This book tells the story of mankind's scientific heroes throughout the ages. It focuses mainly on renaissance age discoveries and inventions, and is mostly (but not completely) Eurocentric.

Daniel Boorstin has obviously put an amazing amount of time and effort into this comprehensive book. The result is over 700 pages of tightly spaced text that cover everything from geography, to anthropology, to economics, and all the way to physics and chemistry.

The book's strengths are also its weaknesses. "The Discoverers" is as comprehensive as a doctoral dissertation, and often reads like one. Latin words and phrases are liberally sprayed throughout the text, and at times I felt as if Boorstin was intentionally trying to use the most obscure terms just for the fun of it. I also found the text and the narration to be mostly dry. This book is not an easy read.

I am an avid fan of scientific history books. I enjoyed the awe inspiring scope of this work, and its ability to illustrate the connections and interactions between scientists and their peers, and to show how discoveries and inventions were often based on earlier works. However, I felt that this format does not allow for the proper exploration of each topic. For example, the amazing discoveries of Faraday and Maxwell, are together told in only 4 pages...

The bottom line is that "The Discoverers" is not easy to read, and while it gives a tantalizing glimpse into a large number of topics, each of these topics is only briefly discussed. However, the sheer scope of the book gives the reader a fascinating bird's eye view of man's struggle to understand his world.

Boorstin's amazingly thorough and eminently readable account of 'Man the Discoverer' was a pleasure to read. Instructive without being pedantic, this approach offers history writing at its best. There are few shortcomings, though, that prevent it from a '10' rating. Lack of illustrations limits the book's effectiveness: many geographic areas Boorstin mentions are not commonly known, so maps would be helpful; and complex concepts (such as the "escapement mechanism" in time pieces) are not successfully explained in words, and desparately need pictures to demonstrate what he is talking about. Boorstin is also extremely limited in his discussions of discovery in the 20th century. Einstein is barely mentioned, powered flight isn't discussed, communication revolutions of discovery such as telephone, radio, or television aren't covered, and no mention is made of computers nor the amazing things we've discovered with their use. This does not prevent Boorstin from giving an inordinate amount of attention to other 20th century figures such as Freud in psychiatry or Keynes in economics. (Are these things really "discoveries" in the same sense as the other things he covers in the book??) Overall, this is a fine book, but it could be better.

I was very lucky to have Daniel Boorstin's "The Discoverers" assigned as a textbook for an undergraduate class I took back in the spring of 1988 on European Expansion and Colonization from 1450-1750. Ordinarily, history textbooks are a bit dry. I enjoyed reading them enough to end up only one class short of a double major in History, but this one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

For a change, the text completely held my attention. Instead of only reading the assigned portions, I read the entire book. Upon discussing this with my classmates, I learned that each of them had done the same.

Perhaps my memory is tainted because this was an overall fun class where we studied actual sailable scale models of caravels built using the actual techniques of the time. But, I recently finished re-reading the book and it was just as much fun the eighth or ninth time around. I've read it so many times that I've lost count.

The two sections that I've always found riveting are the discovery of longitude and Captain Cook muddling around Antarctica. This book is just wonderful. I only wish that the sequel, "The Creators", was just as good. I found that one to be a bit rambling.

Some individuals feel that they already know everything Thom puts into his book "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight". If so they should step forward and lead rather than complain from the peanut gallery. This book is in essence calling out for action in the most basic sense, for individuals to make a conscious effort to conserve and preserve that which makes life sustainable. I can appreciate the way Thom spells out the situation facing humanity, mainifested in massive pollution and wasted lives physically, but at root a spiritual malaise owed to "dominator culture" fallout. Reconnecting on a local level, to our history, ecology and local economy is the solution to the danger inherent in the centralized, wasteful, authoriatarian culture we have today. Wake up, winter2, will soon be upon us, as our oil based culture will begin to consume itself if a new fuel is not found. "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" is actually pretty down to earth focused on real problems in simple and scientific terms. Developing strong, self-sufficient local communities is offered as the best survival strategy for the coming decades.

Thom Hartmann's "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" is probably the most informative and important book of this century. If you have children, if you love any children, if you love anyone at all I implore you to read this book from beginning to end ... and then read it once more.

It is of my humblest opinion that anyone who would give this book any sort of rude or negative review is a money groping, non-recycling pig. But pigs respect this planet, it's mankind and our ridiculous culture who doesn't. Thom Hartmann has brought this fact to all of our attention, including the people who don't want to hear it. Thom's book proposes the greatest question of all: When we die what do we leave behind besides what we've flushed down a toilet? Are we truly superior beings or only parasites infested like rats upon the earth?

Some people want comfortable answers to this question. They want Thom to tell us to put our cans into a yellow bin and everything will be fine. Thom won't do that. Instead he has given us a guideline to a new way of life. A new beginning and a new respect for this world we live in. His propositions are realistic, rational and full of love.

The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Austin Chronicle and The Orlando Sentinel all boast that Daniel Quinn's novel, "Ishmael" offers a new hope and a new way of life for the residents of planet earth. Daniel Quinn's solution in "Ishmael" mirror's Thom Hartmann's solution. I agree with this solution and I believe you will too when you have finished the last pages of this shocking, fast paced, eye opener.

His words race like rapids over a dangerous river unveiling truth after truth till we all stand naked with only one solution .... Change.

This was not an easy book to read. Hartman outlines very clearly what a dangerous predicament the planet is in right now, and how it got to be this way. However, unlike a lot of books which tell you how bad it is and then leave you in a state of desperation (supporting you in going back "to sleep"), Hartman lays out very clear actions anyone can take to help the situation. He backs up his highly spiritual ideas with hard core science (though clear enough for the layman), all to assure the reader that one person can and does make a difference every day - whether consciously or unconsciously - and this is the key to our salvation, and the salvation of the entire planet.

I believe it is our responsiblity to wake up and look at the reality we have created and figure out a way to change it. Thom Hartman gives you the gift of the opportunity to do so. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK -- AND PASS ON THE INFORMATION! We need all the help we can get!

L. Frank Baum's enduring story is wonderfully presented in this elegant edition and the Washington Post called Lisbeth's The Wizard of Oz "the loveliest edition imaginable."

However, the assessment of the local kids is the drawings are "weird." Perhaps intended for a more adult audience, the illustrations are beautiful--I enjoyed them--but their idiosyncratic style may not appeal to the younger set.

The characters pictured in the illustrations are dramatcially reinterpreted by the artist, however this may disappoint some viewers. The Scarecrow will look nothing like any scarecrow you've imagined. The Witch of the North is difficult to identify. This fresh point of view will be enjoyed by some but is sure to disappoint others.

I also felt the illustrations don't tell the story as well as the edition by Michael Hague or the original edition with W. W. Dinslow. (This is more important to the younger, read-to crowd, than the older, I can read it myself crowd.)

My daughter asked that we return the book and get a different edition for her. I would urge you to carefully consider the sample pages, except the sample pages don't cover a broad range of the illustrations included with this edition. The sample pages do include an image of the dramatic and striking cover. Unfortunately, in the judgement of several reviewers from 4 to 40, the other illustrations were noticably more "weird" than the cover and I don't think the sample pages represent the overall reading/viewing experience scrupulously.

The Wizard of Oz is about a girl named Dorothy who is a farm girl from Kansas. One day Dorothy is carried away by a cyclone to a magical land called Oz. While she is there she meets a tlaking scarecrow, a man made of tin, and a cowardly lion afraid of his own shadow. Dorothy and her friends follow a yellow brick road to the Emerald City where they hope to find the famous wizard that can grant each of their wishes. But the wicked witch keeps trying to ruin their trip to the Emerald City.
The setting of the book is in a magicla land full of little people called Munchkins, flying monkeys, and a wicked witch that will melt if touched with water. The characters have their separate reasons for wanting to see the wizard. As the story goes on, the reader can not help but fall in love with them.
The text gives great detail as to what everything looks like and with those details the whole world of Oz can come to life in the readers imagination.

The Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum is a wonderful book about a young girl who goes on an adventure full of excitement and fun. Dorothy the main character lives on a small country farm in Kansas with her Aunt, Uncle, and small dog, Toto. One day a twister comes over their country farm and whisks Dorothy along with her little dog away to a make believe land called Oz. There she is greeted by the people who live there. She asks them how she can get home to Kansas. They tell her that the Great Oz will help get her home. But before she heads on her way to Oz the Good Witch of the North kisses her on the forehead and says that with that kiss no one can harm her. So she and Toto head on their way to Oz. On her way she meets The Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Woodman made of tin who wants a heart and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. These four new friends eimbark on an adventure to the great city of Oz. Will they all get their wishes? Find out when you read the Wizard of Oz. I loved this book because not only did it have fantasy but it is a great book for all ages. I recomend it to anyone who loved being a child.

This is a wonderful book; beautiful, realistic, magical, and unbelievably sad. In,for example, the book's gradual transition from the idyllic beauty of the island at first, to the bleakness and the hardship that follows, we can see the real effect of war on people's lives; how some things change and some last, and how neither occurrence is guaranteed. Along the way, we also get insights into not only the central characters' lives, but also of the other characters or even figures of power, as well as the historical background told in a striking, interesting manner.

This book had me crying throughout the entire last day that I read it; however, while this to me shows that it must have been great to be so moving, I also do fall into the group of people who did not like the ending. Partly, I admit, it was because I found it too sad; too cruel, like a Hardyish twist of fate, that the child that gave meaning to Pelagia's life after Corelli's departure should have been the reason he stayed away. But partly, I also felt that de Bernieres' condensing of nearly half a century's story into the last quarter of the book was unnecessary, and the events somewhat implausible. Having created such a wonderful world of characters (sometimes when reading it, it seemed more real than ordinary life), it seemed a waste to leave it behind.

However, the book itself is an incredible piece of writing, and one of the best books I have ever read. The rating I have given "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" could be counted as full marks for the main bulk of the book, and considerably less for the last quarter/fifth of the book.

As an A Level English student, I have to read many books for my course, however, I have never been so moved by a novel as I have when reading Captain Corelli's Mandolin. It forces a large variety of emotion from it's reader. Moments of delightful comedy can be followed by deep tragedy; in the space of two chapters you will find yourself laughing out loud to crying with sympathy.

The narrative of the novel is extremely interesting. There is not one overall use of narative. Instead each chapter moves from the view points of characters from all perspectives of the story. Louis De Bernieres puts particular emphasis on the 'little people' of history and we realise that it is in fact those 'little people' who are the true historical heroes. This form of narrative provides a completely unbiased record of the war. Situations in the novel are actually based on true life situations which makes the novel that bit more personal.

De Bernieres also cleverly combines many different themes in the novel, the most important of which (in my opinion) is that of mythology. This creates the message that history contines throughout our own lives and also the moral message that we never learn from our past.

It is difficult to define this novel into a certain genre as it combines so many. It is not only a war novel, it provides romance, comdy, tragedy and many more. If I could give one piece of advice to a reader, it would be to give this book a chance. Many people in my English class found that though the book had a very slow start, it was in fact the most beautiful book they had ever read and by the end of the novel, they understood why the beginning of the book had been quite difficult to grasp.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is an extremely refreshing, original novel that also provides some intensely tragic and sensitive moments. It's a must on everybody's book shelf!

I was put off buying a copy of "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", due to its popularity (it even appears at the end of "Notting Hill", in Hugh Grant's hand!), but I regret not having read it soooner. There is a very good reason for its popularity. Quite simply, it is a literary work of genius. Despite my young years, I have read many novels, and I have never been so moved. It is sad, without being depressing; historical and political, without being dull; romantic, without being conventional and, for want of a better word, "soppy". It is a novel which embraces the very epitome of the word "perfection"- I have even written to Mr. de Bernieres to commend him, something I have never done before; no author has even made me contemplate doing so until now. Some readers disliked the ending: I can understand their point of view, due to the sheer frustration and tears provoked, but there was a good twist of the plot, albeit somewhat cruel for the reader! Several times, I had to put the book down, to compose myself, that I may continue. I shouted! I roared with laughter! I sobbed! Once, I was crying for 10 minutes solid, laughing through my tears, in spite of myself. I have SO much to say about "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", but frankly, a) I have no words that can be compared to Mr. de Bernieres' and b) I would hate for someone to read my review, and to get their hopes up too much. Please, just read this book. It is a fabulous yarn!

Zamyatin wrote this book in the early 1920s, allegorically depicting what the newly-born Soviet state was becoming at the time. Stalin did not allow the publication of the novel, but allowed Zamyatin to leave the country. This dystopian book paints a grim picture of society governed by One State (Stalin's "socialism in one country"), which having consolidated intself, intends to carry its principles and ways of life into other places in the universe (the part of the world outside the Soviet Union) in a spaceship called "Integral" (all-encompassing doctrine of Marxism-Leninism).

This book is the precursor of well-known dystopian novels "1984" and "The Animal Farm." Zamyatin's book is not polished: the narrative is repetitious and excessively brooding. But the theme is powerful and poignant: human aspirations to create heaven on earth (and beyond) lead to de-spiritualization and total oppression. The rebelious and creative are destroyed. Human beings are turned into organic automata that serve the State for the benefit of perpetuating its existence and its power. This grim, potent, and pseudo-mathematical narrative is a warning and a sad prophecy of totalitarian miseries of the twentieth century.

Imagine a world where everything is subservient to the United State. Where people do not have names, but are referred to only as numbers. Where your job, your home and your mate are determined for you by the "Well-Doer" and thoughts and actions are closely monitored by the "Guardians." This is not 1984 - this is Zamiatin's WE - predating Orwell by almost 25 years, and eerily describing the USSR under Stalin 10 years before its worst excesses.

The similarities between Zamiatin's world and Orwells are many and obvilious. Both are a biting satire of totalitarianism: its centralization of authority, its blatant disregard for human life and the crushing oppressiveness of the State. However I believe Zamiatin's to be the better story.

Orwell does not have Zamiatin's sarcastic use of the double entendre. And Zamiatin's writing style (especially his use of mathematical metaphors) reinforces the impersonal nature of his "utopian" society. Finally, Zamiatin's story is much more psychological than Orwells - much of the story takes place in the thoughts of the main character.

WE is rightly considered a masterpiece of modern Russian literature. If you have read 1984, I highly recommend reading WE.

This novel (the edition I read was a translation from the Russian by Mirra Ginsberg in 1972) is an excellent satire by Yevgeny Zamiatin (or, Zamyatin). Reading it, I find it remarkable that Zamiatin was not sent to Siberia or executed in one of the many purges occurring in the Soviet Union at that time. Apparently, the book was never published in the Soviet Union. It appeared first in English in 1924 (and obviously had a major influence in the development of Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four") and then in Czech in 1927. The Soviet authorities began to put pressure on the author through the Writers' Union and, probably due to the help of Maxim Gorky, Zamiatin was allowed to leave for Paris in 1931 (he died in Paris in 1937). The story is an extrapolation of a totalitarian world. The population of Earth that have survived a 200-years war find themselves members of a single state (the One State) where imagination is considered a disease. In this society the individual does not count, only the multitude. The central character is D-503 (all the inhabitants are numbers in this State), a mathematician who is building a space ship to bring their "perfect" world and culture to others. The whole novel consists of D-503's journal. However, D-503 soon meets I-330, a woman who shows him that there are numbers in the One State that feel that the State is in error and are striving for a new revolution. He begins to have strong feelings for her. He thinks he is ill but he can't help himself. And, he must keep his feelings hidden from the Guardians, the One State's "protectors." What a terrific "read." I highly recommend it (as well as "1984" and "Brave New World"). As can be seen in the comments by the other reviewers, "We" is a great book to discuss: with respect to politics, history, science fiction, or literature.

As usual the book is better than the movie. Having seen the movie first, I hesitated reading this legal thriller about a woman who is a Harvard law professor and a highly regarded defense attorney who defends her husband in a military trial. He is accused of killing 87 unarmed civilians in San Salvador thirteen years previous. He had been living with wife Claire Heller Chapman as Tom Chapman, a new identity for this Special Forces soldier named Ronald Kubik.

Claire is shocked and overwhelmed when he is arrested and charged. After realizing he will be convicted quickly in a military court, she decides to apply her skill as a gifted defense attorney and defend him. She must learn the nuances of military jurisprudence, so she hires ex-JAG attorney, Charles O. Grimes III ( Morgan Freeman in the movie).

Claire wants desperately to believe her husband is not a killer, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. As the evidence is presented, she raises creative challenges that would normally cause reasonable doubt in a civilian jury. However, the judge doesn't give her any favorable rulings and Claire realizes she is working against a stacked deck. This realization helps extinguish any lingering doubt that something is wrong and convinces her of Tom's professed innocence.

This multi-layered plot helped erase my own doubt about the time I spent reading a story of which I already knew the outcome. There is enough difference in the storyline as well as in the complexity of the plot that I was actually unsure if the book would end in the same way as the movie. There is enough difference to recommend the book for both those who have seen the movie and those who haven't to find out how it ends. I think you will be pleasantly satisfied.

As in The Moscow Club and Extraordinary Powers, Joseph Finder has written a very entertaining,fast-paced book that once you start , you won't want to put down.

The story has lots of surprises, the dialogue is crisp and, for the most part, realistic. The main characters are mostly likable but could have been more fully developed. Nonetheless, High Crimes is well worth reading! Further, if this is your first book by Finder, you might also want to read The Moscow Club and Extraordinary Powers. His third book, The Zero Hour, was not as good.

I started to read this book during a boring day at work. I could not put it down! This is one of the best thrillers i've read in a very long time, probably since i finished the majority of robin cook's books years ago. High Crimes is truely a riveting page turner. The only thing that saddens me is that apparently the movie version is going to be completely different! Tom's assumed name is Tom Kubic and his real identity is Ronald Chapman and the story doesn't take place in Cambridge as Finder writes but in Marin County, CA. There's no Annie either...well you know what they always say..."the book is better than the movie".

I first read this book at 11, when I was going through a phase of reading 'cult books'. At the time I never really understood the book, I was just overwhelmed with the power of Hesse's words and his way of making you think about certain issues and ideas. Now I'm 14 and I think I understand the issues in the book better. What I love about this book is that the more you discover about life, the more you discover in this book. Which means I can open this book 10 or 20 years on and a whole new world of thought and ideas comes into my head. Before we had hippies, we had steppenwolf. And even though Steppenwolf is 'old', he appeals to younger people because he talks about his feelings in a blunt way. And though I am talking about Harry Haller as if he is real, its the only way I can say the way Hesse brings to life a character that lives through change and technology. The shame is, just like "1984" by George Orwell, Herman Hesse brings on a whole range of thought for years to come and people forget the book that caused the reveloution in thought. This book is in my top five, and it'll stay there for years to come.

Living on the outskirts of life, Steppenwolf roams the streets of the city and his soul searching for a piece to make him whole. He finds that that piece is already within him... a journey worth taking. Hermann Hesse's Steppenwolf offers a revealing look into the life of a man struggling to find his place in a world where most everyone is a stereotype.

I read this book at the lowest point in my life. For some strange reason, it was very comforting. I have read Hermann Hesse's Demian and The Glass Bead Game, yet neither has had such an effect on me. Although many view Steppenwolf as a paradoxical picture of the bourgeoisie, I see it as something more personal. It's a view on life. The ending really was amazing and I had to reread and rethink about it for a week to fully grasp the meaning.

I have recommended this book to every single one of my friends and teachers. It is truly a great work of art. Hesse's writing style and vivid descriptions are truly enchanting and will draw you into the book the second you start reading it. Those in depression will realize the value of life, and those who are not depressed will hopefully have a more open mind toward others.

Simply the best book I have ever read. Herman Hesse has described a very complicated life story, in a very poetic, and realistic way. It is a book that talks about the struggle we have with all the different souls that we have inside us. A book that talks about Harry who lost the desire to live, and who believed that he was half wolf, half human. How his wolf nature was taking over, and he already knew how his end would be. It talks about the depression he was going through, and how hard it was for him to look in the mirror and face himself with what was going on, and what he really wanted to do.

How the right person changed all that, she gave him a reason to be young in soul again, she understood him as a wolf and as a human, and explained the concept of the eternal life.

What makes the book much more valuable is how easy it is to relate it to our daily lives, and the challenges we face, and the motivations we have to create and look for.

A must book to read by everyone...

RE: AUDIO TAPE VERSION READ BY POWELL. I am a Colin Powell admirer but a definitive biography would better be told by a skilled independent writer, and after more "chapters" in his life are complete. Powell may indeed be a man of few faults but we can't be sure of that from his own words. I disagree however with reviewers who postulate that Powell has puffed-up his own accomplishments, on the contrary he's excessively modest. Rising to the highest position in the most powerful military in world history (and now to US Sec. of State) without benefit of a West Point education & connections describes a truly extraordinary individual. And far from savaging his detractors and the many incompetants he must have encountered along the way, Powell offers only a few token, and generally mild, criticisms. This book displays insight into Powell's background, development and beliefs but sidesteps tough questions of who screwed up and when. In that sense it is highly Politic - burns no bridges - and gives one hope that Powell may yet consider an Eisenhower-like leap to the highest civilian office.

"My American journey" is the story of Colin Powell. He is the living symbol of the American dream. Powell was born in Harlem, and grew up in South Bronx. His parents were hard-working immigrants from Jamaica. He went to school in New York, and later joined the ROTC.

"My American Journey" is a very well written biography. Together with lots of pictures from Powell's personal life, from his childhood in Bronx, and ending with his official career in the White House, the easygoing writing style makes this an interesting read. I truly enjoyed learning more about the Vietnam War and the bravery of the US soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. Additionally, after reading what Powell and Schwartzkopf experienced during the Vietnam War, I can better understand Powell's Gulf goals and actions. Previous to reading this book, I did not have a lot of knowledge about Panama and the invasion, therefore I found this part to be very interesting too.

The book provides us with a great study of leadership, while it also is a good study of military history and politics. "My American Journey" is an excellent story and example that shows us what possessing a strong motivation and integrity can lead to. You certainly do not need to be an American to appreciate the positive attitudes and the message that Powell sends through his book.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read about an interesting life, leadership, military history, and politics.

An American success story if there ever was one. Colin Powell vividly depicts his extraordinary life and career that could only take place in the setting of America. This autobiography wheels you through life in the poor neighborhoods in the Bronx to Washington Power broker. Colin Powell takes you though his life through his eyes, and into history, in some ways while reading it, I felt as though it was Forrest Gump on steroids, but the story is true.
Anyone interested in the policymaking process should read this book, as Powell describes his role as well as the role of other American leaders in making some of the most crucial decisions, the reader is swept into the pressures and challenges faced with America's leaders on a daily basis. The book delivers an account into the lives of Dick Cheney, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, and others, allowing you to take a more personal look at American leadership. It is so easy to criticize from the outside looking in, but usually criticism as well as praise, is done by the uninformed.
One aspect I found particularly educational was how Powell provided a small glimpse to me (A young white male) of an educated man, a commissioned officer of the United States Army, refused service in restaurants, and discriminated in others ways. It is a credit to Powell, how he rose above narrow-minded bigotry and focused on the positive; resisting the temptation of "victimization" to become one of the most powerful and respected men in the country. I recommend this book to anyone, black, white, Latino, male, female, liberal, or conservative.

This was an interesting read. However, I consider the title somewhat misleading given the author's stated purpose for the book as disclosed in chapter one: "...this is a book from which readers may learn to apply the principles of Zen, as reflected in the martial arts, to their lives and thus open up a potential source of inner strength they may never have dreamt they possessed" (pg. 3). It appears that he learned about Zen through his experience with the martial arts and, through this book, is attempting to give Zen a broader application so that one can reap some general metaphysical benefits from Zen without ever becoming a martial artist or even a Zen Buddhist. The author notifies the reader in chapter one that this book isn't for those who wish to master either Zen or the amazing physical feats of more advanced martial artists. The book is for those (martial artists or not) who want a simple, general introduction to the spiritual/mental side of the martial arts for broader applications. This approach has its critics since some may think that he superficially covers Zen's application to the martial arts in his attempt to give it a broader application. This book does not expound in detail the philosophy and/or religion of Zen Buddhism although it does contain some practical concepts related to Zen and life in general. One doesn't have to be a Buddhist or martial artist to appreciate the practical wisdom he shares, but if one wants more details regarding either Zen Buddhism or the martial arts, one is better served looking elsewhere.

I generally read a book only once but this is one of the finest books ever written and thus I have read it at least once a year since its publication. Zen in the Martial Arts is simple but profound, pithy yet universal, easily digestible but completely satisfying. While the title properly describes the surface of its ocean, the book itself reaches the depths of the ocean. On the surface the book is about Zen, martial arts, and their intersection, but between the covers the book is a guide to living life well, illuminated by vignette-like strategies for dealing with life's difficulties, both large and small. In a world where the speed of modern life enables us to forget the past and the present, we are fortunate to have Hyam's classic text to remind us of the lessons of the Zen and martial arts masters, lessons that apply regardless of profession or state in life.

One of the basic concepts in Zen is that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. This book is a 5-star teacher for the ready student. -RLO-

This book means more to me than probably any other book in my vast collection of books on Zen, Taoism, and martial arts. It is also probably the shortest. My instructor asked me to read it a few years ago when I started teaching Kung Fu, and it completely changed my views on life and the martial arts. Although it helps to be a martial artist, it is surely not needed in order to appreciate this wonderful book about the truths in life. Each little chapter has an outstanding moral that the author was taught eaither by a teacher or by experience. I try and read this at least twice a year. You learn something new every time. HIGHLY recommended. It will change your life for the better.

I began reading JC books in the late 80's and could not get enough. The PBS Series still holds my interest and attention.
Having lost my copy of the original transcripts I purchased this edition without regard to the Editor and find this edition and this editing misses something from the original.
I am sure it will serve many that are unfamiliar with JC, but I want the un-edited version as it changed my life forever.

Since this book is basically the transcripts from Bill Moyer's excellent televised interviews with Joseph Campbell, "The Power of Myth" frequently comes off as a "Reader's Digest" coffee table condensation of Campbell's life and work. Since the interview, by its very nature is limited in its scope and focus, "The Power of Myth" simply does not possess the depth of Campbell's other work.

This really is no matter as what is present provides the reader with a fine introduction to Campbell's passionate devotion to World Myth. Campbell's life thesis, that man posseses the innate desire and need to create myth, is a compelling idea the binds us all to ourselves and each other.

"The Power of Myth" is NOT to be taken as a religious tome. In that context, it certainly does come off as a cockeyed New Age concoction of non-commitment. It is meant, however, to be taken as a work of deconstructionist literary criticsm that seeks to celebrate the common threads running through all cultures and perspectives.

Campbell openly celebrates man's ability to imagine as well as his devotion to ideas. He does not seek to debunk or trivialize the devout (one must be careful to realize this as they read Campbell). His scholarly intent as I see it, is to encourage and nurture the seed of faith inherent in all and encourage everyone to embark on their own heroic adventures of discovery.

"The Power of Myth" serves as an excellent bibliography of sorts as it lists the many great folktales and religious texts which demand re-reading. Campbell urges his audience to read for themselves and search for their own discoveries.

If one is searching for a far more in depth study of myth, I cannot praise enough Campbell's excellent "The Hero With A Thousand Faces". As is, "The Power of Myth" is a fine starting point.

This is the transcript of the Bill Moyers interview with Joseph Campbell done with him years and years ago-a stunning interview-a stunning book. Readers will enjoy the book format because let's face it-when Crazy Joe Campbell was talking-sometimes we needed more time than which was given to "absorb what was said." From talking about the Great Seal on the American dollar bill and it's mythological connections-to pouring over a letter from Chief Seattle to George Washington about the purchase of land, this book is never uninteresting.

And to give Bill Moyers due credit as well as an excellent journalist who always knows the right question to ask-and whom unlike a lot of journalists today-actually cares about what he is and was covering. In fact, sometimes Moyers says something quite insightful on his own-it is the coming together of two great minds in a question and answer format-that produces the end result of genius-pure genius. If you are unfamiliar with the Bill Moyers interview, I would recommend purchasing it on here, the 6 tapes, or waiting until PBS airs it again-they always do. Afterall, it's one of PBS's all time ratings grabber. The reason I say that is hearing the way Joe Campbell speaks, seeing in flesh just how engaging of a man he is-allows the reader to "imagine him speaking through the book." To me-that makes a huge difference.

This book is a winnner all the way-regardless of what religious background you hail from-what sort of philosophy if any you engage-this book will certainly impress you the reader. It could actually change someone's life in the context of stimulating someone's interest enough in mythology-to begin looking into it. Or, it can broaden your insight into your own spiritual life in of which you have already established. Any way you toss this book up-it's heads. So buy it.