Since the nineteeenth century, the absolute integrity of the text of the Pentateuch as the letter-for -letter accurate revelatory message of the Divine to Moses on Mount Sinai has been an article of faith for Orthodox Judaism. Prof. Levy shows with meticulous scholarship that from early Rabbinic times onwards, through the Middle Ages and even into more modern times many rabbinic scholars acknowledged and discussed the variations in the Masoretic and other texts of the 5 Books ( particularly in the context of the accuracy of the Scrolls used in synagogue). What was commonplace discussion in early times turned into sensation in our own times; what was never at issue turned into heresy, and, conversely, a view that was never espoused turned into an article of faith. The book is a superbly documented window onto the history of Judaism, and on to the history of the transmission of texts, with restrained but pointed relevance to some contemporary causes celebre - eg Bible Codes, whose basic premise this books elegantly demolishes. Should be in every theological and Jewish library!

Flatbush Cowgirl is a sensual daydream captured through an honest first person lens, an unfiltered lens that fearlessly, unapologetically looks back at all of the infinitesimal triumphs and heartbreaks of growing up. Golda Solomon has deftly constructed a cinematic tour of the past that exposes the universal in all of our memories... the children's playground songs, the eye too heavily made up, the clumsy kiss, the tingling syncopation of jazz. Golda Solomon's poetry is as fresh and real as it gets...no posing, no pretending...this is dark black coffee on a cold rainy morning. It hits the spot hard. I'm already waiting for a refill. If you love the sound of the language as it is spoken; if you can hear music in honest speech; if you look for poems that elicit smiles, shivers, or sighs via subtle consonance and well-placed parison, then buy two copies of this and give one to a friend. This book deserves to be widely read.

This book benefits from the numerous Cayce readings and quotations about the subject time period. One might wonder if it was a coincidence that so many people who obtained readings from Cayce had lived during that time. Maybe God caused this so that Cayce could use his miraculous psychic abilities to explain the bible which is something Cayce wanted to do to help others. The discussion is mainly about the different people who became leaders of the Israelites during this time period when they went from judges to kings. A re-occurring theme is that every person receives from God abilities, opportunities, and free will. Cayce's view of the greatest potential achievements of a person is to know God's will in their life and to strive to achieve this by working with God. Solomon probably represents the best example of someone who achieved greatness as Cayce viewed greatness by being in tune with God's direction. But then Solomon gave in to the negative side of his nature and abondoned his former glory. This is after God had told Solomon there had never been anyone like him before nor would there be anyone like him again on earth and this came true. This is especially significant seeing that Solomon was a wealthy person who had access to women and anything else he wanted already. So Solomon developed a desire to reject God for no other reason than he wanted to. Cayce indicated during his bible study sessions that "Very few people can stand prosperity and Solomon was not one of the few." Cayce actually feared becomming wealthy based on his knowledge of what happened to Solomon which is an indication of the greatness of this man who I have come to admire. The lesson is that anyone, no matter how much God has been a part of their life or chosen them, can reject God at any time. This was true even of Christ Himself. And if the individual chooses to reject the spiritual values this has implications not only for them but for others, maybe even for an entire nation or an entire world. As Spiderman's uncle Ben told him: 'with great power comes great responsibility'.

This is the third and last of the 3 books that explain Cayce's revelations about what the old testament of the bible really means. I think most people, as they get older, can start to look back on their life and see the patterns and the cause and effect relationships more clearly. Cayce provides a similar type of insight into the entire history of the human race. What started with the first human (Adam) reaches a sort of conclusion with Christ who Cayce indicates was in fact Adam. Even so some of these ideas are still mysterious and hard to understand. I assume this same process has occurred on many, many other planets and that Christ died on many planets. It would have been very interesting to talk to Edgar Cayce because he had the ability, as did Christ Himself, to point out what was either really good or really bad in people. People can have very positive characteristics which they don't even realize they have such as being patient or understanding. Like the other two books in this series many interesting insights are provided about people such as John the Baptist who was also Elijah. When you think about it John the Baptist did have a tendency to say things that were probably better left unsaid. It was his criticizing of Herod's adulterous relationship with his wife that caused the wife to hate the Baptist and to cause his death. This wife was a reincarnation of the infamous Jezebel in the bible. I assume this was a continuation of this soul's journey that will eventually end in hell since it takes multiple lifetimes to lose your soul.

The most exciting organic chemistry textbook i ever read. A real page turner. recommend it to friends!

There is a wonderful irony in the fact that just this book has been published at just this time. In the last three months there has been a great deal of news about the willful and savage destruction of Buddhist art in Afghanistan by the so-called Taliban. Colossal statues carved from living rock (one of them being the largest stone statue then existing in the world) were deliberately blown to smithereens to satisfy some sort of incomprehensible politico-religious bloodlust. The colossal statues stood in the Bamiyan valley. Their atoms are now indistinquishable from the other trillion grains of sand scattered about the foot of the Hindu Kush.

But now, just as one starts to comprehend the staggering degree to which all mankind has been impoverished by these heinous acts, Richard Salomon and his colleagues at the University of Washington and the British Museum offer back to the world something else nearly lost but now recovered -- and by doing so they manage to rekindle at least a little of one's faith in the fundamental decency of mankind. A mere one hundred miles east (and slightly south) of Bamiyan and the now-vaporized collosal statues was found a cache of Buddhist literature written on birch-bark scrolls dating from the first century A.D. They are said to be "the oldest Buddhist texts ever found, as well as the earliest surviving manuscripts in any Indic Language."

There could hardly be any writing material more perishable than birch bark, and these manuscripts were crumpled up and stuffed into earthen jars in a way hardly conducive to their survival. They were acquired by the British Library in 1994. Had they not been, one can easily imagine the maniacal thrill the Taliban would have derived from destroying them along with all the other "unacceptable" art they stumbled upon.

Though on the surface, fragile, crumbling manuscripts and colossal statues cannot be directly equated, I think the apparent difference in size and vulnerability between the two actually makes this story more intriguing. Logically, the statues should have survived but did not; the far-older manuscripts, which have been steadily disintegrating for two thousand years, did! For once it was not the giant statue that got to exclaim, "Look around, ye Mighty, and despair!"

True, by the time Saloman and his colleagues got hold of these manuscripts and began to unroll them, they faced the mother of all jigsaw puzzles, and some pieces were gone forever. The team has now spent years fitting them all back together, devising scholarly restorations of the lost portions of text were possible, and making a comprehensible translation of what emerged.

The present book is intended to be an exhaustive, definitive restoration and translation of only one small component of the total manuscript cache. Indeed the reconstructed manuscript translated here is a bare 44.4 cm by 27 cm in size, and contains only forty four-line verses. In contrast to its physical size, however, is the text's enormous pupularity within Buddhist literature. It is known to have survived in at least two other Indian language versions, Pali and Sanskrit. It is unquestionably one of the loveliest and most evocative statements of the Buddha's teaching about solitute and the role he expects solitute to play in the practice and spiritual growth of his followers. Thoreau, who had a great affinity for Indian literature, would have loved it -- as does nearly everyone else fortunate enough to encounter a sensitive translation.

Saolomon's translation of this elegant sutra is reassuringly familiar to those students of Buddhism who already know an earlier version of it. Though there are minor variations and differences, one's confidence in the reliability of all other received Indian texts (which have been translated and recopied endlessly over the years) is greatly reinforced. Together with the other texts found with it, this cache also helps one get a fix on what literature was apparently regarded as important to literate Buddhists two millennia ago, and just what traditional writings were by then finding their way out of India and onto the historical road to central Asia and beyond. Judging by the quality of this select library, Ghandara, already known to be a flourishing center of Buddhist art, must also have been the site of much very advanced Buddhist teaching, writing, etc.

Make no mistake, this book is devoted largely to scholarly issues, and the bulk of it will be of interest primarily to scholars. However it is also a fresh look at a significant segment of Buddhist literature, derived from the earliest source the world is ever likely to recover. The scholarly preoccupations (paleography, orthography, phonology, morphology, etc.) are informative, but the sutra itself is the real payoff for those whose zeal encompasses merely a serious interest in Buddhism. The thrilled reader stands awestruck by this miraculous feat of ressurection and restoration, and he eagerly awaits publication of the other associated texts, many less well known. When complete, this triumph of Buddhist scholarship may well appear to the intellectual world to assume the proportions of the most colossal of all sculptures, and could have a far deeper impact on our minds and lives.

Generations at Risk is a perfect blend of science and advocacy. Not just for the more technically minded reader, it addresses not only comprehensive reviews of chemicals and their effects, but includes the rationale of policy makers, industry, and the public. Excellent desk reference of history and science for anyone concerned with the dangers of chemical exposure.

Since I was a child, I have always loved this book. I have lived in Alabama all of my life and grown up with folklore all around me. This book is incredible from cover to cover. It also has a few good laughs. I reccomend it for anyone who is interested in folklore and superstitions or loves a good ghost story!!

The best book I've read on Guadalcanal. Helps one understand the professionalism of the Marines. A dedicated group of men trying to survive a very tough situation. I was really impressed by their ability to keep their weapons operating in that jungle environment for months with almost no resupply help from the Navy. - Robert Merritt Edson

Given the emphasis on personal responsibility of patients for their health issues, and on the value to physicians of their patients seeking information and "partnering" with their health care team as an active member, this book should serve as a valuable resource for anyone dealing with conditions ranging from acne to venous thrombosis. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy called attention in 1996 to the "silent epidemic" that he described as "a wave of illness, injuries and even deaths caused by prescription drugs" resulting in over two million spitalizations, an extra three million visits, and a $100 billion a year in additional health-care costs and lost productivity. Solomon Huriash has provided a tool to address that epidemic. Pharmacies, physicians, libraries, and book stalls should stock and recommend this book for the public good.