Note: if you have read Thoughts and Visions, or are planning to read this highly entertaining collection of essays, and want to get paid for your critical feedback then contact the author for details at JohnFranklin6364@cs.com.

This is a collection of original essays by a unique thinker with an extensive background in technical subjects (mathematics and computer science) as well as in the humanities, yet whose style has a directness, wit and humor rarely found in academic writing.  Subjects include education, politics, economics, psychology, science, music, literature, writing, architecture, and philosophy.

Total number of pages: 875.  Chapters and index are individually downloadable as PDF files as follows:

Title page, dedication, and epigraphs
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Preface, p. i - vi
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The Object, pp. 1 - 20
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Pictures and Reality, pp. 21 - 40
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Music, pp. 41 - 85
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Hypnagogic Art, pp. 86 - 104
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     To view drawings of hypnagogic art, click here:  Hypnagogic Art: the Drawings

Thoughts on Traffic, pp. 105 - 110
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Politics and Economics, pp. 111 - 184
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The Truth About the Israeli/Palestinian Situation
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Letter to the Islamic Terrorists, pp. 189 - 206
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How to Fight Terrorism, pp. 207-213
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Stupid America
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Letter to a Young Intellectual About to Enter Industry, pp. 214-225
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The Object in the Life of Intellectuals and Artists, pp. 226 - 239
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Psychology, pp. 240 - 291
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On Friendship Between Men and Women, pp. 292 - 298
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Sex and Relationships, pp. 299 - 303
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The Middle-Aged Man's Checklist for Avoiding Heartbreak with Women, pp. 304 - 305
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Loneliness, pp. 306 - 312
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Suicide, pp. 313 - 317
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Philosophy, pp. 318 - 379
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This Modern World, pp. 380 - 389
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Obedience, pp. 390 - 394
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How Shall We Live?, pp. 395 - 404
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Aging, pp. 405 - 409
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God, pp. 410 - 419
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The Ten Commandments (Revised), pp. 420 - 421
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Education and Learning, pp. 422 - 456
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Self-Consciousness, pp. 457 - 477
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Reality High School for Black Students, pp. 478 - 492
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This Scientific World, pp. 493 - 499
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Engineering, pp. 500 - 504
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The Humanities, pp. 505 - 521
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Letter to Professor Feynman, pp. 522 - 532
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Architecture, pp. 533 - 549
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Language, pp. 550 - 562
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Peter Schorer's essay, "Notes Toward a Pragmatics-Based Linguistics",
on the web site www.occampress.com, is derived from ideas in this chapter.

Instant French, pp. 563 - 580
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Manifesto of a New Movement in American Literature, pp. 581 - 590
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Literature and Art, pp. 591 - 663
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Additional Thoughts, pp. 664 - 700
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Additional Thoughts (cont.), pp. 701 - 754
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Comedy Notebook, pp. 775 - 770
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Index, pp. 771 - 817
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This is the first of five volumes. A Chronology of the author's life follows the Preface. A Photo Album will be found at the end of Vol. 5.

Vol. 1 describes the author's childhood in a small commuter town some twenty miles from New York City in Westchester County, and then the period he calls "The Music Days," from age 16 through age 23, when he played trumpet in, and then led, several jazz groups, playing at colleges and universities throughout the Northeast, and at several jazz clubs in New York City.

Note: the reader should not feel that he or she is faced with a choice between reading the entire book, or reading none of it. The author has made every effort to enable the reader to locate those parts that might be of interest – major topics for each chapter are listed, and then to the left of the text for each chapter are extensive subtitles that will further aid the reader to find sections of interest.

Title page, epigraphs
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Preface
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Chronology of the Author's Life
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Chapter 1 -- Birth, the Village of Valhalla, Neighbors, My Father, My Mother, pp. 1-55
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Chapter 2 -- Meals, Restaurants, Sundays, Baby Sitters, My Parents' Friends, The Outsider, Games and Sports, pp. 56-120
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Chapter 3 -- The Four Seasons, The Kids, Making Things, Radio, Movies, pp. 121-185
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Chapter 4 -- School Band, Playing Solos, Classical Music, Boogie-Woogie, First Paying Job as a Musician, Planes and Parachutes, Comic Books, School, "He Has to Wear Glasses," Fireworks, , pp. 185-242
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Chapter 5 -- Summer Camp, Vacations in Cape Cod, War, Rationing, Warplanes, The War as Presented on the Radio, Rumors of Real Guns Around the Reservoir, A Trip to Switzerland, The Death of My Father, pp. 242-299
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Chapter 6 -- Music Days (1): Briarcliff High School, pp. 300-322
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Chapter 7 -- Music Days (2): White Plains High School, pp. 323-399
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Chapter 8 -- Music Days (3): Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, pp. 399-443
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Chapter 9 -- Music Days (4): Lehigh University, pp. 444-488
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-- Music Days (4) (cont.): Lehigh University, pp. 492-553
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Appendix 1 -- High School Essay
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This volume describes the author's first job in a Silicon Valley firm, where he rapidly rose to be the manager of a small technical publications department, and then describes jobs with subsequent firms. It also describes his home life and the childhood of his son.

Chapter 1 -- Working at Beckman Instruments; Sailplane Days, pp. 549-619
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Chapter 2 -- Marriage and a Home; Working at Signetics; My Son's Childhood: Birth to Age 3, pp. 619-670
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This volume describes the author's experiences as a programmer and then a technical writer at HP during the seventies and eighties. It also describes his adventures in the single life following his divorce, his decision to work on the most difficult technical problems he could find, the publication of his first book, and the teenage years of his son.

Chapter 1 -- Joining Hewlett-Packard, Reading and Self-Teaching, The Free University, I Become a Programmer, pp. 671-710
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-- My Son's Childhood: Ages 3-7, I Go For a Master's Degree, pp. 711-757
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-- Divorce, Sex Therapy, In Pursuit of Women, pp. 758-808
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Chapter 2 -- Working at HP Labs, My Son in Jr. High and High School, Kathy, I Self-Publish a Book, Battles With My Mother, pp. 809-887
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-- Working at HP Labs (cont.), A Suicide in the Family, My Son Goes to College, The Canyon Bohemians, I Am Almost Killed in the '89 Earthquake, pp. 888-924
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This volume describes the author's life after leaving HP in the early nineties, including his work at Sybase on what was intended to be a revolutionary new data base product, but which turned out to anything but that. The volume includes descriptions of some of the women in the author's life, and the remarkable early financial success of his son. It concludes with the near loss of his inheritance to a crooked lawyer.

Chapter 1 -- Depression and Thoughts of Suicide, My Son the Currency Trader, Living in Berkeley, Fighting City Hall, pp. 925-1002
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-- An Academic Lady, My First Book Published By a Real Publisher, Young Women Housemates: Musicians and Bohemians, pp. 1003-1075
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-- I Attempt a Palace Coup at Sybase, I Almost Lose My Inheritance, pp. 1176-1115
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-- Academics, A Painless Dentist at Last, Chantal, pp. 1116-1137
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This volume describes the author's early retirement (at age 59) and his determination to complete the nine books that constitute his life's work. The volume includes a description of the death of the author's mother.

Chapter 1 -- End of Working For My Inferiors, Break with Heim, The Saints are Reunited, Helped By an Eccentric Mathematician, I Was Meant to Be an Amateur, pp. 1138-1200
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-- Finally Ms. Right, Death of My Mother, I Almost Lose My Life Savings, Death of Kay, pp. 1201-1276
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-- The Break With Jason, What Happened to People I Knew, Computer Hell, The Dumbing Down of Cody's Book Store, pp. 1277-1316
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-- Math Wars, Spurned by Linguistics Professors, An Electronic Genius, pp. 1325-1408
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-- Life in the Neighborhood, Sunday Breakfast With the Twins, I Become a Grandfather, Final Thoughts, Last Wishes, pp. 1407-1503
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Photo Album, pp. 1454-1471
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Index
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E-mail John Franklin: JohnFranklin6364@cs.com

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