I re-read "David and the Phoenix" about 3 years ago when I found it in a box of books packed away for ... what, posterity? The story is just as powerful now as it was then--perhaps more so. David's love for this mythical creature come to life is so strong, so pure! I cried like I did 40 years ago when...well, that would be telling.

But you know what I liked best about that book? I remember dreaming of flying like David on the back of the mighty Phoenix. Sigh....

Unfortunately my mother no longer has her copy of the book, but I am determined to get another. I have children of my own now and it would be a terrible loss not to be able to share this story with them.

"David and the Phoenix" is an unforgettable learning adventure for all ages!!

It was never discussed in my house or at any of my friends houses either. Everyone seemed to suffer their losses privately.

I pray frequently for the souls of those lost to the fire, their families, and for the survivors as well.

The book forced me to relive 1958 and to better understand the fire and its aftermath as an adult looking back. I commend the writers for their outstanding efforts. I cried every 20 pages or so. It had to be painful for them to relive the fire as well.

I wish a memorial could be placed at the new school. It would be a nice tribute to the lives lost so schools could be made fire safe.

I have finished the book once, and have now been going through it a second time implementing each of the seven items.

During tax season, many of my clients ask for advice? What should we be looking to invest our money in? What does the Roth mean? How much insurance do we need? How do we plan for retirement? Should we be making gifts to our children's college fund? Many times I am not able to spend as much time, during the tax season as my client will need to absorb the information provided then begin working on the plan. This book allows my clients the time to understand the basics of financial planning. Know the time requirements on both them and myself to become effective. This is a wonderful starting point.

I often recommend books that I have read on financial planning, but this was the first time that I not only have recommended the book I went out and purchased over a dozen additional copies. I have given them out not just to Smart Women, but young couples, and those looking toward retirement. The information is sound. It's easy to understand. If the steps are followed they will make any client Finish Rich.

David always stressed in the book " to help and add values to others" is the only way to success. It 's a simple theory but people sometimes may be blinded due to selfishness or greed. I believe in David's word and really want to share this book with million other people.

What a shocking story! I was quite shaken. I had to put it down, feeling sick. It is amazing how this man survived, and more amazing how he evolved positively. It made me look at my neighborhood in a different way. How many children around me are going through this same? It made me pray for all the children in my community.

I remember ignoring an incident in a store where the mother was out of control, pulled her child out of the store, wacking the child's nose on the way, which instintly bleed, and may have been broken. Now I am haunted by the abuse I may have been preventing if I had reported it...I don't know. You just never know. The people around David ignored the signs, or just couldn't fathom this kind of torture. People, there IS evil in this world. Don't believe it? Read this book; you'll believe. Buy this book and give it to the people/judges/politicians you know who are soft on child abuse--maybe they will change.

One thing that lacked, was I really wanted to know what happened to the mother after David was rescued. (But now I know he wrote more books, which may fill in the aftermath details.) This is purely a testimonial, with a small aftermath, so don't get this to look for solutions.

I am certain that The River Why would be read and understood 60 different ways by any 50 people who read it. For me, it was a compelling journey of a young man, trying to navigate the waters of understanding between what is true, what is not, and finding that those two extremes don't exist. Old ways of seeing the world didn't work when he was confronted with real life "stuff," like death, love, time, and the creatures with whom we share this little wet planet. Over the course of a year on one of any Coast Range rivers of western Oregon, he discovered the "middle path," a path that made sense to him, brought him peace, brought him understanding, and ultimately brought him love, reunion with his family, and a sense of his place in the universe.

This is a book for those who are drawn to nature and native wisdom as doorways to spiritual insight. It is a book I will give away as gifts to special people whom I believe it could touch as it touched me. Spend 15 minutes with it, and you, too will be "hooked!"

Dale Jr. proves that he is as good of a writer, as he is a driver. There are several moments in this book that will make you laugh out loud.

This book is good for the new Nascar fan, as well as the long timers, as it provides a fascinating look into an entire season of the Winston Cup Series. Dale often talks about the highs and lows that the teams go through. He also explains several things about the cars in layman terms so that the non fan can understand it.

Overall, as a long time Nascar fan, I got a lot of enjoyment out of this book, and I believe you will too.

Highly Recommended!!

I finished my first marathon yesterday( 10/28/01) in Mystic, Connecticut, in four hours and 51 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I learned that the marathon was the reward and the training was the goal. During my training I read a number of marathon books, they all had helpful advice, but none were as important as this book. It was a guide, a reference and logbook. Its no longer just a book, its a memoir of the journey to my first marathon!

I consider David Schwartz to be one of the earliest "proactive thinkers" in the world. If you haven't read this book before, get ready for profound wisdom. Schwartz makes it easy to understand that our thoughts are things and have God given powers, far beyond what is commonly taught by others. I can tell you from my own astonishing situations and experiences that, "your success really is most definitely determined by what and how you think."

Schwartz covers all of the proactive bases: smart thinking, system thinking, futuristic thinking, and positive thinking. If you are truly seeking the kind of success and abundance that makes your life 100% livable - you must read this book. Many of his ideas are found in SUCCESS BOUND, another book built on learning how to live a proactively life that is God centered and fulfilling.

You will find that this exciting book becomes a part of you. Don't hold back - let it happen. In fact, you should spend 10 to 15 minutes every morning focusing your thoughts on the truths of this book, thereby allowing them to seep deep into your subconscious mind. If you do this I guarantee this wisdom will most assuredly bring you the success and abundance you deserve.

Enjoy the book and your new proactive success life!

According to the author, the differences between the successful people and others include confidence and positive thinking and reinforcement.

You actually feel empowered and worthy after you've read this. These are powerful concepts. I highly recommend this book

This was the case with me and Dr. Schwartz's "Magic". I am not an intense fan of self-help and motivational literature,
but do read a title or two now and then. I have read many of the classics like Dale Carnegie's books (almost all), Napoleon Hill's "Think and grow rich", Covey's "The 7 habits of highly successful people" and others like "How to be a start at work",
"The power of positive thinking",Psychocybernetics" and many more that have sold millions, are mentioned everywhere and everybody seems to love.

Maltz, Hill, the list goes on. The fact it that so far no book of this kind has proven to be as effective with me as this one. I
even felt I have wasted too much money. Not the case with this particular book. This is the kind of title where you read things you already know, you are after all mostly just looking for motivation. That extra push to get you going in particular moments when things aren't flowing as easily as you'd wish. And for that use, my preference goes to books that have an honest simplicity. This title isn't verbose, it isn't very technical or full or scholarship, perhaps even some of its examples are fully fictional. The truth is that I don't care about that, because it has proven very effective.

If you are looking for something to motivate you (in any area), I suggest you try this title first. The effect with you might be quite different.
Perhaps Napoleon Hill's style suits you better (I truly disliked his books) or maybe some other author. But to many of us, Schwart'z approach is perfect. I first read this over a year ago, and can now look back and see certain aspects that were definitely made easier because if it. Overall, the only thing I regret is not having found this title much sooner in my life (I'm 27), but it will no doubt still prove useful for many years.

As a side recommendation, I suggest you combine this with the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, or the more accessible "The Art of Virtue" also based on Franklin's words, Dale Carnegie and as much wisdom and self-examination as you can come up with. The results won't be magic, but I'm pretty sure the improvement will be easy to notice.

Mention Jules Verne, and books that spring to mind are 20,000 Leagues, Around the World in 80 days, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. The Mysterious Island is one of his lesser known works, which is something of a mystery itself.

The book surpasses one's imagination and never fails to surprise. From the initial pages when Capt. Cyrus Harding and his friends decide to escape from a prison camp, the story seizes the complete attention of the reader, and unfolds at a pace and in a direction excelling Jules Verne's characteristic stories. The spirit and ingenuity of man is demonstrated in almost every page, as Cyrus and Co. find themselves marooned on a deserted island, and armed with only their wits, transform their desperate situation into a wonder world of science and technology. The reader is drawn into the adventure and finds himself trying to find solutions to the problems and obstacles that lie in plenty for the castaways, as Cyrus and his indomitable friends surmount myriad problems in their fight for survival. They are aided in their ventures by an uncanny and eerie source that remains a mystery until the very end.

This book cannot fail to fascinate and inspire awe in the mind of any reader. One begins to grasp the marvels and inventive genius behind the simple daily conveniences and devices that are normally taken for granted. The line between reality and fantasy is incredibly thin, and for sheer reading pleasure and boundless adventure, this book will never cease to please.

PS: The book has been adapted into a movie, which is one of the worst adaptations of any novel that I have ever had the misfortune of viewing. It is criminal to even mention the movie and the original work in the same breath.

He kept coming to mind as I was reading this incredible book, as the characters, stranded on an island with absolutely nothing, accomplished such amazing feats as draining a lake, making a home, building a ship, making an elevator, and a great many other things. There is excitement, suspense (what IS going on on this mysterious island??), and wonderful, likeable characters. Not a real well-known Verne book, but fortunately still in print, and one of his best and most entertaining.

(Incidentally, if you want a children's version of the same story, try to find "A Long Vacation" by Jules Verne, which is extremely similar in plot, but with younger characters and for a younger audience - very charming!)

By the way, please do read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first, if you have not already done so. Evidently, Verne assumed that everyone had when he wrote this novel.

Great reading!

Everyone is familiar with Around the World in 80 Days and 20,000 Leagues. For some reason, The Mysterious Island is not read as widely. Yet, in my opinion, it is Verne's best and most rewarding novel.

The opening of Myserious Island reads a bit like a serious version of "Wizard of Oz." Cyrus, Pencroft, Herbert, and Gideon, and a dog named Neb make a daring escape from a Civil War prison in a balloon, but the balloon is blown way off course to an uncharted volcanic island. These men are worthy souls; Captain Cyrus is an inspiring leader, Pencroft, an earthy but hardworking sailor. Gideon is kind of a "everyman" -- observant, strong and resourceful and loving, and Herbert a young, knowlegeable naturalist. These men and their dog Neb conquer the island's challenges and make the very best out of their isolation on the small island. But are they prepared for the surprises the island has for them--and the ultimate surprise in the second half of the book. The suspense keeps the reader turning the pages through a great deal of descriptive information about nature, chemistry, physics and engineering. This is classic Verne and what really put the Science in Science Fiction.

One reason Mysterious Island may not have developed the strong audience of the other Verne novels is that there is so much detail and scientific discussion. That is rough going if you have little interest in such subjects. There are abridged versions that cut a lot of the description, but frankly, the science is what I love best about the book. How Cyrus and company make nitroglycerin and use it to reshape their island home is one of my favorite chapters in sci-fi literature.

If you liked Swiss Family Robinson as a child, you would surely enjoy Mysterious Island. It's one of Verne's best works and deserves to be read.