F Books

I consult with a lot of small business owners and read this to improve my ability to give them broad guidance on the things they s/b thinking about prior to selling their business. Then I realized it made more sense to give them a copy of the book so I bought a bunch of them and have been handing them out since. My clients have all found the book to be of great value.

I highly recommend this book for any forward-thinking business owner who wants to optimize his/her results in the selling process. In working with thousands of successful entrepreneurs, I can't imagine any of them embarking on such an important event without taking the time to self-educate with this book's practical insights. Dini's and Zubillaga's expertise on the subject is presented in a quick-read, useful manner that is worth every penny.

Carlos and I didn't realize until after we were listed on Amazon how SHORT 31 pages of content looks compared to other books. In truth, we struggled for a long time rewriting the book to be shorter. We work with business owners, and understand that they typically don't want to wade through a lot of fluff to get to the point. I'm glad to see that some of our readers realize that you can say a lot if you pick your words carefully.

This short book is packed with practical, useful advice. The insights come from 2 gentlemen who have not only been there and done that, but they've written the book and share what you must do to successfully sell your business. They've managed to condense a weighty subject into just the essentials you need to know.

Even after reading it, I don't know how the authors provided such a comprehensive tutorial so concisely. This one will surprise you. It goes beyond the basics of valuing your business, seeking buyers, and negotiating, to include really sound advice on some of the less obvious strategies involved in a successful sale.

Perhaps this book is not suitable to those who dismiss medicine as a science, but for readers in search of scientific facts, this book is indeed insightful as it adds valuable knowledge to the field of substance treatment. I commend the authors of this book for stating a fact that had been unexposed for too long. After watching Dr. Nikakhtar on CNN, I ordered this book and found it useful and intelligent. The authors of this book look far into the biological factors of addiction and diligently report what the scientific community has held to be true for a long time--that substance abuse is not the fault of the addict but the result of biological conditions that can be addressed and treated. The authors have painstakingly outlined the source of addiction and have finally de-stigmatized addiction, explaining that it is a medical condition that can be treated and CURED!!!
I've recommended this book to my colleagues in the field of health care and they have found it equally helpful in their treatment of addiction.

The empire of Alcoholic's Anonymous and its enfeebled crew of inbred 12 step groups have occupied the field of "substance abuse recovery" to the point of becoming a dictatorship. This volume appropriately calls this bully to task for its monolithic and monotheistic occupation of the medical field and calls for research that goes beyond that which currently panders to the 12 step oligarchy. Thanks to pioneers like Dr. Nikakhtar and Dr. Stanton Peale this archaic AA orthodoxy which has so slowed medical advance and kept addiction science in the dark ages may soon deservedly lose its exalted status and be sent packing to join like minded control cults in the relative obscurity now enjoyed by the flat-earth society.

The authors have dissected the anatomy of addiction and have exposed the causes of substance abuse. This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to understand drug addiction and recovery. Finally, the authors cleverly illustrate how recovery is achieved and successfully maintained. The book is quite an accomplishment in the field of health and science.

Perhaps this book is not suitable to those who dismiss medicine as a science, but for readers in search of scientific facts, this book is indeed insightful as it adds valuable knowledge to the field of substance treatment. I commend the authors of this book for stating a fact that had been unexposed for too long. After watching Dr. Nikakhtar on CNN, I ordered this book and found it useful and intelligent. The authors of this book look far into the biological and psycho-social factors of addiction and diligently report what the scientific community has held to be true for a long time--that substance abuse is not the fault of the addict but the result of biological and psycho-social conditions that can be addressed and treated. The authors have painstakingly outlined the source of addiction and have finally de-stigmatized addiction, explaining that it is a medical condition that can be treated and CURED!!!
I've recommended this book to my colleagues in the field of health care and they have found it equally helpful in their treatment of addiction.

This book, written in layman's terms, is a fast read while loaded with invaluable information. It is the most innovative approach to substance abuse recovery. The authors dispel the notion that substance abuse is a character flaw, from which one will never recover. They set about empowering the medical community to take action in helping those who are self-medicating via substance abuse. It inspires those who are self-medicating via substance abuse to feel empowered to resolve the underlying issues that have caused the substance abuse in the first place. This is a book that eliminates the victim mentality of typical 12-step programs and encourages self-empowerment. It is a must read for anyone in the medical field, as well as for anyone who has or is self medicating via substance abuse, or has someone in their lives who is self-medicating via substance abuse.

An easy, inspirational read. Clear concise and to point on every aspect of leadership. This should be stressed to be read by any inspiring officer or one on active duty for 20 years.

Excellent application to the civilian world as well. Wish I'd have found this sooner!

The first book assignment in my Strategic Leadership and Decision Making (SLDM) elective for Air War College was "American Generalship: Character Is Everything: The Art of Command" by Edgar F. Puryear Jr. The level of leadership this study aims at is very high indeed - the ranks of the general officers. The kind of strategy that leaders at this level create and conceptualize, during both peace and war, involves all of the nation's forces, and applies itself through large-scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security or victory. This book deals exclusively with the sort of character, mentorship and values that a leader at this level must possess, and it does so with a tidal wave of good examples and meaningful quotes.

The subtitle of the book, "Character is Everything: The Art of Command", defines the focus of this study in leadership. Although the leaders studied in this book are chosen from fairly narrow sections of time and from only one country (USA), those times are the greatest perils. Ike, Patton, MacArthur, and Clark are drawn from World War 2. Grant, Sherman, Lee, and Jackson are cited from the American Civil War. Extensive passages on Billy Mitchell's experience as well as that of his ardent supporters Hap Arnold and Tooey Spaatz. George Washington's contribution is discussed in detail. There is a far too small, albeit tasty, portion for more recent leaders, like Colin Powell, Schwarzkopf, Meyer, and Creech, who have had to deal with the today's hyperpolitics, scandal-centric journalism, perpetual war and a evaporating budgets.

As good as "American Generalship: Character Is Everything: The Art of Command" is, some important details of the leadership experience are left in rather soft focus. The rationale behind Operation Market Garden (p288, listed in other references as "disastrous"), continued support for Wedemeyer (p318-9, a similar set of "circumstantial" charges against an officer today would certainly be career ending), and clearing the Hooverville shantytown built by "Bonus Army" marchers (p264-265, brutal tactics used and the unfortunate remarks made at the press conference that immediately followed). These details could have provided the all important context that framed these actions and decisions. Character is revealed through actions inside context.

More examples could have been provided about leaders who did not read books. The book only lists one leader, the confederate Longstreet (p152-153), who did not read extensively. On the other hand, the narrative bogs down with mountains of evidence that reading books, particularly biographies and historical works, helps leaders think more broadly and learn from the timeless lessons of the past.

All things considered, "American Generalship: Character Is Everything: The Art of Command" is certainly worth a read. It is a very good book that could have been great if only it had spent a little more time in the hands of an editor.

Outstanding book on leadership. It covers the dynamics of proven performers through the ages and gives the reader a strong foundation in personal assessment and grow. A must-have for anyone's professional library.

As a career Air Force officer I have read many books on leadership and command. American Generalship stands out as the best I've ever read. The author highlights shared leadership traits held by several of great generals that he gleaned from personal interviews. I give this book to all the officers under my command to mentor them as leaders.

Mr. Puryear wastes no time with fluff. He gets right to the heart of leadership in this wonderfully written book. He has done a superb job in researching and interviewing each of the men he writes about. So, the information you'll receive from this book is both accurate and personal. You can read it casually or blaze through it. Either way, I believe you will be pleased with the nuggets of leadership wisdom revealed by some of the world's finest military leaders.

great review text, unfortunately no questions for board practice, but this book gives great "quick facts" for easy reference, and sometimes a better understanding of vast topics.

I used this text as my framework for written boards review and supplemented with other more-in-depth texts. It was more than enough to pass.

excellent book. read it when I was bored one day. wish i'd used it earlier when on the ICU rotations. probably would've become an anesthesiologist if I'd had it in med school. one dreams of writing a chapter in that book someday...

If you want a good review of all topics related to anesthesia, then this is it. The chapters being short, sweet but in depth, make for a quick but knowledge gaining read. Good book for the library of Anesthesia Assistants.

This is one of those books that can be appreciated by almost every clinician. Dr. Faust has done a fantastic job of applying basic science principals to practice. After being away from the classrooms of medical school for awhile, one tends to become myopic and reliant upon specialty-specific pricipals. This book book helps dust off those cryptic vaults within the cerebrum and can really get the acetylcholine flowing.

Get this book!

Superb book, great pics .. left a great impression on me and as i reflect
much of my childhood growing up with this plane..i just felt so nostalgic
a must get and not to be missed for those who need to close the chapter
of the tomcats in their hearts.. will never be forgotten

ps..amazon's delivery was super fast considering im half way round the world,,. many thanks

Every thing was just fine except the mistake the authors have made by calling the Persian Gulf the "arabian gulf" which is kinda like an insult to the Iranian readers as Iran is the only country that is now operating F-14s (even though it is in fewer numbers). But all in all, this was a great book with lots of awesome photos. I liked it!

This book has some of the best tomcat photography you will find. The text, while interesting could be a little more heavy on the history of each of the fighter wings it covers. Hildebrandt's effort is nonetheless stunning. I only wish I could do this kind of photography for a living!

If you loved the Tomcat with passion, and miss the sound of those two General Electric jet engines on a hot clear day, this is the perefect book. Beautiful photos , it was a fitting tribute to one of the greatest fighters ever built.

I must be getting old. I remember when the F-14 Tomcat was just being designed and adopted by the Navy. Now we are telling them 'Good Bye.'

The F-14 entered service with the Navy in 1972. It was retired from the U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006, having been replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As of 2007, only the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force still flies the aircraft. Where did those 34 years go?

This book is a memorial to the Tomcat. It's a photographic essay of the last seven squadrons (down from over thirty) to fly the big bird. The photography is beautiful, mostly in the air, but quite a few on the deck of the big ships, and a couple very sadly showing the old birds sitting out in the field, stripped of unit ID, stripped of their soul.

It's a beautiful book, and an excellent tribute to the men and their very beautiful, very high performance machines.

Jung was meticulously looking for psychological patterns of thinking. These patterns he called archetypes. Like the instincts have influence on the physical body, the archetypes should have their influence on the thinking mind. They have their origin in what Jung called the collective unconscious.

While the personal unconscious is made up of contents which have at some time been conscious but which have disappeared from consciousness through having been forgotten or repressed, the contents of the collective unconscious have a collective, universal and impersonal nature which cannot be reduced to experiences in the individual's past.

All original mythological revelations have their source in the collective unconscious. Metaphorical mythology is needed in expression of the complex archetypal contents. Even though the cultural surroundings have their influence on various myths, too, it seems like the collective unconscious was identical in all individuals.

Although Jung was a real pioneer in his field, I find his (translated) style of writing slightly 'dry'. Especially the last chapters on mandala symbolism were boring. -I suggest you highlight the most interesting contents, so you'll find them easily later again.

Jung's books are not easy reads, but they are almost invariably eye-openers. I recommend first reading his student's works (von Franz, Barbara Hanna, Joland Jacobi), his "Man and His Symbols," & (especially with respect to this book) Joseph Campbell & Jean Shinoda Bolen. It helps a lot to understand mythology when exploring the collective unconscious. Jung goes to great lengths to show how the denizens of the collective unconscious (archetypes--universal images~Plato's view) map onto very different cultures throughout time & space--appearing in art, dreams, visions, etc. Bolen uses Greek goddesses & gods to depict these. Jung disliked neologisms (creating new words) instead he transplanted them from other disciplines to map into his psychological theories & constructs--thus, "archetypes" & "complexes"--paralleling General Systems Theory (cf. biologist von Bertalanfy's works). "Complex" comes from mathematics' complex numbers. Jung knew & conversed with physicist Pauli, Kabbalah professor Scholem, & many other famous, high-caliber scholars. It is important to realize, when reading this book, the important differences between archetypes of the collective unconscious & complexes of the personal unconscious--though they have the same names! Thus, the mother archetype is the pure image of motherhood--with both positive & negative aspects. But, each person has an actual, individual mother (or lack thereof--absent mother). The interaction or combination of these two forms one's mother complex. As in math, it has a rational part (actual mother) & an imaginary part (archetype). In math, the imaginary part is multiplied by i, the square root of minus 1--which cannot exist, yet mathematicians use it creatively! So does Jung. Even modern works by "post-Jungians" often confuse or confound these two. The Anima/animus is particularly prone to this confusion. Unfortunately, Jung added to this confusion IMHO by calling the anima soul & the animus spirit. The anima/animus use gender & projection to enable people attune to the Self, the overarching archetype (others are essentially subsets). It is the image of wholeness &, thus, the object of psychological individuation--not integration. Jung says one cannot integrate the entire unconscious--that is beyond human capability. This is more subtle than it seems--esp. regarding western mystics' unio mystica (union with God) & eastern enlightenment. Jung attempts to assist people evolve, ~the U.S. Army: "be all you can be," rather than a thin veneer of civilization--p. 269 "Outwardly people are more or less civilized, but inwardly they are still primitives." Further, p. 322 "The view that we can simply turn our back on evil & in this way eschew it belongs to the long list of antiquated naiveté's. This is sheer ostrich policy & does not affect the reality of evil in the slightest." Therefore, Jung includes the negative aspects of both archetypes & complexes. Finally, as scientific psychologist, Jung notes that p. 269 "We should never forget that in any psychological discussion we are not saying anything about the psyche, but that the psyche is always speaking about itself."

This intriguing study of the archetypes of our collective human unconscious is FASCINATING. Here we confront the fountainheads of the hypostasis of dreams and the active genesis of fecund mythology. The collective unconscious differs from the personal in that it is not constituted of repressed or forgotten complexes but of inherited archetypes that were never a part of your conscious life. Anyone who plans to study mythology should be required to read this book... ignorance of it would prevent your comprehension of the primitive man and tribes' living mythology and religion. (Also would be an essential tool in exploring dreamwork or human nature) The archetypes are felt in our most personal life and encountered in dreams. Unconsciously, unprojected, it turns out that our own minds have a "sea of possibilities", and that they assume definite forms only in projection. The archetypes are vessels that we can never empty or fill, having only potential existence, taking shape they become no longer what they were. They need be interpreted anew throughout the ages. They are the imperishable elements of the unconscious, but they change their shape continually, being the "treasure in the realm of the shadowy thoughts" which Kant spoke of, and among the highest values of the human pysche. They are the simple solution of how archaic myths, far from being merely historical remnants or allegories of physical processes, still grasp us with profound effect in all levels of society and eras. Awareness is needed of these jewels to understand the unconscious' interconnectedness with our conscious life and the fact that the human pysche is not born tabula rasa. This is a classic work, that some may not adhere to, but far from being a philosophy, and me far from being a pyschologist, I would not take the bold step here to criticize Jung's work. Jungian or not, I give it my stamp and seal of approval guaranteeing your utmost interest.

This work, along with _Modern Man in Search of a Soul_, is one of the best places to start if you are new to reading Jung. It is also the companion piece and predecessor to _Aion_, which is another spectacular and groundbreaking work. If you want to read _Aion_, it would make sense for you to read this one first, since it is part 1 of volume nine, while _Aion_ is part two. Overall, I would say that both parts 1 and 2 of volume nine are absolutely essential reading for any Jungian, and if you're going to buy one, go ahead and buy both.

As for the actual content of _The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious_, I would describe it as an overview and recapitulation of many of Jung's key concepts. As the title implies, the main concepts are archetypal images (as revealed in to people in dreams) and the collective unconscious. These are trademark Jungian concepts, and Jung devoted a large portion of his writings to explaining what he meant by Archetypes and the collective unconscious. If I could explain it to you right here I would, but Jung spends a the first two hundred pages of this book simply explaining and defining "archetype" and "collective unconscious". These are key concepts in understanding the human mind, and may help unlock the mysteries of conscious existence; it is by no means superfluous to devote such rigorous study to these ideas. _The Archetypes and the Collcetive Unconscious_ is NOT a narrowly focused, specialized, or jargonistic work. It deals with ideas that are central to understanding the human psyche or soul, and applies universally to all of mankind.

There is also a pictorial section of the book in which Jung actually shows examples, in the form of paintings, of archetypal images that were seen by his patients in their dreams and subsequently drawn by the patients themselves. Some of these paintings are very artistic, and there are uncanny similarities among many of them. This pictorial section occurs about 200 pages in. After the pictures, Jung goes into a detailed explanation of each one, which I found to be somewhat tiresome, especially considering many of the paintings were extremely similar. Overall, the final, brief, section of the book in which the paintings are described is quite boring, and I would recommend that the reader simply look at the paintings and forego the final explanations, which are extremely redundant. In other words, read the first two hundred pages, look at the pictures, stop, and then move on to _Aion_. The weakness of this final section is not enough to justify removing a star from my ratings, however, simply because of the utter profundity and potency of the first 200 pages, which represents the majority of the book anyway. Keep in mind that the vast majority of Jung's writings consist of essays not more that 100 pages long each. You will find that most of his complete works contain numerous profound and insightful essays, occasionally laced with the odd, specialized, highly esoteric essays. When you come across one of these rare but unreadable essays the best idea is to just skip it rather than get bogged down. This is not to take anything away from Jung and his great, prophetic works; I am just trying to give you the heads up on how to avoid some of the rough patches.

It's a book of essays on a theme, like most of his other books. Here's an attempt to describe the whole theory in a few paragraphs. Jung suggests the existence of a 3-layered psyche consisting of (1) the conscious (active part of the mind), (2) the personal unconscious (thinking over which we have little or no control), and (3) the collective unconscious (unevolved, animal-instinctive mental activity). The collective unconscious is "collective" in the sense that humans resemble each other the most at the lowest, biological levels. "The body's carbon is simply carbon" (pg. 173). We inherit the collective unconscious from the common pool of human characteristics, like morphological aspects of the body such as arms, legs, etc.

The "archetypes" originate in the collective unconscious and are the psychological equivalents of Platonic Forms. (I realized about halfway through the book that archetype-figures also appear in the personal unconscious, where they're called "complexes"). The most important archetypes appear to be the Shadow (the inferior aspects of the self which we hide from others), the Anima/Animus (our object(s) of desire), and the Wise Old Man (e.g., teacher, medicine man). He also discusses a Mother archetype and a Child archetype and indicates the existence of numerous others. Identifying strongly with an archetype leads to psychosis.

The heart of the book is in the first essay, but the rest is useful in fleshing out descriptions and giving examples. The collective Anima archetype, for instance, can be found among movie stars and in the general pop culture. Devils and tricksters often represent the Shadow archetype. Tolkien's Gandalf is a good instance of the Wise Old Man. It's not so easy to identify a particular individual's Anima complex or Shadow complex.

A few things bothered me about the book. For one, Jung indicates that the "Primitive mentality differs from the civilized chiefly in that the conscious mind is far less developed in scope ... The Primitive cannot assert that he thinks; it is rather that something thinks in him" (pg. 153). This is a dubious kind of distinction between civilized and uncivilized states of mind that seems to have gone out of fashion over the decades. Also, I couldn't tell from this book what methodology Jung used to determine the significance of dream symbols. Does every dream about climbing a tree represent the psyche climbing the "World Tree" toward higher states of consciousness? Do snakes always represent the unconscious? Is every old woman in a dream an example of the Mother archetype? Etc.

One of the more interesting and also frustrating essays describes a case study of a woman who paints mandalas over a period of 16-plus years. Why mandalas? Jung says the mandala represents the Self, and painting them is useful for determining the contents of the psyche. He discusses the first dozen or so in detail (reprinted in color), but then glosses over the rest, which came into his hands after the patient had died from cancer!

This book is a keeper. I could not put it down!!! My friends have all wanted to borrow it and I have had a hard time getting it back from them. This book is easy to follow and easy to look up the different signs and they're compatibility with other signs. It's the "Linda Goodman's" Love signs for this millenium. Yes this is an astrology book, yet there is good deal of honest psychological advice to help deal with relationship issues that may appear in the subjects life. Everyone has some sort of strength or weakness to bring to a relationship, this book brings these issues to light, whithout judgement. This book could possibly help to heal problems that an individual may have had for years with realtionships. I highly recommend it even if the reader knows nothing of astrology.

I had to buy more copies for my friends in order to get my copy back!
A great reference book that's highly respectful for all signs. Learning about myself can sometimes be challenging yet Phyllis makes it rewarding and something I want to share. Give it to all your friends and relatives, especially the ones you want to relate with better.

The prose style of this book is a delight - natural, contemporary, alive. The information is actually more subtle than it may appear on the surface. Not many astrology books step so frankly and easily into the bedroom, nor are they nearly as clear about how we interact there. There's a joyousness and zest for life underlying all the author writes that makes you want to read the next page, and leaves you feeling good about yourself and your partner.

I brought this book home and my husband and I started reading it together. We found the information very insightful and frankly, right on. We enjoyed giggling at the truths and liked how it opened up an opportunity for us to talk about our relationship. Phyllis is a gifted writer, whose style makes you feel like your hanging out with an old friend. I highly recommend it for anyone in a relationship, or anyone wanting to find a new one.

This is a fun, playful, and insightful book. It gave me a better understanding of relationships and intimacy. It's great for people who already have a significant relationship as well as those who are looking for one. It will spice up your life!

I bought this volume of stories simply to get a copy of Fitzgerald's "May Day" which I'd read in one of my college texts and then could not find for years. I have always felt that "May Day" would make a superb film--and the screenwriter could lift most of the dialogue right out of the story. It is that good and simple and dramatic. Actually every one of the stories in this collection is first rate. Here is Fitzgerald, only in his 20's, writing of American aspirations before, during and after World War I. And no one wrote about this subject better than he did. The characters are rich and complex, all of them dissatisfied with the bones that life has thrown them, all of them desiring what others have. The reader sees their foibles and loves them anyway. These are not perfect people. They are real people in a time of trouble--fighting, most of them, simply to stay afloat in a world changing faster than anyone would have thought possible. I cannot recommend these brilliant stories highly enough. There is also a brief life and appreciation of Fitzgerald in this lovely Scribner edition.

The literary voice of the ninteen-twenties' "Jazz Age," F. Scott Fitzgerald was out of step with the grimmer thirties. Facing his wife's insanity, increasing alcoholism, and his own obsolesence as a writer, the stories collected here show Fitzgerald facing his demons in bracingly honest prose. If "Crazy Sunday" and the other tales of the adventures of Pat Hobby, down-and-out screenwriter, feel a bit like autobiographical wallow, and "Family In The Wind," about a doctor in the midst of a country tornado, is an interesting if uncharacteristic journey into Steinbeck country, it's the title story of the collection that's worth the price of admission.
Charlie Wales is an ex-broker, returned to Paris after all the good times have gone, with only the goal of regaining custody of his daughter after the death of his wife. A thinly veiled take on Fitzgerald's own troubled relations with daughter Scottie after wife Zelda's madness, it's at once a suspenseful, moving, and lyrical story. All his powers are at work here, as if he knew this was his last shot at literary immortality, and he was just about right.

The Book of Revelations in the New Testament is the most likely source from which F. Scott Fitzgerald draws his "Babylon Revisited". In Revelations, Babylon the Great (also an ancient Near Eastern city of materialism and sexual excess) is the `mother of whores' and the source of all evil in the Roman Empire. She is said to have been defeated by God and judged for her excessive sin. Upon her destruction, the saints rejoice while the merchants and hedonistic pleasure seekers morn. Symbolism abounds in this revision of the timeless tale and the choice of Fitzgerald's title could not be more appropriate.

Charlie himself is the regeneration of Babylon. During the economic boom of the 20's, Charlie and his wife lived life to its fullest and most shallow degree. They partied until sunup. They squandered wealth. We even get the impression that there was a significant amount of infidelity existing on both sides. As with Babylon, Charlie is punished: The stock market crash in 1929 liberates him of a fortune, "his child [is] taken from his control, [and] his wife escaped to a grave in Vermont."

As with Babylon, Charlie's fall had its rejoicers and mourners. Marion, his wife's bereaved sister, saw Charlie's fall as an opportunity to gain control of his child, and with sincere intentions rid her family of the sinner. Though she doesn't expressly rejoice in her brother-in-laws demise, she does blame him for her sister's death and understands why his life has turned out askew. Duncan and Lorraine, on the other hand, mourned the loss of their sinister partner in indulgence.

This story is complete with all of the historic reference and symbolism that has come to define F. Scott Fitzgerald. What a fantastic, unbelievably creative writer. It's amazing how timeless his writings are, and "Babylon Revisited" is the perfect example of that fact. It really makes you think about your own life.

The king of the 1920's Lit World wrote short stories for big money in Scribner's Magazine, Collier's, Esquire, and Saturday Evening Post. His first novel made him famous, This Side of Paradise, but his subsequent novels including The Great Gatsby sold meagerly. Zelda and Scott went through dough like drunken sailors, so Scott wrote short stories for a quick buck. This group of stories is among his best and though some or all were written commercially, Scott's talent was so huge that they rival his chief competitor's: Hemingway, Parker, Anderson, and Larder in charm and precision.

Above all, Fitzgerald is charming. The drunken rich boys of May Day are close to the authors experience and poignantly revealing. Scott was the son of a failed businessman. His mother's family was well to do and Scott associated with rich beauties that seemed always just beyond a snow covered golf course as in Winter Dreams. His experience with his future wife, Zelda Sear, an Alabama debutante is cloaked in fantasy in Ice Palace. Surely newlyweds are surprised to find they have married strangers. In that there is no secret, but Fitzgerald gives his bride a hysterical nightmare in a St Paul carnival ice maze. The reader loves Sally Carrol and is genuinely caught up in her dilemma of Minnesota in-laws and a suddenly stern husband.

Fitzgerald was a dreamer and The Diamond As Big As the Ritz is a parable about a family so rich, and so self-centered in their luxuries, they murder their guests less the secret of the their wealth be known. In an era where a million dollars could buy a country, Fitzgerald's fascination with success and the rich permeates his work.

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of our greatest writers. He is best known today for his many wonderful novels, especially The Great Gatsby. As time has passed, his marvelous magazine stories have faded from sight . . . even though those were more widely read than his novels when they were written.

In Babylon Revisited: And Other Stories you will deepen your understanding of the novels . . . and of their author in these often semi-autobiographical tales. The best stories have as much impact as any of the novels in a spare exposition that adds to their power.

Each story deals with the same general theme: We live on hope which is based on illusions about reality. When faced with reality, we happily escape into new hopes based on different illusions. We are sort of like Peter Pan: We don't want to grow up.

The theme comes across with startling persuasiveness as Fitzgerald unpeels the many forms of hopeful illusions that will seem familiar to every reader.

The stories build chronologically across the backdrop of the United States after World War I in the 20's and 30's. That shift in authorship times also inadvertently adds the drama of seeing how the psychology of the young and educated changed as American went from mindless boom to seemingly unending bust.

Fitzgerald has a rich imagination to makes his world open up for readers so that you can feel both the physical sensations and the emotions of the characters . . . and become the characters while you are reading.

The stories themselves have that delightful quality of exaggeration that makes his points indelible.

The Ice Palace explores a Southern beauty's pursuit of an advantageous marriage in the frozen tundra of Minnesota in winter. May Day recounts the pursuit of pleasure and accomplishment by those of various social classes and beliefs. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz is a wild tale of a mythical place and the consequences of unlimited wealth. Winter Dreams deals with the painful consequences of acting on the illusions of romantic love. Absolution is an amazing story about how we can carelessly end up being untrue to God and ourselves. The Rich Boy considers how being rich and powerful can get in the way of being close to others. The Freshest Boy looks at being an awkward teenage boy and how he came to make peace with the world. Babylon Revisited shows how our mistakes can come home to roost after we believe we are invulnerable. Crazy Sunday is an astonishing look at the psychology of how we connect to one another through others. The Long Way Out is about a woman who suffers from a mental collapse and is now ready to return to her husband . . . when fate steps in.

My favorite stories in the book are May Day, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, The Freshest Boy, Babylon Revisited and Crazy Sunday.

If you haven't read these stories before, you have a great treat ahead of you. If you can find a copy of George Guidall's narration for Recorded Books, your pleasure will be even greater.

This is the diary of a woman's journey through 15 years of marriage and subsequent divorce. They met in a Christian Bible college and at the age of 21 were married. Her story is one of being the obedient wife in a fundamentalist religious household. That meant giving up her rights to independence, any free time to pursue her interests, and any space to allow her personal growth. It is a story about how the simple words "I do" can result in the loss of a huge portion of one's adult life, if made to the wrong person. For Rebecca these years were filled with committment, heartache, despair, and pain. They started on the night of her honeymoon and lasted many years after the marriage was over. It is the story of how the quest to find yourself under these circumstances is a long and dangerous one. And it is the story of the courageous journey of one woman who refused to give up on herself under all odds.

Rebecca, I love your extraordinary writing and am moved beyond words by your testimony. To confess so much, to bare your soul to the world as you have done, is an act of courage that no one else I know personally possesses. Thank you for sharing your journal and your difficult, heart-breaking lessons to us all.

It is almost unbelievable how much emotion and turbulence you have been carrying, and the "Looking Back" epilogue was a relief for me to reach. Life always presents challenges - this is why we keep living, after all! - but wisdom and grace (as yours) will prevail.

You told your story with piercing beauty yet truth. Where did you summon the idea to organize the book as you have: snapshots from the marriage, separation, divorce and recovery; arranged in non-chronological but meaningful order like poetry? How lovingly you wrote about your ex-husband, yet how understandably you explained your bewilderment, the affairs, and finally the resolution.

Your life has been a difficult, exacting teacher. The readers of your book will be grateful, loving students!

Rebecca, thank you for sharing a difficult and painful period of your life. By offering something so personal, you will help many who are struggling within relationships and need to know they are not alone in not understanding why "it" is not working. Your resilience and determination to persevere and learn from your relationships is to be commended. I applaud your honesty with subjects that many would declare off limits, particularly in the world of evangelical churches. Many people will benefit from reading about your process and seeing that there can be a "happy ending".

Rebecca Carroll's candid and moving memoir shows how painfully difficult it can be to find a resolution when love proves to be not enough to sustain a marriage. Not willing to suffer forever in a relationship that lacked true intimacy, Rebecca was also not able to tear herself away easily from the commitment she had made to her husband.

This book will be helpful to someone trying to decide whether to stay or go, or trying to cope with the long recovery time of disentangling oneself from a formerly wholehearted relationship. And it will be of interest to anyone critical of the emotional damage inflicted by some fundamentalist religions.

Some will find it a profound mirror for their own doubts, fears and conflicted longings.

This is daringly honest story of marriage and divorce. Sensually written, it was joyful learning of Rebecca's discovery of fulfillment. Enthralling book.

I have read numerous books about asthma in children, but this book is by far the best. The information is presented in a clear, understandable way, but is not so simplified as to be unhelpful. The book is full of good tips and pertinent information; it's like spending an hour or two talking with an asthma specialist. The book has what I found to be invaluable information about how to monitor asthma in children who are too young to use peak flow meters. A system called "asthma signs" is used and is a wonderful way to identify problems and monitor asthma in young children.
There is a also a very helpful section on traveling with a child who has asthma.
If I were to recommend only one book on asthma in children, this would be the book.

Last weekend my seven year old son had an asthma attack with no warning, his first ever. Our doctor treated him competently and he is now recovering nicely, but the information we were given -- and all the drugs and instructions -- were a bit overwhelming. My first response was to try to find some good books on asthma in children, and I was lucky enough to find this one. It explains everything you need to know about asthma in easy-to-understand language. I learned many important facts about the biology of asthma, the drugs my son is taking, long-term care and management of asthma, and -- perhaps most importantly -- the questions I should be asking his doctor. The book is well illustrated, including pictures of all the different kinds of inhalers and spacers, how to properly administer different medications, etc. (particularly useful for newcomers to the world of asthma). I also really liked all the information and sample forms showing how to keep an "asthma diary" of your child's symptoms and treatment. The first-person stories of how other parents have dealt with their children's asthma were helpful, especially for putting things into perspective. In summary, this book really helped me to understand what we are facing, and I now feel much better able to deal with it. I have other asthma books on order, but I doubt I'll need them -- it is hard to imagine how any other book on asthma in children could top this one.

Dr. Plaut was coming to a town near me to speak shortly after my daughter was hospitalized for the third time. One of the nurses handed me a flyer and recommended I go hear him. I bought his book before I went. This book was a lifesaver. I first read it nearly 10 years ago (spring 1992) and my daughter has not been hospitalized since! Dr. Plaut gives the average parent the confidence to handle this illness without falling apart and without having to decipher the medical-ese being spoken by the doctors in charge of their child.

This book became my single source for reference about asthma. Till I found this book, I was reading anything and everything that I could find on the net about asthma. My 3 year old had an asthma episode as a result of a viral infection. She has an excellent pediatrician and we chose to care for her at home. I got great comfort in knowing that the things we did intuitively were the recommended things in this book. It helps to have a good doctor. It also helps to have this book as a friend. While I was freaking out that my daughter had asthma, this book helped me calm down cos I realized that it could be worse. My heart goes out to all the children who suffer. If you are a parent of a young child with asthma, read this book. It will help you understand what asthma is all about in plain words and give you an idea of what you can do to make your child's life more comfortable by learning to identify the symptoms and manage your child's asthma better. Make sure you have a good doctor, too!!

I came across Plaut's book in the aftermath of my 9 year old son's first and life threatening asthma episode just 6 weeks ago. Since then my son's condition has been stabilized with some wonderful medical help. But nothing has been better in understanding the disease, the treatment, and the myriad of medications recommended for it, than Tom Plaut's book. It is now my asthma bible. No one affected by asmtha in any way should miss it!