Mordecai, the Man and His Message: The Story of Mordecai Wyatt Johnson
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    Mordecai, the Man and His Message: The Story of Mordecai Wyatt Johnson
    Richard I. McKinney , and Mordecai W. Johnson
    Manufacturer: Howard University Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0882581937

    Lee Elder: The daring dream (Black American athletes)
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      Lee Elder: The daring dream (Black American athletes)
      Linda Jacobs Altman
      Manufacturer: EMC Corp
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Unknown Binding

      GeneralGeneral | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 0884362671

      The Dam Busters: A British Film Guide
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        The Dam Busters: A British Film Guide
        John Ramsden
        Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        History & CriticismHistory & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 1860646360

        Book Description

        An original mix of film analysis and political history, this book examines the political and cinematic significance of The Dam Busters, as both a British institution and a fine war film. A critical and popular success, the film celebrates an image of gutsy ingenuity for the "Brits at war," with the 1943 raid by Lancaster bombers on the dams of Germany's Ruhr region, using the extraordinary "bouncing bomb." Ramsden's fresh and incisive book offers an overall review of the film and its place in history. It convincingly suggests that the film's cultural impact made it difficult to assess the true value of Britain's bombing campaign.

        Zines! Volume Two (Zines!)
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          Zines! Volume Two (Zines!)
          V. Vale
          Manufacturer: Re/Search Publications
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          Popular CulturePopular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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          1. ZINES! Volume One: Incendiary Interviews with Independent Publishers (Zines!) ZINES! Volume One: Incendiary Interviews with Independent Publishers (Zines!)
          2. Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Zine Resource Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Zine Resource
          3. Girls Guide to Taking Over the World: Writings From The Girl Zine Revolution Girls Guide to Taking Over the World: Writings From The Girl Zine Revolution
          4. Zines Zines
          5. Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture (Haymarket Series) Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture (Haymarket Series)

          ASIN: 0965046923

          Book Description

          Zines, Vol. Two includes a fantastic, in-depth interview with Dishwasher Pete, whose goal was to wash dishes in every state of America. Keffo of Temp Slave talks about very funny pranks on the job, and advocates restoring the I.W.W. (International Workers of the World). McJob continues the analysis of the workplace and its perils. John Marr discusses his favorite bizarre murders in Murder Can Be Fun. A history of proletarian novels is featured, plus reviews of many independent publications. This book has been used as a textbook in university classes for cultural studies, journalism, and media criticism.

          Great Games to Play With Groups: A Leaders Guide (Fearon Teacher-Aid Book)
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            Great Games to Play With Groups: A Leaders Guide (Fearon Teacher-Aid Book)
            Frank W. Harris
            Manufacturer: Fearon Teacher Aids
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            GeneralGeneral | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
            ASIN: 0822433796

            Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
            Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
            • A Great Investment
            • Too much "for dummies," not enough "cutting edge"
            • The PowerPoint Novel
            • What I Wish EVERY Presenter Knew!
            • Excellent book, even if you are not a "dummy"
            Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
            Geetesh Bajaj
            Manufacturer: For Dummies
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            Web GraphicsWeb Graphics | Web Design | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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            2. Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Favorite Presentation Program (Annoyances) Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Favorite Presentation Program (Annoyances)
            3. Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft  PowerPoint  to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire (Bpg-Other) Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire (Bpg-Other)
            4. How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 (How to Do Everything) How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 (How to Do Everything)
            5. PowerPointAdvanced Presentation Techniques PowerPointAdvanced Presentation Techniques

            ASIN: 0764598171

            Book Description

            Use these great ideas to help you make your point

            Create PowerPoint presentations with Flash(r) movies, Excel(r) charts, and more

            Okay, you've PowerPointed before, right? And you knew there must be more cool things you could do? Here they are! This handy guide gives you pointers on what makes a powerful presentation, tips on using the right formats and templates, and directions for dressing up text, wowing 'em with color, adding action, and much more.

            Discover how to
            * Tweak and streamline PowerPoint
            * Get the most from color
            * Avoid amateur mistakes
            * Use shapes, fills, and 3D effects
            * Add photos, soundtracks, and DVD video
            * Deliver your presentation with punch

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars A Great Investment.......2007-02-05

            I use this book two ways.

            Whenever I start a new presentation, I scan it for ideas on how to keep my presentations fresh. I particularly like the color plates in the middle of the book for guiding my color related design decisions, and the host of other design related tips.

            Also, whenever I run into a technical problem that I can't easily resolve myself, I check the book and the answer is usually there.

            Get the book, you won't be disappointed.

            3 out of 5 stars Too much "for dummies," not enough "cutting edge".......2006-06-26

            This is a good book for people with basic PowerPoint skills. It covers useful skills that people who do PowerPoint regularly should know. These skills include:

            * how to use drawing tools

            * how to use auto shapes, how to fill them with colors or textures, how to precisely position them and rotate them

            * how to add lines and points

            * how to create your own slide masters, title masters, and templates

            * how to insert audio and video clips, and what formats work best with powerpoint

            * how to insert links to other slides in your presentation, other files on your computer, or websites

            * how to add shadows and customize their appearance

            * working with textboxes

            * how to incorporate Microsoft WordArt

            * how to save your presentation in html format for posting on the web

            * introduction to various programs that integrate with PowerPoint, some of which are built in to Microsoft Office (such as Microsoft Graph and Equation Editor)

            * how to rip tracks off of music CDs to play during your presentation

            However, I consider it an intermediate level book, not "cutting edge." Any intermediate user will already know most of these skills and can figure out the rest very easily, without purchasing this book.

            If you are already pretty good with PowerPoint, please browse a copy of this book at your local bookstore before buying to make sure the level is appropriate for you.

            I give this book 4 stars, but am subtracting one because the title is false advertising.

            5 out of 5 stars The PowerPoint Novel.......2006-06-15

            Well, to start with this book does not have any dry or boring moments. It's a rollercoaster of PowerPoint info presented typically well in the Dummies style, and it's got lots of pepper and spice on the way to keep your PowerPoints looking awesome. In fact, even when the book is not with you in front of a computer, you'll still love reading it. I should know because I read it on a long airplane journey. And now when I'm not in front of the book, I still recollect the great advice when I'm doing my PowerPoints. It's like yes, this is what Bajaj said in the book! If you can read just one chapter, read the chapter on Color. That itself is worth the cost of this book.

            5 out of 5 stars What I Wish EVERY Presenter Knew!.......2006-05-20

            So you've been doing PowerPoint for years now. So you've even done your own custom templates. Now it's time to take your PowerPoint game to the next level. Cutting Edge PowerPoint for Dummies was written by Geetesh Bajaj, a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP. That means that, while he doesn't actually work for Microsoft, he knows enough about PowerPoint that Microsoft tells people with questions to talk to him, and people like him. He's got the credentials to do this book.

            And this isn't a basic PowerPoint book. Bajaj assumes that you know your way around the software, and that you've got a basic understanding of computers. You won't find any tips on formatting text here (try the other PowerPoint book I reviewed for the basics). What you will find are plenty of tips for spicing up your presentations.

            One of the things I notice most often in PowerPoint presentations is that the people designing them have no concept of what color combinations look good. Bajaj discusses contrasting colors, and how to use color combinations to make text stand out and be easier to read. Color plates located in the center of the book help to emphasize his point. If more people would pay attention to this simple tip, PowerPoint presentations would be far less painful to view.

            Bajaj then gives tips on enhancing presentations with the use of various forms of media -- video, audio, charts and diagrams, and animations including Flash -- in PowerPoint. He cautions the designer that overuse can be a bad thing, but shows how to make the best use of each of these features to create impressive PowerPoint slide shows.

            Probably the most valuable part of the book is the CD-ROM that comes with it. Bajaj has included several programs that are designed to enhance PowerPoint, and are referred to in the book. My favorite so far has been SmartDraw 7, which I've used to create tables and charts that PowerPoint's included application couldn't do. You will also find all the examples that Bajaj uses in the book, including backgrounds, slide templates, and Flash animation samples. I've only just started to scratch the surface of what's on this CD, but PowerPoint power-users will find these resources invaluable.

            There are a lot of people who need Cutting Edge PowerPoint for Dummies - we all know one or two. Unfortunately, some of them won't buy it for themselves. Be a good friend and buy it for them. They will thank you, and the people who have to sit through their presentations will really thank you.

            5 out of 5 stars Excellent book, even if you are not a "dummy".......2006-03-29

            The author of this book sent me a sample chapter to include at my website and I was so intrigued by it, I decided to read the whole book, and was very impressed.

            Do yourself a favor and forget the "dummy" in the title. This book offers great insight into some of the not-so-obvious workarounds that can be used to get the most out of your presentations. So, it's not only helpful to people who are newer to PowerPoint, but also includes lots of goodies for the advanced PowerPoint user. I learned lots of ways to fine tune stuff that I've had to take outside of the program before to get the result I wanted. Geetesh shows lots of alternative ways to get the job done within the program.

            And, the texture files and other great stuff included on the CD are fantastic. The CD, itself, is worth the cost of the book.

            If you want to see a sample of the AutoShapes chapter, the full chapter is here at my website:

            http://personal-computer-tutor.com/geetesh/cepptfull01.html

            I believe you will agree with me and follow-up on this sample tutorial by buying the full book ... and I doubt you will be disapppointed. This is a much-needed guide into some of PowerPoint's secrets.

            Linda Johnson
            Linda's Computer Stop
            Cutting Edge PowerPoint 2007 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • Even Better Now
            Cutting Edge PowerPoint 2007 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
            Geetesh Bajaj
            Manufacturer: For Dummies
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            Web GraphicsWeb Graphics | Web Design | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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            3. How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 (How to Do Everything) How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 (How to Do Everything)
            4. Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Favorite Presentation Program (Annoyances) Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Favorite Presentation Program (Annoyances)
            5. Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

            ASIN: 0470095652

            Book Description

            Get ready to add punch and pizzazz to your presentations and wow your audience using the latest PowerPoint techniques. This friendly book/CD-ROM combo covers all of the new features of Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, including interface changes, presentation themes, multimedia, the Slide Library, and more. The guide introduces you to the elements of PowerPoint: text; background, images, and info-graphics; shapes; fills, lines, and effects; sound and video; animations and transitions; and interactivity, flow, and navigation. Packed with numerous tips, shortcuts, workarounds, and timesaving techniques, it shows you step-by-step how to:

            The CD includes templates, textures, backgrounds, background music scores, images, alpha channel equipped graphics, maps, illustrations, and more, so this combo gives you the know-how and the tools. An 8-page color insert shows you how to use color effectively. With this friendly guide, you’re ready to bring your presentation to life with PowerPoint 2007.

            Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Even Better Now.......2007-08-18

            I own the PowerPoint 2003 edition of this book, and this is even better. I like the fact that the author goes so much out of his way to include coordinated material on the attached CD.

            Hegel, Heidegger, and the Ground of History
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Hegel, Heidegger, and the Ground of History
              Michael Allen Gillespie
              Manufacturer: Univ of Chicago Pr (Tx)
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              ReferenceReference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
              Philosophy of HistoryPhilosophy of History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
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              GeneralGeneral | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              ASIN: 0226293769
              HEGEL, HEIDEGGER AND THE GROUND OF HISTORY
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                HEGEL, HEIDEGGER AND THE GROUND OF HISTORY
                Michael Allen GIllespie
                Manufacturer: University of Chicago
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000JVEDAS

                The Word of a Prince: A Life of Elizabeth I from Contemporary Documents
                Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                • I'm confused.
                • Good for some, not for other - you decide!
                The Word of a Prince: A Life of Elizabeth I from Contemporary Documents
                Maria Perry
                Manufacturer: Boydell Press
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                IrishIrish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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                Tudor & StuartTudor & Stuart | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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                Similar Items:
                1. Elizabeth I Elizabeth I
                2. Elizabeth I: Collected Works Elizabeth I: Collected Works

                ASIN: 0851156339

                Book Description

                A new approach to historical biography - she has studied both the original sources and recent works of scholarship and has a thorough understanding of the period. SUNDAY TIMES Until Maria Perry began her exploration of Elizabeth's papers, this vivid raw material had only been partially studied. From it, a fresh portrait of Elizabeth emerges, one which is often more cohesive and less baffling than some offered by her biographers. The dangers and insecurities of her early life, her sense of divine protection, her formidable education, all stand out as crucial elements in the formation of her character; but behind the acquired circumspection lies a personality of great warmth and spirit. On the teasing questions of love, marriage and virginity, the letters and speeches offer oblique comment; it seems certain that Robert Dudley was her one true love, and that she felt his second marriage to Lettice Knollys as a bitter betrayal.MARIA PERRY is a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, where she read history.

                Customer Reviews:

                5 out of 5 stars I'm confused........2000-10-21

                I've never read this book before, But someone that has, Could u tell me why in the world it says The World of a *Prince*? Because shes a princess.

                3 out of 5 stars Good for some, not for other - you decide!.......2000-05-10

                I read this book in a History class of the Tudor-Stuart period in college. While I found the book interesting, many others did not. The book combines documents by Elizabeth herself, many rare or hard to find and of a personal nature, and secondary source comentaty. The book gives an often unheard naritive of Elizabeth I's childhood, accendancy, and reign.

                One problem that many other students found in my class was the constant personal narritives given by the author. While at times they are quite dramatic and through provoking, they are often biased and pure speculation (yet presented as fact). Some issues and events are taken someone out of context or presented in a slanted view.

                While I would definatly recomend this book to anyone wanting to know more and about Elizabeth I, I must caution the reader to question some of the evidence and speculation given in the book. The reader must constantly be on the look out for things that may be biased. This book does make an excellent read for the amature historian, but like all historical books, do not base all your knowledge on this one work.
                Elizabeth I The Word of a Prince A Life from Contemporary Documents
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Elizabeth I The Word of a Prince A Life from Contemporary Documents
                  Perry Maria
                  Manufacturer: The Folio Society
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: B000UIOBMA
                  Elizabeth I.  The Word of a Prince.  A Life from Contemporary Documents
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Elizabeth I. The Word of a Prince. A Life from Contemporary Documents
                    Maria Perry
                    Manufacturer: The Folio Society
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000J2IZP6

                    Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate
                    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                    • Planters and Weeders
                    • Terribly biased, but the best we have
                    • Masterful, Thorough, and Insightful
                    • Who is the custodian of biological truth?
                    • Why Do Marxists Hate Sociobiology?
                    Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate
                    Ullica Segerstrale
                    Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    GeneralGeneral | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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                    4. Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
                    5. Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution

                    ASIN: 0192862154

                    Amazon.com

                    How do scientists separate their politics from their work--or is such a distinction even possible? These questions frame the two levels of sociologist Ullica Segerstrale's analysis of the sociobiology controversy, Defenders of the Truth. From E.O. Wilson's 1975 publication of Sociobiology to his 1998 release of Consilience, he has consistently been the often-unwilling center of the vitriolic debate over human nature and its scientific study. Heavy hitters like Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, and John Maynard Smith have lined up to attack and defend the scientific, political, and moral interpretations and implications of Wilson's synthesis, and Dr. Segerstrale tells a compelling story of their battles on multiple fronts. The author knows her science, having trained extensively in biochemistry before turning to sociology. While she distances herself from assessing the validity of the various claims, Segerstrale is clearly sympathetic to Wilson, who seems almost naïve at times when his ideas are interpreted ideologically rather than scientifically.

                    That, of course, is the heart of the contention surrounding sociobiology. The political left, well-represented among evolutionary biologists, has long considered any genetic influence on human behavior anathema--such theories are believed to support racist policies, even in the unlikely event that they were not merely reflections of racist attitudes. To their credit, many scientists held more complex beliefs, but some used the ideological argument as a back door to introduce their own neo-Darwinian scientific theories. The struggle for understanding has been eclipsed for some time by the struggle for political and academic survival and dominance, and Segerstrale reports and scrutinizes both with humor, intelligence, and aplomb. The end of the controversy--if there can be one--is far off, but a careful reading of Defenders of the Truth will give insight into the forces influencing our scientific self-examination. --Rob Lightner

                    Book Description

                    For the last twenty-five years, sociobiologists have come under continuous attack by a group of left-wing academics, who have accused the former of dubious and politically dangerous science. Many have taken the critics' charges at face value. But have the critics been right? And what are their own motivations? This book strives to set the record straight. It shows that the criticism has typically been unfair. Still, it cannot be dismissed as 'purely politically motivated'. It turns out that the critics and the sociobiologists live in different worlds of taken-for-granted scientific and moral convictions. The conflict over sociobiology is best interpreted as a drawn-out battle about the nature of 'good science' and the social responsibility of the scientist, while it touches on such grand themes as the unity of knowledge, the nature of man, and free will and determinism. The author has stepped right into the hornet's nest of claims and counterclaims, moral concerns, metaphysical beliefs, political convictions, strawmen, red herrings, and gossip, gossip, gossip. She listens to the protagonists - but also to their colleagues. She checks with 'arbiters'. She plays the devil's advocate. And everyone is eager to tell her the truth - as they see it. The picture that emerges is a different one from the standard view of the sociobiology debate as a politically motivated nature-nurture conflict. Instead, we are confronted with a world of scientific and moral long-term agendas, for which the sociobiology debate became a useful vehicle. Behind the often nasty attacks, however, were shared Enlightenment concerns for universal truth, morality and justice. The protagonists were all defenders of the truth - it was just that everyone's truth was different. Defenders of the Truth provides a fascinating insight into the world of science. It follows the sociobiology controversy as it erupted at Harvard in 1975 until today, both in the US and the UK. But the story goes more deeply, for instance in its account of the circumstances surrounding W.D. Hamilton's famous 1964 paper on inclusive fitness, and on the connections of the sociobiology debate to the Human Genome project and the Science Wars. General readers and academics alike will find much to savour in this book.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    5 out of 5 stars Planters and Weeders.......2006-05-11

                    This book succeeds on three levels.

                    First, as others have noted, it is indeed a real page-turner. (I actually read several chapters ALOUD to a friend on a long drive.)

                    Second, this is an excellent history of one of the most important controversies of 20th Century American culture. History will not record this controversy as a turning point in science. Wilson made no great discovery. His distinguishing characteristic was the simple willingness to think and speak freely.

                    However, in a hundred years, what has been called the "Triumph of Sociobiology" will be seen as a crucial event in the intellectual history of the United States. This book is the first draft of that history.

                    Those reviewers who believe that the author is biased should remember that the author is, above all, a sociologist of science -not a biologist. She has far more in common with T.S. Kuhn than with any of the biologists she profiles. I am not convinced that she takes the work of ANY of these scientists at face value. If, at the end of the book, sociobiology appears ascendant, that may be because Wilson's camp has won the battle of public opinion.

                    Finally, this book succeeds as a case study in scientific epistemology. The author -ever the social scientist- metaphorically divides scientists into two categories: "planters" and "weeders."

                    "Planters" are risk-tolerant. They interpret evidence to support highly-speculative hypotheses -hypotheses that often turn out to be wrong. They provide the building blocks of science. The believe they are doing "good science."

                    "Weeders" are fundamentally skeptical. They interpret evidence in the strictest possible manner, in search of certainty. By eliminating the rotten wood, they keep the ediface of "science" standing. They also believe they are doing "good science."

                    In my view, both of these viewpoints are helpful to the ecology of human knowledge. Planters generate needed diversity; weeders enforce conformity. Each should appreciate the systemic value of the others' function; the tragedy here -in my view- was that neither side did.

                    The author, however, would disagree with me. She seems to suggest that such partisan zeal makes for good scientists, if not for good science. Maybe, she suggests, objectivity in the process of science is an OBSTACLE to the production of knowledge. Maybe we are doomed to (and blessed with) a perpetual sociobiology controversy, since fairminded people like myself can only muster the will to write book reviews.

                    This is perhaps the most interesting insight in this book, and alone worth the price of admission.

                    3 out of 5 stars Terribly biased, but the best we have.......2006-05-07

                    Ullica Segerstrale was perhaps the only outsider to carefully follow the landmark debate over sociobiology first-hand, sitting in on meetings and interviewing the participants. Thank goodness she was willing to write it all down. Too bad she was such a blatant partisan.

                    Most books have endorsements on the back cover from other authors. This one only features an endorsement from Segerstrale herself. And the featured reviews on Amazon are hardly from disinterested parties -- Sarah Blaffer Hrdy is a well-known sociobiologist herself, who receives extensive favorable treatment in this book.

                    The book was well-written and interesting, but the reader must work to subtract Segerstrale's overwhelming bias from every quote and conclusion. Such questions of scientific fact do have right and wrong answers. It's too bad Segerstrale consistently gets them wrong and then feels she has to distort the positions of her opponents to mask this fact.

                    5 out of 5 stars Masterful, Thorough, and Insightful.......2005-06-18

                    I won't reiterate the obvious: This book explains the internecine and trans-Atlantic Sociobiological Wars in marvellous detail from a sociologist's perspective. Anyone interested in the politics of the ultra-left, Marxists, and the academic left will be surprised how much politics plays into their scientific and pedagogical endeavors (although I continue to see it in play every day). Everyone interested in the Modern Synthesis and its continuing genesis will be grandly entertained and substantively enlightened by Stegerstrale's account.

                    I have read a number of books on the Modern Synthesis, but none brings out the nuances of, and the motives behind, this long, often trivial, debate. Sadly, those who would benefit the most are the very people who decry the MS in its entirety -- the Creationists. Alas, that's everyone's problem. As E. O. Wilson himself claims, at least the sociobiological "myth" begets results; what does the Creationist view beget but real wars.

                    5 out of 5 stars Who is the custodian of biological truth?.......2005-05-13

                    Ullica Segerstråle is a sociologist who, as a student, decided to move from undergraduate training in biochemistry and organic chemistry to do her doctoral work in the sociology of science, choosing the arguments about "sociobiology" and "genetic determinism" as her theme. This proved to be a remarkably prescient choice of research topic, as it allowed her to observe at first hand the remarkably vicious battles between different groups of biologists from the middle 1970s onwards about the proper development of Darwinism and evolutionary theory. Defenders of the Truth is the fruit of her observations, and its title reflects the almost religious fervour with which each side maintains that it is the custodian of The Truth, the other being doctrinaire, unscientific, racist etc. As tends to happen in these disputes, both liked to compare their opponents with Nazis.

                    As Segerstråle started her study at the very beginning of the controversy, she was present at some of the more dramatic confrontations, such as the debate between Edward O. Wilson and Stephen J. Gould when Wilson gave his presentation only after being drenched with water by members of a group calling itself the International Committee against Racism. Not only that, but as she had been attending meetings of a somewhat less disreputable group, the Sociobiology Study Group, she was able to recognize one of Wilson's assailants as someone she had seen at such a meeting. This eye-witness character gives her book much of its vividness, but in addition she interviewed many of the participants subsequently, and studied the scientific bases of their positions. All of this adds up to a remarkably impressive achievement.

                    It is interesting to compare Defenders of the Truth with The Darwin Wars, another book written on the same subject at about the same time by Andrew Brown. The two books cover much the same ground, but Brown's is much shorter (about half the length, if one allows for the smaller amount of text on each page), and is written from the point of view of a journalist rather than that of an academic sociologist. He shares Segerstråle's concern with seeing both sides of the dispute, with getting his facts right, and with presenting the different points of view in a fair way. Both books are excellent, and both are essential reading if one is interested in the subject. Neither mentions the other, but they were being written at the same time, and published at much the same time, so neither author is likely to have had access to the other's work while writing.

                    4 out of 5 stars Why Do Marxists Hate Sociobiology?.......2004-08-16

                    Segerstrale gives an excellent account of the debates over the Sociobiology controversy. Basically, they were over issues raised by an ad hoc Sociobiology Study Group at Harvard that was organized by Marxist professors Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin. No details are available on the actual origins of that group but by going on the attack they succeeded in setting the agenda for the debates to follow in succeeding years. They later associated themselves with Science for the People, a group still in existence. Writing a quarter century later, Segerstrale observes that "For a surprisingly long time, ... the favorite target of SftP seems to have been sociobiology and Wilson." But the key can be found in Segerstrale's description of a meeting between Lewontin and Chomsky that took place at a Sociobiology Study Group meeting in 1976. At this meeting, which she attended as an observer, it turned out that Chomsky and Lewontin held differing views on development of history, having read different works of Marx. Chomsky's Marx spoke of an unchanging "species nature" of humans while Lewontin's Marx saw a socially shaped and historically changing nature. Because of this ideological fine point Chomsky refused to write a review attacking Wilson simply because Wilson did not seem threatening to him. Lewontin's view of course is the heart of what is called their "materialist theory of history." "Darwinism is the theory of biological evolution, Marxism, of social evolution" is how it was taught to Soviet children. To a true Marxist natural selection stops and the materialist theory of history takes over as soon as there is a human society. "It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but, on the contrary, their social existence that determines their consciousness" is how Marx himself puts it. This pedantic sentence is also a key to Mao's Cultural Revolution and to Pol Pot's re-education camps. Mao's aim was to change the nature of his subjects brought up in a capitalist environment by immersing them in a socialist means of production. To this end, he closed the universities and sent those professors to work on collective farms. Pol Pot saw this but did not think Mao had it quite right. For one thing, he did not think it would work if they had had too much capitalist education. Hence, he set an admission limit of eighth grade for his re-education camps and ordered those with more than eighth grade education shot right away. But all this ideology is directly contradicted by sociobiologists' claim that human nature has an inherited component and that this inherited component is a product of natural selection over millennia. It was clear to Lewontin, if not to the rank and file of the protesters, that this claim would severely undermine the materialist theory of history. And this is the source of the urgency that motivated them to organize the Sociobiology Study Group. Their efforts were international. In the UK their leader was Steven Rose whose task it was to neutralize Dawkins. Their charges against Wilson were basically red herrings that succeded in diverting attention from their main concern, namely that sociobiology cuts the ground right out from under their materialist theory of history. Marx had locked them into a Lamarckian view of human nature and they acted upon it. This kind of Lamarckism has been characterized by Steven Pinker as a belief that an infant's mind is a "blank slate" upon which experience writes a life story. The attack on Wilson that opened in 1975 and is still going on is described well by Segerstrale. Most of the charges they succeded in putting on the agenda were lies and distortions that are essentially red herrings to cover up their true concern which is defending the materialist theory of history against the onslaught of sociobiology. Even under attack, Wilson published a book "On Human Nature" in 1978 which clearly lays out his views on the subject. It won a Pulitzer prize and is still in print, in its tenth printing. It is a truly humane book and should be read by anyone as an antidote to the Marxist propaganda against Wilson.
                    DEFENDERS OF THE TRUTH: THE BATTLE FOR SCIENCE IN THE SOCIOBIOLOGY DEBATE AND BEYOND.
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                      DEFENDERS OF THE TRUTH: THE BATTLE FOR SCIENCE IN THE SOCIOBIOLOGY DEBATE AND BEYOND.
                      Ullica. Segerstrale
                      Manufacturer: Oxford
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback
                      ASIN: 0198507399
                      Defenders of the Truth: The Battle for Science in the Sociobiology Debate and Beyond
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Defenders of the Truth: The Battle for Science in the Sociobiology Debate and Beyond
                        Ullica Segerstrale
                        Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback
                        ASIN: B000OKRA36
                        Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate
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                          Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate
                          Ullica Segerstrale
                          Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000OK99DA

                          An Investigation of Japan's Relationship to Nature and Environment (Japanese Studies, 12)
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                            An Investigation of Japan's Relationship to Nature and Environment (Japanese Studies, 12)
                            W. Puck Brecher
                            Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover

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