Explore these powerful astrological evaluations of the causes and effects of the September 11th attacks. With a selection of readings from popular astrologers such as Robert Hand and Jonathan Keyes, you'll have the opportunity to look at these events from several perspectives. How were the charts of George W. Bush and the United States itself, impacted? What were the economic influences involved?

I particularly enjoyed the fact that every perspective wasn't devoted to the USA, corporate, we are the chosen children of capitalism viewpoint. Instead, we're treated to far more objective looks at the events (and the provocations) which led up to them.

Finally, we're shown a glimpse of what is to come. Offering some astrological probabilities of upcoming aspects, we are invited to see fresh possibilities and insights.

I enjoyed this book far more than I usually do, when several astrologers get together and caucus over the same bit of information. The repetition we may see only serves to reinforce particular ideas and the articles are woven together into a seamless and unified whole.

This work is a terrific resource for anyone interested in understanding not only the astrological correspondences to 9/11/01, but also the implications for the economy and for the collective psyche. Essays are written by top-notch astrologers and are accompanied by maps and charts for illustration. Well worth reading!

The nature of the subject and the writing quality of the seven astrologers involved (the most famous being Robert Hand) make this a very unusual book. A very, very, very broad range of astrological and non-astrological perspectives are very carefully covered in this assessment of the terrorist attacks on America and some of the possible implications for all of us.

Astrologically the main emphasis is on interpretations of the charts of the events in September, together with related charts such as those of the United States, George W. Bush and, to some extent, Osama Bin Laden. Many other charts are also considered such as the World Trade Centre bombing in 1993 and the national chart for Israel. Interpretations of the Saturn-Pluto opposition transit through 2001 and 2002 receive particular attention throughout the book.

The astrology is continually placed in a broad context, with extensive considerations of the historical, political, and economical background to the attacks, together with similar perspectives on the consequences. Many questions are asked. Did the perpetrators use astrology? Did the terrorists intend to crash into the White House? Where do we go from here? Very occasionally some of the views appear rather fanciful, but overall this is superb stuff that does intelligent justice to modern astrology.

Poetry is soppy, Zen is impractical and Orientals don't think or feel like the rest of mankind - three myths demolished in one elegant little book. Every poem breathes humanity and warmth, and the pictures complement them beautifully. A translator should above all respect and preserve the intent of the original author; Clements' fine, perceptive translations allow the underlying emotions and sensations of the works room to breathe, and give the reader space to make his own interpretation. These are poets who, attempting detachment from the world, have stood back far enough to observe it and themselves with loving exactness. Beautiful in every way.

A book to savor. If you're familiar with haiku, you keep feeling a shock of recognition when you encounter a favorite redone in Clements's thoughtful lean style. Fresh organization, by time of day. Illustrations well chosen and well reproduced. This would be a fine gift book for a young person you want to interest in poetry.

A beautiful gift book. Each page of three haiku faces breathtaking paintings in the Japanese style. Most of the paintings are of nature, giving a sense of the season as one reads haiku of that season. The combination of painting and haiku gives a much deeper value.

I bought this book when I started my first pharmacist job. All my investments are mutual funds and this is the only book I ever read on mutual funds. According to Quicken my ROI today is ranging 23-33%. I'm happy with what the book taught me.

I've got several books of Chinese proverbs, but this is actually the largest. As well as proverbs, it contains famous sayings from Chinese history, poetry and songs dating back three thousand years. An excellent book.

Investors contemplating retirement, but stunned by losses sustained in the extended bear market that began in the spring of 2000, will find hope and encouragement in Wall Street Journal columnist Jonathan Clements' "Now What?". This is a do-it-for-yourself repair strategy for baby boomers with badly damaged bubble portfolios. First, face facts, we are told: You've got a "bone-head" portfolio, and it's not likely to come back in value, so sell your losers. Forget the "foolish beat-the-market fantasy" promoted by Wall Street's brokerage houses and money management firms. Invest to capture market returns with stock index funds. Diversify with stocks, bonds, and real estate. Specifically, you should own large and small US stocks and foreign stocks. For the bond portion of your portfolio, use inflation indexed treasuries and short-term corporate funds, and to boost your income, consider high yield bond mutual funds. Clements recognizes that "this will be the decade of the dividend and interest payment". So, REITS (real estate income trusts) with their high, single-digit returns, should represent 10-15% of your portfolio. In all this, Jonathan Clements is in good company: W. Bernstein, C. Ellis, B. Malkiel, L.Swedroe, B. Schultheis, et.al., have recently written (or updated) books with similar conclusions. Clements' contribution is in the timeliness of his insistence that boomers can salvage their own retirement plans by acting to keep investment costs in check, diversifying, and saving "like crazy". Indeed, the investment process should be simple to follow. "Why are we such sluts for sophistication?" Clements asks with exasperation. Readers may be skeptical that a fifty-year old, in an example, who hasn't saved a "nickel" for retirement can accomplish much by age sixty-five. But this late starting investor is not the book's primary focus. 'Gilding the Golden Years' (Chapter 7) is one of the author's better chapters. Investing may be "simple", but it is also an art, so this frequently quoted columnist's portfolio advice is of value. Clements is clearly intrigued by a strategy of establishing multiple sources of investment income during retirement. In addition to income from social security, 401k-style plans, pensions, and humbled securities portfolios, investors might consider an immediate annuity, a reverse mortgage, or even part-time work. After all, if it's true that investors should take no more than five percent of their investment assets each year for income, working part-time to earn five thousand dollars is like having another hundred thousand dollars in retirment assets. And an unconventional idea like a reverse mortgage may take on a new practicality for today's generation of soon-to-be retired. Investors paralyzed by their recent bear market experience will find sound, helpful advice in this book.

As a CPA and registered investment adviser, I am always looking for a way to explain investment principles to my clients in a way they can easily understand. This book accomplishes this all-important function, and is a must read for investors. Jonathan presents common sense information which is unbiased. Many investors would profit from following the guidelines Jonathan presents, and should.

Jonathan presents a realistic approach to investing that avoids the day to day stimuli that can lead investors astray. The book also provides hope to those who've truly "lost it", either in dollar terms or in terms of their approach to investing.

People who read and understand this book will be ahead of those who don't, whether they invest on their own or use an adviser. I know anyone who has read this book will be better educated and will better understand investing.

If you're not hip on financial stuff, this is not a bad book to start with. If you're like me, however, and you regularly read Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Money or the business section of the paper, you don't need it. It seems like the author took all the sound advice that was printed in the last five years, heck, the last year, and consolidated it, not that there's anything wrong with that. But if you've already read it in magazines and newspapers, it's a waste of money. I would recommend the financial books by Eric Tyson in the For Dummies series before this one. Aside from the financial advice, the author finds it necessary to constantly give his resume and cite his expertise. A little too self-promoting. The list of his credentials on the back flap was enough.

The author definitely beats home some basic messages about inflation, tax implications and trading costs that might be old news to some seasoned investors. He loves stocks and hates bonds. The most important thing I took away from this book was that even if you manage to pick a mutual fund that beats the S&P over a 30 year period, the costs incorporated into even no-load mutual funds can eat away at what little gains you might make over indexes. His remedy: Invest in stocks for the long term (nothing new here) and diversify your portfolio with the cheapest domestic and international index funds you can find. He recommends Vanguard's Total Stock Index Fund and Vanguard Total International fund.

I read the book in the spring of 2002, which makes some of the information in the 1997 printing I had a bit dated (e.g. no 529 tax deferred education savings plans). If you're looking for a more updated version with a lot of the same ideas, try Glassman's Secret Code of the Superior Investor.

I'm a freelance writer and jazz musician. Nothing makes my skin crawl like a typical discourse on "wise" investing. Like dental work, investment education frequently centers around the idea of pain and shame as inevitable consequences of despicable indulgence. "It's all so simple and self explanatory if you would just buckle down and do it. And remember - if you don't, you'll be sorry," intones the Victorian voice.

"25 Myths" is different. Its beauty is two-fold. First, it exposes the flaws in traditional investment strategies, thus validating my misgivings. Second, it provides an easy-to-latch-onto structure that the reluctant beginner can use to get started.

Perhaps Clements' most important precept is that we should ignore short term market fluctuations focusing instead on the real enemies - taxes and inflation. From there, he goes on to outline several beginners' axioms from which one's first investment strategy may be painstakingly! formulated.

Has he uncovered the holy grail? Probably not, and he's the first to admit it. Remember the old saying, "you have to know the rules in order to break them?" Clements has set down a list of rules - not familiar chestnut adages but pragmatic responses to the investment climate as it exists today.

In a field overrun with "paralysis by analysis," Clements forgoes the role of beacon in the darkness, and instead simply shines a flashlight in a darkened garage to guide us to safety.

My godchildren, out for the day with me in London, not only almost got us thrown out of a sedate Japanese bookstore with their whoops of delight when they found this and later volumes of the series, but spent two-thirds of their allowance on buying up every volume there, even negotiating a share arrangement so they could buy the last one. They love CHINMI for its action, pace and energy; I admire Clements' spare, intelligent yet child-friendly translation and Maekawa's non-patronising yet moral storytelling. When children and adults both approve, everyone wins!

I AM A GREAY LOVER OF IRONFIST CHINMI SERIES.MY MOST FAVOURITE IS 'THE ATTACK OF BLACK FLAME'.A GREAT BOOK FOR THOSE WHO LOVE ACTION PACKED BOOKS

A great sequel to a great original. Ironfist #2 offers the same great animation, with an incredible storyline to back it up. A must read for all manga and anime fans!

This one's a bit of a mixed bag. Part of the problem is that the same author's later Anime Encyclopedia makes the latter half of it (a list of Erotic anime), completely redundant. However, the first half, comprising learned essays on anime topics, remain very intriguing. In particular, this book contains a fascinating study of the media's reaction to anime, and the first account of the shonen ai genre to go into any reasonable depth. Very important for anyone who takes anime seriously, but bear in mind that only part of the book is still relevant today.

This is an extremely in-depth look at the history of anime and the role of eroticism in shaping it. It also covers the views that have shaped how anime is perceived. It has a guide to individual movies which takes up about a third of the book, but only half of those are erotic films. A must for increasing your understanding of anime, but it is not really a film guide.

191 pages of a serious study of the anime's history in Japan and impact of ... anime in the western world. The book deals with its roots, how much of it is made in Japan (when compared to other categories), the many types (..., horror, ..., so on), the characters, anime games and even how translations, from Japanese to English, sometimes made a normal anime into a ... version that will increase its selling power in the English and American market BUT destroy the story line. It also deals with the media's reactions to anime and how marketing strategies make a cartoon worse than it started out with. For example, ... boys are more likely to buy a cartoon with a adult rating than one for family viewing. Also the book shows how most ... anime is bought up by mainstream video/DVD viewers NOT anime fans (who are more likely going to want the Japanese, and therefore pre-eroticized, version of the story).
Contains adult material, so only for 18 years or older AND only for the serious reader.

Understand this. I think that this book is a good idea and a noble undertaking. The execution leaves much to be desired. The authors take their opinions too far, relentlessly bashing shows that happen to have a large fan-base as if to prove their "experience" with anime. Look guys, you have to realize that these shows are popular for a reason. They have their share of detractors (and what doesn't?) but they also have legions of fans. More often then not, people who try Ranma, for example, like it. All that you are doing is scaring people away from things that they more than likely would enjoy. It doesn't stop there. There are errors in the "objective" information such as wrong production years. What's the point of giving us your opinions if you can't get the facts right? An "Anime Encyclopedia" should not be a review book. It should include the facts of production and a brief summary. If you must interject your opinions, don't simply pump out vitriol. Give balanced, supported reasons for them, and above all, ACKNOWLEDGE DISSENTING VIEWS AS BEING VALID. Don't generalize about public opinion (see Tenchi review for this) and finally, don't put spoilers in your summaries.

That said, I have to commend the authors for tackling a project of this magnitude. The scope of the time period and the exhaustive catalog of titles are the reasons why this book gets three stars. If you can ignore the elitist diatribes, it is a fairly valuable resource. Here's to a revised and edited version minus the digressions into personal bias.

If you are like me, a hardcore otaku, and merely want to have a little more insight to the lesser known animes or even need help making purchasing decisions on the most current shows released in America, this book is for you. The reviews in The Anime Encyclopedia vary greatly in size, but all contain good summaries-with only minimal spoilers-and it is full of humor and the authors' own (good) opinions. I have agreed with every review in this comprehensive Encyclopedia.

But even the people out there who are just starting to get into anime, or the friends and family members who are wondering just what the heck we find so cool about these shows, this book is also for you. Each review gives the Japanese, English, and many variable titles of the show, the year it was first released, major crew members, the number of episodes and their length, tells what the show is about, usually what the authors think about the show, and content descriptors for you concerned parents out there.

Whether you are a veteran otaku or a newbie who just wants to learn more about anime, I highly recommend this book based on the excellent opinions, color commentary, and the vast amount of information to be gathered in its pages.

Thanks go to the authors: Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy for such good bathroom reading!

This is the biggest and best book written about anime in any language -- two British authors have outdone the Americans *and* the Japanese. It makes me proud to be English. Incredibly detailed and really funny, too. The authors have a tough-love policy on anime, and don't let creators get away with bad workmanship. I really appreciate the in-depth outlines of old shows in particular. I'm never going to sit through an old movie like Grey, but at least I now know how it ends. It's also incredible value for money -- less than a top-end DVD, but literally months of reading pleasure. This is the only anime book you'll ever need.