Stephen Root Books

This book has changed my life more than any other non-scriptural book. Covey's views and suggestions are so right and so clear. I wish I had followed his discipline suggestions sooner, now that I know my teenage son has ADHD and OCD. I just thought he wasn't talking to me, with my kind of child. His principles apply to everyone. Kindness, patience and PRACTICE are the key. This is only a drop in the well of knowledge in this book. Everything from communication with God in prayer to teasing is addressed.

I read this book for the first time back in 1980 when Steven R Covey was not a household name. It helped me to ACT where I had previously only THOUGHT about making changes in my life. I found that for me, it was a life changing event. I read it again in 2001 and it had the same effect. It amazes me that the council and advice offered within would be as applicable today as in 1980. That's the power of this book. It was deeper and wider than imagined and I believe it to be one of the best self-help books of all time when dealing with life in a spiritual realm.

I found this was very applicable Covey-ese in a spiritual setting. It made religious principles that I feel strongly about, more realistic for day-to-day situations. Although sometimes the advice was a little simplistic, it was generally very well thought out, and realistic.

This is the original from which Covey based all his later 7 Habits books, writings, seminars, etc. Much more powerful than expected, this is not a book for the squeamish. If you're afraid to improve, if you're afraid to make your life enormously successful, then stay away from this book. If you want to know what First Things First means, here's a great place to start.

Take a vicarious trip to Jamaica with this book! Stephen Foehr travels to the heart of Jamaican culture, and meets with the people who helped form it. He leaves the safe tourist areas far behind and goes behind the scenes into the deep countryside and interacts with the denizens of some pretty dangerous places. Good book. Well researched historical perspective, but not so much that it is dry or reads like a textbook. Still this book would be a great for modern music history classes.

JAMAICAN WARRIORS is fascinating and though about music, the social/political tones are revolutionizing and nurturing my understanding of reggae. I feel as though I'm with the author and the warriors as the textual conversations and images are so inclusive. Such makes for rewarding reading and fast page turning. A multifaceted book whether music, Jamaica travel, or history be your love.

Stephen Foehr has an unequalled understanding of the spiritual and intellectual qualities of the people who have created the musical culture of Jamaica, and anyone who professes to have a complete library of the best books on this topic cannot afford to be without his book. From my perspective, it is the best book on the market today for people looking for an understanding of how Caribbean culture created one of the most distinctive musical genres of the twentieth century. What makes it superior is Foehr's ability to draw from decades of first-hand knowledge of his topic. He is not an anthropological field worker but a deep insider who works with the care and sophistication of the best anthropologists and musicologists. Add to this, however, that he is not an academic who is distanced from his subject by abstractions or a journalist on an assignment. He is close to the soul, and if you admire Jamaica and its culture, you will feel at home in the world depicted in this book.

As a student of Stephen K. Hayes, I have always eagerly devoured anything he has written, and this one did not disappoint. This particular book is more about the historical roots and philosophical underpinnings of the higher life-path or life-way of 'Ninpo.' 'Ninjutsu' could be said to refer only to the physical techniques, the punches, kicks, throws, and use of weapons that instantly spring to mind when we hear the word 'martial art.' Then we can also work on our intellectual development through the study of history, languages, chemistry, physics, music; all the arts and sciences. Then we can also work on our spiritual development (see Abe Maslow's "Further Reaches of Human Nature"). This triple approach to our human development, body & mind & spirit, is Ninpo. Shidoshi Hayes, a Grandmaster in his own right, listed in "Who's Who in the World", and an ordained Buddhist priest, explores in this book all of the spiritual traditions that have left their mark on Ninpo, the higher life-path. Shinto, Buddhism, shugendo, and Daoism are the major focus.

Ninja Realms of Power is an overview of Stephen Hayes' explorations into the Japanese spiritual traditions of `Shugendo ~ seeking power in the mountains', `Mikkyo ~ secret doctrines of the Himalayan kingdoms', and `Sennin ~ Taoist practices for the goal of immortality. Stephen Hayes, one of the West's most well-known and respected authorities on Ninjutsu, also includes a chapter on `Ninpo Taijutsu'.

Looking at Sennin we see that the practitioner works physically and mentally at consciously experiencing the bridging of the gap between the in and yo (the yin and the yang) elements around him. The Sennin learns to transcend illusion and gain a vision of the universe as a single unified process as opposed to an overwhelming collection of seemingly conflicting and unrelated parts.

Looking at Mikkyo we see a priest with a collection of swords. The Mikkyo priest points out that the blade of the sword is forged for the purpose of protecting the sanctity of life. The cutting edge affords the bearer that reserve of confidence and power that permits gentle and courteous behavior.

The Shugendo is a blending of many related spiritual practices, including `Zudagyo ~ Buddhist teachings', `Dokyo and Omyodo ~ Taoist philosophies', the `Zomitsu ~ the nonreligious forerunner of the Mikkyo', `Shinto', `Jukkyo ~ Confucian teachings', and a wide assortment of Japanese folk beliefs.

Stephen Hayes also gives a detailed description of the `Goma fire ritual' and his participation, walking across the hot coals and burning embers of the fire. (This section also includes a number of great photographs of the ritual.)

In the chapter on `Ninpo Taijutsu' various martial arts techniques are demonstrated, but more importantly we see that only by progressing to realms of harmonized energy does the warrior begin to glimpse the potential for invincibility.

Ninja Realms of Power is a "must have" book for anyone studying shinobi-no-jutsu (ninjutsu), but also for anyone interested in the warrior philosophies and religions of Japan. A well written text, with several photographs and drawings throughout. I highly recommend this book to both the casual reader and dedicated student.

You never read this book once, at least 3 times in one sitting. I have a 3-year-old boy and he loves this simple story about the "Boot Family". The family helps the Old Steam Train and the Station to work again.

The pictures are on a white background, which make them easy to look at. They are wonderful, bright and very descriptive drawings. This all assists the child to start reading books and they don't want to stop. They learn to read the short simple text located on top of the page (about 5 easy words). Then the book has longer text on the bottom of the page, which you read to the child. You build up the child's confidence and then they start to read the whole book with you. It's great when my child joins in and gets all excited. I couldn't ask for more from a book.

The book also has maps of Apple Tree Farm. In which you can do your own stories and see where the story you have just read. Also a little yellow duck is on every page for the child to find.

My 2-year-old son loves this book! There are adult and early-reader versions of the same text on each page, so you can read aloud in brief or detailed fashion depending on how much time you have. The pictures are clear, and the storyline is short and simple. There is also a little yellow ducky hiding somewhere in each picture so you can play a game when you've had enough reading.

This is a good history book everyone needs to read. Especially anyone running for political office.

To write a good history book like this one an author needs to do well in three separate areas. He needs to research the topic at hand, write a readable account and finally analyze the events. Kinzer performs exceptionally well in all three areas. First, the book is meticulously researched. He discusses appropriate history without going into unnecessary or boring details to give the reader an appropriate context and background leading up to the 1953 coup. He also uses a diverse set of resources which leaves no holes in the story.

Second, Kinzer's writing is engaging and at times suspenseful. In fact at the end of many chapters, I was unable to put the book aside and take a break from reading due to the suspense Kinzer created. The story is very easy to follow and the reader needs practically no background to follow the events. This is particularly impressive given the relative short length of the book. My only criticism is that I wished he had summarized the cast of characters in an appendix or in the beginning as many similar books do.

Finally, his analysis, while many have called too liberal, is even handed. He makes a leap by implying that 9/11 events may have not happened if it weren't for the 1953 CIA led coup. Of course we will never know for sure. He supports his claims convincingly that the coup led to the eventual 1979 hostage crisis and the anti-American feelings in the Middle East. Liberal bias? The facts speak for themselves. The CIA using American tax payer money to overthrow a popular and democratically elected government. We, in the USA, would not appreciate if foreigners overthrew our government so why have a double standard? Perhaps Mossadegh is being glorified too much and ultimately he would have led Iran towards the wrong path, but the point remains that we will never know thanks to the coup. Kinzer does entertain the possibilities that Mossadegh would have been terrible for Iran and the West so I reject the idea that he has a strong liberal bias.

If you, like me, find the "Death to USA" chants and hostage taking barbaric and puzzling, this book will offer you fresh insights and help you understand the roots of these actions. You will become a lot smarter and more knowledgeable about the Middle East after reading it. I highly recommend this book.

"All The Shah's Men" by Stephen Kinzer is one of those rare works that exposes and explores a little-known moment in world history that is of high importance for our own times. The book chronicles how the U.S. and Britain pulled off a coup in Iran in the 1950s, overthrowing an elected government and setting the stage for what would become the Islamic Revolution of 1979. There has never been a more timely moment to pick up this book which explains the past, but it has priceless insights into the present. Kinzer has even included a new preface in this latest edition where he discusses the current spike in tensions and rhetoric from the U.S. towards Iran and the grave danger of a possible military confrontation and what it could mean.

In rich, fascinating detail and thrilling pace, Kinzer takes the reader through Iran's most fascinating moments in history ranging from its glory days as the Persian Empire to its time as a colony under British rule. Kinzer brilliantly looks at Iranian culture, how the Shiite religion plays a role in the Iranian character and has shaped the nation's attitudes and social structure. There are interesting moments dealing with the discovery of oil in the country and how this especially turned the area into a target for colonial interests. After this educative introduction to the country, Kinzer then focuses on the political upheavel Iran faced during the 1930s and 1940s when a parliamentry system was installed to sit next to the reigning monarchy. This came about during a time of intense nationalism which finally climaxed in the election of Mohammed Mossadegh, a fierce nationalist who's main goal was to nationalize Iran's oil which at the time was completely controlled by the British. Iranian oil was helping keep the British Empire afloat and giving the British citizenry a cozey lifestyle while Iranians lived in horrendous poverty, especially the oil workers at the Abadan refinery who lived in tin shacks while their colonial masters enjoyed golf courses, cinemas and luxurious clubs.

Kinzer's exploration of Mossadegh is deep and fascinating, reading you realize that Mossadegh deserves a place among the great nationalist leaders who have been known for their clashes with imperialism like Mandela, Lumumba, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. He comes across as a highly intelligent, charismatic character who felt a deep pain for his nation's suffering and was willing to face hell in order to liberate his people. The moment where Mossadegh speaks before the UN is especially memorable.

"All The Shah's Men's" main storyline focuses on how the battle for oil independence by Iran led to a joint British/U.S. operation to overthrow Mossadegh and re-install the Shah who was willing to serve all his master's demands as long as his throne and authority were kept secure. These are some of the books most enraging, thrilling moments as key historical characters such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Winston Churchill and CIA director Allen Dulles make appearances, divising massive propaganda, sabotage and destabilization plots to bring down a nationalist government threatening imperial hegemony.

Kinzer's book looks at the past, but is highly important for the present because once again we face a situation where a dominant power in the world might intervene violently in Iran, but as anyone who reads "All The Shah's Men" learns, this is not a wise course of action. The intervention carried out in 1953 lead to years of brutal repression which in turn led to the Islamic Revolution and the regime we are dealing with today. Kinzer brilliantly explores Iranian culture and the history of a people who have been punished endlessly for trying to control their own natural resources, this makes the story quite universal considering the struggle of Mossadegh in the book is the same struggle we see today in nations like Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba and Asia. "All The Shah's Men" is the answer to these radical, right-wing, religious books we have been bombarded with promoting war with Iran based on simplistic reasons when in fact, the history is much more complex.

Kinzer writes "All The Shah's Men" with a great eye for detail and provides in-depth analysis, documents, rare news reports and speeches to take us back in time. Like his other brilliant work on imperialism, "Overthrow," Kinzer also captures the human aspect and provides great personal, psychological details of the characters and how they were shaped by and related to the historical event in question. The book also serves as a nice crash course for anyone who wants to become familiar with Iran and its history, Kinzer does some excellent historical research that proves to be very valuable in understanding how this controversial nation has been shaped and formed.

"All The Shah's Men" is a brilliant chronicle and great resource, it is one of the best books available on Iran and the best record yet on what can be seen as the most crucial Western intervention in the Middle East in the last century before the Iraq War. A timely work and a timely warning.

All the Shah's Men attempts something seen but rarely accomplished in such an insightfully brilliant composition. Covering the events of the Anglo-Iranian oil embroilment, Stephen Kinzer attempts to take a neutral position on the ordeal but careful juxtaposition of events and seemingly minor inadvertent details hints otherwise. It must be realized that there is nothing in this text that is thrown casually together or without cause; the subject material is intrinsically complex: the very thought of organizing a tale as historically convoluted as this one seems a near incomprehensible act. It leaves only the conclusion, then, that every clause is carefully chosen and every concept lent an overarching purpose. Stephen Kinzer has taken to the high hills of neutrality while also subtly imparting his own thoughts from its grounds.

However that is not to say that he implants a wholly biased view. No, in fact there is a masterful genius in the way that he presents both sides of the issue without asking the audience outright to make judgement on either side. It should be noted that this is hard not to: one would find it difficult to read on the roots of what has amounted to a country's centuries old struggle for stable government and national unity. But, fortunately, it is not required of the reader to take any such stance. Indeed, it is not until the very end that any sort of analysis is even attempted. Then, too, Kinzer remains aloof behind the analysis of other historians of which he quotes extensively and interjects only to raise possible quandaries that they - not he - expose.

It is difficult to describe just who Kinzer is trying to reach here but it stands apparent that the man is passionate about his subject and wishes to get word out. At its core, All the Shah's Men is a tale of misunderstandings, stubborn actions, and lost opportunities. The novel details the U.S.'s involvement in a coup overthrowing Iran's revolutionary, progressive leader at the time Mohammad Mossadegh. While popular in his home country for nationalizing the oil industry, he ran afoul British (and consequently American) interests with his actions. Replacing him was Reza Shah who was seen mostly as the U.S.'s puppet government. Needless to say, this has caused what can only be understated as constant strife in the region and involved countries' relations. Kinzer ties this tale into coherency with an air of moralistic impassivity. What passes in his book is intriguing, disheartening, and as he is quick to remind - above all historically accurate. One feels that, upon closing the final chapters they have uncovered a great virtuosity and reached a profound understanding of often muddy governmental policies. If anything, one knows that they have definitely been handed a guide on how not to run foreign policy.

There is the implied concession on the advantages of hindsight, but then again, there is too that implied (however not always limited to such subtlety) concept that pigheadedness - easily identifiable during the run of its course - was, too, a large contributing factor.

All the Shah's Men succeeds not only because of its well accomplished attempts to organize often baffling quandries of political events, but also because of its effective use of what can best be described as stratification. While it would have been easy to cop to dividing the social castes inherent in the Anglo-Iranian crisis (and a major fuel to the lasting bitterness) Kinzer instead identifies the many overlaying sociological strata of the issue. We are given an overview of the issues highly charged history rife with symbols of religious martyrdom and political tension. The apparent psychological epidermis of the crisis is tilled handily before delving more into the heart of the issue in an effort of attaining an all-encompassing understanding. Without pandering to superficial conclusions or extraneous events, he gives us the breadth of the situation with a vision of multi-layered depth often gone unseen with such wells of temperance.

The ball is missed in a few spots, though. His straight-line recount of events feels empty at times as the mechanical linkage of occurrences leads to a concise - however dry - tale. As aforementioned, the balance of fact and opinion however much implied by Kinzer or falsely placed by the reader, is an unbalanced mix that somewhat detracts from the ruminative insights that he is oft to make.

However these moments stand of a minor importance in the larger, venturous message of Shah's Men. Nor do they slow down the rather fast-paced events of international spy intrigue permeating the Anglo-Iranian crisis. To this effect, Kinzer has drafted a book that will appeal not only to history buffs and political enthusiasts, but to those who would most usually find such subjects to be rather a boring and stuffy read. Kinzer is sure to make the matter of the past an engrossing issue of the now and foreign policy not only a matter of moralistic integrity of government but also one of personal responsibility. As indicated by All the Shah's Men's bestseller status, the people - people of the government - are clearly willing to listen. And, perhaps, that is all Kinzer really wants.

As an American who spent two years in Tehran during the 1950's, I was much aware of the impact of the coup and its immediate aftermath that is described Kinzer's book. It puts my memories of the time and the people into a excellent history and adds information about the coup that was not known to me. Working at the university I was aware of the bitterness of the people that I knew--students, faculty, business people and ministry employees. They were skeptical that any good could come from relations with the U.S., though they were always friendly to me and my family. Through Kinzer's book I have a better understanding of the events that followed the overthrow of Mossadegh, even unto today.

ONe of the main ingredients for the root beers in this book is sassafras, which is illegal, and causes liver damage. The Ginger beer that I made did not really taste good, but there are many other recipes in the book, which may or may not be good.

This is an awesome book. It takes some work to get all the ingredients but that is what the internet is for isn't it? So far I have made six of the recipes with my 11 year old niece. They all have turned out very well.

Wow wow wow. If you have ever thought about making your own soda/pop, get this book!!!

It's usually sold out, so I'm glad I finally got a copy! I've read it three times and have made gingerale and rootbeer! Delicious!

Two Thumbs Up!

Of course that's not saying much. I have failed to grow up in a great many ways. I can tell you however that this book is short, but filled with well documented and basic recipies. If you are curious about making your own homemade soda, then you need this book. It is the "primer". You can digest the whole book in a sitting and proceed to customizing the recipie's with confidence. I keep it close at hand these days, because the fun activity with my boys and me, this summer, will be experimenting in the kitchen with this great, simple, and historicly signifigant project.

Buy this book, and have a "ball". We did.

I wasn't impressed with most of the recipes. I was looking for recipes that was more in-depth in the original soda-pop. It does have some good information on the origination of rootbeer.

Stephen Cook's latest work brings together several pieces of the Hebrew Bible in supporting his thesis that the Bible contains throughout two basic worldviews in competition with one another. The first, which Cook favors, he calls the "Sinai tradition," found (perhaps surprisingly)in the 8th century prophetic books of Micah and Hosea, the Deuteronomistic History (Deut-2 Kings) the "E" strand of the Pentateuch, and the "Psalms of Asaph" (Ps 50, 73-81). Cook weaves these seemingly desparate texts together in making a solid case for their comprising together over two centuries of consistent proclamation of a rural, agrarian-based, decentralized, tribal, covenant way of life under the rule of YHWH. Cook argues well that the tradition is carried by the rural Levites.

In opposition to this Sinai tradition is the Zion tradition, which supports the opposite social structure, that of the urban, centralized, hierarchical life of Jerusalem and Samaria. This tradition is carried by the urban priests and royal retainers of the capital cities.

Cook shows clearly how it is the Sinai tradition that the Bible truly favors as YHWH's way for YHWH's people. That this is the case is also clear beyond Cook's book in how the New Testament writers almost unanymously call on the Sinai traditions in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah, despite the Davidic and Zion components of popular messianic expectations in the first century.

Cook writes with zest and as the teacher he is, sometimes honoring his students by quoting their papers or other comments. I commend him for recognizing the wisdom of those who have come seeking his wisdom as a scholar, the sign of a truly good teacher.

My only criticisms are relatively minor (I'd like to give the book 4 1/2 stars). He has a penchant, which becomes irritating, for describing topics he likes but doesn't have space to cover as "fascinating." I counted over a dozen uses of the term before I quit counting. Similarly, he seeks too often to bolster his argument by claiming that evidence he has presented is "clear," "convincing," or otherwise unarguable. As a law professor and former judge once taught me, watch out when someone claims that their argument is "unarguable." Cook's evidence is solid and his rhetorical effort to make it seem stronger tends to undermine his case rather than strengthening it.

All in all, though, a fine contribution to the growing understanding of how the Bible contains multiple points of view which reflect the same kind of internal arguments that takes place in Judaism, Christianity and Islam today.

Written by the prolific author of books about human relationships and time management (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People), this book uses Biblical principles to formulate a program to build and strengthen human relationships. Although the text makes frequent reference to religious scripture (e.g. the Bible), those references only work as illustrations of the principles presented. The principles presented in this book can be useful to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation.

This book is very comprehensive in covering both the scientific and clinical aspects of endodontics. While the detail may be overwhelming for many general dentists, it is an invaluable resource for those interested in gaining a more in depth understanding of the underlying principles and practical ins and outs of performing endodontic therapy. Great for training and practicing endodontists.

Well written, easy to read, nausiating detail but that is a good thing for a text book.

I've never fall asleep reading a book. I fell asleep ready this book twise. BORING!!
It sure is wordy and waistful. I am an average "A-" student and usually don't critize any book but this one I felt that I waisted my money. Content is disorganized. WORDY. This book makes me hate dentistry because of so much garbage is in it, not enough content...
Don't buy this one, you'll regred.

This is an excellent book with both practical steps and the theoritical background.I'm amazed that some of reviewers are complaining about the book being too theoritical, too wordy or too scientific. I assume that the reviewers are dentists,I'm certainly a dentist, and was also an A student. If a dentist has no interest in the science behind the procedure and finds it "wordy and too detailed", the question would be why did they become a dentist in the first place? After all, we are supposed to be scientists too. This book is written by fine practicing clinicians who also happen to be very knowlegable scientists.
Any dentist with passion for dentistry will find this book worth every penny.

once again, a fantastic text. A great test for endodontic board certification and any endodontist, but the information is too detailed I believe for the general dentist, although it should be able to answer any question the general dentist should have on endodontics.