V Books

Dr. Ann Graber's book is an excellent resource for health and social service providers in a wide range of settings. The author's thorough approach to Dr. Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy is based on her years of experience as a pastoral counselor, scholar and teacher of Logotherapy. Ann Graber's book gives a social and historical context to Frankl's Meaning-Centered Logotherapy. She illustrates the principles and practical applications of finding meaning regardless of age or circumstances. The book is an exceptionally well written and documented resource for anyone interested in learning about the essence of Viktor Frankl's message for our times. I highly recommend it.

May I express my hearty enthusiasm for Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy by Ann V. Graber. It is such an affirming, hopeful and constructive approach. I recommend this book to all who care about others.

This is an amazing book which traces the roots of Logotherapy through philosophy, history, and psychotherapy and presents it in an interesting, easy to understand format. Her treatment of the basic tenets of Logotherapy and the therapeutic interventions make it very accessible and her diagrams offer the clinician a good resource for materials to present to clients. I have been utilizing the theory of logotherapy in treating veterans with PTSD and have had extremely good outcomes with them. Graber's material has served as an excellent resource and has enhanced that endeavor. I highly recommend this work.

The evolution of Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy has been reflected in many texts. Dr. Graber, however, presents Frankl's work in a manner which is meaningful to the practitioner and lay person. This book is a definitive work outlining the techniques of Logotherapy offering case study applications to illustrate its potential. Dr. Graber guides the learner through the gold mines of potential inherent in Logotherapy with attention to avoiding the iatrogenic mine fields. This book is written with intelligence, wisdom, and sensitivity. It is a 'must read' for anyone interested in existential teachings, and a rich resource worthy of permancy in a personal reference library. Dr. Graber is a zen master in the art of Logotherapy offering the tools, insights, and hope that lead to healing and spiritual insight. This book truly illustrates the brilliance of Logotherapy depicting Frankl as a contemporary master of wisdom. He developed a vehicle to enter the dimension of spirit essential to holistic healing. His work challenges, cajoles, guides, and teaches the individual to find inspiration in each moment and the motivation to face each day with renewed hope. This is a world-class theory presented by a brilliant modern day master.

As a passionate counselor educator, I am fully aware of the gap between simple "knowledge" of a subject and "mastery" of a subject. Dr. Graber has dedicated her professional life to the study and teachings of Logotherapy. Her depth of knowledge and "living" Logotherapy truly qualifies her as a "Master" of the subject. Interested readers can review other comments regarding the "facts" of the contents of the book, however, "facts" can be presented with clarity by many writers. What is needed is a "truth" that the information presented can serve as a catalyst for the reader to actually transcend any situation and discover unique meaning in spite of the situation. The "truth" is, for this reviewer, that Dr. Graber's teachings are life transforming and provide a new perspective--a new perspective from which the reader can act as co-creator of his or her life and discover meaning-in-the-moment and Ultimate Meaning along the way.

Walking in Victory is a must read for any believer at any level of maturity. This book lays out some amazing truths from God's Word in a clear and easy to understand way. Mr. McCallum does an excellent job explaining how we can have victory day to day because as you will see in the book, Christ has already accomplished what we were never able to do. We have a new identity and learning about this new identity will change your life! This is also a great book to go through in a small group and study guides are available at [..].

Years ago, studying this book clarified key areas of the Christian life, helping me to finally get my own walk with God and ministry going. Victory lies in a believer's full acceptance before God based on Christ's atoning work on the cross. It's by understanding and focusing on this truth that Christians are able to develop lives of zeal, ministry effectiveness, and slow growth toward true holiness. Aside from the Gospel message itself, this concept, my identity in Christ, has been the most important lesson I've ever learned, and I haven't found a more sound explanation of it than in Walking in Victory. Now, I rely heavily on this book in mentoring students, and I'm able to see in them the fruit that is born from an informed and enthusiastic grace-focus.
The content matter, perfect for the scholar or new convert, is masterfully presented and extremely useful. McCallum skillfully mixes careful Biblical exposition and interpretation with down-to-earth application and insightful observations of human nature to create a work that is both provocative and practical.
I highly recommend this book to all believers who want to begin their walks with God on the right foot, who wish to deepen their appreciation of their identity in Christ, and who seek to help ground others in the firm foundation of grace.

Books like Walking in Victory are invaluable because they directly use and teach the Bible. This book is a guide to the crucial concepts in Romans 5-8, concepts that every Christian needs. The interpretation is accurate and the application contemporary. McCallum writes in an easy to follow, to-the-point style that is, as other reviewers have mentioned, very useful when trying to help a new Christian. On the other hand, because these concepts are straight from the Bible, long-time followers of Christ will be consistently challenged.

I really like this author's body of work. I've read all his non-fiction. He's very objective and can sound a little bit like notes from a lecture. But it is also emotionally productive, without the bells and whistles, unlike many Christian authors, and has genuine feeling and vulerability to appeal to anyone's subjective sensibilities. This book is my favorite from this author. He wrote that walking with God is about tranformation by the Spirit, not a change of behavior. The author makes points about principles and leaves the reader in charge of how to purpose God based on teachings from the Bible. This message is biblical and encouraging to anyone who has accepted Christ but doesn't know what to do next. This book is not a self-help book. It's not a method plan. Many Christians love the book of Romans and should really take a look at this book as extracurricular. This book is not a substitute for reading the Bible but a companion, conversation piece, the result of the word of God in the author's live - which the author states could happen to anyone who wants a personal relationship with God through Christ.

If you've never understood God's acceptance and grace fully, this is a book you would definitely benefit from! McCallum obviously put a lot of thought into how he could make these deep truths easier to understand and apply. Personally, I love the tables sprinkled throughout this book. They do so much to make things clearer, and are a great resource for group bible studies!!

Some of the many tables found in this book:
<> Comparing Biblical and Modern Love
<> How the Means of Growth (Prayer, Word, Fellowship, Ministry) work together and affect one another.
<> Our Old Self (in Adam) vs. Our New Self (in Christ)
<> Living under the Law vs. Living in Grace

LIBRO PARA COMPRENDER Y CONDUCIR BIEN A LOS ADOLESCENTES
COMO DIRÍAN ELLOS: GENIAAAAL !

fue un encanto...hasta que le pegó la adolescencia...PERO LOS CONSEJOS Y LOS PUNTOS DE VISTA DE ESPARZA, EL AUTOR DE ESTE LIBRO, NOS PERMITIERON SORTEAR EL TEMPORAL

QUE TE PERMITE CRUZAR POR EL TIEMPO BORRASCOSO DE LA ADOLESCENCIA DE TUS HIJOS, COMO SI FUERA UN DIA SOLEADO Y SIN
TURBULENCIA...Y HACER FELIZ A TUS ADOLESCENTES SIN DEJAR DE ORIENTARLOS.
¡PERFECTO !

Porque comprende bien que, al entrar a esa edad, nuestros muchachos cambian al mismo ritmo en que sus hormonas suben y bajan...
También hay que tomar en consideración que los chicos necesitan estabilidad, y que el PORQUE LO MANDO YO !les provocará berrinches, pero en el fondo, se sienten bien porque se dan cuenta de que sus padres se sienten seguros de lo que ordenan!
UN LIBRO INTELIGENTÍSIMO!!

cumplía 15 años, NOS DESPERTÓ UN PAVOROSO TAMBORAZO.
Mi esposa se abrazó a mi. Yo salté como conejo espantado y me levanté con tal violencia que Joanna se cayó porque estaba colgada de mi cuello.
Del tamborazo, siguio un trompetazo y miles de guitarras eléctricas !
NUESTRO "NENE " ESTRENABA SU LIBERTAD ADOLESCENTE.
Pensé en darle una cintariza ( no, ya no estaba en edad de que hiciera lo que nunca habia hecho con él )
PENSÉ EN UN INTERNADO: Joanna me pediria el divorcio
EN UNA CAMISA DE FUERZA ( Para Jon Jr...o para mi )
EN IRME A VIVIR CON MIS PADRES. ¡Ay, no !
MI SUEGRO ME REGALO ESTE LIBRO...ese mismo día,Joanna y yo nos fuimos al parque con sandwiches y abandonamos la fortaleza en manos de nuestro hijo...
SOLO 2 MESES DESPUES...¡SANTO REMEDIO !
Casi le prendemos veladoras al libro,tan leído que nos lo sabemos de memoría...
SI OYES UN TAMBORAZO, ¡CORRE A COMPRARLO ANTES DE QUE OIGAS EN TROMPETAZO, AMIGO !

This book is an invaluable reference and great educational tool for collectors of ancient coins. It explains many aspects of the field in an academic but witty style. Very readable text, also contains lots of reference material indexed for additional study of specific areas of research. A "must have" for those new to this area of collecting.

This is a good introductory book to ancient coin collecting. Getting one's feet wet in this are of numismatics, is a touchy thing in this day of on line auctions...where forgeries are easily sold as authentic. Book covers most everything a numismatist new to this field could want, online help, types, forgeries, authentication, caveats, etc. Good read for the newbie in ancients.

This is something of a potpourri of ancient coin information. It doesn't make a good reference work, per se; there are other books, etc. to purchase when you settle on your collecting theme. It is a great background resource, though, and helped me to clarify my own collecting themes.

As a collector over 30 years on Chinese and modern world coins, it's an adventoure for me to probe a totally different field of coin collecting - the western world ancient coins. What I need most is something to show me the way, to give me an outline, to guide me to the right direction, as well as to keep me interested at the unfamiliar new world.

This book serves my needs exactly as it starts with very basic but substantial introduction to the ancient western cultures which are not familiarized by an oriental like me. Then there are good references provided, among them I appreciated most the last part of Chapter II, "Ancient Coins and the Internet", and also Chapter VI, "Numismatic Literature". Those information show a beginner to a broader view and an easier access in continuing his collection interest.

I would say the most fancinating part of this book is surely Chapter VII, "Identifying Ancient Coins". It's systematically arranged thus I can get a clear picture of different categories of ancient coins, together with fundamental history background of the coin issuers. That is, indeed, far more interesting than just reading a coin catalogue.

For anyone who intends to start ancient coin collecting, this is the book to start with.

This is a great single volume reference on Ancient Coin Collecting. I don't want to repeat what others have written, but I found it to be thorough, well-researched, engaging and well-organized. It will spark your imagination and add to your knowledge base without overwhelming you.

I think this is a useful book. It's not particularly well written, but it does have some good information. It's also a bit difficult coming up with a structure for making it through. I just look up keywords from patients I see and cross the cases off as I go along. I suppose it's just something to pass the time and get familiar with some diseases before the real studying starts. I don't recommend trying to read it all the way through.

It really is hard to find a good internal medicine resource that you can get through and understand all the details. This book is the best I have found for a reasonable read that actually explains the mechanisms behind the disease and treatment. It folds a case into each topic and then has a decent sized discussion about aspects such as differential diagnosis, why it is this and why it is not this, treatment, and then finishes with comprehension questions. While the questions are a bit too brief and not that difficult, they are helpful for remembering the important bits. Also, it includes a little box at the end of each section that highlights the key points. I would not replace MKSAP with this, rather I would use it with MKSAP. Then read this again for step 2, as you'll swear after reading this, you see some of it almost verbatim on step 2.

Highly recommended.

A quick read and a good supplement for studying for the shelf. I would recommend doing a question book in addition.

Love the CaseFiles series, and the internal medicine one is no different. Carry it around in your pocket and read it during your free moments.

I think this book is an excellent review of common internal medicine presentations and diseases. One aspect which is particularly helpful is that it outlines the mechanism by which the disease/presentation occurs which helps you to fully understand the disease process. I would recommend it for anyone keen to review this topic and looking to supplement a more detailed text.

On their own, the pictures are nice. I thought they detracted from the text, which I have read before in a different edition (and gave away!).

If you can understand the text without letting the pictures have any influence, great. I think this poem (?) is all the wisdom anyone needs to get through life.

I found the photos to take away from the words. Also parts of the poem were placed in bold face and made them stand out in the wrong way; it simplified Ehrmann's ideas too much. I was very disappointed in how it changed the over all feel. I would think these words are better left alone without other artists visual interpretation attached. Just my thoughts.

I gave eight of these books away for Christmas this year. I love the book because proceeds go to the Daniel Pearl Foundation, not to mention the nice black and white photography and inspiring philosophy. This book is a bit of sunshine on demand.

This is a wonderful book for any age. The Desiderata, an inspirational poem, was written long ago. This book illustrates the words using simple, yet striking, photographs. I have bought this book for teachers, students, and as gifts for graduates. I always keep a copy in my collection. Words we can all live by.

One of my favorite poems, a comforting and refreshing perspective on life's big picture. It purports to have been discovered in a church in the seventeenth century, but in fact it was written by a man named Max Ehrmann in the first third of this century. I have kept a copy around since elementary school (ever since I learned that Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, kept one in his office), and now keep one in my office at home and one at work.

I am not a paleontologist (obviously). I am not, truth be told, even a dinosaur fanatic. What I am is a reader who is always looking to extend my knowledge base on interesting subjects, and this dinosaur encyclopedia fulfills that quest in spades!

Everything you could ever want to know about dinosaurs -- all types, all genuses, all sizes and shapes and colors -- is detailed, extensively, within the pages of DINOSAURS. There are wonderful illustrations by Luis V. Rey, timelines, graphs, rock cycles, detailed drawings of skeletons -- you name it, and this book has it. With an appendix that includes a 48-page Dinosaur Genus List and a Glossary of hundreds of terms, this is pretty much the only encyclopedia on dinosaurs that you're ever going to need.

I'm sure that some scientifically-minded people will yearn to find something that is missing, and they may even find it. But for the general dinosaur lover, this is definitely the book to add to your collection. Although the reading level is too advanced for younger children, those over the age of eight will find plenty to keep them interested and entertained.

DINOSAURS is highly recommended for classroom and home libraries, or as the perfect present for that dinosaur crazy kid on your gift list.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

I LOVE dinosaurs and this book was first on my christmas wish list and I was soooo excited when I got it. It's huuuuuugge!!! I loved it it's got a detailed section on sauropods, tyrannosaurids, hadrosaurs, and oh I can't list em' all!!! Also it admits that it speculates and that's what really drives me insane when scientists speculate and present it as fact. Sometimes it even gives 4 or 5 illustrations of what it could have looked like. It also has history on paleantology. I love this book!!! The only thing that keeps it from being a 5 star deal for me is it's an evolution book.

I got this for my 6-year-old daughter who loves dinosaurs, and not only does she love it, but it's fascinating for me too. It does go into a lot of detail, but does so in such a clear way that it's still very understandable (besides, we like detail). The tone is nicely conversational. This is a book that I think we will read and re-read for years to come.

This book is billed as en Encyclopedia for all ages. I bought it for my dinosaur-bedazzled five-year old grandson, however, and found it was much too detailed for him. I will have to save it for much, much later and hope that he still retains an interest in the giant creatures.

This is a very good overview of the subject of dinosaurs for the lay person. It covers the systematics of the subject with good descriptions of each grouping and the morphological characters that distinguish them. Most of all it conveys to the reader the breadth of the group and how diverse dinosaurs are; they're not just giant predators and plodding plant-eating monsters, but that they occupied nearly all ecological niches of the Mesozoic world. I certainly wasn't aware of how many different species have been described.


Holtz writes for the adolescent and older lay-person in generally informal language that's not too patronizing for the older reader. It certainly is not a challenging read other than the breadth of the subject. In addition he's generally good about pointing out what are facts based on examination of the fossil evidence and what is pure speculation. He discusses how different paleontologists have different interpretations of the evidence and doesn't present his views like they are the only possibility. This is a very good resource for the person who wants to know just how diverse and extensive dinosaur species were and how they lived based on recent scientific research.

This product showed up speedily and in very good condition. I am very happy with it.

This epidsode will make you want to continue on to the next issues. Its fun, its sad, and it's entertaining.

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

This volume was definately one of the best so far. It was so good, it surprised me! No part of this volume is boring. I loved the parts with Kureno (he's one of my favorite characters), and the class trip was the best! This volume raises LOTS of questions, those of which you'll have to find out for yourself. But trust me, this volume is so worthy of the $10 you'll have to spend, that I'll read it again after just reading it yesterday! Take my advice, you will love this volume. Fruits Basket really does put all else to shame!

I absolutly love this series. While at first it may seen strange you just can't help falling in love with the characters (<3 kyo) and their whole story. Before you know it you end up rooting along with the characters on their journies. While they are aimed at a teenage audience my mom aunt and 12 year old brother even enjoy them! This series was the first Manga I had ever read and its what actually got me started on reading manga and enjoying it. I Absolutly cannot wait until the 14th book comes out...
I highly recommend this series to everyone of all ages.

Hellboy is just light-years ahead of almost every other comic I've ever read. The plotting and dialogue is almost literary and the art is just fantastic.

Some good, old fashioned monster hunting. A death in New York leads to a vampire in Romania, the possible offspring of something a lot worse.

The team gets a new member when a homunculus is discovered, and finally, have to deal with that witchy-poo Baba Yaga and some other strangeness.
More top notch Hellboy goodness.

This is definitely awesome. Continuing Mignola's story of the big red devil with a giant stone fist, volume two explores deeper into the mythos of Hellboy. A must read.

Cualquier tomo de Hellboy es garantia de excelencia en todos los sentidos, si lo compras te aseguro que no te arrepentiras y vas a querer tener toda la coleccion.

Wake The Devil is better than its predecessor, "Seed of Destruction". The writing is far more cohesive, entertaining, and flows without the hiccups that plagued "Seed".

Rasputin returns with another presence from beyond calling the shots, but Mignola also works in a few more historical or legendary figures, including Dracula (or a stand-in for him), Baba Yaga and the Furies, as well as introducing new characters like the goddess Hecate, the evil industrialist Roderick Zinco, the "brain in a jar" mad scientist Herman Von Klempt and several other well-characterized Nazis. Mignola also adds a touch more overt humor to this volume along with some terrific banter and a sense of history between Hellboy and his B.P.R.D. compatriots, hints more at Hellboy's mysterious destiny without veering into "chosen one" cliches and basically maintains and even widens the eclectic mix of genre influences while seeming more focused and sharper in general. There's nothing really wrong with Seed of Destruction, but Wake The Devil is really where Hellboy comes together.

One of the things that really struck me about Wake The Devil was that the characters seemed to be having more fun, and that comes across in some ways as Mignola having more fun as well. Flying solo without Byrne as scripter and obviously bolstered by the success of his first Hellboy effort, Mignola seems more confident of himself, more sure that Hellboy is what he wants it to be, and that confidence comes across not just in a more complicated backstory for the villains but in a general sense of fun in the characters. There's even some outright slapstick, such as Hellboy's jetpack failing or Abe's sardonic "Hellboy's blowing things up again" when Castle Giurescu goes up.

What I really liked, though, was a slight shift in the dialogue. Though it's not so noticeable as to be jarring, Mignola does sort of get away from the more bombastic and Silver Age elements of Byrne's scripting in this volume, replacing it with a more wry tone that veers from scholarly to regular guy with ease. Quotes from William Blake and pompous, insane rants by Rasputin exist alongside good Hollywood banter like Hellboy heading off to Romania in search of good food with the Bendis-like turn of phrase "paprika chicken, baby!" Hellboy in particular benefits from an infusion of a little more humor and confidence, trash-talking his opponents and muttering to himself in self-deprecating tones when he gets himself into trouble. Of course, it's not just in the humor that the dialogue shines, as Mignola has a gift for the villainous turn of phrase, as when Nazi villainess Ilsa utters the memorable bon mot "Oh, I would cut open the world to see it bleed." Now that's what I call a bad guy line of dialogue!

Leaving aside the manner of the storytelling in terms of dialogue, Wake The Devil also benefits from a complexity of design. The plot that Hellboy goes out in search of is tracking down a vampire who may or may not be the legendary Dracula. In the course of this investigation, he runs afoul of his old nemesis Rasputin, who is tied in with an Elder God-like "Dragon" and a trio of Nazis who originally helped raise Hellboy, as well as a mad scientist villain that Hellboy had a run-in with in a previous short story. What's amazing isn't just that all of these villains (a good half dozen in all) are so interesting and well-fleshed-out on their own, but that Mignola's tale links them all, from vampire to Nazi to mad monk to mad goddess to Russian witch/goddess, and it all just flows so well together. There's a sense of a tapestry behind all of this, and if Mignola hadn't figured out by this point just what Hellboy's actual destiny was and how he tied into all of this, well, his script certainly had this reader fooled on that score.

The only aspect of Wake The Devil that isn't an improvement on Seed of Destruction is the artwork, because it would have been very difficult to improve upon. Mignola does open the book up a little, shedding some sunlight and open spaces on the B.P.R.D. and getting them out of creaky mansions and swamps exclusively, but he maintains the mood with European castles, forgotten labs and haunted forests too. The change in colorists, from Chiarello and Hollingsworth to Sinclair, is also a slight change but can't really be called an improvement, as all are expert colorists and Sinclair's work here is excellent, perhaps a little stronger on the brighter, sunlit aspects than Hollingsworth or Chiarello might have been but otherwise just a continuation of the strong coloring we've already seen. In addition, Mignola has some spectacularly choreographed action scenes in Wake The Devil. Probably the most memorable is Hellboy's brief but powerful showdown with Giurescu, but his fight with Hecate or the Furies is equally impressive.

Like most classic novels, "In Praise of Older Women" is a simple and wise book. I consider my life meaningfully enriched by having read it. (And how many books can you say that about?) I can understand why the author (to whom I give my thanks) pursued the dubious expedient of personally promoting it here. It cries to be read! But I fear that its European sanity with regards to the eternal dance between men and women will always be a foreign tongue to American readers, saddled as we are with the sexual neuroses of our Purtian founders. What Vizinczey has learned about women, and which he has graciously shared with us, is not feminist and it is not politically correct. It is simply true. People who value doctrinal conformity over thoughtful perception had better stick to Oprah-approved novels instead. Those seeking to understand our human nature a little better before it is lost to the grave are well-advised to start here.

I read with amusement the comments about how Americans haven't picked up on this book. Hate to bust some Euro-cherries, but I read this in the Fifth Edition (1969) in high school in rural Colorado in about 1970.

In its time, it was a good book. I had my son read it, and discovered my old copy while cleaning out his room (he's off to University). That in turn, sparked my interest to see if it was still in print.

I liked Vizinczey style when I first read it. It would be interesting to pick up on Andras in his later years, just to see how the character evolved. It's one thing to be unattached and picking up what you can, it's quite another to have been in a sustained relationship for more than a few years.

After +30 years I have found his descriptions of women superficial. Most of the 'older' women I know today, post birth control pill, post mass access to University education, post establishment of career, would make quick hash of Andras.

This is a classic book, in the sense that it addresses one of the many topics forever dealt upon by humankind in all form and manner, but in a refreshing light. The style is elegant, the prose superb and the story itself is extremely charming and interesting. I read the book when I was barely 11, and to this day I keep a copy on my book shelf (albeit now in sight of grown ups!).

My comment refers to the second FRENCH edition of this novel, paperback edition. I was curious to read comments of readers oversease and came to this site ...

I am a "post birth control pill, post university education, post career establishment and delusionment woman". Yet, I LOVED this novel and found these women so close to what we still are. Times have changed, life has become much easier for women - and maybe more difficult for men ? - but one thing has not changed : the relationship between men and women. When it comes to sexuality, men know exactly what they want, and from an early age, whereas women have to learn this gradually (if they are given a chance of course and are open to "learning" ...)This is why in 2006 you still find giggling silly teens like in S. Vicinzsey's book, adolescent older women (30 - 40, but also 40 - 50 ... Why should sexuality stop at ANY age ?), frigid younger women, and women of all ages who know what they want ! Nowadays most of the married women in the book Andras Vardas had a relationship with would get a divorce. However, they may first start with a lover and some will even chose to have a lover but not to divorce ... And of course this lover would look like Andras, a man who has learnt "not only to speak to women but also to listen to them." So have times changed? Hardly.

The book takes the form of a series of small adventures, one in each chapter on the background of Stalinistic and opressed but sexualy liberated Hungary in the 1950s and poltically free but puritan Canada. The anecdotes and the historical perspective enhance the interest of the stories.

This is why it is a wonderful little unpretentious book, not a milestone of the world literature (this is why I dump one star), yet a book to recommend for reading to anybody interested in men - women relationships, what erotism is all about.

I have just read In Praise of Older Women for the second time. Many reviewers have drawn attention to the wisdom contained in this little book, which slyly presents itself as a breviary for young men without lovers. I am reluctant to insist on its status as "an erotic classic," for fear that to do so would confine it to a very narrow context. Indeed, the erotic scenes do not constitute the heart and soul of the story, nor do they even take up very much room. Rather, the book brings some very subtle psychological observations to bear on human relationships. Note, for example, the analysis of the "rapport des forces" between the older women and the younger hero. Zsuzsa, a "small, colourless woman," struggles to overcome her pride. Her coyness turns to compliance only when Vajda snaps at her, showing his passion (one recalls a scene in The Red and the Black: playing for somewhat higher stakes that Vajda, Julien tears a sword from the wall, imprudently displaying his passion before Mathilde, who briefly sees that he loves her). Other women aim stinging remarks at the young man only to succumb to his advances; or else they are guarded and surly the morning after, suspicious (and, in many case, rightly so) of the young Don Juan's motives. In another case, it is Vajda who is prideful. In his efforts to keep up with an energetic violinist whose relentless athletic pursuits and strange sleeping habits he takes as a challenge, the poor Casanova wears himself down to the bone. Vajda also writes of the anonymous onanists, versions of Dostoevsky's "underground man," who keep to themselves and satiate their erotic cravings in solitude. These misanthropes belong to the category of men who have not opened themselves up to women, who want to seduce and dominate the opposite sex, unlike Vajda, who looks on women as "accomplices." The book is a very strong and subtle critique of pride. When I think back on its contents, I remember not only the pleasant watercolors of Hungary and Rome, the descriptions of bodies and faces, and the maxims worthy of La Rochefoucauld ("Whatever is sanctioned by society as a principal good also becomes a moral imperative"), but also the wry humor that examines human interaction with sympathy and insight. While desire plays a large role in the recollections of the hero, the extent to which the author soars above his past is quite remarkable. To be invited to partake of his calm gaze is a pleasure worth repeating. One can read this book again without tiring of it.

The book was very well received in France. "Un bain de bonheur" was how one reviewer described it. How to account for its popularity in Europe (the book has been a best-seller in Spain and elsewhere I believe)? It is true that eroticism has been raised to the level of a value in France, which deploys its Catholic moeurs like scud missiles against a monolithic (and not wholly imaginary) American puritanism. Ideology aside, the fact remains that France knows how to appreciate good literature.

I see that the author himself has posted a review translated from the French. Good for him. America should know about the European point of view.