It seems like every really, really good book about Japan has the name Kodansha on it. That has become the mark of quality that I look for.

"Gateway to Japan (Kodansha Guide)" continues the trend. It is easily the best guidebook on Japan that I have seen. Each region is well outlined, with sites of interest highlighted and places to eat and places to stay ranked on a five star system. The maps are hard to read due to their size, and a larger map to accompany the guidebook is a "must have."

Of special notice is the brief history of Japan included, as well as some pithy cultural notes and explanations. Several cities's histories are examined as well. I found all of the additional information very helpful.

My friend and I bought this in a Tokyo bookstore during our trip. We had come equipped with a Lonely Planet guide, but found its perpetual bad attitude a huge drag.

The locations described range from standard tourist attractions to out of the way treasures that give the traveller a comprehensive sense of Japan. We used this guide as we travelled all over Honshuu (the main island)to several famous large (i.e. Tokyo, Kyoto) and small lesser-known cities (i.e. Kakunodate, Dewasanzan). The book gave us indispensible insight into each city, and attracted us to incredible places we no doubt would never have seen if we stuck with Lonely Planet.

The book includes housing accomodation and food recommendations, with valuable cultural information for each town.

I highly recommend this book for its thoughtful and detailed representation of Japan. The information was accurate and helpful, both for basic survival purposes and for a greater historical and cultural context for each town.

Quite simply the best guidebook I have found on Japan. I bought my copy 10 years ago and I am still using it today. Most other 10 year old guidebooks would have been garbage by now but Gateway to Japan remains timeless because the historical and cultural information on Japan is so well written it can be used as a mini introductory text book on Japan. Besides, historical information doesn't change that much with time.

I also found the decision to use photographs sparingly in the guide book an ingenious decision. I have seen too many people decide whether to visit a site based on a crummy photo in their crummy guidebook. In my experiences with other guidebooks, very often good pics make bad places look good and bad pics make good places look bad. Better to describe all the sites in words as accurately as possible and let the reader visualize his or her own preconceptions before the travel. This is what makes Gateway to Japan so good a guide.

One need go no further than the title of the book, dervied from the French verb "assommer"- to beat down, to understand that this will be a brutally and painfully realistic work. Zola is true to this expectation. Emile Zola had a thunderous impact on both nineteenth century French literature and political culture. Not only did he decry blatant injustice through his works, but to a large extent, he sacrificed his livelihood in espousing the cause of Captain Dreyfus through his tract "J'accuse!". Zola's sincere moral beliefs will surprise no one who has read his works. The passion with which the novels that comprise the Rougon series are written is a rarity. Having read five or six of these novels, I find that the charcter of Gervaise in L'Assomoir is both the most real and the most endearing. As opposed to Nana who is often perceived by readers as cold and merciless, Gervaise is a simple, hard-working woman who suffers a tourmented life. Zola's classic naturalist descriptions of the bars and the consumption of absinthe are priceless. In fact, Gervaise's suffering almost (but not quite)enables us to justify the actions of her daughter Nana in the subsequent book of the series. For anyone who is interested in sampling Zola's mastery and sincere passion, this book is a must read.

This is a story of poverty. It explores the life of a family who cannot escape from wretchedness. The fault is both in themselves and society. L'Assommoir is at the apex of social novels. It describes the hardships and expectations of persons scarcely able to feed themselves. During the course of the book Zola addresses these and other social issues: domestic violence, child abuse, alcoholism, infidelity, prostitution, and selfishness. Zola also discusses the childhood of Nana. But the Book, Nana, is virtually independent of L'Assomoir.

Zola shows his power to tug at the heart strings. The novel is written with tremendous depth of subject matter and is a quick read.

One of the reviewers below wrote that it is a prohibitionist novel. I disagree with this perspective. The book is not against all uses of alcohol; rather, it is against the abuse of alcohol.

Zola was an amazingly prolific writer - he wrote about thirty novels, and all of them were solidly on the "long" side. Moreover, each was a huge self-contained universe, and a gritty, harrowing epic to boot. In many ways, L'Assommoir is the central novel in his famed 20-novel Rougon/Macquart cycle, as many of the subsequent books have a direct connection to it (Gervaise's daughter is the "star" of Nana; her son is the star of Germinal, and her other son the star of The Masterpiece; etc. etc.). It's an extremely difficult book for the modern man to read - at the time, the novel's crude language and filth shocked readers; as the translator astutely notes, this is unlikely to happen now. Moreover, it's a damningly hard book to translate - not only is it filled with the most complex, specific 19th century French slang there was (even Zola's contemporaries had trouble deciphering it), it has a very peculiar narration style. Zola, usually a fan of a dispassionate sort of narration, adopts a very jerky, repetitive, slangy form here - it's almost as if it's told from Gervaise's perspective, although the story is clearly third-person-omniscient. This is fascinating, though the seemingly endless "Now then"s and "Lord!"s and "Let me tell you"s and so on do tend to grate after a while.

But this is all piffle seeing as the story is so amazingly powerful. Zola's one accomplishment here is this - he makes Gervaise such a believable human being that you will genuinely want her to rise above the poverty and find success and happiness. In fact, this does occur in the course of three chapters. Alas, this state does not last, and for another six chapters or so, Gervaise is more and more degraded until we come to the almost unspeakably horrible conclusion. The horrible circumstances of this end, the degradation and humiliation she suffers are undeniably harrowing, and is made worse by this - a lot of her troubles do not come from "the rich," but from her fellow poor, who delight at pounding her into the dirt.

The novel is filled with remarkable characters - Gervaise herself comes first and foremost, but there's also the striking character of Lalie, the execrable shallowness of the Lorilleux (whom I guarantee the reader will blindly hate with an almost silly passion), and above all the melancholy figure of the blacksmith Goujet. Best of all, Zola never preaches, allowing the characters to speak for themselves. It's not even necessarily a profound social statement (though it is) as much as a character study. The author presents you with the facts - now it's up to you to figure out your resulting opinions. This is truly an unforgettable piece here, certainly on par with other 19th century French titans as Hugo's Les Miserables and Balzac's Pere Goriot. Not light reading by any means, but really an incredible novel.

"Dr. Faustus," the play by 16th century writer Christopher Marlowe, has been published as part of the Dover Thrift Edition series. The brief introduction to this version notes that the play was first published in 1604, and also discusses its relationship to a German text from 1587 known as the "Faustbuch." In his play Marlowe tells the story of the title character, a scholar who is "swollen with cunning." Faust dabbles in the dark arts of "magicians / And necromantic books," and literally makes a deal with the devil. These actions drive the tragedy forward.

This play is a curious mixture of Christian theology, tragedy, slapstick comedy, and colorful pageantry. It moves along fast, and contains some really beautiful and stately language.

"Dr. Faustus" is ultimately a cautionary tale about human pride and ambition. I must admit that in the end I find it less satisfying than some of the other great tragedies of the Elizabethan era, perhaps because this play relies less on universal human issues than on a culturally-bound theological contrivance. Still, it's a noteworthy play that, I believe, still holds relevance for contemporary audiences. ...

In the Faust legend, a man by the name of Faust or Faustus sells his soul to the devil for twenty-four years of worldly power. This legend has been told many times over by such writers as Goethe and Mann, but no doubt the most famous retelling, and probably the best, is the play, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

The most prominent influence on Marlowe's version of the Faust legend was the social upheaval during the time period in which it was written. Doctor Faustus was probably first performed in 1594, a time of tremendous change in Europe. The Medieval times were over and the Renaissance was beginning, however, influences of both times can be found in the play. Doctor Faustus is a transitional play where beliefs from both time periods intermingle, sometimes with disastrous results.

Doctor Faustus, himself, is a man torn between two traditions. He is a man with medieval beliefs, but renaissance aspirations. When he first attempts to conjure Mephistopheles, Faustus believe that Mephistopheles was forced to come by his (Faustus's) words. In response, Mephistopheles says, "for when we hear one rack the name of God, abjure the Scriptures and his savior Christ, we fly in hope to get his glorious soul." Mephistopheles has, of course, come of his own accord, because he feels that there is a soul to be had. He states this blatantly, yet Faustus is clouded by his old beliefs and also by his desires.

From a medieval point of view, Doctor Faustus can be looked upon as a morality play; a play about one man who aspires beyond his God-given place in the world. On the other hand, from a renaissance perspective, this play is a tragedy. The Renaissance was a time of individuality unlike the Middle Ages where a man was trapped in whatever social class into which he was born. Faustus is "an essentially good man" by Renaissance ideals who believes he has reached the end of human knowledge and is thus justified is using the black arts to further his knowledge. As in most classical tragedies, his downfall is complete and is due to his pride.

After Faustus makes his deal with Lucifer, the question must be asked: Is there any way back for him? Faustus believes he is damned at the moment that he signs his name in blood, although he has many chances to repent during the course of the play. The first chance comes after his first conjuring. He says, "O something soundeth in mine ear, 'Abjure this magic, turn to God.' Aye, and Faustus will turn to God again. To God? He loves thee not." Something is pleading for Faustus to repent, but Faustus remains firm in believing God has already condemned him. Each time the Good Angel appears is yet another chance for Faustus to repent, but the Evil Angel continues to threaten him if he even thinks about repenting. If it were not possible for Faustus to save his soul, then the Evil Angel and his demons would have simply left Faustus alone to cry out in anguish to God.

The final indicator that Faustus could have been saved at any point over his twenty-four year bargain is given by Mephistopheles, himself, as Faustus's fate is sealed beyond irrevocability.

Christopher Marlowe's brilliant retelling of the Faust legend springs not only from his own creativity, but from the times in which he lived. Marlowe's life and times allowed him to create the greatest retelling of one of Western cultures more timeless stories. When put to words, the legend seems so simple, yet its possibilities and implications, as Marlowe proves, can be nothing less than monumental.

The story of the infamous Dr. Faustus shows depth on many levels. Marlowe explores the developing morality play genre while calling upon aspects of classic tragedy. The main character, Faustus, finds himself too intelligent for the sciences of mortal man, and pursues a god-like existence in exchange for his soul. Prodded and guided by Mephostiphiles, servant to Lucifer, Faustus explores aspects of nature and society that the common man only dreams about. The conflict within Faustus is the central focus of the play, and Marlowe challenges the reader to consider whether it is more worthwhile to pursue mortal prestige or eternal salvation

This is one of the best books I read in 1998. The story is fascinating. The author beginning the story with how he gained interest in the subject sets the stage & reels you in. the details capture your attention. He reviews a 500 year map drawn by a monk & discovers the latitude/longitude numbers were switched. Therefore this map & all other maps copied off it to modern times are wrong...the city is in a different location. the part of the book dealing with being in the middle east & the dig, brings archaeology to life. I enjoyed reading an account of a person who isn't a scientist. It was like taking part in an Indiana Jones movie.

Arab legends, and the Koran itself, speak of an ancient city of great wealth and great wickedness. This city was Ubar, the "many-columned city." In punishment for its idolatry and wickedness, Allah destroyed Ubar. Legends further tell that a number of people, lost in the great Arabian desert, have seen the ruins of the great city and told of the wealth that it still contains. In the 1980s, Nicholas Clapp, a noted filmmaker, became absorbed with the legend of Ubar. Searching ancient manuscripts, and using ultramodern techniques, Clapp set out to uncover this "Atlantis of the Sands." This is the story of that search.

I found myself really enjoying this book, much more than I had ever expected. It is well-written, dramatic, and succeeds in keeping you in suspense. When I first picked the book up, I was interested in the subject, but the author succeeded in making me very interested indeed.

It wouldn't surprise me if a hollywood producer (Steven Spielberg perhaps?) decided to make a movie of this fantastic book--it's got adventure, mystery, discovery, a lost city, and interesting characters. And to top it off, it's absolutely true! This real-life "Indiana Jones" adventure will draw you in and not let go until the very last page. It's amazing that, a mere 10 years ago, a rather eclectic bunch consisting of an archaeologist, a geologist, and adventurer, and a documentary filmaker (the author and "hero" of the story) set off to find a lost city, one that, up until then, existed only in myth and legend. Through the use of NASA radar imagery, Nicholas Clapp was able to find the road to Ubar--a long, trampled path that snaked around the sand dunes of modern day Saudia Arabia and Oman, once used by thousands of camel caravans carrying precious incense from Ubar. Clapp and crew eventually do find the lost city, buried deep beneath the sands. It's a reminder to us all how quickly history can disappear beneath the sands of time.

The book is an exciting read, and never drags. You will be captivated by their story and amazed that it's all completely true! And it all started with one man who dared to take a second look at an ancient myth, and found out it wasn't really a myth at all.

Hollywood couldn't have written a better script!

This book will redefine your concepts of biography, of philology and of intellect. However critically James Boswell is rated as a writer, the fact remains that his biography of Johnson remains the standard by which all others are judged, and by which they ultimately fall--flat on their condescending faces.

Who was Samuel Johnson? He was, in one sense, the first literary celebrity. His fabled dictionary of the English language was, a few years down the road, superceded and greatly improved upon by the dictionary written by Noah Webster. His tour of Scotland and the book that ensued from it hardly rank with the other literary giants of English. And his essays, indisputably brilliant, remain sadly that: forms of literature seldom read, and lacking the artistic force of the play, the novel, the poem.

What Boswell shows us about Johnson is that he was the sharpest conversationalist of his time in a society that cultivated the very finest of witty speakers. Living off the beneficence of friends, off a royally-provided pension, and leading what he readily acknowledged to be a life of idleness, Johnson was a sought-after personality invigorated by one of the brightest literary minds ever.

Boswell introduces the genius, his pathos, his melancholy, his piety, his warmth, and most of all his stinging wit. That he loved and respected Johnson, and sought to honor his memory, can only be doubted by an utter cynic or someone serving a lifetime of durance in academia.

"All intellectual improvement arises from leisure..." "You shall retain your superiority by my not knowing it." "Sir, they [Americans] are a parcel of convicts and ought to be thankful for anything we allow them short of hanging." "He was dull in a new way, and that made people think him great." "...it is our duty to maintain the subordination of civilized society..." "It is wonderful, when a calculation is made, how little the mind is actually employed in the discharge of any profession." Boswell: "...you are an idle set of people." Johnson: "Sir, we are a city of philosophers." "We should knock him down first, and pity him afterwards."

And best of all, and immortal to boot, is this: "No man but a blockhead writes, except for money."

Buy this book. Read it. It's humanity at its wittiest and most complex.

I chose the 1,000 or so page Wordsworth Classics paperback edition of The Life Of Johnson (ISBN 1 85326 797 x) and was very pleased I did. The book had a nice heft to it, and the print was large enough for a comfortable read. My only major beef with this edition is that Boswell's text is replete with quotations from a variety of languages including Latin, Greek, French, Italian and others, and very few of them are translated into English. Whether the editor assumed that the average modern reader is a polyglot, or was unable to provide the translations for some other reason, I feel deprived at not having had access to this portion of the book's material, particularly as the quotes are most often used to gild the lily of one of Johnson's witticisms. Nevertheless, the book rewards the diligent reader with a wealth of intellectual stimulation, and offers a fascinating look into the England of the period including: polite London society, Oxford University, and jaunts around the British and Scottish countryside. Johnson's somewhat eccentric life and personal habits are lovingly and affectionately relayed by his close friend Boswell, who somehow managed to preserve a vast amount of Johnson's conversation without the aid of a tape recorder. With everyday life as a backdrop, we see how Johnson, a self-described lazy man, managed to produce such an abundant literary legacy, not the least of which was his groundbreaking dictionary. I recommend this book highly to people with an interest in 18th century England, the literary society of the period, or who simply love a great biography.

Surely this is "The Biography" in the same sense that to the Scholastic thinkers, Aristotle was "The Philosopher."

More to the point, it is an endlessly fascinating book, one of those rare works that can be opened at random with consistently rewarding results. Johnson, of course, is one of those rare characters who demonstrates that life is not necessarily less rich than fiction, and Boswell is an entertaining (and amusingly exasperating) chronicler. The "Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides" is also well worth reading and randomly revisiting.

However, I'm somewhat alarmed by the comments below about the accuracy of this version. I bought this because it was a decent-looking hardback version--I had actually read a library copy (some long out-of-print edition). Could some reviewer please explain the deviations? My skimming and minor re-reading hasn't revealed anything glaring yet, but it's been a while since my original reading, and I haven't sat down for a long Boswell read in a few years.

This book is wonderful especially for people who would like a solid knowledge of the grammar of Russian. The explanations are clear and complete. A very nice feature of the book is the Grammatical Tables at the back which simplifies the mind-twisting struggle to remember all the inflections of the Russian language. The Cyrillic font used is also very clear (a sans serif font is used) and easy to read for those who are not familiar with that alphabet.

There is ample opportunity for excercising what you have learnt and fairly large portions of literary works are up for translation towards the end of the book, which are a good test for your grasp of the language.

I think that this book, when accompanied by talking and consulting prople who speak Russian, can really get a serious student to speak and understand the language.
True, some of the words and grammer are in old fashioned Russian, but other than that -it is very easy to learn from, very deductive and well organized.

It's easy to see from the reviews for this book that there are more than one type of language learner. If you want Russian spoon-fed to you, forget it and learn Italian, French, etc. Russian only becomes usable when you have all of the inflected endings organized and stored in your head. And the only way to accomplish that is by studying with some degree of passion.

I used this book along with the 3 pimsleur sets on russian and now have a very strong foundation to proceed into advanced studies. This book has a good mix of grammar and texts to translate. I never felt overwhelmed. That said, I progressed on a two-steps-forward and one-step-back basis. You will too if you want to learn Russian, so don't sweat it. It's normal. I was relieved when I got to chapter 10 or so and the book said something about "you have now met X number of words and have probably forgot most of them. That's ok. Just learn them again and it will get easier."

My one regret with the book: I wish there was a workbook for more exercises. The exercises in the book are good, but I had to make up my own to really become accomplished at slinging those endings the way I wanted.

Stay away from this book if you are looking for nice phrases for travelers. This book will teach you only if you put the right kind of effort into your studies.

I have dozens of books on Russian and this is the one that taught me what I needed to know.

I found this book to be easy to use and a wonderful reference. I had no prior knowledge of numerology, other than just heard of the term. I was able to read the book, pick up the concepts and do the math quite easily. I found it fun to "work the numbers" for my friends and family, and found Nick's description "right on", particularly for my numbers.

I especially enjoy the references and the layout of the book. It makes it very easy to use as a resource tool. Is so easy, I have been able to give others a reading from Nick's system and they too have found it to be extremly accurate.

Fortunately, I live in LA and have also had the pleasure to take one of Nick's Newmerology courses and look forward to taking more. I would highly recommend the book and Nick's courses to all. He makes it fun and enlightening.

William E. Woodring, CPA

I am usually not interested in anything with math. This book
is concise, easy to read, and interesting. I used Nick's method
and found it extremely simple to utilize. My husband has a few
habits that drove me to distraction on occasion. I did his
numbers and found out that habits were part of his pattern. It
has made a HUGE difference in how we relate. I looked at my
numbers, also, and found out my quirks (a nice way to put it).
This makes your actions and reactions make so much more sense.
I would recommend this to any person who wants to improve their
relationships or life in general. I would tell the casual reader
to try it, it's fun!

Newmerology is awesome! I have used this system and found it to be very accurate -- and very revealing. Calculating my numbers using Nick's directions has pinpointed my personality to a tee, and it has also brought to light some of the less obvious trends in my life. For example, I have been drawn to certain personalities (27/9's to be exact), and that is because I am a 43/7. However, for me, I prefer someone with a slightly different compound number to mesh with me! So, now I have the tool to assist me in my relationships, both personal and business wise. All I have to do is figure out the Newmorology Birth Path number for the other person, and I know how the numbers relate to each other and what to expect in the relationship, and how I can best serve that relationship.

I highly recommmend this book to anyone looking for insight into the world in which we live and how to relate to that world in a positive and affirmative way.

Thanks to Nick for bringing New-insight to this world's realm!

If you wished your child came with a set of instructions, this book is it! The foundation of this book is what many of us feel in our hearts but don't know how to achieve: discipline from a positive perspective and rule out the shouting and spanking. This book should be mandatory reading for every parent leaving the maternity ward. It is not just for strong-willed children. The 5-step program is easily attainable for anyone committed to a better relationship with their child/children. Having read a half-dozen books related to boys and difficult behaviors in a search for answers, I guarantee this book is the best.

I am a child clinical psychologist and I specialize in the prevention and treatment of behavior problems in young children. Despite what the title, implies, this book is useful for a wide variety of children. Afterall, what preschool-aged child is without more than a few strong-willed moments?

I particularly like this book as a companion to Gottman's "Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child." The strengths of these books, both written by leaders in parenting and child research, really complement one another.

"Parenting the Strong-Willed Child" is a badly named book-unless you believe that all children are strong-willed. It is true that some children are much more strong willed than average, and it is to the parents of these children that the book, according to its title, is directed. However, the information in the book is suited for ANY parent. The target age of children referred to in the book is 2-6 years old. Nevertheless, most of the principles given are also applicable to older children, and many could even be adapted for using with teen-agers. Any parent (or grandparent, for that matter) would benefit from reading this book. Instead of presenting generalities (e.g., "parents should be consistent"), the authors give specific information as to when to be and how to become, using the above example, consistent. The principles given are proven (I had many people pay a lot more than the cost of the book to attend a series of parenting classes which gave basically the same information). The only time they will not work is when they are not used. They will not make overnight changes in any child (for best success use them with your children from the beginning), but enough improvements will be made to give a parent hope. And if you are raising an exceptionally strong-willed child, hope is a wonderful first step!

I have to admit from the start that I love Dorothy Dunnetts books. In my opinion, based on what historical fiction I've read, there is nothing comparable. That said, I certainly understand the point of view of her detractors. To say that the stories are complicated is an understatement. That there are many characters, some of which seem superfluous, cannot be denied. However, for the reader that can stick with it (and this is a big commitment), I guarantee an experience like no other. Virtually all of the characters come into play at some point in the story but this is difficult to see if one only reads 20 pages and hangs it up.

So, if you like the following:

- a challenging yet extremely entertaining read
- meticulous historical research
- historic characters skillfully blended with fully realized fictional characters
- complicated plots worked out over many, many books,

you should love the House of Niccolo.

In response to those who say she is no Sharon Kay Penman; I agree, she is far, far better!

I enjoyed the Lymond chronicles so much that I couldn't wait to begin the Niccolo series. Make no mistake about it. This hero is different entirely from the refined and genteel Lymond.It took me awhile to get used to that. Once I did I found I enjoyed the book. Again, it's not an easy read since Ms. Dunnett's plots are intricate and her characters are not what they appear on the outside. This character looks like he is going to be dangerous as well as extremely clever! I just hope that he's as entertaining as Lymond was.Who knows, maybe I may "like" him better as I found Lymond very difficult to "like". Ms. Dunnett peoples her book with her usual interesting and diverse characters, and the usual villains. A good start to a brand new series for me.

Complex characters, convoluted plots, and fascinating locations make the House Of Niccolo series of books a dream read for anyone who loves historical novels or adventure stories. Set during the Renaissance, the book's settings range from continental Europe to Asia Minor to Africa, Iceland, Russia and Scotland. The main character, Nicholas vander Poele, searches for his roots as he rises from apprentice dyeworker to banker and adviser to monarchs through a combination of intelligence, an engaging personality and ruthlessness. As the series progresses, he gathers to him a group of fascinating characters that are both drawn to his warmth and are repelled by his actions, as is the reader---he is exasperating, but we can always, always see his point of view. Dorothy Dunnett's muscular prose paints a man (and what a man!) and his world with colors that are by turns tender and bold, sensual and spiritual. I haven't read anything this good in this genre for ages. Lymond seems effete by comparison!

This book is one of my treasures, and a must for anyone wishing to know more about the lost world of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra. From menus of the coronation supper to artifacts found after the murders at Ekaterinburg, the life of the last Imperial family is presented in rich and poignant detail. The notes are also extremely well written, adding to the pleasure of this book.

First time I saw this book, I wasn't very interested. But I bought it anyway because it was on sale, and I like to have everything Romanov. But as it turned out, it grew on me like a fungus. Now it is one of my treasures, I look through it often, it is so full of pictures of artifacts you won't see in any other Romanov book and it thus gives color to a world that is otherwise in black and white. Pictures of the members of the extended family were also fascinating and also got me interested in them, though NAOTMAA are still my favorites. What a pity I didn't get to see the exhibition, but this book is I think as close as you'll ever get to the real thing, unless you get the chance to see the palaces.

This book provides a lush pictoral history of the last tsar of Russia and his family. Little known objects that belonged to the Romonov's and their private letters and pictures make their world come alive like no other book.