on an empty stomach). Since commencing this approach (11/2002) I have rarely been sick and have maintained a lean muscle mass throughout. I supplement this approach with the consumption of clean water, take enzymes with each meal, and have MSM and coral calcium twice a day (do your own research). Living this way isn't exactly cheap but the benefits outweigh the cost.
I've never trusted the American approach to healthcare so this book opened my eyes. I truly feel for Dr. Wiley and his frustration with the establishment and hope my epiphany will be shared by others in the near future.

Originally reviewed in 2003.

Book Description

Protecting Endangered Species in the United States is a collection of original papers by economists, biologists and political scientists with a common theme--protecting species at risk while safeguarding social order is a policy challenge that entangles biology, politics, and economics. The volume begins by assessing the biological needs that define the endangered species problem. The authors then explore the political realities that delimit the debate--who pays the costs and receives the benefits, and how interest groups affect species protection. The book addresses the economic choices that must be confronted for effective protection strategies including incentive schemes to promote preservation on public and private land.

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