Publications Books

Lingering Memories is a book that will NOT be read once and then placed on a shelf to collect dust. Some of my greatest memories are the ones of sitting with my dad and listening to stories of the "good ol' days". Dad has been gone for several years now, but when I pick up Mr. Reynold's book I feel I have a little re-visit with him. Thank you, Mr. Reynolds, from the bottom of my heart for sharing Lingering Memories with us!

My wife and I enjoyed this book very much. It portrayed life in the delta when times were simple and gave insight into southern culture during the mid-1900s. Many descriptions associated with farm life were familiar, but there were some unfamiliar ones as well. We learned much from reading this book. The southern "phrases" at the conclusion of the book were delightful. Thank you, Mr. Reynolds, for helping us remember our past as southerners.

This is truly a poignant collection of stories and descriptions of how it really was. Throughout, it evokes a wide range of emotions from painful to very happy ones mixed well with humor. It reflects the strong moral fiber and self determination required to sustain a generation experiencing devastating economic conditions. The grueling work, hardships and lack of resources reflect the faith and foundation for better times to come. Without social programs or governmental assistance the phase, 'root hog or die' clearly reflected the times. An excellent picture of 'the best of times and the worst of times, serving as a bridge to our heritage. (With the difficult start in life, these same young men by the millions with characteristic resolve and determination selflessly engaged in a global conflict to preserve freedom.) A book to keep.

Mr. Reynolds sent us his book, Lingering Memories, after a telephone conversation about a car that he had for sale. I read it in one evening! I read some of the passages to my ten-year-old son, he became very interested and read it himself. Lingering Memories will definitely not be forgotten here. I thank Mr. Reynolds for opening our eyes to see what living back then was really like. We all take today's modern conveniences too much for granted. It really makes me appreciate what we do have. Mr. Reynolds, you really are a true "Country Gentleman". I am glad to have had the privelege of chatting with you.

Reading LINGERING MEMORIES was a delightful way to revisit my childhood. I'm sure not everyone would remember using butter on your freckles to try to "cure" them. Mr. Reynolds makes everything seem so realistic. It was truly a pleasure to read this book. Thank you, Mr. Reynolds, for reminding us of our roots.

I'm happy with the purchase, just typing on the keyboard in the privacy of my own home, selecting a book, clicking on it, easy, quick, effecient. Book arrived quickly, new book. All was well in my world. Only complaint would be that 2 of the 3 books I ordered simultaneously came packaged together in an excessive amount of packaging. Overboard on the plastic wrap followed by extra cardboard for protection, followed by a box. Don't need all that for books. Need to think about the environment Amazon.

I could not disagree more with Goldman's ultimate philosophical conclusions, but I enjoyed this book, and volume II as well. Her essential humanity emerges, and it is a good case study and an interesting read, historically, philosophically and personally. She is no Mark Twain or Billy Faulkner, but her life was interesting and her prose adequately conveys the milieu she became enmeshed in. A fair degree of antecedent historical knowledge is necessary to fully enjoy this book, but you most likely have that or you wouldn't be reading about Emma to begin with. If you don't, or find that you are getting lost in the history and sequence, it would pay to do a little research to better understand what she lived through. It will also help you spot bias on Goldman's part. I heartily recommend this book. It is informative, enlightening and entertaining to boot.

In her autobiography Emma Goldman explains her life, narrating the experience of marching to her own drummer. Depending on the reader's political expectations, Emma's life is either inspiring or downright terrifying. Those who believe in social conformity would probably be more comfortable moving on to other fodder.

Nevertheless, this eyewitness account of American and Russian history, ought not to be trivially dismissed. Emma fought for things we have taken for granted in modern life, such as birth-control and the eight-hour work day; she went to jail in the struggle to obtain these for us. This book explains how she lived her commitment to individual liberty, choosing who she would love, advocating revolution, and harrassing those of her "allies" who compromised on these principles.

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the book is her years in Russia. Here she describes arriving at the "Promised Land" of the peoples' revolution and how that mutated into a sense of disillusionment and horror at what she saw as the betrayal of that revolution by the "dictatorship of the proletariat."

Her writing style is nothing exceptional, but the story she weaves from the material of her life is nothing short of fascinating. Another reviewer suggested taking a break between volumes--I couldn't! I had to know what happened next.

Although there are a lot of pages to wade through, I will give this book as a gift to the young women in my life. I believe that Emma can serve as a role model for living one's own life, not living out the expectations of friends, family, or society. In a dysfunctional world, we have too few people who model this.

Emma gets three stars for writing style, but the powerful and plentiful content bring the rating up to five stars. Not to be missed.

(If you'd like to discuss this book or review, click on the "about me" link above & drop me an email. Thanks!)

NOTE: THIS IS VOLUME ONE ONLY! It's a great book but it is not labeled as just the first half of the memoir.

This is the best autobiography I've ever read, because her life was lived with such commitment & independence. Certainly, she was hugely influential in her time, but her success was scratched out of nothing, with no support, and huge opposition. The difficulties and the times are conveyed amazingly well. The book will make you look carefully at your own life ... in ways that can only change it for the better.

Llewellyn's 2007 Astrological calendar features 12 original paintings by artist T.W. Metcalf. The colorful images aren't bad--some, like Capricorn, are intriguing--but I just don't think they measure up to past art for Llewellyn's Astrological Calendars. However, the Introduction to Astrology by Kim Rogers-Gallagher is outstanding.

Llewellyn's 2007 Astrological Calendar provides much more than interesting astrological paintings to look at every month. A monthly horoscope for each of the 12 signs of the Zodiac by Sally Cragin is provided, as well as the most rewarding and challenging days. For each day of the month, you'll find:

*Major daily aspects, with times included
*The Moon's sign, phase, and void-of-course dates and times
*Best fishing and planting dates

Each month also features one square dedicated to:

*Ruling planet
*Area of body the sign rules
*Element
*Nature
*Colors
*Glyph
*Symbol
*Birth dates
*Key words

In addition, this 40 page calendar includes:

*A comprehensive introduction to astrology (Planets, Signs, Houses, Aspects and Transits, Retrograde Planets, the Moon's influence through the Signs, Aspects Keywords).
*Lunar planting and activity chart
*Travel and vacation forecast by Bruce Scofield for each of the 12 Signs
*Ephemeris grids for 2007
*World Time Zones and Time Zone Conversions Map
*Retrograde Periods Grid
*Eclipse Dates

Llewellyn's 2007 Astrological Calendar helps star-watchers navigate planetary cycles with its copious amount of information--so it's really hard to beat in terms of calendars. Fans of monthly horoscopes will love the monthly predictions, too.

I buy this calendar every year so that makes it obvious I like it. Delivery was long delay but in time for 2007

Whether one knows little or a lot about astrology, the Llewellyn Astrological Calendar meets needs for folks on all levels.
For 'pros,' each day of the month is clearly denoted with the planetary indicators (conjuncts, retrogrades, etc.) for every celestial body (in our solar system) that's in motion during a 24-hour period.
For dabblers, a handy fold-down reference is included to decipher all the scientific markings referenced above (the ones written in each daily square, every month). Plus, a guide in the back also explains how all those planetary aspects work together.
For beginners (and everyone), charts in the back section break down the daily planetary intricacies into basic, usable knowledge, showing which days are best for such things as gardening and fishing, for example.
Each month is marked with a vibrant, colorful, glossy illustration, and general guidelines for each astrological sign are printed below it for the upcoming month.
As well, it is noted for each sign which days will be the "most rewarding" and which will be the "most challenging" of the month. There are generally 3-to-5 days for each.--THAT is always an interesting bit of data!
As other reviewers noted, the calendar marks the Earth's moon phases (as well as data for moons for some other planets).
(Not only are the full moon phases helpful to note, but the new moon's arrival coincides with erratic behavior, too.)
Since finding this calendar 5 or 6 six years ago, I get one every year now; its information is invaluable, guiding me toward 'dabbler' status.

This is much more than a calendar. It includes a good introduction (or refresher) to general astrology, with information on planets, signs, and houses. A sun-sign synopsis is provided each month. The day-by-day aspects are useful, but they do clutter up the boxes. This is obviously not a calendar for entering your appointments, but for tracking planetary influences. The illustrations are ok.

I find this calendar to be invaluable. I've always dabbled a little in astrology and find the subject extremely interesting. Where this helps me in the customer service field is the schedule of the full moon. I'll tell you what...the week leading up to and ending with the full moon always gets our wackiest calls. At the very least, this gets me prepped for the looniness that ensues during that week.
Besides that, you also get a full astrology lesson in the back of each edition of Llewellyn's astrological calendar. You're also provided with the necessary tools to enable you to decipher the astrological symbols provided for each day of the week and how those days will measure up for you.

I've always found Llewellyn's calendars stocked with great artwork every year -- artwork suitable to be displayed in the office or at home.

If you have an interest in astrology and happen to be looking for a calendar, look no further than this item. And if you work in the customer service field like me and have noted how the phases of the moon dictate general goofiness, you'll find it to be invaluable!

This date book really is a wonderful little thing if you're interested in or practicing wicca. I love reading the bits of history as I review what is on my agenda for the week. Plus, there are some great recipes for incense and cookies for certain holidays. The datebook also lists the moon phases and days for planting and harvesting herbs and plants.

I couldn't give it 5 stars, however, because it repeated a lot of the same old-same old...information from the datebooks of years past. While I understand that you do need to constantly list where Halloween is, they seem to always have the same interesting historical facts about witches and witchcraft. With as much history as the religion has to it, I would think the folks at Llewellyn might be able to dig up a few differing tidbits and at least rotate them every 5 years or so. To their credit they do have a different ritual and craft or recipe to try every year, and I've gotten a lot of tasty treats and decorations out of them in the past!

This does keep me on track for my sabbats, my full and new moons, and my standard holidays. It's terrific, I carry it around as my datebook when I can get away with it! I'd recommend it highly for anyone who's sick of missing Lammas because their standard day planner doesn't have it listed, or missed a time to do major spellwork because their calendar didn't let them know a full moon was here!

I absolutely love this calendar! This is my 4th one (after I switched over from the Astrological Datebook by the same company). I take my Witches' Datebook and pull out the spiral, three hole punch the whole thing, and put it in my leatherbound Dayrunner w/ the kitty etched on the front. It fits perfectly, and I don't sweat it if I'm around someone whom I haven't come out of the broom closet to! This datebook is a must have for me! Blessed Be!

For the busy Witch on the go, there is the Witches Datebook 2002, with wonderful artwork by Kathleen Edwards and contributions by Dorothy Morrison, Edain McCoy, Yasmine Galenorn and others. The weeks are contained on two pages, with interesting notations, like famous persons birthdays, spell tips, moon phases, astrological associations, and interesting articles. I love the black and white drawings, each appropriate to the season or text. There is a fascinating article called "Lunar Spellworking" by Estelle Daniels in the beginning of the book. The datebook also has an address section in the back for keeping references close at hand. As usual, the article by Dorothy Morrison "The Urban Pagan" shines. How to be a Witch in a city environment, I can relate to that, having lived in New York City for 43 years, it is not an easy task. A must have to keep it all together.

I've been getting this datebook for the last three years (2002 is my third) and have come to depend on the little notes about planetary positions, especially retrogrades (dread the Mercury retrogrades and I do plan around them) and void courses for the moon (another thing I plan around). It may sound obsessive but have you ever felt like you just can't do anything right? Check a good calander and it may very well be due to one of the above mentioned things. It's really great for planning classes, Rituals, Open Circles, which I hold monthly, and other events for Sabbats, Esbats, etc right into the mundane things that fill our lives. All that aside, I like the nice size, fold over back cover/page holder, and the week-at-a-glance layout. I normally don't like spiral bound books but this one has never warped or caught on my clothes so I remain impressed.

I'd wonder how much time and frustration it would take finding out all this in depth information about the country and it's attractions myself. Especially since we didn't know much about Poland in the first place. It was a true blessing having this book around, especially since many Poles at places you need it most often don't speak English or German. Only price information should need some adjustment (which might have something to do with EU membership related inflation?). I used the print which was updated in Jan 2005, but some prices already doubled!

I recently went to Poland for the first time and found this book to be an absoutely wonderful guide to Warsaw, Krakow, and the Auschwitz concentration camps. All too often guide books that cover an entire country lack the kind of detail a traveler needs, but this book did not suffer that problem at all. The section on Warsaw was actually better organized and contained more detailed factual information than the DK book dedicated solely to that city. This was the only book I needed to help me get around Krakow and Auschwitz as well. I can't speak for the hotel and restaurant recommendations in the book because I never used any of them, but as far as information about historical sites and points of interest this is an outstanding book.

Update: In planning for my second trip to Poland, I recently purchased the Rough Guide to Poland, and I have to say it is even better than the Lonely Planet book because it includes quite a lot more detail. If you only buy one book, get the Rough Guide. But if you buy two, the Lonely Planet book is also very good.

My wife's maternal grandparents hail from Poland, so when planing a Eurpoean vacation for this summer, Poland it was. As independent travelers, we have always favored Lonely Planet travel books in the past. Once again Lonely Planet delivered the goods. Detailed descriptions of things to see & do, places to stay, and various methods of transportation. Additional internet rescources for finding more hotels than the ones reviewed. I would recommend this series of travel books to all from young backpackers to mature (myself) travelers.

Lonely Planet has been known for covering EVERYTHING in it's books. Thie one really does have a big flaw. Sites are quite OK and hotels are good too - though sometimes choices may be strange. However shopping is done dreadfully - at least in Warsaw. If your happy with the souvenirs you bought using this book, then you are quite lucky. Many shops with fine hand craft, genuine Polish hand-made are unlisted. Also shops with Jewish memorabilia, getting more popular after turbulent history tend to be missing. And when you come to normal shopping its a complete disaster! You wanna hang out in a mall or buy clothes a lot cheaper then in western Europe? Sure... Tourists and Ex-pats do it. But for sure NOT using Lonely Planet. The ever popular Arkadia Mall (biggest in this part of Europe), a place where English, German, French, Spanish and other languages are often heard as often as Polish is missing. So is the not much smaller and also popular with expats Galeria Mokotów. And what mall do tehy list? The dull out-skirt Sadyba Best Mall with a few stores, the usual fast-food joints and a few crappy stores. And it's lonely planets best tip on shopping? Come on! Almost no one goes there, except primary school trips (it's only attraction is the IMAX cinema).

I am puzzled by teh Warsaw shopping chapter. You can't come to the city and not here of Arkadia or Galeria Mokotów. If you see them, you can't recommend the crappy Sadyba Best Mall. So either someone didn't reaserch shopping at all (and just went to SBM) or Lonely Planets standards are dropping and the choice was made in some different dark ways. I just hope the ownership was not an issue. SBM is the only American mall. Arkadia is European, Galeria Mokotów - Jewish and most others French... What other thing could have provoked such a choice?

As a Pole living abroad (but frequently visiting) I have the dual perspective of "a local" but also that of a tourist. This book is easily the best source of background information on all sites and places in modern Poland, from the well-known tourist attractions to the small villages off the beaten track. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of historical, ethnographic and cultural information about many of those places.
Thanks to this book I managed to discover some interesting places in Poland that I should have known about, if not visited before. Once I got there, I found that relying on the information in the book (especially on "how to get there" or "where to stay") proved more reliable than the information available to the visitor "on the ground". My short trip to the Jura National Park, north of Cracow, was a perfect example of a trip I would not have done if it was not for this guidebook.
Thoroughly recommended to anybody planning to spend an extensive holiday in Poland, or for repeat trips; if your travel is limited to the main cities like Warsaw, Cracow or Gdansk you may find other guidebooks, specific to those locations, sufficient.

I love the LOTR music, and these books (I have all 3) are great. The music is above beginner level, but not impossible to play.

When I first looked at the music, my impression was "This is it?" I must admit I expected more, but after playing it my opinion changed. It definitely takes intermediate skills to play as written, but with a few minor adjustments (like leaving out a roll or slowing down the tempo) late beginners can enjoy this music too.
While playing, I find the constant page turning annoying. The music could have been condensed into a smaller amount of pages without omitting any of the notes thus making playing easier.
Overall, it is beautiful. All of the well-known melodies are there. Played with the right emotion and expression, "Gollum's Song" is heartbreaking; "Evenstar" is beautiful; and "Rohan" is powerful. The music is not as complex as I had hoped, but it sticks to the notes played in the original score.
Is this a good arrangement? Yes. Is the arrangement worth $12.71? No, but I guess the higher price is for the pictures included.

The Two Towers Music score is wonderful and will be enjoyed by people who love to listen to the LOTR soundtracks. The music for Gollum's song is wonderful, and not too hard once you get it down. Evenstar is very beautiful and also very easy. "Isengard Unleashed" features "The March of the Ents", one of my favorite parts of this book. "Breath of Life" is not exceptional if you ask me, but it's there. "Forth Eorlings" is wonderful, especially the ending! And finally, If you've been trying really hard to figure out how that Rohan theme goes, wait no more. Here it is, and it's really fun! So if your at least an intermediate piano player and love Lord of the Rings music this is for you.

This book contains some of the best music ever written! I play this stuff over and over, because not only is it awesome, it's fun. "Gollum's Song" is a haunting, beautiful song - one that really makes you feel sorry for Gollum. "Evenstar" is also a beautifully flowing piece. It's easy to put a lot of expression in it when you play it. "Isengard Unleashed" is a more complicated piece, once you get about half way through it, and it's rather hard to figure out in the beginning. "Breath of Life" and "Forth Eorlingas" are pretty simple, but redundant at times. "Rohan" is an absolutely amazing song that just makes me want to cry when I play it. That also lends itself to expression while playing. All together, this book is an absolute masterpiece, and while harder than the book for The Fellowship of the Ring, in my opinion, it is still pretty simple, and the arrangments are much better. I highly recommend this book. It's beautiful!!

It's books like this that made me wish I had the natural talent for music, or had at least studied and practiced hard enough to develop talent. The motion picture score that Howard Shore composed for The Lord of the Rings trilogy is absolutely brilliant, and while nothing can match his magnificent orchestra, there is something unique and incredible about hearing the same music played on a simple piano -- coming from your very own fingers.

The front cover is one of the promotional posters (NOT the DVD cover as was the case with the other two piano books from the trilogy) showing Saruman from the back commanding his 10,000 Uruk-hai. If you look on the right, although it is geographically incorrect, you can see Edoras in Rohan in the distance. Inside the book are forty pages, eight of which are movie pictures. Once again, there are some gruesome orcs pictured inside, in case you have little hobbits around the house that might get scared.

The music includes:

- Gollum's Song, the end-credits song of the movie. Not very enjoyable to play, I'd say...it's a rather mournful and melancholy song.

- Evenstar, which is all-Elvish, but surprisingly doesn't provide the translation. Shouldn't be too hard to dig one up on the internet, however. The tune is pretty, the background for Aragorn's dream/vision of Arwen in The Two Towers.

- Isengard Unleashed, which begins as the soundtrack score does, with the lament for Haldir upon his untimely death in the battle for Helm's Deep. Then it moves on to the score for the Ents as they march to war. This is probably the longest in the book, maybe of all three books. Afterwards, they give the translation of the war song of the Ents.

- Breath of Life, the quiet but stirring tune/song that you hear when Aragorn lies wounded after a battle, and receives another vision/dream of Arwen that gives him a (let's all say it together now) "breath of life". Elvish lyrics, English translation at the end.

- Forth Eorlingas, my favorite one (at least to HEAR), the tune that shows the rousing of the remaining soldiers at Helm's Deep, their death plunge out the causeway, and Gandalf's near-biblical arrival to the rescue. The second-best in this book, in my opinion.

- Rohan, which was an absolutely necessary piece to include in this book. It's short, *almost* simple enough for a beginner like me to pick my way through, and beyond gorgeous. It begins with the noble theme for Éowyn, and peaks into the majestic score for the kingdom of Rohan. This one alone is worth getting the book for.

This book makes an excellent addition to your piano library, or an excellent gift for your musically-inclined hobbit-heads. Go for it.

This book is not just a spiritual must have. It is a guide to understanding your True Power and Potenial. It is also a logical & scientific approch to understanding youself & The universe.

Although not as dense or vast as the Metu Neter, this book is actually much more accessible and follows in the same awe inspiring tradition of previous Amen works.

Remember this:the book's central concept-God/Nature's Eleven laws and urges-will eventually find way into every aspect of social activity, philosophy and policy. This book will ultimately be referenced worldwide and is destined to become a classic academic, philosophical and theological text for the ages. Simply extraordinary.

I initially attempted to study Metu Neter, but I found reading this brief book was a better place to start in my journey to know self, from a Kamitic perspective. I have found that, like the bible, every time I read it, I discover new truths and wisdom. I have read it 3 or 4 times already and look forward to my next trip through it.

This wisdom within this book was most valuable in helping me realize the futility of my past failures to overcome life challenges .. and the simplicity involved in adopting effective solutions to life challenges.

I come from a christian background, and do not at this point in my journey agree with all aspects discussed. But, oh, what a giant step in my journey when I first began to see that no person, place, event, or thing ... no obect from the physical world ... could disturb by at-one-ness and peace ... as long as I chose to disallow it!

Hetep!

I have been delving in the laws of humanity and the commandments of the Bible, this book has interesting information on how ancient cultures had already had the same backbone for the laws of life and people

This book fom 2003 is based on a divine revelation the author received in 1985. It is a bit difficult to rate a spiritual/religious book. I recommend reading this book. Very personally, some other books speak more entirely to me than this one and of course my personal spirituality variates occasionally. Also, I find other books more accessible to read than this one, especially in the beginning. In order to mark those differences, I "only" gave 4 stars.

This book of a personal vision of healing spirituality by the author is based on a variation of the Qabala/Kabbalah tree of life, with references to Hinduism and Taoism. All of these in turn are based on ancient Egyptian spirituality. But basically, this book is designed for universal purposes. The "laws" of God are not to be seen as commands such as in other branches of religion, but as "truths", as states of consciousness as they really are without deceptions and other interferences. Simply put, the book makes you find tranquility and love. In a really great way, pushing doors open. Which doesn't mean, this is the only way or that there aren't any variations of that way.

Very appealing to me as a RastafarI are the notions that religion and science do not have to contradict each other. Both terms in their originial meanings, not their modern Western distortions. That there is no universal value system to be expressable by dogmas, which are supposedly good or bad for every single individual. That freedom of humans is not supposed to get restricted. The intended love connection among all of us, i.e. not based on a command/should-be, but on very logical knowledge. Also that I-n-I (our) thoughts and actions are supposed to mirror one day in our actions in our dreams I find personally revealing.

With what I do not agree/entirely:
Personally, I do not believe in the concept of satan/devil/evil, for all of that cannot exist in my overstanding of monotheism: that nothing exists but God (or the Supreme Being, Jah, Allah, the universe or any other name or concept referencing the Only Being).

According to this book, only in "man" (let's say human or any other/better term including the female aspect within I-n-I on first sight) God's consciousness gets fully expressed. What makes Ra Un Nefer Amen think, human consciousness as of today is already fully godly and that other beings such as Dolphins (not to mention potential aliens) don't already have a similar/variated, even in some aspects superior expression? That is specicism. Don't laugh, but upfully think about that, including the ever-ONGOING state of evolution. In fact, I find it presumptuous to the point of blasphemy to aver, God would be limited to I-n-I human state of consciousness, simply, because many of I-n-I experience natural difficulties imaging a yet bigger expression of consciousness than humans are able to harbor.

I perfectly agree with the science approach. That's why I am surpised that the author still leaves that path. Tarot cards do not strike me as having been scientifically validated, yet. In contrast, astrology has been scientifically DISproven. Not only for the knowledge that the presently occurring few direct influences of the Sun and Moon (only) possible on humans (of all the planets, as in literally the "wanderers" in the sky), are having the very same effect on everybody, irrespective of geography or time of birth in the past. But also for the history science, having looked into the origin of astrology, as invented by humans once, in contrast to having been found out scientifically. The existence of God is provable as knowledge instead of a mere belief, according to this book, by the supposedly "logical" structure of the atoms of elements. I DO KNOW and not believe in God. I have to say, THIS would not qualify for me personally as any proof or knowledge. For one thing, any law of nature may be logical or not. Numbers and math, something the book thinks important in this context of knowledge, are basically a human construct. I advise reading the classic Invented Reality: How Do We Know What We Believe We Know? or any more recent book on constructivism. Also, there's yet another level (at least) into the microcosm of atoms than described in this book. This only works as knowledge of God, if you believe that any law of nature has been constructed by God. I mean, yes, that's true, but that would still be a belief for us humans to grasp currently. Not really know as described in this book. The book uses the expression for that as "God's designing intelligence" and thereby comes very close to the concept of "Intelligent Design", which is actually rather the opposite of what this book suggests. (Personally I do not see the great controversy in THAT debate, as of course, the Only Being creloved intelligently VIA evolution.) My personal knowledge, not belief of that Only Being is for one thing based on my definition that nothing else exists, i.e. not even separated humans, and for another the undisputable fact that consciousness exists at all, which is as of yet not scientifically explainable. Plus experiences which would lead too far at this point.

I am not convinced that the natural state of our consciousness is having no emotions and therefore they should get largely or completely avoided. I know that the natural state is love. Though I do see, where this book is heading with that in a ok way.

At one point the book says, God does not punish, but at another, when it comes to reincarnation, humans suddenly get punished. The very concept of that as intentional punishment I do not believe in. It is an obvious consequence, however, for example, that if you "die" as a soldier, you (as in any part of the Only Being) will get "reincarnated" into a society of war, simply, because the very same war or attitude of war is still around. Most certainly, I find it an audacity to claim that 6-year-olds have brought it about themselves to get raped, because they were warriors or something similar in their previous lives and that they would now know how that feels! In a revenge unkind of expression in the book. That is the epitomy of blaming the victims of child rape themselves for their plight I had yet to read in my entire lifetime. I do not see the love of the author for I-n-I in that section of the book.

I still recommend this book. As I do recommend even more other spiritual books / guidances, such as, but of course by no means limited to: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment and From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness. I chose these two as references as they complement this book in a variating, most rewarding and more accessibly written way.

I found `Making Strategy' a very useful guide during my Honours Operational Research project. Making Strategy demonstrates the best use for Management Science techniques such as Oval and Cognitive Mapping and Strategy Delivery Support System (SDSS) to name a few. It also provides excellent advice and guidance on more general topics such as running group workshops and interviewing.

Examples are given where techniques and methods have been applied in practice in several different organisations. They highlight the areas where the different tools may be applied.

As it's name suggests `The Journey of Strategic Management' it takes the reader on a `Journey' - through different stages which can occur during strategic development and therefore is a valuable practical guide for any project of this nature.

This book would prove beneficial not only to students but to any academic or practitioner involved in strategic thinking.

I had always believed that UK had a few business schools like London, Strathclyde and Cranfield comparable to the top US schools. The quality of this book, by two Strathclyde academics, re-confirms that. It very clearly establishes that "Strategy" is not just the pre-occupation of the board, it is every manager's business. And it shows HOW that business has to be handled. Very useful for consultants like us.

Eden and Ackermann have written a book based upon there experiences of working with management groups in industry. The book is an excellent contribution to our knowledge of 'developing and managing strategy'. The book takes the student through the process of building strategy, putting the student in the centre, enabling the student to build strategy of a company or organisation. This approach is unique and a fine example of how to teach and learn about the subject. The book uses models as a process to develop strategy, i.e cognitive mapping and Decision Explorer. The book is aimed at students that are final year undergraduates or Masters students. When using the book, students need a knowledge base in 'modelling skills'.

On the downside, the book has a complex indexing system which takes a while to 'get the hang of'. The book promotes Eden and Ackermann's approach to developing strategy, which is based upon a 'reasoned thinking' style. There are other approaches.

But taking everything into consideration, this is simply the best book on the market!!!!

I have therefore decided to adopt this book as the main reader for my students at Napier University.

Ian Yeoman Napier University Business School Edinburgh

This book is first rate and brings together all of the most important concepts in strategic management. It is written in a three part format of theory, case examples, and practical tools. Thus, the book should appeal to a wide audience: academics, managers, consultants, and practitioners mainly interested in learning new tools and techniques. Topics in each part are uniquely cross-referenced to the other parts, much like hypertext links so one can follow a thread from theory to case studies to tools and vice versa. Thus, the book does not have to be read cover-to-cover from the front; one can start at a point of greatest interest and follow the threads.

The first part describes strategy making as a JOURNEY, both as a metaphor and an acronym for the process (JOintly Understanding, Reflecting and NEgotiating strategY). The center piece for strategy making are the cognitive mapping/oval mapping techniques (invented and pioneered by the authors)so useful for revealing various key managers' mental models of their organization's internal and external environment. Also first rate is the authors' treatment of the politics of strategic planning, stakeholder management, and the role of emergent strategy in an organization; topics not often covered in depth in most stategic planning books, but often key determinants of success or failure. Additionally, there is a chapter on managing alternative futures, which integrates the very powerful scenario planning techniques into the JOURNEY process. The second part illustrates the theory from a case studies point of view and highlights the problems encountered by the authors in putting the theory into practice in various types of organizations. The third part covers how to faciliate and structure the various workshops and offsites, and the use of certain software tools such as Decision Explorer for creating the cognitive maps.

If you have ever embarked on strategic planning and have come up with a set of goals, but somehow just couldn't come up with a cogent strategy or a way to realize these goals (particularly in public and non-profit sector organizations), this book is a must for you. Other superlative books available from Amazon that should be read in conjunction with this one are "Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organizations" by John Bryson (particularly the revised 1995 edition which touches on cognitive/oval mapping techniques in conjunction with Bryson's Indirect Method of building strategy) and "Scenarios: the Art of Strategic Conversation" by Kees van der Heijden (particularly relevent to managing alternative futures).

You might plan, but only action will influence the future! In their strategy JOURNEY, Eden & Ackerman takes this seriously. Therefore they abandon normative strategy-approaches and show us instead the possibility to exploit cognitive diversity, tacit knowledge and emergent strategy. They also stress the importance of negotiating with stakeholders, powerbrokers and personnel to come to decisions, actions and insights that shape the strategic future of an organization. This is not an ideal picture - it's a realistic conclusion from decades of practical work with companies and non-profit organizations trying to create their future in a context of the messy problems of every-day life. Each organization has to find it's own way. The authors give us an inside-view of these experiences and explain in detail the methods and tools used.

Although "Making strategy" has a practical focus on how to make the JOURNEY of strategizing happen and it easily can be used as a consultants handbook, the theoretical foundations are not neglected. Eden & Ackerman make a clear stance that the world that counts in strategizing is the one we percieve, and that decision-making in organizations involves more than one logic. The authors emphazise the process of strategizing and leave the ontological question open - if we learn from our actions, we will also get to know whether or not we were right in our assumptions about the world. Since we cannot forecast the future with enough precision to make long-range action plans in advance, we have to learn while we strategize. Continuously we have to question our assumptions, redraw our plans and consider how new directions influence the social order in which action takes place. These experiences and insights are convincing - and the methods and software tools are immensly useful. If you want to get things done.

I recommend this book. If you are involved in Pulmonary Function Testing you are probably already aware of Mr. Ruppel's textbook. I often see it in the hands of Respiratory Therapy students who come to my lab for clinical experience. (They should NOT sell it back to the college bookstore!) I personally bought this copy to have on our reference shelf in the lab. It is very well put together, well written and covers nearly all aspects of Pulmonary Function Testing from lab organization and quality control to lung diagnostic techniques and their clinical significance. My edition did not have any discussion on Impulse Oscillometry but hope this rising technology will be included soon.

Buy it, read it and then use your knowledge to help "raise the bar" for our profession!

Very well written book...even the physcians loved it. A must have for every lab.

This book will serve as an excellent reference for anyone interested in knowing the rationale and procedures of pulmonary function testing. Nice sections on cardiopulmonary exercise testing as well. The latest edition features refined text and graphics and is really a nice read. We use it for our Pulmonary Fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital.

THIS IS A GOOD REFERNCE BOOK FOR STUDENTS AS WELL AS RESEARCHERS.

I teach Respiratory Therapy,and specifically Pulmonary Functions. I have found Ruppel's text to be very comprehensive and easy for students to read. He has written a book for the technologist, not the physician. The informations is well researched and correct according to the established standards set up by the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians. I have read other popular Respiratory Therapy Text that have apparently never heard of these standards. I am in anticipation of the release of his 8th edition.

This book gives a nice overview of the various fields of mathematics (no pun intended ;-)). Famous Russian authors have pooled their talents to come up with a book that summarizes the majority of the mathematics available the time. It's basically a dictionary for mathematicians! Covers topics from number theory, calculus, analysis, topology and even higher up subjects such as functional analysis and differential geometry. There are interesting theorems, and examples throughout.

This is a huge brick of a book. As other reviewers have pointed out, it is comprised of three volumes on pretty much all undergraduate math, bound into one. Other reviewers have correctly pointed out that the material is exhaustive, and although one or two chapters are a bit dated, reading this work and studying it carefully is a very rewarding endeavour. I am a social scientist, and studying this book in depth has made me conversational in pretty much all the math an engineer would be expected to know at the end of his undergraduate studies. This is to stress that although this book is accessible to the motivated amateur, the knowledge you can gain from it with dilligent study carries quite a bit of weight.

Although I think the content of a book is more important than its physical composition, I would like to point a few things out because they have not been mentioned by other reviewers and may be useful if you are considering buying this edition, or the separate three volumes.
Like I said, it's quite a tome, and not something you can easily carry around in a backpack on a day to day basis. In this sense, or if you are only interested in particular topics, you are better off buying one or all of the separate three volumes.
However, note that this edition has an index which covers ALL three volumes, which makes looking things up and using this book as a reference text very useful.

I know keep this book handy, precisely to use as a reference texte. The index makes it easy to find what I am looking for, and the treatment of the topic always strikes a nice balance between being accessible and yet in enough depth to have practical value.

Dover has released all three volumes of the original in an affordable single volume paperback.

Although the book is necessarily uninformed by developments since the 1960s, it is a solid and challenging introduction to mathematics useful to the motivated high-school student.

It is consciously informed by a Marxist philosophy of mathematics which may be unfamiliar to some readers. The authors believe that mathematics is less about an ideal world of forms and more emergent from daily work. For this reason they reference their examples to practical examples of the sort popular in the Soviet Union in the 1960s taken from heavy industry.

The section on computer technology, of course is useful primarily to the antiquarian.

Because the authors are not excessively formal in the Western mode the student has to do extra work to derive results they illustrate with physical metaphors in some cases.

There's also a certain motivation here to sing the praises of Russian mathematicians which is fortunately subordinated to the truth. As such, the book is a document from a period when Russia's greatness was based on its prowess in science and mathematics, prowess based on a universal availability of public education. This resource has been sold to Western investors for pennies on the dollar with no plan to reproduce it for the next generation, which is rather sad.

I whole-heartedly agree with the other positive reviews offered here. There are only a few things I would like to add:

(1) Popular math and science has become quite popular lately. I'm sure that there are many pop-math/pop-sci readers who would like a more 'meatier' treatment of math that still has an accessible style. If you're in that group, then this book is for you.

It basically requires recollection of high school algebra and a willingness to wade through and learn some challenging material. I should add that the book looks intimidating in size but this is mostly due to the fact that Dover has bound 3 volumes as 1 (which is actually a great deal for readers).

(2) I can't think of too may books that can, with effort, take a novice through the bulk of a college/university level math curriculum.

(3) This book contains material by 2 of the greatest mathematicians/scientists of all time: Andrei Kolmogorov (famous for his work on probability and information theory as well as Kolmogorov Complexity/Algorithmic Information Theory) and I. M. Gelfand (for his work on mathematical physics). The book is worth buying for that reason alone.

This books is an amazing summary of almost all undergraduate math. It is definitely a mathematical masterpiece of all time, written by some of the most prominent mathematicians of all time.