While I would have preferred less famous speeches since many of my students were looking for audition pieces, I found both this and his "Speeches for Women" books very helpful in de-mystifying the acting of Shakespeare. As an actress trained in British Drama Schools I have found it very difficult to know where to start when trying to get the college students I teach to even try acting Shakespeare. Without a passionate interest in Shakespeare (and these students just don't have it) the way I was trained just doesn't work. But the Folio technique really hooked them. With just a few basic "rules" they were willing and felt able to get up and give his language a try. The Folio technique is fun and immediate and got them up and going quickly; this is important in today's world - the fine-tuning of the speeches can come later. I highly recommend it to both high school and college drama teachers - especially if Shakespeare is not a priority in your acting student's lives. My students responded boldly and confidently and now seem less afraid of Shakespeare.

A fantastic introduction and discussion in the introduction by Elizabeth Meyer of UVA. No color photos, but good drawings. Excellent writing in architctural theory

Patterson seems to see himself up as Mr. Judge, or lets call him "Mr Judge of the Fourth Way". What pompous behaviour. He never met any of the women he writes about, has no idea about their reality, but presents a picture, which might mislead many readers, who did not have the chance to meet some of the "great men and women" of the Gurdjieff work. Patterson crusades for his own pseudo-Gurdjieff-line, look at his webside and look at the pictures of Gurdjeff and others, look at the style, the colours, feel the energy! This is Gurdjeff reduced to Pokemon-comic-quality! I bet, Patterson even dreams strongly about a Patterson Line, this Patterson, who understood Gurdjieff the best, who outclassed Ouspensky, Bennett, Orage, the Rope... (see "Struggle of the magicians"). Mama Mia.... or God help us !

The book seems to be really interesting, I was quite taken by it when I first read it. I sought, this man really got some serious information together. But then, after studying carefully the sources, it was clear, that this was not at all the case. What Patterson is doing is "Sensation-Journalism". These Sensation Journalists remind me of the dark ages or early middle ages. Like in these days the cross was misused, Patterson misuses his collections, and suddenly everything is holy and justified. Who does not go along with these Sensation-Journalists, is a heretic.
They really believe, that their press-pass gives them the right to dig in the life of others and sniff around to find whatever might be sensational, while in truth its nothing else than an excuse for their own cheap upside-down goals.

Ladies of the Rope is a fascinating journey through the lives of a group of women: Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap, both co-editors of The Little Review; Kathryn Hulme, author of The Nun's Story and Undiscovered Country; Solita Solano, author, editor and companion of Janet Flanner who wrote for The New Yorker; Georgette Leblanc an actress, and Louise Davidson.

Although quite different from one another this group of women would come to share a common aim, to awaken. They would become the Ladies of the Rope, a group of women, all lesbian except one, that G.I. Gurdjieff choose to disseminate his teaching of the Fourth Way in Paris in 1935 .

The book is an intimate account of lunches, dinners, trips, meetings, conversations and life with Mr. Gurdjieff. These times were used by Mr. Gurdjieff to deliver "shocks" to allow them to see themselves as they truly were, not as they thought themselves to be. The author did extensive research in numerous archives, which enabled Ladies of the Rope to be told factually through letters, diaries, notes and memoirs.

Because it is based on their own writings and notes, this book is an authentic exploration of their friendships, personal relationships and their work with Mr. Gurdjieff. The author gives the reader an inside look at who the ladies of the rope were before they met Mr. Gurdjieff, during their days with their teacher and after his death. It shows a glimpse of the teacher/student relationship Mr. Gurdjieff shared with this group of women and the lifelong bond the women shared with one another.

This book is unparalleled, as no other work exists that has told this wonderful story. For those of us too feeble to make the long trek to another country to search out and carefully study these women's papers and notes, a big, big, Thank You to the author. Finally these women have been brought to light as the group of true warriors in the Work that they were and still are.

After "Eating the I", a book full of Pattersons selflove and selfimportance, this is one of the worst work-books ever written.
It is a very misleading book as it is full of politics. The politics are clever hidden. At the end the reader must get the impression, well, this man must be far. I suggest, that you do not fall for this. Because a man that far does not use politics. A man that far is humble, quiet, understanding. Patterson is the very opposite: powerhungry, making himself very important and so far and so on.

Patterson tries of course very hard to hide this by being very factual...But I asked myself, what is going on here? Well, it comes down again and again to this very one thing: politics and superiority!

I was very curious about this book, but after reading it, I found that it is basically advertisement for Pattersons workline, and trying to put down others. Clever attempt, but
not for the serious. Patterson gives in to the fascination of
the "rainbowpress", reducing readers and writers to this sort of "sharks, thriving in pecking in the serious work and suffering of people, who are far above them"!

It took me a while to see deeper into the authors intentions: He writes very well! That can be said! Very convincing at first. But what is the author really after? Why does he try to bring "his light" into the relationship of Gurdjieff with Bennett, Orage and Ouspensky? What is really behind it? After a while, with the help of some research, I realized, that it is politics. The author tries very hard to manipulate the reader. Manipulate him, to forget about Bennett, Ouspensky and Orage. Manipulation or advertising, it doesn't matter, from which way one tries to see it, it is very clever done. So where does Mr. Patterson come from? His teacher is Mr. Pentland, organizer of the Gurdjieff Foundation. So, after some research, it was clear: Mr. Pentland did not like Mr. Bennett. Not otherway round! So Mr. Patterson follows Mr. Pentlands footsteps like a cat its master? Yes, that is what this book is about. So let it be: politics. But Dear Reader, if you are interested in the Gurdjieff work, do what Gurdjieff so very much recommended: Do not believe, find out for yourself! Do not what others do! Think and work for yourself!

I thought about getting this book once so I browsed through it in the book store. The title alone tells you that it is an attempt to teach the "people's" catholicism over against the Magiserium's catholicism. No real discussion of the Church's condemnation of contraception, which is to be expected. The authors come from liberal and dissenting institutions. The liberal "church speak" is used, such as "we are church" rather than "we are the church." I would not get this. Get the real Catechism of the Catholic Church and perhaps a supplement like John Hardon's Catechism or The Teaching of Christ done by several Catholic Bishops.

This is an intense book! I personally felt a need to read it slowly over a long period of time as there was much to savor here. The subject matter also lends itself to discussion--I think it would make a very good source text for a discussion group or a retreat.

This book, like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is divided into 4 sections: faith, sacraments, morals, and prayer. Each of the 4 sections is written by a different author (or team of authors).

The book's 40 chapters also share a common organization--each begins with a quote from scripture, follows with an essay on the relevance of the biblical teaching in the real world, then challenges the reader to put his or her faith into action, and concludes with a section on prayer.

The choices from scripture are relevant. The essays are clear, contemporary, and meaningful. There is a strong thread throughout the text on the importance of the Christian community and the need to apply the faith to every day living.

The calls to action issue blunt challenges. For example, the reader is asked: if someone wished to persecute Christians, would they have enough evidence to convict you?

Though it contains some interesting contributions, this book appears to be somewhat behind the times. However, it does give a good historical overview of the surge in interest in the affective factors of usability at the end of the last century.