Lilian Silburn, french author born at the beginning of the 20th century, was far in advance. I read about 200 books on Kundalini and the very best would be On a Farther Shore, Prayer of Oraison and Energy of the Depth. Of course Gopi Krishna goes first when you begin. He is a bridge. But when you are inside yourself, then Lilian SIlburn is great. She elaborates on little triffles that will become important when one understands them. She is a kind of interior architect, with a precise mind and astonishing knowledges.

As the popularity of hatha yoga increases by quantum leaps, (thanks to popularizers such as Madonna, of all people), interest in Tantra has kept pace. Unfortunately, faddishness can breed mediocrity, as evidenced by hatha yoga's demotion to mock-spiritual aerobics, Tantra's characterization as "the yoga of sex" and the ancient Tantric spiritual practice (NOT theory) of Kundalini equated to a self-induced acid trip. All three views are as accurate as a vote re-count in Florida.

Now, Professor Lillian Silburn brings an academic's / scientist's eye and a novelist's style to her investigation of Kundalini and the result is a masterpiece of clarity, concision and, simple, honest-to-God truth. Without a hint of nastiness, she quickly disposes of popular misconceptions and presents three of the most important views of Kundalini practice - those of the Trika and Krama traditions within Kashmir Shaivism and the Kaula tradition ("Kulamarga"), the most concise presentation of which can be found in the ancient KULARNAVATANTRA. Her achievment ranks alongside the pioneering work in Tantra of Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe).

Madame Silburn builds her presentation systematically. The book's first part includes a preliminary exposition of yoga anatomy and clearly defines and explains terms such as "chakra" (wheel), "nadi" (energy current), "trikona" (mystical triangle), along with crucial Tantric tools and concepts such as "mantra" and the importance of understanding the outward and inward expressions of vibration and the still centers between the two in which the true yogi resides. Armed with this, even the newcomer to Tantric yoga will be able to follow the mystical and metaphorical rise of the Kundalini serpent through "sushumna" (the subtle middle spiritual channel of the spine), and the means by which it sets the energy centers ("chakras") whirling and vibrating as the yogin journeys ever onwards to final release from the mundane bonds of human life.

The book's second part explains the absolute necessity of the transmission of Kundalini knowledge from Guru to Disciple. The yogin's very safety depends upon this sacred initiation. Then, the processes themselves are described in detail, although Silburn has stated honestly in the Foreward that "Nevertheless, I have left enough points unclarified so as not to incur the wrath of the ancient masters". She means it. And, to underline the point, Silburn allows great Tantric masters such as Somananda and Goraksha to do most of the explaining in well-chosen and faithfully translated excerpts from their most important works. This enviable practice reaches its apex in the book's final chapter.

The book's third and final part is entitled "The Deeper Meaning of the Esoteric Practice". This sums up pretty well the section's contents. It must be pointed out, however, that even if what preceded this section had been worthless and unreadable (which it definitely isn't), Silburn, in her final chapter presents an English translation of a small, yet powerful section, of that most supremely wide-ranging of all Tantric texts, Abhinavagupta's TANTRALOKA ("Light of the Tantras"). This towering work of sheer philosophical-mystical genius has yet to be translated into English. Silburn humbly turns to this great master, in his greatest work, to give shape, substance and meaning to her own modern masterpiece. Neither the Seeker nor the merely interested could ask for more.

For anyone wanting to avoid the blatherings that so many modern writers ignorantly attach to this most beautiful and powerful ancient concept of Kundalini, he or she need look no further than Lilian Silburn's KUNDALINI, THE ENERGY OF THE DEPTHS.

this was my real introduction to lacan. i had read several introductory accounts before, but after i sat down and read and thought about this book, it finally started to make some sense. it has an excellent explanation of lots of the basis of lacanian theory and does some good comparisons to other theories that lacan often gets misleadingly grouped into (like "postmodernism..." ugh). one of the best parts is the way that stavrakakis uses examples of actual political situations and events (environmental management, anti-semitism, the USSR, etc.) to make it clear how relevent lacan is to the real world. it's not only an explanation of lacan, but also an application to politics. stavrakakis takes great issue with utopian projects and uses various lacanian ideas to argue for a politics of radical democracy (i'd also suggest laclau if you're interested in that part of it). he may have an agenda, but whenever a friend wants to start thinking about lacanian psychoanalysis, this is the book i recommend to them.

Lacan is an inherently difficult writer to understand; Stavrakakis provides one of the most lucid introduction to his ideas, serving to ground in clear terms the applicability of Lacanian concepts to the political and the social. While I have some disagreements with his elaborations and conclusions, these stem more from the breadth of my own developed Lacanian education- entirelly thanks to Stavrakakis- rather than what I initially brought to the experience of reading this fine text.

The central theme of "The Lower Depths" is not only the total aniquilation of human personality by misery,in the harsh struggle for life that,so many times takes Men to degrade themselves but also,a statement that that aniquilation never is complete and that the very "Ex-Men",like in another book Gorki will call them,still have a conscience,the dream to overcome misery itself,a human warmth capable of being shared and ease.

A Must-read!

In a crowded dark room live the dregs of Russian society: a thief, a prostitute, her pimp, and several other criminals and outcasts. The general humdrum drama of their lives goes on as they get into fights, have disagreements, counsel one another over their losses, and so on.

Luka, an idealistic spiritual sort, finds his way into the group, and starts to spread his message of hope and positive thinking. This spurs the plot along a bit, because many in the group are hard-bitten realists who have no truck with faith or hope.

This is a fine play by Maxim Gorky. Gorky doesn't have the number of famous plays that someone like Henrik Ibsen or George Bernard Shaw does. In fact, he might be better known for his memoir of his childhood than for this play.

Nevertheless, The Lower Depths is a great play. The gritty element described in the play makes it seem much more like a modern play than the 1902 publication date would indicate. The realistic dialogue and streetwise characters make it hard to put down.

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As the description above states, this book contains 400 illustrations covering Magritte's entire career. I found that after reading "The Essential Magritte," this was a perfect continuation in my introduction to this man's work. The price is also unbeatable, considering what some art books go for these days. Well written and illustrated, this book was a wonderful find.

This book on Margritte includes fabulous images and great explanations and references to Magritte's life. I purchased this book in Dutch in Europe, for about four times the price listed here. This is an absolute bargain, and I sincerely regret not having purchased it from Amazon, although I greatly enjoyed having purchased it overall. Any Magritte fan cannot miss this book! Enjoy.

The author evidentally thoroughly researched the historical events in this book. It was well written and easy to read. The narration is excellent. The characters are made to seem as real American heroes. It records a part of history that is little-known to the average reader. Those familiar with aircraft would particularly appreciate the book and its terminology. Recommended reading for those who are interested in lesser-known world events.

This is a great period action story. The author certainly knows his way around airplanes and gives the reader lots of unusual detail that will be appreciated by airplane buffs. The chapters on World War II in Finland provide a new picture of a little known campaign. The characters are well drawn. They aren't unrealistic glamor types, but good guys trying to get the job done. Highly recommended.

A poignant book on the Holocaust, as seen from the eyes of a child, carrying with it a message of faith and hope in the midst of despair. I recommend it wholeheartedly for adults, as well as for children. A remarkable tale worth reading and re-reading for the timeless message it contains.

A wonderful tale. A definite must have. Everyone should read this with their children. The author depicts Zev's and David's unwavering faith in a most inspiring way. You cannot help but find yourself wishing and praying with them for the miracle of lights to continue. This book will leave you with warm feelings of hope, family and friendship.

Thanks to these volumes I was able obtain a great of information on my French-Canadian ancestors corroborating material I had found before and filling some missing blanks.

"Our French-Canadian Ancestors" by Thomas J. Laforest is an excellent resource on the early French Canadian history. It includes genealogical information of the early settlers and a little about the lifestyle of about 20 different families. It's got a great historical reference about the King's Daughters. I was fortunate enough to find many connecting links to a family tree of my ancestors. Excellent resource to begin a collection of French Canadian information.

This is a great book with fresh ideas for the future of Middle East Peace. Ferraris has realistic suggestions and recommendations for the future of world peace.

Jerusalem and the way the U.S. deals with Isreal on the world stage is at the heart of the current Middle East conflicts.

I think this is one book I could not help reading at one stretch. I could hardly keep it down once I picked it up. Jacques Ferraris, has done an outstanding job in bringing the reader unbiased, logical analogies, so the readers can come to conclusions by themselves. This is a great book to add to one's library - a must for everyone avid reader and book fan!

Lacan's seminars are superior to his articles because he clearly is addressing an audience, and needs to make himself understood, but he has already anticipated all of his students questions, as if he could read their minds: "I know what you're thinking." The argument of the third seminar is easy to summarize: the psychotic, because foreclosed from the father, faces a hole in the imaginary that is filled by the symbolic (or is it the other way around?), hence the hallucinations and voices. The psychotic always imagines that somewhere the big Other resides, in this world, like the man who broke into the US capital because there was a time machine inside that was trying to control his mind. The psychotic is in fact unable to distinguish the small from the big other. Lacan is always thought to be a little mad himself, something of a fraud, "il gagne beaucoup d'argent," and even Heidegger gave up reading Ecrits because he couldn't make sense of it, and he does make something of a display of his learning (not so much in this seminar). That said, there is something to Lacan, and eventually he will get his due, and outside the narrow circle of his devotees.

The work of Jacques Lacan is infamous for the often obtuseness of its language and presentation. It is often said that the reader must work hard at Lacan to reach a glimmer of understanding. The work of Dr Russell Grigg as translator to this edition certainly gives the reader a head start. Dr Grigg address the work of Lacan from a new perspective of the 21st century, nolonger happy for the work to remain arcane and cloistered from the reading public, but he throws open the windows of further understanding for those willing to look and read closer the work of this French master. An excellent work.