Charles F. Haanel was a successful business man who discovered that spiritual life is a key to success in everything you do. He proved that what is happening outside is in a direct relation to what is taking place in your consciousness.

When the Master Key was published, it was one of those books that successful business men wanted out of the market. They didn't want people to read this book as its truths would help anyone to overcome limitations.

The rumor is that when Bill Gates was just a student, he read this book and utilized its truths. Rest is history.

I have read this book - it is divided in chapters that have introductions and numbered paragraphs to study. It starts from understanding the principles of your conscious mind and its power and advances to utilizing these principles.

As you put in use what the author explains in this volume, you will start seeing substantial changes in your reality. In many ways, Charles was so much ahead of his time. Even today most profilic business coaches such as Antohony Robbins etc. do not admit the fact that your life is in your control 100%. We are taught that we are at the mercy of externals, but it ain't so.

In many ways, Charles F. Haanel is the most outstanding business coach there has ever been. Way before current business coaches who incorporate spiritual life and business, he did it. If you are an owner of major company -- have every employee of your company to read this book and utilize it in their daily routines. Your company will become the new success story. That is for sure.

Why am I giving just 4 stars for such an outstanding book? Well that is because the volume is rather long. I think the central message of this book could have been condensed into 60 pages -- but instead the author goes on and on for several hundred pages. On the other hand -- this does ensure that everyone grasps the principles involved in creating success.

Does it work? Yes it does. Why do some people fail? Well, they just read this book but don't put in use its truths. For some it is difficult to understand or believe that your life is just a mirror that is telling you what you are in your consciousness. Think you have a problem, and one will surface. Think you have a solution and it is as well yours. Fair game.

I have been using and studying the principals of thought for many years. This book is something of a classic in the world of mind-stuff and I would consider it a "must read" for any student of self improvement. I particularly like the simple system Mr Haanel uses to break down each "chapter/lesson" into small steps that only comprise a few pages of extremely well thought out material. It is very easy to read and follow although one might find that if its their first introduction to the mind-stuff that they are going to most likely need to read it more than once. However, I have found myself reading the Haanel book for the third time and like Think and Grow Rich and You Were Born Rich, its the kind of material that one can read every year and still get a refreshing new viewpoint along with a great lesson to take control of your life!

Ever wanted the 'answer' to really understanding how to bring success into your life? The Master Key System is the nearest thing you'll find to one. In this masterly and insightfull piece written over 90 years ago, Charles Haanel reveals the secrets to realising our greatness by providing the keys to total success in life - physically, mentally and spiritually. Before reading the Master Key I had read many of the well known classics of personal growth like: Think and Grow Rich (Napoloen Hill), The Power of Positive Thinking (Norman Vincent Peale) and The Magic of Thinking Big (David J. Schwartz). However I found none so fundamentally to the point and enlightening as the Master Key. I immediately liked the Master Key over all the others because it was so factual and practical, with a total absence of hyperbole. There is no 'the secret speaks to those who listen' treatment here, just the plain facts - and the fundamental methods to make it work for you. It did for me! The profound yet succinct treatment of such a complex subject leaves you in no doubt that you are reading the truth. Whats more, the structure of the book is very much geared around a working manual. Each chapter is a short weekly lesson with a practical exercise, successivly building upon the previous one, to take you logically through the total growth process. I found this structured pace very easy to work into my normal life. By the end you WILL understand how to use your power within to improve your life permenantly. Those looking for the one book to provide the key to making their life a success... this is it! This re-edited publication of The Master Key System (by Anthony R. Michalski) has been meticulously produced to be totally authentic to Charles Haanel's now extremely rare original.

I bought this because it looked like a comprehensive resource for a H.O. that could be stuffed in my pocket, but I found myself in a bind with this book. I think it might be useful in England, but if you are not ready to work with British units and medication names it is pretty tough to use in an American hospital. I found myself scrambling for other resources when I tried to use this book. I wish I would have bought something else.

"Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine" is an excellent Medicine handbook for medical students. It provides a comprehensive, essential and easily accessible information of Clinical Medicine. It is extremely useful when using on the wards. It also has blank pages for writing your personal notes in each items.

This book is one of many pocket sized texts aimed at junior doctors, but it is distinguished by its realisation of Descarte's "Ghost in the Machine". The Ghost is the collected medical knowledge of scientists and clinicians, and it is "growing and changing shape" every single day.

The Oxford Handbook helps you keep up with the Ghost in three ways: stimulation of memory, interactivity and insertions. It is a large resource of over 700 pages, including tables, diagrams and summaries of thousands of medical problems, tests and treatments, so useful brain power can be freed up from regurgitation of facts for more problem solving. It has hundreds of blank pages facing the text for notes on memorable patients, lectures, and texts. And the content is regularly reviewed and rewritten by a large team of practising doctors who are now publishing updates on a website, so you can print off new pages from the web and stick 'em in.

Round our way it's known as! the "Cheese and Onion" because it's wrapped in Yellow and Green plastic like a bag of flavoured potato crisps. It's tasty, uses British terminology and it fills a gap, too. Good for enough for anyone who needs a flavour of medicine that doesn't go stale.

This book is a contrarian investor's ultimate guide. Written by a portfolio manager and business reporter who know their stuff, this is advice to take to heart. Whether a beginner or highly experienced investor, everyone can learn something valuable from this tremendous resource. It is also an excellent introduction to anyone interested in the concept of contrarian investing.

All aspects are covered including a history of market manias, factors which drive the markets, an individual investor psychological evaluation and a series of formulas in order to calculate what stocks might be ideal contrarian plays.

This book belongs on every investor's bookshelf, especially anyone seeking to make profits from "the crowd's" mistakes. It deserves 100 stars.

I think "Contrarian Investing" is an excellent book for today's investors. Given the current environment, which is the 18th year of the bull market (1982-), too little is mentioned about risk management. Many of todays investors look merely at the short term and the possibility of the quick easy gain. This book tries to focus on how to protect your portfolio with some easy rules to follow. These rules may not suit everyone, but they provide some good guidelines and rules of thumb to follow. My experience as a financial planner is that very few people have any kind of plan for their stock let alone broad financial plans. The tools that are given by the authors, if used correctly, should provide the investor with the downside protection that is needed in todays market. After reading the book, I found myself looking at my portfolio and making adjustments to reduce my own risk level. The authors do a good job in discussing the consequences of too much risk. Overall, I thought the book was exceptionally well-written in that Mr. Gallea and Mr. Patalon took a technical topic like investing and made it easy to read and comprehend. Even though I am not one, I think even a novice investor could understand this book and learn a great deal from it.

This book should click with value investors. Gallea and Patalon provide practical technical and fundamental strategies to beat the market (with little downside risk) as a contrarian investor. In today's frothy market, the principles gained in this book will help you screen for stocks with major upside potential.

"Dreams of being unconscious, lying next to me a past whose time I try to measure."

With those words began a literary journey I shall never forget. Daughter By Spirit was an extremely touching novel about friendship, betrayal, trust, and self-discovery. It spans sixteen years of Maiya's life. From her beautiful friendship with Christian, a friendship that most people believe is impossible for a man and a woman to have, to the loss of that friendship, and the birth of her daughter Angelina, a daughter who Maiya makes the decision to tell that a man who she has never shared an intimate moment with, is her father. Why? To give her what every child needs, a good father role model. But like all lies and secrets, the truth is revealed with the shining of the sun. However the discovery of truths is not easy for a 16-year-old girl, who discovers that she is not Christian's daughter by blood, but instead, his daughter by spirit.

This book is moving, captivating and is one that readers will feel deep inside of themselves. The articulate way the characters relate to one another will give readers what they have been craving for: a voice from realistic, yet warm, educated African American.

Grab your tissue box for this one, you will not be left unmoved, or untaught. You will also be adding another name to your list of distinguished male authors on the rise once you have witnessed the talent of this new author.

I give this book a 5, for originality, an off da hook cover, and unforgettable characters that will stay with you for a very long time.

Kudos V. Anthony Rivers!

JDaniels/ The Nubian Chronicles

Rivers has written a very convincing and refreshing book on friendship between a man and a woman. Redefining friendship as an intimate and spiritual relationship without sex, Rivers explores this concept with Christian and Maiya. These two characters develop such a strong emotional and spiritual bond between them that is powerful and inspiring. When Rivers throws us a few surprises that disrupts Christian's and Maiya's relationship, we read how Maiya kept the spiritual bond within her and passed it on to her daughter, Angelina.

However, no relationship is a solid one without honesty and trust. Both Angelina and Maiya learns this the hard way when Maiya keeps a secret from Angelina and Angelina discovers the secret. When Angelina knows, it threatens to break down that spiritual bond between her and Maiya, but Christian's spirit carries them through and forges a new and more real relationship between the two.

Rivers has a written an emotional and spiritual story that may truly touch the hearts of many. It is a well written story with believable characters, interesting plot, strong dialogue, and inspiring messages on the power of love and the spirit.

Can a man and a woman have a platonic relationship based on mutual admiration and love? You will have the answer to this question when you finish reading V. Anthony Rivers' Daughter by Spirit. Moving and touching can best describe this novel. The positive and negative elements of love, hope, friendship, jealousy and deceit are plentiful.

Christian and Maiya are both searching for love and someone to share it with. Their paths cross but the timing isn't right. Maiya accepts Christian as her friend and Christian admires Maiya for her fighting spirit. Together they form an emotional bond of friendship that no one can tear apart.

Maiya encounters turmoil in her life and makes an earth shattering decision.
Angelina, Maiya's daughter, is sixteen and has always believed that Christian was her father. Angelina knows Christian through his poetry, articles, letters to her mother and through her mother's own words. What occurs when Angelina finds the truth? Will she continue to feel that spiritual connection to Christian?

This novel offers insight on love and friendship by forcing you to reflect on those that are most important to you. The contexts of Christian's letters to Maiya empower and motivate and are often lyrical in nature. The following is an example of this: "God placed me on a path of consciousness recently that united sincerity with determination and focus."

Daughter By Spirit is quick and absorbing read that may have you discussing what you would have done in Maiya's shoes.

Yes it's a great book. Yes, anyone who couldn't care less about amusement park packaged fun and lives in LA or is visiting LA should read it. The only problem is that some of the coolest spots in the book didn't even exist at the time the book was written, and therfore merely make us long for a simpler time when bartenders could set their bars on fire without getting hassled by the man. Cheers.

The only thing more fun than reading this book while planning your visit to Los Angeles, is reading this book if you're already living here! Unexpected and sublimely offbeat... So many reasons to love and hate the City of Angels. Definitely should be on your "must-read" list.

.... Anthony R. Lovett and Matt Maranian have demonstrated that they have indeed used their tender years well by using them badly. I cannot speak to the matter of whether their minds are balanced or not, but I will declare that their brilliant writing style makes this guide to Los Angeles and its surrounding regions a treat to read, even if the reader never actually visits any of the places described in this book. .... The strength of this book is twofold. First, the authors interpret, in their own witty style, mainstream sites such as Forest Lawn and Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. They review Disneyland not as the Happiest Place on Earth, for example, but the site of numerous gruesome murders, accidents, and deaths which would elsewhere be considered natural, but which in the context of the park become grotesque. Irreverent, subversive, and iconoclastic, Lovett and Maranian show that trips to such places can be quite enjoyable, given the proper attitude. The other strength is that the authors have spent considerable time ferreting out interesting but generally unknown places, such as the Dudley Do-Right Emporium and the Wat Thai Temple. Without this book, we might never have discovered the Chicken Boy Catalogue for a Perfect World, which offers for sale keychains, mugs, underwear and other items bearing the image of Chicken Boy, Los Angeles' own Statue of Liberty! .... Finally, the book made it easy to contact folks who, like my wife and myself, are willing to entertain ideas not sanctioned by mainstream science: I am speaking, of course, of the people at the Unarius Academy of Science, Mutual UFO Network-LA, the Aetherius Society, and the Flat Earth Society. ....Whether they are laughing with or at these phenomena, the authors realize that the world would a lesser place without them. The book also includes information about many of the better sex toy boutiques, bars and restaurants with that extra something, and shops for those seeking "rat skulls, religious statuary, head shop paraphernalia, vintage pornography" and so on. There is no question that living in Los Angeles is expensive; the authors have been kind enough to introduce us to a number of new black holes into which we could pour our hard-inherited money. The book has also proven useful when we have visitors. We have a wide variety of friends who most would call eccentric or oddball, and this book has provided us with many destinations for these folk. .... There is something for everyone in this book. There are a few sites missing from this book, among them the amazing Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, and the Institute for Creation Research's Museum of Creation & Earth History in Santee. The book also needs an index badly, but despite these lapses the book deserves five stars for the pleasure it has given us by merely reading it, and for the madcap adventures it has provided. Read it, and you will never look at LA the same way again!

I happen to own all five books of the Bio of a Space Tyrant series, in paperback format. I've read each one at least twice. I was looking to replace rather a worn-out copy of Politician - but now it appears I will have to scour the Out-of-Prints. This pentology tells the epic tale of one boy's rise from humble beginnings as a refugee to becoming a powerful leader, visionary, and elder statesman in a setting where the political climate holds close parallels with our own global situation of the early 1980s.

In REFUGEE, we follow Hope Hubris as a teenager with his family, forced to escape from Callisto (counterpart to Cuba or Haiti) into space and brave the depradations of pirates in the hopes of finding a better life elsewhere. Raped, plundered, and set adrift by pirates, the survivors resort to cannibalism to survive - eating their own friends and family.

In MERCENARY, we find Hope and his sister Spirit as the only known survivors of their family. Now in the military of the United States of Jupiter (counterpart to our United States), they proceed to ascend the ranks, gather allies, and mount an expedition to wipe out piracy throughout the solar system.

Returning from their successful mission, Hope turns to civilian life and embarks upon a career as a POLITICIAN, with the eventual goal of becoming President of the United States of Jupiter. With the help of his wife, Meghan, his sister, Spirit, and others, he succeeds - with a twist. Massive opposition from the incumbent president, Tocsin, leads a Constitutional assembly to suspend their Constitution and government and declare Hope Hubris to be the sole source of lawful government.

Backed by the military of which he was once a part of, he takes power as Tyrant in EXECUTIVE. Under his rule, he enforces sweeping social changes in government - addressing recurring societal problems within health care, education, crime, and the economy by executive fiat. While this approach solves some problems, his harsh rule lends strength to oppositional forces that eventually force him from power.

In the last book of the series, STATESMAN, a middle-aged Hope Hubris travels the solar system, promoting peace and sharing his vision of developing light-speed travel as a means of settling mankind into the stars before political and populational pressures cause the solar system to erupt into an unsurvivable System War III (counterpart to what would be our World War III).

The Bio of a Space Tyrant series really is an excellent read, but it can definitely bore others. If you want, you can read Mercenary first. The military tactics, intrigue, and human manipulation angles can be very interesting. It might then lead you to want to read the others, including Refugee, the book that began it all, or Executive, which is also somewhat fun.

I hope you find this review useful in determining whether these books are worthy of your purchase.

I was an early lover of the Xanth series and then the Incarnation series. Although not all of Piers Anthony's books/Series have given me equal pleasure, I found a second hand copy of of all five books of this series years ago and plunged into a most vivid world of imagination for a week and a half. I was consumed by this wonderful story of the adventure, ingenuity and growth of Hope Hubris (what an appropriate name!) and his sister. I somehow lost the books among many moves and am hoping I can buy them again to share with my son.

The books are not really out of print. All five volumes of Bio of a Space Tyrant can be found at www.Xlibris.com (search under piers), however these new copies are expensive and are not too hard to find used.

The books parallel the history of the last 50 tears transposed to the twenty-seventh century. The first volume is quite downbeat; the other four are more like Piers's usual upbeat style. The originals of a lot the places and people can be identified. For example Megan (of volume 3) is Helen Mary Gahagan Douglas who lost a race for the Senate to Nixon in 1950. One final comment. There is a nice definition of honor on page 72 of Mercenary (vol.2). Those familiar with Piers's books know this is a recurring theme for him.

That's Latin for this book was pretty darn funny. I spotted it while I was...ah, over at a friends house with a few minutes to kill and wound up taking 'Sponging' home. (Actually I'm staying at my sister's), but anyway I laughed out loud while she and her husband were watching a sad movie, 'Pretty Woman' I think, anyway they asked what was so gosh darn funny and I started reading them a few passages out of the book. We wound up turning the movie off and just laughing our heads off taking turns reading the book. Needless to say, it bought me a few extra weeks on my sister's couch. Two empty pockets way up. I'm going to borrow a couple more copies for my friends.

This book is so stupid, it's genius. I read it in two hours and then read it again on the toilet a day later. I laughed twice as hard the second time. It's hard to believe that these guys found somebody to publish this stuff, but I'm glad they did. I gave a copy to my son who still won't get the hint that I want him to get his lazy butt off my damn couch. He laughed harder than I did and hid the remote control until I leant him $20 and a pint of bourbon. Good book.

Something tells me the authors of this fine book are pros at getting what they want for nothing. Funny, useful anecdotes that are oddly reminiscent of my roommates ability to get by on the kindness of strangers (and friends, relatives - pretty much anyone within striking distance)

Asserting myself was never easy for me, either I was too assertive or not assertive enough. By implementing some of the changes offered in this book, I have been able to stand my ground at work without seeming confrontational. The book has also helped me determine who is with me or against me. I found this book in the suggested reading section of Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life.

I'm practising being assertive.

If you feel I've been successful, show it by voting "Yes" in the box below this review.

If not, then kindly keep your opinion to yourself.

Take control of your life. In order to get what you want out of life you have to be able to communicate what you want out of life. If you would like to make changes but find that it is difficult for you to convey your ideas to others then this book should provide a map for your journey.

Practical tips and easy to reference chapters make this book a great resource to have in the office or at home. Asserting yourself in a manner that is beneficial to your goals takes training, practice and finesse. This book will provide retraining or a headstart for anyone who is interested in developing better communication.

I liked the message so much that I included this book in the suggested reading list of my own book titled, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life.

The ICE philosophy is simple and to the point. Success lies within your own company- your employess. I use it for a hand-out to all my employees,who use it for a hand-out to customers as a reminder of what really counts.

I truly enjoyed the book ICE because of its simplicity. It has a number of excellent guiding principles through-out. I wish that more organization embrace the concept of ICE. I know they will benefit just like we have.

ICE is very enjoyable to read and the process is easy to apply no matter how large your organization is. We purchased a number of books to give to our employees and customers and our return on investment out numbers the book price, 1000x.

This book will save you time but offers nothing more.

Was hoping that more effort was spent on the personallity of each casino rather than basic information that can be found in minutes on the web.

In fairness, the writer never claims the book would offer an opinion of each establishment... My mistake!

Save your money and do the web work yourself.

Now in a newly updated 2002 edition, the American Casino Guide is a superbly presented and highly recommended reference for both casual casino visitors and people with a yearning to learn more about the games and their odds. From a comparison of the house edge in different casino games to a brief study and focus upon individual games such as slot clubs, slot machines, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and much more, to a state-by-state listing of the best casinos, American Casino Guide has it all. The 2002 edition pays for itself not only in terms of strategies to improve one's gaming skills, but also in more than $1000 worth of valuable casino coupons that can be clipped out of the book itself! If you are planning a visit to the gaming tables of Atlantic City or Las Vegas, begin with the 2002 edition of the American Casino Guide!

This book was much more than what I had expected! There are almost 200 pages of useful information on gambling, tips, strategies, best bets, etc. They don't just rehash the rules on how to play the casino games...but actually cover the proper winning techniques in detail (the things you need to know). They cover almost all the games...Slot clubs, Video Poker, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Baccarat. They also cover comps and lots of other tips to save you money on your overall expenses (all-right...more money for gambling!). The price is cheap considering all the information that is packed in to this book.