After watching Goodfellas, my favorite movie of all time, I felt compelled to read the book it was based on. The book did an incredible job of revealing the roller coaster life of a mobster in captivating detail. The strech of the mafia's power was absolutely fascinating. I found myself always cheering for the bad guys and their carefree lifestyles. In the end, however, we find that crime does not pay. It was a shame to watch Henry Hill rat out every friend that he ever had. This is a tremendous book for anyone who enjoys reading about the mob, or crime in general.

One of the two times I actually am glad I saw the movie before reading the book (the first time being with Silence of the Lambs). Doing so allowed me to "hear" the real-life characters speak so realistically in relationship to the actors who portrayed them in "Goodfellas."

I opened the book on a Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m., and between working and reading, I didn't put it down utnil 5 a.m. Monday, having just read the last line.

Nicholas' selective dialogue is superb, and the interaction with Henry, Karen and others involved made this true crime story be one that was just so easy to really believe as truth.

After watching Goodfella's, I just had to read the book which inspired this movie. To say this book was exceptional reading, is an understatement! I could not put this book down. It was filled with facts that were not in the movie and I found myself laughing and crying as Henry Hill told his story. The end was very sad. Reading as Henry ratted out all of his mafia friends. I just heard about Henry Hill on the radio. Picked up with drugs. His wife divorced him after 20 years and I believe he no longer has protection due to his criminal activities. Anyway, my advice is to read this book! Excellent!

(+) Information about Pink Floyd is scarce: Back in high school and college in India when I was a big Floyd fan, there used to be a competition among my friends to unearth any tidbit/ photo that we could about Floyd. This book would have been a goldmine back then. Even though I am no longer a Floyd-freak, "Saucerful.." was still illuminating.

(+) Origins of band: Good analysis of Floyd's origins and early years, esp. in the Syd Barrett era

(+) Description of live shows: Pink Floyd's stage shows have always been legendary well before the current mammoth spectacle that they've become. Shaffner does a good job in describing the early stage shows which were so innovative and "different".

(-) Too much of book devoted to early days: As some others have pointed out, almost half the book is about Syd Barrett and the early days. Now I don't deny that Barrett may have been highly talented, even a visionary. But let's put things in perspective. Barrett was part of Pink Floyd for just 2 yrs -- around for the first album, "Piper at the gates of dawn" and for two songs on the second album, "Saucerful of Secrets".

There's no getting away from Piper's innovativeness. However, Pink Floyd's success has come sans Barrett -- in the 30 yrs since Barrett went his own way, Pink Floyd has made 12 albums. Their acclaim and success rests largely on this Barrett-less oeuvre which is a far cry from the psychedelic, fairy-tale stuff that characterize "Piper.." -- both musically and lyrically. Think only of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and the Wall.

(-) Shaffner spends too much time on the post-Final Cut Floyd, detailing their break up and the consequent vitriolic exchanges. Unfortunately, Floyd today is largely a parody, content to coast along on the Floyd brand name. The 2 albums that they've brought out are basically a rehash of their greatest hits -- all the tricks and gimmicks that they've used in the past, without any of the originality and creativity. To begin with, their titles are pretentious to the point of travesty -- Momentary Lapse of Reason, and Delicate Sound of Thunder. Indeed.

(-) Wish he'd spent more time on the music and what went behind them: After all Floyd's music always seemed so "different" from anything else out there. What were Floyd's musical influences; what did their contemporaries think of them; what bands did they influence?

Compare "Saucerful.." with my favorite rock book -- the famous John Lennon interview with Playboy (the full length version that was published as a book). Lennon's explanation on the genesis behind such gems as Strawberry Fields Forever, In my life et al is just brilliant. It ranks as one of the most insightful windows into the creative process that I have come across.

Conclusion: At the end of the day, given the aforementioned dearth of information on Pink Floyd, I would still recommend this book. The TINA (There Is No Alternative) factor rules -- unless of course someone can point out a better book.

This book really opened my eyes and it will open yours too. A must for the true Floyd fan. This book beautifully illustrates all of the highs and lows of the greatest rock and roll band ever past, present, and future. Nicholas Schaffner does an excellent job of interviewing and illustrating the professional and personal lives of these extraordinary musicians from the "The Pink Floyd" era with Syd Barrett, to the Pink Floyd of today. Wonderfully formatted, and easy to read and understand with numerous surprises. I guarantee you will never listen to their music the same way again. Mr. Schaffner "Wish You Were Here" to write another masterpiece. R.I.P

Volumes have been written about the band Pink Floyd, but usually very little is said about their early years with Syd. Some would argue that this book devotes too much time to these early years, focusing as it does on the band's developmental stages and early history. However, Schaffner's work leaves one with a sense that it was these formative years that truly shaped the band, and started them down the path to what they would become 30 years later.

I found it fascinating to read about the events and settings that helped shape the young Pink Floyd. Even the casual Floyd fan should enjoy this book, as Nicholas Schaffner has a style that truly holds the reader's interest.

If you're looking to learn the basics of exquisite, yet simple Italian cooking, this is a great cookbook. The recipes are fantastic, and are very easy to prepare. Although I found the "celebrity" comments about Rao's quite annoying, you'll memorize most of the recipes fairly quickly and won't have to keep seeing ridiculously trite comments from wannabe socialites and celebrity remora. I realize the book is also a commemoration of the magic of Rao's, but you'll find Rao's is much more magical in your own dining room.

The first time I opened the book, my eyes were filled with tears. Recipes, photographs, vignettes, even poems...the whole magic of the book overwhelmed me with nostalgic memories of my New York Italian grandparents and relatives. The recipes are pure Italian soul food ... simple and satisfying. I have made several dishes - manicotti, lemon chicken, marinara sauce, to name a few. They all came out wonderful. Of course, like every Italian cook, I adjusted most of the recipes to my liking.. my own personal touches and that's what makes Rao's recipes so wonderful - so easy and roomy enough for you to make your own classics. I would like to add a comment about the other reviewer's (below) statement on Ralphie's in South Philly. It's a fine restaurant and I have their cookbook however I find the cookbook to be poorly written. For the Cream Cake recipe, it fails to give the size for the cake pan. Rao's Cookbook is very reliable...and it's a work of passion and magic.

What a wonderful cookbook! The recipes are easy to follow and don't require exoctic ingredients you'll never use again. My Italian grandmother and mother cooked in this same manner since I was a small child. If I didn't know better I would think it was their receipes in someone else's cookbook! Buy this book, you will not be disappointed.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the simplicity of language and the direct truth of human needs. Erik was physically deformed and sickly. Mostly, he was unloved and cast out from society; he was bigger than just the Opera Ghost. He was society's shame -- a shame they felt that should be hidden and not acknowledged (either out of fear or because of it... you choose). That lack of positive acknowledgement is what makes this book so sad and frustrating. He had love to give, but it was not wanted; he was deemed a creature of horror. But it was really the general attitude of society that was the horror -- not him. The book really echoes the truth that it is what is on the inside that matters, for that is what lasts the longest, and that people should be more open-minded to the mental and physical flaws that either God or Nature or both created. Erik is a symbol not of darkness and the gothic motif, but of light and life and living. If anyone liked this book, they should read Susan Kay's Phantom; it is a good precursor to Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera.

Raoul knew the was something fishy about a voice behind Christine's dressing room door, especialy when he went inside her dressing room right after she left and there was no one there, but he didn't expect that it could be a Phantom. The Phantom lives under the opera, for he fears others seeing his deformed face, but he falls in love with one Christine Daae after giving her singing lessons, which hightens her status at the opera. Yet, Raoul is in love with the prima dona as well; Christine has a choice. You will not be able to put this book, which describes everything in large detail, down one second, as you follow the gripping tale of "The Phantom of the Opera". Leroux brings out his characters' personalities in a such a way that the whole story is believeable. This book could make a GREAT movie if they stayed close to the book, so that means that you ought to read this VERY VERY good book.

Take one beautiful, mysterious and talented soprano opera singer, add two bold opera house owners, a dashing, confused, in-love young man in searh for the opera singer's heart, and one tortured, genius, masked man, and you've got one great book. This book is not merely a book, but a haunting story of horror and love. The noted opera singer, Christine, has been taking secret opera lessons from her adoring Angel of Music, who loves her enough to kill an opera and its audience. Christine also has another admirer, Raoul, who would do anything for her, including save her from the dread Opera Ghost who kills everyone who stands in his way, with the help of the Persian who is owed a favor by the Phantom. As we read on, we find that Erik, The Phantom of the Opera, the Angel of Music, and the Opera Ghost (a.k.a. O.G.) are one, and indeed a terrifying collaboration. Christine refuses to marry Erik, so she, the persian and Raoul are in fatal danger. For years upon reading the haunting story, I can't get it out of my head. I love it. The opera is one to see also. This book will enthral a captivated audience, I quite assure you.

I have to admit I came at this book with a lot skeptism as I do most job books. The only good point I can state about this book: is viewing a job interview as a problem solving session with a manager. That means you must demonstrate to employers how your skills can applied to the job. This book is good to use as a guide for your next interview. However it does not give you a concrete method to getting to the hiring manager. Calling a company and trying to find a hiring manager does'nt work anymore. Manager will most likely ignore your calls, get there gatekeeper to screen you or worse send your resume to HR.

In addition, there are a couple of things that I really did'nt care for about this book, such as the excessive repitition of the same idea over and over. I think this book could have been reduced to twenty pages and crystalize the main points effectively. Another thing is the author loves to pat himself on the back as well as the headhunting profession far too much. He makes headhunters look like high and mighty professionals that make perfect matches for employers. Many headhunters I have dealt with are as incompetent and useless as the "personnel jockeys" (ie HR people, Job Counselors)that the author repeatedly bashes in the book.

Nick Corcodilos runs a website called "Ask the Headhunter." I have never encountered so much valuable advice dispensed without a fee.

In this book, Nick explains why the traditional job hunt almost never works. Then he outlines an absolutely brilliant method of breaking away from the Human Resources machine and separating yourself from the herd of "cows" looking for jobs.

Best of all, almost nobody is going to do it! It is far too different and requires too much work for most people. Which means the few of us who follow his advice have that much more of an advantage.

Old way: Scan the help wanted ads, the internet job sites, register with a recruiting agency. Send out dozens, maybe hundreds, of resumes. All of which gets you into the Personnel Department, where people who do not understand the work you do scan through a checklist and try to find reasons to disqualify you. Even when you find a job that fits you perfectly, now you are one of perhaps a hundred would-be applicants.

Nick's way: Do some in-depth research to discover the companies you'd like to work for. (His advice: "Don't look for a job, look for a company.") Then ask yourself how you might become an "insider." Do you know anybody who works there? Can you find out who their customers are? Their vendors? He offers various ways of getting an inside track to speak directly to the person you would be working for -- not someone in Human Resources. Then when you meet, do the job right then and there! Show them how you work, how you think.

I read this book last week, and followed its suggestions: I did a good deal of research on target companies over the weekend, arranged a personal referral to the hiring manager (not the personnel department) of one of them, and have an appointment scheduled for next Thursday. Having done my homework, I already know what probelms the company is facing. When I get there, I'm going to steer the conversation toward that issue, and start working on that problem right then and there.

To this point, I am further along toward a job I really want with a company I REALLY want than I ever would have been the old way. All because of this book.

As a Recruitment Professional, I can honestly say that this is the best guide for finding and getting the right job that I have ever read. Nick Corcodilos obviously knows his business and shares with the reader what hiring authorities really want from job candidates and what they are willing to give in return to the well-prepared and knowledgeable candidate. From personal experience, I received an offer of $15,000 more than I was expecting just by using the book's techniques. As a Recruitment Specialist for many years, I thought I knew it all, but even I learned some effective new techniques for getting the right job from this book. If you are job seeking, buying this book will be the best investment in your career that you could make!

I truly wanted to like this book more than I did. I had read all the great reviews, and have read a great deal of Native American history. Black Elk's first-hand accounts of some of the most famous moments in American history are priceless, as was his description of Sioux culture; these easily rated five stars. But lengthy chunks of this book are descriptions of Black Elk's dream-like visions. They were obviously very personal, and Black Elk even wonders if he should try to recreate them for auhtor John Neihardt. For me, the re-telling of these visions through an interpreter and then written by a white man left the passages a convoluted and overly-detailed morass. I would, however, still recommend that anyone interested in Native American history read this book.

This is an incredible read: an Oglalla Lakota priest and cousin to the famed Crazy Horse relates the story of his life, and his people providing the reader with an intimate and detailed view of Native America at the close of the 19th century. Black Elk gives an eye-wtiness account of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the campaigns of Crook, and the Massacre at Wounded Knee.

It is on the surface the life story of Black Elk, but it is also the story of the Lakota people - as you read it, you get an appreciation of Lakota life and culture. As another reader pointed out, one wonders what was left out, but on the whole there is very little to suggest of a "noble savage" subtext to the book. Of course it ends on a quasi-tragic note - the Lakota living on a reservation in South Dakota, Black Elk an old man, feeling helpless to return the power of the "people's hoop" to his band. Much more than history, it is also poetry and a reminder of what America has lost of its indigenous soul. The book has something to offer everyone, even if it is a simple reflection on our own lives and culture as compared to that of the Native Americans.

This is one of the singularly most powerful narratives I have ever read, and, being an academic focused on Native Languages, I have had the opportunity to read many. Black Elk tells the story of his life and his spiritual experiences unabashedly, and with the force and clarity that come with wide experience and careful contemplation. He was a singular individual, and his story is unique, even among his own people. His account is dense and complex, especially regarding his spirituality - and it is naturally very confusing to a Westerner. The historical accounts are fascinating, and more accessible, and drive home with vivid imagery the human beings our country devoured in the name of "progress". (Something particularly useful to remember at this juncture in our history)
For his story to have the right impact, you must believe what Black Elk says to be true. If you're coming to his story for "feel good" new-age spirituality, go read something mushy from the Oprah Book club. Any sort of Western paternalism, most often cloaked in new-age terminology and half-witted sophomoric Literary criticism, about how Black Elk uses "wonderful metaphors" and "fabulous, alive imagery" is really missing the point and dishonors one of the key figures of a very important Native American religious movement - the Sun Dance. This movement is not only important to the Sioux, but to many other tribes in the great plains.
Black Elk is telling you the truth. He wasn't "smoking peyote" as some suggest, or anything of the sort. He really did see a red buffalo that led him through the spirit world. Suggesting that he was confused or delusioned, or feeding half-truths to Mr. Neihardt is like patting him on the head and telling him to trot off to bed so that the 'big boys' can think important things. If you don't accept that premise, you will never understand him or any of his people.
One aspect of his life that has fascinated me the most is his fearless application of faith. He was given a vision in which he was told that a bow would protect him in battle. So he promptly got the bow, and then went out in front of the Union machine guns with it held over his head, riding back and forth. After several trips across the line, he was hit once with a bullet. This he attributes to his own momentarily failing faith, and not to the falsity of the vision. Another man believed he could stop bullets with a sacred pelt-cloak draped across him. He put it on and stood calmly at the crest of the hill in full view of the Union guns. After a while, he came back down and shook the bullets from his clothing onto the ground. I find myself wondering how many of the sweating, blubbering "religious" people in the modern age would be so brave as to put their professed faith into such direct action. Black Elk and many of his fellow warriors LIVED the "matrix"'s dualistic philosophy instead of watching it on TV.
This underscores an excellent message in his narrative - where have we come to? Why do we live this false life now? The trappings of modern civilization that we have been taught to see as blessings and indispensible to life were seen by Black Elk as a curse on his people. They robbed his people of their power and made them helpless. It is left to wonder if this technology has done the same for its creators.

Laffite's Lady was wonderfully written. The author obviously did extensive research and invested a lot of time and love in this book. As a native of New Orleans, I know the places she wrote of; the plantations were as she described them; the Blacksmith shop is still there and the inscriptions described in the book are accurate; the characters were so well described I could see them strolling through the French Quarter. Her unique writing style kept me waiting from page to page to see what surprises were next. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series; I'm already try to figure out what avenues she will explore and how the characters will interact. While there was certainly romance in the novel, it didn't depend on romance or love scenes to carry it; the story was rich with suspence mixed with history. One of the best books I've read in years.

Never wrote a review before, but this book deserves a great one. A friend of mine recommended the book and when she told me about it I thought it would be another "made for women" love story. As friends usually do, she insisted and I ordered the book. Determined not to read it I put it aside until my friend called and started asking questions about it. Ergo, I had NO choice. Anyway, the bottom line is that I read the book in two days because I could NOT put it down, period! What a fantastically written adventure and great education about the time in which it happened. The characters are full of life and the story draws you in from beginning to end. This is a book to be read by anybody who likes adventures, history, pirates, lovestories and timetravel. As a guy I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward reading more from Susan Elliston, and thanks to my friend Jane for recommending it to me. Five Stars no doubt!

While on vacation in New Orleans instead of enjoying a peaceful vacation, a beautiful young woman has the adventure of her lifetime.

While swimming one morning Tori finds herself thrown back into the year 1810 and away from her daughter. She vows to return, but finds returning to her time is harder than she expected.

Tori soon finds out that 1810 New Orleans is a completely different world. Men own slaves, women have no rights, and a woman alone is a dangerous position to be in.

After many adventures Tori soon finds herself on privateer's Jean Laffite's ship heading to the Caribeans. They soon fall in love, but Tori never forgets her vow to return to the 20th century and to her daughter.

Susan Elliston's Laffite's Lady is a highly enjoyable novel that is rich in history and adventure. Anybody who loves stories of privateer Jean Laffite and New Orleans will surely keep this book on their shelf to be read over and over and over again.

A simple five-star rating does not fully capture the quality of this book. I recommend The Pathfinder as the sole resource for anybody who is chosing a first career, career change, or any life event that requires a deep understanding of one's core interests and goals in life.

I have always felt that people who offer the best advice are those who are able to frame the right questions. Nicholas Lore has mastered this art. The Pathfinder enables the reader to discover his/her most hidden desires and provides a guide to identify a career that incorporates each of these desires.

Reading the Pathfinder (and completing ALL of the Inquiries) I was able to isolate the core elements of all my childhood dreams and identify a career that incorporated each of these elements. Within four months I was able to secure a my dream job. As a bonus, the career I chose provided me with a 40% pay raise (not to mention equity in the company).

I highly recommend this book to anybody who is tired of being controlled by their circumstances and truly seeks fulfillment from their work.

Author Nicholas Lore understands very well that changing careers is a normal part of life. He guides the reader with humor and a great deal of good information using a method that is well aligned with the leading edge in the Career Development field. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will relate to the commonsense approach to finding a path to your lifework that is a true reflection of one's own core values, interests, aptitudes and personality.

I use the Pathfinder as the main resource for Career Exploration classes. There are a myriad of exercises and hands on assignments that students love. It brings a level of fun to the classroom environment that some of the other Career Development texts fall short in. I think most students benefit from the practical test and explanation of the Myers Briggs personality indicator and how it relates to the career decision making process. It makes for lively discussions and is something that has a definate application outside the career realm as well.

I recommend the Pathfinder to every student of life who wants to make well informed career decisions. This is a value packed resource during these relatively lean times.

I found the The Pathfinder by Nicolas Lore to be an excellent career navigational guidebook. It assisted me in an examination of past career decisions and helped me to chart a course for the future. It has been and still is a source of inspiration that has helped me to fully acknowledge and understand the enormous commitment which is our working life. To waste away with a less than satisfying livelihood is by extension a wasted life. This might not necessarily be profound, or original, but to me it was poignant and deeply personal. The beauty of this book is that it seemed to speak directly to me. It highlighted a whole host of social and personality dynamics that are what we call the "workplace."

In The Pathfinder the myth that the working world is a fixed model is effectively de-bunked. The Pathfinder seeks to help individuals discover vocations that suit their unique personality and aptitudes. By reacquainting myself with my own unique nature I became able to shape and design a working vision. This is not a book about how to write a perfect resume or the do's and don'ts of performing in job interviews. It is a self analysis compendium that suggests clearly to trust your own gut instincts. Other books like Lou Marinoff's "Plato not Prozac" better describe the importance of "meaning" in work but the essence of The Pathfinder is it encourages individuals and people like myself to try and move beyond detrimental social criteria when making critical life decisions. Decisions that all too often are influenced by parents, peers, trends, status and pre prescribed cultural conventions. This shift in "conventional wisdom" probably differs from person to person but for me was nothing less than a liberating experience. Sometimes the exercises and inquiries in this book proved frustrating but ultimatley I realized their intention was like brain storming and that they were producing conditions for creative thought if not the creative thoughts themselves. I read this book at least three times and with each reading my own personal focus became clearer and clearer and I gained energy from its perspective.

If I can make one suggestion to readers of this book it would be this: don't read this book while in the throws of a 60 hour work week. Take this book on vacation, or better yet, take a reading vacation. You might just come back thinking the notion of work and vacation could be one and the same.

Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy, MACBETH is also possibly the most serious. Macbeth is a warrior who has just had his greatest victory, but his own "vaulting ambition," the spectral promises of the three weird sisters, and the spurring on of his wife drive him to a treason and miserable destruction for which he himself is completely responsible. The ominous imagery of the fog that hovers over the first scene of the play symbolizes the entire setting of the play. Shakespeare's repeated contrasts of such concepts as fair and foul, light and darkness, bravery and cowardice, cut us to the quick at every turn. MACBETH forces us to question "what is natural?" "what is honor?" and "Is life really 'a tale/ Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/ Signifying nothing?'" Few plays have ever illustrated the torments of Guilt (especially how it deprives one of Sleep) so vividly and stirringly.

I have read this play curiously as a child, excitedly as a teenager, passionately as a college student, and lovingly as a graduate student and adult. Like all of Shakespeare's writing, it is still as fresh, and foreboding, and marvelous as ever. As a play it is first meant to be heard (cf. Hamlet says "we shall hear a play"), secondarily to be seen (which it must be), but, ah, the rich rewards of reading it at one's own pace are hard to surpass. Shakespeare is far more than just an entertainer: he is the supreme artist of the English language. The Arden edition of MACBETH is an excellent scholarly presentation, offering a bounty of helpful notes and information for both the serious and casual reader.

"Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's most powerful plays. Without doubt, audiences always remain guessing as they read the powerful speeches of Macbeth and his wife, who change dramatically during the story. The plot is not Shakespeare's most clever or most genius, but beautiful nonetheless!! And the best part is, thru this play, Shakespeare shows us that people are good at heart, even if corrupted within their lives.

Which version of "Macbeth" to buy? Definitely this one. The right pages provide the original play, while the left page provides definitions for old or hard vocabulary. There are also plot summaries before each scene. In addition to page numbers, each page also indicates act and scene, making the search for certain passages extremely easy. The lines are, of course, numbered, for easy reference (if you're reading this as a school assignment.) And of course, the stage directions are included too. A very helpful edition of Shakespeare's work.

William Shakespeare's tragedies are universal. We know that the tragedy will be chalk-full of blood, murder, vengeance, madness and human frailty. It is, in fact, the uncorrectable flaws of the hero that bring his death or demise. Usually, the hero's better nature is wickedly corrupted. That was the case in Hamlet, whose desire to avenge his father's death consumed him to the point of no return and ended disastrously in the deaths of nearly all the main characters. At the end of Richard III, all the characters are lying dead on the stage. In King Lear, the once wise, effective ruler goes insane through the manipulations of his younger family members. But there is something deeply dark and disturbing about Shakespeare's darkest drama- Macbeth. It is, without a question, Gothic drama. The supernatural mingles as if everyday occurence with the lives of the people, the weather is foul, the landscape is eerie and haunting, the castles are cold and the dungeons pitch-black. And then there are the three witches, who are always by a cauldron and worship the nocturnal goddess Hecate. It is these three witches who prophetize a crown on the head of Macbeth. Driven by the prophecy, and spurred on by the ambitious, egotistic and Machiavellian Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare's strongest female character), Macbeth murders the king Duncan and assumes the throne of Scotland. The roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are tour de force performances for virtuosic actors. A wicked couple, a power-hungry couple, albeit a regal, intellectual pair, who can be taken into any form- Mafia lord and Mafia princess, for example, as in the case of a recent movie with a modern re-telling of Macbeth.

Nothing and no one intimidates Macbeth. He murders all who oppose him, including Banquo, who had been a close friend. But the witches predict doom, for Macbeth, there will be no heirs and his authority over Scotland will come to an end. Slowly as the play progresses, we discover that Macbeth's time is running up. True to the classic stylings of Shakespeare tragedy, Lady Macbeth goes insane, sleepwalking at night and ranting about bloodstained hands. For Macbeth, the honor of being a king comes with a price for his murder. He sees Banquo's ghost at a dinner and breaks down in hysteria in front of his guests, he associates with three witches who broil "eye of newt and tongue of worm", and who conjure ghotsly images among them of a bloody child. Macbeth is Shakespeare's darkest drama, tinged with foreboding, mystery and Gothic suspense. But, nevertheless, it is full of great lines, among them the soliloquy of Macbeth, "Out, out, brief candle" in which he contemplates the brevity of human life, confronting his own mortality. Macbeth has been made into films, the most striking being Roman Polansky's horrific, gruesome, R-rated movie in which Lady Macbeth sleepwalks in the nude and the three witches are dried-up, grey-haired naked women, and Macbeth's head is devilishly beheaded and stuck at the end of a pole. But even more striking in the film is that at the end, the victor, Malcolm, who has defeated Macbeth, sees the witches for advise. This says something: the cycle of murder and violenc will begin again, which is what Macbeth's grim drama seems to be saying about powerhungry men who stop at nothing to get what they want.

The book begins by taking the typical views and criticizing China. I found myself often viewing the authors as naive and narrow in their thinking. Fortunately, I was able to often un-distort what was written and get a pretty good idea of what China is really like.

However, later in the book, they seem to realize that if someone from China made the same kind of book about the USA, it would find the USA as being a bad place because it didn't adhere to or respect the values of the Chinese authors. This is so fundamentally true that you would think they would stop and re-write the book from the perspective of the billion or so people in China who are typically Chinese (as the Chinese authors in the USA should stop visiting crack houses and homeless shelters and visit suburban middle America).

This book showed me why China is not happy with Western journalists. It also showed me that the terrible corruption in China is about the same as any other country on the same rung of the Western civilization developmental ladder.

The authors *did*, however, have a good grasp of the fact that China has been technologically more advanced than the West for most of history and could possibly return to that role in the future.

I personally am not Asian and don't have connections to China. Some people might assume that I do, given that I've "taken sides" with China.

Although I was skeptical at times of both of the authors' views and sometimes found their views simplistic, I thought they offered an informative and insightful view of the different stories and themes we often hear about China from the news. The authors are obviously not scholars or academics, but journalists; there were times when I wished that the authors would have provided a little more "evidence" to support their contentions (which I thought were necessary for a book and that maybe weren't as necessary for their NYT articles....) I also thought their use of numbers and statistics was a little too loose to be entirely relied upon. However, Kristoff and Wudunn acknowledge their own biases and their own limitations in understanding and reporting on China and they do an excellent job of giving context to the personal stories of various Chinese. They paint a vivid portrait of China as a nation - bringing color to the various provinces and the people dispersed across them - and as a member of the international community. An excellent job of transforming China from a gigantic unknown country populated by Mao suits to one teeming with ordinary and extraordinary people confronting life in modern China during the Deng years.

I read this book for my Chinese history class.It was one of our recommended readings and we discussed each chapter in class. I didn't have much interest in China (simply because I just didn't know much)and "China Wakes" led me to read other related books! I also recommend "Thunder from the East - Portrait of a Rising Asia" by the same authors. That will give you a good overview on the issues now facing Asia. Both books were so easy-to-follow and fun to read! I am looking forward to reading their next book - if there will be one! I definitely hope so!