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No collection can ever really be complete, there are always new things to add, new commentary, newly discovered works, transcripts of records and unpublished letters, but this book does an excellent job in its attempt.
To me Charles Bukowski will always be one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, because of the sheer brutality and honesty his work emanates. It is funny, sad, sadistic, cruel, scathing, enlightening and thought provoking. Everything I like to read. This is poetry for people who are disgusted by verse of flowers, trees and Greek mythology. This is RAW human emotion and experience smeared out onto paper. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. It doesn't always work, but there in lies the subtle beauty of Bukowski's efforts. the guts to try. The attempts at honesty, clearly blocked by his unwillingness to divulge everything, and his cynicism of man.
This collection is shocking in its beauty, and inspiring by its simplicity. Enjoy.
He was a decent man.
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Martin Gardner provides annotations throughout the texts of both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Gardner's annotations help explain the inside jokes and mathematical and linguistic puzzles that fill the stories.
Reading the Alice books as an adult is quite a different experience than it was as a child. The books' complexity really stands out on a careful reading. In fact, what are generally regarded as children's stories can be amazingly frustrating to read due to the complexity of the language and the almost constant stream of puns that are sometimes lost on modern audiences. One must remember that the stories are told purely for fun. Unlike other Victorian children's literature one gets no morals, plot development, or character development here. Alice is a yound child who stays a young child throughout her adventures. She neither matures or learns anything from her adventures.
This is a very nice volume in its own right. It contains complete authoritative texts of both books and includes the supressed episode "The Wasp in the Wig." The original Tenniel illustrations are crisp and clear. The only difficulty is that the annotations are placed on the same page as the text in a small column that sometimes supplies more information than the text itself. The annotations themselves range from the definitional to the clearly eccentric. One can read all of them or only the ones that he or she is interested in.
On the whole this is an excellent volume well worth the effort to read if one has any interest in the world of nonsense literature.
My point is that this book contributed more to my understanding of logic and wordplay than several semesters of college philosophy classes. If you've read this far then I am probably preaching to the choir but 'Alice in Wonderland' can hardly be classified as a childrens' book, dispite Disney's attempts to do so. The concepts Lewis Carroll and Martin Gardner bring to this tale cover such areas as set theory, meta-language, Aristotelian logic, topography, game theory, several pre-Socratic logic paradoxes, and even quantum physics. Yet John Tenniel's original illustrations remain as an welcome tether to the original publication.
Gardner does a wonderful job of bringing all the various aspects of these two stories together as he illuminates layer upon layer of meaning that might not be evident to an American audience or, for that matter, a 21st century one. My favorite gems are the French and German translations of The Jabberwocky.
This book ranks in my top five favorite books of all time.
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While reading, I felt like screaming at the victim: don't go with him. What, are you crazy? But, of course, if you read the book description, you know exactly how the story will end. Knowing does not make the read any less gripping, which is the sign of a good writer.
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This book is certainly not a biography (something that is tipped off by its 150 pages of large type) but is interesting if you wish to read about all of the aformentioned ideas. It certainly is a quick read and worth the edification. I would reccommend though that after this book you read some of the men themselves to get a fuller picture of their lives and more importantly, how they display God's glory.
This book is a set of mini-biographies of the lives of three flawed saints. I emphasize the word "flawed" because one of the things I appreciated most about this book was how it emphasized each man's weaknesses and sin. These were flawed saints. There is no saint who is not flawed. When it comes to heroes, there is an easy downward slip from the desire for imitation to the discouragement of intimidation to the deadness of resignation. Seeing their weaknesses and how God's grace triumphed in them is to see Christ's strength perfected in weakness.
And seeing how they sang of their sovereign joy of God in the midst of incredible opposition both from the world and their sin gives me hope; for I am flawed, I am imperfect, and I struggle with sin. But oh, I sing for my Sovereign Joy! There is hope in these pages that even men of God sin, but God pulls them out of the mirey clay as an example of His grace, not their greatness.
While I wish Piper could have gone a little bit deeper, I found in his book enough to meditate upon, and a spark has ignited a desire to learn more about these men in order to see their God, their Sovereign Joy.
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And I'm glad I did. Lewis Carol was such a wonderful storyteller, full of imagination and creative use of the English language.
This was two stories in one. The first, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I thought had more imagination and he action seemed to flow faster with more scenes and challenges for Alice to deal with. The characters are fantastic and highly imaginative.
The second story, Through the Looking Glass, also had a lot of imagination, but it didn't seem to have as fast a pace as the first book. Still, I found it fascinating as the story was done as if Alice were a chess piece moving across a chess board to reach the other side as a pawn to become a queen. As she moved up the chess board, she encountered different characters and situations.
Highly recommended, even if it was written as a child's book.
My favorite character was the Duchess in the first part because she was very annoying and didn't even know it also she has a very comical cook who's obsessed with pepper. My favorite part of the book was when Alice met the Mad Hatter and the March Hare at their tea party.
Now that I'm older, I decided to re-read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. While reading it, it's hard to decide whether this is just a load of imaginative creativity, or a metaphor of something deeper that is true in society today, or true in the 1800's. Well, I guess you can read it either way- but there is definitely some deep stuff in here. Many poems will stop and make you think, and as the story progresses you can't help but feel like you are Alice (which is pretty amazing, because this isn't like Lord of the Rings or anything, it's basically a fairy tale on drugs).
Definitely, definitely, definitely do not hesitate to pick this book up and read. Another review said it was disturbing- well, in some ways it really is. But the characters and the plot line (or lack of!) keep you interested and keeps you reading. AIW and TTLG are must-haves in anyone interested in fantasy/sci-fi, along with Chronicles of Narnia and other great classics.
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William Martin is a wonderful storyteller and Historian who brings life and breath - and breadth - to the people and events that propel his story....our story! Most of the historical moments you'll recognize. Others will be new, and some will be revelations; but all of them are more interesting in his telling! From the battles waged by the U. S. S. Constitution to the sparring of the Monitor and Merrimack. From Midway to the rivers of Vietnam, Martin's U. S Navy - and his Stafford family - help shape and protect America. In light of recent dark days in our history, this story is more relevant than ever. It's a 5 star effort from a 5 star talent.
Pick up this book! Keep your 'eyes in the boat,' and before long you'll understand why what's good for the U. S. Navy is good for the United States of America!
William Martin is a wonderful storyteller and Historian who brings life and breath - and breadth - to the people and events that propel his story - our story! Most of the historical moments you'll recognize. Others will be new and some will be revelations; but all of them are more interesting in his telling. From the battles waged by the U. S. S. Constitution to the sparring of the Monitor and the Merrimack....From Midway to the rivers of Vietnam, Martin's U. S. Navy - and his Stafford family - help shape and protect America. In light of recent dark days in our history, this story is more relevant than ever. It's a 5-Star effort from a 5-Star talent. It's unquestionably the best book of this type I have ever read.
Pick up this book! Keep your 'eyes in the boat,' and before long you'll understand why what's good for the U. S. Navy is good for the United States of America!
The sequence in the South Pacific haunts me even now two years after reading the novel. Martin ably carries on the traditon of historical story telling from Michener. He has demonstrated the ability to paint on the large canvas (Annapolis), the small canvas (Cape Cod) and the personal canvas (Citizen Washington).
I look forward to learning more about my country and its heroes great and small from Martin in the future.
I loved this book and recommend it as a must read. Books like this should be mandated in schools however the stark nature of reality would keep this book out of curricula. Instead, students will continue to learn fabled accounts of how America came to be. It would be so much better if children were taught that some fairly ordinary people with faults like us came together and became something extrordinary. This is what Martin does best.
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I had spent 6 weeks on-line some 6 hours a day looking at hundreds of ads and sending out over a hundred resumes after my husband was unexpectedly terminated from his job. It wasn't until I read Martin Yate's book that I discovered why the resumes were going unanswered. Using Mr. Yate's advice, we revamped everything. Four weeks later my husband had an offer. A good offer.
When the offer came he was ready to negotiate, something he would have never dreamed of doing without reading (over and over again) Mr. Yate's how-to's on the art of salary negotiation. Feeling confident (and armed with a cheat sheet), he negotiated additional salary and benefits to the tune of an additional $25,000 a year. No exaggeration. No kidding.
If you're looking for help landing a job, READ THIS BOOK FIRST!
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This book is *not* recommended ... and especially not for vegetarians. Martin and Gerstung (the authors) believe that "substituting soy for milk, cheese, and meat can block the absorption of important nutrients." As though that is not already absurd, the authors go on to state that soy milk is "lacking in needed natural vitamins and cholesterol." Needed cholesterol??? That statement is simply outrageous. The truth is that not only do most people have enough (or even too much) cholesterol in their bodies already, but the human body *manufactures* all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is found in nearly all animal-derived foods, and is absent from all plant-based foods. The consumption of cholesterol is neither necessary nor beneficial for good health.
My recommendation? Try out a book by Dr. Andrew Weil or Dr. Dean Ornish for more accurate information.
Martin included contributions by doctors, M.D. or PhD, who have done the research and clinical work to prove this book is on topic and more helpful than the majority of 'women's books' out there, including a popular female M.D. I get the feeling she doesn't know the difference between natural and synthetic progesterones...which don't have the same effects...and the synthetic has nasty side effects.
When your hormones are balanced you don't need meditation, and you discover your 'toxic' relationships that contribute to your hormone imbalance are easier to 'detoxify.' When you feel good, those around you feel better too.
A good starter book for someone who is now experiencing female 'problems' and wants a real answer instead of useless medicating and surgery. Don't miss checking out constributors, Dr. Peat and Dr. Lee's personal websites. In that order.
The author speaks from experience and years of being immersed in the findings of natural hormone research. The information she presents is based on studies by MD's, as well other noted authorities. She also lists resources to assist women in correcting deficiencies that occur before, during, and after menopause, using natural means and botanical hormone replacement therapy.
The book takes a look at circumventing osteoporosis, the risk of cancer, progesterone deficiency, estrogen, hormones from food sources, anemia, cholesterol, miscarriages, and more.
It's a woman's "mini-bible" as it addresses most of the concerns for the health of our body as women -- synthetic vs. natural; breast cancer; menopause; and various other "female-related" physical challenges.
The appendix section offers addresses for sources of natural progesterone, a recommended reading list, resources for cancer patients, and ways (and comparisons) in applying hormones.
The Estrogen Alternative is a very informative book, helping to give women back the power to make their own decisions without having to depend on a medical doctor to impose decisions that may not be in keeping with the woman's way of life. It's a great book for you as a woman, and it's a great book to give to the women in your life. Power is in knowledge and this book presents a lot of both.
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The book goes with idea that if you know some of the controls, you can figure out the rest. After dealing with various multimedia features of Director, it finally reaches the Lingo language, but rather than explain the basic semantics, its starts quickly with functions and procedures which hopefully can be figured out later.
If being proficient in Director is what you aim to be, then this book is definitely a good buy. But if you're more into average projects with decent animations, and yet can't be bothered reading too much or knowing too much too early, then you'll be better off with the Visual Quickstart book. I found that after covering more than half the book and finally reaching the Lingo chapters, I stopped coz I felt I didn't need to know all that unless I was doing hardcore projects. Besides, its also cheaper than other books which are just as THICK.
I'd read other books about Director and tried a few things to push my personal envelope, without a lot of success. But as I began to read in this book about how to use OOP structures in behaviors, it was like a light turned on. This book made it very understandable. I kept (figuratively) slapping my forehead and saying "of course!" as I tried the examples in the chapters. I can't remember the last time I've become so excited about learning something new as I have with this book. It has really empowered me to become a better multimedia developer. With the new understanding this book gave me, I'm more confident that I can build any interface feature I want into my Director projects. Before, when a client would ask for some feature, I would be hesitant to agree or promise it. Now I don't have to "kludge" things together...and I can implement it fast and with high reliability so that works consistently in cross-platform projects. My turn-around time on projects is also a lot faster now.
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Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "The Accelerated Job Search" and "How to Spot a Liar in a Job Interview". docwifford@msn.com
No collection can ever really be complete, there are always new things to add, new commentary, newly discovered works, transcripts of records and unpublished letters, but this book does an excellent job in its attempt.
To me Charles Bukowski will always be one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century, because of the sheer brutality and honesty his work emanates. It is funny, sad, sadistic, cruel, scathing, enlightening and thought provoking. Everything I like to read. This is poetry for people who are disgusted by verse of flowers, trees and Greek mythology. This is RAW human emotion and experience smeared out onto paper. It is not perfect, and it is not trying to be. It doesn't always work, but there in lies the subtle beauty of Bukowski's efforts. the guts to try. The attempts at honesty, clearly blocked by his unwillingness to divulge everything, and his cynicism of man.
This collection is shocking in its beauty, and inspiring by its simplicity. Enjoy.