This book contains lots of facts about the origins of Tibetan Buddhism and also practices which the leaders of various sects have adopted to suit their own taste. The language is rather dry, though.

The title is an accurate statement of the contents of this book. It is a frank and somewhat shocking look at Tibetan Buddhism, the various practices, "adjustments", deifications, tall tales, etc. that some leaders made to suit their purpose/plans.

After reading this book, I wonder whether Tibetan Buddhism can be considered as a "class" of Buddhism or should be looked as a separate religion.

Anyone who is interested in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly its roots and practices is strongly recommended to read this book.

This is a beautifully illustrated book about two little children and the games they play to put off going to sleep. It is great for little kids who love animals and who love playing pretend. This book reminds me of how much fun little children can have sharing a room. I also liked the fact that the little girl was the one to be brave and "rescue" her frightened brother.

Wonderful book for very young children. Minnie and Max have great bedtime fun pretending to be different animals. The ending is a fun way to end bedtime reading.

G. Peter Winnington, in this new, enjoyable biography of Mervyn Peake, faced the challenge, as he states in the preface, of writing without the benefit of much estate permission. This normally would be a drawback, but the book rises above the constictions the Peake family imposed.

It should not be thought Vast Alchemies was meant to be a scandalous expose of Peake's life. When it does discuss the sundry affairs of this relatively little-known artist's life, it does so economically and sensitively. While Winnington is regretful that Peake's own words are not allowed to be used, this inadvertently, and thankfully, ensures that Winnington's own voice and ideas come across strongly. It is a tribute to the author that with this freedom he never positions himself as superior to his subject.

The book is admirably short (however much one admires or loves Peake, he does not demand a multi-volume Life), compact and open-ended, in that the critical apparatus at work does not shut down further examination of Peake's artistic expression. Winnington is admirably clear in his prose (unfortunately, a few typos throw off concentration), and his depth of knowledge is lightly handled. Through investigation, he has removed some mystery and misconceptions about Peake's life. Vast Alchemies is a very readable biography, and at the same time an overdue contribution to Peake scholarship, accessible and interesting to those unfamiliar and familiar with this too neglected artist.

This book, a critical biography of the multi-faceted writer and illustrator, Mervyn Peake, is written by the longtime editor of Peake Studies, a British journal. Winnington, with at least 20 articles or edited works to his name, has made a lifework of Peake. Other effects of this effort can be seen on the Peake Studies website, which he maintains at: . His is one of the two major journals dedicated to this influential 20th century fantasy author. The other is the Mervyn Peake Review, also British.

Mr. Winnington's considerable research into Peake's life and works are evident in as he quotes extensively from other biographical and bibliographical works such as John Watney's Mervyn Peake (NY: USA Saint Martin's Press,1976), the reminiscences of Peake's wife, Maeve Gilmore. A World Away: Memoir of Mervyn Peake. London, Gollancz, 1970, but also from The Fantasts by T. E. Grahame Little, Avebury; January 1984 and Peake's own collection of fiction, poetry and drawings, Peake's Progress: Selected Writings and Drawings of Mervyn Peake, ed. Maeve Gilmore. Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press, 1981. While he quotes from critical works and from Peake's own work and publicly available papers, he also carefully integrates details from the author's artistic and dramatic endeavors into his discussion. Artistic education, gallery and private artistic shows, failed and successful illustrating and joint endeavors, and work as an illustrator are integrated into a picture of the writer which nevertheless focuses on his written work as his major accomplishment.

The book is divided into sections corresponding to Peake's biography and beginning with a little history of his parents before his birth, which was in Kuling, China in 1911. The sections are: I. China 1898-1922, II. Education 1923-1934, III. Making a Reputation , 1935-1939, IV. The Golden Decade, 1940-1949, which is the longest section, and V. The Losing Struggle, 1950-1968. This serves to ground Winnington's critical commentary, which, in any chapter, can and often does refer to the entire body of Peake's work.

This book should not be seen as a definitive biography of Peake. Watney's book still holds that place.Winnington, on the other hand, has added to the body of knowledge on this complex author through his critical observations. Most effective are his linking of experiences in China and during World War II with key plot or character elements in the Titus series and key visual pastiches from his creation of the Gormenghast world if prose and in illustration. For example, in describing his early years, Winnington states, "Parallels between the early life of the Boy Emperor [of China] and Titus groan, as recounted in the first two of Mervyn's novels, are numerous and striking."(p. 31). He pursues this insight through three paragraphs at the end of the first Chapter on Peake's parents. I agree with commentators on this work that Vast Alchemies makes up in observation, critical insight, detail and sheer mass of research for what it lakes in access to papers of the Peake estate.

Since Winnington refers to these early years, from birth to age 11, repeatedly throughout the work, one is easily lead towards parallels with Paul Linebarger/Cordwainer Smith who was also raised in China and heavily influenced by the experience. Both seem to have used their twice-born quality, the unreality of existing in two such different cultures as China and the West, to flesh out unreal worlds (Gormenghast and Nostralia), and both were involved in WW II, but Peake's artistic bent drew him to pursue creativity over any other career path and Linebarger's politics and education both ensured that he would be involved in more global, if secretive, activities.

Perhaps because this critic is so intimately acquainted with everything written by and about Peake, his own writing is not as rigorously controlled as one might expect. He tends to jump from observation to observation, some about Peake's life, others about his writing or illustration stylistics. The book is charming for this quality, in that it preserves a anecdotal flavor that improves its status as a casual reading project. It is correspondingly disappointing for the lack of rigor of its critical perspectives. Very much a story about Peake's accomplishments within in the context of a somewhat romanticized life, it's critical perspective is not systematic, but at the same time, it is also not predictable.

I would recommend that this book be in ANY collection purporting to deal with English Language fantasy, and also that it be bought by public as well as academic libraries. For serious scholars of Peake, it should be read along with Watney's book, which is stylistically a much more standard critical biography. And it should be cherished for its periodization of Peake's life, its extensive primary and secondary bibliography focusing solely on the author but on the author as a writer, illustrator, dramatist and family man, and its accessibility.

Jan Bogstad, Reviewer

When the Circus Came to Town is a quick, enjoyable read. The illustrations are well done and the setting of Whistle, Montana comes to life with Yep's vivid description of the people and the surrounding mountains. The story has two main characters. Ursula is a young girl who at the beginning of the story leads her friends in adventures and play. She calls herself "Pirate Ursula." Ah Sam is a Chinese immigrant who comes to help Ursula's parents as a cook for their restaurant and stage coach depot. Early on in the story Ursula becomes sick with the smallpox. Her face is disfigured, and she refused to leave her room. Her friends come to the window and beg for "Pirate Ursula" to come and play, but her fear of being stared at makes her stay inside. Ah Sam, who also endures taunts and stares for being Chinese and looking different, befriends Ursula and teaches her how to cook. As Ursula becomes more and more confident in the kitchen she begins to come out of her shell. During the course of the story Ursula and Ah Sam exchange gifts - the most elaborate gift comes from Ah Sam in the form of a Chinese Circus. To bring Ursula outside Ah Sam asks his cousins to come to Whistle to perform. The show is quite a hit, and the townspeople welcome the Chinese performers with open arms. When the weather turns bad the performers cannot leave in order to arrive in San Francisco for Chinese New Year. Ursula and the townspeople work together to put on a Chinese New Year in Whistle. When the Circus Came to Town is well written and the dialogue flows smoothly. Tom, the Native American stagecoach driver, is an interesting character. Yep wrote the story based on events that really happened.

When the Circus Came to Town
By: Laurence Yep
...

The story is about a girl named Ursula who has always wanted to see a circus. That is, until she caught smallpox, which made small holes in her cheek. Now all she thinks about and wants is to hide her scarred face. All this changes when Ursula's parents hire a Chinese cook named Ah Sam. He brings to town a magical circus and finds a way to give Ursula the courage she needs to face the world. After the circus Ursula confidently goes outside knowing nobody will laugh at her anymore. She sees that Ah Sam is unhappy and asks why. He replies with the blizzard he won't be able to go to China to celebrate Chinese New Year. Ursula decides to repay Ah Sam for his kindness and creates the biggest, best Chinese New Year celebration that Whistle, Montana, has ever seen.

I have many reasons why I liked this book. One of the reasons I liked this book is because Ah Sam taught Ursula that it does not matter what you look like on the outside.The second reason I liked this book is because Ursula knew that Ah Sam helped her a lot by giving her the confidence to go outside so she repaid him by creating the Chinese New Year in Whistle, Montana. The third reason I like this book is because it teaches you that you shouldn't judge a person by their nationality because in the story Ursula thought all Chinese people were bad, but Ah Sam proved her wrong with his kindness.

The fourth reason I like this book is because Ursula got to experience a different culture or style of life. For example on Chinese New Year they had to cut a little bit of their hair, do Chinese dances, parade around in a dragon, light up fire crackers, and feast. The fifth reason I like this book is because I like circuses, which are amazing and have things like acrobats, jugglers, clowns, animals, and animal trainers. If I had to grade this book on a scale from 1 to 10 I would give this book a 10.

My favorite part of the book was when Ah Sam's cousins came to town to put on the circus. Their names were Ah Bing, Ah Loo, and Lung. On the day of the circus Ah Loo stuck a sword down her mouth and pulled it back out without cutting her insides. Then she spit fire out her mouth. Ah Bing pulled eggs out from behind people in the audience's ears. Ah Sam juggled balls, knives, a boot, a turnip, and a hat all at one time. For the grand finale Ah Bing, Ah Loo, and Lung began to turn into letters. All together they spelled out "Thank You, Ursula."

This is the first of two books by Jennings which I have recently read. (The other is Less Is More.) It was written in collaboration with Laurence Haughton. The subtitle reveals their core assertion: "How to Use Speed as a Competitive Tool in Business." Correctly, they stress the importance of using speed to achieve and then sustain a decisive competitive advantage. They also realize that there are times for an organization to be a sprinter but other times to proceed as if in a marathon.

In the Prologue, Jennings and Haughton explain that they "began with a blank canvas. No points to prove, no axes to grind, and no one to impress. We truly wanted to figure this 'speed thing' out and boil it down into easy-to-replicate tactics." They developed criteria for selecting the fastest companies and then focused on them: Charles Schwab, Clear Channel Communications, AOL, H&M, Hotmail, Telepizza, and Lend Lease. The book presents a number of real-life lessons from these high-speed companies and their full-throttle executives. The authors also provide "time-proven instructions on becoming faster than anyone else."

The material is organized within four Parts: Fast Thinking, Fast Decisions, Get to Market Faster, and finally, Sustaining Speed. In their Epilogue, the authors observe that, early on in their research, they discovered that "truly fast companies that have demonstrated the ability to maintain momentum aren't naturally any faster than their slower-moving rivals. But they are smarter." What's the difference? The truly fast companies avoid, "blow up," or get past various "speed bumps," refusing to be delayed or prevented from getting to where they want to be.

As I read this book, I began to think of an organization as a vehicle. As such, what are its requirements? First, a specific and appropriate destination. Next, a capable driver. Then, a sufficiently powerful engine and enough fuel to keep it running. Also, a transmission with different gears (including reverse), shock absorbers, and brakes. Gauges keep the driver fully informed of available fuel, oil pressure, speed, time, etc. Jennings and Haughton discuss "speed bumps" and could have just easily included a discussion of terrain and weather. A number of organizations -- S&Ls 15-20 years ago and dot coms more recently -- have failed because they could not cope with "rough roads" and "foul weather." In several instances, imprudent speed was a factor in their demise. I want to stress this point because Jennings and Haughton do not glorify speed per se. In certain situations, however, speed is the determinant insofar as success and failure are concerned. Rapid response to customers' needs, for example, or to a new business opportunity. To extend the vehicle metaphor, executives also need a multi-gear "transmission" as well as an accelerator and brakes...and the skill to use each as well as the wisdom to know when.

Jennings and Haughton have a Snap! Crackle! and Pop! writing style which is eminently appropriate to the subject. They also have a delightful sense of humor which substantially increases the entertainment value of their work even as they focus on an especially serious subject: business competition in an age and at a time when it has never before been so intense and when prudent speed frequently determines the difference between organizational life or death. This is a brilliant achievement.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Jennings' Less Is More as well as Curt Coffman and Gabriel Gonzalez-Molina's Follow This Path.

This book is the best one I have read to date on helping a company accelerate its ability to move ahead of the competition by being better at sensing the environment and reacting to it. Those who are interested in checking their organizations for stalled thinking in this regard will find a useful list of areas to investigate and improve.

"Do more with less and do it faster." That's the mantra that the authors have investigated through their case histories of Charles Schwab, Clear Channel Communications, America On Line, H&M (clothing stores), Hotmail, Telepizza (European home delivery pizza chain), and Lend Lease (Australian company).

The book is organized into four sections: Fast thinking; fast decisions; get to market faster; and sustaining speed. Each one contains a number of key points, with subpoint details to further elaborate.

Here's how Fast Thinking is organized:

"Speed . . . without a destination in mind, is haste." The focus of this section is on creating improvements in your business model or new business models.

The key sections under the heading are to anticipate; spot trends; put ideas through a thorough testing process to probe for their downside weaknesses; and being sure that the best idea wins by changing the company environment. Each of these sections is illustrated with examples from the companies that were studied and more detail on the key elements.

In this example, you should see the potential weakness of the book. It correctly points you toward spotting trends, but cannot possibly teach you what you need to know in just a few pages. So you will want to expand on the points here by reading other books that deal with these areas in more depth. In essence, the book then is an outline of the business processes you need for innovation in business models, choosing the right ones, getting them implemented well, and staying agile.

The primary metaphor is to Wayne Gretzky, who was famous for his ability to anticipate where the puck would go next . . . and to aim for that spot. If you can determine what is "likely to occur in the next few months and the next few years [that] is enough to give you an edge . . . ."

While I have not studied all of these companies, what was said about the ones that I know well was certain accurate and full of insight. I assume the rest was done equally as well. Many of the conclusions are similar to my own work on irresistible forces.

Of the four sections, I thought that the first section on fast thinking had the most original material, and will be the most valuable for many companies. If you have problems with fast decisions and getting to market fast, you may find it hard to change very quickly. But if you are already in pretty good there, the first section can increase the flow of good new ideas for you to consider. Many CEOs tell me that this is a limitation for them.

I do have some concerns. If everyone organizes for speed, how sustainable will that be? Perhaps it would be better to organize to grasp advantages that then become unavailable to others.

Also, what is it going to be like to work for a company like this? What is your family life going to be like? For readers who are interested in these questions, I suggest you read Professor Robert Reich's new book, The Future of Success. It has many thought-provoking ideas on this subject.

After you have organized for maximum speed that makes sense for your business and the personal lives of those involved, I suggest that you consider how the experience can be made much less demanding on everyone. That's the area where the most innovation is needed.

May you make rapid progress towards worthwhile goals . . . and have time to smell the roses along the way!

Why ever hire overpriced consultants? Have your management team read this book and implement their suggestions. Each point is well thought out, easy to read, and applicable for most businesses.

What really blew me away was that this book contains easy business common sense stuff that companies (especially larger ones) ignore because of politics and butt-covering. It's easy to get lost in the minutae of the daily grind so these gems, packaged in a book, are valuable focusing tools. If managers would stop and read this, a lot of companies would move at a rapid clip.

Highly recommended.

I read this book a long time ago in middle school and personally was able to relate to some of her Casey's feelings and experiences but I don't really remember what happened in the story. Don't take my word for it because I never paid that much attention to what I read back then. It was okay and she resembles some of my cousin and me when we were younger but I guess my parents would've thought she was silly. Thats all I remembered about it and the rest was okay but I guess its been too long ago since I read this book to write a review for it anyway.

Hi, my name is He; this review is from NYC of New York. This book named child of the owl. The author's name was Laurence Yep. The main characters were Casey, Barney, and paw-paw.

The place takes in Chinatown, San Francisco of California in 1964. Barney's gambling got beat up in the hospital. So Casey moves to her uncle Phil. She doesn't like live with Phil and Phil doesn't like her too. Phil sends her to his mother in Chinatown. Casey fell lost, sad and lonely in Chinatown and she couldn't spoke Chinese, when paw-paw read s story of the owl for Casey. She felt warm inside. Every week, a person gave 5 dollars to Casey. When paw-paw and Casey after finished the movie and went home. The thief got into paw-paw's apartment. They have a fought. The thief got away and the charm was stolen. Who stole the charm? I knew was paw-paw's relative? Think about it.

I will go to recommend this book. It's good to learn about Chinese culture. I will s gave 4 stars to this book

Child of the Owl, written by Laurence Yep is an amazing book, filled with intriguing stories about the history of a young Chinese, American girl named Casey and about how her mother and father lived when they were children. Her grandmother Casey lives with her former gambling, poor father told this. Her mother Jeani is dead. Her father gets hurt, so she is sent to live with her relatively wealthy uncle and his family. Eventually Casey crosses the line and is sent to live with her grandmother, in China town. Casey calls her grandma Paw-Paw. The minute Paw-Paw opens the door, of her old, little apartment; she throws her arms around Casey and hugs her. Casey isn't used to having a lovey, kiss, kiss relationship between her and her relatives but once Casey hugs Paw-Paw she feels a sudden connection. Like there's something there wasn't there before. This is a very strong novel and it captures it's time and setting really well. The story is strong because it illustrates Casey's emissions and has excellent examples of how she feels. The book almost shows a picture of her life; that you see threw her eyes. Another reason this book is so mind absorbing is it really captures the setting and it's time, even though the book was written 30 years after the its setting. The book shows the setting by giving little clues, such as how people talk to each other and what band people listen to. Over all you can see why this story of a girl might draw a reader into it. This book was spectacular but it did contain a minor throw off. In about the first 5-10 pages the book was terrible. It seemed long and tidies and as though the whole book would consist of this writing style, which some might like but not many of the age the book looks for. But trust me I was wrong. The book was written in a way that pulled me into the story, while I read it I felt like I was there, in the book, along with Casey, Paw-Paw, Barney and the rest of the characters. Even though the first time you look at this book, it might seem silly or stupid pick it up and give it a try if after the first 20 pages it doesn't appeal to you put it down; It's not your type of book. But if you like reading in general I can almost guaranty you that you that you will enjoy this book. Also I greatly dislike reading in most cases but as you can see I loved Child of the Owl.

I ordered this book years ago through a mail order company and have used it many times. This is just an impressive book on what Boldt has called creative career design. It inspires,it instructs, it guides and uses many sources,insights and philosaphies to do so. It is replete with inspiring quotes from philosaphers,poets, and sages and goes into the practical as well as the spiritual aspects of work. I have shared this book many times with others because it is a wealth of information on every aspect of work. But what I love most about this book is that it frees its readers to do some soul searching and discover what his/her own purpose is in life instead of trying to fit square pegs in round holes as it were. Browning pages and creases in my copy of this book are a testament to how well it has been used by me and how often I have returned to it for various reasons. I have even copied parts of it for friends and other people who I thought the information would help. As George Bernard Shaw has once said "I hope to be thuroughly used up". Well this books is very useful and sure has demonstrated what Shaw meant. There is also an updated version of this book out complete with email addresses for us computer users to look into if we so desired. You will find many uses for this book and I highly recommend either version to people who take their lives and their purpose seriously or who are in the process of searching for purpose.

After reading many career planning guides, I have found that "Zen and the Art of Making a Living" is perhaps the most thoughtful, life-changing book ever written on the subject. While many books are geared towards assisting you in fixing your career problem, whether it be by finding a "better job" or finding a job that fits your personality type. The "Zen" book goes deeper than mere quick-fix career books by presenting us the opportunity to go on a journey to discover our purpose for being here. Given the time we are living in now, I think more and more people are recognizing their desire for meaningful work. Go on the journey, there is nothing to lose -- you have only to learn more about yourself, your world, and your destiny!

This is an excellent, in-depth book on following your bliss to find the career which best suits you. Though it is a book geared towards the career search, it is also great for learning how to find happiness in your current job as well as life in general. This is not a "quick-fix" career guide that one can just skim over and find the perfect job. It is a guide for looking within oneself to find the ideal mesh of talent and happiness and finding a job (or creating one) that suits one best.

The first portion of the book covers one's personal quest for happiness and satisfaction with life, using not only Zen principles, but wisdom from many different spiritual and secular paths. It helps one discover how to find the artist and hero within and use one's talents to find the career that will provide the most satisfaction and happiness. Relevant quotes and affirmations are liberally included within the text.

The second part focuses on choosing a career path best suited to one's talents and preferences. It not only covers the career itself, but whether one is best as self-employed, freelance or working for a company. It also helps with getting interviews and writing resumes. Throughout this section, questions and worksheets are provided so one can work out not only what job to look for, but also what one expects to accomplish when the job is obtained. Extensive resources and guidelines are provided.

Overall, this is a fabulous book for both those searching for a career path and those who just want to learn how to get the most out of life.

It will be found shocking to many African Americans (and educational for many Caucasians) to discover that Uncle Tom was the HERO of this classic novel, and not a "weakling" by any stretch of the imagination. "Uncle Tom", or its shorter form "Tom", has become a slanderous term within the African American community and implies a weak and Caucasian-controlled person, when in actuality Uncle Tom was a powerfully moral man who was willing to die for his convictions rather than succumb to the will of his worst oppressors. In fact, this book was credited by Abraham Lincoln himself as the catalyst that won his election on the abolition of slavery platform, and the resulting Civil War that followed. "Uncle Tom" became a negative slander one hundred years later only after Malcolm-X and the Black Muslims used it to slander Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who exemplified similar characteristics of strength and courage--from a similarly peaceful perspective--in his approach to the Civil Rights issue. As with the fictitious character Tom, Dr. King also died for his convictions without raising a hand against his oppressors. I highly recommend this book to people of all colors and races because of the lessons of self-sacrifice and courage it contains. Caucasian readers will hopefully learn of the pain and suffering of the slaves and gain a deeper compassion for its lingering legacy today. However, I especially recommend Uncle Tom's Cabin to African Americans, for contained in its pages are stories of love, compassion and courage--by both black & white--that will offset the painful legacy of that period caused by the suffering of so many. May the ignorance of the "Uncle Tom" slander be eradicated from their minds as they read of the courage of this fictitious character--who reminded others of Dr. King himself--and the other characters whose struggles and triumphs are contained in its pages also. I also recommend the books: No Apology Necessary, by Earl Carter, Let's Get to Know Each Other, by Tony Evans, and my own book, which is-- White Man in a Black Man's World (tm), by Richard Vermillion.

This book is truly a FORGOTTEN CLASSIC! Harriet Beecher Stowe's mission in this book is to show that the black slaves are truly human, and consequently deserving of the freedom and equality that whites enjoy. She certainly does this! But it's her unique method that transforms this potential mid-1800s timepiece into a timeless classic! Stowe demonstrates what it means to love ALL people in 2 very powerful, moving, and complementary ways. One, she paints a picture of a black person who is able to unconditionally love his white enemies along with the blacks who suffer with him. And two, she illustrates how a few white people truly love and recognize the humanity of black people - society's powerless ones. The bottom line - she shows what it means to be a RADICAL follower of Jesus!

Uncle Tom is a pre-civil war black slave, routinely trodden on due to his non-human status. Even with the luxuries he is given, he is continually reminded that his status before the law is only property-he has no rights, no freedom. Yet he always manages to unconditionally love his owners: the Shelbys, the St. Claires, and finally even Simon Legree. And in the course being sold and purchased, he changes the lives of many people around him. One moving example of Tom's love is toward Cassie. Once a beautiful and sophisticated woman, she is mercilessly abused as a slave and stripped of all her dignity. Through Tom's witness and sacrifice, her deep bitterness and hatred are melted away so she can love and be loved again.

On the other side, some of the whites did understand that the enslaved blacks are worthy of love, dignity, and freedom. Emily Shelby, Augustine St. Claire, and Eva all show love to Tom by providing him education and limited freedom. The Quakers demonstrate love to Emily and George Harris while putting themselves in danger. And Ophelia learns how to love Topsy, a personal growth experience for both of them. All of these stories are different and intriguing, yet all show weaknesses in the white people who are in some way products of the slavery system they live in. Of these, the most moving example is little Eva, a child. No wonder Jesus calls us to become like children!

There are a few stereotypes, and the book is somewhat long, but don't let these minor points deter you. The book will CHALLENGE you to love all people, of all cultures and colors, those who hurt or oppress you, and especially those who are oppressed, marginalized, and powerless. Indeed, that is what Jesus did! "Uncle Tom" shouldn't be a label used of a black person who willing accepts a white person's oppression, and I know I can't change the negative connotations that this label carries. But it SHOULD indicate a person who unconditionally accepts and loves all people - a TRUE saint. I know I would like to gladly accept that label.

This book really deserves to be 6 stars! Read it (or listen to it); it will change your life and your sensitivity to oppression forever!

When Harriet Beecher-Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852 it sold more copies than any book before, other than the Bible. It became a significant catalyst in the social movements of the time: abolition of slavery, and States' rights. It could be argued that her book was a major cause of the Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation. That's one powerful book--especially for fiction.

While the book was intended as an illustration of the evils of slavery, it ends up as more--specifically a study in racism with the conclusion that prejudice comes in infinite degrees. Even Harriet herself was prejudice. She occasionally takes the unorthodox approach of interrupting her narrative to preach to the reader, clearly stating her opinion that Blacks were a "degraded race," but still worthy of humane treatment. As she wends her way through the story and reveals her large and varied cast of characters, she exposes the many forms of discrimination, some more forgiving than her own.

She portrays her hero, the old slave, Uncle Tom, as a likeable, caring, Christian man deserving compassion and freedom. She unwittingly coined the Uncle Tom cliché, that of a complacent and passive black man resigned to his low station in life, kowtowing to white men. But she also delivers us the more savory George Harris, a hot-blooded and intelligent young slave willing to die for his freedom, a man with true "American" virtue. She introduces the reprehensible slave traders and run-away trackers, the brutal plantation owners, Southern apologists and sympathizers, Northern indignation and apathy, and the only color-blind people in her book, the helpful Quakers on the Underground Railway. Most important, she shows the tragic result of slave child ripped from mother, and husband from wife to be "sold down river." A century and a half later, it's hard to imagine how this could happen.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is a prime example of the power of the written word. It divided a nation and changed an institution. Its message remains relevant even today, and still manages to ignite passions. Beyond all that, it's actually one heck of an entertaining story. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

This book was such a pleasure to read with the most endearing characters ever. People on the subway must have thought I was strange when I was snickering to myself over this book. I just fell in love with Trim! Don't read this with the idea that everything will make perfect sense, let it take control of you and you will fall in love with the nonsensical writing in about 50 pages or so. As I was reading along, I just couldn't wait for Shandy to change the subject again, make more phallic references or tell another funny story.
I docked one star off because starting in volume seven some of the chapters really get off track (to the point where I didn't know what he was talking about at all) as if Sterne wasn't sure where he wanted to take the book at that point and the reader has to read his thoughts as he tries to sort it out. It soon gets back on track again and moves along nicely until the end (or was it?).

I'm so glad I didn't do English Lit at college. I've just read the customer reviews of this wonderful book and seen how being forced to read something you wouldn't normally read makes you bitter, twisted and intent on ensuring no-one else gets pleasure out of it. It also makes you cemented in your opinion that if you don't like it, it must have no redeeming feature (after, all "I did a degree in Eng Lit, so I must know what I'm talking about"). All great difficult books suffer from this -- Ulysses, At Swim-Two-Birds, Lanark, The Trial, and that's just the 20th century. Oh well. People should read what they want, when they want: they should also accept that there is little out there with no value, it's taste that causes us to like different things.

That said, what do I think of it? I think it's one of the most fun reads there is, once you get yourself back into an 18thC mode of reading (MTV has so much to answer for with our attention spans). Also, forget all this bunk about it being postmodern or deliberately experimenting with the novel. When this was written, there WAS no novel, that came in the 19thC. Before this there was Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe and little else that could be called a novel. All Sterne was doing was writing to entertain, and that he does marvelously. He had no boundaries to push - they weren't there - so he made his own (and they just happened to be a long way away from where he originally sat).

Anyway -- if you like the idea of a book that coined the phrase "cock and bull story", includes blank pages to show discretion when two characters make love, that draws wiggling lines indicating the authors impression of the amount of digression in the previous pages, you'll love it. But just stop if you don't like it, instead of perseveering and then taking it out on everyone.

Tristram Shandy is all too often dismissed as rambling or merely eccentric--and many of the reviews posted here thus far prove no exception. First, let me address some common objections to the novel. Q: It's not about anything. A: That's because it's about everything: body and sensorium, knotting and mapping, blankness and plenum, apocryphal origins, the dangers of solipsism, a crisis in historical continuity. It's also about noses, petticoats, breeches, love, wounds, and auxiliary verbs. Perhaps above all it is a novel about pain--where language fails. Q: It's too long and erratic. A: Be patient. The prose takes some getting used to, but past the first 50 pages or so the reading experience can become incredibly addictive, offering many immediate pleasures. The narrator's digressions, staccatos, elisions are of the essence; he is grappling honestly with problems of narration and temporality. Q: It's incomprehensible without historical background. A: Actually, what amazed me about the book was how timeless its interests and insights are. It's entirely possible to read through without any footnotes and still get everything out of it Sterne had intended to put in.

That being said, I'd also like to note for the record that this book is not simply some forerunner to "postmodernism." Yes--it's clearly the ideal 18th-century example for talking about hypertext, reflexivity, bricolage, metonymic slippage, etc., but to take the text as a merely textual experiment is certainly not the most interesting way to read it. Sterne is not reveling in play so much as he deeply understands the affinity between the tragic and the absurd. I sincerely encourage everyone to try this novel. It's really one of the most original and poignant fictions I have ever read--right up there with Shakespeare, George Eliot, Joyce, Beckett, and Nabokov.

This is the lawyer's story of the year 1998, the year of Monica Lewinsky. It is not about Whitewater, Travelgate, or Filegate. It is about the experience of Ken Starr and his prosecutors and their jousts with Bill Clinton's lawyers during that fateful year between their discovery of Linda Tripp's tapes in January and Ken Starr's testimony before Congress in November. The President's only appearance in this book is his testimony before the Grand Jury. The authors cite everyone they spoke to at the end of the book, including the President's lawyers and supporters. Bill Clinton's name is not there.

This is a lawyer's story about strategy, tactics, and the law. It is mostly told from the viewpoint of Ken Starr and the Office of the Independent Counsel but David Kendall, Charles Ruff, and other lawyers also appear. Evidence from the Grand Jury appears to test the credibility of various witnesses. For example, telephone records indicate a four minute phone call between Vernon Jordan and Bill Clinton while Monica Lewinsky was in Jordan's office after she revealed that she had been subpoenaed by Paula Jones' lawyers. Telephone records also report a large number of calls from various White House staffers, including Betty Currie, to Monica Lewinsky's beeper, the day Monica met with Ken Starr's prosecutors. We also learn that Betty Currie and her husband came to Starr and his lawyers the weekend after the Lewinsky matter hit the papers because they believed the White House was trying to set Betty up to take a fall for the President. During that weekend, White House staffers were frantically trying to reach the Curries. After returning home the following week, the Curries were no longer available to Starr and his people.

No one comes out looking good in this book but Starr's side of the story is told. We are constantly reminded of the divided opinions in Starr's office, the criticisms of each move, the strategy and tactics. We are told when the President's lawyers contradicted his public position, for example, when he claimed his lawyers decided to claim executive privilege for the Secret Service, his lawyers had already told Starr and his people that the President had ordered them to claim executive privilege. But what's news about learning that Bill Clinton lied?

If these kinds of facts interest you, this will be an interesting book. Otherwise, it is a trip down memory lane to memories we all would rather forget.

This is a hard hitting and fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most sensational investigations in history. Not being particularly partisan myself, I found it to be balanced and equally unflattering to both sides, often in ways not consistent with the news reports.

During the investigation, I never found the Ken Starr described by the media to be consistent with the man I saw giving Congressional testimony. This book presents a more believable picture of the real Ken Starr. I am now convinced that it was not some right wing vendetta, but rather a quixotic quest by a politically naïve, high minded and truth obsessed prosecutor whose idealistic view of the legal system stood in the way of his effectiveness. While Starr may have out-lawyered the Clinton team in the courts, his single-minded and hubristic belief that truth would lead to justice caused many political missteps that handed his opposition all the ammunition they needed to destroy him in the arena of public opinion.... .

This treatment emphasized the OIC perspective far more than that of the White House and in that way I felt it to be an incomplete account. However, that which was included was very insightful and revealing. The OIC was always subject to wild speculation and unsubstantiated attacks because of their inability to speak openly about the investigation. Though I'm sure the prosecutors took the opportunity in their interviews to put their own positive spin on events, this book at least gives their side, and in that way it is a valuable addition to the historical record.

An intriguing book. I definitely recommend it.

This book obviously inflames Clinton partisans because it doesn't deal with "spin," but only that which can be factually supported with court transcripts, produced documents and the like. There's no "Deep Throat" or other unidentified sources here. And the facts all lead to the same place: William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States lied under oath. A federal judge fined him $90,000 for that and Clinton didn't appeal the ruling. Sens. Lieberman, Feinstein and others all publicly announced their belief that the President had committed illegal acts that were punishable under criminal law, even if they didn't rise to the level of impeachable acts. Because the book relies so heavily on facts, it is somewhat slow reading and those who actually followed the events (not the "spin") will find little new here. Isikoff's book is actually more fun to read, though less encyclopedic in its fact gathering. For those who don't want the truth or can't admit to it, there's always Toobin. Starr doesn't come across as a hero really, but rather as a man who truly believes that no person is above the law and that the law is to be applied equally to low and high. If you've never been a party to a civil or criminal action or have any knowledge of the function of law in a democracy, you won't understand the importance of those two concepts - nor will you ever understand how important the service, however flawed from a "spin" perspective, Starr performed for the nation. If Starr could have only combined his legal skills with the charisma of a Clinton, the Clinton Presidency would have been over in a flash. Instead, as this book clearly demonstrates in its flat, dull language, we have established partisanship and spin as being more important than law. We will most assuredly suffer for that in the future.

Jerry