Frolov's system relies on a small plastic training device, the FRTD-01 (Frolov Respiration Training Device---not included with the book) to teach a new form of breathing. The training device is filled with a little water, which increases the pressure during both inhalation and exhalation. While using the device, a person is encouraged to prolong the duration of the exhalation, gradually increasing the length of the exhalation and, therefore, increasing the time between breaths. This increase is undertaken very gradually and is intended to be sustainable in the sense that it becomes possible to continue functioning comfortably with fewer and fewer breaths taken each minute (during training). Eventually, this extended breathing pattern is transplanted from training and used through all or most of a person's waking activity. It should be noted that extremely low breathing rates are said to be obtained by experienced practitioners, who might breathe (in some circumstances) only once every several minutes.

Breathing is obviously foundational to human physical life. Frolov's claim is that his gradual shift of breathing habit ends up triggering in every cell of the body a completely different and more advantageous cell physiology. Because it sets the whole body on a different biochemical foundation, very far reaching effects are said to be realized. In particular, most dread diseases are thought to be eliminated by the natural healing powers of the body, once stabilized by proper breathing habits. In that sense, then, both great longevity and wonderful freedom from a vast spectrum of diseases is claimed.

In reading the book, I identify four elements of Frolov's scientific argument. First, we might list actual clinical results. Many people in Russia are said to have used this for improvement and cure of very many ailments. This should be properly noted, although the results are admittedly anecdotal and not systematically gathered or reported. These results would not be easy to verify. Second, he argues from populations of people known to enjoy great longevity. He notes that these people are all mountain peoples, and credits their longevity to different breathing habits. Other people have attributed their longevity to electrical properties of their mountain water. No reason is offered to explain the connection of breathing habit and longevity. In that sense, this remains an hypothesis and not a theory or conclusion. Third, he notes the difference between the energy output of a shark, swimming at very great speed over considerable distance in a dense medium, with a horse. Of course, a horse would be very winded in similar circumstances. The missing element of theory here is whether humans have the ability to adopt a physiology more like the shark. That is not so clear. Finally, he argues extensively from the action of erythrocytes in cell energetic biology. These arguments would be transparent to a cell biologist, who would pronounce them easily as true, false, or (most probably) incomplete and unproven. As an amateur biologist, I am not able to tell whether or not the arguments are good, and I admit that they might be perfect. I just don't know and have no good way to learn that quickly.

For me, then, the theory is interesting. Because it leaves so many "missing links" in the theory, the whole book reads---for me---like a very long and arduous list of diseases with glowing claims of what can be accomplished. It seems, in that sense, very redundant, very poorly organized, and not carefully done. It is, in fact, so badly written---for me---that I would not buy the book at all. If interested, I'd look at the web site and perhaps buy the training device. I will never know whether this is a great thing or a complete waste of time unless I try the little plastic device myself. I probably will try it. Wish me good luck.

"Fantasies of Salvation" is a study of political mythologies and ideologies in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Tismaneanu takes an integrative approach, rather than engaging in the generally common practice of considering each country separately - something which is quite commendable, and he does a very good job providing an overview of the overall political climate in this region. Even so, he concentrates most of his analysis to the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Romania, while the former Soviet republics and the Balkans are covered less. Generally this book is quite valuable as it covers an area this is not generally dealt with in such a comprehensive manner. Thus, his comparative look at nationalism, anti-communism and the associated political mythologies gives readers an excellent basis for understanding political discourse throughout the region. Tismaneanu correctly points out that mythology is a common aspect of politics anywhere in the world, but his overriding thesis in this work is to show that under the circumstances of rapid transition in the post-socialist countries of Europe, such political mythologies can assume disturbingly paranoid, exclusionary and even violent forms. This is where the term "fantasies of salvation" comes from. Such fantasies are, in the author's words, "an irrational blend but compelling blend" of quasi-religious searches for salvation, egotistic nationalist self-identification and simplified utopian social doctrines. His anaylsis of natonalism in this context is illuminating, and very sobering. He notes that the troubles with economic transition have fanned the flames of xenophobia and racism not only in places like Russia and the Balkans, but even in the more "successful" countries like Hungary or the Czech Republic - although, to be sure, in the latter cases there is less cause for concern than in the former. One can apply the conclusions he draws to other parts of the world as well.

However, the book does have its flaws. One is that Tismaneanu excessively frets over the fate of the former dissidents, like Havel, Konrad or Michnik, who have lost quite a bit of their popularity both in their own countries and abroad. Another (and I believe key) flaw is that while he criticizes many of the political myths or fantasies in the region for, among other things, promoting a simplistic manichean world view, he falls prey to this himself in the sense that he portrays the West, liberalism and the market economy as absolutes which must be attained by all former communist societies. Rarely are the concepts of liberal democracy and capitalism discussed as political myths themselves (regardless of their validity), and Tismaneanu never even entertains the notion that grafting such idealized concepts onto the post-socialist societies may be yet another cause for their often staggering economic and social problems. This really takes away from some of the top-notch analysis in this book, for at times it seems less of a scholarly work than an ideological tract.

This field guide is unfortunately the only readily-available guide to the birds of the former USSR and environs. The presentation style reflects its 1989 origins. Reminicient of other early bird field guides, the color photographs are in a separate section from the text and map of each bird. Needing to jump between sections is unwieldy. Another negative is that only the breeding plumages of birds is given, many birds look very different when not breeding. To its credit, the distribution maps are on the same page as the textual descriptions of each bird. The text seems to be complete and very helpful. In summary, this book is a valuable resource to birdwatchers in the former USSR, but only because it is the only game in town.

When you have a novel set against some tumultuous period in history such as the French Revolution, the US Civil War, the Holocaust, or in this case, the Russian Revolution, you expect a story with some depth to it. There are books set in times and places that I have never personally experienced, but after reading the book, I feel I had been there in person. This book is not one of those. A lot of the history (which I've read) is accurate enough, but the characters are flat as cardboard, and I never felt they came alive. I had trouble figuring out their motivations, they ended up seeming like victims of their own incredible naivete. The skeleton in the family closet was predictable, not shocking to a 21st century audience, and really did not further the story. This is not a long book, which may also be part of the problem. I realize not everyone can produce a War and Peace or a Doctor Zhivago, but I felt this novel didnt rise above the mediocre. I felt the authors barely scratched the surface of the subject matter.

This is a disturbingly well-informed novel about brain scientists, genetic theorists, and the Third Reich. A Prussian researcher named Oskar Vogt pursues the secret of intellectual brilliance by cutting into human brains, including Lenin's, (while "the head is still warm and the skin easily movable").

He no more finds brilliance than a child breaking a clock finds time, but he's persistent. This dark European best-seller is about prostitution and decadence-not of the body but of the intellect and soul. It's fiction about Nazi Germany. But some of it seems as American as apple pie, sliced as thin as brain tissue on a microscope slide.

A classy, stylish little book, with Russian and transliterated English printed on facing pages. Some of Mayakovsky's art, too, in black and white. I don't think it has the scope or selection you would want for a collection, but it's a really fine volume for a gift, for something small, for a little dose of one of 'the' Russian poets of the 20th century.

As a student of the author, in which the book is used in a grad level engineering school, this book summarizes all that is learned in an under grad engineering college. Many mathematical aspects are considered from simple algebraic logic to advanced Fourier transforms. This book covers it all. In summary, this book is great to own if you are interested in combining all what is learned in mathematics to solve complex problems.

I'm not axactly what you'd call a Nabokovian scholar; I read the book as part of a research paper. Nabokov and the Novel is extremely complicated to understand. Pifer is attempting to answer critics' attacks on Nabokov as far as style goes. (manipulating plots and characters, etc.) Her focus throughout the book is that Nabokov had a radical sense of what "real" is, and that affects all his novels. Read it to find out what it is 'cause it's highly philosophical, and I won't even attempt to summarize it! What I thought it lacked was a focus on what makes people love Nabokov in the first place: his unbelievable command of the English language, and his beautiful lyrical prose. I'm not in a position to refute Pifer's claims, but to me, Nabokov seems much more interested in saying what he wants to say than in his plot (and I don't- nor anyone I've spoken to about it find that "offensive" at all). The ideas she introduces may not be that original, but it was very interesting to see how she ties it all up in a neat bundle using so many examples from Nabokov's English and Russian novels.

nabokov, while being a superb writer of fiction, isn't the best poet there is. i'm not saying the poems in this collection were bad, just nothing spectacular. (the chess problems on the other hand were a joke, way too easy)

which is a shame because, like many other fiction writers, he found great dissapointment in the world not viewing him as a poet. but, once again, it's because he didn't produce that many stellar poems. it was interesting to see a well-known translator translate his own work. it has to bring something new to the world of translation. i wonder if it has any special problems...

I thought this was a good story but there were some things about it I didn't like. For example, the godmother puts a spell on the princess at the begining of the book that prevents her from sleeping. However, in the middle of the book, the princess falls asleep after working with the peasants. I liked the begining of the book when the people were sleeping and the priness was awake. I was expecting the story to develop more around that theme but then it just jumped into different circumstances here and there. I liked the illustrations. The expressions on the characters' faces were done very well.