Mr. Brooks latest work is also his most personal. Not in the sense of the typical autobiography, which usually highlights the tawdry detials, but in a truly inner sense. His journey through both theatre and his inner world is illuminating, to both artists and non-artists alike. I was particularly facinated to read of Mr. Brooks experiences with the Gurdjieff work. His depth of insight into the importance of inner work in tandem with his insights into theatre and film provide great reading, for those familiar and unfamiliar with his work. I highly recomend this book, as well as his other works.

Ciss Berry is actin

This is an excellent textbook. This book is easier to understand than my current textbook. I highly recommend it for everyone.

My advisor is trying to obtain a copy for the LRC that he is building

This is the best written physics textbook for an introductory physics course at its mathematical level (precalculus) that I have ever seen. The author knows his audience and stays within their level without "dumbing down" the exposition of the subject.
The explanations of physics principles and the worked out examples have a clarity unmatched in any textbook I have ever seen. Paul Urone distinguishes himself from other authors by asking and answering the questions that first year physics can't ask because the depth of their knowledge is not great enough yet.
Peter Urone owes the world one more textbook on first year Physics; this one must include calculus. Without doubt, it will be
as effective for its audience as his "College Physics" with the
mathematics at the precalculus level.
Finally, no matter what textbook you are using, buy this book as
a companion.

This is truly one of the most student-friendly Physics textbooks that I have come across. The problems covered are well explained and there are plenty of examples, with references to real life, that help make Physics easy to understand. It covers all the necessary information needed to have you well prepared for the MCAT, or any other science test that requires Physics. Highly recommended!

An enjoyable read. Having no knowledge of the language in which the original was written, it's impossible to tell how true to the original the translation is, but I found this English verse rendition flowed very well.

The story is essentially an exemplary tale of how to lead a good, ascetic life (the denial of "the Self") and how few can actually achieve that. It is replete with illustrative yarns, as the hoopoe (the leader of the birds), counters the other birds' foibles, and their excuses not to make the journey. Therefore the theme is a familiar one - how to strive for and achieve spiritual fulfilment by use of the allegory of a difficult journey. Yet it is written with such clarity, wit and insight, it's nonetheless a refreshing read.

Even though I am a decendant of Farid Ud Din Attar, I can say without bias that this book is excellent. A must read, filled with many lessons and hidden analects.

I shed tears of sorrow when I read the story of the grand Shaikh, a master of the outward and inward Islamic sciences who, tortured by the pangs of love's uncontrolable fire, recounces his faith. What follows is so beautifull that it can only be captured by reading the book!!!

This is an excellent introduction to the world of Lighting Design for the non designer. It is an enjoyable quick read as well. Its a great way for someone in the theatre to understand what Lighting Designers and technicians auctually do.

As a theatre lighting proffesional I found this book to be very enjoyable and the antidotes were lively and easily related to. A general good book with very little technical jargon and stories that you'll tell to a hysterically laughing crew at cue to cue's!!! A must for designers and the rest of the industry!

The Mahabharata is the great national epic of India. It's about 15 times as long as the Bible and, like the Bible, was written by many hands over a period of centuries. Essentially, it tells of the conflict between two royal families, ending in a cataclysmic battle. Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook have attempted to condense it into a (relatively brief) 6 1/2-hour-long play. With what success, I'm not sure. Maybe it works better on the stage. While reading it, the characters are vivid, but they don't leave lasting impressions. As one would expect, the Mahabharata doesn't have a "tight" structure (like, say, the Iliad). The authors/translators have preserved some of this epic sprawl, and that may be part of the problem---at least for a Western reader like myself, who is doubtless missing many of its subtler allusions. Still, in my opinion, the book makes for an entertaining introduction (or pre-introduction?) to classical Indian culture, and I always bring in the Carriere/Brook translation, as enrichment material, when I teach the Indian section of the History of Mathematics.

Oh yes. I guarantee that, once you've read it, you will *never* forget who the slyest animal is. (It's not homo sapiens.)

Jean-Claude Carriere, one of the best screenwriters of all time, wrote this play for the great theater and film director Peter Brook, who translated it himself. Based on the classic poem from India, the longest ever written (it is about fifteen times longer than the Bible), _The Mahabharata: a Play_ was about nine hours long when Brook's company performed it, and adapts the incredibly vast original narrative to deal mainly with the fight for power between two families in an ancient, mythic time: the Pandava, five children of the gods, go against the Kaurava, the hundred sons of a king whose legitimacy is in question, and the greatest and most savage war is near. Carriere's endeavour seems at times a feat of superhuman proportions, for the play condenses everything without forgetting the essentials, and features an enormous array of characters, ranging from the somber and tragic (the orphaned warrior Karna) to the utterly comic (the lecherous general Kitchaka), and several dialogues and monologues of great beauty. Yudhishtira and Duryodhana, leaders of the rival families, represent all men and women, of this time and every other: not totally good nor evil, they both face many moral and ethical pitfalls and not always can win nor return unscathed from their fights. Even if you don't like theater, reading this play, and thus catching at least a glimpse of one of the greatest literary works of mankind, is a unique experience, at the same time shattering and enlightening. As one of the characters could say, if you read carefully, in the end you will be someone else.

This is a collection of three shorter pieces: essays, transcriptions of speeches, etc. The book is well-edited and provides a good insight into the experiences which seem to have motivated Brook to do the kind of ground-breaking he is noted for. However, if you're looking for a single, clear thesis, try a different book.

I highly recommend this book.

This is really an extension of Brook's ideas in "The Empty Space." It is my favorite work of his, as the writing is much simpler and digestable than I am used to, yet it is no less insightful and inspiring.

I feel that anyone who loves theater should read Brook: I always come away from his ideas feeling inspired and invigorated: my mind spinning with countless new possibilities. Thinking both as a director and an actor, I find Brook very useful. Perhaps his best quality is his love of experimentation- of finding what works but being ready to reject it for something better. Brook is an explorer more than a theorist. This collection of essays/speeches is an important aid to understanding where his journeys have taken him in his understanding of what makes good theatre.

Sometimes Mr. Brooks was able to come up with excellent titles for his novels; "Freddy and the Ignormus" will arouse anyone's curiousity, and "Wiggins for President" fairly jumps off the shelf. On the other hand, sometimes he wasn't; a neophyte reader discovering the title "Freddy and Mr. Camphor" on the library shelf might forgivably be tempted to shove it back in. Luckily, the book is stronger than the title.

"Freddy and Mr. Camphor" features two story lines; the primary involves Freddy becoming caretaker of a large estate and facing off against two sets of old enemies, the subsidiary involves insects pitching in to protect Victory gardens from themselves. The two stories are not tied together in any particular way, and do not represent Brooks at his best, but are certainly pleasant. Freddy fans will be pleased to see both Simon and The Winches, and Freddy's new friends, a pair of difficult hoptoads, are most amusing.

It is hard to imagine it happening to Freddy the Pig, but gradually his busy life as pig, poet, banker, detective, and newspaperman was wearing him out. Even his good friend Jinx the Cat could see that Freddy needed a change. But Freddy didn't see how he could leave all his responsibilities. Finally, his salvation came in the form of a help wanted advertisement for a caretaker at the estate of the wealthy Mr. Jimson Camphor.

The job seemed perfect. Freddy got to live on a houseboat while he guarded the grounds and mowed the expansive lawn. If it hadn't been for a chance meeting with Waldo and Elmo, a pair of dejected hoptoads, Freddy would have thought he was in heaven. But the toads reveal that all is not well. Simon the Rat and his clan have moved into the Camphor attic and, in a fit of random destructiveness, have chewed away the faces on the portraits that are stored there.

Nor is that the worst of it. Mrs. Winch, the housekeeper, turned out to be the estranged wife of Zebedee Winch and his son Horace, whom the reader may remember from Freddy's trip to Florida, where he gave the animals no end of problems. This time is no different. Freddy is locked up, a plot is hatched against him and Mr. Camphor returns to find Freddy accused of vandalism and theft. A dejected Freddy returns to the Bean Farm, determined to undo the damage.

Of course, things are not perfect on the farm either Webb the Spider is on a campaign to convince the insects that they should abstain from eating the Victory Gardens that are providing extra food for the war effort. He is opposed by Zero, the anarchist horsefly, and appeals to Freddy for help. Certainly, a pig's work is never done.

Somehow, of course, all is made right, but it takes all of Freddy's ingenuity, the cooperation of the farm animals, and even an array of militant fleas to bring all the culprits to justice. In the world of the Bean Farm, teamwork, friendship, and an honest determination to do the right thing are the tools that make the difference. As always, Brooks' lessons are painless fun. He displays a touch for gentle yet satirical caricature that cannot help but please both his younger audience and us doddering, older readers who remember the days before noir fiction and, like Freddy, occasionally need to take a break

Long after Walter Brooks has earned his eternal reward, he ismaking a paradise here on earth for fans of Freddy! Freddy andMr. Camphor is one of the best Freddy's out there. If you don't love Freddy, you'll love Mr. Camphor. If you don't love Mr. Camphor, there's always Bannister to adore. If not Bannister, well, there's Mrs. Wiggins, or Jinx, or the Webbs, or cousin Augustus and his relatives. One thing is certain, you won't leave this book without a new friend. Walter Brooks does for the animal kingdom what PG Wodehouse does for humankind by creating a happy fantasyland where nothing ever goes so wrong that it can't be undone, and it is always undone with wit and sagacity.

Yes, it's a great novel. Yes the language is rich, the story is subtle, and the psychology is complex. And yet, I didn't like it.

Of course, who am I to review Henry James? Granted, I read more books and watch less television than most of my peers, but still I think I might be too "late Twentieth Century" for this book. Maybe despite my strict avoidance of video games I just can't help detesting the millipede pace of this book. I've never had much affinity for drawing room conversations to begin with, and unlike my father I don't believe that wit must be meted out in tortuous sentences.

But it isn't my background or personal prejudices that make me recoil from "Wings of the Dove". There is something about the deliberate quality of Henry James that bothers me. He knows perfectly well what he's doing with his fat succulent sentences. He won't feed you a meal of lean pork and vegetables. He'll serve you tons of tiny truffles and oil-oozing, crispy skinned duck.

To read "Wings of the Dove" is like encountering a cookbook that decided to include as much of the delicious fatty foods as possible. Of course its a rare meal and quite wonderful in its way. But some how, it made me a little nauseous at the end.

First things first, it is a very nice novel, but very hard to follow. Personally speaking, sometimes I couldn't get very exactly what Henry James was trying to say, but I could understand the situation as a whole and be able to move on.

As everybody knows, Hery James is not an easy writer. His appeal is very difficult and complex although it doesn't read very old-fashioned. The story is very interesting and timeless, because it deals with passion, money and betrayal. The books follows Kate Croy and her beloved Merton Densher when then both get involved - in different degrees and with different interests- with the beautiful rich and sick American heiress Milly Theale.

Most of the time, the book kept me wondering what would come next and its result and the grand finale. But, that doesn't mean I was fully understand its words. As I said, I was just feeling what was going on. As a result, i don't think I was able to get all the complexity of Henry James. Maybe, if I read this book again in the futures, it will be clearer.

There is a film version of this novel made in 1997, and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Allison Elliot and Linus Roach, directed by Iain Softley. Carter is amazing as always! Kate is a bit different from the book, she is not only a manipulative soul, but, actually, she is a woman trying to find happiness. One character says of Kate, "There's something going on behind those beautiful lashes", and that's true for most female leads created by James. Watching this movie helped me a lot, after finishing reading the novel.

I've carried on a love-hate affair with The Wings of the Dove for more than 20 years. In that period of time, I started the novel (the same beautiful little Signet paperback edition) at LEAST 15 times and could never get past page 30 or so. But it kept nagging at me to read it. Last summer, I plowed through its dense prose thicket, and I felt as though I were peering through a glass darkly. Several times I felt like tossing it aside. I've studied Enlish and literature all my life and yet I had one heckuva time with those daunting banks of prose. But I'm glad I read it. It's masterful. Worth all the effort. Those scintillating scenes in Venice. Nothing like them! I just read The Golden Bowl, another difficult but rewarding book. There are astonishing scenes in it, like when the husband of the busy-body watches her in a pensive mood as if she were in the middle of a lake, coming closer. It's just an extraordinary scene! I love early James too, like that perfect jewel of a book, Washington Square. Sometimes, great as the late books are, I really do think they lose something of the wonderful clarity James achieved earlier. There are still a few scenes in Wings and Bowl, for instance, in which I have NO IDEA what James was trying to express. Talk about super subtle! But do make the effort, folks, they're incredible books.

Actually.....nil stars.

Only buy it if you are the sort of person who buys timeshare, the Eiffel Tower, etc...

For those who are unaware, the "MacCathy Mor" discussed in the book was really an imposter.

The reality of an indigenous Irish nobility is not much understood or accepted inside Ireland itself, much less in the rest of the world. As the victors write the history, too much Irish history has omitted any reference to the fact that Ireland had its own kings and nobles well before the Norman-English intruded on the scene. To this day the claims of persons such as the MacCarthy Mor to royal status are met with skepticism; relevant to this book, one individual expressed this skepticism so openly as to warrent a suit before the Italian courts. This lawsuit offered the MacCarthy Mor to present to a court of experts his credentials as Head of the Royal House of Munster, as Chief of his Name, and as rightful bearer of the coat of arms of the MacCarthy Mor. The Court carefully reviews and expounds on the evidence presented, and the ruling presents in detail the Court's rationale for fully supporting the MacCarthy Mor's claims. This book is a must read for any student of Irish history, modern aristocracy, chivalry, or heraldry. A word of warning, though: this is a legal document, and it reads like one -- don't expect light reading, but do expect to be educated!

If you thought that the Gaelic Nobility died out in 1601, or even 1691, this book is for you. This book documents the present situation of one of the Royal lines of Ireland. It documents the present views of two European powers towards the rights and prerogatives of the current representative of the Royal Eoghanacht Dynasty. This Royal line ruled over the southwest quarter of Ireland for more than a thousand years. The last regnant King was Donal IX, King of Desmond, who died in 1596.

Yet the dynasty, with it's rights and priveleges, survives! Contained in the book are the transcripts of two Italian Court rulings, a translation of a Certification from the Kingdom of Spain, and copies of various supporting documents that were made available for the Italian and Spanish authorities. This book will be of special interest to those who study the Gaelic history of Ireland, and those who claim descent from the MacCarthy family.