Publications Books

i've been suffering from bulimia for over 14 years. and i was at a loss what to do. i even had suicidal thoughts. but, i got this book and after i understood what was going on in my mind, i felt real better and also the exercises on this book were real helpful and most importantly, i got over bulimia at last.
the best thing for me in this book is "normalized eating". this book tells you what is normal eating: no more dieting, no more food restrictions, no more urges to overeat.
now i eat normally and i'm not on a diet anymore. i don't even think about my weight and shape. and i feel real good about it. this is the happiness and freedom this book gave me, and i really want to say thank you guys and this book is highly recommended for anyone who's suffering from bulimia and wants to get out of the nightmare. this book will help you.

This workbook was for my daughter in rehab and she said this was an excellent book that gave her new insight into overcoming bulimia. Well worth the money

This book contains nuggets of truth as well as helpful, practical suggestions for coping with symptoms of bulimia. This book is a great companion to: "Hope, Help and Healing" By Dr. Greg Jantz. Based on the absolute truth of the Bible, you will be given insight regarding your childhood and discover how you were set up to fall into the lifestyle you desperately struggle against. You will discover freedom, day-by-day, as you trust Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit. YOU CAN BE FREE!
Hope, Help, and Healing for Eating Disorders: A New Approach to Treating Anorexia, Bulimia, and Overeating

This workbook is good for many reasons. It is written in a way that is easy to read, and very interesting. It does not seem at all like a dry textbook. It covers everything from defining eating disorders, to the root of the problem, to steps to take to begin recovering. I would highly recommend it for all ages.

This is the best resource for eating disorder self-help I have seen. Widely applicable for those who binge and purge by a number of definitions, including overexercising and subjective binging. Addresses a comprehensive range of related issues such as anxiety, obsessiveness, and perfectionism. Practical with real step-by-step things you can actually DO, ways to measure your progress, and encouragement about expected setbacks. Very strongly recommended.

Painting The Word is a truly outstanding guide to Christian paintings and their meanings brings art and spirituality together in an inspiring coverage. More than a history of painting, Painting The Word discusses how Christian images reflected and influenced Christian civilization as a whole, with a universal quality delivering balanced messages. Color reproductions of significant classic Christian art works appear throughout.

As an ordained Anglican priest and the dean of Christ Church in Oxford, John Drury is by no means an accredited art historian but he is a trained artist and has a knowledgeable background in theology and New Testament exegesis. Depicted as "a book about how Christian paintings convey their messages" (p.ix), Painting the Word uniquely "extends" the "historically iconographical, or picture-describing, approach" to art by incorporating spiritual "meditation," in order to bring the reader through a "contemplative waiting process" of viewing Christian artwork (p. xi-xiii).

John Drury specifies that the purpose of the book is for the reader to take ownership of the paintings and receive `spiritual nourishment' from them. What originally began as `postcard sermons' describing artwork exhibited in the London National Gallery, has developed over time into the authoring of this wonderful book, which is full of photographic illustrations of European Christian paintings from the 14th to 18th century.

The author successfully brings the reader along on a spiritual journey through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Drury groups paintings under each key moment of the salvation story, starting with the Annunciation, to the Nativity, to Christ's baptism and ministry, and culminating with his death and resurrection. In this way, Painting the Word is entirely Christocentric, as it focuses on the sacrificial narrative of Jesus "from conception to resurrection" (p. xiv).

I question whether Drury successfully builds a connection between the artwork itself and the spirituality being conveyed by the artist, because Drury presents some very odd theological concepts throughout his book. I disagree with Drury's constant insinuation that the original painters understood the biblical scenes that they were depicting as "myths." For example, as Drury begins his discussion of paintings depicting the Annunciation, he states, "A dialogue between Mary and the angel follows. It can only be imaginary, but... it is held together over a respectful distance by their mutual regard" (p.41). Drury claims on the very next page that the "moment" of the Annunciation is thanks to the "imagination" of St Luke and St John. Is Drury actually insinuating that the dialogue between Mary and the angel was only a fantasy? Would the artists of the Annunciation paintings really see their portraits as depicting a mythical scene? If so, then a plethora of Christian artists from the 14th to 17th centuries must have believed that Christianity was nothing more than a "myth", as Drury repeatedly refers to sacred Tradition as "myth" throughout the book (cf. p.48, 89, 114). It is more likely that Drury is imposing his own view upon the reader rather than objectively bringing out the artist's intended spirituality.

A more detailed review is available on my website:
http://members.shaw.ca/angelamccormick

This book is without doubt one of the more beautifully prepared and printed books in my collection. Done by the Yale University Press in association with the National Gallery of London, virtually every page is a treasure. There are nearly two hundred full-colour-process reproductions of artworks throughout the text, and every page (not just the colour plates) are heavy bond, high-gloss stock that shows the ink and colour with vibrancy and depth.

John Drury spent a career at both Cambridge and Oxford dealing in matters of theology, ecclesiology, liturgy, and art. I discovered Drury's book while attending a course at my own seminary on the church and the arts, and kept finding myself frustrated at the rapid pace we would go through topics (a frustration I know the professor teaching the course shared - how does one do justice to 2000 years of music, architecture, and art in a mere 15 sessions?). I sought out supplemental materials to help fill out the outline, and Drury's text serves the purpose in many ways.

Drury states his purpose early in the text. `This is a book about how Christian paintings convey their messages. It takes on whole paintings. It is not content with just picking symbols out of them for identification. Composition, colour, contents (including architecture and landscape as well as figures) and the ways in which the paint itself is handled - all are treated as part and parcel of their religious meanings.' This is a holy and holistic approach.

Drury adopts a kind of picture-describing approach (one that he terms `historically iconographical'). This involves absorbing details while understanding context and material. This is the same kind of attention that worship requires (and indeed, the Eastern church has always had this kind of physical artistic interplay with the tradition of use of icons for prayer, meditation and worship purposes) - it requires an openness to experience and feeling while also benefitting from understanding and guidance.

Major artists and works studied in detail in this text include the work of Tiepolo (c. 1750s), the Wilton Diptych (anonymous, c. 1390s), Titian (c. 1510-40s), Duccio (c. 1310s), Filippo Lippi (c. 1450s), Poussin (c. 1630-50s), Rembrandt (c. 1640s), Piero della Francesca (c. 1450-70s), Caravaggio (c. 1600s), Rubens (c. 1630s), Velazquez (c. 1610s), Cezanne (c. 1900s), and others. Most presentations begin by showing the whole work, then proceeding to look at individual characteristics or highlights often pulled aside in side images or isolated for greater emphasis. The text and artwork is arranged in good pattern throughout the text.

Throughout his text, Drury makes a repeated call for care, meditation and attention to be given to the artwork as well as the response to the artwork. He makes that statement that we should stay in front of the images `longer than people usually do' - noticing in museums, art shops, churches and other places that people tend to shuffle past rather than give attention to the most stunning and sublime works of art. Drury draws in history, theology, philosophy, literature, biblical references and images, and other cultural and contextual references to make the experience of these works a full and profound one. This is not a book to be read quickly or glanced over lightly.

Drury includes a narrative annotated bibliography rather than a simple list; he provides both a general bibliography for the entire text as well as a selected bibliography for each chapter/topic.

This is a wonderful book, a great gift for oneself or for others. It is particularly good for those who want a deeper experience and understanding of the way in which art has and can interact and enhance one's relationship with Christianity and its message.

Reasoned analysis involves dissection of statements and dissection of images. The dissection is needed to detect evidence or to expose the lack thereof. The reason analysis of images is needed is that all of the images are not natural. They are iconic based on conventions (like language) and therefore Christian images are signs. The discipline to investigate them is not the neuropsychology of perception but semiotics, the science of signs. Here we have an excellent semiotic rhetoric of Christian images informing us of the meaning of the signs and the meaning behind the images given to us by an expert in both religion (John Drury is a priest) and in the history of art. The cross, the scourging pillar, the spear and the sponge on a cane -all these have meaning. Particularly interesting was Chapter three with the dissection of the different presentations of the annunciation by Duccio as compared to Lippi and Poussin and the biblical quotes that supported each artist's view of what happened and how it happened.

John Drury is an art historian who uses his vocation as a priest to explain the subtlety of meaning that lies hidden in the symbolism of religious paintings in London's National Gallery.

Anyone how has looked at such a painting but not "seen" it, would do well to read this wonderful book and share the insights that the author offers. Paintings that I would have passed by with scarcely a second glance, are revealed within a context of their time, with reference to their history, the world view of the artist, the common and uncommon symbolism employed and much else besides.

It gives the possibility of sharing a visual language that we have lost and enables us to understand what it is about a picture that we sense is great, without comprehending why that might be.

It is hard to think that anyone who has ever visited an art gallery could not profit from reading this book and has certainly given me the enthusiasm to go and look at the pictures for myself.

A best buy, especially considered the low price. Nice collection of tunes, suitable for all instruments and most importantly nice arrangements and chord settings for an excellent selection of useful songs for the beginning or grown musician. You simply can not go wrong investing 6quid here, whatever you're background. Get it while still in print and a big hand to Williams for providing us this treasure of Bluegrass, Irish and traditional British tunes along with useful introductions to each number. Put short; an excellent book of reference value to any folk based player out there.

I have found this book to be helpful in my quest to play the penny whistle. When I started I could not read music or carry a tune. In the past few months I have taught myslf to play over 20 songs and am getting the hang of reading music!
This publication was delivered early and in A-1 condition

I recomend this book, and the seller.

It's great to finally receive this book. The seller was prompt, payment easy, and on the whole a pleasure to do business with.

Good book, with a slew of old tunes, but if you are a beginning whistler, check out Bill Ochs " The Clarke Tin Whistle." Then buy this book. Whistle on!

The author provides a spectrum of good selections and some solid advice on performance. Many of the selections translate well to fiddle too. Over the years I have bought a number of different books, but this is one I keep coming back to.

Heard this story as a child from my grandparents who were on German background. This story is just like they told it. Beautiful illustrations complete the story that swirled in my head so many years ago!!

Ok.I HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK.I hope that you don`t hurt my reviews for this,but in a way,I HAVE read this book.I am in this play,so I have read this script.And since the play is going to be on Saturday,(5th) and Sunday(6th) and also for the next weekend,I have to read this script over and over and over again.I think that this book is a very good book.In the play I am Miss Applebee but I think that this book is very good it must be.

When I was about seven-years-old a family member gave me a recording, (78s) of the Pied Piper of Hamelin narrated by Ingrid Bergman. As I listened, I could see the characters in my head and never tired of the story.

A month ago I bought the book for my eight-year-old granddaughter who lives about eight hundred miles away from me, because I was afraid with the passing of one more generation, the story might be forgotten.

It is a lovely book, written by Robert Browning more than a century ago. The drawings are perfect, given the dated language used in this book. And the story has a simple message, about honoring our promises.

Sadly, my granddaughter glanced at the book and was clearly not interested. I wanted to read it with her, intending to make clear the English used by Browning.

So, a tale almost twelve hundred years old bit the dust, at least in our family it did.

But if you are a lover of this fable, it is worth your time to try it out on the children in your family. They will be the richer for it.

This book would be a wonderful treasure for the pictures alone. Kate Greenaway, noted children's illustrator, has created a magical world of beautiful children, innocent faces, and romantic, nostalgic costumes. The colors on these pages are breathtaking, and the details (although Greenaway is always faulted for not drawing hands and feet well) are superb. This story is not for very young children, as it contains some troublesome themes. For the older child, perhaps 7+, the story might provoke some interesting post-read family discussions about honesty, trust, and the actual state of the children at the end of the tale. This is even a beautiful book to give to adults, as the messages about human nature can be appreciated on a deeper level.

"Rats!
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cook's own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women's chats,
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats."

Robert Browning (1812-1889) first published his poem "The Pied Piper of Hamelin, A Child's Story" in 1842, based on an old German legend which may or may not have had some basis in historical fact. Browning was a serious poet; even in a poem filled with playful rhymes written specifically for children, he did not "dumb down" his language, but expected his readers to do a little work in understanding some of his "big words."

Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) was one of the most famous and popular illustrators of children's literature in the latter part of the 19th Century. She had grown up loving Browning's poem, and shortly before his death she requested and received his permission to republish it accompanied by her own illustrations. This edition was initially published in 1888 under the imprint of George Routledge & Sons, which was at that same time in the process of splitting between Routledge and Frederick Warne. Starting in 1889 all subsequent editions carried the Warne imprint. The book continued to be popular, and Frederick Warne has issued reprints from time to time, well into the late 20th Century. This Warne edition is not in print at present, but used copies with various reprint dates are available from Amazon Marketplace sellers.

However, two different reprint editions are currently available, each with the complete original text and illustrations, and each presented with loving care from an eminently respectable publisher, in well-made but modestly priced editions. The Dover reprint (ISBN 0486296199) is full-size, in a sturdy paperback; the Alfred A Knopf/Borzoi/Everyman's Library reprint (ISBN 0679428127) is part of their Children's Classics series, in a very sturdily constructed hardcover with sewn sections that will not crack with use, but the page size is somewhat smaller. Both are beautiful books, and either is an excellent value.

As noted in the Editorial Reviews above, there have been other editions of "The Pied Piper," with different illustrations, and at least one seems to have been issued with the poem itself "retold" to make the language simpler; neither of those reviews is discussing this original version. Some readers may prefer one or another of these different versions. But anyone wanting to stick with Browning's original full text and Greenaway's original charming, muted and subtle illustrations should choose between the Dover or the Everyman's, or visit Amazon's Marketplace sellers to look for a copy of the Frederick Warne.

The "big boys" learned long ago how to create networks and gain visibility through "personal publicity," aka "toot your own horn!" Women generally show far too much humility about their talents and skills. If we want people to value our skills, we must first show that we value ourselves -- by making sure our accomplishments are visible to targeted audiences. If we want people to hire us, promote us, buy from us or invest in our companies, they have to know who we are, what we have accomplished and why they should do business with us! Self-promotion isn't bragging. It is a valuable business tool that career women must add to their strategies for success. (from Marion E. Gold, award-winning author of "The Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU")

Playing With The Big Boys reveals the success secrets of some of the most powerful, notable women in business, revealing top Fortune 500 women who reveal how they climbed to the top. They come from different backgrounds yet have shared traits which others can learn from in this revealing, reality-based guide.

I read this book from cover to cover. It's packed with insightful and useful advice for anyone who wants to climb the corporate ladder. It's great to learn from these women who have reached the ranks we all aspire to. Their wisdom and timely advice gave me valuable tools to use in my own career every day. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to get ahead.

This is the next era version of "Games Mother Never Taught You", a book that gives the real life road map of what it takes to get to the top. The book is easy reading with excellent examples of real role model top executive women. There are so many great ideas in this book I am sure it will help many women move ahead. The back has a self assessment. Besides interesting it is highly practical and inspiring!

In Playing With The Big Boys: Success Secrets Of The Most Powerful Women In Business, Debra Pestrak offers candid, emphatic advice, encouragement, and critical skills required on the part of female entrepreneurs and corporate executives seeking to be successful in a male dominated business world. Pestrak draws upon top Fortune 5000 female executives to reveal tips, tricks and techniques any woman can use to achieve business success in today's highly competitive and globalized market place. Replete with true-life stories of women who have joined the upper echelons within a corporate America, Playing With The Big Boys offers the tools women need to successfully accomplish personal, economic, and entrepreneurial achievement and prosperity.

A few years back I was looking for a book I could use to help guide the couples I worked with in marriage counseling. A friend and fellow counselor recommended The Power of Two. After reading it for myself I was grateful. There are always complicated issues to deal with any real relationship. How we navigate those troubled waters has everything to do with how we communicate. Susan Heitler, a seasoned couples therapist, has put together a how-to-communicate guide in a user friendly format. It starts out with the basics, Talking and Listening, emphasizing the priceless value of good everyday communication. She outlines the communication pitfalls people often trip over, how to improve and then provides scripts, what not to do and then the better way. Some people find these scripts corny and contrived. I can see that, but they are also useful for couples who really don't have a clue how to receive criticism without getting defensive, give criticism without being negative or how to ask for what they need from a reluctant spouse without whining. She also gets into the more difficult challenges of communication when emotions run hot.

The content is useful, it teaches and validates; the format accessible, easy language artfully spaced on the pages. I recommend this book for all couples, not just spouses; bothers, sisters, mothers, daughters, sons and fathers have also told me this book has enhanced their relationships.

I was excited to find a book that has everything you need to know about marital communications. Very thorough and well compiled. Kudos to the author for such an in-depth approach to being married.

I was dismayed to see reference that tough childhoods cause a neurological change in people. I felt it implied that such an upbringing would be to blame for anyone who suffers from a neurological illess. Could make for a tough sell to such an audience.

However, thanks for such a thorough read.

Dear Dr. Heitler: I live in New York. The purpose of this e-mail is to say thank you for all of your help during a difficult time in my life. I have spent the last two years trying to figure out what I am looking for and how to have a healthy relationship. I went through a long healing process and think I am ready to get back in to dating. I am going to re-read your book because I think it is the best book I have read in how to have a successful relationship. Thank you again for all of your help. Regards, Bruce

I don't really think I got married BECAUSE of the book. But after I read the book, I finally could see that it was possible to be married, remain an individual, and still have a deep and meaningful relationship. If you think marriage takes away your independence, read this book--it empowers you.

this is great it should be translated in many different languages..its for any man or woman married or not..for anyone who just want to live and comunicate happily :) wonderful..

This was really like a videocam on somebody's private life. Just that it gets turned on and off randomly. It makes sense, if you just keep in mind that this guy is never up to any good, whatever he's doing.

Someone had left this on the seat in the Red Line when we got stuck the better part of an hour on the bridge. There is a limit to how long you can sit and look at MIT so I began reading it.
It seemed to be a pretty quick book, the kind you would hide behind on the subway to avoid any kind of contact with the other passengers. But I ended up reading the whole thing, finishing late that night while my upstairs neighbor was dancing to a Bruce Springsteen CD.
I cannot describe the sense of grief I had after finishing this book. Taking Merlin Black's (i.e. Miles Davis) final affair as its starting point, the author picks up various points in the trumpeter's life, using psychological rather than plot connections to explain who this man really was. Talk about an anti-hero! And yet you accept Merlin's sleaziness as his natural condition, rather like dealing with a life-long disease. It becomes impossible to judge him.
I would highly recommend this book.

This book is an interesting life story. I felt that the author had valid points to make about the character, who as I understood it, is a disguised version of a now deceased jazz musician. This was a man who was not really in control of himself, however talented he may have been. It was gripping enough to read as the author managed to endear the character to me even though few would consider him admirable.
I don't know why so many intelligent authors today feel they must stick explicit descriptions of sex acts in every twenty pages or so. This book was recommended to me by a fellow church member as an example of how a very intelligent individual can go through life, getting no better and no worse, if they pay no attention to religion. I suppose the sex was there just to show, Merlin did not have his own best interests for eternity at heart.

One thing I do, on the road, is track this man Miles. I have been everywhere, this man has been. Every nasty dive that's now a parking lot, every apt. bldg., if he was there, I've been there. And sometimes I stop in a library, NYPublic by Grand Central usually, and look up the newest book on Miles. Until this book, which is kind of rare, I never got further than twenty pages.
Now this book fit with the pattern that I can see, going the places he went, and thinking of his music, which I memorized, all of it. I've talked to some people who actually knew him, but not big light people, and the picture you get is like the one drawn by this man Walter Ellis. He wasn't a nice guy, but mad all the time and even kind of violent when he wasn't too messed up to kick. This is the real picture. And Ellis starts the story when Miles was flopped, a sorry rich man who hadn't played trumpet in five years. By flashbacking to all the separate times he got somewhere and then got down with the dogs again, he gets you into this man's mindset, which was failure and all kinds of ways to fail in dealing with failure. And when you understand that, you'll understand the music.

We had to read "fiction" about an African American artist for the Black History Month assignment, but they would not let us do Rap. I got this from the assignment sheet and I did not want to but had to because I had been out sick the day of the first picks. The teacher said it was about Miles Davis, even though the wrighter calls the dude Merlin Black. I had never heard of either one, but a friend of mines stepfather says he knows who he was sure. He playde jazz, which is slow, I thought.

And man this is a real surprise. This is the kind of dude I want to be, because he is a bad mother in many ways but really good. He held off some pretty bad racists and always did his own jobs. He was not nice to his women but there were a lot of them and he always felt sorry. I got my friend to get some cds of this Miles from his stepfather and I really liked some of his music eventhough some of it really is slow.
Also the book is short. I didn't want to read a long one.

Principles of Electrodynamics by Melvin Schwartz is a very well written, very didactic book. The principles of Electrodynamics are clearly shown and the author explanations and demonstrations are rigurous but easy to understand. The book is a very good reference for certain topics of Electrodynamics not so well covered in other text books.

This book is somewhat famous for its heuristic derivation of the full Maxwell's equations using Lorentz invariance, but every topic is covered in an exceptionally lucid manner, on a par with Feynman at his best. The book is also a neccessary antidote for the excessive detail and overgeneralization of Jackson.

C'est de loin l'exposé le plus clair sur le sujet à ma connaissance. Quant au rapport qualité/prix, on voisine l'infini

This book is the best introduction to advanced electromagnetic theory I have ever encountered. The author does a masterly job at simplifying the mathematics without over-simplifying the physics. If you're looking to gain a deep understanding of electromagnetics and its relation to the theory of relativity, this book is for you!

Bref, c'est tres bien sauf que beaucoup d'erreur se sont glisses dans le livre. C'est le probleme principal de ce livre est que l'audience est tres restreinte aux eleves de secondes. J'en appelle donc au serieux de l'auteur pour se relire quand meme.

Il est ecrit que Integrale infinie de la derivee est egale a la fonction identite, non c'est faux. la constante a disparu. Beaucoup d'autres erreurs similaires sont surprenantes.

This is volume 1 of a two-part series. I have been studying tai chi at YMAA Boston for the past 3+ years and this video is absolutely fantastic. Master Yang clearly demonstrates take down techniques for about 16 different postures from the tai chi form starting from the crossed hands position. Just as important, you get to see several of his senior students executing the techniques and Master Yang making corrections. If you have an interest in the martial applications of tai chi, this is an excellent. Also don't forget to get volume 2 which reviews the techniques starting from the parallel hands position.

I have to admit I wish I had read this book before some of the other books I've read. While this book is heavy on theory and only has a couple of exercises to offer, it is an essential and must read book for anyone pursuing Taoist alchemical practices. The author explains in clear and easy to read language the theory behind Taoist energy work. I felt like a lot of peices that were missing or that I didn't have context with, were supplied by this book. I definitely plan on picking up more of his books.

The actual practices are brief, but the author does an excellent job of explaining how to do the breathing and the practices work.

I hesitated quite some time buying "Qigong Meditation - Embryonic Breathing". I wondered whether it would be worth reading (and paying money for the privilege to do so). Everything I read _about_ it seemed generic and uninformative, but the book itself is marvellous, as I know now.

I have read other reviews and came to the conclusion this book is not for everyone, some reviewers even cited sentences next to the key sentences and complained about it lacking detail. It does not. Some things are simply hard to convey and describe...

Today, thanks to the publishing of a lot of books suggesting that you apply techniques early on that may have been esoteric, inner circle and hidden knowledge, a lot of people think that they are in the know. In fact, in terms of real written knowledge they may be. Small Circulation / Microcosmic Orbit meditation seems to be easy enough.

The problem is that key techniques need some time to develop and need to be developed properly. Guiding Qi without being able to properly sense its whereabouts, concentration and impact may or may not benefit and may or may not do damage. Fact is, you simply may not know that you put "fire to the devil" when you practise incorrectly as you have no way to measure or determine your progress.

So when you practise such techniques without actually being able to properly judge how well you are doing them, this book seems to contain bad advice and little help. In fact it is only tailored to a more advanced, perhaps early-intermediate reader that has mastered the early stages of the practise, how to begin to regulate body/posture, breath, emotion and mind to a certain degree, can keep concentration, and can sense movement and stagnation of Chi. Without this a lot of the stuff written herein seems theoretical or lacking detail.

The realm you enter with the practise of Embryonic Breathing is the one of inner self-awareness, starting out from body awareness. It is a crucial skill, not developed easily, not a simple subject. Anyone interested to developing this before tackling this book should try a book like Bruce Frantzis' "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body" first. Yang's book only gives you strong hints about it, but is focused on the theory, framework, context and practise of Embryonic Breathing - no surprise there.

If you know the basic skills, this book delivers everything you need to know to go on. On which points/cavities/nodes to concentrate, how to locate those, with which techniques to manipulate them, and what end result to produce, and what this end result means in the overall context of longevity and enlightenment meditation and different Qigong schools.

It is first book (I know about) that discusses something I wondered about in Qigong exercises - is the Lower Dantian at the navel on the Conception Vessel (the Qi reservoir running down from tongue root, frontal chest navel to Huiyin/Perineum), or is it located within the body's center inside the lower abdomen. Qigong literature is very unspecific about this, and depending on context names one or the other as the Lower Dantian.

Yang clarifies that the navel location is the "False Dantian", which can store some but not much Qi, and helps store some in the real one at the center of gravity. He gives full anatomical and self-awareness instructions where to locate which and how they are most likely constructed anatomically in the body (the bio-battery concept of layers of conductors (muscles/tendons) and isolators (fat/fasciae) is introduced here for the lower abdomen). Yang's discussion of bioelectricity and a possible working of the Qi / bioelectricity system in the body is well-written, most-interesting and intriguing.

Yang introduces deeper knowledge about the inner layers and details of the Qi circuit, such as the Yang core in the center of the Sea of Yin (in the center of the Real Lower Dantian) and the Yin Spiritual Center (in the center of the brain / Upper Dantian, where important glands reside). He relates this knowledge back to the Taiji symbol and shows yet another way for it to symbolize an important concept.

First you develop the ability to locate and feel the places mentioned, to concentrate and how to lead Qi, and the breathing techniques. Then you train the technique and practise it to achieve the given goal, for example storing ample Qi for a later step. And then you can advance to the next practise. Nothing is missing here. It's just so that this book does not repeat all preliminary skills necessary, and I for one do not demand that from it. I prefer a book with depth such as this over one with breadth, since those are available in reasonable numbers to satisfy anyone.

Breathing is of course discussed thoroughly, and how its different techniques should be trained and can be applied to achieving certain goals. Breathing becomes a tool and the way for achieving different stages of practise, a context lined out really well during the middle part of the book, with a lot of detail of a complete "religiously" Daoist / Buddhist meditation program for achieving enlightenment.

A lot of books have been written about meditation and breathing, but this practise and its intricate placement within context and theory makes this book a treasure. If you read carefully you may have answered enough about your questions about breathing and Qi to be sure you are practising properly and be able to monitor your progress.

These techniques may be the key tools for experienced meditators to put in the missing pieces into their practise, and for novice meditators to lay a sound foundation for their future practise. (Novices to sitting meditation maybe, but surely not to Qigong...)

It is one of the few books that leaves you with the feeling that there is a roadmap for practise and you don't have to stumble about in your search. It relies on many sources instead of citing a single master.

One especially rare treasure is the section containing translations of selected Chinese texts about the topic. As Dr. Yang points out, one needs a strong understanding of the context of Qigong, of Chinese culture, Taoist philosophy and technical terms to be able to comprehend and translate without loss of meaning such original sources. Else the output could be flowery and incomprehensible poems obscuring the real content (possibly with intent) hidden within.

I can truly recommend this book to everyone interested in deeper energy meditation practise and Nei Gong. You won't regret, I'm sure. The writing can sometimes be redundant, dry and lengthy, but the knowledge is better given in a most detailed way instead of the most entertaining. Depending on your predisposition you may prefer Yang's writing style over others, don't take my or anyone other's word for it.

Having entered popular Western consciousness, the subject of Qigong is currently awash with fluffy, vacuous verbiage from pompous self-styled experts whose only real interest is cashing in on a lucrative New-Age trend. This volume, although dense and difficult, reveals much authentic and vital knowledge to those who have had some experience of Qi and are not afraid of patient study and experiment. Dr. Yang is one of a handful of authors in this field who is both qualified and willing to share significant teachings that have heretofore been kept secret or deliberately obscure. His material is presented in a format that, while extremely concise, assiduously avoids being cryptic. If you are a lazy dabbler interested in yet another mealy-mouthed, feel-good text weighted down with pseudo-exotica, promising everything and delivering nothing, avoid this book. But if you have perceived a little of the reality of internal Qi and desire to systematically expand your practice and understanding, you will probably find this volume unusually rewarding.

I am disappointed with newest Jwing-Ming book. There is a lot of scientific and theoretical reflections about all stages of Qigong, unfortunately practical ground is covered only at the beginner level.
There is almost nothing written about practice of "Kan-Li" (i.e. conceiving the Spiritual Embryo by mixing fire and water Qi at Huang Ting cavity to produce Elixir). Author just sends you to his next book. I am probably not the only one who waited especially for this issue! Regarding practice - you will find detailed description of reversed and normal abdominal breathing plus its variations (Griddle and Marrow breathing). You will not find anything more (practical) in this book. There is also nothing about practicing "internal vision". I would like to cite example of how Jwing-Ming writes about recognizing Yin Center of Upper Dan Tian "To recognize this point through feeling, you must first rid yourself of all emotional disturbances and also the external attractions of your mind. In this case, your mind will be easily search for the location. If you search for it sincerely, it will take only a few days for you to recognize this point" (p.330). That's all, but how can I find this point if I don't know what feelings are associated with it? Recognizing feelings play special role in Tai-Chi or Qigong. Why are they not covered? Summarizing, this work is too much academic for me.
Citations from old scriptures are major advantage of "Qigong Meditation", however I would like to read more ancient Qigong classics instead of mere repetitions of what was said before in previous interpretations.
Conclusion: If you look for theoretical background of Qigong practice, you can buy this book - it's probably best in this field written in English, but if you are mainly a practitioner and you look for "Kan-Li" or anything else, and you know other Jwing-Ming books, then you can skip this one.

If you like origami boxes, you need to own a book by the queen of origami boxes, Tomoko Fuse. This is a good one to start with because Quick and Easy Origami boxes can be summed up by the title...quick and easy. It's also nicely packaged in a box with about 25 sheets of origami paper to get you started.

Directions and illustrations are big, bright, bold, and easy to follow. The book is spiral bound which is extremely handy if you're trying to fold and keep the book open at the same time.

The book has SQUARE boxes with several design variations for lids. It has TRIANGLE boxes with lids. It has HEXAGONAL (6-sided boxes) with lids. It has nesting boxes.

The first time origami folder will breeze through the beginning folds of most of the boxes. The final steps of the boxes are a bit challenging and will take the new folder a while to figure out. In other words, the end steps where you fold the flat paper up into the 3-D side of the box can be a bit confusing.

That's typical of most origami books. Often the final steps are NOT detailed enough, and you find yourself looking at the picture and folding this way and that. Then EUREKA, you discover you've figured it out!

If you can't find this book, Fuse's book ORIGAMI BOXES is excellent. The hexagon boxes (my favorite) in that book are easier to make and stronger than the ones in this book. Also, ORIGAMI BOXES contains the 8 sided octagon box. While it isn't spiral bound like this one, it's one of my favorite origami books.

This book is probably the single reason modular origami continues to gain new fans. Pick up this book, and fold the beginning boxes... In no time, you'll be hooked and want to fold every box, shortly after that you'll want to experiment with different papers/colors/patterns/etc. This book, (while fundamentally simple..the charm of modular...) has a wealth of great boxes. The best part is, when you are done, the boxes can be used as gifts, or gift boxes, and look great for any celebration. I highly recommend this book to all origami fans, but not too people who are only interested in finding difficult models.

Why buy this book instead of one of Tomoko Fuse's full size books?
-- makes a great gift to a new folder,
-- slips into your purse or pocket for folding on the go,
-- these simple boxes are remarkably satisfying.

I already owned a bunch of other Fuse books, and loved them, when I found this little kit. I felt a little silly buying something so simple, but it was so cute. I have not regretted the impulse. I love these boxes. Sometimes I don't want a challenge that will take half an hour, I want immediate gratification -- and this is the book.

The folds are simple enough to work well with 3 inch (75 mm) paper. And if you have fancy paper, these relatively simple boxes will show it to good advantage.

Being new to origami boxes, the title caught my attention, and didn't disappoint. The book is only 62 pages, however it teaches as much as most other bigger books do. It is spiral bound, so it lays flat during the folding steps (if you already do origami, you know how important this is). The boxes are very easy, some requiring only 10-12 steps to fully construct. The designs of the boxes are beautiful for being so simple. The folding illustrations are very, very clear and easy to understand. It is also a plus that the book comes with enough paper (60 sheets in 6 bright colors) to make each box.

Of the 15 or so books I have on origami, I would put this in the top 5, as one that I will use over and over again.

What else should I say .. it's the best ! really