From its introduction: "So choose and speak for me,ye memories, and at least give some reflection of my life before it sinks into the dark!" to its final despairing end, this book is a tour de force. It was first published in 1943, and since Zweig and his second wife committed suicide on Feb. 23, 1942, I presume it was the last thing he wrote that was published. It is of interest that his first wife in 1946 published a book about her first ex-husband (entitled "Stefan Zweig"). The World of Yesterday says nothing about his marriages, but his wife's book succinctly describes how she learned of her husband's affair: "Hastening back to the hotel, I entered my husband's study from the bedroom. Unfortunately it was an inopportune moment."

World of Yesterday is an unforgettable classic and it should be mandatory reading in high school. In this autobiography, Stefan Zweig not only tells his life story and how he became a successful writer in Vienna, but he also paints the most vivid picture of Europe in the beginning of the century, with heart-breaking detail of the consequences of World War 1 and Hitler's rise to power on his life and the life of all Europeans. What touched me the most is his suggestion of a free-thinking continent with symbolic borders and no passports, and his definition of peace. Reading this book reminded me of the meaninglessness of war. How one's friend and neighbor living across the river can become his "enemy" once war is declared. Its message is still 100% valid today. Just watch the world news...

This is a wonderful book. Poor Zweig. He was born in 1881, and by 1914 he had become one of Vienna's leading journalists. Liberal, and a lover of culture, he knew everybody who mattered in literature, the arts and the sciences at a time when Vienna was the most civilised city in the world.

The universal joy in 1914 at the outbreak of war appalled him, and he became so unpopular for decrying it that eventually he emigrated to Switzerland, to work for the Red Cross.

He returned to Vienna in 1919, and was eventually 'forgiven' by his now-contrite friends. But when during the '20s he was invited to the UUSR, and he returned saying it was hell, his avantguard friends rejected him again.

He retired to Salzburg. In 1933, on Hitler's accession to power, he warned that Hitler would invade Austria and kill all the Jews. He was disbelieved. He emigrated to Britain, where he was appalled by the complacency of the government. Finally, via New York (where he wrote this book) he emigrated to Rio in Brazil (he doesn't spell it out, but he did this presumably because he thought the UK would fall to the Germans, and he feared being detained in the US as an enemy alien). It was in Rio in 1942, at the height of German power, that he killed himself in despair.

In this beautiful book, Zweig creates a fin de siecle elegy for his youth, but unlike the previous reviewer I do not think he is nostalgic. His regret is for his illusions that art was synonymous with moral goodness, and his despair over the folly of his fellow men. It was not so much the evil of a few that upset him but the lack of wisdom of the many.

I believe that Zweig was the clearest thinker of the 20th Century, the worst century since the 14th, and I believe his book should be required reading for all. He was the Erasmus of our age, so it is no surprise he wrote a biography of Erasmus. The book is written beautifully.

On a small personal note, I have often wondered whether his terminal despair was not aggravated by his divorce and second marriage. Those were unusual events in those days, and he may have felt bereft.

While Charles Tyng's brothers became wealthy as doctors, lawyers and land-based businessmen, Charles (due to his poor study habits) was forced to pursue the much more dangerous and uncertain vocation of sailor and sea-merchant. This is definitely no dry account of business deals. This story is about Charles' struggles against cruel and incompetent superiors, ferocious storms at sea, mutinous and violent crews, pirate attacks, shark attacks and, for good measure a bout with cholera. If even half of Tyng's account is true, he was very, very lucky to live to old age. Tyng was obviously a man who was very curious by nature and so he was able to describe in detail many aspects of the people, places and operations that he witnessed (such as whale hunting, sugar processing, and opium smuggling). Most of it is very interesting because it paints a piture of a world very different from our modern world. Tyng himself is likable, for the most part, although he definitely was a bit of a rogue; he pulls a few pratical jokes on people that adds some humor to the story. I only give it four stars because there were a couple short dry patches in the book. Overall, though, very enjoyable.

In the early days of American history, the merchant trade was the predominant occupation on the Eastern Seaboard. Charles Tyng's memoir, "Before the Wind," captures that life in a way histories written today never can. Tyng lived a colorful, adventurous life, and had the ability to record it in a fresh and vivid style. Tyng's early life reads like a combination of Charles Dickens and Horatio Alger. The son of an affluent but no-nonsense father, Tyng was farmed out to various relatives and school headmasters until his father sent him to sea, hoping to cure his son's self-confessed rebellious streak, and to teach him a trade. Although this sounds rather severe, it was far from uncommon, especially in large families such as Tyng's to apprentice or force children to seek their way at a very early age.

Once at sea, Tyng experienced a variety of hardships at the hands of sadistic shipmates who seemed to have no regard for a boy's safety or well-being. However, his early experiences at sea energized Tyng's dormant ambition to rise above the position of sailor and become a ship's officer. The memoir contains recollections of Tyng's studies, trips, and early efforts at trading on a small scale. Eventually Tyng rose through the ranks to become a ship's officer, captain, and eventually the owner of two ships. His memoir is filled with recollections of entrepreneurial deals, mutinies, and pirates. It is also filled with the day-to-day details of life aboard a merchant vessel. In a more general sense, it is also filled with the routine, but now forgotten, details of life in the early 19th century. One notable quality of this memoir is how Tyng's tone actually changes from that of an overwhelmed and somewhat unruly "ship's boy" to a mature, ambitious, and self-assured ship's captain and merchant. This change and growth in character seems natural and unforced, which lends a greater air of credibility to this book.

Tyng's story is typical of many New England boys who turned to the sea and the merchant trade to make their fortune. In his case, Tyng actually succeeded at both his chosen trade and in his ability to recount a life once common, but now forgotten. Highly recommended.

If you're not already into this stuff, it will put you to sleep.

If on the other hand, like me, the mere mention of the days of tall ships fills your lungs with salt air, gets your sea legs in motion, and gives you a faraway thrill, then this becomes the definitive life story of every sailor who ever went to sea.

And this guy has been through it all: pirates, mutinies, shipwrecks, storms, cruel officers, exotic foreign shores, wars (on both land and sea, including the American revolution and the China traders), sharks, starvation, marriage (that ultimate adventure), disease, and even "haunted" ships.

Beautifully written in the eloquent style of a man who had been an illiterate cabin boy and eventually educated himself with distinction, it even chronicles the effects that his life at sea had upon the way his family saw him and the business world dealt with him, and contains vignettes about minute aspects of life back then that I'd never been aware of.

What a find!

I had pretty much gotten jaded about self-help books when I picked this one up, but it actually helped a lot and I finished the book feeling better about myself and my life. One of the things I liked was that there's humor which makes the book much more accessible and fun to read. I also like the spiritual aspect and the way it's presented.

The most important thing to me was that Mr. Prather's approach actually worked! I bought the book because of the title and because I had just gotten out of a relationship that I was having trouble letting go of. I started trying some of the exercises and amazingly I found myself stopping all the endless thoughts about what I wish I'd said, etc.

I definitely recommend this book because I also had the feeling that Mr. Prather actually believes this and practices it. I love the whole imagery of cleaning out the mind, which when I started doing it made me feel so much better!

I loved this book! Hugh Prather's "THE LITTLE BOOK OF LETTING GO" is very inspiring, very understandable, and I felt it had a healing effect. I enjoyed it very much. Some of the concepts and insights help put things in a very different perspective. While there is nothing wrong with achieving goals, and having possessions, if we make having things more important than having peace of mind and well-being, then all those achievements are still empty. This book has a depth and also a feeling or quality that made me feel easier and more well in myself while reading it. It helped me Let Go! Thanks.

Other books that also inspire me and have helped me to feel more at peace in my life are "THE POWER OF ONE" by Tolle; but my favorite book in the last couple years about personal growth and satisfaction is "WORKING ON YOURSELF DOESN'T WORK" by Ariel and Shya Kane. Hugh Prather, Eckard Tolle and Ariel and Shya Kane have really learned how to let go of what prevents you from being enlightened.

I thought this book had amazing ideas, and the approach is so simple and clear. I'm only 23 and I didn't think I had that much to let go of until i really looked more closely at my mind. I realized that lots of the problems I was having in relationships and school had to do with my past. I like Mr. Prather's approach because he's not into blame. You take responsibility for your own stuff, and you learn how to let go of the stuff that's not helpfull. I also like the imagery and the stories because they made the concepts easier to understand. Sometimes these self-help books seem like they're written for an older generation, but this one doesn't. It's funny and usefull and I think it's something I can use the rest of my life.

My fiance's mother bought this for him for his birthday (what a great lady!), and we both read it eagerly. I can honestly say the authors have done a good job. For us personally, the book is good for helping us talk about stuff--not only for him to find out what I would like, but for me to learn what he likes and doesn't. I've written a few books myself, and this one is well-researched and well-written. Want to know what women want from men? It's all right here--they hit the nail on the head.

If you're trying to figure out Sociobiology like I am, the 3 best books on the subject are:

#1 HOW TO MAKE ANYONE FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU by Leil Lowndes, #2 SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIEST by Nancy Etcoff, and #3 HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN by Ron Louis and David Copeland. But even though I haven't finished WHAT WOMEN WANT by Larry Stains, Stefan Bechtel, and Laurence Roy Stains, it's already #4!!!

What makes all these books so good is that unlike books like MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, this fantastic four of books deals with the real world, and tells us what women--who rule the game of love--really want!

Some readers have criticicized this book as being a copy of HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN, but what makes WHAT WOMEN WANT different is that the authors not only tell us what women want, but they go into even more details about Sociobiogogy than HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN, and somehow, the writing is even better organized. The section on first date failures is dynamite, and I love the way the book refers to hundreds of the women the authors interviewed, instead of the usual studies quoted in other books. And like the Top Three, WHAT WOMEN WANT doesn't shy away from the importance of appearance, and emphasizes good grooming.

But WHAT WOMEN WANT does have two weaknesses, as the authors try to downplay the importance of certain aspects of appearance such as hair--they try to use womens' answers to their questions to suggest that women don't care about baldness, while my research indicates hair is very important to women--and the authors overstate the importance of money to women--which my research says is a distant second for women to looks. (Why else are so many women married to guys with no money, or who aren't rich?!) Also, like HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN, there are no pictures of the authors, and I'm always a little curious to see what the writers of books like these look like!

But WHAT WOMEN WANT is still sensational, and it's the best book of the 21st Century!

Chari Krishnan

I can almost guarantee a lifetime of happiness to any man who reads this book and FOLLOWS ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IN IT TO THE LETTER. I evaluated this book before giving it to my husband to read, and have ended up buying copies to give to most of my male friends, too. Unlike most advice books by "experts," the material in this book is based on questionnaires and interviews with hundreds of women and the scholarship shows. I found myself saying to myself as I read it, "Yep, that's true; I believe that; I feel like that; most of the women I know are like that." Probably 90% of the observations apply to 100% of American women and 100% of the observations apply to 90% of American women. Our wants and needs will no longer be a mystery to any man who reads this book, and wise men will act on its advice. It can also be a real eye-opener for women readers who wonder whether or not their wants and needs are in line with those of other women. For those who want to read further to find out why women are the way that they are, I recommend "Why Men Don't Listen (and Women Can't Read Maps)."

This extraordinary book is a guide for the thoughtful traveler, but I found it a guide for life, as well. I have read it through now three times, and I still am finding remarkable insights in the writing. The arc of the book is the structure of 'the hero's journey,' a beautifully conceived way of looking at not only traveling out into the world, but also within, as the author continually reminds us. This is highly-charged spiritual material, exquisitely written and lyrically set out. I recommend it for travelers who are truly interested in enriching their spiritual lives as they travel either 'out there' or 'in here' -- or both.

The book is stunning.

A "travel guide for the soul," this book is about living consciously during the moments in life when we have the greatest opportunity to redefine our world and ourselves - when we are traveling. I've already given a copy as a gift.

We all know "getting away from it all" is a great time to relax and think - or *not* to think. The Way of the Traveler shows inspiring ways to open your mind and spirit to either think or just "be."

One of the epiphanies in this book for me was how I defined a "journey." After reading The Way, I have reframed even my gridlocked commute during rush hour into a more relaxing experience. It has reframed my "schlep through the front door" into more of a "homecoming."

Dispenza's "Way" is light reading with a deep message (and its compact size fits into my carry-on luggage!).

Owning a small business leaves little time for travel. Yet after reading The Way of the Traveler, I was inspired to make a long-held dream trip to Italy a reality. I began by researching the home of my grandparents and trying to locate relatives there.Soon small "coincidences" began to happen. I met someone in Santa Fe from my hometown in Upstate New York whose family was also from that very region in Italy, people I meet in business are constantly mentioning their travels there, and two good friends asked me to join them on their trip to Italy next year. I have no doubt I'll do it and what a journey of self-discovery it will be!

I started reading this book and learned more in two chapters than I knew before! Having recently suffered my first miscarriage, I found myself wondering "why?". Dr. Semchyshyn offers more than the pat answer "Nature Knows Best" and empowers women to learn about their bodies and take charge of their pregnancy. It is great to hear someone in the medical field is fighting the archaic practices of medicine.

I had two miscarriages, and was at the beginning of my third before I began reading Dr. Semchyshyn's book. I felt empowered and no longer felt that I was at the whim of the doctors. When I lost my second baby, I almost went crazy. While experiencing my third miscarriage I was reading Dr. Semchyshyn's book, and slowly began to grow stronger. Before, getting pregnant again, I will follow the examples and look for the signs that were mentioned in this book. I learned that women and men can be partners with the doctor in planning a pregnancy. Potential mothers and fathers should read this book. Great Book!

Losing my baby was terrible. But the doctors said there were noalternatives but to let "nature run its course." Pregnantnow, I live in fear every day. When I started having problems in this pregnancy, my new doctors said the same thing the old doctors did -- there are no treatments.

I tried everything suggested to me -- bed rest, vitamins, healthy eating, no bad stuff. I was told I could do no more. I was told there was nothing I or the doctor could do to stop my baby from being lost.

It was absolutely stunning -- and enfuriating -- to read this book and understand that there ARE treatments and preventatives. This book describes things that I can do and things my doctor should be doing. It also describes medical issues and symptoms in wonderfully helpful detail.

The author of this book has a 97.5 rate of births among his patients. Everything I have read says that 15-20% of ALL [pregnancies] end in miscarriage. Why is it this doctor is saving so many babies while other doctors are just letting them die?

I strongly recommend you read this book and learn what you -- and your doctor -- need to know.

Biochemist Daniel Prescott creates a drug that is supposed to help stop addiction, but instead is rumored to provide an incredibly addictive rush by stimulating the body producing adrenaline. Fearing that undesirables will harm him to get at his creation, Daniel hires Global Protective Services, a security firm not squeamish about crossing legal barriers. Former Delta Force commando Cavanaugh serves as the lead "protector" to keep the client safe from the Feds, foreign governments, and drug kings.

However, Cavanaugh gets a taste of the elixir, but loathes the monstrous amount of fear he feels caused by the geometric stimulation of adrenaline. When his men die in a firefight that Daniel caused before the biochemist vanished, Cavanaugh assisted by his wife joins those seeking the missing scientist, but unlike the myriad of others in the chase he needs the antidote.

Fans of action filled with "state-of-the-art tradecraft" gizmos will want to read THE PROTECTOR, a plot that flows so fast and furious as if David Morrell stayed on an adrenaline rush while writing this exciting thriller. Cavanaugh is a wonderful "tragic" hero, but the gadgetry and the careening from one loaded scene to another energy laden adventure overwhelms much of the rest of the cast. Except the star and his spouse there are no good or bad guys just readers elating with this ride.

Harriet Klausner

With The Protector, David Morrell grabs his reader at the beginning of the book and does not let go. This is a fast-paced, page-turning thriller. The main character is Cavanaugh, a former Delta Force commando who now works as a protector for Global Protective Services. When his latest assignment takes a terrible turn, Cavanaugh becomes both the hunter and the hunted as he tries to unravel the mystery and extract a basic form of justice. Beyond the plot's twists, turns, action, and suspense, Morrell brings together an interesting cast of characters who complement Cavanaugh's character. All-in-all, The Protector is a real winner from Morrell. His fans will clearly be happy with this latest effort.

This is a page-turner from the get go. Cavanaugh is a protector, one notch up from a bodyguard - a specially trained ex-government agent for hire. Daniel Prescott has invented a powerful new drug, and everyone from the drug cartels of South America to the U.S. Federal government is after him, and he hires Cavanaugh to protect him. But Prescott kills Cavanaugh's associates and tries to take Cavanaugh out too, then takes off, and Cavanaugh goes on the hunt for Prescott. The action is non-stop in this well written and well researched book. In fact, Morrell suffered a broken collarbone researching one of the weapons used - the knife on the cover of the book. This is yet another Morrell book that I could not put down - I stayed up until the middle of the night to finish it.

Programming with VisiBroker is precise and practical. A very decently organized book with examples and tips on how to design distributed systems. If you are a Java/C++ programmer looking to learn CORBA, you will relish this book. Beware; the Transaction Monitor Service is not covered. This is quite disappointing!

The presentation of the book is great. I did not find the general CORBA section all that useful, but the later sections provided some valuable insights.

My main criticism is that the book is getting slightly dated. There is no coverage of the POA. The current edition is totally BOA based. A couple of chapters by the authors on using Visibroker to handle transactions would be really welcome as well. I am looking forward to the next edition.

Finally a genuine CORBA/Visibroker book. Having struggled through the fog in earlier books, this one comes across as a crystal clear coverage of the subject. No wasted pages here unlike others which spend 50-200 pages talking about Java (one would hardly be reading a Java/CORBA book without knowing Java in the first place).

What I liked very much about the book is the extreme clarity, focus and the clear explanation of portability issues. I also liked the coverage of the advanced features of the OSAGENT as well as the discussion of advanced server topics.

The book has one chapter on object oriented analysis and design. While at first it may appear like a devious attempt to fill up pages, it is actually a very well written chapter.

I have struggled through the Orfali book (ugh) and also read the Vogel and Duddy book (which was a great relief after the Orfali book). This one is far better than either of those two.

Shiner has either been or known a struggling musician, I'm sure, because he has captured what it's really like for someone who's trying to get their music in front of audiences. Vivid descriptions of life on the road, conflicts and personality clashes within any group of people who are together too much, power struggles between the Living Legend and the New Blood. Definitely worth checking out if you are a music fan and want a peek behind the scenes!

I enjoyed this book very much. I'm not a musician myself, but I always dreamed of being one. This book provided me with the opportunity to live Laurie Moss' life! There were also loads of references that I smugly enjoyed "getting" - if you love rock and roll, and are in your thirties - this is for you. Being a woman, I of course wanted more relationship stuff, but maybe in your sequel, Mr. Shiner? Please, I love Skip - and I want to know all about him!!!

Well, Lewis Shiner has done it again. A superb, underrated writer who
first made his name writing great cyberpunk science fiction, Shiner
has written a thoughtful, revealing look at a young
singer-songwriter's struggle to make a name for herself in the music
business. It is a poignant, mesmering tale about a would be Ani
DiFranco. His crisp prose is literally music to my ears - sweet and
clear - his words eloquently reveal his rock and roll musicians as
living people, not as one-dimensional cartoons. Along with his
previous novel "Glimpses", Shiner has written some of the
best fiction pertaining to rock and roll. Before you read a novel
written by any other author on rock and roll, please take a look at
Shiner's work first.

An easy to read and understand book characterized with the breadth of material and examples.

I am looking to buy this book for someone else. It seems there's a text book and there's a solutions manual by the same name, and i am looking for the latter. Can someone help me and tell me if this is the one i am looking for? Thanks in advance

I've studied cost accounting for 2 years in Hong Kong. The first year I used a really bad text book named 'Costing', I hated studying Costing. However after using the 'Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis (10 Edition)', I become interested in Costing and Management Accounting. And deceide to have CMA exam in future. THIS BOOK IS REALLY GOOD ONE.