A Review of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig

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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is a fantastically well conceived book by Robert M. Pirsig, author of the subsequent work "Lila: An Inquiry into Morals". In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance he presents a part-fiction part-fact account of a motorcycle journey through the back-roads of America during which an array of philosophical issues are raised and discussed that question many of the notions which we take for granted such as the fundamental way in which we perceive the world, be it "romantically" or "classically".

The journey unfolds gradually alongside the philosophy with the two interspersing each other in order to keep the philosophy from getting too overbearing and the journey from becoming too tiresome. Although the book can be read by one who is simply looking for a good travel story, it best serves those who wish to read a little philosophy alongside a more traditional tale.

The structure works excellently to keep the novel fresh at all times, with the constant breaking between narration and discussion making for a continually rewarding read. However, this alone does not account for what makes the novel so fantastic. Although the structure does play a significant role in the readers' experience, it is the manner in which Pirsig manages to present his ideas and carry out his discussions and inquiries into philosophical dilemmas that really brings the work to life.

There is a delightful contrast between scenes of nature and discussions of philosophy which are somehow married together in such a way as to inform one another. Whilst moments of natural beauty are often noted during the journey these seem to supplement the complex philosophical discussions, and likewise the complex discussions give a sense of greater meaning to the natural observations. The concept of analytical thought is frequently brought up and the sense one gets is that the natural observations come through an underlying analytical thought process which sees beauty in the clever workings of systems rather than the purely aesthetic beauty of, say, the sun setting.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of this philosophical novel is the characters themselves who make the inquiries all the more interesting through their personalities. The main character's son provides a childlike questioning which brings out some of the finer nuances in the discussions whilst the other two riders provide opposing viewpoints for the main character to wrestle with. This results in a great deal of interesting dialogue between the various characters that mimics the classic philosophical dialogues of Berkeley and Plato amongst others.

Pirsig's achievement is the way in which he has managed to make philosophy interesting to the masses whilst adapting a traditional method of philosophical writing and making it something enjoyable to read. Philosophical dialogue has rarely been this good and neither has a novel been so well structured as to captivate the reader this thoroughly at all times. This is a must-read for anyone with an inquisitive mind or anybody who can appreciate a finely crafted piece of literature.

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The SafeHouse written by T Thomas arable trait

A well-written down-to-earth story of spousal abuse. I realize there are some men that are abused by their spouse but the huge number of abuse done by husbands far exceeds that figure. Much is not reported by the woman figuring that "for the child's sake", "better it will get" or, or "he won't do that again", or "he really loves me", and "he didn't realize what he did to me", and on and on explanations that are rarely truthful. No. "it" hits a woman or his own children, for those that do reduce themselves to a non - civilized way of living, are not men! Detective Jessie Warren had been with the city of white cliff and what now getting all of the domestic violence calls the city received. She what getting quite a few cases on this matter and had learned how to treat the abused as well as those charged or suspected to be the abusers. Some of these methods were not legal but if the end result stopped an abuser, she was contented. Jessie had several that worked with her to get that end result and with the many women that needed help from these brutal abusers and batterers, she had amazing success in getting a resolution to most cases.

There were shelters for the abused women and their children (when they were involved); shelters that were located in secret areas so the women could feel safe physically. Mentally they never felt safe from harm until their spouse or boyfriend were locked up or gone from the face of the earth. If, as in a small number of cases, the shelter as found by the batterer, Jessie would then get them to a safehouse where they would not be bothered or hurt, but in these women's mind, they were never safe. Jessie was relentless in tracking down these men. She had her own methods in dealing with them by several methods; some men would "happen" to have an auto accident or other type of accident that took their life; some would spend time in prison but the length of imprisonment which never long enough and the abused could not feel safe knowing that. Jessie had her ways of dealing with these abusers.

Some you will follow through court as the law fights to put these abusers where they belong for a long time. You will therefore follow Jessie through her methods, hopeful hoping she does not get caught and she herself would have to be charged in a crime. A very good book that enlightened my knowledge. You will feel enraged at some of the things these abusers try, and many times succeed, when they go berserk and become enraged at their spouse either by terrible temper or by alcohol. "Safehouse" is an easy to read book that covers abuse very extensively. I highly recommend it.

Reader review by CY Hilterman of a book supplied by the author and publicist.

Lifestyle Book Review - Living Happy is a Choice and a Lifestyle

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Have you ever noticed how many people seem have it all together and make lemon aid out of almost any situation. Have you ever considered that this attitude is a choice, and by thinking this way it will have you perceiving a completely different existence? Perhaps, you have noticed that some folks choose to live their life a different way. And have mean spirit, also a decision, and whereas it may be unconscious it is a decision and they have made that choice either way.

To help you understand all this, so you can choose how to live your life, I recommend the following book:

"Happier Living - Make it a Lifestyle Through Beautitude" - By Clifton W. King and Russell T. Williams; DSFI Publishing, Denver CO, copyright 1977.

What is beautitude the reader will ask when they pick up this book on the lifestyle of happier living? It turns out that it is quite simple as the authors will duly explain throughout the book. You see the common them running through this work is that having a "beautiful attitude" is not just an attitude or beautitude, but rather it a life style and requires a different way at looking at life, living your life and seeing things.

This book is broken into 8 sections, each chapter talks about challenges and situations in society and our personal lives and how to change the way you perceive things and in the process change your lifestyle to a happier you. By Celebrating your life-experience as you go and looking, seeking out the beauty, you can modify your habits and in the process live a totally carefree and stressless existence.

Lance Winslow enjoys community philanthropy - Lance Winslow likes small business. Lance Winslow has also been involved in the Oil Industry; http://www.oilchangeguys.com/aboutus.shtml.

Purity - The New Moral Revolution by Kris Vallotton

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A New Revolution in Sexual Purity

"The Parable of the Ring," an allegorical story, opens Kris Vallotton's his book "Purity: The New Moral Revolution." The ring is depicted as the symbol of your virginity. Vallotton's purpose in writing this book is to provide a catalyst for a sexual reformation. It is his prayer that the book will "rock the planet and rewrite the sexual paradigms of our time!"

Kris uses illustrations and lessons from life to provide useful tips on establishing Christian values and higher standards while setting boundaries for maintaining purity.

Vallotton coaches young people in developing a plan for purity, for guarding their thought life by making a covenant with their eyes not to compromise their heart. He discusses hands-on matters; such as accountability and the danger of deception. He suggests guidelines for dating and courting and for establishing standards for appropriate behavior. He describes marriage as a covenant relationship which includes Holy love and Holy affection.

Kris uses poignant to illustrate the reward of victory, the devastation of defeat, and the promise of restoration, a second chance and forgiveness. In the final story called "Grace" we see the perfect example of God's grace in the lives of those looking to Him for their strength.

"Purity: The New Moral Revolution" is written for a new generation, a generation on the brink of becoming participants of a sexual paradigm shift for sexual purity. It is also written for anyone who has failed and is caught up in guilt seeking God's forgiveness and grace. The book is a bold statement of a new catalyst for a sexual reformation.

978-07684277110, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

Gender Identity and Reassignment Surgery

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Gender Identity is a huge issue for literally thousands of people the world over. The subject of Gender Identity, gender dysphoria and sex reassignment surgery is an area where there is great misconception and fear of the unknown. Trans-gender people face rejection and often ridicule as a daily occurrence in some cases.

So, what are the most pressing issues for those in the trans-gender world?

To get to the root cause of most gender identity issues which cause about 1 in 30,000 women and 1 in 11,000 men to feel that they are trapped in the wrong gender, it is necessary to take an in depth look at theories surrounding gender development in the womb and the development of gender identity issues in toddlers and teens. The history of the trans-gender world and the first medical procedures in the 1930's were very experimental in nature and quite rudimentary compared to techniques known today.

Gender Dysphoria is essentially is a term which describes those people whose birth sex does not match their gender identity. For people in those circumstances, there are choices from minor hormonal treatment and living in the 'correct' gender for the person, which is enough for some, right through to looking at the procedures behind sex reassignment surgery. There is no one 'right' answer and each situation needs to be judged on its merits based on the person's situation, affordability, availability of medical cover and so on.

Trans-gender people are often victimized physically and emotionally and many parts of the world have been slow to introduce legislation to protect the interests of this minority group. Then, there is the issue of 'coming out' to family, work colleagues and friends. Often if not always, there is hardly ever an 'ideal' time or place to deal with such issues.

Not all trans-gender people will undergo reassignment surgery but for those who do, there are now a vast number of potential surgical procedures which are available many of which are inherent with potential complications. For those who do elect to undertake such surgeries there is a stringent requirement for psychological assessment before hand as these surgeries are irreversible.

There are a lot of stereotypes and misinformation surrounding this subject and only time can break down those barriers. The support of family and close friends for a trans-gender person are invaluable as they steer through the minefield of reassignment surgery options to bring their gender characteristics into line with their inner sense of gender identity.

Ashley Stevenson is a journalist who supplements his income with a home based internet marketing business selling information products. For information about the product which is the subject of this article click through one of these links.

http://ashleystevenson.wordpress.com/gender-identity-and-reassignment-new-e-book-to-be-released-soon/

http://genderidentityandreassignment.blogspot.com/2010/07/gender-identity-e-book-coming-soon.html

So Grows the Tree - Creating an Ethical Will by Jo Kline Cebuhar, J D

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Leaving a Legacy of Beliefs, Values, and Hopes

Jo Kline Cebuhar defines an Ethical Will as that which you believe, what you know, and what you hope for. This becomes "The legacy of your beliefs and values, life lessons and hopes for the future." Her book "So Grows the Tree: Creating an Ethical Will" outlines for the reader a number of possible plans for creating a personal Ethical Will.

Kline also helps the reader understand why it is important to create their own Ethical Will, how to make your story come alive, and a time frame for creating an Ethical Will.

Her suggestions include ideas for using quotations, thumbnail essays, and embellished journals. She talks about three dimensional Ethical Wills using photo albums, scrapbooks, and genealogies. She incorporates the use of the computer, with digi-scrapbooks, power point presentations, video, audio, and music in your preparation.

The provision for "notes to self" spaced throughout the book proved personally helpful in getting me started on organizing my own Ethical Will by making an inventory of photos, memos, documents, and writings that define my own life lessons learned, values, and beliefs. I thoroughly enjoyed the quotes from well known biographers, national leaders, and other familiar personalities. These concepts add credence to Cebuhar's writing.

"So Grows the Tree - Creating and Ethical Will" is an important work. Every life coach, financial planner, and legal advisor should recommend the book or provide a copy for each of their clients as a supplement to their other services.

Murphy Publishing, 978-0966185133,

As reviewed for Midwest Book Review.

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

The LA Rulebook

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There should be a rule book for people living in Los Angeles. I've lived my entire life here, and I find that I still make horrific faux pas in the most embarrassing ways. This book should be offered at all LA book stores, and it should cover behavior, LA-speak, personal facades, and the LA club scene. Every page should expound on dos and don'ts of the city. Why? Because there's no city like LA, and there are no people groups like Los Angelenos. The kind of eccentricities and embarrassing scenarios one encounters here can't be learned intuitively anywhere else. The reason is obvious: no other city has Hollywood. Yes, Hollywood. Breeder of fame, fortune, and political power.

As you know, it's not uncommon to see the odd celebrity doing mundane tasks around town. We're nearly used to it...or at least we play it off like we are. You know the LA drill. Don't stare, take a picture secretly and go one with your life. That's all well and good unless you don't know they're famous.

Cut to: Mark Edward Lewis sitting in a cafe in Burbank that he's never been to. In walks an exotic brunette with short hair, spaghetti strap top, bright blue eyes and a saunter four feet wide.

Cut to reversal: Mark is doing everything wrong. He's staring at her, not because she's so striking, but because he thinks he knows her. He's so sure of it, that when this babe looks back at him, he doesn't flinch. He's sure she'll recognize him. Her frown, her wince and her look of "in your dreams, buddy" doesn't phase him. He leaves his stool and ambles in her direction. Four feet from his fingers tapping her bare shoulder, Mark has a flicker of a memory.

Cut to Flashback: His living room, a television, late night channel surfing, seeing her chiseled body smashing thugs wearing black. The bumper before commercial reads: "VIP." Back to cafe and a medium shot of Mark's hand inches away. He yanks his hand back as though from a snake. His face turns shades of red, and he slinks back to his stool muttering hindu grace. No, he doesn't know her. He had simply channel surfed onto one of television's most exploitative and sexist shows. He's ashamed he even knows this woman's face at all, but he's relieved that he didn't make a fool of himself and repeat the most used celebrity face-slap pick-up line in the LA club scene: "Hi. I think I know you from somewhere." Ugh.

Yes, it was Natalie Raitano. Yes, it really happened. No, I didn't get her number. The lesson: if you think you know someone in LA (and they're gorgeous), it's okay to cross into their line of sight so they see you, but honestly, they don't know you. Making this mistake with a network television star is relatively harmless compared to the more incriminating scenarios you could find yourself in...

Mark Edward Lewis is an award winning Hollywood director of commercials, films and television. He has also written music for films and television for the last 18 years. Mark's mission is to move millions of people throughout the world into living the life they love. Media is his main outlet for this. However, bringing the genders together in peace and powerful communication is his means.
http://www.lemmediaproductions.com/5steps/index.html

Convert Old Films to Digital

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Anybody has his or her own classic movie (or movies) favorite. For years, a lot of people may have been collecting the movies that they love and have been watching them every now and then if the urge of reminiscing comes. Movies, needless to say, are part of everyone's lives. Even the most anti-social type of person has his or her own movie favorite.

The same with movies, a lot of people also have their own collection of home-made videos that they have made and collected for years ever since taking videos has been invented. From the the VHS, VHS-C, SVHS, Hi8, regular, even Betamax, as long as you can use it to store precious memories, everybody has it.

However, as times is changing, so is technology. As technology changes, new equipment become more efficient and handy. The same applies for the videos that we have and the kind of storing that we use. Nowadays, digital technology is the hype, not because it is the trend but because it answers people's problems with regards and not limited to memory space, accessibility, storage, durability and quality enhancement. With these people are now leaning to converting their old recordings to digital.

Most of the videos that we have in our storage are in the VHS format - your aunt's wedding, Jane's birthday, and even your first slumber party! Converting VHS files to DVD can be done in a lot of ways. Your method of choice would strongly depend on the time you need for conversion (you might want to use it a day or two from now) and whether or not you might still want to edit it (add some features and stuffs).

If you do not have much time to do the conversion and you do not want want to be bothered by a lot of intricacies, just connect your VHS Video Camera Recorder to a DVD recorder and create a copy of the video in real time. The catch for this efficient and fast-paced conversion is that it does not give you much room to edit the video.

Some people use an analog-to-DV-converter. Among the methods, this consumes the most time, in as much as long hours of work for an hour length of video. However, even if it takes up a lot of time, it also gives you a lot of flexibility in editing the video. So, you can edit no matter how you want it to look like.

Another option and which most people usually use is seeking the help of professionals to convert VHS to digital. The time allotted for this would still depend on the method that the person you are going to hire is using. However, what makes this option really enticing is, as far as service-oriented businesses are concerned, you do not have to put effort on doing the converting AND you are assured that you are going to have a good quality conversion (if not, as a paying customer, you can always ask to redo it until you are satisfied).

Brandon Barchus, an attorney, knows how important efficient and quality safekeeping is when it comes to photos, videos and documents. He has helped companies sort out legal documents in a more efficient way by converting these to digital file format This has cut the whole finding and organizing time-consuming process into a matter of minutes. Aside from legal documents, his digital conversion also includes photographs and videos.

Enjoy Good Free Audio Books Today

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Today's free audio books are a terrific way to experience the literary works of some of the world's finest authors, without having to turn a page. These audio books are often available online, with free downloads. This is a great way to check out some of the new works of your favorite authors or discover new authors you have never read. The world of audio books has certainly changed from the 1980's.

First available on cassette tapes, the literary publishing giants were slow to release many new books. Once the demand grew, a very large percentage of books are available as an audio book, as well as in print. With the technology now available to download these free audio books onto an MP3 player or an iPod, or even your home computer, this section of the publishing business has grown by leaps and bounds. Many of today's authors are finding it easier to publish their book as an audio book, than to even get it in print.

Today's technological advance will give way to tomorrow's. Someday we may enjoy a good audio book just by talking to the computer. For now, though, we need to settle for researching the best free audio book download websites and locating what we are interested in.

This is very easy to do. Search the Internet for "free audio book" or "free audio books download". You probably will be amazed at the amount of sites that offer this service. Many of the pay sites also offer free audio books, but you may have to register or sign up first. Some will require credit card information while others may offer a direct download. Keep you information secure however, and check out the site before releasing your personal information.

Every genre is available on an audio book: your favorite authors, the classics, reference materials, even cookbooks. Search the web for your favorites and look to see if they are available as a free audio book download. Not only do they take up less room in your home than a printed copy, you can listen as you drive to work or on a long road trip.

There are books available for children, teens, and adults. These books are also a great way to help learn a foreign language, or improve your English skills. Learn about history or art. If you can think about it, there is probably a free audio book available for download.

Steve Hill is a webmaster from Birmingham, he has interests in a number of websites including: stuttering and free audio books.

Five Must Have Fashion Books

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Almost all the artistic sections of human society have got a number of books written on them, be it film, painting or other crafts. Those books are read profoundly by the book lovers. Even the heaps of books written on fashion clearly indicate that it is not enough to wear fashion only, but its literature too needs some space in your wardrobe.

1.A to Zoe. Writer: Rachael Zoe
Grand Central Publishing, 192 pp.
Price: $25;

Though being a photo-collection of famous individuals and her friends, its eight chapters are full of numerous practical fashion tips for fashion lovers. The book deals with many how-to's. The reader learns to select the right footwear for a particular dress. Further, the book very clearly describes the art of applying makeup, choosing the suitable jewelry and many other things. The presentation of fashion terms and tips using a glossary makes it too exciting.

2.That Extra Half Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between. Writer: Victoria Beckham
Harper Paperbacks, 384 pp.
Price: $20

Victoria's writing debut, assisted by Hadley Freeman, is many inches( read miles) ahead of contemporary books on fashion. Her personal descriptions and her stylistic fashion tips make this book unmatched. This is not a collection of rules and advices. Rather, it gives a wide array of inspirational fashion guidelines to almost all age-groups.

3.Glamour Girls. Writer: Patrick McMullan
PMC Publishing, 316 pp.
Price: $75

It is basically a photo album of famous and beautiful ladies rather than being a book. This celebrity photographer has photographed more than 1000 sexy ladies in the world who have given a new dimension to the world of fashion. Uma Thurman and Angelina Jolie are only two of them. These photographs, added with texts, arrange for us a fairytale journey in the world of celebrity fashion.

4.The Black Dress. Writer: Valerie Steele
Collins Design, 112 pp.
Price: $20

The fact that how black has survived through the course of history, and has remained always the most practical choice of fashion lovers, seems to be a definite inspiration for the writer. This is a visual translation of this "black" trend. He has worked a lot to present a vibrating collection of classic stills from movies, designer sketches and photographs of celebrities describing the charm and greatness of black. The collection of quotes on black is an added feature.

5.Forever Cool: How to Achieve Ageless, Youthful and Modern Personal Style for Men and Women. Writer: Sherrie Mathieson
Clarkson Potter, 256 pp.
Price: $23

Probably the most real, it comes with a truckload of tips and advices for all who have crossed their 40's. The book contains no photo of famous personalities but shows the people of locality in an elegant manner. The book compares a pre-grooming photo of a real life model to his/her post-grooming one illustrating the difference. The writer gives simple but exciting tips which are more than enough to any middle-aged person to come back on the right track of fashion.

Definitely, looking at these fashion publications too will give a better insight of the fashion world.

Moreover, Exploring Fashion can give you a lot of tips related to fashion.

Objectivist Critique of the Virtue of Selfishness

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The Virtue of Selfishness is a non-fiction book written by Ayn Rand that encapsulates the ideas of individualism that are present in her fiction work The Fountainhead and touches upon the themes of proper socio-economic policy present in Atlas Shrugged. Rand has compiled all of her ideas from her literary works and publications into a complete philosophy called Objectivism. The Virtue of Selfishness is a collection of essays written by Ayn Rand and Nathaniel Branden to explain why mankind needs a new set of values, what those values should be and how they lead to a proper (by Objectivism standards) life of reason, individualism, liberty and freedom.

The introduction foreshadows the extreme ideas presented inside; it begins with Ayn Rand answering a the question "Why do you use the word 'selfishness' to denote virtuous qualities of character, when that word antagonizes so many people to whom it does not mean the things you mean?" (Rand vii). Rand is more than aware of the hostility this word can invoke and throughout the book seeks to change the reader's view. Not just presenting the benefits of selfishness but also by portraying the "monstrosity" that is altruism. The ideas are presented without compromise, lending consistency to the morals and values that make up her philosophy, in fact, Rand contends in chapters seven and nine of her book that to compromise, is to default on morality.

The Virtue of Selfishness begins with an essay on codes of ethics in general. The chapter titled "The Objectivist Ethics" asks the question "Why does man need a code of values?" (Rand 14). Rand gives the reason for a system of values; something she thinks past moralities dismissed and be can be avoided and overturned. The rest of the book contains essays that expand on the concept of individualism: how to live as an individual in a collectivized society, avoid counterfeit individualism and what are proper morals an individual should hold as values. The book also touches upon government's role in society consisting of individuals and its proper function. In chapters "Isn't Everybody Selfish?"and "The Ethics of Emergencies" The Virtue of Selfishness clears up misconception about Objectivism in no uncertain terms.

The Virtue of Selfishness is a great companion book to the Ayn Rand reader. It clarifies the points taken from her other literary works in a concise and powerful manner. Although the extreme rhetoric will alienate new readers, fans of her literary and philosophical accomplishments will enjoy the plethora of examples and uncompromising arguments presented in the neatly organized The Virtue of Selfishness.

The basis of ethics and code of morality in The Virtue of Selfishness often polarizes people. The repetition of key elements, demanding arguments without compromise and extreme viewpoints plainly stated allow people to quickly recognize which side of the line they stand on. It is the very nature of Objectivism that requires no compromise and the greatest objectivity because only the reader's moral and reasonable conviction is considered a boon. However the author's background and period of history the book was written in sheds light on the origins of Rand's extreme views and flamboyant style of uncompromising arguments.

Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in St. Petersburg Russia. She lived to see her father's pharmacy turned over to the Soviets after the Bolshevik Revolution. She was expelled from college before graduation due to her non-communist beliefs. A trip to Chicago in 1926 cemented Rand's love for America and she vowed to never return to Russia. She became a citizen in 1931. Having experienced a communist regime and being deeply affected as a victim, Rand developed a great appreciation of capitalism and a hate of communism, socialism and collectivism in all forms. These socio-economic ideas eventually manifested into a complete philosophy that also addressed the collectivism/individualism of the soul* and her belief that man should be an end in himself, the theme of The Virtue of Selfishness.

The period in which she published her novels (1940-1970) likely influenced her writing World War II and especially The Cold War are generally attributed to having some effect on her works. During a time when she believed collectivism and communism was spreading through the world and gaining ground politically, Rand, who had no issue with extremism, took the hard stance in an effort to convince as many people as she could of her new idea of man and his moral purpose. Her audience for her writing in The Virtue of Selfishness is the world. She is trying to provide a moral basis for the types of people she admires and simultaneously attempting to gain the moral conviction of as many people as possible in the book.

As a philosophy, while controversial, her arguments in The Virtue of Selfishness are solid and prevalent today because her unwillingness to compromise, even denouncing compromise as part her ethical code, means that denouncing one part of her philosophy often means rejecting it as a whole. The extremism in The Virtue of Selfishness creates potential weaknesses in the argument for Objectivism. An oft cited weakness of Objectivism (the capitalistic portion of it) is stated below.

"'What will be done about the poor or the handicapped in a free society?' The altruistic-collectivist premise, implicit in that question, is that men are 'their brother's keepers' and that the misfortune of some is a mortgage on others. The questioner is ignoring or evading the basic premises of Objectivist ethics and is attempting to switch the discussion onto his own collectivist base. Observe he does not ask: 'Should anything be done?' but: 'What will be done?' -as if the collectivist premise had been tacitly accepted and all that remains is a discussion of the means to implement it." (Rand 93)

Instead of accepting criticisms as weaknesses, Rand effectively dismisses them by reducing the issue to its philosophical basis and applying her basic premise for morals. Instead of accepting the terms of the problem, Rand returns to her philosophy to first check if it is a problem to be resolved. This strategy greatly reduces possible low criticism of The Virtue of Selfishness.

Rand's arguments are not only solid, but convincing. The essays are well set up and varied enough to keep the reader interested, without being over repetitive but consistent enough to allow the reader to grasp the new philosophical premise proposed. All the essays are superb in relating back to the thesis of rational self-interest (selfishness) as the guiding force of man's action and man's life as his standard of value, and make their point frequently and powerfully. Two criticisms of the essay arrangement is the second essay "Mental Health versus Mysticism and Self-Sacrifice" feels out of place after the strong opening chapter in both quality and subject matter. The book ends abruptly with no official conclusion, contrasting sharply with the distinct and purposeful opening. The writing style in these passage ways, as aforementioned is extreme and plain in message (though certainly not style). However a great irony in the book is the chapter "The Argument from Intimidation" which thoroughly repudiates and vilifies the concept, even though Rand makes frequent use of arguments of intimidation throughout The Virtue of Selfishness due to her extreme rhetoric.

The Virtue of Selfishness is my favorite non-fiction book by Ayn Rand. It summarizes and provides concretes and arguments for nearly every part of her philosophy. I was glad to learn more about Objectivism in such a concise and well written novel. The book has my moral and rational conviction of the subject and cemented and clarified what I had already gleaned from Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

*Ayn Rand was atheist and atheism is a prerequisite for Objectivism. Soul is to be taken metaphorically.

Works Cited

Rand, Ayn.

The Virtue of Selfishness. Centennial ed. New York: New American Library, 1964. Print.

This article is brought to you by Eric Hackenberger. More at http://www.alternativereason.com/

Objectivist Blog

Book Review - Happily Married With Kids

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With 25 years of experience in marriage counseling, a husband and two children of her own under her belt, Dr. Carol Ummel Lindquist is an expert when it comes to making a marriage work-with or without kids. Her recent book, Happily Married with Kids is a step-by-step guide to transforming the fantasy of a perfect marriage into a reality.

"The current high standards for parenting lead to low standards for marriage," says Lindquist. "The irony of these contrasting standards is that having a healthy marriage is a great gift for your children and yourself." Her goal is to educate parents, happily married or otherwise, on how to develop and maintain relationships that will benefit their entire family.

In Happily Married with Kids, Lindquist teaches moms and dads to avoid "the real parent trap" of exhaustion and disruption, manage conflicts and improve communication with spouse and children, stay best friends with their spouses, balance work and family, enjoy their kids-and each other-at any age, revive their sex life, find humor in everyday difficulties and make time for themselves and their marriages.

Each of the book's four sections sections is divided into chapters that deal honestly and warmly with different aspects of marriage and parenting, such as developing a marriage support system in "Support Networks: It Takes a Village to Shelter Your Marriage," getting to know your spouse again after the birth of your children in "Who Is This Person I Married?" handling separation due to work or other stressors in "When One Parent Travels" and disagreeing without hurting each other in "Fight Like the Windows Are Open."

Summaries and bulleted lists in every section and boldface subject headings in each chapter break up the text into digestible chunks. A sprinkling of comic strips and personal stories from Lindquist's family and her counseling experiences make the book conversational and add some humor to a subject that makes many couples tense; you'll want to keep it on the bedside table or enjoy it in the morning over coffee-and engaging enough that it will draw in even the most reluctant reader.

Where most self-help books suggest major behavioral overhauls, Lindquist recommends small changes and goal-setting with your partner to reduce tension and increase communication over time. In the first chapters Lindquist says that one of the most important things you can do for your marriage is to make sure you and your spouse have 20 minutes of uninterrupted talk time or cuddling every day as well as some "date time" every week.

She also suggests that couples set aside separate "staff time" to work on family issues weekly, monthly and quarterly without cutting into your special time together. Lindquist even includes worksheets to help you and your spouse get started on confronting conflict and making family decisions.

In addition to sharing her own wisdom and experiences in every chapter, Lindquist refers to books she has read on marriage and parenting. After the last chapter, she includes a comprehensive list of books, articles, videos and websites she recommends, including the ones she mentioned in the text.

Lindquist's tone is light and entertaining which gives it a down-to-earth approach to marriage; Happily Married with Kids is a book that's never preachy and consistently encourages couples to try new things and seek other resources. A happy marriage doesn't have to be just a fairy tale anymore. Lindquist proves it's possible to make the transition from partnership to parenthood without losing the intimacy you and your spouse share-and shows couples how to regain closeness and repair relationship damage at any level.

Sidebar

In Happily Married with Kids, Dr. Carol Ummel Lindquist highly recommends these books:

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families: Building a Beautiful Family Culture in a Turbulent World by Stephen Covey and Sandra Merrill Covey

Seven Principles to Make Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John Mordechai Gottman and Nan Silver

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix

The Divorce Remedy: The Proven 7-Step Program for Saving Your Marriage by Michele Weiner Davis

Happily Married with Kids
By Carol Ummel Lindquist, Ph.D.
$14.00/trade paperback
Berkley Publishing Group

20something copywriter and consultant Kristen King blogs at the award-winning Inkthinker blog and KristenKing.com, among other sites. Visit Inkthinker and KristenKing.com for more lifestyle articles and blog posts about married life in rural Virginia.

Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty - Book Review

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AppId is over the quota

Inside this book, sixty writers who have turned sixty offer sixty recommendations for living an exciting, enthusiastic life after the age of sixty. Plenty of important people from M.D's to writers and money managers offer advice in many areas of life, while the sixty plus folks gear up to rediscover themselves. Moreover, the royalties from the sale of the book is donated to various nonprofit organizations; just the thing for the baby boomers to do.

In the introduction, president and publisher Ronnie Sellers writes, " There was no way that anyone over sixty could ever understand anything about our generation because there had never been a generation as special as ours. And we're still special. And that's why we're younger at sixty than anyone has ever been before...and better looking, too.

The book is divided into nine sections. Section one takes the boomers to their roots of recreating involvement in collective concepts. In this section, while a novelist advises people to take off their clothes, another writer talks against a positive outlook, saying righteous anger and stubbornness will give the people the power to carry on. An artist, too, is for a rebellious nature and revival of the 60's activism. Then, a printer company owner asks people to follow their passions, while a copywriter is after making a difference. An interesting advice of humility comes from a psychologist, and a holistic health M.D. invites people to let go of unpleasant memories.

Section two is about beliefs, beliefs from ghosts to being a saint, to prayer, to finding one's own island, to reflecting on things, and to experiencing life. Section three is good vibrations involving art, humor, yoga, affirmations, meditation, being inspired with passion for life, and falling in love again.

Section four is about learning, re-learning, exercising, encouraging one's curiosity, starting new things, making commitments, volunteerism, and discovering what really matters. Section five is all about money: making it, using it wisely, handling insurances, and strategizing one's finances.

Section six addresses the physical and mental health, from skin rejuvenations to handling diseases and stress. Section seven concerns the rediscovery of self from running a marathon to learning kaizen. Section eight is on sex and love after sixty, while section nine is about enjoying grandchildren, taking an interest in other people and the world, and traveling.

With sixty writers in one book, the editors deserve immense praise. Andrea Feld is the general editor with many editing successes to her name from editing books to contributing essays to important publications. Of the three commissioning editors, Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt is freelance writer with many journalistic achievements. Joy Darlington is a journalist, novelist, and editor, and Bruce Fraser is a financial writer and editor.

Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty from Sellers Publishing, Inc. is 360 pages in paperback with ISBN-10: 1569069670 and ISBN-13: 978-1569069677.

I recommend this book to anyone who expects to turn sixty sooner or later, because not only the pieces in it are informative and thought-provoking, but also they encourage, inspire, and entertain with a sense of humor.

Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.writing.com/, which is a site for Writers

Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag

Don't Tell Nobody! A Forbidden Desire Not Forever Vulnerable, Written By Darryl Wayne

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AppId is over the quota

For a person such as me, the reading and reviewing of this book was extremely difficult. I respect those that are gays or lesbians to live that type of life but to write a respectable review I must change gears in my thinking and write through the eyes of them. The language is very explicit and is meant for adults only.

Young girls and boys that were born and raised in a very poor and run down section of Philadelphia started life with, in their eyes, a world against them. They grew up with much abuse, sexual and physical, homes with little or no morals or normal family closeness, and little personal space of their own in area and in privacy. They got used from day one of their memory to being abused by those in their own homes as well as many in the neighborhood. They learned at a very young age that giving and taking sex and abuse was a part of their life, want it or not. They existed with drugs, sex, rape, beatings, and mental anguish every day of their life as long as they could remember. They carved out a life of their own on the streets, alleys, condemned houses, and rarely lived in the same place more than several nights in a row unless they had met someone that would take them in feeling sorry for them but expecting something such as sex in return.

The young man in this story went from a short term sex partners to long term ones, never knowing how long any would last. That partnership would break up and restart several times until the abuse or the taking advantage of got too severe. He describes his sex partners almost all of who were males, giving blow-by-blow descriptions of their sexual acts and the pleasure derived from them or the abusive torture once in a while.

A few times he gave deep thought to believing in and loving God and Jesus. He expressed this in several parts of the story. Whether he ever did so completely the reader can't really tell, only the direction he thought he desired to go. I really don't know if this story is the way some gays and lesbians live or just a sample of some and how hard it can be.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by the author.

Senior Moments by David Silva, Book Report

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AppId is over the quota

David Wayne Silva's book "Senior Moments: Making the Most of Your Golden Years" is really about getting the most out of your "Golden Years." His is a message of hope. David has a positive philosophy for getting older. He gives seniors affirmative action plans for meeting physical, mental, and the other widespread problems that are a part of the aging process. David's writing is like conversing with an old friend. It is like reading a warm, friendly letter, full of life stories, experiences and practical hints for living life to the full.

David's appreciation for nature becomes contagious. His descriptive phrases make you feel the coolness of your dog's nose against warm hand, hear the lapping of ocean tides moving on the beach, or enjoy the scent of garden flowers and vegetables. He asks the reader to, "Watch the leaves and branches moving with the wind. Observe the ferns moving on a gentle forest breeze." "If you visit the seashore...watch the endless waves, open your mind, and encounter the God who is with us...unnoticed."

The material on suffering, pain, and chronic illness are filled with important data and information. David gives steps to deal with pent up feelings of anger, resentment, anxiety, fear, feelings of guilt, and depression. The final chapters "Moving On" and "Concepts to Remember" offer the components for implementing the freedom of choice to alter and move ahead with our lives.

I found it easy to empathise and relate to many of Silva's stories. Silva is an excellent communicator engaging the reader quickly into the flow of his writing.

1598001639, Outskirts Press

As Reviewed for Reader Views

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

Document Archiving - The Digital Way

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AppId is over the quota

Imagine an office space cluttered with boxes, folders and envelopes of papers. Imagine that it is your work place. It's from somebody whom you replaced. You are very excited to start working - until you saw the files and when your new boss told you to get a report done by the person you replaced made sometimes last, last year and is something about a financial update of the company. It would not be surprising anymore if you suddenly lose interest and even contemplate resigning even before you start working.

Documents are very important materials - there is no doubt in that. However, as the years go and the piles of files go higher and higher, you eventually get lost with everything that you have, and not to mention the tons of paper you used (have mercy on the trees) and the high possibility of damage that your documents are prone to. They could easily be torn, burnt or just succumb to decay. If only there is a way to save these files in a more efficient way, organize them in such a way that you do not waste a lot of time just looking for them and be able to share them right away when they are needed.

Now imagine the same office but no clutters. Instead, you have this computer. Then your boss asked you to do the same thing - find a financial update of the company made last, last year and give him a copy. A click here and click there and you already finished the first task given to you!

Maybe you are thinking that converting files to digital would take a lot of effort. You still have to retype them, right? WRONG! The availability of digital technology together with scanning and the available programs that would help you edit scanned files make makes everything e-a-s-y, so long as you know what to do or, if not, you know who to call to do the conversion and archiving for you.

When you convert documents to digital files, you are doing yourself, the people around you and the environment a big favor. You can save time, save storing expenses, have a more reliable safekeeping procedure and have readily available documents whenever and wherever. In addition, keeping documents in database also means using less paper. Just think of all the trees that you could save and the contribution that you could give to environmental preservation. As cheesy as it may sound, it's true.

Once you have a digital archive of your documents , you can just easily update them with new files. If you run out of space, you just expand the storage memory that you have and not the office space that you are desperately trying to maximize. Gone are the bulky and dusty file cabinets and you do not need to worry about papers burning, tearing or crumbling. As long as you have a stable storage of you data and a reliable back-up system, your documents would last until a better and new kind of archiving comes in.

Brandon Barchus, an attorney, knows how important efficient and quality safekeeping is when it comes to photos, videos and documents. He has helped companies sort out legal documents in a more efficient way by converting these to digital file format. This has cut the whole finding and organizing time-consuming process into a matter of minutes. Aside from legal documents, his digital conversion also includes photographs and videos.

The Magic of Making Up 3 Great Tips

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AppId is over the quota

There have been many books written with regard to getting back together with an ex following the breakup of a relationship. Many of these often only give you a vague idea of what you need to do in order to hopefully win that special one back. Yet today there is a program now available online called "The Magic of Making Up" which can help you with getting on the right track to winning that loved one back.

Below we look at some of the things that you will learn from using this program and which will help to provide you with a much more healthy relationship with your ex a second time around.

1. Although you may want to rush in with all guns blazing following the breakup it is vital that you let them have time to themselves before you begin once again to show them how much they mean to you and how much you care about them. It is important that the initial contact is kept short and just show them that you are thinking about them, but not actually spending all your time obsessing about them. Phone them to ask them how they are doing or sending them a text message about something that you both are interested in and enjoyed doing together.

2. It is crucial that you do take responsibility for any of your actions that could have harmed your relationship with your ex. However, avoid taking every bit of advice that others give to you about what you should and shouldn't be doing with regards to your relationship. Remember it is you who is going to be the one who has to live with the consequences of what you do in terms to your life and your relationship.

Certainly you should never be swayed by what others say or the advice that they give to you. Yes they are trying to be helpful, but they don't really know what is best for you and for your ex. You need to realize that the decisions you make with regard to what it is you are going to do to help save your relationship are yours and yours alone.

3. Yes there is going to be a void where once you and your ex were constantly talking to each other on a daily basis. However, just because you feel like this doesn't mean you should continue to phone and text them now that they aren't around, instead give yourself both space and time to reflect on what has caused the relationship to end the way it has.

Although you may find it difficult initially using the program "The Magic of Making Up" should help you on your way to building a much better and stronger relationship with the person you love. However, getting them back should never be rushed and will take a considerable amount of work on your part in order for you to improve the relationship you once had with your ex.

For vital resources on how to get your ex back and save relationship, visit magicofmakinguphere.com today.

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