This book is both beautifully written and illustrated. The Dalai Lama's message that love, not war, is the answer to the world's problems is presented quite well. Children will enjoy recognizing that this great man once was a child like them.

This book will be shared with my students. They have often endured many hardships in their lives and would enjoy hearing others' stories. The Dalai Lama is a very important person in the world and can not be ignored.

Demi tells a potentially complicated story with clarity and simplicity. The illustrations are beautiful and evocative of the magical land in which the story is set. Where the takeover by Chinese Communist forces is concerned, you may need to fill your child in on some of the political background. Otherwise, the book is very accessible.

Matthieu Ricard has created a work of art. Remaining true to the poetic beauty of the Tibetan original he has for the first time presented this important work to the west. Also, his notes and appendixes on historical and buddhist backgrounds are invaluable. For the first time the reader is presented with the life of a Tibetan saint and his lineage formerly largely unknown among western students of Tibetan buddhism. A tuely inspiring page-turner !

Never have I come across such an inspiring piece of buddhist literature. Plan on having your life and your practice changed forever after reading the life story of this amazing yogin.

If you are a serious student of Tibetan Buddhism, this biography belongs on your bookshelf! (In fact, it's probably already there!)

Never mind. If you are an aspiring serious student, this book will be an inspiration.

I read this book every day. It has enriched my spiritual life tremendously. Now I give it to friends and family. We all have places in our lives and selves that need to be healed-- this book speaks to many of those different dimensions.

I was knee deep in the muck, as they say. My mother had passed away much too early in life for me to make any sense of it, and directly thereafter i was going through a painful divorce. I was bitter. This book is for those of you that believe that God is in all things. That pain is a medium for growth, and as A. Powell Davies would say, " . . . There comes a gentleness, a returning quietness, a restoring stillness. This too is a door to life. Here also is a deepening of meaning - and it can lead to dedication, a going forward to the triumph of the soul, the conquering of the wilderness. And in the process will come a deepening inward knowledge that in the final reckoning, all is well."

If you, or someone you know, needs healing of some sort, this interfaith book of calendar meditations can help; but, even if not, the prayers for the healing of society, the healing of the world, are appropriate for anyone to pray. The selections range from ancient times to modern, some are deeply religious, some are more secular. I got multiple copies of this, two years ago, and I have given away my last copy; now I'm ordering one more, for me. The book is divided by the seasons of the year. It is compact enough to travel easily. Even if you already have a daily devotional book, this is worthwhile as a supplement.

The book is very profound, informative and interesting. Probably the best book on insight meditation, clearly understandable and readable. The quality of the information in the book is excellent and the scope is wide, which makes you want to re-read the chapters again and again. Whether you are or are not a practitioner, or whether you want or do not want to become one, the book is very interesting from the viewpoint of psychology because it opens new realities and widens your mind.

If you have always imagined Buddhism as some mystified religion, or if you have only been educated psychology from the western viewpoint and have felt sometimes that "something is missing", try reading this book. Perhaps, you will be surprised at finding out what Buddhism actually is, and perhaps you will find in the book that "missing part".

"Our life has been spent in sleep and sleepwalking," Jack Kornfield writes in this guide to insight meditation; "meditation means waking up" (p. 52). Coauthors Kornfield and Goldstein are also the cofounders of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. This book is based on "talks given at several intensive meditation retreats" there, and focuses "on the deepening of the inner meditative process, the hindrances one encounters, skillful means of mastering them, and the understanding and wisdom that can arise while in meditative silence" (p. 215). "To understand ourselves and our life is the point of insight meditation: to understand and be free" (p. 7), Kornfield writes. Goldstein tells us that "we practice to open, to balance, and to explore" (p. 18).

Practicing insight meditation is about "clearing or emptying" the mind and heart so that we can listen in a deep and new way" (p. 57). This introductory guide not only contains valuable exercises, but also offers trusted advice about working through the "difficulties and hindrances" that may arise while practicing--desire, aversion, torpor, restlessness, and doubt. "Through practice," we're told, "it is possible to train the heart and mind, to make them concentrated, to make them steady and luminous and free" (p. 39).

The book concludes with a discussion of "the seven factors of enlightenment," mindfulness, effort and energy, investigation, rapture, concentration, tranquility, and equanimity, also offering advice for integrating meditation practice into "our everday lives" (p. 215) so that we may live "a mindful life in the world" (p. 228). Like a finger pointing at "a bright, round moon" from this "floating world" (pp. 129-30), this book is sure to become a trusted resource for anyone interested in living a deeper, more meaningful life through the practice of insight meditation. For those interested in venturing further down "the path of insight meditation," I also highly recommend Goldstein and Salzburg's 12-cassette INSIGHT MEDITATION course.

G. Merritt

I picked up the pocket version of this book one day and happened to open to the page which talks about the accumulation of material items and the transitory happiness it brings -- how once the novelty of the item has worn off we go about buying more things-- all in the hopes of stimulating that "happiness" response. Boy did that hit the nail on the head!! I had to get the full length version and it has been very enlightening. A definte must for anyone who is at a point in their life where they are questioning their purpose, their "path" and want to know what to do to effect change. I loved it!!!

Although this book doesnt get into anything complex, it is a wonderful book for people new to Buddhism. Full of great pictures, and easy to read text, it introduces basics of Buddhism. It may favor with more Tibetan Buddhist information, but it does include other schools of Buddhism. Highly recommend

thorsons have done us a great service with the publication of this book. HH the dalai Lama gave a lecture on the 4 noble truths in england, and instead of merely publishing the text[good enough in and of itself},Thorsons has interspersed scores of color pictures of some of the finest photographs available,throughout the volume. Heavy bonded glossy photograhic paper is used,highlighting this amazing volume. The typeset is bold and clear,the pictures are breathtaking!Monasteries, monks praying, pilgrims outside the ptola palace,children playing...absolutely stunning photgraphs, perfectly compliment the text of His Holiness.And at this price?!?! What an exquisite book, and what a bargain. Absolutely magnificent! Highest recommendation.

I must confess, I picked up this book because it was just so lovely! It is nicely bound, on superb high quality glossy paper, with stunning photographs of Tibet. Everything about it just makes you want to cradle, or worship, it.

Then there's the text. They took a lecture that H. H. the Dalai Lama gave on the 4 Noble Truths and cut it (thank heavens) and put it in the book. The result is weird. The extremely philosophical treatise makes an odd accompaniment to scenes of Tibet. On the one hand, you're reading about how all the world is suffering and we are ignorant louts for getting so caught up in this illusion, and then we glance at the photograph (every pair of pages has one, so you're always looking at something wonderful). I thought, "Gee, if I'm not supposed to care about the world, or I'm not supposed to delight in its pleasures and glories, then what is all this color and visual drama? Illusion?" Thus, the book highlights in an unwitting way one of the paradoxes of Buddhism... we try to disentangle ourselves from the grosser life of merely sensate pleasure but we can and should still love the world. Who says Christianity has a corner on the market of paradox?!

Still, there are some real textual gems and pearls scattered in the pages, and it is quick reading because of all the pictures. Occasionally you'll have to slog through a passage on Tibetan cosmology and physics, which sounds pretty medieval, but then you come across a glorious section that makes your heart sing.

It's a fun ride!

An excellent book but not as good as: The Comedy Bible From Stand-Up to Sitcom : The Comedy Writer's Ultimate How-To-Guide by Judy Carter. It is still worth reading after or with the Carter book. Both books breakdown joke structure (Setup +Attitude +Topic +Premise +Act out) but Carter does a dramatically better job-especially on attitude. Carter's book is twice as big and at a lower price. It has more content or specificity page for page. There is more energy and conversational feel to the Carter Book. Dean regularly gets wordy and does not have Carter's to the point and hard hitting style. There are plenty of reasons to buy both books. Dean has an excellent chapter on playing points of view and two good chapters on rehearsal. Initially, it feels like his method turns rehearsal into an ordeal. His goal is to help separate your internal critic from the creative flow. For those that have used a microphone sparingly, that chapter may be helpful. Excellent chapters on performing and improving your act read well. The book ends with an upbeat emphasis that in comedy-rehearsal, editing and performing (with or with out compensation) are the enduring keys to success.

Greg Dean has been at the stand-up comedy business for some time, and obviously has learned a great deal about how to teach this elusive subject. The book contains much of the material Dean has used to teach stand-up classes in Los Angeles for many years. In addition to giving the reader insights into how humor is created, and delivered on stage (two different subjects), the book is also very funny - lots of jokes. Well worth the price.

Greg Dean's "Step By Step To Stand Up Comedy" is like good-tasting yet powerful medicine. His uncommonly simple and sensical way of explaining the structure of comedy and the strategy for creating great comedy, is brilliant. I find this book an instant and constant idea-generator for me. As the author of the book, "Jack and Jill, Why They Kill," my subject--kids killing kids--could be perceived by those not wearing sunglasses as a dark topic. However, with "Step By Step To Stand Up Comedy" as my constant coach, I have been able to illuminate and elevate my topic so much that people don't exodus the hall when I am introduced but actually stay for my entire presentations, as much for the jokes they contain, as for the vital message of how to rear violence-free, bully-free, and gun-free children. Bravo, Greg Dean...and thank you!

BEACH MUSIC is one of the best books I've ever read. Pat Conroy's writing style immediately identifies him as a master at his craft. This is an emotional work and it is for the person who enjoys feeling the full range of emotions (joy, anger, helplessnes, etc.) while reading a book.

This book covers life in the McCall family, where the father is an embarrasing alcoholic, a brother has volatile, and sometimes comical instances of mental instability, and the mother is regal, despite all. BEACH MUSIC also goes outside of the family where there is parental abuse, accidental death, protection of a friend, and betrayal by another friend. There are many little subplots going on throughout the book, which all come together to form a marred, but realistic portrayal of family, friends and love.

The main characters are extremely well-developed, particularly that of the mother, whose history I found to be the most heartwrenching.

The majority of BEACH MUSIC takes place in costal South Carolina, but some action occurs in Rome, Italy. In both of these places, the scenes are so vividly described that it feels like the reader is actually there.

If you like to feel your emotions raging, this is THE book for you. Pat Controy may prove to be one of the best writers of our time.

To read a book by Pat Conroy is to come to the realization that so much of everything else I read, and think is good, is truly just an appetizer getting me ready for the main course -- which is what Conroy is. Every sentence you read lures you into the web of Conroy's storytelling. This is a book that will take you from the piazzas in Rome to the low country of South Carolina. You will fall so deeply in love with each setting that you couldn't possibly decide which place you would prefer to live.

Every character is a tortured soul who has a tale to tell -- one more heartbreaking than the other. The main story follows Jack McCall, who flees to Rome with his young daughter Leah after his beloved wife Shyla has committed suicide. He leaves behind a bevy of colorful family and friends in an effort to escape his torment and begin a new life in a new land. As a travel writer by trade, Jack is able to pick up and live wherever he chooses. It is a telegram from a family member that will finally bring Jack back to South Carolina to face his demons and learn the stories of all those he loves.

Conroy has the ability of dropping crumbs along the way leading you to each character's hidden story. He touches on times in history involving the Holocaust and the Vietnam War -- each decade so real that I don't even want to think about the horrors. But it is these horrors that have come to shape the characters whose cards have been dealt and whose hands must be played. They are all part of a finely interwoven story with South Carolina as the stage for the grand finale.

In reading the book, I can only wonder if the author can write the last twenty pages and not cry himself. I don't usually cry when reading a book but I must admit that this one did me in. Conroy so neatly ties up all the loose ends so that the reader feels no need for a sequel as they are confident that the lives of the characters they have come to love will go on.

While this is a book about tortured souls, it is also a book that holds great promise filled with love and hope and devotion and yes...redemption. We always talk about the books that will stay with us forever. This is one for me...music to my ears...Beach Music that is.

Pat Conroy is my favorite author--I just wish he produced a new book every three months like John Grishom. There is absolutely nobody else who has the power of "description" and "Imagery" that he has.

I love Conroy's writing because it is always so contradictory. He makes you love and hate his characters at the same time. I started out by being completely annoyed with John Hardin in this novel, and then he ended up being my favorite character--he was so funny and outrageous. I felt the same about his mother--loved and hated her at the time time. I remember this was also true of his characters when I read "Prince of Tides." He has such an ability to play with the reader's emotions.

Beach Music was harder than his other novels because of so many subplots & characters, but instead of wishing it hadn't been so long and gone into so much, I found myself wishing it was longer, and he had developed the characters & subplots even more.

There is always a feeling of "letdown" when you finish one of Pat Conroy's novels because you don't want it to end. Nobody writes about "dysfunction" with his sense of humor.