I read this book in about 2 hours. While I like the authors ideas and suggested drills and approach to practice, I found it to be a little vague in key areas. A twenty dollar book could use better explanations and illustrations. I think he is really onto some great suggestions. The potential for more meaningful practices is there. In my opinion, he could have taken a little more time to develop these ideas more fully. If you buy this book you are going to get at least 20-30 useful drill/practice plans that sound exciting to put into action. Of course since it is August, I'll have to wait for the season to see how they work out.

An easy read that certainly hits the mark on how to make practices worthwhile.

David Dodd has assembled a wide variety of stories to inspire and encourage addicted people to get clean. I was impressed that Twelve Step groups were NOT the focus of every tale, and that the one constant was that each individual made a PERSONAL CHOICE to forego their addiction and live sober. For all the help some people get from 12-Step groups, there are many who don't "relate" to the religiousity. But this book shows that recovery is still possible and worthwhile. The fact that most of these tales are told by celebrities and artists we KNOW only increases their value. Plus, it's nice to know that my gut feeling about Steven Tyler is "on the money" - he truly IS a mensch!!

I was attracted to the many well-known names listed on the cover, but once I began reading the book, I was overwhelmed with its passion and solutions. David Dodd has done a remarkable job which is reflected in this collection of interviews. My favorite part, however, is the introduction to the book, where the author tells his personal story on how he became sober with the help of Steven Tyler. His vivid description of the events were astonishing to me, they were absolutely incredible. This is a wonderful book!

This is a great view of a prisoners aspect during the Crimean War. Sparks great imagination and you will definitely not be bored.

"Kavkazsky Plennik", or "Prisoner in the Caucasus", is one of the very few works that Tolstoy himself considered a true piece of art after having denounced almost all of his written works later in his life. Among those, by the way, were "Anna Karenina" and "War & Peace". Not that we have to agree with him, but I can certainly understand why "Prisoner in the Caucasus" was still up there for him. This is a very powerful, colorful and impressive story. It's about a Russian officer, who got imprisoned by the Tatars (Russia was at war with them a that time) and who was able to exhibit incredible courage and dignity as a human being, while remaining compassionate, kind and forgiving. It's no use describing the plot, but I would like to draw your attention to the background of the work. It's about war between the Russian Empire and the Tatars, a Moslem people, fighting for their freedom. As we know, Russia has been at odds with the peoples in the Caucasus for a long time. But as you read this book, you will see two things: first, the things that happened there over a hundred and fifty years ago are remarkably similar to what is going on there now: the war itself, kidnapping Russian officers and soldiers for ransom and so forth, and, second, the way the prisoners were treated there is not anything like what is happening to them now. But, returning to the idea behind this amazing story, Tolstoy, as one of the most profound thinkers and greatest humanists of the world, helps the reader to see the human side in every character and ask himself a question: Why do people have to kill each other? Why do they have to sell each other? Why can't they be good neighbors? They all have children, people they love, normal things in life that everyone else has. Then why have this hatred? Tolstoy also shows with his incredible way of writing, how a human being can get out of the place of misery and still not have spite and hatred in his heart. Very highly recommended: inspiring and powerful. Also recommended: all the other short works by Tolstoy, including "How Much Land Does a Man Need?", "The Forged Coupon", "What Men Live By", and really ANY piece of fiction by Lev Tolstoy that you can lay your eyes upon.

"I am in search of a poem" writes Leo Connellan in his 14th book of poetry. This extraordinay search has taken the poet through his home state of Maine where sea gulls "peck the land sweeping around like a / sprung fish chowder of rocks of vanished summer" to New York where "cute little boy Cherubic" is riding to hurt people in Central Park," a city where "...there is a sudden overwhelming/rushing feeling that you might come apart." But, this poet doesn't. Leo Connellan is a survivor. His weapons: imgination and curiosity filtered through the craft of poetry. It's what defines him as catching fish defines the fisherman. "...We go out and we/work" hard...that's what we do... Two poems, "No, The River Never Frightened Me," and "The Shadow of a Leaf" illustrate Connellan's use of imagination and curiosity as weapons of survival. In "No, The River...." the poet's imagination is piqued by what is "over there...all we anticipated here..."Yet "Never do we get off the shore on the/other side of the river nor does/anyone from over there come among us... "Shadow of a Leaf" grapples with the question of man's immortality. The poet imagines someone who died " now seeing what I am denied to see..." He is desperate to call the person back...rip/ tombstones to ask you... not did it hurt but what do you know now..." Curiosity overcomes a fear of death. The most remarkable poem in this collection, and one which is among the best written today, is "Provincetown." Here is nature as deadly as it is beautiful. Provincetown was "vomited up" by the sea "eons" ago. The word vomit suggests something unhealthy which must be cleaned up, and feels exactly right after we read sections 11: "Thin Commecial street.../crowded summers with tourists/....where the defeated have run come to hide." It is a town surrounded by graveyards, with a history of evil and murder..."lights lit to/lure ships..." "Death sings to life here where/life style has no code" The poem begins with a bird "slaming a building, now huddled/against the back porch of our motel..." This image weaves in and out of the poem vanishing in the final stanza with a man's knowledge, "the sea coughed up his father's leg bone." Leo Connellan is one of the best. For over 20 years he has been writing some of the finest poetry in America. PROVINCETOWN is a continuation of that process. Read these poems. Read them aloud. Listen to how a master plays the language.

"Connellan's poems are full of questions and conflicts, choices not easily made. The urgency of these questions, their sharp imagery and the honesty of their language gather powerfully in this memorable and disturbing volume." --Maine Times

"It's vintage Connellan; brave, angry, intense, relentless. Time has only sharpened his sword and stoked his fire." --Small Press Magazine

A good book for the seeker it was very informative and easy I recommended it to beginners and those who need to brush up on there skills.

This was an excellent book. It was easy to fowllow and understandible. It had a picture of every tarot card and clearly and beautifully explained what it the cards meaning and how to apply it to a reading. It is easy enough for my nine year old brother to understand. I think all beginners should ave this book, yet it is a must have for advanced tarot card readers. I hope you enjoy this book!

Carolyn N. Long documents the events in the case Oregon v. Smith, the saga of Al Smith, and the Klamath Indians. All the people who played a part in this judicial/legislative/religious tug of war were treated with respect by this author. Long asks us to ponder the question, who is more powerful God or Caesar? The sacramental ingestion of peyote has been part of the Native American Church for centuries. This native belief clashed directly with state and federal laws propelling this case to the highest court in the land. This book is a remarkable work that articulates each argument in a concise manner that is accessible to readers from any discipline. For example, the portion of the book that explains the disagreement between Justice Scalia and Justice O'Conner. Scalia's conclusion that generally applicable laws did not invoke the free exercise clause, was as interesting as O'Conner's refusal to dismiss a century of First Amendment jurisprudence. Controversy and politics make this case especially enthralling. Long describes the legislative process that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act went through. Her focused writing explained how legislative actions sprout and are nurtured through the political process, one reason why this superb book compliments coursework in Political Science. Oregon v. Smith contained interplay between citizens, local politicians, special interest groups and high profile members of the judiciary. The intense political positioning throughout this case, was as intriguing as a good game of chess and more enjoyable than a great work of fiction. Bravo!

In Religious Freedom and Indian Rights, Carolyn Long examines the events surrounding the landmark Supreme Court case Employment Division v. Smith, and presents a case study on the struggle between governmental power and individual religious freedom. Using the story of a Native American man fired for worshiping in the manner of his religion, the author illustrates the ongoing struggle in this nation over the meaning of the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment, and its application in American government. As a case study, Employment Division v. Smith is an excellent choice, and Professor Long has done an admirable job of presenting all sides of the issue. By utilizing primary sources such as Justice Thurgood Marshall's personal papers, and through conducting many interviews with those involved with the case, she has written a text that is informative, balanced, and (above all) enjoyable. A great attribute of this book is that it is real; the interviews with Mr. Smith, his attorney, and Attorney General Frohnmayer add a "real life" dimension that many political science case studies lack. The reader walks away from this book knowing that Al Smith is a real person with real emotions and beliefs; that is a refreshing change. The book is a fairly easy read for college students, and the reader is kept interested by the regular "changes in scenery" between the Supreme Court, the attorneys, and the other players throughout the book. Religious Freedom and Indian Rights provides valuable insight into the inner workings of a landmark case and the various dynamics that come to play when one is allowed to take a controversy "all the way to the Supreme Court." This book will doubtless prove to be an asset to those seeking a better understanding of the First Amendment's free exercise clause, and would be a excellent choice as a text for a Civil Rights and Civil Liberties course.

In having Dr. Ted V. McAllister as my Western and American Heritage Professor at Hillsdale College,I was able to fully appreciate his historical views on a personal basis. His knowledge of Niccolo Machiavelli and modernity, and the philosophy of Plato relating to Western history is unparalled. His views in his book are presented in a true and indepth fashion. After being his student for two semesters, I will truely miss his insight and knowledge pertaining to historical matters.

McAllister really seems to understand Strauss, which is more than can be said about many who write about Strauss (scholars and otherwise). This will serve as a useful antidote. And of course, Voegelin has long been neglected, so any work treating him seriously is a welcome addition. This should be in the library of serious political theorists.

Despite the title, this isn't so very far along in the series and in fact features the introduction of the very politically correct "Ms. Liz Probert." The cases are the usual set, and Rumpole faces his usual trials and tribulations, most notably from a new member of chambers who wants to make everything much more efficient. The eponymous tale is one we've seen dramatized, where Rumpole has great success betting on a "four-horse accumulator," tells a judge exactly what he thinks of him, and is (of course) frustrated when his go-between leaves the country with his winnings.

Entertaining, as always.

Rumpole has an assortment of foes in this collection of 7 stories: Judge Bullingham, his Head of Chambers Sam Ballard, dishonest prosecution witnesses, police officers, prosecuting barristers, and even the barrister defending his client's co-defendant in a case of armed robbery where a bank guard was wounded. No wonder he thinks of winning a fortune betting on horse races and moving to Spain in the last story, "Rumpole's Last Case". You should enjoy reading this book to find out how many cases Rumpole wins and if he really retires.

This book doesn't present any great revelations and certainly won't surprise those already familiar with the egomaniacal Ms. Stein but for anyone who has suffered the pains of sibling rifts this is any interesting read. Both brother and sister are tortured and pathetic in their own ways, Gertrude for having stubbornly believed she was a literary genius (a delusion I doubt fostered by very many today with the value of her literary contributions negligible) and Leo for having simply been a neurotic posterchild who couldn't go on with his life after their separation. This is a better book still because it does not focus on Gertrude's non-existent literary legacy but instead chooses to reveal two lives both richly interesting and complex and yet with a bitter vulnerability.

Brenda Wineapple's SISTER BROTHER tells the story of thedevelopment of a remarkably close and rich relationship betweenGertrude and Leo Stein. Gertrude -- writer, esthetic innovator, feminist precursor-- and her brother Leo -- art collector extraordinaire, scholar manque--were a remarkable pair. From their childhood in a family bereft of its mother, through years in the heady intellectual atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Harvard and Johns Hopkins, Leo and Gertrude depended on one another and grew along similar paths. When they settled in Paris, their apartment became the center for all who wished to know about modern painting: about Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, all of whose paintings hung in profusion on their walls.

But what hangs together-- whether brother and sister, or a great art collection -- can come undone, and it is the glory of this joint biography that Wineapple so carefully and tenderly traces the forces -- sexual appetites and obsessions, intellectual competitions, the powerful dialectic between dependence and autonomy -- which led to an absolute rupture between Leo and Gertrude, a rupture so complete that they never talked or wrote to one another again, for a period of thirty years. In those thirty years Gertrude became a central force in modern literature, while Leo subsided from the world into fad diets and unfinished projects. And yet, and yet: Wineapple does not sit in judgement, and it is the triumph of this book that Leo's many failures are as human, and as touching, and Gertrude's many successes: the reader ends up seeing ythe weaknesses of both, yet greatly admiring both.

The subject of the book, finally, is not Gertrude and Leo, but the strange, tender, and torrential emotions that run between brothers and sisters, and the many routes through life which lead either to social failure or social success.

This book is a solid basis for a course in statistical mechanics. Since it was a first edition, there were many typographical errors that made some of the reading a little sketchy in parts. IF you have the patientence to sit down and derive some of the more important results that Kadanoff glosses over, you will greatly benefit from the book. It is a solid book, complete in it's presentation of the material. At time his notation can be a bit unorthordox and can take getting used to, especially for those who are more strict in their "mathematical hygene." One very nice features of the book is that the level of the problems lends themselves very well to a course. In other words an instructor won't have to make up his/her own pwoblems for the most part.

I would never, ever call this book a 'solid basis' for statistical mechanics--that's Landau, or Sommerfeld.

What Kadanoff does do, like other great theorists, is make the field seem real. For instance, Feynman's diagrams don't add anything new to the mathematics, but they set the idea into focus in a way that makes you think differently about the real world. Before Gell-Mann, chromodynamics was just a mathematical idea: reading him makes you think there's really particles. And who really understood polarization until reading Dirac?

Kadanoff does that for critical phenomena. Even when he covers the material in a uselessly glossy way, he sets the theory on its feet and opens up the idea for more work. I've gotten tons of ideas from reading him.