This is a charming book that lets children (and adults) know that sometimes what appears to be perfect, isn't. The pictures a lovely and engaging and the story moves along well. My four year old declared "it should be a movie". Definitley a good bed time story.

Okay, I wish I was a kid again. Can I be a kid again?! I bought this book because it was about a knight who was curious and I can't think of a more perfect quest for a knight than curiosity. This is a little gem of a book and it could be made into a wonderful movie. It's art. It's a wonderful story about a knight who goes on a quest and learns that everything perfect is not so perfect. But that's okay. Even flawed it can be magical. William is a terrific character. The art work is fantastic, and I want to be young again. Mothers of young children should read this to them often. It's got a great message and it's clever. Not enough books for little boys either, and this is a great one. Buy it now.

The Spanish Conquest of the Americas has primarily been discussed in militaristic terms. Cortes and his small band of Spaniards, along with several thousand disaffected native allies marched on the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and in brilliant (some would say fortuitous) military maneuvering subjugated the New World. However, thanks to the efforts of historians like Dr. Inga Clendinnen, of La Trope University in Australia, zones of proximal development are reshaped. The Aztec were not the only ones conquered. Dr. Clendinnen's awarding winning work, Ambivalent Conquests, Maya and Spaniard in Yucatan, 1517-1570, suggests that the Spanish not only went and conquered several New World cultures militarily, but spiritually as well. As the title suggests, the work focuses primarily on the Mayan culture in the Yucatan peninsula in the years following the military conquest. Clendinnen's meticulous research and easy conversational reading successfully argues that the Mayan developed a passive resistant syncretism to the spiritual conquest that was imposed upon them. The New World cultures accepted military defeat, but in an effort to keep some semblance of their former lives (in this case, the Maya) would pay lip service to the Spaniards' religion, but would still practice the hated idolatry in secret. While the conquerors were assimilating the Maya, the Maya were assimilating the conquerors' religion. This in turn necessitated the extension of the inquisition by the Spaniards to the New World in the paradox of Christianity at the time - convert or be killed. Clendinnen shows that the ambivalence was not how the New Worlders would come to know Christianity,rather, how the religious and the Old World settlers in their "competing visions" for what the Yucatan would eventually become. Dr. Inga Clendinnen deftly uses the historical brush to paint a picture of Mayan syncretism. The title is apropos; not only were the Indians of the New World conquered militarily, but spiritually as well.

Overall, Inga Clendinnen's book serves as a vivid illustration of history. The images from the text stick to memory, and specific events and people (Diego de Landa, Nachi Cocom, Francisco Hernandez, and Fray Francisco de Toral) from almost five hundred years ago, come alive. The book is divided in two parts: the Spaniards and Indians, where what happened in Yucatan between 1517 and 1570 is examined from two different perspectives. It almost seems like there are two books within a book, as there are two beginnings and two epilogues, yet the connection between the two parts is never lost. The structure of the book is not only interesting, but also appropriate to the message the author seeks to convey: it illustrates the idea of "confusion of tongues", the fact that the perceptions of the Maya and the Spaniard were almost irreconcilably different. The book is also thoroughly researched, employing both primary and secondary sources. I enjoyed Clendinnen's discussions of the books of Chilam Bilam, of Landa's Relacion de Las Cosas de Yucatan, and of the confessions that Landa extracted from the Indians in 1562. I also appreciated the fact that where information is unavailable, and deduction from what is known goes a little far, the author is not afraid to acknowledge it. I should also mention that the author makes an implicit assumption that the reader is Christian, and has a good understanding of Christian faith and practices. When explaining Mayan human sacrifice, for example, Clendinnen writes that "we have somehow to detach ourselves from our Christian-drenched notions of sacrifice..."
In terms of evaluating the persuasiveness of the book, I should say that although in the beginning of the book, she raises the question about to what extent the information that Indians confessed under torture was exaggerated or true at all, toward the end of the book she seems to have accepted the assumption that there was at least some truth in the confessions - that human sacrifice and crucifixions did happen, and were not just a product of Landa's imagination, as she had previously suggested. So she never really proves that human sacrifice and crucifixions did happen, but kind of explores the possibilities of "what if they did" and "what if they didn't." Also, in the epilogue, the author makes a quick conclusion that the events of 1562 were significant because it was only after these events that the Maya finally accepted Christianity, or some Mayan version of it. It does make sense that the events of 1562 and the general intrusion of friars into the Maya spiritual domain would demonstrate to the natives that Spanish presence would not be temporary, that the Spanish were there to stay, and must be taken seriously. But this is in the political realm. As for the spiritual realm, it is unclear why the violence, the sufferings inflicted by the friars, and the destruction of Mayan idols would result in the Maya acceptance that "the time of the old Gods was over", and that Christian deities and the Christian God would now rule. The events of 1562 do not demonstrate the superiority of the Christian faith relative to the Mayan beliefs. Why didn't the violence the friars inflict on the natives make the natives reject Christianity and to revolt against the Spaniards, instead of accepting the Christian faith?
This raises the further question of why some populations abandon their religion and accept the faith of the group that conquers them (after all, this is not the only time this scenario came up - Islam spread with the Muslim conquests, for example), while other populations or groups hold on to their own religions and religious practices for very long periods of time while living in exile (Jews in Christian and Muslim countries for example). What factors does the likelihood of accepting the religion of the dominant group depend on - on n the political coercion and missionary offensive of the conqueror, or perhaps on the ability of conquered peoples to resist this offensive by shielding behind the strength of their own religious beliefs and practices? What influences what form the acceptance of the religion of the dominant group take - absorption of new religion into the old religion, absorption of old religion into the new religion, or perhaps complete abandonment of former religious beliefs and practices in favor of the new ones. How unique is the Maya case? Or perhaps the acceptance of the new faith isn't something that abruptly takes place at conversion, but a lengthy, gradual process that takes generations, whereupon the old faith gradually fades away? If so, do elements from the pre-conquest period still survive in the religion of the Yucatan Maya? All these questions deal with the larger implications of Clendinnen's book: implications for the understanding of the domination of the conqueror (both military and religious) and the resistance of the conquered peoples, not only in Yucatan, but throughout the world. Do true conquests happen, or are all conquests to some extent ambivalent?

Despite the difficulties related to a lack of historical sources, Clendinnen produces a convincing argument about the Mayan's resistance to colonial domination. She gives the natives a voice, bringing the Mayans to life, realistically showing their strength and autonomy from the Spanish. Inga Clendinnen's book about the Mayan-Spanish relationship during the Spanish conquest is as enthralling as it is informative.

Set in ancient Greece, Oedipus the King is a classic play about the fall of a great leader. This particular type of theater can be classified as a tragedy due to the fact that the main character has a positive view by his people and leads with great pride. The story begins with a plague throughout the land and its only stopper is told through a prophecy. The prophecy describes the murder of a king from a far off land; to stop the plague the killer must be discovered and punished accordingly. Oedipus boasts his ruling ways a he vows to discover the murderer and banish him, family, and future generations from his country. King Oedipus receives opinions and assistance from his wife Jocasta, brother-in-law Creon, and the Chorus whom reacts the decision making of Oedipus and takes the place of the people. Oedipus uses his power to summon those who might know anything about the murder. Accusations are first pointed to a group of robbers who attacked and robbed the king while he was traveling. The blind prophet Tiresias from Thebes is then sent for. Tiresias points the finger at Oedipus and blames him for the murder. The tale starts to unravel as the prophecy of Oedipus's life is told. In summary the prophet tells how Oedipus is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. This very prophecy is the reason that Oedipus moved away from his alleged parents whom in actuality acquired Oedipus as a baby before he was killed in hopes to prevent the very prophecy. Oedipus discards the prophet's words and continues his search. Signs continually point towards Oedipus for an unexpected ending.
The play is full of long speeches that derive a simple point. Foreshadowing makes up a majority of the play and gives way the play far before it is over. Great detail is put into each speech and put into a quite violent ending. I personally rate the play as poor for it is far too predictable and drawn out. The only real entertaining part of the play is the ending though predictable it is quite graphic and creative.

The previous reviewers who denigrate Oedipus as "predictable" only reveal their own ignorance. Any member of an Ancient Greek audience already knew the story of Oedipus, it'd be like complaining that upon going to Easter Mass, you found the story of the Crucifixion to be predictable; the point was never to have a twist, but to create a relationship between the characters and members of the audience, placing the viewers in direct relation to the mystery of life. The language is gorgeous besides.

These three plays stand as the best of the Greek tragedies, superior to the works of Sophocles' rivals Euripides and Aeschylus, mainly because these plays hold more depth and allow for more cultural analysis.
They may seem long-winded at times, even repetitive, but I assure potential readers that there is a point to the speeches, and that many 'extraneous' phrases divulge the author's meaning or bias.
Highly recommended.

This book has gotten good reviews in this forum, but I'd like to offer a dissenting viewpoint. This book may have a "lively" style but it is poorly researched. It appears as though the author did no research in archives. The material has all appeared elsewhere. The bulk of the book is based on secondary sources. Fully 85% of the footnotes are from secondary sources. Some quotations are rendered with no footnotes at all. The footnotes aren't even consistent in their form. This a poorly researched & sloppily edited book. There are much better books on Charles that you can get.

Stephen Coote's biography on Charles II is an enjoyable story of a man who the author has titled 'Royal Survivor'. This book, which is just under 400 pages (hardback format), takes the reader on a trip with Charles II, through his trials and tribulations, his victories and his defeats. We follow Charles II from boyhood, the death of his father and his attempt to re-claim the throne which met its end at the Battle of Worcester. Then the author takes us along with Charles II as he makes an exciting escape from England back into exile and then his triumphant return to the Throne of England.

We then settle into an account of Charles II as the King of England, his conflicts with Parliament and the tales of his many mistresses. We follow the story through the period of the Restoration and other great events that occurred during his reign. After finishing this book I really believed that I had gained a better understanding of the subject and the times. In fact I came away from feeling that the King wasn't all that bad and maybe he did try to do his best for England (within a certain framework).

Not only did the book offer an account of Charles II and his private life but we are also provided with accounts of his struggle with the Dutch provinces, France and its King, along with the plague and the Great Fire of London. I would not consider the book to be an in-depth biography but more of a narrative history offering the reader a general overview of the subject. That said, I still found the story interesting and learnt quite a few things along the way.

I believe that anyone who enjoys good history without too many dates and names will be quite taken with this account of Charles II. The book provides the reader with a free flowing narrative, holding your interest throughout the whole story. The book is well presented and has a number of black and white photographs of the period. Overall this is an excellent story and well worth the time to read.

Stephen Coote's biography of Charles II, _Royal Survivor_, is a superb story in every respect. It suffers a lack of the kings' portraits, but I suspect this is no fault of Mr. Coote who excels beautifully in bringing a wealth of information to his readers. The biographer's evenhanded approach nicely integrates Charles' personal life with late 17th century politics, economics, science, medicine, social studies and religion. Mr. Coote spends a number of pages discussing Catholic-Anglican antagonism, showing again that moderns have gained little insight from our ancestors' mistakes.

The book has very few weaknesses. A royal genealogy diagram would be helpful, but many are available. A few parallels with modern history are neatly if briefly presented. Little is written about those close to Charles who survived his death in 1685, his queen, mistresses and children. And I was curious if those who helped save Charles' life during his flight in 1651 were suitably rewarded once he became king!

I very much enjoyed Mr. Coote's style and presentation. He reads well and easily, and I often had trouble setting his book down, wondering what would happen. The author is particularly strong when explaining European politics and religious doctrines, ordinarily dry and difficult topics. His book is highly recommended.

In my opinion, Richard Poe is an excellent writer and has become a master at selling the same information over and over.

I don't say that is a BAD thing. Some people need a steady stream of such information in order to keep their minds fed with positive material.

I don't have a problem with that. However, the titles of these books seem misleading as there really isn't any information in this book that wasn't made available in the previous three books. The examples are different, but the basic premise is the same: today's network marketing companies are VERY user-friendly and don't include the hassles that were dominant in the industry 20-30 years ago. Today, you can make an insane amount of money in MLM by working from home and not having to handle product inventory, paperwork, shipping, receiving, employees, overhead, etc.

If you're just looking for some good info on MLM, this is a good book. But, since the title is "....way to build your downline", it's a bit misleading...there's not much new here.

A bit too much "story" and a bit too little "meat", but I suppose that's endemic to the MLM book community.

Still, this is a good way for old-style MLMers to be gently made aware that Things Are Different Now and they'd better lose their irrational fear of computers if they want to Network-Market at their optimum.

Poe does a good job reminding the reader that E-Everything doesn't replace human relationships as the foundation of MLM--that technology instead is more of a jump-start, lubricant, and market expander--but STILL Poe too often waxes hyperactive about MLM's shiny-new E-Mail/Internet Frontiers.

In short, this isn't the Must Read it purports to be, but it does have a place on the right bookshelves.

If you are in MLM or want to be, this book and WAVE 4 are must reads. My downline has been exploding since I started adding these books to their starter packages.

I recently read the book "Maps of the ancient sea kings" by Charles H. Hapgood. The book provides a rigorous analysis of a number of maps that appear to be copies and compilations of far more ancient maps detailing the coasts of North and South America, Antartica, India, possibly Australia and other coastlines that are currently thought not to have been "discovered" until only comparatively recently. The ancient maps appear to have used a projection system that was not "invented" until recent times and some of the maps seem to indicate a remarkably accurate estimate of the circumfrence of the earth. Interestingly, the ancient maps, according to the author, appear to have been drawn at a time when the level of the oceans was lower and the distibution of glaciers was different, thus detailing islands (e.g., in the Aegean Sea) that are currently submerged. The author's conclusion is that the ancient maps were created by a highly organized and advanced culture predating currently known cultures of the ancient world. I found the author's analysis of the maps to be rigorous and convincing although some of the assumptions are questionable. The author wisely keeps speculation to a refreashing minimum (as compared to other books on related topics) and bases conclusion on the facts at hand. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic.

At first reading Charles Hapgood makes a good argument for a crustal shift theory 10,000 years ago. Certainly, something must have happened at that time, to cause such a sudden end to the, so called, ice age. This book is well written and well thought out, if one does not accept geologist findings concerning the Antarctica, although it would not be the first time science was wrong.

The most interesting aspect, to me, about these, so called, ancient maps, is the idea that they were reported to be drawn up before Columbus sailed to the Western Hemisphere. This would seem to point toward a more advanced civilization in the past than we thought existed, and a civilization that had ventured out to the Western Hemisphere long before Columbus.

The fact that the oldest and largest stone megalith constructions are in South America (Peru), seems odd, considering mankind, it is believed, crossed into North America 10,000 years ago, and, according to archaeological thinking, waited till they reached Peru, around 1,000 AD, to move 300 plus ton stones around. Hapgood's theory about ancient maps could be a possible explanation for how a civilization arrived in South America well before Columbus, perhaps 10,000 years ago. The megaliths of the Western World seem to be a thorn in the side of scientific theories, but by placing them in the civilizations which they were found, most megalith structures are explained away, which I find more convenient than scientific, but, with free thinkers, such as, Charles Hapgood, Graham Hancock, Robert Schoch, Eric Von Danyken (yes even Danyken) and many others on the sleuth, maybe an explanation is near. The search for past advanced civilizations is very exciting, and those engaged in that search should be commended not condemned. After all, anyone willing to believe the Egyptian people of 2500 BC built the Great Pyramids, albeit, on the slimmest of evidence, should be willing to accept a past advanced civilization theory, even if that idea is also on the slimmest of evidence, if it is, it is only because such evidence has greatly been ignored at the university and scientific levels.

Placing such theories, as Hapgood's and Graham's, and the many others, in our school's textbooks, could make our educational institutions a more exciting and competitive atmosphere. It could launch the next generations on a great scientific quest. God forbid, they might even be induced to learn more.

There is little doubt that MAPS OF THE ANCIENT SEA KINGS will remembered as one of the greatest books of the 20th century. It reveals information about the beingings of western civilization. One example is Dr. Hapgood's study of the Piri Reis Map. Sometimes referred to as "the lost map of Columbus,' hundreds of biographies of this explorer ignored its existence inspite of the fact that the Turkish Government and the U.S. State Department validated this map's long history in the 1930's. Hapgood shows how Colubmus used this map to "discover" America. His books has complete documentation from the State Department concerning this conclusion. However, the academic establishment along with the mass media has deliberately tried to supress knowledge of this 1519 map. Discovered in 1930 in Turkey,it was written by Admiral Piri Reis of the Turkish navy. The Admiral wrote on this map that he got it from one of Columbus' navigators who he captured in a naval battle. The naviagtor had his map on his person and he told the admiral the truth about Columbus and his so-called discovery. The original map,which showed Central and South jAmerica, was seen by Alexander the Great (360 B.C.)and was at least 10,000 years old. At any rate, it is a shame that historians continue to give credit for Columbus' discovery when the Piri Reis Map showed he was a complete fraud and his story has been fooling people for 500 years,

In the uncompromisingly self-mythologizing "Beneath the Underdog", Charles Mingus reveals himself to be a slave to his passions, namely music and sex, with the emphasis on the former. Mingus extrudes a complicated portrait of himself as a virtuoso musician, pimp, orgiast, philosopher - and all these facets might come out in the same paragraph. His no-holds-barred, occasionally chaotic style reflects his music nearly perfectly, which makes this an essential read for even a casual fan of his music. Anyone looking for a conventional, "and then I wrote" sort of autobiography should look elsewhere, but those looking for the development of the personality that informed one of the singular careers in the history of any sort of art will find a lot to enjoy here.

I didn't really know what to expect when I opened this book. It was the first time that I've opened a musician's autobiography, and I thought it might have an examination of how he developed his style, how did he decide to play the instrument, etc. This book was a good surprise. Mingus is hardly focusing the music, though it is always there, and choosing to tell us about everything that's around it. It seems as if he knows that the reader is probably familiar with his music, and is trying to make us understand WHY his music is as it is, and it's a smart move. The autobiography sort of completes the music, adding a missing half to it, making me understand Mingus the man, and through it understand better Mingus the artist.

The book is written wonderfully, Mingus' writing is brilliant, and the story sweeps you with him and you thank God for it being such a small book or you might've missing a month from reading it rather than a day. Some things are not totally clear, and some things are not explained, but yet, it is a great book, deals with love, crime, blacks and whites, jazz, madness, and the conclusion, which is expressed in the title, that love, for friends, women or for music is the only thing that's really important, and if you dig it, you could find happiness.

Listen to his music while you are reading this book. It will help you understand what is going on. Mingus paints a self-portrait which impresses the reader with it's brilliant colors, distorted proportions and powerful images. Mingus shares with us the events, people and impressions in his life which matterd to him. This book is compelling, humorous, disturbing and at times disonant. Just like his greatest music. Unlike his music, however, this is not a great literary work. The value of this book is not in the literature, but the stature of the author. "Beneath the Underdog..." is a view into the soul of the artist rather than a narrative of the life of the man. Highly recommended for those who are prepared to accept Mingus on his own terms

Charles Saxe, Chicago, Illinois

DREAMER held a lot of promise and was a very deep read. The story involves Chaym Smith, who offers himself as a decoy/stand-in to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., because he bears too familiar a resemblence to the good Doctor. Told from the perspectives of Dr. King and one of his aides, Matthew Bishop, the novel took us from marches to meetings involving heads of state to the breakdown of Chaym's personality, which was a complete 360 degrees from that of man he was hired to impersonate. The author was able to structure the personalities of the players involved and made the fictional charaters of Matthew and Chaym convincing and compelling. However, the book was so weighed down with thoughts and agendas that were so complex in context, that it was a little hard to get back on track, especially when you have forgotten where you left off, and you are still reading the book. A good read for those wanting something different and four-dimensional.

Dreamer by Charles Johnson gives a unique look at the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. By using a fictitious double, who must examine his own life in light of the civil rights era, Johnson allows the reader to see both King and Chaym Smith, the man who would be his stand-in, struggle with issues of nonviolence and its meaning in a violent world. This well-researched novel presents a fresh look at King's life by allowing artistic license to soar while it never clouds the truth. Although some details are the product of the author's imagination, others are well documented among King scholars. The presentation of fact in the environment of creative detail allows a glimpse of King that I have seen nowhere else. The story moves quickly and never digresses into detail that is irrelevant to the narrative, but gives enough pertinent detail to help those unfamiliar with the setting, while convincing those who know more details concerning King's life that the author is also a brilliant scholar. A GOOD READ.

Like Faith And The Good Thing, Dreamer works as philosophy and social criticism as well as fiction. Mr. Johnson has the personal courage to eschew trendy thinking and to pull together the truth from all corners of the world, ancient and modern. I like reading him because he tells me the truth; I can trust his judgment. He's incredibly erudite and yet there's no jive in his prose style, no textbook tone, no pretension. It's obvious thatl he's learned a few things while becoming a man and isn't afraid to show it. He demonstrates admirably that "rapping" needn't be doggerel. Kudos! Long live Martin Luther King!

This book seems to be a commissioned marketing book for network marketing. It reads like a sales brochure and contained very little information that was of value to me. It seems likely that it was funded by a bunch of MLM companies, including Prepaid legal, Excel and Herbalife, among others.

Don't believe the other customer reviews, and don't waste your money on this book. There must be better books out there than this one.

I am also shocked at the number of people who endorse this book on the back cover. I wonder how many of them actually read it.

One of the worst books I have ever read.

The New Professional makes clear the evolution of multilevel and direct marketing. Like many folks, I had a pretty dim view of the overly aggressive sales tactics and misleading meeting agendas that I ran into with many of the earlier direct marketing efforts. Now I see that things have changed for the better - much better! Inventory is not in your home, it's not in someone else's garage, it is at the distributor and easily obtained through the internet. Supply chain management is superb in these new companies.

For example, King and Robinson provide statistics to show why direct marketing is a robust and very efficient model for introducing some products into the market place. And, they show why the type of person involved in network marketing today is truly a professional: "Of key interest, the research found 'successful (direct and network marketing) sales people have a communication style or social style that encourages the building of relationships with their customers . . . The most successful sales leaders have a combination of relationship and task orientation' (in their communication styles)."

Network Marketing and multilevel marketing are synonymous terms. They are defined by a business model which pays commissions on multiple levels of the sales organization. Network Marketing/Selling differs from Direct Selling in that Network Marketing:

1. Focuses on relationships rather than on closing the sale or booking an order
2. Focuses on information sharing
3. Independent business owner (IBO)
4. Commissions on multiple levels of sales (not just retail of the IBO)

The role of the network marketing channel is to accelerate the movement of products using the most efficient distribution technique: word-of-mouth communication.

This is an excellent book to bring you up to date on the network marketing phenominon and to understand the new business models (yes, there are many).

If your considering Network Marketing as a career move then this should be your first text book for learning what you need to know first about the business. I have also attended Dr. Charles King's Networking Marketing Certification course at the University of Illinois @ Chicago with equal enthusiasm. If you take anything from this review, understand that this book was written by a Harvard Grad and tenured Professor at UIC who spent much time researching the business. It is a great book that is required reading especially if you're new to the business of Network Marketing.
Last of all, don't listen to fools who scoff at this book or the Industry, unless of course you wish to remain a slave to your employer and retire a slave to the Governments program.

This could have been such a good book. It is like he just put something together,just to get out another volume. I won't be getting anymore in the series. This one wasted my money.

Contrary to other reviews, I really enjoyed this book in the Great Lives Series by Swindoll. The book is an excellent encouragement to stand firm in the Lord even when others are compromising.

Among the excellent points Swindoll mentions are:

1. Lessons to be learned from Elijah's life.
2. Principles about God's leading.
3. Trust in the Lord and spend time alone with Him.
4. Reasons why Elijah may have been intimidated by Jezebel.
5. Do not let self-sufficiency replace your dependence on God!
6. Elijah had to learn self-denial and to rely on God instead of himself.
7. Living in sin will make you unsure and indecisive.
8. God will often use tests to shape us into His likeness.

Again, these are just a few of the many excellent points mentioned in the book. An excellent supplement to the Bible, I highly recommend it!

So far I have read Elijah, David, and Moses. All three are excellent, but Elijah has been my favorite. If you are a Christian looking for a way to have more of God and draw closer to Him. Elijah will be of great benefit to you. Elijah was a man with a great annointing on His life and was selfless and dedicated to obedience. Charles Swindoll does show a balanced view of Elijah's weaknesses and strengths. Swindoll has a way of getting into the skin of each person he is studying. It was easy for me to relate to Elijah on a personal level because Charles Swindoll has a way of reflecting the human qualities of this giant for God along with the supernatural nature of God that lives within each of us. I enjoyed reading this book slowly so as not to miss one drop. :}