I originally bought this book for some older friends of mine. I ended up reading it all the way through before giving it to them. The stories touched all of my emotions and reminded me of my wonderful grandparents as well(my grandparents raised my sisters and I thru much of our childhood). This is a great book for anyone and everyone-don't pass it up.

Readers who haven't received a recent dose of "Chicken Soup for the Soul," shame on you. In "Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul," Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Barbara Chesser, Amy Seeger and Paul Meyer present us with one of the best of the series.

I say it is a must-read for anyone on either side of 60. It is a timeless, energized, enthusiastic, motivational book written with golden years in mind, but filled with stories all can enjoy. Will be a great holiday gift for lots of folks on your list.

When I am a old lady I shall wear purple........ Remember that poem. Author unknown to me. When reading this book, I cried, laughed, remembered and decided to live for the moment. Life is such a joy, and this book made me remember that.It is a must for all of us old goldies. A great gift for one to take for every occasion....birthday, shut-ins, loved ones and etc.

One of the major things that striked me about this book is Lauren's acknowledgement that the concept of human rights is not a completely Western creation. Traditions around the world, political, cultural, and religious, have stressed justice and equality.
Lauren's treatment of Human Rights is quite thorough. I have to commend him for the fact that he does not value judgements on any of the events he described. He acknowledges the mistakes made but does not dwell on them.
I also learned a lot of things about history that wasn't touched about in my history classes. I can say that I actually felt smarter reading this book. :)

The author Paul Gordon Lauren deserves kudos!! A very well written book on Human Rights Theory. A must for all those who seriously want to go into depth on this subject. The concept of Human Rights is not limited to the western world nor it is proper to say that it has arisen mainly from Europe, an idea which has been very well captured in this book.

"For scholars of international human rights, it is difficult to imagine a finer gift on the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights than this study of the Declaration's complex and far-reaching impact. Paul Gordon Lauren has skillfully combined a detailed history of the legal documents with the political, philosophical, and social contexts in which they developed. He has further enriched his study with the personal visions of leading individuals so that the story comes alive, unfolding with a human drama supported by meticulous scholarly research." -- American Historical Review

I've collected hundreds of books - from philosophy to mysteries to cookbooks. And, I'm a philosophy teacher who reads (lots of) fiction for pleasure. But if I were to save only one book for eternity, it would be this one. The recipes are presented clearly and are simple to prepare. But the book is more than the recipes. It is also a collection of inspiring stories from around the world. For those of us in the US, with luxuries and overabundance the norm, it is a humbling look at how the rest of the world struggles with the simplest needs. I have no particular religious affiliation but this is the book I turn to (at least once a year) for a spiritual overhaul and reality check. I can't recommend it enough.

I've had this cookbook for ten years. It's been dragged all over the world with me and I think I've actually tried over 60% of the recipes. Every meal has been delicious; beating-out "gourmet" recipes that take twice as much time to prepare. It's a wonderful way to get to know the cuisine of the real people of other cultures, too. I wish they were all written like this!

This is positively the best cookbook I own! I bought it while living in Belize, where specialty ingredients are scarce, and I was cooking all the time. Every single recipe I have made from this book (and I've made a few!) turned out perfect and amazingly tasty the very first time. The authors and testers have clearly done their work well. This book is worth buying for the (very-simple-to-prepare) Korean spinach salad recipe alone. People who *hate* spinach will love it! Hope you enjoy this cookbook as much as I have.

In fact any other book you may buy will have most of spolins ideas.
If you are guiding any one in an improvisational education. this is the best. It is very important for improvisers to learn about comedic improv through spolins techniques. all other forms of improv is about the joke which lets face it is only funny because you know the performers. but spolin allows you to discover the scene not the joke. and if you are naturally a funny person chances are your scene will be funny. this is not to say that the funniest guy wont have a serious scene .some times when an improv is a true improv you have to let it be what it is whatever it is.
great book. great book .fun book. gauranteed to give you guru status if you follow her instruction. after all you will be giving the most wonderful gift to all your students. your students will develope as improvisers the correct way and will be able to work with anyone.

Or, thanks to the new and brilliant approaches of Halpern and Johnstone, The Old Testament of Improv.

At any rate Viola Spolin influenced improv more than any other human being. She was the first, the pioneer. Her son, Paul Sills, founded both The Compass and Second City. He carries on her work.

Easily 90+% of all improv exercises taught in American universities are derived from her. And most mediocre books on ipmrov are small samplings of re-cycled Spolin exercises, without her focus.

Which is a nice way to segway into telling the reader that even 'The Bible' is bound to disappoint if one misses the theme of Spolin's thought.

Without it one simply gets a collection of 'games' that are ponderously cross referenced. (And a big so what.) It'll gather dust on the bookshelf as a 'reference work'

Here's a secret: Spolin was far less concerned with the comedy audience suggestion improv theater ( Second City notwithstanding.) Her main concern was training actors.

(Her influence has been vastly underestimated, e.g; Meisner trained actors should check out her "Preocupation A" exercise. You'll get deja vu. And Spolin came first.)

She took one of Stanislavsky's best idea, "Concentration of Attention" and ran with it. She created the credo of POC (point of concentration) and 'sidecoached' the players into weaving magic . . .

Not only useful for the "serious adult" improv artist--as a drama teacher who works with underprivileged kids I find this the best book out there for helping them develop a sense of "mastery" on stage, a drama more alive to them than memorizing lines. Recommended for anyone who works with young actors!

This is the best photographic book I have ever seen. Its pictures of The Big Apple are magnificent! Comparative pictures taken in years past, many in the 1920s, show how sections of the city have changed. Whether one is a fan of New York and who isn't, you will enjoy this book. It makes me want all the other "Above" books now.

This book is really great. I recommend it to anyone who loves NY!

Robert Cameron's book, "Above New York", is one of the best photographic books that I've seen in recent years. Some areas of the city are chronicled from an historic perspective, while other areas are displayed in their modern beauty. I appreciate the juxtaposition of the older photos with their more modern counterparts.

His views of downtown are especially well-done, and in light of recent times, it was a comfort to see the skyline in the traditional beauty. The view of the Twin Towers rising from the battery with Lady Liberty in the foreground seems especially meaningful in these times when our freedom seems threatened.

Karol Wojtyla's insight into human love is simply amazing. The book is VERY in-depth, so it may not be appropriate for readers who are looking for light reading material. If you do take the time to read the book, you will simply be amazed. As you read each paragraph, you can't help but think, "That is so true!" The book really makes you want to be better person by embracing LOVE as the purpose for our existence!

you don't have to be a catholic to read this. This was written for anyone. It will give you philosophical answers to questions on us(persons) and our sexual role(its meaning and purpose.
highly recommended for any human being.

Cardinal Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) gives us a wonderful blessing with "Love and Responsibility." His in depth philospohical analysis of human love and sexuality stems from his philosophy of "personalism". Persons are self-determining creatures and should never be treated as mere objects. This is a fantastic book that beautifully displays Wojtyla's view of the dignity of the human person and the sacredness of the sexual act.

Worthy of special mention is Wotyla's metaphysical analysis of "love". This is a deep look into the nature of true love, how the sexual urge is the starting point, a good thing that encourages us to look deeper and to love the person as a whole. When this urge is abused by treating the person as a mere sex object, the fruits of the sexual urge are squandered. When used properly, the sexual urge is fuel to deepen our interests in another, to develop a friendship, goodwill, and if there is reciprocity from the other person, the highest stage is attained - betrothed love - the lifelong comittment of marriage.

This is a book that is sorely needed by our society today. There is much here - Wojtyla's thought is rich and deep. You will not get the grasp of his point with one reading, rather it will take multiple readings of this book for its flavor to sink in. Personally I have read this book three times and can testify how it has enriched my life. I think it will do the same for you.

I thought this book was cool as in it showed a whole nother side to the joker and it showed how Harley Quinn met the joker and fell in love with him. I loved it alot. Another book I recommend is Batman: Gotham Adventures. That was a very good book as well. If you like the Joker alot than I recommend Batman: The Killing Joke. I do not recommend Batman: The Killing Joke for readers under the age of 14.

The work that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm have done with the Batman -- a dramatric retro 1930s/1940s animation style -- works at top form, especially in this tale ... the origins of Harley Quinn, the Joker's twisted love/accomplice. While the character had hardly been heard of in the mainstream of Bat culture, she's one sick puppy and well worth the reading investiment. MAD LOVE shows her gradual descent into villainy by the workings of the Joker ... and I won't reveal any more for fear of spoiling the brilliance of the work.

If you haven't seen the excellent Batman cartoon episode "Mad Love," then this is the next best thing. It is amazingly close to actually watching the episode. The drawing is perfect, the dialogue is dead on and it's just an overall excellent story. Even someone who is not a comic book fan owes it to themselves to buy this book if they are even a marginal Batman cartoon fan. This is the kind of book and story that makes you realize that the cartoon is truly for people of all ages. I HIGHLY recommend this book, as you can probably tell.

After Archangel, The Forger and Night Over Day Over Night I liked Watkins but felt each book somehow just missed. This one did not. Simply one of the best books I have ever read.

Watkins writes with a grueling sensitivity that is unparalleled. He writes realistically of the hard, dirty, unrelentingly difficult life of a fisherman with a sensitive hand but without maudlin sympathy. Watkins' succinct writing style adds to the tone. You get to know his main character without really understanding him. Indeed, it is clear he does not understand himself. It would be unfair for the reader to do so.

A book of dreams clashing with reality - a place we have all been, especially when youth is meeting adulthood. This is a book you truly will not be able to put down.

Paul Watkins is the best fiction writer alive. Like his other books, "Calm at Sunset" showcases his ability to create true to life characters with a journalist's eye for detail and economy of words. As always, at the heart of his story is a moral core that is absent from most modern fiction. Mr. Watkins writes the kind of book you want to own, to read and re-read, and to pass on to your children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this poignant and earthy novel of contemporary sea life - a modern day classic that wrestles with the angst of adolescence, chronicles the siren call of the sea - it's seductive rhythms, drama and dangers, and addresses the coming-of-age transition of young adulthood with its inherent and conflicting forces of rejection and acceptance. At the heart of the writer's understated style lies a belief in the humanity of man, in the quiet strength and unspoken virtue within, that lends a certain dignity to his characters. Recommended to all who enjoyed the book THE PERFECT STORM.

A door opener, maybe, but also very basic. I needed something slightly more advanced than this picture book text. If you have no experience with web pages and limited experience with computers, this might be the book for you. For me, it was a waste of my money.

This book is a door-opener for those who want to learn to use HTML. This book teaches you the basics, and gives you room to expand, and learn more by practice and trial-and-error. The best book for learning HTML!

The full color photos and easy to follow instuctions make this a great book for the experienced and inexperienced computer user alike. I would recomend this book to any one who wants to learn how to build a web page or wants to learn more about building web pages.

I felt that though this was a good book, it needs much improvement

Word for word one of the most important books I've read recently. This book is mandatory reading for every employee in our company.

Word for word one of the most important books I've read recently. This book is mandatory reading for every employee in our company.