Spider Spins a Story connects Native American tribes together with 14 various tales, all involving a spider. Preceding each legend is a brief history and description of the tribe associated with each story. Muskogee, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Hopi, Cherokee, Navajo, and Osage tribes, as well as others, are mentioned in the book.

Full of colorful, gorgeous illustrations by 6 Native American artists, the book is also endorsed by tribal authorities.
It appeals to both children and adults with its wonderful storytelling of Native American customs and lore. It is also a great reference to the past history and beliefs of Native American life.

The brilliant colors used in the illustrations are particularly appealing and remind the reader of fine Native American art. The Gilcrease Museum, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was an excellent choice for the detailed research needed to write this spectacular book. Spider Spins a Story is a perfect gift for all ages.

An engaging, rewarding read, much needed these days. Though they discussed the problems these three faiths have with each others claims to chosenness and truth, and hinted a few times at needing to widen the dialogue to include "other" non Abrahamic faiths, they did so in a way which indicates some lingering conceit and self righteousness. Hmm. Can't we rejoice in how our common spiritual yearnings find various expression in different cultures?

This book was great...' kept my full attention. The last book I reviewed was about the same religions, but this one was so much better. It gave me a much better understanding of the common Islamic views. You get the words straight from the discussion between the 3 faiths, not just one man's research of other men. This book is very simple for any reader to enjoy. It is always great not only to see comparative religion but to see people with entirely different views on the same subjects conversing "in a beautiful manner". They are struggling to find a way to bring their views together, and the Christian commented on how very close he was to including Muhammad as a prophet of God. Their struggles just begged one uniting cry in my mind, although they didn't know it themselves: Baha'i.

This book is based on live dialogue between well-qualified spokesmen representing Judaism, Christianity and Islam, presented before audiences throughout the United States. It provides an excellent insight into each religious tradition, and left me with a greater appreciation for what the three faiths have in common. Worth reading by anyone who wants to better understand the relationships between the three Western religions that trace their beginnings to Abraham

I loved "For the Love of God" and, as the title claims, it is a "handbook for the Spirit". The essays range from Mother Teresa to the Dalai Lama, so as credentials go, it doesn't get better. This book works on the level of poetry - food for the soul. The only comparable book I can think of that achieves this same level of impact, is the divine and truly inspired "The Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years" by Richard G. Patton. The accumulated wisdom that is in "For the Love of God" becomes manifest in the profoundly moving "The Autobiography.." and for the first time I can believe Jesus as being a REAL human being. Either I am getting older or the authors of today are getting better at portaying our aspirations towards God. - I hope it's just them getting better. This is an excellent book, go for it!

I bought this book for two reasons: first, I was going through a phase where I was feeling somewhat lost spiritually and was looking for a little guidance, and second, because the list of contributors spanned the spectrum of religious thought, and I wondered if they would have anything common to say.

It turned out to be a great buy. The thinkers - ranging from the Dalai Lama to Mother Teresa to Rabbi Harold Kushner - write about their personal spirituality, not only about what is important to them, but also how they cultivate spirituality in everyday life. And if you look carefully, there is a surprisingly strong common thread running through these essays.

This book has been on my bedside table. I come back to it at times when I feel I need some inspiration and guidance, and pick a piece to read - any one. Each time I have done this, I have felt more connected to the Divine and to the world around me.

This book was the key I had been looking for in reaching a mid-40's spiritual plateau. It is a book of answers and methods. From things as simple as focussing on the thoughts "In" and "Out" while breathing during meditation to the conflict between egoism and spiritualism. It is the kind of book one will keep on hand in times of crises to read over again. The format of brief 4-5 page essays is perfect for those with short attention spans.

I read this Ben Bradlee's memoir after I had read his boss Katherine Graham's 642-page grossly wordy "A Personal History." It didn't take me long to realize that "A Good Life" is a work of a good editor. His writing is concise and well focused without trying to get into excessive details, often only to bore readers, as both his boss and Maggie Thatcher successfully did with their auto-biographies. He's also so honest and candite about his personal life, including that of between the sheets.
When you are approaching 80, what's he got to lose, I guess.
For a non-native English speaking reader like me, it is also easy to read with plain and casual vocabulary and expressions. It almost reads as if the whole book was dictated. If you read All The President's Men, Final Days and A Personal History and enjoyed them, A Good Life is a must read to complete your Watergate experience.

Ben Bradlee's career as a journalist encompassed many of the most important events of the late 20th century: from World War II to Watergate, from the domestic revolutions of the '60s to the international revolutions of the '90s. While serving as the Washington Post's Executive Editor from 1968 to 1991, the newspaper became a world-renowned and respected model of fearless and innovative journalism. A witty and candid story of a good life -- and a great read.This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title. -

i first heard of ben bradlee's book from an editor, who told me that its a must read especially if i want to be a serious journalist. i did, and i couldnt put it down for three nights. ben's story is truly an inspiration...i would be happy to achieve even half of what he has. plus, for the first time in my life, i finally understood what watergate was all about.

A friend of mine said this was her favorite book as a child, and when I read it I found out why. While it is not flashy or geared towards "saving the world," as most children's books are today, in the old style of children's literature it is simple and enchanting. The characters are tastefully unique (I especially love the bizarre king) and the stories are . . . cute. While this book is not a "big jump" in the quality of the children's literary world, it is simply enjoyable.

The Big Jump by Benjamin Elkin is a great children's book. It has a good king and a bad king, but the bad king is not very bad. It has a magic wish sack, a wonderful dog, and a lot of other fun things packed into several different short stories. These are gentle stories that remind me of the way things were when I was a kid, and the way little kids' books should be. The stories are told with imagination and simplicity, and are wonderful to read. We've read it often to our little ones and it is a book that I recommend keeping forever.

'The Tao of Pooh', a fascinating synthesis of Eastern philosophy and Western children's literature, is done largely in conversational style between Benjamin Hoff, erstwhile writer, photographer and musician with a penchant for forests and bears. Thus, Pooh makes a natural philosophical companion. But, more than a companion, Pooh is, for Hoff, the very embodiment of the Tao.

'It's about how to stay happy and calm under all circumstances!' I yelled.
'Have you read it?' asked Pooh.

This is two-way book: to explain Taoism through Winnie-the-Pooh, and to explain Winnie-the-Pooh (not always an easy task itself) through Taoism. Taoism, more academically, is a religion indigenous to China, built upon teachings primarily of Lao-tzu, with significant influence from Buddha and K'ung Fu-tse. It is in the teachings of harmony and emptiness and being of Lao-tzu, however, that Taoism draws its meaning, believing that earth is a reflection of heaven, and that the world 'is not a setter of traps but a teacher of valuable lessons.'

As with many religions, this one took various guises: philosophic, monastic, structural, folk. But through them all, the imperceptible Tao, the essence of being, essentially undescribable, shapes the universe continually out of chaos, with a yin and yang alteration of perpetual transformation, in which nothing remains eternal save the Tao.

This makes Pooh a perfect example and exemplar. 'For the written character P'u, the typical Chinese dictionary will give a definition of 'natural, simple, plain, honest.' P'u is composed of two separate characters combined: the first, the 'radical' or root-meaning one, is that for tree or wood; the second, the 'phonetic' or sound-giving one, is the character for dense growth or thicket.'

Through semantic changes, perfectly in keeping with the Tao, we find that Pooh, or P'u, is actually a tree in the thicket, or a wood not cut, or finally, an Uncarved Block. And this, of course, is what pure being is.

Pooh, in his journey through the Tao, with the Tao, of the Tao (it is a hard one to nail down, isn't it?) encounters many. This includes Eeyore, the terminally morose, who represents Knowledge for the sake of Complaining about Something. It also includes Owl, the Western successor of the 'Confucianist Dedicated Scholar', who believes he has all truth as his possession, and studies Knowledge for the Sake of Knowledge (even if it isn't always the best knowledge). 'You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.'

Of course, all of the knowledge of the Owl, accompanied by the variable helpfulness of Rabbit who cannot stop activity in favour of just being something, couldn't figure out what had become of Christopher Robin, who left the Very Clear Note on his door:

GON OUT
BACKSON
BISY
BACKSON

Who or what is a Backson? Backsons are those people trying to outrun their shadows and their footprints, not realising that to stand still and rest in the shade defeats the power of both. And of course, the Bisy Backson is never at a standstill. And of course, one cannot experience the Tao, be the Tao, know the Tao (well, you get the Tao) if one is perpetually on the run.

The Bisy Backson is always

GONE OUT
BACK SOON
BUSY
BACK SOON

or, maybe GONE SOON. Anywhere. Anywhere he hasn't been. Anywhere but where he is. Of course, the idea of not going anywhere is abhorrent to him, and there is no concept of being able to do nothing.

Nothingness frees the mind. Nothing works like nothing. For there is nothing to distract you. Nothing to get in the way. Nothing to hinder you. Nothing means anything.

Now, read that last sentence again, carefully.

Nothing means anything.

Any thing is by definition itself, but when it is no thing, it can become potentially any thing.

'Oh, I see,' said Pooh.

Wisdom lies in the way of Pooh, who shirks the busy-ness of Rabbit, the intellectual hubris of Owl, and the doom-saying of Eeyore. Pooh simply is, and enjoys being who he is. Pooh is a Master, who knows the Way. Learn from him. Learn to be with him.

For those of you who, like me, are interested in philososphy but find most philosophical writings boring and overly complicated, this is the book for you. Hoff explains Taoism through the adventures of Whinnie the Pooh. If you've ever read any of A.A. Milne's novels, the style of this book should be familiar. As Hoff writes about Whinnie the Pooh and his Taoist attitude towards life, Pooh and Piglet comment on his writing and ask him questions. So how is Pooh an example of Taoism? Because he is simple-minded and unconditionally happy. Pooh lives a life of harmony because he never frets or hesitates. He simply goes with the flow, and that is what Taoism teaches. This book is a happy retreat to childhood combined with philisophical teachings that only an adult could understand. I highly recommend it.

This is a well written, easily read book that provides an introduction and explanation of the general tenets of Tao through 5 main characters and the circumstances they are confronted with. Metaphor and real-life analysis and observation of how we live and think, and how Taoism can be applied to our perspectives and daily lives, if we want it to. Selection from the writings of Tao Te Ching, and other Taoist thinkers to the books characters and stituations help explain the meanings for the neophyte.
The significant influence of Puritanism on our past and present U.S. history is also delved into. The Puritan influence has always been with us and I am convinced it always will be.
The American work week gets longer every year, according to studies, and we have less and less time for the good things in life: family, friends, introspection, personal growth, and even pursuing hobbies. We are constantly running from one place to another, both literally and figuratively, in search of--something. Fulfillment, happiness, or what have you. We try to buy it, acquire it, reach out to it. But it's right in front of our faces--we just have to allow ourselves to see it.

The book is divided into four parts, and is ultimately unfinished; that is the largest disappointment you will find as you read the last sentance. However, the book gives you a true feel for the life and times this great man lived through. The writing is very arbitrary, almost (but not quite) stream-of-conscious, and anecdotal, but enjoyable. Another disappointment is the lack of discussion of the American Revolution and his role in it. But it did give me the desire to read more of this amazing individual, and renewed my sense of pride in my country, as well as its interesting history. Read this book as a beginning, with expectations of it taking your mind to a different level of interest...

This is the story of one of America's smartest men. Written in a seemingly desultory manner, Franklin tells about his life from his beginnings in Boston to his contributions to science and the enlightenment. I was a little disappointed though because there was no writing about the American revolutionary war or the drafting of the American Constitution-two things that Franklin is known for. In addition we don't get a detailed account of his discoveries in electricity (at least in the Dover edition, other editions might include other writings by Franklin). However, this book does shed light on the American spirit. He talks about how he came one day to Philadelphia with only enough money to buy some bread, and ended up years later as one of Philadelphia's most respected man.

This books is colored with enjoyable stories and anecdotes from Franklin's life. Every page is full of little aphorisms and maxims in witty tales about events in Franklin's life. I'd recommend this book for the quality of Franklin's wisdom. Even if he wasn't so important to the birth of the United States, this book would still be cherished by the American people.

The prevailing conception of the American character found its apotheosis in the persona of Benjamin Franklin. In early American culture Franklin was considered the typical American whose life philosophy exemplified American attitudes towards life, wealth, and happiness. The proof of this philosophy was found in Franklin's life and both are interwoven in his autobiography.

Certainly Franklin became omnipresent in American history (the greatest president who was never president, as I recall) partly because of his own efforts at self-promotion, of which "The Autobiography" is a prime example along with the constant reprinting of "Poor Richard's Almanac" (see the preface to the last edition in 1758 entitled "The Way to Wealth," which presages the autobiography). Franklin was first and foremost a moralist concerned with the personal, social, and civic improvement of his fellow citizens. The book opens with a letter, written to his son William in 1771. Of course, William, the Royal Governor of New Jersey, is forty years old, so the advice being offered is not to his literal (illegitimate) son but rather to any and all "youth." The book is intended as an exemplar for moral action and virtues.

Part I has Franklin describing his ancestry and lineage, covering his precocious childhood where he learned the virtues and morals that would serve him in good stead as an adult. Indeed, the story of Franklin becoming a successful businessman and important citizen in Philadelphia is a series of anecdotes in which he uses his intelligence and wit to solve any and all challenges. As autobiography we know this account to be flawed, for Franklin recreates his life to suit his purpose, but as rhetorical exemplar it is impressive. Part II reinforces this point by beginning with a pair of letters from Abel James and Benjamin Vaughn, who praise Part I for having celebrated the frugality, industry, and temperance necessary for a man's character to develop as a prelude to success. This section was written ten years after the first, when Franklin was in France. Here Franklin discusses moral perfection and the importance of industry and frugality in achieving success. Part III was written when Franklin returns home to Philadelphia in August of 1788, and continues the detailing his long career of public service, from publisher "Poor Richard's Almanac" to becoming Postmaster of the United States. Part IV is something of a fragment devoted to an episode in London in 1747 when Franklin became an early proponent of American rights. Ironically, this section, which would have contained the autobiographical information we would most want to hear with regards to the fight for Independence, is the briefest.

Ultimately, what becomes most important about "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is that it serves as the genesis of the aristocracy of merit in the United States. Franklin's life is the model for the stories of Horatio Alger a century later and instantiates the idea that America is the land of opportunity where it is by merit that we can earn success. That idea has been expressed in countless ways since this book was first published in all its myriad forms, but the life of Franklin is the font from which it all springs.

I feel that the Jowett translation is superior to others (especially for students) because of its easy-reading quality. As anyone who has read the Platonic dialogues is sure to know, they are often somewhat dry, with key points strewn amongst seemingly endless dialogues. This makes the fact that the Jowett translation is written in layman's terms that much more appreciated. For this, the translation earns its three stars. Otherwise, it has a horrific layout, with no numbering for reference to lines (making it hard to use for writing papers and difficult for reference in a class that uses a different translation because the page numbers most likely will not coincide). Besides this, there is no reference at the top of each page to denote who the speakers are, which is often helpful because it is easy to forget who is speaking due to the work's length and number of characters. The Bloom edition has these notes but I would not recommend this either because it is a more difficult read and has a commentary essay included that is half the length of the Republic itself. So, unless you don't mind the extra bulk when it comes to carrying it around, don't take the mention of the Bloom edition as a recommendation.

Here is an essential compilation of works from the philosopher Emerson hailed as the "Euclid of holiness". Along with the full 'Death of Socrates' tetralogy (including the "Euthyphro", whose argument on the nature of piety gets to the heart of why Christianity is not, as Nietzsche suggests, 'Platonism for the masses') this Doubleday edition also includes the esoteric late-phase "Parmenides" and of course the "Symposium" and "Republic", all in Jowett's long-standard translations. Reading the "Republic" in full, one can savor the loftiness of Plato's vision of human nobility, a merging of aesthetic and ethical criteria which still accounts, more than anything else, for our conception of the transcendent quality of ancient Athens (again, contra Nietzsche and "The Birth of Tragedy"). While the communitarian (and perhaps totalitarian) aspects of Plato's political vision may or may not be ironic, the deepest wellspring of Plato's utopia can best be found in the formula "beautiful minds in beautiful bodies" which he has bequeathed to us as a supreme ideal in love and education. Throughout, it is Plato's obsessive consideration of ethical ideals-- and the rationalist metaphysics in which he grounds ethical imperatives-- that galvanizes the reader to ponder the reconstruction of self and society in the light of higher truths. And his (deliberately undwelt-upon, if we can accept Letter VII) hints of the mystical, which have haunted the Western imagination ever since, make Platonism perhaps the most essential, most truly global, spiritual tradition in history. It is one which encompasses the sensual as well as the intellectual, the worldly and the other-worldly, and it accepts and encourages the freeplay of skepticism; as one can see in reading these works, Plato is usually his own best critic.

Dr. Spock was considered the baby care guru in the 1950's and many parents took his advice as the word of the Lord. I have no doubt that after years of research, and of practicing pediatrics, that he is very knowledgeable in the field of baby and childcare. However, the revised edition of his once revered book is not my first choice for obtaining information.

This book covers everything under the sun, but perhaps it is too comprehensive and not detailed enough as some of the other books out there. Dr. Spock writes in a condescending tone that sounds more like he is talking to his young children, instead of adults with children seeking information. He is preachy, instead of informative, and speaks in absolutes and generalizations.

Getting your baby to sleep through the night is a hot topic where everyone claims to have the solution. I believe that many of the methods have the potential to work, but Dr. Spock's suggestion is cruel and may even border on child abuse. He suggests that you let your baby cry in their crib for as long as it takes until they fall asleep, and that under no circumstances should you go in to check on them. The clincher is his advice that you should not go to your baby even if he vomits because he gets so upset. He says you can clean it up after your baby falls asleep! Maybe Dr. Spock should be claiming he has frontal lobe disorder!

If you are looking for a reference book that touches a little bit on everything you can imagine, then this may be the book for you. Otherwise, I think your money is better spent elsewhere.

I own both of these books, and I've read Sears too. I think they are all a little extreme in their beliefs. I don't believe in letting your child sleep with you, so that's why I put a cot in my twins' room and slept with them the first 3 months. I believe in teaching good sleeping habits because I know that it is BEST for my child, and I'm willing to look at their long-term happiness and not just their short-term happiness, and ways to ease MY conscious. I pushed my children a little every night to sleep further and further, and it was not a traumatic experience at all. Once they proved to me that they could do it we never looked back. My twins have slept from 8pm to 7am since 3 months of age, and only get up if they are sick. I've not let them get sick often so I haven't had to worry about them forming the habit of waking up. They are extremely secure with putting themselves back to sleep without my assistance if they happen to wake up for no reason. My kids take wonderful naps because I truely believe that a well rested child sleeps better at night. I certainly agree with the other reviewers that you should never let your child scream until they vomit. That is just cruel! I just feel sorry for people who have 2 and 3 year olds who still get them up during the night. Shame on you PARENTS, for not doing your job!!!

Any "Star Trek" fan would not want this book! It turns out it's not about "Star Trek"! It's about Childcare! Who would have guessed? We're loosing power, Scotti!