Nature's Primal Self examines Corrington's thought, called "ecstatic naturalism," in juxtaposition to both C. S. Peirce's pragmatic and semiotic concept of the self and Karl Jaspers' existential elucidation of Existenz. Peirce's and Jaspers' anthropocentrism is thus corrected by Corrington's ecstatic naturalism. Ecstatic naturalism, as a new movement, is both a semiotic theoretical method and a metaphysics that probes deeply into the ontological divide between nature naturing and nature natured. Author Nam T. Nguyen attempts to achieve three goals: first, to present and elucidate the underlying philosophical concepts of Charles Peirce, Karl Jaspers, and Robert Corrington; second, to critique the anthropocentric self of Peirce's semiotic pragmatism and of Jaspers' existential anthropology (periechontology) from the standpoint of ecstatic naturalism; and third, to introduce the concept of nature's primal self, radically grounded in the perspective of ecstatic naturalism, as a judicious, more encompassing, and richer framework compared to Peirce's semiotic construction of the self and Jaspers' existential concept of Existenz.

Madaus, Russell, and Higgins (all, Boston College) provide an exemplary overview of the consequences of high-stakes testing in the context of contemporary school reform policy. A major theme in this book centers on the assertion that high-stakes testing is the driving force behind school reform policy today. The authors argue that school reform policies, based solely on high-stakes testing, were mandated before careful research on the potential advantages and disadvantages. As members of the testing community, the authors do find value in testing; however, they also recognize its limitations, especially in the context of diverse populations. Those in charge of developing and implementing school reform policies today would find this to be an excellent resource; however, the book is also appropriate for a wide audience. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. Reviewed by J. C. Agnew-Tally.

In this moving account of his struggles with manic-depressive disorder, distinguished philosopher Robert S. Corrington, creator of the school of ecstatic naturalism, presents a compelling argument for rethinking the nature of this malady. Having inherited the disorder from his mother, a gifted actress who struggled with her own form of it until her death, he developed crucial survival strategies that he recommends to other sufferers. In Riding the Windhorse, Corrington details the latest medical, psychological, and spiritual thinking about bipolar disease; a disorder characterized by extreme mood swings and responsible for many untimely deaths each year. Surprisingly, however, manic-depression is also found in almost all forms of genius and Corrington presents two detailed case studies showing this correlation. Riding the Windhorse represents one person's eventual triumph over a potentially crippling disease by demonstrating how creativity and the quest for wholeness can support the erratic flight of the windhorse of manic-depression.

Western conceptions of objectivity and individuality have resulted in a readier appreciation of the worth of the animals and nature than has been recognized. This provocative book takes issue with the popular view that the Western cultural tradition, in contrast to Eastern and Aboriginal traditions, has encouraged attitudes of domination and exploitation towards nature, particularly animals. Preece argues that the Western tradition has much to commend it, and that descriptions of Aboriginal and Oriental orientations have often been misleadingly rosy, simplified and codified according to current fashionable concepts. Animals and Nature is the result of six years' intensive study into comparative religion, literature, philosophy, anthropology, mythology and animal welfare science.

A follow-up to the best-selling The Primal Blueprint draws on the author's evolutionary research to explore genetic reasons behind why people feel depressed and unfulfilled in spite of positive outward circumstances, outlining simple lifestyle strategies for promoting personal contentment.

TV survival shows and survival schools are more popular than ever; Paleo diets are proving to be more than just a passing trend; and free-range parenting is gaining steady momentum. So in an age when living in a modern society often equates to comfort and ease, why is it that we are so interested in these primal aspects of being human when they are no longer really necessary? Why are we still so fascinated with making fire or stone tools in this social media-driven digital age? Why are we urging our children to run back out into the wild? The answer to all of these questions—to why we seek out the natural world—stares us in the mirror every day: We long to fulfill our natural destiny as upright-walking hunter-gatherer-nomads. It’s who we are. Primal explores the natural human desire—the primal desire—to fulfill our original design. From the telling of anecdotes and stories from author Nate Summer’s twenty years as a survival specialist to conversations with world-renown survival and human nature specialists to digging into the rewilding and free-range parenting trends, Nate explores how humans have—and continue to—pursue “survival” situations to fulfill their deep, soulful longings.

Includes section "Book reviews."