Works Books

It has been years since I have read anything to which I connected in this way, and I am in the phase where I recommend it only to people I very much like.

I have never read a book that better describes the fullness of life and emotions and the grace of acceptance. The weaving of philosophy throughout the book provides a handle for the characters to check and compare the lives they thought they would lead and the ones they are living and how to help each other along in that journey. The many sides of friendship shine brightly. The perils and joys of love in all its complexity are drawn with Schwartz's lush brush of words. The depth and breadth of grief felt with the loss of a child will never be better defined in all it's many facets. This book is a gift to readers.

I really enjoyed this book. But I disagree with the other reviewers about the language. I thought it was good to discuss philosophy but I felt the rhetoric got in the way of the story. I lost interest in the characters for awhile and skipped over much of the dialogue. I liked the theme of the book and definatly understood the "Disturbances in the Field." I just wish the author didn't jump around from chapter to chapter. I hardly realized what had happened to change their lives so drastically until a few pages into the chapter. All in all, I'm glad I read this book but I didn't need Philosophy 101 again to enjoy it.

This book is, quite simply, a wonder to read. Lydia Rowe -- a grown woman, married to an artist and the mother of four children -- experiences one of life's deepest tragedies. But the novel is not about the tragedy; rather, it explores nothing less than how to be human.

How do the insights and guidance of ancient philosophers impact us when life temporarily stops making sense? How is romantic love different from platonic love and the love of friends ("another self"), and how do they complement each other? How do you reach a point of acceptance -- with yourself, your dearest friends, and the haphazard world? When do you need to be apart and when must you come together? And what is the role of forgiveness in often unforgiving times?

All these questions -- and more -- are explored in this masterwork. Never is a false note hit. The growth and blossoming of friendships...the trials and rewards of motherhood...the coming together and rendering apart of marital couples...all these are tackled and the characters are all rich and three-dimensional.

After reading Disturbances in the Field, I found myself easily irritated with the next couple of books I picked up (some of them prize-winning). Lynn Sharon Schwartz has an instinctive knowledge of being human, and it shines throughout. I cannot recommend highly enough.

I recommend reading this book as a pair with Kate Walbert's "Our Kind," for a rich and comprehensive look at what happened to the "Seven Sisters" (i.e., Wellesley, Smith, Vassar, Barnard) women from the 1950s and early 1960s. "Disturbances in the Field" is the kind of book that makes you run out to the bookstore or library to see what else you can find by the author--it's that good. I think other readers probably got even more out of it than I did, being unfamiliar as I was with a lot of the philosophers mentioned and the tenets of their schools of thought. But the stories that this novel tells about Lydia and all her friends from this era have plenty to offer even if you are not familiar with the philosophers. I would recommend sticking with it through the first few pages, which might seem a little daunting at first--it is definitely worth seeing through to the end.

A wonderful gallery of accurately painted forces of the Revolutionary War era including Loyalists & German hired troops as well as weapons & artifacts. All that seemed to be "missing" might be the 1st Continental Light Dragoons or the Continental Marines. It was also great to see that for the first time since John Mollo's 1976 Uniforms of the American Revolution the uniform of the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons correctly depicted with white facings as opposed to the inaccurate buff color.

Although the world is filled with books on the various sorts of things which armed and equipped the Revolutionary War soldier, this book moves into uncharted territory. While Troiani's paintings brings these diverse sorts of soldiers to life, the full color photographs of many of the most important surviving artifacts from the war adds a dimension found nowhere else.

Yet another excellent book by Don Troiani. A must for any AWI fan. I found the mixture of paintings and original weapons, uniforms and accoutrements a refreshing touch. However, those who have copies of 'Battles of America' and 'Soldiers of America'will find many paintings repeated in this new book.

Not since George Neumann's landmark "Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution" has there been such a remarkable assemblage of artifacts and images. The former, drawn from public and private collections from across the nation include many items that have never been published, let alone in color. Don Troiani's exquisitely detailed images, some new, some drawn from previous works, provide invaluable context for the objects, as well as documenting the bewildering variety of uniforms worn during the war. Both artifacts and images are described within the impeccably thorough research of noted historian James Kochan. This volume is destined to be the standard reference for the student of the American Revolution that "Echoes of Glory" is to devotees of the Civil War, and is a must for anyone from historian to general reader who is fascinated by the drama of the war that gave birth to America.

With nearly two and one-half centuries having passed and literally thousands of books on the topic having appeared since the events of the American Revolutionary War, calling a new volume "pioneering" seems a bit bold. Relative to this important and exciting new gift to students by master artist and collector Don Troiani, though, that term is fully appropriate. In literally no other book to date have such historically valid visual perspectives of our War for Independence been gathered, through both a remarkable array of original artifacts and Troiani's impeccably researched and executed artwork. For this pre-photography American military epoch, no other source yields such a "you are there" perspective



While the bookshelf of "material culture" albums relating to Civil War memorabilia is both broad and expanding nearly every year, the number of significant books on Revolutionary War artifacts and relics ever published can literally be counted on one's fingers, with most of the still best-selling volumes having appeared during the bicentennial years of the 1970s. That sharp contrast, of course, is a direct reflection of the exceptionally greater rarity of the arms, equipment, apparel, and everyday-life items that can be proven to have been used by the armies of the 1770s than is the case with the militaria of the 1860s. Troiani has done all Revolutionary War students a great service by expanding the presentation of such earlier artifacts beyond those from his own fine collection with a startlingly superb array of items from other private and institutional collections, most never before published and many rarely ever seen by the public. These historic jewels are brought to the reader through close-up, full-color photos of such striking detail and beauty as to almost produce the experience of having these fascinating artifacts in one's hands.



The element that weaves together and breathes life throughout this gallery of fine militaria, of course, is Troiani's peerless artwork. With more than 50 of his paintings beautifully reproduced in this volume, the artist has brought true vibrancy to an era and its people almost habitually misperceived as lifelessly archaic or, worse yet, patriotically "quaint." In particular, the single-figure and small-group studies clearly reflect the precise documentation yielded by author James L. Kochan's exacting material culture scholarship. Such world-class historical accuracy, together with artist Troiani's insistence upon "period-correct" faces and physiques, has produced for us a strikingly innovative window upon the Revolution.

Mr. Rabbin vividly describes the true nature and uncompromising power of the meditative experience in his new book. His eloquent and articulate style of illustrating the true spirit of meditation penetrates to the core of practice, revealing the bare essence of reality.

Robin Rabbin is a contemporary mystic who has been facilitating Meditative Inquiry retreats for more than fifteen years. In Echoes Of Silence, he draws upon his considerable expertise and experience to instruct the reader in the art of meditation as a method of achieving inner peace and happiness. Rabbin explores the true nature of meditation, revealing what it is -- and is not. Rabbin employs prose poems combined with beautiful duotone images to dispel many of the myths surrounding the authentic meditative experience. Echoes Of Silence is highly original, "reader friendly", a welcome introduction for the novice, and with much to offer even those having prior experience with meditation.

Rabbin's sutras are as timeless as the soul, providing a nourishing nectar for our hungry spirits. Packed with the wisdom of a true sage, this is a book you can read over and over since the words on its pages are ageless and will serve the soul forever. I will keep it with me always.

Robert Rabbin has achieved the near-impossible; he gives us the essence of the nondual without leaving us stuck in the mind. His aphorisms are simultaneously the map and a glimpse of the actual territory, and remind me of the discourses of the great J. Krishnamurti.

Once again, Robert Rabbin has managed to define the indefinable....to bring understanding to what seems incomprehensible for many of us. His unique and gifted style of turning words into wisdom brings clarity to the silence within us. Echoes of Silence is truly the meditation guidebook for the new Millennium.

I'm at something of a loss as to what to say about this book. I couldn't decide if I should give it five stars or one, so I cut the difference and gave it three. This book is bizarre. If you can wade through the sections of repetitive, juvenile, slang-ridden, poorly written diatribe there is a lot of very helpful medical information which every endometriosis sufferer should know. I learned so many useful and helpful things about reproductive endocrinology, the immune system, the digestive system, and endometriosis itself. Yet the authors could easily have gotten the same amount of information into the book using half the words. Some parts of this book are clearly and concisely written and very helpful, while other sections of the book read as if the authors wanted to make the details understandable to a five-year old. I was definitely annoyed and somewhat insulted, as I think the authors ought to assume that the people reading it are going to be adults with functioning brains. However, I cannot help but recommend this book. The information in there is good, if you can put up with the useless junk and find information in the midst of verbosity.

After three years of infertility due to endometriosis, we had given up hope. After eight months on this diet we were expecting our first child with no medical intervention. Even if you aren't trying to conceive, this diet DOES help you feel a lot better.

As a stage IV endometriosis sufferer, the diet recommendations dramatically alleviated menstrual cramps and especially bowel pressure and pain through the removal of wheat/wheat gluten, minimizing red meats, and maximizing vegetables, fruits and nuts. I found that starting this diet within a few months post-laparoscopy was most helpful.

I've been reading this book since before I had surgery last week and am going to give the diet a try. The explanations of unbalanced hormones and lack of certain vitamins/minerals causing my symptoms and horrific PMS make alot of sense. I dropped out of biology in college because it seemed to be over my head, but this book explained body chemistry and cell production in a way that I can relate. Through the nutritional advice in this book, I am hoping to get pregnant and not have to have surgery again.

This book is written in a friendly and easy to read manner. It has a lot of information to absorb, but is what every woman with Endo should know. If you want to learn more and want to follow the guidelines provided then I strongly recommend this book. In only three months my life has changed. I understand my body like never before and am excited that following the suggestions in this book will lead me to my dream - pregnancy. After having purchased numerous books on Endo, it was nice to have one that finally answered my questions and was enjoyable.

This is the fourth book by Robert Bruce that I've purchased and I've been extremely impressed with each one. This book, like the previous books, is well researched, well written, amply illustrated, and filled with exercises and detail that teaches the reader not only why it works but how to do it.

this is an excellent book for those interested in building energy for healing or whatever else

ROBERT IS REAL AND THE BOOK IS GREAT IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ENERGY HEALING

Over the years, I have worked with many systems that aim to develop one's energy body, including yoga, Tai-Chi, breathing-based and other techniques. I have found that Robert Bruce's Energy Work methods are by far the most direct and effective in stimulating and developing your energy body. You can feel the results within 2-3 minutes of doing these exercises. Thank you for this gift, Mr. Bruce!

I have read many books on Qigong and Chigung all are great very informative but this book if there would be any would be the one I would use as a quik reference I learned straight forward things about the energy in the body while other books give an excercise but dont tell why it works now I know.
The system will not take years more in one session it builds off tactile sensations or more takes something we already know and helps us understand something we see as mysterious. Visualization is not the main part of this book but you can still incorporate the exercises into any routine you already do and probably be able to better feel energy than those who dont know the great techniques in this book.
1.Learn about the different energy storage centers in the body .
2. Learn how to feel the energy in as little as one try I did.
3. The secret or thing unique about this book is touch everything builds off of a sense of touch that helps to recognize energy.
4. Have the ability to heal yourself and others most importantly you'll actually feel the energy not just imagine it though you can still do whatever routine you already do this will be an unbelievable compliment to it.

While Stephen Charnock was a Puritan, this book is a product of the enlightenment.

For its time, this is a well written and quite thorough work on the attributes and existence of God. Charnock's comment on the existence of God (among others), "I shall further promise this, that the folly of atheism is evidenced by the light of reason" supports that the context of his thinking is the age of enlightenment - the age of reason. This is not necessarily a negative - in fact it is a positive in that it is an answer to the enlightenment providing strong arguments that one can be a person of faith and still be a person of reason - because God is a God of reason. In effect he turns the tables on his detractors and argues that to not believe in the existence of God is, to in fact, lack reason.

The attributes covered are:

God as Spirit; (followed by a chapter on spiritual worship)
The eternity of God;
The immutability of God;
God's omni-presence;
God's knowledge;
The wisdom of God.

On the existence of God he argues against atheism. The approach Charnock takes is to first assert and prove the existence of God, then relate what his his attributes are based on his existence. If he exists then he is spirit, he is omnipresent, he is eternal, immutable, and wise, etc.

Due to the context and age of the work - the reader will need to translate it in to the present and tweak it a bit to make it applicable for the 21st century - not that it is not applicable but that we are not in the enlightenment age anymore. One will need to absorb what is said, turn it over inside and then present it to others in a way they will receive.

This is a rare privilege. To own a Puritan from the 17th Century's work, is really an honor. The author of this book knew nothing of computers, lexicons, cd-roms, - all the modern gadgetry we have at our disposal. Yet he still exceeds in literary excellence, theological consistency and God-honoring exegesis compared to publications that are available from modern wisdom and prudence. He was chaplain to Oliver Cromwell.

'But what if the foreknowledge of God, and the liberty of the will, cannot be fully reconciled by man? Shall we therefore deny a perfection in God to support a liberty in ourselves? Shall we rather fasten ignorance upon God, and accuse Him of blindness, to maintain our liberty?' pg450

The chapter on 'The Goodness of God' is so beautiful. It inspired and reinvigorated me. The Puritans held such a high view of God. Everything they did and said was Theocentric. The fruits of their labor was produced under great trials, and yet this only seemed to spur them on to greater holiness. And so their legacy reaches our day and their spiritual vigor inflames our hearts anew.

A huge book and collosal work.

I have been looking for an excellent book to help me understand and get some insight into the attributes and nature of our God. This book definitely does the trick and make me really satisfactory. I do give it a 5.0 rating because of its excellency and in depth. One thing you should know of is the dated English style of the author. It was written in the 17th century, so it is somewhat difficult for me, especially as a foreigner, to read and understand his writing. From what I have read, the author had done an excellent work. I highly recommend this book for everyone who want to know God better and better.

Mr. Charnok's logic is impeccable, his prose beautiful, his inspiration Godly and the value of his contribution beyond measure. My only regret is that the publisher decided to single space the small type of this large corpus. This generated eye fatigue for my aging optical organs. However, as testamony to the works greatness I found the discomforts were far outweighed by the spiritual rewards. I plan to purchase a copy for my pastor. It will enrich the lives of the layman and set fire to the words from the pulpit.

Words really fail to describe how breathtaking this book is. Not mainly because of the author, but because of the subject - God himself. I can't think of any book I've read that has left me more stunned and awed by God and his majesty. Charnock was a Puritan, so this book may be cumbersome to those unaccustomed to Elizabethan English. But if you can handle the KJV, you can handle this. It is also a comprehensive book - long, despite the fact that the chapters are really just lengthy meditations put in a sermonic form. Characteristically Puritan, Charnock begins each chapter with the exposition of a text, then develops its "doctrine," bridging into a lengthy theological study on one of God's attributes, finally ending on the "use" or application. The application sections are especially helpful and heart-searching, but really all of it is good. Though, I must confess I've not read it all (this book must be 1200 pages long!), I've benefited from the hours I've spent in these pages. No human author will ever write an exhaustive study on the character of God, but I can't imagine anyone coming closer to it than Charnock. This is a powerful, powerful book!

I bought this book for my tour of Egypt in October 2007. I bought it along on the trip with me. It provides a great overview of Egypt and even maps of what the major attractions look like. Fabulous photos too.

Lots of great information and beautiful pictures, but too heavy to take with me to Egypt.

Comprehensive, pictorial. The guide we always look for when planning a trip.

I've been highly satisfied with the Eyewitness Travel Guide series, and this Egypt edition does not disappoint. Maps are clear and helpful, photos help to explain all of the rich history and culture of Egypt. We brought the Lonely Planet Egypt book with us as well, but we found the Eyewitness Travel Guide to be clearer and simpler to use.

The only issue that we found with the book was viewing a performance of the whirling dervishes in Cairo. The book directs us to a place near the bazaar, but the mosque where they normally perform is under renovation. As a result, the performances were being held at the Citadel during the time of our visit. This isn't the book's fault, as this was new and even the conceirge directed us to the wrong place.

That being said, the book guided us to the right places many other times. We especially appreciated the tip on the Egyptian Pancake place in the bazaar!

Very nice -- as I have found most Eyewitness Guides. Well organized, current, accurate as far as I could tell. I agreed with reviews of small number/small sample of restuarants and hotels. Guide enhanced an excellent trip!

This is a wonderful commentary on Don Quixote. The authors provide a historical context in relation to other contemporary works (e.g. Montaigne's Essays, Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel), the literary genres that were popular (pastoral and picaresque works) and Cervantes' life. The authors discuss the many layers of complexity of DQ and how/why it was ahead of its time. Fighting Windmills (I love the title) touches on major aspects of DQ, for example the interactions between DQ and Sancho, the complexity of Dulcinea's character, the contrast between Dulcinea and Teresa Panza, the fact that the characters change over time, etc., The later chapters mention how DQ has influenced other works of literature over time. Fighting Windmills deals with plenty of material in a clear, concise way at a fast pace. This the way literary criticism should be: interesting, informative, accessible and profound. The authors clearly made an effort to enlighten the reader, to make him/her go and read DQ. No boring or obscure prose here. What an example to other literay critics!! Last, but not least, it has a beautiful jacket illustration that is a joy to look at. Great work! Fighting Windmills should be made into a nicer edition with better quality paper.

Just finished reading Fighting Windmills and enjoyed so much learning about the life and times of Cervantes and his influence on the modern novel. It is an easy read for the literary novice, while at the same time, it provides many thought provoking ideas for literature buffs.

For those with literary inclinations though unfamiliar with Cervantes and his "Don Quixote", reading "Fighting Windmills," by Fay Rogg and Manuel Duran, is a most worthwhile endeavor. Even those who have read or studied "Don Quixote" will benefit from this unique piece of literary criticism. What the Rogg/Duran work wroughts in an engaging fashion are an encapuled view of the journey taken, a penetrating analysis of the two main travelers - the glorious Knight errant and his faithful companion,
Sancho - and their interaction.

At the onset we learn about Cervantes himself, his life experiences and their effect on the novel he creates. Then the body of his creation is delineated in detail and dissected by skillful surgeons, stressing its unprecedented departure from the prior art.

Finally, the stage is set for the climax - the pervasive impact of "Don Quixote" on the development of western literature. Like a heavenly body that zooms through earth's upper atmosphere once every 500 years, Cervantes' book, as the first truly modern novel, becomes the guiding light for many famous authors who follow in his orbit. From Voltaire to Melville, from Flaubert to Twain and beyond, novelists, playwrites and even filmmakers have been consciously and subconsciously influenced by the great Spanard for the better.

If there is a flaw in "Fighting Windmills", it attempts to do too much in too short a space. While well-written and organized, its message fragments at times in its long reach through literary history. Easy assimilation of numerous digested novels and their parallelism to Cervantes' classic could prove daunting to those having a scant background in literature.

Yet, all and all, "Fighting Windmills" delivers to the public where most academic books fail. First of all, it is written in language that flows gracefully and is understandable to a lay audience. Secondly, it is highly informative - we learn much at the feet of these masters. Afterwards, one almost feels he or she has been admitted to the ranks of the erudite without having to negotiate the shoals of graduate school. And for budding authors, this book gives a glimpse at the creative-writing techniques of a superior craftsman. Buy it and enjoy the read.

Ken Cascone
Manhattan corporate attorney and author of two novels:
"River of Triumph" and "Island Paradise"

Not only is Fighting Windmills a great story about a great story, but it is a pleasant and enlightening journey down literature lane with Don Quixote and his faithful sidekick.

When writing about Cervantes most writers fall into one of these categories: either too scholarly or too populist. I found "Fighting Windmills" to balance these tendencies to perfection, making a thoroughly researched book easily accessible to the lay reader. One of the most interesting points is that the authors cover not only Cervantes and Don Quixote in their epoch, but their influence in the Western Civilization through the ages. Most pleasant reading, even for a Spaniard.

From Cinderella to CEO was a great read, a lot of fun; Full of good advice. If you've had a job, you'll see yourself in many of the stories; I know I did. This would be a wonderful gift for a new graduate.

Cary's delightful journey into all the archetypes that fairy tales present helps us realize that the big bad wolf, the wicked witch and the trolls under the bridge whom we encounter at work can be sidestepped to our advantage--and gracefully.

She taps the age-old wisdom that helps us find our path safely through the forest of the corporate world. I've known Cary since she was about 10 years old, and she's always been wonderfully refreshing. The same Cary shines through in Cinderella to CEO .
Patrice Dickey, author of BACK TO THE GARDEN: Getting from Shadow to Joy

Cary Broussard's terrific new business book is filled with straightforward and powerful advice on how to get where you want to go in business. The great thing is that she does it by using our favorite fairy tales as metaphors for life in business. She takes us back to a time (our childhood) when we believed that anything was possible. By taking us there, she makes us see that in fact almost anything really is. It's a book, you'll come back over and over again.

Absolutely loved it! This book is a great tool for a woman at any point in her career. It's appropriate for men too!

I started the book and finished it over the weekend. I wasn't expecting to want to read the book cover to cover, but I couldn't help it! I am buying this book for all my girlfriends for Christmas.

At last a guidebook for women with heart disease by someone who's 'been there'! As a Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse and heart attack survivor, I can attest to the validity of Kathy Kastan's experiences, information, and advice. Patients will find this an invaluable guide to understanding their fears, emotions, conflicts and struggles. While writing from a first person viewpoint, Kathy brings home the impact of heart disease in an understandable and empathetic voice with which readers will instantly identify. I had many "oh, yes, that's so true" moments; the knowledge that another woman walked this path and is such an example of survival is a powerful and motivating message. From the Heart is a must read for medical caregivers of women with heart disease as it provides unique insight and understanding of the hurdles and experiences women endure from event to recovery. I will encourage all my patients and thier families to begin reading this upon diagnosis and throughout their rehabilitation. It is an identifiable,informative,and empowering source of affirmation that recovery and renewal is within our grasp. Ann de Velasco, R.N.

Heart disease is the number one health threat that women face and yet, many women are still unaware of their risks and most don't think it will strike them. And once it does strike, it is often misunderstood since women's symptoms and experiences are often different than men.

Kathy Kastan is to be commended for putting her story, and the stories of other women, into a resource that is motivating, realistic, comprehensive and consistent with current health care recommendations for women with heart disease. It is a book that can help everyone (including health professionals) understand the life changing experience of being diagnosed with heart disease and learn how to re-invent themselves during their healing process.

Many thanks to Kathy for putting her story, and the stories of others, in print! It truly is a guide to not only surviving with heart disease but living life again.

I do not have heart disease, but found this book to be a tremendous resource with practical information for how to be in touch with oneself and go on after any life altering event. It offers valuable insights from the author as well as other people about coping with challenges in life and how to deal effectively with interpersonal relationships (family, friends and workplace). It is also a great resource for support services and provides information about the law pertaining to discrimination based on health issues, so that people can become better advocates for themselves. This book is as useful as a therapist. What a bargain!

FROM THE HEART: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO LIVING WELL WITH HEART DISEASE comes from an author who underwent emergency bypass surgery at age 42 - and who had to not only physically recover, but had to find new ways to recover emotionally. It's the first written for women to focus on the emotional repercussions of heart disease rather than just physical symptoms and recovery alone, and surveys topics ranging from regaining a strong self-image and handling fears to telling others about illness and learning to rely upon one's body once more. From gaining support to learning how to exercise without fear, FROM THE HEART is an essential reference any women facing heart disease will need, and should be a popular public library lend.

This book is written by a woman, for a female audience. And that's just fine. But in reading it I find that only a small part of the book could be restricted to women only. Things like risk factors are just about the same.

The first risk factor is 'Age fifty-five or older, and postmenopausal.' For men this might read age fifty, and of course postmenopausal doesn't enter into it. But then the rest of the risk factors: blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, family history, weight, exercise, diet -- are identical.

Accepting the few differences in men and women, this is an excellent book on both the technical aspects (i.e. risk factors) and the emotional aspects (i.e. relationships with friends and family) - we men are not that different.