In this book, Steiner writes:

"One cannot attain to what is usually known as immortality unless one is to some extent familiar with the occult sciences. The fruits of occult science do, of course, find their way out into the world along many different channels. A great deal of occult knowledge exists in the various religions, and all those who participate deeply and sincerely in the life of a religious community have some share in this knowledge and are preparing themselves for the attainment of immortality in the real sense. But to subsist on the knowledge of this immortality and the feeling of belonging in the spiritual world in concrete experience and with full awareness is still something different.

"All of you have lived many times but not all of you are conscious that you have lived through these many lives. However, you will gradually attain this consciousness, and without it man's life is lived with incomplete consciousness. It has never been the aim of occult science to inculcate into man a dim feeling of survival, but to impart a clear, fully conscious knowledge of onflowing life in the spiritual world. And there is a certain great law which governs the progressive development of consciousness in all future stages of life. Namely, it is what man works at to help others attain such consciousness which contributes the most to its development. It is an apparently paradoxical proposition: everything a being works at without aiming at developing its own consciousness helps to maintain that being's consciousness.

"It is a fact that all occult science consists of knowing how a man can act selflessly in order to attain the greatest enhancement of his own consciousness...For selfless deeds are the real foundation of immortality. "

My copy of this book is underlined, notated and thumbed. Mary Richards writes in the voice of a poet, often dreamily, of the gentle art of education Rudolf Steiner style. I've put Steiner theories to work successfully--but not in a dogmatic way--in a home-school setting, with small mixed-age groups of home schoolers. If we could summarize the book in a few words, we might say this: children learn through their bodies and minds and hearts what they cannot conceive of through their brains. Clearly, the brilliant M.C. Richards is an intellectual, yet Steiner education is distinctly down to earth (one could call it biodynamics of the mind) and concrete. Highly recommend for anyone interested in the way children learn. Also the reader benefits from Richards' vast experience living in Steiner communities. Includes history of this astonishing movement. Amazing that such a way of life exists in the nineties in America!

It describes the basic types of fallacies. It is a good book for training brains. What I have read is a much older version. I am expecting the new one will be even better.

This book recommends only bets which give the casino the smallest advantage possible, which any responsible book on the subject should do. It does not lose credibility, as other craps books do, by recommending high-vig proposition bets as part of a "hedge" system. The only negative is that the book is now 20 years old and spends a lot of time discussing strategies for casinos that only offer single-odds on their craps games. All casinos have offered at least double-odds for quite some time (which is covered here as well.) Highly recommended, but time for a revision too!

The book is very well written. I have followed the method he teaches, and either played the pass or don't pass lines according to how cold the table is playing, and I walked away a winner. He also stresses that if the way you are playing does'nt work, you probably are having a choppy table, and should walk away. If you work the system when someone is rolling a hot hand, the chances of winning increases. He stresses that walking away a winner is important. If after an hour at the table, walk away. It is very important to have an attitude that you are playing to win. I have reread the book to enforce the techniques so they become natural. I have recommended this book to my friends.

Highly recommended. Read and studied the book, including the table of odds on all craps bets, and won over $800 in my first outing. I enjoy craps and now have a full understanding of the game. If you want to learn how to play craps, this is the book.

I have always loved the style and social politics of the Regency period (the time of Jane Austen.) But when I read "Sense and Sensibility" in 7th grade I found the first few chapters lifeless, dull and hard to read. Two years later I was encouraged by a friend to give "Pride and Prejudice" a try. I did and have since become a complete Janeite. I am now able to peruse joyfully through "Sense and Sensibility" with a new understanding and appreciation of Jane Austen. The reason? "Pride and Prejudice" is fresh, witty and is a great introduction to Jane Austen's writing style without the formality of some of her other novels (unlike S&S and Persuasion Austen does not give us a 10 page history of each family and their fortune.) If you have never read Jane Austen or have read her other novels and found them boring, read Pride and Prejudice. The characters, and the situations Austen presents to them, are hysterical and reveal a lot about Regency society and morality. This book perfectly compliments a great writer like Jane Austen and is essential to every reader's library. The Penguin Edition of the book is stellar and I personally recommend it not only for the in-depth and indispensable footnotes, but also for the cover that is non-suggestive of any of the characters' appearances. In summary "Pride and Prejudice" is a great book for beginner Austen readers and seasoned fans, and Penguin Classics is a great edition for fully enjoying and understanding the book.

Like all the other jane austen books i loved this one just as much. jane austen is famous for her characterisation and this book proves it to you even more.

elizabeth bennet and mr. darcy intertwined into their own fixed judgements and opinions make this book not just a must read for its witty satire and humour but for its indepth understanding of true love. eliza,prejudiced ....Darcy, too caught up with his high society unfold their true character gradually making you enthralled and wanting more.
mr. collins the cousin, catheran de bourgh his patron bring out the best in subtle humour.
mr. and mrs. bennet, both of them a class apart...their uniquely opposite personalities creating sparks. the four sisters: genuine, bingely:awesome...the story i leave for you to unravel. you'll love it to the best of your ability.

trust me; you're caught. you won't be able to get your hands off it. its the work of a great woman and a great writer, a true genius who to me is just as equivalent to shakespeare. but then thats just me.

a book that shows us how two minds can eventually meet and harbour friendship and love. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife". That's how my favourite book of all time begins, and it just keeps getting better.

This novel deals with the pride and prejudices of the main characters Miss Elizabeth Bennett, and Mr. Darcy, as they try to find true love in pre-Victorian England. Elizabeth is a gentleman's daughter and Mr. Darcy is a gentleman, but Elizabeth, along with the rest of her sisters, are not good catches because, their inheritance is being entailed away to their cousin Mr. Collins, leaving them with very miserable looking dowries. Along with poor family connections, they stand little chance of marrying well or at all; they only have their charms to help them.

That is until Mr. Bingley moves into the neighborhood along with his sisters, and accompanying them his close friend Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley becomes captivated with Jane Bennett, Elizabeth's eldest sister, and Mr. Darcy has an eye for Elizabeth herself, but can he see past her poor conditions, and can she see past his pride in order for them to get together? That's the question that keeps the audience captivated right up to the end.

I try and find time to read this book at least once a year, and I've been doing that for a few years, and yet, it's always fresh when a get around to reading it.

Question: Which edition of Robert's Rules is official? Aren't they all the same? Which one do professional parliamentarians refer to? Answer: The National Association of Parliamentarians, and the American Institute of Parliamentarians, only recognize one book as the current official parliamentary authority: Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised [1990 edition, Scott, Foresman] Everything else is old, or a variation. The bible of parliamentary law, it is this edition that your bylaws probably mentions, not the 1876 original text, like some publishers are selling. Be forewarned, it is literally a book of rules, and not easily absorbed. -- You may have to learn what's practical for your average meeting by a simpler beginners book. If you want simple, go elsewhere; if you want complete, this is it. No other book is ADDING things to Henry M. Robert's original classifications & rankings (it's 700+ pages!), only shortening & simplifying & rephrasing.

As a lawyer, when I am asked about proper procedure at a meeting, my first question is: What rules do you use? Is there an applicable statute, or bylaws or rules that the organization has adopted? Nine times out of ten, the answer is: "Robert's Rules of Order." Robert's is the most widely used parliamentary manual in the United States.

General Henry M. Robert published the original "Robert's Rules" in 1875 and 1876 and, since the copyright on that edition (and the next few editions) has long since expired, there are numerous unofficial editions on the market. The third edition, published in 1893, is still marketed in paperback by more than one publisher as the "original" Robert's Rules. With the copyright expired, even the name "Robert's" has passed into the public domain, and many imitators have slapped the name "Robert's" on books of parliamentary procedure that bear minimal relation to General Robert's work (much as many dictionaries claim the name "Webster's" without any connection to Noah Webster or the Merriam-Webster brand that carries on his work). This book is the real Robert's, composed by an editorial board appointed by General Robert's heirs (including his descendants Sarah and Henry III, both eminent parliamentarians). Now in its tenth edition, published in 2000, this book "supersedes all previous editions and is intended automatically become the parliamentary authority in organizations whose bylaws prescribe 'Robert's Rules of Order' . . . or the like, without specifying a particular edition."

Robert's is not necessarily the best parliamentary manual on the market: "Modern Parliamentary Procedure" by Ray Keesey is far more logical and user-friendly, and "The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure" by Alice Sturgis (commissioned by the American Institute of Parliamentarians as a contemporary alternative to Robert's) is more readable and more rooted in modern practice. But no other book has gained as much as a toehold in Robert's dominance in the market. If you are interested in parliamentary procedure, or figuring out how most organizations work in the twenty-first-century United States, this Robert's is indispensable.

Recently having begun to serve on a board, I've found Robert's manual--a mainstay of legislatures, clubs and other organizations around the world since 1893--to be invaluable. Its comprehensive coverage of motions, rules, procedures and all contingencies has served me well simply in understanding "what's going on"; it has also enabled me to become an active, not a passive, member. Knowledge is power, in this context or in any other. There is no question that members of your organization who have knowledge of the rules of the meeting have the power to control the meeting. If you do not want to get stepped on, this book is essential.

There are several editions of this work. I advise buyers to get one that (a) has a durable binding, able to withstand the rigors of frequent use; (b) has a good introduction or supplementary guide by its editor, as Robert's original manual is, as other reviews here have noted, complex and intimidating to those who are new to it.

This antholology has some excellent selections, with intelligent choices made as to which works of certain authors to present( Faulkner's are amazing) and a wonderful variety of styles and subjects. As to Cassill himself being a "master" of the short story, however, that may be undue praise, and his own addition to the collection(rather presumptuous and inappropriate for the editor) would have been better replaced by more worthy possibilities. Jack London is unpardonably nowhere to be found. Yet on the whole worth a space on your shelf.

i've been reading the stories included in this anthology, and am almost finished. i must admit that i think there are many outstanding peices of short fiction included here, yet the collection feels at times inadequate. for example, poe's "the black cat" and 'the telltale heart" are not included, which i sorely missed. with several authors, i felt their best works were not included. don't misunderstand me, this is a very good collection, recomended to ANYONE interested in reading short stories. it's just that in only a few cases i was left wondering about the inclusion of some stories and really missing others.

I had to buy this book for my Literature class. It's really heavy, really long and it cost a lot of money. But it turned out that I read a lot more than just for class. I like books, but I'm really into them, so I was really surprised by how much I liked these stories. I am still going through them, learning about authors. "Bartleby The Scrivener," "The Golden Wallpaper," "Araby," "Me and Miss Mandible," and "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" are favorites. I can't understand problem somebody else had with the authors' best work not being included. Judging a book solely on what's there, this is great.

St. Augustine is one of the greatest thinkers the West ever produced. Born in North Africa in the waning years of the Roman Empire, his Confessions detail his ultimate conversion to Nicene Christianity after a ten year journey through the various trendy sects of the 4th century C.E. Augustine was a member of the Manichean heresy, a follower of Astrology, and an all around sinner. He enjoyed the barbaric games of the coliseum, was overly proud of his education and teaching positions, and just couldn't bring himself to give up the ladies. He even had a son, Adeodatus, who was born out of wedlock. In short, Augustine loved the things that most people love, and he loved the same things that we love in our decadent age. This is what makes this book so relevant today; it shows how little the human race has come in 1500 years. Augustine's struggles are our struggles.

Two points of interest are worth mentioning here. The first is Augustine's mother, St. Monica. Throughout the book, Monica is an omnipresent figure in Augustine's life. She is a tireless Christian, and she does many things to try and bring Augustine into the faith. She prays incessantly, has visions and dreams from God that promise Augustine's conversion, and she follows her son everywhere he goes. Augustine gives much praise to his mother, but it's important to remember that he was writing this account after his conversion. At the time, Augustine must have been sick to death of some of her antics. He actually lied to her so he could sneak off to Rome without her, although she was soon on a boat so she could catch up with him. I also felt sorry for his father, Patricius. Dad wasn't really into the Christian thing, so Monica put on the pants in the family. Augustine even says that Monica made God the 'true' father in their house.

A second point of interest is Augustine's actual conversion. He seems to go through two of them in quick succession. The first is an intellectual conversion, as Augustine uses the texts of Neo-Platonic authors to prove to himself the fallacy of the Manichean theology. It seems the Manicheans believed in a Christ figure that was not fully divine, as well as the idea that God was a substance. Augustine shows how substance can be corrupted, making this idea totally incompatible with the idea of a perfect God. After all, if a substance can be corrupted, how can it be perfect? After the intellectual conversion, Augustine still can't totally believe because he can't give up the fleshly sin of lust with women. This second conversion finally comes about in the famous 'pick it up and read' incident in the garden. Augustine, wracked by his sins and on the verge of some type of mental collapse over his anguish, hears a child's voice singing, 'Pick it up and read.' Seeing this as a sign from God, he picks up Paul's Epistles and reads the first thing he sees in the book. He reads a passage about the evils of fleshly vice and his conversion is complete.

After this conversion, the rest of the book veers off on a tangent. Augustine examines the concept of time, in great detail, and writes an incredibly dense exegesis on the first parts of the book of Genesis. This section, with the exception of his discourse on time, isn't nearly as interesting as the account of his life and the fundamental changes he goes through as he tries to find the true way to live life. I do suspect that thousands have converted after reading this book because it speaks to every human on a fundamental level. The above description I've given doesn't even begin to cover the amount of information in this book. The Confessions is both beautiful and thought provoking and I would recommend it to anyone.

I do have a word of warning for those who are considering giving this one a shot. Avoid, like the plague, the John Ryan translation. It is wordy, dense, and not at all clear. Read this Penguin version, written by Mr. Pine-Coffin (great name, huh?). It is a clear and concise translation. It's one thing to struggle with ideas in a book, but why should we have to struggle with the syntax? Go forth and read, young man!

I decided to read this book to find out for myself what everybody was talking about, especially from being Catholic. I wanted to read the book that so long ago won over all of the philosophers of the time who considered Christianity to be a simpleton's system of life.
Right from the beginning of this book/autobiography I knew that I had in my hands something special. It is written with such brutal honesty and insight into St. Augustine's soul and mind. He pours himself out and into this work. It was completely refreshing to know that He/they so very long ago were dealing with the same searching the same longings and fascination that we /I do today. It is wondeful to feel the thoughts of St. Augustine who lived most of his life right in the heart of the dieng Roman civilization. This book is deeply spiritual, personal, and filled with a strong message of faith. But it goes beyond being religious or spiritual or preachy all of which it is as wll but it is a masterpiece. It is very thoughtful, personal, and well crafted. It is a great read for anyone whether Catholic, Christian, athiest or any other. It is the story of a man's life told by the very man who lived and experienced it. It tells the story of this time and this place told through the eyes of one who lived in it. I found some of the passages deeply moving. ANd yet other passages I found to be utterly hillarious. So read and enjoy the Spiritual, personal autobiography of one who lived a long time ago. For Christians one who lived closer to the actual life of Christ than to us today. It is clear to see after reading this work how it helped the Catholic Church and Christianity itself take-off with such passion and intellectual backings.

St. Augustine's Confessions is a treasure of Western literature, and, much like the book of Job and the Psalms, really belongs to the heritage of the entire culture and has transcended sectarian importance. That is not to say that these books are not religiously important--of course they are, and the Confessions perhaps even more so to a confessing Christian. Much of what the entire Western church still believes comes straight from the mind and pen of St. Augustine, and to understand his mind one really needs to read the Confessions. Nearly the entire orthodox Catholic tradition of fall-redemption theology sprung full-formed from Augustine's mind, which can be seen in his allegorical interpretaiton of Genesis 1, the section that ends the Confessions and gives them an "unfinished" quality. Augustine was a well-known and revered man when he wrote this book, and rather goes out of his way to depict himself as a youthful deviant to his followers. This is both a heuristic device and what Ausgustine really believes about himself; he is interested in his flock realizing his own fallenness and finitude, and seeing it in themselves as well. A brilliantly modern book for fourth-century fare, it is amenable (at the risk of anachronism)to a multitude of interpretations. Here one can find existential angst, control-dramas, the quest for and the overturning of the ego-self, and an almost pathological study of human guilt (it has been quipped that if the Saint from Hippo had had a good psychotherapist, the Church might have been spared nearly two millennia of sexual dysfunction). Augustine's conversion in the garden reads almost like a kensho experience in Zen. Read the book and draw your own conclusions, but never forget that, as you read, you are sitting at the feet of (and in judgement of) one of the sharpest minds ever produced in Latin Christianity. He writes, "For although I cannot prove to mankind that these my confessions are true, at least I shall be believed by those whose ears are opened to me by love" Book 10.3, and whether or not your ears are open to him in love, they should at least be open. Augustine always has something to say to the careful reader, and no less a careful reader than Derrida lui-même is an inveterate reader and student of Augustine's. Quite a compliment from a reader who certainly does not share Augustine's faith concerns....

This book is not quiet as good as "No One Here Gets Out Alive." But This one shows a later perspective on Jim's life. It's kind of like looking back at the past with rose-colored glasses where everyone sees him for the artist and not just a drunken fool which many people who knew him thought. It is good because Jerry puts Oliver Stones The Doors in perspective and shows that Jim wasn't just this stoned sexual monster. He shows that he had a great sense of humour and wasn't always so angry. Also Hopkins finally presents a logical theory of his death where before he left us in the dark.

Jerry Hopkins espouses many new theories about Jim's drinking and his death. What struck me were the facts brought forth in the book about Pamela.

Pam was a heroin addict. Jim despised heroin. Pam has been quoted as saying she was tired of Jim. She drained Jim Morrison's finances with her boutique. She had numerous affairs until heroin became her true love. She died penniless, a prostitute, guilt ridden and selfishly kept quiet over her role in contributing to the death of the man she "loved." She left him to die in that bathtub in France, knowing he was ill, vomiting from the nose. She chose to sleep instead. She chose to bury the man she loved sans headstone, sans ceremony.

Want to read more? Buy the book.

What I like so much about this book is that Jerry Hopkins shows determination to present as much truth as possible by considering and reconsidering the facts that he uncovered regarding Jim's life. He does this particularly well by presenting his findings and impressions on Jim's family life, Pamela Courson and the circumstances regarding Jim's mysterious death. Hopkins manages to stay clear from idolizing and inscribing Jim with projected fantasies of who he thought Jim was, and stays close to considering the evidence that he acquired from interviews with Jim and Jim's associates, along with other discovered facts.

My overall impression of this book is that it is definitely well researched. Hopkins truly attempts to give Jim a fair representation. He obviously wants to present the facts, but not in a manner that would disparage Jim in any way. Subsequently, Hopkins manages to stay adroitly clear of purulent interest in Jim's private life while managing to be informative. This is refreshing. Hopkins does not appear to be cashing in on Jim's fame, but seems rather totally committed to presenting a well-researched biography of an extraordinary man.

Like Blavatsky and Bailey, twisted scripture, lies and theosophical racism paraded within the modern myth of "spiritual evolution" about sums it up.

Steiner's written authorship was limited to a handful of written works and this one is the most accessible and thought-provoking.

With 1000's of lectures some available in book form (catalogued in German with English editions secondary), Steiner himself pointed out that his written works were intended for a reading audience, whereas the lectures were in the oral tradition, originally not intended for print and largely contextual within the time, place and attendence.

This is a great place to start to learn more about this spiritual Da Vinci. It focuses on his spiritual philosphy with supporting excercises. His Theosophy is transitional in that it bridges his roots in Theosophy with his founding of Anthroposophy. His Philsophy of Freedom is helpful in understanding his development. For Steiner the man, see his Autobiography.

From there the inquirer is encouraged to study his lectures as supplements to his basic books.

I've read a vast assortment of Steiner's books and lecture series, but this book is far and away the best. There's really more information in Outline of Esoteric Science, but it's not nearly as easy to read and incorporate as How to Know Higher Worlds. This book is an invaluable aid in understanding the place of humanity in our universe.