Finally, an introduction to these two Deerfield MA sisters who turned to photography as a trade when deafness interfered with teaching careers. At a time when women weren't commonly professional photographers, they were able to successfully support themselves with commercial sales of pictures which were sensitive and artistic at the same time as marketable. Flynt gives us a detailed biography, many illustrations, and a hundred full-page plates of their beautiful photographs. The foreword is rich in detail about other women photographers of the time. This book is informative specifically about two women succeeding in their career, but also about the development of photography as an art form, the idealization of rural life culturally, and the political nuances of feminism at that point in time. Readers will be happy to have made acquaintance with the Allen sisters and savored their bucolic, charming, and tranquil pictures of life, specifically of children and their simple pleasures. Flynt has done an admirable job presenting the hard work of the Allens that resulted in such delicate images.

Rare is it that any photographic book captures the imagination as does this book. The Allen sisters tale of woe school teachers gone deaf to becoming world renowned photographers from the Arts & Crafts movement is quite the metamorphises. Long and short of it this book is a testament to the strength of character of these women as they overcome lives chalanges to embrace their fullest potential in an era when women couldn't even vote. Kudos Ms. Flynt for collecting the best collection of Allen sisters photographs I've ever seen and writing, with annotation such a fine piece of literature. Ms. Rosenblum's introduction as in all her world class work set the plate for one of the finest Photographic books to be published in years.

At the end of The Seven Story Mountain, Merton records his understanding of what God was
telling him as he continued as a young monk. The final passage in the book reads, in part, "But
you shall taste the true solitude of My anguish and My poverty and I shall lead you into the high
places of my joy and you shall die in Me and find all things in My mercy which has created you
for this end. . . That you may become the brother of God and learn to know the Christ of the
burnt men." And that is how Merton died, a burnt man in a monastic habit on a bathroom floor in
Thailand, electrocuted by a faulty fan switch as he stepped out of the shower. Eerie how things
work out sometimes. The Asian Journals record the end--spiritual as well as temporal--of
Merton's journey, and I tend to think that he found what he was looking for. I like to think he did,
and when I visited Gethsemani myself, it was the Asian Journal, even more than Thoughts in
Solitude, that convinced me of this. Of course, Merton had all but left Gethsemani behind when
he took down the Journals; there is speculation that he was at some point going to ask his abbot
to approve him staying in Asia as a hermit of some sort, and the fruits of that adventure in
following God are lost to us, among so much else that was lost when we lost Fr. Louis, our
Thomas Merton.

The Asian Journal is many things. It is both a travelogue and a tribute to place, strangely
comparable to Matthiessen's Snow Leopard or Merwin's Lost Upland. It is a record left by one of
the greatest Christian spiritual mentors of the 20th century of visits with two of the most
important Buddhist spiritual mentors of the 20th century, the current Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat
Hanh. It is a sustained rhapsody on both Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism by a Christian
monastic most influenced in his "Eastern path" by Rinzai Zen and Confucianism. It is a fairly
good work of Buddhist art criticism, particularly if you are interested in comparative
iconography. But more than all this, it is just Merton, plain and simple. It is unvarnished, the man
knew he was no saint, though he also knew he was looked upon as such by an increasing number
of people. This from a man who wrote on the back of his ordination card the passage from
Genesis referring to Enoch, "He walked with God and was seen no more, for God took him"!
Merton wanted a deeper solitude. He found it, and eventually found it in death, in Asia. All this,
and more, is recorded in Merton's Asian Journal. His account of his final enlightenment
experience at Polonnaruwa, when he writes "I mean, I know and have seen what I was obscurely
looking for," is alone worth the price of the book. It is easily Merton's most personal work,
though much unlike the multi-volume set of journals published after the restrictions in Merton's
will ran out. Seven Story Mountain was also personal, but was written by a precociously brilliant
young writer still in the somewhat triumphalistic flush of his conversion to Roman Catholicism.
The Asian Journals are, quite literally, the last things Merton ever wrote, and in them he is at the
height of his powers, and he is deep into the divine mystery of God when he writes these
journals, even when he is joking about parrots or Indian food. Throw in all the photos taken by
Merton himself (the man experiences dai kensho and still has the presence of mind to take
pictures of the reclining Buddhas!?) and the documents relating to his death, and there is no
excuse for a lover of Merton's life and teachings not to own this book.

One simply never tires of reading Thomas Merton. The Asian Journal provides a remarkably poignant and tireless encampment with one of the remarkable men of letters of the 20th century. The text is colored throughout with Merton's search for a place of greater solitude (his dissatisfaction on many levels with the cheese factory his beloved Gethsemani abbey had become being well known for some time before his death) -the redwoods of California, possibly Alaska- and as the journal progresses one begins to feel in his words a kind of prescient kinship with his own accidental death, occurring, of course, in Bangkok before he had completed his Asian pilgrimage. The appendices are priceless - the characteristic sweetness of his informal talk on monasticism given at Calcutta, and the remarkable lecture on Marxism and Monastic Perspectives with its prophetic last sentence "So I will disappear". Free of polemics, so giving in its human searching, this is, once again, essential Merton.

This book is an incredibly charming read, made even better by the beautiful pictures. I enjoyed it so much that I have given several copies of this book to friends and family. When I grow up (?), I want to be an archaeologist!!

Thank you, Naomi Miller, for giving me many evenings of pleasure.

Amazon.com had a mistake in the listing (since corrected) which prompted me to write and take the opportunity to transmit what my friends say about the book (I, of course, would be too prejudiced to write my own review):

One of the people pictured in the book wrote to me: "Thanks a million for your wonderful book. I've just spent a while taking refuge from a grumpy evening by flipping through it, pausing to read about the parts of your life I don't know. How wonderfully generous of you to enshrine us like this, with such precise evocation of time, space, foolishness & purpose."

Another friend wrote:"Your lovely book of drawings and watercolors arrived yeaterday. [We] were immediately entranced by the images and text--such an amusing, informative down-to-earth description life on the dig. The watercolors are really wonderful, but I've always known that.... I had never seen the Shiraz bazaar or Malyan village scenes. Then there are all the pals: ...--they evoke such memories! Is that Dash, the Wonder Dog, on the back cover? Remember, he had a "thing' for you, invading your bedroom with his cargo of fleas! And there he is, wagging his tail at your photograph. Plate 16 is a sweet rendering of my favorite view of Yassihöyük. The Euphrates views are as close as I ever need to get to that old river. Finally, I love all the little sketches scattered throughout--especially the birds and animals. Thanks again for the originals, which I treasure, and thanks for the book. ..."

And another friend wrote: "...Your book is wonderful: your narrative is a delight to read and you know how much I admire your watercolors--each is exquisite w/ great sureness of line, balance of composition pacing & repetition that makes a whole of the multi-paneled ones, and of course great use of colors to die for. I love them! I am lucky to have seen many in incomparable person but there were some that were new to me--the luminosity of the originals and your wonderful backlighting were undiminished in reproduction. Of course we love best of all discovering new things in the plates with each reading.
Congratulations in getting your book out. I am so happy that everyone else will get to share in the pleasure of looking at them.
Thank you again, I am most proud to possess a copy so wonderfully inscribed!"

I won't bore you with the rest of the rave reviews!

Initiation Into the Key Elements of the Tarot is by far the most inspiring books I've ever read! Yes that's corect EVER read. Naomi's descriptions and explainations are easy to understand. With clear language she not only explains the basics of the Tarot as an oracle, she also goes very deep into the esoteric uses of this ancient and arcane system. What impmessed me most was to learn that the true reason for the Tarots creation was not for "fortune-telling" but for a profoud psycho-spiritual meditation style called "Initiation" The purpose of wich is to expand the mind of the user to reach the greatest spiritual heights! Naomi shows how that every detail in each card is significant. These cards unlock the doorways of the mind for those with the will to use them. Naomi's enthuiasm is undeniable and contagious. It is clearly obvious that she has benifited from them personaly. She is a true athority you can trust. Her down to earth style convinced even me that I can really benifit from the Tarot in my everyday life. READ THIS BOOK!

I have been curious about the Tarot and wanted to learn more about it, but I was a bit daunted by the idea of learning the meaning of 78 different cards! This book has really helped me organize my thinking about the cards. The author provides some information, and then launches you on a voyage of personal discovery through writing exercises. Now, when I look at a card, I spot symbols that mean something to me, and my meaning for card spring naturally from this! But more than that, the author believes that the true purpose of the Tarot is to help each of us on our personal inner journey, and not just for fortunetelling and such. I have increased my understanding and use of the cards so much from her book! I'm so glad I have taken the time to explore the Tarot with this book.

I purchased this for my mother who is notoriously inconsistent with exercise. She received it and immediately began using the ideas to increase her activity level. She especially liked the informal language and the ease with which the exercises can be done.

This upbeat book provides a series of gentle exercises to promote flexibility, coordination, and balance. It has a chapter encouraging walking for aerobic activity. It is designed for elderly who are beginning to exercise, but is good for anyone who needs a comprehensive but light exercise program. The exercises are simple, enjoyable, and many can be done while sitting. This book has large type for easy reading and is well illustrated. It is a large softcover book, 8.5 x 11 inches with 112 pages.

This three-volume set is a must for anyone seriously interested in Japanese painting. There are entries on 235 works in the Powers Collection by Japanese artists of many different schools, including Zen Masters, haiku poets, literati, ukiyo-e masters, and eccentrics. These mini-essays are well written, thorough, and fascinating. Professor Rosenfield consistently includes valuable information on the artist and subject, plus analysis of the style, for each painting. In addition, the third volume contains longer biographies of the artists and other helpful infomation such as seal photographs, a useful index, and a full bibliogfraphy. Most of all, however, this set of books makes the art come alive within the context of an early modern Japan that welcomed individualism, leading to some of the most poetic, dramatic and evocative painting in East Asian history. This set of books can be read for pleasure, as well as serving as a vital resource in the field of East Asian art.

If you thought why spend a significant price for a book concentrating on a private collection of Japanese painting, take into account the following: 1) the collection is superb, covering a number of styles and cultural backgrounds, from Zen to nanga, from tea to Rimpa. 2) The scholarship, research, reading and traslation that went into the text is exemplary, I'd say even touching. Every piece of art is complemented with an interesting analysis of its form and content, the cultural influence that it sprang from, the poetic or religious sources that it connects to, or the social and political significance of the work and its authors. The book is a treasure trove of knowledge about Japanese art and culture in the Early Modern Era, and I find the price exceptionally well justified by hours of pleasure and learning that this book provides. If you are a dealer, collector or just seriously interested in Japanese painting, make sure you own this book before it becomes a collector's item.

I think this "We Both Read" series is great. Whatever mood my boy is in when bedtime rolls around - whether he's working with me or against me - this concept works. I read the (difficult) left page in each two page spread, and the child reads the (easy) right. Teamwork. And even though these make no mention of Power Rangers or Batman Beyond, these are my boy's favorites. Along with some math books from Singapore(sgbox.com), and a learn-to-read series called "Now I'm Reading" by Nora Gaydos, these books are a great experience for your child. After your child has finished reading and they climb in bed, give your child something to strive for... turn on your booklight, turn off the room lights, and read your child a chapter or two from a more advanced book. Treasure Island, Harry Potter, anything by Roald Dahl... That's what works for my boys and I.

This series of readers really works. I've been running through them at bedtime with my six-year-old, who adores taking it in turns with me to read her page after I've read mine. It turns reading into a collaborative game, with plenty of play-acting (doing the different voices of the characters) thrown in. At my daughter's stage of reading, a short book can be a long haul, when she has to do it all by herself. The "We Both Read" books break up the text into manageable segments, and give her time-out while I do my share of the work. I'd like to see more and more titles quickly added to the series. I am baffled as to why Amazon should inflict a $1.35 surcharge on the publisher's recommended price--it seems to run entirely counter to the Amazon way of doing things. But the books themselves are splendid.

I am a young dancer and both my teacher and I have benfited from this book. Not only does it have certain tips, but it teaches dancers about their main asset.... their bodies. The portion about the pelvis not only helped my placement, but everything else benefited from that. My turns were better and so were my balances.

A well written guide for danceing correctly. The only problem with it is that it is not written for convience or quick reference. Inside Ballet Technique is what every dancer and teacher should know. Buy it, read it and share it

The key message of this book is that you must listen carefully to your customers and co-workers, hearing every word, but also the broad message. Many of the primary problems in the business-customer relationship are due to different definitions of commonly understood words, such as "regular", "extended", "timely" and even "month." Whole phrases are subject to different interpretations, and the author recites an instance from a trip to her physician. After examination, the physician pronounced her condition as "unremarkable." At first she was angry, and yet having the sense to think before making a fist, she realized that was the doctor's way of saying she was fine.
Which also points out what is the most critical condition for success dealing with anyone, whether they are in the group described by the book title or not. As e-mail use has shown us, it is almost impossible to avoid saying something that can be taken in an offensive manner. Business is about getting things done, and you don't complete complex tasks by making small talk about the weather. You do things by communicating the current situation as it is, even if it is not what the receiver wants to hear and it is necessary to take people to task. Therefore, your best policy is to avoid getting angry quickly, developing a thick skin and concentrating on completing the tasks at hand.
Naomi Karten puts forward advice that is simply not heard often enough. Forget about all of the sensitivity nonsense and concentrate on forms of communication that can be used to explain frustrations, demands, concerns, and all of the other things that go wrong between people trying to work together. Understand that ambiguity is the natural state of affairs, so look for the real meanings rather than the individual words. Whenever you hear something, put your feelings aside for a short time until you clearly understand what the message really was.
The phrase "People who want more, better, faster, sooner, NOW!" is just a long way of describing "customers", so anyone in business must be prepared to deal with such people. In this book, you will learn how to approach customers with your feelings placed in the background and all of your information receivers on high-band. With business growing more competitive every day, this may be the only way to remain a viable economic entity.

Managing Expectations is a book for everyone who deals with customers or other people with expectations. Using a customer service model, Ms. Karten describes the ways in which people successfully and unsuccessfully manage what people expect. She advises on how to create better working relationships by fostering clearer understandings of the circumstances and limitations which exist in any situation.

Failure to manage expectations often has catestrophic consequences to projects and relationships. Those who want to build long-term relationships and successful projects will consider the cautions and advice presented here.

Ms. Karten uses gentle humor and warmth to tell us the lessons that we need in order to better communicate what we know to our clients.

People who are clients can also use this book to better understand the process of working collaboratively.

It's a fine book for evoking new insights and inspiring better communication.

I have often found that the royal road to understanding of another time or of an exotic place or culture leads through side alleys and odd byways. One can grasp more about the strange thought patterns of the Nazi elite, for example, by reading a small book called THE NAZIS AND THE OCCULT than by tackling the big, fat, broadside history book. One of my favorite books about the medieval mind is Jeffrey Burton Russell's LUCIFER: THE DEVIL IN THE MIDDLE AGES. Now Naomi Kline has given us an elegantly produced, beautifully illustrated, classically well-written guide to medieval culture by focusing on a deerskin vellum map housed in Hereford Cathedral, demonstrating yet again the value of the oblique approach to illuminating the spirit of an age.

Kline's work will be definitive for generations of scholars, but it should bring more than equal joy to all who are interested in intellectual and cultural history and who delight in watching the conjuror/scholar produce a series of dazzling effects. The author looks at the Hereford MAPPA MUNDI, with its rich and teeming images, as a storehouse of knowledge, legend, and symbolic approaches to medieval understanding of the cosmos. These images (lavishly and unforgetably reproduced, and supplemented by hundreds from rare sources) include strange and monstrous races of men, animals from the traditional bestiaries dear to the ancient and medieval world, references to the cult of Alexander the Great, and an array of biblical and theological images and symbolism. All are described with lively insight and intelligence by an author who combines dogged scholarship with subliminal humor and zest.

Kline's very significant overarching theme is the value of the map as mnemonic device in a tradition-based culture where literacy was very rare. It served as a publicly accessible synopsis of many complex and familiar themes and legends that were important and significant to medieval society as a whole.

Kline has also created a companion CD ROM with a stylish narration and great imagery that should be a marvellous classroom aid for teachers at all levels. Like all medieval cultural artifacts, the Mappa Mundi abounds in material that will appeal to all ages.

MAPS OF MEDIEVAL THOUGHT is NOT TO BE MISSED by anyone who loves the life of the mind and the incomparable vitality of the middle ages. Expensive, but worth every farthing!!!

Professor Kline's exigesis of the Hereford Mappa Mundi, combining as it does prodigious research, incisive analyses, brilliantly clear writing, and a wealth of detailed illustrations brings the medieval mind to life. It is a work of penetrating scholarship, admirable in every way. An awesome accomplishment!