This book is different from many of Nouwen's other writings in that he presents lessons learned and spiritual reflections from a very specific event in his life (an almost fatal accident). As he often does, Nouwen delves deep into his own mind and shares his fears and deepest thoughts as he faced death. His thoughts on forgiveness "in the very end" for others and by others, caused me to give great consideration to how I daily forgive. If you fear death or are not "ready" for it, this book provides comforting thoughts for preparing for our real home.

As a seminarian you are always searching for new and exciting ways to attain a deeper and more enriching level of spirituality. However, Henri Nouwen presents in this little book the basis for all spirituality. More than anything, he emphasizes that spirituality is what works for you. Furthermore, he reminds us that spirituality is not some far fetched ideal but brings us back to basics by making us realize that spirituality is found in our everyday realities. The tools for spirituality are not only theoretical, but also practical and need to be utilized in our lives as much as possible. Although a Catholic priest, as I hope to be some day, he presents a very objectified view of his experience.

Henri Nouwen wrote "Beyond the Mirror" after suffering from a serious, nearly fatal, accident with the intent to "...bring comfort and hope to my brothers and sisters who are afraid to think of their approaching death, or think of it in fear and trembling, but never in peace."

This slight (only 74 pages) volume delivers - in spades. The transcendental love Nouwen experiences, the peace and relaxation he feels while ill, and the struggle to hang onto his new experiences after recovering are believable, touching, and all too real. This book would make a wonderful gift for anyone facing a serious or life-threatening illness, or those deeply frightened of dying. I hope it comes back into print soon.

Tolstoy's biography by Troyat is thoroughly documented, and Tolstoy certainly is an interesting subject for a book. I recommend it for people looking for an authoritative source of information.

However, taken as a book to be read, not referenced, it has serious flaws. The main one, which I find inexcusable, is Troyat's comments throughout the book "explaining" Tolstoy to the reader, and being shocked at Tolstoy's inconsistencies. Troyat will show us a scene where Tolstoy lays down a plan for virtuous conduct in his diary, then breaks his own code. Troyat exclaims: "Paradox! Tolstoy is a strange man, breaking his own code". Well, Mr. Troyat, don't we all?
Then, at another instance, he will characterize, say, Turgenev's judgement of Tolstoy, as "lacking in psychology". Troyat, of course, would have known better. In other words, Troyat doesn't try to erase himself from the book, we see his footprints all over. The book should have been named "Troyat's superior knowledge of Tolstoy".

Another related problem with this book is excessive documentation. We are witness to too many changes of opinion in Tolstoy. For, say, his doubts about his feelings for Sofya Bers, this is revealing, but we are subjected to the same ceremony for each acquaintance made by Tolstoy. The point was well taken from the beginning: Tolstoy changed his opinion of himself and others very often. And again, I don't see this as strange: many people are like that. But by the fourth time I saw Tolstoy meet someone, then write on successive days "Excellent" "Superficial" "Vain" "Far superior to me" etc. I was about to give up on the book. In contrast, we don't see enough of what others thought of Tolstoy, and that is a pity, especially since the book's excessive focus on Tolstoy's inner struggle makes it grey and humorless.

To sum it up: can serve well as a reference book, but not as a novel. Read Tolstoy himself, he is more revealing.

This book is very informative yet reads as lively as a Tolstoy novel. Reading this before, during, or after you read "War and Peace" is very enlightening. Interesting the fact that the author of "War and Peace" struggled with history in school and exclaimed that history was "nothing but a heap of myths and useless, trivial details, sprinkled with dates and names". Other wisdoms include "Bronchitis is an imaginary disease! Bronchitis is a metal!" Highly entertaining. I had to deduct one star due to the fact that there is not one picture in this biography which I find quite odd.

an excellent informative book about tolstoy
most fascinating is his relationship described with Turgenev, doestevosky and later chekov. the ending is a cruel one to him as he describes feeling like a hypocrit as ghandi reads his works as his family fights over the spoils of his estate.

This book seems to heave a big, weary sigh of regret that Nouwen failed, in some way, to benefit from his own giftedness. I would caution the biographer (and those who read this otherwise worthwhile selection) that Nouwen's ability to survive as long as he did, fighting to love, to write, to share, and to be loved--all while maintaining his vows--is proof that his message worked something akin the miraculous in his own life. Other souls with as much innate neediness and wounding as Henri could have easily gravitated into a world of hatred, cynicism, drug-use, alcoholism, promiscuity, and eventual suicide. I've seen it happen many times. We've ALL seen this scenario played out before us in millions of tragic lives. The sheer fact that Henri remained in the realm of the living, and accomplished genuine sharing and love despite his deep wounding, is stunning proof that his God have him good advice, that Henri took this advice, and that its power kept him primarily in a world of Light... against excruciating emotional odds. The glass may look half-empty, but sometimes it's merely half-full, friends. As to the question of whether or not Nouwen was gay, I don't think it matters one bit. What DOES matter is that Nouwen himself never felt the need to make a public, worldwide pronouncement about such an orientation, nor publicly debate how such an orientation may have affected his writing...one way or the other. In light of THAT reality, persons of true integrity might wish to maintain a similarly appropriate silence on that subject, at least in Henri Nouwen's personal regard. This work is yet another prime example of how impossible it is for any biographer to truly get inside the essence and soul of any subject--no matter how penetrating their research or how noble their intentions. That said, the author gives us an otherwise good pass at Henri's life and a look at some of the things that probably made him tick. But steer clear of judging the ultimate state of souls, no matter what the exterior, Michael Ford--especially those as complex as Nouwen's. THAT kind of biography can only be written by God.

Ford's book about Henri was one of the most honest and open books about one of our great spritual leaders and author. I have read many of Henri's books and they have all been very life changing. They have a greater meaning now that I have a deeper understanding about the man who wrote them. As I sat down and began to read this book, I could not put it down. I read it in two evenings. I felt as if I knew Henri personally, and I even wept when I came across the chapter about his death and funeral. It was so hard to read even knowing that he had passed some time ago. I felt so sad because of Henri's struggle to know God's love intimatly and in its fullness. He truly knew how to show love but struggled with receiving it. I'm sure that this book may be too open about Henri's life and struggles, and some people may have a hard time with that. But I felt that by knowing Henri's weakness and struggles, that the messages he wrote about in his books became even more powerfull to me. Knowing that just like me, Henri is just a failable human being searching for the love, intimacy, and acceptance that we all are looking for. He knew that the path and the direction to receiveing God's fullness was through Jesus. His passion and love in following Christ at all cost to him personaly is something that we can all work on. Henri Nowen was truly given a great biography by Michael Ford who had the integrity to be honest and forthcoming in his book. Henri shall be a dear friend to me now because of this wonderful book and I hope all who have a chance to read this would make that wonderful investment in your own life. You will be moved and inspired as you read. This is a must read for all.

In reading this book, I don't know who initially exasperated me more -- (A) the author, Michael Ford, for divulging alleged secrets per my beloved mentor not here to defend himself; (B) Fr. Henri Nouwen, for perhaps deliberately hiding things at odds with his well-publicized vows and path or (C) me, for letting my curiosity get the best of me, and opening this provocative book in the first place. This work has forever altered the way I now re-read Fr. N's books, distracting my attention at times from his messages. After having had the time to think over the contents, I feel that Ford may be trusted. He seems to emanate a sincere respect, empathy, for his subject. Ford's insights ultimately were freeing for me: apparently, Fr. N. withheld his true feelings about ideas he himself encouraged, e.g., solitude. I have always felt that solitude has been overplayed by both Eastern and Western paths. My gut instinct was that Fr. N. needed a more balanced sense. As much as I loved him, his books, that I've read since my girlhood, his suggestions and emphasis on solitude, always made me feel a bit guilty for not regarding it as highly as he did. Now to read that he himself truly shared my wariness of its benefits was enlightening! It's sad that this loving person could not be true to his real thoughts, instincts. No matter how disillusioning this book is per Fr. N's inability to assert himself, it still confirms for me that he loved God, and had a burning desire to serve. Ford's book is densely packed with anecdotes -- Fr. N.'s interactions with students, colleagues, family. It was inspiring to see how this priest would humbly apologize, whenever he felt he'd wronged somone. It's sad that the love and compassion he yearned to give others, this beautiful being neglected in major ways to give himself.

The book, Compassion, a Reflection on the Christian Life, by Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison is about the meaning and role of compassion in a Christian's life. The book is a collection of reflections by the three authors and some of their friends, gathered in a series of weekly meetings, as they discussed what compassion means in our society. The book was written many years after these meetings. The book does not mention how the writing was divided among the three authors. The introduction makes it clear that these authors are not talking about simple compassion, as most people understand the concept, but rather, a literal "suffering with" compassion; one that requires us to enter into places of pain, and to share the misery of those who suffer. It is a compassion that is contrary to our natural goals in life; competition for a better life, to be on top, to have distinct identities. To really understand compassion we need to make a radical change of heart and mind, which the authors feel Jesus' meant when he said: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate."The authors suggest our service to our fellow human being requires radical commitment and self self-sacrifice (in my opinion, they are suggesting self-flagellation). Compassion happens in the world when true Christian community is formed. Each member of the community can contribute with their own skill set, according to God's will for each of us, in order to the serve a great variety of needs (page 58). In my opinion, the best part of the book was the chapter on prayer. Prayer and action are an essential part of patience. Prayer strengthens our discipleship, and allows the Spirit of God to speak freely to us. In prayer we free God's Spirit from "our impatient impulses", and "allow the Spirit to do his re-creating work in us." Compassionate prayer should be the mark of the Christian community. Prayer and action are not mutually exclusive, "they must be a manifestation of God's compassionate presence in the midst of our world." I feel the pervasive message of the book calls for a compassion that few can give. Its appeal calls for a "displacement" that is too extreme. If we enter into the full "solidarity" which the authors demand, we are to become one of the downtrodden and poor. Should we then expect someone else from the old community to join us too, and repeat until we all are poor. Is true compassion only achieved when we are all outcasts? If we all realize the authors' suggested "sameness," perhaps no one will need help - lets hope so, for there will be no human left to help us.

This book is one of the most important How-To books ever. There are a lot of books out there offering to make us feel better, or to solve our various problems and anxious concerns, but few books give us concrete ways to give back of all that we've been given in our lives. This book simply, powerfully, intelligently, and at times, overwhelmingly, shows us how to relate the service and compassion of Jesus' life, and the love, patience, and generosity of God, to our own lives and the world around us. It answers the question of our human purpose in the world, and it suggests a way of being in this world that supports and encourages others and fulfills the will of God. This book teaches us how to serve God by daily and humbly serving man. This book is all about love. I know I will read and reread this book for the rest of my life. It is that essential and full of truth. And it is that challenging.

I know that's a big claim, but the fact is that it did. At the time that I read this book, I was frustrated with God, Jesus, the church and anything that had an air of religion about it. I'm not sure why I picked it up and read it, but I'm thankful that I did.

This book's exploration of what compassion is and what it means to a Christian is without a doubt the best explanation that I have ever read. The book examines how God is compassionate and then looks at how this impacts the lives of those who would follow Him (the introduction alone is reason enough to read this book). It challenges people to embrace the sorrows and pain of others and to truly live a compassionate life.

This books simple approach and "no-holds-barred" attitude towards compassion showed me that God was in fact compassionate and that those who followed Him could be too. If you have any questions or doubts about who God is, or if you want to know more about how God wants people to react to hurting, you MUST read this book. I can't say enough good things about it.

i love this book... it is so rhythmical and sensual. i got it for my husband on our wedding day. it was perfect.

I'm a great fan of this series of books - each takes a poem and an artist, and blends the words of the poem with the images of the artist to create a harmonious, well-matched whole. Dance Me To The End Of Love is the most successful of the sequence, with Matisse's gliding, extravagantly curvaceous artwork and Leonard Cohen's beautiful song-poem floating around, in and out of each other, the words complementing the images complementing the words. It is a beautiful book to look at and to read, to savour and enjoy. Matisse was an artist whose images had all the flying poise and grace of the dancer, and is the only possible artist who could have complemented Leonard Cohen's song. I am delighted to possess this book, and can read it over and over again, admiring the beauty and vision of the person who set the typeface and layout of the pages. If you love beautiful things, and admire Matisse, this is a book you must have casually tossed onto your coffee table - see how many people lean forward and glance inside, and are riveted immediately.

This isn't a book of poetry, it is a book of one poem, beautifully matched with work by Matisse. I have now given it to two different couples for their weddings. Words and pictures to make your heart soar, Cohen and Matisse seemed to be talking to each other with their art.

To put it short: half of the book is text. Out of 290 bw pictures 41 are drawings of H.C-B., some are photographs of other authors, some more are portraits relevant to people mentioned in text. I agree with other reviewers - choice is very good. The concept of the book and the important points are well chosen, too, but it' s filled with too many words.

When you accept this book as large treatise on H.C.-B., photography and art itself - that means dominantly text, illustrated specifically with his photographs - you can learn a lot of interesting things (if you're patient enough to read it all through). But after a while you can find yourselves (like me) somehow distracted from the photographs. Though an expert in H.C.- B. life and work, J.P.Montier seems to me as he doesn't possess one crucial ability of his subject - the gift to pick up instant out of plenty. So I think, I would like more to let speak pictures for themselves with some relevant facts and quotations, revealing background. After all, Henri Cartier-Bresson is a photographer, isn't he? My personal wish is to see contact copies of film rolls, at least parts from which were the famous pictures chosen - it could tell us more about the field work of this Master of the Right Moment.

Really an amazing book. I have come across many great "picture books" showing off fabulous reproductions of his work but if you want to read about what really drove the man to take some of the most amazing shots of the 20th century, pick up this book. It has "typically (outstanding) and (brilliant) academic French art crticism[sic] (and is) translated in(to) the English edition in a way that still manages to read like (outstanding) and (brilliant) academic French".

If you want to get behind the lens with this great master (the interviews and quotes are very stimulating and the choice of images were chosen by the author with HCB himself), buy this book. And if you are also a "street" photographer, this book will teach you more about this type of photography than any class at "Kunsthochschule für Medien" or book on "technique" could ever hope to.

A masterpiece.

First, the image selection (and according to the book it's HCB himself who did it) and presentation is probably the best for any collection of HCB photographs. Our perception is affected qualitatively by the size, and many of the same images printed full page simply lose in comparison even without considering the discussion and examples of visual reading the author of the thesis/book provides. Secondly, the text, while academic, is truly useful because it introduces a lot of background and thinking around photography as artistic phenomenon - therefore, if not read passively, and then likely to cause the kind of irritation a previous German reviewer displayed, but as a means to start your own thinking processes, it succeeds excellently. (Or, as someone noting the length of the my previous sentence could decide, likes attract ..;o)).. ) Possibly one of the best books around if you are an active photographer intrested in the aesthetics of the "seen" kind of photography - i.e. photography that aims to hunt out instances of artistic order chaotic Life creates from time to time - as contrasted to the "created" or conceptual approach, or if you are interested in the history of the art/medium and want to make sense of its roots and of its arguably the most brilliant practitioner in the XX century. Warning for USA readers: European thought. Antithesis of the "Dummies" books. Thinking required.

Not a French Unabridge Dictionary, this is, in fact, a very good French-English English-French dictionary. While it is quite good, you should realize the title is misleading and it is written and compiled in England. You will find unfortunate translations which skew the real meaning. Example: 'tetes brulees' is translated as "desperado", when it really means 'hot-head', 'daredevil'. Another: "foutu" is translated as 'damn', 'bloody', when it really means the four-letter word "f---".

For a person who is hungry for words, this is THE dictionary to opt for. The umpteen entries make this dictionary the most sought-after bilingual dictionary to look up for new words. The additions of recent words, which have made an entry into French, make this a contemporary dictionary of the French language. This would have proved to be the best in all possible ways if only the manner in which the skeleton has been structured was more pragmatic. One would be dissatisfied after futilely looking up in the dictionary to find how to express certain expressions native to an English user like "receive a proposal" et al. If only this dictionary had been more user-friendly (by drawing heavily from corpus) like Oxford-Hachette is, it would have been an indispensable tool.

I wholeheartedly agree with those who say that this particular dictionary is THE French dictionary for students of French (and French enthusiasts). Not only is the vocabulary comprehensive, but the usage notes are invaluable; symbols indicate British versus American usage, the "slang quotient" of a word, and archaic and colloquial words, among others. The entries are full of examples that make it very easy to find out exactly how to use the word in context. There is also a special "Language in Use" section in the middle for particular cases, especially idiomatic phrases. The pronunciations are in IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), with guides in English and French. Highly recommended!!

the cover photo is a classic and the ghandi images just before his assasination are truly an historical treasure but the rest of the book should have been edited better by the publisher

Again this is a set of beautiful photographs by Cartier-Bresson. There are some superb pictures. My favorite is number 64 titled, "The Maharaja of Baroda distributing sugar balls to the poor...". What a contrast of emotions on the faces! Specially the look on the young boy who albeit begging still has a somnolent remnant of pride and defiance.

I was hoping to see more from the 1947 through 1956 era which was the beginning of free India. A beautiful book.

This book is the photographic record of Henri Cartier-Bresson's six extended visits to India. In addition to some rare pictures of difficult moments of Indian history, important personalities who defined the political scene, he also captures the quintessence of everyday Indian life. His lens conveys his understanding and deep regard for this country.

This book also includes a very interesting article on Hinduism by Yves Vequaud because, as the author says, "...many tourists who visit India today are still hidebound by the monotheism of their own religions and are apparently unreceptive to the philosophy which underlies a world very different from our own..."

This book would an interesting addition to any collection. But to think that you would understand India or become an armchair traveler by buying this book would be a mistake, since most pictures are from 1948, 1966 and 1950 (There are a few from 1947, 1980 and 1986). India has undergone significant changes in the past 15 years. A more appropriate book for armchair travelers would be "Spectacular India".

I have read several of Troyat's biographies. I generally like this one but was bothered by the author's constant references to Ivan's evolving relationship to God. If Ivan explained himself in letters, then OK. But I don't like a biographer telling us "Ivan decided God had reconciled with him", an unsubstantiated inner state. Troyat is not this kind of biographer, but I would love to have had a few pages on what sources he used and how much material still exists. I actually read this on books on tape, but they usually include everything the author provides.
Other than that, what was it about east Europe of the era? We have Vlad Tsepes, Elizabeth Batory (sister of the Batory mentioned here?), and Ivan to name a few of the more notable monsters. Western Europe seems to lack the unbridled scale and variety of the east.
I found it remarkable to learn Ivan compiled lists of victems and sent them to various monasteries. I wonder how many are still extant? I found his flirtation with England to be pretty amusing. Subtle he was not. I also enjoyed the excerpts from the long-running flame wars Ivan conducted with some of his enemies.
For what it is worth, in my Russian class long ago, they said Ivan Grozny means "awe inspiring" and that he picked it himself
I recommend this to other readers, in addition to his work on Peter and Catherine. After reading this, go find the Sergei Eisenstein film in three parts on Ivan, for a really interesting Stalinist era twist on this bit of history

Lately I have been reading a lot about Russian and Soviet history and one thing that becomes very clear, is that for centuries the Russian people have had to endure some of the most barbaric, inhuman rules ever to roam the earth. During the mid-1500's, Ivan the Terrible decimated cities simply out of boredom or jealously. People around him died for no other reason than he wanted them to. The Russian populace endured almost unbelievable cruelty, yet always believed in their "father" and never really questioned his authority or even his sanity.
Author Troyat does a magnificent job of making Ivan a real person. Orphaned at a young age and mistreated by the boyars around him, Ivan spent his adult life as a pious mass murderer. Ordained by God to rule as he pleased, Ivan never questioned his cruelty and went to this death blaming others for the events that he himself caused. I have read several other Troyat biographies of famous Russians, and his is one of his best.

I had my hopes on this book and i wasnt dissapointed.The author gives a direct,impartial account of Ivan.The authoor goes into the Tsar's mind with clarity without trying to explain the whole thing. The way the author presents the story is sophisticated and full of images and action.The description of the russian court is excellent and the way it is explained is very good.I recommend this book for anyone who wants to study the life of Ivan and his times

I bought this book looking for formalized rules of composition. I got exactly what I asked for, though I must admit Poore writes like the page they tore out of the textbook in "Dead Poets Society." The first chapter on balance was the most formulaic and I felt at times that Poore was stretching his examples to fit or coming up with rules on the fly. I got more out of the following chapters on entrance and exit, circular observation, and angular composition. The strongest section of the book was on composition with one or more units, particularly on how to pose two people for a portrait. The last chapter on light and shade was also good.

It is well worth the time and money to read this book, though it may not be where you stop.

I've heard art instructors thrash around at length in conversations on composition and not come anywhere near getting their point across like this potent book. Don't let the slim page count fool you--the author simply doesn't need three hundred pages to illuminate his readers--this is clearly the effort of someone who has looked and thought deep and long about what makes some images so engaging and he isn't content just poking around the edges of the topic.

Poore writes in a grounded, succinct manner and supports his text with well chosen black and white reproductions (a few pages in the center are in color). This book presents and clarifies some crucial points for creating an image with a pulse. So many art books cost a small fortune and deliver marginal goods--this book asks for a very modest investment and delivers gold. My work is better for having read and studied it.

This book should be mandatory material for any student of the visual arts. The information is presented very clearly and with excellent examples. I feel I've learned a lifetime's worth of material from this one little book!