Dramas Books

i've read almost all of simon's plays - excluding the musicals, as i feel they won't translate well without the music - and rumors is by far the funniest, snappiest of them all. if i were at a performance, i know i would forget that i was in a theater at the time, just as i got so wrapped up in the play sometimes that i couldn't remember i was reading! a must-read for any simon fan, and a good entry into his work for those who've never read anything he's written.

I acted in this play last year. it was the first time my school did a student produced play and it was the best play any group in our whole city has put on. all my friends wanted to buy the video and my "play husband" and i still joke about it. i played claire which was quite hard for me considering i had to be really mean. but it was the funniest play i've even acted in.

Rumors is a play that is perfect for the stage. It is filled with quick-wit humor, lively action, entertaining real-life dialogue and the plot construction is brilliant. Most of Simon's plays would make a fun movie with colorful characters, and I don't know if a movie version has ever been done.

Neil Simon is truly one of the funniest playwrights ever. I have not read anyone else who can match his comedic talent for playwriting. It is a style that his clearly his own.

Rumors moves very fast, never a dull moment and is what sticks out for me is the humorous dialogue. It's not one-liners, it's real.

The play takes place in New York in a Victorian house in Sneden's Landing. All characters appear to be financially comfortable. The play consists of about 4-5 couples who enter at different stages.

The story focuses on a couple, Chris and Ken, in their mid-thirties, who arrive at the home of Charley, deputy mayor of New York, and Myra for their 10th anniversary party. Myra is gone, the Chinese maid is gone, the dinner is thawing out on the table, pasta is in the pot with no water and they discover that Charley shot himself in the head but he has only managed to nick his earlobe.

To prevent a scandal, Chris and Ken plot to keep the truth out, rumors of why the attempted suicide begin and the fun starts when the guests start arriving and everyone schemes to cover up the attempted suicide.

This is brilliant comedy.....MzRizz

RUMORS was first performed in the early days of the 1990s. So much has changed since then. Yet, one of the tests of a classic is it's staying power. Though I wouldn't say that RUMORS is a classical comedy, it is a modern gem that has staying power.

RUMORS was written by Neil Simon. It takes place in upper Manahattan at the home of Charley and Myra Brock. The Brock's are holding a party to celebrate their 10th Wedding Anniversary. However, the first guests to arrive at the home, Ken and Chris Gorman, hear a gun shot. They find Charley upstairs bleeding from the head, Myra and the servants missing, and a bunch of frozen and half-thawed food in the kitchen. Soon after the other couples for the parties begin arriving and the Gormans do everything they can to keep the truth from leaking out until they figure out exactly what has happened.

I've acted in RUMORS twice and have thorougly enjoyed it both times. Performing in a Neil Simon play is always fun. However, the play does have one drawback. In his early days, Simon kept his plays from being too vulgar. However, since the mid 1980s, Simon's plays have become increasingly filled with foul language, making many of his unaltered shows unfit for family audiences. RUMORS was written near the beginning of this pattern, so though it's no ODD COUPLE, it's not as bad as some of his later shows either.

As an actor, I've been in many plays (comedies especially), and I can honestly say that this is one of the funniest plays I have ever seen (or performed...). The great thing about this one is it NEVER gets old. You can watch it four nights in a row, listen to the jokes over and over again (both of which were done), and it stays funny, and entertaining! An incredible masterpiece by Neil Simon. Filled with one-liners, insanity, funny personalities and character traits, sarcastic comments, visual gags, and all other types of comedy you can think of, this one does not stop entertaining!

Besides discovering my kid, he has been an invaluable resource with both his books and his coaching! He has a great sense of humor! Highly recommended.

I used this book to get started in acting. This book is perfect if your looking for a variety of fun scenes.

This is a great book to help you learn lines, build reading skills, and give you quick easy tips when performing. Its helped us so much to accelerate our acting skills. It's also a fun thing to use at sleepovers or parties.
to put it simply...it rocks.

My son is interested in acting and theatre so I bought him this book and the commercial book. He has really loved both of them. When he gets a little older I plan to get him the teen books. I definitely recommend the two that I bought!

This is the perfect book for kid actors! The comedic scenes are hilarious while the dramatic scenes are touching. New or veteran actors can benefit from this book.

This was a fast read. I love this movie and now I love the script!

I will study the script for upcoming auditions at the local community theater. This is a fabulous play that needs no promotion.

I haven't read this play but I recently saw it performed. It was abosolutely wonderful! It is this story of six women who live in a small town in Louisiana, who spend their Saturdays in a beauty shop. One of the characters, Shelby, gets married towards the beginning of the play. She has diabetes and is told by her doctor that she shouldn't have children, but she wants children so badly that she has a baby anyway... I think you see where this is going. This is a very touching and humorous play and recommend this to everyone.

I'm glad I was able to find this book since our booksellers don't carry it. I had a project for school and this play was suggested. After reading the script along with the movie I absolutely loved it. The story touched me through the up and down friendship between the five women.

A touching play telling the story of six Southern women, all the action is set in the beauty shop in which they spend their Saturdays and spans the course of a couple years. Each of the women have their own conflict that they come to terms with over the course of the play, most of them dealing with their relationships with one another and other people in their lives. From Clairee and Ouiser, aging women dealing with the losses of their husbands, Truvy with her own dead-beat husband and the appearance of Annelle in her life, to Annelle seeking direction in her life and reconciliation with her past. The center of the story is M'Lynn and her newlywed daughter Shelby, as they try to find the happy medium in their relationships with their husbands and with each other. Every woman, though, gets her moment in teh spotlight and all of them change significantly over the course of the play. The play is well written, with natural dialogue and a perfect blend of humor and tragedy, truly displaying the strength of these Southern "steel magnolias."

Jeff Howe, in his short "The Train" takes the reader on an adventure. It is from the beginning not an ordinary adventure, but one filled with surprises and intriging twists. We try to know the main character, Jason, but find out that he is hard to know. It is at first revealed that perhaps Jason is an uncaring individual content to live in his own world. Yet, soon we find out that Jason is very caring as evidenced by his immediate concern for the little boy riding the train.

Through the course of this story Jason's emotions are thrown about. He must navigate through a complex maze of feelings brought by several, one after the other and seemingly unrelated, dramatic events.

Jeff Howe, in the end, ties the pieces together effectively and for me at least, lets us know that the train ride is never really over.

This is a story that spellbinds the reader into reading the next page. Good work, Mr. Howe. Five stars.

Reviewed by Charlie Moore

Since my earliest recollection, I've been moved by the sound of a train whistle crying out to me in the middle of the night. I don't know why, but it's a nostalgic feeling that fills me with an unnamed longing ... a longing for something lost in time and space. The lonely woo-woo sound reaches into my soul and touches the part of me that's always alone ... an unknown quantity in my life.

I can't describe the feeling adequately, but it's a mix between the "stomach butterflies" I get when nervous and the painful lump in my throat when sad. Does that make sense? Well, anyway, that's the way Jeff Howe's short story makes me feel: moody and full of wonder.

I'm left with a new appreciation of trains after reading The Train. These were awesome lines: << ... It was a metallic shearing sound that happened well before the train was actually in the station ... >> I can hear that sound. ... And in speaking of the desert where Jason plans to move, Howe says: << ... rivercut and windblown into dreamish shapes. >> Isn't that poetic?

Jeff Howe is an expert at setting mood, so much so that this story gripped me from the start. With each descriptive twist and turn I learned a little more of the main character Jason, and at story's end I wanted to know even more.

Alas, like the mysterious feelings I get when hearing a train whistle, some mysteries need to remain unsaid, unsolved ... We can get a sense of continuation by feeling.

And feel this story, I did! At the end, my first reaction was "Huh?" I felt like a train had hit me, leaving me hurt, bewildered and incomplete. Then silence grasped me and I felt a quiet peace settling in. The end of this story feels intense, in a cathartic way.

This is a brilliant piece of mood-setting writing. Bravo, Jeff Howe!

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008
Author of Millennium Babe: The Prophecy

Where author Jeff Howe really distinguishes himself is scene setting and mood. You start off thinking the protagonist is taking an ordinary train ride. Fifteen minutes later you're saying "get the number of that truck!" You literally don't know what hit you, You just know you've been hit...hard.

The ride and the fellow passengers seem to deteriorate by the minute, until with a chill down your spine you realize this is something quite different than what you first imagined. To pull off that illusion so superbly requires talent, lots of it.

Brilliant scene setting, beautifully orchestrated tension and fear. This train goes all the way after all. Bravo, Mr. Howe!

Jeff Howe's "The Train" gave this reader a journey, an anxious "All Aboard" feeling from start to finish. Subterfuge, suspense, and daring to believe are unveiled by Mr. Howe's pen. One may look at twilight in another vain than normal after reading this puzzle of the mind. Great read.
Robert A Meacham

Jeff Howe has a great way of pulling you right into his story. I loved the Outer Limits and the Twilight zone when I was a kid and when I began reading this story I felt I had boarded this train right with the main Character Jason. This train ride takes Jason on a journey he slowly realizes is different from all the rest he has taken. This next passage is from an old man he meets on the train.

"Do you know that if you take an action, you will never know the results of not taking that action?" the elderly man smiled. "Your actions put into motion things that may or may not have been better left still. Be careful, young man where you place your foot as you take your next step. Ahhh, looks like my station is upon us."

Jason doesn't realize it but he has crossed over into another realm...,or maybe he already was there and never knew it. You decide.

Reviewed by Vickie (Tory Lynn, Author of "My Charming Protector")

This was awe inspiring. The wording was superb and the flow was impeccable. It spoke what my heart believes.

Dr. Laura B. Christopher

Through WE SPEAK YOUR NAMES: A Celebration by Pearl Cleage, African-American women have been honored in a way that will stand in history, just as their contributions have. This poem was written at the request of Oprah Winfrey to celebrate and commensurate the accomplishments of women honored at Winfrey's 2005 Living Legends event and ball. And the book concludes with a biographical sketch of each woman.

These women, consisting of civil rights leaders, actresses, writers, singers, etc., are all role-models to those who followed and are following after them. A few featured are Maya Angelou, Ruby Dee, Nikki Giovanni, Dr. Dorothy Height, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker and Nancy Wilson. Cleage's poem encompasses many of the known traits of these women, with themes of strength, sisterhood, honor, and courage, but also acknowledges their beauty and wisdom--showcasing them individually and also collectively. They are remarkable women who should be honored, cherished, thanked and most of all remembered. Kudos to Pearl Cleage and Zaron W. Burnett, Jr., for WE SPEAK YOUR NAMES and to Oprah Winfrey for the vision.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

It's probably one of the only poems I look to quote each day. It's about love, magic, determination, and above all else, the spirit of Black women, not only here in America, but around the world. I speak so many womens' names when I go about my day trying my best to follow the star God has allowed me to realize. And I hope I'm making them proud!

As a fan of Pearl Cleage, I have never been dissapointed! Again, she shines.

i first heard the poem read on the TV special with Oprah honouring the legends and the youngun's, in the African American world.
Regardless of me not being African American, the poem touched me deeply and reminded me of the many women that have touched my life. this little book is definitly a keeper!

Thank you for sharing it with all of us that really do walk in the footprints of so many that have paved the way for us in this world.

concept is okay if you are family/procreating type.it doesn't explore different lifestyles.it is okay but not extraordinary.

Wonderful story with great humor, satire and imagination about a journey through a fantastic afterlife with all the creations that ever were and ever will be.

I was curious to discover what a book about afterlife would be like in the science fiction realm. THIS book is unique! IT is a GREAT story, about a man, actually, I suppose, a soul, who is in the process of discovering himself - who he is, and what life, the universe, and all creation is all about. He finds out in a cleverly written story if his journey through afterlife - his "afterworld." It is a reality filled with bizarre ceatures from all times and places that ever were, and will be, all of whom enter this incedibly enormous universe, perhaps billions of times larger and more complex than our own, and where travel is by unque vehicles which are divinely powered, as if by magic, and cover the enormous distances involved in afterworld reality. The creatures Gary Townsend (the main character) meets are unique, enjoyable, and satirize in often comic style all man's social customs, religions, and traditions - for here, in afterlife, there are none. Often thought-provoking and humourous, the drama is always enjoyable and fascinating, as we trek through the mind of an author with an incredibly inventive bent. I recommend it highly to anyone who loves sci-fi or fantasy, or who wants an enjoyable, creative read about a place we all have some idea about when we leave here.

A scintillating look at a man's afterlife, which begins as you open the book. It traces the "afterworld" experiences of an unbeliever as he tries to sort his way through his afterlife with a variety of humans, aliens, bizarre worlds and forms of transportation, and it delves into the MANY questions everyone has about what there is after this life. It does so with occasionally tongue-in-cheek humor, and a good amount of satire in poking fun at our religions, customs, and institutions, through the eyes of the many different life forms the main character encounters. It is about this man finding a purpose, even in afterlife, in finding himself, and finding out who else there might be to share it with. This is an extraordinary and imaginative look at a usually untouched subject, and told in an engaging, informative, and poignant fashion. It is an afterworld that we all might wish to attain someday, but if not, it certainly is fun and interesting to look at this one!

I was hesitant to buy this book, since a novel on one's afterlife, or Afterworld, as the author has it, seemed like it might not be too interesting; but I'd heard about it as decent sci-fi/Fantasy, and wanted to read it. BOY, was I surprised!! It is a very clever trek through one man's afterlife, which begins on page one, and takes you through a highly imaginative super universe far bigger and infinitely more complex than the one we now know. We meet a variety of strange characters, many of whom humorously satirize people and political or religious concepts we have, stranger places, and an intersting story of this "doubting-Thomas" main character, Gary. We onder how it will work out for him - after all, he has FOREVER in this place, and all the people to meet that you would ever want to. The author endeavors to pop many cultural and religious myths with tongue-in-cheek style, while uilding a story that grabs you, because, I guess, we all hope there is something positive to look forward to in everyone's afterworld. Gary's is interesting, and he becomes a major afterlife figure in "afterworld future history" by being exactly who he is. Ultimately he finds purpose, love, friendship, and a meaningful place in the universe! Very uplifting and enjoyable.

After an MFA in stage design from Yale School of Drama and 50 years of designing for the Stage and Television--starting with ten years for the Ed Sullivan Show--it was interesting to look at the whole theatrical experience as architectural. I've been dealing with the visual architecture of theater my whole life, but there is no question that all the elements fit into an architectural framework. This book is a refreshing study of that total framework. It was fun for me to see it from another perspective. I would recommend "The Architecture of Drama" highly for any one involved, in any capacity, in the production of theater or film.

Bill Bohnert

THE ARCHITECTURE OF DRAMA is an important book and will be of great interest and utility to anyone involved in bringing stories to life onstage. The book is a quick and entertaining read, full of practical insights and elucidative examples. The authors illuminate topics such as plot, theme and genre using great plays and movies as templates. They talk about subject and theme: how they're different and WHY it's vital for the playwright and director to know the difference; they talk about the ephemeral topic of style and WHY actors and designers ought to pay attention to it, or ignore it at their peril. I was reminded again, as in a master class, why a keen, working knowledge of structure and its application is necessary for every theatre professional, and certainly every student . Reminded, why indeed structure is needed for artistic liberation. If you want some inspiration before you begin working on a new production or project, read this book.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF DRAMA is the ideal balance of information and anecdote. At last, there is a text that both educates and entertains. Here is a dynamic look at dramatic structure that has a strong personal point of view; the authors are clearly not limited by academic experience but draw on years of practical fieldwork to inform the book. THE ARCHITECTURE OF DRAMA is ideal for the classroom but makes for entertaining reading. This is a must for actors, directors, and playwrights as well as the casual theatergoer.

The Architecture of Drama is fun, informative, inspirational and in today's world of "everyone has a idea that would make a great film or theatre piece", is a must have and read for the realization of those ideas and dreams. It is insightful and a guide to understanding how to write a script, but more importantly why to write in the first place. As a producer and director involved in the creation of new material I will now give this book to every artist, famous or novice, I collaborate with.

Peter Schneider
Director / Producer

The best thing I can say about this book is that it made me want to go back to school and enroll in a course taught by the writers. It is a clear, logical approach that will work equally well as a guide for directors, actors, designers and teachers. I was particularly impressed in that I think the book will be appropriate either as an introductory text or a review for advanced students and professionals. These are concepts that always bear repeating, presented with clarity and passion.

The Arkangel Shakespeare is one of the best investments I've ever made. Both the dramatic and technical quality of the recordings are excellent. Buy the collection yourself and discover why listening to Shakespeare is so much more rewarding than merely reading Shakespeare.

It's great to listen to each of these cds with lots of well-known artists. I have now listened to 36 and loved each. If you're a Shakespeare fan, this is a must!

I can't say enough about this collection. This is an absolutely astounding collection of all of Shakespeare's play, uncut and unabridged, performed by some of England's most talented actors an actresses, as some of the other descriptions and reviews speak of.

What I have found invaluably rewarding as a Shakespeare devotee and as a actor is to follow along to Shakespeare's text while listening to these incredible recordings. I did this for a Shakespeare course in college. We'd be assigned a play to read within a week, and within 2 hours, I'd have it all read, while hearing it performed on these amazing recordings. To hear Shakespeare's words spoken as they would have been originally heard nearly 400 years allows for a greater understanding of the composition and the rhythm of the dialogue and verse. It simply does not get any better than this.

I'd highly recommend this collection. The producers of the Arkangel Shakespeare have obviously taken great care in preserving the text of the play and by employing the best of classically trained actors, the greatest works of English literature, filled with characters and words will blossom in your mind's eye. I cannot imagine any library being complete without this collection, and it is nothing short of a delight to have for your own personal library.

Do not hesitate to consider purchasing this collection for your public or collegiate library, or for yourself. It is a hallmark in the canon of comtemporary presentations of Shakespeare's complete works.

This was my Christmas present this year, and I can't stop looking at it. It's almost overwhelming to decide which play to grab and listen to in the car on my drive to work. These are wonderful productions with clear, crisp sound and excellent actors. The classical training is obvious, and many will recognize the names of actors, espcially fans of BBC television. Ciaran Hinds as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra is wonderful. He's also in The Winter's Tale. For any fan of Shakespeare this is a terrific investment. For teachers of British literature it is also a wonderful classroom resource.

This is a gorgeous production that is indeed a treasure. I listen with a Creative Zen Vision player and every word is delicious. I have enjoyed the first seven plays, thru Hamlet, and every nuance, every word, every inflection, pause, sound, background music theme and all the audio panorama makes every minute an absolute delight. I am now in a quandary about whether to continue listening thru the series or begin again to search among the endless audio treasures for gems I might have missed. This Arkangle series is a gift from the gods and worth many times its price. This kind of talent, dedication and flawless performance beggars description.

Ever since the Soviet Union crumbled in the early 90s, many first-time entrepreneurs who had exceptional financial success amidst the chaos that followed the collapse of the old way of life found themselves targets by the ruthless Russian Mafia, the KGB and also, the United States government.

This real life story of the author, Alex Konanykhin, is a detailed account of his life that spanned his relatively simple days in college to being the "Bill Gates" of Russia; from being one of the most powerful men close to Russian president Boris Yeltsin, to a marked man by the KGB; From a political refugee in the United States to being a prisoner, and then finally to freedom.

Written during his frequent incarceration, Konanykhin narrates a story worthy of a best-selling spy novel that proves once again that reality is certainly far stranger than fiction. It tells us even in the free world as long as there is lust for money, no one can escape persecution.

The book adequately shows insights into the dark world of Russian politics with its influence even reaching U.S. shores and the breadth and depth of the KGB's clout in the U.S. government. The paperback offers a different and deeper perspective into the conspiracies revolving inside Russia's political affairs. Many will find this revealing and will understand better what truly happened to the author.

Readers will be shocked about the hidden agenda of governments including the US' own government. You will be convinced that what is commonly released in the media has more to it than meets the eye. As you read this book, you will also find it unbelievable that the US government is all too willing to help KGB-controlled Russia, the so-called "Superpower of Crime," catch its political enemies.

The book also exposes a part of the Soviet culture which blindly hates capitalism yet it tolerates or sometimes encourages lust for power and wealth among its citizens.

The author, whom the CIA calls "The Kid," reveals that titles are more important than actual production in a Soviet economy. To get by, one must be well-connected to men in power - it ensures a good job that pays well without having to actually work. It also shows how fear of authority restrains the whole nation from straying beyond the Soviet thinking. And only the brave few will prevail; challenging the status quo.

Appropriately titled, Defiance tells its readers that even in a world such as where the author lived in and against all odds, one can triumph. Alex Konanykhin's memoir is an absolute must-read for anyone - particularly those who are interested in Russian business or politics.

Today, Alex Konanykhin, 39, heads KMGI, a thriving high-tech B2B agency located in New York which services major corporations and ad agencies across the globe.

And you think you've got it rough?

Young, wealthy, powerful and prominent one day and a robbed fugitive with a KGB contract out on his head the next, so has gone the life of Alex Konanykhin. Like they said it on 60 Minutes,

"Alex Konanykhin didn't only have KGB after him...He had the FBI, the Justice Department, even the CIA all on his case, as a favor to the Russians, part of a deal to allow the FBI to keep a bureau in Moscow."

And while you may have heard a bit about the chaos and danger faced by Alex and his wife Elena on 60 Minutes, CNN and FOX News, you now have the chance to experience the thrill of their misadventures first hand in Alex's new fact action page turner, Defiance.

While the plot is as twisted as any international paperback novel, this is the real McCoy - every bit of it a true story. From cover to cover, you'll find yourself immersed in a world of cruelty, intrigue and espionage, and seeing it through the eyes of an indomitable hero diametrically opposed to the oppression and lack of moral fiber (and ingenuity) around him. What started out as merely an attempt to quell an internal business takeover took him on a whirlwind adventure that left them fleeing from country to country, until finally finding themselves seeking amnesty within the safety of the borders of the United States.

But the story doesn't end there. In fact, it only begins.

Soon after fleeing here for safety, Alex learned that it wasn't just Russia that was after his life. You may just be surprised to learn of some of the social (and potentially life-threatening) injustices that various departments of the United States government made this young man and his wife suffer through as the US Court system became the playing field for a battle of immense, far reaching and often quite unexpected proportions.

More than just a great fast paced read highlighting the highs and lows of an incredible decade of change, Defiance is also a great source of motivation and inspiration for rising entrepreneurs and business men and women all across the globe. In addition to the hope inspired by the story of the chase, you'll also find wonderful insight into the budding economy and changing political ideology in Russia that are sure to refresh the hearts and minds of even the staunchest and experienced Capitalists around!

In a world far too short of people with principles, integrity, and long-suffering Alex's story is sure to inspire individuals in just about any negative situation, from imprisoned immigrants to disgruntled employees, to reach above their current circumstances and hold fast to a dream of something more, something better.

With an intense plot that will speed you from the first page to the last, and a bird's eye view of a world straight out of a spy novel (hey, that's not just me saying that, judges said so too!) Defiance is a compelling page turner that solidly deserves two thumbs up!

-Jennifer Gibbs

Defiance is a riveting, eye-opening, and compelling story of the Konanykhin family, who desperately tried to stay one step ahead of former KGB agents and ruthless CIA, FBI, and INS agencies. Once one of Russia's wealthiest men, Alex Konanykhin runs for his life (and the life of his devoted wife, Elena) after his bank is taken over by former KGB agents through extortion and fraud. The KGB displayed their unsavory tactics through kidnapping the Konanykhin couple. The two successfully perform a daring escape from Hungary and obtain quiet refuge in the United States, which had granted him a green card from the United States Immigration Department.

Their freedom in America was short-lived. The Konanykhins were arrested on bogus criminal charges which had been sought by the Attorney General of Russia. While an innocent man and his wife are trying to seek justice, powerful law firms, and even an INS agent, come to Alex's defense as a pro bono case.

Brilliantly written, Alex tells his own story in Defiance eloquently. The book is a must-read for every American who values basic Constitutional rights and how these rights can be trampled on for sheer political purposes. Follow the story through a myriad of legal maneuvers by the INS and United States Department of Justice designed to sell out the Konanykhin's in order to win favor with the Russian Government. Defiance dramatically sends message to readers that government agencies, whenever located, can succumb to corruption and use under-handed tactics with conscious disregard for basic, human, and constitutional rights.

But Defiance is not just about the issue of constitutional rights. It is also relays the disquieting apathy and lack of courage of our society as a whole to defend basic constitutional rights of others when these rights are placed in jeopardy.

Stripped of their estimated $300-$400 million in assets, the couple soon becomes disenchanted with their situation and begins to lose hope. But their courage to fight the system and their love for each other, which never wavered, is inspiring for us all. Having lost fortunes before and working his way back to wealth, Alex is a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere. This book restores the sense of ultimate justice while reminding us that even "justice", once denied can never really be restored when it has been delayed.

The emotional courtroom drama recounting the Konanykhin's story climaxes in the rendering of a decision by an American Immigration Department administrative law judge. The judge is faced with a politically-charged situation. Will the judge rule in favor of the Konanykhins and do them justice? Or will he collapse and lend aid to the intelligence agencies' carte blanche tactical methods?

Alex Konanykhin was a major supporter and friend of former Russian President Boris Yeltzin, whose political campaign was substantially funded financially by Alex. The Russian mafia and the KGB have likely taken over many of the new industries in Russia, and around the world, as well as the United States. The Konanykhin's story cannot help but capture your interest and keep you on the edge of your seat through every page.

Fasten your seat belts and prepare for the ride of your life.

Alex Konanykhin's story of his phenomenal success against overwhelming odds in becoming one of Russia's first entrepreneurs and the steep price he paid as a result, is one that rivals and even tops any novel by James Patterson,Carol Higgins Clark, or Frederick Forsyth. The sad part is how the U.S. goverment was a willing party in Russia's attempt to suppress and kill Konanykhin.

The most amazing part is that this is ALL verifiably true!

Defiance By Alex Konanykhin How to succeed in business despite being hounded by the FBI, INS, Homeland Scurity, Interpol, Department of Justice, and Mafia hit men. This is the amazing true story of Alex Konanykhin, a young man who made millions in Russia during and immediately after the ending of the Soviet Union's Communist dictatorship. He was an entrepreneur in business even before citizens were allowed to pursue capitalistic ventures and before he had completed college. His wealth was seized by the KGB and he had to flee Russia to keep from being killed or thrown into political prison. He continued to pursue business ventures within Russia even from his exile in Hungary and later the United States. In a difficult to fathom true account he describes how the United States government sold him out to the KGB and Russian mafia who wanted him returned to Russia so they could kill him. The biographical account reads like a Clancey novel. His determination and courage are amazing, and what was done to him by trusted government entities of several countries is horrifying. An interesting read.

This is a compact anthology, but a wonderful collection that includes Li Po, Wu-Men, Rumi, Kabir, Mirabai, Rilke... One of my personal favorites

mitchell puts together an amazing compilation of sacred poetry in this book. i highly recommend reading the enlightened mind if you like this.

I also received this book many years ago from a friend and have given it to others as a gift many times. It is an exceptional collection. The sacred poems and excerpts come from all over the world and have given me new perspective and joy at many different ages and stages of life. God bless you Stephen Mitchell, for making these treasures known to us.

I bought this book after reading about it in my yoga magazine thinking I could really use a good book of poems to ponder and this book is terrific. The poems really will quiet your mind. I love that such a wide array of authors are represented - from Rumi to Dogen to Emily Dickenson to Walt Whitman. A great collection. Glad I bought it.

The title itself speaks for this tender and uplifting collection of "spiritual" poetry. Mitchell's translation of some of the psalms have a particular clarity for me, and the eclectic mixture of ancient and modern, long and short poems are meditation material that renews me. This is a gift to share with seekers and finders.