In a remarkably funny and thought-provoking book, Karel Capek portrays the 20th century in all its monstrosity. He cleverly demasks militarism, racism, and cut-throat capitalism with a story about man-like newts who are exploited by greedy and power-hungry humans. More than anything, Capek's book is an attack on modern culture's emphasis on science and technology to the detriment of humanity and civilization. This culture includes nationalist ideology, which is useful in excusing atrocities and excesses. As a result, the future of mankind itself is threatened (World War II, needless to say, proved Capek's point).

The newts, discovered far away in the Dutch East Indies by an eccentric captain, are spread around the world with funds from a wealthy industrialist syndicate. They learn how to use tools, even how to speak, and soon they are used not only for commercial but also for military purposes. Afraid to fall behind in the underwater arms race, leaders ignore the possibility that the newts one day might rise up against their masters...

Although Capek is addressing difficult and serious questions, his writing is amusing to the point of hilarity. The style of writing is mock-serious and satirical. Here is a writer who knows people, and has the ability to bring out the comedy within the great human tragedy. I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor and a concern for the future of civilization.

...and this is also the genesis of science fiction as a medium for social commentary. Long before Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, and Douglas Adams mined science fiction for dark pearls of wisdom, Karel Capek set the stage with the delightful "War with the Newts." A long-time favorite of mine ever since I studied it in a literature class in college, I enjoy revisiting this book time and time again. Capek effectively uses a time-line approach to document the exploitation of the "newts," all the while poking fun at (then-current) Aryan superiority, rascism, and "bonehead" science. The assumption of the inferiority of certain classes of people is shown by Capek to inevitably lead to the downfall of the world as we know it. Since Capek's time, other authors have followed his path with some success, but Capek remains the master of this genre, and, along with H. G. Wells, Olaf Stapledon, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Jules Verne (oft-imitated authors in their own right), he must be considered one of the pioneers of modern science fiction

I randomly found this book on Amazon one day, and decided I had to have it. When it arrived, however, I found myself slightly taken aback by the endless stream of footnotes throughout the book - not to mention the sections in another language altogether! And yet from the first page I was hooked - simply from a plot point of view, the story is engrossing all the way through. I found myself mysteriously endeared to the newts and dying to read each section. Capek is a brilliant writer - I find it hard to believe in many parts that it is a translated work. It's incredibly funny in parts and can definitely be very tongue-in-cheek. Capek also holds nothing back when it comes to mocking mankind - as a former scientist, I found his depiction of scientists particularly amusing, but he really lets out an endless stream of satire with no group spared. Germans, lawyers, the British, Hollywood, Big Business, capitalists - they all take a turn. I think if I knew more about world events in the 1930s I would have gotten more out of the book, but I think anyone with a good sense of humor would enjoy this book. Parts of it are written with a very academic tone, but it's quick moving and satirical enough to read through.

This 2nd Edition is even better then the first. They do not teach business professionals enough, if anything about marketing with word-of-mouth. This book is easy to read and easy to implement. If you want to increase the number of referrals you are receiving and receive quality referrals get this book now. Not reading this book could be dangerous to your wealth! Congratulations to Dr. Misner and Virginia Devine for this wonderful book that can teach any business how to be a BIG success.

I bought this book four years ago and have referred back to it many times since. It is full of great ideas on how to promote your business. This is a MUST HAVE for new businesses and anyone in sales. The book talks about how to promote your business, with out spending all your income. It will help you to pinpoint the benefits your business provides and how to tell potential clients and potential referral sources what you do in one or two sentences. Do you know what you would say to your number one prospect if you found yourself in an elevator with them for 30 seconds? After reading the book you will. It won't be written down for you, it is not a magic phrase. You will learn how to define your business in a way that will spark interest and get the potential client to ask you questions and build repore. Word of mouth marketing is the key to building your business and this book will help you get other people talking about your business. I have not done any advertising in over three years and my business is continuing to grow with quality referrals. I also recommend Ivan Misners new book, the Masters of Networking which will be available in October 2000. I got a sneak a peek at an advance copy and can't wait to read it. Remember- Givers Gain.

We all know that word-of-mouth is ¡§The World's Best Known Marketing Secret¡¨. Since it can help the company to retain the existing customers, attract new customers and build up the brand image of the company. But before that, the company should first ensure the customer satisfaction.

It seems to me that once the company provides good product and high quality service, there will be positive word-of-mouth. Then the customers come to the company to make purchases. Yet the book told me that it is totally wrong. Good product and high quality service are useful to decrease the negative word-of-mouth. If we would to like generate business opportunity through word-of-mouth, we first have to build up good ¡§networking¡¨. So, we can get business opportunity by spreading positive word-of-mouth through our network.

Besides, I appreciate the book provided lots of practical tips about ¡§Networking¡¨. ¡§Networking¡¨ is very important, no matter for us to get the job, or to have business opportunity. And I agree with book that it is a good idea for us to have networking with people with different background. In my opinion, we can learn something from each person. So if we have strong contact with people with different background, then we learn more. Also, people with different background can give us different

Descriptive and very helpful, a little dry reading but still very helpful.

The book was very informative, but I wouldn't suggest that a person without a strong working knowledge of training dogs reads this book untill they become more familar with dog training and the sport of Schutzhund.

Ivan's and Karen's book was extremely helpful and is a must have. It gives you some problem solving techniques and advices you how to approach most common problems. I especially liked the suggestions on overcoming distraction issues. The different methods described really teach you how to think like the animal, and use it's innate abilities to your advantage. In the end you get a wonderful, obedient world competitor that is happy to do everything you ask.

Given the other reviews, this seems a dissenting opinion, but Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" was a pretty laborious read. I read the entire book out loud to an audience and found myself wishing it would come to an end.

All apologies to those who liked this book. I respect that, but the problem for me came in the amount of endless introspection that overflows the pages of "The Golden Pavilion." I don't mind some philosophical pandering in my literature and thoroughly enjoy it when it's done with the uniqueness of Don DeLillo or Milan Kundera. But here, Mishima takes whatever plot is involved in this tale of a temple student gone awry in the face of foreign influence, loss of values, poverty, and psychosis and sucks the life blood right out the marrow of it. This leaves the book with no skeletal structure, no bones, just a big lethargic mushy mass of meandering thoughts and not even well-worded or unique ones at that.

Here's what I mean, we get no less than 5 pages of a bee landing on a Chrysanthemum...somebody help me please. We get laboriously repetitive words (not sure if that's the translators fault or Mishima's) with a mention of the character's Kashiwagi's clubfoot about every other sentence. We get 7 counts of the use of the word, "adumbration" in one paragraph...7 mind you. Who uses the word "adumbration", much less 7 times in a paragraph, 3 in one sentence? Don't get me started.

Not a detail goes by without Mishima turning it over in the character's mind endlessly until we are no longer remotely interested. It's your typical boy loves temple, temple is too beautiful, boy must destroy temple sort of story. And where the plot starts moving along towards the end, Mishima interjects some inane meandering ethereal philosophy that seems to lead nowhere, just to kill the momentum.

On page 255 there's the line, "I was overcome by intense weariness." So true, so true. That's how this book grabbed me through and through.

I reckon The Temple of the Golden Pavilion to be one of the best novels of Mishima. This book is therefore quite something since Mishima in my opinion is one of the best writers of the 20th century. The protagonist is Mizoguchi a shy boy with a speaking problem(or has he problem speaking?). Mizoguchi is mentally and phisically overwhelmed by the building of the Golden Pavilion to such an extent, that it leads to disastrous consequences. If you want to read a great book by one of Japanese finest writers try this one.

This novel is a good example of a theme that frequently arises in Mishima's work: the resentment of the object of desire. Mizoguchi, the protagonist, is overwhelmed by the beauty of the golden temple and learns to resent it through the guru-like counsel of a friend. Over and over, Mizoguchi feels overwhelmed and made insignificant by the beautiful things in his new life as a monk: the beautiful temple, sexual possibility, and ultimately, his autonomy, perhaps even his life. This book, arguably Mishima's best, may well have been another one of the author's suicide rehearsals, and the unforgettable psychological impact of the book is that of a legendary storyteller demonstrating his Hamlet-like "north-by-northwest" madness. Technically, this is an amazing book, dripping with evocative, beautiful imagery and reminds me of a movie in its directorial-like descriptive method, its forceful 'mis en scene'. Artistically, I suspect Mishima was trying to compete with his great literary forefather Kawabata by playing with western ideas of the apolonean, further fueling his hopelessness and his rage with his art and with himself, but that is a bit academic and beyond my ability to determine. Ultimately, I cherish this book for its tortured explanation of the harshness love and beauty cruelly impose, a feral scream quietly hidden in the drug-like beauty of a book.

In a technical sense, this is not a great book. The plot is not really anything new, the book is full of cliches and the dialog is sometimes extremely stilted. The characters often say things that seem utterly contrived, sentences put there just to fill space and the descriptive passages are sometimes less than stellar. At one point, the hero beheads a bad guy and we are treated to this thrilling description: "Pop. Splish." The love story is transparent and predictable, the action is pretty standard Bruce Willis/Ah-nold/Dolf stuff and the book has a thousand little flaws that make it seem amateurish at times.

Now, ready for the weird part? I couldn't put this book down.

I read this book last night in one sitting. The first thirty pages or so are slow, but after that I was hooked. The pace of the book is just right, with the plot development, action and love aspects meshing pretty well. While the story is not all that original, it is told well and with an enjoyable tempo. For every bad thing I mentioned above, there is something about the book to balance it out and, on the whole, the good outweighs the bad.

One of the major checks in the plus column for this book is the introduction of an extremely likeable character (Nis) from an extremely likeable race of aliens. The Fuzzies are sort of an intergalactic everyman. Intelligent, kind, friendly and eager but stopped short of their full potential by forces outside their control. They do their best from day to day but there is always that invisible something holding them back. This is definitely a group of creatures that a lot of us can identify with. I found myself liking and caring about Nis more than I have any book character in quite some time.

The evil aliens in this book are also quite impressive. Powerful, driven and remorseless. An intelligent, technologically-advanced race with only one thing on their mind: conquest. They share (a few too many) characteristics with the Borg of Star Trek fame, but they stand up well on their own merits.

One thing I would like to have seen is a lot more exploration of both alien races. They are introduced and set up very well. We learn enough to really become interested in their motivations and personalities but then they are sort of left out to dry. It's almost as if the author said, "OK, I have created interesting, provocative characters that people will care about but I don't feel like spending any more time on them." After the initial introductions, they become mere plot pieces. The Fuzzies are, however, fleshed out better than the Regnant.

OK, this is a lot more wordy than I intended to be. Let's just say that if you are looking for high literature, this isn't it. If you are looking for a well-paced action/thriller with some good characters, go ahead and read The Eyes of Light and Darkness.

SpaceAce

After receiving the book from Amazon, I found myself well engrossed in it and read the first 17 chapters the first day. It took a little over a week before I could get back to it, but found the plot, action and character emotions easy enough to get back into again as though I hadn't put it down at all. I highly recommend this book for any lover of science fiction, adventure and/or combat stories. When the first of Ivan's "mazes" come up, I thought that he was falling into the standard trap of many adventure writers by padding the action with nearly impossible mazes to add excitement and confusion. However, I soon realized that the innards of the sleeper ship and space station were deliberately written as they were to give the reader the EXACT same sense of fear, loss, confusion and solution as the characters. My problem with being able to envision the layout and structure of the ships was INTENDED to put me in the same frame of mind as the characters. I still have difficulty envisioning the malevolent aliens except as horrible looking critters that only Computer Generated Graphics with a good Morph program would be able to create if a movie was made of the book. That thought led to a clue as to where the author probably got the idea of one of his mazes. I think the Botanical Garden on the station was borrowed from an old computer game I played on an Apple II plus back in the early 80's. Even if it wasn't, it made me feel sort of at home and gave an excellent contrast to the steel and rock passageways and compartments of the rest of the station. A very nicely done touch, indeed. I was also pleased that the author knows something about firearms. Many other authors do not take time to research some of the tools and weapons they use in their stories and gross errors spoil it for the reader. Now, if I were collaberating with Ivan on this matter, I would have picked different calibers for his weapons than he did. But the difference would have been insignificant to the non-firearm oriented person. Ivan's selections and potential uses were very well done though such guns do not exist, YET. His vision of future possible development is well within feasible engineering limits. But then, that would just be a personal choice on my part. Possible only because I am not a "Fuzzie". Richard A. Landgraff

This book is an excellent representation of two species, one human, one alien. The plot, with its continual twists and turns and revelations of the alien culture, with some insights into humans as a species, kept me guessing. I am an inveterate end-of-the-book reader, and was delighted when, not only could I not figure out the plot, but the ending itself was tantalizing enough to draw me forward. This is not a typical space opera; there are few shades of black and white, mainly gray. The interaction between the the main human and alien characters is fascinating, and sometimes tragic (I think - I'm still trying to get a handle on the ending). There are a few stereotype characters, but they are usually minor characters who impinge little on the story. The engine driving the plot are intriguing and sometimes thought-provoking. Early in the book, I was afraid I might have a plot somewhat like the movie "Alien" but was relieved to find it was not so. I continue to ponder the ending and plan on re-reading it to find the many parts I am sure I missed. I look forward to their next book.

Leo Tolstoy is brilliant at expressing and delving to the core of human emotions, his insight into both males and females emotions is exceptional. The different stages of love and the beauty of death. Written in the 1800's and still prevalent today.

I found the stories to linger too long on emotions as the pace grew slower and slower, almost to an irritating halt.

An interesting read, although for the reader with a bit of patience.

This story begins with the death of Ivan Ilych, a well-respected member of the Court of Justice in the late 1800s. The story follows this event by going into flashback, and exposing the significant events that lead up to his death. Ivan Ilych's unsatisfying life primarily consisted of drowning himself into his work, putting up with married life, hosting social dinners, and playing bridge with his friends and colleagues. One of the most crucial events pertains to Ivan Ilych being diagnosed with an illness. This forces him to analyze his way lof living. I really appreciated this specific short story, because it expressed how much a society's views and beliefs can effect an individual's way of life. I highly reccommend this book to everyone.

This is my first Tolstoy book. Excellent, breathtaking, and strinkingly similiar to some people. I read this book as a final assignment in my Medical Ethics class-the reading is short but full of mind tickling content. If you brain is hungry, read this. I now look forward to other Tolstoy greats.

For a fan of Russian literature, this book is a necessary read. Goncharov explores the problems with nobility and the caste system in a way that none of his predecessors did. He does this while largely capturing the beauty of the Russian style of writing. He offers detailed characters that each represents a different archetype. He shows you several social environments and the place each held within the system as well as what purpose they served. And mostly he accomplishes all of this while telling a very humorous and ammusing story.

I did feel that he strayed for about 100 pages in the middle. The story got away from being a Russian piece of literature and turned into a Jane Austen romance of types. I love Jane Austen and have no problem with these plot types in general, but it felt misplaced in this particular novel. For this reason, I would suggest that if you are not a fan of Russian literature yet, you introduce yourself into its world with a different piece of work, of which there are MANY.

Tolstoy hailed Oblomov as a sublime work. Dostoevsky panned it as the work of a charlatan. Goncharov created one of the most intriguing characters in Russian literature. You might say Oblomov is the ultimate nihilist, but he doesn't know it. This is a man who has never grown up, until one day he meets a fine Russian beauty, and attempts to direct his life for the first time. The opening part of this book is first rate. Goncharov sets up his characters beautifully. "Oblomov's dream" is one of the finest pieces in Russian literature. But, like Oblomov himself, this book doesn't hold up well over the long haul. Goncharov's literary powers begin to diminish and the story becomes more diffuse without really illucidating the reader as to the lack of motivation in the character.

Fortunately, Oblomov is not without humor. The amusing relation between the protaganist and his manservant, Zahar, can be side-splitting at times. It is also quite poignant. As much as Oblomov seems to loathe his manservant, he can't bear to be without him. Zahar is the only link Oblomov has left to the family estate.

Oblomov does not stack up to the greats in Russian literature, but it is worthy of the second tier. However, it has been a book that has influenced later generations of writers, including Samuel Beckett, and has been made into a feature length movie by Nikita Mikhalkov.

What a fascinating novel. It's not totally unrelated to today's world, as it seems at a first glance... And there are so many connections between the author's life and the character of the story! It makes it even more interesting.

I would like to disagree with the last reviewer and stress that Sei Shonagon was certainly not a highly intelligent statue and she was not particularly zen either. Shonagon was a lively wit and intellect, known for her erudition and scholarship. The thing that I found most wonderful about the Pillow Book was not its serene contemplation of nature, which was often a literary conceit in Heian times, but rather her robust enjoyment of life. In the Tale of Genji, the Gossamer Diary, and the Sarashina Diary, you find disappointed women, unhappy with the way their lives turned out and often betrayed by their men. Although several lovers are hinted at in the Pillow Book, Shonagon never lets anything get her down. The time she describes was probably not a happy time, her patron, the Empress was suffering due to lack of political support, and Shonagon's own future must have looked bleak. However, she never falls into self pity and rather treats us to a delightful look through the eyes of an extremely intelligent and realistic woman. Her description of the worst lover ever is hilarious today. I've read it to friends of mine who have never read any other Heian literature and it made them laugh. Shonagon's keen observations and ready wit shine through after a thousand years and a translation. It stands as a testament to the fact that somethings, love, laughter, friendship, and the relations between men and women never change.

"Rare things," Shonagon wrote,"A young bride who is loved by her mother-in-law, a silver tweezer good at plucking out the hair, a servant who does not speak bad about his master." This is a small excerpt of Shonagon's writing in The Pillow Book, also refered to as "one of the great classics of Japanese Literature." The Pillow Book was created by Shonagon through making entries in her diary when ever she was able to get some paper. Shonagon's writings are based on factual material which she observed as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Sadako, during the height of the Heian culture in the 11th century. Throughout Shonagon's diary many themes are present, however the most dominant is that no matter how life treats you, you must remember that everthing comes with a price. Shonagon's background information is slim to none, however some is revealed through her entries in The Pillow Book.

The book is as fascinating as the history that surrounds it. Written during the Heian dinasty, it markes a breaktrough in its epoch. The Chinese influence over Japan was overwhelming, especially from a Cultural point of view. So the Heian leaders prohibited all that came from China. Thus, the alphabet changed.

Women were not allowed to be instructed; they just were educated to attend their dwelling and their maa. But Sei, a sort of ancient autodidact, taught herself a new language, and a new way of writing.

Many consider this the first real book in history. But it has its critic. Another women of the time, but tamed for Imperial joyness, Murasaki Shikibu, depicted the book as silly, because it dealt with every day common life.

What it really bring to us is an extraordinary recollection of ideas, commentaries, glossaries and thoughts that women were supposed not to have then.

This intimist, simple novel, permits us to look our daily rutine with other eyes, and makes us aware that everyday, every other second, id unique, and that we must use it as if we we were selected for posteriority.

I had to start this book four times, but once I did I couldn't put it down. Doig has a very unique style of writing, this novel being one in the first person. Angus and Rob are two characters the reader feels for; the novel does a wonderful job of engaging us in their lives. For Montana history and landscape, this book cannot be beat; Doig's descriptions of the land makes one feel like they are standing there at the time. This is a very beautiful historical account of a much-forgotten piece of American history.

"Rascal Fair" narrates the story of two Scottish immigrants, their friends, and their families in the demanding Montana foothills around the turn of the last century. Doig is technically masterful and each page was a delight -- I wound up underlining and making marginal notes (things I rarely do in a book read for pleasure). He gives us an almost first-hand impression of the stark Montana winters and the renewal of spring, the small but intense triumphs of the ranchers, the poignancy as good old friends succumb to age and poor fortune, and so forth.

Doig's major triumph, though, is relating Angus McCaskill's pursuit of "the love of his life," Anna Ramsay. Doig skillfully describes the personal and social destructiveness caused by blindly (and greedily) pursuing one's selfish perceptions and dreams while ignoring (and losing) the far more beautiful gifts which grace our lives. I wished I could have jumped into the pages and shaken some sense into him, but I eventually realized this is how we, too, frequently order our lives.

I first read this book ten years ago, and it still seems like a story told by a dear and respected friend or mentor.

A relative loaned me "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" during summer vacation, and I at first gave it part of an afternoon. "Hmmm. Not bad." Then I picked it up again at bedtime, got hooked, and read far too late into the night. "This guy can write!" Before long, Doig and his Scots characters had invaded my vacation, seduced my complete interest, and dominated my attention. Three things I particularly admired: First, the power of the story. As with the best of literature, Doig's story swept me into it, so that I dreamed the dreams, wondered how life would fare, and rode the tumbling buckboard of existence with the characters. Second, Montana as Doig painted it, played a major role in the interest. There's something "Westerning" about most of us, I feel, and Doig's Montana grips our collective subconscience. And third, Doig's use of language pleased me like the delight of Christmas fudge. The sheer intelligence and artistry of his writing made reading an aesthetic pleasure. Words ought to go

This is a very good coming of age novel - historical novel. Set in rural Montana on the eve of World War II, English Creek describes the summer experiences of an intelligent 15 year old. Written by a Montana native who has done a good deal of historical research, English Creek is not only a Bildungsroman but also a detailed portrait of life in rural Montana. Told with humor and considerable insight, English Creek is a sweet but not saccharine book about a more innocent but not necessarily easier time.

English Creek will linger in your memory. Its story of 14 year old Jick McCaskill is by far the best of Ivan Doig's Montana books. He probes Jick's coming of age, his relations with his family (not a dysfunctional one either), and culminates in Jick's assumption of responsibility fighting a massive forest fire. A lyrically written, memorable book.

Doig's characters are just incredible. His sense of humor is immense. His description of the depression years in Montana is fascinating. And of course, the landscapes inspired by his acquaintance with the countryside depicted in ENGLISH CREEK are breathtaking. This is the best book I have read in ages! I am going to find a way to work it into my American literature course, because it is not only a great book, it's a priceless piece of Americana.