Words fail me in my attempt to describe the book, perhaps it is best I describe the emotions I experienced, as I read this book.

The book captured my breath and concentration and I was unable to think of anything else till I finished the book. I took quite some time over a few days to finish it, simply because each page makes you think. There are books that hit you hard with the force of their ideas, and then there is this book... which gently caresses your mind as a wave would caress the shore, as our eyelashes caress our cheek when we blink. The book and its delivery is so gentle and calm, that my mind was immediately transported into the vivid imagery that EE creates, of a guru in a remote hut and his simple lifestyle and his disciples. EE strikes a chord when he points out the massive gamble that these disciples take, in deciding to pursue nothing but the Truth and sacrifice all else in its path. His writing gentle and kind, and one feels like a young boy in front of an affectionate father, the father doesnt seem to teach, but just seems to speak calmly, and one feels like listening.
EE brings out the Upanishads for what they really are, an incredible advancement into the inquiry of Truth, using the principles of concentration and meditation, and the medium of story telling to pass down the wisdom of the ancients. I could not resist my tears as I read with joy of the tales of Yajnavalka, nor could I feel but astonished at the clarity of thought and the level of the discussion between Yama and Nachiketa.

I could go on, but there is little to say except that one should read this book. For those in search of additional readings, there is a book called "The Vedas", which is an english collection of the discourses of the Head of the Kancheepuram Shankaracharya school. It's a tough read, to be read with pencil and paper, and perhaps committing to memory some of the terms... but it is the Definitive primer into the Vedas and India's true heritage.

The Upanishads are a remarkable collection of mystical literature that represent a turning point in Indian thought. Eswaran tranlates the most famous of them into strikingly simple and resonant language. "Freed from sin, as a snake sheds its sin, They see the Supreme Lord, who lives in all." "As the sun, who is the eye of the world, Cannot be tainted by the defects in our eyes. . . So the one self, dwelling in all, cannot be tainted by the evils of the world." "The tree of Eternity has its roots above and its branches on earth below. Its pure root is Brahman the immortal From whom all the worlds draw their life. . . "

Each of the main Upanishads is given a short and helpful introduction, then followed by a few pages of notes. The text as a whole is again bracketed by eloquent essays by Easwaran and Michael Nagler, who make helpful comparisons to Augustine, Pascal, Gandhi, the Rig Veda, the Gita, and Einstein, building bridges to readers of various traditions and interests. All in all, Easwaran has gone the extra mile to help his readers comprehends the message of the Upanishads, as he understands it.

It may be that clarity is sometimes achieved at the cost of strict accuracy. Eswaran admits "simplifying" the text in certain ways -- cutting what he thinks repetitive, using "Lord of Love" dozens of times to translate a term that in a note toward the end he admits means "God-self-energy." I lost a little confidence in the translation after reading that. Also, he translates "atman" as "Self," a term some people seem to think is not quite right. So while I enjoyed this version, I plan to compare it to others for scholarly purposes.

Nagler made a few comments both on the Upanishads and on Christianity that made me question his clarity of vision a bit. His claim that, aside from Augustine, "the shapers of early Christianity" believed there was "no high task of self-sacrifice left for people to perform," seemed an odd thing to say of a religion whose primary texts are full of advice like, "Take up your cross and follow me," and "Make your life a living sacrifice," and whose early followers have been blamed for being too eager for martyrdom.

Given the fact that some experience the "I am that" state yet reject it as an illusion, should we believe what the mystics experienced as true? What social, psychological, and moral affect did the "inward turn" that this text represents have on Indian society? One feels a bit crass or, well, unenlightened, to pose doubtful such questions in the face of such beautiful poetry. But I think they are also worth posing. Anyone who would like to consider these questions from the point of view of a knowledgable and fair-minded Christian, read The Crown of Hinduism, by F. N. Farquhar, or the more critical (and passionate) books by Indian social reformer, Vishal Mangalwadi, such as Truth and Social Justice or The World of Gurus.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

After reading the Dhammapada translation from the same author, it was not a surprise to find a similar high-quality translation of the Upanishads - the philosophical part in the Vedas of Hinduist religion. Some points to highlight in Easwaran's work: Poetic but precise wording, great introduction and commentaries, easy-to-read without creating a scholar-only work, impeccable introduction to the Historical context of the work and it's importance in Hinduism.

Mr Easwaran's work convinced me to buy all Three books that form a Trilogy: The Dhammapada, The Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita. Without a doubt, especially considering the price, this Trilogy is a steal.

In an attempt to save "Leave It To Beaver" from going off the air in 1963, famous authors submit scripts hoping their influence will persuade the network from dumping the show. Scripts include "Lady Cleaver's Beaver" by D. H. Lawrence, "Beavermorphosis" by Franz Kafka (where Theodore actually transforms into a giant beaver), and my personal favorite "And Thus Spake Beaver" by Nietzche ... "And Beaver descended alone from the house encountering no one, and all at once there stood before him Larry Mondello who bit into an apple. And thus spake Beaver unto Larry Mondello, 'Shared cookies make a friend, not getting in trouble together', and he punched Larry Mondello in the stomach." If you love the Beave and love Literary Parodies, you'll love this book.

Wow -- it's nice to see that there are other people out there who have read this book and loved it as much as I did. I bought the book when it first came out in 1985 and I was in college. I almost peed my pants reading it in the bookstore, so I figured I'd better buy it before they threw me out. I still have it on my shelf, and it's provided countless hours of amusement ever since. About the only books I would consider funnier than this one are George Ade's "Fables in Slang" and "More Fables in Slang", which are sadly almost unknown today. They should really reprint this, because it's as hilarious today as it was almost 15 years ago.

When I first read the Dostoevsky episode ("Hey, Wally, do you think it's OK to kill an old lady?" "I don't know, Beav. We haven't gotten that far in civics."), I was in convulsions. This is the funniest book in the history of Western Civilization, even funnier than "The Lazlo Letters," and that's saying something. That it is out of print is some kind of culture crime.

If it were possible for the author to move into my home and provide on the job training while I attempt to parent my ADD kid, it would be perfect. However this isn't a perfect world, and I have to settle for his book...the next best arrangement. This is truly the best book I have ever read on this subject. I laughed and cried. Mr. Jacob tells a story in a way that is just so different. If you are a Mom or a Dad or just a human with an interest in what it's like to raise a kid that truly marches to a different drummer...buy this book!

Having been personally touched by this dissorder, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book by Mark Jacob. I have a nephew and a friend both suffering from this condition for many years. I enjoyed the frankness and the flow of this book that gave me a better understanding of what I have been witnessing for the last 15 years. Recalling back all the situations I have witnessed over this time literally brought me to tears. These children when calm, are wonderful and bright. They deserve more than the system seems to be dishing them out. This book gave me greater insight into the problems of the people I love and hope that Mr. Jacob succeeds with his quest to help us understand ADD better. Thank you Mark for helping us. I look forward to the next addition.

My wife gave me this book and though I was reluctant to read it, it has become my "bible". This IS a toolbox for life with an ADD child and I highly recommend it to all Dads (and Moms) of ADD children.

I had been introduced to the theories of Erik H. Erikson in a grad. course in Educational Psychology. The course introduced just enough of Erikson to whet my appetite to learn more about the man; I am glad I did because after reading this book, I feel I have gained a richer understanding of his 8 Stage Life Cycle Theory, and the concept of Identity.

Professor Friedman's book is compassionate, but not fawning. He gives as complete a picture of a very complex man; as complete as one would hope to have, and he does so in a non-judgemental way.

There are many unattractive aspects of Erikson the man; why did this sensitive man, this lover of children who was estranged from his own step-father, virtually disown his own son, who had Down's Syndrome, and have him institutionalized? What made him so ambivalent about his Jewish identity? Friedman explores these issues in a very thorough, yet compassionate way. Erikson himself had a difficult time reconciling the dark side of Gandi while writing his biography; lovers of Erikson, like myself, may have that same struggle while reading this book, but Mr. Friedman does a superb job of bringing out, and sythesizing the "dark Erik" with the Erikson whose works have inspired many a generation of people like myself who are advocates for the welfare of children.

I read this book first before reading "Childhood and Society" and "Identity Youth and Crisis" and I am glad I did, for Eriksons paradigm was born from his own identity crisis he suffered, which Friedman does a masterful job of portraying.

If you really want to understand Erikson's Works, read this book first. You too will be glad you did.

This is a superb biography of one of the most influential psychoanalytic theorists of the American postwar period. Erikson's writings profoundly influenced not only clinical psychological work, but also the general tenor of social and cultural thinking in this country. Yet his insights were not immediately embraced, and his personal life was not without turmoil and profound heartache. Lawrence Friedman has done a wonderful job of presenting a fully dimensioned, meticulously researched and empathic portrait of this remarkable clinician and thinker who, perhaps more than any other individual writer, shaped the way that we think about ourselves and our society.

All too often when reading a biography, the author fails to ask the questions that often spring to my mind. Most of these questions are about about the subjects motivation...the why questions. Lawrence Friedman dares to try and answer the hard and complex questions about a life, in this case, Erik Erikson's life. Even if Erikson is only a vaguely familiar name, this biography is worth reading because its a study of a very human life. In addition to being a well-written life study, Identity's Architect helps us to ask the difficult question about the origins of our own identity. In tracing the reoccuring themes in Erikson's life, Friedman makes transparent the very human activity of identity construction. We know none of us springs whole from Zeus'head, but we rarely question how we came to be the individuals we are. In asking the questions of Erikson's life, Friedman challenges us to question the construction of our own identities.

This a great book that delves into the psyche of every trader and makes them figure out their underlying reasons for why they trade.

Mr.Bernstein makes a trader put himself under a microscope and forces him to interact with markets in a way that fits his personality.

Mr.Bernstein also shows traders how to change their personalities to match the markets they are trading, whether it's stocks or Commodities.

this book is not another psychology book on the stock market. It is the TEXTBOOK to use for yourself - it will be very painfull to hear his ideas but then again a must if you want to succeed.
I think there is a little fluff and double talk, but overall his ideas are sound and rest upon firm logic. I think that he gives you much to think about and do about your trading - and most improtant show you a list of what the successful do that makes them successful

Believe it or not, I had despised the book much just because of its title. I had thought of it as just one of the many thousands of other whatever Q books the cheap marketers try to sell. I had bought just because it's so "affordable" relatively speaking. The fact is: I had been absolutely wrong. Mr. Berstein, a psychologist, really put something solid behind his propositions and recommendations. We read in many books why tips kill. Mr. Berstein really went into the very depth of our minds to explore why we kept on doing stupid things. As a pseudo intellect (ha ha), I bought his concept and that's the very beginning of my new professional trader life (avoiding any form of tipsters and tips). For those who are suffering from obsession compulsive disorder on "tips", this is the book for you and it might help you a lot to stop your tips induced losing streak!

Once again, Charles Swindoll has brought a biblical character to life. I felt as if I was going "through" with Joseph! Mr. Swindoll makes it easy to relate what happen to Joseph with his family relations to today's family. If you're having difficulty relating to the trials and tribulations your family faces, read this book and get a revelation from God!

This is only the second book by Swindoll that I have read. The first was "Intimacy with the Almighty". I liked this one much better. Swindoll did a fantastic job with the life of Joseph. He included a lot of details and perspective on issues, Jacob's poor parenting, geographic locations, etc. that really put you in Joseph's shoes. The book was an engaging page-turner, which I devoured and greatly enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading some of the other books in the series. (Moses, Daniel, etc.)

Much like with the first novel in this series, "David", this book is not only wonderfully written and explained, but inspires great strength in the reader. Also like "David", "Joseph" should be read with the intent of learning, of bettering one's self, not for strict entertainment value alone (although the book is highly entertaining). Another tool for the modern day Christian, and another wonderful book from Swindoll though the power of God.

This book is excellent for anyone with little programming expericence. If you have ZERO experience, then I recommend starting with on of the "...for Dummies" books first, as the terminology in this book may be hard to grasp at first. But if you're moving over from C++, Java, or VB, this is a great place to start. In fact, this book contains much more needed for just beginning, and by the end of the read you should be able to write a full-fledged Windows app with little problems.

The downsides of the book are few, but important to note. First off, the author doesn't spend enough time visually describing how OOP (object oriented programming) works. Before you know it, you'll be diving into classes, methods, delegates, and events before fully understanding basic concepts. Chapters 9-12 are by far the most difficult in the book to follow. Most everything else is cake. Also, because the book is just loaded with information, it may be hard for a beginner to differentiate from a beginners topic and a more advanced topic that you may never use.

Overall the book is a great read and I recommend it for anyone who wants to jump into C#. I easily finished it within less than a month with a pretty sound basic knowledge of what C# is about. After reading this, I recommend buying Professional C# (Second Edition) from WROX along with The C# Reference book they also put out. With those three books, you have a foundation to do just about anything you can think of.

Great book if your are new to programming. However, it is, just like the title implies, designed for beginners. If you have any C++ or Java experience you might want to skip this book and go straight to Professional C#.

I purchased the 'visual blueprint for c# 'first went thru it
in three weeks. This book was like the dummies and then
I bought 'the "begining c#' and went through it like
lightning.
This is the best book I see for getting you on yur feet with no
programming experience and the examples were certainly
very easy to follow.
I have no complaints.

In a perfect world, this book would be less necessary than it is. Because "The Comic Book Heroes" is one of very few serious works of comics history - and certainly one of the most detailed I've seen - it's forced to bear a weight that Jones and Jacob's writing isn't completely up to. Not that it's bad, by any means, and it's clearly a labor of love for its authors, but it's weirdly partisan, especially as it begins to cover more recent comics, and Jones's experiences as a comics writer, and his opinions of his peers, come into the foreground. If this were a "my life in comics" sort of work, then that'd be okay, but given that the book's presented as an objective history, the opinionated (and occasionally bitchy) tone feels odd and out of place. Still, for all its problems, it's a serious study of a subject that is sadly underrecognized, and, as such, essential reading for any student or reader of comics.

This is a lively and insightful history of the men who created the Silver Age Super Hero comics at Marvel and DC. It also features some material on the more important post-Silver Age creators such as Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Scott McCloud. The narrative contains history, inside information and analysis of the work. It flows well and reveals a lot of the history of both the industry and the characters. The comic book heroes of the title are the creators. While it does not offer a comprehensive history of comic books, or even super heroes comics as the Golden Age is not covered, for what it is, it is the best book available and strong enough that one need not wish for more.

Gerard Jones and Will Jacobs have written a wonderful history of comic book heroes from the silver age (late 50's) to the present (mid-90's). It is an important book in providing the background details of the industry and also in its portraits of the creators of the various comic books. For one such as myself, who grew up in the middle part of this period, it combines a delightful mix of nostalgia with a healthy mix of cynicism for the business side of this industry. I was surprised that the twists and turns within the industry could often match for interest the myriad of confusing sub-plots that were being developed within the pages of the comics themselves. I was also pleased at the examination the authors provided of the fictional heroes themselves, even including the authors, at times, strong opinions. The book felt like a dialogue late at night with another expert fan of comics with often heated disagreements but always with a lot of fun and much insight. A highly recommended read.

"From the Heavens to the Heart" is not for everyone, but for those who sense a spiritual link with the transcendent. It begins with the lives of ordinary people and finds wondrous meaning. Whether one is taking a class, going on a trip, attending a funeral, or undergoing a bleak crisis, there are miracles to be experienced. Tzvi Jacobs is enmeshed in the Lubavitch (or Chabad) movement. However his stories have universal appeal.

This book is a sure winner for Jews and Christians alike. TzviJacobs is a truly gifted writer, a compelling story-teller (allstories in the book are true!), and a perceptive observer of the human experience under the eyes of God. As a Christian, I also learned a great deal about Judiasm in real life, and regained an appreciation of how similar the fundimentals of Judiasm and Christianity are and have always been. Reading "From the Heavens to the Heart" was a memorable experience which I am glad I didn't miss. Enjoy reading the book as I did!

Has anyone noticed that it's ok to talk about G-d these days? Tzvi Jacobs has, and he is the absolute best story teller of a pack of new young authors who write very simply and very concisely about the miracles of G-d in everyday life. His stories aren't about celebrities, or presidents, or CEOs, they're about me and you. And the power that they contain not only draws down from the Heavens a heartening warmth and knowledge of the greatness of our Creator. It also draws from within a power to change and re-prioritize our lives based on this knowledge. It provides the basis from which to start leading a life where the main priority is the health and well being of the soul. Don't wait for this book to hit the best seller list. Get it now. Then go out and do something that'll make G-d happy.

Salve! This book is really great, as long as you have a teacher who will elaborate on the short grammar sections. With a teacher, you can learn Latin with little difficulty, but I cannot seem to progress with self-study. Probably, with real dedication to learning, it could be done. I don't know what else to suggest, but I would look for a text better suited to self-study (maybe Cambridge?).

As a highschooler, trying to find a Latin text that is easy to understand and to learn from is difficult. I had tried the Oxford series before, but had not gotten very far because I needed a teacher to explain, but LvO has a grammar section that is neatly divided up into different grammatical lessons. They are all pretty explanatory, I enjoyed how more verb tenses were introduced (more frequently), and I feel like this book is really better than others. I would definitely reccommnend this book.

Though this is a challenging course for the diligent high school student, it requires no prior knowledge of the language. My home schooled daughter used it and was amazed at the amount of Latin she could grasp after one year. She said it was gratifying to translate Ovid instead of contrived readings written specifically for students.