...life forms are required to use a seldom-exercised ability called "imagination" which, with effort, allows the user to paint a mental tapestry that is superior in many respects to any computer generated image or subjective image of perfection.

(takes a breath)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy goes on a bit about the relative superiority of radio as a medium that stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, but it also notes several references to various works that endure in a medium regarded as deader than the telegraph.

The Hitchhiker's Guide is not only proof that radio is still a viable medium for drama, but that Douglas Adams is a genius. The show, scripted week-by-week by DNA and Geoffrey Perkins was easily translated to books and television with minimal edits. Yes, the second series is a bit off the ultimate track, but it is quite original and the foot notes from Douglas and Perkins are very insightful. These footnotes exist as a log of what took place when it all began and, sadly, as the only memoir to them.

If you can find it, get it.

As a longtime fan of Adam's Sci-Fi Comedy series, I was delighted to discover this book. It was a lot of fun to read, and offered much insight into the process behind the Original Hitchhiker's Guide Radio Show. And there are a few scenes that never made it to the novels. Douglas Adams is funny in any form, and this was no exception.

It's a shame that this book sems to be so hard to find. I was actually introduced to the Hitchhiker stories through the radio show (the audio recordings of which are probably even harder to find), which was a marvel of storytelling and sound effects when it came out (it still is, of course). Ultimately, the script book is a much better read if you have heard the original radio series, but even if you haven't, check it out (if you can). The scripts are written in true Douglas Adams style, with directions written in there that often don't have to do with the show itself (such as Adams' long description of the Bugblatter Beast of Traal), and it may be your only chance to learn about the Haggunenonns, the super-evolutionary race of aliens originally put in place of the rock group Disaster Area during the black stuntship scene. Be warned, however, since the series was written episodically, meaning that Adams never had any grand scheme for the show, and just wrote it as he went along (explains a lot, doesn't it?). You may think that the plot of the Restaurant at the End of the Universe was convoluted, but I thought it made perfect sense in comparison to the plot of the two radio series. Either way, it's a crazy ride, and worth every minute spent trying to make sense of it. If you consider yourself a HHG fan, then take it upon yourself to listen to the original radio series, and then read the scripts (which clarify it a good deal). Just make sure that you know where your towel is first.

I've read most to these adventures over 30 years ago when I was a young teenager. I enjoyed them immensely then.

Now that I'm reading these stories again, the illustrations do enhance the stories greatly and adds more depth and understanding to the era in which these stories were written.

Although these stories are dated, some having been written over a hundred years ago and from the technological advances in criminology today, the suspense and pace of these stories will keep you glued until you get to the end of the mystery.

This book is well worth the expense and will be a fine addition to the collection of any Sherlock Holmes fan.

If you're a Holmes fan, this book will make a great addition to your collection: it reproduces the original illustrations created by Sydney Paget for the stories in Strand Magazine. (But it's not the "complete" Sherlock Holmes -- some of the stories were published elsewhere.) Paget was originally a fashion illustrator, hired by mistake for his brother Walter who specialized in adventure stories -- but the Holmes tales brought out the best in Sydney. While some of the pictures are merely dutiful scene-setting, others are exciting enhancements of the story (cf. the Hound of the Baskervilles!). In any case, the pictures are a good corrective for the cartoonish Holmes and Watson depicted in dozens of Hollywood epics: they're a pair of active, well-dressed young men, not the scarecrow and his doddering sidekick. (The TV series with Jeremy Brett got this right, although it made a botch of some of the plots.) And I enjoyed the glimpses they give you into the world of Victorian society -- the interiors of elegant living rooms and hansom cabs, ladies' at-home dresses, tea-trays and decanters. At this price, you can't afford to pass it up!

This fine volume has the original illustrations of Sydney Paget and Arthur Conan Doyle's stories as they originally appeared in The Strand magazine a century ago. The adventures and pictures are as thrilling as ever, while the mysteries Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson tackle have lost none of their allure. These are most enjoyable tales, full of intrigue that will arouse the reader's curiosity, and this particular edition is nicely complemented by Paget's fine illustrations.

Wilma Fellman has written a warm, insightful, entertaining book of poetry about living with the ADD experience. If you think you've read "every" book on ADD, think again. This one is in a category and class by itself. I recommend it for people who have ADD, and also for those people in your life who might have difficulty "getting" what ADD is about. Adults and children can relate to Wilma's poems and go "aha! that's me!" My personal favorite is "Lima Beans, Brocolli, and Liver" which describes what a little girl with ADD goes through in a classroom -- much better than any book on kids with ADD can describe it. I like this book a lot and highly recommend it.

I attended a conference and heard about this book. Once I read it, I felt myself relax. There are people like me who are smart, good people with disabilities we can't control. It helps to hear Ms. Fellman talk about how this feels. I agree with her 100%.

Fellman is a genius with words and
Dr. Arnold Fellman is a master illustrator
Wilma Fellman makes you feel and hear those with ADD while Dr. Arnold Fellman's illustrations helps us to see .

This book is a splendid read and should be mandatory for everyone in Education, Parents and those infanticipating

this book is the best teaching book i ever read, who read this book must keep it and read it time on time.

I read this book a long time back and I still treasure that same copy. It is fun to read and full of 'animal' wisdom and wit. I read this book aloud to kids and they too enjoy listening. I would recommend this book as one of the best translations of the Panchatantra. The book accurately captures the very spirit and essense of the original Sanskrit text without the tedious victorian overtones so much evident older oriental translations.

Buy this book - Keep it - Read from it from time to time.

I would recommend this book to everyone interested in the original treasure of these famous fables. This is the Best translation of the Panchatantra I have read. Happily, it does not read like a translation. The spirit of the fables has been captured very well, while the verses especially, having retained their lyrical quality.

Excellent didactic leisure reading for all ages.

Although it is getting harder to find, The German Library's Schopenhauer entry, volume 27, entitled "Philosophical Writings," has long been the best collection of Schopenhauer's works in one book. Here edited by Wolfgang Schirmacher and in translations by E.F.J. Payne (who produced the definitive translation of all of Schopenhauer's major works) are 300 pages worth of selections from Schopenhauer's canon. From his seminal tract _The World As Will and Representation_ to his later-life essay collection _Parerga and Paralipomena_, this book has it all.

The 16 chapters here correspond to chapters in his works, although there are no indications from where in Schopenhauer's oeuvre they are being pulled-- the collections's major flaw. However there is literally no aspect of Schopenhauer's major points that is not given a voice here. "On Thinking For Oneself" is a chapter out of the second volume of the Parerga; as is his essay "On Suicide" and "Additional Remarks on the Doctrine of the Suffering of the World." From the second volume of _The World as Will and Representation_ we get an essay "On the Fundamental View of Idealism" as well as "On the Affirmation of the Will-To-Live." "The Foundation of Ethics" is a lengthy section of _On the Basis of Morality_. Only 2 of the 16 sections feature abridgment of any kind: "Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life" has long been available as a separate book, although it is part of the first volume of the Parega; and Schopenhauer's summary statement, the important fourth section of the first volume of _The World as Will and Representation_, is here in a 75 page chunk of the original 143 pages.

If there is a complaint to this book, it is that it does not give full expression to Schopenhauer's personality-- for example, his views on women. However this is not essential, and as stated this compilation does excellently in presenting the force and insight of Schopenhauer's thought in one set of covers. Schirmacher's introduction is lively and presents Schopenhauer as a still-important, still-relevant presence in the contemporary world-- easy to say of someone who forshadowed the advancements of Einstein, Freud and Darwin.

With statements on ethics, metaphysics, aesthetics, and politics, I would point anyone who wants Schopenhauer in 300 pages or less to make this purchase. As an avid reader of the man I honestly recommend Schopenhauer's larger works in their entirety; however for the reader prohibited by time or schedule, this is the best selection available, and can serve as an introductory text as well.

Schirmacher's brilliant introduction alone justifies this fascinating collection of Germany's most popular philosopher today - and Schopenhauer wrote and breathed in the 19th century!

Schopenhaur, the philosopher who first brought Buddhist insights into mainstream European philosophy, remains a paradox. On one hand, he acknowledges that life is a disappointment and almost all is vanity. On the other hand, sensual pleasure provides some solace and a solid foundation for an ethics of compassion.

While I often had to reread several passages a few times to extract some clear understanding, this influential tome provides an excellent overview of a controversial philosopher whose ideas continue to inspire and confuse.

I found Schopenhaur's harsh denunciation of nationalism particularly interesting given the fact that he was writing at a time of rising German nationalism. "The cheapest form of pride is national pride; for the man affected therewith betrays a want of individual qualities of which he might be proud since he would not otherwise resort to that which he shares with so many millions." (p.276)

Given the tragic consequences that extreme nationalism lead to in Germany during the 20th century, it seems a safe bet that Schopenhaur will remain a strong philosophical presence in 21st Europe.

As an understudy of Kant, Schopenhauer fluidly writes an entirely feasible and origional philosophy which has proven to forshadow and inspire the thoughts of Nietsche. Schpenhauer represents German idealism at its apex

Having bought a piano - way out of tune - and being interested in knowing how things work, I found this a fascinating book. The author seems to have managed to put several lifetime's wisdom into one easily readable volume.

But don't kid yourself that one quick read will make you an expert piano tuner - "there is no better way to improving your tuning efficiency than to tune several different pianos a day, five or six days a week" is one of the author's tips.

After several days of work [plus the aid of an electronic frequency meter accurate to 1 in 10**6], I have improved my piano somewhat but it is still way off what a professional tuner would achieve in a couple of hours.

I had a dead key on my piano and one that is often played. I didn't want to pay a specialist for such a small repair so i bought this book here. And it worked! In less than one hour, i found the right chapters, learn how to remove the action bridge, repair my key, rebuild the whole thing and gazoo! It plays as new. Now, I can't wait to do the tuning myself. I won't pay for no more overpriced technician.

An excellent authoritative source on repairing pianos - from simple tuning and cleaning to complete ground-up restoration. Written in clear, easy to read prose with hundreds of illustrations and diagrams. Has enough detailed theory to help the reader readily understand the reasons behind the repairs.

As noted by Arthur Helton, refugees matter. However, they matter not only for humanitarian reasons but also because they are intimately tied to questions of national and strategic interest. By extending the argument beyond the realm of humanitarian charity, Helton effectively makes the case for state intervention in the field and elevates scholarship in the realm of refugee studies.

Moreover, the perspective of The Price of Indifference is a fresh one. Addressing crises from Africa to Afghanistan, Turkey to East Timor and Haiti to the former USSR, his work constitutes a comprehensive account of a decade that was perhaps the most dynamic one in recent memory. And from a discussion of the Cold War models of humanitarian action to the "Mogadishu syndrome" and the CNN effect, Helton covers the prevailing dynamics of all periods. What is more, the book goes so far as to model potential futures depending on which prevailing ideology is adopted (e.g., cooperation or containment).

Not only does the book discuss shortfalls in the national system of humanitarian action (calling for a new separate civilian agency, the Agency for Humanitarian Action), but it also entails a discussion of the international system and its inability to effectively mediate refugee-related crises. In doing so, Helton makes the case for new institutional structures (e.g., the Strategic Humanitarian and Research Entity, or SHARE) which effectively consolidate the fragmented humanitarian components in the UN system.

As we know, the Cold war changed responses to refugee and migration emergencies in fundamental ways. Yet, for all we do know, there is no single answer. Rather, a more varied and comprehensive "policy toolbox" is required. To be helpful, policy needs to be more proactive so that "international coordination" and a "preventive orientation" replace the "selective apathy" and "creeping trepidation" that currently animate refugee responses.

No longer can states hide behind the out-dated Westphalian notion of absolute sovereignty. Rather, certain concerns are obligations erga omnes and the concern of all those within the international community. As a result, a significant attention and backing is given to humanitarian intervention (and its reform).

As Helton notes, recent experience teaches us that expectations should be modest. Yet with a thorough review like the Price of Indifference, one cannot help but hope for a better future for refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the symbolic moral victory of American capitalism has been viewed by the US mainstream literature as the onset of a new era; one of global prosperity and peace. Although the end of state socialism has led to the spread of liberal democracy in Eastern Europe, it has also marked the beginning of numerous political and social crises that have precipitated an unprecedented growth of refugees and internally displaced peoples.

Arthur Helton's THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE astutely analyzes the emergence of the past decade's refugee crisis and the inability of the international political and legal framework to adequately address it. Using what sociologists call the "extensive field work methodology," Helton not only presents a succinct history of the recent refugee crisis; but also the "refugees' experience" through personal accounts and in-depth interviews with important policy-makers of the international refugee community. The result is an instructive analysis of "what went wrong" and what can be learned from the past, all presented in a style that captivates the interested reader.

As a scholar, legal practitioner and one of the international authorities in the field of migration and refugees, Helton's unique insights and inside resources illuminate the roots of the current crisis. By showing that prior policy responses were the outcome of emergency situations that lacked a systematic understanding of the diverse origins of the contemporary crisis, Helton proposes the creation of two institutions-one inside the US government and the other within international institutions-to anticipate and proactively respond to future refugee emergencies. While this approach is likely to attract the criticism of those who advocate a lesser role of the US government, it is a realistic and feasible solution that takes into consideration the fact that no refugee crisis can be resolved without the cooperation of the US government. At the same time, in order to devise a solution for current and future refugee crises that will be effective and long lasting, US policies must have international legitimacy which can be achieved only through international cooperation.

In sum, THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE is a "must" for any specialist in the field of refugee policy and for any person interested in future international policy on displaced peoples. Refugees matter not only because "they are there" or because "it could be me" but because refugees are here to stay and, in the process, how the U.S. helps to shape international policy will profoundly influence the political, ethical, and racial/ethnic future of our future global society.

Every notable disaster of the past century -- war, famine, civil unrest, earthquake and ecological catastrophe -- has resulted in the massive displacement of people within and across borders of their home countries. The June 7, 2002 New York Times reported that 14.9 million civilians were driven from their countries by war alone last year, and an additional 22 million people uprooted within their countries. It is a natural phenomenon in its own right, yet there has never been a systematic or comprehensive approach to anticipate, gather resources (both financial and intellectual) and make available workable solutions to this devastating predicament. This universal lack of foresight has taken its toll on untold numbers of refugees; some of whom waste years of their lives in flight or languish in refugee camps fearing for their safety, struggling for mere survival; while others achieve the relative fortune of starting their lives over in a new environment.

Now, the reader with even a passing interest in the plight of these unfortunate wanderers, and the expert alike, can explore an extraordinary trove of information on refugee policy and a startling new solution to this monumental problem. THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE: Refugees and Humanitarian Action in the New Century, by Arthur C. Helton, sets forth a concise modern history of refugee crises and the structural mechanisms and varied policies that have emerged for dealing with them. Helton depicts numerous strategies such as temporary protection, safe havens, asylum, evacuation, humanitarian corridors, resettlement, internal protection and repatriation, explaining why States have chosen some "solutions" over others as well as revealing the lapsed policy of states that have chosen to remain uninvolved. By analyzing diverse crises of the last decade in Bosnia, Cambodia, East Timor, Haiti, Kosovo, and Rwanda, Helton reveals the full array of policy tools and astoundingly problematic realities of managing refugees.

With an uncanny ability to capture the big picture, Helton also evokes vivid, personally observed details of a wide range of specific refugee crises, often in poetic terms. This book gives you the insider's view of what refugees actually experience:

It was a late Sunday evening in November 2000 when our plane landed in Nairobi, Kenya. As I walked on the runway through the sultry air to the airport arrival hall, I became an unintended witness to the conclusion of the infamous journey of the 'lost boys of Sudan', some of whom I had visited in 1993 at the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya. There, a remnant of some 17,000 children had come to rest after fleeing in 1988 from fighting in Sudan to Ethiopia, where they were attacked again after the regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam fell in 1991. This prompted a harrowing 600-mile trek by foot to Kenya, with many dying from attacks by wild animals and exposure.
p. 183.

In Helton's words, "[a]t the outset of the twenty-first century, the policy debate is driven by selective apathy and creeping trepidation." He reveals rationales for employing the various options including political motivations, notions of sovereignty, and practicality, among others. With a comprehensive overview of policy options that have been employed in recent history, their successes and failures, Helton envisions putting an end to such inevitable recurring suffering.

Unsatisfied with unpremeditated, unsystematic and less than ideal solutions that spring, almost ad hoc from crises as they arise, Helton offers a striking proposal for two organizations dedicated to assembling resources and a base of experts to anticipate, prevent and ameliorate future predicaments - one inside the U.S. government, and one internationally-based. While some may bemoan a proposal for new agencies, Helton's suggestion is innovative for the policy underlying these proposed organizations: a vehicle for prevention of mass displacement and for proactive, anticipatory mitigation when prevention is impossible or inappropriate. The new national security and foreign policy agenda he presents reflects his heartfelt and lifelong quest for states, organizations and individuals to view the protection of refugees as an obligation to humanity; an obligation that merits foresight.

Arthur C. Helton, one of the world's top experts on refugees and the migration of displaced persons, is Senior Fellow for Refugee Studies and Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He previously directed the Refugee Project of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights for twelve years and has written more than 80 scholarly articles on refugee and migration subjects. Helton's book will educate and fascinate policy makers, statesmen, relief workers, and humanitarians, as well as advocates for refugees and enthusiasts of migration, foreign policy, history, diplomacy, politics, and human rights. This comprehensive volume poses important questions and will undoubtedly take its place among the seminal literature devoted to the topic.

you have found the Book. So now you must read it. If you're interested in Life. Human life. Primal theory isn't magic, except insofar as the laws of physics are magic. A sign of Primal theory's truth-value-usefulness is the intensity-depth of the insights resultant from its practice, or contemplation. Janov simply gets deeper into it than most. Deeper into everything. This isn't to say I believe what he believes. I happen to think Darwinism is totally wacky. How arrogant is it to think you know the origins of mind?

As youngsters, we have innate mental and biological needs. The need to be loved. The need for our mother not to drink alc while pregnant. And yes, love is not extra, something needed only by wimps. Love is the substance without which a child becomes neurotic, or split from his real needs, embracing symbolic needs, like the need for power, the need for too much food, the need to perform perverse sexual acts. Without love, Primal Pain is created, which may be too strong to be fully felt by a child, who represses this Pain and its meaning. Repressed truth doesn't disappear, it returns to exert physiologic pressure that haunts us, gives us allergies, headaches, addictions, disease. The only escape from Pain is to feel it, to become conscious, to wake up to our sickness, and become our real selves, become ex-neurotic.

I tend to believe that reading ThePrimalScream is almost as good as getting the therapy. But what do I know--I've been without a partner for a decade. Brains are computers, and computers do wierd things sometimes.

This book is a great book. It is everything that you might think it is. Tackling - how people deal with pain, What is Pain (to human organisms), and how to heal from Pain. While at first it may seem like a mystical trance-like therapy, its not. The first 50 pages (or so) deal with the theory behind Primal Therapy. It defines primal Pain, and discusses how it affects our life, day to day. This part is somewhat unsupported. Dr. Janov leaves the evidence to support his theory for the rest of the book. With patient journals and case histories, the rest of the book tackles topics including sexuality, fear, hope, and anger. It is the rest of the book, through the patient journals and case histories, that make the book real. (and easy to read).

An incredible breakthrough in treatment and prevention of neurosis. One of the most important books of the twentieth century. We must never forget it.

In my opinion, this is the best book on general principles without going into detail on specific therapeutic areas. I would consider it a must-read for those in clinical pharmacology post-graduate training or those working in clin pharm. However, previous knowledge of pharmacology is needed, as this book is not suitable as a first primer for medical and undergrad students.

In my opinion, this is the best book I have come acrorss in terms of "PRINCIPLES" The book focuses on general principles, not specific therapeutic areas. Topics covered range from drug discovery and development to individualization and quality assessment of drug therapy. This is an excellent resource for those in post-graduate Clinical Pharmacology training or who are working in this area. Readers will,
however, need a basic knowledge of pharmacology as this book is not suitable as the first and only Clinical Pharmacology textbook for medical or undergraduate students.

I think this is the best book so far when it comes to "PRINCIPLES". The book focused on general principles, not any particular therapeutic areas. It covers from drug discovery and development to individualization and quality assessment of drug therapy. Excellent resource for people in post-graduate Clinical Pharmacology training or working in this area. However, readers will need basic knowledge of pharmacology from other sources. This is not suitable to be the first and only Clinical Pharmacology textbook for medical students or undergraduate students.

If you are looking for a good introduction to the works of Arthur C. Clarke, start here. These stories sometimes funny, sometimes scary, but always thought-provoking.

Having previously read the two best stories in this collection ("Rescue Party", a masterpiece and Clarke's first published story, and "Jupiter Five", a believable exploration of Jupiter's closest moon) I did not like this book as much as I would have if I had not read those two masterpieces. If I hadn't I would certainly have given this book a 5 star rating. Anyways...

There are other good stories here too, of course. "Technical Error", "The Fires Within" and "The Possessed" are standouts, among others. In fact, there are a wide variety of SF styles in this collection. But it's the two stories I mentioned that are the centerpieces of this book. If you haven't read any of the short stories in this book then rack my rating up a star.

Clarkes Has summon his best works in this book. A collection of Tales for everyone. This book has ghost stories, adventures, action and pure Science fiction. This is a must for any fan of clarkes works.