Joseph Mitchell's Up in the Old Hotel is by far the best book that I have read by an Amerian writer. His words paint pictures so vivid that I could smell the ale from the saloons, hear the laughter from the comrads, feel the salty sea air around Fulton's Fish Market, and tast the diner/coffeepot food. Mitchell succeeded in creating nothing less than magic in these stories. Each is so independant, but yet together they weave incredible tapestries. The New York that Mitchell portrays here is one that could only be viewed from these stories. The way that the people and places are captured will preserve their memories for ever in the minds of his readers. An excellent book, I personally recommend to every lover of the American Dream

Yes, as the other reviewers have already noted, it's true that Mitchell captures a sense of place and character as well as any writer working today, but the real reason to buy this book is the opportunity it will give you to revel in the rhythm of some of the most hynpotic sentences you will ever read by an American writer. If you think I'm exaggerating, then just open the book to a piece called "The Rivermen" (pg 574) and read the opening paragraph, in which Mitchell describes the Hudson River and his sighting of a sturgeon:

" ... it rose twice, and cleared the water both times, and I plainly saw its bristly snout and its shiny little eyes and its white belly and its glistening, greenish-yellow, bony-plated, crocodilian back and sides, and it was a spooky sight."

If you love sentences like this, get this book. I've been teaching college composition for a dozen years, and can think of no better model for clean, elegant prose.

This book would be interesting even if it weren't so cleverly written. The character's that Mitchell portrays: Joe Gould, the bearded lady, the denizens and proprietors of McSorley's saloon are so... for lack of a better term human that this story would be worthwhile to read as if it were just a part of Joe Gould's 'Oral History'-- for what it contributes to a knowledge of a time that has long since passed us, for the insight it has provided in to a world that has since disappeared. Mitchell describes a world that has left us and makes it seem as if it were still with us; I think that I'd give this book four stars just for the characters and the insights alone....

But one could say the same about writers like Iceberg Slim; certainly, he too described shady characters in works like 'Pimp' and 'Trick Baby'; today, those seem more annoying than invigourating, and his writing more self-aggrandizing than reaching toward a verismilitude. Mitchell seems with us. His work could stand alone as a work of fiction rather than one of journalism; if it is six-hundred and eighty for pages (I think it is...) all are worth reading in multiple.

I highly recommend this book. And I'm usually not a fan of works of this type. If I were to be, another neat book that is vaguely similar but a lot older is Hamilton Holt's 'The Life Sotries of Undistinguished Americans as Told by Themselves...'

I own a small PR agency in Chicago and am always looking for tools to help our junior staff be more effective and efficient. This book is great! Everyone of my employees now has their own copy of Literary Publicity: The Final Chapter. It's got everything a professional needs to know -- and, even better, what a non-pro needs to know to help make their book successful. I also like how Marich uses humor to make his points. I recommend this for any writer or any beginning publicist.

For those of us that would like to have a PR firm working for us but cannot afford one, this is the answer. Mr. Marich has taken a difficult subject and made it easy to understand and follow. Step by step instructions make this an easy read and makes you a PR expert. Anyone that needs some PR should be using this book. A good read.

This is the most helpful "how-to" book I've ever read. It's informative, easy to read and funny, too! It makes the complicated process of generating publicity seem manageable for the beginner. The author uses humor and very interesting "stories from the trenches" to illustrate the steps involved in handling your own PR. The book is geared towards authors but I think it would be valuable for anyone who needs to get the word out about their business, product or even themselves. I highly recommend this book!!!!

As a student preparing to enter into the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine provides a wonderfully interesting, informative and easy-to-reference guide to natural medicines. What I enjoyed most was the fact that this book avoids giving a simple "run-down" of the natural treatments used for specific conditions. Instead, it teaches the reader the philosiphy behind how those natural treatments work (for example by promoting the healing power of our body), and therefore why they are used to treat certain conditions. The authors also do a great job of "backing-up" what is written with solid scientific evidence. This addresses a major concern readers have, namely, the validity of natural treatments. While there is still a multitude of research yet to be done, the authors utilize the available research and combine it nicely with the wisdom of centuries-old medical practices from various cultures around the wor! ld. Finally, the applicability of this book is widespread. It is a complete and comprehensive guide for both the everyday person as well as doctors and students (of both Traditional and Naturopathic/Complimentary Medicines).

When I bought this book, I had no idea how powerful an effect it would have in my life. As a science afficianado (and probable borderline hypochondriac), I have taken vitamin supplements for years "just in case" I might not be receiving proper nutrition from my modern microwave and fast food regimen. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine is an eye-opening discovery of the side of medicine that is too often missing in the world of the M.D.: treating the cause of an illness, not just it's symptoms.
The writing is comprehensive yet precise, including evidence of the therapeutic effect of a given supplement, it's method of action (pharmacology), and even caveats about any weaknesses in supporting studies, including whether evidence comes from statistically meaningful double-blind controlled studies or from clinical or cultural experiences.
If you are the type of person to take supplements, exercise, or eat healthy and natural foods out of a desire to protect your health, I highly recommend you BUY AND READ THIS BOOK! And if, on the other hand, you don't do any of the above, and you have a medical condition or take any presription or over-the-counter medication, or just generally feel yucky, I would definitely urge you to BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!
And Finally, if you are currently in the medical field, or typically prescribe or endorse only synthetic drugs manufactured by American Pharmaceutical companies licensed by the FDA, please BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!
Then again, I'm probably biased; after acting on the information in this book, I feel better than I have in a long time. And as any scientist will tell you, such results are not statistically significant ; )

This is a great book for the general public as well as naive health care professionals to learn about Natural Medicine. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THIS BOOK AND STUDY IT. YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT. I have learned that I am eating totally wrong and am setting myself up for a cardiovascular disaster. And I'm a doctor and should know better! Now I can set things straight.

Yeah, I'm an M.D. and have been trained to treat my patients with chemicals (Allopathic Medicine), but I have been trying to expand my knowledge base about the practice of medicine and luckly stumbled on Dr. Murray's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.

I will integrate what I have and will learn about Natural Medicine in my everyday practice (and my own life!). I feel that, with certain exceptions, Natural Medicine should be tried first. Only when that fails or is inappropriate should Allopathic Medicine be used.

There is a growing trend for M.D.'s to use Natural Medicine in their practice. ...

What luck I had picking up this gem at a used book store. Few books I've read have gripped me in the way 'The Berkut' did. Heywood's attention to detail and his unique hypothesis make this a great book. This is well worth the effort of finding, and if you own the book, pass it on, as I'm going to do. I am still debating, I think this book might lend itself woderfully to a movie, but I'd hate to see it ruined, if done poorly.

Very intense, very plausible and I didn't want to put it down. When I finished the book, I was left with the question, "What if this is not just fiction?" I would recommend this book to anyone. It's nice to get away from the techno thriller

The Berkut is a tour de force, one of the best books that I have experienced, and is still the pinncale of all books regarding the worst incarnation of evil the world has ever seen: Hitler. It has a very dynamic cast of characters, whose exploits prove to create an amazing novel, which is captivating in its story-telling ability and remarkably plausible. I personally never thought that Hitler would be the kind of person to commit suicide and have his body burned in a shell hole full of gasoline. Heywood also uses this premise to create this wonderful book, encompassing the entire scape of World War II, the cowardice of Hitler, the blood-thirsty nature of Josef Stalin, and the hunt for the greatest criminal of all time.

The Berkut is expertly written, focusing on a number of charcacters, all of their actions coming together in a perfectly executed plot and ending. The book starts off with SS Colonel Günter Brumm being airlifted using an ingenious glider system, and then parachuting into the rubble of Berlin. His mission is to make his way into the ruin of the once great capital of the Third Reich and extract the greatest war criminal of all time: Hitler, Herr Wolf. With the Soviet army slowly but surely closing on the last strongholds of the German army, Brumm makes his way to the Reich Chancellery, where the ruler of the Aryans hides in his famed underground bunker. Brumm, alone in his task, is given the Herculean task of not only fooling the entire world of der Führer's death, but also of extracting the man from the fiery ruins of Berlin, from the crumbling empire of Germany, and eventually Europe entirely.

However, Brumm is not the only one who is interested in the fate of Herr Wolf. Stalin has assigned a Special Operations Group to find out the true fate of der Führer, and if his death was in fact a hoax, then Stalin wants Herr Wolf as the ultimate prize of revenge. The Special Operation Group is led by Vasily Petrov, whose amazing ability to track down his quarry and whose strength surpasses men twice his size, has earned him the name of "the Berkut" among Sovet circles. His team is composed of the best in all of the USSR, hardened in their training, stalwart in their determination, they meticulously follow the trail of Brumm and the ultimate quarry, for they know that failure means death at the hands of Stalin's many minions.

Heywood also introduces an ambitious American, Beau Valentine, whose experience as an OSS agent have molded him into of the best in the intelligence field. Valentine's methods are neither conventional nor pretty, but they get the job done, and now they have earned him the knowledge that no other Allied agent could obtain: that Hitler is not a burnt crisp buried in an undisclosed location, but is very much alive and on the way to escaping the outstretched fist of justice. Although it takes him a while to figure it out, he catches up quite well, hot on the trail of Hitler and his SS escort. Constantly being called back to OSS HQ to have his credentials taken away because the OSS had become obsolete (now that the war is over) and other agencies are now taking over its responsibilities, Beau Valentine continually disobeys orders, so that he may remain in the field, for he knows the OSS has one last, very imoportant mission left...

I think this book is one of the best books written dealing with the popular subject of World War II, and definitely has not gotten the credit that is due to it. I sped through it amazingly quick, and although I vaguely remembered my parents mentioning the ending to me years before reading it, it did not ruin the reading expereince in any way. I won't give away the ending to the readers of this review, but I will tell you that it is quite surprising, as is the way Hitler plans to leave Europe. This book is great for any type of reader, and has enough political intrigue, acton, and suspense that you will be begging for more by the book's end. Thankfully there's a sequel, "The Domino Conspiracy" with many of the same characters in it (haven't read it yet).

One last thing. For those of you out there that are wondering about the origin of the title, here ya go: a berkut is a specially bred golden eagle, used by nomadic hunters in Kirghizia in south-central Russia. The eagle uses its immense strength and size to hunt wolves, binding their muzzles and suffocating them, or even using their powerful dives to break a wolf's back... How is that metaphor goin for you?

Recently I lost my father to a 10 year bout with cancer. This book provided me with joy, tears and abudance within a month of my own fathers death. Cardinal Bernardin was a remarkable man who had the courage to face his accusers, his illness and ulitmately his death. He has reconfirmed that faith, hope, love, forgivenss and kindness is the very essentials of what life needs to be about. It is clear from the Cardinal as it was from my experience with my own father that even when you think you are at your darkest human hour you need to reach out and make a difference every single day until your final moment in this part of your journey here on earth.

This book is a must read for anyone who has doubted that there is peace in death. He reconfirms that the lessons most important in life are to continue to give of yourself every day despite the adversities you face. In his illness, through his false accusation and his wonderful rediscovery of a deeper faith in Christ it makes accepting God's plan for you important.

Anyone who has an ill parent or someone close to them should read this book it will give you a much clearer spiritual understanding of illness, death and living every moment under God's plan.

A year ago, on November 14, 1996, our beloved Cardinal Bernardin died, as we the people of his flock, spent time in prayer and reflection over his years as our shepherd. It is amazing to realize how we were enveloped into his loving care, even as he lay dying. Some months later, his book, "The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflections" was published, as his gift to us. More than its worldwide sales, is its personal value to those who read it, perhaps once, maybe several times. How many people near death will ever have the energy to focus on the Lord's Presence, amidst physical pain? For Cardinal Bernardin, the pain he wrote about may have focused on physical and emotional difficulties that surfaced in the final three years of his life, but clearly, there are words in his book that can yet feed the flock, "how if we let Him, God can write straight with crooked lines," if only we let go of the control and allow HIM to direct our life's journey. This does not mean we should make no plans, but rather, set aside time daily to draw close to the Lord, and let go of the concerns that may grip us --- to make room for HIM in our lives. Is there room for HIM in the inn of our deepest selves? There is no other option. No matter what difficulties or hurts arise, we are all still family, always needing to work on healing; the other choice leaves us without family and friends. Cardinal Bernardin speaks of redemptive suffering -- the kind Jesus felt, the kind we may experience. The message clearly leads the reader to know that we, like Jesus, can move beyond the suffering, toward something better, allowing the Lord to work in our lives, bringing us into communion with Him and others who are feeling pain and suffering. In the midst of his pain, Bernardin's faith was strong, but he was preoccupied with the pain. His message is this: develop a strong prayer life in your best moments so you can be sustained in your weaker moments. Lean on family and friends, and church community, as they minister. As you read this book, you may feel the connection with Cardinal Bernardin because either you or a family member or friend is experiencing the pain and suffering of illness. Cardinal Bernardin's presence remains with us, in these words, "Pray while you're well, because if you wait until you're sick, you might not be able to do it."

America was drawn to the story of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin when he publicly shared with the community of the Archdiocese of Chicago the news that his liver cancer was inoperable on August 30, 1996. The Cardinal wrote The Gift of Peace to share his thoughts on the last three years of his life. His writing reflects the principal role of a Roman Catholic bishop - - the teaching office, to nourish within the community the principles of faith illustrated by the realities that present themselves in the course of everyday life.

Like most Americans outside of Chicago, I first learned about the Cardinal in the news coverage that accompanied his last year on the front pages of the newspapers. He wanted to walk with the community as he confronted his death. Sharing with the community both the pain of his illness and the discoveries of the intellect that bridged for him, first acceptance of his terminal illness, and then the process of personal reconciliation of his life journey.

There are so many books upon the shelves of Amazon.com on the topic of Death and Dying. None of them adequate to the task of being "how to's", but offering reasonable guidance for that most personal of tasks, confronting personal death and death in the family. Yet, I keep coming back to The Gift of Peace. Perhaps, because of the Cardinal's one-to-one conversation by which he engages the reader.

For those of us that can prepare for death, a struggle may develop as we form a personal inner conversation to embrace with grace and maturity and purpose our changed fortune. The Cardinal models in the journey of his illness the direction our own path may take.

Upon hearing the first fateful news of his illness, the Cardinal experienced a feeling of helplessness. The same helplessness I nervously experienced when the heart specialist began taking my history. The Cardinal acknowledged then, as I did also, the state of great anxiety as patients wait to hear from doctors what their fate will be. "God was teaching me yet again just how little control we really have and how important it is to trust in him."

The Cardinal describes how terrible illness changes lives - - not only the life of the person carrying it, but also the lives of friends and family members who love and care for that person. We follow in the book's narrative the Cardinal's trajectory along illness as described by Therese A. Rando: keeping alive, understanding and acknowledging the illness, experiencing the pain, framing realistic expectations and completing unfinished business.

And in the midst of the Cardinal's struggle, he continued his own ministry to others with cancer. "Somehow when you make eye contact," he says, "when you convince people that you really care - - that at that particular moment they are the only ones that count - - then you establish a new relationship." It is all about entering into an intimacy with those we minister to, however brief, forever permanent.

Jesus learned this lesson from the Canaanite woman to whom he first avoided, saying he was sent to minister only to the house of Israel." She continued to confront him, to engage him. She established a relationship that from that moment forward propelling Jesus' ministry beyond Israel to embrace all the nations. For ministry, the Cardinal concludes, is about imparting a sense that "somehow you truly care and have somehow mediated the love, mercy and compassion of the Lord."

Ministry to the dying is all about strengthening the relationship between each person and God. I understand that each of our ministerial encounters is unique. Our need for healing is no different in dying than in living - - however the more apparent and actively sought out for. I strive to go to the bedside with practical skills fashioned around a dynamic toolbox of appropriate pastoral applications.

A dynamic shaped by what the Cardinal would call prayer and prayer's search for peace. Peace that accompanies recognition, acceptance, reconciliation. And as a pastor, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin offers us a simple prayer that we may find the gift of peace. It is in the journey toward death's great mystery that we call out to the Lord for peace. The peace that finds voice in prayer. Prayer that nourishes. Prayer that heals. Prayer that reconciles. Prayer that brings us to salvation.

I was typing up descriptions of books I bought in a box lot to sell and decided this one was in just too poor condition to sell, but it was medical, which always interests me, so I decided I should read it first before throwing it out (it's literally falling apart), AND BOY, AM I GLAD I DID! I found it totally absorbing, but surprisingly not so much from the medical aspect as from the simple human drama aspect. The cover emphasizes its focus on the corrupt medical system it describes, but to me it was more about a man losing himself in the pursuit of money & prestige, and having a crisis brought on by the death of a patient, that turns him back around, back to the idealistic doctor we liked in the beginning of the book.

There were numerous British words I didn't know what they referred to, but I found I was able to just skip over them & keep reading without losing the essence of the plot or the sense of timing/tension/drama that kept bringing me back to read more.

A beautifully written novel. Warm yet heartwrenching, uplifting and tearjerking it propels the reader to a deeply satisfying conclusion: The doctor is ready to battle on for the good of us all. Dr. Manson is a man of deep convictions. His honesty and guts in the end allow him to defeat the temptations of greed and an undemanding, lush lifestyle. If you don't understand the mindset and heart of a "liberal" thinker, read and understand Dr. Andrew Manson. I loved this book. I'd love to see both the Masterpiece theater presentation and the movie by the same title.

An excellent read. I couldn't put down this book about the life of a young Scottish doctor right out of medical school. The book is punctuated by lots of heartwarming moments, but the author also gives us some thoughts on the ethics behind the medical profession. Highly recommended.

This is one book you will want to share with friends, family, maybe even strangers. If you're weary of excessively hyped, poorly written and unoriginal eco-spiritual and new age books, you must read Balance Point.

Having been greatly under-whelmed by such books as The Celestine Prophecy, Ishmael and Mutant Message Down Under, I started Balance Point with a cynical eye. My attitude quickly changed, however, as I was drawn into the story before the end of the first chapter. By the time I turned the last page a few hours later (Balance Point is a fast read), my head was reeling from the scope and the depth of the message.

There are so many things that impressed me about this book--too many to list here--but I'll try to hit the most important ones.

I liked the author's unpretentious, self-deprecating style. Rather than presenting himself as the all-knowing bestower of ancient wisdom, he makes his character the foil to the intelligence and wisdom of his aunt Lucy and the others he and his wife encounter on their travels. This allows the reader to take in the information and opinions expressed without ever feeling preached at or talked down to. And there's a lot of information.

In fact, I've never encountered a book with so much disturbing and frightening information that goes down so easily. The story is so engrossing and the author's writing style so light and breezy that only after finishing the book did it hit me just how much information had been conveyed.

That is not to say that Balance Point is a Gloom and Doom environmental book--quite the contrary. The book not only leaves you with a sense of hope and enthusiasm about the future, it gives you some important tools to put your passion into action. An addendum at the back of the book includes contact information for a host of organizations involved with the environment, ecology and sustainability. There's also a section of practical tips, ranging from household cleansers and toiletries to transportation and education. The addendum alone is worth the price of the book.

All in all, Balance Point is a remarkable book with an extremely important message. And if you're looking for a wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee eye opener of a book for an ecologically challenged friend, this is the one.

The award-winning author of The Humanure Handbook and The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, has another provocative and well-written book to grab (and hold) your attention: Balance Point, Searching for a Spiritual Link

In this novelized book of truths, protagonist Joe Jenkins is sent on an incredible mission by his deceased Great Aunt Lucy's baffling will...an eye-opener of a voyage toward the understanding of an imminent disaster of global proportions. Joe's journey is initiated at a wicca ceremony in a sweat lodge where he is pointed to his first destination, Newfoundland.

"We're robbing the earth's resources, particularly the non-renewable ones", Joe learned at a meeting with Sir (Professor) Gaulton of St. Johns College. "...we've become so blinded by our robbing frenzy mentality, a behavior that we've learned to take completely for granted, that we've lost touch with the natural balance of the earth".

The quest to learn how to evolve the human psyche takes Joe (and his wife) on a reluctant itinerary to many remote places in both North and South America including the jungles of the Amazon. The message Joe learned is about the balance between careless selfishness in the use of natural resources, and our interaction and interdependence with each other and all of the natural world...a message of survival as well as one of spiritual awakening. As Great Aunt Lucy put it, "The forces of the Ego and Eco have become locked in combat".

Balance Point is a timely page-turner that speaks to the most important and immediate problem we face...saving our planet and ourselves. Author and seeker Joseph Jenkins has given us a book that demands thought...and isn't that the definition of a great book? This reviewer thinks so!

Ever speculate the future? This book is certain to color and frame your preview. The title fits the content as much as the story line; where science and spirituality meet on equal ground. Bound to contain some of your favorite reading, the author has amply spun spirituality, science, and culture into a living work. A "must-read" for the fiction and non-fiction reader alike.

I found this to be one of those books "you just can't put down". It's seemingly retrousse' chapters are full of twists, turns, and zestful characters, including the author himself. And the anecdotes are easily believable. It is adventurous and intuitive in likeness to James Redfields' Celestine series, yet with a more personal and pointed message. Both educational and entertaining, its' many punch lines may be as disturbing as they are enlightening.

Jenkins has done his homework, literally. Providing not only sound research, there is evidence that he gives credence and practice toward what he writes. He leaves the reader with a feeling of here and now, and compels self-examination. Fortunately, as with all of Jenkins' publications, he provides a wealth of follow-up ideas and information; very tasteful and helpful pointers as to "where to go from here".

Easily "Two thumbs up!"

For the purposes of review, this should be considered "unrated," as I never rate memoirs or heavily autobiographical writings.

Casually written in the author's own voice, this sojourn goes to many surprising places, and the writing style, difficult for me to follow at times, faithfully mirrors the confusion, dislocation, and transportation out of which this clever book was written.

We need more books that not only tell us, but show us, that personally lived versions of the Hero's Journey are needed to get to the truths that really work for us.

I can't review a book without commenting on the medium: shame, shame on the publishers and editors! The pages are cheap, thin, paper; the text runs all over the page; and the text has a number of typos and spelling errors that it's the house's job (not the author's) to correct. Do it right or don't do it at all.

The author calls for informal groups to discuss the problems of our nation and its place in the world. Amen! (...)

If you're young in spirit, this might be a good book for you to read.

This is a painful book to read. In fact it is a hard read for those who have pap and fluff books pushed on them constantly. Or who are used to being told what wonderful people they really are. But like anything that involves getting healthy it is a book I needed to read.

Why? Because it raises questions and demands answers that in my case I didn't like being asked. To Live A Lie on page 216-227 is in itself worth the time required to read the book. It is just one example of how the author tweaks our comfort zone. In this case the typical suburban, upward mobile career person who from their home to work is sheltered in the car cocoon, and in their office and in their home and artificially shielded from the real world. The real world where ones child asks why poor people don't live in the nice type of house they live in.

I appreciated even though it hurt sometimes, his wisdom about race, economics, the sexes, and our nation. I don't agree with everything he espouses, but he addresses some serious issues in a thought provoking way, that I admit really made me think and look at my role in the scheme of things.

Transcend is more than 'just a book about travel'. It is more than a 'biography', and it is more than a philosophical and a psychological work. The writer takes us with him as he travels, not only physically, but also emotionally and psychologically. We see what he sees. We feel what he feels. All the while, we are traveling with a 'guy from Queens' whose eyes open wider with every scene, and no matter what our philosophical orientation, our eyes open wider too. Richard Joseph's world is no longer an island defined and isolated by Queens, New York City, American protection and culture. The book was written before September 11th, yet his shock at the reality of what he sees as the curtains of Oz fall around him is prescient of our shock at the reality we see around us now.

Because the writer takes us through time as well as through physical space, he is in a process of growth throughout his work. And because the writing is so vivid, sophisticated yet down-to-earth, we grow with him. Interestingly, he never really leaves home. As much as Mr. Joseph's yearning drive sends him across the United States and then across the world, he always returns, sometimes reluctant emotionally - to an unchanged Queens - where the unchanged view is fixed painfully in Richard Joseph's past. An ongoing connection between the larger picture and the smaller, between the mountain top and the valley - in which the valley's inhabitants cannot see - can never see - the view from the top of the mountain. Yet there is a constancy and an underlying love for family which holds Mr. Joseph in place; while finding his way through a whirling vortex of events and psychological change, is fundamental and draws him back to his roots, perhaps against even his own wishes.

We are a 'guy from Queens' when we first venture out from a movie like cityscape description of that setting. We see the hands of the crowd clawing at the window, trying to reach us with malice, when we are sick and feverish on the train in India. We feel the snake on our boot and the terror. We should all read this book. It is for everyone. Hopefully it is only his first book. You will be spellbound - as I was.

this one is awesome! perhaps the single most important book i've ever read. this is something really special! whether you are just now becoming interested in spiritual life and Self discovery or you've searched for decades, this beautiful little book could very well be an important step in the evolution of your spiritual conciousness. written from the unique perspective of Spirit talking directly and personally to the reader, it draws you in, opens your eyes, helps you see Who and What you really are. very highly recommended!!!

I am a person that in my life has had much success. I have made money, traveled, furfilled my heart desires more than most people when it came to material things. I was blessed by this, but not because I was able to attain them, but because I realized that they did not make me happy. Each time I was able to succed in getting something it felt great, but there was something always missing. That something was God. I knew it although. So being catholic I turned to my church. I felt God would come to me there, but He did not. I knew that I felt God when I did something good. I always felt something was inside of me that was great but I never made the connection. Until one fine day my life went into ruin. I had failed to succeed in something that was so important in my life. I got so depressed. I did not know where to turn. No human could help me. I, because was desperate(selfish) turned to God. At the same time a dear friend said to me "I have a book for you that may help you" Call it faith, call it coincidance, my life changed. each day I read the book I got closer to God. Within 1 week my life went from the worst time in my life to a blessing. Not because the problems went away, but because when you have God, problems do not exsist. I know that if you have never had such experience you probably think I am crazy. I know that because if before I had this experience someone came up to me and told me they have found God and it is better than any orgasm they ever had, I would think they are crazy. But it is true. I am writing this memo, letter, whatever you want to call it. the spelling, the grammer is not the best, I know, but the message is clear. Find God and you are in hevan on earth, do not find God and you are in hell. the more money and happiness you have, the greater is the chance that when you fall, and you will, and you will get hurt. However it is that pain from that fall that will make you go to God. As I review this book I am ashamed to use the word review. Do you review God. We are not capable of doing this. I leave you with this. thank you aurthor, thank you publisher & most of all thank you God because without you, there would be no aurthur, publisher, bookseller or review.

Moving to God consciousness is a common theme of "TheImpersonal Life" and "Conversations With God." I am notthere yet personally, but both of these books provide the encouragement and guidance we need to head in that direction. For most people, the first reaction to these words spoken to us is puzzlement or outright rejection. But those of you who reread and persist in your attempts to understand will discover first gratitude and then joy. A frequent exhortation found in TIL, "be still and know that I am God," can also be found in CWG, book II, page 153, God's third paragraph.

For most of the past century, there have been two schools of thought about Hitler and Stalin. One states that Stalin wasn't really so bad, because he fought the Fascists; the other insists that Hitler wasn't really so bad, because he fought the Communists. Alan Bullock leaves both viewpoints in the dustheap of history, where they belong. Both Hitler and Stalin came as close to pure evil as human beings ever get; both stood for the utter repression of the human spirit and the annihilation of anyone who might possibly be suspected of standing in their way. Bullock demonstrates this in exhaustive, but never exhausting, detail. More people should read this book, if only to be cured forever of any temptation to support any form of totalitarianism, any time, anywhere.

What is most fascinating about this novel dual biographical approach toward understanding both Hitler and Stalin is the startling degree to which such an unorthodox approach illuminates one's understanding not only of their remarkable similarities, but also their philosophical, tactical, and personal differences. This truly is a fascinating and absorbing book, and it is well enough written that the narrative seems to spin along on its own strength, and we find ourselves captivated by the degree to which these two seem star-crossed in terms of their destinies. As Bullock deftly illustrates, the main differences between the two dictators were found in their personalities. Yet, even after all these crucial differences in both personal style and substance are considered, the degree to which they were similar is both remarkable and frightening to comprehend.

Stalin was a creature of bureaucracy, the ultimate insider, someone who knew how to use the organization bonding the Communist Party together for his own rise to prominence and power, an increasingly clever, adroit, and masterful practitioner of power politics. He was nothing if not careful, cautious, deliberate, and shrewd. Hitler, on the other hand, was a gambler, a masterful politician, a bold, easily bored, and endlessly distracted dreamer whose natural ability to charm, captivate, and enchant helped him to rise by extraordinary means. In many ways, these men came to prominence in quite different ways; Stalin, by mastering the art of bureaucratic manipulation and quietly assuming key roles within the organization that gave him friendships, alliances, and information that he used masterfully to rise through the ranks of the faithful, and Hitler, the manic-depressive natural leader whose charismatic popular appeal and desperate, authoritarian, and often violent measures were used to gain political power through extraordinary means.

Yet Bullock shows how similar both men were in terms of the way they used their power once established to execute their national responsibilities, and in the way they ruthlessly pursued their goals without mercy, remorse or any concern for others who suffered for their sake. Both used extralegal means to maintain position, both cruelly purged potential rivals through purges or political overthrows. Both bordered on being psychotic; Hitler coming close to being declared certifiably insane, and Stalin by having all the symptoms of classic paranoia. Certainly both had personal histories that can most kindly be described as bizarre in terms of the ways in which they treated those close to them as well as the populace in general. Both also seemed convinced of their own central and unique role in terms of their country's destiny, and indeed each identified his own importance in terms of succeeding in accomplishing that historical mission. Also, both were guilty of massive crimes against humanity, both against the opposing forces they captured and their own subjects. Hitler persecuted German citizens who were Jewish, Gypsies, or otherwise "undesirables", while Stalin persecuted Ukrainians in general and peasant farmers in particular, not to mention the systematic purges of thousands of Army, Navy, and Air Force officers he or his cronies suspected of potential disloyalty.

This is a wonderful book in terms of its insights, unusual research sources, and provocative speculations regarding each of these two quite unique historical figures. The narrative carries itself in an entertaining, edifying, and comprehensible fashion, and his use of photographs and maps serves the text well. All in all, I would have to describe this book as a must-read for anyone seriously interested in how the personalities and characteristics of these two key leaders in 20th century history figured into the unholy calculus of madness and mayhem, otherwise referred to as World War Two. I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

It is difficult to describe Alan Bullock's fantastic dual-biography of Hitler and Stalin, and others have done much better here than I could. Allow me to add their voices to theirs in praise of this work. Bullock not only manages to convey the terrible sweep of history of the first half of the 20th Century and the impact of these two monsters of history, but does so in a very readable style. I marvel that a book of nearly 1000 pages, many of them filled with either terrible stories of oppression and horror, or else mindnumbing (but critical) economic statistics, can hold one's interest enough from start to finish. Highly recommended.