Did you have a rotten childhood? Well, get over it! In The Basic Fault, Michael Balint argues that the adult, Freudian, Oedipal language of the analyst may be completely indecipherable to patients who are frozen at a pre-Oedipal, preverbal level where relationships are only dyadic, language is only nascent, and where some fundamental missattunement between the infant and the environment (e.g. mother) results in the basic fault. Instead, analysts might do well to focus on object relationships, not interpretations, when working with these regressed patients. The analyst waits for the patient's reflections to evolve from "resentment" to "regret", and allows the patient to have a new relationship with a new object. Don't miss Balint's treatment of a patient who performed a somersault right in the consulting room!

Balint's classic collection of essays, "The Basic Fault," is no how-to guide for aspiring psychotherapists seeking help in managing severely regressed patients. Instead, this thought-provoking collection takes us through the historical unfolding of the complex notion of regression in psychoanalysis, focusing at length on the disagreement between Freud and Ferenczi. Balint describes a crucial distinction between "benign" and "malignant" regression (still a controversial idea in the psychoanalytic community in the 1970s) and describes how an analyst might work productively with "benign" regression in therapy. Reading this book made me appreciate anew the painstaking work of British "independent school" analysts like Balint, who owed allegiance to neither Kleinian nor Freudian schools, and therefore were able to ask questions not recognized by either. I recommend this book highly for any therapist who wishes to deepen her understanding of the notion of regression.

After little formal training and some flytying kit manuals , I found Fling and Puterbaugh's manual. It was just what I needed to continue in my hobby. The authors' include thorough chapters on tools,work environments and materials. Nothing is assumed in this book. Although the sections on insect life cycles are just a brief overview, the specific patterns shown include excellent step by step drawings to walk even a 9 year old through with ease. This text has become my new fly tying instructor

I found this book very easy to understand compared to similar technical books. Illustrations and details of tying techniques are excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone considering this sport.

In this first person monologue, the protagonist tells us about his thoughts, his surroundings, and the other people around him. Each situation reveals his humor suggesting that this is a comedy. We gradually discover that the scenarios, in retrospect, lack credibility, that something unreal or surreal is going on, but almost always whimsically, not Kafkaesque. Until one day there is a climactic event after which we know we have been duped, that perhaps none of it was real, that it may all have been the meanderings of a troubled mind. Still, we cannot be sure. Intriguing is the simple, unembellished prose, perhaps in the manner of our own mental perambulations. Is this why it is appealing?

A very good novel. Short, entertaining. French humour is maybe rare, but here the main character is excellent; deciding to live in his bathroom, trying to prevent time from passing.I keep asking myself if he succeeds?

How many books have you read that you remember thirty-six years later? Ben Franklin's insights into principles of self-improvement, and his love for the adventure of life were not only inspiring to me when I discovered his autobiography in the Holmesburg Library in Philadelphia at age 14, but they still remain motivational for me at age 50! Ben Franklin was the Dale Carnegie of his age. He realized that by following basic core value principles, and by constant practice in the adventure of life, he could not only creatively change himself, but he could positively impact those around him as well. Ben Franklin led a purposeful, creative life. I am thankful that he had the foresight to pass his exhuberance along to us in this his autobiography. It was fun to read. I think I'll read it again. Thanks, Ben.

Anyone who has ever taken a literature class in college knows the Norton Critical Editions: an absolutely first-rate version of the text, a healthy supply of contemporary responses and letters, and the best essays yet written about the text. This edition of Benjamin Franklin's "Autobiography" is no exception. The quintessential American Enlightenment figure, Franklin is far more complex than most people think, and far funnier. When it came time to write the Declaration of Independence, the Congress wouldn't give it to Franklin alone, in large part because they were afraid he'd hide a joke in it. One of his most infamous pieces of writing was under the guise of a prostitute being brought before the court for having yet another illegitimate child -- and then attacking the court for making it necessary for her to pursue her profession! And the letter Franklin wrote his own illegitimate son about how to keep a mistress is a classic in and of itself. The only great flaw in the autobiography is that it stops before Franklin ever reaches the Revolutionary War, and thus we don't have the inside story of that perilous time. But anybody wanting to understand Franklin's life, the means to wealth, or the evolution of a brilliant mind will love this text. It's mandatory reading for every American, in my mind.

This book utilizes interesting and detailed stories of well-known businesses, which emphasize the importance of giving a free rein to the creative energy of talented employees. Taffinder's advice is pragmatic and illustrated with interesting analyses and numerous examples. It covers a wide range of concepts and actions that are useful to any type of organization, and his use of "Action Lists" in most of the chapters provides the reader with important summary points. His use of lessons learned, as he describes the successes and failures of different organizations, provides the reader with a richer understanding of the concepts discussed.

The author emphasizes the necessity for business leaders to constantly strive for perfection, appreciate the lack of permanence in the ways business is done, and acknowledge the constant vulnerability all companies face. Leaders need to consider what can be expected from the future, and consider competitive strategies; will a business be a "rule maker," a "rule taker," or a "rule breaker?"

He discusses some of the personal psychological dimensions of transformational leaders, as well as the important leadership actions that are needed during the period of "big change." He emphasizes choosing the right team, uniting the team members, maintaining communications (which he feels is the essence of change), and keeping and supporting your change agents. They are the facilitators of behavioral change, and need continual support from their leaders, especially when the pace of the change process slows down.

His description of the organization of the future emphasizes networking, with a leader who provides purpose, focuses on essentials, and is the agent of cultural values. The successful business environment is characterized by rapid feedback, constant communication, and workers who are creative, think strategically, and exhibit a sincere commitment to the organization. There is still a critical need for relationship-building and trust, as well as risk-taking and opportunism, which are aligned with an openness to new ideas and possibilities.

The author stresses that "big change," or transformation, in order to be successful needs to be systematic, and should affect the entire organization at all three levels; the individual, the group and the entire organization. Taffinder highlights five elements of human and organizational effort, which is essential for big change to occur: 1. Awakening, 2. Conceiving the future, 3. Building the change agenda, 4. Delivering big change, and 5. Mastering change. Further, he emphasizes the essential role of a transformational leader in this process, stressing the importance of the leader having a strong conviction; he must adamantly believe in the changes taking place.

He discusses how the organizational climate has a significant bearing on organizational improvement. Innovation is impacted by employees' emotional involvement in goals and operations, the independence people have to share information, the way ideas are treated, and the emotional safety, tolerance of uncertainty, and overall atmosphere of the business itself. The author stresses the importance of good communication, employee understanding of the changes planned, an assessment of their willingness to accept the changes, and modification of the work environment to accommodate the new structure and processes.

Some implications of his ideas: Change occurs constantly, but knowing what to change, how to change, and when to institute change is not so easily understood. Changes may be incremental and moderate in some situations, while in other cases, the only way to survive is through a major transformational alteration. An organization needs to take part in critical self-analysis, be willing to challenge existing practices, and focus attention away from "empire building" and toward a winning attitude that is required to compete in a global economy. Leaders of big change must be absolutely clear about what is important to their business, what strategies will be used, where the business is coming from as well as where it is going, and what is expected of all of the employees. They need to be able to answer questions like Why change? Why now?

For real change to occur, fundamental changes in behavior are necessary and these changes need to be sustained over time. The use of training programs that concentrate on change management skills, technological skills and basic skills to support new practices, are methods that can maintain the changes being instituted.

Emphasis is placed upon building a culture that expects and allows people to accept and cultivate change. Businesses need to allow employees to use their brains, be empowered to make decisions, experiment with innovations (trial and error is encouraged), and build a culture of personal responsibility.

Taffinder's book is much like a manual on procedures to follow in order to deal with the change process. The information provided is useful and informative, giving the reader much to think about.

An excellent book based on many case studies and insights, Spending some time reading the book I greatly benefitted from the practical lessons. Provides a good route-map for organisations embarking or finding themselves in the middle of big changes.

This earlier novel by the author of the Raj Quartet has a strange, hypnotic charm. The story, told only from the main character's point of view (unlike the multiples in The Raj Quartet) is a very intense rendering of one man coming to terms with the fabric and textures of his Indian boyhood and his painful experiences in adulthood. Scott deftly weaves details of life in the tropics into this narrative.

This is the memory story of the Anglo-Indian William Conway who attempts to rediscover from his childhood in India, his school years in England, the nightmare of his stay in a Japanese prison camp, and the abandoned territory of his heart. Here the author of The Raj Quartet hauntingly recounts a man's lifetime with a masterful blend of exotic excitement and emotional clarity. Paul Scott is also the author of The Jewel in the Crown, The Love Pavillion, and The Mark of the Warrior.

This reviews the softcover book (rather than the audio cassettes).

Paul Johnson is mankind's present to itself. In this era so forgetful of nearly everything wonderful that ever went before, Johnson makes it his business to document world history. In Birth he focuses on the period 1800-1830 as the beginnings of the modern period.

One could always argue about the choice of period as the cradle of modernity, but Johnson makes a persuasive case for the era he has chosen. The huge political revolutions-American and French-came and went with their far-reaching aftermaths. The War of 1812 ended with decisive American victory over the British, providing Andrew Jackson the stage for his subsequent career. The Industrial Revolution had begun to make itself felt in ordinary British life. Steam had made its entrance and the railroad had taken hold. The British Navy had assumed primacy on the world's oceans. The groundwork was laid for ending slavery worldwide, for Darwin's theory of evolution, for Manifest Destiny in the United States, for the immense German learning that would produce Marx, Nietzsche, the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and Hitler. During this period the press became a dominant sociopolitical force. Environmental concerns were first expressed. Modern, cheap road making came into being, a boon to everyone.

Johnson's particular excellence is covering large subjects relatively quickly without losing their essence. Frequently he captures details that bring something alive. Who would have thought, for instance, that the poet Wordsworth would take serious offense over someone poking fun at his legs? Yet the era was such that men's legs were objects of admiration. Beau Brummel introduced the coat and tie, and umbrellas replaced swords as part of men's attire. In this era immediately prior to mass transportation, people had to walk to get to where they were going. And walk they did. Johnson chronicles prodigies of walking by ordinary people, women covering most of the British Isles over periods of weeks just to see something, and then walking back. Abe Lincoln and his sister walked 18 miles a day to go to school, and Lincoln "once walked 34 miles just for the pleasure 'of hearing a lawyer make a speech.'"

Lowly cotton gets royal treatment in Johnson's hands. "The reduction in the price of cotton and the increase in its availability from 1780-1850 was one of the best things that ever happened to the world. Sensible people had long dressed in cotton if they could afford it. As Samuel Johnson observed, clothes made from vegetables like cotton (and linen), could be made truly clean and cool, whereas clothes made from animal materials, like wool and silk, retained an element of grease whatever you did to them." For this reason cotton figured centrally in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and the economy of the Old South in America. Notice how hygiene slips into the picture almost by accident. The eradication of most of the killer diseases in the world owes more to thorough hygiene and clean water than strictly to medicine, and the advent of cotton was clearly central to that breakthrough. "In 1730 three out of four children born in London failed to reach their fifth birthday. By 1830 the proportion had been reversed."

Johnson presents interesting characters in interesting ways. "Like many people in a stinking world," artist John Martin was interested in designing a decent sewage system. Charles Babbage introduced computers-100 years before anyone really understood what he was thinking of. The description of Simón Bolívar nails a certain modern politician: "Bolívar...was an indiscriminate womanizer. He pursued power for its own sake. He always lied when convenient [and] had no respect for law. He was rarely interested in the truth of what he said, merely its effect." "Walter Scott was one of the first historical novelists to take the trouble to get the details of dress, armor, architecture, and speech right when portraying an earlier age." This sort of accuracy is largely taken for granted today. Discussing Marx and those who influenced him: "The trouble with these determinist philosophers was that they were constantly changing their minds about what history was certain to do." "[August] Comte has some claims to be considered the worst writer who ever lived, and his works read just as badly...in French as in translation."

These are samples of the wealth of interesting tidbits and syntheses Paul Johnson puts in your hands with this book. He aims to tell the story of a particular epoch in a sensible way. He does so entertainingly and with respect for the human energy, inventiveness and self-reliance abroad in the world at a great era in history.

Paul Johnson's The Birth of the Modern applies the same exhaustive search of primary sources as a means of bringing one in touch with a historical period as Barbara Tuchman used in such classics as A Distant Mirror. After reading this 1000-pager (which is as hard to put down as any novel I have ever read) I felt more in touch with this fascinating period of 1800-1830 than I have ever been. The strange parallels between this period and the post-cold war world make one contemplate the truth of the Biblical admonition that there is indeed "nothing new under the sun."

The Birthday Presents is such a wonderful book. Poor Hedgehog and Rabbit don't know when their birthdays are. They decide they will celebrate them together and go about choosing a gift for each. Each of them chooses a gift with love and care. You can almost feel how much thought they put into their gift. This book focuses on the act of giving, not just the gift itself. A great book for any age!

This is a dear, sweet book about being happy with what you have. "The Birthday Presents" is Paul Stewart's short but sweet tale about two pals, a rabbit and a hedgehog, and how they go about trying their darndest to pick the most wonderful possible birthday gifts for each other.

Deciding that Rabbit's hole is just a mite dark, Hedgehog bottles up a bunch of moonlight. Simultaneously, Rabbit worries that Hedgehog might be bothered by the sunlight while sleeping out in the open--so he packs up a mossy box of darkness. Of course the pals are disappointed when they open their gifts, but they later figure out on their own the good wishes behind each gift--and the best way to put the gifts to real, everyday use.

Any small child can begin to learn from this book the secret of choosing to be happy with what you have, instead of worrying about what you don't have, and parents and kids alike will get a kick out of Chris Riddell's vivid illustrations.

this book is hysterical. we found it one night while on a dig in scotland and it passed the time at night very nicely. full of jokes about field workers and interesting shirt slogans. great to bring if your going to be with new people to break the ice

This is a hoot! Leave it to the Brits! But mostly understandable and hysterical accross the pond too. A worthy complement to "Motel of the Mysteries" in instilling a bit of humility in the trade, and frightfully frighteningly true too.

Robert Cole's "The Book of Houses" provides a unique and personalized system to really understand your natal chart. Out of print until recently, I have used Cole's book for years to help focus and manifest my personal goals, by utilizing the natural solar progression through my natal houses over the course of a year.

Cole provides an easy-to-use chart to calculate the dates of your natal houses. For instance, my "rising sign": occurs at 25 degrees Libra. According to Cole, this is equated with the day which occurs 25 degrees (or days) into the sign of Libra - or October 18th. Every year, this is the day when the Sun crosses into my 1st house & spends approximately 30 days there. Working with the solar progression as a process of "bringing to light", I would spend this time focused on "1st house issues".

Assigning 365 days on the 360-degree circle of a natal chart is easy, when Cole provides you with the key. His system allows you to spend approximately one month per year in each of the 12 houses, working to bring to fruition a set of goals you chose on the appropriate day.

Actually, I have blended Cole's system with the annual choosing of a tarot card to create an integrated and personalized magickal pattern of self-actualization, which I have taught to others.

Cole's book is fun to work with and each individual's house-seed system is unique unto themselves. You do, however, need to have an accurate natal chart to use the book since it does not provide you with one.

If I were stranded on a desert island and could only have one astrology book - this is it! Have been using this cycle of houses in my life for over 15 years - it's amazing!