This book is not a good "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism." It
took me about one month to read the book. It is 500 pages.
The author uses big words. There is great detail. For an
intro to Tibetan Buddhism, buy "Open Heart, Clear Mind" by
Thubten Chodron. I learned a lot from this "Comprehensive
Guide to Tibetan Buddhism." But I have read thirty or forty
books on the subject. And this is still a HEAVY meal. If
you do want to really know about Tibetan Buddhism in an

"intermediate" fashion, then please buy and read the book.
You will learn a lot. I was dissapointed to learn that one of the Dali Lama's was a romantic poet and womanizer who did
very little spiritual practice! And that the Chinese organized
massive "gang rapes" in order to subjagate the Tibetan people.
So I learned a lot. But I still wished that there was less detail and more clarity. The meal is just too big. I'll state it once more. Buy and read this book if you want a comprehensive text on Tibetan Buddhism. Thank You.

I couldn't give it 5 stars simply becuase I haven't yet finished reading it. I borrowed this book from the library and couldn't finish it in the lending period (it's big!), so I'm now online buying the book.

What I've read is extrememly well-written and interesting, not of a textbook style at all. It explains Tibetan philosophy in a very accessible way.

I reccommend it for anyone interested in Tibet or Buddhism.

I'll give this book higher marks than the original book by these authors in which they put forward their idea of "Power Factor Training." The reason, is because while there are still a lot of people who will convincingly pick apart each argument put forward by the authors, at least with this specialization book, you get a look at what the most effective back and shoulder exercises are. That alone was worth the book. As for their controversial plan, look, if you're in a rut, it may be worth trying. Just read the fine print carefully, and buy a good calculator. You'll need it.

I would recommend the "power factor " approach to trainees in the intermediate and advance category. After a 26 year training career (weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding), it was refreshing to read practical training ideas that could immediately be introduced to my workouts to up the overall intensity. Be warned.. these techniques are not for beginners and advance trainees should not overestimate their abilities when they hit those first high rep, short range movements ! Like all new training techniques ,apply your mind to the ideas and and routines presented and make an informed decision as to the best way to use them in terms of your own abilities and training goals...remember there are no final answers in the mysterious world of weight training (in spite what the academics would have us believe !).All I can say is that short range overloads did'nt harm Paul Anderson any (one of the strongest men of all time ) and after my first shoulder workout using this system , my delts were so burnt out I did'nt know where to put my arms !

This is one of the best common-sense books available. No mumbo-jumbo, no mystical nonsense. Instead it offers sensible and practical basic bodybuilding exercises. From a purely bodybuilding perspective however, its easy to find fault, but considering that most martial artists are more concerned with catching flies between chopstix than benchpressing, the text is suitably pitched.

This is the best workout book I have ever read or used. Performing the exercises in this book brought me tremendous results in a very short time. The book outlines programs for the beginner and the pro. I highly recommend the use of this book for the serious body builder.

John Blum's short, but informative book on the Progressive Presidents presents a fairly balanced picture of the presidency after the ascendency of progressivism. The author admits he is a "conventional liberal" who "grew up" with the FDR administration while he "admired" FDR. However, he raises many important questions about the "Imperial Presidency" that this men invented. He admits that in the wake of welfare-statism after LBJ has "provoked reconsideration." This reconsideration owes itself to the progressive presidents continiously testing, exceeding, breaching and redefining constitutional and customary limits to power. For an avowed liberal to even concede that the Presidency at the behest of progressive liberalism has perhaps gone awry is a watershed event.

The Progressive Presidents is a wonderful text, perfect for any American History buff.

with simple words and good exemples this book let the peoples come in the complexe world of the dental materials. If you know something better & more actual, let me know,I'm interrested.

Soy una estudiante en la maestria en prostodoncia en la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon,Mexico. El catedratico de la materia de materiales dentales, el dr. Miguel Garcia, ampliamente reconocido en el pais, encontro que es un excelente libro dirigido para la especialidad. Nos hemos apoyado mucho en esta obra para comprender mas a fondo el material que dia a dia nosotros manipulado.

This collection of essays seeks to explain why, despite its overwhelming power, the world has not balanced against the United States. Several well-noted authors give varying answers. The first essay, appropriately enough, is written by the founder of Structural Realism, Kenneth Waltz. Waltz answer is simply that the world will eventually balance against American power, and in fact has started to do so already. Waltz explains that in an anarchic system,"overwhelming power repels, and leads others to balance against it." Furthermore, Waltz sees Unipolarity as unstable, as the hegemon may be tempted to overexpand. Waltz concludes that the unipolar moment is exactly that, a brief time in history that will be over the blink of an eye. But Waltz made much the same case in 1993. The world has not yet balanced against the US, and history has yet to prove him right. Taking the opposite approach, William C. Wohlforth argues that the current unipolar system is actually very stable. This is so due to several factors. First, Wohlforth notes that balancing is very difficult to successfully execute. Also, unlike previous hegemons, America's power is so great that it crosses the threshold where balancing against it becomes impossible. Also unlike previous hegemons, the US is not located geographically nearby the other powers. Therefore, it does not directly threaten most states as much as their neighbors do. It is therefore better for states to rely on the US for protection from its own neighbors, than to balance against America. Wohlforth thus sees a continuation of the peaceful relations that have existed since the end of the Cold War. These two essays are most likely the ones that will receive the most attention since they predict future events based on structure. But somewhat dissapointingly, neither addresses the argument made by John Mearsheimer in his book that other states will not necessarily balance against the United States itself, but against the United States in their respective regions. Mearsheimer, unlike Wohlforth, does not see the system as global but regional. Therefore China will balance against US power in the Far East, not against global US power and interests. Mearsheimers's argument fall somewhere between Waltz and Wohlforth. Its a shame neither one addresses it.

The other articles in this book are more policy-oriented. Charles Kupchan claims that it will be very hard to sustain domestic support in America for the resources necessary to maintain unipolarity. He also believes the EU to be much farther along the road to unity than most realize, and he sees a balance of power between the US and EU in the future. Stephen Walt, advancing his balance of threat hypothesis, urges American policymakers to act and speak in a restrained manner, which will convince the world that the US does not have aggressive designs. Josef Joffe praises the US policy of overlapping alliances as a copy of Bismark's hub and spoke system, which he believes will serve to create a peaceful world, due to America's overwhelming capabilities. There are also some non-realist authors who make the case for other variables. John Ikenberry advances the importance of international institutions in creating a peaceful world, arguing that the "Western order has a structure of institutions and open polities that bind states together, thereby mitigating the implications of power assymetries and reducing the possibilities of the United States to abandon or dominate other states." Ikenberry argues that insitutions have a life of their own and make it difficult for states to do other than what the institutions specify. Its not a new theory, and realist critiques will most likely be the same: Instiutions do what states want them to do, not vice-versa. Although there are no realist critiques of the Ikenberry piece in this volume, it is hard to imagine any realist worth his weight in salt arguing otherwise.

A good basic text and then some. Whether you are a dedicated "student" of welding, or simply find yourself plagued with the genuine need to be more proficient, ARC WELDING, may be your ticket. The author has packed the book with dozens of simple but effective cutaway illustrations that demonstrate the essentials of the subject, including the difference between good welds and unacceptable welds. The author provides minimal text to accompany the visuals but does a decent job of explaining the logic of each subject. This book provides a fundamental understanding of the "why" behind professional practice/craftsmanship in welding as opposed to a "just getting by" approach. Whether advanced or a beginner, ARC WELDING, is informative and thorough--in the same way one would expect a good textbook to be.

It worth reading, I think, for social study. Legal view is general but essential to understand the roots of Japanese social model. It can be interesting for the politicians, not the lawyers.

The book begins very simple so beginners can use it. It is not a book a non-techical can easily read. I was looking for some theory about manifold design and the book gave me a good impression of the available methods. A disadvantage of the book is that it refers to ESP software developed at Stanford university. It is meant for instructural purposes but it is not downloadable from the Stanford university site. Overall I think the book is good due to the up-todate examples.

I read this book after reading the Martian Wars trilogy and wasn't sure how things were going to go after that. Moving away from the familiar characters of Buck and Wilma seemed a risky move. Using the character of Kemal Gavilian from Mercury was intriguing however, as readers had heard snippets of other cultures in the previous novels. This book was a very enjoyable read, and left me on tenterhooks. Unfortunately, that is also the problem, as book 2 and 3 of the trilogy seem to be near impossible to find.