Clark's writings in this book give you an insight into penal life in Australia's early history. His writing style gives you an empathy with the characters,and his descriptons of the Port Arthur site make you feel as if you are there. Some time later I visited Port Arthur, and Clark's writings came back. When you have been there you realise how good the book is.

I am planning a trip to Tasmania and it was recommended that I read Clarke's epic tale. It is one of inspiration and great character and describes life, the conditions and environment in which those men and women suffered. I am particularly looking forward to visiting Sarah Island and Port Arthur so I can get a taste of what those people (both innocent and guilty) had to endure. Definately recommended reading for those planning a holiday to Tassie!

This book is a novel that reads like history. It offers interesting insights of the history of Tasmania. This book is an Australian classic. Highly recommended.

There are some fine things in this book, but also some serious problems. Most of the latter stem from the fact that Clarke seems to have taken what he knows of the Course from Wapnick, in the form of a six-hour workshop. The result is that at times they discuss not so much the differences between Christianity and the Course as between Christianity and the idiosyncratic interpretations which Dr. Wapnick brings to the Course. This tends to make the teachings of the Course and of Christianity seem to differ more than they actually do. Since this suits both of them down to the ground, they are happy with the result, but it needs to be taken with a degree of skepticism.

For instance, they discuss the difference between what the Course says about the origin of the material world and what Christianity says, without acknowledgment that in the so-called Urtext we find a flat-footed statement that the material world was created by God as a means of undoing the separation. The whole question of what the Course actually teaches on this issue is a very difficult one, and hardly something we can oppose to traditional Christian thought quite so readily. Certainly, however, you will not find a collective ego as the creator of the world, since the Course knows nothing of that concept. It does not state that our various selves were created by a process like cellular mitosis, as the supposed "one false self" divided over and over. Rather, the Course teaches that each of us individually is a soul, spirit, or thought directly created by God.

The Course also does not teach that Jesus does not concern himself with our bodies or our behavior, and again, the original dictation proves the opposite to be the case. This supposed difference between Christianity and the Course is simply an aspect of Wapnick's theology, arrived at by a process of reasoning which he gives in this book, and not a teaching of the Course. The Course likewise does not teach that the disciples projected their inner experience of Jesus and thus hallucinated a bodily resurrection-and Dr. Wapnick really ought to know better than this, since he was there when Helen heard her Voice explain that Jesus did appear to them in a body as real as any body ever is.

A COURSE IN MIRACLES AND CHRISTIANITY: A DIALOGUE is a conversation between Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D., and W. Norris Clarke, S.J., Ph.D. on the differences between A COURSE IN MIRACLES (a self-study book about spiritual psychotherapy) and Christianity. Such a dialogue is appropriate since A COURSE IN MIRACLES claims Jesus as its author. As the two men make quickly apparent, however, the "Course" and Christianity are mutually exclusive paths.

I found A COURSE IN MIRACLES AND CHRISTIANITY: A DIALOGUE very helpful because I come from a Catholic background, but left Catholicism for the Course. It is interesting that comparing and contrasting these two paths makes their respective positions even more clear and understandable. I learned things in this book about Catholicism that I had not known (it's interesting to note that Mr. Wapnick had, at one time, studied to become a Catholic priest). Another interesting thing is that it is thanks to W. Norris Clarke that Mr. Wapnick no longer describes A COURSE IN MIRACLES as being a "correction" of Catholicism; as Norris notes, in order for the Course to be a correction of Catholicism and Christianity, the Course would have to retain the same basic framework. A COURSE IN MIRACLES contradicts Christianity on almost every count: the Bible says God created the world; A COURSE IN MIRACLES says the world was made by the ego as an attack *on* God (and that God doesn't even know about the world because for God to know about the physical world would be to make it real). The Jesus of A COURSE IN MIRACLES teaches that death, the body, and suffering have no meaning, that there is no sin, and that his name and very identity is ultimately just symbolic (as is everyone else's); the Jesus of the Bible is a very real individual personal identity who teaches that pain is very real and that he suffered and died for our sins.

The extraordinary thing about A COURSE IN MIRACLES AND CHRISTIANITY: A DIALOGUE is that these two men are able to openly state that their paths are mutually exclusive and disagree on about every issue, and yet they never get hostile toward one another. They even come across as friends. The book buyer may be interested to know that A COURSE IN MIRACLES AND CHRISTIANITY: A DIALOGUE is a transcript of a conversation between the two authors (it had originally been intended to be an audio program). The conversation format provides this book with an accessibility that it may not have had otherwise, due to the fact that the theological points tackled are very, very "heady" at times.

A bizarre book of photographs chronicling the voyage of a red velvet sofa across the United States. It turns up in places you normally wouldn't expect to see a red velvet sofa - such as on a window washer's scaffold.

Amusing the first few times you page through it but of limited repeat appeal. Appropriate to leave on the coffee table so your friends can ask "What the hell is this?"

This has been one of my favorite gifts to give over the last decade and I feel compelled to get it back into circulation. The journey of one red velvet couch across the country invites a diverse cross section of us to sit (or lie or sprawl or jump) on it and be photographed. The photo essay is breathtaking and wonderfully weird with bold colors, outrageous characters and intriguing depictions of Americana. If I won the lottery, I'd buy everyone a copy.

Judith Clarke's most recent book, Wolf on the Fold, depicts an Australian family's life-time of struggles over a period of seventy years. Clarke, being born and raised in Australia, portrays life in this country most accurately. In the book, she accounts for how this nation was affected by the trials and tribulations of events such as the Great Depression all the way to current problems with Iraq. Clarke's amazing style of writing and fascinating stories will keep the reader intrigued till the end.
The story progresses from generation to generation. Clarke begins with the family's struggle to stay afloat during the time of the Great Depression. After the children's' father dies, the oldest son, Kenny, is responsible for getting a job and supporting his family at the age of fourteen. The story then jumps to the 1950's; Kenny is now a father with two girls of his own, Clightie and Frances. The girls live through a typical summer in the 1950's while caring for their mentally insane Aunty May. The girls follow their crazy aunt on hilarious outings throughout their home town. Clarke continues this style of writing all the way up until the 1980's.
The story then begins telling of more recent events. Frances moves to Israel at the age of thirty-six during the time that Saddam Hussein is in total power. She teaches English to children and soldiers and has a son by the name of Gabriel. One day at the market, Gabriel begins yelling, 'Saddam Hussein is a loony.' At this point, Frances is terrified for both of their lives, and is thankful when they are not stoned to death. Clightie remains in Australia and gets married.
The books then jumps to a story of Clightie's grandson, James. James hears his mother and father arguing every night, and try as he may, he cannot hide the fighting from his younger brother, Davie. James' greatest fear is that his whole family will fall apart around him; that one day they will all be gone. Clarke does an amazing job tying serious problems, such as a family on the brink of extinction, with everyday family problems, such as a ten year old listening to his mother and father argue.
Clarke's amazing style of writing is intriguing and humbling. By the end of the book, the reader sees how many struggles that they personally may or may not have had to go through. She shows life through a perspective of just how many trials one can overcome. Clarke uses similes such as 'the air was as whole as milk' to allow the reader to feel the severity of the situations. Through Clarke's vivid descriptions and realistic accounts, the reader feels as if they are actually part of the story.
Thus, the story is a vivid account of one family's difficulty to survive. The title, Wolf on the Fold, is to symbolize a wolf attacking a flock, such as the problems that attack this family. The story's title comes from lines in a poem that Kenny is forced to memorize. One day, when Kenny finds himself in trouble, the lines of that poem are the only thing he can think of. 'Lines of a poem he'd learned at school flashed into Kenny's mind: 'The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold; / And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold.' The situations that occur in this book are real, serious and crucial problems, just like a wolf on attack. Clarke does a wonderful job portraying the harshness of these people's lives, and how they strive to overcome.

So many beautiful images in this book. Kenny's mum waving goodbye as her 14 year old son sets off to look for work after his father has died... The words of the poem that flashed through Kenny's mind that kept the stranger in the firelight from hurting him... Vonny Cooney trying to teach Daffy Kevin to read... Gabriel's luscious figs in a basket of green leaves in the market in Jerusalem... And the power of Kenny's words, coming down through 70 years of time, "Ride on James! Just keep riding on"!
This book gave me goosebumps. The Aussie's never let me down!

This book is a very important contribution to the understanding of the fragmented populations including forest trees. It will help to know more about the viability and survival of species under deforested and human affected environments. Provides new updated biological information to help in the management of fragmented forests.

This book is actually two books. The first is a comparatively concise biography of Healey Willan, detailing his youth, his coming to Canada, and his long tenure at St. Mary Magdalene. It is full of interesting stories which reflect Willan's personality, but is presented with a professional objectivity which makes it very credible and easy to read. The second part of the book is a very detailed study of most of Willan's works by category -- songs, piano works, symphonic works, choral pieces (motets and masses), organ works, and everything else this prolific composer wrote. It covers, at a medium level, Willan's compositional techniques and influences. At the end is a section with almost 500 musical examples which are referred to throughout the text. All in all, a very valuable and very professionally written biography and musical analysis of the "old man". I would have given it 5 stars if the biography section were longer (It's about 100 pages -- not bad, but.). Those of us who are hardcore fans want all the details of the man that we can get. Other than that, a superb book.

Overall, "Office Politics" was very good. It contains a LOT of useful information. Charts, graphs, and self-tests help to explain hard concepts. The overall organization of the book was second to NONE.

However, the book was written in England. The "King's English" is used, and may confuse some readers. Also, a few anecdotes deal with UK politics. Readers unfamiliar with England's political situation may be confused or [worse] draw the wrong conclusions.

If the publisher would make a US edition AND reprint the book, I think they'd have a great business seller!

Clarke's wide ranging selection of reviews,spanning a period of fifty years, reflect an intellect seriously and, in my opinion, immorally, neglected by those claiming to be students of English literature. His incisive comments and criticisms on the work of many of his contemporaries, coupled with his vast knowledge of poetry and the means of critique offer today's students a window into the mind of one of the greatest writers to come out of Ireland this century. Long in the shadow of Yeats and Kavanagh, Clarke has yet to take his place among the greats of Irish literature. This worthy book will go some way in placing him where he belongs, alongside the more easily recognised names to come to prominence .

As I started reading the book, I knew there would be so many parts I would want to refer to again and agian that I grabbed my yellow highliter.

My copy now has a LOT of yellow.

Simple Encounters is something many of us could write - but Chris DID it!

Some of the lessons are a 'Flash of the Obvious', (sort of like the information we've read in Tom Peters', In Search of Excellence', but Chris makes reference to him, also.

Easy to read and easy to learn from - I like the book and highly reccomend it!

Duncan Steel is one of the best known advocates for a near Earth observation system, and he and others like him should be listened to. Unfortunately the book is not too great. It didn't hold my attention, partly because of the intrusion of some of his opinions. If nothing else is available on the topic, this could be an okay choice. See instead "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis

Related titles include "Night Comes to the Cretaceous" by James Lawrence Powell and "T Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez.

I liked the book, but do not rate it as highly as "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis and "Impact" by Gerrit L Verschuur. However, it is much better than "Fire on Earth" by John and Mary Gribben.
My chief reservation about Steel's work is that he seems easily drawn to flights of whimsy such as Clube's and Napier's contentions regarding Beta Taurid cometary impacts that have affected history on a mammoth scale. While these are captivating proposals, perhaps, there isn't enough hard scientific evidence for them clutter up what was otherwise a hitherto fine scientific presentation of a real problem by Steel. Up to the author's dalliance into the speculative, the book is a good read about a serious, overlooked, preventable threat. His admonitions should be taken seriously.

To the publisher I would appreciate it if the publisher could produce an audio adaptation of this book. I would love to listen to this while I drive to work and to let my 16 month old son listen to it as a bedtime story. My goal is to expose him to some of my favorite passions, maths, sciences, physics, geophysics, paleontology, astronomy, electronics, photonics, new science and discoveries etc. The more audio books you can produce of the above genre the more I will support you. Arnold D Veness