★ Reviews for Aleshkovsky,

Book reviews for "Aleshkovsky,_Joseph" sorted by average review score:

Physician of the Soul: A Modern Kabbalist's Approach to Health and Healing

Published in Paperback by Crossing Press (May, 2000)

Authors: Lesley Sussman and Joseph H. Gelberman

Amazon base price: $10.47
List price: $14.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $8.00
Collectible price: $9.81
Buy one from zShops for: $8.97

Average review score:

Disappointing Read!!

When I bought this book, I thought I was going to learn how the Kabbalah could help me tackle some long-term health concerns I have had. To my disappointment, this book makes it hard to even want to keep reading. The book is more of an autobiography of the author and his experiences with kabbalistic wisdom than a book about using the kabbalah to heal yourself. There are much better books out there about the kabbalah. I would recommend you pass on this one.

Magnificent Book for People of All Faiths

I found this book last night in a local bookstore and read almost the entire book while still in the store. This book offers a wealth of magnificent prayers, insights, and affirmations for when we are out of balance physically or emotionally. The book appeals to people of all faiths. In fact, Rabbi Gelberman founded a temple in New York City that is open to people of all faiths. The forward was written by a Hindu Swami. This book deserves to be a best-seller!

A Focused Look at Kabbalah and Its Healing Powers

Many books on Kabbalah are theoretical in nature and often require an understanding of Judaism beyond the comprehension of most readers. This book not only explains Kabbalah in simple to understand terms but, most importantly, remains focused on how to use this ancient mystical text to help bring balance and health into your life. The author is an 88-year-old Kabbalistic master and modern Hasidic rabbi who deserves to be on Oprah.

Pulitzer: A Life

Published in Hardcover by John Wiley & Sons (14 September, 2001)

Author: Denis Brian

Amazon base price: $30.00
Used price: $15.96
Collectible price: $17.95
Buy one from zShops for: $13.95

Average review score:

Exhaustive and Exhausting

It is only upon reaching the very last page of this 395 page biography that the reader comes to understand why this portrait of Pulitzer is so disappointing and, frankly, uncomfortable to read. There, the author cites as one of his sources, a PhD thesis from the 1940s which drew upon an interview with Mr. Pulitzer's aging valet. This interview. pursued at the urging of Pulitzer's son, revealed, apparently for the first time, Pulitzer's virtually disabling depression, the havoc it wreaked on the management of his papers and the misery it brought to his family. If one strips away the "eccentricities" catalogued in exhaustive detail by the author one is left with a narrative that is hardly insightful or illuminating. Like Mr. Pulitzer's beleaguered hirelings and pathetic and emotionally abused family members, the author seems to struggle to divine brilliance in every move of this isolated and miserable man. That Pulitzer and his "World" transformed and empowered the newspaper business at the turn of the last century is without question and the author provides a somewhat lively and entertaining picture of that business in those days. However, by asking the us to bear with Pulitzer through page after page of troubling and, often, psychotic behavior, the author imparts no more than the conventional appreciation of the proverbial "thin line between genius and madness." The reader comes to suspect that the key to the success of the "World" may actually have derived from the triumph of the genius of others over Pulitzer's madness; a test of this hypothesis requires more richly researched characterizations of the editors and reporters who labored beneath the Dome than the author has produced. In fact, the author rarely strays from Pulitzer's side such that what must have been a vibrant publishing world remains unidimensional and sketchy. By the end of this work, the nature of Pulitzer's genius remains obscure and relatively bereft of insight; it is his madness that is most appreciated as the reader emerges from an exhausting virtual immersion in the psychodrama that dominates this biography.

A great bio of an intriguing man

Joseph Pulitzer was a fascinating man. His battles with Hearst and his role in the foundation of modern journalism are the stuff of legend. However, I never actually realized how much of an impact Pulitzer had on the 20th century until I read Brian's terrific bio. Well worth the read.

Pulitzer: A Life

This well-written, detailed biography is fascinating. This book, on Joseph Pulitzer, gives the reader a complete view of his life, his work, and his rise to power. Filled with details on his pioneering thoughts and practices, you'll see why Pulitzer's influence is still felt today. For anyone interested in publishing history and journalism, you won't want to miss this book!

Return of a Champion: The Monica Seles Story

Published in Paperback by St Martins Mass Market Paper (July, 1996)

Authors: Joe Layden and Joseph Layden

Amazon base price: $5.99
Used price: $0.75

Average review score:

Good Biography, but not the best

I felt this book was well written and researched, but not nearly as good as Monica's autobiography. There are some factual errors here and there, but overall this book is a good insight to Monica's career. There are also some black & white photos, which are a good touch. The important thing to discuss here is not what would have or might have been, nor the whole Graf-issue, but the quality of this book. It is pointless to have reviews which contain little to no help to fellow readers. That's why I'd recommend this book to any TRUE Monica fan.

It was okay

I thought the book was okay but not great. I think what happened to Monica was tragic, but she played great in her first couple of tournaments when she returned but suffered a loss of form after winning the 1996 Australian Open. I think that loss of form was due to lack of conditioning. My point is how can she play so well at the 1995 Canadian Open and 1995 U.S. Open and play not as well since that time period. It was a bad situation but Steffi Graf was unfairly criticized by some tennis fans for the Seles attack by Gunther Parche, when in reality no sane fan would attack a rival of Graf's. Graf held her own against Seles, so the attack by this particular fan was irrational and pointless. It robbed the game of the best player in the world at the time and possibly someone that could have been the greatest player ever. Now Graf has to live with the stigma that she only regained the top spot because of the attack, when in reality we will never know if Graf could have regained the top spot if the attack never happened.

Monica is perfect, she has natural beuty (she is not som Ann

It is a great book! You have done a great job. It is perfect that you've included a lot of information. You have written about Monica's childhood, what was just perfect. There was also a lot of information about how Monica was training, the way she was winning her tournaments. Everybody who is interested in Monica (tennis), even if you are not you WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK!!!!

Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture

Published in Paperback by University of California Press (June, 1994)

Author: Thomas S. Hines

Amazon base price: $27.97
List price: $39.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $14.00
Buy one from zShops for: $27.77

Average review score:

novel or document?

to an architect the purpose of this book is unclear. The subject is an architect with an extremely intersting life, who designed very interesting buildings. The subtitle of the book gives us the impression that the book is about architecture. In reality it only gives us a very poor impression of the buildings designed by Neutra: only very small pictures are displayed of what he designed. family snap-shots on the other hand, are everywhere and in larger sizes.
Of course this can be a purpose of the writer. However, the uncritical way and blind admiration for Neutra makes the book boring to read an tiresome.
I suggest that anyone that is interested in the works of Neutra buy another book, with better, and more pictures of his buildings an floor plans to go with them. His buildings deserve it.

great review

this is an excellent account of the life and works of richard neutra. i would recommend this book to anyone interested in modern architecture, both regionally and internationally. More color images would have been appreciated, although this does not detract from the overall attractiveness of the book.

Excellent overall view of Neutra's work and his life story.

The classic Neutra companion; very informative. Although I would have liked to have seen current color photographs of the great RJN's work along with the extensive B&W ones (actually I believe a volume of that nature is in the works), this retrospective is nonetheless very broad in its scope and has many interesting stories about the building of the structures during Neutra's life. Also contains a complete list of his buildings and houses, along with locations and dates of construction.

The Soccer Goalkeeper

Published in Paperback by Human Kinetics (T) (September, 1992)

Authors: Joseph A. Luxbacher, Gene Klein, and Joe Luxbacher

Amazon base price: $15.95
Used price: $1.90
Collectible price: $6.50
Buy one from zShops for: $2.99

Average review score:

Good book for beginers

I read the book front to back and overall was slightly impressed. A great book for new coaches or new keepers looking to understand the position.

The Best Overview

There's a dearth of valuable technical instruction available for most aspiring goalkeepers, both in person and in print. This book provides an excellent overview of all aspects of goalkeeper play, from the physical fundamentals (catching, footwork, etc.) to positional play and the mental game (an extremely important topic that often gets little coverage). Mastery of the skills detailed in this book will make you a very good, skilled goalkeeper. My only beef is that the nuanced information and skills that separate the "very good" from the "world class" is not covered at all. I know that's a lot to ask, but if you're looking for the knowledge to put your game over the top, this isn't really going to help. On the other hand, if you're looking for a comprehensive guide to the position, or to find a reference touchstone for the "completeness" of your (or your player's) game, this is the place. Ultimately, a necessary resource for any serious goalkeeper.

good field practice and exercises guide

This book offers very effective field , footwork, and strategic techniques for Intermediate level keepers. Covers most topics well but short on phychological methods against opponents and advanced topics in teamwork. Overall very complete and technical.

The Tale of the 1002nd Night

Published in Paperback by Picador (November, 1999)

Authors: Joseph Roth and Michael Hofmann

Amazon base price: $11.20
List price: $14.00 (that's 20% off!)
Used price: $2.94
Buy one from zShops for: $5.46

Average review score:

"In this short book there is enough for many books."

This quotation from the introduction by Michael Hofmann, poet and translator of four Roth novels, highlights both the delights and limitations of this book. Like the Radetzky March, it has all the ingredients for a greatly exciting read and touches on all aspects of society in the Austro-Hungarian empire--worlds of the court, the army, journalism, night life, the law, popular entertainment, and even prostitution. Unlike the Radetzky March, however, it is sketchy, and doesn't draw you into the action or involve you with the characters. There's a curious disconnect between the characters and the reader, akin in many ways to the disconnect between most of the characters and each other, perhaps because there are many of them in this short novel, and perhaps because Roth himself felt disconnected, living in exile and dying of alcoholism at the time he wrote it.

The visit of the Shah of Persia and his one-night-stand with a young Viennese woman provide fertile ground for wonderful dialogue and lyrical descriptions, but the characters are like exhibits in the wax museum which plays a part in the conclusion of the novel. In short, this novel is intriguing primarily for its detailed and exacting recreation of an historical context, but its large scope and small size act as barriers to reader involvement.

The Hope Diamond's little sister...the pearls

I enjoyed this book very much. Roth is a much under appreciated author today and his style of writing is as modern as anyone's. While the plot meanders along a trite line, the heart of all Roth's work is the Austro-Hungarian Empire and all it's failings in morals, people and politics. This, along with Roth's Radetzky March, and you will have all you'll ever need to know about that important era.

Achingly beautiful work

The editorial reviewers have done more justice to this beautiful book than I can. It is everything they say it is: a bittersweet delight to read.

Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History

Published in Paperback by Harpercollins College Div (January, 1993)

Author: Joseph S., Jr. Nye

Amazon base price: $36.50
Used price: $1.92

Average review score:

excellent intro book to International Affairs

One of the few textbooks I truly enjoyed, Nye's Understanding International Conflicts was a clear, easy-to-read, and yet insightful book. Its focus is on the three levels of influence on a state's behavior: the interstate system, intrastate politics, and individual. It is one of the few entry-level IA books to discuss the effect of personality on the actions of a state. Even in my graduate-level seminars and papers, I found it to be useful.

An Excellent Introduction

Joseph Nye's book is intended as an introduction for those seeking to understand why nations go to war. It is well-written and easy to read, without sacrificing any analysis. It explais the three levels of analysis and applies them to several test cases, including the major conflicts of this century:World Wars One and Two, and the Cold War. Those familiar with the subject will probably learn few new things, although it may serve as a quick refresher

Superb, Post 9-11 Update, Excellent Adult Foundation

First, it is vital for prospective buyers to understand that the existing reviews are three years out of date--this is a five-star tutorial on international relations that has been most recently updated after 9-11. If I were to recommend only two books on international relations, for any adult including nominally sophisticated world travelers, this would be the first book; the second would be Shultz, Godson, & Quester's wonderful edited work, "Security Studies for the 21st Century."

I really want to stress the utility of this work to adults, including those like myself who earned a couple of graduate degrees in the last century (smile). I was surprised to find no mention of the author's stellar service as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council--not only has he had full access to everything that can be known by secret as well as non-secret means, but he has kept current, and this undergraduate and affordable paperback was a great way for me--despite the 400+ books I've read (most of them reviewed on Amazon.com) in the past four plus years--to come up to speed on the rigorous methodical scholarly understanding of both historical and current theories and practices in international relations. This book is worth anyone's time, no matter how experienced or educated.

Each chapter has a very satisfactory mix of figures, maps, chronologies, and photos--a special value is a block chart showing the causes for major wars or periods of conflict at the three levels of analysis--international system, national, and key individual personalities, and I found these quite original and helpful.

Excellent reference and orientation work. Took five hours to read, with annotation--this is not a mind-glazer, it's a mind-exerciser.

Win at Spades: Basic and Intermediate Techniques

Published in Paperback by Bonus Books (April, 1999)

Author: Joseph D. Andrews

Amazon base price: $11.95
Used price: $7.75
Collectible price: $10.56
Buy one from zShops for: $8.13

Average review score:

Get the "Advanced" version of this book instead

This is a good book but even if you are a beginner you should instead buy the version of this book that is billed as for advanced players. The advanced book is essentially the same book as this book (large portions are copied verbatim from one book to the other), but with some additional material added. They're the same price, so if you buy the advanced one you will be getting more for your money.

Very good for a beginner says this beginner

I found this book a great way to 'jumpstart' my way into Spades, especially in online play (I play at YAHOO and PLAYSITE). As I started playing spades on Playsite, my ratings plummeted. JA's book helped me fix some basic mistakes in my gameplay and pointed the way for improvement. I've tried in vain to find p's who share some of the leading conventions, but hope that my luck will change. I recommend this book, but from the sound of it you'd be smarter to get the larger 'advanced' book and save the money on this one.

The Best WAY to learn Spades

I believe this book to be easy to understand for those that have never played Spades. I have been a Spades player for over 20 years. My husband never played it...till he read this book. Now he gives me a run for my money and I would be glad to have my husband as not onlay a partner in life but as a partner in Spades. Joe Andrews knows what he is talking about and everyone should take his tips and learn how to play Spades the RIGHT way. Anyone that says different isn't a true Spades player! WTG Joe! Keep up the good work!

Wing Chun Kung-Fu: Basic Forms & Principles (Chinese Martial Arts Library)

Published in Paperback by Charles E Tuttle Co (August, 1992)

Author: Joseph Wayne, Dr. Smith

Amazon base price: $10.36
List price: $12.95 (that's 20% off!)
Used price: $5.50
Buy one from zShops for: $4.00

Average review score:

Suprisingly good

As a Martial artist for over a decade now i was suprised to read a book that wasn't just an advertisment for somebodys school. He puts forward interesting theories and lets you decide to take away what if anything you wish .

Ps begginers in martial arts should never, never, try to larn from books its just bad news trust me, unlearning is ten times harder than learning get out there and do some research and find a good techer.

Dr. Smiths books are thought provoking and controvercial.

Dr. smith is a controvercial figure in the wing chun world. Nevertheless, his books bring up some interesting points. I would not rate this book high on the level of instruction however. He touches upon all three levels of wing chun in this book.

A scientific perspective on a traditional martial art

Smith does a fine job of explaining and analyzing the main principles of Wing Chun with an open mind, and then describes the 3 main forms of the Yip Man school with clear photos. He looks at Wing Chun as martial science, rather than simply "art", and I found it both refreshing and insightful. I'm always skeptical about what I read on the subject of the martial arts, so I compared his Sil Lum Tao form to the descriptions presented by several other qualified authors (Ip Chan, William Cheung, and James Yipp Lee, so far...) and it would seem to have been presented rather accurately, with only minor variations. The basic principles are all there and embodied in the form. Chum Kil and Bil Jee are also presented clearly, though I haven't cross-referenced their accuracy. Despite what others may say, I believe it is possible to learn the fundamentals, strategies, and katas or forms from books/videos, and therefore teach oneself the essence of a martial art style, an idea I credit this book with justifying. However, mastery, or even realistic applications of that knowledge require experimentation and human contact with an instructor or at least a knowledgable partner. In short, this is a useful edition to any martial artist's bookshelf, and is capable of taking you as far as the printed medium will allow (with dedicated practice, of course).

Abba: The Life and Passing of Joseph of Nazareth

Published in Paperback by 1stBooks Library (March, 2002)

Author: David Laurence Nalick

Amazon base price: $13.50
Used price: $11.36
Buy one from zShops for: $11.36

Average review score:

a new look

just a wonderful, new, look at Christ and his family. A subject almost never before dealt with from the angle this author has approached it. well worth the time it takes to read it.

abba: the life and passing of joseph of nazareth

a book for the jr. high to high school level. well written. very interesting in that it poses a new and refreshing angle to the subject at hand. a must for any christian to read--young or old

Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476

Search Authors.BooksUnderReview.com

Reviews are from readers at Amazon.com. To add a review, follow the Amazon buy link above.