K Books

This book is an excellent introduction to the world of classical physics for NON-PHYSICISTS. While some physicists will no doubt find it accessible, there is considerable reduction of physical concepts in order to get to the heart of the ideas underlying the formalism. Also, the material goes beyond what most physicists (non-theoreticians) will find practical.

He focuses largely on a geometric presentation, in the language of differential geometry, symplectic geometry, differential forms, Riemannian manifolds and includes a large amount of algebraic necessities. This is not a cookbook for learning how to solve classical mechanics, nor is it a math book per se, but it is a wonderful collection of introductions to a vast amount of useful mathematical formalism that permeates the physical literature. I would strongly recommend it to someone needing a thorough supplementary mechanics text, one that relies on very little physical insight and focuses on the geometric and algebraic structures underlying them.

The chapters are very well self-contained for the most part so you can skip to topics you find more appealing without feeling lost. Also, his presentation style is very clever, in case you're a fan of quick thinking and novel presentations (who isn't?).

The prerequisites are familiarity with somewhat advanced calculus and "mathematical maturity". Basic knowledge of group theory would also make it an easier read.

Extremely stimulating, uses Galileo to motivate Newton's laws instead of postulating them. Treatment of Bertrand's theorem is beautiful, but contains one error (took me 2 years before I realized where..). However, I know of only one physicist who successully worked out all the missing steps and taught from this book. I know mathematicians who have cursed it. I used/use it for inspiration. The treatment of Liouville's integrability theorem, I found too abstract, found the old version in Whittaker's Analytical Dynamics to be clearer (Arnol'd might laugh sarcastically at this claim!)--for an interesting variation, but more from the standpoint of continuous groups, see the treatment in ch. 16 of my Classical Mechanics (Cambridge, 1997). In my text I do not restrict the discussion of integrability/nonintegrability to Hamiltonian systems but include driven dissipative systems as well. Another strength of Arnol'd: his discussion of caustics, useful for the study of galaxy formation (as I later learned while doing work in cosmology). Also, I learned from Arnol'd that Poisson brackets are not restricted to canonical systems (see also my ch. 15). I guess that every researcher in nonlinear dynamics should study Arnol'd's books, he's the 'alte Hasse' in the field.

The book is full of little enjoyable details (jewels). Arnold is one of the few mathematicians which approaches problems with a very geometric point of view. In his interview with S.H. Lui he mentions how algebraic picture has dominated the research in mathematics and how he has tried to counter that. One can see the trace of his ingenuity all over this book. What some may call as handwaving in math circles is indeed called as physical (or geometric) intuition in physics community and is being actively encouraged.

The chapters on oscillations (chap. 5) and perturbation theory (chap. 10) are very instructive. For example, parametric resonance is discussed concisely in chapter 5 which you won't be able to find it anywhere else. where can you learn about "Arnold's tongues" better than in Arnold's book?

There are so many appendices at the end of the book. They are often very specialized and I don't recommend you to read them on your first read.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to any physics graduate student. In fact, I hope one day it will be used as a text book for courses in classical mechanics.

I have to admit that I haven't thoroughly read through this text. But judging from the first 10 pages, there is a lot of mathematical handwaving. In contrast, foundations of mechanics (hereafter FOM) is far superior in that it provides all the necessary background beyond calculus and linear algebra to the reader, and is logically consistent so far in my reading. I want to mention that there are certainly complete and excellent texts out there on functional analysis, differential geometry, and topology, but many texts include way more stuff than you would want to know. In particular, it is my humble opinion that once you get to a certain point of knowledgeability of a subject like algebraic topology, you have enough of a taste for it that to learn more of the subject would only help if you were to go into research. Therefore a book like FOM provides a concise and practical treatment of those various advanced mathematics topics.

Best book on CM (based most on symplectic formulation). Extremely clear if one has enough patience to follow exactly the author's way and to work out the proposed stimulating problems. Contains an original way of introducing differential forms, integration of differential forms and homology/De Rahm's thm.: you fully get in the subject in few pages ! The first part does not make use of symplectic formalism but is also quite original and stimulating. The level is last yr. undergr. 1st yr. graduate. Very useful if used with E. ott (Chaos in Dynamical Systems) for studying nonlinear dynamics.

This is an excellent introduction to Jungian psychology - it's well presented, clear, concise, and full of information. It proved in my case to be very stimulating, and I found myself pondering the ideas presented for some time.

Why then, do I award only four stars? Because the title is no longer appropriate. It is not a book exclusively about modern man, but rather, about man as he was seventy years ago. Some of the concepts seem to describe very accurately the state of mind that mankind was experiencing in Jung's time, but today they won't be observed with any great consistency - they are no longer appropriate. That being said, the book outlines the general principles in such a logical way that one may apply them to the world around them, seeing the similarities and differences between Jung's world and their own for themselves.

Worthwhile reading for anyone interested in psychology, or simply expanding their view of life - puts a wide range of life's issues in perspective.

Carl G. Jung is perhaps psychology's most free and original thinker. Perhaps not...However, it is books like this that demonstrate Jung's ability to think outside of the box and examine critically those things that his contemporaries failed to critically examine. I truly believe that Jung has not gained the acceptance he deserves in psychology as a result of his telic thinking/conceptualizing, which appears to many psychologists, who rely on a Newtonian scientific framework (failing to realize that advances have been made in scientific perspectives), as unscientific. In this book, Jung takes aim at and provides justification for seeing difficulties in many of the more cherished "scientific" perspectives and providers counterarguments to forward a more positive direction. Unfortunately, enough people have not read this gem. I highly recommend it.

This book contains eleven lectures given to the general public on various occasions on a variety of topics. Taken together they sum up much of Jung's analytical psychology, covering the subjects:

dream analysis,
problems of psychotherapy,
aims of psychotherapy,
theory of types,
stages of life,
contrasts between Freud and Jung,
archaic man,
psychology and literature,
basic postulates (i.e. philosophic notions) of analytical psychology,
spiritual problem of modern man, and,
psychotherapists or the clergy.

Jung's professional writings can be a hard read being long and difficult to follow. There is none of that problem in this work. Here Jung is clear as a bell. The book is highly recommended for those beginning their inquiry into Jung.

Although was first published in 1933 it still holds relevance to a contemporary audience. One major theme running through several speeches is that many people seem to inherently want to believe in something spiritual, though this certainly does not necessarily imply mainstream religion such as Christianity. We only have to visit a new age bookshop packed with Buddhist and other Asian philosophic texts, not to mention esoteric volumes on spirits, magic and psychic phenomena, to realize that many people are 'looking for something in their lives.' Of course not all of us have spirituality as an issue or problem and Jung at one point goes to some trouble to point this out. Some are hung up on sex, other on power, etc. In these cases a psychology other than Jung's analytical psychology is recommended.

A very insightful and meaningful book, 11 intriguing essays in 244 pages. Jung is a deeper thinker, and I think not reductive like Freud and Adler tended to be. He makes no claim to dogmatism or absolutes. Jung really hits on the psyche and transcends the borders of rational intelligence into areas of the unconscious expressions in symbolism and images.

I am going to argue against another reviewer here that gave this book 4 stars as being outdated. When I look at the present collective societal structure and current cultural pattern apart from the minority of advanced individuals, I can see the postmodern man has regressed far from the modern man of the 1930's in search of a soul. Of course there as been advances individually, but on a collective level; fundamentalism, religious literalism, nationalism, patriotism and one-sided thinking This has grown in major proportions as opposed to the other way around and it is far more serious than most even realize and patterns after historical events of very similiar nature.

The first essay on dream-analysis hits on the idea that dreams are very hard to interpret and suggests that understanding the circumstances and conditions of the conscious life is significant in relation to the dreams of the unconscious life.

On the problems of psychotherapy, Jung relates four stages of analytical psychology, the confessional, explanation, education and transformation

"The great decisions of human life have as a rule far more to do with the instincts and other mysterious unconscious factors than with conscious will and well-meaning reasonableness. The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. Each of us carries his own life-form - an indeterminable form which cannot be superseded by any other." p. 61

The essay on the personality types is short, non-exhaustive and briefly relates Jung's ideas of the introvert, the extrovert and the 4 basic types consisting of those persons who are thinkers, feelers, sensory and intuitive.

In his essay on the stages of life, Jung ventures beyond childhood into early adulthood and the expansion of the self into sexual desires and masculine and feminine traits and how after somewhere in the 40's there begins a contraction of the self where men may acquire more feminine traits and women more masculine. In the second half of life less is needed to educate his conscious will but more aim towards the inner being, until old age where one leaves the rational self and retreats into the psyche as children yet in a different sense.

Jung acknowledges the validity of Freud and Adler and their valuable contributions, yet Jung sees Freud's sexual reduction to all neurosis as limiting, as well as Adler's will to power over inferiority as the sole cause. Both views have proven themselves as valid in many cases, yet Jung finds there is far much more levels in what he calls "value intensities," which underlie many complexes.

Jung also briefly goes into the archaic man's interpretation of all chance events having external meanings and causes, or as causal occurrences and the contrast of the modern man's ability to see the majority of chance and unexplainable events as the human imagination, as the perception of the human. Also the same ability of assumptions in the archaic man, can be seen in the modern who uses science as the foundation over the supernatural.

Jung's essay on psychology and literature is my favorite essay. It hits on something I both think of and am affected by almost every day. I found this entirely meaningful and very much profound. In this he writes of two types of writers; those that explain all they write of and those that have visions where their writing is obscure and needs the psychologist to read into. It is those visionaries that are the most inspiring. Here there exists those as in The Shepherd of Hermas, in Dante, in the second part of Faust, in Nietzsche's Dionysian exuberance, in Wagner's Nihelungenriing, in Spitteler's Olympischer Fruhling, in the poetry of William Blake, in the lpnerotomachia of the monk Francesco Colonna, and in Jacob Boehme's philosophic and poetic stammerings.

Jung speaks of the human intuition that points to things that are unknown and hidden, and by our very nature are secret and that throughout human history this unfathomable primordial source of creative experience been expressed in images, as in the sun-wheel, in attempting to point to this. The artist and poet will resort to mythology and images which only appear to occur in dreams, cases of insanity, narcotic states and eclipses of consciousness.

"A great work of art is like a dream; for all its apparent obviousness it does not explain itself and is never unequivocal. A dream never says; "you ought," or "this is the truth." It presents an image in much the same way as nature allows a plant to grow, and we must draw our own conclusions." p. 171

I really can't even begin to touch on all the vital, significant and soul inspiring information that is loaded in the pages of this book and I think as I try I am taking away from what's written far better than what I'll ever write. I recommend this book.

Someone said in a review that this book isn't applicable for people alive today, that it was only relevant back when it was written a little over 60 years ago.

I can't disagree more. The book is just as relevant now, if not more so.

In one of the essays from this book, Jung accurately predicted today's raging "cultural battles" between proponents of so called "ID" theory and those who espouse Evolution, when he said, correctly, that natural science has for all practical purposes shot down the whole notion of anything "magical" or "supernatural" about the psyche. It's puzzling that in light of the overwhelming mountain of scientific evidence to the contrary, a vast majority of people in the U.S. still believe in "eternal life", and "heaven" and "hell".

Maybe if those who believe in whatever religion they think is the only true religion could loosen up a little, and realize that all religions are organized, but slightly different interpretations of our collective conscious handed down to us through the ages, we might not have problems like 9/11 and ongoing wars, not to mention the ugly politics in this country, all driven by the sentiment "My God is the only right God".

While indirectly discounting the ideas of "heaven" and "hell", as those terms, or their endless variations are commonly defined in most of the world's religions, Jung does point out that there is still a mysterious quality about thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. separate and apart from "reason". Maybe that "spot" is where the "soul" or "spirit" truly resides.

If there were a way for people to find this within themselves, they might just find "God" at last. And if this type of personal, inward looking belief system could be more widely developed, we, as humans, might find better ways to get along.

Not to rain on anyone's religious parade, but the religions "du jour" (or of the current times), will be no more relevant millenia from now (or sooner?) than the religions espoused by the Greeks, the Romans, the Zoroastrians, Druids, or the Pagans before us.

Having said that, we're damned if we have religion and damned if we don't (no pun intended), because one argument that Jung makes for religion being beneficial for society is that if we didn't have religion, God only knows whether we'd all kill each other or not (once again, no pun intended).

Jung's bottom line argument is that you're not going to find God in your local synagogue, church, temple, or mosque, in spite of our collective conscious efforts being channeled toward those places.

A village priest and his friend, the (communist) mayor, drive throught their native Spain to Salamanca with many wine and cheese breaks and hillside siestas on the way. Both are having to rethink the choices they've made and will make. In this road trip intimacy they share their thoughts, question eachother's beliefs and make mild attempts at converting the other, always with warm regard. The wine helps. A tender, hilarious and heartbreaking book. Much happier than other Graham Greene.

Entertaining, quite easy to read, and profound. On the surface this is a short novel about about an unassuming village priest (promoted to Monsignor) and the deposed ex-mayor (the more "world-wise" of the pair) who take a road trip. It is set in post-Franco Spain of about the late 1970's. Monsignor Quixote is a devout Catholic, the ex-mayor (Sancho) a devout Communist. Their adventures include run-ins with the police, stops at a brothel and risque movie, an encounter with a robber, inciting a community riot, and so on. They have long talks, with hearts and lips loosened by much wine (which they revere). Monsignor Quixote loves his old car, which in a way becomes yet an additional character in the story. We can all identify with this pair to some degree, be ye Christian or Communist. The mayor is washed up politically. The monsignor has a jerk for a boss (his bishop). It's light and fun, and has many laughable moments, but . . . .

Deeper - the author explores issues within Christianity and (to a lesser extent) Communism. Issues of; the "trinity" and the Holy Spirit, prayer, elitism and insincerity in the church, loyalty and betrayal, "brown-nosing", police oppression, financial scandal in the church, sexuality, "moral theology" vs. righteous brotherly love, generosity and hospitality, comparisons and contrasts between The Church and The Communist Party, etc, etc. A thinking person's feast. Easy to absorb and digest, but dwell on points of interest as long as you like.

The monsignor, though portrayed as a simple man, is a talented wit, as is the mayor, and their exchanges are a joy to read. In his behavior and philosophy, the monsignor is given to "coloring outside the lines" so to speak, which keeps him in trouble with his bishop. But really . . . he is a humble, wise, lovable and loving man, who exercises and lives a pure religion much superior to his rule-abiding, judgemental colleagues. And he is persecuted for it (sound familiar?). Sancho, though more wordly, cynical, and having rejected the chuch, is not so bad a guy either and they play well off one another.

In the end, the monsignor is able to find some good in Karl Marx, as the mayor reconnects a bit with the God he left many years before.

One need not be Catholic to connect with and enjoy this book (I'm not). This is the second Graham Greene book I've read, the other being, The Power and the Glory. A wonderful author - most highly recommended.

A really moving and thought-provoking novel. In this book, Greene brings up all kinds of interesting ideas, whilst maintaining a sense of humour. Unlike a lot of other books that deal with issues like religion, this isn't at all heavy-going, owing to the engaging style of writing.

This is one of the funniest and cleverest novels I have ever read. It is also one of the deepest. Behind the clever adaptation of the Don Quixote story to a context in post-Franco Spain there is a dance of ideas, much as Shaw's plays are a dance of ideas, and the questions dealt with are the biggest and most fundamental that we all have to deal with.

An innocent and un-intellectual Catholic priest sets out on a holiday with a communist politician, and their discussions, always friendly and courteous and greatly assisted by wine, centre on their respective faiths. The communist faith is much the more straightforward - the ex-mayor, defeated at a recent election, finds the general outlook of Marx congenial, he finds that doubt shackles freedom of action, and that's about as far as his introspection goes. Catholicism is about bigger issues altogether, such as do we go to heaven or to hell for all eternity, and the concepts involved, for someone who really thinks about them honestly, are sufficient to unseat anyone's mind. There is no real alternative to thinking about them, so in the interests of peace of mind what people do is to think about them not honestly but either ingenuously or disingenuously. Graham Greene, like Muriel Spark, was a convert to Catholicism, and like Dame Muriel his treatment of it in his writing is wry and ironic. What he really `believed' is not quite clear and I'm sure not meant to be. Indeed he even casts some doubt around the question of what `belief' actually consists of, and rightly so in my own view. At one point Father Quixote admits that a certain doctrine is one that he believes out of obedience, an admirable attitude for traditionalist believers whether Catholic or communist - you believe x because you're supposed to believe it and you'll be in trouble if you don't. Greene quite obviously sees that Catholic doctrine evolved as a book of rules to keep people under control. What started as religious and ethical teaching developed rapidly into thought-enforcement and thought-policing, but the matter goes even deeper - behind it all there is supposed to be a God whose word the ecclesiastical power-structure dispenses, and this God is not, like Marx, someone who certainly exists but only a hypothesis. How much further Greene wishes us to pursue this line of thought I'm not clear, but for me two considerations follow - firstly what is supposed to be God's word is actually a human construct foisted on the hypothetical God, something that to me seems outright blasphemy; and in the second place we have a clearer idea these days what the Creator has created, and such a Creator is not likely to bear much resemblance to Jehovah in the scriptures having to assert his authority against Baal, Dagon etc at intervals. Indeed if there is one crumb of comfort in the contemplation of such a Creator it's likely to be that he will take little or no notice of our insolence in presuming to speak for his intentions.

Towards the end of the book Greene says something to the effect that in the absence of certain knowledge one goes for the next best thing. For him this is `faith', for me it's probability, as best I can assess that. Greene is able, as I am not, to find a sense of `believing' that takes in the soul as well as the mind. When I say that I believe something I mean that it seems to me true or probable, and considerations that bring me spiritual comfort are unrelated to belief in this sense entirely. Greene seems not to go so far, but I venture to think that he's nearer to my way of seeing things than to `faith' in the conventional sense. What is completely unmistakable is the irony with which he observes the way that the devout have of finding support in the scriptures and in philosophy built on them for convenient viewpoints and courses of action.

The book is not so much about the rival ideas, nor even so much about what people do with these as about what the ideas do with people who for some reason adhere to them, as if the ideas had taken on a higher life of their own, dominating and controlling the very people who create them and without whom they could never exist. This may indeed be what we call divine in them. What is divine in a more earthly sense about this book is the humour and ingenuity of it all. It is a simple story as well as a battle of ideas, and a touching one too, with emotion and human affection finally dominant over the intellectual side. A delightful book, a beautiful book and I would even say a great book.

MONSIGNOR QUIXOTE by Graham Greene was thoroughly enjoyable, and touched, as some of Greene's better works are, with a divine stroke of love and genius. And I do mean, divine. It's hard to find the words to praise Greene enough. His novels are so well executed, so elegantly written, so touching and so unexpectedly changing. They read easily, are very accessible. This book references DON QUIXOTE by Miguel de Cervantes, so I was doubly engaged here, as I had just read it. This book is about a priest, Father Quixote, who lives in El Toboso, Spain. Through a happenstance act of kindness to a man in power in the Catholic Church in Rome, Father Quixote is made a Monsignor, much to his bishop's dismay. His bishop has never liked Father Quixote. Due to his "promotion" Father Quixote has some time to take for himself, and leaves El Toboso with the town's former mayor, who has lost his re-election bid, whose last name is Panza, just like the famous Don Quixote's squire, Sancho, so Father Quixote calls his friend Sancho. Like the first and second sally in Cervantes, Monsignor Quixote and Sancho go forth in the world and have adventures. What I found wonderful about this book was the discussion between these two men about Communism and religion. They trade books and references, and argue principles lightly and engagingly. What is true about both men as Greene writes them is that they are loving people. Sancho is more cynical, but he is kind and is genuinely friends with Monsignor Quixote, and the monsignor, for his part, is truly loving, naive and true. The end of the book is a surprising and stunningly beautiful apotheosis of the ideas expressed within. This is one of my favorite works by Greene, and reminded me in some ways of the life-changing END OF THE AFFAIR. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this book so much. I have been reading a lot of Debbie Macombe's series book and was kind of disappointed that this was not one of them and before Debbie Macomber I had not been a fan of books in a series. This is an uplifting book. I highly recommed it.
Happy Reading,
Edie~

I enjoyed the interaction between the characters. The story line was very serious and yet amusing all at the same time. Mrs Miricle was a delight that gave you the feeling there are really angels in our life that help us through the things we are going through. Debby McComber writings can be very helpful in your everyday life as you see her characters struggling with living out life.

As usualDebbie wrote a terrific uplifting book. She really knows how to write a book that you cant put down. I am still looking for more of her books to read.

You gotta love angels!! This is a wonderful story of love, forgiveness, family and faith. My favorite Mrs. Merkle quote (each chapter starts with a quote or saying from Mrs. Merkle)is "You have to wonder about humans. They think God is dead and Elvis is alive." The book also includes a few recipes.

This magical story is part Mrs. Doubtfire/Mary Poppins and part It's a Wonderful Life! I love books set in a faith-based community, and the reason Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite authors is that her style of writing immerses the reader into the setting, making the characters feel like friends and neighbors. The healing power of forgiveness is exemplified in this story. Delivered in a subtle and non-preachy manner, it's a valuable lesson everyone can reflect upon, at Christmas, during Lent, and throughout the year!

This is the type of book that you turn to over and over again. I find myself reading it whenever I need a quick pick-me-up, a reminder that God is working in my life, or a message that someone else has been down a harder path than I. It's a wonderful compilation of moving testimonies to the power of belief and trust.

This is a great inspirational book. You don't have to
be 'religious' to enjoy and be inspired by the individual
stories. I have given this as Christmas gifts, thank
you gifts, etc. One friend used stories to demonstrate a bible passages she was teaching her Sunday School class, others
have purchased their own copies for gift giving for their
special friends going through rough periods. I highly recommend
it if you are having a 'down' passage in life and need to know
that others have been there and the paths they have lead or, 'nudges' they have followed to take a step forward.
Overall, a great collecation of stories by real-life people.

I would suggest this book to anyone, anytime, and anywhere. This book is the best I have read in a very long time. Sometimes you will laugh, cry, and it will definitely make you take another look at the little things that happen in your life. These short stories will keep you reading till the end. I can't wait until another book comes out from this author.

How often does it happen to any of us: we throw our hands up in the air, asking for a sign from up above and then we wait... and wait... and wait.
Sometime later we suddenly realize that the answer came, but we didn't quite understand it at the time.
"Nudges From God" is a collection of 47 stories about just this type of scenario.
Vanessa K. Mullins collected stories from all around the globe. Stories that express every day experiences with little signs that we get from our maker. Signs that let us know that our pleas are being ignored. Signs that show us guidance in how to go on in a situation that seems to be hopeless. Signs that give us the needed assurance to continue on the path we are on or signs that let us know of other ways to reach the right destination.

"Nudges From God" makes a perfect gift for the special person in your life, who always seems to be there for you. It also makes a perfect gift from you to yourself.
Whenever you need a little pick-me-up, take the book and find a story that might just describe you.
And if after reading "Nudges From God", you say to yourself: "Hey, I have a story like that to tell!", then go ahead and look up Vanessa's call for stories as she is working on a sequel.
As long as there are humans and as long as we decide to keep faith, there will be stories to share.
Entertain, bring out the tears, inspire others, make yourself feel good.
"Nudges From God" is the perfect book for all of this.

Rating: 5 stars

I found this book to be so full of inspirational stories.....so well written. I enjoyed each and every story about a 'nudge' from God and what everyday people did with their 'nudges'. With all the bad news there is in the world, it was nice to read something uplifting.

I knew of the Delany sisters from a 60 minutes segment after the first book. In 1998, while starting through the divorce process that seemed so daunting after a quarter century of marriage, I found Sadie's book. I read and reread this book and was always helped with the grief and feelings of being overwhelmed by having to create a life on my own. I figured if Sadie could do it at 107, I could do it at 50. The thought of her having to learn to fix her own hair by herself at that age was such a specific challenge that helped me put my own challenges in perspective. As I read her progress through the grieving process, I made my own progress as well. As I look back on those times 10 yrs. later, I can see this book was one of the most valuable tools I used to not only survive, but to thrive and grow in so many ways.On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life Without Bessie

Sadie and Bessie Delany lived together for over 100 years before Bessie died at the age of 104 in the home that the two sisters shared. They were well-educated African-American women in an era when few blacks or women attended college. Sadie was a teacher and Bessie worked as a dentist. The sisters were devoted to each other and Bessie's death was a severe blow to her older sister.

The original story about the sisters is told in "Having Our Say". This book by Sadie chronicles her experiences in learning to live without her sister in the difficult first year after Bessie's death. Sadie's faith, common sense, love, and wisdom come shining through in this little book.

Grief is pictured beautifully here as "Sadie" describes her first year after the death of her beloved sister with reference to the beautiful flowers Bessie always raised. The fall and winter of dormancy and renewal in her grief gradually gives way to the vibrancy of spring blooms and summer sun.

When Sadie sees the first spring flowers peeking through the snow, she realizes for the first time that she will grow through her grief. This is a stirring portryal of the experience we all face.

"On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life without Bessie" is by Sarah L. Delany with Amy Hill Hearth. Their text is accompanied by illustrations by Brian M. Kotzky. This book contains the reflections of 107-year old Sarah "Sadie" Delany after the death of her sister and lifetime companion Bessie at the age of 104.

A foreword by coauthor Hearth discusses the lives of these two extraordinary African-American women and the success of their book "Having Our Say," published in 1993 and adapted as a Broadway play. Bessie was a pioneering dentist, and Sadie a teacher; remaining unmarried, the two enjoyed a lifetime partnership that lasted over a century.

The main body of the text is divided into four parts, each with an introductory section by a 3rd person narrator. But the bulk of the text consists of Sadie's first-person reflections. Interspersed throughout the text are Kotzky's beautiful full color illustrations of the many flowers that longtime gardener Bessie loved: crocuses, tulips, rhododendrons, coral bells, etc.

This is a wonderful book about family, faith, growing old with grace, and surviving the death of one's life partner. Sadie's voice is wonderfully moving and sometimes funny. Ultimately the book celebrates the cycles of life.

This book is a touching tribute to Bessie Delany and a celebration of the enduring partnership she shared with her sister. Early in the book Sadie declares, "Why, I have been so blessed in my life!" Likewise are we readers blessed with this beautiful book. Recommended especially for those with an interest in women's studies, African-American studies, flower gardening, and issues related to the elderly.

I read the first two books about these two remarkable sisters ("Having Our Say," and "The Delaney Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom") and they also deserve five stars each, absolutely. In fact, the best book, in terms of literary merit, is the first one, and I loved looking at the photos in the book of the whole family, going back a few generations.

But this book here really helped me in the first year of my husband's death. I read it at least once a week, usually more. I found strength in the fact that if Sadie could make it on her own after being practically attached at the hip for over 100 years to Bessie, and loving each other so much and so well, then I would somehow find the strength to go on too.

Sometimes I was so cried out, but I was still so sad and wanted to cry more, but the tears wouldn't come. The way the "as-told-to" author Hearth expressed Sadie's feelings always helped bring back those cathartic tears.

I read many books of comfort for the grieving widow, but for some reason, this little book near saved my life.

This is a great book. By creating a 2D world Dewdney expands our 3D vision.

In reading this book I was reminded of not only Abbott's Flatland (which was the original inspiration) I was also reminded of Charles Hinton's Fourth Dimension and Choas Coincidence and All That Math Jazz.

In each work, the writers effectively used 2D analogies to give us an idea of what 4D space might be like.

What Dewdney did however was to build detail into what has always been a simple model and thereby give greater detail to the potentialities of our vision.

While others have said that this book would be great for mathematicians I would offer that this book is great for anyone seeking to expand their horizons.

As Henry David Thoreau wrote in concluding his Walden: "There is more light to day than dawn. The sun is but a morningstar!"

Read this book and others like it and bask in the light of that morningstar!

One of the greatest books of all-time. I don't want to over-sell it, so judge for yourselves. (heh) Seriously, this is probably the most complete fictional universe ever created. It reads like a dream and when it first came out (and I was a kid) I often wondered whether the events in the book had REALLY happened. It is that well constructed.

Before it originally went out of print I bought two extra copies so that I'd never be without it, I honestly suggest you read it, and if you like it at all - do the same. It will never leave your mind, and you'll be happy about that.

I found this in the ECSU library, and had a wonderful time perusing it when I was supposed to be doing classwork. The only thing disappointing is that it's fiction. Other then that, it's a rather realistic portrayal of some startling events. Putting aside that the computer project come to life thing is pretty obvious, the rest of this stuff is just too original to pass up. Reading the account of two foreign cultures trying to communicate through a computer program, and having the participant on their side being rather of a mystic bent, makes for some very interesting stuff, as simple as kid's adventure, and as inspiring.

I encourage others to pick this book up. It's great for an inquisitive high schooler (as I was) or an adult.

Dewdney does an excellent job of pulling the reader into the story- one feels as if they are sitting there right next to the screen, waiting for the next contact.

Difficult to put down, and difficult to go back to reality afterwards.

When I was in high-school I had a very intelligent and immensely helpful English teacher, who taught me much of what writing skill I possess today. He came in highly excited one morning, to share with us about a new book he'd come across. Evidently, they had, through a computer, discovered an entirely new reality, that was two-dimensional! And this was an actual event, cutting edge stuff.

Well, a few days later, he came in, quite chagrined, to tell us that, as he read further through the book, he realized it was a work of fiction. But his description had been interesting enough to motivate me to read the book.

The Planiverse's reality is that real, and supported by that much scientific and mathematical principle- Dewdney has done his research, to bring us one of the most delightful what-ifs I've found. Imagine reality just like ours, but take out the third dimension. Everything is well supported, every area of life covered, and the drawings immensely helpful. You truly begin to feel for all the characters in the book. But it's not just an exercise in mathematical possibility. It is a rich story, telling of spiritual journey and insight, as Yendred travels to find his answers. And I still remember the ending as grippingly and eerily numinous, as we realize how closely the Planiverse and our Universe are connected, and how limited we are in comparison to the Eternal.

This was given to me as a gift and am not sure I would've bought it on my own. But I listened to the entire unabridged Audio CD set and it was fine. I think about 70% of the material I already knew; there were a few new bits of information and insight that I gained. If nothing else it gives you a sense of how accurate the Patton movie starring George C. Scott is. One way in which the Patton movie may NOT be accurate is that Axelrod's book states that the slapping incident(s) in Sicily were NOT the reason that Patton was not given responsibility for, or direct involvement in, Operation Overlord. Apparently the decision to put Bradley in charge was made before the slapping incident occured.

This would be a good book or tape/CD to give to a young man or woman in their teens who wishes to begin to learn about this particular great American military man and the times in which he lived.

General George Patton was a great, aggressive leader who had no fear of death. He could lead people where they thought they could not go. He was devout believer in Christ, a fatalist, and really believed himself a reincarnation of a past general. He loved war like Napoleon loved it, and when in one, always was attacking.

I knew little about him before I read the book, and now I feel I have an understanding of his character. He was a man full of contradictions as the book will explain - things you wouldn't expect - like his inner self-doubt and depression, and his outer utter-confidence.

Although they had minor differences of opinion, the conservativeness of Eisenhower and the aggressiveness of Patton with their similar beliefs and background made them a great team during the war.

Patton was a natural leader, and the book reveals his character with all his idiosyncrasies. I would recommend the book to anyone who has general interest into Patton or WWII.

I generally thought that this book was not particularly well written, I spotted a typo in the first of the book that could have been corrected with some editing. The writing was certainly not complex: more like a middle school text. However, I found the facts of Patton's life extrodinary.

This concise but authoritative biography of General George S. Patton, Jr. is the perfect text for the person who desires a penetrating biography of this legendary General without the length of some of the more complete biographies out there.

As others have already posted, this is an easy-to-read biography that makes a great introduction to Patton's life, and for many readers this is complete enough to stop here. Alexrod does a great job of capturing the essence of Patton's life and philosophy in such a brief biography.

The book starts out strong with the introduction by General Wesley K. Clark, and I can't help but agree with his sentiment that Patton was a winner, a morale- and team-builder who adapted quickly and sought to master every challenge and that we need leaders like Patton today.

Axelrod has written an excellent concise biography of General Patton. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick overview of his life and desires an introduction to this great general. I also recommend it to those that have read more exhaustive biographies on General Patton as I have. Sure, I was familiar with what was written because I have read the longer texts on his life, but I enjoyed this quick read about one of my favorite generals. If you like Patton or want to know more about him, this is a great little book.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author, speaker
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks, Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, and The Lock On Joint Locking series

In my humble opinion, this title is one of the best biographies I've read in a long time. While the book contains only about 180 pages, the account is thorough and does not get bogged down in a dry summary of war strategy and tactics that afflicts other books.

Axelrod is able to describe in appropriate detail many aspects of Patton's life:

1. His early childhood in California, time at Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately graduating from West Point.
2. Involvement in the expedition against Pancho Villa and World War 1.
3. Rise to fame in World War 2.
4. Relationship with Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery, and other WW2 officers.
5. Relationship with enlisted men (including the 2 slapping incidents).
6. Tempestuous marriage to his wife Beatrice and his supposed reputation as a ladies' man.
7. The automobile wreck that led to his untimely death.

The part I enjoyed reading the most was probably the author's description of this highly effective general and most complex individual's personality. On the one hand, there is no doubt that while Patton played a significant role in WW2, many people disliked him. However, no one can argue with his point that Russia should have been dealt with much more firmly at the conclusion of WW2. Events from the 1940s - 1980s proved him to be correct.

A highly recommended read. Read and enjoy learning about one of our nation's greatest generals.

Penguin is a book that contains photographs by Frans Lanting and text and commentary by Christine Eckstrom. Lanting is one of the world's best known nature photographers and a number of his photographs are instantly recognizable. The book contains exquisite photographs of the many varieties of penguins in both Antarctica and lower South America. There are large penguins, small penguins, beautiful penguins, ugly penguins (or at least penguins that only a mother could love), and chicks of quite a few species. Some of the photographs are portraits, others show action. Many of the photographs contained in this book are already rather familiar and popular, especially the cover photo of a mother and father penguin with a small penguin chick. We see in these photographs why Lanting is a master nature photographer and why so many of his photographs are featured in magazines such as National Geographic.

Everyone will enjoy this coffee table book. Nature lovers will enjoy the majesty of these great birds. Photographers will find inspiration. Certainly after viewing the photographs in this book one may want to travel to the remoter areas of the world to see these creatures, but for those of us who would find the trip to be too cold and cost prohibitive, this book will serve us just fine.

Known for his exquisite images and extraordinary fortitude, Frans Lanting will travel to the ends of the Earth, weather the most extreme conditions and still persist in making the most beautiful and creative photographs of his subject imaginable. Over the course of a decade, he traveled to the Falklands, South Georgia, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica, and the Southern Ocean, where his subject was penguins. In "Penguin", Lanting exhibits his photographs from these expeditions, in which he aspires to evoke the personalities of the individual birds and convey some sense of the experiences that their lives entail. "Penguin" features photographs of a wide variety of penguin species, from the diminutive to the imposing: Emperor, King, Gentoo, Galápagos, Rockhopper, Macaroni, Magellanic, Adélie, and Chinstrap, representing all four main clans of penguin species. The book is organized into three large sections: Coming to Land, Going to Sea, and Living on Ice, which each consist of an preface by Lanting introducing us to the featured penguins and explaining a little about their lives, followed by many color photographs of penguins doing what the sections' title implies. There are also several smaller sections containing an introduction, an essay about photographing the penguins, and an image index. Most of the images in this book are at least full page. Many span two pages. Some images are accompanied by captions, but more detailed captions are found, alongside thumbnails of the images, in the image index. This is a little awkward, but it does allow images to be printed full page without having to leave room for captions. The reproduction quality of the photographs in "Penguin" is not on the level of fine art books, but it is very good for a book in this price range. Recommended for penguin lovers and Frans Lanting fans.

This book is top-notch and amazing, just like anything else you would expect from Frans Lanting. You can just imagine the hardwork the man goes into just get these photos you see, not to mention the ones you don't see. This book made me feel a connection to penguins I didn't have before. You look at the book and you can see how similar these animals really are to people, their behaviors and family and emotions are so human-like, it is scary and quite emotional sometimes. Amazing book.

"Penguins" by Frans Lanting is one of the most beautiful nature books I have ever seen. In it he details the lives of various species of penguins through his brilliant photographs and a modicum of text. Make no mistake; this is a book of pictures: it does have a small amount of informative text, but the main attraction is the incredible color photographs. The photos are arranged artfully, but my one nitpick would be the captioning: each photo has a very abbreviated caption (though not always on the same page,) but to find out more detail about a given picture, you must flip to the back of the book and cross-reference the photo in the image index, a feature that I found annoying.

Overall this book is great, and I appreciated that Lanting did not devote the book to the more commonly known King and Emperor penguins, but also detailed the lives of other less well known species like the Rockhopper, Gentoo, and Macaroni penguins. For those interested, Lanting includes a section on penguin and Antarctic conservation in the back of the book. This is a great and visually stunning book, and I recommend it without reservation.

No, neither have I but you'll find them in Frans Lanting's beautiful paperback of penguin photos, along with the emperor, gentoo, king, magellanic, chinstrap, adelie and rockhopper, all in dazzling color. As he says in the books short introduction it is not a natural history of these amazing birds but a personal photographic interpretation shot over a ten-year period. The birds are shown in all weather conditions, as huge groups, ten or so and as individuals in very detailed close-ups. Naturally the close-ups of parents with chicks are the most appealing photos in the book.

Many of the photos have captions and rather strangely there are twenty-four pages at the back of the book with thumbnails of all the photos and detailed captions, I would have thought it better to use these pages for more photos and have a caption (where needed) on each page. Apart from this I think it is a lovely book of penguin photographs and excellent value too.

If this book were written by anyone less credible, you'd have to pass it off as conspiracy theory nonsense. But Skousen is anything but a conspiracy theory nut. He is a very well respected scholar. So what makes this book so infuriating is to realize both political parties are being swayed towards collectivism and totalitarianism through the robber-barons' self-percieved notion of good for the world and their "generous" donations to non-profits that promote this communist agenda. Thus, the Naked Capitalist reveals the wealthy elite to be promoters of exactly what would destroy not them, but the vast middle class of America. Ever notice that Karl Marx was fighting against the Bourgesie and not the aristocracy? The Bourgesie is the middle class. The rich want us middle-classers to simply revert to the equitable poverty of socialism while they continue to live luxuriously at our expense. This is a must read.

Read this book years ago. This one seems smaller than the original. Very Interesting and thought provoking

After nearly 40 years, "The Naked Capitalist" is still the authorative masterwork on the subject of who is really in control in this godforsaken world. (At least from the material point of view.) I had the incredulous fortune of finding this book in the belongings of a dead man. The title caught my eye and I knew that further study would be a must. To my wonder and amazement, the whole plot which I have been uncovering one piece at a time, is laid out in revealing detail within the pages of this book.
To know that this information has been readily available to the public for nearly 40 years, and still so few have a clue, is quite irksome.
It's all here. The formulation of the CFR, (The Council on Foreign Relations) the Federal Reserve, The Rockefellers, Morgans and their ilk. How the rich secretively support "communist" and "fascist" rule the world over, while convincing the sheeple that "freedom" and "democracy" are their aims.
There are pictures of the Rothschilds and the story of the founding of the Bank of England in 1694. Details of how the election of 1912 was fixed to ensure Wilson's victory as opposed to Taft, (who wasn't hospitable to the elite's aims) by financing a third party candidate (Teddy Roosevelt) to split Taft's support base. There are the case studies of Cecil Rhodes and how he was influenced by the ideas of John Ruskin who in turn was influenced by Plato.
Basically this is the story of the corporate takeover of the world by the banking elite, resulting in the fascist enslavement of the masses, the world over. This book does not ring with "sensasionalist" conspiracy rhetoric, it merely portrays the cold facts and allows the reader the ability to get their head around it.
When Quigley wrote his mammoth text "Tragedy and Hope," (which, for the uninitiated, this book is a review and commentary of) it was as an insider and advisor for the clandestine elite. Against many of their objections, he thought it time to unveil the true archtects of the governing world, so that credit could be given where credit was due. This is the egotistical nature of man that was evident in the final days of the Roman Empire as well. Heinous and treacherous as these beasts are, one can't help but agree with Quigley's assessment, as Skousen puts it, "...that it is now too late for the little people to turn the tide. In a spirit of kindness he (Quigley) is therefore urging them not to fight the noose which is already around their necks. He feels certain that those who do will only choke themselves to death. On the other hand, those who go along with the immense pressure which is beginning to be felt by all humanity will eventually find themselves in a man-made millenium of peace and prosperity. All through his book, Dr. Quigley assures us that we can trust these benevolent, well-meaning men who are secretly operating behind the scenes. THEY are the 'hope' of the world. All who resist them represent 'tragedy.' Hence, the title for his book."
Mr. Skousen warns us to put away the ideas that it is the Jews or the Catholics, or the 'communists' or the 'fascists' that are solely to blame for our misfortune. We must understand that those with money and power come from all backgrounds and share common interests of world domination and a never satisfied lust for wealth. They use a variety of fronts to carry out their aims, and they own all the major outlets of media so that they may concoct a reality which suits them best.
Skousen has stated elsewhere that we haven't had an honest choice in presidential elections since 1932, as both sides have been owned by the corporate/banking elite since that time. (And at least one side for considerably longer than that.)
So God Bless America and keep sending your kids off to guard the piles of wealth these bloodthirsty tycoons own. That is what freedom is all about, 'Chase Freedom,' the freedom to use your credit card. In light of Skousen's disclosures about the Rockefeller owned Chase-Manhatten, those commercials, heck, all these wretched corporate jingles, become black comedy of rarefied irony.

"I think the Communist conspiracy is merely a branch of a much bigger conspiracy!"
~ Dr. Bella Dodd; former member of the National Committee of the U.S. Communist Party.

W. Cleon Skousen spent 16 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and was, for 4 years, the Chief of Police in Salt Lake City. Skousen was also a university professor for 7 years and spent a decade as the Editorial Director of "Law And Order", at the time, the nation's preeminent law enforcement magazine.

In 1970, Skousen wrote "THE NAKED CAPITALIST", his extensive, book-length review of Dr. Carroll Quigley's infamous 1966, 1,300 page book "TRAGEDY AND HOPE: A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN OUR TIME." Quigley was a highly regarded professor of history at Georgetown University, a member of the editorial board of the periodical "Current History", and a great influence on the young Bill Clinton. (It should be remembered that during his first inaugural address, Bill Clinton publicly thanked Carroll Quigley for mentoring him.)

Skousen's "THE NAKED CAPITALIST" begins by asking "WHY?: Why do some of the richest people in the world support Communism and Socialism? Why would they support what appears to be the pathway to their own destruction? Dr. Carroll Quigley of Harvard, Princeton and Georgetown universities states that he has been associated with many of these dynastic families of the super-rich. He therefore writes as an authority on the world's secret power structure. His answers to the above questions may astonish you."

The author then proceeds to examine in-depth the various facets of an Elite "Insiders" plan to gain global control - a complex plan that Quigley claimed to have knowledge of as a result of having been granted permission to study the secret papers of this Elite. And it is an agenda that Quigley supported.

Skousen's book is a very straightforward account, a distillation of Quigley's massive tome that necessarily covers a large variety of interrelated topics such as: International banking and economic monopolies; the strange promotion of Communism and Socialism from U.S. Government departments; the linking of American presidents to Revolutionary movements abroad; the creation of the Federal Reserve System; the influence of John Ruskin on Fabian Socialists and the Feminist movement; the anti-American activities of supposedly "American" tax-exempt foundations; the goal behind the establishment of the Council on Foreign Relations, and more. This relatively slim volume is packed with shocking information gleaned from the publication of a respected and well-informed scholar on the "Inside" of American power.

You may live in this country, but chances are you have no idea how this country really operates, and why so many seemingly nonsensical decisions are made year after year by U.S. government representatives in Washington D.C. who ought to know better. Well, don't assume that they DON'T know better! Don't accept the idea that they are incomprehensibly stupid AND that they just happened to rise to highly influential positions in government; that their errors in judgment are mere mistakes. Life rarely works that way. As President Franklin Roosevelt once said: "In politics nothing happens by accident. If it happened, you can bet it was planned that way."

W. Cleon Skousen's "THE NAKED CAPITALIST" will go a long way toward educating you about the world you live in. I recently created a 3-part Ammyland "So You'd Like To..." Guide titled, STOP BEING A "USEFUL IDIOT", and I quoted from Skousen's excellent examination of Quigley's book and recommended it (along with A. Ralph Epperson's equally excellent The Unseen Hand" ) as an overview to the Elite's conspiracy. It is an ideal place to begin your journey to truth, and every "Loose Dog" (i.e., Neo-American Revolutionary resisting "The New World Order") should be familiar with it.

Be advised that a number of editions of this title are available on this site, and if you don't mind an older, used copy, you might obtain "THE NAKED CAPITALIST" less expensively by reentering the title under the "Books" category and checking out the numerous other Product Pages for the various editions of Skousen's publication. You can also gain a basic understanding of this same Elite agenda by reading my concise Guide, "So You'd Like To... STOP BEING A USEFUL IDIOT", accessible by clicking on my name above and then scrolling down my Ammyland Profile Page to the "So You'd Like To..." Guide category located toward the bottom of the page.

"Dr. Dodd said she first became aware of some mysterious super-leadership right after World War II when the U.S. Communist Party had difficulty getting instructions from Moscow on several vital matters requiring immediate attention. The American Communist hierarchy was told that any time they had an emergency of this kind they should contact any one of three designated persons at the Waldorf Towers. Dr. Dodd noted that whenever the Party obtained instructions from any of these three men, Moscow always ratified them. What puzzled Dr. Dodd was the fact that not one of these three contacts was a Russian. Nor were any of them Communists. In fact, all three were extremely wealthy American capitalists! Dr. Dodd said, `I would certainly like to find out who is really running things.' " [~Page 1]

If you're curious about who really pulls the strings... you'll want to read this book. This book may not be the end to all things related to conspiracy, it is a great beginning.