Elizabeth Hickey's new book, I Love You More Than . . ., offers a beautiful way to deliver this message of love and caring. The story is a conversation between a little girl and her father, part real and part imagined. The photographs, illustrations and text combine to create a moving and powerful message of love between a parent and child.

The book is cleverly constructed to be universally applicable since the family structure of the characters is ambiguous. While father speaks of his love for his daughter, the message is acknowledged "from Mommy, too." The story does not state whether the parents are together, separated, unmarried, married or divorced.

It was heart-warming to share this book with my eleven year old son, Mark. Here are Mark's comments:

The story I Love You More Than . . . walks you through a little girl's dream about how much her father loves her. The beautiful illustrations contribute to the story greatly by giving the reader a picture of the child's wonderful dream. I thought that the photographs were adorable. They reminded me of when I was a toddler and my parents read stories to me. I think that all children and adults will find this story inspiring and touching to the heart.

Unlike fairy tales, this story makes the child whose parents read them this book feel that their parents really love them. I am sure that all kids would enjoy having this book read to them as much as I did. This book is sure to be a classic bedtime favorite.

Mark's responses reflect those of other children and adults who have encountered this book. I Love You More Than . . . conjures warm memories of the best parts of the reader's relationship with his or her parents. These combine in such a positive and gentle way to melt the heart of all parents and help them share the warm glow of their parental love with their children. This book is a treasure. The world is a better place because it is available.

This book is especially useful for those of us who have started doing spiritual practices and occasionally feel "bogged down" in our spiritual journey. Reading this book will enthuse the Self-realization seeker.

METAPHYSICAL REVIEWS

THE REVELATIONS OF HO - An Adventure in Self Realization by Dr. James Weldon

"The Revelations of HO" is a wonderful book of love and fulfillment, on many levels...thus making it a great book. Certainly it is the very interesting autobiography of the author. It is also the poignant story of Dr Weldon's search for the Love and Grace of God. It is the wonderful story of a westerner embracing the wisdom of the East. All three levels are interwoven into an art form steeped in mystery, mysticism, discovery and truth.

From the very beginning of Dr Weldon's rebirth, his journey led him to strange and unusual experiences...and "The Revelations of HO", is the outpouring of those experiences...and the discoveries of their meaning, that brought him unrestricted love and serenity.

From a childhood where he was always looking for something (and not knowing what)...to the premature death of his dad ... to his drunken stepfather...to his entrapment in the drug culture.. to the discovery of Transcendental Meditation...His life is both exciting and just a bit more involved than most. His transformation began in Switzerland during an advanced meditation course at the university where he was taking his Masters degree. Suddenly, enlightenment was within reach...and his life was forever changed. He would never be alone again!

"The Revelations of HO", is Dr. Weldon's visceral story of enlightenment and achievement. It shares with the reader not only a story that reads like a novel...but an understanding of the religions of India and Tibet that brought salvation to the author.

Though I have never met or spoken to the author, the fact that such a seemingly sensible man is sympathetic to these reports (and indeed has been an eyewitness to many of the events) is a great testament to their seriousness and importance.

But don't assume you'll have an easy read. Saviolo is not writing in his native language, and it shows. He doesn't describe motions very well, and occasionally appears to leave out a foot move in a long sequence. Di Grassi never wrote in English. This manual is a sixteenth century English translation of his Italian manual. People who deride the "negative campaigning" of today will get quite a surprise when they read Silver's virulent contempt for the rapier and the foreigners who teach it.

There is also the language issue. Yes, it's written in English, but sixteenth century English doesn't always mean what you think it does. Saviolo tells you to come on guard with your right wrist against your knee, your right foot against your opponent's right foot, and your point against his face. Obviously, something has been lost in four centuries. In this case, it's the fact that "against" meant "opposite or across from", not "touching". You are now armed against one problem, but it's still not the language you think it is. (Hint: an Oxford English Dictionary is a very useful companion volume.)

Also, don't assume you can do this in modern fencing. The blades were longer and heavier, and they don't work like modern fencing weapons. Furthermore, these are very basic lessons. We know that the advanced moves were jealously guarded, and not written in books.

With all the difficulties, this book remains essential - it's a direct link to the fighting methods of the Elizabethan fencers. Di Grassi is the easiest to follow. Saviolo is particularly helpful for research, because he spends some time explaining why he does things differently form others, thereby documenting both styles and explaining the thinking process of fencing masters. Silver prefers the short sword to the rapier, and shows us that the Renaissance held many different views.

This books stands alone -- there is just no commercially available substitute.

Your stage combat will look better, your re-enactments will be more real, your understanding of the sword will be sharper.

The time in which these manuals were published was crucial: there was a gradual transition from the medieval sword techniques to the renaissance rapier ones. At the time (and long afterwards) the french schools of fencing were not existent and the main flow was latin: two of the manuals were written by italians and the swords used in latin countries were rapidly evolving from medieval sword towards the rapier. Those were times of frequent wars and of deadly clashes involving different cultures and ways of fighting. Very different from the later "civilized" duels between long-haired make-uped "gentlemen" which originated the french schools of fencing from which our childish fencing appeared.

This work is the real thing! It shows the experience of three sword masters, in a time where expertise was gained by fighting often and staying alive doing it, and mastery was achieved by recognition from a world where everyone was a swordsman ready to challenge such a person just to get fame.

Forget for a moment modern sword-"play" and read this book about real swordsmanship!

James Murray, the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, was a gentle man of words who dedicated his life to the study of the English Language. His efforts are best understood in this book by the descriptions Elisabeth gives of his scriptorum, where Murray spent the majority of his life, and where Elisabeth worked as a young lady.

In reading about this man's life and the effort that was required to undertake the construction of this dictionary, one really gets a sense of the vastness and complexity of the English Language, the historical richness and the regional diversity. One also sees in florid detail the life of one of the great late-Victorian pedants.

The poets of "Eight" are Theodore Roethke, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lowell, John Berryman, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Allen Ginsburg, and James Merrill. Each poet's work is prefaced by a substantial individual introduction.

There are many masterpieces in this book. Curiously, I found the most compelling poems to be those that focus on nature: Roethke's "The Meadow Mouse," Bishop's "The Fish," Plath's "Mushrooms," and Merrill's "The Octopus." Poems like these combine skillfully used language with keen insight, and reveal these poets to be true heirs of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson (two of the featured artists in "Six American Poets").

Overall, I felt that "Eight" was not as strong as its sister volume, "Six." Although there are many poetic masterpieces in "Eight," there is also much material which, in my opinion, hasn't aged well. The so-called "confessional poetry" of some of these writers strikes me as overwrought. Some of the longer poems failed to resonate with me. I was particularly disappointed by Berryman's "Homage to Mistress Bradstreet," especially since I am an admirer of Anne Bradtreet's own work. Admittedly, this criticism may merely reflect my own personal tastes, but I submit it for the reader's consideration.

The fact that so many of these poets either wrote about each other, or pop up in the editor's introductions to each others' work, sometimes gives the book as a whole a creepy, incestuous feel. And the fact that so many of these poets committed suicide, had long-term mental health problems, and/or suffered from addictions further gives the book as a whole a rather morbid feel. On second thought, maybe this group of eight is a bit problematic!

Still, editor Conarroe has assembled an impressive anthology that I would recommend for students and teachers, as well as to a general readership. Although a mixed bag, "Eight American Poets" contains some truly enduring work by an octet whose legacy is secure.

Like Conarroe's "Six American Poets", the anthology introduces us to each poet with a short biography that is presented before the poet's work. We learn about their lives and come to understand some of the primary forces that have shaped their poetry. I have found that this greatly enriches the experience of reading poetry because I better see the struggles that lead to each individual creation. After each collection, Conarroe offers a list of books and anthologies where each poet has been published so that we, should we wish, can come to know the work of a given poet much better.

This anthology is a wonderful starting place for someone who, like me, desires an introduction to some of the greatest American poetry ever produced. Personally, I feel, after reading this anthology that I have come to truly appreciate the work of Elizabeth Bishop and Theodore Roethke, in particular. I had never known their work well, but suddenly each jumped off the page at me, Bishop for her wonderfully vivid descriptions and Roethke for his intensely moving subjects. Plath and Sexton also really spoke to me, their work so reflecting their lives. Overall, this anthology is superbly worthwhile reading!