Capeks understanding of human stupidity and the evils that follow it is unmatched in my opinion. Yet the tone in his work is overwelmingly charming and outrageously funny. He is also my favorite writer,and in The war with the newts his genius is evident on every page.He tells the story in a highly entertaining way.Instead of having one or two main Characters hapek jumps between all kinds of different people from the most variyng walks of life, and through the the mirror of their experiences the reader sees the reflected Grand Worldspanning plot. A wonderfull book. Read it. It makes you feel good.

I randomly found this book on Amazon one day, and decided I had to have it. When it arrived, however, I found myself slightly taken aback by the endless stream of footnotes throughout the book - not to mention the sections in another language altogether! And yet from the first page I was hooked - simply from a plot point of view, the story is engrossing all the way through. I found myself mysteriously endeared to the newts and dying to read each section. Capek is a brilliant writer - I find it hard to believe in many parts that it is a translated work. It's incredibly funny in parts and can definitely be very tongue-in-cheek. Capek also holds nothing back when it comes to mocking mankind - as a former scientist, I found his depiction of scientists particularly amusing, but he really lets out an endless stream of satire with no group spared. Germans, lawyers, the British, Hollywood, Big Business, capitalists - they all take a turn. I think if I knew more about world events in the 1930s I would have gotten more out of the book, but I think anyone with a good sense of humor would enjoy this book. Parts of it are written with a very academic tone, but it's quick moving and satirical enough to read through.

In a remarkably funny and thought-provoking book, Karel Capek portrays the 20th century in all its monstrosity. He cleverly demasks militarism, racism, and cut-throat capitalism with a story about man-like newts who are exploited by greedy and power-hungry humans. More than anything, Capek's book is an attack on modern culture's emphasis on science and technology to the detriment of humanity and civilization. This culture includes nationalist ideology, which is useful in excusing atrocities and excesses. As a result, the future of mankind itself is threatened (World War II, needless to say, proved Capek's point).

The newts, discovered far away in the Dutch East Indies by an eccentric captain, are spread around the world with funds from a wealthy industrialist syndicate. They learn how to use tools, even how to speak, and soon they are used not only for commercial but also for military purposes. Afraid to fall behind in the underwater arms race, leaders ignore the possibility that the newts one day might rise up against their masters...

Although Capek is addressing difficult and serious questions, his writing is amusing to the point of hilarity. The style of writing is mock-serious and satirical. Here is a writer who knows people, and has the ability to bring out the comedy within the great human tragedy. I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor and a concern for the future of civilization.

This book is a good example of the value one gets from skimmimg through a book before purchasing it. Had I done that, I never would have bought this book. Having tossed away the shipping box, I'm now too lazy to try to return this book. The funny part is I read the prior reviews on this book. I can't believe we're talking about the same book.

I first learned of this book through a friend who participates in a local BNI group. Like most prudent businessowners, I already recognized the low cost and high return that referrals bring to a business. Upon hearing of this title, I thought this book would give me what I was looking for -- a plethora of proven techniques that I could apply to my business and start building my referral network. Much like Machevelli's The Prince was a useful handbook for leadership (in its day), I need a handbook for 10-15 ways I can generate more referral business. Sadly, I found the book dedicated too much of its content justifying and proving by example the importance of referrals as a key marketing strategy. I'm already sold, that's why I bought this book!

I'm not entirely disappointed. I got two ideas out of this book, and will certainly earn back my investment many times over with just one sale. My disappointment stems from the realization that what I got from this purchase fell far short from my expectation. It turned into a extremely quick read. The idea I culled from this book could have very easily been fromatted into a $2.95 self-help book found at the local Krogers grocery store, thereby affording me a little extra on the dinner table that week.

I'm still searching for a good handbook on numerous techniques for generating more referrals. There has to be one out there.

Dr. Misner does a very good job communicating the technique, philosophy and mindset of growing your business through referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. From Chambers of Commerce & community networking, to building long-lasting, trusting relationships, this book book reads like the bible of referral marketing! It is definitely a REQUIRED READING for all of our sales professionals as well as employees. By reading this book, everyone in our organization has learned the skill & mind-set for 'listening for referrals.' --HIGHLY RECOMMENDED--

Jeremy M. Allen CEO, OnSite Computer Services

The information in this book is essential to everyone if you want to 'grow' your business! All to often business professionals take 'Referrals' for granted and while they realize they are the best form of business, they don't know how to increase the referrals they receive. W-O-M Marketing is no secret, but how to perfect it is available in this remarkable book. The 'Devine Guidance' offered by the co-author is extremely easy to read and understand. If you are in business and don't own this book, if for nothing else than to hone your skills, you will never attain the highest level of referral business that you could. Congratulations, a book on building you business whether it's big or small! 'Hallelujah'

Descriptive and very helpful, a little dry reading but still very helpful.

The book was very informative, but I wouldn't suggest that a person without a strong working knowledge of training dogs reads this book untill they become more familar with dog training and the sport of Schutzhund.

Ivan's and Karen's book was extremely helpful and is a must have. It gives you some problem solving techniques and advices you how to approach most common problems. I especially liked the suggestions on overcoming distraction issues. The different methods described really teach you how to think like the animal, and use it's innate abilities to your advantage. In the end you get a wonderful, obedient world competitor that is happy to do everything you ask.

Given the other reviews, this seems a dissenting opinion, but Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" was a pretty laborious read. I read the entire book out loud to an audience and found myself wishing it would come to an end.

All apologies to those who liked this book. I respect that, but the problem for me came in the amount of endless introspection that overflows the pages of "The Golden Pavilion." I don't mind some philosophical pandering in my literature and thoroughly enjoy it when it's done with the uniqueness of Don DeLillo or Milan Kundera. But here, Mishima takes whatever plot is involved in this tale of a temple student gone awry in the face of foreign influence, loss of values, poverty, and psychosis and sucks the life blood right out the marrow of it. This leaves the book with no skeletal structure, no bones, just a big lethargic mushy mass of meandering thoughts and not even well-worded or unique ones at that.

Here's what I mean, we get no less than 5 pages of a bee landing on a Chrysanthemum...somebody help me please. We get laboriously repetitive words (not sure if that's the translators fault or Mishima's) with a mention of the character's Kashiwagi's clubfoot about every other sentence. We get 7 counts of the use of the word, "adumbration" in one paragraph...7 mind you. Who uses the word "adumbration", much less 7 times in a paragraph, 3 in one sentence? Don't get me started.

Not a detail goes by without Mishima turning it over in the character's mind endlessly until we are no longer remotely interested. It's your typical boy loves temple, temple is too beautiful, boy must destroy temple sort of story. And where the plot starts moving along towards the end, Mishima interjects some inane meandering ethereal philosophy that seems to lead nowhere, just to kill the momentum.

On page 255 there's the line, "I was overcome by intense weariness." So true, so true. That's how this book grabbed me through and through.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is a book that stayed with me since I first read it, and in particular certain lines by Mizoguchi and Kashiwagi, two of the principal characters, are often so perfect in describing the events of life that I am again filled with admiration for Mishima's incredible philospohical and literary skills. The thing about Mishima, though, is that his protagonist will almost invariably be a young, introspective male - of course, this is a mirror image of Mishima himelf. I am reading "Confessions of a Mask", his "coming-out" autobiography right now, and it brought me back to thinking about the "Temple"; "Confessions" was one of his earliest books and it certainly set the stage for a work like "Temple" to come. It's clear from the autobiography that the themes of beauty (in particular masculine beauty), death, and war are Mishima's obsessions. Of the four Mishima novels i've read (Sound of Waves, Thirst for Love, Spring Snow, and the TOFTGP), some of these themes are always present. In every novel, too, he is using a different approach to them; in the Golden Temple, there is a heightened awareness of sprirituality and beauty of divine origin, i.e. the Golden Temple itself, the object of the acolyte Mizoguchi's obsession, which progressively takes over his life. ("Did I possess the Golden Temple, or was I possessed by it?")
It is hard to imagine Mishima's characters - like the stuttering teenage acolyte Mizoguchi of The Temple, with his keen aestheticism or his crippled friend Kashiwagi with his brilliant philospophical insights - in real life, whether it be Japan or any other country. Mishima's works, even his autobiography, are all surreal in nature. The "Temple" very effectively built up such an aura around the actual Golden Templein Kyoto that when I later saw a picture of it (it has been rebuilt since its destruction described in the book) I was very disappointed by its real image. It is certainly a beautiful building, but to me is not mysterious or hypnotic like it is to Mizoguchi. It is not alive, and certainly doesn't look like it can manipulate the hearts and minds of people, as it did with Mizoguchi. In general, Mishima's works, as was he - seem otherworldly. If this appeals to you, then his books, and this one in particular, will be unforgettable. Mishima's gift for beautiful, descriptive prose and powerful analogies shines through Ivan Morris's excellent translation. If you have never read a Mishima book, and are looking forward to a hypnotic/intellectual journey, "The Temple" is a great book to start with.
Also, the Everyman's Libraby edition is very good, with historical notes, an introduction by Donald Keene, thick paper and a built-in bookmark. Get it over the others.

Having only read Mishima's Sound of Waves prior to this, I was pleased to find the same beautiful writing with an edgier subject matter...I found this book particularly notable. The first person narrative (by Mizoguchi, in the novel) provides contrast, in that most people will note the logical fallacies in the narrators thinking and conclusions - and yet we are given those fallacies as fact, as Mizoguchi takes them to be fact. This results in a startling perspective, given without moral censure, which in itself is very interesting. There is never a time when Mishima implies that anything Mizoguchi does is "wrong", something which is done in most books by western authors. All conclusions on right and wrong are left to the reader, which is refreshing in a time and a country where right and wrong are increasingly dictated by outside authorities. This freedom is handled very deftly, although some people may find it disturbing. The last point I like about this book is that, while it is based around a Buddhist temple and many of the characters are from within that world, the religion is never preached - instead, it is more of a background, something taken for fact because of where the novel is set and who it is about. All in all, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is a remarkable book, and I recommend it strongly to anyone who considers reading it.

In a technical sense, this is not a great book. The plot is not really anything new, the book is full of cliches and the dialog is sometimes extremely stilted. The characters often say things that seem utterly contrived, sentences put there just to fill space and the descriptive passages are sometimes less than stellar. At one point, the hero beheads a bad guy and we are treated to this thrilling description: "Pop. Splish." The love story is transparent and predictable, the action is pretty standard Bruce Willis/Ah-nold/Dolf stuff and the book has a thousand little flaws that make it seem amateurish at times.

Now, ready for the weird part? I couldn't put this book down.

I read this book last night in one sitting. The first thirty pages or so are slow, but after that I was hooked. The pace of the book is just right, with the plot development, action and love aspects meshing pretty well. While the story is not all that original, it is told well and with an enjoyable tempo. For every bad thing I mentioned above, there is something about the book to balance it out and, on the whole, the good outweighs the bad.

One of the major checks in the plus column for this book is the introduction of an extremely likeable character (Nis) from an extremely likeable race of aliens. The Fuzzies are sort of an intergalactic everyman. Intelligent, kind, friendly and eager but stopped short of their full potential by forces outside their control. They do their best from day to day but there is always that invisible something holding them back. This is definitely a group of creatures that a lot of us can identify with. I found myself liking and caring about Nis more than I have any book character in quite some time.

The evil aliens in this book are also quite impressive. Powerful, driven and remorseless. An intelligent, technologically-advanced race with only one thing on their mind: conquest. They share (a few too many) characteristics with the Borg of Star Trek fame, but they stand up well on their own merits.

One thing I would like to have seen is a lot more exploration of both alien races. They are introduced and set up very well. We learn enough to really become interested in their motivations and personalities but then they are sort of left out to dry. It's almost as if the author said, "OK, I have created interesting, provocative characters that people will care about but I don't feel like spending any more time on them." After the initial introductions, they become mere plot pieces. The Fuzzies are, however, fleshed out better than the Regnant.

OK, this is a lot more wordy than I intended to be. Let's just say that if you are looking for high literature, this isn't it. If you are looking for a well-paced action/thriller with some good characters, go ahead and read The Eyes of Light and Darkness.

SpaceAce

This book is an excellent representation of two species, one human, one alien. The plot, with its continual twists and turns and revelations of the alien culture, with some insights into humans as a species, kept me guessing. I am an inveterate end-of-the-book reader, and was delighted when, not only could I not figure out the plot, but the ending itself was tantalizing enough to draw me forward. This is not a typical space opera; there are few shades of black and white, mainly gray. The interaction between the the main human and alien characters is fascinating, and sometimes tragic (I think - I'm still trying to get a handle on the ending). There are a few stereotype characters, but they are usually minor characters who impinge little on the story. The engine driving the plot are intriguing and sometimes thought-provoking. Early in the book, I was afraid I might have a plot somewhat like the movie "Alien" but was relieved to find it was not so. I continue to ponder the ending and plan on re-reading it to find the many parts I am sure I missed. I look forward to their next book.

After receiving the book from Amazon, I found myself well engrossed in it and read the first 17 chapters the first day. It took a little over a week before I could get back to it, but found the plot, action and character emotions easy enough to get back into again as though I hadn't put it down at all. I highly recommend this book for any lover of science fiction, adventure and/or combat stories. When the first of Ivan's "mazes" come up, I thought that he was falling into the standard trap of many adventure writers by padding the action with nearly impossible mazes to add excitement and confusion. However, I soon realized that the innards of the sleeper ship and space station were deliberately written as they were to give the reader the EXACT same sense of fear, loss, confusion and solution as the characters. My problem with being able to envision the layout and structure of the ships was INTENDED to put me in the same frame of mind as the characters. I still have difficulty envisioning the malevolent aliens except as horrible looking critters that only Computer Generated Graphics with a good Morph program would be able to create if a movie was made of the book. That thought led to a clue as to where the author probably got the idea of one of his mazes. I think the Botanical Garden on the station was borrowed from an old computer game I played on an Apple II plus back in the early 80's. Even if it wasn't, it made me feel sort of at home and gave an excellent contrast to the steel and rock passageways and compartments of the rest of the station. A very nicely done touch, indeed. I was also pleased that the author knows something about firearms. Many other authors do not take time to research some of the tools and weapons they use in their stories and gross errors spoil it for the reader. Now, if I were collaberating with Ivan on this matter, I would have picked different calibers for his weapons than he did. But the difference would have been insignificant to the non-firearm oriented person. Ivan's selections and potential uses were very well done though such guns do not exist, YET. His vision of future possible development is well within feasible engineering limits. But then, that would just be a personal choice on my part. Possible only because I am not a "Fuzzie". Richard A. Landgraff

Leo Tolstoy is brilliant at expressing and delving to the core of human emotions, his insight into both males and females emotions is exceptional. The different stages of love and the beauty of death. Written in the 1800's and still prevalent today.

I found the stories to linger too long on emotions as the pace grew slower and slower, almost to an irritating halt.

An interesting read, although for the reader with a bit of patience.

This story begins with the death of Ivan Ilych, a well-respected member of the Court of Justice in the late 1800s. The story follows this event by going into flashback, and exposing the significant events that lead up to his death. Ivan Ilych's unsatisfying life primarily consisted of drowning himself into his work, putting up with married life, hosting social dinners, and playing bridge with his friends and colleagues. One of the most crucial events pertains to Ivan Ilych being diagnosed with an illness. This forces him to analyze his way lof living. I really appreciated this specific short story, because it expressed how much a society's views and beliefs can effect an individual's way of life. I highly reccommend this book to everyone.

This is my first Tolstoy book. Excellent, breathtaking, and strinkingly similiar to some people. I read this book as a final assignment in my Medical Ethics class-the reading is short but full of mind tickling content. If you brain is hungry, read this. I now look forward to other Tolstoy greats.

Oblomov, the main character of Ivan Goncharov's novel, is widely regarded as one of the finest literary examples of the backward-looking landed gentry of mid-nineteenth century Russia. His name has even entered the Russian language in the term "oblomovshchina", meaning backwardness, inertia. The unheroic hero Oblomov is also a very fine literary creation of a fully-fledged human being. He is a melancholy idealist, a dreamer whose temperament is such that he never begins to put his dreams into action. His tragedy is that he weighs the possible obstacles to his endeavors for such a long time that, finally, he never even starts to act.

Ivan Goncharov is at his best when he describes the mental processes of Oblomov that lead to his bumbling life. There is no better description of how the mind of a pessimistic person manipulates the perception of reality than in this book.

"The Saint of Sloth" is the title of a review written by the critic V.S. Pritchett for the New York Review of Books. It captures nicely the two main aspects of Oblomov's character. On the one hand, Oblomov is lazy, irresponsible, pessimistic, paralyzed, complacent, slothful; but on the other hand he is idealistic, true to himself, honest, child-like, innocent, saintly. He is ultimately a lovable human being. He does not lack wisdom, he lacks resolve.

As can be expected, Goncharov's book is not an action-packed thriller. On the first 50 or so pages, Oblomov barely manages to get out of his bed. A patient reader who keeps reading, however, is rewarded with a wonderfully realistic love story (including all the ups and downs), and many wise comments by the bachelor Goncharov on life, love, passion, duty and marriage.

Tolstoy hailed Oblomov as a sublime work. Dostoevsky panned it as the work of a charlatan. Goncharov created one of the most intriguing characters in Russian literature. You might say Oblomov is the ultimate nihilist, but he doesn't know it. This is a man who has never grown up, until one day he meets a fine Russian beauty, and attempts to direct his life for the first time. The opening part of this book is first rate. Goncharov sets up his characters beautifully. "Oblomov's dream" is one of the finest pieces in Russian literature. But, like Oblomov himself, this book doesn't hold up well over the long haul. Goncharov's literary powers begin to diminish and the story becomes more diffuse without really illucidating the reader as to the lack of motivation in the character.

Fortunately, Oblomov is not without humor. The amusing relation between the protaganist and his manservant, Zahar, can be side-splitting at times. It is also quite poignant. As much as Oblomov seems to loathe his manservant, he can't bear to be without him. Zahar is the only link Oblomov has left to the family estate.

Oblomov does not stack up to the greats in Russian literature, but it is worthy of the second tier. However, it has been a book that has influenced later generations of writers, including Samuel Beckett, and has been made into a feature length movie by Nikita Mikhalkov.

What a fascinating novel. It's not totally unrelated to today's world, as it seems at a first glance... And there are so many connections between the author's life and the character of the story! It makes it even more interesting.

After reading The Pillow Book for a school assignment, I realized that I'd thoroughly enjoyed it. At first I thought, "What a pain in the butt! I have to read this boring thing." But as I got deeper and deeper into the book it enthralled me more and more. You can experience early Japanese culture at its best. I would reccommend this book to anyone who wants a taste of Japanese culture. I found it a little hard to read, but then I am only a ninth grader. This is a wonderful reading experience, and I admire Ivan Morris' excellence with translation of the Japanese language.

I have just completed a reading of Ivan Morris' translation of the Sei Shonagon Pillow Book and I cannot reccoment it enough. What is striking about the literature of Heian era Japan is not only that the great majority of it was produced by brilliant women, but that the parallels between the ancient human condition and that of the modern are amazing. Reading about the joys and annoyances in the life the brilliant and quick witted Sei Shonagon are comfortingly familiar. In comparison to other literature of the time it is also an extremely candid look at a fascinating civilization. What sets Shonagon apart from her contermporaries is her ability to express uncensored opinions that are both hillarious, beautiful, and heartbreaking. She does not show the aversion to boldness that some of her (though equally brilliant) sisters of the ancient courts demonstrate. All the writing of this era is fascinating and becoming unfortunately harder to find (eg - the out of print status of the beautiful Izumi Shikibu Diary - Nikki) If anything, purchase this book to keep the brilliant voices of women past alive in our hearts, minds and presses today!

I took a Japanese literature/philosophy course as a supplement to my three semesters of Japanese language. I had to read excerpts from the Pillow Book, which prompted me to buy and read the entire thing. I love her writing. Some may find it hard to follow, but what I loved about it- and what most of all I could relate to- was the fact that Shonagon wrote on any topic that seemed important at the time. Or unimportant. That was what made me want to keep reading. She wasn't writing a story, she was making fun of different daily events or writing about her day or commenting on the things that came to mind that she found silly. That's what makes it one of the most interesting journals to read. It's never boring. Or, if it is, you can skip to the next entry. One thing though... the translations. I've read a couple different translations. The language is beautiful. Being a student of Japanese, I know that there are many multi-purpose words and that the language is very simplistic. It's hard to convey in Japanese, what the translators convey to us in English. But all translators are very skilled in history and the use of words, so they know what they're doing. for the most part. To an ancient Japanese person, a simple description might have sounded as wonderful as an elaborate one sounds to us. So that may be their reasoning. In any event, this is a perfect book to read on the subway, train, or before bed...

I had to start this book four times, but once I did I couldn't put it down. Doig has a very unique style of writing, this novel being one in the first person. Angus and Rob are two characters the reader feels for; the novel does a wonderful job of engaging us in their lives. For Montana history and landscape, this book cannot be beat; Doig's descriptions of the land makes one feel like they are standing there at the time. This is a very beautiful historical account of a much-forgotten piece of American history.

Chronologically the first in his Montana trilogy, "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" makes even flatlanders homesick for the Big Sky Country. Doig puts words together in such a manner that they make complete, correct English sentences. This alone makes the book unusual in modern-day fiction. Then, he grabs your attention with a spellbinding story that has all of the elements that make you want to begin reading and never stop. His beloved Montana comes to life such that you can hear the constant wind, feel the biting cold, taste the dust of the dry years, smell the sheep pens at shearing time, and see the vast expanses of prarie fading into the impossibly rugged mountains. This book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. Even long after my last reading of it, I am still moved by the passion and power of the story. It is certainly among the best fiction I have read.

"Rascal Fair" narrates the story of two Scottish immigrants, their friends, and their families in the demanding Montana foothills around the turn of the last century. Doig is technically masterful and each page was a delight -- I wound up underlining and making marginal notes (things I rarely do in a book read for pleasure). He gives us an almost first-hand impression of the stark Montana winters and the renewal of spring, the small but intense triumphs of the ranchers, the poignancy as good old friends succumb to age and poor fortune, and so forth.

Doig's major triumph, though, is relating Angus McCaskill's pursuit of "the love of his life," Anna Ramsay. Doig skillfully describes the personal and social destructiveness caused by blindly (and greedily) pursuing one's selfish perceptions and dreams while ignoring (and losing) the far more beautiful gifts which grace our lives. I wished I could have jumped into the pages and shaken some sense into him, but I eventually realized this is how we, too, frequently order our lives.

I first read this book ten years ago, and it still seems like a story told by a dear and respected friend or mentor.

This is a very good coming of age novel - historical novel. Set in rural Montana on the eve of World War II, English Creek describes the summer experiences of an intelligent 15 year old. Written by a Montana native who has done a good deal of historical research, English Creek is not only a Bildungsroman but also a detailed portrait of life in rural Montana. Told with humor and considerable insight, English Creek is a sweet but not saccharine book about a more innocent but not necessarily easier time.

English Creek will linger in your memory. Its story of 14 year old Jick McCaskill is by far the best of Ivan Doig's Montana books. He probes Jick's coming of age, his relations with his family (not a dysfunctional one either), and culminates in Jick's assumption of responsibility fighting a massive forest fire. A lyrically written, memorable book.

Doig's characters are just incredible. His sense of humor is immense. His description of the depression years in Montana is fascinating. And of course, the landscapes inspired by his acquaintance with the countryside depicted in ENGLISH CREEK are breathtaking. This is the best book I have read in ages! I am going to find a way to work it into my American literature course, because it is not only a great book, it's a priceless piece of Americana.