Dear Mr. Haber,

Thank you for writing this wholly satisfying, and life afirming story of growing up in the 1940's

I was 7 years old in 1941 (about the same age as the storyteller) in The Red Heifer.

I grew up in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, another Jewish enclave and attended Yeshiva Etz Chaim. My school was just around the corner on 13th Avenue from my 2 bedroom apartment in a 4 story walk-up.

After listening to me praise your book, some ask "What's it about?" I reply by asking them to imagine a combination of Huckelberry Finn and Catcher in the Rye set in New York.

You described my childhhod pefectly, as though you were by side. Your book brought back memories of my father leading the round table debate of current events around the kichen table. This was usually with my older sister and her friends. I absorbed these discussions and latter gave my now informed opions to the "gang" that was trying to make sense of our crazy world, with our limited knowledge.We hung out in front in front the Menorah Temple(the local pool hall and bowling alley) every Friday and Saturday night.

Although most the the incidents depicted in The Red Heifer didn't happen to me, I recognize all my childood friends.

I was already reading passages aloud from your book to my wife, when I came across the recipe for the "Gogl-Mogl". This nearly blew my mind. I was right back in the kitchen on 51st Street, third floor rear, diagonally across from the elevated portion the the BMT line of the subway. In the past when I described this concoction to my family, the thought it was just a family folk remedy. Thank you for reafrming a part of my childhood that was almost forgotten.

I apppreciate the work that went into writing this book,since my son has also written a book. ...

I really connected with this book . and I look foward to a sequel
Sincerely yours,

Lionel Press

I didn't even know cows could write.

Don't let the novel's relative brevity fool you: This is, in its ambition, scope and its wealth of incidents and insights, a very big book indeed. It is an allegorical account, sometimes poignant, sometimes comic, sometimes almost mystical, of a Jewish boy's childhood and adolescence in New York's Lower East Side of the 1930s and 40s. Given the vividness and apparent authenticity of the descriptions of the sights, sounds and even smells of that time and place, one assumes that the novel is at least in part autobiographical. In any case, that is less important than how well "The Red Heifer" works as a piece of storytelling. Part Isaac Babel, part Henry Roth, part Isaac Bashevis Singer and part Saul Bellow, it is also an original. Recommended.

Reading from this book is one of my family's all time favorite Christmas traditions. The stories are short enough that we can read one together as a family each night before bedtime. I have loaned this book to several friends and they have all loved it.

My children all know what it means if we tell them that they are going to get a peach branch in their Christmas stocking.

I love the messages of these stories. They always get me in the Christmas spirit!

During the last few years our family has been grieving a tremendous loss. This year we are determined to get on with life and to make new traditions and memories. In anticipation of the up and coming holiday I pulled this title off my book shelf and reread it.

It is just a wonderful book of short stories sure to inspire love, hope, family, trust and faith. Each story begins with a beautiful color drawing which has a classic charm and feel. Clearly hits a personal note for Catholics and Italians and most stories will ring a personal chord of truth and others may bring a laugh or two.

As a reader it made me feel for the past and wonder about how our society continues to evolve in a cooler less personal social strata. It is hard not to think of simplier times that are grounded in basic life lessons of love and family. This is a book to read at the beginning of the holiday season and probably at intervals throughout.

There is hope, love and warmth in all of the "Seven Stories of Christmas Love."

This is such a beautiful little book! The illustrations, by Tom Newsom, have a Norman Rockwell quality, and the borders around the pages match the first page illustration, which is different for each story.

The stories, by Leo Buscaglia, who a lot of people know from PBS in the 80s, take Christmas out of the Norman Rockwell cliche and brings it into the world! One touching story is about the reaction people in Bali had to Mary and Joseph being turned away at the inn. Another, "Two Festivals of Light," blends the Jewish and Christian "festivals of light" through at-first distrusting neighbors.

You should be happy to pull this book out of your Christmas treasure box year after year!

I was on Leo's Big Beyond Belief program for nearly two years and couldn't believe the difference it made. I switched to the Titan Training and Behold! I found something even better. The program is difficult in its intensity, but it only takes 45 minutes four days per week. You will be amazed!
In response to Matt Robert's question in his "review" about what is the difference between the two programs - You dunce! Buy the book and find out the difference. But I'll give you a hint: 45 mintues 4 x a week.

The system described in the book works! As a person with a handicap, I was still able in just over two weeks drop my body fat from 9.4% to 7.1%. This means that with my net weight loss of one pound that I gained just under four pounds of muscle. I am now in my fourth week and people all around my office are noticing that I am getting bigger rapidly. My strength is increasing rapidly. For example, my barbell front shoulder press has increased 60lbs. already. Workout smarter, without supplements and see results. If it worked for me, it will work for anyone.

I have used BBB, what is the diff. between that and Titan training??

I agree with the previous two reviewers and join them in recommending this book, especially to those who have not yet read much Tolstoy. Rather than repeat what's been said, let me add one caveat and two complaints.

First, the caveat. If you already own a lot of Tolstoy's short fiction, you should preview this book to decide whether it offers enough new material to warrant buying. This anthology includes a number of familiar classics (mentioned in the other reviews), but you may decide it's still worth purchasing for the less common and early works.

Now for the complaints. _Kreutzer_Sonata_, or _Father_Sergius_? If I had to make an either-or choice, I think I would choose _Father_Sergius_. The editor chose _Kreutzer_Sonata_. A defensible choice, but not my preference.

A more serious complaint I have regards an omission. I would think that a Tolstoy anthology with "courage" and "conflict" in the subtitle would have to include _Hadji_Murat_. Its absence seems an oversight to me.

Despite these minor criticisms, I'm still giving this collection 5 stars on the merits of the works themselves. You will never regret time spent reading Tolstoy.

This collection of Tolstoy's work covers a period from 1852 (The Invaders) thru 1893 (Walk in the Light While There is Light). From the first published writing that marked him as a talent too good to ignore, through his religious conversion, and his soul-searching conclusions.

Some of his greatest short works are here. "The Recollections of a Billiard-Marker" is one of the early writings, and one of the bet descriptions of the effects of addiction (in this case an addiction to gambling) I have ever read. The Sevestopol Sketches (there are three of them) give one of the closest descriptions of men in war possible (the defense of Sevestopol during the Crimean War, which fell to the British and French). A group of religious parables. "The Death of Ivan Ilyitch" is a fantastic description of the internal battles waged when fighting with death. And "The Kreutzer Sonata" is a discussion of the place of men and women in society that should be required reading by anyone who thinks they understand the opposite sex.

There is enough in these stories to give the reader a chance to understand the author before attacking the larger and more famous major works.

There should be a higher number of stars that could be used for really classic fiction, and if there were, this book would warrant them. It includes many of Tolstoy's greatest short stories. The ones that made him famous. The ones that first showed his talent.

These stories span a period of over forty years, from "The Invaders" (1842) to "Walk in the Light While There is Still Light" (1893). We get a chance to not only read great stories, but to see the growth of a talent that started out better than most ever achieve.

"Recollections of a Billiard-Marker" (1855) is a less well known example of Tolstoy's ability to show the degeneration of a character. In this case it is by addiction to gambling that destroys a man, and the boy who works in a billiard hall who narrates. If this was the only story in the book, it would be worth buying, but it is not. It's not even the best one here.

Has there ever been a better description of men at war than "The Sevastapol Letters"? All three are here. Has anyone caught loneliness and despair better than "The Death of Ivan Ilyitch"? It's here.

No one catches class difference in fewer words. No one describes the ways we look at each other, the words we use, the words we don't use, better than this man.

Since this is a foreign novel, one must also mention the translation (by Isabel F. Hapsgood for the Sevestapol Letters, and Nathan Haskell Dole for everything else). They are good, they allow the language the feeling of another time, while allowing it to sound also current and easily readable.

A great way to cover much of the short fiction of one of the greatest fiction writers of all time.

Not only does this excellent text clearly explain Einstein's theories by offering a less numeri-centric study but it is by no means a watered down study either. The challenge of relativity is left to the ideas and not the equations--though the author does not shy away from explaining the mathematics of the theory with equations and diagrams. The book is also logically organized to facilitate understanding of the sequence of phenomena and research that guided Einstein. If all physics texts were like this one, there would be far more scientists around.

I read many books about the Twin Paradox and this one clearly explains the trip in detail, including the clock reading when the brother is leaving, turn-around and back from the journey. To me, relativity is truely amazing and this book can describe the true "meaning" of it. Highly recommended.

(from publisher's ad in Science, 10 May 1996): An extraordinarily well-written, well-researched, and carefully thought outpiece of work....The discussions of the paradoxes of relativity and of cosmology are the best discussions of these topicsat the elementary level that I have ever seen. [- Roger A. Freedman, UC Santa Barbara] {I don't why the publisher didn't submit this itself! -CCW}

You know sometimes how you reach for a book hoping to be inspired somehow, but you're totally disappointed because it's just filled with the same-old same-old? GET 'WHAT MEN LIVE BY' NOW!
First of all, the Master of the Novel TOLSTOY is never routine.
Second of all, he taps into his very soul as profoundly as other Russian writers including Dostoevsky and Pasternak.
When I had the occasion to read this very short (an armchair read of no more than an hour, tops) novelette, I was deeply depressed and needed someone to "pull me up." This selection did so because he did what is so rare with writers in English--he wed Christian principle to universal human longing and a deeply-anchored sense of hope in assurance that Rev Robert Schuler or the late Rev Norman Vincent Peale have never matched.
IF YOU WONDER, CAN A PERSON OF FAITH WHOSE HOPES HAVE BEEN DASHED AGAIN AND AGAIN, EVER FIND INSPIRATION AND PRAY TO GOD AGAIN--take this elixir now. As the angel admonished St. Augustine of Hippo, "Take up and read."
Be forewarned though, if you have tears to shed, "prepare to shed them now."

I was overwhelmed by tears of compassion on reading this short story. Count Leo Tolstoy's three lessons are gems to be memorized. I bought three copies of the Peter Pauper Press edition (nd) and gave them all away as gifts of love in the 1980's, alas.

Tolstoy was passionate about the battle between good and evil, and in each of these short stories, he shows us another simple yet clear view of the struggle. In "Where God Is, Love Is",he illustrates the lesson from Matthew xxv:'Inasmuch as ye did unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me'. Each story shows us another moral lesson, told through characters as recognizable in today's world as they were when these stories were written over a century ago.

The next blustery day, the kind where you stay in doors and make soup, curl up with this book and enjoy a wonderful experience. The illustrations are lovely and filled with the motion of wind. You can almost hear and feel it about you as you go into the story. The writing is lyrical and evocative, brimming with romance and mystery. A girl who does not realize she is the daughter of the stormy east wind develops into a weaver with magical talents of artistry and eventually wins her heart's desire. Here's a sample about her father so you can just imagine how lovely HER story is. "He found a girl who was not afraid of his wildness. They were wed. He built her a house of blowing branches and wind-torn cloud.They were happy there. She bore him a daughter, but then she died." I love this book and I encourage you to read it and let it sweep you up in the winds of its magic.

Beautiful story. Beautiful illustrations. Sit and dream a little with your child (or by yourself). Such joy to read a story which speaks to the heart instead of the cartoonish world which so many children's current books fall into. Your child deserves this book of beauty.

Murphy's rhythmical and mythic-sounding text conjoins with the Dillons' subdued and melancholy illustrations to create a subtle and rereadable work of art. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys fairy tales, as well as people who are looking for strong and engaging female protagonists. This one's going in my collection, and neither am I a child nor a librarian, only one who likes fine art.

I had been looking for a collection of writings by female writers that could inspire and lift my spirits in these darker days. I was fortunate enough to receive "A Woman's Path" edited by Lucy McCauley, Amy G. Carlson and Jennifer Leo as a gift from a friend. What a little treasure.

With stories by Anne Lamott, Maya Angelou, Linda Ellerbee, and the editors I was struck by the purely sensitive and female perspective of these writings. I loved the sense of pilgrimage and journey and truly believe this could be that one book I keep in my backpack for those day long / week long / month long excursions I am lucky enough to take. It's travelers bible and will keep you company along your way.

Really beautiful and highly recommended!

I was very impressed by the stories included here--Anne Lamott, Maya Angelou, Natalie Goldberg, Kim Chernin...etc. These are not dry stories about spirituality--but rather transformative tales about how these women writers are changed by their travel experiences. Very inspirational and illuminating-read this book.

While looking for information, inspiration (and even a little soothing) in the travel section of the bookstore a few days ago, I picked up this book. Taking you through the highs and lows of life and traveling, it is especially wonderful for anyone who is planning to do a bit of exploring on their own. The stories speak in many different voices from many different places, but all with one strangely similar and strong spirit. It has been so enjoyable that I after I finish this review, I'm going to buy another book in the series. A beautiful collection - buy it, read it, and travel!

I used this book last year when I visited Dallas/Fort Worth and I plan on using it again this year. Since I only make one week trips to see my family, I'm sure that I'll be using this book for several years to come! (Or until the next edition comes out!)

Have used book to find unique attractions in the DFW area. Has help find places we never would have uncovered without the aid of the book. Great resource!

The Abhidharmakosa is undoubtedly the most widely studied textbook of Buddhism. It forms one of the five basic textbooks of the Tibetan monastic curriculum, and in Japan it is the traditional way to begin the study of Buddhist philosophy. But it is by no means an easy or simple book. Years are devoted to its study in these countries.

Vasubandhu sifted through the whole mass of Buddhist teachings to produce this "treasury" (kosa) of them. Because of its excellence, it soon eclipsed all its rivals in early India, and has remained a classic for fifteen hundred years. This translation includes Vasubandhu's own detailed commentary, "bhasyam," so it forms a self-contained veritable encyclopedia of Buddhism.

Abhidharma Kosa Bhasyam. By Vasubandhu. Leo M. Pruden's landmark translation of
Vasubandhu's encyclopedic treatment of the
Abhidharma from the French of Louis de La
Vallee Poussin is a stunningly meticulous
work of scholarship. In the marvelous
setting of a high-quality hardcover edition,
it displays Professor Pruden's
uncompromising dedication to bringing a
complete, accurate and well-annotated
rendering of the crown jewel of Abhidharma
compilations into English.

For those who are unfamiliar with the
significance of the Abhidharma, it is the
systematic delineation of Buddhist
philosophical tenets. In aggregate, it forms
one of the three collections comprising the
three-fold Buddhist canon known as the
Tripitaka. The importance of this work of
Vasubandhu lies a) in its encyclopedic
completeness; and b) in its exposition of
the common philosophical ground shared by
both the Southern and Northern traditions of
Buddhism. It is a work which, though
dedicated primarily to material most readily
associated with the fundamental teachings of
Southern-tradition Buddhism, has always been
held in the highest esteem in Chinese and
Tibetan traditions as well.

This work is graced by a 60-page
introduction to Abhidharma written by
Professor Pruden entitled The Abhidharma:
The Origins, Growth and Development of a
Literary Tradition. That is then followed by
de La Vallee Poussin's own 50-page
introduction to Vasubandhu's work. Each
volume is preceded by an extremely detailed
table of contents, totaling 30 pages in all.
The final volume includes a carefully
compiled 50-page index to the entire work.
Each chapter includes copious annotation in
the form of end notes. Given this sterling
approach to presentation and annotation,
this four-volume edition constitutes a
veritable encyclopedia of abhidharma tenets.
To help the reader better understand the
construction of Vasubandhu's work, I present
here the basic breakdown of its
construction:

Chapter One: The Dhaatus
Chapter Two: The Indriyas
Chapter Three: The World
Chapter Four: Karma
Chapter Five: The Latent Defilements
Chapter Six: The Path and the Saints
Chapter Seven: The Knowledges
Chapter Eight: The Absorptions
Chapter Nine: Refutation of the Pudgala

Ideally, this work should abide on the shelf
of every serious English-speaking Buddhist
as a counter-weight to the foolish notion
that "just-sitting" will somehow bring about
true liberation. The Buddha himself insisted
that the two provisions of: a) merit; and
b) wisdom are essential to any meaningful
advancement along the path to enlightenment.
This work contributes a solid foundation
stone to the edifice of wisdom which each
practitioner must endeavor to construct. Its
utility as a foundation is equally valuable
whether that construction eventually
expresses a Southern-tradition or Northern-
tradition architecture.

The expense of this work ($300), while not
at all unreasonable given the extravagance
of the meticulous four-volume hard-cover
edition, may place this work beyond the
grasp of many struggling Dharma students.
At the very least, however, every Dharma
center could acquire a single copy as a non-
circulating library reference. It is
difficult to overestimate the value of this
work in clarifying the meaning of
fundamental Buddhist philosophical tenets.
For the translator, it is an invaluable
reference work which serves well in the
correct translation of abstruse technical
terms which might otherwise be distorted by
over-reliance upon the Tibetan- or Chinese-
language renderings of such terms.

In short, the presence of this marvelous
compendium of Abhidharma in such a fine
English edition is a cause for celebration
in every tradition of Western Buddhism.