Socrates' Way: Seven: Master Keys To Using Your Mind To The Utmost by Ronald Gross is a marvelous and unique "self-help" book that draws on the wisdom of the philosophical genius Socrates himself. Centering on seven great precepts espoused by this wise man, ranging from "Know Thyself"; to "Speak the Truth"; and "Strengthen Your Soul," Socrates' Way is an inspirational, involving, rewarding reading and a superbly presented reading for anyone seeking personal or professional self-improvement.

Never mind the "how to" and "dummies" books; this is the ultimate life and how to understand it book. With Ron Gross as Socrates incarnate we are privleged to experience wisdom of the ages brought relevant to the present times. A must for any thinking individual.

For eons Socrates has been an inspiration to legions of thinkers. Now, in the 21st century, it is possible to become reacquainted with this great philosopher through the person of Ron Gross. Ron Gross has not only studied Socrates, but he has integrated Socrates' personality and approach to life in his own character. For example, it is not unusual to see Ron walking the streets of Manhattan in toga and sandals.

It is possible today, through Ron's writing and his public appearances, to meet an incarnation of Socrates living in the modern world. This is what Ron's new book, Socrates' Way does. It brings Socrates into the modern world, making his work approachable and relevant to our lives.

Socrates' Way sets the stage for you to examine your life. It was Socrates who said that the unexamined life is not worth living. If nothing else, this book at least sets the tone for you to examine your own life, to look at all things with a questioning eye, and to not take things for granted. In a world where we are overloaded with information, much of which is questionable, if not outright mythological, it is particularly important to be able to analyze what we hear and see and to sift between truth and artifice.

This is a highly readable book which I recommend for anyone who is on the path of self-improvement.

I don't know what it is about Orson Scott Card -- Before I ever read him, I was prepared to not like him. I'd heard that he was a science fiction writer and that genre isn't a favorite of mine. However, my opinion now is that Card ranks as one of the absolute best and most skillful authors alive today. He has an amazing ability to get inside the person or circumstance he is writing about and make it into something that anyone could understand and be proundly moved by.

In addition, he comes up with some of the most fascinating ideas for a story. The title piece, 'The Elephants of Posnan', is one example. Although there is no doubt that Card wasn't suggesting that the premise of this story is truth, it still left me mulling the entire piece over and over again. He makes such a moving and brilliant case for something entirely bizarre, and insightfully comments on the nature of man in the process. 'The Elephants of Posnan' was positively spellbinding, beginning to end.

I love this collection. Orson Scott Card is a true master of his craft.

In this collection not only are you exposed to Orson Scott's Card's mastery of fiction, but you gain some insight into his creative process as well, thanks to the author's commentary on certain pieces.
The various storys are a joy to listen to and range from science fiction to fantasy, from psychological thriller to love story.
Whether you're a die hard Ender Series fan, a general fan of Card's, or a first time listener to the whole audiobook genre, there's something here you'll cherish.

What a great way to learn or re-learn or upgrade your skills in this crucial skill! This book is a joy to handle and read, and a powerful learning tool. Bravo to the authors!

This book is great! It's easy to understand, and reviews lessons frequently. It is both comprehensive and easy to understand. Even individuals with learning difficulties will find this a valuable tool. I am purchasing it for a reference book for the staff. I LOVED it!

This is a sure fire way for MD., VA., & DC residents to learn how to file their own divorce cases. If you don't have a phone, you may not have a lawyer, but if you can read and follow instructions and you have the cost of this book, you can, if certain requirements are met, be your own lawyer and lean to obtain your own uncontested divorce.

I had decided that enough was enough, but was concerned as to whether I could be on my own and still take care of the children. After reading the information provided in this book, I realized that there were legal ways to make my husband help. I was not interested in destroying his life----just taking our children and starting over. Having information that was specific to my state of Virginia gave me the cnfidence I needed to move forward and talk with an attorney.

To all the film buffs, as you good people are aware this book dealt with the how and why the film,ALIEN, was filmed,i just wish that i had bought this, book in 1979 when this film was first shown.Overall a nice piece of history of horror set in space.This book is quite rare and is hard to find....please bring it back.............

This is a refreshing way to spend your time listening to some of the best interviews from the show. I like the show but sometimes don't have time to catch it on NPR. This audio set gives me lots of the memorable interviews I've heard or partially heard over the years. It's a great collection of some of the folks who are major influences in their work. The inquisitive and probing questions of Terry Gross really open up conversations with the likes of Tracy Ullman and Dennis Franz, they sound like us. These are wonderful snippets of real life.

This book will occupy a prime spot on my bookshelf. I've had to use a bunch of different books to find this kind of information before. It's nice to see such a wide range of topics from discrete math covered so thoroughly.

This is the first book I have read by Richard Evans (aside from the children's book "The Dance"). I was not disappointed. While usually a reader of non-fiction, I am very "picky" when it comes to novels and work of fiction. This story was extremely satisfying. This book read very well, the story flowed nicely, the characters were well-defined, and everything happened for a reason. While some people may call this a "sappy love story", I choose to look at it as a painful, but must-have lesson about life and love. Growing up and coming of age - you know - the twenty-something years where you are no longer a child, but not yet a "real" grown-up. I will definitely go back and read some of Mr. Evans' other pieces - beginning with the prequel to this story. I highly recommend!!!

This is a tale that is classic Evans. It is an inspiring story of life, love and loss. It is a story that makes you look at the perceived obstacles in life. Are they really obstacles and stumbling blocks, or are they really building blocks. The Carousel begins with a decision of a couple to marry secretly, at a very young age as they both begin their journey towards their own goals. The secrets they are forced to keep and the feelings they hide work against everything they thought that they wanted. This story wraps itself around every emotional chord and touches your heart with truth and honesty. Although Evans creates a very simple tale, it is by no means simplistic. It is probably the simplicity of his writing that makes The Carousel so wonderful and inspirational without being "preachy". It remains in your heart long after this book has been tucked back onto it's shelf.

This book is hardly predictable. I have wondered if other authors or publishers, jealous of a book's success, ever logged on and left nasty comments. Now I know. There's a reason Evans has sold millions of copies of his books and The Carousel is a good example. The writing is beautiful. But, more than that, I found great hope and inspiration in this book's message. Anyone who has faced depression, in themselves or in loved ones, will take a great deal of comfort from this book. I also enjoyed the book's surprising ending. I have friends who have read this book two or three times already. A good love story, well written, with a good moral, is hard to come by. Thank you, Mr. Evans, for giving us something worth reading.

The original version of the story Lost Boys (later expanded into an inferior novel) is to be found here, and it is truly a frightening story. The events unfold, and before you realize it, you discover that the story is autobiographical. Also here are: CLOSING THE TIME LID--a wildly delicious time travel story--KING'S MEAT--a touching, and ironic tale of life on a planet that has been taken over by wierd squid-like aliens, who prey on human flesh--and of course the CLASSIC short story, UNACCOMPANIED SONATA. Words fail to discribe how touching and beautiful, how sad, and wonderful is this story of a future time when everybody gets to do whatever makes them most happy.

A must for Card fans and highly recommended to those attempting to understand the appeal and celebrity of this prizewinning and acclaimed American author of science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism.

Card's short fiction has always exceeded in power, beauty, and universalism the long fiction which he produces at such a prolific rate. This is mainly due to his tendency to explain nuances of his characters in his longer works literally, rather than allowing the reader to understand them through diligent observation. In his short fiction, however, he routinely abandons this "lowest common denominator" method, much to the empowerment of his prose.

The appeal of Card's work is similar to that of film wunderkind Steven Spielberg. At his worst, he is unflinchingly manipulative, such as in the story "Lost Boys," the original source for his later popular novel (cf. "The Color Purple"); at his best, his narration remains remote enough not to overpower with sentimentalism, as in "Unaccompanied Sonata" (cf. "Schindler's List"). A few works seem to be unnecessary literary exercises taken to extremes ("Damn Fine Novel") but, as is Card's trademark, a constant theme of sin/redemption runs through most of the stories. While drawing upon the Mormon experience, Card is unafraid to avoid simple moral chiaroscuro in favor of the gray areas for which good fantastic fiction is so well tailored.

The perfection of some of these tales lies in the simplicity of the telling. Card seems to have adhered to the ethic that informs Native American and Far Eastern oral traditions, wherein the narrator becomes only an instrument for the audience, and never intrudes as either arbitrator or alibi. It is in their peculiar mixture of triumph and tragedy that Card's stories delight, whether described through whimsy or dread.

The book's five segments, roughly described respectively as horror, science fiction, fantasies, parables, and miscellanea, comprise most of the author's published (and some unpublished) works up from 1977-1990. Particularly recommended: "Unaccompanied Sonata," "Quietus," "The Porcelain Salamander," A Plague of Butterflies," "Gert Fram."

It was a crime to let this book go out of print! Fortunately, one of my friends, also an OSC fan, lent his copy to me "for a short while." Because I am an honest person, I returned it. Eventually. And only after seriously considering changing my name and moving to Alaska, all to avoid losing these stories.

The book is divided into sections, each with a unifying theme: horror, classic science fiction, fantasy, parables, religion & ethics, and a mix of miscellaneous works. "The Changed Man," "Flux," "Maps in a Mirror," "Monkey Sonatas," and "Cruel Miracles" were also published as individual paperbacks, but "Lost Songs," which contains, among other things, the original short version of "Ender's Game," is only available in the comprehensive hardcover edition.

Every facet of OSC's brilliance is displayed in this collection. His longer works, while also brilliant, have an unfortunate tendency to lag at points, but in short form he shines. Though not all the stories are of equal quality (hey, everyone has bad days), none are bad, and many are things of beauty and power. My personal favorites include "A Thousand Deaths," "Freeway Games," "Saving Grace," "Kingsmeat," "The Porcelain Salamander," "The Best Day," "I Think Mom and Dad Are Going Crazy, Jerry," and, of course, "Unaccompanied Sonata."

Be aware: some of these stories contain graphic and disturbing images. They also contain disturbing ideas. But no one writes speculative literature better than OSC at his best, and this book has a lot of his best.

As with all of Card's beautiful novels I was succumbed into this new setting that quickly enraptured me. I had read Ender's Game about a year or so ago, and once again just a couple weeks ago. The first time I read it, I was quite frightened at the aspect of child murderers and power-hungry adults and so forth. The second time I read it I was scared still-- but with fascination. The same has happened for Ender's Shadow.
I'm glad that Mr Card managed to write the story with a different POV, and yet it wasn't as boorish as I thought it would be. Same conversations are brought up again, yes, but Bean, Bean with his ingenious mind contemplates every aspect of the conversation which somehow fascinates us. Just by reading these two books I can compare and contrast Ender and Bean-- Bean is certainly smarter, and I delight in him when he shocks Graff/Dimak/any adult by his intelligence. But Ender has so much more of a leadership quality, and yet he is still secluded in the way that he is burdened with guilt.
I definitely got to know minor characters better-- and knowing that Petra and Bean are going to fall in love in the future (sorry if I spoiled it ^_^;;), I was glad that Card kept it to a minimum, but that he didn't completely disregard it. But I STILL can't get over the fact that Bean is approximately 6 years younger than Petra (egads!).
Perhaps some of you are annoyed at the exaggerated intelligence that is inserted into the Battle School characters, but for me, it excited me and made me even more drawn in! Of course I do envy them, and wish I had been smart enough to know how to square root 2+'n', but *sigh* I shall have to be content.

Although this rates as the best book I've read this year, it can't hold a candle to the original. I would suggest that anyone who wants to get this read "Ender's Game" first. In this book, Orson Scott Card doesn't do a very good job of introducing why they're at war, what the battle room is like, etc. Moreover, many of the best parts of this book only make sense if you're familiar with Ender's Game.

The character Bean seems to be a lot like Lovelock. His very intellectual, but often guilt-full view of the events are a nice contrast to Ender's, Peter's, and Val's views.

The first 50 pages are incredible. After that, the book is rather slow and philosophical until he meets Ender. A lot of his time with Ender is the exact same scenes as are in Ender's Game. After that, the book really picks up again.

Even with those flaws, it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. I'm eagerly awaiting any future sequels.

BTW, is it just me, or does it seem like one of OSC's main points in this book was to make Ender look bad? This might not be a good book for someone who considers Ender a role model.

There are only two types of books I review. The very worst and the very best. I try to help other people avoid buying any book I disliked. This is a great example of one of the best books I have read.

If you have read Ender's Game, this is a MUST READ! Ender's Shadow compliments Ender's game. It fills you in on some of the details missed in Ender's Game. The characters have depth, the writing is magnificent, and trust me. You will not want to put this book down.

If you have not yet read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow is still a good book. Or so I have heard. Most people have already read Ender's Game before Ender's Shadow. If you are not sure, read Ender's Game first. I promise. You will not regret reading Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow. Card has taken a very difficult(in my humble opinion) topic, writing the award winning Ender's Game in the perspective of another key character, Bean. If you have already read Ender's Game, when Bean meets Ender, the reading slows a bit, but Card has made it interesting by filling details missed in Ender's Game.

I strongly suggest you buy this book. If you still aren't sure, then by all means wait until it's paperback, but either way. Trust me on this. You will not be disappointed. Well, I hope not anyways.