No comments about Wilfred Bion: His Life and Works.

No comments about R D Laing: Creative Destroyer.

3 comments about Moral Theory.

1. This is a solid introduction to the different major ethical theories. While no means a page-turner, it is clearly written, well-organized, and rigorous without being overly technical. Highly recommended for those looking for an introductory text.



2. Moral Theory which is an excellent text for students of ethics was written by Mark Timmons, a philosophy professor at the University of Memphis. Nine moral theories are clearly presented (Chs. 2-10) as well as a chapter showing the value of using a moral theory when making a decision (Ch. 1) and a conclusion showing the author's preference for Ross' moral theory (Ch. 11).
   
   The examples used to illustrate each moral theory are accurate and helpful, the bibliography at the end of each chapter is valuable, and Timmons' discussions of the confusing parts in each moral theory are greatly appreciated. If a student of philosophy wishes to understand and appreciate the various moral theories and "decision procedures" (p. 3), then he or she would greatly benefit from Timmons' Moral Theory.



3. This is really an excellent book in every way that an ethics text can be good. It would be perfect for any mid-level course in ethical theory or the history of ethics.

   Students and ideally, general readers, who just want to learn what some of the best thinkers have thought about right & wrong and good & bad will learn a lot from this book. They will also also (and more importantly), learn careful philosophical methodology--that is, learn how to think about and critically evaluate ethical theories. The book is clear and concise, careful and precise but not overly technical to a fault, and enjoyable to read.

   Also, the price simply cannot be beat, especially for a text. Poor students will be grateful and they might even hold onto it after class is over.

No comments about Bernard Ashmole: An Autobiography (Lithic Studies Society).

1 comments about Jacques Lacan.

1. Very well written.
   
   First of all, this book is interesting from a peeping Tom perspective. And not surprisingly, Lacan is portrayed as self-absorbed, cold and opportunistic, desperate for recognition. The book covers the bitter institutional battles, too.
   
   However, the book is also quite relevant from the point of view of Lacan's theoretical development. Roudinesco's explicit account of the thinkers Lacan uses / is inspired by when developing his concepts is very helpful. Note, though, that Zizek claims that some of these interpretations are problematic. To me it was particularly interesting to note that in addition to Freud, Bataille was important for Lacan when developing the notion of the Real.
   
   Overall, Roudinesco's is number two on my list of intellectual biographies, just behind Safranski's superb Heidegger-biography.

No comments about Try to Remember: Stories from a Life.

No comments about Labor and Capital in the Age of Globalization: The Labor Process and the Changing Nature of Work in the Global Economy.

3 comments about The Iron Road: A Stand for Truth and Democracy in Burma.

1. James Mawdsley is a brave man. He has single-handedly taken on the Big Brotheresque regime of Burma with a considerable degree of success, involving the governments of various Western countries and organizations such as the Vatican and the UN. Having camped with disenfranchised minorities on the Burmese border, Mawdsley decides to go into Burma where he briefly distributes pro-democracy pamphlets and plays freedom songs before being arrested. The fact that he is western prevents him from being immediately beaten down, executed, or horribly tortured. He is roughed up, and subjected to some torture, but the regime never comes close to breaking him, and in fact only strengthens his will. Each time he was released, Mawdsley regained his health and went back into Burma, despite the fact that he had been tortured on the previous trip. Receiving help from a network of people beforehand, he ultimately went in alone so he wouldn't endanger anyone else. James' remarkable story is a diary of months in prison, his longing for food, the small tricks he learned to pass the time, and the solidarity that was felt between the other prisoners and even the guards. When he commented to a guard that he was under a seventeen year sentence, the guard shrugged and replied to Mawdsley, "I am here for thirty years." Though sometimes drifting into preaching, the book is focused and contains some excellent quotations from those who have similarly experienced totalitarianism, such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. "The Iron Road" is an eye-opening glimpse of the power of one determined individual to change the world.



2. I first heard of James Mawdsley when he was interviewed on the program Worldview on NPR.Even though I had only read one book in the last year and a half previous to hearing the NPR interview, the experiences he recounted and the ways in which he handled them touched me so much I wrote down the name of his book and put in my first order to Amazon.com. I bought this book bracing myself for a hard, serious read (I had never voulunarily ventured into the realm of non-fiction before.) This book captured my attention from the first paragraph and proved to be the furthest thing from a "hard read" - I couldn't put it down! It was: touching, enlightening, sad, inspirational, but most of all unexpectedly FUNNY at times (thanks to James's often self-depricating sense of humor and his evolving "what matters most" outlook on life.) I can not recommend this book enough! It has turned me into a lover of non-fiction and more importantly it has made me aware of human rights abuses that are going on in Burma right now!



3. In 1988 though her democratic political party won the national elections in a romp, the military refused to let go of power and instead placed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, killed many of her supporters, and drove others into exile. When British citizen James Mawdsley learned about the incarceration of the Burmese Nobel Laureate, he became outraged. Mawdsley became a one-man band staging protests and distributing antigovernment paraphernalia and is finally arrested and sentenced for seventeen years for various crimes that will shock western sensitivities to learn the felonis he committed.

   Mr. Mawdsley tells his story on why he chose an activist path to shake up more then just the Burmese government, but to wake up the western democracies. Most readers will have dual feelings about the author, as his fanatic behavior seems suicidal yet courageous making him a fascinating character. The autobiography is taut and well written, gripping the audience from start to finish and deserves a large readership as the lesson learned is don't sit passively by whining, take action even small steps matter.

   Harriet Klausner

No comments about John Bowlby: His Early Life : A Biographical Journey into the Roots of Attachment Theory.

No comments about A Pig's Tale.