Child Abuse and Neglect: Biosocial Dimensions (Foundations of Human Behavior)

Book Description

This book contains new biosocial theory and data as well as comprehensive reviews of the basic science and clinical literature on adult human sexual attraction to and behavior with children and adolescents. Whereas there is a large literature on the biosocial bases of human "sexual orientation," this book is the first, comprehensive biosocial examination of human erotic "age orientation". Leading researchers from the natural and social sciences show how a cross-cultural, cross-species, and cross-historical approach gives new insights into the biosocial roots of human pedophilia in contemporary industrialized societies. The volume is organized around ethologist Niko Tinbergen's four recommended dimensions by which a behavior should be understood: evolution, cause, function, and development. Using these four dimensions, pedophilia is examined at the level of the molecule, tissue, individual, family, social group, and society. This multi-level synthesis points to new evolutionary, psychological, and behavioral-physiological mechanisms by which this heretofore academically neglected aspect of human sexuality could have evolved. The material in the book is much broader than but very applicable to the topic of child sexual abuse. Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions should be of interest to all clinicians who work with adults, children, or adolescents who have been involved in pedophilia. Developmentalists, educators, sexologists, natural and social scientists, jurists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, clergy, correctional workers, physicians, and others will find material of interest in this book.

Customer Reviews:

variety of viewpoints.......2003-02-15

In this collection of essays, the topic is explored from many different angles.

Some of the writers observe other animal species. Anderson & Bielert tell us that preadolescent sex play abounds in other primate species, whereas there is very little intergenerational sex. de Wall surveys the bonobo species, in which adult males mount female juveniles. Eibl-Eibesfeldt summarizes childlike features and gestures in animals. Feierman comments that no nonhuman primate has ever been observed to prefer juveniles.

Some of the writers study history and prehistory. Diamond tells us about the culture of pre-Western Hawaii. Mackey theorizes on the origins of playfighting between adults and children.

just a few oversights.......2000-12-11

The topic is explored from all angles, and I agree with the reader from Copenhagen: we see objectivity in an area where objectivity is lacking.

I take issue, however, with the article written by the editor himself. He assumes that an overdose of love for children will result in sexual attraction for children. Rather, I see people of all ages and both genders needing people of all ages and both genders, and I see people of different age/gender groups fulfilling different needs.

Research tells us that:

1. a pedophile tends to lack early experience in nurturing children younger than himself

2. pedophiles seldom offend against a child whom he had nurtured from infancy, and in fact, tends not to have nurtured any child from infancy

In light of these findings, one might conclude that pedophilia is impossible in an extended family setting, which is exactly what predominated until very recently in our evolutionary history.

Biological theories on sexuality.......1998-09-14

A more apt title would be: "Sexuality - Biosocial dimensions". In order to establish a theoretical framework on which to base a discussion of pedophilia, the book reviews several general theories on sexual behavior. The book is therefore a valuable ressource for anybody who wants to get a general understanding of sexual behavior from the point of view of behavioral biology (=ethology) as well as for those who want to understand the biological roots of pedophilia. Unlike psychological texts, this book is virtually free of moral judgments and emotional vocabulary.

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Sociobiology and the human dimension

Manufacturer: Cambridge University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H5X4V0

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Best day trip guide for the Missoula Floods I've read........2006-03-10

If you have interest in geology, catastrophies, and particularly in the Missoula Floods, this is one of the best books to read.

It provides an overview of the geology and effects of these massive floods of 15,000 years ago, but even more, it provides driving directions, lodging and fuel suggestions, and fantastic day and multi-day trips to view the current day results of the Floods.

I've been to many of the areas covered by the book, and it still pointed out many things I had failed to see and understand.

If you are going to be traveling anywhere in Eastern Washington, the Columbia River Gorge, Northern Idaho, or around Missoula Montana--buy the book. It's a very entertaining read and a wonderful way to open your eyes to what has happened to create the extraordinary formations in the inland Northwest.

Fascinating read for the amateur geologist/hiker.......2003-01-07

Growing up in Oregon's Willamette Valley, basalt cliffs have watched over my life. More flood basalt and Rocky mountain gravels and mud are under my feet, and for most of my life I've lived within the shores of glacial lake Allison. When I go the rugged Pacific coast I look at beautiful haystack rocks and headlands where the same lava streams flowed, or I climb volcanic peaks just inland. Flood-wrenched lavas greet me in my travels up the Columbia and Snake Rivers, through the gorge, coulees and hills and through the valley of the Grande Ronde to overlook the Snake River canyon, over a mile deep. Fossils lie beneath similar formations in John Day country.

Fire, Faults & Floods bring the processes that created this to life. It would be useful and handy enough as a guidebook for traveling to various places and interpreting them with short hikes and drives. However, it goes way beyond this, interesting enough to hold your attention as you turn each page, filling in more and more details and drawing them into a cohesive whole.

If you have money and interest left after this book, for a more historically-oriented story of Harlan Bretz, and additional local details, pick up a companion book "Cataclysms on the Columbia" by Allen, Burns, Sargent, and Sargent.

When Imagination Falters!.......2000-06-04

This book tells of events so implausible that even your imagination will have difficulty comprehending them. If I have any complaint about the book it is that it fails to sufficiently emphasize how amazing it is, for example, that molten lava once upon a time ran nearly 400 miles before coming to its stopping place. The authors seem to almost be afraid that if they point up the apparent absurdity of it all, the reader would decide the whole book was a well written hoax! It was not a hoax, though, and the story of what happened in the Pacific Northwest once upon a time is well told. It is of greatest interest, obviously, to those of us who live here in the midst of the results of fire, fault and flood, but, for those elsewhere with vivid imaginations, it is a cracking good book. This is one time when what actually happened is more exciting than anything one's imgination can possibly conjure up!

Overlooked Beauty.......2000-05-01

I really enjoyed this book. But I may be different that you. I like rocks, massive basalt cliffs, immense coulees, and the beauty of arid lands. These and much more can be found in this wonderful book by Marge and Ted Mueller. If you're excited about these things then this may be a book you'd enjoy also, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This book is really more than just a basic, easy-to-read geological primer of the Columbia River Basin. It is a trip-planner with detailed instructions on how to go and see the stuff for yourself. I've already been to a couple of the locations and have another short trip planned for this fall. This book is exactly what I hoped it would be when I bought it from Amazon.com. I've never found another book quite like it. Enjoy!

Fire, Faults, and Floods: a Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin (Northwest Naturalist Book)

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Fire, Faults, and Floods: a Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin (Northwest Naturalist Book)
Marge Mueller
Manufacturer: University of Idaho Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N63OE0

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Highly recommended.

Noble indeed...

Theravada nihilism and doxa (opinion), not reflective of Pali suttana

A true gem

Thank You Bhikku Bohdi!

The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Manufacturer: Pariyatti Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha)

A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: Buddhist Publication Society, Sri Lanka, 11993 (Vipassana Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings)

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ASIN: 192870607X

Book Description

This book offers a clear, concise account of the Eightfold Path prescribed to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying cause of suffering—ignorance. Each step of the path is believed to cultivate wisdom through mental training, and includes an enlightened and peaceful middle path that avoids extremes. The theoretical as well as practical angles of each of the paths—right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration—are illustrated through examples from contemporary life. The work's final chapter addresses the Buddhist path and its culmination in enlightenment.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended........2007-09-07

If you are looking for commentary on the 8-fold path,Bikkhu Bodhi's book is worth checking out.

Noble indeed..........2007-07-19

Bodhi is a scholar of the highest caliber.
His explanations of Buddha's teachings are well defined, clear, and accessible to beginner and a gift to the long term practitioner.

Anyone interested in the foundations of Buddhism will no doubt benefit from his work.

Theravada nihilism and doxa (opinion), not reflective of Pali suttana.......2007-02-24

The position by the author, Bhikkhu B., in said book is one not doctrinally substantiated. The entire premise of this book is that is the "teachings of Gotama Buddha", when in fact it is the view/position of Theravada orthodoxy (i.e. Abhidhamma/Budddhaghosa). Bodhi's book posits the denial of the Atman as the basis "core of Buddhism", when in fact no such doctrinal citation exists.

B. Bodhi also FAILS to mention there are "2 8fold paths" in sutta [Majjhima Nikaya 3.72], as well as the "Superior 10fold path" (arya dasa magga) which contains #9 Sammanana, and #10 Sammavimutta. I wont even go into the fact that the word Samma' does not translate as "right/rightness"; another error in Pali translation Bodhi makes.

The Buddhist term Anatman (Sanskrit), or Anatta (Pali) is an adjective in sutra used to refer to the nature of phenomena as being devoid of the Soul, the ontological and subjective Self (atman) which is the "light (dipam), and only refuge" [DN 2.100]. Of the 662 occurrences of the term Anatta in the Nikayas, its usage is restricted to referring to 22 nouns (forms, feelings, perception, experiences, consciousness, the eye, eye-consciousness, desires, mentation, mental formations, ear, nose, tongue, body, lusts, things unreal, etc.), all phenomenal, as being Selfless (anatta). Contrary to some popular books written outside the scope of Buddhist doctrine, there is no "Doctrine of anatta/anatman" mentioned anywhere in the sutras, rather anatta is used only to refer to impermanent things as other than the Soul, to be anatta.

Specifically in sutra, anatta is used to describe the nature of any and all composite, consubstantial, phenomenal, and temporal things, from the macrocosmic, to microcosmic, be it matter as pertains the physical body or the cosmos at large, including any and all mental machinations which are of the nature of arising and passing. Anatta in sutra is synonymous and interchangeable with the terms dukkha (suffering) and anicca (impermanent), and all three terms are often used in triplet in making a blanket statement as regards any and all phenomena. "All these aggregates are anicca, dukkha, and anatta."

Anatta refers only to the absence of the permanent soul as pertains any one of the psycho-physical (namo-rupa) attributes, or Khandhas (skandhas, aggregates). Anatta/Anatman in the earliest Buddhist texts, the Nikayas, is an adjective, (A is anatta, B is anatta, C is anatta). The commonly held belief to wit that: "Anatta means no-soul, therefore Buddhism taught that there was no soul" is a concept, which cannot be found or doctrinally substantiated by means of the Nikayas, the sutras, of Buddhism.

The Pali term and noun for "no soul" is natthatta (literally "there is not/no[nattha]+atta'[Soul]), not the term anatta, and is mentioned at Samyutta Nikaya 4.400, where when Gotama was asked if there "was no soul (natthatta)", equated this question to be equivalent to Nihilism (ucchedavada). Common throughout Buddhist sutra is the denial of psycho-physical attributes of the mere empirical self to be the Soul, or confused with same. The Buddhist paradigm as regards phenomena is "Na me so atta" (this/these are not my soul), nearly so the most common utterance of Gotama Buddha in the Nikayas, where "na me so atta" = Anatta/Anatman. In sutra, to hold the view that there is "no-Soul" (natthatta) is = to ucchedavada (SN 4.400) [Annihilationism] = natthika (nihilist).

Logically so, according to the philosophical premise of Gotama, the initiate to Buddhism who is to be "shown the way to Immortality (amata)" [MN 2.265, SN 5.9], wherein liberation of the mind (cittavimutta) is effectuated thru the expansion of wisdom and the meditative practices of sati and samadhi, must first be educated away from his former ignorance-based (avijja) materialistic proclivities in that he "saw any of these forms, feelings, or this body, to be my Self, to be that which I am by nature". Teaching the subject of anatta in sutra pertains solely to things phenomenal, which were: "subject to perpetual change; therefore unfit to declare of such things `these are mine, these are what I am, that these are my Soul'" [MN 1.232]

The one scriptural passage where Gotama is asked by a layperson what the meaning of anatta is as follows: [Samyutta Nikaya 3.196] At one time in Savatthi, the venerable Radha seated himself and asked of the Blessed Lord Buddha: "Anatta, anatta I hear said venerable. What pray tell does Anatta mean?" "Just this Radha, form is not the Soul (anatta), sensations are not the Soul (anatta), perceptions are not the Soul (anatta), assemblages are not the Soul (anatta), consciousness is not the Soul (anatta). Seeing thusly, this is the end of birth, the Brahman life has been fulfilled, what must be done has been done."

The anatta taught in the Nikayas has merely relative value; it is not an absolute one. It does not say simply that the Soul (atta, Atman) has no reality at all, but that certain things (5 aggregates), with which the unlearned man identifies himself, are not the Soul (anatta) and that is why one should grow disgusted with them, become detached from them and be liberated. Since this kind of anatta does not negate the Soul as such, but denies Selfhood to those things that constitute the non-self (anatta), showing them thereby to be empty of any ultimate value and to be repudiated, instead of nullifying the Atman (Soul) doctrine, it in fact compliments it.

What has Buddhism to say of the Self? "That's not my Self" (na me so atta); this, and the term "non Self-ishness" (anatta) predicated of the world and all "things" (sabbe dhamma anatta; Identical with the Brahmanical "of those who are mortal, there is no Self/Soul", (anatma hi martyah, [SB., II. 2. 2. 3]). [KN J-1441] "The Soul is the refuge that I have gone unto". For anatta is not said of the Self/Soul but what it is not. There is never a `doctrine of no-Soul', but a doctrine of what the Soul is not (form is anatta, feelings are anatta, etc.).

It is of course true that the Buddha denied the existence of the mere empirical "self" in the very meaning of "my-self" (this person so-and-so, namo-rupa, an-atta), one might say in accordance with the command `denegat seipsum, [Mark VII.34]; but this is not what modern writers mean to say, or are understood by their readers to say; what they mean to say is that the Buddha denied the immortal(amata), the unborn (ajata) and Supreme-Self (mahatta') of the Upanishads. And that is palpably false, for he frequently speaks of this Self, or Spirit (mahapurisha), and nowhere more clearly than in the too often repeated formula 'na me so atta', "This/these are not my Soul" (na me so atta'= anatta/anatman), excluding body (rupa) and the components of empirical consciousness (vinnana/ nama), a statement to which the words of Sankhara are peculiarly apposite, "Whenever we deny something unreal, is it in reference to something real"[Br. Sutra III.2.22]. It was not for the Buddha but for the nihilist (natthika)to deny the Soul.

Outside of going into the doctrines of later schisms of Buddhism, Sarvastivada, Theravada, Vajrayana, Madhyamika, and lastly Zen, the oldest existing texts (Nikayas) of Buddhism which predate all these later schools of Buddhism, anatta is never used pejoratively in any sense in the Nikayas by Gotama the Buddha, who himself has said: [MN 1.140] "Both formerly and now, I've never been a nihilist (vinayika), never been one who teaches the annihilation of a being, rather taught only the source of suffering, and its ending" Further investigation into Negative theology is the source which should be referenced in further understanding the methodology which the term anatta illuminates.

Due to secular propagation, a general acceptance of the concept of "A Doctrine of Anatta" exists as status quo, however there exists no substantiation in sutra for Buddhism's denial of soul, or in using the term anatta in anything but a positive sense in denying Self-Nature, the Soul, to any one of a conglomeration of corporeal and empirical phenomena which were by their very transitory nature, "impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and Selfless (anatta)". The only noun in sutra which is referred to as "permanent (nicca)" is the Soul, such as Samyutta Nikaya 1.169.

In fact the phrase "Doctrine of anatta", or "Anatmavada" is a concept utterly foreign to Buddhist Sutra, existing in only non-doctrinal Theravada and Madhyamika commentaries. As the saying goes, a "lie repeated often enough over time becomes the truth". Those interested parties to Buddhism incapable of pouring through endless piles of Buddhist doctrine have defacto accepted the notion of a "Doctrine of
anatta" as key to Buddhism itself, when in fact there exists not one citation of this concept in either the Digha, Majjhima, Samyutta, Anguttara, or Khuddaka Nikayas. Unless evoking a fallacy, we must stick
strictly to sutra as reference, wherein the usage of anatta never falls outside of the parameter of merely denying Self or Soul to the profane and transitory phenomena of temporal and samsaric life which is "subject to arising and passing", and which is most certain not (AN) our Soul (ATTA). Certainly the most simple philosophical logic would lead anyone to conclude that no part of this frail body is "my Self, is That which I am", is "not my Soul", of which Gotama the Buddha was wholeheartedly in agreement that no part of it was the Soul, i.e. was in fact anatta.

The perfect contextual usage of anatta is: "Whatever form, feelings, perceptions, experiences, or consciousness there is (the five aggregates), these he sees to be without permanence, as suffering, as ill, as a plague, a boil, a sting, a pain, an affliction, as foreign, as otherness, as empty (suññato), as Selfless (anattato). So he turns his mind away from these and gathers his mind/will within the realm of Immortality (amataya dhatuya). This is tranquility; this is that which is most excellent!" [MN 1.436]

The term anatman is found not only in Buddhist sutras, but also in the Upanishads and lavishly so in the writings of Samkara, the founder of Advaita Vedanta. Anatman is a common via negativa (neti neti, not this, not that) teaching method common to Vedanta, Neoplatonism, early Christian mystics, and others, wherein nothing affirmative can be said of what is "beyond speculation, beyond words, and concepts" thereby eliminating all positive characteristics that might be thought to apply to the Soul, or be attributed to it; to wit that the Subjective ontological Self-Nature (svabhava) can never be known objectively, but only thru "the denial of all things which it (the Soul) is not"- Meister Eckhart. This doctrine is also called by the Greeks Apophasis.

A true gem.......2006-12-07

This author writes with astonishing clarity and authority. Everything he touches turns into understanding. I highly recommend his other works as well, the commentaries on specific suttas published by the Buddhist Publication society. You will have to go a long way in life to find a better translator/commentator than Bhikku Bodhi.

Thank You Bhikku Bohdi!.......2006-06-12

This book was incredibly helpful to me. I would recommend it as the most beautiful exposition of the Eightfold Noble Path that I'm aware of. It has informed my readings of other Sutra's and my practice tremendously. My deepest gratitude to the author.

The Eightfold Way: The Beauty of the Klein Quartic

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The Eightfold Way: The Beauty of the Klein Quartic

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

The German mathematician Felix Klein discovered in 1879 that the surface that we now call the Klein quartic has many remarkable properties, including an incredible 336-fold symmetry, the maximum possible degree of symmetry for any surface of its type. Since then, mathematicians have discovered that the same object comes up in different guises in many areas of mathematics, from complex analysis and geometry to number theory. This volume explores the rich tangle of properties and theories surrounding this multiform object. It includes expository and research articles by renowned mathematicians in different fields. It also includes a beautifully illustrated essay by the mathematical sculptor Helaman Ferguson, who distilled some of the beauty and remarkable properties of this surface into a sculpture entitled "The Eightfold Way." The book closes with the first English translation of Klein's seminal article on this surface.

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The Universe in 8ths

The Eightfold Way
Murray Gell-Mann , and Yuval Ne'eman
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0738202991

Book Description

This monograph presents thirty research papers dealing with the classification of strongly interacting particles and their interaction according to the eightfold way. In each chapter the authors' commentary introduces the reprints.

Read and cited by scientists worldwide, Advanced Book Classics are works that continue to inform today's groundbreaking research efforts. Redesigned and newly released in paperback, these graduate-level texts and monographs are now available to an even wider audience. Written by the most influential physicists of the twentieth century, these Advanced Book Classics promise to enrich and inspire a new generation of physicists.

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The Universe in 8ths.......2001-04-01

Particle Physics from one of only a handful whom understand them. Murray Gell-Mann does an excellent job of describing the very physics in which he pioneered; this is a most read for any physicist.

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THE EIGHTFOLD WAY
Murray; Ne'eman, Yuval Gell-Mann
Manufacturer: W.A. Benjamin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IP2IKM

The Eightfold Way : A Review - With A Collection of Reprints

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The Eightfold Way : A Review - With A Collection of Reprints
Murray; Ne'Eman, Yuval Gell-Mann
Manufacturer: Benjamin, W. A.
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Unitary Symmetry and Elementary Particles

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Unitary Symmetry and Elementary Particles
D. B. Lichtenberg
Manufacturer: Academic Pr
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the Way of Becoming: a Psychological Study of the Noble Eightfold Path

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the Way of Becoming: a Psychological Study of the Noble Eightfold Path
Clare Cameron
Manufacturer: Buddhist Society
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV6ADG

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Buddha's Teachings (Unabridged)

Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download

Buddha | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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The Eightfold Way

Manufacturer: W.A. Benjamin
ProductGroup: Book
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Introduction to unitary symmetry and the rotation group: Lecture notes

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Introduction to unitary symmetry and the rotation group: Lecture notes
F. J Bloore
Manufacturer: Dept. of Applied Mathematics, The University
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Book Description

By the age of thirty, Weldon Kees (1914–55) was a poet, journalist, musician, painter, photographer, and short story writer living in New York City. Despite a contract for a forthcoming novel, however, he stopped writing fiction, moved to San Francisco, and worked as an artist and filmmaker. On July 18, 1955, his car was found on the Golden Gate Bridge, and he has not been seen since.

These stories by Kees, predominantly set in Depression-era mid-America, feature bleak, realistic settings and characters resigned to their meager lives. The owner of an auto parts store occasionally "sells" his sister Betty Lou to interested patrons; a cryptic message in library books indicates the yearnings of a silenced patron; a young woman taking tickets at the Roseland Gardens futilely dreams of escape from the future she sees for herself; and an old man carefully saves his money to fulfill the requirements of a chain letter only to be disappointed by a spiteful daughter-in-law. Many of these stories are set in the Nebraska of Kees's youth, and they are written from a Midwestern sensibility: keenly observant, darkly humorous, and absurdly fantastic.

In this new edition, Dana Gioia has added three stories to the fourteen gathered in the first edition, The Ceremony and Other Stories. The New York Times named that first edition, published in 1984, a notable book of the year.

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A Forgotten US Enigma.......2002-11-15

:
No one knows how, or when, or even whether, Weldon Kees died. Having talked both of fleeing to Mexico and of suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge, his car was found near the latter on July 18, 1955. No hint of the man has since emerged.

But while he was active, Kees wrote fiction (initially), poetry, and cultural criticism of all kinds for major national periodicals; he painted (abstract expressionism), was a jazz musician, made films, and collaborated with anthropologists and behavioural scientists on various ventures. From his time of relocation to New York until his disappearance, he circled with many of the avant garde leaders in the New York art scene. Brief as his life was, it represents one of the most multi-faceted talents of his, or any, age.

Born in the plains (Beatrice, Nebraska, 1914) to parents operating a hardware store, Kees had several short stories published while in his twenties, but quit writing them altogether by the early forties when he moved east. They (43 in all) thus confine almost exlusively to glum-faced real-life depictions of common folks in depressed, small, mid American towns. Dana Goia has selected about a third of these, those deemed most successful, and includes an informative introduction. Kees, in this work, reflects clearly the social-conditions focus of the thirties throughout the US and presents his small gems in down-keyed, often unresolved, personal reflections and observations on everyday hum-drum existence by a generally undistinguished, often quietly frustrated narrator-protagonist. Generally these are finely edited, simple-language depictions of unfulfilled yearning and coping with material boredom and insignificance.

Stylistically, most are relatively brief and trenchant in their resolute resistance to unfounded optimism. But they are poignant within the simple, disciplined writing, and the reader is pulled gently and feelingly into the glum world of the however hapless, however compromised narrator. All presented in a gray climate unaccommodating of patriotic, religious, or familial panegyric.

Kees is a unique, if minor figure in American 20th century literature, and the thoughtful reader will be rewarded by giving him some time, likely reminded - nostalgically perhaps in the half-tone depression hues Kees uses - of the unadorned nature of the lives most of us lead.

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