Bridge Books

In Praise of Folly (Encomiun Moriae in Latin) was written in 1509 by the Dutchman Erasmus of Rotterdam when he was guest to his English famous friend Thomas More,or Morus if you prefer, the author of the celebrated book Utopia. Given internal religious strife in Europe, and England was in no exception mood, these were pretty much dangerous times and many heads rolled and were to roll, More"s included, due to the persecution by Henry VIII. Whatever was to be said about the nettlesome religious matter had to be done with extrema caution in order to avoid the perilous verdicts of the Holy Tribunal.

Along with Thomas More, Desiderius Erasmus was one of the most important representatives of the Renaissance literary movement in northern Europe and what was casually presented by Erasmus as a booklet inspired by a casual play of words with the surname More (which is almost equal to Moriae, madness in Greek), was in fact an attempt to salvage what should be rescued of the Classical Greek Antiquity in Erasmus' opinionated argument and incorporated in the Christian thought of the time. Beneath an almost non-descript façade was an issue of utmost significance to the evolution of the so-called Natural Sciences, that were to benefit from advances of recent discoveries in Physics, Chemistry and later on Biology, but which were hindered to evolve by the so-called aristotelian taint inherited by the Scholastic medieveal tradition so dear to the traditionalist Catholic Church, a task difficult in itself but which Erasmus easily outdone with a satyrical style that offended no one, preserving all the respect to the Church hierarchy and its dogmas and, most importantly, the figure of Jesus Christ.

The book is in fact a small one but the reader is much rewarded by the richness of its content, where the author takes him by his hands and strolls with him trough ancient Greek and Roman mithology in a verbose prose at the same time easy, vigorous and stimulating, where one is impressed by the author's astounding erudiction, as if he was a northern true inheritor of the Tuscan Dante Aligheri (the Divine Comedy) in this purpose. This is certainly one of the best literary works of late Renaissance and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Desiderius Erasmus was surely the most logical and objective viewer of Europe's plight in the early 16th century. He was a reformer without being an extremist, and a Catholic without being a slave to superstition or conservatism, truly the quintessential intellectual.

I recommend this to everyone. She was used by God in a great way. I hope to have her annointing upon me.

For years, Miss Kuhlman recorded radio teachings for her followers at the Kathryn Kuhlman Foundation (still in existence and operation) and they are true treasures of wit and wisdom. From time to time, she taught longer Bible Lessons and these sermons are transcribed from her radio talks on the Beatitudes. These folksy reflections translate fairly well on the printed page in her simple direct style of communication. This is a great package with the added message 'Angel's Protection', photos of her early ministry and a biography.

My professional health care practice was dramatically changed after having read Inner Bridges. Doors opened to my understanding of energy and how it relates to body structure, including the bones and joints of the body. I am very grateful for the insights given by Dr. Fritz Smith in this book.

An excellent book. The author, a D.O. and M.D., became interested in Eastern approaches to healing when he witnessed an acupuncture session. Smith gives great explanations relating the flow of energy to body structure. I was particularly impressed by his account of how the energy of each chakra relates to the skeletal structure. The information in the book is densely packed, and -- at least in my own readings -- is best absorbed in small doses. A caveat: I don't have firsthand experience with the author's particular system, Zero Balancing. In any case, I believe the book contains valuable information for people who already have experience in some mode of energy healing.

In The Japanese Way Of The Flower, Davey and Kameoka successfully collaborate to instruct the reader in the Japanese art of flower arranging and how it differs from Western floral art. The reader will learn simple meditation exercises to prepare for the process of composition; basic flower arrangements with color photos, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions; important Japanese aesthetic and spiritual concepts; the history of "kado" (The Way of the Flower) and its different stylistic schools; and where to find formal kado instructors and flower arrangement supplies. A very welcome addition to students of Japanese culture, interior decorators, florists, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in floral arrangements, The Japanese Way Of The Flower is an impressive, authoritative, and comprehensive introduction.

Flowers--not on, but as a spiritual path. This is the principle behind kado--widely known in the West as ikebana--the Japanese art of aesthetic flower arranging. The point is emphatically made that, as with other spiritual art forms, it is not the art itself that leads to awakening and profound realizations; rather, it is how we approach the practice that determines our growth. In kado, the simple meditation exercises prepare for the process of composition; a genuine understanding of harmony of mind and body and of the oneness of nature are essential to success. Fully half of the book is devoted to preparation--a thorough understanding of the concepts, and development of effective meditation techniques. A chapter expands on the fundamental principles of kado--harmony, asymmetrical balance, artlessness, impermanence, and oneness with the universe--and to the classification of arrangements. A final chapter guides the beginner in several simple arrangements, while appendices provide sources for supplies and a glossary. Lovely and elegant line drawings illustrate important points throughout.

With his intimate knowledge of the Jewish customs of the time, Esses breaths new life into the Old Testament. He shows how Jesus was a key player in the Old Testament, and does it with making Genisis a personal experience.

I read this book about twenty years ago. It can be life changing, it was for me. I now want to own this book myself, because over the years, I have come to feel that this is perhaps the number one narrative of Genisis ever written. It's a MUST read.

Christ came alive to me through this book, which opened up the entire Old Testament. It teaches how God had planned, from the beginning, to provide us with a Savior to lead us back to him. This is a MUST-READ for all Christians who want to understand the depth of God's love for us.

The Jewel of Xanadu is a fantastical novel set somewhere in historical times. It is a story of a young woman named Cirina who discovers her sexuality through sexuals romps across the Gobi desert and finds herself in the Kublai Khans's harem victim to the evil machinations of Chabi, one of the Khans favorite wives.

The novel is an interesting erotic story that juxta positions the two main characters. One explors her sexuality with wild freedom while the other resists his venture into bi-sexual experiences. Overall what this book may lack in its romantic love is made up for by its hot sexual scenes of voyerism, orgies, and sexual experimentation.

Our leading lady grows up in a small out post in the desert where her aunt and cousin service the travelers who come through. This set up alone is just enough to fufill my every fantasy. New and exciting partners who want only to please you and leave you goods from distant lands... Our unusual looking heroine is still a virgin, but soon finds herself in the court of Xanadu. There is plenty of hot scenes, including male/male which our hero enjoys!! There is something so free and wonderfull about the adventures in Xanadu. The most satisfying moment for me was when the heroine retreives the ruby from the guard. She is so very selfless... This is one of my favorit Black Lace books.

Kaplan and Sheinwold defined their K-S bidding system so well in the late fifties that newer editions of their original book remain the definitive reference. The weak one notrump opening is as good an idea now as it was in 1959. Standard American bidders can switch to K-S and probably improve their bidding significantly just by adopting the weak one notrump opening (and the many implications thereof). The only weakness this volume suffers is the absent index.

As a serious bridge player during the seventies, I wore the cover off of more than one copy of this book. Except for a mystical group of international players, the Italian "Blue Team" (la squadra azura), bidding methods were universally "Goren" or "Culbertson". Kaplan and Sheinwold were two of a few luminary stars who challanged orthodoxy with radical bidding concepts in the Amarican Bridge arena and helped to re-establish Ameraca's status in international championship play. Based on the weak (12-14)notrump, five card majors and weak two bids, This agressive system presented tools for players to really think about what they were bidding and why. Along with the Roth-Stone system, Shenken, and the Precision Club, K-S provided a pathway for serious bridge players to move into the world of modern, thoughtful bridge play.

I was recently gifted with Kentucky's Covered Bridges by a friend who knew my late mother, and the Switzer Bridge enthusiast that she was. I was absolutely delighted with the details of Kentucky's history, architecture, and biographies that one would never expect in such a handy little collection. Including antebellum events and beyond, and even for non-Kentuckians, this is an enjoyable and extensive research into the nearly lost era of covered bridges and their nostalgia. The photography and landscapes are effectual portals into by-gone days and the romance and allure of a simpler time. I have visited "my mother's" bridge, seen the carvings in timber and listened to the stories that described a generation. This book preserves such memories and sheds light on a great deal of wonderful information about these gorgeous old structures.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the primary author, RWM Laughlin, had revealed what is renown, in Kentucky where I grew up, as the most extensive photographic chronicle of these bridges and related events, people, and history. This is a remarkable collection to impress any enthusiast and the casual reader alike. Laughlin, historian and authority, has lent us all a wonderful gift by sharing his private collections and those of others which span centuries in this pictorial and expository work. Together, Laughlin and Jurgenson have created and preserved the past in a remarkable volume of Kentucky's Covered Bridges.

Robert Laughlin and his co-author have done a wonderful job at bringing these old timbered tunnels back to life. Even those who have never given covered bridges the first thought will find the excellent writing and magnificent photographs interesting. For those of us who are nostalgic for those bygone days this book is a must have. I look forward to Laughlin's next book.

We all have stories to tell. Poems to share. Davidson has a unique talent for telling the mundane in the most fabulous form. Poetry lends itself to historical epics and the smallest of tales. In this book he does it all. Enjoy and buy for friends, family, cab drivers. Hand it out to New Yorkers or leave in a cab way across the country. Stories are universal share them all. Thank you Davidson for your wonderful writing.

Off-beat and interesting poems (and a few anecdotes)all from the point of view of a New York City taxi driver. Every would-be actor and would-be poet should keep this book on a bedside table. The poems will encourage anyone who feels that the world is just too daunting to get on with it and go forward and keep striving to reach the goal that inspired them to begin with. Garrett has sprung back from EVERYTHING and writes poems about it!

If you are interested in the environment which generated the powerful West Coast Native art, the artist, Emily Carr, conjures it up in this original book. Her travels to their coastal villages are translated into these atmospheric essays.

this book by Emily Carr gives a very wonderful and descriptive account of the Pacific Northwest along British Columbia's shores. Emily Carr was a very unique woman who defied her times in her interactions with Native Peoples and her adventurous independance. This book details her explorations among the Queen Charlotte Islands. It is so descriptive it makes one feel that they are actually on the west coast.