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Book reviews for "Gwisdek,_Michael" sorted by average review score:

Socrates' Way: Seven Master Keys to Using Your Mind to the Utmost
Published in Paperback by J. P. Tarcher (10 October, 2002)
Authors: Ronald Gross and Michael J. Gelb
Amazon base price: $11.17
List price: $15.95 (that's 30% off!)
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Inspirational, involving, rewarding reading
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.

Socrates: Alive and Well and More Pertinent Than Ever
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.

Examining your life
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.


Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT, 2003-2004 Edition
Published in Paperback by Workman Publishing Company (2002)
Authors: Jason Abaluck, Larry Berger, Michael Colton, Manek Mistry, Smitha Prabhuswamy, Paul Rossi, and Chris Kalb
Amazon base price: $8.76
List price: $10.95 (that's 20% off!)
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Excellent Book
This book is a great way for anyone to polish their math / verbal skills for the SAT. The lax mood of the book makes the SAT seem less formidable, and maybe even "enjoyable"(yea right). Of course, everyone feels more comfortable knowing that the authors of the book scored higher than a 1500, which is pretty good. This book doesn't waste time providing futile practice tests which fail to simulate the actual SAT. Instead, they encourage you to buy 10 Real SATs, which is really the best way to help you improve. The book contains useful tricks and even some shortcuts. The only way this book could have possible been better is by having a section which accentuated on math shortcuts, but nothing is perfect. When the new SAT comes out in 2005, alot of people are going to wish that this book is still out there for the new one. Overall, great prep book, and there's no harm in buying it -- it's cheap and useful.

Best SAT Book on the Market
Simply the best. If you're taking the SAT, buy this book along with 10 Real SATs and you're set. This book is funny while serious in improving your SAT score. People love to look at stats: I improved from 1260 to 1460 in 11 months with the use of this book, 10 Real SATs and by taking challenging courses in school. This book is worth the $$ just for the jokes, I mean, come on...

Best SAT book i have bought
This book is witty, yet informational. Every other SAT book ive bought, ive fallen asleep due to lack of excitment. This book has both. I say buy this book, and buy some pratice SAT's and you should be set. This book is a MUST BUY for any normal kid, who enjoys life and cant sit infront of a book written by 80 year old men in rocking chairs.


Soul of the Night: An Astronomical Pilgrimage
Published in Paperback by Ruminator Books (1996)
Authors: Chet Raymo and Michael McCurdy
Amazon base price: $10.50
List price: $15.00 (that's 30% off!)
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Raymo is a gift!
In THE SOUL OF THE NIGHT, a collection of tender, lyrical essays praising the night sky, astronomer, physicist and college professor Chet Raymo teaches by example that science and passion are intimately, irrepressibly connected; they're meant for each other.

Through his eyes and pen, Raymo draws breathtaking pictures of our universe and connects them to mythology, literature, religion, history and anthropology. He calls on Roethke, Rilke, Shelley, Thoreau, Buddha, the Bible and the Koran, among others, to inspire his instructive reveries. He compares the night sky to Moby Dick, a butterfly's chrysalis to stardust, and the Earth's cone-shaped shadow in outer space to a wizard's cap "8000 miles wide in diameter at the rim, where it fits snugly on the Earth's brow." And when the sun and moon come together in eclipse, he transforms the view into a gentle kiss between lovers.

Now THIS is the way to learn astronomy.

Raymo deserves to be savored slowly, by candlelight.

The Soul Of The Night by Chet Raymo
"For Beauty's nothing but the beginning of Terror" - page 13
This is such a beautifully written and illustrated book. Each chapter gently reveals us through our science, religion, poetry, and history. Now I know why whisperings of Magic began in the night so long ago and continue to present times.

Exhilarating and poetic
As an avid astronomer, I am always seeking ways to put the fantastic things I see into words, to make the infinite understandable. Chet Raymo does that in this book, in language for more poetic than scientific. I would highly recommend to anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered... What is our place in the cosmos?


Reason for the Hope Within
Published in Paperback by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (1998)
Authors: Michael J. Murray and Alvin Plantinga
Amazon base price: $19.60
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Comprehensive collection of modern Christian apologetics.
'Reason for the Hope Within' showcases contemporary papers in the philosophy of religion and philosophical theology by a clutch of up-and-coming Christian philosophers. The book's aim, in which it generally succeeds, is to introduce non-philosophers to the latest developments in Christian philosophy.
The authors attended a conference to road-test their material in apologetics workshops for Christian leaders and laity. The care taken to make their collected material accessible means that this volume would make an ideal 'reader' for the intelligent non-specialist, or for philosophy undergraduates. The general tone of the papers might be described as the philosophical equivalent of 'smart-casual', and one or two of the authors try just a little too hard to 'let their hair down'. This is not to accuse these papers of flippancy or a failure to treat their subjects with due seriousness when they are being serious.
This is a well produced book, edited with an introduction and a couple of papers by Professor Michael J. Murray, who co-edited 'Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions'. It also comes with a foreword by Alvin Plantinga.
The range of subjects covered in sixteen chapters is admirable: pro and anti- theistic arguments, the relationship between faith and reason, religious pluralism, providence, religion and science, the incarnation and the trinity, resurrection, heaven and hell, miracles, ethics and the authority of scripture. I would highlight the scrupulous but nevertheless refreshing contributions from Robin Collins (on 'The Fine Tuning Design Argument' and 'Eastern Religions') for particular praise. The papers on 'Religion and Science' (W. Christopher Stewart) and 'The Authority of Scripture' (Douglas Blount on a topic infrequently covered in similar books) are also particularly edifying.
My main criticism for this compendium is that it has a distinct lack of suggested further reading, an oversight that will leave more advanced readers straining at the leash for greater detail and less advanced readers with no-where to advance towards. However, this is a fine body of accessible work that deserves attention from believers and non-believers alike.

Christian Philosophy and Apologetics at its Best
This book should be required reading for every thinking Christian. The articles are very engaging and informative. Each contributor deals with a certain philosophical and/or theological issue from the problem of evil to divine action and human freedom. It is a compilation of some of the choice young Christian philosophers and apologists currently writing and researching. This title is a fresh assessment of some fairly thorny issues that have been discussed for centuries. Michael J. Murray (co-editor with Eleonore Stump for the book titled "Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions) is the editor, while great thinkers such as Alvin Plantinga (who wrote the forward), J.P. Moreland ("Scaling the Secular City"), William J. Wainwright (editor of "Faith and Philosophy"), and Kelly James Clark ("Return to Reason") endorse the book. While the book anticipates that the reader already has a background knowledge in the areas covered, nonetheless, each article is so well articulated that the reader will either gain a better understanding or be able to develop a data base to launch them into further investigation. Thus, this work is a must for anyone interested in the areas of Philosophy of Religion and Christian Apologetics.

Catch up with Contemporary Apologetics!!!
This book is tremendous!! As I read this book, it amazed me how each article had such new insights into the defense of the faith. You just can't buy this material anywhere else. This book is for the able reader(or someone who is relatively familiar with Evangelical Apologetics)who wants to know what Christian Scholars are thinking these days.


Uncommon Sense for Parents With Teenagers
Published in Paperback by Celestial Arts (1995)
Author: Michael Riera
Amazon base price: $11.20
List price: $14.00 (that's 20% off!)
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i can't believe it
I'm a teenager and I heard about this book on Oprah. I couldn't beleive the logic of it--it was so right on target and logical. EVERY parent should read this book for understanding and a new, sensable(but different) outlook. It introduces topics like let them leave their room messy. Many parents won't agree, but that's okay, but, at least, for your child's sake. read the book.

Making sense of it all
Most of us spend our entire adult life trying to figure out our own childhood, so it's no wonder that raising a child can seem confusing, challenging and at times scary. This book saved me. It taught me (or at least reminded me) that all teenagers go through enormous physical, psychological and social change in the high school years. While the specific behaviors will vary from child to child, there is a common thread running through it all -- and it makes sense. This book reassured me that my child wasn't abnormal, that I was right in being confused and sometimes appalled by their behavior. And it let me take a step back and not take it so personally. After reading this book, I bought a dozen copies to give to friends and business associates who were struggling with teenagers (or soon would be). Read this and both you and your child will benefit.

The BEST book out there on communicating with teenagers.
I have purchased and read many of the books out there on raising teenagers. Many of them promise a lot, but deliver very little, so I buy another and another. This book covers it all. The author knows what parents want, but also gets inside the heads of our teenagers and explains what they want, and more importantly, how they perceive our rules, desires, and opinions of them. It took away some of the fear I had about going through this phase of life as a parent. It allowed me to more clearly understand exactly what my son was trying to say, even when he didn't use the exact words I would have expected. Consequently, our discussions have been much more fruitful. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.


What's It All About
Published in Audio Cassette by Random House (Audio) (1992)
Author: Michael Caine
Amazon base price: $16.00
Average review score:

Michael Caine's rules
Michael Caine, one of film's most durable actors, tells his story through 1992 in the autobiography WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

How many film performers have done as much as well as Michael Caine? For more than forty years, the actor has delivered shining performances in dramas, thrillers and comedies. He's carried flicks as a leading man, shared the spotlight as a costar, contributed to emsemble casts and has even take small roles.

In WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, Michael Caine vows this book is the only autobiography he will write. I hope he changes his mind. I am sure Mr. Caine had to leave a lot of good stories out of his first volume. And since its '92 publication, he has been knighted and won another Oscar. Why not another book?

The most noteworthy aspect of WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT is that Michael Caine, despite having done almost everything you could want to do, has had the same personal and professional ups and downs as you and me. He tells stories we've all been through, such as being nervous about meeting women and his strained relationships with friends. (Of course, you and I would not be pals with actor Terence Stamp.)

This Michael Caine fan wants more movie-making anecdotes. If Mr. Caine does publish a second autobiographical volume, I request a synopsis of the making of each of his ninety-something films. He barely mentions two of my favorites: WATER and especially the obscure comic gem WITHOUT A CLUE.

Bravo to Michael Caine for not kissing and telling. He alludes to the bedroom activity that made the 1960s what it was for the rich and famous but does not name names.

The night Michael Caine won the Best Supporting Actor for CIDER HOUSE RULES, ceremony host Billy Crystal had been making fun of Caine's role in a JAWS film. Yet Mr. Caine did not return the dig during his acceptance speech, despite notorious Crystal bombs such as MR. SATURDAY NIGHT, FORGET PARIS, and FATHER'S DAY.

Unless, of course, Michael Caine's saving those remarks for his next autobiography!

For now, read WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT.

Caine is Cool
A very good read. Michael Caine had a surprisingly interesting early life, and it is the first half of the book which is the coolest. Unfortunately after he becomes a star, the autobiography loses its objectivity and he just becomes another Hooray Henry. It really is a shame that he couldn't keep up the wit that propelled me thru the first few hundred pages. Another annoying element is that everyone in the book is his "friend." By the end, the guy has about 5000 friends. He must spend a fortune on Christmas cards. Still, very recommended!

A great example of "follow your dream"
This book is inspiring. Michael Caine knew at a very young age that he wanted to act, and through perseverance, he has become highly successful and one of the most respected actors of our time, with two Academy Awards to his credit. This should serve to encourage those with dreams but who tell themselves "I'll never make it."

This is the real thing. Caine starts at the beginning and tells it all without indiscreet name dropping. He mentions that he does not plan to write another autobiography and so does not want to leave anything out. That makes for a really great read.

But what's really special about this autobiography is how approachable Caine seems to be. He comes across as just a regular guy whom you could approach on the street and say hi. Considering that most of the other autobiographies I've read, however great they may be, still seem like stories told by a celebrity who has deigned to share his/her life story, that in itself is an amazing accomplishment.


Where We Were in Vietnam: A Comprehensive Guide to the Firebases, Military Installations and Naval Vessels of the Vietnam War, 1945-1975
Published in Paperback by Hellgate Press (2002)
Author: Michael P. Kelley
Amazon base price: $31.96
List price: $39.95 (that's 20% off!)
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Where Was I in Vietnam? You will find out in this book!
I would like to call your attention to this new book that has recently been distributed. The author Michael Kelley is a good friend and over the years we have assisted each other in the Vietnam historical arena. I recommend this book highly not because I am a contributor but it is a mammoth compilation of information/grid cords on named locations, LZ's, and Firebases. It essentially is an encyclopedia on our war. The book is approx 850 pages. I can assure you it represents the most complete research project possible. This book belongs in every library/archive/ researchers & Vietnam Veterans home collections.

George G. Neville, Jr. Marine Recon Vet - Vietnam

Your own personal piece of the National Archives.
As an Army veteran who served three tours in Vietnam and Cambodia, is a student of Southeast Asian history and one who has well over 200 non-fiction books related to Vietnam in his library, I believe that "Where We Were" is surely one of the best reference resources that I own.

For those who served in Vietnam or those with a interest in the history of the U.S. involvement there, "Where We Were" is an indispensable piece for your library. This book is a monumental compilation of firebases, landing zones, airfields and navel vessels with over 10,000 entries. Not only do most of these entries have grid coordinates but the author has taken the effort to triangulate many of their locations with other know sites such as towns, firebases, airfields, etc. This makes looking up specific sites on a map a very simple matter. No other book I own goes to this detail to make it so useful. This book is nothing short of outstanding. Its like having a piece of the National Archives right on your bookshelf.

And if that wasn't enough, there is a fairly comprehensive Internet guide and as well as a recommended reading list. These are real bonuses for those intent on doing further research. The writing of this book was, in this reader's opinion, a true labor of love. It is a must for those who were there and for the serious researcher. My hat goes off to Mr. Kelly for this painstaking piece of history.

Need Maps?
I was a Forward Air Controller in Vietnam. When I was transferred to Thailand I was advised to destroy my maps for secutity reasons. I did and also destroyed my mission cards which coverd each air strike I controlled. After all I had my diary. Now over thirty years later as I try to write my diary in a useable form I find the notes I wrote inadequate. My memory of events doesn't match that of some of my friends. I have a large scale map but it doesn't have the firebases plotted and doesn't show the terrain as I remember it. I needed the 1:50,000 scale we used to support the ground troops. I have been looking for a set for several years but it seems all my friends destroyed theirs too. I was trying to find out how to order a set or even if they were available and had no luck until Michael Kelley's book came out. If you need a map of Vietnam for whatever reason this is the one where you can find it! Thank you M60 for your massive work. Everybody who wants to know about the Vietnam War needs this book and the maps that can be ordered from it with the coordinates to make Vietnam look like it did during the war from whatever perspective you saw it.


The White Guard
Published in Paperback by Academy Chicago Pub (1995)
Authors: Mikhail Bulgakov, Michael Glenny, and Michael Gleeny
Amazon base price: $11.87
List price: $16.95 (that's 30% off!)
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I liked this book a lot too
This is a tight and powerful novel. It is more or less unique in Russian literature in that it is the story of a "typical" (i.e. non-socialist) family affected by the Revolution and Civil War. Bulgakov grew up in Kiev and his love for the city comes through very strongly. When I read this book I knew very little about the historical events it describes but this didn't prove much of a problem in the long run.

Stunning novel about a world coming apart forever
While we are, as Americans, familiar with the story of the Stalinist purges and know something of post-Revolutionary Russian history, the Russian Civil War between the White and the Red is not as well-known.

But this is the crux of the struggle that subsequently determined Russian history. Many authors tried to give a view of that turbulent period; Pasternak in "Doctor Zhivago", Solzhenitzen marginally in "Ivan Denisovitch" (Denisovitch was in a gulag because he was a returnee from the German front and thus viewed as a political traitor) and Ayn Rand "We the Living." Bulgakov's novel is one of the richest, most touching and well-written I have read on this historical time.

He takes the story from the personal standpoint of a single family affected by the German betrayal of Russia to the incomprehensible brutality of the Civil War. The use of "white" and "red" as symbols in describing everyday objects and landscape is novelistic, the action is pure stage drama as you'd find in a play or film.

This is a far better novel than "Doctor Zhivago", which dealt with essentially the same subject (families torn apart by the Civil War and their way of life forever altered.) If you are at all interested in Russian history, I can't recommend "The White Guard" enough to you. I just loved it.

A 1:30 AM "I can still read for fifteen more minutes" book
I am also astounded that only three people reviewed this book. The novel centers on the Turbin family living in Kiev, Ukraine during the Civil War (1918 - 1921) that followed World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the Russian empire fell apart in 1917, the Ukraine declared an independent state in early 1918 led by a parliamentary leader called a Hetman. The Hetman Skoropadsky in The White Guard is the second such leader. Skoropadsky assumed power with German support and intervention. Having just lost World War I and being not all that interested in the Ukraine anyway, the Germans could not support Skoropadsky enough to quell the inevitable power struggle. In the Ukraine, there arose armies of Tsarists (led by Deniken, mentioned briefly in the book), Bolsheviks (who, of course, ultimately win but are not major players in the book), and Socialist nationalists led by Simon Petlyura. The Turbins enlist in a local guard unit supporting the Hetman against Petlyura's much larger army. It soon becomes clear that their loyalty to the Hetman is misplaced, but the Turbins' loyalty to each other, their city, their friends and neighbors, and their commanding officers is heart-warming. Besides "heart-warming" there are also running gun battles, sabre decapitations, machine gun ambushes, and enough action to please all but the most hard core testosterone addicts. Petlyura is regarded by many Ukrainians as a great general (no opinion from me), but many readers will enjoy despising Petlyura for the pogroms he instituted that killed 100,000 Ukrainian Jews. Petlyura is called a "dirty Yid" at a point in the book that might give insight into Bulgakov's view on these pogroms. This book is both a taut thriller and a beautiful story of loyalty and love. Brian says "Check it out" (Sorry, Joe Bob).


The World Wrestling Entertainment Yearbook 2003 Edition
Published in Paperback by Pocket Star (2003)
Author: Michael McAvennie
Amazon base price: $20.97
List price: $29.95 (that's 30% off!)
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A who's who in wrestling with [great] pictures
One of the best yearbooks I've ever read. Every major event from 2002 was covered. Even behind the scenes coverage at WWE. I look forward to next year's edition. The match pictures and Trish pictures were great.

BRILLIANT FANTASTIC
THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE BEST WRESTLING BOOKS I'VE EVER READ. IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WWE AND MORE!!! THE WRITING IS BRILLIANT THE PHOTOS ARE GREAT AND ALL THE INFORMATION ON EACH WRESTLER IS THERE

THIS IS A DEFINITE BUY FOR ANYONE WHO CALLS THEMSELVES A WRESTLING FAN.

Puts the smackdown on any other gibronis' wrestling books
I don't usually read a lot of wrestling books, but this one has it all: it's funny, inisghtful (the writer really knows his stuff), packed with excellent photos, and lots more. This puts the lie to the rumors that WWE has "jumped the shark" -- there's still plenty of life in the most popular form of sports entertainment in the world.


Alpine Circus : A Skier's Exotic Adventures at the Snowy Edge of the World
Published in Paperback by The Lyons Press (2003)
Author: Michael Finkel
Amazon base price: $10.47
List price: $14.95 (that's 30% off!)
Average review score:

Great read for anyone who loves mountains.
Most ski writers are middle-aged-plus travel hacks more interested in the hotel than the hill. Not Finkel. Almost uniquely among widely-published ski journalists, he's more interested in descents than dinner, and it's fun to travel vicariously through his work.

Alpine Circus is essentially a compendium of columns originally published in SKIING magazine. All are interesting. Most are funny. One -- the piece on Sarajevo -- is intensely moving.

Four stars out of five. While very enjoyable, the book doesn't fully display Finkel's remarkable talent as a writer. Hopefully, future collections will. You'll see a lot more of his work... he's still a mere sprat.

Love skiing and traveling?
If you have a passion for skiing and traveling, this is the book for you! It's an easy read - several short stories about the author's ski adventures in the U.S. and abroad. A very enjoyable book that's hard to put down...you just want to keep reading on to his next adventure.

A book for any skier to enjoy
A great collection of unforgettable skiing stories that takes you around the globe to some of the most remote areas of the world. After reading every authors stop, you feel as if you've been there also. Easy to read, funny, and worth reading again and again...


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