Having been born in 1958, I've witnessed the cultural trajectory Murray describes in his book. He confirms my impressions, and backs them up with exhaustive statistics and analysis. For the longest time, I wondered "Is it me? Have I become curmudgeonly? Have I become more critical due to some degree of personal success?' No, the changes have been REAL, and their societal effects could prove to be devastating. I commend Murray for remaining as apolitical as possible in this book (partly because so many of the trends do not necessarily correlate with a person's political affiliation), and providing thorough discussion of how conservatives and liberals might view his observations. His path toward correction at the end leaves us with a glimmer of hope, but I remain pessimistic about its chances. Now THAT's the curmudgeon in me.

I have been a runner for over 30 years and this is the second treadmill I have owned. I bought my first treadmill in the mid 90s and paid exactly what this Sole F80 cost me. There are barely any similarities between the two. Technology advances and bells and whistles aside, the Sole F80 is nearly commercial grade and I do not believe there is a better buy on the market. Simply stated, this treadmill is a substantial piece of gear and gets the job done handily.

I read a review where someone took this product for a week or two and saw no results, but as our cycle takes a full month to complete it is going to take longer for herbs such this to have an effect on your hormones. I have been taking this product for three months and have seen some improvement. I am giving it 3 more and then will take a break.

This compilation of essays is rich in diversity and styles. I generally don't read essays one after the other, but prefer to take time to savor a really good one. That strategy is getting tested with this collection because I want to launch into another right away. I have also enjoyed the varied approaches taken by the authors in their writing. A blogger myself, I admire their polished works.