Thich Nhat Hanh has updated the traditional Buddhist precepts in this book. His version goes beyond "do not kill," for example, to be mindful of that we might be killing inadvertently. He makes us aware of the broadness of the precepts and thus encourages us to be more mindful. If we are not mindful, we break the precepts. Therefore, he calls them Mindfulness Trainings. Thay's approach frames the precepts in a way that is helpful in our daily life. He makes them relevant.

In a world of deceit, excess, killing, lying and stealing, the present moment works with faith FOR A FUTURE TO BE POSSIBLE by enlightenment from the Buddha, the practice of love and understanding, and ever bigger and greater numbers of communities seeking wisdom, harmony and awareness. Art and meditation send energy into cell nutrition and nervous system health. Mindfulness teaches respect for all life, generosity, responsibility, careful speech and healthy diet for concentration and insight. Nobel Prize winner Thich Nhat Hanh's book is a beautifully reader-friendly steppingstone to THE GOOD HEART by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, AWAKENING THE BUDDHIST HEART by Lama Surya Das, and LOVINGKINDNESS by Sharon Salzberg.

I believe "The Dynamics of Acting" to be an invaluable asset to ANY instructor OR student of theatrics. I,myself,am a former drama student of Joan Snyder,(1969/70 thru 1971/72). I, and all my fellow theater students, remember well when this book was being written. Many of our photographs are featured demonstrating various techniques & styles. For more than 4 years previous to "Dynamics" first edition she taught using the same techniques & styles found in this book. An extraordinarily gifted educator; her success can be measured not only in the many awards her students won in local and statewide competitons, but also in the many paths taken in their adult lives. BELIEVE in Dennis Caltagirone & Joan Snyder, and BELIEVE in thier book "The Dynamics of Acting". Both you, your students and all of your experiences in theatrics & in your lives will be enriched in the process. My all time favorite Joan Snyder phrase:"Remember: The KEY to acting is BELIEVABILITY".

After looking at many books for insights into the theatre and teaching drama to my students, I've discovered the wonder of this book that arranges the abundant material in such an easy to digest form that my students are borrowing it from me to read it themselves. It not only informs, but it cultivates interest and is a necessary reference for any teacher of English Literature, drama or stage production. Thank you Dennis!

I'm extremely impressed by this book. All patient education should strive to be this clear, readable, respectful, and comprehensive. It is written with understanding of and sympathy for the experience of coping with a potentially life-changing condition -- and by that I don't mean simply that the tone is warm and encouraging (although it is), but that the book is full of practical information that answers the kinds of questions that patients are likely to ask.

This book gives a broad overview of this extremely common and debilitating eye disease. The co-authors, a leading ophthalmologist and a patient with macular degeneration, present the information from both the technical point of view and the laymen's point of view. The book covers many aspects of macular degeneration, including its definition, types, diagnosis, treatments, and coping methods. The treatments section includes a comparison of alternative therapies as well as standard medical treatments. There are also chapters on possible causes of macular degeneration and potential ways to lower the risk of developing the disease. The book includes a glossary and a list of resources for further information or help. If you or someone you know is diagnosed with macular degeneration, this book will be invaluable.

A few years ago my wife had a blood vessel in her retina burst causing permanent partial vision loss in one eye. (She complained of "wavy vision" the day before she was to go to Europe on vacation - she cancelled the trip.) Since then we have had an Amsler grid on our refrigerator door, and she has learned to cope with the 'missing spot' in her field of vision.... Two weeks ago she noticed - while watching the Bloomberg channel - that she could not read a good bit of what was on the screen. This time the doctor found another leakage into the retina (not involving red blood cells); her vision returned to what it was before in a few days. The doctor 'put dye into her' to 'check her eyes out.' - BUT this time the doctor told her that she has early dry ARMD. ----- I realized that we didn't understand very much of what we were being told ... so I bought this book and spent the last two days reading it cover to cover... This is really an EXCELLENT summary. I wish we had had it before my wife's latest problem, because I would have been able to ask more intelligent questions. We will on the next checkup! This deceptively small book holds more information than I thought could be packed into a 170-page volume in large type. Dr. Robert D'Amato's explanations are not only complete, but also clear. (I finished reading it before I noticed that the Macular Degeneration Foundation has endorsed it!). I have a bent for details and proofs, for the exact pro's and con's of different 'treatments.' I learned that my wife's emotional reaction to her diagnosis (she was initially convinced that she 'was going blind') was only partially justified. Dr. D'Amato shows that this outcome is highly improbable; most people show a gradual loss, if any at all, over a period of years. I learned, however, that it is essential to keep an eye on (unintended humor there) dry ARMD so that progression into wet ARMD can be detected, and then treated. He details both current and prospective treatments for wet ARMD. ---- "Macular Degeneration" contains a very helpful glossary, and the book is filled with specific sources - so one can pursue additional research on this affliction! ----- I was NOT particularly impressed by Joan Snyder's contribution to this volume, despite the fact that she is obviously sincere. 'Alternative medicine' seems to be all the rage now, but I think it lacks the rigor of true science. Mrs. Snyder's very complete listing of alternative approaches seemed to me merely a catalog of 'ways to kid yourself.' [I was waiting for her to suggest prayer, pilgrimages, or divine healing -- which she never did, thank goodness!] Dr. D'Amato's kind words about his co-author did not hide his skepticism about her sympathy for 'alternative medicine'. He is a more patient man than I am! Since the 'alternative medicine' section occupied a relatively small part of the volume (the preface and Chapter 8) I don't feel that Mrs. Synder's contribution significantly detracted from the book's worth -in fact, for those like me who are hard-headed empiricists, the descriptions of 'alternative approaches' told me: don't waste time on this approach! ---- Hats off to the publisher: Note that the typeface is quite large which opens this valuable work to those who need it the most -- ARMD sufferers with significant vision loss! I strongly feel everyone recently diagnosed with ARMD should read this book.

What does reading these essays do for me and for other readers in their twenties? Like Sr. Joan, these writers point the way to the past, not the future. All right, the 60's happened. Get over it. Puh-leaze. Meanwhile, the rest of us have to figure out how to live the faith here and now, stuck in the middle of this scandal-ridden Weak-Land called "american cathoicism" They may aspire to be a Catholic mod-squad, but they come off more like the Flintstones. Perhaps they should have all gotten themselves ordained by the Peace Corps.

Spiritual Questions for the 21st Century - edited by Mary Hembrow Snyder - is a collection of fascinating essays by contemporaries of Joan Chittister OSB. The book is not a gushy tribute to Joan but an incredible, thought provoking, and nourishing tribute to the questions that each essayist believes is the defining spiritual question for her/him for this new century. Joan herself, a purveyor extrordinaire of spiritual questions throughout her own life, offers a timely and eloquent 'Afterword' entitled: The Power of Questions to Propel.

Twenty-five contemporaries of Joan's including Diana Hayes, Dan Berrigan, Richard Rohr, Edwina Gately, Rembert Weakland, Sandra Schneiders, and Thomas Gumbleton were asked to address this: "What do you think is the most important spiritual question of our time?" The diversity and richness of the responses illuminate the darkness that has become so representative of the times in which we are living.

I highly recommend the use of this book for peace and justice study groups as well as for all people of good will who are beginning to see the connection of the 'consciousness of the sacred' and 'action on behalf of justice' for the least among us, including our endangered earth.