Rudolf Wittkower is a pioneer in the interest of Baroque art. He favours Caravaggio, the Carracci's and Bernini, to name a few.

This volume is one of three. Originally, all in one book it was more roughly 7" x 6" in size. Being 8.5" x 11" makes the reproductions bigger, but unfortunately, the majority are still in black and white or not there at all. Many works mentioned, are not included in this (or older editions). What good is mentioning a work of art, the reader is likely not to be familiar with, and have a hard time finding elsewhere? This makes the text, frustrating.

Starting with Rome in the first chapter, following with Caravaggio, the Carracci, Caravaggio's followers, Painting outside of Rome, and ending with Architecture and Sculpture. An introduction giving a brief biography of the author and enlarged bibliography has been added.

Wittkower is an important art historian and gives a comprehensive analysis of this time period which is essential for anyone interested in Baroque art. If it had all colour reproductions and included more of them, I would give it 5 stars.

This is one of the most intelligent book I've ever read about art. It's simple, complete, full of original point-of-views. In asingle word: you can't miss it if you like the Art History!

Contrary to what the title might make you think, you don't need NLP knowledge in order to use this book. The way it's written makes it even hard to recognize the NLP bits (I had to search for them).

Why only 4 stars? Even if the book is well written and is easy to understand, I had expected more from the book. The authors should have added some extra chapters dealing with other learnings from NLP that apply for relationships. Maybe I should be happy, at least that leaves room for others to write books. Also, the publisher has applied some low cost techniques: the paper is a bit cheap and the font used is a bit small.

Patrick E.C. Merlevede, MSc -- co-author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

This is a personal, engaging and satisfying book. The subtitle, "simple strategies to make your relationships work" may be misleading. It is more than that. As it is stated in the preface, "This book is not, however, about how to change or manipulate others into being what you want them to be. Nor is it about trying to fit into other people's expectations regardless of your own point of view. It is about being more yourself, putting more of yourself into a relationship and letting the other person be themselves too..." What a beautiful goal! The two co-authors have the gift in guiding us along in very simple language, metaphors, anecdotes and questions. They help us grow in understanding our biological, social and intellectual dimensions, or what they call "voices". They have distilled much wisdom from current literature on relationship, genetic factors, male and female differences and give life to the vision and concepts of NLP without any technical jargon. Instead of acquiring specific strategies or techniques, one grows through developing the different perspectives and reflecting on oneself, one's wants and shared goals, and learning how to change and love with commitment. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in life-long growing, esp. in relating.

This excellent historical novel vividly portrays the anguish of the Irish people who suffered through the potato blight and ensuing famine that left over two million dead from starvation. O'Connor brings the human suffering to life through a series of chapters, written by a journalist on the ship, in which particular characters are defined, as well as the manner in which their lives intersect. Against a harsh background, the passengers on the Star of the Sea embark on a voyage that will take them far from the horrors they have known, to a new life in America. During the course of this voyage, one passenger will be brutally murdered by another, but whom and why remains a mystery until the end. Yet there is an air of expectancy in that knowledge, as the unfolding plot reveals close associations between some passengers, forged years ago by time and circumstance.

The Star of the Sea carries First Class passengers as well as those in steerage. A member of the English aristocracy, Earl David Merridith of Kingscourt, his family and their nanny are ensconced in relatively comfortable quarters, along with other such men of substance. There is a sharp contrast between First Class accommodations and the cheapest berths, below decks, where hundreds are warehoused like cattle and disease is rampant. The poor are forced to endure yet more punishment with unsanitary facilities and insufficient food. Vessels like the Star of the Sea, with its well-meaning Christian captain, are all that is left for such throw-aways. Many succumb daily to a variety of shipboard diseases, sent quickly overboard to their watery graves.

A man who wanders the decks at night, when the others are sleeping, is much remarked upon by all. He is a small-boned figure, with a crippled foot, who treads the upper deck incessantly, back and forth, mumbling to himself. Called "the ghost" or "the monster" in his filthy clothes and unkempt appearance, he is, in fact, one Pius Mulvey, a survivor of the unremitting brutality that decimates Ireland's poor. Mulvey has, in fact, become a monster, a creation of his own extreme circumstances. Traveling the roads of Ireland and England, Mulvey has tasted every form of depravity and honed criminal skills along the way. While others suffer tragedy and find a source of strength, Mulvey has fed off his own venal acts, capable of the most heinous crimes. As a creation of his situation, his survival-at-any-cost attitude, Mulvey becomes an "Everyman" of the famine, a stark example of what becomes of a broken human spirit after repeated degradation and suffering.

Due to unwise investments, the Merridiths have lost the land their family has held for generations and, by opting to save themselves, they turn away from the destitute souls who seek to stay on the land. The only Irish citizen they take along is Mary Duane Mulvey, the widowed nanny of their two children. During the course of the journey, the Merridiths take pity on the duplicitous Mulvey, believing him victim rather than victimizer. They welcome him into the intimate circle of their family, oblivious to his true nature. Mary Duane recognizes Mulvey at once and is loath to have anything to do with him, yet she has a history with Mulvey as well as with David Merridith, adding another layer of complication to the relationships.

O'Connor's writing is impeccable, his illustration of the socio-economic class struggle of the mid-1900's pitch perfect. This horrific tale witnesses the virtual annihilation of a proud race. There is great compassion on these pages and piercing awareness of a dispassionate fate, the legacy of the famine. For some of the characters, their endless trials render them more complex; but for others, the façade of humanity is ripped away, revealing a heart scarred by rage. The claustrophobia on the Star of the Sea is almost unbearable, each day a burden, another glimpse of the past. Many live in hell and it is familiar, as is depravity and the utter loss of hope. Whatever the future for these unhappy passengers, they are forever marked by the passionate love and abject loss of a land that no longer provides for the living, become instead a vast graveyard of dreams. Luan Gaines/2003.

When the "potato famine" of 1847 was over, two million residents of Ireland had died agonizing deaths, most of them from starvation. The events which led to the famine, the people who were directly affected by it, and the steps taken to ameliorate or escape it are the subjects of Joseph O'Connor's intense and heartfelt novel, Star of the Sea, named for the British-owned "famine ship" which is the center of the action here.

O'Connor presents four main characters who recall the pivotal experiences of their lives which lead them to make this fateful, 27-day journey. The reader becomes emotionally involved with their stories, acquiring a broad background in Irish social history--and its tragedie--in the process. Thomas David Nelson Merridith, Lord Kingscourt, is the ninth generation of his Protestant family to govern Kingscourt, with hundreds of workers dependent upon him. Now bankrupt, he and his family are going to America, first-class. Their nanny, Mary Duane, has recently joined the family, and her stories of her past loves, her marriage, and her loss of her own children illuminate the bleak prospects available to this warm and intelligent, but desperately poor, woman.

G. Grantley Dixon is a caricature of the liberal American do-gooder, whose reports about the plight of the Irish poor are influenced by his own socialism and by the reform-minded traditions of his family. Self-centered in his attitudes and limited in his social graces, he is detested by Merridith. Pius Mulvey is a mysterious ex-convict who comes from the same town as Merridith and Mary Duane, directly connected to both of them. One of over 400 passengers who have paid $8 per person for passage, he is crammed into the fetid and dangerous quarters known as "steerage," expected to stay alive on one quart of water a day and half a pound of hardtack.

O'Connor pulls out all the stops here in this big, broad melodrama, but an honesty of emotion and a fidelity to the facts here saves the novel from bathos and gives the reader cause for thought. Moments of both ineffable sadness and high drama arise, and O'Connor's imagery, especially his sense imagery, is arresting. Occasionally, his compression of time, for the sake of story, leads to anachronisms--several mentions of evolution, with parallels between monkeys and Irishmen, ignore the fact that Darwin's Evolution of the Species was not published until twelve years after this famine. Still, O'Connor presents a compelling story with many unforgettable details of Irish history. The ending is preachy, but the author does provide a follow-up on the characters after their arrival in America. The fact that at least one character becomes a politician (later accused of misappropriation of funds) will surprise no one accustomed to politics. Mary Whipple

In the bitter winter of 1847, a ship named Star of the Sea sails from Ireland, bound for New York. It is a miserable November, the cold seeming worse because of the Great Famine that has stricken the country. Thousands are dying from starvation and disease. Thousands are fleeing, after selling everything they owned to buy passage to America. And thousands are perishing in the attempt. Joseph O'Connor tackles a tragedy too long ignored. He turns the writing over to G. Grantley Dixon, an American journalist traveling home to Manhattan on the Star. Thus the story feels more authentic, as Dixon uses excerpts from the captain's log and bits and pieces from his own unpublished novel, along with other similarly clever literary devices. We join Dixon and other first class travelers aboard the Star, a ship with a dank hold overfull of steerage passengers with little choice but to bear the wretched filth --- and often too weak to care.

O'Connor has created some wholly unlovable characters. A notable few of the cast are brilliantly moral, despite overpoweringly desperate conditions in the midst of an historical bleakness. Lord Kingscourt, sailing with his wife and two sons, comes on as a quite likable fellow at first, a fellow fallen on hard times of his own --- and hard times of his own making. As you get to know him, his darker side slowly emerges. I finally found myself nearly devoid of sympathy for this errant soul. But Lord Kingscourt is a product of his past and his choices, as indeed we all are. He fell in love with the wrong woman and spent his life in marital misery. Mary Duane, his children's nanny --- and the object of his desire --- sees things from a different viewpoint. She lost a husband and a child, and now she does what she must to survive. Lurking in the corridors, on the decks and in the hold is the Ghost, Pius Mulvey, a murderous prison escapee with a plan for assassination aboard the ship. As the Star sails, Lord Merridith, his wife Laura, Mary Duane and the despicable Pius Mulvey are profiled.

Everywhere in this novel are the stark reminders of the chasm between classes. The present action takes place onboard the ship bound for America with her starving and diseased, but hopeful, cargo. Unfortunately, many of the steerage passengers, carried below decks in the frigid hold with clogged toilets and stinking blankets, will not make the journey alive, much to the good captain's sorrow. Meanwhile, in First Class, the tables are set with fine cutlery, the wine is abundant, and the beds in the private cabins are warm and snug.

I am a week late with my review of this book because I just didn't want it to be finished. I love to savor a good book, but this one gets inside your soul. There is so much going on --- injustices that evoke a sense of outrage, a dose of history (with a few authorial liberties taken), secrets revealed right and left about the characters, and a few famous ones, like Charles Dickens, wandering onto the page now and then --- that it helps to put it down and take a while to ponder O'Connor's message.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time, written with the musical lilt of the Irish and a hint of the Erin impishness. O'Connor didn't simply write this book --- he choreographed it.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

This is a short and precise introductory text to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). That is probably the book's main strength - the fact that is short and that it condenses the topic very well. However, I did not find this book to be an easy read because somehow, the topic seemed scattered and not well defined. It failed to provide a usable framework to structure the material with the result that it seemed that one page of text after another, none of which taking me anywhere.

However, by the end of the book, you have a reasonable idea of what NLP even if it seems a little jumbled and mixed-up!

A very, very good basic introduction to NLP. This book is good for those who want an "executive summary" of the basic principles of NLP. It doesn't go into the techniques. Just enough to help you decide if NLP is right for you. If you want to get into basic techniques, best to skip this one and go right into "An Introduction to NLP."

This is the best introduction to NLP on the market today. Based on practical skills used by consummate communicators.

I ordered this book because of George Zee's review, and he was right on target. I was looking for a short, concise, well written NLP book for everyday problems. Though not new to NLP, this book gave me new insight on how to apply it to my own life. This has been a problem for me in the past as I tend to view things as too much of a technical exercise at times. O'Connor's writing style is conversational, flows well and is simple to follow. I would recommend it to anyone, and will probably be ordering multiple copies for gifts this year.

Joseph O'Connor has the gift to explain Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) in clear and simple language, illustrated by examples and metaphors. His Introducing NLP (1990)and Principles of NLP (1996) are still the best introductions that I continue to recommend to those interested in the subject. In the present small book he has gone further in utilising NLP insights without any technical lingo at all. Through personal anecdotes, guided exercises and clear explanations, he helps us to change our outlook and ways of thinking so that we'll successfully and easily live a much fuller life with clear goals, less pain, worry and stress and much more appreciation and resourcefulness. Once we learnt the difference between being inside and outside an experience, we can change our internal videos, self-talk and do mental rehearsals. We can also welcome criticisms. This book is especially recommended to those who are new to NLP. I wish the author will continue to write more books in this format.

After looking around for a while, I must admit that it is the best book about training I've found (as long as you're not involved in the classic education). The book offers a good and complete overview of what training is all about. If you know something about training, you will find out how much you already know. A nice feature of this book is its use of brain maps to offer a section overview, and really each chapter ends with an overview, offering the key points. My conclusion? If you want to know about training, get this book! If you want to get training in training, follow a seminar!

see www.7eq.com/books for more NLP book reviews

I got this book when I went to see Rex Steven Sikes in November, 1997 at his Trainers Training at IDEA SEMINARS in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I used it when I was training call center Advisors at GM Onstar
for Sitel Corporation
I particularly like all the mindmaps in it.
This book is an easy read for people in human resources and sales
or even computer trainers who are trying to
become good at standup delivery.
Its also good for managers
who need to train others and develop
exciting training for high technology companies such as
the Big 3 Auto Companies.
Elegant NLP basics covered with a customization
for people who train, teach and empower others.
If you manage people this will enhance your mission.
If you want to learn about NLP and Training this is the book
to have for your collection.
I'm currently using this material develop my teaching
lessons at the University that I'm teaching Computer
Science Courses.

I came to this collection of thirteen short stories after devouring O'Connor's brilliant novel of revenge, The Salesman. Three of the stories here ("Last of the Mohicans", "Mothers Are All the Same", and" Ailsa") will ring familiar to those who read his first novel, Cowboys and Indians (a coming of age tale with a bit less depth, but still worth a read). In general, the stories range from 10 to 25 pages and as a whole, provide a brief glimpses of everyday modern Irish people- the one exception being "Glass Houses," a story about a taxi driver which appears to be set in America. A prevalent theme running throughout is the forming and/or aftermath of relationships, both marital and extramarital, straight and gay. And the final two stories ("The Greatest of These is Love" and "True Believers") effectively combine themes of spiritual faith and loss. My favorite, however, is "The Long Way Home," which stands out as a creepy, surreal, and ultimately poignant tale of a man leaving his wife, who then picks up a hitchhiker who may or may not be dangerous.

This diverse collection of stories brings together a myriad of characters, ideas, and issues, which in essence bring alive contemporary Ireland despite wide spread stereotypes of this beautiful culture. The stories that stand out include: "Mothers are All the Same," a tale of a travellers uncertain future; "Volunteers," looks at the troubles through the eyes of a romantic relationship between a Brtitish soldier and an IRA volunteer, and finally "True Believers," a story that presents striking metaphors concerning Ireland's relationship with the Roman Catholic church. As an American living in Ireland at the time I read this book, "True Believers" was a part of my cultural education. O'Connor is an international and universal voice!

After several years of study I decided to read a text book on the current views,opinions, and changes about drug use and abuse. My choice for this book was originally based on the most current copyright date and edition. This book with its blunt title and layout in the table of contents assured me that this is what I was searching for. The information is spot on, and the background, history, and unknown trivia about the use and abuse of drugs made this book an enjoyable read. Packed with knowledge and concise description this book is a must read and useful addition to the book shelf at home, school, or office for anyone seeking knowledge on the subject of drugs and how they affect American society. I'm glad I found it.

Practical NLP for managers is probably the more deeply involved NLP book that remains applicable in most everyday situtations. From building rapport to understanding different company leadership structures, this book is an excellent buy.

I was misled by the new title and publishing date and enthusiastically ordered multiple copies. But it was disappointing to discover that it is only a reprint. Please cf. my review of Principles of NLP two years ago. It is still a very good and lucid introduction to NLP, a complement to the author's Introduction to NLP, which did not include the Presuppositions.
(The book has 190 pages, not 224.)