New Releases by Michael Allen

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. Unfortunately, his work is notoriously difficult to understand. There is thus a need for a clear presentation of his major philosophical contributions to help students and other interested persons in approaching the work of this important thinker.Philosopher Michael Allen Fox admirably fills this need in this lucid explanation of Hegel''s ideas. Fox discusses at length the chief component of Hegel''s systematic philosophy -- the concept of the dialectic. According to Hegel, in a world of becoming and persistent change, reason progresses through conflict and the resolutions that arise from the dialectic of opposing elements. The tumultuous clash of opposites leads to ever new advances in human knowledge and culture. Fox also considers many of Hegel''s other ideas: his difficult notion of the Absolute, the final stage of history in which reason attains perfect mastery of the world and thought realizes its full potential; his dynamic conception of truth as evolving toward total comprehensiveness; the master-slave pattern of human relationships; the social structure of the self; the varied political interpretations and adaptations of Hegel''s philosophy on both the Left and the Right; and many other aspects of Hegel''s complex system. For both beginners and those already familiar with Hegel''s work, this excellent overview of one of philosophy''s great geniuses offers many clarifications and insights.

"The judge will order you to talk and offer to put you in the witness protection program. You said you won''t consider that. Why on earth?" "I have a life, Mr. Norman." "Well, if this man they want to wiretap really is connected, you won''t for long." "It''s not fair!" "But it''s the law." "What if I just refused to talk?" "The judge will jail you for contempt until you testify. And I doubt the mob would trust you to accept an indefinite stay in County. Even in solitary you wouldn''t be safe." "Then I have no choice?" Most of us are lucky that some simple action---one that we''ve performed a hundred times---doesn''t suddenly plunge our entire life into a private hell. But undeserved or not, unheralded or not, that''s what happens to Joanne Lessing, a freelance photographer and the divorced mother of a teenage son. On a fine fall morning, sent to record the aftermath of Halloween in a town park, Joanne turns from the geese she is photographing to see a luxurious foreign car come speeding down the road at the park''s edge. The driver, noticing Joanne aiming her camera and seeming to panic, veers and smacks into a Volkswagen parked at the curb. His car scrapes the curb and leaves. Good citizen Joanne reports the accident and turns over her photos of the offending car to the police. Not until she sees a story in that evening''s local paper does she have an answer to what has puzzled her all day: Why did the police immediately send a man to interview her and pick up her photos for a relatively minor accident in which no one was injured? The news story tells her that one of her neighbors had been murdered, a man who had once been the head of the local mob and has been living quietly in the FBI''s witness protection program. A flock of FBI agents arrive to work with the local police. The agents know who did the killing; they''ve been living with the effort to catch and convict the gang members. Among the single-minded "Feebies" is Agent Paul Minorini. He is the only one who seems to give some thought to the danger Joanne is in if the gangsters learn it was she who caught their car with her camera---and possibly caught some or all of its occupants as well. Minorini''s worry about Joanne''s safety puts him at odds with his partner, and his attraction to the besieged woman makes it almost impossible for him to perform his job. Meanwhile, spunky Joanne, trapped between the mob and the tunnel-vision agents, has some ideas of her own about how to handle her endangered life...if only she can make those ideas work.

What Howard Zinn does for those who are ashamed of American history in his A People''s History of the United States, BEACON OF LIBERTY does for those who are proud of it. From Christopher Columbus to the fall of Saddam Hussein, this book will go a long way in restoring perspective and clarity to our understanding of America''s amazing story, and the noble, Christian principles our country was founded on.

"The book contains thorough analyses of 100 of the most significant works for strings and full orchestra, Grades 1-6. Researched and compiled by scholarly musicians and teachers around the country, the book gives important information on each musical selection, including composer and composition information, historical background, technical requirements, stylistic considerations, musical elements, suggestions for additional listening, and a guide to selected references"--Publisher''s website

This is a practical, common-sense guide offering long term solutions to juvenile crime through a proven programme. The work draws on extensive research and succesful practice with teenage repeat offenders.

Most anyone interested in such topics as creation mythology, Jungian theory, or the idea of "secret teachings" in ancient Judaism and Christianity has found "gnosticism" compelling. Yet the term "gnosticism," which often connotes a single rebellious movement against the prevailing religions of late antiquity, gives the false impression of a monolithic religious phenomenon. Here Michael Williams challenges the validity of the widely invoked category of ancient "gnosticism" and the ways it has been described. Presenting such famous writings and movements as the Apocryphon of John and Valentinian Christianity, Williams uncovers the similarities and differences among some major traditions widely categorized as gnostic. He provides an eloquent, systematic argument for a more accurate way to discuss these interpretive approaches. The modern construct "gnosticism" is not justified by any ancient self-definition, and many of the most commonly cited religious features that supposedly define gnosticism phenomenologically turn out to be questionable. Exploring the sample sets of "gnostic" teachings, Williams refutes generalizations concerning asceticism and libertinism, attitudes toward the body and the created world, and alleged features of protest, parasitism, and elitism. He sketches a fresh model for understanding ancient innovations on more "mainstream" Judaism and Christianity, a model that is informed by modern research on dynamics in new religious movements and is freed from the false stereotypes from which the category "gnosticism" has been constructed.

Challenging the basic assumptions of a meat-eating society, Deep Vegetarianism is a spirited and compelling defense of a vegetarian lifestyle. Considering all of the major arguments both for and against vegetarianism and the habits of meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike, Michael Allen Fox addresses vegetarianism''s cultural, historical, and philosophical background; details vegetarianism''s impact on one''s living and thinking; and relates vegetarianism to classical and recent defenses of the moral status of animals. Demonstrating how a vegetarian diet is related to our awareness of the world and our ethical outlook on life, Fox looks at the different kinds of vegetarian commitments people make and their reasons for making them. In chapters that address such issues as the experiences, emotions, and grounds that are part of choosing vegetarianism, Fox discusses not only good health, animal suffering, and the environmental impacts of meat production, but such issues as the meaning of food, world hunger, religion and spirituality, and, significantly, the links share between vegetarianism and other human rights movements and ideologies, particularly feminism. In an extensive chapter that addresses arguments made by advocates of meat-eating, Fox speaks to claims of humans as natural carnivores, animals as replaceable, and vegetarians as anti-feminist. He also addresses arguments surrounding the eating habits of indigenous peoples, eating free-range animals, and carnivorous behavior among animals. The most complete examination of the vegetarian outlook to date, Deep Vegetarianism reveals the broad range of philosophical views that contribute to such a choice. It recognizes, and calls for, a conscious awareness of -- and an individual responsibility to -- the issues that exist in the moral, political, and social spheres of our existence. With its lively and controversial discussion, Deep Vegetarianism promises to appeal to anyone looking to explore the relationship between dietary choice, lifestyle, the treatment of animals and the environment, and personal ethical responsibility. It will also be particularly useful for students and teachers of moral philosophy, ethics, religion, comparative cultures, ecology, and feminism.

The author starts with the very basics and guides the performer (and also the parents of the youngest beginners) through every aspect of the training and career development needed to bring the curtain up on a life of performing. Drawing on the expertise of dozens of show business professionals, theis manual gives you advice and guidance on: vocal training -- finding a good dance studio -- learning to act -- promoting yourself -- the performing unions -- contracts -- agents, managers, and casting directors -- starting out in paying jobs -- working in New York and overseas -- auditioning.

In this study, historian Michael Allen examines the image of the rodeo cowboy and the role this image has played in popular culture over in the 20th century. He sees rodeo as a significant American folk festival and the rodeo cowboy as the surviving avatar of a nearly vanished authentic figure - the ""real cowboy"", who embodies the skills and values of traditional western rural culture. Allen''s provocative analysis explores the evolution of the myth of the rodeo man and its subsequent institutionalization and acculturation into the media of popular culture. He discovers that America''s fascination with the rodeo cowboy reflects feelings far deeper and more complex than a taste for exciting entertainment. This popular culture hero survives in our national imagination as a kind of living, contemporary ancestor, linking a largely urban population with its rural past and recalling the values and spirit of a time and region that most Americans perceive as somehow purer, freer and more noble. Allen''s discussion of the archetypal figure of the rodeo cowboy aims to change perceptions of rodeo, but it will also help the reader to understand how the ancient tension between frontier and civilization continues to play a role in national imagination of the USA.

In the twentieth century, we often think of Nietzsche, nihilism, and the death of God as inextricably connected. But, in this pathbreaking work, Michael Gillespie argues that Nietzsche, in fact, misunderstood nihilism, and that his misunderstanding has misled nearly all succeeding thought about the subject. Reconstructing nihilism''s intellectual and spiritual origins before it was given its determinitive definition by Nietzsche, Gillespie focuses on the crucial turning points in the development of nihilism, from Ockham and the nominalist revolution to Descartes, Fichte, the German Romantics, the Russian nihilists and Nietzsche himself. His analysis shows that nihilism is not the result of the death of God, as Nietzsche believed; but the consequence of a new idea of God as a God of will who overturns all eternal standards of truth and justice. To understand nihilism, one has to understand how this notion of God came to inform a new notion of man and nature, one that puts will in place of reason, and freedom in place of necessity and order.

Orchestra Music - All Levels

"Originally produced by Joseph and Daniel Corcoran in association with Artificial Intelligence.

Contending visions -- The Elm Park Riot -- Portents of violence -- Teh Eighth Avenue Riot -- Judgment -- Aftermath -- Killed, injured and arrested in connection with the 1870 riot -- Killed, injured, and arrested in connection with the 1871 riot and a list of property damanges -- Sources of biographical information on selected committee of seventy members.

It is now known that over 90 percent of all plants have established integrative plant-fungal processes in their root systems, and it may well turn out to be the case that virtually all plants have mycorrhizae. In this work, many of the best researchers in the field review the current status of research in plant-fungal communications, mycorrhizal organisms, applications, and biotechnology. The focus is a hierarchical one. This volume is comprehensive and covers both ectomycorrhizae and vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae, addressing concepts that are related to all the different groups. Mycorrhizal Functioning will be of interest to professionals and graduate students in microbiology, ecology, mycology, plant pathology, plant science, and soil science. Those working in the agricultural biotechnology industry will also benefit from the book''s applications perspective.

Discusses animal rights and the morality of animal experiments, suggests ethical guidelines for the use of animals as test subjects, and identifies irrational attitudes towards animals

"Wi-ne-ma, Indian princess who emerged as heroine of ... the Modoc War of 1873, is brought vividly to life in the graphic account of the war and the massacres that let up to it." (book jacket).

STOP wasting your TIME, ENERGY and MONEY and START seeing TRUE RESULTS! Have you been "working out" for a while but are secretly disappointed with your results? Are you only a beginner, and would like to know what''s the most effective way to get your dream body? What if you could create the body of your dreams, faster than you can imagine? The health and fitness industry is generating billions of dollars every year. Yes, we spend a lot of money in order to be sexy, attractive and healthy. But the sad news is that despite the goodwill of many people, and their strong determination, most of the people DO NOT get the results they wish for. And in this book, you will learn exactly why & how to avoid wasting your time! In AxioMuscle: Stop Wasting So Much Time at the Gym (And Finally Start Seeing Some Actual Results), author Michael Allen will show you the common mistakes most people make, teaching you how to work out properly and potentially cutting YEARS from your journey to the best shape you can have! Here''s what you can expect: - Understand why people spend years in the gym but still fail to get results - Discover the solution and get your desired results with minimum effort & time - Save yourself from literally wasting time and even DAMAGING your health by learning how to work out properly - Get the full picture – workouts, sleep, diet and nutrition -- And much, much more! Michael Allen has worked full-time for many years in the fitness environment in the management of a gym. After years of observing different trainers and meeting different people, he concluded that most people basically waste their time at the gym by exercising according to methods that were largely ineffective and produced no results. Q: Why should I trust this book? A: Unlike other books, fitness programs or famous fitness gurus, no one will try to upsell you in this book and make you spend more money. The fitness industry makes money from you being unhappy with your body. This book will give you pure distilled concepts, and show you how to actually do it right. Q: I''ve already been working out for years. What can this book possibly offer me that I don''t already know? A: If you''re working out for years, and still unsatisfied with your results, you should do something different. Put your ego aside, test the ideas inside this book, and see for yourself. Most people can''t admit they were wrong, therefore, most people would rather stick to a workout plan that doesn''t work rather than admitting that they were wrong. Don''t fool yourself – read it and test it out! Q: Can this book guarantee results? A: At the end of the day, you''re the one who''s eating, sleeping, and working out, so it''s really up to you; "guarantee" is a pretty strong word when the ball is essentially in your court. But if you DO follow this book to the letter, you can safely bet on seeing far better results than you''re likely to see otherwise. Let AxioMuscle show you the way to safe, effective gym results!