Arts Books

This is a charming but unsentimental view of animals on Maple Hill Farm. Through wonderful drawings and brief text, animals are portrayed as individual personalities, each with a role to play in farm life through the cycles of life from birth to death. One of my favorite characters is Willow, the cat, who "is not very interesting" because she spends all her time just being beautiful. It is a valuable book for teaching young children that animals should be cherished and cared for for many reasons, that animals are deeply entwined in our lives. It is a deceptively simple book that children and adults can enjoy together and discuss on many levels.

Quite a bit has changed about the world we live in, but it's wonderful to know that our friends at Maple Hill Farm are still keeping it real. This was one of my favorite books as a child and I can't wait to read it to my son (due in January.) I just ordered a new copy of this book and was so pleased to read it again and realize how fun it is to read as an adult. I love that there's no quest, no competition, no major challenges- it's just life on a farm with lots of real animals that have unique personalities.

It's exciting because all of animals are fun and goofy and they do all the usual things that chickens, goats, cats, horses, dogs and sheep do. The cats catch snakes and move kittens around, the horses get dirty and chase each other, the chickens eat ants and take sun baths, the dogs bark at geese and chew up pillows. None of them wear clothes, talk or drive cars, and I kind of find it refreshing. Not that there's anything wrong with fantasy, but I love that reality can be just as entertaining for kids and adults.

And, yeah, I did start crying when I got to the end- the quiet corner of the woods where the animals of the past were buried. It's not maudlin or overtly tugging on your heartstrings- it's just real. That's what makes this book such a great read.

my kids love this book and the other in the series. the illustrations are true and simple-just what today's kids need. i would recommend it to any family who has an appreciation or is part of a more meaningful, homegrown lifestyle.

I remember the very first time I read this book...over 30 years ago. I had my infant son sitting on my lap and we were both delighted by the different animals from the farm. I remember going from laughing to holding back tears. It is so true. Our own animal friends have the same affect...from laughter to tears.

Besides being very entertaining, I find a bit of widsom there that is priceless for dealing with the loss of a pet. It has become a tradition over the years to read from the book at our "pet funerals" and I took the book down from the shelf just for myself after the recent loss of a 16 year old cat.

Like many others here, we've worn out our original copy. Mom made sure each grandchild had a copy in their homes and I've done the same with my own grandchildren. We loved it so much, we've had many pets named after the characters in the book.

My mom saved the original book for me, and we purchased a new copy (paperback) only after our suitcase containing the original hardback was stolen (!) Our girls (ages 3 and 7) adore this book - and so do we.

The book tells about the different animals on the farm. Over several pages, for example, Mrs. Provensen tell about the four cats who live at Maple Hill farm: Gooseberry, who is a good mother; Eggnog, who is beautiful but not interresting; Willow, who is old; and Max, who is big, likes cottage cheese, but is not very clever with his claws. In a series of drawings, we see what the cats do around the farm. The girls love it - they laugh and giggle and listen intently.

The dogs, horses, sheep, and chickens all get similar treatment. We give this book to friends, as it is off the mainstream 'radar' of good books: we are sure they won't have it, and we are sure their kids will love it as our do.

Not exactly what I was looking for. If you like classic pies, nothing really out of the ordinary, then you'll love it.

i like pie.

this cookbook is an excellent resource vis-a-vis the aforementioned predilection.

For the first time in my life I am now making completely awesome pies FROM SCRATCH. I totally won my family's thanksgiving bake-off this past holiday season.

Mmmmm, pie.

"Pie" is a perfectly lovely book. The section on crust is outstanding; however, the 5 pie recipes I have tried so far are good, but not quite fabulous. Yes, I followed the directons to the letter and own a bakery, so I do know pies.

Finding a great pie anywhere is extremely difficult. In fact, it is rare that I would even ask for pie as a dessert choice because they are usually not very good. However, my hankering for pie reached a frenzy after watching the movie "Waitress".

For those unfamiliar with that movie, its main character explains her feelings through coming up with creative pies. When the movie's credits began, my longing for pie took hold of me. I was convinced, after many attempts, that there was no really great pie out there, so I decided to make my own.

After a great deal of research, I found this book. It is really outstanding. The writing is fun and easy to read. It is well organized and takes the stress out of baking a pie for a first timer like me. Ken makes it seem so simple that during the past month I have made over 20 pies, ranging from fruit to nut to cream pies. I took a class about baking pies, but it did not hold a candle to Ken's book.

Those twenty pies have mostly been baked for other people. The joy a fresh baked pie gives to someone makes me feel like I am making a difference. People love getting homemade pies, so much so it almost brings them to tears. My husband's co-workers, people at the gym, employees at stores that I frequent, and neighbors have been the beneficiaries of most of them. The reviews have been outstanding! People have said that they are they best pies they've ever eaten. At first I thought they were just being nice, but those platitudes have come from non-pie lovers and even the most finicky eaters. People are so excited about getting pies that I just can't stop making them!

I would like to say that the best place to get a great pie is my house. However, that sounds a little conceited and is not one hundred percent true. The truth is, if you want to have a great pie make one of your own using "Pie: 300 Tried and True Recipes for Delicious Home Made Pie". You will not be disappointed. The only problem is that you might not be able to eat pie at a restaurant again. On the bright side, you will always have something great to bring to a potluck, cook out or give as a gift. Pie really is the best desert out there. It combines all the best of creativity, complexity, and bakery goodness.

Is it time to pity the pie? I think not. It is time to make pie! So "pie it forward"

Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features and Shorts - does what it says.
This book will help you create a story and the characters within. I've read other books on storyboarding, but this book should be the one to start with. Then move on to Ron Bluth's - Art of Storyboard & Wendy Tumminello's - Exploring Storyboarding

Ms. Beiman's book is exceptional; it not only discusses storyboarding, but also the entire pre-production process, from character design to art direction to using cinematic lighting and camera angles. I'm never boarding without using tonal drawings again!

I'm going to be the Teaching Assistant for the Storyboarding class at UCLA's MFA Animation Workshop in the fall, and I'm going to tell all the newbies to GET THIS BOOK!!!

This is a truly wonderful book filled with practical, concrete knowledge about how to plan for an animated production.

In the past, I have seen a few somewhat superficial treatments of similar topics, and I was initially a little bit skeptical of this book. Suffice it to say that my expectations were vastly exceeded. Storyboarding is a central part of animated movie production, and it has finally gotten a definitive treatment in book form. This book is highly entertaining, beautifully illustrated, and really packed with information.

Many readers of my own book Introducing Character Animation with Blender are interested in creating animated movies. I highly recommend that they take a look at this inspiring and informative book to ensure that they get off to a good start.

Well written and well organized, "Prepare to Board!" is a wonderful source for learning the ins' and outs of animation boarding.

Nary a step in the process is glossed over or a stone left unturned. I'm quite impressed with the book all around, and have learned a lot about the inner workings of animation.

A definite recommendation.

Nancy Beiman's book "Prepare to Board" is a must-have for animators. If you're serious about working in the industry then this book is for you.

The quick little lessons are excellent tools for practice and improving skills. This books helps to increase creativity and really gives great advice. No other animation book has achieved what "Prepare to Board" has.

Nancy Beiman knows the ins and outs of the animation world and you can tell why she's worked on so many great projects - she's the best at what she's talking about. Nancy Beiman is a professional and this book will help you along your path to a career.

If you're not lucky enough to know her and have her as a Professor (or even if you do), then it goes without saying BUY THIS BOOK!

I met Larry Flynt once. It left an impression on me. It wasn't good. The man just seemed to have sleeze permeate out of his pores. And he seemed all spaced out, like way too many drugs had interacted with way too much debauchery, intermixing in a personality that was pretty degraded right from the get-go. What must it be like to work for such a man?

Allan MacDonell knows, and he tells all the dirt in PRISONER OF X. An inside story of the man who rose to top of the pond scum at Larry Flynt Publications, it is a story well worth reading, boys and girls. Well worth reading.

For some quirk of personality that would require years of therapy to explain, MacDonell had always wanted to work for a smut mag when he finally landed the job at Hustler. What he found was a work environment that was akin to a school of piranhas, with each fish trying its hardest to eat the flesh off of anyone higher up the ladder. And with Larry himself often enjoying the spectacle, like a Roman emperor enjoying the modern day gladiators of smut trying to take one another down. Amazingly, the dude lasted 19 years.

During that time, MacDonell met his share of pornstars, celebrities, and, of course, downright degenerates, many of whom were on the payroll. But many were more famous, and no details are spared. Even if you are familiar with the Godfather of Soul's reputation with the ladies, you wil still be really, really alarmed at what you read here. MacDonell also was there for some of the high times, like when Hustler took down Congressman Livingston, who was set to become Speaker of the House, or the offer to Jenna Bush to pose naked for a cool $10 million.

Often hilarious, often mermerizing, PRISONER OF X also often leaves you with the same feeling as you have after looking at porn. You known, all empty inside and a bit embarassed. But for some reason, you keep going back, don't you? Yeah, you know you do. And you want to check out this book, too. Don't you? Well, do it. It won't leave any permanent damage.

This is an interesting book by a writer who worked his way up the ranks at Hustler magazine for twenty years. He's brutally honest about the inner workings of the magazine including his descriptions of the pedophile Dwaine Tinsley and the sociopathic Larry Flynt, as well as about his own moral and social failings. This is good reading for anyone interested in the history of the magazine or in learning about what it was like working inside the porn magazine industry during the latter part of the Twentieth Century. As to be expected it's sexually explicit so if that bothers you, you might want to skip this one. The sexual descriptions were not gratuitous and I felt they were necessary for the honest story-telling this book provides.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish that once in a while you had actually read some of the articles. This book is as hilarious as Hustler often was during Allan's tenure. A common misconception about this book is that it is about Larry Flynt. This book is not about Larry Flynt--it is about Allan MacDonell. If you want to learn more about Larry Flynt, you should probably visit his website. If you want to learn more about what it is REALLY like to oversee the day-to-day operations of America's most notorious stroke rag--penile scabs and all--then this is the book for you! My only complaint about Prisoner of X is that Allan has not yet recorded an audio-book version, but that's coming up next, right Mr. MacDonell?

Is it possible to write a book where the main character is yourself and you are the hero only because everyone else is insane, a sleazebag or just generally unpleasant? The author, MacDonell, at least, proves that you can. I kept thinking, "Boy, this guy's a jerk," at the same time I feverishly sped through his 20 year memoir of working at Hustler magazine. The stories he tells are at times shocking, sad, hilarious, occasionally boring (but these bits pass quickly), titillating and raucous (hey, kind of like Hustler magazine itself!). One can't help but feel for the guy at the same time one might not want anything to do with him.

The first half of the book is probably the toughest on his character (and interestingly he doesn't spare himself much). He was abusing drugs, women and himself, paranoid that he would be fired on a daily basis, and basically existing hand to mouth on his low wages (dating a girl at one time because she owned a VCR!). At a certain point time (after a particularly scaring DUI incident) he gets cleaned up and doesn't even drink. It's somewhat downplayed, but his success at the magazine soars at this point.

While he bashes almost everyone, (name dropping Dennis Hopper, Frank Zappa, who at times were friends of Flynt or connected to the magazine, and he cares for neither), he is particularly nasty to his fellow inmates at the asylum and of course hardest on his pyscho boss, Larry Flynt. (Once again these people probably deserve even worse criticism), but it would be nice to hear a more good tales (he admits at one point that his staff - when he rises to power - was actually a good one).

Comparison's have been made to Hunter S. Thompson, and while I think these are somewhat accurate as far as characters and subject matter, that should not indicate that the writing (and or editing) is nearly in that league. The book feels a little flabby (and repetitive near the end), and probably could have been 50 pages shorter.

Another complaint is no photos - it would be nice to know what some of these people looked like. The great cover art is by Daniel Clowes but there are no further illustrations (that would have been better than photos!)

Besides all the juicy gossip about the mag there is also some poltical stuff that is very fascinating (as they destroy one Republican senator's career, defend Clinton and try to trash Bush (Jr.). If you've ever read the magazine this book will be of interest to you. Even better on the porn industry itself is "The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral Histroy of the Porn Film Industry" by Legs McNeil (also reviewed by yours truly).

Although the prose is a little self consciously rich at times, this is the most laugh out loud funny book I have read since Howard Stern's Private Parts memoir.The most inside look at not only Flynt and Hustler but the entire porn scene from the 80's and 90's. His description of porn legend Tori Welles on page 118 is uncanny-"Complexion the color of cinnamon or bourbon, brunette mane of body and bounce, flaunting the defiant cheekbones and chin of an urchin empress, the sublime Ms. Welles stepped with the self-assurance of the lifelong stone fox." (See what I mean about the prose?) When he's done describing her, you will know exactly what she looked like and what her sexual magnetism was all about even if you have never seen her. Hilarious, insightful, sarcastic. Would make a great movie.

I never read it. I gather she liked it. Once you have achieved coming together as one and lost all sense of time and space I think you're a little past the seventh level.

Wonderful book on intimacy and it's necessity to the totality of the human being. The book has a neatly laid out theory or look at intimacy and even includes some great practicals on how to work towards intimacy in your relationships. Great read.

Fabulous book, more people should read it and it would make the world a better place with better people.

we all know-more or less-the things necessary for a successful, fulfilling relationship. however, too often we struggle with how to achieve one. kelly offers some (common sense) insight and suggestions on perspectives and approaches to accomplish the relationships that we wish for. it confirmed much of what i knew yet was very practical. i highly recommend it.

We are all involved in relationships. But most do not achieve real meaningful ones. Our relationships don't turn sour, we just become indifferent.

We have been bombarded by messages that promise fun, excitment, pleasure and possessions are the answer to our emotional needs. But those are all feelings. And feelings change. They are not permanent. So no matter how much fun and excitement we pursue, it will not satisfy the basic need for intimacy. Our wants - material possessions - cannot fulfill our need for intimacy.

Matthew does and excellent job of exploring what intimacy is and what it is not. Most people have a misconception of what intimacy is.

The book is filled with very valuable information about the various types of intimacy - physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Matthew also provides the basis for a strong relationship. If you read and accept his premise, you will change the way you look at your relationships. You will understand that most relationships are self-centered and therefore almost always doomed to fail.

The book is divided into three parts. The first part defines intimacy, the second part discusses the seven levels of intimacy and the last part discusses the 10 reasons why people do not have a great relationship and how to design a great relationship.

Your primary relationship will have a huge impact on your quality of life. This is very valuable information and should be read by everyone who has not commited to living as a hermit.

Whether you are a beginner or experienced digital filmmaker, this book is a really great resource. Nothing is left out, and all of the information is communicated in a way that is simple, clear and direct. There are terrific color charts, that make all the information easily accessible.

I have been involved in production of live theatre for many years, looking to write and create a documentary and a narrative feature. This book was a huge help in bypassing the great frustration in attempting to obtain technical information that was written in a way that would not require a special degree to understand.

If you are creating a documentary, feature narrative, or other project, get this book!

It is well worth it.

This book is outstanding as far as the logistics of shooting a documentary goes. It's simple and yet very insightful and covers every aspect of production from nuts to bolts.RRP

I read this because I hoped that the content would do justice to the title. It has. Within a few months after reading it, I found my idea, and at the time of my writing this entry, I'm 6 days away from hitting the road for my doc: www.insearchoftheexperience.com "Shut up" has all kinds of simply put technical knowledge and also hails from a place where understanding people is its secret pulse. I wrote Anthony to tell him about the fire he started and he even wrote me back! This guy cares about this stuff. Get it - read it - and get out there! - elias

A very well written book on making documentaries! Anthony Artis gives us a great guide for making documentaries on any budget. A lot of tips and tricks and helpful information. And a great DVD also!
Props to this book!

I read this book in three days really, I couldn't put it down. The book is the best around for every detail in trying to prepare a documentary. It describes how, why, when, and what types of equipment to use for your projects in a professional way. It also tells you how you can save money and get help from around you to fund your documentary. This book explains how to be no, low, or high budget and still produce a professional result. I can say that I now have a down and dirty attitude from reading from a guerilla style way of shooting films. "GET THE BOOK NOW"

-I last painted with watercolors when they were in paintbox form -40 years ago in high school art.This book has been a valuable tool in getting me up to speed on present day brushes,paints and techniques.I
am very pleased with the results I have been able to achieve in
just a few months time.This book is a definite buy for newbies or as a
refresher.

Let's just say calling me an amateur would be an understatement. I bought this book in high hopes of entering the world of watercolor. It hit the nail right on the head.

The text is informative and precise without being overwhelming. Enough different information and very comprehensive. Although perhaps lacking in the texture/details department. Overall the best of the 3 other books I bought. This one may be the best beginner to intermediate book out there!

The only drawback was the fact it doesn't say in the description that it is for tube watercolors, as I want to use pans...but still I think most techniques will work either way.

I like this book because it not only provides you with lots of knowledge but also encourages you to go away from conventional suggestions and create your own style. Its flow is very nice. Its material has been organized properly and I not only gained knowledge but also enjoyed reading it.

This is THE book that every beginning to intermediate watercolorist must have. I have been studying watercolor for several months, and I learned more from this book than I did in all of my classes combined. The author has a lovely sense of humor, making for a fun read while sharing so many of the tips and tricks he learned from decades of painting and teaching. There are detailed pictures demonstrating his techniques, as well as tips on how to choose paints, paper, and brushes. If you can only afford one book this month, it should be this one! And after you have read this one, check out his other book: "The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: Landscapes". Yet another fantastic book by this gifted artist and instructor!

As a fairly new watercolorist, I have purchased many, many books on the subject in an attempt to gain skills, learn techniques, expand my thinking, etc., etc. Some of those books have been helpful, but usually only a page or two of a 60-page book was exactly what I was looking for. In other words, I was disappointed! Long introduction to say that THIS watercolor book exceeded all my expectations! I am oh so happy with it; I will probably use information on every page of this one. The techniques and skills introduced are interesting and fairly easy to execute; the author provides abundant details all along the way. The book has answered so many of my questions about producing sparkling water, distant trees, various types of skies, clouds, fog, using color schemes effectively, and the technique of "fading out" (which I love). And much, much, much more. It is well worth every penny and then some.

After graduating from film school, I had no idea how to start my career as a writer in the film industry. "The Writer Got Screwed" not only showed my how to start my career, but showed me the different kind of careers which exist for Writers in the Entertainment Industry. Most books don't explain what WRITERS working in the entertainment industry need to know: THIS BOOK DOES. If you want to work in the legal department of a studio, take classes in copyright and contracts. If you want to work as a writer in the entertainment industry, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Very few books explain how to start your career, the different forms of representation (agents, managers, and attorneys), how to protect your work (copyright registration vs. registering with the WGA), how to protect yourself (contracts-what do they mean?) and give lists of available resources (scholarships, WGA approved agencies, production companies, legal resouces/attorneys) for writers working within the entertainment industry--"The Writer Got Screwed" delivers on all of these areas. Whether you are working in film, television, feature animation, soap operas, or interactive, "The Writer Got Screwed" provides interviews with writers who work in these areas and valuable, RARELY FOUND, information regarding how these started their careers. This book is a terrific, must-have book for anyone who wants to write for the entertainment industry, and now is joined by a companion website at [...].

This book is one of those needles in a hay stack. It's not out there like all the other books for writers. But if you find it... you have found gold. It is written so that it is easy to understand and has tons of great information in it. A must have.

There are a lot of books out there on writing for the entertainment industry, but this was the one book that got me started. A lot of writers tend to pass around gossip and poor information, but this book set me straight from the beginning, and is now joined by Wharton's website/blog: brookewharton.com(rated in top 10 for film blogs). This is the one book that anyone writing for film or television should START WITH. I'm mystified by a previous reviewer who said that Wharton doesn't talk about the WGA (there's a whole chapter on the guild), and also that she doesn't discuss acquisitions vs. development (it's called spec sales vs. assignments in the 1st 10 pages of the chapter on writing for film). Clearly this person couldn't have read the book. If you need real answers, buy the book.

Given all the 5 star ratings, I expected better. Not that this isn't a good book, but it depends on the reader's sophistication. If you don't know anything about some of the basic legal and business aspects of the publishing biz, this book is a good start. On the other hand, if you're a detail oriented person who really wants to dig in deep into this subject, you may find the content a bit light.

This coverage of the making and cast of the show Xena: Warrior Princess is downright hilarious. Granted, I have an odd sense of humor, but you can tell that the author went out of his way to make this as entertaining as possible. There are lots of spiffy pictures, and two sections of large, full-color photos. The cast bios are particularly interesting, in my opinion; many things you might not know about these crazy actors/actresses (ie. apparently, Ted Raimi is a fantastic swing dancer; who'd have guessed, oh, wait, I always have...never mind). There are little mini-interviews and comments scattered throughout the pages, along with amusing production anecdotes, and episode synopses in the back (paired with commentary by Lucy Lawless/Xena). My only complaint is that this book only covers the first couple seasons. Perhaps there's an upgrade version that I missed, and if not, there should be. I highly recommend this book for even the casual Xena: WP fan, and particularly the rabid ones, though if you're a rabid fan, you probably already own this...

....being a hardcore nutball Xena fan ranked for me - but only for a short while - among the highest!But then,now that I've embraced this pleasure wholehartedly, let's put things like this: if anyone wants to understand the ideological linings of postmodernity, understanding the Xena phenomenon provides one of the shortest roads, and if anyone wants to study XWP one has to begin gathering extra information here. I would recommend, however to order this book with Ariele Dorfman's & Armand Mattelart's _How to Read Donald Duck_, if the purpose is scholarly; if you just like Xena, order the two neverthless.

What can I say? If you love Xena, you gotta have this!

Robert Weisbrot's paperpback book `Xena: Warrior Princess, The Official Guide to the Xenaverse' is an entertaining and informative presentation which chronicles the first two seasons of the immensely popular television series that lasted six delightful seasons.

Making good use of the same format used in his episode companion for the Hercules series, he provides not only a synopsis of each show from season 1 and 2 but also loads of behind the camera information providing the reader with a thorough grasp of what is involved in bringing the Xenaverse into existence.

Definitely an enjoyable and informative read sure to be treasured by Xena fans everywhere. The only question I have for the author is "When are you going to complete what you've begun and release a follow-up covering seasons 3, 4, 5 and 6?"

This book is great. I have the Warrior Princess Costume all ready! Lucy Lawless Looks sharp on the front cover of this book and I got this with my staff at the Joyce Warner House... I really have to say is that it has great pictures! :) <3Cheeeeeyyyyaaa!Young Xena Warrior Princess

Once in a while, along comes a book that simply 'blow's your mind'and at the same time increases your understanding about life like nothing else does. The Zen art of happiness is just such a book.
Before I read it I used to wonder why adverse occurances in my life happened. In fact I used to dwell constantly about them making myself unhappy into the bargain.
The author, Chris Prentiss asks the reader to start off by accepting the premise that these so-called 'adverse events' are perfect for us and exactly what we need to work on in order to strengthen our weaknesses.
Not only that, he maintains that 'the Universe' (some would say God) knows our every word, thought and deed and responds by sending these occurances to us.
He maintains that we constantly contravene 'Universal Laws'(example is the law of cause and effect)that are as real as gravity and unlike man-made laws, never change and are applicable to everyone no matter where they live on the earth.
The book is only 160 pages long, but is packed with information that feels 'intuitively true'.
I am now into my fourth time of reading and I am still as excited by his work as I was the first time.
If you want to become happier by making sense of life, then get this book that I rate as one of the best I have ever read.

I love this book! It's small, yet profound. One of the best books I've ever read and I read a lot! I've bought several more to give to others. If you are thinking about getting a copy - get one and then once you read it, you'll probably want to get more for your friends/family. I also recommend Thich Nhat Hanh's books- very very good.

I think this is a great little book. I am a Christian... where as some Christians think reading a buddhist book goes away from Christ, many of the topics and practices of the buddhist are very Christ like. Where the author may speak about the energy of the universe, I just see that as God. Great reminders here to remove our focus off ourselves and think of our neighbors... and isn't that also what Christ taught! Great book for anyone trying to grow in who they are... I will read this one over and over.

I purchased this book as I was begining treatment for Depression and even though it may have "nothing to do with zen", the message of the book does bring a zen-like peace when I read it. I would recomend this book to anyone going through tough times.

This book is a great example of good things coming in small packages. At only 142 pages, it can easily be read over a long weekend and the only reason you'll stop reading is when you stop and reflect on what's inside. Prentiss presents some great elemental concepts of thinking and perspective in a clear, easy to read manner.

I will admit some of the descriptions and anecdotes were a bit tough to grasp at first, but when Prentiss tells the story of his reaction when his new car got scratched everything in the book seemed to fall into place for me. When that happened, I actually went back to page one and it was as if I was seeing through some kind of fog for the first time.

For me, this book is a great first step - I've since picked up several other books on Zen thought and Buddhism and I hope I'm as happy with learning from them as I am with this great little book. Prentiss' book has also inspired me to act on a daily basis - to create good habits and to stop playing the victim card so often. This book will stay in my permanent collection and I will be purchasing copies for my friends and family soon.