John Gray Books

Got this book a day late so I began to worry that it hadn't got here but once it did i was ok. It's in good condition.

A catchy title coupled with some insightful thoughts about the differences between men and women has made this book a multi-million seller. Men from Mars Women are from Venus explores the differences between the needs and communication styles of men and women. The book is written primarily for both men and women over twenty five.

John Gray explains that men and women are so unlike each other that they might as well be from different worlds. For several years before this book was written many felt it was improper to discuss gender differences. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and other books like it fed this oppressed need. The high volume of sales reflects the desire that men and women want to learn more about each other.

John Gray makes some significant contact with his readers on some key issues. For example, Gray argues that men mistakenly offer solutions to problems (problem solvers) and inadvertently invalidate feelings. Women tend to offer unsolicited advice and direction.

Another important concept that Gray explores is that men aren't always willing to discuss what is bothering them (John Gray calls it going to their cave). Women want to address relationship issues immediately. Gray explains that understanding male and female differences helps a couple to accept each other and work together for a better relationship.

Although very good in some important places, it is lacking in others. The shortcomings of this book need addressing. First, Gray generalizes male and female characteristics without adequately addressing individualism. His generalizations oversimplify how men and women act and react.

Next, Gray doesn't adequately address the similarities between men and women. In some cases he goes out of his way to show how men and women are different when it can be easily argued that they are alike. For example, John Gray writes that the primary love needs of women are: caring, understanding, respect, devotion, validation, and reassurance. He says that the primary love needs of men are trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval and encouragement. Gray ignores that men need caring, understanding, respect, devotion, validation and reassurance and women need trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval, and encouragement.

Some people take Gray's thesis as gospel without questioning its validity. For example, a book published in 1995 book entitled: He's OK She's OK: Honoring the Differences Between Men and Women by Jeannette Lofas, and Joan MacMillan quotes the love needs of men and women noted in John Gray's book without further question or comments. The point Lofas and MacMillan are trying to make is to accept the differences between men and women. This is well taken, but using a quote from John Gray's book without exploring whether these needs are really gender specific makes this part of He's OK, She's OK lacking. What's unsettling, is that if two writers who have researched male female characteristics take John Gray's book without question, won't many readers?

This book's biggest contribution is helping many people to become aware of the differences in needs and communication techniques of themselves and others. Although there are some drawbacks, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus has some useful information for individuals who want to improve their communication and relationships with the opposite sex.

Overall, an interesting read...but caution is advised!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

its condition is good but it came late than i expected. because delivery time changed.

I was really surprised to discover how well the human mind has been portraited in this book. Highly recommendable to better understand your significant other.

This is among the best books that I have read on building loving male-female relationships. I gained valuable insights about men and women and this helped me to understand my moods and actions and those of my wife. I could clearly see myself being vividly described by the author. I can plainly make out where I need to change to become an understanding and caring husband without being as I always tended to be "Mr Fix-It" when my wife talks about problems or issues bothering her.

I now appreciate the value of cherishing my wife to motivate her. I no longer get surprised when I hear women expressing their feelings through various superlatives, metaphors and generalizations. I now know that men and women communicate differently; they love, think, feel and perceive things differently as though they are from different planets. The book provides useful and helpful problem solving techniques that have greatly helped me in my relationships with women.

I would like to thank John Gray for helping me to learn that my differences with my wife are normal and that the difficulties we have often experienced in our relationships have also been experienced by other couples and that these differences, when understood, help to cement strong and lasting relationships.

I, therefore, highly recommend this classic which highlight strategies for reducing tensions in relationships and strengthening love through recognizing differences between men and women.

I received the book right away and it was in great shape.

I read this book and found I got more info on men more than women. Of course, the author is from Mars. He mostly like could only describe women how moody they are than giving "solutions to men on how to fix relationship". Maybe like he said, Men don't like people telling them how to fix things. Instead, he wrote more chapters on "Versuians only". I don't see a chapter noted "Marians only". All he wrote about is how moody women are and it is not men's fault. And, when men feel like "going back into their cave, women shouldn't bother or offer talk." He wrote on what Martian and Verusians shouldn't do. But, what we should do?? Very few recommandations.

I remember I read a review from a lady who bought John Gary' another book. She totally got disappointed that John Gary believes that maybe women can gave men a head when women don't feel too well for sex. Women don't only want love and a listener after a long day, she also wants some pampers and a massage as well.

John Gary, maybe you need to put yourself into women's shoes. Think about women's PMS days and suggest men know HOW to show their love instead of telling men "show your love". But too bad, men don't take suggestions anyways...

Its a good book overall, Although it has on both, I think its oriented more on how to please a man. It should be equally done..

I'm a 17 yr. old high school student that had to do a report on love, differences, and communication. My teacher suggested the other book, and Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but the lazy student that i am, i went for the shorter version. But wow, this book is amazing, I'm so glad I read it, I've learned many things about men that i will be able to use throughout life. It really helped me understand somethings that had been going wrong even in my own relationship. Very good book, I would suggest it to anyone!

I make it a point to read the popular "relationship authors" because, as an author myself, it gives me a sense of perspective.

Mr. Gray's books are by far and away the most concise and entertaining, even if he does get a bit too serious at times. Regardless, the information contained is excellent and I highly recommend it.

Butch Mazzuca, author of "From the First Date to the Bedroom, The Single Man's Official Guide to Success with Women."

but another man shall lie with her." Deuteronomy 28:30

Georges Simenon was nothing if not prolific in both his literary and public life. Born in Belgium in 1903, Simenon turned out hundreds of novels. Simenon's obsession with writing caused him to break off an affair (he was prolific in this area of his life as well) with the celebrated Josephine Baker in Paris when he could only write twelve novels in the twelve month period in which they were involved. Although perhaps best known for his Inspector Maigret detective novels, Simenon also wrote over a hundred novels that he referred to as `romans durs' (literally "hard novels"). These hard stories typically involve a person's descent from normality (or a life that seems to bear the appearance of normality) into nihilism and despair. Usually there is a triggering event, a murder, a bankruptcy, or simply too much to drink on a road trip. The publishing arm of `"The New York Review" NYRB Books is reissuing Simenon's hard novels. "The Engagement" is one of Simenon's earliest hard novels and it was hard to put down. The story line is rather a simple one.

Mr. Hire is a quiet man. But he isn't quiet in the way that he blends into the background. He's quiet in the way that his neighbors find him odd and more than a bit scary. Odd in such a way that children are pulled into their parent's apartment when he is heard walking around in his Paris apartment. And, critically for "The Engagement", odd in such a way that when a neighborhood prostitute is found murdered, the concierge in his apartment tells the police Hire is the culprit. "The Engagement" is a study in contrasts. It gives us Mr. Hire, going about his daily business and gives us the police (with the helpful assistance of Hire's neighbors) going about their business and slowly obtaining enough information to arrest him for murder.

The storyline may not sound unique but the devil is always in the details. Simenon's prose may be direct and to the point but he manages to paint a compelling picture of his protagonists. Mr. Hire, the concierge, and the young girl across the street with whom Mr. Hire shares a voyeuristic relationship that holds the key to the story line, are all wonderfully drawn. Hire is not an attractive person yet this reader could not help but feel no small amount of empathy toward. It is hard to give examples without divulging too much of the plot. Suffice it to say that Simenon knows how to craft sentences that keep the reader turning page after page after page.

Simenon's hard novels are often referred to as psychological novels but I find that term a bit misleading. Simenon does not analyze. He does not delve deep into his protagonists' minds. He presents a story stripped of moralizing or analysis. He presents the reader with a slice of the human condition, usually an unpleasant slice, and lets the reader deal with the implications, the psychoanalysis if you like. They do offer glimpses into his protagonists' lives even though (or perhaps because) he does not fill in the blanks for you. His character's actions speak for themselves and what they have to say is not always pleasant. In a world of fiction filled with happiness and redemption and the ultimate triumph of good against evil, Simenon is a breath of fresh (if pessimistic) air. I recommend highly all of Simenon's romans durs and The Engagement is no exception. L. Fleisig

Georges Simeon was the ultimate spy. He perched on the edge of everyone's lives and wrote down in novel form exactly what he saw. The characters in his novels are more real than the characters in real life. All of the action takes place in a field that can only be described as the color gray-the rain cloud field in which our human tragedies and redemptions occur.

I don't know why in lists of great writers of the twentieth century Simenon is not listed - up there with the likes of Kafka, Joyce, Proust, Lovecraft, Chesterton, Djuna Barnes, and all of the other players. Simenon was born for the twentieth century - it finds its most major representation in no other writer.

No question that for Simenon, less is more, as this enormously talented writer in "The Engagement" sketches out the essential lines of his protagonists and their rather drab and robotic lives with such skill that he engages us at every turn. What's real to Simenon is desire, greed, and death. There's little room here for sentiment, and if you're looking for a sweet confection, you've definitely entered the wrong door.

Simenon has created a "modern" twentieth-century man, Mr. Hire, who really has no spiritual or moral center. He simply is a collection of habits and fears, spiced with perverse self-flagellating pleasures and one great but rather ridiculous skill. His alienation from society, which itself is presented as crude and hard and bordering on a violent mob, is sad and almost understandable, considering his dysfunctionality may have a basis in the gross nature of those who surround him. Yet his one soft spot is the highly sexual dairy maid, Alice, who lives directly across from him. Her little piece of paradise is so close that he can see right into her windows.

So goes this Hitchcockian plot as Mr. Hire's robotic life is disrupted by this seductress and by the police. Underlying this plot is Simenon's writing machinery, which carries with it a valueless worldview. The author is really telling us we all amount to very little in the end: a collection of habits, enactments of our desires, and vain hopes for a better life. Why we are who we are is not of any significance to what we do while we are here in this life.

I found this work to be extraordinary in its philosophical and psychological implications. Simenon was way ahead of his time as a writer and thinker. Not only that, his selection of detail and his ability to draw up whole scenes through the skillful use of the five senses could teach many a writer how to make the page come alive.

Originally published in 1933, this slim volume already showcases Simenon's unique brand of realism, which eschews easy humanism in favor of a punishingly bleak moral universe. The story centers on Mr. Hire, the middle-aged son of working class immigrant parents. When a prostitute is murdered in his neighborhood, Hire's asocial habits, petty criminal record and ethically dubious profession leads the police to his door. Fed by the suspicions of vindictive neighbors, detectives tail him relentlessly, waiting for Hire to slip up and yield any evidence linking him to the crime. Readers of Simenon's so called 'romans durs' will find The Engagement to be an excellent early example of its type. Furthermore, the brief afterword by John Gray provides informative context for the novel as well as evidence of a rare instance of autobiographical sourcing.

When a prostitute is murdered in an abandoned lot, all eyes look towards Mr. Hire as the suspect. The reader can certainly understand why. Hire makes his income in a petty postal scam and his main hobby is peeping on the woman across the courtyard as she undresses. His past is no better, with a conviction for petty sex offenses and some time in prison. No wonder the guy is in the crosshairs.

Yet THE ENGAGEMENT is one of Simenon's roman durs (hard novels) with more of a noir edge to them. Hire is innocent of the crime but, as is true for the roman durs, hardly innocent in any other application of the term. Hire's apparently empty internal world collides with the external as Hire realizes that some others, specifically the police, do not consider him to be as inconsequential as he thought. The scene in which Hire discovers at the train station that he is being watched and followed was among the most simple yet powerful scenes I have encountered of a character's horror at having his comfortable little world disturbed through no fault of one's own.

Despite his initial shock, Hire soon comes to enjoy being the center of someone's attention and starts showing off for the detectives on his tail. This excitement is heightened when the girl on whom Hire peeps starts showing some romantic interest. But in a morally vacuous world, it is all a ruse. Hire is being played for the sap. Even if the police knew of Hire's innocence, it is questionable whether they would care. They show the same apathy towards the lives of others as everyone else and seem less concerned with nabbing the real murderer than they are in getting the case behind them. They are just playing a different role in the game.

In his roman durs, Simenon shows no concern for issues of right and wrong. The amorality of the world simply is a given in which people are thrust and left to their own devices. It is an interesting world to visit while hoping we never find ourselves as its tenants.

James A. Ramage has written what must be THE definitive book on the life of John Singleton Mosby. I cannot imagine a more thoroughly written book on the topic. Ramage discusses his family history, his childhood and more.

Of course, the largest amount is written about his service in the Civil War as a partisan ranger that terrorized the Union troops arrayed against Robert E. Lee. Ramage is definitely a fan of Mosby, but he refuses to get involved in the hype that Mosby and his contemporaries sometimes engaged in concerning how effective Mosby's men were. Ramage agrees that Mosby was cost-effective, meaning that his small groups of men - usually around 120 or so - would tie down thousands of Union soldiers, but disagrees with Mosby himself that he tied down tens of thousands.

The real strength of this biography is that Ramage covers Mosby's post-Civil War career thoroughly, including his controversial forays into politics and his government posting in Hong Kong. Ramage even includes a chapter on how Mosby has been represented in film and television, including a movie in which Mosby played himself in 1910.

This is not a book for the casual Civil War reader - there is too much specific detail and an assumption that the reader knows and understands the basics of the war. However, this book will continue to serve as the reference for all things Mosby.

This book is about as close to entertainment as history can get. This does not mean that it is fiction however. Ramage writes a sturdy bio of Mosby. And although Mosby is one of the most famous, or infamous if you are a Yankee, Civil War personalities around, there aren't many good reads on him. However, Ramage's bio is terrific from both a historian's and a reader's point of view. Ramage is obviously an admirer of Mosby's, but does not blindly believe all that comes with the "Mosby myth". Instead, Ramage uses both primary and secondary sources to try to find the real Mosby and see what his real exploits were. The descriptions of Mosby's forays are fast-paced and exciting. The chapters on Mosby's post-war career are extremely interesting as we see the hated Mosby become a Republican and friend of U.S. Grant. Mosby also became embroiled in disputes with "Lost Cause" people like Jubal Early due to Mosby's support of J.E.B. Stuart. Interesting all the way around.

This book is well written by someone who likes Mosby but this nonsense about "terror" from Union troops about Mosby sounds more like the terror that was felt by the Confederates towards Sheridan or Sherman or John Brown!
Frankly I have always considered those who hit and run or come out at night and shoot stragglers or people from behing to be somewhat -- well - gutless. Sorry.

Ramage is absolutely correct when he speaks about Mosby's effect on his adversaries. By the time the war was over, he was - after Jefferson Davis - the most hated Confederate in the North. Once, late in the war when a troop of Yankee cavalry bringing in prisoners (none of whom were Mosby's men) joked that they had 'caught Mosby', in just a few hours over 10,000 people gathered to see the vaunted guerrilla chief. Mosby's psychological tactics were such that often all he or one of his men had to do was approach a Union picket or vidette and say, "I am Mosby" and the man became paralyzed with fear. Yet, Mosby's treatment of those whom he captured was such that after the war, many of his best friends were former Union officers taken by him and his command.

Unfortunately, however, author Ramage has a tendency to speculate regarding things he cannot prove. His theory of Mosby's 'bipolar' personality - he was kind, gentle and loving at home but fierce, overly aggressive and untrusting out in the world - does not necessarily equate with the testimony of many of Mosby's men who wrote about the man and the 43rd Battalion.

Furthermore, Ramage's account of Mosby's relationship with Fitz Hugh Lee - the two men detested each other - contains a vignette in which Lee supposedly offers a terrible rebuke to then Lt. Mosby when he offered Lee a captured Union newspaper. Lee, according to Ramage said "The ruling passion strong in death" a quote from one of Pope's moral essays on Lord Cobham, a religious dissenter who was hanged and burned for his beliefs. Ramage recounted that as a classical scholor Mosby would understand this statement to mean that he would deserve his fate when the Yankees caught and hanged him as a spy during one of his 'scouts' for JEB Stuart. According to Ramage, Mosby had no suspicion of Fitz Lee's hatred of him until that point. Yet in all other accounts - including Mosby's - nothing much is made of the same incident. I would not mind Ramage's account or his conclusion if only he had given a more detailed account of how he came to know that Lee said what he said and meant it as Ramage posits. Furthermore, I would have liked to know how Ramage knew that Mosby had no idea of his superior officer's feelings for him at the time. However, Ramage simply makes the statement and let's it go at that.

There are certainly many psychological indicators apparent in Mosby's life which can enlighten interested parties regarding his forceful and unique personality but I must confess that I found some of author Ramage's speculations to be lacking in credible verification on such subjective matters. If one is going to speak of 'feelings' and 'passions', it is wise to have at least some documentation to back up one's claims. Otherwise, the matter becomes nothing more than another speculation regarding the individual being studied.

An excellent book for anyone interested in the Civil War. Ramage has written an exciting, fast-paced biography of one of the South's most mythologized and celebrated Civil War heroes. He draws the reader into the world of Mosby from his early fights with childhood bullies to his final fight for J.E.B. Stuart's memory and legacy. Certainly one of the Confederacy's more popular figures, Mosby ruled an area of Virginia causing Union officers and privates alike to fear capture if separated from the main body. Mosby's able and selfless leadership set an example to his men, and both Stuart and Lee saw that he was no ordinary partisan ranger. Even after the war, Mosby's fight continued as he supported the Republican Grant for president. Ramage aptly delves into the now out-of-favor hero's post-war life and one of the best chapters in the book is his description of Mosby's fight against corruption as U.S. consul in Hong Kong. Ramage has gone through many sources and succeeded in bringing Mosby the man to life. The author even met with Mosby's grandson and received valuable first-hand descriptions of him in his later life. This book is destined to be the definitive work on the "Gray Ghost".

Great I brought some for my friends too, they loved them.
We have them on coffee table and men and women can relate to the cards we always get a smile or giggle from them.

If you don't want to take the time to read the entire book, these cards are helpful and highlight the key points. Box is great but, artwork could be improved.

"A woman communicates to make a point, discover more, and experience intimacy. A man communicates to make a point and solve a problem." - From the deck

John Gray, author of the popular Mars and Venus relationship books, has created a 50-card deck based on his book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. His insights are intended to help individuals better understand and communicate with the man or woman in your life--resulting in richer, meaningful, and loving relationships.

Each of the Mars Venus Cards depict an observation or recommendation by Gray, with one side aimed at women (the Venus side) and the other geared towards men (the Mars side). Here are a few of the remarks found on the cards:

Mars: Women use "always" and "never" when they are feeling insecure. Venus: Men take generalizations literally and get defensive.

Mars: Women do not appreciate being told how to change their feelings.
Venus: Men do not like being told what to do.

Mars: Call her from work and tell her you love her.
Venus: Leave him a love note that only he will see.

Mars: Her symptoms of stress are overreaction, feeling overwhelmed, and exhaustion.
Venus: His symptoms of stress are withdrawal, grumbling, and shutting down.

Mars: The more a woman feels the right to be upset, the less upset she will be.
Venus: When men talk about their problems, they are looking for solutions.

Mars: A man scores points with a woman if he does his best to contribute.
Venus: A woman scores points with a man if she lets him off the hook when he makes a mistake.

Some of the cards in the Mars/Venus deck are not universally applicable to all men or women, in my opinion, and some seem a bit archaic. However, both my husband and I looked over these cards and feel the messages are mostly accurate. Fans of John Gray's Mars/Venus approach to relationships will likely enjoy this deck, as well as those comfortable with traditional gender roles.

Many of the Mars/Venus cards really nails the central issues of potential relationship sore spots, in my opinion, especially the ones about modes of communication.

(To see 6 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

The "Mars and Venus" books are great - but this is a quick, fun way to review (or learn) the concepts. Just pull out a card & discuss. One side has a pointer for men & the other side has a pointer for women. Great discussion starters!

Not Quite Dead is a great read. Despite surprising and outrageous turns the complex plot maintains plausibility and produces a conclusion that is satisfying on all fronts. The story is set in mid 19th century America and the bleak and troubled conditions of the period are detailed with great historical accuracy and nuance by 21st century author John MacLachlan Gray. The characters, who include authors Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens, are wonderfully developed and actually very alive, if one dares repeat the suggestion that life and death can be matters of degree. The emotional priorities of Poe are constrasted to Dickens' pragmatism and this difference manifested in their approach to writing becomes an important plot point. Their differences also provoke a delightful level of consciousness about Gray's own project and the famciful mix his mind has imagined. Still, the best parts of the book may well be the little bits, found on every page: the narrator's wonderful sense of humour and acute observations, his wisdom and care for the human condition that make this such a wonderful read.

In 1848 on a cargo ship sailing from Liverpool to the United States, Irish stowaway Finn Devlin steals a package containing worthless papers "David Copperfield, Final Four Numbers, by Charles Dickens." Although the Irishman sees no profit, he plans to visit Dickens's American publisher to see if they might pay him anyway. Angry with his treatment Devilin kills the publisher.

In 1849 in Baltimore, infamous author, journalist and critic Edger Allen Poe collapses and is rushed to a hospital where he insists he has proof of a mob hit. Allegedly dying, he arranges with his childhood friend Dr. William Chivers to fake his death so that he can elude the Irish mob that wants him silent. Charles Dickens begins an America tour by having as a roommate in a dive, the maniacal Poe, who hides from the Irish mob. Soon all the players on this stage will collide in a final chapter worthy of both writers.

Although well written and very insightful into mid nineteenth century Baltimore and Philadelphia, NOT QUITE DEAD loses some speed by rotating perspective from the first person accounts of harassed Chivers and a third person viewpoint of Devilin's crossing and lethal time in the States where he seems more like a character from a Corman movie version of a Poe novel. Poe and Dickens play key roles, but are secondary to the prime duet.

Harriet Klausner

Edgar Allan Poe was found lying in a ditch, ill and nearly dead, and was taken to a local Baltimore Hospital where he died. Or did he? Gray, in Not Quite Dead, sets out a series of events that bring Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, American politics, and publishing in 1849 into a book that is part historical, part wishful thinking, and surprisingly believable.

The first third of this book was totally engrossing as Gray set up the characters, atmosphere, time period, and political factions. The style and narrative kept me turning pages as fast as I could read them. The middle third of the book was, unfortunately, a chore to read. I kept going because the first chapters had convinced me that I really wanted to know what was going on. Finally, in the last third of the book, everything came together again and found me staying up late to finish because I couldn't wait 'til morning to find out how it all played out.

Thinking about it after finishing the book, I'd have to say that the reason the middle dragged so much for me was I really didn't care all that much for the main character of Dr. William Cheevers, childhood friend of Poe, who was our point of view character throughout most of the mid-section of the book. But none the less, I'm glad I read Not Quite Dead.

Living not that far from Baltimore, and having lived several years in Providence, RI, it was the mention of Poe that caught my interest. Poe's part is relatively minor, but pivotal, to the plot which seems designed not only to tell a story, but also a way to bring the reader into the time period. While history is frequently dull, when presented as a story, a well researched work of fiction (even when it's bordering on alternate history) can really give the reader a feel for the way people lived and their day-to-day activities that makes the past come alive.

This story is so well written and is a unique read....I found I couldn't put it down. The way the author took two real authors, Dickens and Poe (who I admire, by the way) and put them in such a unique situation, made for a fantastic, quick read. I learned so much about a place and time I knew nothing of...I didn't realize that politics and the world in general in the US at that time were so dangerous! If you have any love of Dickens or Poe, this is a unique story (am I overusing the word UNIQUE?!) that you are sure to find intriguing.

When reviewing a book like this, it's almost impossible to leave your political views aside. Even though I often disagree with John Gray, I have to admit that he's a prolific and sometimes brilliant writer. In a previous review of `HERESIES against progress and other illusions'', I made the blunder of not recognizing that the piece `Torture: a modest proposal' was a parody. Apparently I wasn't alone in this and that it was a parody wasn't as obvious as in Swifts proposal that we roast and eat babies. But I suppose the title should have given it away and I totally missed that. Thanks to Zachary Michaelson for pointing this out.
In his spoof article Gray thus mocks Alan Dershowitz but is he also poking fun at liberals like John Rawls? I suppose that's the idea but I'm not sure it's a laughing matter. Maybe he tries to convince us, as John Banville suggests in the Guardian, that it's a `foolish and tragic mistake... to imagine that (more dental implants and) fewer thumbscrews will make us into better beings'.
His critique of humanism, atheism and the idea of progress is well known by now and in my view tends to become a bit monotonous. In contrast to the `evils that come with the growth of knowledge', `the myth of religion are ciphers containing the truth of the human condition', Gray heralds onto the congregation.
This is how I ended my now deleted review: `HERESIES is highly entertaining, provocative and witty but at the same time frustratingly biased and presumptuous. John Gray takes us on a bumpy ride indeed.'
That's still how I feel and these essays, first published in the New Statesman, gives us a good idea of his spirited polemics.

According to Gray, the Enlightenment cast off the shackles of one religion, only to forge replacement fetters. The new religion, based on "humanism" is called "progress". This faith rests on the notion that the human condition can be constantly and continuously improved - forever. Instead of a metaphysical paradise, the new religion proposes one that can be achieved here and now. We act, he says, in the false belief that "science" is the new divinity. With so many problems having been solved through the application of science and technology, we've come to believe ALL obstacles can be overcome. What this faith ignores, Gray warns, is the finite supply of resources our planet has to sustain this programme.

In this collection of thought-provoking essays, Gray closely and critically scrutinises the new "faith" and explains its manifestations. In a trinity of themes, he looks at "progress", "terrorism" and "politics". The "scare quotes" are necessary here, because the reader may discover wholly new definitions of these terms within these pages. With incisive wit and deep insight, he examines the dedication to "progress" - where it came from and what it means now. A careful observer, he explains that "progress" is meaningful in the process of science. In the hands of politicians, industry and modern education, it is but a superstition. The world, he says, is "suffering from disseminated primatemaia - a plague of people." In his view "Homo sapiens" has evolved into "Homo rapiens", stripping the planet of resources with little idea of the impact it's having. The plague must be curtailed like any other infection. The first step in that therapy is shedding the belief that resources are limitless and technology can replace shortfalls.

He is scornful of the "war on terror", knowing that clumsy thinking followed by clumsy action easily creates more terrorists than it eliminates. The "crusade" now under way is simply generating fresh enemies. These antagonists are perhaps even more dedicated to destruction than those who launched the World Trade Center attacks. In "Washington's New Jacobins", Gray demonstrates the fallacies of using authority and military power to impart ideologies. It wasn't successful in the French or Communist revolutions, so there's little reason for thinking it will be accomplished by the Anglo-American Axis. The evangelists of the new faith are the neo-cons in Washington and their acolytes on Downing Street . "Dr Billy Graham has joined forces with Dr Strangelove", forging a bizarre and dangerous alliance.

As a heretic against the new orthodoxy, Gray seems to be standing alone. Heretics can be destructive, but they can also provide constructive pointers. Gray's approach isn't a hysterical rant - he's too knowledgeable for that. Instead of grand, sweeping and futile gestures such as Afghanistan and Iraq, Gray seeks a gradualist approach to issues. His method requires scrutiny and understanding of the underlying conditions of any issue. The approach requires work and people to perform the tasks. Read this and find out where you can make a contribution. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

When I was younger I used to argue with others that belief in God was irrational and nothing more than superstition. I eventually realized that this was very upsetting to many people and stopped. Unknown to me, my own faith at the time was what John Gray calls liberal humanism, a belief that science and reason can lead to human progress. Over many years I have gradually became less sure of this. "Heresies" and John Gray's previous book "Straw Dogs" completed my disillusionment. I find he is as unsettling for me as I was for others.

John Gray is a Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics. He has written several books on economics and modern politics and at one point was even an advisor to the government of Margaret Thatcher.

In this book John Gray brilliantly exposes the vanity and hubris of the human species and in particular the view that secular humanism is really a religion with God left out.

"Heresies" is a collection of 24 of his essays which were published in the "New Statesman" magazine during the period leading up to, during, and after the present war in Iraq. The issues he addresses are quite wide ranging, from a discussion of why liberal humanism is only a secular rendition of Christian myth, but without the idea of original sin, to the total misguidedness of the war in Iraq.

Like his other books, his writing is a model of clarity and precision in the statement of both his own ideas and the ideas of others. He has the extraordinary gift of making the reader have a revelationary understanding of what in retrospect should have been really quite obvious, but is normally hidden by the fog of humanistic ideals and a faith in the perfectibility of man.

His "Introduction" sets the tone for what is to follow:

"Secular societies are ruled by repressed religion. Screened off from conscious awareness, the religious impulse has mutated, returning as the fantasy of salvation through politics."

"Belief in progress is the Prozac of the thinking class." "...the idea of progress still pervades human culture. In the last analysis it is an assertion of faith in human will- the most absurd faith of all."

"Unlike science, ethics and politics are not activities in which what is learnt in one generation can be passed on to an infinite number of future generations. Like the arts, they are practical skills and they can be easily lost."

"The hope of a better future maybe shaky, but it is the only faith people have left. Lacking any genuine religion, they cannot accept the truth that the future will be little different than the past."

"The theistic belief that humanity has been given dominion over the world,...has been recycled as a humanist belief, that by using the power of science, humanity can escape the natural laws that govern all other animals."

In "Biotechnology and the Post-Human Future", he observes that some scientists believe that biotechnology can change the future course of human development and can lead to "what Lenin could only dream of becoming - an engineer of souls." But, unlike E. O. Wilson (whose writings he has a very high regard for), he doesn't share the belief that humanity can take charge of its own evolution.

In "Faith in the Matrix", he concisely outlines the premise of the film The Matrix, and sees that the main idea behind the unreal world of the Matrix is the outcome of a failed attempt to redesign the world so that it no longer contains suffering and evil. Modern governments also look to science and economic growth to achieve this for us since religion and politics have failed to rid the world of evil. He observes that if politics failed to prevent an absurdity such as the war in Iraq, what hope is there of eradicating hunger in the world. Even though technology can never be a surrogate for political action, in practice we will use it to mask problems we cannot solve.

In "When the Machine Stops", he discusses the shortcomings of the ideas of endless economic growth and globalization. Another essay discusses the absurd cult like beliefs of the cryogenics movement whose members think they can have their bodies frozen when they die to be resurrected to life again in the future. His predictions in essays on the consequences of the war in Iraq seem very prescient, but it remains to be seen whether his outlook for the future of Tony Blair will come to pass.

It is hard to argue with the reality of life as John Gray lays it out in this book, but after reading it, I was filled with a sense of gloom and pessimism about the human condition. Fortunately hope and optimism seem to be genetically programmed into the human animal and this soon kicked in again. If John Gray can live in the world as it is, then so can I.

I am not going to let my kids read this book though.

Wild timber wolves were famously reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, as well as to Central Idaho. Much less visibly, wolves continue to thrive in northern Minnesota, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and parts of Wisconsin.

Even so, the species covers only a very small portion of its original range. Given the support of many Eastern environmentalists for wolf reintroduction out West, and the fact that Midwestern farmers do not object to wolves the way that Western ranchers do, the next natural move would be to reintroduce wolves to sparsely-populated areas in New England. Indeed, there is scattered evidence that they have already made their way there, braving the shipping channel of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the densely populated farm regions of southern Quebec.

This book consists of four relatively unconnected essays on the topic of reintroducing wolves to the Northeast. The editor clearly gave each author the freedom to write his or her own essay, rather than divvying up topics more systematically. The resulting book is disunified, but the strengths of three of the four essays make up for this weakness.

The first essay, by Bill McKibben, questions the shallow consumerism of North Americans and the role of wolves in that consumerism. He argued that we should not see them in terms of our "need" to "consume" wolves, but must instead learn to let them be for themselves.

The second essay, by wolf researcher John Theberge, provides an ecological perspective on the topic. He emphasizes two issues: wolf-human interactions (humans are the leading cause of wolf mortality) and wolf-coyote hybridization. Both have been familiar topics in his own research, concentrated on the wolves of Algonquin Provincial Park at the edge of Canada's boreal forest.

The third essay by Kristin DeBoer was the least successful in my mind. It's the most "poetic" of the four, using a style that doesn't call to me personally.

Finally, "Vermont as Montana" by writer Rick Bass. He begins by imagining Vermont becoming like Montana, a place where wolves live. But then he reflects on the hostility of Montana to wolves, and the conservation ethic of many in Vermont, and imagines Montana becoming more like Vermont. As a transplant from the South to Montana's Yaak Valley, Bass certainly knows the Montanan perspective well, but I was not convinced that he really understood Vermont.

If you are interested in wolves, and if you are interested in a more humanistic and literary perspective than the natural science and social science that dominates most books, you will find this book interesting. If you are not already interested in wolves, however, its lack of unity and mix of agendas may be puzzling to you. (In that case, see my wolf list for books better suited to your interest.)

I believe this is a cause for restoration. This book made me believe that the wolf should be released in to the Adriondack mountians. It also had me believing that the ecosystem needs the wolves to survive. I was especially fascinated by Kristen Deboer's idea of creating corridors between parks in Canada ans the northeast, to help creat migratrion routes for animals. I believet he book itself aswell was ans informative, great, intertaining read.

The Return of the Wolf is an eye-opener as it gives four very distinct and honest evaluations of the possibility of our northeastern forest communities welcoming the timber wolf back to it's native haunts. Let us not confuse the eastern coyote which has hybridized with the eastern wolf as the as the easts top canid predator.....The wolf, just as in Yellowstone and Minnesota is the true predator of the moose , Caribou Elk and Beaver. The coyote, even if hybridized with wolf genes is still not a large enough creature(maximum of 70 pounds whereas the true timber wolf can be 100-150 pounds)to bring down the northeasts growing moose population and hopefully one day a restored caribou herd. Let the voice of Rick Bass,Kristen DeBoer and Bill McKibben weigh heavy.......let us set aside the lands, educate the "Little Red Riding Hood" believers and politic effectively with the state house representatives who tend to buckle to the pressure of corporations who favor short term extraction versus long term sustainability. Give the wolves the chance to push the coyotes to their rightful "fringe" of the forest allowing the true timber wolf and restored(hopefully) Cougar to stand atop the food chain as top predators of the land. Our forests have returned after 400 years of being chopped and burned.Let us stop the shopping malls and second home developments from destroying our wonderful open lands.Let the land be restored to it's glory and allow the current residents of the backwoods to continue their sustainable forestry and wsoodcraft busines while reaping some benefits from a contrulled and managed Ecotourism. What a great thing for us to have the pomeans and will to return and restore our woodlands in the most populated part of the U.S. to their former majesty. We can be a model for the conservative western United States and the emerging 3rd world countries to emulate......The Return of the Wolf speaks of all of these things and more........Fantastic writing! Rivals Charles Little storytelling in the "Dying of the trees". Please pass on to a friend.......Let the restoration of the north woods begin!

I discovered this book nearly by accident. But it was a great read. Very few other books I have read on history have connected me to the everyday world around me. I may have driven over the Innerbelt Bridge (near the site of the Central Viaduct), by Ontario just south of Public Square, by E 55th and St. Clair, by the Cleveland Clinic and so on, not really recognizing the disasters that have occurred there. With the exception of the Sam Sheppard case, many of these tales have passed out of the knowledge of the average Clevelander.

Also fascinating was the mystery still wrapped in the cause of many of these events. Who killed one of the founders of one of the world's most powerful law firms (still headquartered in Cleveland)? Was it a light bulb that caused so many to die in the early days of the Cleveland Clinic?

This book will appeal even to people who have never been to Cleveland if they enjoy reading about disasters or crime. The book is evenly balanced between the two types of tragedies. The author uses human interest to make the stories come to life. I just wish he had been able to go into more depth about some of the stories, and for my personal taste I would rather have seen more disaster stories and fewer crime stories. With all that said, this is a very good to excellent book.

This book and the two that follow are some of the best written, most captivating material I've had the pleasure to read in far too long. The stories will bring tears to your eyes and stay with you long after you've finished the book. I do hope Mr. Bellamy has more tales to tell.

Beware. Once you open the Book of Monsters, there's no going back. Between the pages are a gamut of artistic illustrations, intriguing stories, and an honorable tribute to the classic-style telling of everyone's favorite subjects - monsters. To start things out, John Passarella(Wither), works his literary magic in a very appropriate and fitting introduction. What follows are ten stories to entertain, disturb, and hold true to the monster stories we grew up with - not the formulaic Hollywood versions, but the stuff that nightmares are made of.

"Prodigium: Recipe for a Monster" written by the eccentric and talented Adrienne Jones, is a captivating story about witches and the sweet taste of vengeance. With a clever plot and luminous characters, this is a recipe for excellence.

"The Endless Memory of Forever Burning Suns" is a poignant recollection from a monster's point of view, written by esteemed Canadian author Steve Vernon. Through blurred memories of skin, hands, and dreams - this monster believes he was created to do great things, but was never given a chance.

Susanne S. Brydenbaugh offers readers a chilling tale with "Where the Blood Roses Bloom". Ashes that sit in a silver urn are part of a promise to be fulfilled by loving hands. With brilliant dialogue and an eerie ambience, this classy ghost story sends a few shivers up the spine.

"Colors of Murder" by T.M. Gray, touches on a more psychological note, about an artist who paints his victims, and the one that got away. Gray has a gift for presenting the reader a riveting character study of a serial killer.

Hard driving action and realistic drama make "Snake Face" by Mike E. Purfield, a winning combination. This fast-paced werewolf tale brings to mind an edgy Memento-like feel.

In "The Tombs of Nectanebus", written by Christopher Fulbright, the reader delves into an unusual but creative atmosphere in the way of mummies. When a doctor looks for a connection between Mars and ancient Egypt, he finds more than he'd ever expected. While this is a longer story, it is a smooth read and a mind candy treat.

Jason Brannon, sends us straight to Hell with his demon tale "The Glass Cage". What starts as a prank on his mother, takes a turn for the worse for a boy. Told with great imagery, some humor, and realistic dialogue, it's one of my favorites.

"Those Who Can Help" is a whimsical and unique story told by David Bain, where goblins are caught and turned in for profit. For a mother of some special boys, a little extra help around the house can always comes in handy.

Alex Severin and husband Kailleaugh Andersson, have collaborated on an awe-inspiring piece called "To Rise from the Grave". An ancient Slavic custom has a woman sacrifice herself over the death of her lover. When death does not satisfy her devotion, she looks to another to complete the final task. Somewhere between poetic and haunting, it has a strong emotional base.

"Witching Eyes" is a fantastical story by Cullen Bunn, sure to remind you of childhood ghost stories around the campfire. For some boys in the forest, an old legend of Maddie Someday, gives them a reason to not stay out so late. This one will leave you with a few goose bumps.

Each story on its own represents a high degree of masterful storytelling, but as a collection it reaches monstrous proportions. Pick up a copy of Book of Monsters and take a trip down memory lane when monsters really were something to be afraid of.

Monsters... there are so many kinds, from human to alien to supernatural. And you will find them all in The Big Book of Monsters. There are serial killers, ghosts, ghouls, vampires, werewolves... You name it! Although this book has a deceptively plain cover, it's got an amazing array of interior illustrations (by one of the story authors, T.M. Gray) that are wicked and whimsical at once.

Stoker-winning author John Passarella does the insightful introduction and then without further ado we are plunged into a whole other world - the underworld. Some of my favorite stories were Colors of Murder, by T.M. Gray (a story in which a murderer can paint portraits with dead-on accuracy); The Endless Memories of Forever Burning Sins, by Steve Vernon (a freaky, frank look at Frankenstein's monster); and The Glass Cage by Jason Brannon (demons throw a hell of a dinner party).

I think it's a great value: $10 for 10 stories, plus artwork.

Staci Layne Wilson