I was given a copy of this book back in 1971 when I aquired my first car, a 1959 Bug. This book helped cement a lifelong love of the Volkswagen Beetle. The author did such an outstanding job turning an industrial wonder into a love story. This book should be included in the glovebox of EVERY new VW and is a must for any Volkswagen lover.

In 1969, after I had purchased a new VW, the dealer sent me "Small Wonder" by Walter Nelson. I have just finished reading this book once again, 22 years later, and the book is as applicable in todays society as it was back when it was first published. This book is not only about the Volkswagon car. It contains a good deal of history surrounding pre-war Germany, the rise of Hitler to power, WWII, and reconstruction of the bombed out factory with American assitance following the war. Any person considering a sales career should read and study this book.

I first read this book when I was 10 years old, and ever since it has amazed me how well written, interesting and researched was the original text. It's a shame that the story ends on the late 1960s, and considering that here in Mexico the little Beetle is still one of the best suited cars for the country, perhaps would be nice to have a second edition telling how it has made it to survive until the 1990s, becoming the "Car of the Century" and being registered on the Guiness Records with over 21 million cars produced on the last 60 years.

This book starts with the early beginings of Ferdinand Porsch and relates the entire story of his career as an auto maker , then as the father of the VW beetle. This is the most complete accounting on the involvement of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party through the war years, and the saving of the factory by the British Army and Major Ivan Hirst. This book also tells the story of Heinz Nordhoff,President of VW from 1946 till his death in 1967. He is the man rsponsible for the VW Beetle becoming the most manufactured car in world history

This book is a good introduction to Buddha the man. There are times that it drags a bit, but in general it was a fast read and provided the fundamentals of Buddha's life and a beginning understanding of his teachings. I liked the discussion of the Four Noble truths and the Eightfold path which made the teachings straightforward. All to often we get mired in the ennumerable teachings that exist in a religious/ philosophy/ psychology such as Buddhism or Yoga and forget that the purpose of these teachings was to make our lives simple, balanced, honest and it is not all that hard to do. Reading a book like this brings us back to our essence.

In man's "fathom-long body," the Buddha observed, lies the rising of the world and the ceasing of the world. I read this 133-page biography of Siddhartha Gautama today, absorbed, and in a single sitting. (It has been many years since I read Hesse's classic, "Siddhartha," which I also recommend.) Here, Nelson examines the extraordinary life and inner struggle of Siddhartha, from his birth in 563 BCE, to finding enlightenment at age 35, to his final words just before death at age 80, "work out your own salvation through diligence" (p. 120), while also offering an overview of Buddha's teachings. Along the way, Nelson includes many revealing anecdotes about Siddhartha, such as his pre-"Enlightened One" encounter with an injured lamb, whereupon Siddhartha observes that it is "far, far better for a man to comfort even one small animal, than to sit and watch the sorrows of the world, passively among the praying priests" (p.72). I enjoyed reading this book. END