Got the... illustrated version in the 1980s. The stories are wonderful and the illustrations magnificent.

I learned to love words through this book, and to appreciate things for being simply beautiful. I spent many evenings of my childhood budgeting out my pre-bedtime reading based on how long each story was. I read and re-read them all, smoothing out the pages under the sheet, and reading by flashlight long after my bedtime. My beautiful illustrated (practically illuminated) edition got lost along the way, and though I buy this one as a temporary replacement, I hope to find my favorite, colorful childhood tome in time for my first child.

I learned to read on a story called "The Hawk and the Nightingale" inside this book. My family would read these stories aloud, and each of us would take a turn. I picked the shortest tale to start with. The magical illustrations of the out-of-print hardbound copy not only enriched my love of reading and writing, but still weave their way into my dreams today. I need to find the hardbound version, so I can teach my neices and nephews the magic of literacy.

This is a wonderful book. It's not only very enjoyable but it also contains many layers of insight which appear to unfold with every re-reading. Like other works by Idries Shah, it seems to operate in a 'scattered' yet coherent manner -keeping you mentally on your toes, encouraging flexibility and the capacity to look at usual things in unusual ways, with new clarity. This diversity includes teaching stories, sayings of the Prophet, proverbs, and the fascinating account of the author's trip to Mecca.

The first time I encountered this book was one Thursday night nearly thirty years ago when friends read The Story of Mushkil Gusha (one of the many stories it contains). Despite numerous readings (and tellings) of that story, one keeps finding more that is in it. Like the book itself, it gets better and richer in meaning, the better one gets to know it. Other tales in this extraordinary book do, too. The Magic Horse and The Tale of Melon City come immediately to mind. This is a most remarkable book to read oneself and to share with others. Read aloud the Story of Mushkil Gusha with friends some Thursday night and discover, for yourself, what riches it contains!

The best way I can describe this marvelous work is to say that it enables what Shah has elsewhere described as 'interior movement of the mind.' By submitting to the work, and reading it in the spirit of learning from it, one is able to observe how prejudices creep into the effort even when one thinks that such is not the case. The attachment to bias weakens, and one is able to read with a mind that is more free. The book is therefore an astonishing tool-astonishing to me because there is so much more to it than meets the eye. The reader can therefore enjoy 'Caravan of Dreams' for its entertainment and educational value, as well as deriving benefit from this other, indefinable nutrition. The book, for these reasons, is strongly recommended.

This book is delightful. What a great concept to introduce to young minds. Not just that if you keep at something you might persevere. But also that our ultimate success often comes by way something or someone outside ourselves - when we least expect it!

Tragedies like Columbine are a wake-up call. It's clear that we need to provide our kids ...with tools to counter the violence and knee-jerk aggression ubiquitous in popular culture. These children's stories by Idries Shah are just this kind of tool. They're not preachy. They don't offer simplistic lessons or moral platitudes. They're more like exercises for "mental muscle groups" grossly underdeveloped in this culture: A strong sense of one's own value. Empathy. Flexibility in thinking and responding. Appreciating that not everyone is the same, not every outcome is predictable. Seeing that there are more than two sides to a situation. A sense that patience and perseverance can pay off, sometimes in unexpected ways. Not demanding easy answers. A sense that things are not always as they seem, that the viewpoint of "experts" — or even the whole community — is not always right. The experience of seeing something that even adults don't see, of creating clever solutions. The sense that taking positive action is possible and rewarding—even when one has to buck the tide. That help can come from where and when we least expect it. The sense that life has interesting "loose ends" for us to reflect on. And so much more. At least one of these books should be on every child's book shelf.

This is a new twist on the types of stories that kids love to read and hear over and over. It begins with a lady making a simple request...she just wants her apple. The chain of events that results though, teaches cause and effect in a fun way. What really makes the book a lasting treasure is the art work. We found ourselves going through the book both from front to back and back to front just exploring the colorful and playful art. I highly recommend this book for kids or even adults who like the playful prose and pictures. Two thumbs up for Mary Rose Santiago and Idries Shah. I look forward to seeing more of their works.

This book contains essays on the fundamental aspects of Sufism for the contemporary seeker of "the straight path." It is a reflection of the wisdom of the pre-eminent holy Sufi master of the 21st century.

For years I have been searching for the meaning of my Divine Self in this chaotic world. I searched through books, mosques, churches, and temples. Now I have come to what I have been looking for. This treatise, written by the prominent Uwaiysi Sufi Master Shah Nazar Seyed Dr. Kianfar, enraptures the true seeker in Divine knowledge and brings them to the path of Self Awareness. This book is more than just words on paper. It is a mind-expanding, heart-opening experience that every spiritually minded person should read, and re-read, and re-read and keep as a companion on this path of life.

This book is a compilation of some of the teachings of Sufi Master Shah Nazar Seyed Ali Kianfar and covers many subjects including belief, self-understanding, and the underlying balance that is the foundation of spirituality and of existence. It goes beyond the usual confines of religion to explore psychology, spirituality, the nature of the human being, and the rules of existence. The deep knowlege of the author comes through in each of the chapters.

With illustrations that make you want to step right into the picture, this book is a great telling of great classic for little kids. Sometimes I think we forget or don't realize just how powerful certain images and impressions we get from our early childhood books really are, and just how much they can impact our lives. My 4-year old adores this book. And what a great image for her to take through life - the realization that she might be hindered by fear of her own reflection.

[....] It's clear that we need to provide our kids - especially boys - with tools to counter the violence and knee-jerk aggression ubiquitous in popular culture. These children's stories by Idries Shah are just this kind of tool. They're not preachy. They don't offer simplistic lessons or moral platitudes. They're more like exercises for "mental muscle groups" grossly underdeveloped in this culture: A strong sense of one's own value. Empathy. Flexibility in thinking and responding. Appreciating that not everyone is the same, not every outcome is predictable. Seeing that there are more than two sides to a situation. A sense that patience and perseverance can pay off, sometimes in unexpected ways. Not demanding easy answers. A sense that things are not always as they seem, that the viewpoint of "experts" - or even the whole community - is not always right. The experience of seeing something that even adults don't see, of creating clever solutions. The sense that taking positive action is possible and rewarding-even when one has to buck the tide. That help can come from where and when we least expect it. The sense that life has interesting "loose ends" for us to reflect on. And so much more. At least one of these books should be on every child's book shelf.

For 20 years I've delighted in the story collections of Idries Shah. I'm very pleased with his entire new series of children's books especially, "The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water". As my wife and I read this story to young children in our family, we can see their eyes light up.

The kids strongly identify with all of the animals in the book, especially the lion as he overcomes his fears and learns something about his own individual identity. I have to confess that I've picked up the book several times and read it for my own enjoyment. It somehow soothes my mind after a tough day at the office.

This book is a real treat, both visually (the illustrations are gorgeous) and narratively (the rich plot is sure to keep adults as well as children enthralled). My 10-year-old daughter loves it, and each time I read it with her I notice something in it that I hadn't noticed before - which is rare indeed for a children's book. The story, which has been told for more than a thousand years in Central Asia and the Middle East, doesn't batter the reader with clumsy morals, but instead seems to offer something subtler and, I suspect, of far greater value. It revolves around a boy who finds and achieves his heart's desire with the help of a magical wooden horse that carries him on its back as it flies through the air to wondrous places. Readers of this marvelous book are sure to soar right along with them.

The notion that certain folk tales, "mere playthings" might have more noble capacities is beautifully exemplified in this ancient tale.This story appeared in a collection of tales, "A Caravan of Dreams" some 30 years ago and I am now delighted to see it turned into a richly illustrated, children's book. The story has multiple meanings, and can evoke deep examination, such as children's grappling with the tensions between technology and more simple realities, academics and practical views. A school librarian I visited in Seattle, WA, places this book in a section called "For Readers of All Ages" because she realizes that there is a genre of picture books that has many layers and can appeal to all. Teachers realize the great need to help children learn how to develop thinking skills and this story allows children a situation that they can reference when trying to explain certain issues they might not otherwise be able to verbalize. It gives them a story which acts as vehicle on which to hang their experiences. This is a function of certain folk tales that surpasses the usual moral endings we are more used to expecting. We are all storytellers, and use story to explain our sitations and make the complex simple. There is a genre of tales, "The Magic Horse" being part of this genre, that allows the reader an opportunity to experience insights into his/her own psyche that are often hidden by more dominant patterns. The fact that this is done in an entertaining fashion, often confuses the reader into thinking that this is just a "mere plaything." But stories can have many levels of capacity, just as orange juice is refreshing, tasty, and provides Vitamin C. Idries Shah spent years collecting and making available these amazing tales, intuitively understanding this was something needed in our evolving culture. They are like nothing else I have ever read. And this one has always been one of my very favorites. One can learn so much about oneself and others by reflecting on this story and using it as a mirror to see one's hidden prejudices. And, the tale itself echoes the notion that things that appear to be "mere playthings," like magic horses, are really much more powerful than we realize. There are children's books with messages, morals, and meaning. "The Magic Horse" is an instrument that both entertains and helps the reader "learn how to learn." But to give the story away would be like trying to "Send a kiss by messenger." It's a story that I will keep on reading to kids.

There are so many mysterious twists and turns to the telling of this amazing and complex story. I read this book to all my classes (third graders). The kids hang on every word in spellbound silence. How important in this technological, materialistic culture for our kids to be exposed to the very notion of a "heart's desire," to the idea of life as a richly complex journey with multiple dimensions and possibilities beyond our wildest dreams - possibilities that we must stretch ourselves to discover and realize. I highly recommend this book for kids of all ages.

This book should have been called "Introduction to Posix threads in Solaris and multithreading issues".

Pros:

- covers Posix threads, including more complex aspects, which are "usually neglected by ... implementors" to quote the authors. Includes threads cancellation and fork behaviour.

- a set of ideas, problems and methods that you may encounter while developing multithreaded software. Most of them are on the simpler side though.

- compact, highly informative chapters (average to 20 pages each).

Cons:

- No word on differences between Unix flavours. Basically it's all refers to Solaris, which I can understand, since Mr. Kleiman is the head of Sun Solaris threading dept (also Posix threads committee member).

- C API only, no existing C++ implementations behaviour or really anything C++ related.

- Mostly recommendations. Nothing on the _existing_ practices, libs or whatever. One or two of the existing bigger pieces of software could have been surgically dissembled to show how it's done. Some math analysis is shown, but it ends with yet another recommendation.

- The methods and problems covered could be more deep, otherwise it's sort of an introduction.

- Some of the samples are too big.

Overall:

- Gives you an impression that the authors are very knowledgeable (yeah, right, see note on who one of the authors is), and capable of explaining complex things with simple words, but a little bit ignorant in that they consider the reader not worth sharing more knowledge with.

- Certain chapters must be stripped out, and more pure theoretical info added.

- A recommended book all in all.

P.S. A stylish cover.

Wholeheartedly agree with the others. This is an excellent treatment of threading with a wealth of examples. I especially like the Advanced Topics where they address cases and situations that seem very common in practice yet are not documented elsewhere.

Must have book that anybody interested in threading should have. Certainly not for beginner. Explains the basic constructs of threading and then takes specific instances where threading can be applied.

Despite its diminutive size, this book packs a powerful punch and is probably unlike anything you have read before. Although it is well-written and entertaining, it is by no means a comfortable or easy read. Be prepared to be taken in different directions and to be confronted with unaccustomed perspectives. There is a passage from the book which gives an indication of its effect: "A pungent thought is a corrective to deterioration of the thinking: like cold water helping slack muscles to work again..." This book is full of such pungent thoughts...

Aptly titled, "Reflections," is a collection of fables, aphorisms, and statements that challenge the conditioned, assumptive manner we use when thinking of and interacting with others and ourselves. These reflections-whose effect is similar to being shaken out of sleep-offer insight on many levels.

The most insightful comment about this collection appears in the book's forward, written by Idries Shah: "Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community and in the individual's mental processes."

In its own quiet way, this pocket-size gem of a book offers something that's often claimed but rarely found: a true means of rousing the sluggish brain from its customary, comfortable state of automatic-pilot torpor. Comprised of bite-size sayings and stories, it avoids the emotional, the obvious and the sententious in favor of an entirely different approach that nudges the attentive reader in new and unexpected directions, chipping away at assumptions and habitual thought-patterns that screen us from seeing things the way they really are. I found it thought-provoking, bracing and a pleasure to read as well as a real eye-opener. Its size and format also make it an ideal gift.

Great book! I like this book a lot. It was help me to pass in the test. If you are preparing CCSE vNG FP3 exam, this book has everything you need.

I used the book exclusively for my CCSE test. I found the material sufficent to pass my exam the first time.

Kevin Butters
CCSE, CCSA

Val and Sarvang have out done themselves. Solid for those needing to pass the Check Point Certification.

Dave DeFrancis CCSE/CCSI
Nokia Internet Communications

Almost a quarter of a century after he lost his throne Mohammad Reza Shah ¨Pahlavi remains at the centre of Iranian politics.
This book by Iran's leading journalist is the best on the late Shah because it reveals both the weakenesses ( all human) and the strengths of Pahlavi during his 37 year long reign.
At the same time this book could be read like a novel, full of twists and turns.
Rivniz Bibarg

As Iran comes under the limelights as the next candidate for regime change in the Middle East,anyone interested in the complex politics of that region could do no better than read this fascinating biography.
But even if a reader is not interested in politics , this book would still be a treasure trove as an enjoyable read.
The author, sympathetic to the Shah although never forgetting his shortcomings, shows that the Shah was a good man in a bad time.
Taheri compares the Shah to the wizard in the Wizard of Oz who says at the end of the film, when he is discovered, : I am not a bad man, just a bad wizard!
But even that may be a bit unkind.
Was Muhammad Reza Pahlavi a bad Shah?
Taheri does not believe so, and may be reflecting the sentiments fomented against the Shah by years of propaganda by his enemies.
The book shows that what the Shah offered Iran was the best deal posisble at the time.
As Iran braces for change it may still be the best deal it can get today.
A.Keame

I read this biography of the late Shah of Iran after I had read a biography of the man who deposed him: Ayatollah Khomeini.
Both biographies are written by Iranian journalist Amir Taheri who seems to have known the two men personally.
When I told my Iranian friend that I found the two, the Shah and Khomeini, to be twins, he was shocked.
He wanted to know: How could I compare a monster like Khomeini with a moderate modernizer like the Shah?
But Taheri shows that the two men emerged from the same culture of violence and hatred.
Khomeini was an orphan who wished to take revenge on the world. The Shah was a shyster who dreamed of becoming a dictator.
I know that Iranians are divided between those who think Khomeini was a saint and those who adore the Shah as the symbol of all that was good in Iran.
As an outsider, however,I can see how the Iranian people were cuaght between the two forms of despotism that the two men represented.
The book on Khomeini has a faster pace and is generally more fun to read. This is why I read it twice. But the book on the Shah also merits at least one close reading.WV