Mr. Selby has brought together the worlds great wisdom traditions and methods in a very accessible, enjoyable book. His style of writing makes you feel as though you are learning from a friend, which indeed, you are. His insight and caring shine through on every page. The online support that he offers to help you with your meditation practice is a wonderful bonus gift. If you've never been very successful at meditating, had trouble silencing the "monkeys" or just want to be able to deepen your meditation experience and bring it into your everyday, working life, then treat yourself to this book. Many blessings to you on your path.

John has collected the most powerful meditation methods of 7 of the most influencial and spiritual humans to ever walk the earth plane. My hat is off to him. His wisdom and insight is astounding and it is criticle that we use the methods he provide to assist us in finding inner peace in a world so dark and negative. I ordered his meditation CD's from his website and wish the post office would hurry up, I can hardly wait. God bless you John! And thank you a hundred times a hundred times.

In the interest of taking spiritual ideas and putting them into practice, I found 7 masters to be an incredibly valuable book. It's very smooth reading, very entertaining and very accessible. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I bought this book used at the recomendation of my sensei. Mine is a tattered copy and I treasure it. I was suspect about buying it initially because I'm not a great fan of John Stevens' work in general he's good but tends to be a bit diefying. But that was not the case with this book I've re-read it so many times that it is truely in tatters...so I am happy to see it has been re printed. I will buy I hope you do to.

This is not a detailed biogtaphy, nevertheless, the author gives you a good overview of Yamaoka Tesshu's life. Yamaoka lived during a time when Japan was moving toward industrialization, and we get a glimpse of key historical moments during the transition.
There are numerous accounts that give insight to Yamaoka's mindset and character. Thus, no matter what art the individual reader may practice, Yamaoka's approach to training will reinforce the ideals of the serious-minded.

Unlike other books where certain martial arts figures are ridiculously protrayed like gods, Steven's book has humorous stories and Tesshu comes across like a normal human being who achieved everything throigh his diligent search and practice.

The book's strong point...it inspires hard training.

It is a shame that this book is out of print. I regard its appearance before me in an old used bookshop in Florida as a great gift. After reading it I felt compelled to write down a few of its more inspiring passages ... and ended up with a four-page document! Inspiring, and entertaining too. Stevens' account of the life of Tesshu is flavored with scholarship and love. Good luck finding it.

The Year of Change is excellent reading. While the messages and lessons given by The Master Teachers through Darlen De were given for 1999, "The Year of Change," their truth and simplicity are valuable for anyone at any time. If one is seeking a path of service and the means to travel it easily and well, the advice of the Master Teachers is assistive and supportive. The inquirers present questions any one of us might have during our lives, and the Master Teachers' responses and suggestions are clear, concise, and easily undertaken. The difference between this book and other channeled information is its superb clarity and functionality, whereas others might be sweet and nice but are often vague and provide little truly useful for one's everyday living. Any seeker following his or her spiritual path will not only enjoy reading this book but also find personal messages from the Master Teachers in it.

The Year of Change given by The Master Teachers through Darlen-De has helped me to accept change and the teachings have become an important part of my life. The given answers to the questions appeared to answer my own questions very clearly. This book contains Light and Strength and the words have a healing and comforting effect on me. I highly recommend the teachings of the Master Teachers and I thank Darlen-De and John Domzalski for publishing these books. Also thank you Steven Kaplan for writing such a clear and excellent preface.

This book really makes you look at your life as it is. You then decide that something needs to change. It made me think about how things have been, and how much better they could be. It makes you go within to your higher self to decide. My life is better since reading it. I would highly recommend it to everyone!

Excellent material on the early Irish history

This text is a crucial element in the genealogical history of many old Irish and Scotish families (who can trace their roots to Ireland). This text includes the Latin, Gaelic and English translations of the original books. Although the beginning volumes were written about 500 to 1000 years after the events occurred, the stories that one finds included there are fascinating, and add to any family history (provided you can trace back that far!) a depth that is difficult to find elsewhere. I post a web site that traces the roots of the Buchanan clan, and have used a copy of the text available from the NY Public Library as one of my sources. Numerous individuals have e-mailed me asking for sources to purchase this text, and it would be helpful if it would be reprinted. For now, ask your local library to get the book for you on interlibrary loan from the NY Public Library (or others). Needless to say, I highly recommend this text and would be the first to purchase it if it were reprinted.

'The Annals of the Four Masters' is one of the most important documents for students of Irish, British, European and ancient history. You will not find much of this history in your high school or even college text books. John O'Donovan, a 19th century antiquarian undertook the enormous task of interpreting this account of Irish history as written in gaelic by the Four Masters, legendary scribes from a Donegal monastery. On the left hand page you get the original gaelic text, on the right the english translation, some anecdotes are in Latin. The anecdotes are as rich in reading as the text and include some by the late 19th century historian Charles O'Conor of Belengare, Ireland. REPRINT THESE VOLUMES....for here lie the dormant pages of Irish, British, Norman, Saxon, Scotish, Iberian, Hiberian, Milesian, Pictish and Gaelic history and perhaps the key to unraveling are current problems. Stephen Vincent O`Rourke

Finally, there is a guide to help teachers, caregivers, coaches, and other mentors interact with children in a respectful and successful manner. "The Art of Empowering Children" is a book that enlightens the parents to how important the influence of other teaching figures are in our childrens lives. I read this book as a parent and found several ways to successfully work with and discipline my children in a 'win- win' outcome. The respect and enthusiasm for children that Graybeal describes is contagious. I couldn't wait for the next chapter. This book should be included in college curriculums for teaching degrees; as also for all those soccer coaches and anyone else who works with children on a day to day basis. There might not be a manual for parenthood, but this comes the closest I've read yet for a manaul for teachers, coaches and caregivers.

I bought this book for my daughter's karate teacher and read it before giving it to him. I enjoyed it. It explained much of the why and how behind karate for a know nothing parent, who just loves what it has done for my daughter (who I suspect has ADD). Her self esteem, attitude and school work have improved. thumbs up and a bow.

"The Art of Empowering Children" is a shelf full of parenting books in one. The ideas are not brand new cutting edge techniques; instead they are based on age-old ways of how children can excel with the right amount of attention and care. The book is clearly written with each new subject falling in line with the previous one. It is also filled with many examples of how the techniques are used in real life situations. The book was written from a teaching perspective, but it can be easily incorporated in a family setting.

There is no Spoon River, IL. Check your map. Several towns argue that they stake their claim in being what Masters asserted to be this mythical town. Petersburg and Lewistown, two towns of otherwise minor repute seem closest... but it is so much better we haven't an actual town... Spoon River's residents are our next door neighbors, whether we live in Central Illinois or Central Florida, or southern Alaska.

Masters has written not fables, but the essence of American life. He hasn't captured the life and times of 1915, but has instead recorded in 1915 the life and times of our present day America.

The same reason the paintings of Norman Rockwell makes sense is why Edgar Lee Masters poetry makes sense. To read the quick messages on the gravestone of one man, learning a little bit him, and something about a neighbor or two, we can learn a little about how we live in communities today.

Our lives, like Jimmy Stewart's character in "It's a Wonderful Life" found out, interact and impact everyone we meet. Who we love, who we should love and who we reject. And when we die, others feel the loss. Masters has aptly put this in a humorous, yet insightful way into short verses.

The poems don't rhyme. The meter is not solid, and the poetics aren't intricate. They aren't poems like Poe's or Dickinson, not in the way they wrote American poems. Don't expect iambic pentameter-based sonnets or villanelles. Expect a conversation, and listen in.

The poetry here is in the subtle use of social nuance. In the nuances are his insight and wit. Two readings will bring to light what you miss in the first.

Buy this book, read it slow. It reads faster than most poetry book, but don't get caught in the temptation to zoom through each poem just because you can.

After you read it, see the play if it happens to be performed in your town.

I fully recommend it.

Anthony Trendl

Edgar Lee Masters was a Chicago attorney who, long before Lake Woebegone, wrote of the mythical village of Spoon River, IL. Specifically, of the real stories of the people in it's graveyard. Now that they're dead the truth can finally be told. And almost all of them lived lives of terrible lies. I was introduced to it in Jr. High, was blown away at the realization that people all around me probably had these same kinds of secrets, living with them hidden, or hoped they were hidden. Paraphrasing, "I was of the party of Prohibition (anti-alcohol), villagers thought I died from eating watermelon. It was my liver. Every day at noon I slipped behind the partition at the drug store and had a generous drink from the bottle labeled Spiritum Fermenti!" The several poems that introduce Hamilton Greene are as powerful as anything I've ever read. Do yourself a huge favor, read this book! And then imagine yourself in the Spoon River graveyard, finally able to tell the truth about your life.

I was turned on to this book after hearing the latest Richard Buckner release "The Hill", in which the musician uses the Spoon River Anthology as the basis for his conceptual music. After listening to this wonderful disc, I was compelled to read the actual work by Edgar Lee Masters. What I found was a book that was written in 1915, but that brings to life the voices of humanity louder than anything I've read in recent years. This book is more poetry than literature, but the stories of the residents of Spoon River that are collected within the pages are stories that are not soon forgotten.

This book has moved me more than anything else I've read in recent years, and I highly recommend that othes read this outstanding work of art.

Here is a complete set of portraits of America's greatest generators of wealth. Only such a collective study allows us to appreciate what makes the great entrepreneurs really tick. As H.W. Brands shows, these men and women are driven, they are focused, they deeply identify with the businesses they create, and they possess the charisma necessary to persuade other talented people to join them. They do it partly for the money, but mostly for the thrill of creation.

If you are chasing the, "American Dream," of becoming a successful entrepeneur, this book is definitely a must read! H. W. Brands has compiled a collection of highly enterprising and inspirational people in his book. I not only was encouraged by reading about such great American men, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie, I was even more impressed with the profiles of such determined business women as Oprah Winfrey and Mary Kay. Their lives and positive, business tactics shed a shining light, leading the way to establishing a successful enterprise.

Common beliefs shattered by uncommon men- Henry Kaiser would have taken on the challenge to build Rome in a day!

"Rags to riches" is another common adage; but the route to getting there is what distinguishes the daring from the rest. But the most important factor that has made these great achievers who changed and paved the course of business history is the strong desire to excel against all odds. What else can explain the rise of Andrew Carnegie from the drudgery of working in a dirty shop floor to being the master of one of America's greatest steel company.

Do not read this book in a hurry. Brands has an excellent command on the English language and his style of narration matches the true values that one can derive from the 25 great persons described in this book.

I have recommended this book as the first assignment to my daughter during her summer vacation.

Your search for human excellence ends here.

I love old books brought back to life, and I really did like this one. The mysterious 'Master' is a good character, and he makes goal setting and achievement sound fun and exciting.

It seems, after reading it a few times, that a good arena for applying this method would be the stock market. The narrator's foil character, a man who was broke and sickly before meeting 'The Master', sprang to life and began working passionately toward building a fortune in the stock market after he learned the lessons.

One thing you should note, however, is the date of the first printing: 1929. Beware that this book was written at the time of maximum irrational exuberance for wealth-building.

Some say the less said the better-This is an outstanding book.This book holds the answer to many of the things we look for in life.You will be a winner,as well as many other things after reading this book.enough said-buy it!

This little book has been with me several years and its simplicity and beauty had turn it in to my favorite. What it amazes me more is that I am reading by now great books by U.S. Andersen(TMW) and R. Collier (TSOTA) and they include in detail what this little book already said. Read it, it works.

The suggestions and lessons shared by the Master Teachers through Darlen De in this book, "The Year of Truth," are valuable for anyone at any time. I highly recommend this book to any seekers of truth on their paths of spiritual enlightenment. The Master Teachers respond to inquiries with compassion in such a way that the information is clearly and easily understandable. Any reader will find truth and a personal message in this book, as well as a feeling of value for the importance of recognizing the changes we each need to make in our daily lives in order to better follow our spiritual paths. Truly, We are All One - our strongest prayer is that Peace Prevails on Earth. Learning the Truth of our Oneness is the way to manifestation of that prayer.

This book was amazing. It has helped me to understand how to find what is real in my life, and to get rid of that part of my life that was no longer working properly for my highest good. When life gets confusing and depressing it's a good companion to have with you, even if you have read it before, It helps to put your life back in focus. I highly recommend this book.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE AND THIS BOOK IS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE I WAS AMAZED AND ENLIGHTEN MENTALLY AND SPIRITUALY IF I COULD AD MORE STARS I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMENDED

Isn't it interesting that few authors of books or articles on customer relationship management effectively address the critical success factors of this business philosophy. John McKean knows something that many don't seem to understand: "You can't expect a high performance machine to run efficiently on low grade fuel"! Although buying the right technology is important (and quite expensive I might add), it's purpose is really to move customer information from where it is to where it is needed in time for it to be applied. If that information is difficult to get hold of or the quality is low to begin with then any investment in the technology will be undermined (at least to some extent).

If you think that technology is the answer to building a customer-centric business strategy, read this book because it will give some useful insight into what you will be up against. I have no doubt that the leaders in the customer race are already being rewarded for this knowledge.

This the best book I have read for a long time. I have never scored any book 5 out of 5 but was very tempted to do so on this occassion.

This book is the best book on business information I have ever read. I refer to it all the time and it has the most balanced view of technology and its relevance to business I have ever seen.

Its a bit dense and it can be heavy going but the book is absolutely worth the effort.

Being the best at using business information is the holy grail. And it isn't easy and you can't fake it. This book will make you realise how far you have to go.

The book is outstanding value; it has depth of knowledge and plenty of actionable recommendation like no other (or consultants for that matter...). It shows you the real problems and opportunities of CRM in action.