Bloch has done it again with this book. I nearly died laughing, but kept looking over my shoulder to see who was watching. A must for every doctor's waiting room alongside "Murphy's Law: Doctors: Malpractice Makes Perfect".

No matter what your personal position on life's metaphysical issues, anywhere from skeptic to disciple, Bloch's blisteringly funny book will inform you while making you laugh from way down deep. If you've seen Bloch's other works in print, video and the Web, you know he is a first-rate researcher and takes no shortcuts. (His "Murphy's Law" books and "Thinking Allowed" TV shows are particularly famous.) Okay, so I like this book a lot, what's the gift angle?

I like to take advantage of birthdays, Christmas, parties of all kinds to give people gifts that I feel sure they will enjoy, and which also tell them something about me, about them, or best of all, about our relationship. I happen to be a fan of Aristotle and logic, prizing objectivity. So while I can't know what my gift-receivers think about all the metaphysical topics, I know that Bloch's book represents each one fairly and objectively. This means it won't offend me or my gift-receiver. I also know that Bloch will point out each topic's silly side. I happen to think that everything has a silly side somewhere, especially metaphysics, and the more seriously someone takes a subject, the more helpful it is for them to see its silly side as well. And as an instant-gratification bonus, Bloch is a highly skilled writer and knows how to make his points in very funny prose.

The end result of these features is that after giving this book, I can cheerfully discuss any of the included topics with the gift-receiver without fear of total ignorance, being trapped in excessive seriousness, or accidental offense. And I think the book's intelligence and common-sensical perspective reflect well on me as a gift-giver, as well as on the gift-receiver.

This little book more than delivers on its sly promise to amuse and delight. It also provides a concise yet comprehensive survey of the entire astonishingly broad spectrum of New Age hooey. I was laughing out loud right away, WISHFUL THINKING is that good. Before I had even finished the first chapter, I thought of a half dozen friends to whom I must send a copy of this sweetly skewering, smart and sassy, sly and sophisticated, easy to read book. While it pokes fun at New Age malarky, this funny little book also supplies a brief course in critical thinking. Perfectly organized and accessible, beautiful printed and produced. My highest recommendation!

Originally Broadcast On the CBC during 1968
Sherlock Holmes- Henry Comor, Dr. Watson- Gerard Parkes, Barrymore-Gillie Fenwick,
Heed the Baskerville family legend of the Hound: avoid the moors in those hours of the night when the powers of evil are exalted. Every Baskerville that has lived in the family home since the Legend began has met with a violent death. Dr. Mortimer writes to the one man that can help him, Sherlock Holmes, to exorcise the "Legend of the Hound" that plagues the Baskervilles. This radio adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's masterpiece traces Sherlock Holmes' adventure of superstition and revenge on the barren, gloomy moors in this thrilling mystery.

The first in Scenario Productions' "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes" series and taken from the Archives of CBC Radio, this superbly presented radio adventure theater production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles is a multicast presentation of a classic Sherlock Holmes story. This two audio cassette audio book has a two hour running time and is enhanced with music and sound effects for the perfect "theater of the mind" listening experience. This radio theater production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles is enthusiastically recommended for all Sherlock Holmes fans and would make a very popular addition to school and community library audio book collections.

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" ranks as the most famous and also the best of the four Sherlock Holmes novels. It is the first Holmes novel I read as a child, and the combination of ancient curse, foreboding moor, and modern danger kept me turning the pages.

The BBC has once again done a masterful job of adapting the novel to the format of radio drama. When I first stumbled on to the BBC Holmes series, I thought Clive Merrison to be a scandalous over-actor, but going back and rereading some of the Holmes stories for the first time in decades shows that Merrison, of all the portrayers of Holmes, just might have gotten the oddball genius most nearly right. Holmes had a histrionic streak which caused him to keep his deductions secret until he could reveal them in the most sensational fashion possible, and Merrison captures this quirk of Holmes' character perfectly.

"The Hound" is unique among the Holmes novels because for a large part of the mystery, Holmes' character is offstage, appearing only at the last moment to bring events to a hair-raising denouement. Holmes' joint penchants for secrecy and sensation almost bring his client to grief, but all's well that ends well. This radio play begins, continues, and ends very well.

I am reading this two volume work for the third time. Arthur Inman was the scion of two prominant Atlanta families and grew up with a degree of affluence most of us can only imagine. At an early age, perhaps 22, he dropped out of college and became an invalid. Part of his disability was that he could not stand bright lights and so spent much time in a darkened room. Arthus was addicted to doctors and spent a fortune being treated by them. He never worked and his parents supported him to the end. Arthus started to write his diary to amuse himself. Later he began to pay people to come and read to him and talk to him. He was especially fond of women and liked to fondle them in the dark. Arthur married his wife, Evelyn, when she was about 23. Evelyn is the heroine of the story. The diary itself is huge, 155 volumes and 14 million words. It is a fascinating read. Arthur had strong opinions on many subjects. For instance, he believed in slavary (with himself as a master) and thought black inherently inferior to whites. The story ends in 1963 when Arthus kills himself. I am reading this book for the third time because it's a great read. Arthur grows on you and I have come to see him as a friend. I think you will too. Enjoy.

You won't be forgotting this one anytime soon. I'd like to see the full version released one day, that is, the 65 volumes, which are apparently stored at Harvard. As it is, this is one of the greatest reading experiences you will ever have. Arthur Inman is a worthy competitor of Hannibal Lecter.

When this two volumne set was first published, it was sold in shrink-wrap plastic and did not allow potential readers to get any sense of it's content. It was an expensive gamble that I wasn't prepared to take. But I always remembered a fascinating review in the NY Times, and some years later I bought a used (although evidently un-read) copy in a second-hand book store. For the next two months I became immersed in the bizarre world of Arthur Inman, unable to put the book down for more than a few hours at a time. Through a lifetime of reading, I have never encountered such a unique document. Arthur, the Monster; Arthur, the Bigot, Arthur, the Insufferable Egoist; Arthur, the would-be chronicler of the American Century; Arthur, the Hypochondriac Extrodinaire, Arthur, the Listener, paying strangers to share their lives in the annoymous dark; Arthur, the bedridden Sex Experimenter... etc., etc. Doggerel Poet, Psychological Tyrant, Racist, hateful Historian, Rich Cry-Baby, Cruel Deviant: Arthur is the Great American Armchair Monster of Boston...But there is so much more. Very much more to this quirkiest ghoul of enormous literary ambition. Daniel Aaron is a brilliant editor, whose great gift to American letters must be this singularly unique reading experience. In the end you come to love Arthur, and to admire his strange, beautiful, insane creation. Almost impossible to describe, this book is so full of decades of American life that you can lose yourself in its novelistic, labyrinthian, and always human stories.

Innovation is not about coming up with great ideas. It's about having the mindset and process in place to bring great ideas to fruition. That's exactly what this book gives you...not just abstract theory, but tangible recommendations for you to implement now. While everyone talks about innovation, this book can actually help your company achieve it.

There are so many good ideas in this book that it's difficult to focus on just one or two, but here's an attempt.

M&A is one way to achieve growth, but somewhere along the way you still have to create something of value--innovative new products or services--if your organization is going to survive. The authors properly emphasize the importance of creating the right mindset and culture.

Without the right attitude toward innovation, the merger or acquisition won't work. In the simplest terms, two wrongs don't make a right:Two un-inspired, un-innovative companies don't become magically transformed by a combination. The authors lay out practical guidelines for making an innovative spirit an essential driving force in an organization's culture.

The authors also show how to create the kinds of large-scale frameworks that larger organizations need and how to lead and manage those frameworks creatively in order to grow the organization productively. In particular they show practical and useful ways to measure, and therefore manage, innovation at both the platform and individual project levels.

And all of this is done with a minimum of jargon and a great wealth of real-world examples and success stories. This book unquestionably is valuable reading for every Fortune 1000 executive--and probably for quite a few other corporate leaders farther down the corporate food chain as well.

This book claims to be mostly for big corporations. I can see why they play that up. But I own a small company and most of the ideas are useful for my situation too. It is especially helpful in showing what to focus on, how to think about innovation in my company, and how to make a program work for me. Considering all the hype and overpromising out there, it's nice to run across something that delivers on its promise and then goes even one better.

Most books on psychoanalysis, its theory or its process, are packed with abstract, esoteric lingo that's far away from how people feel or express themselves. This one is different in that it's of the "she - I said" vaiety, and at the same time presents a pot full of insight about patients that really rings true. Dr. Levenson, in a truly lucid foreword, pegs Dr. Feiner just right-a rare combination of the shades of Isaiah Berlin and Zorba the Greek. The book is erudite, scholarly, and quite articulate (ocassionally Feiner will drive you maddeningly to the dictionary), and downright humorous, at times, all in the service of trying to capture precisely what goes on in interpersonal psychoanalysis, and how people might change. In a section detailing the interpersonal therapeutic interaction he reveals his wit and playfulness, along with his analytic wisdom. It is an area of psychotherapy that isn't written about usually. But the high point of this profound book is to demonstrate how authentic psychoanalysis is clearly non-adversarial and non-advice giving, but genuine analyses of the patient, the analyst himself, and their interaction. The title gives away the significant themes dealt with: relevance, dismissal and self-definition. It's a well written, translucent, amlpy illustrated book about real psychoanalystic therapy. You get the feeling you'd like to be in therapy with Dr. Feiner (if the fee wasn't too high). A good book. Give it to your therapist for Christmas.

This book is not a how-to-do-it essay about interpersonal psychoanalysis. It is, however, a gliding over, in, and around many of the interactive aspects of a therapeutic relationship. There's a lot of wisdom in these 188 pages, based evidently on the author's clinicial experience. And anyone of any school or orientation can read him or herself into it, not in theoretical jargon (if supplied, there's none in this book), but in the active part of engagement. The writing is sometimes funny, and often has you nodding, "yes, it's like that." It may not be the whole of therapy, but it surely presents a big piece of it, and it is a breath of fresh air. Feiner takes a lot for granted- that the reader is probably a professional and knows his stuff, and, therefore, will make something of what he's written. His self-exposure, his thoughtfulness about the patient and what's going on between them, are loud and clear. The chapters on "touch" and "vengeance" are worth the price of admission. Feiner has it right: self-definition is the umbrella covering all experience and the feeling of relevance is the key to a rational way of living.

This book is a rewritten collection of essays Dr. Feiner has produced over 10 years. It covers areas not usually mentioned in psychoanalytic tracts. It seems as though an idea occurs to him while working with a patient, and he goes off later and writes a paper about it. Gratefully, the material makes no attempt at a theory of man. It deals with matters of relevance, dismissal, restlessness, justice, touch and its meaning - things like that. Feiner also lets us in on his own experiences. In fast, the book seems to be entirely personal: the experiences that helped form him. Later, as an analyst in training, and then as a senior analyst training students. He is obviously someone who has thoughfully tried to reach patients so as to help them with their struggles. He has noticed the recurrent themes of feeling relevant and feeling dismissed in patient's past and current histories, and how their feelings are experienced in the context of self-definition. The focus of his therapeutic work is on the interaction and the communication that goes on in any interpersonal event. There's no jargon, nor are there any abstractions reflecting a theoretician's fantasy. The writing is tight and sharp and stimulates the reader to flesh out an idea with his own feeling. The book was written for psychoanalysts but despite its prfound professionalism, anyone can profit from much of it. Often self critical, Feiner has the wit of a wry humorist, and the touch and sensibility of a poet. Levenson has it just right in his pellucid foreward, calling Feiner a Later-Day combination of Isaiah Berlin and Zorba the Greek. On a few occaisons, very few, Feiner drives you to a dictionary, and it's worth the effort.

Whenever I go to the library to do some research for a sermon, I always use the Interpreter's series both old and new... I own a few volumes at home and looking forward to obtaining more... they are a great resource of information... I recommend these volumes to the serious students of the Gospel... If you want more, here it is...

Certainly one of the best series of commentaries that I have seen. I have several sets in my PC Study Bible software and have used others in the past, not to mention the others in our church library. This set has impressed me the most. When the new volumes come out, you can be sure they will be at the top of my list.

These volumes are the best commentaries I have ever used, they are in depth and easily used by laymen and clergy alike.I would highly recommend them to any serious bible student.Nothing else is close to them.

Pay attention to the photos in this book.

It's true what they say: many of the finest photographs you will ever see come from people you've never heard of. For every Ansel Adams, there are a dozen Arthur Lazar's hard at work. Perhaps you don't know their names, but the plain fact is, their images demonstrate not only a technical mastery, but a more human understanding of the medium as well.

I owe much of what I know about photography to Arthur Lazar, so I'm less than neutral. But that doesn't make the imagery in this book any less superb. Several images are among the very best I've seen; I wouldn't hesitate to compare them to the works of more famous artists like Adams or Weston. I was fortunate to be able to learn from this man; I just hope that with time my images will be equally compelling.

If you love B&W photography, get this book. You won't regret it.

Arthur Lazar's photograghs are spiritual and captivating, he is truly one of the finest photographers today.

"Intimate Landscapes presents for the first time many of Arthur Lazar's finest landscape photographs. Uncommonly sensitive and lyrical, these pictures reveal a world which is intricate, mysterious, and sacred. Lazar's work celebrates what is worth caring for in the natural environment and offers a vision of what is important to nourish within ourselves."

When I was a little girl, this was my absolute favorite book.My mother had to read it all the time. My mother gave it away and I kept pressing for her to get it back for me. My mother ended up buying it from a used book store and I know she paid quite a bit for it. I treasure this book and I always loved the pen and ink drawings too. I had a teddy bear that ended up in the same condition as Jane's blanket, and that's where I identified with the story. I had a hard time parting with that old bear.Now I have the book and read it to my two sons who also love it. It is a true feeling of attachment to a comfort item as a child and stays with you always in your heart. Iam so happy to have this book again.

I remember this book SO fondly growing up. It was read to me for years and by me for years afterward. I had a pink blanket, too. I grew out of mine as well(sniff). When I had two girls of my own, I searched and searched for this book. Our local out-of-print bookstore told me it was rare and could go for several hundred dollars. This prompted me to bug my mom until she dug up my slightly battered, but complete copy from childhood. I read it to my girls, but wouldn't sell it for the world. Someday I'll have grandchildren. It's THAT good!

Jane's blanket was pink, and soft, and warm, and she loved it. When she was a baby, she would not play in her playpen without having the pink blanket there too, and she went to sleep every night touching it. Even when she got bigger and had her own bed, she would not go to sleep without her "bata". But as Jane got bigger and bigger, the blanket got smaller and smaller, until finally it was only a torn piece of cloth. Jane still loved her blanket, but now it was so small and torn she didn't know what to do with it, until one fine spring morning a bluebird on her windowsill made her glad she was so big and didn't need her blanket anymore.

This story is the world-renowned playwright's only work for children. His warmth and affectionate understanding of a child's prolonged need for a beloved object is charmingly reflected by drawings in two colors, black and pink, by Emily McCully.

Sadly, Arthur Hertzberg is nearing the end of a distinguished career. There are few like him anymore. Jews: The Essence and Character of a People helps us understand why people react to Hertzberg in the way they do. This eye-opening books is his magnum opus. An understanding of Jews and the Jewish people that comes from a lifetime's work is presented here in a way that cannot help but get people to think and, most important, to react.

Thanks also to Aron Hirt-Manheimer, whose skillful editing and probing questions brought out the best in Arthur Hertzberg. Bravo to both of them!

In a talk I gave after my conversion to Judaism, I said I feel like I am a Jew born in a goy's body. Beyond that, it was difficult for me to understand exactly why I converted from Christian fundamentalism to Judaism, much less try to explain it to someone else. "Jews" has helped me to understand my own journey because it gets into the very essence of Judaism. It points out clearly how and why Jews are different. This difference goes all the way back to Abraham. It continues today. I'm sure all Jews won't agree with the aspects of being chosen, factious, and other, but it sums up my own Jewishness. I'm glad the authors took the time to write this important book.

An extremely enjoyable thought provoking book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. This book acts as a "Forschpice", an appetiser to futher learning. It let's you in the door. It introduces the reader to ideas and concepts, people and heroes throughout Jewish history.

No book can condense Jewish history, ideas and culture into a mere 300 pages, and this book does not pretend to do so. What "Jews, the essence and character of a people", does do is introduce the reader to the Jewish concepts of: "choseness", "outsider" and "factionalism" and how various persona in the Jewish history have played their role within these concepts.

For instance, no one can condense Spinoza to a mere 3-5 pages and think that they've told you all there is to know about Spinoza. What "Jews" does do is introduce the reader to Spinoza, makes one think about Spinoza, where did he fit in th! ! e "Jewish Character". And others. It is the reader's responsibility to continue the journey through further readings and study.

After years of study, whether in Yeshiva or the University, or lifelong readings of Jewish history, philosophy and religion this book has shown me in a wonderful way that there is still much more to learn and much more to do.

I paid a dollar for this book. God Bless used bookstores who carry out-of-print titles on clearance. The King is probably flawless - I've read it 10 or 11 times now, and each time the language is always as fresh as the previous reading. Donald Barthelme is indisputably the Alpha and Omega of contemporary American short fiction, and this is his very best. If you're not familiar with his stuff, go grab one of the anthologies (60 or 40 Stories), find a good place to read, and become quietly enthralled. The fact that this book is out-of-print either testifies to the current lifeless state of the publishing industry, or the existence of a cold, malevolent trickster-god. If you have personal contact with ANYONE involved in the publishing industry, PLEASE encourage them to read The King, to reproduce it, to lavish it with praise and vigorous marketing, etc. D.B. has slipped out of the American literary consciousness - if that isn't an oxymoron - these last ten years, being instead cruelly relegated to the pomp and ineffectual circumstance of that icy ninth ring of hell, THE LAND OF GRADUATE STUDIES. Unacceptable. Find this book, pay the search fee, abuse the mass-quantity machines at Kinko's, and leave copies on the street corners. Brighten a stranger's day.

Donald Barthelme's "The King" is the loudest laugh I've ever had from a book! It is the tale of Arthur and his knights fighting World War II, though the tale is told primarily through these characters' sad and outdated dialogue. I read this book almost non-stop through breakfast at a coffee shop, a trounce through my favorite bookstore and then dinner, all the while grabbing anyone close at hand to read passages to. Nasty looks and possibly even violent reactions would not assuage me, for the humor, joy and pure inventiveness of Barthelme's writing kept me as humble and courteous as a chivalrous knight

Hitler and King Arthur come to blows in this, a virtually dialogue-only novel. Absolutely incredible. Will be one of the top five novels you've ever read