News Books

I was in a book store and I was attracted to the title and the cover color. I picked up the book and read the jacket and I was hooked. I hardly ever buy non-technical books -especially non-fiction. But I was hooked after reading the jacket so I bought the book and assiduously read and enjoyed it. Also I am a Wharton alumnus. I also took classes with Len Lodish.

Eric Ericsson

The book spells out tips for starting a business (use credit cards instead of banks) and the mistakes the authors made along the way (when do you enter the market). You can even contact them after reading and talk to them about your ideas. The encouraging aspect of the book is that while they are starting their business, they spoke to their classmates who were making $200,000 on wall street and working for the dot-coms, but John and Kyle were not discouraged. I am happy that they were able to take an idea like a computer mouse shaped like a gold club and turn it into THEIR company. Congrats guys!

There is so much in this book that I can relate to, having started my own company around the same time in Silicon Valley (although in software). John and Kyle made the same mistakes that many entrepreneurs thankfully make - they followed their passion instead of their senses, and didn't buckle under the pressure and the unknown. One other valuable lesson from this book -- document your process. This is a great way to share your successes and your mistakes with others. I wish we had more stories like this when I was working on my MBA - something more than the dry, non-applicable case studies stuck in front of us. And John and Kyle also provided one other important gem: how to save a few bucks a month at the neighborhood gym. Thanks guys.

The Mousedriver Chronicles is the story of 2 Wharton MBA's who take a business plan developed on their entrepreneurship course at Wharton and decide to make a go of it. In 1999 they turn away high paying jobs at investment banks and over funded dot.com startups to go it alone.

Their idea: to make and sell a computer mouse that looks like the head of a golf driver.

They fund the venture themselves, find a manufacturer in Hong Kong, move to San Francisco (to be part of all the start up vibe in The Bay area) and run the business from the kitchen of their rented flat.

Their story is brilliantly relayed as they grapple with manufacturing, marketing and distribution hassles. The single product focus of their new company, named Platinum Concepts Inc., makes for a wonderful entrepreneurial story with excellent lessons about what it takes to succeed as a self funded start up. The two founders quickly learn that they need more than the theoretical knowledge acquired on their MBA at Wharton; they need to be street wise. They experiment with different mechanisms to make things happen and end up categorizing their execution strategies as follows:
Plan A: Make use of their business school network and contacts
Plan B: Hit the streets and the shops to find a creative solution
Plan C: Work the Yellow Pages

More often than not, plan B and C worked far better than plan A.

One of the founders, John Lusk, began sharing their entrepreneurial adventure with friends and family via a monthly email called "The Insider". The Insider was a real, often humorous, sometimes highly insightful newsletter about their adventure. The insider subscriber list grew and grew. MBA lecturers began distributing The Insider as prescribed reading. In 2001 Inc. Magazine featured a cover story on the company and its two founders. The Inc. cover story entitled "An American Start-up" focuses on the impact of The Insider e-mail newsletter. The email newsletters were used as the foundation for the book published in 2001 entitled The "Mousedriver Chronicles".
The company has since been shut down but the Mousedriver website still serves as a portal for entrepreneurs and copies of The Insider newsletter can be found in PDF format on the website: www.mousedriver.com

MouseDriver is about two guys who graduate from Wharton with MBAs in 1999 (the heart of the internet boom) and start a business manufacturing and selling a computer mouse that looks like the head of a driver golf club, turning down high paying jobs at dotcoms, investment banks, consulting firms etc.

As a small business consultant (Transcendence Consulting, LLC tcllc.net) I can tell you right now that if you are looking to start a busines, buy this book TODAY. It is an amazing look at the entire process of starting a business, from the ability to jump head first, manage yourself during
the highs and lows, deal with self doubt and solve an endless supply of problems. It is an easy read that will take you no time at all to complete.

I started off hi-liting as I read, in green no less, the color of money, but I colored every page. I decided to sticki important hi-lited pages. Now every page has a green sticki. I am not exaggerating, well maybe a little, but the book is that good. I didn't realize how much I don't know about web marketing until I read Plug Your Book.

Now, I am off to the races taking one idea at a time to plug my novels, Standup Comedian: The Secret and Beyond, Beyond the Shadow of Death: Book One of the Adam Eden Series, and Return to Zero: Book Two of the Adam Eden Series. Thanks Steve Weber.

Kenneth Ray Taylor author of Standup Comedian: The Secret and Beyond

When I wrote my books (2000 and 2002), the marketing strategies that Weber describes largely didn't exist. Meanwhile time has passed, and it turns out these strategies don't just sell books -- they're a GREAT way of meeting interesting people and finding ideas and info you'd never have found otherwise. Weber got me excited about reading blogs (I had always assumed they were just a bunch of boring, misspelled rants -- who knew??), and then he gave me clear, concise directions for setting up blogs and communicating with other bloggers. The acid test: I've always hated marketing, but if this is "marketing," BRING IT ON! Great job, Mr. Weber!

Doni Tamblyn is author of Laugh and Learn: 95 Ways to Use Humor for More Effective Teaching and Training and The Big Book of Humorous Training Games (Big Book of Business Games Series)

This books is a real gem!

Before I read this book, I barely knew a thing about blogging, let alone how to get started. The chapter on "Blogging for Authors" is a great, concise guide on how to do it. My chapter is marked, highlighted and flagged all over.

The author tells you how to set up a blog, get raw materials for posts, spin information into blog posts, set up links, get artwork, set up a system for your readers to subscribe by e-mail, and more. All for free! I followed all the steps and am happily up and running.

When I get to actually publishing and promoting my book, I'm sure the other chapters, especially the ones re: Amazon, will be equally marked up, highlighted, and dog-eared.

Thanks for this excellent resource!

Readable, practical, encouraging, and chockful of new ideas: "Plug Your Book" is amazing. Buy it.

In this age of the internet, mastering this world of marketing is complex. Steve Weber's book was a great help. In addition to the many important leads it alerted me to a valuable one I had not seen in other books. I had difficulty tracking it down and sent the author an email for help and received an immediate answer that solved my problem.
David Comings Author Did Man Create God?

i THINK PETER MASSIE's biography on Peter tue Great is a classic book. You read it more as a novel than an historical biography. I highgly recommend it for people interest in history. Peter the Great is an icon of Russian and Universal history, with a stunnig personality, with very dark and very positive sides. It is a most for people who want to understand russian history.

Massie's biography of Peter, the Czar of Russia is unquestionably author's best book.

For nearly quarter of a century Peter strode upon his nation like a colossus.Though tyrannical and cruel Peter unlike other Russian contemporaries was broad-minded and had progressive outlook toward life.Russian Czar was dynamic had unbridled curiosity and insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Old Muscovy state ,as author rightly puts it, was conservative,xenophobic rigidly adhering to antiquated ways.Interacting with foreigners in Muscovy's German suburb Peter realised how backward his nation really was.A fact which prompted him to undertake 'Great Embassy' to the West.Peter strove to modernise Russia particularly its armed forces incorporating latest in western technology.There was hardly a sphere of human endeavour in that nation which lay untouched by Peter's reforming zeal. Czar can rightly be dubbed the architect of modern Russia.

Czar's love for war,soldiering ,sea,ships,navigation lends colour to this biography.Big events of his life was Great northern War and founding of the city of St. Petersburg along the banks of river neva.In the former case, Peter wanted to make Russia a maritime power .this was not possible as long as Russia had no natural access to sea.In the south ,Tartars blocked Russia's route to sea and in the north Swedes controlled the Baltic coast.Peter's determination to break the stranglehold led to war with King Charles XII of Sweden.

The book is also a brilliant sweep of late 17th and early 18th century history.Author narrates Streltsy revolt which precede peter's accession to power,the reign of King Louis XIV of Bourbon dynasty,splendid court life of French nobility. Religious strife ,dynastic quarrels leading to wars of succession,rise of Holland, growth of Ottoman power and Glorious revolution in England.Hence I deem this book an essential reading for History buffs.

My only grudge is bibliography which looks inadequate considering the scale of research undertaken by the author for its production.Research notes not very impressive .However footnotes adequately compensates for this lacuna.

Book carries good quality maps especially on Battle of Poltava. Reader is easily able to follow the ebb and flow of the battle ; different manoeuvres practised by Swedish and Russian infantry and cavalry units.

On the whole,Massie has done an excellent job.

Much like Pierre Berton's great Canadian history books, Robert Massie brings history to the "people" with Peter The Great. In this long but highly readable biography, Massie illumimates the distant past of a backward nation which grew into a major European power under the energetic Peter. We read about the palace intrigues in the Kremlin in Peter's early years, his rise to power, and his historic trip "incognito" through Holland, Austria and England. A major part of this book is devoted to the Great Northern War with Sweden, and the fascinating character of Swedish king Charles XII. I knew very little about that attempted invasion of Russia, and Massie paints a vivid picture of the Swedish campaign. The author also brings us inside the Ottoman Empire and the life of the Sultans and Grand Viziers. He puts Peter's life in context with the greater world and shifting alliances of Europe.

The brutish nature of life in Russia in this era is not glossed over. So many labourers died in the construction of Peter's centrepiece city St. Petersburg, and the cruel punishments of the time are depicted. Overall, this is the type of historical biography they don't write anymore. History can be and should be written to appeal to a broader audience, and also to tell things as they were, without resorting to revisionism. Books such as this encourage readers to explore history more.

What a treat this book was to read. Robert Massie demonstrates an ability at biography to a level I had never before experienced, though a huge portion of my reading is in fact biography. Truly amazing is the level of detail and background, which is somehow seamlessly spun into fibers, into yarns, and into a rich textile of thoughts and events sweeping through Russian and world drama by the fluid hand of Mr. Massie. He is with no exaggeration a master of his craft. I suppose this is why the book has earned a Pulitzer prize.

Not only is the worth of the author a call for every historically curious person to swim eagerly through this work, but so do the very facts of the account examined create among the richest stories available in history for any author to weave into narrative. It just so happens that here we have a wonderful and rich history handled by an unusually able story teller.

Peter The Great is such a curious character that one might consider such a collection of ability, insight, temper, and crushingly wielded power more the subject of a novel before thinking him one who walked the Earth, leaving his mark forever impressed upon Russia until the modern day.

It was Peter who pulled Russia kicking and screaming from the dark ages. It was Peter who created the Russian Navy from nothing (actually it is said from a single rotten sailboat). It was Peter who created Russia's first standing professional army. How? From the ranks of children with whom he played army as a child himself. He grew, they grew, and they became the core of the new Russian army. This by the way is a brutal and captivating tread of the story in its own right.

The book is riddled with such accounts, rendered in a degree of detail as to leave you simply awestruck and immersed in your own transported imagination. This to the point of regretting the arrival of that last of its many polished and engrossing pages.

This is truly a wonderful display of scholarship, of factual organization, and of rich story telling. This book is absolutely perfect for those with a mind, seeking to have it engaged.

I love to read history and have numerous books about many people and events that happened throughout history. But this book has to be my absolute favorite. Peter the Great was an amazing person and led a life without one dull moment. Once you start reading this book it will be difficult to put it down. Even though he did not live into old age, he lived a life full of adventure and you will never be bored while reading this book. You will find that Peter the Great is one of the best leaders of all times and I often wonder how Russian history would have evolved if Peter had lived to be eighty. It is too bad the man cannot be cloned.

I own many editions of books written by Scott Kelby. They are easy to follow, and I've learned a lot.

From time to time you need a guide to edit your photograph, regardless how experience you are. This book allows you to achieve a professional result for an old black-and white photography, as well for color photography - just follow the instructions that are easy as 1,2,3.

Photoshop Elements 5 by Scott Kelby has some great features. First let me say I have only gotten to the third chapter before Amazon asked for a review.The "Good" is that this book is very easy to follow. Mr. Kelby has laid out the instructions so a first timer can easy follow them. Not only that, but he has created a web site where you can download the examples he uses in the book. This is fantastic and much appreciated touch!You do the corrections just as he does and learn by doing. The "Bad" is that it took me an hour to figure out how to download into "Elements" (my fault?...maybe I am 66 and may be slow on details).
The ugly is that some moves are either not explained in enough detail or Adobe has released several versions of Elements 5 w/ very small changes which don't correspond to the book.
What you really want to know, would I recommend this book? YES WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!!

This book is an excellent tool for an amateur digital photographer who is new to PhotoShop but willing to make the best use of it. It is a course that takes the reader step by step via all of the program's features and links them together in order to make them useful.
This book is worth it's price!

This book is so great. It's straightforward. It doesn't go into general Photoshop ideas - it's about specific things you want to do to your photos. It says "Sharpening" and has several things to do to sharpen your photos. Each method has clear and to the point directions. The author adds his two cents saying which method usually works better and other such things. The best part is that it's straightforward and easy to flip to any page if you want something done specifically - you don't have to go looking through paragraphs and paragraphs to find what you want. This method is great because you may flip through the book and find something new you may not have searched for or thought about before. It's great :)

This book was first published in 1993 and like with all Simpsons' merchandise and books back then changes to the show over time have left these items a bit dated. Published three years after Do the Bartman swept to the top of the charts this book represents The Simpsons' in the early 90s, when the show was more about Bart rather than Homer. Bart had a lot of catchphrases which have not continued onto modern times which are in this book for example in the first lines Bart speaks to the reader as he introduces forgery he tell us "Okay, Listen up man!" Obviously he no longer talks like this so the vocabulary of Bart is a bit dated but the Matt Groening humour isn't.

Bart teachers the reader about personal enrichment through his eyes teaching us how to cope with the different aspects of life such as School, Food, Health, Money, Work, Parents, Art, Culture, Science, Psychology to name but a few of the vast topics covered. Like the vocabulary a lot of other characters hadn't become mainstream or even created in the first few seasons when this book came out so in the school yard there are a lot of illustrations of kid characters we are unfamiliar with but these are little things in no way retract from the overall enjoyment of this book. With the book being so old too, like I did you'll probably find it for a cheap price in many a second hand book shop.

Bart Simpson's Guide to life is a wee handbook for the perplexed to learn how to get through life the way Bart does it. It includes scenes with other family members too like Lisa, Homer, Marge, Maggie, and of course Bart. It has different subjects including school, love, money, food, and after hours. The funniest scenes are forgery, how to cheat in school, and Bart's Dream Bedroom. My personal favorite scene is Bart's Dream Bedroom because it has a bunch of stuff in it that I like including an observatory with an intergalactic telescope, a wrestling celebrity bedtime reader, a personal fridge stocked with junk food, a giant comic book collection along the walls, a Spinal Tap World Tour poster, an electronic automatic wardrobe selector, a private basketball court, an E=MC2 snooze time sleep helper, a heavy metal band alarm clock, an alien life form chart, a Tinkle-Matic TM bed wetting sheet absorber, a waterbed with piranhas in it, a 50" thick lead door with a giant ant farm in it, two guard dogs in front of it, a little sister early warning detection system, and a thumbprint identifying lock.

Not really. In addition to MAD magazine, this book was integral in my life as a kid through high school. It was given to me by my mom many years ago and I still keep it on the shelf next to my "big kid" books. It is fun to pull out and read a few pages from time to time. Heaven vs. Hell, Sex, Money, School, and everything in between.

This book taught me what auf Wiedersehen means. Go ahead, wiki it.

If you are a Simpsons fan, this is an important addition to your collection especially if you are like me and grew up watching the show.

Bart Simpson's Guide to Life is undoubtadly one of the best books to be based on The Simpsons that I have read.

The laughs keep on coming all the way through to the last page thanks to Matt Groening's pointed wit and satirical look at modern life.

A must for every Simpsons fan.

Not only is Bart Simpson's guide to life funny it also has great drawings, and comical jokes, such as the ingredient list on the back of the book. Buy it and you'll be reading it over and over again!

Second Sight was recommended to me by a friend who knew of my interest in the psychic, and I am so happy she did...I could not put this book down, looking forward to sitting quietly each morning to read the next chapter in Ms. Orloff's life. A must read for anyone interested in the spiritual, psychic, or healing abilities. With this book, Ms. Orloff has inspired me to reach out and explore a long desired interest in my own psychic abilities and it's spiritual connection. Highly recommended!

This is a incredible book. You will feel like you've met a new friend in Judith. This book shows that the physic is not a taboo but a beautiful spirtual experience. Everyone who reads this book will be grateful they did.

I have been reading many different books dealing with healing, spiritual growth and energy medicine. Most have a variety of resources to offer and to guide you. In her book, Judith goes beyond techniques. She reveals the difficulties of growing up with a spiritual gift. And what makes her story so different from others is that Judith tells not only the beautiful side of what such a gift can give you, but also the challenges and the incredible responsibility that is imbedded in having psychic abilities.

Judith's book gives you her own story in a clear, passionate and courageous way. She is a pioneer in revealing what most people may not understand; and even reject in an academic and professional setting. It is not easy in such a setting to advance your career and serve others in a meaningful way acknowledging that you have psychic abilities. Judith has been able to do that and has found a way to show others that is possible to have a career without ignoring or rejecting your psychic abilities.

In a time, that many are trying to ¨have psychic abilities ¨ it is a blessing to find someone who shows that those gifts must be developed with a purpose different than just being special or have some power. As she correctly points out those abilities must be embedded in a deep connection with the divine within each of us.

Judith Orloff has a deep mystical current running through this enchanting autobiography. She writes with candor and insight into the intuitive nature we all possess and -if we are wise- whose counsel we heed. Offering a guidebook, life story, and adventure -all in one book, this is highly recommended reading for anyone who feels the tug of spiritual awakening to our mystical potential. I used this book while teaching my college class and students all loved it! Well-written, credible, and delightful!

It's like I can take a deep breath and relax now. Someone once asked me "How do you feel when you enter a room where there's a lot of fighting and anger?" My immediate response was: "I recoil and want to run out of there." I thought everybody felt this way. Granted we all feel things up to a certain level, but the notion that I feel more than most never occurred to me. Doesn't everyone? I thought. Learning I was not alone in my experiences was a huge relief and revelation to me. When I read Dr. Orloff's book I felt I had found me. I now knew who I was and could now just simply enjoy what once seemed like a curse. Feeling everything like I have been up to date without understanding it is "crazy making." I now realized no, it's a blessing, I have been given a whole 'nother level of awareness and depth. It is powerful. Hearing Dr. Orloff explain it through sharing her life- it blew the barn doors open. She talks openly about all her experiences as well as how she deeply respects her gifts and how she has combined these with traditional methodologies. Yes, there is a feeling of "safety" that she has credentials when reading this, but for me the true safety comes in how Dr. Orloff has chosen to use her gifts and live her life. She deeply respects what she has and is grateful for it. She does not misuse what she has and adds seriousness and credibility to her spiritual gifts.

I bought a copy of this book for my sister as she feels things on the hyper-sensitive scale as I. My sister gets massive migraines and has been taking medication to manage this. After reading Dr. Orloff's story and learned how she went through a phase of medicating herself to "escape" until she new what to do with what she had been given, I related this to my sister. She opened up to me and told me more things that she had experienced as a child. I now hope that my sister will be able to understand herself an accept and enjoy these gifts she has been given.

As far as I'm concerned Dr. Orloff is opening doors for people and allowing everyone to relax as well as respect a whole arena of the human experience that typically gets shunned, and until very recently even went punished. And the biggest tragedy of all is that these gifts have gone unused, denied and ignored by many and dismissed as sillyness or even crazyness of some kind. With this openess and understanding of what is really going on many can now not waste what they have been blessed with and can live incredibly rich, powerful lives. There's nothing to reject or push away. In fact, this is cause for celebration. Thank you for sharing your story, Dr. Orloff.

The last book of the enchanted forest chronicles, it is as funny. It is a sequel to Calling on Dragons and the end of the story is a happily ever after for a lot of characters and a not so happy ending for others. It is a book that should not be missed.

My daughters often read the four books from the Enchanted Forest series by Patricia C. Wrede. They came across the books a couple years back. They seem to check out the books and audio tapes every couple months. Over the last year I have listened to bits and pieces of the series.

Talking to Dragons is was the first book published, but it is really the fourth in the series. The hero of the story is a 16 year old boy by the name of Daystar. For the first 16 years of his life he lived on the edge of the Enchanted Forest with his mother. Then one day his mother gives him a sword and sends him out into Enchanted Forest. His mother tells him he has a mission, but won't tell him what the mission is.

Fairly quickly Daystar bumps into a fire-witch. They are both in trouble with wizards, and decide to stick together. Daystar was taught to always be polite to dragons. They come across a young dragon. Daystar is very polite and the dragon joins the group. Near the end of the book Daystar finally figures out his mission and helps save the day.

This is a fun book. It moves along well. I stayed up till midnight to finish it. If your children like fantasy, you might have them try this book.

Talking To Dragons Jane Yolen Books,
Patricia C. Wrede ISBN 0-15-284247-0

Talking to Dragons is a great book about kings, princes, princesses, dragons, and wizards by Patricia C. Wrede. It takes place in Enchanted Forest. The narrator of the book is the main character, Daystar.
One day Daystar's mom tells him to go on a quest that he knows nothing about. He started out on a quest and meets new creatures and people, some of them become his companions and some his enemies.
His companions, a young fire witch named Shiara and a young dragon, become really good friends with him. They help him on his quest. After a while he started to figure out that the sword his mom gave him was important because everybody wanted it. People called it "The Sword of the Sleeping King." All he knew is that he needed to go through a cave to be where he was supposed to.
At the end he found the Sleeping King and everybody was reunited. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and also a happy ending. I recommend reading the first three books Dealing With Dragons, Searching For Dragons and Calling for Dragons.

PR28

All the Enchanted Forest Chronicles are so much fun! Definitely at my top of Harry Potter fan recommendations. They're just such an amusing read; I even teach with them. Don't forget to read "The Frying Pan of Doom."

Written first, this is actually the final book in the series (so far, at least). This story features the son of Mendanbar and Cimorene: Daystar. Daystar has been reared on the edge of the Enchanted Forest without any knowledge of who he is or how he and his mother came to be there. Shortly after a wizard appears on their doorstep, he watches his mother melt the wizard and he is sent on his way into the Enchanted Forest with a sword and instructions from his mother to always be polite, especially to dragons, and NEVER agree to a favor until you know what it is. Almost immediately Daystar gains a companion, Shiara, who happens to be a fire witch. Together they follow the sword wherever it leads them, which brings us back to some familiar characters. In the end Daystar realizes many things, including what he is to do and how he is to do it - but not without a lot of help and teamwork from many friends and companions. This was an interesting finale as it definitely left an opening for novels of the next generation of the Enchanted Forest.

I discovered this book on a dusty HS library shelf and as in Ms. Hanff's words, devoured it "all at once" not coming up for air or cigarettes. I also bought the VHS many years ago as soon as it came available. Since then, I've gone on to go out of head for Donne, Quiller-Couch, Austen, and Blake (though not anywhere near Donne!).

What a great movie this story made. I have watched the movie many, many times and have loved it every time. Now, I just had to read the book. The strange thing is that since I know what is going to occur at the end, my eyes become teared which makes the book difficult to read. Of course, that happens at certain moments in the movie as well. What a powerful story!

Interesting book that proves friendship can be created and sustained by people that haven't met.

In less than one hundred pages, Helene Hanff has given her readers a rare and special gift. Here in this delightful little book are the notes she exchanged with the employees of Marks & Co., a used-book store in England. Being fond of the old-fashioned yet still highly personal act of letter writing, and being equally fond of old books and used-book stores, Hanff seemed to have compiled these letters just for me. I doubt there is anyone who can read this book without experiencing a wide range of emotions complete with laughter and tears.

A lifelong letter writer, Helene Hanff studied playwriting at the Theatre Guild. She has written scripts for "The Hallmark Hall of Fame" and for "Ellery Queen." Her other writings include several children's books as well as articles for Harpers and New Yorker magazines.

Living and writing in New York City, Hanff finds herself unsuccessful in finding certain rare or out-of-print editions of books.

"Gentlemen:
Your ad in the Saturday Review of Literature says that you specialize in out-of-print books. The phrase 'antiquarian booksellers' scares me somewhat, as I equate 'antique' with expensive. I am a poor writer with an antiquarian taste in books and all the things I want are impossible to get over here except in very expensive rare editions, or in Barnes & Noble's grimy, marked-up schoolboy copies."

So begins the opening letter dated October 5, 1949, and addressed to Marks & Co. at 84, Charing Cross Road in London. What follows on the pages of this book are the letters Hanff wrote to Marks & Co., and specifically to Frank P. Dole. Also included are the responses to her requests, mostly from Frank P. Dole. Through their twenty-year relationship, the two strangers become in some ways like family. Frank introduces his family to Helene in letters. She corresponds with the family as if they are her own. Knowing that in a time of rationing, certain items are not readily available to the residents of London, she takes great care to ship Christmas and Easter gifts to the store with plenty of eggs and meat for everyone there.

The final entry, dated 1969, brings the relationship between the bookstore, Frank Dole and Hanff full circle. The twenty years between the first and last notes are fondly recalled on the pages of this book.

These short notes, her requests for specific books, the monetary transactions that took place, and the solid relationships that developed allow the present day reader to glimpse a bit of the nostalgic... a gentler time when costs were lower, trust was higher, and people were more willing to be compassionate to complete strangers.

This is a truly delightful little book that has captured my heart. And, by the way, the fact that I discovered it while browsing through my own favorite little used-book store lends a special sort of appeal to it. I treasure the gifts within these pages--the gifts of self, of the written word, and the appreciation for the simpler things in life.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I just read this amazing collection of correspondence between the author and the employees of a small bookshop in London in one sitting. It was entertaining, culturally enlightening and it had a quaintness about it due to the letters being written in the years immediately following WWII.

The friendship that develops between Helene Hanff as a result of her generosity toward the staff of the bookshop is really endearing and the reader feels like he or she really knows these people after enjoying this short read.
A very unusual and highly enjoyable glimpse into the lives of others through their correspondence. Highly recommended for booklovers , anglophiles and others.

A boy and his horse.


In something of a change of pace, a horse book that may just be slightly more directed at boys than girls, although the plot stays fairly similar.

Boy helps out horse in island shipwreck situation. Horse returns the favour. Horse of course is an impressive specimen and can do the fast running thing quite nicely.

So, off to the races then go.

Strange in a way that I loved this book so much when I read it in fourth grade, because, ironically, in real life, horses kind of scare me. I think Walter Farley's book is magical and I hope others who read it find as much meaning as I did in the story of a boy named Alec Ramsey, who survives a shipwreck and befriends a magnificent black Arabian stallion. Yes, this enduring classic is basically a fantasy, but sometimes it takes fantasy to create a book that is capable of touching the human soul in the exact way this one does.

What would you do if your horse saved you from the frightening death of drowning? Then what would you do if that horse was taken away from you? That is exactly what Alec thought of in the fictional book The Black Stallion written by Walter Farley.

Alec was on a ship back to his homeland, when the ship got in contact with a glacier. No one even thought of about saving that horrible, kicking, horse in the stables. Though Alec knew it was the right thing so he went into the stables and saved the horse. As they jumped off the ship, Alec was too weak to swim. So the stallion swam miles with Alec at the end of the stallions lead rope, until they saw land. They were stuck on that island fighting to survive as their friendship grew between them. One day a ship came and saved them. In a couple of days they would be at home. The stallion was named The Black and was kept in an older barn behind Alec's house.

I couldn't put this book down. This whole series was amazing. Anyone who loves horses would love these books. This book made me happy, nervous, and sad. It also made me cry. I think everyone should experience these feelings when you read a book.

-Courtney Dommer

This book is a must-read for any child. When I was young I read lots of Jack London books and I also read the entire Walter Farley Black Stallion series. Walter Farley's books are written in a very simple style, easy for young readers to understand. The movie is a timeless classic & was so well done. Some children will find the movie slow (no talking during the whole island sequence) but if your child appreciates beautiful images, and is horse-crazy, they'll love the film. I now own a black Arabian stallion of my own...so be careful, Black Stallion books can cause a lifelong horse addiction!

I greatly enjoyed this book when I was younger, and I still like it. However, in recent years I have come to realize how prejudicially obsessed Walter Farley was about Arabians. Even in his book The Great Dane Thor, the horses only briefly mentioned in the book were Arabians. He didn't seem to realize that there were other breeds in the world. For instance, he had the Black's daughter, Black Minx run in the Kentucky Derby--a race exclusively limited to Thoroughbreds.

In recent years, I have also realized Farley's poor writing stile. Not only did he not do research, but he presented his views as FACT, not opinions. For instance, ALL horses are intelligent, but especially ARABIANs; ALL horses are more sensitive than people and can find water by smell in a desert...or land in an ocean. Among horses, Farley stated on no uncertain terms that Arabians are by far the most superior, and that among Arabians, The Black was king.

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of tired of that. I'd like to see the Black lose a race or two, or sire a dud colt. The Island Stallion was the same--in fact, when the Black met Flame, the fight between them was a draw because they were both FLAWLESS Arabians, so perfect that neither could beat the other. It was a satisfying end when I was little, but now it annoys the fire out of me. I have read most of the series, and it is always the same: The Almighty Arabian wins out over man, nature, or other horses...and here is one once-avid reader who is sick of it.

Zen and Nonduality:

I can only talk about this deck as part of the spiritual genre known as nonduality, which speaks to the experience of oneness, especially with God or reality itself. Nonduality is the wisdom or deepest knowing of Zen, but not only Zen, also Sufism, Kabbalah, Advaita, Buddhism, Gnostic Christianity, quantum theory, and other fields.

The nonduality genre consists of teachers, students, scriptures, sacred structures and sites, rituals, practices, books, films, audio and video recordings, websites, blogs, emails, all the subjects they bear on, such as religion, philosophy, psychology, quantum physics, and the genre of nonduality also includes this deck of cards.

The Book and The Deck:

There are two parts to this deck. One is the deck. The other is the book that accompanies it. The book states very plainly how this deck differs from other tarot decks: "Osho Zen Tarot is definitely not a traditional tarot in the sense that you play with prediction. Rather it is a transcendental game of Zen which mirrors the moment, unwaveringly presenting what is here, now, without judgment or comparison."

The book itself describes the deck within the context of traditional tarot decks. The framework made up by the Major and Minor Arcana is explained. Recommendations are given for how to play the transcendental game of Zen, including card layouts and the frame of mind to keep.

Then each card is pictured (in black and white) and the theme is described concisely and profoundly by means of an excerpt from the vast body of Osho's writings. As well, there is a brief commentary on the card itself, about the picture, the symbolism, the meaning, the application to your life.

Freeze Frame the Now:

Between the artistic card itself, the Osho reflection upon the theme, and the commentary, a moment of deep understanding and insight becomes possible. When that card is part of a layout of cards, then that understanding and insight becomes part of a bigger transcendental construction. The result is that the present, the moment, becomes crystallized so that you can examine it.

If you want to crystallize the now, do a layout with these cards, and examine the crystal's angles, colors, points and planes. Become aware of how the universe creates you and act sensibly from that knowledge. That's what this tarot deck is about. I use it once in a while to turn the moment inside out. Mostly, it's fun.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

One of the most beautiful packs of Tarot Cards I have ever came across. You can relate each and every one of them to some part of your life. They are inspirational and have a lesson in each of them. I get all of my friends to buy them. I recommend them to everyone who needs direction in their lives.

This is my fifth purchase of a deck of the infamous TAROT. It's already my favorite. It doesn't conform to the usual four reigning families but it needn't. These are not fortune telling cards; they are meditational tools for those dealing with the Nowness of being. The illustrations are breaktakingly gorgeous on some while others -even negative cards like 'laziness'- reflect a quirky cartoon charm. This is a warm deck of cards where an student of the Buddha or just the spiritually curious can look at different aspects of their lives with new sharpness and intensity.

I love the Osho Zen Tarot. I have used many Tarot and Oracle decks and I love the "expansiveness" of the Osho Zen Tarot. Rather than "lock" you into one way of thinking (as most Tarot can be) it helps you look at the situation's energies and think "outside the box". I highly reccommend using the Osho Zen Tarot. Great Deck, great interpretations. I also love using the Tarot Journal to track and record my Tarot readings in! The artwork on the cover is awesome too and there are stickers inside, so you can use it with any Oracle deck. Tarot Journal

Wonderful pictures!! Relaxing and inspiring texts to help everyone make an insight.
I'm delighted with this product.