Companies Books

If your business is import or export this is a MUST HAVE. If you run a small business it also can be helpful.

This book takes a very realistic approach from someone who has lived the ins and outs of importing. The book is easy to read, offers orignal perspectives, and is a must read for anyone who is considering a distribution business!

This book should be essential reading for anyone thinking of starting an import company. That's because it doesn't just discuss the mechanics- the import brokers and customs requirements etc., - but how to make sure that the business can be successful and profitable.

The better books dealing with startup/product introduction outline the various possibilities and options--they leave you with many questions. John Spiers tells you exactly what to do and what not to do. Very rare. Very valuable.

I'm still a half-wit. I mean it provided plenty of big words and concepts that I never heard of before. I was expecting a book that you opened up and was just money. Do they have that book? I would so buy that. Well, I mean unless it cost more to buy the book than was printed inside of it.

Any way, it was kinda interesting.

I would not recommend this book. I understand the information, but being someone who is in therapy it made me doubt therapy and placed bad ideas about therapy in my mind.

I was looking for readings on "boundaries" in psychotherapeutic relationship. Well, I didn't really understand why my therapist insisted so much on keeping boundaries between her and me. I didn't see any problems having conversations over coffee if I happened to run into her outside of therapy. I didn't have any fantasies about finding where she lives, seeking her out, but I didn't see any harms to have a socially friendly relationship with her either. Sounded like very bad ideas from my therapist standpoint. Felt like we would jeopardize all our hard work in therapy if we socialized outside of the "sanctity of the office"! Anyway, I was interested in learning what these "boundaries" stuffs were all about from someone outside of our relationship. This book not only answered my questions on boundaries, but also gave insight into all aspects of relationship between women and their therapist. Wow, what a complicated world! My hat is off to Deborah for writing this book so candidly, attributing no shame to the patients for their feelings, sexual or not. My therapist is a wonderful woman, full of compassion and warm caring for me. She's genuinely listening to me with empathy. I gradually progressed towards a complete trust in her. I told her all my shameful secrets I never told any therapists before. I found myself adoring her like a kid. Yet, despite our wonderful therapeutic relationship, I still wondered if I was weird or some thing. This book helps me to understand my attachment to my therapist and don't feel ashamed about it. It helps me not feeling "weird" about my "child-like longings" for a motherly figure in her. It strengthens my trusting in her and in myself to work out my problems. I would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in psychotherapy, patients or therapists.

In Session illuminates how the heart of therapy lies not in the therapist's theory or dogmatic beliefs, but in the relationship that exists in session between the client and therapist. Seamlessly weaving together the information she collected through interviews, research, and her own personal experiences in therapy, Deborah Lott reveals how this crucial bond between women and their therapists requires the therapist be professional enough to adhere to the boundaries of the "approximate relationship" while also being human enough to be empathically and emotionally present as the client's unique complexity unfolds. This book serves as both a "buyer beware" book that guides women in evaluating their own therapies, as well as a poignant reminder to clinicians about the powerful healing/harm duality inherent in the therapeutic relationship. With the closing words of her book, Deborah summarizes how the therapeutic journey can ultimately be a healing one: "Only by revealing what she is really feeling about herself, her therapist, and their relationship might a woman in therapy have the profound pleasure of being truly seen and understood."

This was the first thought I had when I started reading this book. Deborah does a fabulous job of describing the feelings of transference.

I entered therapy almost a year ago and had been to many therapists in the past. However, this time, something was different. I had never even heard of transference or knew this could happen. So, naturally, I thought again, I'm the only one stuff like this happens to.

I recommend this book to anyone but mostly to therapists. I think they should read this to understand just what we go through. Even though our transference isn't about them per se, it certainly feels that way. I guess it could be about them if their therapist crossed the line, which mine hasn't done.

Thank you Deborah. I needed this book!

Even if you are lucky enough never to experience transference and attachment issues with your therapist, there is plenty of good information here about the goals of psychotherapy, its history, subgroups and boundaries. And if you ARE experiencing transference, dependence, attachment or all three, do yourself a huge favor and read this book.

An amazing book. Highly recommended. An absolute gift to women who are trying to use psychotherapy to overcome negative pasts and/or cope with the stresses and losses of the present.

If I had to pick my favorite biography of all time, this would be it. It has of course as it's subject one of the most fasinating figures of all time. Although Winston is known primarally for his stand aganist Hitler, Manchester's book makes us realize that even if World War 2 had never occured he would still have expericenced one the most action filled and important lives of the twentith century. And Manchester has a real gift for making the past come alive. His masterful use of telling detals gives an almost tactial sense of what life must have been like in the Victorian and Edwarian ages. And there's another reason why the book is special. One of the themes is how often Churchill was mistunderstood and deried for his actions. He was widely blammed for the Gallilopi affare, for example, but the book makes clear that he had little to do with that misadventure. And there were many other episodes where he was villified and unfairly pillored. And I think that is someting we can all understand and identify with. Doesn't everyone at time feel thaat our actions,indeed our very selves are not understood by others? Winston suffered through this many times in his life, yet he remained true to him, his values, and his vision. Reading this book can give you courage.

The wonder of the Internet. I googled the New York Times Book Review of the Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill Visions of Glory written by William Manchester. What I read of this review dated May 25, 1983 rather stunned me. Ms. Michiko Kakutani wrote a very critical and to my way of thinking pedestrian review. I am currently a subscriber to this paper and read the New York Times Book Review faithfully every week. Good thing I was in Cleveland at this time and never read this review.
I read this book back in 2003 with only a cursory knowledge of Winston Churchill. I learned many things which included a rather hard childhood in a privileged family of aristocracy. Randolph Churchill married Jenny Jerome of America in 1874. Winston Spencer Leonard Churchill was born on November 30, 1874. God help us all!
William Manchester writes a splendid review of the life and times of Winston Churchill. His due diligence as to the historical narrative is indeed grand. The letters of Churchill to his parents when he matriculated at Harrow are priceless.
Manchester describes all from Churchill's years at Sandhurst to his excursions to the U.S.A. and Canada. From his service in the Calvary in Africa, India and onto the Boer War, Winston was indeed there on the ground.
His consistent promotion by his mother after his father's death is fully described. Also detailed is a life in upper class Victorian England. Ms. Kakutani thought that Manchester really had no concept of English life during this time frame. Oh really?!! Just what makes a 28 year old Japanese American journalist an expert on Victorian England? I found Manchester's descriptions and historical narrative of this time frame in Winston's life informative and entertaining. Martin Gilbert's narrative was informative and true but it lacked the style of Manchester's writing.
Manchester covers Winston's entry into the House of Commons and the offices he held in high government before during and after World I. This book represents Winston's first 58 years of life. Manchester has written a classic. Unfortunately he will not complete the full life of Mr. Churchill. His second book will cover his Wilderness Years through to the start of the Second World War. He never could finish the third book. I find Manchester's biography more interesting and informative than Martin Gilbert's "Churchill a Life". So Ms. Michiko Kakutani what do you think about them apples?

Manchester is one of those writers who appears unable to disappoint. This is a book to be read and savored. For years, it sat on my shelf - I saw as a large undertaking that I wanted to do right.

The book has a very interesting structure. First, it begins with a kind of interpretive introduction to the man, vividly characterizing him while also evaluating his strengths as a man of history and his glaring weaknesses. You see him, worts and all, and it is both funny and enlightening. The psychological depth is virtually unprecedented in any other bio I have read. Second, you get a view both into his milieu - as an aristocrat of talent and privilege in Victorian Britain - and a biography of both of his parents. This is crucially important, as we come to see Churchill as an anachronism, but also as a boy neglected by narcissistic parents. (Interestingly, the absence of one or both parents is a common trait in extraordinary achievers.) Third, you get his life story, more from the events he was involved in than as an intimate portrait, though much of his personal life is covered. Indeed, he used action as the most effective tonic against depression.

The man that emerges is flawed and complex, but evidently a political genius. In my view, the key to his character is that he remained a Victorian gentleman, who viewed martial valor as the greatest source of meaning and glory in life. This suited him to titanic struggles, such as the one he faced with Hitler that places him in the ranks of the greatest historical figures. As an egotist, he always wanted to place himself at the center of events and yet did so with courage and tenacity in spite of his physical weaknesses. When out of power, he exercised other gifts, such as writing, with equal talent and energy.

Nonetheless, Manchester proves that Churchill was not a politician deeply in touch with his constituency: he never developed a typical base of power and often his views did not synch with the mainstream. Without Hitler, his hour might never have arrived: this duality is a theme that runs through the entire book.

If there is any flaw here, it is that Manchester includes a plethora of detail, not only about world events but in Churchill's political maneuverings. Normally, I delight in these details, if I know there is a purpose to all of it, which I did not always sense in this book. (Here a comparison with Robert Caro is instructive: you always know where he is going and why.) Others may see it differently, of course. Also, many of the historical details I already knew, so did not need Manchester's wordy introductions, but they were useful in the many cases of which I was ignorant.

All in all, this is one of the most engrossing and fascinating bios I have ever read. Warmly recommended.

This is a truly *massive* work, equal parts scholarship and artistry. Though volume one runs close to a thousand pages (counting notes, sources, etc.), I finished reading it this afternoon after an off-and-on reading of about two weeks, and it just flew by. Manchester crafted this with such precision care that I fell into the narrative from page one.

The greatest strength of the book itself-- aside from it's subject-- is Manchester's gift of narrative. WC was the quintessential Victorian, as Manchester points out time and again throughout both volumes. It is only appropriate, then, that the author should give some feel of what it was like to live in the British Empire at the time of Queen Victoria. Some of the very best passages, in my opinion, deal with life during the last quarter-century of Victoria's reign. These are not mere digressions. These fascinating glimpses into WC's era help the reader to better understand Churchill himself, who was born a Victorian and remained one to his dying day.

Manchester provides insight into British colonial administration, life in the British Raj at the end of the 19th century, and the upper class's attitudes toward sexuality and marriage. While this is fascinating in itself, Manchester goes even further and weaves a vivid tapestry of politics, history, and culture through his use of personal correspondence. It is his exhaustive use of personal correspondence-- between WC and his parents, WC and his wife and children, WC and Members of Parliament, and between all sorts of people talking about Churchill and the events in which he was caught up--- that this gives Manchester's work the feeling, not of history or even biography, but of a life too large to have been lived by one man.

well this is the first book i read on winston churchill . bought it in 1983 . the foreword is unforgettable but historical mistakes in it makes this work not the very best on the luife of sir winston. great prose nevetheless.same can be said of book number two.

Every book has to end, I know that, but I felt cheated when I closed "Red Square". How dare Cruz Smith actually finish this thriller? How could he not have added a few more pages of his delicious and irresistible writing? Arkady Renko, the incorruptible and love-lorn Soviet detective, is on the trail of the people who killed one of his informants. He is also pining for the love of his life, who is now broadcasting pro-western propaganda to the fast-collapsing Communist empire from Munich (the action takes place in August 1991). As luck would have it, Renko ends up in Munich as he tracks the killers. The plotting in this novel isn't great -- there are too many coincidences and Renko does remarkably well in Germany, given it's his first time in the West and he speaks little German. The writing is addictive as ever and reaches new heights when Ranko is reunited with the object of his desires, who has a new man in her life. If you want to while away an absorbing few hours, I highly recommend this book.

I read this book twice. Still was confused, but as in his other novels, the author grabs you and puts you inside the protagonist's (Arkady Renko) head.
I think I will read this a third time. Even if I still don't understand it, I will greatly enjoy the ride.

Red Square blew my mind. What a great book. I find there is a lot of junk out there for the two genres I prefer: fantasy and crime drama. I was floored by Red Square - and had actually read it first. Kind of shows how great it is that I loved every moment and I had not even read Gorky Park or Polar Star yet (both darn good, too). Havana Bay followed and was good, but not as full and gripping as Red Square. wow. Truly a gift.

Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. "Red Square" is his third novel - after " Gorky Park " and "Polar Star" - to feature Arkady Renko and was first published in 1992.

Renko, the hero, works as an Investigator with Moscow's militia - more or less the standard police force - and has something of a chequered career. Never a truly 'practising' member of the Party, Renko hasn't always been thought highly of by those in authority. He has always wanted to catch the people responsible for the crimes he's investigating, regardless of the 'political' consequences - as a result of this, he was once dismissed from the Party for a lack of 'political reliability' and sentenced to a life in Siberia. He also appears to be something of a disappointment to his father, a very famous ex-General. (Arkady's opinion of his father - who is very ill as the book opens - isn't too high, either). However, after the events outlined in "Polar Star", he was reinstated to his former position - but is now working in a new Moscow that he barely recognises. "Red Square" is largely set in Moscow, Munich and Berlin in 1991 and is set in turbulent times : Germany has been re-unified and the breakup of the USSR is closing in.

The book opens in August 1991, with Renko and his partner - an Estonian called Jaak Kuusnets - on their way to a meeting with Rudy Rosen. Although Rosen operates as a banker for the various factions of the Russian Mafia, he has agreed to Renko planting a transmitter in his car for the duration of a Mafia-sponsored illegal market. (This is largely due to the fact that the militia have enough to put Rosen away for a very long time). Despite turning informer, Rosen appears to feel relatively safe. The Chechen faction, headed up by Makhmud, constitutes his only real enemy, but - since all the factions require his services - he doesn't think he's under any real threat. His sense of security is reinforced by Mikhail Kim, his fearsome-looking Korean bodyguard, and his business partnership with Borya Gubenko - the head of the Long Pond Mafia. Unfortunately, shortly after a quiet conversation with Arkady at the market, Rudy is killed when his car goes up in flames - changing Renko's case from surveillance to a murder inquiry. One of the witnesses points the finger at Kim - and it seems clear the Korean was responsible for at least one of the two explosions.

Although Arkady works most closely with Jaak, there are a couple of other members on the team he has assembled. Polina deals with the forensic work and is nearly as dedicated to her job as Arkady Renko is to his. Minin, on the other hand, is practically the anti-Renko : he remains devoted to the Party and is, in fact, the only Party member on the team. Renko's boss is a man called Rodionov - the City Prosecutor and an elected member of the People's Congress. When Renko meets with Rodionov to inform him of the investigation's progress, he's also introduced to General Penyagin - the recently appointed head of CID. Unlike his predecessor, Penyagin is a bureaucrat - not a detective risen from the ranks. Renko is stunned to discover that the third person attending the meeting, Max Albov, is a journalist. As the investigation unfolds, developments take Renko far and wide - even to the recently reunited Germany. However, Albov proves to be someone Renko just can't avoid.

This is a hugely enjoyable book - in fact, the Renko series is just getting better and better as it goes along. The book is set in the USSR's dying days, a difficult time for all those used to playing the political game. As such, it's probably even more dangerous that it had been - especially for someone like Renko who only cared about catching the villain, rather than doing what was politically 'correct'. Highly recommended.

First published in 1992, _Red Square_ illustrates the complexities which have emerged as the Russians allow some private enterprise but have not yet become a democracy. Hardliners want to perpetuate their own way of life, while young people and the hungry proletariat want reform and their own piece of the pie. Arkady Renko, who has appeared in two previous Cruz Smith novels (Gorky Park and Polar Star), has returned to Moscow from exile and has resumed his job as a detective, this time investigating corruption and criminal fraud in the city as private enterprise takes illegal turns.

Rudy Rosen, who engages in money-changing, gambling, and other felonies, some of them involving citizens of foreign countries, is cooperating with Renko by allowing him to record conversations. Immediately after Renko leaves Rudy in his car, however, Rudy's car explodes, incinerating Rudy and a suitcase full of cash. As Renko investigates who might have killed Rudy, the complexity of this mystery parallels the complexities of a Russian society in which it's every man for himself in terms of financial transactions.

All the characters are at loose ends, wondering who they are and how they are perceived. Renko is just back from exile, the love of his life having defected to Germany years ago, and she believes that he has abandoned her. Rudy Rosen wants to have it both ways--to cooperate with Renko and to continue his shady dealings. The Chechens who appear in the story are blamed for everything that is violent or illegal, but they remember the horrors of mass relocation and the killings through which the Russians annihilated their villages and left them homeless. As the investigation of Rudy's death leads Renko from Moscow to Munich and Berlin (and to a meeting with Irina, his long lost love), Renko meets with other Russians who live abroad but still regard themselves as Russian.

Renko is a sad case--morose, love-starved, and without any reason for living--and as he tries to do what is right, his essential goodness comes through. As the case becomes an investigation of stolen paintings, many of them owned by Jews at the outbreak of World War II (and earlier), Renko's own superiors and the Russian Mafia abroad threaten his life. The body count rises and who-did-what-to-whom becomes confusing, but many readers will be focused on the character of Renko. As he tries to navigate the minefield of his own life, he resembles a modern version of some of the great Russian tragic heroes. This is not the most unified of the Renko mysteries, but it is fascinating, nevertheless. n Mary Whipple

I find this a very provocative science fiction trilogy. Lewis' view of cosmology and theology is neat, and the story, though somewhat dated, is interesting.

I absolutely LOVED this series. My science fiction loving father recommended it and now I have become a sci-fi junkie because of it. A great story that shows our history and future in interesting ideas. Fantastic read.

Books such as these cannot fail to change you. There have been many books in my life which I could say that about, but short of the Bible, I think these surpass them all (Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or G.K. Chesterton's Man Who Was Thursday being the only serious competition).
I cannot speak about these books without a tone of awe, it would be absolutely useless to try and explain why. Please trust me - read these, and many times, too.

Sometimes learning is like sunbathing. You soak up wisdom like you soak up rays--changing, even though you can't pinpoint every little drop that touched you.

I say that because today I completed the second book in C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. True, I can't name one thing I learned (and this series is much more about exploring concepts than telling a story), but I feel very wise. Before you laugh too hard, let me say that my spirit is quiet right now. It's still. Rested. Open. In awe. Ready to receive.

Today I will continue resting, listening. Tomorrow I'll go back over the pages and remind myself what I learned. (And then I'll start the third book.)

I highly recommend these book, but read them only when you have lots of time to reflect.

Out of the Silent Planet
C.S. Lewis
Scribner Paperback
ISBN 0684823802

This is the first book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. These books are far less known than Lewis's Narnia series or even his Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters, yet it is just as good as any of those writings and goes to show the versatility of Lewis as an author.

This first book begins with our hero, Dr. Ransom, out for a walking tour in the countryside, dressed in that shabby way for which professors are renowned. His foes are his former schoolmates Devine and Weston. These men believe they need a human sacrifice, and by capturing Ransom they have their victim, for they have made a spaceship and are taking Ransom to Malacandra the red planet.

Once on Mars, Ransom escapes his captors, meets many species, and finds out that on Mars there has been no `Fall' and Ransom from Earth or the Silent Planet is a bit of an oddity. People from earth are considered to be `bent' in nature, from the original sin of the fall.

Follow Ransom as he treks across a strange world, and must find the courage to risk it all to save not only an alien race, but also, possibly his own soul.

This is a first book in an amazing series. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

Perelandra
C.S. Lewis
Scribner Paperback
ISBN 0684823829

This is the second book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. This book was written as a sequel to the immensely popular Out of the Silent Planet but Lewis also wrote it so that the story can stand on its own. So if you haven't read the first you can start here.

This book takes place some time after the first, but we are not sure how long. Ransom has received a summons to Venus, a planet that is just beginning its inhabited life. This planet's `Adam' and `Eve' are on the planet and they must choose to obey God or to reject his law and face a `fall' as has happened on earth.

Ransom must face his old foe Weston, and try to save a planet from great evil. Can he navigate this watery planet; can he negotiate the intricacies of human weakness, temptation and corruption? Can he conquer himself and help others to learn obedience?

This is a great creation story. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

That Hideous Strength
C.S. Lewis
Scribner Paperback
ISBN 0684823853

This is the third and final book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. This book was written as a sequel to the immensely popular Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra but Lewis also wrote it so that the story can stand on its own. So if you haven't read the first, you can start here.

That Hideous Strength, unlike the first 2 books in this series, where Ransom leaves earth and fights evil in space and on other planets, the battle in this book takes place on earth.

Ransom must lead a group of faithful believers against National Institute for Coordinated Experiments or N.I.C.E., an organization that believes that Science can solve all of humanity's problems. He must battle the people in this organization, super aliens trying to invade and control earth and use its population against other planets and against God.

On top of all of that, Merlin has arisen from his long sleep and has arisen in England's time of greatest need. But the question is, who will find him first - N.I.C.E. or Ransom and his team? The fate of the world, and possibly the universe, rests on this question.

Lewis called this story an adult's fairy-tale. It is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, and a book that will keep your attention as you raptly turn the pages to find out where Lewis will lead you.

Without a doubt, "Three Comrades" is the saddest story I have ever read and one of the most beautiful. This novel is vastly under-rated. It should be on every "classics" list of great fiction. There is not a rating category high enough for it.

Many lovely pictures emerge page after page -- of Berlin in the late 1920's. Take page 129 as a small example: "We walked on. Then we came to the graveyard. The trees rustled, their tops were no longer visible. As the mist continued to thicken the fairy light began. May bugs came reeling drunk out of the limes and buzzed heavily against the wet panes of the street lamps. The mist transformed everything, lifted it up and bore it away, the hotel opposite was already afloat like an ocean liner with lighted cabins on the black mirror of the asphalt, the grey shadow of the church behind it became a ghostly sailing-ship with tall masts, lost in the grey-red light; and now the houses, like a long line of barges, came adrift and began to move."

The characters are remarkable, and their stories are heart-breaking, while at once ringing with humor and pathos. Some episodes are hilarious; others make you cry unabashedly.

Three Comrades is a love story - no it's several love stories. One is of Robby and Pat (yes, unusual names for a story about young Germans). Another is among the abiding friendships and devotion between the three young men, their triumphs and travails, as the deteriorating social structure of pre-Hitler Germany crumbles around their feet, ruining their lives. The final love story is the heart-warming thread of true care and care-taking shown by the wider circle of the gloriously depicted players in this story, some sad and forlorn, others happy-go-lucky and still others greedy and vile. The mix is, of course, sensational, real and vivid. Every single character speaks with clarity in his or her own voice.

The story itself (once you pass through the first 40 pages) is simply compelling. You sense quickly the doom that is bound to come; you know that some will die; you know that tragedy will eventually win. You know all of this, and it does not matter. You cheer and root for these young people. You want them to live and thrive. You hope against hope that everything will be all right. You laugh, cry and exult with them. And in the end you are moved in your soul by their plight.

The story is - in a word - sensational. As to the fate of the characters, page 375: "'No,' said I, `I don't want to betray anything. But I do want that not everything we touch should always go to pieces.'" On the German social order, page 402: "'...They don't want politics at all. They want substitute religion.' He looked around. 'Of course. They want to believe in something again - in what, it doesn't matter. That's why they are so fanatical, too, of course.'"

You will laugh and you will cry and you will be unable to put this book down or stop yourself from thinking about these people long after you finish it.

While it might help, you need not read "All Quiet on the Western Front" first. Three Comrades stands on its own merits.

Now, why did I not give this book a 5 star rating, one that it clearly deserves and that most reviewers correctly award to it? It is because of the translation by A. W. Wheen. The feeling that the characters in this story are German and that the story takes place in Germany in the late 1920's is completely lost by the "over-the-top," slangy 100% British translation. This is not a British movie about Germans. This is a German language novel in need of a good English language translation. But, the way these people talk --- via this translation --- completely neutralizes their German-ness. The story could be in Southampton, or even Denver for that matter. I grew tired of the colloquial British-isms. Why not keep some of the German language --- un-translated? Except for an occasional "Ach!" we are forced to read this story in rather low-level British English --- a complete travesty. I don't want to see the word "lorry" or the word "kerb" or "tyres" or the phrase "...knocked the car down to us" in this story. Such a translation is an insult to the book, the author, and the historical value of the tale.

I implore the publishers to consider commissioning and publishing a sensible American English translation of this marvelous book, while at the same time keeping the tone, feeling and ethos of the German language, the German sensibilities and its very German setting. I detested reading what may have been an intentional de-Germanization of this glorious book by virtue of this horrible British translation.

Thus, it is because of the translation alone, not its literary value, that I decided to rate the book a mere 3. On its merits, the book is a 5++. But, alas, a translated book is only as good as the translation. Remarque deserves better.

It has been generally accepted view that Remarque was never a great writer. I largely agree with the verdict. However, he was a very good writer whose expertise was touching the sentiment of general readers , if not those of literary critics. Three comrades is definitely my favorite along with Black Obelisk , not only among Remarque's works but also any form of literature I have been consuming for years. Similar to his early novels , such as All quiet on the western front and the sequel "The Road Back" , Remarque used first person narration. Robert Lohkamp , narrator of the novel, is the archetype of "Lost generation" from the other side of hill. Robert(or Bob or Robby)'s psyche was so pulverized by the experience of the Great war and its terrible aftermath that he seems to lose all meaning in his life. Bob , Otto and Gottfried are main characters whose life were forever marred by the war . But, they find a consolation from strong comradeship and endless drinking.

By accident, Lohkamp and his comrades met Pat. Although three of them all fell for her. It was Lohkamp , with his comrades' help , falls in love with the mysterious and consumptive beauty Pat. Much of the novel is about daily harship, and the slow change of Bob from despaired and jaded realist to idealistic romantic who can do anything for his love , Pat.
The book conveys sundry aspects of love through contrasting author's ideal notion of love and life and harsh reality that doesn't seem to allow little preciousness ordinary people longed for.(especially, Bob's neighbor Hasse's case)

I particulary enjoy Remarque's humane description of characters in the last stage of the tumultous Weimar Republic. Remarque maintains objective but symphathetic observation on these people whose lives are obviously shattered and go down to the nadir by uncontrollable economic difficulties and political turmoil.

The other attractive aspect of the book is the author's description of subtle changes Lohkamp goes through. First several chapters , he was one of those hardened veteran who doesn't have any aspiration in his life and so full of weltschmertz. Yet after meeting and falling in love with Pat , Robert slowly changes himself and finally last several chapters and its tragic ending . Lohkamp is the man who doggedly resist toward desiny he himself so well aware of.

In fact, the last few chapters shows how talented Remarque really was. If he had not indulged himself into hedonism and been as disciplined as Thomas Mann, surely Remarque would have written some master pieces .

When Remarque wrote this book, he was under severe pressure from both his own life and publishers who expected another best-seller. There are a bit of cliche, kitsch and strong resembrance to Mann's "Magic Mountain" in the last several chapters.In spite of these weaknesses, the book will surely touch sentiment and make you want more about Remarque's other works. It's one of the most touching love stories you will ever read and at the same time honest representation of ordinary people's every day difficulties in one of the terrible moment in the modern German history. It's a deeply pessimistic book ,but the beauty of Remarque's pessimism somehow penentrates your soul even though it was written almost 80 years ago. All in all, very renumerative reading and I am not hesitate to recommend the book to anyone who still value human decency over profit and sentimental romanticism over artistic pretence and intended complex.
Please read it after the western front and Road back. you will grip how the most promising generation became the victim of its own passion and forces beyond their comprehension. I hope the book will be republished .

I don't think anyone can fully define what a great book the three comrades is. No one can describe the love between Pat and Robert throughoutly. I truly believe this is the most romantic book of all time. We live in a very changed world now, where there is little time and place for emotion but if there are any romantics left, this book should be your best friend. I hope that sometime in the future this book can be taught in school instead of the usuall boring rubbish people have to endure. If anyone is interested in reading a book about friendship, love and most of all hardships of life, then this book is the one for you

Does anyone even remember this brilliant author anymore? What a shame, that the average American is made inescapably and constantly aware of the Paris Hiltons of the world while remaining completely unaware of this man and his literary genius.

This novel will touch you in some way, provided you have even a trace of the Milk of Human Kindness running through your veins. It is a story of the small troubles and small triumphs of insignificant men, at least as the world counts Significance. It is the story of men who no longer understand the world they live in, resorting instead to an unspoken Code of loyalty to one another, as Comrades ought to do. At the very least it will remind you of what integrity and quiet self-sacrifice are really all about. This one is abundantly worth your time.

My colleagues who have reviewed Remarque favorably on these sites are totally correct: he is a remarkable writer who still resonates with contemporary readers in a manner that more esteemed German writers such as Mann and Goethe fail to. A cross between Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald, I have seldom spent more rewarding time reading. The combination of humor, philosophy, brilliant dialogue, unusual and touching romantic experience, war-weary and world weary articulations, social commentary, and perfect word craftsmenship (thanks to excellent translations of course), make him stand out among all European writers in my mind--but then again, I'm a more Modernist enthusiast. So far I love all of the novels I've read, but I tend to lean slightly towards The Black Obelisk with its absolutely profound and heart-rending romantic dilemma. I teach All Quiet at the university level, but I'm working on teaching A Time to LOve..., 3 Comrades, etc. BUT...can anybody tell me how in the freakin' world these books are out of print and how to do something about it?! It's a freakin' sacriledge!

I read this book many years ago and it really hit me hard. I was a Navy Aircrewman who had been through SERE school. The courage and determination of LT Lance Sijan was incredible. I believe you can only relate to his story if you have in the Military and the sacrifices we make every day or have family or a loved one who has been in. I recommend this book for any Military Aviator.

The story moves along quickly. Its not a book you are going to struggle to finish. It will hold your attention and is a great motivational story as far as will and mental toughness are concerned.

I read this story years ago and remember being inspired by the courage of this young man. One reviewer stated that his plane was shot down, I thought that the bombs he was dropping detonated prematurely and caused the crash. Regardless, it's a great story about a guy who never gave up.

I was a young Air Weapons Controller stationed in Southeast Asia during the time of Lt. Sijan's shootdown. However , it wasn't until much later, when I read "Into the mouth of the Cat", that I came to understand what a truly amazing person Lance P. Sijan was. I have since given each of my son's copies of the book, so that they, too, could read about what the definition of an american hero really is. Some of the comment's logged in this forum question his motivation for continuing to try to escape...they need to read the Code of Conduct that those of us in the military tried very hard to live by. Many of the POW's found it almost impossible to abide by every code, and understandably so. Some of the torture tactics that were administered by the enemy, no mortal could withstand. Lance P. Sijan came as close as any human being could, and ultimately died from it. If one longs to find someone that truly lives up to the definition of "Hero", they should look no further than Lance P. Sijan. He has been my hero for many years. Mike Carbonneau, Firebase Sharana, Afghanistan, Aug. 2008

While in the USAF, back in 1987, I had first read this book. This is the type of book, that, when you begin to read it, you cannot put it down until it is finished. The author writes in a very easy to read style, no "big" words, but, is very descriptive and detail orientated in his telling of Sijan's heroism. Although, this is a war "related" story, I feel that it is not a "War Story". Malcolm McConnell, through his attention to detail, chronicles the extremely brave and selfless actions of an otherwise ordinary man from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After I had originally read this, 1987, I was so overwhelmed by the author's accurate depiction of what had been "Folk Lore" in the Bay View area of Milwaukee. Because of this book, I have always thought of Sijan, and all that he had endured, whenever an obstacle or challenge is placed before me. This is a very inspirational book. As I was driving on Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View, I passed by a Flag that is displayed right next to the road, in a little ballpark that is named Lance Sijan Field. And, every time that I pass it, I instinctively Salute. But, this time, I also bought this book, actually, four, one for my Father, two for my Brothers, and, of course, one for myself. By the way, this time, again, I had also read it in one sitting!

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright was first published in 1941, and though it was written many years ago, is as delightful now as it was then. It's a story about a family who loves each other, works hard and strives to do the right thing. How refreshing!

Mona (13), Rush (12), Miranda (10 ½), who is known as Randy, and Oliver (6) live in New Your City in a brownstone that is rather shabby, but has many floors and fits their lifestyle perfectly. The Melendy children's mother died, but their father and Cuffy, the beloved housekeeper, provide the love, attention and care the children need.

Each of the children has dreams and desires for their futures. Their interests are varied and they each are independent and inquisitive about life and their surroundings.

But while the Melendy children find life generally interesting, Saturdays can sometimes be just plain boring. The children form a club they call the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). All of the children agree to pool their allowances and each child takes a Saturday with all the money to do something by themselves that they really want to do.

The Saturdays are exciting, not just because of the activities they choose, but because of the people they meet and the stories they hear. Well, Oliver does make one Saturday particularly memorable, but you'll have to read the book to learn about his adventure.

In the day of the novels that glamorize the worst society has to offer, The Saturdays is delightfully refreshing.

Armchair Interviews says: Read the series and enjoy!

This book is different in a good way. It is about 4 children who decide to put there allowences to a good use. Every Saturday the add up there allowence and one of the children gets to do any thing that they will always remember.
By,
Girl With A Plan

I had doubts for this book because it didn't sound very interesting but my Mom wanted me to read it so I did-I loved it. It's original and imaginative and above all easy to read for hours without getting bored. It's original and fun like the story of Mrs. Olifount being kidnapped by jypsies, or Isaac the dog saving the family from suffocating. It's a wonderful book I can't wait to read the sequils.

When I was nine years old I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Enright's "The Melendy Family" on sale for 25 cents at my school Christmas fair, donated by some eighth-grader who evidently felt she had "outgrown" it. I wonder, does anybody ever outgrow the Melendys? "The Melendy Family" was a three-in-one volume comprising "The Saturdays", "The Four Story Mistake", and "Then There were Five". Alas, "The Melendy Family" is no longer in print, but fifty years later, I still have my copy, read to shreds, patched and repatched with scotch tape, a book to be treasured forever and never thrown away. Fortunately, the books making up "The Melendy Family" have been reissued as individual volumes available to enchant yet another generation of young readers.

"The Saturdays", the first volume in the series, introduces us to the four Melendy children: Mona, age 13, Rush, age 12, Randy, who is ten-and-a-half, and Oliver, age 6. Each is given a distinct personality and Enright modeled them on children she had known in her own life, her own children or childhood friends. The result is four fictional characters so totally believable that for years after the books were published, Enright continued to get letters from readers wondering if the Melendys were "real".

The Melendy children's mother is deceased, but they are raised by a devoted, caring father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, who stands in as nurse, cook, substitute mother, grandmother, and aunt, and generally rules the roost. The children are funny, refreshing and unspoiled. Mona has aspirations of being a famous actress and already at thirteen can recite "yards and yards of Shakespeare at the drop of a hat." Rush is the next to the oldest, a musical prodigy with a penchant for getting into and out of trouble. Randy at ten-and-a-half (the half is very important at that age) is an endearing mixture of grace and klutziness, a talented dancer and artist who keeps falling over her own feet when it comes to manual labor. And six-year-old Oliver is the baby of the family, placid and calm, very much his own person, as his story shows.

The story opens on a rainy Saturday which finds Randy and Rush monumentally bored with nothing to do. Randy wants to see a some French paintings. Rush wants to go to the opera. Mona wants to see a play. But in the early 1940s (the approximate time in which the story is set is revealed in the opening pages when Enright tells us that the long scars on the linoleum floor were made by Rush trying out a pair of ice skates on Christmas afternoon, 1939), fifty cents a week allowance was standard, and there wasn't a whole lot you could do with that. Randy has a brainstorm. Let's start a club, she says, and pool our allowances together each week so one of us can spend them on something we've always wanted to do. This idea is adopted enthusiastically by all the children (Oliver wants to contribute his ten cents, too), and thus the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (ISAAC) is born.

Each following chapter describes an adventure that takes place on each child's Saturday. Randy goes to see an exhibition of French paintings, runs into an old family acquaintance, Mrs. Oliphant, and is treated to tea at the Plaza while she hears a delightful story of the time Mrs. Oliphant was kidnapped by gypsies during her childhood.

Rush goes to the opera, walks home in a snowstorm, and finds a lost puppy that becomes the family's devoted friend and companion from that day on.

Mona, tired of her long braids, goes to a beauty parlor and treats herself to a haircut and a manicure. The resulting uproar by her father and Cuffy seems a trifle overdone, but as Father later admits, it's hard for parents to realize that their children are growing up.

And Oliver, keeping his own counsel, sneaks out of the house when his Saturday comes and goes to the circus all by himself. An even greater adventure occurs when he is given a ride back home by a mounted policeman on a horse, after he gets lost leaving Madison Square Garden.

After Oliver's adventure the kids decide to spend their Saturdays as a group, but that doesn't stop them from having mishaps such as Randy falling overboard from a boat in Central Park, the family almost suffocating from coal gas when Rush forgets to shut the furnace door, and the storeroom catching fire. It all comes to an exciting conclusion when Mrs. Oliphant invites the children to spend the summer in her lighthouse in Long Island.

"The Saturdays" takes us back to a simpler time and to adventures that probably couldn't happen today (no parent in his right mind would allow a ten year old to go to a museum alone in the New York City nowadays), but kids are still kids, and the Melendys seem so real they could be anyone we knew when we were children, or wish we had known. The time frame may help children understand what a dollar could purchase back then (a wash, set and manicure, or admission to a museum with change to spare). The whole series is a gem for every child and every generation. I still marvel at the priceless find I picked up off a bookshelf at random fifty years ago for only twenty-five cents. It's paid me back a zillion-fold ever since.

Judy Lind

I wanted to respond to the reviews below that thought it was either implausible or dated for children aged 10-13 to wander around New York by themselves. I grew up in New York (in Manhattan, across the park from the Melendys) in the late 1980s. I turned 13, just Mona's age, in 1990. I started walking home from school alone in fourth grade (when I was nine, a year younger than Randy). Like Mr. Melendy and Cuffy, my parents' major worry was that I was careful crossing the street. (Reasonably enough, they feared that drivers would not be able to see a small child.) Many of my friends from elementary school walked or took the bus to school alone at the same age. By twelve (Rush's age), I was allowed to take the subway to visit friends from junior high school, and they took the subway to visit me. By fourteen our teachers assumed that we were competent to find the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our own for projects. None of these people were neglectful, and none of them were "horrified" at the idea of pre-adolescents wandering around the city alone. This was in the supposed "bad old days" when crime was theoretically much higher than it is now, and none of us ever suffered any accident. (Although a group of friends and I got lost coming back from the theater in eighth grade, and were pretty embarrassed that we looked like tourists.)

Anyone familiar with the geography of New York City knows that the Melendy children stay within a fairly small geographic area in THE SATURDAYS, and that the areas where most of their adventures take place are some of the richest and safest in the city. Most sensible New York parents would allow their children to wander there on Saturday afternoons with no more concern than the appropriate ones that Mr. Melendy shows. (Be careful of traffic, don't talk to strangers, and don't get lost.)

Ironically, this ties in with the review that says that Enright did not take enough "risks" with the book, by having her characters get kidnapped by gypsies or run away from home. The fact is, she wrote a fairly realistic description of the childhood of the middle and upper-middle classes of New York City....kids who come into CONTACT with a relatively diverse group of people who have had a variety of experiences, but who actually live in a fairly safe, and sheltered world.

As a New York City kid, I was thrilled to read a book that reflected MY real life experience, as opposed to yet another story about kids who lived in houses with back yards and rode a school bus, and generally had no relationship to my real life. I still love THE SATURDAYS for its loving description of a New York that has in some ways remained startingly the same, even though parts of it have disappeared (no more two way traffic on Fifth Avenue, and no double decker buses!). As other reviews have said, The Saturdays is a charming, well-written book for kids, that can also be enjoyed by adults. It's also one of the few accurate and positive stories about growing up in a great city. I would recommend it for all ages.

This book helps to explain why men start getting physical and mental symptoms, sometimes as early as their late 30's or early 40's. Its really not how long we live, but how well we live that matters most. The book doesn't give empty promises about "turning back the clock" but instead, explains how aging doesnt' have to include the typical symptoms that go along with it. Research is just starting to understand male menopause ("andropause") and why each man's situation is so unique vs. the general cycles experienced by women as they age.

You don't have to be embarrassed if you have symptoms like fatique, depression, weight gain, achy muscles and slow recovery times after work outs. Maybe you just need to get your hormones checked to find out if your testosterone is low. There are several ways to go about determining whether you need hormone replacement. This book will get you started the right direction.

This is the best book on male TRT that I have read. It gets down and dirty with the details to make TRT/HRT understandable. It does this while remaining easy to read. Medical names and terms do not get in the way.

The author thinks that T injections are not very good. The problem is that practice, when the book was published in 1998, was to inject every 2,3 or 4 weeks. The author concluded that injections were a poor delivery method. With guys self injecting [at home] today once a week, or twice a week or even every other day, the problems cited by the author do not exist.

The book, lacks information* on how to find a TRT/HRT competent doctor and what to ask for. Sadly, one can easily know more about these things than most doctors. Finding a good TRT/HRT doctor is close to impossible for many.

* This seems to be common fault with Doctor written TRT related books.

Excellent hormone replacement book for both men and women. Easy to read and relate to. Real eye opener.

This is my favorite hormone book.
I have read many Hormonal books, and Dr. Shippen has tons of good information for us older men.
Fun, easy to read and full of usefull information to get the best out of your hormones.
Great book

The Testosterone Syndrome, Reversing the Male Menopause by Eugene Shippen, M.D. is a book about testosterone replacement for aging males. Dr. Shippen is a popular lecturer on the medical meeting circuit where he covers testosterone replacement. Not only is he an expert on testosterone medical research, he also draws on his experience of many years using testosterone in clinical practice.

It is well known that institutional medicine has been staunchly opposed to the idea of testosterone for aging males. In spite of this opposition, national sales of testosterone has been increasing yearly, suggesting that consumer demand is now the driving force. For the medical consumer, since this information isn't available from your doctor or in the media, Shippen's book is the first step to learn about signs and symptoms of low testosterone, and whether testosterone supplementation is right for you. Although some areas of the book contain language suitable for health care professionals, the book is actually written for the lay reader.

According to Shippen, age related decline in testosterone levels cause muscle weakness, memory loss, erectile dysfunction, and the onset of a host of degenerative diseases. However, merely replenishing testosterone is not the whole solution. The missing piece of the puzzle is the male estrogen level which can go up with testosterone treatment because of the aromatase conversion of testosterone to estradiol. Shippen found that this aromatase conversion of testosterone to estradiol. was aggravated if testosterone blood levels fluctuated between high and low extremes. Shippen advocates the gradual release of testosterone with subcutaneous pellets to avoid this problem. I found it puzzling that Shippen did not mention aromatase inhibitor medication which is the current solution. Also, many other experts suggest daily topical testosterone creams, since this provides more stable delivery.

During a more recent lecture I attended, Shippen spoke about giving a series of small mini-injections of testosterone, rather than the pellets. So I would caution the reader to keep in mind that the book was written 10 years ago, and a future new edition would be welcome, including information on aromatase inhibitors and other new developments. In spite of this, there is much excellent information in the book. While drugs change with the passage of time, human physiology does not.

A key chapter deals with low testosterone, erectile dysfunction and sexual dysfunction. Here Shippen shares his insights about the importance of exercise (Kegel exercises), to strengthen the pelvic muscles, in addition to testosterone for the return of sexual function.

Other chapters deal with beneficial effects of testosterone on the circulation, the heart, and mental functioning. Another chapter deals with testosterone and the prostate. One myth is that testosterone causes prostate cancer, and Shippen finds no evidence of this in the medical literature or in his clinical practice.

In conclusion, Shippen's book is recommended for any male over the age of 50 who is interested in testosterone supplementation to maintain youthful vigor, and as a preventive health measure.

Jeffrey Dach MD

Our family loves these books. We originially came across them at the library and purchased this one to have in our collection. The illustrations are so beautifully done, I would highly recommend purchasing the full-sized hardback books. The smaller paperback book collections just don't seem to be as much fun to read.

When my first born turned one (almost 12 years ago), a friend gave this to her for a birthday present. Over the years, and with the addition of our second child, this book continues to be in our top 3 books. We still pull it out to read -- it's never far away!

I now "pass it forward" and buy it as a gift for baby/young children presents.

This sweet book is one of my four-year-olds favorites, and mine too. I enjoy reading it to her as much as she enjoys hearing it. The illustrations say as much or more than the words. It's a great story for validating the child who loves home and the one who loves to "visit".

I have become a HUGE fan of every Toot and Puddle book available and want to collect them all. I've found they have a wide age appeal, from 2 years on up to....well, I'm 28. Such clever adventures and experiences are depicted in each book and the illustrations could be the artwork in my child's room. In fact, I'd buy the prints if they were available. Great book!

This adventure with Toot and Puddle is one of my all-time favorites. It is an adorable story about two friends, one who loves to travel the world and the other who loves just staying at home in Woodcock Pocket, USA. The postcards that Toot sends Puddle from his world travels are cute and humorous! The illustrations in this book are incredible. This is a book that adults and children alike will enjoy together. I never get tired of reading this one over and over. It is a book my children will keep and pass on to their children!!