The Painter and the Wild Swans is one of the most beautiful books I've read. The art work is stunning, the story is unforgetable. This author's other books are also of equal quality. It is utterly, utterly incomprehensible that they are out of stock.

I have a hardback copy of the painter and the wild swans,i got it in north carolina i think that the art work is firt class.

HOW could a book like this be out of print??

In The Secret Strength Of Angels: 7 Virtues To Live By, Frederic Flach focuses on the subject of angels, who they are, what they do, and how we can learn from them to communicate better, strengthen our mental and physical health, and lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. This abridged audiobook presentation is ably narrated by the author and highly recommended, informative, life affirming listening. Total Time: 3 hours.

Taught by Judeo-Christian heritage that we are created "a little less than the angels", this book is a guide to becoming more like the angels and as a result better persons. Since this book is incredibly easy to read its content may be dismissed. I hope it won't. I read it during the early part of Advent and plan to re-read it during the Lenten Season. I strongly recommend this book for all who are tired of books of instruction on how to manipulate others as a route to happiness.

"The Secret Strength of Angels" speaks to the soul expressing what has been too often inarticulate in our busy and troubled lives.An astonishing book full of surprises,describing experiences we rarely admit to others and usually deny to ourselves. We pay a high price for not heeding "The Better Angels of our Nature" and though living like an Angel is never easy, Frederic Flach does point the way in a book overflowing with human beauty.

If you grew up watching the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau one night a week, you must read this book by Mr. Cousteau. I read the first chapter of this delightful little book in a diving collection and was instantly drawn to Cousteau's narrating style. Modest and touched with humor, he describes the creation of the aqualung (scuba) and his early exploits with it. Early photos of underwater creatures are amazing. My copy is from the late 1950s and I hold it carefully. It is a physical and figurative jewel to me.

I first read this book when I was about 15. I begged my mother to sign me up for a SCUBA class shortly after and I am still diving 25 years later. I have re-read it about 3 times since then and still keep a copy on my shelf. There is still something very captivating about the early days of diving and Cousteau's descriptions of the silent world. The explorers in his book indulged in a pioneering activity under the nose of the occupying Nazi regime and set in motion the evolution of underwater adventure that millions enjoy today.

The Silent World is easy and enjoyable to read. Most of the photographs are hard to see compared with the vast amount of underwater shots available today. However, when you consider the time period these photos were taken combined with the daring of these early pioneers, you can't help but be impressed.

This book produced an enjoyable influence on my life and I am sure it will on anyone willing to learn about the early history of underwater exploration.

This griping tale of the early period of under water exploration begins in late WW II and is set of the most part in the south of France and Mediterranean Sea. Most clearly it is not a NOVEL (see previous review). In it you will find Jacques' characteristic outlook in the germination stages. Especially interesting to observe is the beginnings of environmenal concerns in his misc. comments about mans impact on the health of the Mediterranean Sea. There are accounts of the effects of Coral dredging and drag netting clearing documenting the destructiveness of these technques coupled with descriptions of his own crew on his aboard the French Naval vessel he commanded harpooning of sea mammals for questionable "scientific" experiments.

All in all it is a good read for individuals interested in the history of exploration of new worlds by this sensitive innovative explorer. Not to be missed are the numerious accounts of early ship wreck exploration. My copy was published in 1953 and includes some of the earliest published color underwater shots. Highly recommended.

Known throughout the world for his unique directorial style and his often absurd characters, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar talks about his films, plots, actors, and other interesting facts that many of his fans knew little about. The book, which is part of series that spotlights many of the world's talented film directors, features Almodovar speaking about many of his films up from "Pepi, Luci, and Bom" to "The Flower of My Secret."

Providing interesting views, facts, and insight on many of his films and actors, there is no one who knows more about Almodovar than the man himself. His discussions are usually very open, especially when discussing several incidents that were high publicized in the European press, mainly his falling out with his most famous actress, Carmen Maura, after the completion of his masterpiece "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." Their professional divorce left Almodovar without a dependable leading lady (feature lead actresses Victoria Abril and Marisa Paredes never could capture Maura's persona) and it marked Maura's somewhat decline in Spanish film (she later went on to do several unsuccessful Spanish films and some television work before moving to France to break into French cinema.).

The book which is out of print is one of the best one-to-one interviews I've ever read. Almodovar's contributions to world cinema are so numerous that they can be all listed here, and his work has opened the door for many other Spanish and Latin American film directors such as Carlos Arau and Bruno Bareto in showing the world that foreign language films can be as professional and productive as any big budget film churned out by Hollywood.

"Almodovar on Almodovar," is a must have for any Almodovar fan and film studies student. An excellent book on one of the world's most gifted directors.

Almodovar became the enfant terrible during the '80s for his outrageous actions on and off the film set. Frederic Strauss's collection of interviews helps to dispel many of the myths surrounding the Almodovar mystique. Almodovar burst on to the scene with "Pepi, Luci, Bom," a film renowned for a woman in it being urinated upon, and Almodovar's films have been doused in controversy ever since. Almodovar points out that he creates characters who live on the fringes of society and rebel against laws and regulations. Yet he does not pick up on the fact that as a homosexual director in the male world of Spanish cinema he works outside of the norms to create his films. Almodovar's comments on film making illuminate the artificial world he creates. Almodovar has refused to acknowledge the remnants of Franco's Spain and builds his narratives without societal contexts. "Law of Desire" takes place in a dizzying world of discos, beaches, and theatres while "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" breaks down the fourth wall by setting some of the action on the set of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." No other director has consistently played with film narrative and conventions as Almodovar does and I wonder if we really need to know the backstage gossip. The truth dispels the myths and I am not sure I want to relinquish the myths. Nonetheless, Almodovar's observations and revelations are fascinating, especially in regards to his actors. He comments that he treats Antonio Banderas like a child in order to get a workable performance out of him. He lectures Victoria Abril on how to say simple phrases like "I love you" and "Have a good day." He became so professionally entangled with Carmen Maura on the making of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" that their occupational divorce made headlines all over Europe. I wonder who this collection of interviews is intended for. As a connoisseur of his films, I relished his delineation of the creative process that goes into the making of his films even when they told many of his secrets. Yet I am in the minority, as many Americans do not even know Almodovar or his films. If they do, it's as a footnote in Antonio Banderas's film bibliography. Potential film directors will salivate over interviews that place a microscope upon the workings of a director. Actors will be fascinated by Almodovar's comments on acting such as when he criticizes Robert DeNiro for showing technique instead of building a character. He prefers the French method of acting where the actor IS the character. He believes that the performances of Antonio Banderas and Carmen Maura in "Law of Desire" are his greatest achievements as a director. Yet, he has been hailed as resurrecting the floundering Spanish film industry with such worldwide hits as "Matador," "Labyrinth of Passion," and "High

Heels." Almodovar has always maintained a love/hate relationship with the Spanish film industry. Almodovar was denied funding for "Matador" due to his critique of the machismo inherent in the world of bullfighting. He linked the violence of bullfighting with the practice of necrophillia infuriating much of the Spanish public although the film was a smashing success. He was again denied funding when the board rejected the homosexual themes that make up "Law of Desire." AIDS activists accused of failing to deal with the disease because he failed to mention it altogether. Almodovar points out that his movies do not exist in a real place and in his world, AIDS does not exist. As with his collection of stories, "Patti Diphusa and Other Stories," Almodovar's interviews have a care-free attitude that is infectious. He discusses all of his eleven films including last year's "The Flower of My Secret" which many critics compared favorably to the women's films of the early '40s. This collection of essays is a gentle kiss harking back to such a magical women.

Frédéric Strauss brings us this amazing piece of work from the hand of Pedro Almodóvar, in which he describes the life: the beggining and the actual work, of the spanish director. He describes what he wants to inspire in his movies and if you have seen them you might get to understand them a little better. If you like this director's movies, you might want to get this book.

Every risk manager should read this book -- and probably every CEO and CFO, too. Unlike many books on risk management, this book approaches the subject from the top down. Rather than tell you the usual stuff, ("First, identify your risks, then measure them," etc., etc., etc.), this book approaches the subject from the top down, telling you what your goal is (avoiding those nasty surprises that end up costing your company a bundle), then explaining how to get there. There is a definite "been there, done that" feel to this book. After I'd read a couple of chapters, I went back to the "About the Author" section. Sure enough, he's been in risk management and insurance for decades -- in fact, was born into an "insurance family." And he's obviously learned a lot along the way.

The book doesn't skimp on detail, however. There are tons of checklists and charts to help you figure out what's at stake and how to protect it. The author even tackles the subject of enterprise risk management, and in such a way that is not demeaning to those who understand such things as "hedging with forward and futures contracts," yet is not confusing to those who don't.

Another nice thing about this book is its light and airy tone. It doesn't take itself so seriously as to put the reader to sleep, but still delivers a lot of serious and important information in a manner that's very readable. And unlike many a book on this subject, it has a delightful cartoon at the beginning of each chapter, each of which sums up the subject matter eloquently.

I now keep this book ready at hand on the bookshelf next to my desk, and it's often the first place I turn when in doubt about what to do next.

this superb tome has found a permanent spot in my "beside the desk" bookcase. if you are even tangentially involved in government, insurance or corporate management this is a must read. church breaks it down into terms that make sense to layman and expert alike.

Avoiding Surprises is a superbly written book that helped me gain a better understanding of the world of risk management. This thought provoking book is filled with humor, insight and pure genius. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read.

I've had this book for several years, and have marked it up, dog-eared it, spilled coffee on many pages, and otherwise treated it with familiar reverence. It has become a great friend.

The type-setting is crystal-clear. The edition notes are instructive. The pages never fall out, even if you crease the spine to keep the book flat against the piano stand.

Then, of course, there's the glorious music itself. So much magnificent music in one volume. Perhaps we should even see this as one of the Great Books of the Western World.

I'm a pianist/piano teacher. I choose this edition for teaching my students. This is a complete book at lower price. The book is durable. Pages don't come out easily.

This is a great book. I have used it on numerous occasions and can give no more than an absolute satisfactory report. Often, publishers write incorrect fingering and/or dynamics, and this book appears to have not subdued to that level. The publishers obviously knew what Chopin wanted and delivered just that instead of placing marks they thought were appropriate.

This book had me curious to begin with. It was written in 1939 and I was just fascinated with how it was like for a lesbian in that period. I loved the way the chapters were written and her introduction to the characters made me want to turn the page even more. I loved her psychology references as she attempts to explain why she and other's in her life are lesbians. It was enlightening to read her perspective of that time of life. I really enjoyed this book, however the words and lingo used in 1939 are quite different than the way we talk now. Even though I was expecting this.....I was marveled by how much I didn't know. This book I was going to share this book but I am keeping this one for my bookshelf!

My husband happened upon a copy of the original book in a thrift store and brought it home. It has now found a place of honor on my shelves. It takes you on Diana's journey through her self-discovery as a lesbian, through her brother's rejection of it, to the pain of heartbreak, to the lover that was a recurring interference, and to finally resting comfortably and contendly in the arms of the love that would be to stay. The book takes you through her childhood, her travels, and her education. She presents the story of a lesbian who is not out to emmasculate men, nor to promote women as the supreme goddess. She simply walked the road of her soul.

This book was originally published in 1935. I was surprised to find that it was an honest, realistic telling of one woman's journey to accepting her orientation and owning love. No sensationalism here. One of the scenes was so startlingly similar to an experience of mine that I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise. A lesbian-positive book that really brings forth the idea of authentic living and how to get there. That it was written 30 years before I was born gives me courage--if she emerged from her journey whole, then so can I.

Epic poetry has lost its place in our culture. The common reader is not interested in the discipline of verse writing, looking more for a simple and easily-accessible series of actions with a bit of descripition thrown in. Turner's "Genesis" is a tribute to Homer, Virgil, the Arthurian tales, "Beowulf", and "the Song of Roland". Turner's story is excellent, narrative and verse techniques wonderful, and characters deep and complex. Anyone interested in epic poetry or science fiction as a genre should read this great work.

This is a really bold project---nothing less than a conscious attempt at creating a founders' epic myth for the colonization of Mars. The science fiction was appealing, but the adoption of epic poetic structure to that sturdy narrative style is what raises this to the 5 star level. There is an equal amount of what I would call mysticism, especially as a new prophet for humanity springs from Martian soil. If you ever got excited by reading Virgil, when you had to translate and put yourself back into time, but still wondered what would be the outcome of Aneas' various adventures, this is for you, except it has at its disposal the tools of modern poetry, and is fueled by a genuinely new epic story. The narrative and poetry are perfectly interfused. Turner is somewhat of a throwback, and Genesis could be taken as an apologia for human imperialism on the grand scale. However, he portrays diversity as a real virtue, and also gives the Malthusian intellectual tendency a fair chance to make its case. Humorous subsections of the poetry descend from the lofty rhythm of iambic pentameter into tetrameter, highlighting his contention as a critic that form is central to the understanding of content. The meter is the message, perhaps? This is one of the most moving things I have ever read.

"Genesis" is an epic poem about the terraforming, or environmental transformation, of Mars. It's a beautiful, thoughtful, captivating treatment of a difficult set of environmental, spiritual and political issues. It deserves to be much more widely known than it is, as it ranks with Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles as one of the most moving and unusual literary works about the planet Mars.

I got this book from MBBA (MN bio brain association) library, and the day I got it, I started reading it and did not stop until I finished it. Cover to cover in two days. It was absolutely amazing. I've dealt with hospitalizations and abuses of power in those hospitalizations, and while my mother is convinced my problems are not mental diseases, I think I do differ from Rickie. However, it was so nice to read that I was not alone. That hospitals are not perfect. That I can do it, no matter what people say. That was the powerful message of the book.

This book was an excellent insight to how developmental problems may exist or be overlooked even by the specialists! It is very easy to relate to when you work with children struggling to survive.

As a psychiatrist I was especially moved by the honesty with which Dr. Flach and his daughter Rickie wrote of their struggle against her psychiatric symptoms. He did not hide any of the worst aspects of psychiatry in his recounting of his daughter's treatment, yet it was with such an understanding of the limitations of his profession that there is no sense of anger or blame placed on his colleagues. He was equally open and revealing about his own inner struggles, frailties and ultimate resilience. I also think that Rickie and Dr. Flach's decision to pursue alternative (I prefer the term complementary) treatments and their dramatic success is a crucial lesson for all of us practicing medicine today. I highly recommend this book, but that leads me to the only negative comment on this title: it is no longer available. I hope the publisher decides to republish this text. It is so very timely at this time, even more so than when it was written in 1991. Thank you Dr. Flach and Rickie for an inspiring book.

So much of real life to have spread before you with such touching and accurate emotions...I read it in one sitting as the mystery holds you till the end....yet no ending....another book to follow?

The characters are real, what they elicit from one another is real, and if you have lived at all you have met them all.

Panting after Chopin is not unlike a fasinateing rollcoaster ride. Taking you thru vistas of textures and colors . She paints with the pen till it is almost palpable. The ride is inner and outer both visiting her world and enfolding the reader in her mind and emotions You feel you are her and must continue until the mystery unfolds. She evokes a partnership with the reader going where the heart on the precipe between agony and ecstasy. At first it was a gentle trip down the garden path and then the path twisted around and locked me in. Then I couldn't put it down until I devoured it. Wonderful book I loved it.

I read this book a few months after it came out and have recommended it to many since. The story takes place in the San Francisco bay area and makes its way to the pacific coast and all the way to eastern Canada. During this story I thought the 'psycho' nephew Nicholas was the main charactor. He fit in perfectly, The story is about his Aunt (who is in a bad marriage) and who falls head over heals for an eligible bachlor -- a pianist who is gay. I think everyone in this story had 'a few screws loose'. This made the story all the more pleasing because in everyone's life there are people like this.

The main charactor turns out to be Nicholas's aunt Joyclyn. The ending may surprise you. This is a book to read on a recliner, when ou just feel like letting go of your troubles and reading about the zaniness that others possess. A strong recommendation