V Books

As a person who abhors ignorance, especially that based upon religion this book was terrifying. The quote from the presiding judge is appropos.

The book is accurate and provides rich details concerning the lead up and the pitch-the play by play of what happened in Dover. And, most especially, how many Christians in that community were outraged by the high handed actions of the School Board.

Hint: Being a Christian, even one who professes to be fundamentalist, is not a priori evidence of one's being a brain dead zombie. Science is science and religion is religion and many of the devout can tell the difference ( and participated as plaintiffs in the case ).

So read the book if you want to understand what happened in Dover. Yes, many fundamentalist Christians don't see the line between religion and science and , indeed, most or at least many don't comprehend the intent of the first amendment.

But that first amendment gives them the right to speak their convicions openly. The Bill of Rights also gives them the right to organize and campaign politically to have their ( wrong ) ideas and objectives cast into law. That's what courts are for....to apply the Constitution to errant acts of both citizens and government.

So, let us not forget the inherent rights of the villians in this tale.

But I have a problem. I am not a true believer in the full platform of either the extreme right or left. I'm not partisan and don't belong to a political party. On some issues such as this one......the truth of evolution....I am hard left. On other issues I am hard right. So I have to watch my tongue lest I be attacked when among lefties or righties. Why argue? Most adults settle their core beliefs by age 18 anyway and most won't back down. It's a waste of time. Closedmindedness is, I firmly believe, a basic human trait. Not that I profess to be open minded. It's just that somehow my "core" beliefs are all over the map politically.

But, as Steven J. Gould frequently said, it's a sad thing that humans have to have it either all one way or all the other.....because, frequently the truth lies at neither extreme. ( to paraphrase his comments that humans naturally dichotomize issues-which, I think, is to save energy having to think for yourself.

I found the underlying tone in this accurate and insightful book to be partisan left. That's OK. The author tried to place this particular issue and the trial in the larger context of core beliefs of a portion of the populace ( of which I am not a part incidentally ). However, I think it's much more complicated than she comprehends.

I found highly partisan comments related to presidential elections, presidential politics, international affairs and other areas such as abortion rights that she believes are directly related to the mindset of the no nothing morons of the anti evolution crowd.

Hello, it's more complicated than your book makes it out to be and you would have been well advised to stick to the topic at hand. I suppose that these gratuitous comments add a certain luster to hard lefties ( Did I mention I am more intelligent to believe that one side or the other has a monopoly on the truth? ) view of this book. We can tell that the author is a true believer in the one side that has a 100% monopoly on the real facts.

But, aside from the partisan undertone, the book is excellent.

Remember, by definition, half the population has a less than average IQ. Most people in this literate nation or any other literate nation, could not even begin to form a coherent description of how the process of evolution works even if they cared in the least.

Remember also, that while Christian fundamentalists are capable and willing ( in the name of God of course as Christian soldiers etc ) to usurp the rights of others there are religions on this earth whose abuses of basic human rights are much worse. Anyone from New York City should be well aware of this as he nurtures his hatred of fundamentalist Christians on the grounds of their evil acts. It's a very bad thing to force your religious view upon others in the guise of science. However, this is a small thing compared to many other heinous acts humans commit in the name of their gods and religions.

If you've never met a true believer in intelligent design or creationism you have missed a illuminating experience. You ask them if they believe in evolution and they say of course not. You ask them if they have ever studied the subject of evolution or know anything about it. They tell you they would never study such godless lies and are proud they know nothing of that evil theory. They will tell you that there is no reason to study or understand something that they know to be totally wrong in advance. Yes, it's scary. To be ignorant is one thing but to be proud of it and offer it as a badge of honor and belief is quite another.

I remember in my childhood and youth being advised to check the first pages of any book I was interested in reading for the latin phrase "nihil obstat" . Pardon me if this is remembered incorrectly after 50 years. It means that the book has been reviewed by the keepers of the faith and that they find "no objection" to faith or morals in the pages within.

Keeping a faith pure from adulteration and change is important in the minds of the firmly orthodox. No doubt the fervent fundamentalist protestant would recoil at the idea of Latin words as a preface to their approved reading list. However, they would certainly agree with the idea. It was these two Latin words, though, that taught me one of life's most important lessons, think for yourself, and that drove me from the very religion that was trying to keep me safe from heresy.

Out of the handful of books written about the Dover "intelligent design" trial, "Devil in Dover" is the only one written by a local Dover resident. Lauri Lebo's book is different from the others in several ways, nonetheleast of which is the author's ability to give us a feeling for what Dover was like before intelligent design came to town, and an insider's view of what it will be like after it never shows its face again.

When the "theory" of intelligent design was first tossed around as a "supplement" to Dover High's biology curriculum, Lauri Lebo was there, and there she remained as a staff writer for the York Daily Record. She was there not only for the ensuing trial, but for all the local grumblings at cantankerous school board meetings. Her book is a reflection of this; she is an insider and is able to paint a picture as only an insider can.

Devil in Dover is not only a beautifully written account of Dover v. Kitzmiller et. al., but also a journalist's deep reflection on the nature of her craft. Lebo's dilemma through the whole trial, which she recounts here, was to balance the journalistic maxim of neutrality and impartiality with the idea of telling the truth. If the evolutionists had the stronger case (they did), then how does one produce a piece of journalism that professes neutrality towards both "sides?" If intelligent design is premised on disingenousness and/or ignorance (it is), then should one avoid saying so in journalism just to remain neutral?

In the end, Lebo took sides. While watching the trial unfold, Lebo concluded, quite rightly, that ID is a fraud, that the schoolboard lied in their intentions (which were religious rather than educational), and that and intelligent design is little more than a subterfuge. We the readers are able to watch Lebo's change from an impartial journalist who was uneducated about science, to an impassioned journalist who learned enough to know that ID is junk science. And she does a good job at expaining why.

While Lebo's book is not the best blow-by-blow JOURNALISTIC account of the trial (that may be Humes's "Monkey Girl," or Sack's "Battle Over the Meaning of Everything), it is probably the most thought-provoking. Lebo treats us not only to a first-hand account of the trial (though not in as much detail as the two aforementioned), but gives us a lot to think about: what is the nature and obligation of journalistic objectivity? what does it mean to be a Christian? Why did a school-board turn the author's home town into a laughing stock? etc.

As and end to the review, I have read all the books about Dover v. Kitzmiller by now (including the Discovery Institute's own "Traipsing Into Evolution"). Lebo's book is the first that really got me thinking that not only did ID deservedly lose, but that this trial was truly the worst possible thing that could happen to ID. It lost the case, was made to look duplicitous thanks to an inempt school-board, was lambasted by a REPUBLICAN judge in a 100+ page opinion, and was squarely trounced in EVERY DETAIL in the courtroom. This book, perhaps more than others, makes the reader very aware that not only did ID lose, but it got creamed.

Lauri Lebo was witness to a pivotal moment in American History, although most people still do not know how important that trial in Dover was. Her first hand knowledge of the people involved in the case since they were from the same small town of Dover gave her unique insight. She was able to follow the histories of the various participants and the relation of those people with the places and culture that defined that area since she herself was a part of it since her own childhood.

With her insight she was able to see how the national battle of the religious right to invade science education caused divisions among neighbors and within families that never existed before. She saw and documented these effects in a way that an outside journalist could not. Her story was able to tie in the motivations, strategies, and on going battles occurring at the national level between those who want to further the aims of the fundamentalist Christians and those who defend our civil rights as well as scientific integrity to the very tactics used by the foot soldiers in this war.

I highly recommend this book as it provides the reader up close and personal accounts of the battles going on to defend our rights. It provides the reader with a good description of the casualties resulting from this battle. And it provides inspiration to the readers to take a stand against those people who desire power over the way our country thinks, those who cloak themselves in false credentials, false patriotism, and false piety.

Every week, one of the evangelical Christians who supported the teaching of Intelligent Design in Dover, PA schools drove to the nearest maximum security penitentiary to `bear witness' to the inmates. On their release, he would find them jobs and homes. One - not strong enough yet to live alone - lived with him for months after his release. They became `best buddies' as the Americans have it. This same man still supported the Dover Area School Board when its members - to a man and woman - perjured themselves in court, telling Judge John E Jones that they had never discussed creationism at Board meetings. This despite the fact that Fox News had television footage of one member doing just that. The man who supported the liars and visited the penitentiary was Lauri Lebo's father. He died there, in the midst of visiting an inmate who needed his help.

Lauri Lebo covered the Dover intelligent design case (Kitzmiller v Dover Area School District) and finished up so disenchanted with Christianity by the end of it she got a tattoo of the Flying Spaghetti Monster just above her butt. What set her apart from other journalists who converged on the Harrisburg, PA courtroom when the Area school board tried to insert Intelligent Design into the science curriculum was the fact that she was a local (she worked for the York Daily Record). She knew most of the plaintiffs and most of the defendants. Her father - the prison visitor - ran the local Christian Radio station, one of a plethora of `talk radio' outfits that blossomed across the US after 1987, when the Federal Communications Commission rolled the `Fairness Doctrine`.

Forced by geography to be scrupulously fair, her book on the case, The Devil in Dover, is one of the best lay accounts of a complex and controversial trial I've ever read. That apart, she doesn't write off people she knows as `wingnuts' and `nutjobs', because she knows they aren't. But she also doesn't let them off the hook when they lie for Jesus.

Somehow, this book manages to rise above politics, skewering the comfortable notions of `Red' and `Blue' that have become part of the world's political vocabulary thanks to the 2000-2004-2008 US election cycles. Her skill at noting the telling detail is particularly effective: one of the plaintiffs seems like a boiler-plate anti-affirmative action, gun-totin' small-town Republican who cheerfully drinks in a pub 20 feet over the county border because, ahem, Dover is a Dry County. But he's also a science teacher who knows the difference between science and religion. One of the defendants, an upstanding member of the Board and successful local businessman turns up and chews gum throughout both examination-in-chief and cross-examination (no, it doesn't bear thinking about. Lebo's description is both hilarious and nauseating). This is quite apart, of course, from lying under oath.

Then there's the George W. Bush appointed judge who the defendants are completely confidant they have in their pocket (they don't, and his judgment is both a model of judicial reasoning and a textbook account of just why we have the separation of powers).

Best of all are the pen-portraits of the various lawyers, from the ACLU and the Thomas More Law Centre, both circling for a test case. The image of a lawyer engaging in a version of champerty (Thomas More's counsel encouraging the Board to change the school curriculum `and we'll defend you when you get sued') or putting full-page ads in local papers in order to drag in potential plaintiffs (the ACLU) certainly gives one pause, especially for those lawyers trained in Australia or the UK.

Comics (and others) on all sides of politics have had great mileage out of portraying the other side as `liberal wieners' or `right-wing nut jobs', without imagining just what or who is behind those words. This is particularly the case in the creation v evolution battle. It is possible to make a strong case for some socially conservative positions (particularly on Roe v Wade, in part because the ruling took the decision away from the legislature, thereby producing serious democratic deficit). Creationism, by contrast (even in its muted `intelligent design' form) simply invites mockery. Not just `unscientific', it's a ludicrous form of anti-science. In fact, Charles Johnson memorably described the newly-opened `Creation Museum' in Kentucky as an `Anti-Museum'. Instead of disseminating information, it actively obfuscates it - a visual version of `if your baby does not like spinach, try boiling it in milk'.

Lebo's book is not particularly optimistic; at one point she laments `we're never going to fix this'. She then comments:

"My father will leave this world believing he will never again wrap his arms around his daughter, that despite eternal life (eternity? Oh God, what a concept), we will never be reunited. Rather, he believes that I will exist in a place `where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched'.

If you believe this, truly believe this, then how could anything else matter? The First Amendment, scientific reality, the truth? All this would mean nothing. I grasped this. And for those of us who don't believe, can't believe, we have to bear the weight of this fear."

Imagining our enemy's honour is likely the most difficult thing one has do, and yet liberal democracy demands it of us. In ages past, we fought against and killed those who disagreed with us. Now we contest alternative visions at the ballot box, and try to be gracious winners and honorable losers. Lauri Lebo's book is a fine exercise in that tradition. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Written from an insider's perspective, this book exposes the emotional part of the Dover incident much better than Monkey Girl was able to. Both books need to be read to understand the dishonesty of the right-wing, anti-science crazies in our society. Why, when enjoying the benefits of science (antibiotics, microwave oven, cell phones, agriculture, just to name a few), they want to retreat to the Dark Ages is beyond understanding. Read this book and re-read it.

Oh my God!!! The twists in this book were amazing. I found myself screaming in excitment while reading this. It was so great... just like all the rest of them. This one made me cry at the end:(( I highly recommend the series!

i read this book in year 7 this year and it is soooo cool! It is full of action as well as sad and happy emotions combined excellently. i think everyone should read it even people who don't read much will love this book. It is one of the best book i have ever read in my life!!!

This book is amazing, (like the other 5) the hardest to get a hold of i must say, but this series really makse you think, and the ending in the last book just blew me away, i won't say any more though... I applaud pike for his writing, he realy makes you sympathize for a character that would be seen as the horror in most books, i loved it i think you should read it too, and if you plan to read the whole series (which you should) I suggest you read the collectors editoins, because the transitions between books is much less jerky. Read this book it is amazing!

The Last Vampire 5 is an excellent book. It can be grusome at times, but that is what makes it a good book. Buy it or you will regret it.

In fact I LOVED the entire series! I think I read every book over at LEAST 4 times! I especially loved the character Kalika, loved the way he described her, loved her fathomlessness... I feel speechless right now, I don't even know what I say! That's how good it is... The book is religious, yet not so seriously so that you will punished if you do not agree or w/e, but simply, you'll be sucked so deep into the book you might even smart believing Sita's believes...

I bought this book when my daughter was about 13 months old. She enjoys flipping through it each day. The way that it is constructed is very durable with thick enough pages for a young toddler. Now that she's 16 months, I have started really teaching her what some of the images are and she can point to the right one when I ask here where something is. It features pictures that are interesting to her and the size of the book and pages is just wonderful.

This book is a great learning tool for a young child. My son could identify several images by 8 mounths old. The images and colors kept my son's attention, which is great when everything around him is something new to explore.

We bought this book and take it everywhere we go! Our child has always loved books and reading. This book is very durable and the large pictures and print are perfect for our child. It is by far his favorite. He took it to daycare with him one day and it was the hit toy of the day! We also love First 100 Animals. I highly recommend this book. our child was 15MO when we introduced it to him and 3 months later he still loves it.

My 16 month old son loves this book. He started out pointing to the pics and I told him what they were. Now, I ask him to point to the items and he does it. I recommend this book for babies.

We've had this since he was still in utero and from the time he could crawl over to the bookshelf and pull out a book, it's been his favorite. He loves looking at all the pictures and having us say the word that goes with the picture. One of the advantages of a book this simple is that you can do a lot with it (what color is the jacket? Is the boy wearing a shirt? Where does a bear live? etc. etc.) We have several more books from the Priddy Books series and my son loves them all. They have helped him learn a ton of words and at almost 2, he has the language ability and vocabulary of a 3-year-old. Can't recommend this highly enough, or other books in the series (100 animals, My Big Word Book, etc.).

This book gives a great introduction to theatre production for kids - grades 4-5 and up. The author uses productions with which children might be familiar - Lion King and Mary Poppins among others - to illustrate the technical aspects of putting a show together. As a former professor of theatre, I would highly recommend it for kids who are already interseted in the theatre.

As a high school musical theater teacher, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to use this resource. All of the material presented is related to the Disney musicals that started in the 1990s. It turns out, this actually makes the material familiar to virtually all students. The book is well organized, and offers dozens of "behind the scenes" artifacts that students will enjoy. My students have benefitted from this great book... and I've also enjoyed it.

This is the best book on Theater I have ever seen. The design, story, and the interactive pieces are well put together in this book.

A really great overview of the wonderful world of Broadway! My daughter, (11 years old) who is a musical theater kid, absolutely loves it!

One of the biggest changes the theater has seen of late was Disney's successful track record with bringing their story-telling to the stage. As with most of Disney's greatest successes, their efforts were immediately unique as they ignored many of the rules along the way. In the process, their shows introduced a new audience to the wonders of live theater. So it's only appropriate that the coolest book that ever covers the theater experience comes to us from Thomas Schumacher, the head of Disney Theatricals.

A good play begins with its script- its storyline. Here the journey is suggested in text, providing a beginning, middle and an end. Likewise, this book begins with a telling, informative narrative. It describes in simple yet effective words practically every element of the theatrical experience, be it on stage, backstage or in the 3rd row of the balcony. What will you experience from the moment you arrive at the theater all the way through the end of the curtain call? This book and a little imagination provide answers to that question quite fully. But watching a show is only the beginning. We also experience the many house activities, to the backstage work, to belting a song center stage and even at the initial creative meetings. It's quite simple and informative.

Like any play that begins with a good script, the creative job to follow is how to tell that story. For anyone who has seen any of Disney's Broadway shows, you know that their "way" is simply stunning. From THE LION KING's introduction of Simba to MARY POPPINS' flying retreat over the balcony; from TARZAN's use of vertical stage work to AIDA's mix of modern stagework with a classic tale, the Disney audience usually leaves richly experience. So it should come as no surprise that the book is as beautiful and wild an experience as the works it trumpets. Not only is the book a collage of beautiful photographs easily identifiable to the Disney fan, but they are also surrounded by mixed media samples such as removable ticket booklets, script pages and even costume designs.
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON? is a great book for the theater novice and also the seasoned veteran. It's a nice wink to the audience, a pat on the back to the backstage crew, a nod to the creators and a standing ovation to the performers. Check it out!

As a teacher, I love this book for the descriptive language. The text opens up many discussions and helps paint a picture for the student. You can almost "feel" the places and the activities this family is enjoying. The message is lovely, but I enjoy it for the richness of language.

This is the perfect gift to give to a new big brother or sister. I bought it when we had our second baby, and it has the perfect message. My children love this book as well.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! What a great message! The kids love it too.

I'm a mother of two boys (one red, one blue) and this book is my favorite!!! I have purchased over 20 copies and given away to women I meet who have two sons. They all love it and can relate to the message.
My supervisor at work says that we all need to learn the message from "I Love You the Purplest"!
Illustrations are exceptional!! I love the Carolina Wren!

My children ask this regularly, especially my six-year-old Emma.
"Who do you love the best?"

She wants so badly to be loved "the best".

Through Joosse's book, I learned an incredible new way to express how I love her "the purplest" or the "chocolatiest" or "the bell ringingest".....

By using a more descriptive word than "Best", the Mother in this book speaks to what is real and true about her sons Max and Julian so that they are each more than "just satisfied" with being loved the best.....

She uses colors to describe her love for each of her boys after she has described other possibly conflict, competitive situations by being more specific with what is special instead of labeling or judging one above the other.

More adults ought to read this one!

Volume two of Le Proust's great work is a sensual delight. Part One (of Vol.2), by and large, is more about Swann's family and, of course, the agonizing and philosophizing in regard to "getting over" Miss Gilberte. There is much less about the narrator's family which ran the course throughout SWANN'S WAY. Stylistically, BUDDING GROVE is an absolute wonder. We are once again treated to the narrator's philosophies on life's ups and downs (how's that for a summation?). Once he gets to the fictitious seaside town of Balbec, the book surges--taking on the proverbial "life of its own". The reader is in the hotel room with him...and on the beach...and on the boardwalk, etc. It was a joy to see how Proust/Moncrieff would occasionally work in "street talk" with the mainstay of aureate and lyrical prose: a woman in Balbec is described as having "yellow hair and six inches of paint on her face and a carriage which reeked of harlot a mile away..." Delicious. Priceless.

I cannot imagine trying to read Proust's Everest of a novel until I've had enough life experience to be able to identify with his insights. How on earth was a man who died young and was confined to a bed for so many years able to learn so much about life and common human experience, emotion and perception? I don't know how, but I thank God that he was.

For modern readers, Proust is definitely an acquired taste that rewards patience. I never thought reading the works of one author would make those of others seem so much easier to read. But such is the case with Proust. Nevertheless, one shouldn't regard his writing as therapy or medicine; it may read like self help at times, with its frequent use of the first-person plural, but it is a story first of all. His writing is just more detailed and insightful than that of all but a handful of modern novelists.

Within a Budding Grove is a primer on patience and perception, one that will probably make you a better reader, perhaps a better writer, and certainly a more interesting human being. Struggle on patiently. You will get used to the labyrinthine sentences, paragraphs that run on for pages, and gargantuan chapters (if they can be called that) that don't really begin or end anywhere tidy. Eventually, you will likely come to enjoy it.

My only criticism: at times one does get annoyed by the slow pacing. For instance, I knew that this is the volume that introduces the reader to Albertine. But it did take about 600 pages for the narrator to meet her! That said, there are plenty of tasty morsels along the way. Read it, not so much for the simple story or the minutely detailed descriptions, but for the numerous insights and the astounding wisdom.

Montcrief's translation, is the quintisential Proust. The, beautiful, florid prose is reminiscent of a time and a place that no longer exists, and captures the French aristocracy in the advent of WWI -- full of old-world trappings, yet abounding with subtle reminders of the globalization that was to follow. Proust's style and vision are directed admirably towards his artistic goal of appreciating art through sublimation, and express his idea that a true understanding of art comes first through appreciation, and then expression through a medium. This volume is full of Proust's own philosiphies on art, life and the people who abound in both. His observations, pointed and amusing, keep this volume relevant. Considering the wave of expatriate and existentialist writers who propogated Paris after the Great War, this book is truly the last in a line of works that view life in a grand, sweeping and elegant manner. Within a Budding Grove brought Proust fame and acclaim in his own time, and in ours can be seen as a masterpiece reflecting a time past, yet glimsping assiduously into the future. For those "in search of lost time" this is truly a great read.

How can anyone summarize even a single volume of Proust's massive six volume novel? Within a Budding Grove (sometimes translated as In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower) is the second installment of In Search of Last Time. We find the narrator perhaps marginally older on vacation with his grandmother living in a luxurious hotel in Balbec off the coast. This volume, paired with the first (Swann's Way), is really the introduction to the work entire if you can believe it. In it, the narrator perhaps matures slightly; he cultivates his keen awareness of art, meets new people, and ultimately falls out of love with Gilberte and falls in love with Albertine. His relationship with his grandmother is certainly expanded, and the reader comes to learn that the narrator is not merely motivated by a trivial pursuit of pleasure and bourgeois charm. He is in fact, a truly full human being, complete with fear, love, desire, and ambition. He meets one of my favorite characters in the whole book, the impressionist painter Elstir, a character clearly based Monet, Manet, Pissaro, and others. He introduces the narrator to Albertine through his paintings, and teaches him about the joys of life and art. There are some passages in this section of the book (the latter half) which I just can't resist from quoting,

"I could never have believed that I should now be dreaming of a sea which was no more than a whitish vapour that had lost both consistency and colour. But of such a sea Elstir, like the people who sat musing on board those vessels drowsy with the heat, had felt so intensely the enchantment that he had succeeded in transcribing, in fixing for all time upon his canvas, the imperceptible ebb of the tide, the throb of one happy moment; and at the sight of this magic portrait, one could think of nothing else than to range the wide world, seeking to recapture the vanished day in its instantaneous, slumbering beauty" (pg. 657).

also (how French is this?),

"For a convalescent who rests all day long in the flower-garden or an orchard, a scent of flowers or fruit does not more completely pervade the thousand trifles that compose his idle hours than did for me that colour, that fragrance in search of which my eyes kept straying towards the girls, and the sweetness of which finally became incorporated in me. So it is that grapes sweeten in the sun. And by their slow continuity these simple little games had gradually wrought in me also, as in those who do nothing else all day but lie outstretched by the sea, breathing the salt air and sunning themselves, a relaxation, a blissful smile, a vague dazzlement that had spread from brain to eyes" (pg. 669).

I certainly cannot add any insights into the greatness and profundity of this work which has not already been said by Edmund Wilson or Vladimir Nabokov. Within a Budding Grove is a deeply felt, beautiful and fleeting segment of one of the finest novels of the last century, I urge you to read it.

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This is a great copy of Vol. 2 of A la recherche du temps perdu [In Search of Lost Time].
Each volume in the septrology may be read individually as an independent novel.
This is, of course, the very best translation available in English; probably the very best that will ever be available in English: certainly the next best thing to reading the original French.

NOTE: Proust is not quick reading, and one who tries to read him too quickly will just as quickly lose the tread of the narrative.
This text has its own time scale, and the reader must adjust his/herself to the text--not the other way around.
In this stream of consciousness narrative, the narrator (/author) digresses as he speaks (/thinks): he digresses, digresses, digresses; and then, he returns, returns, returns to the point where he began. One has to follow his line of thought: this is the art and beauty of the text.

Proust's achievement is one of the greatest edifices of Western art, perhaps comparable only to Wagner's Ring cycle.
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Steinhart is a first-rate fiddler and, as it turns out, a first-rate writer. Who knew? I attended the same music school so it was a fun reminiscence for me to read about the hallowed halls of the Curtis Inst. and some fellow students. You don't have to be a musician to like this book, but you probably ought to be a chamber music lover to appreciate what these fellows do and what they go through to do it. Arnold writes about it all so engagingly. It's an easy and delightful read that all music lovers will enjoy, perhaps especially those who are not professional musicians but who love the gifts musicians give them. I had hoped to be mentioned. I was not. But then, I am somewhat younger and considerably less successful as a musician. Still, I loved the book. And for those who only adore music, it is fun to get inside the profession if only for a little while.

This is a simply lovely book. I was a music student at Yale a few years before the author studied at Curtis, and his book invokes that time for me as if it were yesterday. I think anyone would enjoy it greatly even beyond the music, for it shows how four highly talented, strongly opinionated, dynamic men could blend into a coherent group - in their case, to make music, but law partners (I changed careers) could learn a lot from their example. A wonderful book.

This book was a joy to read. Not only is Arnold Steinhardt a superb violinist, he's also a very good writer. No doubt it helps to appreciate this book if you're a fan of the Guarneri Quartet and a lover of the string quartet literature, but I found Steinhardt so charming, and the story so compelling, I imagine the book might have a broader appeal. It's a story of a kid pursuing a dream, then the kid and the dream both maturing while a love of chamber music develops, which then requires the dream of solo stardom to give way to a lifelong collaboration with three others. The three others, of course, share his passion for chamber music, and particularly for that ineffable, almost perfect form they choose to make their life's work together. They start out exploring and experimenting, with hardly a penny. They grope their way towards playing as an ensemble, gradually become established, and then come the constant touring, recording, families. They learn how to stay together by creating boundaries, and they stay together for over four decades (although the original cellist retired before the rest, this book was written before his retirement).

We meet a lot of famous musicians, and there are many interesting and sometimes humorous anecdotes, but the most interesting parts of the book have to do with the music and its making. Steinhardt mentions the cavatina from Beethoven's Op. 130 more than any other piece or movement - clearly it's had a special place in his life. I saw the Guarneri a few months ago, during their final season, and it was bittersweet. They played Beethoven's Op. 74 and his Op. 130 with the Op. 133 Grosse Fuge as the final movement. It was magnificent. I prefer their late Beethoven to anyone else's. Mr. Steinhardt looked liked he'd aged considerably in only a year or so. I'll miss them. I'm grateful to have this book along with their recordings now that they're retiring.

I would recommend this book for any musician, especially a member of an ensemble. This book gives a good insight of the personal dynamics between the members and why they have been successful and together for so many years.

Fantastic read for any instrumentalist, especially if youve played in any type of small ensemble.Highly recommended.

"Lucky" by Jackie Collins was a terrific book!! It arrived to me in new, perfect condition courtesy of Amazon! I give a thumbs up to this book and suggest reading it, as well as the others in her "Lucky Santangelo" series!! - Danielle

This is the story that got it all started. If you haven't read this book then you are in for a treat, and before you finish this book make sure you have chances, lady boss, dangerous kiss on hand because you are going to need to know what happen next. I assure you.

In an earlier review, I said Collins wrote trashy reads; I regret that now. "Trash" is sexist as it often only refers to light fiction written by women and there's LOTS of pop fiction by men that is hardly prize-worthy. I also think calling her work "trashy" was a way for me to act as though I was above it and just reading it ironically. The truth is, Collins is great at what she does and that's writing compelling, "can't put them down" novels that can make you turn off the phone so you won't be disturbed.

"Lucky" is Collins at her best. Don't worry if you haven't read "Chances": Collins summarizes the previous book in the opening chapters. Also, don't be turned off because there is a Mob element if that's not your thing because the Mob barely figures into this tale. What we get instead is a sprawling, multi-character tale full of coincidences, surprising developments (at least once a book, Collins springs something on me that I didn't see coming) and the usual doses of sex and money.

"Lucky" is an insanely fun read. Despite the fact that it was published in 1985, the novel is as enjoyable as ever and is my highest recommendation for a fun summer read of 2007.

Jackie Collins' Lucky, is a novel about power, love, lust, sex and crime. Daughter of a powerful man, Lucky Santangelo, an erotic and wild beauty, plans on continuing the family tradition with honor. Hungry for power, success and pleasure Lucky sets out seeking for her desires. Before she knows it, Lucky embarks herself on an adventure full of glory, passion, trouble, sex, vengeance and suspense. From Vegas to New York after her father's unexpected and undesirable wedding. Pregnant by the world's richest man, Dimitri Stanislopoulos, a passionate lover, Lucky lives her life between her East Hampton home in New York and her son's father's private Greek Islands. Off on business in Atlantic City, Lucky hits the road with power, money, glory and love. Her glory is cut short, when her dangerous past catches her back leading her to court.

This novel is extraordinary. This novel kept me reading, I couldn't take my eyes or mind off the book. Jackie Collins gets deep into descriptions making you feel the characters emotions and desires. As you read on and learn more about each one, you feel that you know these people. You can just imagine each scenario in your head, and feel that you are part of the scene but that no one can see you.

What more can I say? All of the money in the world could not get me to pry my fingers off of this book. In Collins' sophomore release of the Santangelo saga we get reaquainted with the awe-inspiring, business savy and headstrong Lucky Santangelo, daughter of the notorious Gino "The Ram" Santagelo -- former mob boss.

Not one iota of what Collins' writes in this book comes off as being unrealistic, boring or repeptitive. Writing a book like this takes pure, unadulturated talent!! How she manages to come up with new and exciting characters, keep us thouroughly updated on old ones, intertwine all of their storylines FLAWLESSLY and leave her fans begging for more is harder to comprehend then learning Chinese Arithmatic in Latin!

Lucky comes back geared and ready for a whole new peril. I don't know if there is much I can say about this book without giving too much away... It's just all so JUICY and addictive! I will say that we are introduced to some new characters -- Lennie Golden being the main one. As well as reuniniting with some characters some of us may have thought wouldn't come back -- Olympia and Dimirti Stanislopolous ... These three characters will influenece Lucky's life in a MAJOR way... You will just have to read to find out. This is yet another 10 star read from Ms. Collins.

Napoleon hill is the recognized expert on all things success. In this excellent book he discusses the 17 principles of personal achievement, including:

Using the Mastermind Principle
Focusing Your Attention
Learning From Defeat
Going the Extra mile
Improving Your Mental Attitude

This book is well worth reading. For more information on creating personal wealth, try "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.

"Each night I burn the records of the day; At sunrise every soul is born again" WOW! That was not written by Mr Hill, but he was smart enough to add it to his book. There is so much good stuff in this book I do not know where to start. Other reviewers here have written more on the contents of the book, read theirs to get an idea.

All I can say is that if you read and understand this book, then follow what you have learned, there is no way you cannot succeed in life. This book is filled with wisdom. If you are struggling in your life or on the job and need help, the help you need is in this book. Good luck on your journey!

The first batch of significant books that had the greatest influence on me in terms of attaining personal achievement includes mostly Napoleon Hill's books:

- The Law of Success;
- Think & Grow Rich;
- The Keys to Success;
- Success through a Positive Mental Attitude;
- Succeed & Grow Rich through Persuasion;

The others were from Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, & Earl Nightingale.

That was the early 70's when I had just started work as a young engineer.

The author, Napoleon Hill, had impressed me most by his relentless dedication in spending some two to three decades of his life in pursuing & researching the success secrets of the rich & famous...with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, of course.

As matter of fact, many of the famous people he interviewed were also favourite role models of mine e.g. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, just to name a few

Till this day, I have never forgotten what he said:

"The most powerful instrument we have in our hands is the power of our mind."

I have never ceased to be fascinated by the simplicity & the potency of his ABCs of personal achievement: CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

It is certainly enlightening to note that even Stephen Covey had drew inspiration from Napoleon Hill's work even though he never made that credit. He only admitted that the 7 Habits had its origins from "200 years of success literature in the United States." That remark itself is self explanatory.

Anthony Robbin's Mastery program as embodied in his books as well as his audio/video resources is no exception, even though he has been influenced in larger extent by NLP.

If you look at & compare the 17 principles of personal achievement in 'The Law of Success' &/or the 13 Steps to Riches in 'Think & Grow Rich', one can obviously see the uncanny resemblance of the 7 Habits & the Mastery principles...in one way or another.

At this juncture, let me outline the principal theme of each book:

The Law of Success: the original course on the fundamentals of success - all the seventeen essential principles of personal achievement;
Think & Grow Rich: The seventeen essential principles are reframed & condensed in terms of thirteen concrete steps to wealth creation (in actuality, this is a condensation of the Law of Success);
The Keys to Success: a further elaboration of the seventeen essential principles with concrete suggestions, exercises & advice;
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing a positive mental attitude;
Succeed & Grow Rich Through Persuasion: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing master salesmanship & networking;
[It is pertinent to note that Clement Stone actually built his insurance business empire with these principles.]

My most productive, personal learning experience from Napoleon Hill's work is the understanding - & application - of his success principle #1: Develop Definiteness of Purpose.

[Very surprisingly, J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, - who had been credited for building the airline to what it is today, A GREAT WAY TO FLY! - also credited his work axiom to this same success principle, but he attributed it to an ancient Hindu scripture known as Bhagavad Gita.]

I am certainly gratified to note that Napoleon Hill's work had casted so much influence on - & empowered - so many people in the world, including myself.

There are thousands of self-help books out in the market and hundreds of self proclaimed "gurus" who have made a living by copying the wisdom in Napoleon Hill's books. As I went through some of those books I realized that there was not much in them that Hill had not already written about. I recommend quality over quantity. Instead of reading through many books, I recommend that you study the following works of Hill and internalize his wisdom:
1. The Think and Grow Rich Action Pack (1937) - I recommend the Action Pack edition,
2. Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement - this book,
3. Your Right To Be Rich [Unabridged] - this consists of 12 hours of live lectures covering the 17 principles, that Hill conducted in Chicago in 1954.
By internalizing, I mean studying in depth - analyzing the ideas, making notes and summaries. I own more CDs by Hill, but I believe that these 3 items make the perfect study plan on the Philosophy of Personal Achievement.
This philosophy is the end product of two decades of research conducted by Napoleon Hill. His research started when Andrew Carnegie (the steel tycoon who was then the richest man on earth) gave him the assignment of organizing a Philosophy of Personal Achievement. Hill, who was a poor journalist, armed with just an introductory letter from Carnegie, set out to interview over five hundred successful people including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, William Wrigley Jr. and Charles M. Schwab. Hill then revealed the priceless wisdom of his research in the form of the thirteen steps to success (in Think and Grow Rich) and the seventeen Principles of Personal Achievement (in courses and lectures he conducted).
This particular book goes beyond the 13 steps in Think and Grow Rich. It covers the following 17 Principles of Personal Achievement (also known as the 17 Keys to Success):
1. Develop a Definiteness of Purpose
2. Establish a Mastermind Alliance
3. Assemble an Attractive Personality
4. Use Applied Faith
5. Go the Extra Mile
6. Create Personal Initiative
7. Build a Positive Mental Attitude
8. Control Your Enthusiasm
9. Enforce Self-Discipline
10. Think Accurately
11. Control Your Attention
12. Inspire Teamwork
13. Learn from Adversity and Defeat
14. Cultivate Creative Vision
15. Maintain Sound Health
16. Budget Your Time and Money
17. Use Cosmic Habitforce
The concepts taught by Napoleon Hill transformed my life. Everything he wrote about or talked about is thought provoking. He was wise, humble and funny. His philosophy is universal; he did not mix it with religion. The riches he referred to were more than money, for the Philosophy of Personal Achievement can be applied to anything in life.
Hill was well ahead of his time. "Think and Grow Rich" has a chapter dedicated to some of today's most important issues - Specialized Knowledge, Decision Making, Imagination and Organized Planning (in which he deals with Leadership). And his principles deal with Teamwork, Creative Vision, Health, etc.
I am greatly indebted to Napoleon Hill. The purpose of my writing this is to spread awareness of his work so that more people can benefit from it. This, I believe is the best way in which Hill would have liked to have been repaid.
If my review was helpful to you, I request you to select "Yes" so that the rating is improved and more readers will get to read it. Please also see the website of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, naphill dot org, which has helpful resources.

Sure, this is a wonderful starter kit (yes, I do have this book...) in addition to Hill's other books like "Think and Grow Rich", "The Master Key To Riches", et al. But more than that, it is a primer that makes you hungry for the mental nourishment of his full "Law Of Success" which I have just ordered through Amazon. And why am I giving this distillation five stars? C'mon, isn't it obvious, through these *distilled* principles you get a pretty good taste of the "spirit-voice" of Napoleon Hill. And when he says in later versions of "Think and Grow Rich" - 'through these pages we have met'. You know what he means here, even though it is shortened and edited. So, I've said enough, get started, happy reading.

Captain Josh/Joshua Clayton

I am reading this book with my class at school. I love it! I look forward to it everyday. This is a story that every American needs to hear because it is living proof of how much we have been given. When you realize that many people in the world have had to deal with the things that Farah did, the everyday dramas in your life are put into a totally new perspective. This book is real. It happened to real people, it teaches real lessons, and that is why it leaves any hollow fiction or fantasy behind.

When seven-year-old Farah Ahmedi stepped on a landmine in her native Afghanistan, she thought her life was over. The hospital in her war-torn city only tried to keep her alive until German doctors made their regular monthly visit, airlifting the most crucial cases to heal in their own country.

Away from her family and culture, Farah fell apart.

Then, as she began to heal, she made friends with a German woman, who informally adopted Farah like one of her own. Gradually, Farah began to learn the language and enjoy the peaceful, beautiful country -- making it just as shocking when she was returned to her family two years later.

Suddenly, nothing Farah's family or country can offer her seems good enough. The little girl had become used to a better life, and she was determined to live it again.

That wish kept her determination driven over the next few years, when war ravaged her family and her home. Left with nothing but a crippled daughter, Farah's mother hovered on the brink of madness and wanted to give up. But Farah, who had had a peek of what life could be, believed the two were destined to live in America through a special program for Afghan widows and orphans.

After numerous obstacles - including 9/11 - the two finally get their wish. But their struggle is far from over, as they find themselves in the midst of a culture clash with the general American public. Farah's mother is still battling mental demons, and Farah herself not only has to learn to speak and read English, but read altogether, as her Afghan education had fallen apart during wartime.

Above all, Farah learns, there is always a higher power out there, willing to help you during your most desperate times, sending relief in the form of a person destined to cross your life's path.

This simply told story is a powerful testament to the atrocities that can be endured without breaking. Farah Ahmedi is one extraordinary teenager, destined to do great things.

I got Farad's audio book because we have been working in relief and development in Afganistan since 1984. It is a well narrated book, an uplifting account the suffering of a child and of people who come into our lives and believe in us, love us and walk with us through the difficulties of life in Afghanistan, Pakistan and in America.

Farad, a young, Hazara girl, has lived an unbelievable life before reaching the age of 15. Her story is a first hand picture of the devastation of a beautiful country destroyed by war and ethnic conflict. She and her family were caught in the middle. She stepped on a landmine as she was going to school in Kabul. She was in the second grade and things went downhill from there.

This is a story of suffering and pain but finding strength to respond when it seemed impossible. This is a story of faith and people practically living out their faith. It is the story of a young girl who has a dream.

This book is great reading for teeens through adults. It is an easy read - can be read in 1-2 days. The story is gripping and suspenseful and really gives one an understanding of life in turbulent Afghanistan and the difficulty refugees encountered to make their way out. My husband and I read the book and enjoyed it as did my daughters, ages 19 and 17.

My daughter read this book, and this is what she had to say about it:
"This was a very exciting, sorrowful, detailed story. It inspired me. I recommend this book to people of all ages who love non-fiction adventure. This book has almost everything a reader could want. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next in the story. Farah Ahmedi, the writer and main character of this book, detailed the story so much you could picture yourself in her spot; although, you would never WANT to be in her place in real life.

'The Story of my Life' was extemely sad at some points. Losing almost her whole family, getting caught up in the war, losing a leg, escaping from Afgahnistan. Sometimes during the book I almost cried and other times, I laughed in happiness. The book had many different moods.

The message, (or theme) of the book for me was 'Never be afraid of starting again, or beginning a new life'. Of course for everyone this is different, all of us have a different point of view. But this was mine.
But to come to an end with this review, I really enjoyed every word from beginning to end!! Highly Recommended."