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Between the gentle trade winds and the thriving tourist trade, the year-round summer days and the languid nights, the living is easy in Key West.That's just the way Gideon Lowry likes it - and just the sort of phrasing he'd borrow from the classic tunes he tickles on the ivories, weekend nights in the local lounge.In a town where "people either came to drop out, or renew themselves before heading back to the real world," Gideon fits comfortably into the first category - with all disrespect for the rat race, and no apologies.He's been everything from fireman and fisherman to soldier, cop, and husband...three times.But the only habits he's stuck with over the years have been drinking and detective work - not always in that order - and music. ... Read more

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Introducing Gideon Lowry, Conch detective
Killing Me Softly introduces Gideon Lowry, Korean War vet, thrice divorced, pianist, and finally P.I. A "Conch" born and raised in Key West Gideon has fallen on hard times. Too much alcohol and not enough work have brought Gideon closer to the edge than he has ever been before. Then a 40 year old murder case is brought to him by the sister of the murder victim, and Gideon becomes involved in a pursuit that involves the most powerful family in the area and his own brother, now a state senator.

Leslie does a fine job of creating an interesting P.I. in a genre where originality is at a premium. In Lowry, Leslie has created a very human detective, a realistic mystery and a cast of interesting supporting characters. A solid debut. ... Read more

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One of the first books to address what has come to be known as the philosophy of cosmology, Universes asks, "Why does the universe exist?", arguing that the universe is "fine tuned for producing life." For example, if the universe's early expansion speed had been smaller by one part in a million, then it would have recollapsed rapidly; with an equivalently tiny speed increase, no galaxies would have formed. Either way, this universe would have been lifeless. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Get the bias out of your math!
I can be brief. It is astonishing how even brilliant minds, like Professor Penrose can go astray. There was this housewife from Pennsylvania who within weeks hit the jackpot twice on the same ticket. The papers were quick to report that this was a one to 17 billion long shot. Not true! Or only true if no one else but Ms Johnes is supposed to be the winner. But if just SOMEBODY is supposed to win, then, given the number of participants, the odds are something in the order of 1:30. Neither evolution nor the universe are partial about us, only WE have this bias. But given size and duration of available worlds, SOMETHING is bound to happen, if not here than somewhere else, if not life then some other oddity. As it happened it was life and it was us.Personally I don't believe in Big Bang and all this nonsense, so there is plenty of time for something to happen anyway, but this is not my point: even given the limitations and strictures most seem to believe can be observed out there, the one universe there is, is still big enough for something to occur. Besides evolution is the mechanism gradually to improve the odds. Again: evolution has no intentions to end up with weird critters like us. But it proceeds in a way that makes us possible: not necessary, but possible.The whole 'anthropic principle,' is just an other exercise in human vanity. If we can't be the necessary fruit of events, we want at least to be an impossibly rare specimen. We are neither folks, and that is all there is to it.

The DEFINITIVE book on the Anthropic Principle
This book is truly wonderful.Not only that, it is perhaps the only book that I know of that is endorsed by BOTH atheists and theists alike.Yep, that's right boys and girls.Quentin Smith is one of the most die hardatheists on the planet and Peter Van Inwagen of the university of NortreDame is one of the biggest defenders of theism.Both rave about this bookand their comments can be read on the back cover.So, what is this bookall about, you ask?Well, it's something known as the Anthropic Principle. It was first introduced in the early 1970s by a physicist by the name ofBrandon Carter.It basically states that we are not just lucky to be here,but rather we are REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY lucky to be here.Why? Because from the first instant of the big bang onward, an incredible andhighly improbable slew of things HAD to go right in order for thepossibility for life to exist anywhere in the universe.So much so that itseems that the universe was "fine tuned" just for life.Sir FredHoyle (an atheist) was led to comment that the universe looks like a"put up job." Now, this set of circumstances led to aressurection of the Argument from Design by the theists with renewedvehemence.Meanwhile, the atheists have their own responses, whichbasically take up two camps.First Response (also known as the WeakAnthropic Principle or WAP):"Of course the universe has laws whichallow life to exist.If they didn't we would not be here.Therefore, theodds are irrelevant except perhaps for some latenight philosophic mentalgymnastics."Now, there is a problem with this response in that it isnothing more than a tautology.That is to say, it does not EXPLAIN why theuniverse supports life despite so many constricted laws of physics andchemistry.It is like someone asking why the Dallas Cowboys won thesuperbowl and having a person respond "because they scored more pointsthan the other team."That answers nothing.The question is:WHYdid they win?Were they better than the other team?Did they get lucky? Did they have a better coach?Did the other team have injuries?Wereturnovers a factor?etc. etc.Saying that "they scored morepoints" only states the obvious: "of course they scored morepoints, or else they would not have won the game..."Now, the secondcamp is known as the Strong Anthropic Principle (SAP) and it goes somethinglike this:"Since the odds of our existing in a universe with thePRECISE physical laws necessary for us to do so are so slim as to beintellectually unacceptable (in the order of 10^10^123 according to RogerPenrose) there must then be a whole slew of other universes (perhaps aninfinite number) to JUSTIFY this one.That is to say, in an infinitenumber of universes, virtually anything can happen.The majority of themwould have random, weird laws of physics and be lifeless but EVERY SO OFTENyou would get one which could support life (in some form or another)." Now, this is an interesting argument, but it has a fatal flaw.There isnot a SHRED of evidence that even one other universe exists besides our(much less an infinte number of them).Yet they seem to HAVE to exist inorder for the numbers to come out right.Hence, if one chooses to believein these alternate universes (no matter what his scientific credentials) heMUST do so on faith alone.Obviously, most atheists are not comfortablewith this conclusion, but that is the way it goes.Leslie's book engagesthe subject objectively and he tells wonderful, fun stories that offer boththe atheist (multiple universe) and theistic (one universe with a designer)perceptions of the debate.A remarkable book.I think that Mr. Piersonmissed the point when he read it as it is not about Darwinian evolution atall (nor does Leslie ever say it is).It is well worth reading the wholething, too.What Mr. Pierson said about atheists being willing to believein multiple universes but are not willing to believe in God is preciselyone of Leslie's points.However, I also would endorse the other books thatMr. Pierson recommended as I have read them too.Also, I would suggest forthose who like this book Atheism, Theism and Big Bang Cosmology by QuentinSmith and William Craig Lane.

Some good facts - a hard read & unrealistic major concept
Not believing in Darwinian evolution, I find the Anthropic Principle (thecore concept of the book) compelling - it does seem to me that the Universehas been fine-tuned for life.And some of the examples were quitepertinent.However, I quit reading about 1/3 of the way through the bookfor three reasons.1) I found that the same facts and arguments seemed tobe repeated over and over.2) I found the book to be a "hardread" - the logic did not seem easy to follow (this may be because Ihave a "scientific" mind rather than a "philosophic"mind and most of the arguments are presented from a philosophicalreference).3) Multiple universes with different laws of nature, which theauthor believes to exist, are needed to explain the fine-tuning of ourUniverse only because scientists refuse to accept an "intelligentdesinger" because "He" can not be seen, felt, heard,touched, or measured, and is not constrained by the laws of nature as weknow them.Yet, these same scientists have no problem believing in otheruniverses that can not be seen, felt, heard, touched, or measured , andwhich do not follow the laws of nature as we know them.For those who arelooking for scientific arguments against Darwinian evolution, I suggestthese recent works by two Ph.D.'s: DARWIN'S BLACK BOX;THE BIOCHEMICALCHALLENGE TO EVOLUTION and THE SCIENCE OF GOD:THE CONVERGENCE OF SCIENTIFICAND BIBLICAL WISDOM.

Cosmology made Fun and Exciting
Philosophy professor John Leslie does a supurb job of presenting evidence that our cosmos may have been "fine-tuned" for life.The basic argument is that a life-premitting cosmos requires the existence of a very large number of highly specific and seemingly unrelated facts. Were any of these facts changed even modestly, life could have never have arisen. Further, since the probability of all the facts being what are is thought to be vanishingly small, some have suggested that our cosmos may have been "fine-tuned" for life.For some this has seemed a strong argument for the existence of God. But Leslie points out that an equally good explanation is that our portion of the cosmos is only a small part ofa vast Universe. The great majority of this Universe is disorded and non-life-premitting, but entirely by chance some portions are life-premitting. That we see a life-permitting cosmos should come as no surprise, because mere chance indicates that at least some areas should be life-premitting and we can exist only in these areas. While Leslie's work is fun and exciting, and while Leslie clearly knows a great deal about physics and cosmology, from a philosophical perspective some of his conclusions seem a bit naive. For example, he defends a bizarre neoplatonic notion that a life-premitting Universe may exist solely because its existence is ethically required, i.e. that an abstract ethical principle may somehow have created everything. While this is a possible cosmogony perhaps on par with the God hypothesis, itsimplausable nature seems to suggestthat we adopt a healthy skepticism about the ultimate origins of the Universe rather than seriously entartain it as a possibility. Leslie also makes some unwarranted assumptions about the possibility of alternative laws of nature. Nonetheless, the book is fun and informative. I highly recommend it. --Greg Klebanoff ... Read more

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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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Satisfied w/ book
The Gregg shorthand book was in perfect condition. It came on time
and I'm very satisfied.

If you are self-teaching Gregg Simplified, this book is well worth the price
This book works in conjunction with the The GREGG Shorthand Manual Simplified that you can also readily purchase.Unlike theGregg Shorthand Dictionary Simplified a Dictionary of 30,000 Authoritative Gregg Shorthand Outlines this book takes thousands and thousands of the most used words and phrases and groups them by the lesson number in the Gregg Simplified Manual.In other words, once you complete any one specific lesson in the Manual, you now have enough information to properly spell out a whole new set of words and phrases, many of which are not specifically ever mentioned in the manual.By going to the corresponding chapter in this book, you have all of the new words at your disposal.

Again, if you are self-taught, this book is your homework assignment.

This book is not the dictionary.In other words, if you need to know how to spell any particular word or phrase, don't look inside this book.Instead, you need to reference the Gregg Shorthand Dictionary Simplified a Dictionary of 30,000 Authoritative Gregg Shorthand Outlines.Also, if you are learning another version of Gregg such as Anniversary or Diamond Jubilie, then this book will be of very little value to you.

Bottom Line: This is your homework! ... Read more

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Assuming a low profile throughout the raucous festivities of Key West's Hemingway Days celebration, pianist Gideon Lowry is approached by the sultry Asia to help her find her estranged missing husband. Reprint. ... Read more

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Very Original!
With "Night and Day", John Leslie manages to combine the lives of a female MTV star, Ernest Hemingway, and Key West Private Eye Gideon Lowry.How Mr. Leslie does that task can be summed up in one simple word: TALENT.

This second book in the series is simply unbelievably good.I've reread it so many times I have had to buy a new copy for my bookshelf. ... 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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Did the universe originate from a 'big bang' as argued by leading astrophysicists and others? Or does some other theory more accurately describe its beginnings? Are there other forms of life in our universe? What about other universes? Was our universe specially formed to support life? Does our universe have a purpose?What are the conditions under which life begins, evolves, and how does it become extinct? These questions propel "Modern Cosmology & Philosophy" as the leading text in this hotly debated area where science and philosophy meet. Edited with an introduction by noted scholar John Leslie, this volume offers superb selections on modern cosmology, relativistic theories of the universe, the Big Bang, the problem of God and creation, cosmology and verifiability, coincidences, origins and evolution, multiple universe theories, infinity, chaos, life forms, the end of time, and the limits of our knowledge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A very decent volume
This collection edited by John Leslie is a good addition to more thoroughfare "Philosophy of Religion"-type texts. In this text you'll find an assortment of well-known intellectuals who have contributed to the discussion of the problems for years; you'll also find material not found elsewhere. I recommend this text but also recommend it is supplemented with a broader volume focusing not only on cosmological arguments but also arguments of ontology and teleology.

How convenient; arrogance and stupidity wrapped in one!
I won't even get started on how poorly this book was written. Alas, such a book shouldn't really be judged on things such as grammar and syntax. It should however be judged on how insightful it is, the author's understanding of basic principles, and fair coverage of both sides of each debate. This book FAILS in all those regards. I must admit it is quite humorous to read Leslie state the obvious and act like he's just discovered a remarkable fact and is enlightening the world. I must say it's scary and disturbing that my school actually made me read this.

An interesting survey of philosophical cosmology
Very interesting reading written by experts in their fields. One criticism is that there should have been more discussion of unresolved issues. ... Read more

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A major figure in contemporary art, John Baldessari is widely considered one of the most influential artists to emerge since the mid-1960s. From his early text-and-image paintings to his more recent photo collages and installations, Baldessari has continued to make art that addresses the social impact of mass culture, often playfully through strategies of appropriation and deconstruction. Baldessari's lifelong interest in language,written and visual, and the interaction between the two, raises questions about the nature of communication and perception. More than 400 illustrations are presented in full colour in this monograph published in conjunction with a major exhibition organised by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Tate Modern in London. Eleven essays by critics, curators, art historians, and an artist and former student of Baldessari'sround out this volume. Few contemporary artists have achieved the range and relevance of Baldessari's oeuvre, which is finally given its due in this elegant retrospective book. ... Read more

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This outrageous book is packed with great things to make with common, easy-to-find ingredients.Check out these fun-filled categories. Dough & Chalk; Mache; Paints; Invisible & Disappearing Inks; Paper Making: Printing; Slimes; Color Changes; Crystals; Yolks On You; It'll Grow On You; Weird Stuff; and Gross Out.All recipes include step-by-step instructions, and the activities are coded to indicate "Adult Help," Long Time," and "Don't Eat." ... Read more

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Fun and interesting
I bought this for my 7 year old sister...she loves it!She is learning about science without even knowing it and loves making the different concoctions!

Fun for Kids seven and up
"The incredible secret formula book" gives plenty of neat little things to keep you and your kids busy on those boring summer days.

Most of the things in this book use items you probably all ready have in your home: paper, corn starch, sugar and various food items.

This book details things like How to make invisible ink or disappering ink. If that doesn't interest you there's making chalk out of egg shells or how to recylce paper. you can even make "Mutant slime" a kids favorite. Don't like mutant Slime? how 'bout psylly slime or miss muppet slime? victal slime or udderly Gross slime?lots of fun for kids and thier mom and or dad.

Kids' Favorite
This book has become my children's favorite.It is full of cheap ideas that the kid's love to experiment with.I would recommend this book to all parents. ... Read more

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Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "John Leslie," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have John Leslie in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with John Leslie when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name John Leslie, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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British Library

T010079

The final leaf contains a 'Sonnet to the author'.

Dublin : printed for W. Wilson, 1772. 62,[2]p. : ill. ; 8° ... Read more

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Title: The Life and Times of ... John Leslie, Bishop of the Isles, and of Raphoe and Clogher. With Sketches of Other Persons of the Leslie Family, 1525-1675General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1885Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free.Excerpt: CHAPTER III.John Leslie, The Second Bishop -- Birth And Education -- The Year 1571 -- Civil And Ecclesiastical Affairs In Scotland -- Universities There -- Aberdeen -- Escape From Party Combinations.THE name John Leslie had been highly honoured in the person of the Bishop of Ross, at the period when this biography commences. And he remained still alive, immured in the gloomy precincts of the Tower of London for some eighteen months, by order of Queen Elizabeth, upon no pretext of law or equity, chafing with just resentment against injurious treatment of his own sovereign more than of himself. Meanwhile a namesake, and of the same ancestry, destined to emulate him in character and distinction, even in trials and misfortunes, saw the light. No immediate tie of consanguinity united them together, and a whole generation divided their paths through the world. Nor does any trace appear of the two having met or held communication with each other, though possibly they were sometimes in the same locality or within easy distance, had it been desired. Diversity of religion must, therefore, be supposed in great measure to have been the preventing cause -- a painful illustration among thousands of instances of our blessed Saviour's prophecy that Christianity should78 Birthplace.prove a sword in households as well as communities. Yet upon political questions in general, Queen Mary's case, and the rebellious conduct of her subjects, their sentiments must hav... ... Read more

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Originally published in 1901.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more