I read this translation of The Dhammapada ("the path of dharma") simultaneously, line by line, with Eknath Easwaran's translation. Although in the end I prefered the latter translation, I found the annotations and commentary in Muller's translation very insightful. You don't have to be a Buddhist nun or monk to appreciate the wisdom of The Dhammapada; rather, it has been said that The Buddha intended these teachings for everyone. Easwaran has observed that if all of the Buddha's other teachings were lost, The Dhammapada would be enough to understand Buddha's wisdom, and Muller's translation provides easy access to that wisdom. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought"--these opening lines set the theme of the entire Dhammapada: namely, the importance of training the mind. Muller's translation with its accompanying commentary is a good place to start down the path of Buddhist dharma.

G. Merritt

This isn't a large book about Halloween, but it's fun. Though this book is mostly geared toward children, I've found it to be a good source of ideas for adult parties as well. It has some wonderful treats recipes using pumpkin that I have made to rave reviews, and I particularly love the sections on "costume party themes," Halloween outing ideas, and fortune-telling games. With only line illustrations and no photos, it isn't a flashy book, and some of it's suggestions are a little cliche, but it is so jam-packed with good ideas that I hate to see the Halloween Book fall out of print. Grab it where you can!

I was asked to read this book by the Prostate Cancer Charity in UK and on first sight my heart sank. Full of dry medical information - how wrong I was! My husband had a radical prostatectomy in 1997 and has recovered well but I still found encouraging material - especially about managing impotence. The book covers all aspects of prostate cancer - from diagnosis to living with the results of treatment. It deals with the medical terms and emotional effects of each stage in a down to earth manner. I also really valued the fact that it was written to me - the woman. It made me feel understood in a way that much of literature doesn't as it all male orientated. Enjoy reading it as you approach stage by stage and keep dipping into for knowledgeable reassurrance. My one regret was that all the helpful contact numbers and addresses were all American.

Maguire has written this book, one of his many, as a preparation, introduction and guide principally for a rather select group of people: those who would like to do some very serious practice in a Zen monastery. While each Zen monastery or center is unique and will have its own variations on the theme, he has chosen Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York, not because it is typical, but because he knows it well, having been a student there since 1994, and because its training system is broad enough so that all kinds of training might be encountered there that will be met with at other places. The system, the Eight Gates, consists of: Zen sitting, the teacher-student relationship, liturgy, moral and ethical teachings, art practice, physical exercise, academic study, and work. Maguire is a professional story teller and has good descriptive abilities, so that his description of the physical grounds makes one feel present on the property. He sketches briefly the kinds of people who come there and the sort of things that people have personally experienced there. He goes into minute detail about the order of the day and some of the eight elements of training, something that will be appreciated by those who are looking forward to actually going to a center, but a tad too detailed for the general reader. The book includes a directory of Zen places in the US and Canada, recommended further reading, a few commonly used Zen chants, and a glossary of terms. So if you are thinking about some serious practice at a Zen center or are generally curious, it is a very informative volume to look into.