Maxim Books

The book does have examples of beautiful typography but unfortunately gives no rationale for the approach chosen. A slight disappointment here.

A fine example of the beautiful possibilities of typographic expression. This reprint captures most of the spirit of an earlier letterpress printed volume. This book is visual music.

The collection is great except that the product description indicates that Five Great Stories by Chekov is included, but it's not. Instead a volume of The Cherry Orchard is.

What makes Russian Literature of the nineteenth century, the Literature of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Gogol, and Chekhov, among the greatest the world has known?
One answer is the tremendous psychological depth , the portrayal of human life and character with such strong feeling. Great humor , great eccentrics, great searching for life's meaning, great searching of depths , great struggles in the realm of the human. And great great variety in character as each one of these masters has a type of human being uniquely his own.
And all this with the deep sense of life's great tragic moments and its suffering.

Peter Tsouras says little about the intent or purpose of his book of Civil War quotations, beyond such phrases as to "tell the story from the general's particular perspective", or to discuss age-old problems of the art of war (9, 10). Though 'Commanders' in the title should more correctly be 'leaders', this book is a welcome companion to Ayers' A House Divided and Lyman's Civil War Wordbook; Including Sayings, Phrases, and Expletives. Some of Tsouras' selections bear the dryness of subjects we are long familiar with, from religious sentiment, honor, and glory, to logistics and maneuverability. However, these quotes retain their veridical and immutable character, despite our familiarity with the themes. Moreover, readers will benefit from the wide range of less well-known quotes.

Unwittingly perhaps, Tsouras presents a revealing book since much is unveiled by what these commanders do not say. For instance, he quotes Maj Gen Oliver O. Howard speaking in admirable terms of men carrying the colors against enemy guns (55). Did this underlie the reason Howard needlessly launched the doomed uphill assault against entrenched Confederate positions at Pickett's Mill? Relatedly, though Ulysses S. Grant could boast of having "never spared lives to gain an object" (25), we are aware of his deep regret over ordering a final, doomed charge at Cold Harbor. Such contradictions in behavior represent the complexities of human nature, which Tsouras brings to mind. As such, we witness a telling psychology between the lines of many of these quotations, exemplified by Stonewall Jackson's statement that "war...is the sum of all evils" (254), and Sherman's "War is at best barbarism" (256). Otherwise, readers may find the entries under 'Administration' or 'Civil Affairs' non-scintillating, while other categories beg more citations than the few Tsouras includes (such as 'First Battle'). Furthermore, instead of including vainglorious poetry, Tsouras could have served his readers better with the haunting lines of Emily Dickinson's Victory Comes Late, or Melville's Shiloh: A Requiem.

Finally, sometimes the idealism embedded in pronouncements by variously laureled, high ranking officers, did not result in plausible registrations of actuality. Hence, this reviewer recommends balancing Tsouras' book with others which cite quotes from common soldiers, whose words bequeath visceral elegy, imagistic power, and emotional resonance. Admittedly, it is easy to criticize a book of quotations because readers will always think of a phrase that the author could have included. Therefore, despite these criticisms, readers will still find in Tsouras' book much time-honored, veridical wisdom.

I used this book as a source of daily inspirational quotations while in the military. I also know the author personally and would recommend all of his works.

It's a wonderful little book and I often felt tears of joy coming from my face.

Of course, I am also a bit prejudice to this little book -- my story is featured on page 110!!! Conari Press received about 1000 stories back in 1993 and chose only twenty-five of us to be included in the book. I was one of the twenty-five!!!

It was quite exciting to see my writing in print, and still going strong!
Sincerely, Angela Theresa Egic

This little book is easy reading, but is packed with beautiful examples of how we can give and receive these special acts of kindness. This book was given to me as a Random Act of Kindness by two wonderful people, Perry A~ and David, whom I have never met in person. These short stories cover all walks of life, including stories about those imprisoned. The only thing that I would have preferred about the book was to know who wrote each story. I plan to reference and recommend this book to my participants in my "Success Skills Seminars" that I present to corporate clients, as well as to inmates...to help lower recidivism, and reduce the number of victims of crime. Imagine how much more wonderful this world would be if we all practiced more Random Acts of Kindness.

I was looking for a comprehensive work of Admiral Lord Nelson and in this work I was disappointed. For the $32 retail price I was expecting more 'meat' to this work. At just over 200 pages the 5 X 7 book size was rather lean upon content. It is however, in itself, an excellent work as it contains many excerpts of his letters to both Family and Colleagues with clarifications and comments as to the situation in which the letters were written and their over-all reflection of the man himself.

It is an excellent reference for 'quotes' and brief insights to the politics and realities of the British Navy during Nelson's service. Comments that reflect truths and feelings felt at one time or another by all sailors and soldiers no matter the Flag being served:

"Government don't care much for us." written by him aboard the famous HMS Victory is a case in point.

If your looking for anything like a comprehensive work on the Man and his life I'd advise another work (They are legion and cited in the Books Bib.) but for a beginning this will suffice.

Anyone who is interested in research about Lord Nelson and the British Royal Navy will find this book helpful. The author is well qualified and respected. The book is full of many eyewitness accounts of Nelson's apparent wry humour. Anyone wishing to know somewhat type of a man and Admiral Nelson was will find this book helpful. It is excellent, and very affordable.

This is very cute for those who enjoy dogs. Also very good for children since there is no reading--just pictues.

Michael Nastasi has an amazing talent for photographing dogs. His photos are playful, heartwarming and beautiful...you feel as though you've been given a glimpse into the soul of each of his canine subjects. If you love dogs, know someone who does, or simply appreciate outstanding photography, I highly recommend this book!

One of the quickest ways to describe this book, the presentation is not heavy handed or didactic. The illustrations help make the messages clear without uneeded explanation. Fairly brilliant.

Very insightful. A quick reference book on life that can be read over and over.

Peace Be Still is a wonderful collection of divinely inspired revelations on how to live together in one accord by following the example of Christ.

This is a very inspiring book. It is a "Buddy book." A book small enough to be carry everywhere you go. Just open "Peace Be Still" whenever you need some peaceful and comforting words. Ms. Davis you have out done yourself. Your book is petite, sweet, but most of all, "Unique."

Topics from Foundations,The Path,Meditation,Compassion, Emptyness,Mind of the Buddhas,and Realization. Great reminders throughout the day. Also has a glossary,226 pages. Excellent for reminders, in case you find yourself needing a pick me up, i start reading them and I find myself reading more than one. Excellent quotes,inspirations from Dalai Lama, Sogyal Rimpoche, Patrul Rimpoche,and others.

"The Pocket Tibetan Buddhist Reader," edited by Reginald A. Ray, is an anthology of short passages from "Tibetan lamas, both present and past." The passages are drawn from both other published books and unpublished transcripts. As the title indicates, this is a small, pocket-size volume; the text fills 226 plus xiv pages. The back cover information notes that the editor is Professor of Buddhist Studies at Naropa University and at the University of Colorado. The passages in the book are organized into seven chapters: "Foundations," which covers such topics as suffering, karma, and samsara; "The Path"; "Meditation," which covers both the process and obstacles to effective practice; "Compassion"; "Emptiness"; "Mind of the Buddha"; and "Realization."

In addition to the primary text, the book has some great supplemental features. Especially admirable is the detailed listing of sources of the passages. The extensive bibliographic information offers interested readers lots of leads to other books both from Shambhala and other publishers. There are also biographical notes on the more than 20 contributors. Also worthy of note is the glossary, which covers such terms as "bardo," "bodhisattva," and "wish-fulfilling jewel."

The anthology is full of fascinating entries. I encountered many wonderful insights and thought-provoking declarations. I found some of the more striking passages to include the following: the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche's use of computer metaphor to explain Buddhism, the 14th Dalai Lama's graphic warning against the practice of slander, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's thoughts on reaching "the citadel of the absolute," and Sogyal Rinpoche's inspiring explanation of the buddha-nature. Also worthy of note is Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche's beautiful use of weather imagery to explain the best path of meditative practice.

My only disappointment with this anthology was that, while it contains a wealth of information on meditation and interesting Buddhist concepts, I felt that it doesn't offer enough insight into how Tibetan Buddhism functions in the world in a broader practical sense. How, I wonder, does all this relate to war, homelessness, sexual morality, family life, addiction, human rights, and other issues? I think I got a better sense of what it means to be a Tibetan Buddhist in the greater world from "The Pocket Dalai Lama," compiled and edited by Mary Craig and also published by Shambhala; I recommend that book as an excellent companion text. This reservation aside, "The Pocket Tibetan Buddhism Reader" is a small but wonderful collection of spiritual treasures.

Reviewed by Sylvia Del Toro for RebeccasReads (4/08)

"Quip City" was entertaining and fun to read. It gave a lot of ideas that and insights to many parts of our country. I was amazed at all the little details.

It gave me a sense of knowing the country in a whole different way. Reading "Quip City" makes me want to travel and visit all the "quirky" sights.

"Quip City" is an entertaining and humorous travel guide. From Alabama to Wyoming, Howard Baldwin provides the reader with a new view of American heritage, and local customs. From Anchorage to St. Petersburg he has captured some of America's most colorful cities, their uniqueness and idiosyncrasies. From folklore to historical facts Baldwin's approach is unique. He provides the reader with insights into the culture and personalities of the cities themselves.

Quips and quotes come from well known personalities in the fields of sports, business, entertainment, and politics. I appreciated television producer Bruce Belford's take on Cleveland, "People in New York and Los Angeles want to have careers. People in Cleveland are happy to have jobs. I think more of America is like Cleveland."

I was reminded of my time in Seattle when I read this bumper sticker quip. "People don't tan in Seattle, they rust."

Photographer Georgia O'Keefe opened new vistas of personal travel potential for me in her observation. "If you ever go to New Mexico, it will itch you for the rest of your life."

Baldwin is well qualified to compile these quips and quotes about America. He has a long career in publishing and has written articles for well known travel magazines, and has written and published books on travel and technology.

This book is a combination of Travel, Humor, and Americana. The format lends itself to reading while traveling, for conversation starters, and vacation planning. It is a good book for the coffee table, the bedside stand, and is an excellent choice for anyone's gift list.