....
Even though it is poignant and, quite sad, at times, the prose is so lyrical and of such grace; romantic; descriptive and seemingly, filled with the spice scent of the Orient...

It's a very beautiful story.... transcendent and sad at times, romantic at others, etc. I love especially the little descriptions of West Lake in Hangchow and the surrounding areas. It all goes with the plot so beautifully. Very special is also the values expressed in this novel, such that in this busy and modern world of ourse we may not see.

This is the fourth and final book in the Seraffyn series that chronicles Lin and Lary Pardey's meander around the world in their 28 foot wooden cutter. They have a very comfortable and easy going writing style that pulls you into their story. This is a wonderful series whether you are a sailor or not. - Regarding the previous reviewer's comment about storm tactics - The Pardey's have a newer book "Storm Tactics Handbook" which includes and adds a great deal to some of the chapters from this book. It is a must-have book for the ocean cruiser.

The description of storm survival while hove-to during their northern Pacific crossing makes this book a must purchase for anyone planning (or dreaming of) a voyage across any ocean.

This book contains a great deal of information about a series of exercises collectively called Tan-Tui. Both the pictures and text are well done, descriptive, and comprehensive. A complete beginner may not be able to put the information in this book into practice, but a background in martial arts would make it possible. I was taught a similar series of motions as part of my tai chi studies, but didn't know anything more about them than their name. This book gives good background information for the motions, and explains how they were historically used as part of martial arts training. This book would be useful to anyone wanting a detailed description of a set of exercises to increase their strength and flexibility.

this style is the base of many kung fu styles and was used by bodyguards to protect caravans on thier journey's.this style stresses kicking and long fist techniques.an excellent base to begin study from if you wish to learn kung fu.

a great book for every serious scientist in the field of sports medicine.In next edition i would be pleasure to see more
photos and details in dynamic stabilization exercises in real situations and criteria for advancing in the rehabilitation
program ,especially for elite, Olympic level athletes in gymnastic.
The spine in sports open new horizons in philosophy and research on spinal disorders with safe return in sports.

an excellent guide for treating spinal disorders in the field of almost all sport situations. In next edition i would prefer to see more photos and details from rehabilitation in real
situations,on dynamic stabilization exercises and criteria for advancing in the program for elite athletes especially in gymnastic.This book open new horizons in the philosophy of rehabilitation spinal injuries in sports.

The Typhoon of War preserves important information about a people at a time that has received little attention from historians or anthropologist. For me it has opened doors I never even knew were there. As a kid living in Micronesia right after World War II, I didn't conceive that the "natives" would be anything other than eternally grateful for the American presence. I recognized differences between the people of Guam and Truk but it was mainly that some spoke better English, or were darker, and some lived in better houses. That some of them might actually look back to Japanese times as "better" was unthinkable. As I grew older, I began to perceive that perhaps we could have done a better job as saviors/colonizers than we did. Now in retirement I collect books about Micronesia and occasionally travel there. I guess I'm still trying to understand better this place I've been. The Typhoon of War is the book I've been waiting for to do just that.

And why should you read this book if you have no interest in Micronesians. It's thick, dense and won't keep you up all night. Here's why; to help you understand how we in America deal with other places (Viet Nam, Bosnia, Africa) and how we might improve our success by actually trying to understand what the people living there think.

The three authors of The Typhoon Of War, Poyer, Falgout, and Carrucci, have done an excellent job of researching and writing a wonderful piece of seamless historiography. Not only that, but they have written on a subject that has been left relatively untouched for too long, the role of Micronesians in World War II, on whose land the Japanese, the Americans, and their allies fought their war in the Pacific.

A multitude of books have been written on the subject of World War II in the Pacific, and new volumes continue to be produced every year. Yet, few of these hundreds of books have ever devoted more than a paragraph or two, if that, to what happened to the native people who have inhabited this far flung universe of islands for thousands of years. The Typhoon Of War, has corrected that oversight. For those readers, both professional and lay, who are constantly looking for new insights into the greatest and bloodiest conflict in the history of man will find more here than they might in the multitude of generic texts that have reproduced the same general chronology, ad nauseam, over the past fifty years.

I don't know any of the authors, but I am familiar with some of their individual earlier works from which I assume sprang this collective effort. Their bibliography is likewise impressive. They have bypassed little that has gone before them in what up until now has been a rather obscure area of research for all but a few academics. Having lived in the Mariana Islands for five years myself, and having done my own research in the area of World War II oral history amongst the islanders, I see that the authors have also used a variety of unpublished, yet valuable sources, such as the collection of oral histories collected in the 1980s and early 1990s by researchers at the University of Guam, Dr. Dirk Ballendorf, Dr. Don Shuster, and Wakako Higuchi.

Much of what I have read in The Typhoon Of War has confirmed what I have concluded from my own research, primarily, that the typhoon of war that swept the islands of Micronesia was the most defining experience of these people since the cataclysmic coming of the Spanish more than 350 years ago.

To adalois, who wrote a review of these short stories, you are right : who still wants to change China? Or did the Author ever want to? Desillusioned for sure, as far as the narrator is concerned, or too realist, but not sad though, and very funny sometimes... Is it politics? Does not look like it, but can actually be controversial, as its only focus is the individual, and one who has no ideal, who does not take part in society, in a society which is supposed to be filled with ideals. I believe these short stories have less to do with politics than with the acknowledgment that life is purposeless. The narrators are lone dreamers who try hard to remain themselves and discover that it's impossible, that they cannot be the masters of their own lives, and worse, that it would be futile to try to. Nihilism and cynicism are the dark side of these stories (the purpose of life, if any, is just "being"), but with a bright appearance : fun, the sense of the absurd and cheerful sarcastic remarks. So, if you read them in a joyful mood, you will laugh, a lot. If not, you will feel desperate (for the moral of the story is : don't get involved with people, it's too painful and dangerous). Conclusion : be careful, this is dangerous stuff!

Refreshing, sarcastic, humorous, existencialist. This are the four words i'd use to describe the work of Xuxing. He is a writer from the late 80's, early 90's, post 89 june 4th, desillusion and ecseptisism prevailing among young Chinese. Who is going to change China? or who still wants to change it? A must for anyone interested on contemporary China. Great translation, too.

I had great success with teaching programming using this book. Students were not monkey see monkey do. They were able to keep interested and knowlengeable. They were able to move to C with a minimum of retraining

Mr lin assumes you know nothing and builds from there. His language and style are simple and concise and the book is loaded with sample projects with which you can really assimilate the Visual Basic language and concepts. The included diskett has a very good set of quizzes on each section of the book.

This is probally one of the best Zen books I've ever read!!! Lin-chi (Rinzai) speaks in a clear manner easy to understand. Like a true master he knows how to get straight to the "heart" of Zen. It's no wonder a school of Zen is named after him.

The translator of this should be Burton Watson; it looks to be a new editions of the Shambala Dragon edition of 1994. check with publisher so you will provide your readers with accurate information

This book provides you a comprehensive understanding of Chinese accounting and auditing, including historical background and future perspective. If you are going to do business in China or with people in China, it is recommende to read this book.

I would like to recommend "Beyond the Gates of Dream" to anyone who like me prefers epic adventure and non-stop action than rather schizoid modern fantasy writings. Although relatively short (157 pages) the book has rich plot and original characters. The obstacles the characters face are difficult to overcome and many times are intangible things, which must be thought around rather than simply, blown up. The end is a little bit abrupt for my taste but in overall the book is a must have for every real Carters' fan.