This book really helped me deal with my obsession and turn my life around. Now I'm cured and I scrupulously avoid having anything to do with morality or religion.

If you have trouble with obsessive-compulsive disorder then you do not have to keep suffering. God loves you and you do not have to live your life in morbid fear. Please read this book and find someone who can help you apply it. I once thought that to get rid of my excessive scrupulosity I would have to get rid of my faith, and I would never do that. But this book helped me understand that because my fears were abnormal and beyond what was required for my religion, it was possible for me to gradually learn to get past them. I still struggle but now life is a joy, not a torture.

Ciarrocci has a backround in both religion and mental health and brings to this book the benifit of both perspectives. This self help book is well worth reading for those who have OCD especially scrupulosity OCD. It explains the cognitive behavioral treatment of this type of problem.

This book is very thrilling, and keeps you in suspense. You feel like you are really there, watching history unfold right before your own eyes. If you find it is hard to stay into this great book, press on! You will really love this adventurous book.

I read this book with my daughter who is 10 and we had a hard time putting it down. She is studying the Middle Ages this year in school and this story brought that time period to life. Not only did we learn about the historical events of the time of King Alfred and the Vikings, but we enjoyed reading about the culture of the 9th century. We have read other books by Henty and we were not disappointed with this one. There is something here for everyone, adventure, battles, romance, friendship, etc.

Henty is a wonderful author. I have read this book dozens of times and it is always fresh. The scenes are vivid, the plot is involving, and the characters are marvellous!

This book is an absolute riot!!! Everyone is fair game as no one is safe.
So many of them will be useful for intros to public speaking to ANY group. Further, they are arranged by category, which is very helpful. Want to take a shot at someone? The resource is here!

I am constantly getting forwarded email from friends and do not have the time to read it. Now, it is all in a book... The funny thing is I picked it up and read it through. I kept tapping my husband and saying, "Listen to this one, listen to this one".

A breath of fresh air! Too often I see books covering boring subjects, boring people and boring technology. Absolutely nothing boring about e-Humor!, you just keep laughing regardless of the chapter or topic.

The author really knows what makes people laugh. I am keeping this book on my office shelf to help me get through those tough days!

I really got a lot from this book. Stowell explains that in order to see life in its fullest meaning, the believer needs to see all three worlds: the world around us (earth); the world within (the Kingdom of Christ); and the world to come (heaven). Focusing on the eternal and prioritizing our worlds is key. Anyone searching to understand why a Christian may often feel "out of sync" should read this book.

This is an eternity eye opener. Do yourself a favor an get a vision for how you can live with an eternal perspective. - DaveDavidson.com

Rare is the day when I find a book whose content causes me to recall daily what I have learned, but Stowell's Eternity is just that. For months after I finished its pages, I was still bringing to mind specifically what he talked about. The principles he lays down concerning our focus are powerful and well worth the perusal of any follower of Christ.

If you've ever been perplexed or baffled by books on Buddhism - especially books on Zen Buddhism - your perplexity will vanish when you read this book. The Experience of Insight is a well-edited transcription of many talks given to participants over the course of a one-month meditation retreat. The teachings are largely coaching for meditation. During the retreat, these short talks were small pockets of coaching between large stretches of silence and meditation. That may be why the information comes across so clearly and so usefully.

You'll learn, probably with more understanding than you've ever had before, the Buddhist fundamentals: The Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the seven factors of enlightenment, etc. But they are explained in a way that makes their relevance and importance to your practice perfectly clear. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I've specialized in knowing the difference between information that merely sounds great and instruction that actually helps, and Joseph Goldstein manages to deliver teachings that will really help you in your meditation practice. He will inspire you, encourage you, and teach you good technique. If you meditate and would like support for your practice, The Experience of Insight is the best you will find.

I picked up this book in hopes of becoming more acclimated with Insight (or Vipassana) meditation. The format is unique in that it is excerpts from speeches given by Mr. Goldstein during a 30 day meditation retreat. Each "chapter" is a different topic, some consisting of a page or two (usually the morning talks) while others span upwards of 10 pages. I liked this format because it felt a little like reading a daily journal. You can follow along, reading a passage in the morning, then one in the evening or whatever pace you choose. One aspect that I really liked was the question and answer section at the end of each evening talk. Many of the questions that I had after reading the passage were brought up and explained in these sections.

The topics chosen by Mr. Goldstein are basic but interesting. The author has a great skill of bringing in outside sources to help clarify and reinforce the ideas that are being expressed. Whether it be Taoism, Japanese Zen, or Tibeten Buddhism, Goldstein shows how closely the hearts of these teachings resemble each other. He also takes time to show that the different schools of Buddhism are just different ways of looking at the same thing or, as he puts it, different fingers pointing to the same moon. To become pre-occupied with the finger is to miss the main point.

As for actual instruction on sitting meditation, this book covers some things lightly but doesn't get into a lot of depth on it. He talks briefly about the common "Mindfulness of Breathing" meditation (along with some small variations on it) and also meta bhavana (lovingkindness) meditation. As far as this aspect of the book goes, I still prefer Pramanada's meditation guide, "Change Your Mind," to this one because of it's detail.

Whether you are new to Buddhism (and it's meditation) or have been practicing it for a while, this book has something to offer you. The journal-like format and easy-reading prose that Goldstein displays allows the reader to focus on the teachings and not the style. I highly recommend you give it a try.

What makes Joseph Goldstein's THE EXPERIENCE OF INSIGHT such an excellent book is that it lives up to its subtitle, "A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation." And yet at the same time it is both subtle and profound. The book is organized around a thirty day meditation retreat, and the chapters are each an evening's talk, starting with beginning instruction, moving through Concepts and Reality, through Death and Loving Kindness, all the way to Buddhist Paths and Closing. Goldstein writes well and clearly, and he knows when to throw in a little Zen story,. It is not a talky, chatty book; it has the cool lucidity of Zen instruction. Some of the chapters end with questions from the meditation participants, like "Why does greed arise?" or "How would you describe the happiness of nirvana?" and Goldstein responds with both Buddhist doctrine and real life examples.

Some of his stories may sound quite familiar since his book was first published in 1976 and those very stories are told widely around the meditation circuit. Goldstein is a serious Buddhist, and besides laying down basic principles of the faith, he also goes into more esoteric issues like the three pillars of Dharma, the five hindrances (desire, anger, sloth and torpor, restlessness, and doubt), the meaning of Hesse's SIDDHARTHA, and others.

This book should satisfy both the curious beginner and the serious student of Buddhism. Goldstein is truly a guru, who encourages us: "Do not be discouraged by wandering thoughts or daydreams. Each time there is awareness of the mind wandering, gently bring it back to the breath or sensations. No matter how many times this happens, if each time the wandering mind is brought back, the hour will be well spent. Be gentle with yourself. Be persevering."

I'm a mother of a son, not a father, and I don't golf, but I loved this book! As a parent, it was a great story to read, and offered some wonderful life lessons. Andrew Shanley is a talented writer who truly opens his heart and soul to readers, making this a book with true universal appeal.

Andrew Shanleys book really hits home. I could see myself and my sons in every turn of the page. It's insipred me to do more and be more for my kids.

A deceptively simple beginning, the desire a father has to teach his two sons how to play golf, turns into a powerfully moving story told with eloquence, humor, and humility. If you are a parent or a child, and/or you love golf, this is a book that shouldn't be missed.

Excellent guide, color plates are great aids for quicky identification as well as colored maps explaining range of each specie, it also explains details of each specie in a very detailed way and suggest many tips in order to recognize particular species. I own many guides and honestly this is part of my favorites and best guides, maybe you wont find anything better than this except for the Audubon Guides, considering the extensive color pictures on those...
Sorry about my grammar, Im from Mexico.

This book was my bible as a boy. For anyone who enjoys watching small creatures in their natural habitats, the life-histories of amphibians and reptiles can be very enjoyable. This book is educational and extremely comprehensive. Even after moving to Europe, I kept my copy of this book, purely for sentimental value (none of the species from back home are to be found over here).

The book is written for those who want a lot of information, yet it is accessible for anyone from a very inquisitive boy or girl, through to university students who want to identify species in the wild. (I know, I used my copy from the age of ten to twenty-five on countless field trips and excursions.)

It's sturdy and affordable, especially considering the amount of information it contains. There are many b/w illustrations within the text showing specific identifying features, and a nice set of colour and black and white plates. More useful than Audubon, if you like these peaceful little animals this book will be with you for a long time.

Beautiful color photographs, realistic paintings of each species illustrating diagnostic characteristics, and wonderful accounts on each form, from two of the most respected herpetologists to ever live. The color maps are not as good as the original black and white versions, but color photographs by the foremost authority on North American wildlife photography, more than make up for this. The maps are still better than those used in any field guide covering the same geographic area. Every kid should have at least one.

Since the founding of the Society of Jesus by Ignatius Loyola, the Jesuits have been a powerful force in the areas of missionary activity, teaching, and preaching. In THE FIFTH WEEK, Father O'Malley writes of renowned Jesuits in the past, and also describes the Jesuit training process. For anyone seeking general insight into the Society of Jesus, THE FIFTH WEEK is a very apropos introductory survey.

After my son had studied "The Fifth Week" in his high school religion class I told him to retain it at the end of the class for my reading. It was one of the best literary decisions I ever made.

"The Fifth Week" is divided into three sections: Jesuits of the Past; Jesuits of the Present; and Jesuits of the Future.

It was the first two sections which primarily attracted me to this book. Jesuits of the Past and Jesuits of the Present consist of brief biographies of Jesuit heroes. As a product of Jesuit education, I had heard many of these names, either in sketchy legends or on the nameplates of schools or buildings. This book put stories to these names.

The first and longest biography belongs, fittingly enough, to St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society. During a forced convalescence from battlefield wounds, a reading of the Lives of the Saints transformed this servant of the King of Spain into one of the most illustrious servants of the King of Heaven.

Other biographies bring the brightest stars in the Jesuit sky to life. St. Francis Xavier, after whom my College Church is named, was the great missionary who took the Faith to the Orient. St. Edmund Campion had to me been merely the patron of a building at college. From this book I learned that he was a 16th century Jesuit who trained in Prague before returning to his native England to minister to Catholics during the height of the Reformation persecution of the Church until his martyrdom in 1581.

Another interesting English Jesuit of the Reformation era was St. Nicholas Owen. St. Nicholas was a Jesuit brother who's main ministry was the building of priestly hideouts in the great houses of English Catholics until he was captured and tortured to death in 1606.

One of the most notable exemplars of the Jesuit charism is Matteo Ricci who followed in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier in bringing the Gospel to the Orient. In keeping with the Jesuit theme of using all things to bring people to God, Matteo followed St. Paul's entreaty to be all things to all men. Immersing himself in Chinese culture and adopting Chinese dress, he obtained acceptance into the Chinese Imperial Court. From this position started a movement which in 50 years was to include 150,000 Chinese Catholics.

Among my favorite heroes are the North American Martyr, St. John de Breboeuf, and Peter DeSmet, the St. Louis based western missionary and patron the high school at which my son studied this book.

The explanation of the suppression of the Jesuits occurring in various places from 1759-1814 was a movement of which I had heard and read but which I did not understand until reading this book..

The Jesuits of the Past section concludes with the biography of Blessed Miguel Pro, "Jesuit Clown.". My family and I had first heard of Miguel Pro during a passing reference in a homily to "Viva Christo Rey-Long Live Christ the King!", his last words while facing a firing squad. His story was, actually, similar to that of St. Edmund Campion. Driven from his native Mexico by anticlerical persecutions, Pro studied in California, Spain, Nicaragua and Belgium. Sneaking back into Mexico after ordination, his skillful use of a series of disguises permitted him to minister to the faithful for 2 years during which he avoided capture by the authorities.

Section 2 highlights contemporary Jesuits. Daniel Lord used teaching, writing, theatre and social action to bring God to his people. World War II made heroes of Carl Hausman, a prisoner of the Japanese in the Philippines and Joseph O'Callahan, a chaplain aboard the U.S.S. Franklin during a devastating Kamikaze attack. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a paleontologist who brought the faith to the world of science.

Fr. O'Malley begins the transition from Section 2 to Section 3 by introducing the story of his own vocation.

Section 3 is the story of the Jesuits of the Future. An inquiry into the Society of today, the challenges of the world and obstacles to a religious vocation are viewed reflectively. The book concludes with the questions a man must confront in discerning whether he has a vocation to the priestly or religious life. The final pages are devoted to the practical steps one must take in order to explore the possibility of living the Jesuit life.

I began this book I with high expectations. At its conclusion my expectations were fulfilled. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the stories of Jesuit heroes as well as anyone who wants to understand what has attracted so many outstanding men of the past to the Society of Jesus and what continues to attract the Church leaders of tomorrow.

The Fifth Week is meant to be a book to inform those who are interested in becoming Jesuits. However, I feel that this book is meant for anyone at any level of spirtuality. This book provides examples of heroism that anyone can look up to and become inspired, I know that I was. The heroic Jesuits portrayed in the book were real men, with real weaknesses, with real strengths. This authenticity is further strengthened by Fr. William O'Malley's own vocational story, which entailed struggle, hardship, love, and peace. These are realities that we all face, so the book has the ability to coincide with some of our own experiences and trials. The most important thing that this book offers the reader is "the hope for man." We may have hope in the fact that The Society of Jesus will set the world on fire by living out the Good News.

These two manuals are all you'll ever need for artistic anatomy texts. See my review for Sheppard's "Anatomy: Complete Guide for Artists". These two are all that's required.

This is the book I should have bought when I spent some initially for "Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life" This is perfect for beginning artists like me who aren't overly concerned with the finer details of human anatomy but rather with surface anatomy. The textual content is in plain English unlike Bridgman's "older" English.

However, this book does have one blemish: some of the letter markers are difficult to see against heavily shaded body parts (because the letters should have been white instead of black in these areas). But after reading a few pages, you'll be able to determine where the letter should be (sometimes they are missing too or perfectly blended in) or where the indicated body part is.

I still rate it 5 though because it proved extremely useful to me personally.

I also bought "How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy: Human Body Drawings for Creating Characters" which is a visual reference rather than a "why" book. The drawings are clearer (devoid of light and shade) and should also appeal to those who only want to draw "cartoon" like human characters (i.e. manga, GI Joe, He-Man, Thundercats).

I am a high school artist and aspire to be a doctor. This book presents artistic anatomy in a straightforward and technical manner which also comes across as aescthetic. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to draw people!

This is a straight-forward narrative by a young college boy from Louisiana, telling a gripping tale of flying the smallest airplane in the U. S. Army into the battle for Europe, flying over the battle as an artillery forward observer in WW II.
This frank memoir takes you all the way through training to fly right over the front lines, in fact so close that he was shot down twice.
Follow this seldom told story of how these few brave pilots in unarmed spotter planes helped win the war. It's time well spent.

Flying Low would generally be considered a man's book - and it is. However, Joseph Furbee Gordon's account of his days as an artillery spotter pilot is much more - it's a book for men, women, anyone who wants to learn more about the World War II era. Gordon's narrative gives one a sense of "being along for the ride." Although more than half a century has passed, his words manage to capture the elusive spirit of youth. Flying Low tells how it was for one young warrior during WW II, and reminds us how very young are the ones who defend us today. Read Flying Low - you'll be glad you did!

Flying Low is a warm, personal account of the experiences of a young pilot from Texas who survived being shot down twice in his light aircraft while spotting for his artillery unit. Gordon mixes memories of his days in Europe toward the end of the war with glimpses from his youth, onto his flight training in the Army Air Corp and then the eventual assignment that almost cost him his life - twice.

I would highly recommend Flying Low to anyone interested in learning about some of the quiet, unheralded heroes of WW II. Can you imagine slowly drifting 1000 feet above a battlefield with artllery shells, anti-aircraft and small arms fire zipping past you? Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, just you, a pair of binoculars, a radio and a small plane with no protection.

Gordon tells his story - not from the point of being a brave pilot - but as someone who knew his duty and did it with honor and integrity. A great read - you won't be disappointed.