The translators of this work provide a very astute introduction to the poetry placing it in perspective with regards to Kiarostami's cinematography, the Persian poetic tradition and 20th century innovation. Through this they guide the reader to listen for the space between objects compared, to observe the "grand scheme" implied in the particular, to note how the "obvious" is unobserved and surprising.

An example from the introduction of this last point: "... a sycamore leaf / falls softly / and rests / on its own shadow"

The poems are like haiku in that they are minimalist and nature based. However, the sensibility of the cosmic purpose present in these poems differs from the sensibility of cosmic nowness of the (Zen) haiku tradition.

An example: "... the clock /reads seven minutes to seven" reads in these poems as "seven" intentionally invoking cultural connotations. In haiku, it would more likely read as factual observation ... enlightened observation, perhaps, but observation.

The book is beautifully printed, Persian and English side by side, one poem per page. The poems must be read slowly, allowing the visual image time to form in your mind... but what perfect visual images ... images to savour and explore. My one regret ... I cannot read the Persian in this bilingual edition.

This fine volume is exactly what it sounds like: an extended discussion of the features that make Judaism unique. If you're interested in this topic and if this book ever returns to print, buy it at once -- and in the meantime, pick up a used copy.

Abba Hillel Silver (an American Reform rabbi probably best known for his staunch support of Zionism when it wasn't fashionable) takes the reader on a grand tour of Judaism's distinguishing features, comparing it not only with Christianity but also with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism where these are relevant. Mainly, though, this volume is a positive portrait of what Judaism has historically stood for.

The discussion is broken up topically; Rabbi Silver devotes chapters to various topics including e.g. Judaism's rejection of belief in Original Sin, its moderation and anti-fanaticism, its orientation toward daily life in the present world, its belief that every human being has direct and unmediated access to God, and its gratitude for the gift of the Law (and its concomitant inability to countenance Pauline Christianity's description of the Torah as an instrument of death). His prose occasionally turns a bright shade of purple (and a lot of his sentences begin with "Judaism was never . . ."). Nevertheless the volume is extraordinarily well-written and highly informative.

A note on the title: Although Rabbi Silver's original preferred title was _Where Judaism Differs_ (since both Judaism and its differences continue to exist!), the book was published as _Where Judaism Differed_. A later edition was published under Rabbi Silver's original title and with an introduction by his son Rabbi Daniel Jeremy Silver. In other respects the two titles refer to the same book.

This fine volume is exactly what it sounds like: an extended discussion of the features that make Judaism unique. If you're interested in this topic and if this book ever returns to print, buy it at once -- and in the meantime, pick up a used copy.

Abba Hillel Silver (an American Reform rabbi probably best known for his staunch support of Zionism when it wasn't fashionable) takes the reader on a grand tour of Judaism's distinguishing features, comparing it not only with Christianity but also with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism where these are relevant. Mainly, though, this volume is a positive portrait of what Judaism has historically stood for.

The discussion is broken up topically; Rabbi Silver devotes chapters to various topics including e.g. Judaism's rejection of belief in Original Sin, its moderation and anti-fanaticism, its orientation toward daily life in the present world, its belief that every human being has direct and unmediated access to God, and its gratitude for the gift of the Law (and its concomitant inability to countenance Pauline Christianity's description of the Torah as an instrument of death). His prose occasionally turns a bright shade of purple (and a lot of his sentences begin with "Judaism was never . . ."). Nevertheless the volume is extraordinarily well-written and highly informative.

A note on the title: Although Rabbi Silver's original preferred title was _Where Judaism Differs_ (since both Judaism and its differences continue to exist!), the book was published as _Where Judaism Differed_. A later edition was published under Rabbi Silver's original title and with an introduction by his son Rabbi Daniel Jeremy Silver. In other respects the two titles refer to the same book.

this book is very helpful, it contains the whole things about IAS. It gives you brief but understandable explanantion about IAS. Right now I am taking an International Accounting course and I found that this book is a good guide for me to get a better understanding about my course.

This book gives the full coverage of current IASs (at the end of 2002) and extensively discusses ongoing IASB projects which are expected to come in force in 2003.

The book gives somewhat different from the European/UK approach to IASs... for example, benchmark treatment is assumed by authors as "preferred". The other major source of IAS guidance - Butterworths Tolley's UK and International GAAP - specifically states that "although the terms 'benchmark' and 'allowed alternative' were retained, the IASC Board has made it clear that both treatments enjoy equal status. The fact that one approach is labelled 'benchmark' does not mean that it is the Board's preferred approach.".

All in all Wiley IAS 2003 is a must buy for all dealing with IASs. Due to lack of current US textbook in international accounting this book becomes more that a reference for a professional. It may also be useful source for accounting students and teachers wishing to better understand differences between US GAAP/IAS differences in treatments and approaches.

This book is extremely thorough, and is very important as the business world becomes increasingly international. The examples are clear, and the authors are obviously experts.

This book is by far the best introduction to the Arabic writing system that I've been able to find. The accompanying CD's do what no other books dedicated to teaching the Arabic alphabet do, which is teach the sounds of Arabic at the very same time it teaches you individual letters. "Teach Yourself Arabic Script" for example only describes the particular sounds, which can be very different from English sounds and which one usually needs to hear in order to produce.

"Alif Baa" is also bound on the left-hand side, so the reader instantly gets used to the feel of a book which starts on what seems like the back page. Also, the size of the letters when they are introduced is fairly large so that the reader can see the shape of each letter and their sometimes confusing details, since Arabic letters are often variations on a particular theme. The page layouts are neat and uncluttered, the typeography on even the smaller-printed text is crisp, and write-on lines for student answers are ample.

Also, it is not necessary to purchase the videotapes to make full use of this text, as one reviewer complained. In each chapter there is a page dedicated to a cultural note which is illustrated through video scenes, but this is only an introduction to basic conversation in the Cairene dialect and not an instrinsic part of the book's main task, which is to teach the shapes and sounds of the Arabic alphabet. Contact information for the publisher is given in the back, and the answer key might be obtained from the press, I haven't tried yet. Once a reader has diligently worked through Alif Baa, she or he will be able to jump right in to any basic Arabic course and indeed have a major advantage, since none offer as thorough an introduction to reading and writing Arabic is this title.

Out of all the teaching aids I purchased in the past year, I found that Alif Baa is the best and most comprehensive introduction to the Arabic alphabet and its pronunciation. It does not set out to overwhelm the reader with vocabulary, grammar, & script all at once. It does not set out to have you "speaking Arabic in a few days." The book's focus is on each letter, how it sounds, and how it's written. The reader goes on to recognize simple words and how to distinguish between pairs of words that are only slightly different when written but have entirely different meanings. This is an invaluable foundation that helped me to avoid confusion as I pursued other teaching aids to increase my vocabulary. These exercises are designed to teach you to first read, not understand the meaning of, Arabic words. I completed this book twice, then pursued other vocabulary books/tapes and sailed through them with this foundation. This is a "must have" for anyone who is serious about learning Arabic. Get it!

this is simply an excellent book for learning how to write the arabic script. progressing through and doing every exercise may feel tedious, so feel free to skip some things if you are getting bogged down; but keep in mind that it takes time, and a lot of practice, to learn a foreign alphabet, and there is no way to get around the practice if you want to be able to write arabic.

this book is a companion to the arabic book/course "al kitaab fii ta:allum al-:arabiyya", which is, in my opinion, an awful book, although some may be enamored of its experimental methods. in my opinion, skip "al kitaab" and instead try a book like "teach yourself arabic".

Rich Cohen's book, The Avengers: A Jewish War Story, tells the story of unknown heros.

Abba Kovner and the Avengers saved lives, and gave hope in desperate times. This pivitol moment in Jewish History is a crucial element of the heroic history of the Jewish People. The Avengers descirbes desperate Jews who faught to live rather than being taken to their deaths like cattle.

Rich Cohen's story is almost impossible to stop reading. This author's account of theses heroic people and thier feats of bravery is a must read for all people. An individual can not have a total understanding of the Jewish people without reading Rich Cohen's account of this story.

The Avengers is the untold story of three partisians--Ruscza, Vitka, and Abba--who met, fell in love, and ultimately waged an underground war against the Nazis. It is a story that everyone should know--women, men, children--across cultural, religious, and economic lines. It tells of these three seemingly ordinary individuals and how each one overcame impossible odds and not only survived, but fought back. It is a story of true heroes.

Rich Cohen does an amazing job of putting the reader in the Ghetto, in the forest, in the cities, and in the desert--caputring landscapes, faces, personalities, and the mood of the time. Parts of the story are dreamlike--pure beauty. Read this book!!!

I started reading this on a Saturday night and had it done by Tuesday morning. Granted, that did include a two hour train ride, however, it is a book that is hard to put down. Not that this is a pleasant story, much of it is not. However, it is an important one and one well told by the author. It tells the story of how a handful of people, not raised or trained to be warriors, chose to fight, rather than die without struggle. Heroes are born of circumstances not of their making. These people did not want to be heroes. However, they were determined not to be silent victims. Mr. Cohen tells their story, sometimes bluntly, but with the ring of truth. This is a book that should be read by everyone, especially those who think that no one fought back, the Avengers did. Buy and read this book.

This autobiography offers a fascinating look into the repressive autocratic life in Iraq. He describes life in and around Saddam's regime both before and after desert storm. The author describes how equipment, materials, information and brain power were acquired through out the world despite facade-like Western government position on nuclear non-proliferation. After reading Dr. Hamza's book, I'm under the impression that any country with money and desire could acquire resources needed to construct a bomb, given the restrictions that were in place during the 80's.

I found Hamza's writing on the underground world of spying and assassination interestingly different from the now more dated (and fictional) Ian Flemming. I especially enjoyed the idea of false patents placed by Israeli intelligence on uranium enrichment by magnets which effectively wasted billions of Iraqi dollars and many fruitless years. His personal experience portrayal of a bureaucratic uninformed CIA was enlightening. The description on development of a bomb is done well with the perfect amount of detail for the average educated lay reader.

Leftover question I had about the aftermath of desert storm are revealed, such as what happened to the opposition and how they were crushed by lack of support and understanding. The author mentions the likely origins of "desert storm syndrome" illness that soldiers came back with.

A review wouldn't be complete without some negativity. The book does seem a bit self centered around the author. Given this is an autobiography, this should be expected to a degree. The author's importance within Saddam's regime seems a little puffed up, but this doesn't affect the story.

Regardless, I found it a very interesting read. I would hope that this would be required reading for those involved in nuclear non-proliferation. It is valuable first hand experience from the covert side, which one rarely has an opportunity to hear from.

This is a terrific book on several levels. First,it's a riveting account of life inside Saddam Hussein's Iraq, a country run on fear, and a chilling look at his campaign to develop nuclear weapons -- an arsenal that he intends to use someday.

But the book is also a deeply personal story of Dr. Hamza's journey out of madness. This is a fascinating tale, rich in detail, about his evolution from the dictator's most important scientist to a whistleblowing defector whose warnings about Saddam's plans are only now gaining the audience they deserve. But no dry academic tome or meditative memoir here -- this is a well-written, fast-paced thriller with a surprising twist or turn around every corner. The account of Hamza's flight to freedom, complete with dueling dissident groups, bumbling secret agents and dangerous border crossings, fairly crackles off the page and by itself is worth the price of admission.

One other point: another reviewer in these pages expressed some skepticism about Dr. Hamza's story. This was more than a little puzzling. Dr. Hamza has been vetted by the CIA, the Pentagon and the State Department, all of which have attested to his bona fides. I wonder whether Dr. Hamza, having survived the terrors of Saddam's regime and lived to tell his story, will now face an assault on his credibility from sources whose own motives are open to question.

All in all, a great read that you'll think about -- and talk about -- long after the book is back on the shelf.

Amazing book!

Dr. Hamza's detailed account of his work inside Saddam's nuclear program -- and how he got there -- and got out -- makes for a remarkable story.

From student years in the USA, through his rise within the Iraqi nuclear establishment, to his central role in Saddam's bomb program, to his harrowing escape and the subsequent exfiltration of his family to the US, this is an incredible story, brilliantly told.

In recounting his journey with co-author Jeff Stein, Dr. Hamza profiles the powered elite in Iraq from a wholly unique persective: he became Saddam's personal nuclear bombmaker.

And what it tells us about Saddam's Iraq is frightening: this is a regime with both the will and nascent capability to unleash nuclear weapons. Saddam's personal, criminal disregard for human life is made very plain. The reader can get closer to the man than he might otherwise care to through this book.

It also gives us a remarkable story of personal courage. The plight of Dr. Hamza following a difficult decision to leave Iraq -- only to be rebuffed at first by a bungling CIA agent -- is heroic.

A true page-turner, clearly and finely written.

A 'must read' for any citizen of this planet.

What a powerful book this has been to read! I cannot feign eloquence as Manning's, but to say that this book made a deep impact on my spiritual life is an understatement. I found myself e-mailing quotes and passages to friends in the hopes that the words offered them such buoyancy as they did me. We all possess an inner imposter, and we need to get in touch with the inner child, just as Jesus was Abba's Child. The thought that God loves us just because we are is quite profound and almost incomprehensible. I recommend this book to anyone on a journey toward deeper intimacy with God.

A powerful and wonderful book. One of the best I have every read! A great way for people who don't know God to be able to unlike the way we learned in Church. Manning's presentation on God's grace is wonderful. His definition of a "Legalist", (those church people who put the rules above love, mercy and grace) will probably have a hard time understanding this book. For those of you who don't know God, read this book. He is not what you think. For those of you who think you know God, read this book, you may learn somethings. I certainly did.

How silly we humans are. We are loved beyond comprehension. Still, we try to put on painful masks to hide from our lover. What nonsense! What idiocy. I have been trying to be something I am not almost every second of my life. Yet now I see that my value is not in what I pretend to be...or what I think people want me to be. No...my value is in a love that I never asked for--in a lover I never sought--in a God who calls me to recognize my "impostor" and leave it in order to enter into His love. I thank Brennan Manning for writing a book that forces me to hear my Lover's voice clearly and honestly. I hope that if you read this, you'll get a copy for yourself.