Other The Books

Due to ever degrading literary taste of our post-war generation, Stefan Zweig has been forgotten for few decades,in spite of the fact that the first half of the 20th century , Zweig was perhaps one of the most famous and popular authors in the world. He and compatriot Hugo von Hofmannsthal had almost pararell lives.They were both some sort of literary prodigies(Hofmannsthal and Zweig earned their fame in their teens).They began their literary careers as poets and ended up writing various kind of literary genres,including libretto for Strauss. Also both ended up committing suicide. Zweig wrote many memorable fictions ,but only one novel.And, this is "Beware of Pity".
The novel is a kaleidoscope of the Habsburg dual monarchy.Zweig's talent lays on his superb description of human psyche of each characters and representation of comtemporary time. this work well represents decaying , both morally and physically , Habsburg dual monarchy. It shows how anarchoronistic system of mores( of K.u.K) that led otherwise good natured and a bit simple minded Leutenant Hoffmiler conered to the desperate situation. Does Hoffmiler deserve his fate? read book and decide that by yourself. what amazed me was how well Zweig synchronized and symbolized tragic denoument of kekeskalva family with the outbreak of" the war to end all wars". This is both pcychological and historical drama par excellence.One of forgotten masterpiece that recently rediscovered. Thank you NYRB to bring Zweig back.

This is an intense, psychological drama, and a page-turner to boot! What's so great is the wonderful language, the "lofty" writing. I just loved every page, and our poor, tortured hero.

It's a fabulously written book about love instigated by pitty, which can be very dangerous. Worth reading as this kind of thing still happens every day.

...no, not the book by Dave Eggers, but this masterpiece by Stefan Zweig. I came upon this by accident, and bought it, intrigued by the story outline and the reviews below. Only very, very rarely does a book have the power to draw me into the lives of the characters, probably because they're usually just that - characters. Not so here. Here we have flesh and blood and all that entails. I'm still amazed at Zweig's story telling. He's the kind of writer who could make a shopping list fascinating. I lived and breathed every single word in this incredibly beautiful book, and, as has been said elsewhere, the tension becomes almost unendurable. I can hardly do justice to it in a few words. Weirdly, I often found myself smiling, not because it's a funny book, far from it, but just through an appreciation of Zweig's supreme mastery of his art. This is one of those books appearing only a few times in your life that wring emotion out of you whether you like it or not. A heart-breaking, unforgettable and life-enriching experience.

I'd also like to praise the translation, by Trevor and Phyllis Blewitt. At no time is there even a hint that you're reading a translation - something that occurred to me only after finishing the book. On the contrary, it seems to me that the elegance of the language and all the magnificent virtues that contribute to Zweig's humanity and genius have been faithfully rendered. The proof is in my twin disappointments; coming to the end, and learning that there are no further full-length novels by Zweig. I'll definitely be reading all his other works, though.

In the introduction to this book Joan Acocella tells Zweig's story as a writer. One of her claims is that despite his enormous popularity as biographer, essayist, writer of great novellas and stories, this novel is his masterpience. The novel is in essence the story of a feeling, of 'pity' of how it becoming the obsession and duty of the main character turns self- serving and destructive. Briefly , the book revolves around the relationship between a poor Austrian officer Hoffstein and a crippled seventeen year old daughter of a wealthy family Edith Kekesfalvas. After he has inadvertently insulted her by having asked her to dance he becomes bound into a relationship with her, in which she falls deeply in love with him without his truly reciprocating. This is how Acocella reads the protagonist's reasoning and its result after her doctor informs him that it would be disastrous for him to abandon her.

"So he descends ever deeper into hypocrisy. In the process, Zweig gives us a piercing analysis of the motives underlying pity. Gradually Hofmiller realizes how much he enjoys the courtesies paid to him for his emotional services, how it pleases him that when he arrives at the Schloss his favorite cigarettes--and also the novel (its pages already cut) that he had said in passing that he wanted to read--are laid out on the tea table. Nor is it lost on him that his own sense of strength is magnified by Edith's weakness and, above all, by his growing power over the Kekesfalvas, the fact that if he, a poor soldier, does not present himself at teatime, this great, rich household is thrown into a panic, and the chauffeur is dispatched to town to spy him out and see what he is doing in preference to waiting on Edith. Beyond the matter of power, however, Hofmiller finds that the emotion of pity is a pleasure just in itself. It exalts him, takes him to a new place. Before, as an officer, he was required only to obey orders and be a good fellow. Now he is a moral being, a soul."

This end in destruction is somehow a foreshadowing of what would happen to Zweig.Having been betrayed with the rise of the Nazis by the Europe he loves, tried to make a new home and life with his second wife in Brazil. But it does not work out and the both of them are found after having taken fatal overdoes of drugs hands intertwined.

This book is a must-read for anyone considering adopting a child. Adopted children have very specialized needs. This easy to read book has so many practical ideas for parents. I actually think every preschool and elementary teacher should read it as well. As an educator, I am wishing I had had some of these strategies to use in the past with students who were foster or adoptive children. A great resource indeed!

Karyn Purvis really understands her subject and what a challenge parenting adopted kids can be. She gives good practical information you can use today to parent kids that had eventful lives before they were yours. I recommend her book highly.

So many books on attachment are clinical and overwhelming. The recommendations seem so impossible to incorporate into your life. Not anymore! These authors offer amazing insight (you'll think they've been living in your house), practical advice, and inspiring commentary. I recommend this book to all foster or adoptive parents. If you know someone who is considering adoption or has recently adopted, you'll want to buy this book for them too!

As a parent of three domestically-adopted kids, this book has been a lifeline, a lifesaver and has helped us tremendously in getting the kids settled into a safe and healthy routine.

We're first-time parents and wanted a sane, easy-to-follow book to guide us through some of the rough spots. This book is chock full of common sense techniques, tips and ideas. I consult it at least once a month - but have read it through many, many times.

I bought this book after having read Deborah Grays "attaching in adoption" and I got so much more out of this book and many practical ways to handle our "not so easy to handle daughter". I also thought to myself as I read this book that alot of the advice would probably be valuable to any parent with a "challenging child", not just an adopted "challenging child". This book has helped our family tremendously with no nonsense practical ways to address difficult behaviors. It also taught us how to be compassionate and more sensitive to our daughters past and her current issues.

Well, I finally finished the book. I guess I will join the many 5 star reviewers. After reading this book, I have a great foundation of all the features AE offers. I didn't want to do too much as far as working the tons of examples the book offers this go'round, I just wanted to learn the "language". Now I will go through the book again. This time tackling the projects along with my own ideas.

I was a novice going in, and still am to an extent, but the Meyer's takes the intimidation out of you and teaches you principles where when you do speak to other seasoned artist you understand and can execute anything they do.

Excellent and well supported work. Starts from the very basics and gets into the esoterics. I use this work as the primary resource for mastering After Effects.

This is a great book. It has a little bit of beginner stuff (enough to get you started if you don't know AE) and then goes into intermediate and pro stuff.

I would not consider this book to be only pro level techniques, but still full of good stuff. The content on the CD is really nice to add to the collection although some (well, all of the Artbeats stuff) is watermarked in the lower right corner. Most of the other footage is not.

This book makes a nice companion to After Effects Cs3 Studio Techniques by Mark Christensen (another awesome AE book)

--
Kevin

I used this book after finishing up with the Meyer's fantastic "After Effects Apprentice" book. This book, "Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects", was a great way to firm up what I had learned from other sources.

Highly recommended!

Advanced After Effects Motion Graphics is for the editor with some AE miles under their belt. It is not really a beginner book, but does start you off slowly with great step by step instruction. However, you will eventually need this book but buy it together with the Meyers' After Effects Apprentice which starts you off in the AE wourld. Any of the Meyers books are just what you need to learn AE. Highly recommended!!

This book is a perfect messiah's handbook (ala Richard Bach's Illusions). Succinctly written by an 'itinerate woodcutter' each page contains a gem of wisdom. I have had this book over twenty years and it has been revisited often in my quest for awareness and spiritual growth. I purchased it as a gift for my favorite aunt. A must have book for spiritual seekers.

a highly unique exploration of interesting systems of thought and philosophy. A one-of-a-kind sort of book, for sure.

I dicovered this wonderful book (or maybe it discovered me...) when I was 16 in a B. Dalton's bookstore during a lunch break in High School. Immediately I felt this book was like my mentor during the remainder of my teen years. It's the kind of book that you can open up to any page and find wisdom, beauty, strentgh and love. The style of writing reminds me of the Dhammapada with a dash of Heraclitus' philosopical prose.

Some of my favorite passages...

" Get to know the truthful, if you would become accquainted with beauty."



"Let go of everything you're holding onto

now let go of everything else."




"security is quicksand

can it really be ANYone's ambition in life
to become one-half the couple in the life insurance ads?

security. life insurance.
how much are you worth dead?

more than you're worth alive?
hurry up and die, then

hurry up and be born again."





"Do not be afraid to love."




"Decision-making is a vice. Some addicts reach a stage where they do almost nothing but agonize over decisions.
It's a subtle form of hesitation.
Like all addictions, the only cure is cold turkey.
You could spend the rest of your life trying to decide whether to take the cure."



"take everything that is strong in you
and put it to work
set it free
never mind what anyone thinks
take all your muscles
and stretch them to their limits
you'll amaze yourself, how good you'll feel
and how much good you'll do
just by radiating pure energy outward
-contact high the ultimate form of communication-
you are beautiful
be
be
be!"

This book predates most of the post-modern self help books we see on the shelves in bookstores or advertised in the media. Most of the authors of post-modern self help are focusing too much energy on manipulation to achieve a re-defined version of love and abundance. I personally feel it's an imitation of the "real thing", but then again I wax nostalgic over the simple hippie philosophies that came out of the 60's as notably this book attests to that. Even though I wasn't born until 1969! But a lot of things that came out from the 60's are truly classic. This being one them.

"This is God speaking", says Williams at one point. Well yes, reading this book does rather feel like that much of the time. "Das Energi" is a mighty powerful and inspirational read. A dynamic (VERY dynamic) mix of Zen ideas, taoism, positive thinking and maybe a bit of Christian morality thrown in for good measure. However, some of the language does place the book firmly in the late sixties and early seventies (man!). Its still brilliant.

Paul Williams presents us with quick, sharp "blows to the head" such as "Beware means be aware.", "Vote with your life. Vote yes.", "Stop showing off. It isn't what you do. Its what you are that matters.", "Babies see things as they really are" and so on. The uneven format of the book (could be a sentence on one page, a short paragraph on the next, then a short essay on the next) helps you to think more consciously in itself.

Having read the book several times over, I finally realized what was missing for me. A sense of humour! An inspirational classic such as "Illusions" by Richard Bach for example, has the same enlightening quality but gives you a good chuckle too. Still, this is an extraordinary book and I thank Paul Williams for it wholeheartedly. Read this and WAKE UP! ;o)

i found a copy of this book in a thrift store in okc when i was 17. for a year i would read it everyday. after the southern babtist had their way with me i was looking for some truth. i found this book and formed my belief system around it. it has guided me thru life and now that i have learned more about life from experience, i'm glad mr. williams book was there to arm me. i emailed paul williams and told him how his book changed my life and not only did he write me back but, sent me a copy of waking up together. he's an awesome guy still trying to change the world.

Easy to understand, I gave this to my friend who was having trouble reading the King James Version. It is full of little lessons by Max Lucado, and I recommend it highly.

One day, I was praying about not interpreting God's word in a loving way. I seem to over think the scriptures, take things too literal and just am too analytical. While praying, I asked Jesus just to understand his heart and amazingly I came across this Bible. I have been reading it daily since January and it has daily life applications, the inspiration for the chapter and a few concordance so you can see where the lesson is referenced. For my own journey I have struggled with reading God's word for the past 15 years- yet Max Lucado has done an amazing job helping me understand God's word with Love. I never miss a day! God is using it in Big Ways- to help me grow closer to Him.
I liked it so much that I bought a copy for my aunt- who just started devoting her life to Christ. I suggested she start with the 30 day lesson in the back- it's very good for beginners.

A good source for devotions & other studies, both personal & group. This copy I purchased for a gift to a family member.

As for me, I have grown up in a seemingly, 98% "spiritual but not religious" town. Of that portion, nearly all feel that Christianity is a bad thing and are weirded out by people who seek God.

I haven't understood that completely. I grew up in a family that brought me to church on Sunday and sent me to Sunday school, so why the later backlash against religion and God? I didn't remember much of church, and even my mother scoffed at me when I was excited to hear about the classic bible stories- that I HONESTLY did not know were common knowledge to the rest of my family. I was too young to remember anything of the biblical stories, or the lessons they contained.

I had a burning curiosity, I wanted to know what was so "wrong" with the bible and Christianity. I started to devour Christian books, and found nothing.

I started this bible study, and truly found nothing that should be scoffed at or weirded out by. It has actually put to rest, a lot of worries and needless troubles in my heart.

There are powerful ideas, in very small packages. Enjoy working through this if you have wandered away from faith, faultered in your belief, or have questioned Christian faith. Hopefully you'll find what I have found, inspiration.

This is the hard copy to the personl leather one...same stuff in the other bible, like I said in that review! The devotional bible is the best bible....so easy to read and understand and acutally remember what you read!!!

Finally able to visit London, the author leaves the states
and describes vividly her experiences there. Lively, fun
and brief. Quite satisfying.I felt I knew Helene....

Years ago I read 84 Charing Cross Road,as a Reader's Digest condensed book found in a flea market cheap...Later, loved the film with Anne Bancroft..then fairly recently saw there was a sequal... Hooray she got to England.. I enjoyed the adventure as much as she did..Lovely little book ~

for anyone who's read 84 charing cross road, this book is a delightful follow up to the original. you will come away loving helene hanff, and wishing you could have her as a friend.

A fabulous ending to over 20 years of letter writing. Penpals of sorts. A must read for anyone, but writers it can tear down any writers block you could possibly have. She is so articulate and real. I highly suggest this book!

For those readers panting to find out what happens to Helene after the publication of her wildly popular "84 Charing Cross Road", this book will satisfy you. HH's romp through London is rewarding, for those of us who are loyal fans know how desperatly she wanted to go there.

Looks like the dictionary I can use to improve my Swedish. The font is a little small for my 72 year old eyes, otherwise no complaint.

Learning Swedish is certainly made easier by this excellent book. The layout is clear and examples are simple yet useful. Each chapter has enough to keep you busy but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. Throughout the book there are tables and lists that aid in memorizing. Explanations are brief and clear and always with appropriate examples. It would be great if there were CDs to go with the words and sentences, but I have CDs from other texts that I use as supplements. Don't try to learn Swedish without this book!

Very helpful in my quest to learn the Swedish language and Grammar. I highly recommend this book.

What I really liked about the book is that you can actually find the information that you need, you can learn a lot just with it alone. Complements are a must, though...but it's portable size makes it great to have anywhere to take advantage of time...

I strongly recommend it.

I am currently studying Swedish independently and needed a good grammar book. This book is great if you want to study the language! The terminology is very simple - you need no knowledge of linguistic terms to understand Swedish grammar through this book. I highly highly highly highly suggest this book for anyone who wants to study Swedish independently or as a good resource for students of Swedish in any area.

One of the best information sources about in vitro fertilization. Very well written with sensitivity and compassion by an experienced doctor who has successfully helped many overcome infertility with IVF. Although IVF is not for me and my husband, after reading Expecting Miracles I am much more informed about those who travel down this journey to parenthood. An excellent recommendation for friends and/or family members of (as well as) those attempting IVF.

This book is an accurate and amazing portrayal of the intelligence, skill and compassion of Dr. Christo Zouves. I am one of his patients. I was told by other physicians that there was no known cause and no treatment for my continued pregnancy losses. Dr. Zouves discovered and treated the cause and the result is my son. I endured extensive treatment to moderate my immune response to pregnancy and complete successfully one cycle of in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
The ordeal of infertility diagnosis and treatment is discovered by the reader in a fascinating manner through the true stories of individual families. You will be surprised at what people will endure to have a child. This book is informative and compelling reading. When he is old enough, I plan to give it to my son to explain how much he was wanted and how hard we and Dr. Zouves worked to bring him into our family.

Expecting Miracles: On the Path of Hope from Infertility to Parenthood gives you a very realistic look at the lives of fertility patients. The book is helpful medically, but written with heart and compassion. I found myself laughing and crying -- it's definitely inspirational and provides hope to continue seeking the child of your dreams! END

I really enjoyed this book and found it so inspirational. I loved the format---basically all stories (I called them case studies in the title, but that's really too dry a term---they are warm and complete stories) of people going through treatment for infertility, and the outcome of these treatments. I think almost every possible kind of case is covered! The book is very honest about how tough it can be to go through the treatment---I really had no idea how much was involved in assisted reproduction, and I gained new respect for what some families go through to have children. I did think once or twice that the book might have been more balanced if there were one or two more cases in it where the technologies were not successful, to make the book more like the statistics of how often such treatments really do work. But I know this was a book about successes, and I think it would be very inspirational to a lot of people, in addition to being well written and a great read.

"Expecting Miracles" is a warm, compassionate and uplifting description of the experiences of a dozen or so couples who sought help in conceiving a child from the author's infertility clinic. Each chapter tells one couple's story, as a sort of a mini-character study or "case study"; we learn about the patients' medical histories, their relationship with their significant others, their personalities, and the impact that their difficulty in conceiving & carrying to term has had on them & their families. Interspersed with the human stories are clear & succinct explanations of the science and medical technology used to help infertile couples conceive. Dr. Zouves' reverence for the spirituality and mystery inherent in the reproductive process was particularly refreshing.

As someone currently undergoing the initial stages of fertility treatment, I found the scientific information very helpful in understanding more about the delicate reproductive process (and how today's medicine can assist). I also found myself responding very emotionally to the plight of these couples. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to shed a tear at some of these beautiful, yet painful, stories! Nearly all of the stories have happy endings, though, and while that certainly does make for a less depressing book, it probably represents an unrealistic cross-section of infertility patients. Not everyone can be helped (sadly, I have several dear friends who fall into this category) and I imagine relatively few couples have the resources to pursue the kind of cutting-edge treatment Dr. Zouves describes - flying to the West Coast constantly, staying in hotels, paying for surrogates, not to mention the cost of the treatment itself (rarely covered by insurance). On the other hand, the book may well provide the necessary hope for those who are just barely hanging on in the midst of the physically and emotionally grueling treatment.

This is probably the greatest compilation of original old school photos of the Hard Core heroes in Skate Boarding, Punk, and Hip-Hop. Friedman's photography and perspective as the ultimate insider on all that he shoots shows us the evidence we can't find anywhere else, particularly under one cover. From Jay Adams (Dogtown) to Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) to Chuck D. (Public Enemy) and tons of others, how can you not own this book? The photography, and this book in general is in a class all it's own, head and shoulders above any other skate, punk or rap book of photos, and this one includes the best of all three genres. This book is a master piece and you'll be happy you got it, the greatest coffee table book for our generation.

This being the first true book published on the work of Glen E. Friedman is an achievement all it's own. A classic that has and will continue to stand the test of time. A document of a bygone era that will inspire generations for a long time to come.

F*I*V*E* S*T*A*R*S*

Glen E. Friedman has been capturing the high voltage energy of today's youth and those who speak to them for a long time. In this very interesting collection of photographs he manages to focus (pardon the pun) on skateboarders, rappers, the guys who hang out on the streets all living on the edge. The energy he captures is inimitable. Reading this book immediately after viewing the museum exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat makes it all ring true. These may be the remembered commentators and artists of tomorrow. But for now, this is a worthwhile journey into subcultures you may not know. Grady Harp, July 05

This is addressed primarily to Mike Carroll (Spokane, WA) and
Seer"japna" from whocaresville. It really cracks me up that someone would waste their time to write a negative review on Amazon, especially for a book of photographs, and ESPECIALLY when that book is obviously intended for a very specific audience. That audience doesn't seem to include wannabe deer-hunter, computer geeks from Washington state or "enigmatic" all-knowing types from Japan or somewhere either. I'd love to know who your heroes are... Jeff Foxworthy perhaps?

This is a classic. If you're even looking at this page it's obvious this book is a must. What other book on the planet has pictures of Black Flag, Public Enemy and Z-Boy Jay Adams?
And all of it's other hard core icons. This is an incredible collection of excellent photographic quality.

Fungus is part of a bogeyman family. Their job is basically to be gross and go around scaring kids and all that sort of thing, slime, nastiness, saying boo, and that whole caper. What if this is your destiny and you don't want it to be? That is the issue under investigation in this amusing and clever tale by Briggs.

Wow! I got this book 20+ years ago from my older brother and loved it! I lost track of my copy and for years now I've been trying to remember what it was called...I just happened upon the dvd on netflix and there was that familiar face. I remember looking through this book over and over again and seeing something new each time. I'm pretty sure pages were falling apart and coming out of the binding I read it so much. I highly recommend this book for youngsters, and I plan on ordering copies for my neices...and probably one for myself!

Very happy with this copy....great read and goes with the other Raymond Briggs books I purchased....made a fabulous xmas present!

'Repulsive but none the less compulsive'. This classic Raymond Briggs book hasn't got a real storyline. It's more like an comic strip encyclopedia on the life of bogeymen (Fungus) and bogeywomen (wife Mildew) and their bogeychildren. The book just charts a day in the life of a bogeyman, who it seems, exists merely to torment us 'Drycleaners'. Briggs richly illustrated study of bogeydom delights in all things revolting, slimy, putrid, and lavatorial, and even raises deep questions on the meaning of Bogeydom life. The book is filled with visual and literary gags, e.g. hidden on Mildrew's bathroom shelf there's 'FemStench' perfume which is real Eau de Toilete (toilet water), plus you finally find out what Great Aunt Ada Doom of Cold Comfort Farm really saw in the woodshed as a child (and it was something nasty). This book would be of interest to any kid over 8, boys might go for it at an earlier age than girls - although be warned it's not suitable for sensitive parents. It's ideal for teenagers and young adults, who will appreciated the sophisticated humour more. So if you ever wondered what makes the bogeyman hiding under your bed tick, get this superbly illustrated and funny book.

I've loved this book for years, and actively sought it out in my adulthood to own. The book is filled with everything from gross visual jokes and puns, to the deep philosophical questions every Bogey must have. It's ingenius and unique. Worth buying for a creative or visually stimulated child.