This book is a delight. ... Finest value for my dollar of any purchase I can recall making. I am now on my fourth reading, and see no reason to stop. Aitken Roshi has given us a compendium of dozens of original American koans--or as the animals say, "turning points." Raven hears the story of Shakyamuni's realization when looking up to see the morning star from beneath the Bodhi tree. Raven somehow feels something is missing. What?

I appreciate Robert Aitken much more after reading this unique little creation of his. And I think you will, too, if you have some familiarity of Zen practice. The book consists of connected succinct stories that refreshingly present key realizations in Zen Buddhism -- without the usual old Chinese or Japanese monks.

If you are interested in Zen - This book is excellent.
If you are not interested in Zen - This book is hilarious.
If you want to confuse you philosophy professor - This book is perfect.
If you are stoned outta your phreakin mind - This book makes PERFECT sense.

This book has been out of print for a good many years. Still, if you logged onto this entry, you must be a fan, a TRUE fan. Since you are, this book is certainly for you, adding a little personal information on a producer who absorbed and delivered the sensitive, innovative, and intelligent work that most horror profiteers can't. The concept of producer is misleading and mostly boring. Often, the producer is the guy who pays for the filmed project - a guy who considers the money angle, considers the production costs, and goes home at the end of the day. (Mr. Jerry 'Pearl Harbor' Bruckheimmer I'm looking at you. Shame on you....) Other times there are 'producers' who are assigned by movie studios to deliver the movie on time, and on budget. Val Lewton was one of those producers, given an assignment, and always a subordinate of the RKO film system.

Yeah, it was/is a bad system, but there are & were producers who not only 'oversaw' film but were a creative part of those same projects. There have been so FEW of them. Val Lewton was one of them.

What a legacy. Val Lewton's productions had a talented staff and even better directors. Considering the budget of those epic films ('Cat People', its sequel, 'The Body Snatcher)it's astonishing how vital these films are. I don't have alloted time to tell you, but Carol Reed's 'The Third Man,' Hitchcock's 'Psycho' shower scene, and many other films owe a debt to Lewton's creative influence. Val Lewton created a profound influence that's here with us today. But you already know that. That's why you clicked on to my review. Buy this book.

McFarland & Co. have published many fine books on film folks, and this is one of my favorites. Not only because I'm a big fan of the Lewton productions, but it's a brilliantly written book. Lewton was responsible for some of the best so-called Horror movies ever made, like "I Walked With A Zombie", "The Body Snatcher" and "Curse Of The Cat People". -All favorite films of mine. The book naturally covers all the famous thrillers, but it also tells the story of his relatively short life. I especially like the anecdote about how Lewton apparently once tossed away the script for "Gone With The Wind", calling it sentimental trash !. -Way to go, Val - I couldn't agree more. Lewton really knew what it took to make a good and eerie movie full of atmosphere, but film-makers of today sadly seem to have forgotten all about this. -Suspense is not something you can SEE, it's something you're supposed to FEEL. Director Robert Wise later showed what he learned in the "Lewton school", when he gave us the original "The Haunting". Director Jan De Bont recently showed us he didn't pay attention in his class. He, and everybody else ought to read this wonderful book.

This is the story of Artaban, a seeker of Truth. He is the other wiseman who sought the 'great king'foretold in ancient script and heralded by the 'star'. On his way to meet the three wisemen, he is delayed. This sets him on a quest ins search of the King. It will lead him to many places and experiences. This book with its beautiful word pictures reminds us once again the importance of seeking Truth wherever we find it. It adds new meaning to the story of Christmas.

Having toured the site at Dachau Concentration Camp in August, 1999, I found the author's descriptive events of camp life both eerie and frightening. I was there where all this had taken place. Hard to believe. It was a very different time, but tragedy is in the air to this day and the utmost respect is apparent in every visitor and guide and display at the site. However, Wise's characterization of Christian Reger and his fellow inmates draws a picture of hope amidst suffering and above all, forgiveness. Some are more capable of it than others. Forgiveness is a challenge in this world, for sure. Christian Reger found it in the depths of his faith. An inspiration to all. After 14 months as a Prisoner of War in Germany during World War II, my own father was able to tell of the basic plight of all involved at that level....." 'they' (the German guards and soldiers) were just as hungry and frightened as us." War is hell, that's a given, but to know that our faith is strengthened through another's suffering, is to know that that suffering was not in vain in the least.

We borrowed this book from our local library and my 3 yr old can't get enough of it. This is absolutely a perfect bedtime story for toddlers, and parents get a kick out of it too when our kids start to tell it from memory. Especially the part about the "big fat dinner". I highly recommend this for anyone with a toddler.

What a compelling read..... I was afraid to put the book down for fear I would miss something! I think this novel really gets you thinking about what could REALLY be going on in the world. GREAT work!

Why is it that men are responsible for such a disproportionate number of the dysfunctional things that happen in society - violent crime, abandoning children, war, etc., etc.? Is there something odd about the process by which male children are raised? This author provides some illuminating ideas, and some intriguing facts. Angela Phillips has a command of the interesting statistics, but, as a journalist, presents these statistics in a very readable, absorbing form. A great read about a subject that is close to most peoples' interests

I first read this book five years ago when my best friend, a 33 year-old woman who only five months earlier had given birth to her much longed-for first child, was diagnosed with lymphoma. Our 1500-member church prayed faithfully and ferverntly for her life to be healed, but within seven months of diagnosis, she lost her battle to cancer. Many of us struggled to accept our impending loss and to reconcile it with who we wanted God to be in this situation. I found enormous comfort in this book, an old copy from 1977 that I picked up in a second-hand bookstore. As I read it, I began to realize that there were many small, yet life-changing, miracles taking place in the midst of the larger miracle we prayed for but which was not granted. My old copy is now well-worn, underlined and highlighted through and through, so I am delighted to see that it has now been re-issued. A very dear cousin is now also dying of cancer, and I am ordering a new copy to encourage him and his family. I am also ordering two other copies, one for home and another copy for my counseling office for clients to use when they too are seeking to understand why God seems not to be answering their heartfelt cries. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for answers in the midst of what seems to be unanswered prayers. I believe you will be blessed by reading it.

This book was very interesting. It is what every "Sound of Music" fan should read, if they are at all interested in how the movie got made. The behind-the-scenes stories are wonderful. What I thought was interesting was who was considered for the leads--can you imagine Sean Connery as the Captain??? ack! Or Walter Matthau as Max? To think that the best cast came in at just the right time and that it produced one of the best loved musicals of all time. If one thing had been off, think of what a different movie would have been made.

I was especially interested in reading the sections on the REAL von Trapp family and their story. Maria really was a powerhouse in keeping her family the way she wanted it. The pictures were beautiful and the background material (sketches, notes, etc.) were wonderful to see.

A must read for any "Sound of Music" fan.

I love this book! I was at the Von Trapp lodge in Vermont when I bought this book. I have been a Sound of Music fan since I was 6 (I am 13) and finding this book was a dream come true. It gives a miniture biography about some of the actors and has TONS of pictures. And it tells so much about were the movie was made and what the actors thought about it and so much more. If you like the movie as much as I do, you have to buy this book!

This is a wonderful book that tells EVERYTHING about The Sound of Music--from the real von Trapps to the actors' lives after the movie. There are SO MANY PICTURES. There are two sections of beautiful color pictures, and MANY MANY black and white ones throughout the entire book! It even has their shedule for when they shot the movie. This is a fabulous book--very interesting to read! I wish there were more like it. It is a MUST BUY for any Sound of Music fan!!!

Hyper-Parenting possesses the best of intentions, and is not lacking in insight and even, in places, eloquence. But the overall message is confusing and disjointed, and I was left unsatisfied in the end.

One big problem is that what 'hyper-parenting' means precisely is never truly established. One chapter criticizes the perfectly natural tendency to cherish a child in the womb. Another chapter discusses stressed children being pressured to 'excel' in status-laden endeavors. Are both these totally different situations 'hyper-parenting?' In one spot we are rightfully reminded that 'the important and meaningful connections [with our kids]'defy scheduling.' But in another place, we are apparently encouraged to schedule yet more time away from the kids 'for the things we want to do.' Why, so we can be sure to miss those important and meaningful connections? Can the reader be blamed for feeling a little confused?

The authors seem to assume that families are frazzled mostly because parents just take too much time doing things for the kids. Potential stress-builders, according to the book, include not only individualistic activities like music lessons and sports, but also family-building activities like nightly dinner at home. Unstructured family time is praised, but the book's assumption seems to be that this time will be suddenly abundant if we just quit karate. The possibility that Mom and Dad each take 50+ hours a week to work, and that this might be a big contributing factor, basically goes unaddressed. Such a one-sided view of the busyness problems suffered many families is not likely to be very helpful in the real world.

The book is plagued in several spots by poor philosophy. The authors talk sincerely of ethics, but then take an entire chapter decrying excessive 'self-sacrifice' and 'martyrdom'. But the problems the book describes are based mostly on status seeking or an inadequate understanding of family life. The differences between these poor choices and authentic self-giving are not considered. The last chapter treats us to a relativistic essay about how we each need to figure out the fundamental questions of life based on 'feelings.' So objective reality has nothing to do with the fundamental questions of life? Was this shallow pop philosophy really necessary?

Fundamentally, this book doesn't succeed as well as it could because it combines too many topics under one umbrella without doing a sufficient job of defining terms, making distinctions and just thinking things through. What could have been a fine book ends up inconsistent and somewhat rambling. It needs to be re-written.

If you've fallen victim to seeing parenting as a competitive sport, you need to read this book. Rosen has nothing against Baby Mozart, soccer leagues, and all the other activities that parents and kids adopt for the best intentions. But he and his coauthor are reasonable voices, pointing out that by micromanaging our children's lives, we're giving them the message that they can neither function or make judgments without parental intervention. This is an excellent book that will help both parent and child.

Whether you are feeling guilt for not enrolling your child in every activity offered, or exhaustion from an overfull schedule, this book is just what you need to help you find a good balance for yourself and your family.

Hyper-parenting, as Dr. Rosenfeld refers to it, is on the rise, and yet our lives are busier than ever. If we feel the stress, we can believe our kids are experiencing it as well. Micromanaging every detail of our children's lives does not ensure a healthy happy childhood. But then what is the answer?

The authors of THE OVERSCHEDULED CHILD take us on a journey throughout this book, showing us a reflection of ourselves, our families, and our society. And at the end of the journey, after much self-evaluation, they give us simple and effective ways to avoid the hyper-parenting syndrome.

A must-read for any parent, educator, or care-giver, The Over-Scheduled Child is the stress management prescription for parents of all walks of life.