Abdo and Lyons are among this country's more gifted writers. "Answering Only to God" is an honest and caring account of contemporary Iran. They deserve high praise for their initiative and honesty in telling the story of people so often misunderstood in the West. I find their book a phenomenally enthusiastic yet objective account of Persians. In my opinion, this is Pulitzer Prize-winning work.

A cogent and well-written look at the inner workings of Iran after the Islamic revolution, filled with insights into how religion feeds into every aspect of politics and society. A great read.

Abdo and Lyons have done a masterful job of reporting in this well-timed book. Their efforts provide the reader with a nuanced perspective on a charter member of the so-called "Axis of Evil" and show how the laws of unintended consequences apply to U.S. foreign policy. Lyons, a veteran Reuters correspondent, and Abdo, a well-known journalist and commentator, provide compelling arguments about the genesis of 21st century Iran that should lead to deep discussions and thoughtful debates as the United States prepares to reprise its earlier war against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

I loved this collection of short stories. I bought because it peaked my interest on Israel. Especially with the recent focus on Israel this book gives the Israelis more of a human quality then you see on the news. A must read for everyone! It make you look at Israelis and the human experience in totally different way. On the other hand, it reminded me of Roald Dahl and his hilarious, twisted, but true to life stories. My favorite is the one about the grandmothers, the most twisted one, but the greatest one too.

Israelis are so much the same and yet so different. In this delightful short story collection, the Israeli psyche shines through in a variety people in quite different circumstances. Using mostly scenes of contemporary Israeli life, the author provides a virtual kaleidioscopic display of just how colorful and enchanting Israelis can be.

Here are some of this book's choicest offerings. "Moving business" tells of a young Israeli paratrooper who disappears during a military operation in the Bekaa valley. "Hatikvah" is about the fleeting relationship of kibbutz volunteers Carmi of South Africa and Jota of Argentina. In "The Camel-Hair Coat", Yonathan learns during reserve duty that his old army buddy Yair has become an internet millionaire.

ARAFAT'S ELEPHANT would be particularly appealing to anyone who has lived for any time in Israel. It focuses on how the Israeli has a unique place in the world--easily identified by the social customs of his country. This collection of stories is a definite keeper!

I found this book while perusing one afternoon in Borders ...

I read all of it in one day! I couldn't stop.

My favorite story was the one about Ibrahim Kuttab.

Somehow I found certain similitaries to Gabriel Garcia Marquez "Doce Cuentos Peregrinos" Both books contain tragic & melancholic stories.

Kudos to Mr. Tel.

As a serious amateur student of Biblical archeology, especially the Second Temple era, I enthusiastically recommend this book. The author not only brings keen familiarity with the fundaments of Israel archeology, but an unusually rich and wide appreciation of the relevant intersecting Biblical and secular literature. He puts it together with elegant clarity, caution, and moderation, and what rewarded this reader was a picture of Jesus' Galilee more detailed, vivid, plausible, well-grounded and convincing than I have gotten from any other single manuscript on this subject.

Reed has provided a very readable guide to understanding the historical Jesus in his actual context. He is an archaeologist who knows how to write stuff that can be understood by any interested reader. Anyone who wants to learn more about the setting of Jesus should have this book.

What an interesting and amazing book!! If you've ever been interested in the context of Jesus' life and teaching then this book is for you. By vividly placing Jesus in the sociological and economic Galilean context Reed (a noted authority on Jesus) brings the gospels to life like never before. Reed bridges the gap between those who are so text centered they are blind to historical realities with the world of the often myopic academic archeologist to fuse a new understanding (if not an entirely new discipline!) of the everyday dynamics of Jesus life and teachings. A must read for anyone seriously interested in a contemporary view of Jesus.

"The Atlas of the Crusades" is one of my all time favorite books. While it's enormously helpful to the specialist, the book is also a perfect introduction to the Crusades -- visually describing this interesting historical phenomenon from beginning to end. Beyond the route maps which can be found in every atlas of the Middle Ages, this book has everything from birds-eye views of Acre and Constantinople to the layout of Crusader castles, churches, and villages, to a schematic diagram of the Mamluk Chain of Command. You can't go wrong adding this to your library.

Twenty-one historians under the guidance of Jonathan Riley-Smith have provided us with an invaluable resource for the Crusades. This atlas offers 150+ pages of beautiful maps punctuated with painstaking detail -- geographical features, historical dates, battle sites, travel routes, castles & fortresses, monasteries & holy sites, cities & towns -- all set against the backdrop of splendid color plating. The expeditions to the Holy Lands (1095-1291 AD) are charted in great detail, as well as the campaigns in Spain and the Baltic region. This provides for a collective 500-year time period (1000's-1500's AD) of "The Crusades". One's knowledge of medieval Christendom and the Islamic world will be strengthened beyond measure by this handsome tome. It reflects highly specialized research and is a tool for students and professors alike. Definitely worth $40.00

Jonathan Riley-Smith is today's #1 Crusades historian whose works have rivaled even the three-volume classic by Steven Runciman ("History of the Crusades"). Four textual sections in the atlas briefly present Riley-Smith's newer theories which have gained wide acceptance. For instance, it was once fashionable to look back on the Crusades as barbaric wars waged by colonizers relishing the prospect of battle, loot, and glory. But Riley-Smith has demonstrated that Crusaders, on the whole, were not "intolerant fanatics" intent on acquiring economic or material gain. Most of them, in fact, did not look forward to Crusading at all. They dreaded the perils of travel, not to mention the expensive costs involved in embarking on a long journey to Palestine. And there were few rewards to be won in the Holy Lands. Crusaders were motivated by anything but establishing domains and principalities for their own self-aggrandizement. We certainly do not accept the Crusading world-view today, but we are obligated to understand it and describe it as accurately as we can. Riley-Smith has done so, and this atlas stands as a monument to his scholarship of the past three decades.

The maps are wonderful. They are well-researched and provide an overview of the Crusades, along with all the peripheral things going on in the world of the Middle Ages. The text gives a good objective summary of events, which is difficult to find elsewhere in sources on the Crusades. Riley-Smith has chosen his topics well, including aspects of specific cultures of the time. He achieves a vivid picture of the political, economic, and social life of the time in all of the world's hot spots. This perhaps does not give the most comprehensive picture possible, since it does not take into account conflicting primary sources on the Crusades, but Riley-Smith achieves his goal. Readers looking for more information can easily find other sources; the Atlas of the Crusades is an excellent supplement to these and does a good job pulling them together.

Having visited the exact areas from which these photographs are taken, I am so grateful to have this book as a memorial of my visit and experiences there.

To actually see the places where innocent Jews were executed and where countless thousands of children were gassed and their remains cremated as part of the Nazi industrial death machine, is one of the most harrowing experiences of my life.

If you are unable to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum personally, then this book has to be the next best thing. The photographs show that little has changed there from those evil years under the Nazi regime of Hitler, Himmler and co..

The buildings full of human hair, much from children still bearing their innocent plaits and curls. Buildings full of spectacles and suitcases still bearing the names of those murdered, along with so many other personal possessions. The buildings where they existed before the ultimate short trip to the gas chambers. The firing squads and the 'wall of death' between blocks 10 and 11. They are all documented so well in this book.

This book is highly, highly recommended. How long these sites will actually remain is beginning to be questioned. Even now, with anti-Semitism again raising it's ugly head in Europe, plans are being talked about to build discotheques and shopping centres in the viscinity of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum. Little if any thought is being paid to the desecration of the memory and sanctity of the site where so many innocents perished. How long will it be before the site is itself talked of in terms of it's removal in pursuit of 'progress'.

The memories must be kept alive so that history does not repeat itself. This book is a testament to the evil perpetrated there.

Having just visited Auschwitz last week, I ordered this book as a remembrance of my experience there. The pictures and the stories behind the way they were obtained are extremely compelling and accurately show the accounts of the people who perished there.

I'm still yet a child, and still yet to grow, but I will never grow out of the rememberence of the Holocaust. It was a time in our worlds history that we should never forget. This book helps reminds us of it and gives us a better view and perspective of what happen and to never take advantage of it.

A family dog talks about his confusion, hurt and grief when his owner committs suicide. After each of Bart's comments, the child is invited to write, draw or insert a photograph.

I liked the fact that the book slowly works up to a discussion of the suicide itself. It does not traumatize the child by hitting the intense topic too hard or too soon. The book starts with more concrete and immediate events and feelings related to a death. Later in the book, Bart explains about suicide. Through the dog, the child is invited to discuss family and individual reactions to the suicide. Family members express concerns that they might have contributed to the suicide but are then reassured that it was not their fault. The book does not blame the individual who killed himself. However it emphasizes that there are other ways to deal with depression and despair.

Bart Speaks Out On Suicide is, without a doubt, the most helpful resource I have ever seen to work with young children on the topic of suicide. The photography is excellent and goes well with the book. It really helps to make Bart seem alive. The book's ability to allow children to directly interact makes it child friendly and a great resource for grieving children and parents. Thank you, Linda.

Great for helping children deal with a loved one's suicide. It Really helps.

I have found this book very inspiring. The pictures are great and the text is full of practical knowledge. Although I am from another zone (Zone 9) I found that the guidelines, the concept in the designs, are so well described that is easy for anyone to adapt them to their own zone. It is not a book for "just copying designs" but to learn how to manage color, texture, scale and develop you own creativity.

I loved this book- it had beautiful photographs and good descriptions of the plants used. It was helpful to have the seasons and preferred exposure of the plants included in their description. There are also several good sample garden plans. My only disappointment (if it can be so considered) was that many of the featured plants are not hardy in my zone 4 garden (Ms. Raven's garden is in Britain).For anyone who loves contrast in their gardens, this is the book to inspire you!

Are you afraid of too much color in your garden? Do you fall into the trap of conventional landscaping rules of lumping similar colors with each other? Then, take a bold step and challenge your visual senses. The Bold and Brilliant Garden is an invaluable addition to any gardening library. Sarah Raven presents the use of beautiful color combinations in a very naturalistic manner. She outlines the use of different types of plants and color combinations, and she supplies us with a wealth of vibrant color photographs.

I bought this slim little book when I was first taking Calculus in High School. It helped me immensely with learning and studying Calculus, and provided a great refresher come test time. Since then, I have sometimes needed a formula, and this manual has again been very useful. Calculus is one of those things you forget if you don't use it, and I was in danger of forgetting it when I took a Physics class which required a basic knowledge of Calculus. Thanks in part to this little book, I was able to brush up on the subject and be prepared for my class, though it has been several years since I first learned Calculus in High School and I have had little occasion to use it since.

This quick review will provide an excellent study guide for anyone, like myself, who doesn't use Calculus in everyday life but still doesn't want to forget it. It has definitely proved to be worth its weight in gold for me!

I've been teaching myself Calculus using this book as one of my main resources for about a couple of months now and I am learning a lot from it. It may not help much if you need English explanations, but it is great if you are trying to find the bare essentials of understanding a concept or the whole Calculus, and not a whole lot of fluff.

Get this useful little book if your learning Calc form the get go. It will hold its own in your Calc I and Calc II classes. A great supplement.

The 'Cambridge Companion' to philosophy series has put out some great products. In my opinion this may be the best. Absolutely splendid articles that help the reader understand Aristotle rather than some philosopher's interpretation of him. For such a polymath as Aristotle, the authors did a good job of focusing on key facets of his philosopy that adequately prepare and stimulate the reader to investigate other of Aristotle's writings, which the Companion could not cover for lack of space. The bibliography and subject guides to the secondary liturature are well done.

The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle edited by Jonathan Barnes is a is an excellent book. If you are studing Aristotle or just reading him, you've probably gritted your teeth and started to put the reading down for later. Being that most of us do NOT read Greek, we rely on someone who can and the translations do vary. We also need a way to study and a plan to organize our reading in a logical manner.

This book is an excellent choice for that purpose. This book helps to alleviate some of the fears one has in reading a great thinker who is not only difficult and challenging but also complex. The content of this book are as follows: Logic, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Science, Science, Psychology, Ethics, Politics, Rhetoric and poetics. There is an introduction and a suggestions for reading section which are invaluable and help the reader to understand and comprehend what is trying to be said.

If you need help with Aristotle... look no further than this book to help you get organized and to better understand Aristotle. Approach and methods vary from person to person, but if someone has proceeded you in understanding it is prudent to follow those footsteps... then make your interpretation.

The editor has written an excellent chapter on Metaphysics. Metaphysics is one of Aristotle's most difficult books to understand. Here the editor helps the reader to understand it and also how to read Aristotle with a logical approach.

Remember the best aid to reading Aristotle is Aristotle himself. Aristotle is difficult so read him slowly, very slowly, then he is inspiring and gripping. But, it helps to have someone to rely on and this book will help.

The work of Aristotle is difficult, wide-ranging and dry. As Joanathan Barnes explained in the introduction in this book, this is probably because Aristotle's work is an unauthorized collection of lecture notes. Therefore, an introduction to the main themes in his work is an invaluable help to approaching the master's work. The Cambridge guide has chapters on metaphysics, logic, ethics, philosophy of science, science, psychology, politics, rhetoric. It also contains a massive bibliography. The essays concentrates on explaining the content of Aristotle's work, but it also introduce readers to modern controveries in interpretating Aristotle. The essay of Barnes on the very confusing work Metaphysics is pure gold. Other essays are excellent too.

I first checked this book out of the school library when I was in 10th grade. Back then, I often did "judge a book by it's cover." It looked cool, so I got it. Well, once I picked the book up I could not put it down. Being raised in a Christian environment really didn't expose me to a whole lot of other religious cultures & viewpoints. This book really had my head spinning as I read about witches and some of their rituals. The book has a very supernatural theme, as well, that takes a unique look at life, and hints on some very serious moral issues. I recommend this book to all who enjoy reading about the supernatural, and who like to look at life through different angles.

I have read thousands of books, but none have quite moved me the way this book has. Blended with real-life truths, this book is not what I would consider horror (though there are many elements in it that are horrific & I think I could've done without) - I recommend this book to anyone Pagan/Wiccan or who is tolerant or interested in the religion as the prose of the Leannan, the witch village, the hunt for the Holly King & the climax that tells us that sometimes destiny weaves a web that is inescapeable, but who says we need to escape it? is dramatic & powerful. I kept asking myself, "Who is this Whitley Strieber & how did he get all this insight?". You cannot go wrong with this book if you enjoy the occult genre. I commend Strieber for his insight & for his vision as it has given me a view of peace I knew not before. Five Stars PLUS!

One very potent spell. Once its cast your never going to want to put this one down. A amazing discussion of life and death, magic and mystery, and light and shade. The Climax is very unexpected, and very powerfull. If you can get a copy of this book, DO IT. I read it first in the 8th grade and 12 years later. It is even more amazing than I thought. A must read for those who need a little magick in our lives.