If you are looking for a politically-skewed analysis of the Arab-Israeli conflict or an overly biased account of the war, this is not your book. I say overly biased because all author have an opinion that is expressed overtly or covertly in their writing.

Richard A. Gabriel, a well-respected professor of politics at St. Anselm College, former US Army intelligence officer, and consultant to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees as well as the Pentagon, has written what is probable the most objective and well-written account of the 1982 War in Lebanon between Israeli, Syrian, Lebanese, PLO, and other forces. He has written numerous books about military actions including several books that constructively criticized the American actions in Vietnam. Several of his books have since become requred reading for courses at military academies.

Prof. Gabriel went out of his way to write an objective analysis of the combat, going so far as to interview PLO officials, IDF soldiers, and others. He also toured the battefields as they occurred as a guest of the IDF. Even more to his credit, he made a stipulation of his touring the front with the IDF that IDF miltary censors not be able to review his transcripts at all until after publishing. This means that he was able to effectively write whatever he wanted.

The book itself is brilliant. Within its' 242 pages are numerous analyses of various tactical and strategic conflicts of the 1982 War. He lists grievances and events of all sides into the war and yet hesitates to make value judgements about any of them short of miltary stance. While avoidings making the book a massive judgement of the political stance of any of the fighters, he doesn't hesitate to list political factors that the combatants considered at the time of the war.

One of the greatest treasures of having toured Lebanon and the conditions there is that he was able to disprove many of the false accounts that the media of the time forwarded to the public. Being a meticulous researcher also means that he always quotes sources and provides appropriate background. For instance, the PLO (through the Lebanese newspaper "An Nahar")claimed that Israeli forces killed 17,825 civilian noncombatants killed and wounded 30,103 civilians. Mr. Gabriel analyzed all of the data available from various sources (including interviews with village mayors and other on-the-site witnesses) and came up with a more likely figure of 4,000 to 5,000 killed and 12,000 to 14,000 wounded.

If you are looking for an account of the 1982 war that objectively evaluates military actions of the combatants then Prof. Richard A. Gabriel's "Operation Peace for Galilee - The Israeli-PLO War in Lebanon" is unparallelled. I highly recommend reading this book whether you are looking for more background on the Arab-Israeli conflict, are a military historian, a wargamer, or just someone interested in knowing more about the Middle-East.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

Compiled by Walter Wink, these selections come from the Fellowship of Reconciliation's magazine FELLOWSHIP. The articles were written by the greatest peacemakers of our times. Sixty essays cover theory, practice and spirituality of nonviolence. They also describe racial justice struggle and reconciliation. The book is divided into 6 main categories; VISION, PEACE WITNESSES, SPIRIT of PEACE, INTERRACIAL JUSTICE, NONVIOLENCE IN ACTION and the PATH OF RECONCILIATION. The articles are not easy to read, but are well worth anyone's time and thought. The editor reminds us that the UN General Assembly unanimously proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century to be a Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence! Would that WE would make it so!!!

After Prof. Harry James Cargas passed away his friends and colleagues produced this book as a testiment to his scholarly contributions over the years. If the names of the authors do not impress you, the diversity of subject matter will. This is a fitting tribute to a person who was truly a "gentleman and a scholar".

After reading the Soulful Money Manual I reevaluated my relationship with the support system in my life, money. By following the nine keys I did become at peace with money and how I earn it. Dr. Richard Mitz has done us a great service by taking the experiences of his life and devising an inspiriring approach to functioning at the highest level possible in relationship with money. I would highly recommend using the keys in the book to turn your life into greater prosperity, happiness and peace not only with money but with every aspect of your life.

Wyatt Earp, Will Bill Hickok, Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid, and Jesse James are but a few of the legends of the Old West. With Bullets and Badges they come to life and the stories are remarkable and fascinating.

History has a way of distorting the truth and legends make the truth hard to find, this book takes out the legend and myth and bring you the story of some of the most famous and infamous men and women who have ever lived/

You'll read the way that lawmen "crossed" over the line to catch the "bad" guys, See how the Tombstone really was and how Wild Bill Hickok dies playing poker. The amazing thing about this book is how easy to read it was.

The style of the author makes this book a real pleasure to read. The book cleared up many misconceptions I had about the way the old west was run and those that lived during that time. A first class job and a must have for those interested in history.

In this book, A Lasting Peace, Daisaku Ikeda once again provides the reader with his outstanding insights and trademark wisdom, addressing the most important issue facing humanity today - how to create a lasting peace. In the pursuit of peace, Daisaku Ikeda has lectured extensively at the highest institutions of learning and research throughout the world. Regardless of one's faith, nationality or political views, Daisaku Ikeda expounds what we can all agree is truth - rational, eternal, universal truth.

This book, as with most of Daisaku Ikeda's books, reminds us that if we are ever to rid ourselves of superficial conflicts that escalate to full-blown wars, we must start by regarding the fundamental cause of our conflicts. This is nothing more than our diluted sense of identity - clinging to superficial differences in human culture, language, skin color, and so on.

Once we recognize our true identity as one human family, then we can begin to walk on the path of a true and lasting peace.

I recommend this book to anyone concerned with the issue of peace in both the world at large as well as their own communities. I recommend this book to anyone intersted in learning about the practical applications of ancient yet timeless Buddhist thought in modern, everyday life.

In this book, A Lasting Peace, Daisaku Ikeda once again provides the reader with his outstanding insights and trademark wisdom, addressing the most important issue facing humanity today - how to create a lasting peace.

In the pursuit of peace, Daisaku Ikeda has lectured extensively at the highest institutions of learning and research throughout the world. Regardless of one's faith, nationality or political views, Daisaku Ikeda expounds what we can all agree is truth - rational, eternal, universal truth.

This book, as with most of Daisaku Ikeda's books, reminds us that if we are ever to rid ourselves of superficial conflicts that escalate to full-blown wars, we must start by regarding the fundamental cause of our conflicts. This is nothing more than our diluted sense of identity - clinging to superficial differences in human culture, language, skin color, and so on.

Once we recognize our true identity as one human family, then we can begin to walk on the path of a true and lasting peace.

I recommend this book to anyone concerned with the issue of peace in both the world at large as well as their own communities. I recommend this book to anyone intersted in learning about the practical applications of ancient yet timeless Buddhist thought in modern, everyday life.

I recommend this book to anyone concerned with issues of peace, both international and domestic, down to the level of their own communities. I also recommend this book to anyone intersted in learning about the practical applications of ancient yet timeless Buddhist thought in modern, everyday life.

In this book, "A Lasting Peace," Mr. Ikeda yet again provides us with outstanding insights and his trademark wisdom, addressing many of the most important issues facing humanity today.

This book, like most of Mr. Ikeda's books, reminds us that if we are ever to banish from this world the superficial conflicts that escalate to all-out wars, we must first regard the fundamental cause of such conflicts. This fundamental cause is nothing more than people's diluted sense of identity - people clinging to superficial differences in culture, race, and so on.

As another reviewer wrote, the essential message of this book is to remind the reader that humanity must first recognize its true identity as one human family - then and only then will we begin to walk the path of a true and lasting peace.

I initially approached this book with a great deal of trepidation. I had never read Dostoyevsky, and was concerned that I would get bogged down in some lengthy, mind-numbingly boring, nineteenth-century treatise on the bestial nature of man or something. I am happy to report this is not the case. Instead, and to my delight, it is a smoothly flowing and fascinating story of a young man who succumbs to the most base desire, and the impact this has both psychologically and otherwise on himself and those around him.

To be sure, the book seems wordy in places, but I suspect this has to do with the translation. And what translator in his right mind would be bold enough to edit the great Dostoyevsky? But this is a very minor problem.

What we get with Dostoyevsky is dramatic tension, detailed and believable human characters, and brilliant insight into human nature. Early in the novel our hero meets and has a lengthy conversation with Marmeladov, a drunkard. This conversation is never uninteresting and ultimately becomes pathetic and heartbreaking, but I kept wondering why so much time was spent on it. As I got deeper into the book, I understood why this conversation was so important, and realized that I was in the hands of a master storyteller. This is also indicative of the way in which the story reveals itself. Nothing is hurried. These people speak the way we actually speak to one another in real life, and more importantly, Dostoyevsky is able to flesh out his characters into whole, three-dimensional human beings.

And what a diverse group of characters! Each is fleshed out, each is marvelously complex. Razujmikhin, the talkative, gregarious, good-hearted, insecure and destitute student; Sonia, the tragic child-prostitute, with a sense of rightness in the world; Petrovich, the self-important, self-made man, completely out of touch with his own humanity; Dunia, the honorable, wronged sister: we feel like we know these people because we've met people like them. They fit within our understanding of the way human beings are.

Dostoyevsky also displays great insight into human nature. Svidrigailov, for example, talks of his wife as liking to be offended. "We all like to be offended," he says, "but she in particular loved to be offended." It suddenly struck me how true this is. It gives us a chance to act indignantly, to lash out at our enemies, to gain favor with our allies. I don't believe I've ever seen this thought expressed in literature before. In fact, it never occurred to me in real life! Petrovich, Dunia's suitor, not only expects to be loved, but because of his money, and her destitution, he expects to be adored! To be worshipped! He intentionally sought out a woman from whome he expected to get this, and is comletely flummoxed when she rejects him. His is an unusual character, but completely realized.

There is so much more to talk about: the character of Raskolnikov, which is meticulously and carefully revealed; the sense of isolation which descends on him after committing his crime; the cat and mouse game played on him by the police detective. I could go on and on. I haven't even mentioned the historical and social context in which this takes place. Suffice to say this is a very rich book.

Do not expect it to be a rip-roaring page turner. Sit down, relax, take your time, and savor it. It will be a very rewarding experience. And thank you SL, for recommending it.

This is book is one of the greatest novels written. It was however written originally as a piece of propaganda. Its author was a political conservative who was concerned about the spread of Western ideas in Russia and how they could destroy society. It was a theme that he was to return to in some of his other novels notably the Devils. The book was written at a time when novels produced in Russia had to be supportive of the autocratic system and this was passed by a state board.

The central theme is about a young student who decides to kill an older woman in his apartment block. The reason for the murder is not gain but rather to show that he is a person who is free and like a Napoleon. Dostoevsky also intended to write another novel called the drunkard at the same time. The plot of that novel involved a man who forces his daughter into prostitution because of his inability to control his urges. Instead of bringing them out as separate novels Dostoevsky intertwines the two stories and makes the young prostitute the means by which his main character can be redeemed.

The book starts with the murder and follows the gradual realisation by the police of the identity of the murderer. Although the book started out as a simple expose of the way that western ideas could corrupt the youth of Russia it grew into something else. In part that was because of the development, some time after the novel was published, of philosophical systems which stressed a moralism of self actualisation. The sorts of systems of Nietchze and Kirkagaard. It is also a novel which tends to speak to young people. At least once in a young person's life they feel like the hero, wanting to do some act which defines them as superior to the common heard, to express their freedom or individuality. Ironically they identify with the hero who is meant to be an example of a person who is redeemed by rejecting the sorts of ideas which is the reason why people now read the book.

Whilst the main attraction of the book is a message which was at variance with the reason it was written it is still a classic. Everyone has to read this as it is one of the most remarkable books written.

This book was written in 1865-1866 and shows the dark side of the human psyche. A young man (Rodion) commits a horrible, disgusting crime for two main reasons: 1) He believes that he is above the rest of humanity and that it is "permissible" for him to commit murder and 2) He believes he will be doing society a huge favor by getting rid of this old woman. He murders the old woman and is overcome with grief and guilt, although he doesn't recognize them as such. He is angry about these feelings because, as a superior human being (which is believes he really is), he shouldn't be having these kinds of emotions. The novel continues through his emotional hell and finally, at the end, his redemption through the love of a young woman. The details of this novel are incredible and, in my opinion, far surpass those found in the thriller novels of today. Dostoyevsky has a style that has yet to be equalled. This is not a "quick and easy" read, it is a somewhat heavy read, but it is (in my opinion) worth every minute of the reader's time!

There's an old adage that posits that the real outcome of a war is to teach one to hate one's allies more than than opne's enemies. Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret Olwen MacMillan and Richard Holbrooke outlines why this old adage exists. The book covers the 6 month period in mid 1919 where the victorious allies of WW I converged to carve up the spoils of war and how this exercise set the stage for most of the subsequent conflicts of the 20th century.

While the book focuses on the Big Three Personalities of this exercise--Wilson (United States), Lloyd George (Great Britain), and Clemenceau (France) who dominated the critical aspects of the Paris Peace Conference-this focus doesn't detract from providing an encompassing review of the entire process as well as a detailed analysis of the devastating results of the conference. It delineates all too clearly how the best intentions can be overwhelmed by both insatiable avarice as well as unencumbered and unchecked egos in conflict.

This is a timely book. As we are poised to invade Iraq and effect "regime change" it would be wise to look at a previous exercise in managing post war victory to be reminded of both the complexities as well as the risks involved in such an undertaking.

Although an expressly historical tome, this is a well written and fast paced read.

Probably the best historical work I read in 2002. Highly recommended.

This book has so many things going for it. Outside of giving a detailed account of the Paris Peace Conference in the summer of 1919, I learned a great deal about the history of a number of European countries, their relevance toward the war and the Peace Conference (raise your hand if you knew that Armenia had something to do with World War I), as well as many of the key players' personalities and conflicts that they had to reconcile not only within themselves, but for their countries.

I was really taken aback by how many of the decisions by the Paris Peace Conference (ie. "The Big Three," after Japan and Italy were more or less muscled out, of the United States, Great Britain, and France) still resonate today. For example, the decision to move Israelis to Palestine (where there was supposedly, "more land than the Arabs could populate.") and how one diplomat characterized the move as a "great experiment." It is really incredible to think of the power the three heads of each country (Wilson, Lloyd George, and Clemenceau) had, not to mention the delicate and potentially dangerous risks they had to balance.

Macmillan does a wonderul job of making potentially dull material interesting. She writes of how the French, eager to bury the Germans no matter what the cost, made sure that the Germans' train ride to Paris (through the heart of Europe and her WWI battlefields and shattered towns) was ridiculously slow in order to allow the Germans to see what "they" had done to Europe. In addition, the French made sure the Germans' signing of the Treaty of Versailles was indeed a most humiliating experience.

An additional incentive to read this book is that I honestly learned more about the actual battles and goings on of World War I through this book than many other dryly written books on the war itself (see John Keegan's "The First World War"). We learn of many independent treaties signed between European countries prior to the war that not only played a part during choosing war alliances, but also in deciding what land should go to who and why after the war was over.

There were two main problems among many other minor ones that weighed on "the Big Three": because Germany was never really "defeated" in World War I (they signed an armistice on November 11, 1918), what was the proper punishment? Should the Allied forces militarily go into Germany and bury the country to the point where they couldn't become a future threat, or should they impose incredibly harsh "peace" sanctions on Germany regarding war reparations, loss of land, and a significant loss of munitions. Obviously, The Big Three opted for the latter. The other problem The Big Three had was that it was hard to draw nation-state boundaries when natives, nationalities, and religions were so spread out throughout Europe. As a result, major European countries (Germany, for example) were forced to deal with minorities that could not be geographically placed, and the result often lead to anti-semitism, extreme nationalism, and death or oppression for many.

The only difference I had with the book was in its conclusion. Macmillan's purpose is to show that the results and the mismanagement of the Peace Conference could not have led to World War II as some historians have claimed. To take on that thinking, Macmillan writes, would be to disregard every move from a diplomat, politician, ambassador, etc. etc. from 1919 to 1939. And while I agree with this assertion, I cannot agree entirely with her claim that had Germany been appeased by "The Big Three" and some of the more harsh penalties not been imposed on the Germans (such as war reparations), that Hitler still would have come to power and carried out his ideas for Germany. From all that I have learned about post-WWI Germany, Hitler's coming to power was a direct result of anger on behalf of the German people due to the harsh "peace" sanctions of the Treaty of Versailles. If you take away essentially what the Treaty of Versailles was attempting to do through its peace sanctions- if you appease Germany - I am led to believe that the German people would have been less inclined to provide a young, angry Adolf Hitler the political platform to stand on. The German people believed the Treaty to be incredibly unfair- and maybe it was - but if you take out the heart of what it was trying to do then, in my opinion, you take out the heart of Hitler's argument (and propaganda) he presented to the German people. Just an opinion.....

A very well-written book whose subject, though nearly eighty-five years behind us, still holds shocking relevance today. While reading this book I often thought of the circumstances some historical figures are put in and the incredible ramifications of how one (or in this case, three) man's decisions can effect millions. I also thought of how different the Conference (indeed, the world) might look today had Teddy Roosevelt represented the United States instead of Woodrow Wilson.

An interesting side-note that you may overlook (located in her bio) is that Macmillan is the great-grand daughter of Great Britain's Lloyd George.

World War I ended with an inconclusive result. Basically the Germans lost because they were exhausted. France was in ruins. Germany was never invaded.

The "Big Four" sat around the conference table to divvy up Europe and the Near East and we have lived with the results ever since.

This book details the events that took place in Paris in 1919. Woodrow Wilson, who was already ill, was obsessed with his 14 points. However, those points did not always fit what the big powers saw as their national interest. Compromises were made and we are still living with the results--for example the borders in the Middle East which often have more to do with the French and the British than they do to where the ethnic groups actually live. Think about Iraq: It's a mishmosh of groups. Then there is Turkey, whose borders resulted from events on the ground (as in Ataturk).

This is a well written book that will interest any history nut. It should appeal to a larger audience, however, due to the current interest in events in the Middle East and the continuing turmoil in the Balkans. After all, it was the turmoil in the Balkans that began World War I. Somethings never change.

I love this book because it is so small that I can carry it with me in my purse. I like to get it out on a break at work and read a chapter on what I feel I need help with; it always picks me up and encourages me. What simple and brief yet wonderful advice! As I read I highlight the areas most applicable to me so that next time I read it I can read exactly what I most need to hear. Most chapters have a space that I use for notes and comments. Keep in mind that this is not a quick read. To make real changes in your life, I recommend this book should be read slowly, one to three chapters a day. When I first began, I tried to read straight through but it just goes in one ear and out the other. You have to read a chapter, stop, and think about it to best apply it to your life and make it work for you.

One of my favorite chapters is chapter six: REMIND YOURSELF THAT WHEN YOU DIE, YOUR "IN BASKET" WON'T BE EMPTY. I think the whole world should read this chapter! Here is an sample:

"SO MANY OF US LIVE OUR LIVES AS IF THE SECRET PURPOSE IS TO SOMEHOW GET EVERYTHING DONE....OFTEN WE CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT OUR OBSESSION WITH OUR "TO DO" LIST IS ONLY TEMPORARY--THAT ONCE WE GET THROUGHT THE LIST, WE'LL BE CALM, RELAXED AND HAPPY. BUT IN REALITY, THIS RARELY HAPPENS. AS ITEMS ARE CHECKED OFF, NEW ONES SIMPLY REPLACE THEM. THE NATURE OF YOUR "IN BASKET" IS THAT IT'S MEANT TO HAVE ITEMS TO BE COMPLETED IN IT--IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE EMPTY....REMEMBER THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN SENSE OF HAPPINESS AND INNER PEACE AND THAT OF YOUR LOVED ONES. IF YOU ARE OBSESSED WITH GETTING EVERYTHING DONE, YOU'LL NEVER HAVE A SENSE OF WELL-BEING! IN REALITY, ALMOST EVERYTHING CAN WAIT...THE PURPOSE OF LIFE ISN'T TO GET IT ALL DONE BUT TO ENJOY EACH STEP ALONG THE WAY AND LIVE A LIFE FILLED WITH LOVE."

The book is organized, in my opinion, to be read in any order you want. Some chapters may be useful to you and some may not now but perhaps later on in your life. I find it very motivational. I think you will enjoy it also.

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF...AND IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF--WORDS TO LIVE BY!

I loved this book! It is easy to read, fun, simple and effective! What's great about this book is you can enjoy it over and over again. You can open up to any page and get a new perspective on life immediately. Definitely an excellent stress reducer. Thank you Richard!

Another book that I recently bought, read and totally loved (due to a recommendation by another reviewer) is "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel and Shya Kane. Awesome book too! Easy to read, simple and is also a book you can open up to any page and reduce stress instantly as well as enjoy it again and again. Buy this one and you will love it too! The Kanes also have great audio tapes: I just bought "Magical Relationships" and "Roots of Satisfaction".

This is marvelous magical book you hold in your hands in which every word written counts without being weighty. Richard Carlson has written a book packed with ideas that will uplift the spirit, open your mind and heart and free you in a delightful easy manner as he guides you into a clearer focusing of your life. He takes our lives and breaks our activities into bit-size pieces to savor and study easily without choking on our whole life all at once. His next book written "Don't Worry, Make Money" is just as direct and as enjoyable to read. Both books are filled with ideas that just make so much sense, you wonder why it wasn't clear to you before, yet somehow you sensed you've know these things all along. Never mind that you couldn't see them before, Richard Carlson is helping you to see them now! Carlson is a real intelligent pied piper who feeds the mind with seemingly simple words but which form profound concepts and ideas without boring or "spoonfeeding" the reader. You'll find that you won't mind sharing these books with others, in fact you may find yourself encouraging others to take a look at them while you are together; but you won't want to loan them overnight you'll rather wish to keep them nearby for easy reference, they become valuable comrades to you. One of the best things about both his books is that that you can start at the beginning, or just pick up a chapter at random, each chapter stands alone, yet works within the framework of the whole work. Kudos to Carlson, thank you for your enlightened writing.