M Books

I recently enjoyed BULLIES, TYRANTS & IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE
by Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski so much that I had
to seek out their first book: THE POWER OF NICE . . . and if I had to do it all over again, I'd
probably reverse the order of my reading and read this latter book first.

It gives the background for much of what is taught by the two
authors; i.e., that you should seek to make sure that everybody
wins in negotiations--but you win bigger . . . to do so, you need
to understand the "three Ps," which are described as "preparing better
than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why;
and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much."

If you're a sports fan, you'll like the many examples involving
such superstars as Eddie Murray, Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken,
and Brooks Robinson . . . however, others will be able to relate
to discussions involving President Carter, home purchases
and salary negotiations.

I learned much from this book, including:
* A good negotiation is about dividing the pie so that both sides get a
satisfactory piece. A better negotiation is one that finds a way to grow
the pie (increase revenues, add market share, strengthen resources)
so both sides get a bigger piece. But baseball was playing out the worst
scenario possible. What had been a 2.5 billion dollar pie was actually
shrinking. It had taken decades for it to reach that size and, in a matter
of weeks, it was losing revenue by the millions.

* When people are under pressure, they revert to habits. In order to create
new habits, you need a simple, systematic approach that you can practice
and master. I learned that lesson through skydiving, and I learned it again
and again in negotiation. We do not teach people the 45 best opening
lines or the 75 greatest closing tactics. If you learn it-that is, practice
and master what we preach-when the pressure hits, you'll revert to your
new, learned habit and you'll be a more effective negotiator.

* And this particularly valuable tidbit that I have to put into practice more:
Shh! (That's another secret to negotiation.) People like to talk. Resist
the urge. The other side is human, so they want to talk, too. Encourage
them. Then listen. They're trying to tell you how to make the deal.
Did you ever notice how often the party opposite you thinks what he or she
has to say is more important than what you have to say? That's okay.
Give them a chance and they'll tell you everything you need to know:
What they hope for, what they can move and where they can't. They may
tell you directly or subtly. Ask questions. Listen more. Every moment
you're not talking is an opportunity to learn what it takes to make the
deal. The best negotiators aren't smooth talkers; they're smooth
listeners.

The less you say, the more others will remember. It's simple math.
Say a lot and they're bombarded and overwhelmed. Say a little
and they can retain every word. And, or course, the less you say,
the more you can focus on what they say.

THE POWER OF NICE also presented quotes in each chapter
that pertained to the subject of negotiations, including this
one from Thomas Jefferson that has very quickly become one
of my favorites:

When I'm angry, I count to ten before I speak. When I'm very angry,
I count to one hundred.

That said, I won't even bother doing any counting before recommending
this very informative book to my fellow members of the Negotiations Team
at the college where I teach . . . they'll greatly benefit from it, as will
anybody else seeking insight into what makes others tick when
they want something.

I would imagine that since each of us has different personalities and different likes and dislikes that some would be more inclined toward this book than others. Some like Antigues and some modern furniture. Some love good carb snacks and others a great chocolate bar. Our taste vary, but this book is most probably for everyone.

Becuase while we may differ on what color car we want, or or what type of work we do, we all want to win our negotiations, we all want respect first and we all want appreciation. This book teaches the skill of negotiating in a fair way. Fair like it or not means taking a look at the others prespective as much as we hate to do this. (when you are at a ballgame and the umpire makes a call against the home team 50,000 are booing. Can it be that all of the people on the field saw it one way and the home team and home fans another?

Its human nature to want to be right. And human nature to want to be treated fairly. This is a great read. And will produce better results in your negotiations, withhout burning a bridge, becuase that is not a wise way to live.

First of alll, this isn't the usual kind of book I read. I have not read any of the other "self help" authors, but did pick up on a lot of use from the magazines I read. And there are parts that reminded me of Richard Simmons or Oprah. But it didn't bother me so much to get in a little "niceness". It was refreshing to read about how "nice" can work instead of "mean". I have certainly not know anyone to focus on such before. I picked this up since a friend mentioned how much this book helped them be a better person in their professional life. After reading it I think there's a lot to be said about the power of nice. Nice guys can win... ...and you can be a nice guy and be a winner too.

During my training as a physician, contract negotiations discussions were not part of the curriculum. Such discussions with our staff were, in fact, discouraged, since our only focus should be to learn medicine and take care of patients. Unfortunately, the art and science of negotiations does have a substantial impact in the ability of a professional to maximize benefit in his/her carreer.

This book was my first introduction to this subject. It was easy and fun to read.

During my job search as an anesthesiologist, this book armed me with the tools I needed to confidently negotiate the right position and compensation package.

Becoming a better negotiator is in everyone's best interest so when one of my students recommended Power of Nice, I was pretty excited about ordering it from Amazon and put it in the queue to read. I really enjoyed the stories in this book. Shapiro has been there, done that in some of the biggest and toughest negotiations in the sports world. If you are a baseball fan, it will bring back memories. And I learned more from the stories than anything else.

I have read this book twice, the first time it didn't quite click and I have a theory why. The book's content is pretty good, but the layout is terrible. I just finished reading a book by Addison Wesley press that had at least 4 times the number of facts per page and power of nice and as always the information was laid out professionally; it helps me to absorb the material. There is another thing that is off putting is how the author keeps saying if you follow the principles in this book you'll get better results and more of what you want and similar. Hey, I already bought the book, quite selling. It reminded me of Richard with his Refuse to Lose's 9 principles in Little Miss Sunshine.

Another small problem and then I will start praising the book again. They use a lot of initials, for instance, the three Ps. Everyone who has ever read a business book knows the three Ps are product, price and positioning, but not here. The three Ps in power of nice are prepare, probe and propose.

However, I just came out of a fairly intense negotiation, I had read the entire book once and spent the days before the negotiation preparing. I let the other side propose first, I probed and I proposed. It all worked. So the book was certainly worth the $20.00 I paid for it and much, much more. And I did get better results and more of what I wanted so Shapiro has every write to claim that. I have not read a better book on negotiation, pick it up and deal with the layout already.

This book is easy to read, has good illustrations, symptom descriptions, and suggestions for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

I found this to be the best book as far as having pictures to show how to do stretches and on good typing technique.

Other books I would recommend are:

`The Repetitive Strain Handbook by Robert M Simon, MD and Ruth Aleskovsky'.

`The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies'

`Living Better Every Patient's Guide to Living with Illness by Carol j. Langenfeld'.

This book is the single most useful collection of practical RSI information I've found. Highly recommended for anyone trying to figure out how to stop hurting themselves when they're working. I have bought four copies for friends.

"Repetitive Strain Injury: A Computer User's Guide" by Pascarelli is a good introduction for those who know nothing about RSI. Even a cursory search of the Internet will turn up several references to this book as the classic on the subject. It describes what RSI is, what the risk factors are, how to evaluate your physician in terms of his or her RSI awareness, how to treat RSI symptoms, and it offers tips on workstation configuration, typing and mouse technique, monitor settings, and daily living. If you think you have RSI and your first instinct is to go out and buy yourself a wrist wrest and a splint, stop and read this book first, it explains why these amateurish attempts at self treatment are a bad idea. I was disappointed that the book didn't offer more specific advice for actually treating RSI, though I understand that would have been difficult given the large number of causes and manifestations of the disorder. The book claims on the front cover to contain a "seven point program for treatment", but most of the advice for treatment itself consists of "go see a doctor". This is frustrating given the book's repeated claim that most doctors know nothing about RSI or don't even believe in it in the first place. Another thing that really annoyed me was the book's assertion that employers are largely responsible for RSI. The basic message was: "RSI isn't your fault. It's just another example of how `the Man' exploits you in a thankless and mindless job." In my case, my RSI was caused by my own obsessive work habits. The book does list "Driven Behavior" as a risk factor for RSI, but it gets only a perfunctory mention. Another negative is that the book focuses on tendonitis-type RSI, whereas my problem was clearly nerve-related (numbness, weakness, and lack of coordination in hands, forearms, and upper arms). The book that really nailed my problem on the head, and that I recommend as a supplement to this one if your RSI is caused by obsessive computer use, was "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!", by Damany, who worked under Pascarelli treating patients for many years.

After years of extreme pain caused by ...poor working conditions ..., I ended up disabled. I found this book four years later. In that time, I had seen two M.D.'s, three chiropracters and two orthopedic surgeons. I was diagnosed as having a pinched nerve.

After reading this book, I made an appointment with Dr. Pascarelli. I was the last new patient he took before retiring.

He diagnosed me as having thoracic outlet syndrome, and wrote up a script of physical therapy treatment for me, which I took back to Ohio and showed to the doctor's here. I still live in constant pain because of permanent muscle damage in my upper back because this wasn't diagnosed sooner, but at least the pain is bearable. I also have problems using my arms and hands. But, today I'm partially disabled instead of totally disabled.

Maybe, if one of the doctor's that had examined me before had Dr. Pascarelli's knowledge, I wouldn't be living in pain today. Or, if I had the knowledge this book provides....

If you use a computer, read this book and follow the advice. You don't have to end up living in pain.

I've had a heart attack. I want to take personal responsibility for my health and do all I can to prevent my experience from reoccurring. As I began recovery and started researching the why's of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), I found there was more I needed to know. Dr. Sinatra's book helped me understand how my body works and what I and my doctor can do to promote healing and restore my health. Dr. Sinatra's book is well written and chocked-full up-to-date information that the reader can use. The resources contained in this book are invaluable. There is hope. GW

Nice book especially the supplements section, such as vitamins, enzymes, etc...that is if you don't mind taking supplements instead of or in addition to standard medications.

Dr. Sinatra's book endorses traditional medicine's solutions to heart disease -- as a last resort! He believes there are many changes in diet and supplements that may help you avoid/postpone heart surgery. And he backs up his findings with research. Finally, a intelligent approach that lets the patient decide what's right for them.

I have been reading a lot of books on medical matters. The titles in general are always very promising but the content deceives from time to time. Not this time. This book is a must read for everybody, CVA-diseased people but even more for healthy people. I should recommend it also to every doctor. Not only in the States but certainly in Europe where medicine is based on treating the symptoms. That's old stuff. Prevention is what the population needs and that's what this book is all about.
A very sincere congratulation for the authors of this fantastic work.

I have been reading alternative & conventional texts for years and what I found is that when I had lots of health problems the conventional medicine only works to get you out of immediate danger but does not address underlying problems or corrections, and treats symptoms only.
After turning 50 I decided I needed to read this book and found it to be a wealth of information. Thanks to this book I went out and found an "intergrative" doctor who did these extra tests and found my LPa's were >300, Normal is below 30 (even though other cholesterol numbers were good). This means I'm a walking time bomb for blood clots to brain or heart. By using L-lysine, curcumin and natkonise my numbers are 45 after 2 months. Conventional doctors don't do these extra tests because there are no drugs to fix LPa's. By reading this book, going to find an intergrative doctor, (one trained as MD & then gets extra training in alternative medicine)I believe I will live longer,(survival rates are low for blood clots to brain or heart). My new doctor has also helped me with numerous other ailments an I feel better than I did 10 years ago.
Thank you Dr. Sinatra. If I had not read your book I would never have known about the LPa's. You saved my life!

In February of 1961 when Jeff Apple was born, very little was known about autism. Autism research, still in its infancy literally grew up with Jeff.

The boy first displayed alarming behavior at 2, during the late summer of 1963. His sister Jane, 5 and brother Bobby, 12 were naturally frightened to see Jeff battering himself. The summer of 1963 saw Jeff's first trip to emergency for Self Injurious Behaviors (SIB).

Jeff's alarming behavior escalated over time; no day care could keep him for very long as few people were able to meet his needs. Finally, in 1967 a special program opened that accepted Jeff. A well-trained staff were able to work with the boy and even taught him self-care skills. Jeff made some progress, but remained largely nonverbal and his SIBs continued escalating. In 1968 the boy demolished his grandparents' Recreational Vehicle; he would roam the house at night and smash things.

By 1970, Jeff's behavior had deteriorated to where he needed constant care and his immediate family needed respite. On January 14, 1971 Jeff was enrolled at the Murdoch Institute, a place where he stayed for the remainder of his life.

At Murdoch, Jeff was closely monitored; restrained; given light electric shocks when he attacked himself and was rewarded with trips to various staff members' homes. Jeff also enjoyed visits to his own home. Luckily, the Happy Time School which provided Jeff his first taste of school success took him intermittently; he still remained under the protective wing of Murdoch.

Sadly, Jeff's clock ran out of time in January of 1990. He died at age 28 from self inflicted injuries.

This book is as rich as the beautiful North Carolina country side where Jeff lived; the rich descriptions of North Carolina and the inclusion of Scripture added hope and color to this personal account. One thing that was evident throughout this book was the unconditional love the Apples had for Jeff; at no time is this ever called into question. One can only hope that Jeff has found peace at last and that Patricia Apple, widowed for several years can take comfort in knowing she, George and their older children did everything possible to ensure a life of humane quality for Jeff. Despite the misleading statement of the title song, "God Didn't Make Little Green Apples," a singularly inane song, one can liken the "green Apple" image to Jeff. Green apples need time to ripen and they need more love and guidance.

I recommend you read Thelma Wheatley's "My Sad Is All Gone," a book about another young man with severe autism who displayed SIBs. (Interestingly, the two young men have linked or similar themed surnames, Julian Orchard and Jeff Apple). These two books go together well, like Lennon & McCartney.

In this book, the quality of the human spirit shows itself in it's mightiest face...that of unconditional love. Beautifully written, eloquent in it's reality, the author takes us right there. We are in the Apple's home & lives...we smell the bacon on that first day...& then we feel the first suspicions along with Jeff's mother. Ultimately, we feel the love, the hope, the frustration, the fear & sadly, the grief. We are there in the silent moments, the sunny moments, the despairing moments & the final moments. Our hearts go out to the Apples, their courage, fortitude & dignity...but most of all for their love. No parent should let this book pass them by, no parent who picks this book up will put it down, particularly any parents of special children. This book is for every caring human being, parent or not, as they will not, can not, walk away from it untouched .. or uninspired.
On a personal note, I was told I should read this book with with a box of tissues to hand. Being a person not much inclined to tears, I took that advice with a grain of salt. My mistake. The only salt around me when I read Spinning Straw was in my eyes & on my face, as it is at this moment recalling the book as I write this review. A "must read".
To Patricia Apple, a woman of indomitable courage & to Phyllis Green, who weaves words into pictures, all my respects.

Spinning Straw... It's a great book. It's written as if you are living the experience. You really feel like you know the characters, especially Jeff! The book shows so much love and caring, it makes you want to do the same if you don't already. I recommend the book because it's jsut plan excellent!! you'll see as soon as you buy it! And the author, well she's great too! The best in the world; take it from someone that knows her personally. Great Book, way to go P. Green

I could not put this book down! It made me cry, it made me angry, but most of all, it made me glad there are people in the world like Phyllis Jean Green who care enough to write this painful but SOARING story about autism and self-injurious behaviour.

This non fiction shows the struggles of a family raising an autistic child with SIB at a time before information is available about the disability. The author, Phyllis Green, brings this family into the hearts and souls of the reader. The book is also illustrated with actual photographs of the family. Spinning Straw is a plus for a remarkable movie about real life situations of families who are faced with the struggles that stem from disabilities like autism. Green's language is down-to-earth and pragmatic. She brings tears, laughter and the real life of the family into full circle.

The US Marine Corp's version of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Concise and direct as would be expected from the Marines, yet with depth enough to make the points clear. A wonderful work for explaining how the Marines fight wars and a good resource for a competive advantage in any context. A handy resource for the military or military history enthusiast. A must read for every Marine. Insight for business leaders and more.

I liked this because it's direct(no psychological excuses for your inadequacy). It's short so there's no wading through opinion and hearsay. It's timeless because it's based on principle. It's applicable like Danforth's "I Dare You"(you have to think:"how does this apply to my life"). It's fully referenced so you can dig deeper.I catch myself going back and rereading it all the time(no you can't borrow mine).

This is the best book that I've ever read regarding military doctrine-- it elegantly sums up the most relevant points of Clausewitz and Boyd's OODA Loop to come to sound military principle in less than 100 pages. It also includes a number of references to the Eastern military philosophy (think Art of War and the Book of Five Rings, both required reading for the Japanese businessman) and ties them to our Western military philosophy quite elegantly.

If you aren't familiar with Clausewitz then I'd recommend picking up On Strategy by Summers; Warfighting will not give you all of the elements necessary to understand concepts like Friction.

This book travels with me wherever I go-- it is relevant to business and even personal development and is more than worth the price being charged for it.

Warfighting was written for the Marine unfamiliar with maneuver warfare to pick up, flip through, memorize the axioms, and apply in battle. As such, like most other field manuals issued to soldiers, it is a distillation of a large swath of ideas from Sun Tzu to Liddell-Hart. That said, it packs a good punch for such a small work. If, however, you're looking for a more detailed illustration of the principles outlined here, you might take a look at B.H. Liddell-Hart's "Strategy" as well as Thomas Cleary's translation of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War."

Additionally, those westerners who enjoy axioms focusing on the flux of life, war, or what have you might also like to take a look at Heraclitus' "Fragments." The basic tenets of Taoism that permeate Sun Tzu (and, by proxy, "Warfighting") can be equally well found in Heraclitus. His primary "thesis" if you will, "nothing is stationary, life is flux," is the axiom upon which maneuver warfare strategy is founded.

Great book that takes elements of traditional knowledge about war making (Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, etc) and combines it with the know-how of war as gathered by the United States Marine Corps in the modern era.

Stacking this book up against the likes of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz, it is probably better than both when it comes to a straightforward, contemporary appreciation of the elements of war.

As other reviewers have observed, there is a tendency for people to get mired in the meaning of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz is probably too complex and heavy-going for most readers.

This book is short, to the point, but has great value. I also like the language and style of the book. Great stuff.

Very few books are as riveting as this satiric masterpiece. Through the mad romp of the book's hero Ric Browde through St Louis, While I'm Dead...Feed the Dog lampoons the sacred cows of American society - religion, the press, politicians and even rock and roll. A must read

While I'm Dead...Feed The Dog is a black comedy fiction work that is accompanied by an originally scored music CD Soundtrack featuring never before released material. Written by songwriter/music producer and eight time platinum and eleven time gold awards winner Ric Browde, the novel explores teenage angst, love & sex and rock 'n roll in the '70s. Browde, who has sold over twenty million albums has worked with such artists as Poison, Joan Jett and Ted Nugent. From narcoleptic nuns, nymphomaniacs, the Mafia, a huckster televangelist, dying Latin teachers, corrupt school administrators, inept policemen, unscrupulous lawyers, buffoon reporters, half -- witted rock and roll musicians, transsexual record company presidents, drug addicted disc jockeys, greedy family members and the lovely Nina Pennington, this novel is a must for anyone who lived or wanted to live in the '70s as a teenager.

Ric Thibault will emerge as the funniest most poignient ad insightful character in modern literature

It's not often that humor is so well done and, yet, makes points that are insightful without being preachy. Ric Browde is clearly intelligent and takes on religion, the media, law enforcement, relationships, the music biz and more in a satiric send up that is simply outstanding.

Ric is funny and you can't help but laugh. However, I was compelled to pay attention to the points being made because they were good ones. Through humor Ric gets you to think about things which is always good.

This is a good book with a soundtrack too. The song "I'm stupid and so are you" is hilarious and along with the rest of the CD that accompanies the book it highlights the story being told and makes you enjoy the process all the more.

I wish my teenage years had been as exciting as Ric Thibault's, the hero of this fantastically funny novel! This book is like a drug - once you start reading you're hooked... Hope there is more forthcoming from this new author.

Dr. Prabhu has composed a real page turner. Complex issues are well explained and put in terms that a child can understand. In fact, some key characters in the book are children. Excellent characterization and a tight rein on the story telling makes this book both entertaining and thought provoking. Highly recommended! For those with interest in science or religion this is a must read.

Precocious Anita's queries on science and God mark the tempo of Gurpur M. Prabhu's Anita's Legacy: An inquiry into First Cause. The author attempts to unravel the enigma of the universe through Anita's initially childlike and gradually more mature inquiries. Her ex-army officer neighbour, Major Kay, and she relish their discussions on everything from Newton's laws to 'a blue god on a mountain'. Anita dies in her sleep 'two weeks short of her 16th birthday', and while no one had ever seen Major Kay cry, on this day his 'tears could not be contained'.

The book is aimed at helping the reader 'find the Truth' or "find out what this [your cosmic legacy] is before you die". It is modelled along the lines of Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World in making a child the protagonist, perhaps to keep complex answers simple without sounding simplistic. But Prabhu's book juxtaposes both eastern and western philosophies and theology in its search for truth. What is perhaps most fascinating about Anita's Legacy is that it turns established 'truths' on its head, whether it is in the theories of Einstein or Heisenberg or in questioning the completeness of the Bible.

Prabhu is a professor of computer science at Iowa State University. He grew up learning Hinduism and spirituality from his granduncle Swami Vireshwarananda, a translator of the Bhagavad Gita into English. "I have not provided answers in the book," he says. "It is about the struggles for answers and questions that bother you sometimes."

The book tries to strike a balance between science and spirituality, and, in suggesting loopholes to any theory, proposes that there is always another way to look at things.

-- Anna Mathews, in the June 3, 2001 issue of The Week, India's No. 1 Weekly News Magazine

I have been struggling with many of the issues you have described, and have gone into a fair amount reading in this literature, but must confess that it has been largely limited to Western thought and Christian theology. My recent encounters with Eastern thought have begun to open up new vistas and have enabled me to begin to become familiar with alternative paradigms to Western thought which offers a different perspective on religion and spirituality. Your book has spurred additional thought on my part. You have performed a great service to a much wider audience of interested readers who are struggling with these issues. --Professor John Wong

In Prof. Prabhu's book there is something more than just a story about an ancient martyr. Restoring to us the times in which the discrepancy between science and mysticism was unknown, he encourages us to direct our efforts to both these objectives simultaneously and to derive therefrom the paradigm for scientists who today are confused about the mystery of God. And although I resent some of Prabhu's remarks about Christianity, I find the purpose of his novel admirable. -- Professor Maria Dzielska, Poland

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Was the 'Big Bang' theory just a big hoax or did the world come about after a violent explosion?

Questions, questions, questions.

And few satisfying answers. "Why is there something instead of nothing?" ponders Gurpur M Prabhu, the author of Anita's Legacy - An inquiry into first cause and goes on to provide new insights into matters using physics, metaphysics, philosophy and spirituality.

And the result is a novel that marks a clean departure from a whole genre of fiction. For those who have had their fill of romantic capers and adventure sagas, Anita's Legacy... offers a welcome break.

At the centre of the story is Anita, an inquisitive teenager with a probing mind that questions the established tenets of religion and physics and seeks answers. Her mentor who endeavours to come up with answers to her queries is a retired Major Norman Kay, an agnostic at heart. Then there are the girl's parents Alan, a research scholar, and Meg, and Anita's romantic interest Chris.

With these characters Prabhu has woven a tale that takes the reader on a quest for first cause and it is to his credit that he has been able to sustain interest right through, making optimal use of science and religion, the Bible, the Gita and the works of Omar Khayyam, to elucidate his theories and substantiate his arguments.

A mixture of fact and fiction blended with care, the book ends with the death of Anita and Major Kay, both dying with many of their questions unanswered and their theories un-corroborated. And perhaps for the first time a book has a surfeit of blurbs, credits from lay readers and established writers that sing praises and highlight the book's intrinsic values.

The author's simple, lucid style carries appeal, scientific jargon notwithstanding. A certain degree of poignancy and a tinge of sadness also enhance the book's value considerably.

-- C. V. Aravind, Deccan Herald Newspaper, Bangalore, India, Sunday, May 27, 2001

I read this book many years ago and agree with the reviewers who said it was one of the most gripping true crime stories ever. The sad thing about this story is that with all the turmoral in the Olive family Jim and Marlene truly loved each other. What a terrible thing to go through life knowing you have killed someone who loved. and the frustrating thing is that it the various principals in the story had behaved with more common sense,so much tragedy could have been avoided. It makes you want to ask why? Why couldn't Jim Olive see that his family needed consling? and why was he buing his wife liquior? And if Chuck Riley wanted to be with Marlene,why didn't he make a drug deal and get an apartment somewhere. That would have been the common sense thing to do. But alas, common sense was in short supply in this story.

Wow. This book blew me away. This is an amazing account of how two aimless young people took their teen angst too far. The drugs and the culture added to it, but in my opinion, it was Marlene Olive's manipulation that finally led to her parents' murder. From the way Levine describes her, she seems to have what I call a "missing gene" - no feeling outside her own wants and needs and an inability to see how her actions not only affect others, but create the situation she found herself in. She had no remorse over her mother's brutal slaying, and my belief is that she, not Chuck, killed Naomi. I'm sickened by how she was able to get on with her life without any real prison time, but true to her nature, she threw opportunities away. Rather than using her second chance at being a respectable citizen, she chose not to grow out of her self-destructive and manipulative ways and is still getting into trouble. Maybe it's divine intervention that she didn't continue her education and make something of herself. Part of me is glad that she's indirectly paying for those senseless deaths by living a hard life and living on the wrong side of the law. I do feel sympathy toward Chuck and his family, although Chuck seems to have made the best of his situation and grown up. This is one of the best true crime books I've read and I wish that Levine had written more.

I think my opinion is better informed than all the other Amazon reviews on this book. How? I grew up in Lucas Valley (3 miles away), knew of Chuck Riley-same High School-class 74, knew Mr. Royce (Boy Scout Leader) have cousins who live literally a stone's throw from the murder site and know the people & area better than these folks who sensationalize the drugs & sex. This book doesn't need any sensationalism, it completely "wows" you start to finish. Maybe within Chuck's small clique of friends, drugs consumed that much of their lives. Until Marlene, sex was unknown to Chuck, picture the power she controlled over him. Chuck was fat & ugly, invisible to most; a wall flower, never excelled at anything. We saw Chuck late at night in the telephone booth wrapped in a sleeping bag on the road to China Camp, no doubt talking to his Marlene. We all laughed thinking what could possibly make a guy do that. Chuck was transformed-manipulated by her. Knowing the before & after of Chuck makes the book a true five star rated. I can still picture "C.Riley" stenciled on his reversible PE shirt, without it nameless-invisible as in life. Know that all of his friends are basically the same: go with the flow, low key persons, low achievement. You would never suspect what would happen to Chuck a couple of years later. The book is accurate on the no concern of the popping sounds of a "22" mistaken for fire crackers, like nothing happens here: Five stars on the research. When you really know the area & insights on Chuck, the book really hits home and how scarey this all came about. With just a few changes, you could be Chuck in the room with a "22" looking like you did it and facing the husband, needing to defend your life. Book shows what sex & drugs can manipulate an everyday average person. Faced with the murder, what people do to cover it up. How lame fire fighters & police can be to think deer skeletons & human remains could be mistaken for the other. Think of back then versus the more informed "CSI" educated public. Just imagine if Chuck & Marlene were smart enough to fool law enforcement, we wouldn't have heard about. What is more bizzare, another death ~200 yards down the street years later. Like the street is cursed! Maybe Marlene put the whammy on Hibiscus.

I first read this book shortly after it was published in 1982 at about the time I moved to this very strange place in California called Marin County. I was from L.A., so this was a culture-shock move for me. As I was coming to understand this counter-cultural county--certainly nothing I had ever known existed in California, a friend recommended Levine's book to better acclimate myself with the permissive, drug-infested, free-sex, spouse-swapping lifestyle for which Marin was renown. Additionally, I was told I was living within one mile of the Hibiscus house and Chuck Riley's family. Moreover, I was within three miles of the "BBQ pit," China Camp. I could personally scout out the scenes of the crimes seven years after the murders--and I did out of curiosity. Suffice it to say I could never bring myself to visit China Camp again without being reminded of the Olives' horrible fate, nor could I pass Hibiscus Way in Terra Linda without hurridly accelerating past. The house is still there, albeit extensively remodeled. The Riley house is long gone, replaced by expensive tract homes. Terra Linda remains upper-middle class, now supported by an older, retired population, no doubt those very parents from the 1960s and 1970s written about in Levine's book.

This book was supposed to bide my time; 23 years later, re-reading it, I realize little has changed and children of the affluent in Marin continue their lives of decadence. I think it will only be a matter of time before we hear about another murder of this type in Marin County.

Levine's book details only too well, the life of a Marinite in the 1970s. Generationally speaking, those offspring of 1960s and 1970s parents are now parents and grandparents themselves--with nary a stop to the permissive, drug/drink-infested, sex-charged culture that continues to make Marin, well, Marin.

This book will scare you, captivating you nonetheless. It's well researched and extremely well written, without the sensational tendencies that creep into most "True Crime" books written today. The fact that Levine manages to write such a descriptive manuscript without engaging in sloppy research techniques or sensationalist descriptions is highly commendable and laudable.

I have read this book several times now (!!) and find it compelling, and so close to home with regard to the drugs, sex and culture of those years in the '70s. I, too, wonder what became of both Chuck (I know he is in prison, but what about parole? How is he doing in prison... etc.) and especially Marlene. Until reading a recent online reviewer mention she was arrested in 2003 I was SURE she died of drugs and hard living. Now I again wonder - where is she now? Is she in prison? Anyone have a link to current info? I tried google and AP Wire but cannot find anything. Also - I wish there would be a follow-up book or A&E Investigative Reports on how things played out for all parties and their families to-date.

Robert Johnson has been a great teacher, mentor, and inspiration for many in the exploration of the inner world, and ultimately the discovery for what he has known as 'the golden world'.It is a homecoming and a place of bliss and repose. I had the privilege to study and share time with Robert in the U.S. and India. He provided for me a taste of that world and a living inspiration in the very real possibility of developing a sacred and blissful rapport between the inner and outer worlds we inhabit. I was delighted to find in this book my own tiny contribution in suggesting to Robert that he take a polaroid camera to India. The realm of Enlightenment is the destiny of all humanity, and here is the humble story of one man who is pointing for us the way to follow... if we are willing to find the courage to do so.

Sometimes I think if I was being scurried away to a desert island I would only bring Robert Johnson, Robert Bly, and James Hollis books because these three are such amazing writers and thinkers. This autobiography is so heartfelt and real and just a total gem all around, Don't miss it- or any of his other books, especially He, She, We, and Ecstacy.

I learned a great deal from this book. It gave me a basic understanding of Jungian analysis, in particular how dreams are used to tap into the sub-conscious mind and help identify one's personal "destiny" or "thread" as Johnson describes it. I appreciated his several visions of the "Golden World" and how he sought, throughout his life, to re-experience this heightened state of awareness. He also describes how we project our desires onto others in order to experience this sense of connection. I loved Mr. Johnson's experiences in India, and the way he immersed himself in the culture and learned so much about their distinct way of viewing the world. I hope to read another of his books.

Beginning in his youth, Robert Johnson shares a frank history of his spiritual development through his entire life, through the lens of a master of Jungian theories and concepts. He describes his early experiences and wounding, his early adult years following the "slender threads" that guide him to finding God's will for him. He describes his sensitive personality type and its close connection to a world both present and just beyond our grasp. His life demonstrates a beautiful rendition of following the spiritual path and its relationship to development from a Jungian perspective. He is as humble and unassuming in his writing as I suspect he was in life. This biography is a beautiful portait of a man's life lived well in the pursuit of following God's will. It demonstrates the unique understanding that can be developed by pursuing life from a Jungian perspective spiritually. I would recommend this book to people who have some sense of the breadth of Jungian psychology and some sense of their own "type", as well as some general concept of type dynamics and the concept of the shadow or inferior function. It is thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable. I would recommend it especially to middle to older age adults, seminarians, or others pursuing their personal spiritual development.

When I'm asked for the most influential books in my life, this is the one that tops my list. As someone who reads 50-200 books a year, that's a big list. I've given it as gifts, quoted it in sermons, referred to it as a spiritual counselor, used it for my own growth and have come back to it over and over since it was first published. I happened upon these reviews while ordering Johnson's latest CD, Golden World, which I'm thrilled to know has been produced. I've read all his books and agree with other reviewers that this is the best, or at any rate, the one that has provided a helpful road map for my life and experiences, and hence, for the many whom I also touch. For those of us, and there are numerous souls, who have had extraordinary tastes of the Golden World (and its inhabitants), "balancing heaven and earth" for the rest of one's life is a daily task; sometimes grace, often a struggle. His words in this memoir (my paraphrase): "there have always been those whose job it is to tend the borders between the worlds" gave me context when I first needed it. His book "We," while it didn't save me from romantic errors (and he writes: "the genie"--e.g. romantic love--"can't be put back in the bottle,") did, again, provide a context for healing and future lessons ("the depression is always in direct proportion to the inflation that preceded it.)His experiences with Krishnamurthi, recounted in this book, gave me important lessons as a teacher, e.g."don't try to give an old man's wisdom to a young person," and his lessons on sainthood have been extremely important as well. If you are living the inner journey, have any sort of spiritual life, and especially, if like Parsifal, Johnson's oft-referred to mythic model, have suffered the agony and the ecstasy of a visit to the Grail Castle and then "lost" it, this book is for you.

This book is uplifting and inspiring and will have you nodding in agreement and renewed awareness again and again. It is a must for every home.

This is one of the most special books in my collection because it was a present from Rabbi Chaim Adelman of the Chabad House at UMass-Amherst in May of 2002. (In addition to being a great person and really funny, Rabbi Adelman was also quite possibly my favorite rabbi I've ever had.) There was a little party one night for those of us who were about to graduate, and towards the end he gave each of us this book (the commemorative edition that was printed that year in honor of what would have been the Rebbe's 100th birthday) and wrote lovely personalised inscriptions in them for us. This is the type of present that can last a lifetime instead of only being read once and then put aside, or maybe reread once in awhile. It's a book like the Tao Te Ching; it can be read and reread over and over again and always give the reader new profound insights. This simple timeless wisdom doesn't even have to be read from cover to cover; one can just go through it day by day, or whenever one wants to, and digest these meditations, sayings, quotes, and stories slowly, or as one needs to. It's divided into categories such as "Children," "All the World Is My Teacher," "Science and Technology," "The Blueprint of Creation," "Days Are Coming," "Making a Living," and "From Despair to Joy." Whatever one's problem, question, issue, or concern, advice or an answer is bound to be found here. Many of these tidbits of wisdom might also pleasantly surprise those who have a view of Hassidim as having a very pre-modern view of the world or of being dour, joyless, and very authoritarian and triumphalist. One doesn't even need to be Jewish to enjoy and benefit from this wonderful book.

I was an early casualty of the faith of my parents. Not particularly religious themselves, they left me with a sense of the form of our religion, but no picture whatever of it's content. This wasn't their fault, it was simply very much the way we were in the 50's and 60's. My own spiritual needs left unmet by my faith of origin, I drifted from the time I entered college, first as an atheist, and then as almost every kind of theist one can imagine.

Eventually I found a place that suits me spiritually, in which I can dwell and feel no need to convert the unfaithful. From within this place, I have rediscovered a desire to spend some time reaping the wisdom of the religion I always took for granted, the one I was born into. This is not necessarily a comfortable journey for me but one it has been time to make for a while.

One of the things I had never come to understand about Judaism until well into college was the tremendous mystical richness of Judaism. What makes this mysticism special is its refusal to abandon the world in which we make our way. From Jewish mystics and rebbes we expect practical advice as well as inspiration. Rebbe Menachem Schneerson was for many years the premier spokesman for the Lubavitcher tradition of mystical Judaism. A man who valued humility, wisdom, affection, humor and a deep abiding faith.

Tzvi Freeman has taken the time to compile the essence of Rebbe Schneerson's meditations and teachings. This is simple, direct writing that would touch anyone, Jewish or not. Short sections that can be read a paragraph at a time and meditated upon at will. We are invited to take our beliefs out of the ivory tower and apply them in the world. The first recommendation for the spiritual treatment of illness is 'find a good doctor and follow his instructions.' The fourth is 'Increase your study of the inner light of the Torah.'

This kind of wisdom is good for all to use. I would recommend "Bringing Heaven Down to Earth" not just to crabby old men such as I, but to anyone who finds themselves sometimes a seeker or wishes to understand more of the depths of Judaism.

In a format accessible to readers of every background, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman has culled through over four decades of writings, letters, ma'amarim (Chasidic discourses), sichos (talks), farbrengens (Chasidic gatherings), yechidus'en (private audiences), and stories of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to present bite sized gems of wisdom applicable to the reader's practical everyday life and emotional/spiritual/material well being. With the exception of Rabbi Simon Jacobson's Toward A Meaningful Life, I doubt if there are any other English works besides Freeman's that so enable the reader of ANY background to integrate the Rebbe's wisdom into his own life. In his foreword, Freeman advises, "Take it little by little, day by day. When you need an answer, look here. When you need to come up for air, find it in the Rebbe's words. When life is getting tough and confusing, open up just anywhere and see what the Rebbe has to say. If you find heaven, bring it down to earth." Indeed, without being hyperbolic, this book can potentially change your life.

This is an awesome and informative book. I use it as an oracle and find it to be amazingly insightful and informative. Uncannily so. I think of a question, then open the book and read the passage where my finger is. Tzvi put his heart and soul into this book and it absolutely shows. It's an amazing book to have on anyone's bookshelf as it's such a fascinating read including many anecdotes about the Rebbe. I highly recommend this book to spiritual people of all faiths as you will find yourself going back to it again and again through the years.