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Two giants of the fur trade

This is a major source book of major materials relating to William Ashley and Jedediah Smith and their explorations in the West in the 1820s. Contained are Ashley's narrative of his 1824-25 expedition to the Green River via the South Platte (the first to take the south branch) and his return on the Big Horn River to the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers; Smith's short narrative of his exploring journey to California (1826-28) (his full journal of his trip remained lost to history until 1967 when it came to light; it's also published by Bison Books and should be read in conjunction with this book; see my review of that book for a fuller account of this journey); and two fragmentary journals kept by Harrison G. Rogers, who was with Smith as company clerk, and subsequently killed along with 13 others when the party was attacked by Umpqua Indians in southwestern Oregon (only Smith and three others escaped the massacre).

In addition to this original material, editor Harrison Dale supplies full biographical accounts of both Ashley and Smith, and a thorough review of the fur trade in the west up to 1822. His notes are detailed and complete, among the best to be found in any western book, and he gives a comprehensive annotated bibliography as well. The index is also first-rate and easy to consult for research purposes. This is one of the half-dozen must-read/have books dealing with the early trans-Missouri fur-trade period. Superb history. ... Read more

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William Clifford Clark, federal deputy minister of finance from 1932 to 1952, had a profound impact on Canadian history. An important intellectual figure during the first half of the twentieth century, he was leader of 'The Ottawa Men,' a group of federal civil servants who shaped a new liberal vision of the nation. Robert A. Wardhaugh chronicles Clark's contributions to Canada's modern state in Behind the Scenes, which reconstructs the public life and ideas of one of Canada's most important bureaucrats.

The Department of Finance sat at the centre of critical federal decisions and debates. From this axis, Clark's wide-ranging contributions to Canadian policy were nothing short of phenomenal: he was the driving force behind the creation of the Bank of Canada and he spearheaded national housing policy. Clarke also managed the economy during the Great Depression and during the Second World War and he was instrumental in forging Canada's international economic role in the postwar era.

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The classic discussion between William Kingdon Clifford (The Ethics of Belief) and William James (The Will to Believe), with added explanatory footnotes, and further commentary by A.J. Burger (An Examination of "The Will to Believe").Never before have these essays appeared together in their complete and unabridged forms, with added footnotes, in an inexpensive edition.The recent essay by A.J. Burger, published for the first time, provides a thorough and unflinching examination of James' The Will to Believe."People have long been interested in the circumstances under which it is appropriate to believe.Often, the source of this interest is the desire to believe something for which one has insufficient evidence.Extensive excerpts ... are often reprinted in anthologies.This is sufficient proof of the enduring interest in this subject, and of the importance of these particular essays." -from the Preface ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Clifford's writings are calming and sensible
I was surprised to find that Clifford's comprehensive Ethics of Beliefs dissertation differed from what I received. This is still a great book of intriguing thought as well as retort from OTHER AUTHORS. I suppose I should have more thoroughily reviewed the chapter contents of what I purchased. I received this book promptly.

Great Stuff
Interestingly, I found this by searching on "ethics + belief" out of pure curiosity.Boy did I get more than I expected. Here is an illuminating presentation of important philosophical issues regarding belief.Truly one of the most enlightening books I've read.The two classic essays are a joy to read in their own right, I find myself re-reading the Clifford piece every few months.With apologies to Mr. Burger I believe it to be the most incisive and clearly written essay I've read, having only previously read the first few paragraphs of it (excerpted somewhere) prior to finding it in this collection. I found the full text to be remarkable.Mr. Burgers' own analysis in his answer to James' response to Clifford is itself carefully reasoned and well stated.I appreciate the author/editor's enabling me to clarify some things I suspected about the morality of belief and the defense of belief- for so small a price and so short a time.For instance, should I fault myself for belief in magic healing powers of crystals?In fact, is my belief moral?Previously I was somewhat given to James' view, that it is up to me to believe what I want to believe.But can the morality associated with this kind of thinking really be separated from daily actions?And what is the difference between an irrational belief in crystal power, belief in the existence of Zeus, Apollo, or yes, any supernatural entity -- or equally important, decisions regarding everyday issues such as which child spilled the juice when I wasn't looking? As a juror, is it moral for me to decide guilt or innocence based on what I want the outcome to be, or even by reference to a related belief (e.g., the accused is from Virginia and all Virginians are good people)? Are there separate rules for believing depending on the circumstances?Clifford presents a powerful analysis and argument on these issues and supports his conclusion that it is immoral to believe without evidence with careful reasoning and discussion of hypothetical events. In his essay, James attempts to defuse Clifford in his rationalization of his own religious belief.Burgers' analysis carefully and completely demonstrates the problematic weaknesses in James' argument.After reading the last word I was left to wonder why this clear and logical examination came so late.The contents of this short book should be fascinating to anyone interested in issues of belief in gods, philosophy, morality or even just clear thinking.

Three essays by three different people.
This book contains three essays by three different people who do not all agree with each other, not simply the title essay by Clifford. All three essays are about whether or not we should believe things without evidence, or, in other words, whether or not we should have faith.All three essays give reasons for their positions (even when arguing, as James does, that it is okay to have faith in certain circumstances).None of them ask you to merely have faith that their conclusions are true.As they do disagree, obviously they cannot all three be right.However, one must read the essays if one is to evaluate which, if any, of them does give sufficient reasons to be believed.

So whether the first essay by Clifford is "self-refuting", as the second reviewer claims, will not make the book as a whole either good or bad.Clifford's essay is historically relevant to the other essays, as it is one of the things that prompted James to write his essay, which in turn prompted Burger to write his response.So, even if it were self-refuting, it would be good that it is included in this small volume.However, it is a matter of some contention whether or not Clifford's essay is actually self-refuting.Clifford does not simply ask us to take his word for his claim that:"...it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence." Clifford gives reasons why he thinks this should be believed.Obviously, these reasons cannot be fully explained in a short review here, but a summary of his main argument can be given (for the details, you will need to actually read the essay rather than a review).Clifford points out that our beliefs affect our actions and our actions affect other people.As we are responsible for our actions that affect others, so, too, are weresponsible for the beliefs that prompt those actions.However, we do not have beliefs in isolation of each other; each belief affects the other beliefs we have.Thus, for example, when a ship owner believes that his ship is safe, this gets him to believe that it is okay to send people out to sea on it, without fixing it first.Obviously, whether the ship is actually safe or not is of some importance, so it would be good for the ship owner to obtain his belief from a calm examination of any evidence he is able to gather, rather thanforming his belief from a wish to save money on repairs.

Since some of our beliefs will affect how we interact with others, we are responsible for making sure that these beliefs are as accurate as possible.If we believe, for instance, that a man is a murderer, we will be apt to want to send him to prison.As it would be unjust to send an innocent man to prison, we have a duty to be careful about our belief that he is guilty, and therefore should base this belief on evidence rather than some whim.But since our beliefs are interrelated, we need to be careful about our other beliefs as well. For example, if we believe that "black people cannot be trusted" (or some other such ridiculous nonsense that people have actually believed), we may not believe the testimony of the black witnesses who give testimony that the man is innocent.So our beliefs about other matters will affect our belief about whether the man is really a murderer or not.So we need to be careful about these other beliefs as well in order to be truly careful about whether or not we believe the person is really a murderer.

Since everyone interacts with other people, their actions will have some affect on others.So the idea that some of us need to be careful about what we believe really applies to everyone.

Again, since some of our beliefs directly affect our actions that directly affect others, we need to be careful about these beliefs, or, in other words, we should only form these beliefs after obtaining sufficient evidence, or, as Clifford says, it is wrong to believe these things without sufficient evidence.And since our beliefs are interrelated, with each belief affecting our other beliefs, in order for us to be careful about one belief, we must be careful about all of our other beliefs, as they may, either singly or in combination with other beliefs, affect that one belief.So we end up with:"...it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence."

For a recent example of the impact of the faith of others on people's lives, one need only consider the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City on 11 September 2001.Certainly the faith of those terrorists is a matter of concern for others.Here Clifford's words, from 1879, seem quite prophetic:"It is not only the leader of men, statesmen, philosopher, or poet, that owes this bounden duty to mankind.Every rustic who delivers in the village alehouse his slow, infrequent sentences, may help to kill or keep alive the fatal superstitions which clog his race.Every hard-worked wife of an artisan may transmit to her children beliefs which shall knit society together, or rend it in pieces.No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station, can escape the universal duty of questioning all that we believe."Someone's faith, may, indeed, rend society in pieces.

Again, this review is not intended to be a full explanation ofClifford's arguments, but is simply presented to give the general idea.He does not tell us that we should believe his conclusion without evidence; he gives reasons why he thinks we should agree with him. Before you judge his arguments, however, you must read his essay for yourself.

Unfortunately, there is insufficient space to give even a summary of the arguments of James' and Burger's essays.

Three essays by three different people.
This book contains three essays by three different people who do not all agree with each other, not simply the title essay by Clifford. All three essays are about whether or not we should believe things without evidence, or, in other words, whether or not we should have faith. All three essays give reasons for their positions (even when arguing, as James does, that it is okay to have faith in certain circumstances). None of them ask you to merely have faith that their conclusions are true. As they do disagree, obviously they cannot all three be right. However, one must read the essays if one is to evaluate which, if any, of them does give sufficient reasons to be believed.

So whether the first essay by Clifford is "self-refuting", as the second reviewer claims, will not make the book as a whole either good or bad. Clifford's essay is historically relevant to the other essays, as it is one of the things that prompted James to write his essay, which in turn prompted Burger to write his response. So, even if it were self-refuting, it would be good that it is included in this small volume. However, it is a matter of some contention whether or not Clifford's essay is actually self-refuting. Clifford does not simply ask us to take his word for his claim that: "...it is wrong always, everywhere, and for
anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence." Clifford gives reasons why he thinks this should be believed. Obviously, these reasons cannot be fully explained in a short review here, but a summary of his main argument can be given (for the details, you will need to actually read the essay rather than a review). Clifford points out that our beliefs affect our actions and our actions affect other people. As we are responsible for our actions that affect others, so, too, are we responsible for the beliefs that prompt those actions. However, we do not have beliefs in isolation of each other; each belief affects the other beliefs we have. Thus, for example, when a ship owner believes that his ship is safe, this gets him to believe that it is okay to send people out to sea on it, without fixing it first. Obviously, whether the ship is actually safe or not is of some importance, so it would be good for the ship owner to obtain his belief from a calm examination of any evidence he is able to gather, rather than forming his belief from a wish to save money on repairs.

Since some of our beliefs will affect how we interact with others, we are responsible for making sure that these beliefs are as accurate as possible. If we believe, for instance, that a man is a murderer, we will be apt to want to send him to prison. As it would be unjust to send an innocent man to prison, we have a duty to be careful about our belief that he is guilty, and therefore should base this belief on evidence rather than some whim. But since our beliefs are interrelated, we need to be careful about our other beliefs as well. For example, if we believe that "black people cannot be trusted" (or some other such ridiculous nonsense that people have actually believed), we may not believe the testimony of the black witnesses who give testimony thatthe man is innocent. So our beliefs about other matters will affect our belief about whether the man is really a murderer or not. So we need to be careful about these other beliefs as well in order to be truly careful about whether or not we believe the person is really a murderer.

Since everyone interacts with other people, their actions will have some affect on others. So the idea that some of us need to be careful about what we believe really applies to everyone.

Again, since some of our beliefs directly affect our actions that directly affect others, we need to be careful about these beliefs, or, in other words, we should only form these beliefs after obtaining sufficient evidence, or, as Clifford says, it is wrong to believe these things without sufficient evidence. And since our beliefs are interrelated, with each belief affecting our other beliefs, in order for us to be careful about one belief, we must be careful about all of our other beliefs, as they may, either singly or in combination with other beliefs, affect that one belief. So we end up with: "...it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence."

For a recent example of the impact of the faith of others on people's lives, one need only consider the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City on 11 September 2001. Certainly the faith of those terrorists is a matter of concern for others. Here Clifford's words, from 1879, seem quite prophetic: "It is not only the leader of men, statesmen, philosopher, or poet, that owes this bounden duty to mankind. Every rustic who delivers in the village alehouse his slow, infrequent sentences, may help to kill or keep alive the fatal superstitions which clog his race. Every hard-worked wife of an artisan may transmit to her children beliefs which shall knit society together, or rend it in pieces. No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station, can escape the universal duty of questioning all that we believe." Someone's faith, may, indeed, rend society in pieces.

Again, this review is not intended to be a full explanation of Clifford's arguments, but is simply presented to give the general idea. He does not tell us that we should believe his conclusion without evidence; he gives reasons why he thinks we should agree with him. Before you judge his arguments, however, you must read his essay for yourself.

Unfortunately, there is insufficient space to give even a summary of the arguments of James' and Burger's essays. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first biography of a mathematical genius and his literary wife, their wide circle of well-known intellectual and artistic friends, and through them of the age in which they lived.

William Clifford died in 1879 at the age of 33. During his short life he became renowned not only for his innovative and lasting mathematics, but also for his philosophy, which embraced the fundamentals of scientific thought, the nature of the physical universe, Darwinian evolutionary theory, the nature of consciousness, personal morality and law, and the whole mystery of being.

It is now recognised among mathematicians and physicists that Dirac's theory of the electron, fundamental to modern physics, is based on Clifford algebra. He also anticipated Einstein's idea that Space is curved.

The year after his election to the Royal Society, Clifford married Lucy Lane, the journalist and novelist. During their four years of marriage they held Sunday salons which were attended by many well-known scientific, literary and artistic personalities. After William's death, Lucy became a close friend and confidante of Henry James. Her wide circle of friends included Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, George Eliot, Leslie Stephen, Thomas Huxley, Sir Frederick Macmillan, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inspiring Curiosity
I immensely enjoyed reading "Such Silver Currents". It flows at just the right pace, and gathers interest, intrigue, and admiration in the reading. It inspires a curiosity about the era that made me turn frequently to a biographical dictionary for supplementary detail. The author makes her
personalities come alive; her story creates a vivid picture of the interplay of motivations of her subjects. Refreshed by reading about "behind the scenes" people instead of the "big names", I found an underlying theme of the validity of all of our lives, no matter how unknown, how forgotten in the broad sweeps of human history. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1879Original Publisher: MacmillanSubjects: ScienceMatterEthicsMind and bodyPhilosophy / Ethics ... Read more

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This volume is the outgrowth of a conference devoted to WilliamK. Clifford entitled, "New Trends in Geometrical and TopologicalMethods", which was held at the University of Madeira in Julyand August 1995. The aim of the conference was to bring togetheractive workers in fields linked to Clifford's work and to fosterthe exchange of ideas between mathematicians and theoreticalphysicists. Divided into 6 one-day sessions, each session wasdevoted to a specific aspect of Clifford's work.

This volume is an attempt to bring the Clifford legacy in a newperspective to a larger community of mathematicians andphysicists. New concepts, ideas, and results stemming fromClifford's work are discussed. Each article in the book is aself-contained paper that was presented at or submitted to theconference. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This text takes an emerging approach to physics, emphasizing important geometrical structures that lay the foundations of much of modern theory. The subject of Clifford algebras is presented in efficient geometric language - common concepts in physics are clarified, united and extended. The text serves as a pedgogical tool for either self-study or in undergraduate/graduate courses. Topics covered include: history of teaching algebras; linear algebra; gravity; spinors; applications in engineering; spacetime algebra and line geometry; and Clifford algebra with Maple. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good compilation
This book, a compilation of 33 articles covering many different aspects and applications of Clifford algebras, can be read profitably by anyone desiring an overview of their history, theory, and applications. I did not read every article, and space also prohibits such a comprehensive review, so I will comment only on the ones that I actually studied.

Chapter introduces Clifford algebras as an extension of the real numbers to include vectors and vector products. The familiar representation in Euclidean space is outlined, with emphasis on the exterior product of two vectors, which, the author points out, is associative (unlike the ordinary cross product). The connection with rotations, reflections, and volume elements is pointed out, and the complex numbers and the Pauli algebra are shown to be Clifford algebras.

A short history of Clifford algebras is given in chapter 2. The reader not familiar with Clifford algebras should have no trouble following the ensuing discussion where some elementary geometric constructions are given of the Clifford algebra on the Euclidean plane. In addition, the operator approach to Weyl, Majorana, and Dirac operators is given, illustrating in detail their connection to physics. Recognizing that the Fierz identities do not by themselves give the Weyl and Majorana spinors, the author introduces what he calls the boomerang method for their construction. The boomerang is essentially a linear combination of bilinear covariants for a spinor, and the author details the conditions under which the spinor can be reconstructed. Interestingly, and unknown to me at the time of reading this chapter, the author constructs a new class of spinors, the "flag-dipole" spinors, that are different from the Weyl, Majorana, and Dirac spinors.

The author of chapter 3 considers the construction of Clifford algebras from a more geometric viewpoint, calling them geometric algebras, which he motivates by the consideration of extending the reals by a unipotent ( a number not equal to +1 or -1 but whose square is 1). The resulting unipodal numbers are isomorphic to the diagonal 2 x 2 matrices. The extension of the unipodal numbers so as to make this isomorphism to the full 2 x 2 matrix algebra leads to Clifford algebras.

In Chapter 9, the spacetime algebra is brought in to study electron physics. The "space-time algebra" or STA is used to characterize the observables associated with Pauli and Dirac spinors. The material presented is standard in physics, wherein the Green's function (propagator) for the Dirac equation is given, along with scattering theory. The typical problem of scattering off a potential barrier of finite width is discussed, along with the Klein paradox.

The space-time algebra is also discussed in the context of the interpretation of quantum mechanics in Chapter 11. The authors really do not add anything new here (interms of what one might consider "strange" behavior in quantum physics). They interpret Dirac currents as measurable quantities, avoiding seemingly any notion of wave packet collapse and difficulties with defining tunneling time(s), but not answering at all how to measure these currents. In addition, the Pauli principle is interepreted in the context of space-time algebra, without any quantum field theory. Howerver, it is not shown that such an approach satisfies cluster decomposition, casting suspicion on its utility.

In Chapters 21, 22, and 23 the author shows how spinors fit into the framework of the Lorentz group, their relationship to the Clifford algebra, and in general relativity. It is shown how the Dirac spinor can be defined in three different ways, namely as an element of the representation space of the Clifford algebra of spacetime, an element of the representation space of the fundamental representation of the Dirac spinor metric-preserving automorphism group of the Clifford algebra, and as an element of the representation space of the fundamental representation of the covering group of the conformal group.

The most interesting discussion in the book is chapter 28 on extending the Grassmann algebra. Dispensing with any scalar product on a vector space, the author shows how to obtain the relative magnitude between two vectors and this leads to the notion of a multivector. The duals to these are called outer forms, and are the familiar differential forms when depending on spatial position. Many helpful diagrams are used to illustrate the properties of multivectors and pseudomultivectors, the linear span of which is called the extended Grassmann algebra of multivectors. Adding a scalar product reduces the number of directed quantities to four, and electrodynamics can be formulated in a way that is independent of the scalar product. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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"An Intrepid Scot" makes an important new contribution to the growing literature on the perceptions of the Islamic world and the 'Orient' in early modern Europe, at the same time as illuminating the attitudes of a Protestant from Northern Europe towards the Catholic South. In this book, Edmund Bosworth looks at the life and career of William Lithgow, a tough and opinionated Scots Protestant, who had a seemingly insatiable Wanderlust and who managed to survive various misadventures and near-death experiences in the course of his travels. These took him through a dangerously Catholic Southern Europe to a dangerously Muslim Greece and Istanbul en route for his pilgrimage destination of the Holy Land; on another occasion he went through North Africa and returned circuitously via Central and Eastern Europe; but he was stopped in his tracks whilst endeavouring to reach the court of Prester John in Ethiopia, when he fell into the hands of the Spanish Inquisition and narrowly escaped a horrible death. Lithgow was one of several men of his time who journeyed eastwards, some as far as Persia and India, but unlike many others, he has not been the subject of a special study.Bosworth now places him within the context of the present interest in perceptions of the Islamic world and of the 'Orient' and 'Orientals' in early modern Europe. In addition to the entertainment of the travel narrative, the book shows how one Westerner of the time interpreted the alien East for his readers, and how the Ottoman Empire and its apparently unstoppable might both fascinated and struck fear into the hearts of those outside it. ... Read more

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Best known for political plays of the 1930s like Waiting for Lefty and Awake and Sing!, Odets created rich and varied drama well into the 1950s. That his plays continue to be appraised and performed is clearly evident in this detailed and carefully articulated sourcebook. A near-exhaustive resource for both literary and theatrical research materials on Odets' dramatic career, the volume includes a biographical essay; critical overview, production history, and plot summary of each dramatic product; annotated primary and secondary bibliographies and information on archival sources; and production credits. ... Read more

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The "Sage of Ottawa", William Dawson Le Sueur was a complex man the author argues. He was a social critic, persuasive journalist, revisionist historian, Canadian nationalist, feminist, educator, positive philosopher, and follower of Comte, Spencer and Henry George. The author argues that he contributed something of his own critical scepticism to the nexus of translatlantic thought. ... Read more