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Although Oliver's environment, her field of play, is nature, I wouldn't reduce her to a "naturalist poet." Nature is always interpreted and absorbed by her vision. Nature reveals its secrets to her, but they are the secrets of her own soul. In her poetry, nature is the oracle that reveals the human psyche.
But I should include Oliver's own words, because no prose critique can do justice to the intoxicating natural imagery of her poems. In the poem "Peonies", the richness and fertility of nature mirror the same qualities of the imagination:
This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers
and they open- pools of lace,
white and pink- and all day the black ants climb over them,
boring their deep and mysterious holes into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,...
The poem ends with a challenge that reverberates through the book. In spite of the sense of death looming sometimes on the edge of the poem (and our lives), sometimes at the center, are we willing to fully experience life?
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?
Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,
with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing forever?
I revisited this 1992 collection of NEW AND SELECTED POEMS after reading Oliver's equally stunning THE LEAF AND THE CLOUD. "The dream of my life/ Is to lie down by a slow river/ And stare at the light in the trees," she writes in "Entering the Kingdom;" "To learn something by being nothing/ A little while but the rich/ Lens of attention" (p. 190). In her poetry, Oliver reveals her ability to pay attention to life in a deep way. "I don't know exactly what a prayer is," she writes in "The Summer Day." "I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down/ into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,/ how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,/ which is what I have been doing all day./ Tell me, what else should I have done?/ Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?/ Tell me, what is it you plan to do/ with your one wild and precious life?" (p. 94). In her poetry, Oliver experiences life at the edge of her senses. In "Landscape," she says, "Every morning I walk like this around/ the pond, thinking: if the doors of my heart/ ever close, I am as good as dead" (p. 129).
Much of Oliver's poetry is drawn from nature, where we find God speaking to her of "so many wise and delectable things" through dirt, in "his dog voice/ crow voice,/ frog voice" (pp. 120-21). In "Spring Azures," Oliver writes "In spring the blue azures bow down/ at the edges of shallow puddles/ to drink the black rain water" (p. 8). In "Peonies," she writes, "This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready/ to break my heart/ as the sun rises,/ as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers" (p. 21). In "The Moths," Oliver observes "The wings of the moths catch the sunlight/ and burn/ so brightly" (p. 133). For her, the "Trick of living" is finding Walden "where you are" (p. 239). "Do you love this world," she asks. "Do you cherish your humble and silky life?/ Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?" (p. 22).
I could go on all day praising this book. Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets, and this collection is one of my favorite books of poetry. It offers a radiant introduction to Oliver's verse, and it will also provide a good introduction to the pleasures of reading really good poetry.
G. Merritt
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Other reviewers have mentioned the beauty of the prose, so I will skip a description of it. Suffice to say that it is not only beautiful, but clever. If you happen to be a writer, you will find yourself WISHING that you could condense the essence of being into phrases like Cronin's. The weaving of the stories is extraordinary: how many times have you read about a character and wondered what his/her parents were like, or what his wife was like before she entered the plot at their first meeting? Here you get that depth of information, not only through the strength of the writing but also through the structure and selection of the moments Cronin chooses to reveal. I'm not sure when the last time a book moved me to tears was, but this was one that did.
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"I have been teaching yoga to people of all ages for over 25 years. One of the most common reasons people begin a yoga class is to get rid of their aches and pains. I can say with complete confidence that of all the books I've read on therapeutic exercise for back and neck pain relief, Dr. Schatz book offers by far the most effective, individualized approach to a healthy back.
Back Care Basics goes beyond generic exercises and takes into account each person's special circumstances. It is a lifesaver for people caught in the viscious cycle of pain and fear. I have referred to it countless times creating yoga based exercise programs for people in chronic pain. In fact, almost my entire copy is highlighted or underlined!
If you or someone you love is suffering from back or neck pain, I encourage you to educate yourself by reading this book. I also hope that other health professionals working with people with back problems--chiropractors, massage and physical therapists, acupuncturists,etc., will read this book and leave it in their waiting room. Chiropractors tell me that patients who are practicing yoga rarely have acute back pain and their adjustments hold longer. People with back and neck problems benefit more from other therapies if they practice the gentle yoga program taught in Back Care Basics.
Her diagnostic tests allow you to immediately identify your problem areas. The recommended exercises are clearly illustrated. You get exercises that are custom-made for your body.
Of course, the magic happens when you actually do the exercises. I saw remarkable results in my posture the very first day I started doing the exercises. The neck and shoulder tightness has also improved.
Dr. Schatz is an expert in this area, and this is not designed as "quick fix." This is a sound program to be followed over time. However, I must admit I was astounded at the speed at which I saw improvement.
If you have any back or neck pain, or poor posture, you absolutely must get this book. It will improve your health dramatically. Thank you, Dr. Schatz for this magnificent book.
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Enter Mary. In a style reminiscent of writing by Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul Evans, the author's lyrical handling of this simple character's impact on the world sets everything in balance for Michael. With Mary as his center, the truly important things become clear. At the same time, she brings an unexpected twist into his life which creates a heart-thumping race Michael must win in order to keep from losing her forever.
What I want to see next is the movie version of this book . . . and more stories like this one from an author who is destined, most certainly, to create them.
Enter Mary. In a style reminiscent of writing by Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul Evans, the author's lyrical handling of this simple character's impact on the world sets everything in balance for Michael. With Mary as his center, the truly important things become clear. At the same time, she brings an unexpected twist into his life which creates a heart-thumping race Michael must win in order to keep from losing her forever.
What I want to see next is the movie version of this book . . . and more stories like this one from an author who is destined, most certainly, to create them.
When Mary Livingston enters Michael's life, everything changes. His house becomes a home, his girls happily sharing their days at the supper table. Mary claims she's only passing through, a writer gathering stories, searching for that one special story to tell.
As Mary loves writing, so does Michael McCain loves his music, dreaming of breaking into the big time. When he at last reaches his dream, as successful star Abby Rhodes invites him along to open her shows, Michael must reevaluate his life, his priorities, and his dreams.
THE LAST SLOW DANCE flows with a poetic grace, the language's lyricism mesmerizing the reader. THE LAST SLOW DANCE moves like a great river with hidden currents of meaning below the reflective surface. If you enjoyed James Waller's BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, you'll love THE LAST SLOW DANCE with its positive ending and inspirational message. Very highly recommended.
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After thorough analysis of the shortcomings of today's "earnings game," the authors map out a comprehensive approach to determining and sharing key financial and nonfinancial data that will help all business stakeholders assess a company's value. By using internal performance measurement tools such as the Balanced Scorecard for external reporting, companies can focus more clearly on creating value rather than face a quarterly scramble to burnish their earnings picture. Nonfinancial disclosure would also improve decision making for investors by providing a more complete picture of company operations and strategy.
In addition to promoting a commitment to improved ongoing communications, the authors note that the Internet and recent financial disclosure regulation have enabled new entrants to develop and distribute a range of economic information and services that compete directly with traditional Big-5 and Wall Street firms. This could signify the end of the "double-secret, uber-whisper" the earnings rumors that reach (and reward) only a subset of a subset of people in the know.
As an organizational consultant, this book was very helpful in clarifying the network of relationships among companies, analysts, regulators, accountants, and investors - and showing how they misestimate value and often move markets based on limited, asymmetric information. ValueReporting suggests an alternative way for companies to account for themselves that is aligned with sound management and sound investing.
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Chapters are: Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Eighteen, Twenty and Twenty-Four. What makes the book more than just a quiz generator is the lengthy explanatory text, anywhere from three to eighteen pages. These pithy essays entertain and inform, and add greatly to the volume's enjoyment. Some questions are really obscure -- what were the five rivers of the classical underworld, anyway? -- but even the easier ones can leave you scratching your head and cursing your memory. Didn't I used to know allthis stuff? Then, after you knock yourself on the head and shout "Of course!", you will have the pleasure of reading a well-written essay by a co-author or one of a small number of contributors. There is also a fourteen page suggested reading list, organized by subject, that includes music and URLs. Rounded out with a good index, this is very nicely done and lots of fun.
Now, please excuse me -I have to keep my audition appointments for "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "Jeopardy"!
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Part one gives a good, if not detailed enough, overview of what emotional intelligence is and why it's important. She could've referenced a bit more research here; it does exist. Parts Two and Four look at how parents can connect with their children to be "emotion coaches" for them. Part Two is about building a better relationship with your child. Part Four is is focused on life skills. I really enjoyed these sections of the book, although they, too, could've been more detailed. That said Kurcinka is gearing this book to a general audience and probably didn't want to get bogged down in alot of theory and research. That's actually a good thing - the book is not at all dry. It's readable and I think parents will be able to relate to the examples she uses. She uses alot of real life case examples from her own practice.
I didn't find Part 3 to be as useful as the rest of the book, because it was all about temperment. This material was covered in detail in her previous book, which I've read. Everything about it was pretty much a carbon copy of the original book "Raising Your Strong Willed Child." For those who haven't read that book, the information is very useful, and I think necessary, but for me it was repetitive. She could've shortened or deleted this section of the book and given more exercises, activities, and overall detail in the other three parts.
Overall, this is a very useful book for anyone who wants to learn to lessen conflict and power struggles with children. It's geared more toward children under 12, but the materials can also be applied to teens. Highly reccommended.
Carefully, patiently, she leads us through the basics: empathy, self calming, recongnizing feelings, listening, recognizing different temperaments and personality styles. Then she gives us the tools for coaching our children to become more effective in handling their feelings: to recognize them, name them, express them and seek a satisfactory resolution without being destructive to others.
Nothing here is so revolutionary, but the approach of thinking about your child's difficult behavior as a cry for help in dealing with underlying emotions is incredibly helpful. Once you have tuned into this idea, it short-circuits your tendency to react to such behavior with knee-jerk, authoritarian stuff you are reading these books to avoid. You end up working with your child, not against him, and isn't that the point?
Different parenting books work for different people. This might be the one for you. One caveat: the paper on this not inexpensive hardcover edition is cheap, cheap, and the type small and gray. You'd expect more from HarperCollins.
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