Once again, Robert Rabbin has managed to define the indefinable....to bring understanding to what seems incomprehensible for many of us. His unique and gifted style of turning words into wisdom brings clarity to the silence within us. Echoes of Silence is truly the meditation guidebook for the new Millennium.

These wise poems and aphorisms point to the heart of meditation, beyond (or rather prior to) all technique. Rabbin reminds us that true meditation is simply being the Mystery of who we really are, free from effort and manipulation.

Mr. Rabbin vividly describes the true nature and uncompromising power of the meditative experience in his new book. His eloquent and articulate style of illustrating the true spirit of meditation penetrates to the core of practice, revealing the bare essence of reality.

Wow. The light bulb went on over my head when I read this book. After years of dealing with depression, anxiety and panic attacks, therapy and prozac, I finally "get it". If you recognize yourself in the description in the introduction, I would recommend this book. It described my covertly narcissistic family to a T. Knowing the sources and causes of misconceptions I hold about myself and the world at large have already begun to help me improve my outlook and my relationships.

The Narcissistic Family has been a book of great help and insight to me. Like other reviewers said, the authors are very kind and did not clog up their writing with psychobabble. Now, I finally have an idea of my own upbringing and family. I am from a covertly narcissistic family and many told me about how wonderful my family was when I was growing up. Those people did not know the inside story about what daily life could be life. I have often felt blamed by my family unfairly. Not that I belive I am perfect, but they always seemed to minimize the roles of others in problems/conflicts and maximize mine. If I ever put an emotional demand on them, they often put me down or gave out sterile advice in a rude, condescending way. There was a large lack of communication between my parents and I can remember several instances of verbal abuse between them. Something was not right, but I could not put my finger on it until I found this book
Two techniques that really helped are the "notebook" exercise and the "lavender sapphire." I also have really benefited from the Pressmans' assertiveness model: I feel....I want. Simple, direct and right to the point. This book has really helped me set limits in a positive way as well.
This book is a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it. I recommend it to all who have issues related to family upbringing and in particular to those from covertly narcissistic families so that they may finally be validated and understood.
Once again, such a great find!

Read It! If you come from an emotionally dysfunctional family of any degree, this is the book to read. You will gain insights into why you carry feelings of worthlessness, why intimacy alludes you, why you feel driven . . . You will be given alternative ways to view yourself, to communicate with others, and to experience life. By the end of the book you will have the framework to realize the unique treasure that you truly are.

The book is written (and priced) for professionals, but is very readable and user friendly. I wish I had come across it sooner. It would have saved me agonizing hours spent trying to pigeonhole my family's particular dysfunction(s). the Narcissistic family is the one with the parental system that for what ever reason - job streee, alcoholism, mental illness, sel-centered immaturity - centers around meeting the needs of the adults. It is the family that to some degree or another most of us grew up in. By reading Pressman's book and following the exercises, you can begin to fill the holes whether great or small in your own childhoood experience and begin to enjoy a fulfilling adult life.

In my opinion, the books to date containing the most complicated and outrageous origami models are the following: Kawahata's Dinosaur, Issei's Supercomplex , and this CHAMPION , Lang's Insects. Every model here needs a lot (really a lot) patience and many-year folding experience. Or you MUST fail in folding over half of them. There are lots of unexpected and new technics, every model is in a neatly calculated mathematical proportion and with the exactly right number in every part (eyes, legs, antennas, etc.) In Facing such a book, I completely, deeply, adore the art of origami.

Origami Insects and Their Kin is absolutely my favorite origami book. All but the first model are extremely challenging, and the first one would be given a "complex" rating in any book. I can't stress this enough: if you are bored with the origami books you have because they are too easy, THIS is the book you are looking for. The only downside is that everything else pales in comparison afterwards! The insect models in this book are what one expects of Robert Lang, and then some. They are all beautifully rendered, and amazingly, they're simple enough in design that it's hard to imagine taking any of the details away. The models are so difficult because Lang chooses great subjects, from the exotic-looking Black Pine Sawyer, Samurai Helmet Beetle, and Long-Necked Seed Bug, to the common (but still beautiful) Pill Bug, Dragonfly, and Ant. It's difficult to continue elaborating on Origami Insects and Their Kin, because after several years it still makes my jaw drop, leaving me speechless. This book stands head and shoulders above any other origami book I have seen, for complexity and model quality. If you can't stand insects, perhaps this isn't the book for you. If that's not a problem, then why haven't you already put a good fifty hours into this book?

This book contains some of the most difficult origami models available. Insane folds requiring large, tough paper are the norm - some of the best origamiist in existance find that the models tend to shatter into shreds from the stress on the paper. The resulting models are detailed in the extreme and very beautiful - if you survive the construction!

Ive always loved Conans humor. He is the king of couch humor. A classic comedian. In this book he showcases my favorite, and I think everyone elses too, jokes that he does. IF THEY MATED. Very funny book. Purchase this now.

Conan O'Brien is one of the funniest men alieve and this book proves that!This book evolved from a sketch on the show(one of the best, other than Pimpbot 5000). He and the Late Night Writers are amazing,they come up with so many diffrent sketches that its not even funny. If you have ever wondered what celebrities babies looked like this book is a must have.
HAIL CONAN!

heart,
ivy the barbarian

Conan O'Brien's brilliant writers, Andy and himself put together this original work a couple years ago and it makes me laugh every time I grace my eyes with its bible-like paper (although the pictures, which are in black in white, would look better if they had been left in their original colour glory).

A book I'd recommend to everyone. Robert Weinberg is obviously on the shortlist for a medicine Nobel, and with the acknowledged help of his US editor has produced a wonderfully lucid, exciting book about how science discovered what cancer is and how it works. The link to evolution and Darwinism (at the gene level) is perhaps surprising. but utterly crucial.

This is a *fabulous* time to be alive, if you're intelligent and enthralled by knowledge!

No prior knowledge of cell biology or genetics is required. I have gained an appreciation for the complexity of cancer research thanks to the book. I highly recommend it. You also learn a fair amount of the history of the development of cancer research. And don't think you need to read through hundreds of introductory pages to accomplish this. The book is under 200 pages.

Once again: What I found great about the book is it explains very clearly the current thories on how cancer starts and spreads without requiring any prior knowledge in the field.

For the scientifically oriented who are interested in the details, it has a big reference and endnote section. 5 stars for sure.

As a scientist, I am familiar with most of the discoveries in cancer research discussed in the book. Weinberg nicely ties them together and explains how one exciting discovery in cancer research led to another. This is an excellent overview of what has been discovered about cancer and what is not known. Weinberg points out that many of the discoveries were from areas of research not directly related to cancer. This book should help the nonscientist understand the complexities of research and why so much time and resources have been required to uncover the mechanisms of cancer. I also highly recommend this book to students at all levels that are interested in any type of research.

For a first book, Dancing Naked is excellent. In fact, I'd say it would be excellent for a 2nd, 3rd or 4th too.

This story is about a father's difficultly in accepting his son and his son's differences (whether those are the son's homosexuality or even just his 'sensitivity') and ultimately dealing with the poignant results of that rejection. The father's desire for a ordered world is never found.

I loved this book, to put it simply. As a gay Mormon born outside of Utah but having lived there for 5 years, the characters, who are very well developed, rang true. Only one did not seem particularly "Mormon" to me, Terry's father (the father of the main character). I've met many a homophobic Mormon men in my 20 years as a Mormon, but none seem to fit this character. A small point.

Yet, this book is more than just a book about Mormons and homosexuality, like any good literature it is about something universal, set in a very specific situation, of Mormon Utah. It is about parenthood and the struggle to accept our children when they 'disorder' our world.

I agree with an earlier assessment, it is rough in parts, mainly the flashbacks are a bit heavy at times, but overall the writing is excellent, the story enthralling and the characters well written.

I really hope this book gains a wide readership.

Trey

P.S. As to the one review with a "Brodie" recommendation, seems like the reviewer has an ulterior motive in the review. The book does portray Mormons quite well and relatively balanced (but it can never be a broad portrayal, it was not meant to be at all, the reviewer missed the point of fiction).

"Robert Hodgson Van Wagoner has written the first great Mormon novel," according to Martin Naparsteck in the Salt Lake Tribune. Tracing the life and problems of Terry Walker, a mathematics professor at the University of Utah, Dancing Naked is "about the way love manifests itself and how it can turn on us and be our enemy when we don't understand ourselves. It is also about secrecy and distrust and what they do to relationships," said the author, Van Wagoner. The main character's son dies early in the novel by accidental(?) hanging in the family bathroom, the first instance of "dancing naked" in the book. His son's revealed homosexuality, causes Walker to struggle with the results of his own religious upbringing at the hands of his father, a violently homophobic Mormon. Paul Swenson, in the Salt Lake Observor, declared the book to be a "love story, with moments of peace and hilarity, but ... also dense and painful." The appeal of the book extends beyond those in Utah or with Utah or Mormon ties. Anyone with a gay friend or family member will find resonant chords here. And, as with all fine literature, the wordcraft and the insight into human nature speaks to us all

I have been looking for a book about the Mormon culture that would be interesting to non-Mormons. I think that the Mormon culture is fascinating in its idiosyncrasies, and I have been excited for a long time at the prospect of someone writing a book about its idiosyncrasies.

Most Mormon literature that I have read is very preachy in nature. The climaxes have been that the protagonist realizes that the Mormonism is for him or her, and the main struggle has been about whether or not Mormonism is true. While this can be a good subject, it is entirely overused in Mormon fiction.

This book is different. It is a book about the complex relations between Terry-the disturbed mathematics professor, Blake-his gay son, and Terry Sr.-his homophobic ultra-religious father. That is why I say that it defines a new genre, because it is a well-written book about relationships inside of a Mormon culture, not about a book about Mormonism.

He has a very good vocabulary, and is very good for a first time novelist.

The following paragraph of criticisms made a very minor impact for my appreciation of this well-written book:

If you don't like flashbacks in books, then this book is not for you. The book is mostly a series of flashbacks. It contains flashbacks within flashbacks, and contains an every-other-paragraph-is-a-flashback scene. Also, the narrator uses words and phrases that are unique to the Mormon culture such as "beseechingly," "murmurous," and "bear testimony to this truth." The use of these phrases is not extreme, but may make this book a little hard for a non-Mormon to read. And even though the characters in the book that are gay are very complex, the discussion of the nature of homosexuality is relatively simplistic.

Also, if you are offended by swear words or by frank discussions about homosexuality and stories of a sensual nature, then you will be offended by this book.

Everything you always wanted to know about bad behavior -but were too afraid to ask (or didn't know where to find it). Well, here it is! Spent all weekend reading Parish's lively tome about the Silver Screen's most famous rogues - from scoundrels to rascals - & truly, couldn't put the book down. In just under 300 fascinating pages, found out WHO did WHAT to WHOM. What's more, the author tells you HOW and WHY. A phenomenally fun read, and highly recommended.

Hollywood has a long history of bad boys as this fascinating book shows. Bad behavior is as old as Hollywood,but this book is not a simple recap of tabloid stories. It gives an interesting background to the actors' careers, their missteps, and the consequences of their bad behavior. It can also serve as a cautionary book. So much of the bad behavior is a result of booze and/or drugs and in many cases derailed or destroyed very promising careers. I would definitely recommend this book.

I didn't know about you, but I thought Warren Beatty had a relationship with Natalie Wood. Not true, writes Jim Parish in his wonderfully entertaining Hollywood Bad Boys, Loud, Fast, and Out of Control. Author of dozens of books on Hollywood, Parish has a well-honed sense for the perfect anecdote to enliven his short bios of the Bad Boys. His list includes some obvious choices, Charlie Sheen, James Dean, Johnny Depp, and some suprises, such as Bing Crosby. If you want your dirt dished with clean and clear prose, I strongly recommend this book. Prepare to go from beginning to end without a break.

These three in one novels featuring the 2 brothers and sister of the Royal Cordina family are examples of Nora Roberts at her romantic best. Unlike many reprints of older works, these books read well for the present and don't seem dated by annoyingly passive and helpless heroines. The characters are interesting and nicely done; the plots have lots of palace intrigue; the romance is fun; and there is the added bonus of enjoying the same lovable characters as they develop in the three stories. A fast and fun read.

I had previously read all of the Cordina triliogy some years ago when I rented them from the library as part of Nora Robert's Language of Love series. I never bought them though, so I was escatic when they were rereleased in one trilogy. My favorite story is The Playboy Prince. I love the characters of Bennet and Hannah. Command Performance is also a great read. The only story I wasn't so fond of was the rirst one, starring Garbriella and Reeve, Affaire Royale. But, like all of Roberts stories, the characters and plot are wonderful, and she does a good job (in my opinion) of portraying what royal life would really be like. If you are a fan of Nora Roberts you are going to love these stories, and even if you aren't a fan, this trilogy will still amaze you.

I was so excited to finally read this trilogy. I had been unable to get my hands on any of the individual stories for ... and was waiting excitedly for this re-release. Thankfully, it was completely worth the wait. Three great stories, three terrific Bissett royal sibs, three heart-melting romances, one terrible villain, and plenty of suspense. I especially liked the third story which was somewhat reminiscent of my favorite show, ALIAS. Also, I really enjoy these earlier Nora Roberts which don't have quite the horror/creepy edge of her current releases. All in all, this a super-duper page-turner that you won't be able to put down. Nora Roberts at her finest!!! Go Nora!!

My husband lost his father a few years before we got together, but in reading this book, I think I was able to understand better much of what he went through and what forces have made him the man he is today. I'm the author of "Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads" (Wiley) and I was struck by Chethik's handling of an (obviously) related topic -- particularly by the similarities and differences he uncovered in men's experiences as opposed to women's. All of this, by the way, comes in a lovely, readable book -- making it useful for those of us who live with fatherless men, as well as for the men themselves.

First, I am pleased to see the 5-star reviews dominating the customer reviews. I finished reading FatherLoss about three weeks ago, but I had to wait to write this review because something was going on as a result. Since reading FatherLoss, I have had talks with my wife and my mother and sister that I never thought I could have. And my brother, who I never talked to about such things, opened up to me for the first time in 36 years. We lost my father suddenly in 1965 -- at a very young age for all of us. I truly wish now that I had this book back then, even at a young age. How helpful it would have been for my mother, to give her guidance, to read to us for reassurance and understanding of our emotions. So many things I thought were wrong about me turned out to be "normal." Thank Mr. Chethik for making his book available now. For all persons who have suffered loss, or who know somebody who has -- get this book; get it for a friend, a spouse, any relative. All aspects, all ages, all problems, all relationships can be found in FatherLoss as it relates to a son's loss of his father and all consequences for all persons associated with the suffering son. It is for women in love with such sons, for their sisters and mothers -- and for the son himself. I have seen Mr. Chethik present a reading and discussion at the Unitarian Church of Evanston. Beyond the hard work and thoughtfulness of his book, Neil Chethik is a kind man. For all he has done for me because of the words in the pages of his book, and for countless others, we should all thank him, and wish him great success -- I have no doubt, Mr. Chethik, that your son looks at you and thinks, "My father -- he's MY father." Thank you and congratulations.

I am one of the four per cent of American sons who have experienced the death of their fathers before the age of eighteen. More than any other occurence in my life, that single event informs me of who I am, what I represent and how I hope to live my life. My bereavement has now lasted some forty years, and, at times, my grief is so freshly-minted it is as if Joe, my father, died just yesterday. Despite the enormous love I held for him, despite the knowledge that he reciprocated that love, I am still in mourning. As an adult and the father of two extraordinary sons myself, I yearn for a sense of peace, for a farewell to Joe, so that I may live the remainder of my life not suffused with the pain of loss.

A friend who has experienced torment over fatherloss encouraged me to read Neil Chethik's "Fatherloss." Knowing the depth of my despair, my friend sensed that reading "Fatherloss" could become a transforming experience. It was.

"Fatherloss" is a detailed study of the impact of a father's death on sons. It comforts, illuminates and instructs. Chethik interweaves anecdotal responses of bereaved sons with his own life-affirming observations and commentaries. His volume gently tears down walls of silence and suffering; it is not only profoundly moving, it is liberating in the understandings it presents to its readers. As Chethik maps the differing responses of sons to father death through the variables of age, prior relationship and impact, he sheds light on the dilemmas and pain sons face as they attempt to mourn, assess loss and rejoin the living.

I now realize that I am far from alone in my reaction to my father's death. Like many sons whose fathers' premature death shattered their lives, I never said goodbye to Joe. Never told him how much I loved him. Never gave him a final kiss. Never thanked him. And the resultant guilt and false sense of responsibility for his death caused my adolescence to be a period of unceasing loneliness and emotional isolation. I disintegrated, despite the outward appearance of success and attainment.

Chethik postulates that instead of words and tears (traditionally associated with female mourning practices), men often act. We make or create legacies. My headlong descent into a life of achievement and altruistic service, my feelings of never quite being able to live up to Joe's gigantic presence, my rejection of praise and any other compliment that would permit me to feel good about my life -- all these behaviors, in Chethik's wise hands, make sense and fit into a larger mosaic of how men respond to loss.

Not every page of "Fatherloss" will be crucial to every reader; after all, it was difficult for me to identify with sons who had no relationship with their father or sixty-year-olds who had ample time to prepare for the demise of their father. Thus, some passages of this volume may appear to border on the irrelevant to a number of readers. Yet, "Fatherloss" provides solace, guidance and hope as nothing else I have read in my life has. There are paragraphs in this remarkable volume which will graft themselves on sons' hearts, where their impact will engender a sense of hope, a sanctification of memory and a capacity to relinquish grief. The sheer principled beauty of "Fatherloss" is its affirmation of life through the passageway of grief.

There are three things you should be aware of when buying this book:

First, if you have less than one year of folding experience, hands off! Rather try out some of the less complex origami books out there, e.g. "Origami from Angelfish to Zen" by Peter Engel.

Second, ordinary origami paper as you can buy it in craft stores won't get you very far here. For several models in this book, standard paper is simply to small in size for the elaborate folds. Rather go for florist's paper or tissue foil (my personal favorite).

Third, this book contains SOME OF THE VERY BEST ANIMAL FOLDS out there! The Praying Mantis, of course, which is improved a lot over Lang's first Mantis that is published in the internet. But there are a lot of other great folds in here, e.g. a very realistically looking Bear, a Rabbit, several nice color-contrast explorations like the Panda and the Skunk and one of the best crabs out there.

A must-have for any serious folder!

This book contains dozens of origami animals, ranging from med to highly-complex. At first we may doubt this is just another routine four-leg animals. However, two authors give us models unexpectedly various, and most of the figurations are wonderful. We have some of the most beauitful modeling here: A crab, a eagle in full-spread wing(with the feathers!), A dog in the doghouse(single paper), A very vivid rabbit. And the folding steps are full of wonder. The only disadvantage in this book is that for a new folder the diagrams are very neat and succinct, usually Several steps combined in one diagram. But this deserves since this book contains so many models and they are arranged by level of difficulty. This is a must for any origami fan.

Even though the final models are *extremely* complex, the book begins with very interesting texts about origami origins, evolution and approaches to creation; and the models go in progression from the very simplest ones. So actually this is an excellent "transition" book - if you have some experience with origami and have the ambition to try more complex stuff, there cannot be a better book than this one to guide you. The diagrams are crystal clear, and so are the indications. I got this book when I was 11 (I'm 24 now), and it is still every bit as amazing an enjoyable as back then!!