The Diaries of Adam and Eve is one of my favorite books. It's so gentle, funny, and deeply true I find myself loaning it to friends and giving it as a gift whenever I can. If you've not read Twain since Huckleberry Finn was forced upon you in junior high, this is a wonderful way to start reading Mark Twain's work again. If you've been looking for something to restore your faith in the worth of that whole man-woman thing, treat yourself to this book.

Although Mark Twain uses the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis as the framework for these "diaries," the biblical couple and his are two entirely different stories. Having said that, Twain's version is such a touching love story, especially as it is rendered in this recording, it is worth hearing (or reading) without making any comparisons to the first Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I mention this because a high school student recently inquired with me about Twain's views on religion, and thought that these diaries might shed some light in his beliefs. While I encouraged her to read or listen to Twain's account, simply because of the beauty of the story, I don't think they shed much light on Twain's religious views.

I did find it interesting that Twain's Adam and Eve barely mention God at all. Perhaps that is a notable observation on his views of religion after all.

Twain's tender observations on the nature of men, women and love is what makes this a moving tale. Walter Cronkite's commentary at the end makes one appreciate the story even more.

Even Mark Twain's ephemera charms. This well edited collection of separately written pieces creates the whole that Twain himself might have made. It features his most insightful depiction of a female persona, Eve, who is the one truly engaged protagonist in this glimpse into Eden. She is the seeker, the thinker, and the emotionally active partner -- in short, the whole person. It is no wonder that Eve names the animals and discovers fire, while Adam lolls in a tree and complains about her talkativeness. He is remarkably complacent for a miracle of creation. Twain imaginatively and humorously evokes the naivete and sense of wonder of these two innocents as they discover the world and each other -- learn, even, to recognize that they are human. The fact that God is just a voice, mentioned once or twice, and the Fall is the unfortunate incident that changes their lives demonstrates that Twain was not interested in a religious parable. These diaries are his reflection on the nature of male and female personalities and the bond that draws and keeps men and women together. Though it feels somewhat incomplete, the book is an enjoyable quick read. The editor's afterword recounts the history of these writings and connects the diaries to the author's own personal life, affirming its very personal nature. This is a lovely book to give to an engaged couple, a married couple, or anyone who enjoys Mark Twain's unique genius.

This book is GREAT...As a mother of an 10 & 12 yr olds, this book makes me realize how thankful I am to have kids. Any Mom will understand & enjoy these stories. They made me laugh and they made me cry. This is my 1st Chicken Soup book, my daughter has one also, now we have started a " book collection " that our family will enjoy reading together for years to come. Take the time to enjoy a GREAT selection of books.

I had heard about the books from a friend at work, and got three for Christmas (Woman's soul, Woman's soul II, and Mother's soul). I don't normally enjoy reading but could not put the books down, in a matter of a week, I read two of them. They are absolutely wonderful. The Chicken Soup for the Mother's soul, WOW, what a book! It's awesome, and the stories touch the heart. Some of them even bring tears to my eyes. I recommend these books to anyone and am forwarding the Mother's soul book onto my mother.

I thought this book was very enjoyable. I am an avid reader of the Chicken Soup for the Souls series and as a new mother I thought this book was perfect. Of course some of the stories are more touching than others, but they all sparked an emotional response from me. The format of short stories makes the book easy to read and hard to put down. I often find myself at night, saying, " Okay, I'll just read one more story" and 45 min later of course I'm still reading. I would recommend this book to all, mothers, children, fathers, grandparents. . ., but its a tear-jerker so remember the tissues!!

Although one's search begins with an alphabetized listing, the main body of this thesaurus (its original concept) is organized by category. This means that to find a synonym for e.g., "trouble", you will not simply be presented a list all the possible meanings of the word but you can choose your search depending upon the sense you are looking for. If you mean "annoyance" you will be sent one place for synonyms (nouns, verbs, adj, adv); if your meaning is more "presume upon" you will be sent somewhere else. In the case of "trouble" there are about a dozen places to go in the thesaurus depending upon the subtlety of meaning you are looking for. If you are a writer, this reference work is a sine qua non. Look no further than here for the best thesaurus in the world.

As others have already stated, with this thesaurus you can find the word you're looking for simply by looking under the concept. For instance, say you're writing a piece and at that particular moment you can't think of the best word so you write "clear cut" just to get the idea onto the page. Later, when you're editing your piece, you see "clear cut" and still your mental thesaurus fails you. So, you take this book, look up "clear cut" (which is in there) and sure enough, it points you to a series or related concepts and synonyms. *Wonderful* is all I can say. When one can write in a rough draft "set straight" and look up those words in a thesaurus and find a fitting replacement, all that can be said is ... this writer's tool deserves the highest praise.

This book will make you think about words in a way that you never have before. It is an absolute must for anyone who endeavors to communicate well in the English language.

If you can think of a word to start out with, but want to search for a better one, you can look the word up in the alphabetically arranged index. There, you will find listed several different faces of the word, some representing subtle variations in the word's meaning that you may have never considered before. Then, after thinking about what aspect of the word most closely resembles your intended meaning, you can look up the word's various implications in the main body of the book. There, you'll discover a plethora of other words of similar meaning.

You'll find the body of the book organizes all of human experience into categories..."the body and the senses", "feelings", "place", "measure and shape", etc.. If you want to describe something intangible, such as an emotion, and cannot even think of one word to begin with, you can wander through the categories of human emotion... pleasure, excitement, contentment... sadness, regret, lamentation...until you find what you are trying to describe. This process helps stimulate thought about exactly what you want to say. A merely alphabetical thesaurus could never offer anything like this.

Janeway and his co-authors have prepared a masterful text with remarkably clear exposition of the myriad of details in this rapidly developing field. It is replete with illustrations, including cartoon-like diagrams, histological slides, and tables, each of which are used to illuminate the discussion as deemed helpful by the authors. They present an incredible amount of information, and the text, reflecting recent revision, is remarkably current. This volume is suitable as a text for a course in immunology for medical students, or as an introduction to the subject for graduate students requiring knowledge of the immune system. It is perhaps advanced for most undergraduate courses, although the text is sufficiently clear that undergraduates can comprehend the material. It is primarily a question of whether the undergraduate reader has received sufficient foundation in cell and molecular biology to possess the presumed foundational knowledge. This is no "brief" overview. It is stuffed with detail giving students a thorough foundation in this fascinating field. A real tour de force.

Janeway's Immunobiology is probably the best immunology book that someone really interested in immunology should take to the mythical desert island. One can enjoy it by its clarity from the basic graduate courses, and then keep reading it when doing research and pursuing hypothesis on the most advanced immunological topics. Many times I have found better organized and complete information on this book (even the old editions!) than on the latest reviews on specialized journals. The intense and careful work displayed to promote the real understanding on the concepts and the relations between immune components is impressive. Even more, the success in explanation is such that the authour takes the risk to have his book neglected as "too easy" by first time readers. However, immunology researchers in contact with the often chaotic and contradictory immunological literature can really appreciate the incredible amount of critical work invested and the intellectual gift of the author (authors) to abstract complex immune phenomena into nicely designed and biologically precise "cartoons". The focus on the evolutionary and functional consequences/origins of the immune mechanisms and structures makes Janeway's book one of the most refreshing and valuable voices in a sometimes too-technically oriented discipline. An impressive accomplishment never praised enough.

This is by far the most well written immunology text I have encountered. Even the most difficult concepts are presented in the most understandable manner. This book is very extensive in the material it covers and is highly recommended for an advanced undergraduate student or as an introductory graduate text. By far the feature most appealing to me are the extensive images and cartoons used in this text, used quite effectively to elucidate even the most difficult of topics. This visual presentation style combined with the extensive and highly readble coverage of relevant material make this a must have for any serious student. The book is also updated frequently I believe a new edition is on the way slated to be publsihed in April 2004.

In my opinion:

Not necessarily a book for beginners, but an excellent book to take an experienced climber to the next level. This book provides extensive recommendations on what to leave behind to safe weight and move fast, how to stay hydrated and fueled, as well as some great philosophical tips of the psychology of climbing.

I found a few recommendations that were incorrect or I disagreed with... but like all written material, don't beleive everything you read, use your own judgement.

An excellent book, you can't go wrong!

Mark Twight has not written an instruction book filled with clear drawings about how to tie a clove hitch. Beginning climbers looking for basic technique info should buy "Mountaineering: the Freedom of the hills" and go on a course first, but this does not mean that Twight's book is for extreme climbers only.

Any climber that knows these basic techniques benefits from his thoughs and experience. The book is divided in 4 parts:

(1) Approach: about 12 pages about your mental state of mind, very useful for the climber and anyone who wants to achieve specific goals as his thoughts about self-knowledge, focus, confidence, suffering, failure and learning can be applied to a broader range of goals.

(2) Training: this is the first time I have seen a real mountaineering training program in a book like this. He covers a 20 week training cycle in detail, with chapters on mental training, strength, endurance and importantly, nutrition. This really helps set a goal and work towards it. It's impossible to climb any mountain unprepared and unfit and depending on your goal you can adjust his schedule.

(3) Equipment: Clothing, Gear and Potection.
Twight has become (in)famous for refusing the accepted 3 layering system as it's too bulky, warm and heavy. He stresses the lightweight system which was an eye opener for me. Although his thoughts are not applicable for every mountain area (if you wait in Scotland for the rain to stop before climbing, you might as well not come at all...), it helped me to better pack my stuff for my trips: lighter and more useful.
His thoughts about gear are just very useful, learn from the expert, not from someone who is trying to sell the stuff...

(4) Technique:
No it will not teach you to climb a 5.14 at -40 degrees, but it covers things mostly overlooked in other books:
- Staying Alive
- Partners
- Going up
- Bivouacs
- Going down
Especially the latter 2 are things mostly ignored in climbing books (and some courses!), but these are things that also come in handy when lost in a not so extreme environment.

Overall I could not put this book down until I finished it.
The book is filled with experiences, good as well as bad. No drawings, but quite a lot of pictures, some of them useful for understanding the text, some just funny or cool to look at and dream away...
If you own Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills and you are not a complete beginner, buy this before you go higher, even if it's not extreme.

This is THE best book I have ever read regardging climbing, period! It not only gives practical insights in to climbing but the nuts and bolts on training, gear selection and route selection for you ability. I especially found the sections on training to be extremely insightful. This is a topic never discussed in detail by any of the worlds top climbers. This book, the text and the pictures has done more to motivate me than all books combined. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am ready and capable to move my climbing to a new level!

Ram Dass explores the profundities and challenges of human frailty in a very personal way in Still Here: Emracing Aging, Changing and Dying. Written in part after Ram Dass's stroke in 1997, Still Here touches the core of weakness and all the bogeymen that come with it. Loneliness, embarrassment, powerlessness, loss of role/meaning, and depression are explored in the early part of the book--and that's all before Ram Dass gets to the good stuff. As in Journey of Awakening and Be Here Now, the author does a wonderful job of clearly explaining the cause of human suffering and its remedy.

I bought this book because I wanted to better understand my grandmother's world and what my parents are beginning to face, but I ended up experiencing its apt relevance to 36-year-old me.

When I was embarking on middle age, Ram Dass' Be Here Now, helped make it an easier transiton.

Now, that I've become a "geezer", again it's Ram Dass to the rescue.

In my late 60's, it was getting so confusing - that I finally took some courses in Gerontology at nearby American River College.

Ultimately, I became a gerontologist; I was a perfect student - my interest was keen...and personal.

Then, Ram Dass wrote Still Here - it is, I think, the definitive text-book on what it's like to be a wonderfully wise and validated Elder.

If you could only read one book on the subject of aging - this is it !

God bless you Richard...

And, me too...

Dave Robinson daveyrob@juno.com

...Make the price right and I'll order ten.

Ram Dass, a long time spiritual teacher of myself has written an extraordinary account of his learnings about aging. His work, influenced by Buddhist and Eastern teachings remind us all of the multiple planes of reality we exist upon, simultaneously. Easilly read, and written with authenticity and exceptional clarity, this work is destined to become a classic in a time when our Western world is so ready to dismiss our aging population. This book acknowledges the losses, pains, and out attachments to holding onto what was. It reminds us that our age is a concept we hold onto to identify ourselves on an earthly level, but on a spiritual level, we always are, have been, and will continue to be the same self that we always have been--that being the loving essence of our soulful self. Forget self pity. This book, while normalizing the experience and difficulties on a physical level, will remind you who you truly are. Highly recommended without reservation.

A truly good book evokes cozy images and sensations from the past. And this is a very good book, one that teaches us to stop and consider how wisely we spend on this earth.

Among my personal favorites was Nona's Garden by Paul Silici. I could almost smell the delectably heavy garlic, beef and tomatoes slowly steaming in my grandmother's kitchen, and felt a tug on my heartstrings when she shared the story of her grandmother's lessions in life. Planting Day filled me with hope for the younger generation when I saw that sixteen-year-old Beth Pollack had written such an insightful essay. It was good to learn in Pat Stone's A Bedside Story that I'm not the only person who talks to their plants.

There's something for everyone in CS for the Gardener's Soul.

Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul is a collection of 101 short stories and vignettes. Each piece is about three pages long, a format that is convenient for those of us who's free-time comes in little snippets. The stories share a common theme: Despair + a Garden + God's Grace = Wisdom and Peace.

Chicken Soup books seem to really polarize readers. A reader either really likes them and buy copies for all their friends, or dislikes them and would not buy one on a bet.

Let me assure the first type of reader that Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul is just as good the other Chicken Soup books. One of my concerns was that the quality of the writing would be inferior to the earlier books, that all the good material had already been skimmed. That concern was baseless. Evil is newsworthy because it is rare. Dignity, humanity, honesty and sacrifice ARE the human condition. There is no shortage of inspirational stories, just a shortage of publishers who think they are worthy of the readers' attention. Chicken Soup is still skimming the cream.

Book reviews are supposed to help the reader decide "Do I buy this book?" That is not much of an issue with this book. Chicken Soup addicts will buy this book. The question on the table is: "Do I buy this book for the cynical friend who thinks they are 'sappy', or 'maudlin'?" I think the answer is a qualified "Yes."

These stories do not strike a quick resonance with cynics. It is not because cynics have never felt despair. Rather, it is because cynics are afraid of the pain of revisiting those times. Cynics need to ease into these stories the way you might ease into a hot-tub. So buy them a copy and highlight a few stories like:

*A Veteran's Garden, page 25 "The Marines sent me overseas. But it took gardening to bring me home."

*Girls like Roses, page 109, "...twenty-four bucks! That's a lot of money. Even for a girl named Michelle."

*Brian, page 192, "Brian is seven. He's a dreamer and drives his teacher crazy. She is as stiff as taffy in December."

If your heartstrings don't stretch a bit in response to some story in Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul, you need to check your pulse. Then you need to go plant something...

I didn't know a lot about Dante's Divine Comedy before I decided to read this. I paged through several different translations and decided on Mark Musa's work. Most of the translations are laborious to follow. If you are looking for a version of the Inferno that is direct and easy to understand, this is the version for you.

Musa begins each canto (chapter) with an introduction and provides, at the end of each canto, a further explanation of many of the items in the book. Dante makes continuous references to people, events, and other literature that nobody except scholars that pour over this book will get. Musa fills in these gaps and, in several cases, provides the different interpretations that translators over time have thought.

The book itself was a little less enjoyable than I expected (at times, I felt that Dante wrote it to put all of his political enemies in a literary hell), but Musa deserves much praise for his translation.

My interest in classic literature did not arise until recently. I read many reviews which indicated that people with this such interest absolutely MUST read Dante's Inferno. With that hefty weight upon my "newbie" shoulders I decided to undergo the journey that so many others have made over the last 700 years.

As it turns out, Mark Musa's translation of Inferno is fantastic. Each chapter begins with a very brief but informative synopsis, followed by the prose, then finally capped off my Musa's notes on the text. Musa's notes give backgroud on all of the characters and situations that take place throughout the story. These notes are a MUST for any newcomer to Dante and classical literature in general. So, not only is there the original text in English for us non-Italian speakers, but there are notes to increase the readers comprehension.

Dante is guided by the author of the Aeneid, Virgil. Virgil takes Dante through the Nine Levels of Hell to show him the pain and suffering of all those who do not love and follow God. Dante learns a great deal on this journey as does the reader.

Mark Musa's translation of Dante is smooth, entertaining, and very informative. Anyone interested in Christianity, Hell, famous Greeks, and classical literature should definitely indulge themselves as this translation is not overwhelming in the slightest. Five stars across the board.

About twenty years ago I read Dorothy Sayers's translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy" with great pleasure, finding an awesome grandeur in Dante's progression from Hell through Purgatory to Heaven. When I decided to re-read the work, I found the poetry tortured and the references obscure. So I went comparison shopping, settling on Mark Musa's version. He created an excellent, free-flowing, poetic, and easily understandable translation of the three canticles of Dante's "Divine Comedy" for Penguin Classics.

In addition to the direct translation, Musa provides an introductory summary to each canto, detailed notes following each canto, a glossary of names in the back of each volume, and an introductory essay for each volume. The introduction to "Volume 1: Inferno" gives a thorough introduction to Dante and to his other works as well as to the Inferno. Following the introduction is a translator's note. The introductions to "Purgatory" and "Paradise" do not go over the extra information presented in "Inferno". It is useful to read all three of Dante's canticles in the Musa translation to get a complete, consistent presentation of the work. Musa does make reference in his notes to one volume to ideas or people presented in the others.

The notes are vital for almost everyone. The references to Biblical, classical, and medieval personalities, myths, time systems, theology, and events come frequently. Few people are up on the ins and outs of Guelf vs. Ghibelline in medieval Italian politics. Musa makes it all as clear as it needs to be.

Musa's version of "Inferno" italicizes the introductory summary before each canticle and retains the detailed, interesting mappings of Hell used in the Sayers edition.

Dante's poem is central to Western civilization. Allowing for some poetic necessities, it pulls classical and medieval history into the framework of Christian theology to show how God's love powers the universe, how people can exercise free will, and how God can help and reward those who trust in Him. It is very easy for the reader to ask how he or she would fare in the afterlife and how to go about finding a better outcome. Some sins are punished severely [like traitors frozen near Lucifer in the ice of the Cocytus lake], and some sins have varying outcomes [E.g., there are some sodomites running on the burning sand of Lower Hell forever and some having their sins burned way in the last stage of Purgatory before going to Paradise.]. Some loves are more blessed than others too. There is much to reflect on. Dante the Pilgrim, drawn by his love for Beatrice gets the full experience.

Reading "The Divine Comedy" is valuable in any translation; Musa's flies along, bringing his audience along with understanding.

This review for "Inferno" applies to "Purgatory" and "Paradise" as well, since the productions are so comparable.

White Noise is honestly the best book I have ever read. The book by Don Delillo is based around an average suburban family named the Gladney's. Jack the husband is a professor of Hitler studies at an University and his wife Babette teaches classes on the proper way to sit and stand. Between Jack, Babette and several other marriages several children are introduced in the book and each seems to bring an interesting twist. The whole book is humorous and yet very morbid. Three main themes seem to show up throughout the book. These consist of Death, Sex and Consumerism. We see how these to people deal with the lingering thought of Death. Are we all just waiting to die and can buying material possessions make you feel better along the way? That is the question the book seems to be really asking.
This book is very enjoyable and you may find like myself that you have a hard time putting the book down.

White Noise by Don Delillo was a book that should be read by all ages. It's basic concepts that were brought out were the acts of consumerism and death. There was also some sex involved in there too. As you can see, a perfect book for the growing college student. I also liked how Delillo brought in some humorous moments when they were during his grocery shopping and watching television. This novel basically describes the typical American family and shows how this family is just as normal as the rest of us, but shows the side we never really see. I particularly like how Delillo displays Jack as this bizarre man who really focuses on death. He can't help but think about it. I really liked him in this novel because he reminds me of myself as I walk around and think "outside the box" if you know what I mean. This book constantly made me laugh, especially when the father fights with his son. That whole argument is hysterical! The book throws some good twists to American society that most of us never see. My basic thoughts on this novel are that you should read this because it will really make you laugh, and make you think about your typical day of work and life.

Don Delillo, author of White Noise, wrote a classic with this book. A story about a family consumed with fear of death didn't seem like one I wanted to read, but when you get into the story, you begin to like it more and more. The book is filled with humorous events and a glimpse into what people really make of the world. The characters in the book look way into simple things like grocery shopping and television. They are always thinking that the other is more afraid, constantly arguing over it without any real knowledge. The book is an easy read, and one that will keep your interest. This book is considered a satire of consumerism and technology in america, and it definately is. The characters take each of these into depth, always giving you something to look at. After reading this book, you will question your motives somewhat when you go out, either to the movies, to eat or go shopping. I truly enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to anyone.

Easy reading, but solid, practical recommendations. I received this as a birthday present from a friend who knew my intentions of starting my own business after I was asked to take "early retirement" from a company where I had worked for the last 15 years. My bosses should have read this book. I'm glad I did. Great value at a great price. Thanks Amazon

Delightful in its view of business. Remarkable in its organization. You can turn anywhere, start reading, and not feel like you missed the first 165 pages. The lessons are memorable. My favorite: "Every customer has a sword in one hand and a bag of gold in the other. When you have properly assessed customer risk, you will get the bag of gold without falling on the sword." This book should also be listed under motivational tools, cross referenced under philosophy, and indexed under religion. It is a business bible

The Complete Entrepreneur is a must have for any aspiring business owner. Personally I have fallen prey to many of the unrealistic schemes, or often scams, that are advertised on television and promoted as "easy" ways to get rich quick. If only I would have read this book several years ago it would have saved me a lot of time and money. It is a REALISTIC version of what it takes to become successful in the real world.

It is very well organized, and written down to earth for anyone to understand and enjoy. It clearly dictates things I did not understand years ago, namely the patience one must go throgh in dealing with the struggles and challenges of being successful, and frequent mistakes you should avoid.

Unlike many others, this book is not about FLUFF, and should be taken as a priceless and required handbook for becoming a successful entrepreneur. It paints a picture of so many lessons that are better learned sooner than later, and uses comical examples to nail the point down.

I attended the UW-Madison for four years, and college does not teach you the lessons you can get from Mark's book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone serious about being a successful entrepreneur. Read it, read it again, follow the lessons in here, and then succeed.

We've all heard the phrase, Most learn from their own mistakes, but "smart people learn from other peoples mistakes." These are the individuals that often become successful sooner. This book will help you to do just that.