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I had heard of this book as it was an inspiration to scientists and travelers to the tropical forests of South America. I was intrigued by the book and ready for it's adventure. As I read the book despite my problems with suspending disbelief (I usually prefer non-fiction) I found myself wrapped up in the book for several evenings. The story is absorbing and descriptions and writing excellent.

Although one of the main characters is a mythical "bird woman", Rima, I continued on with the story, seduced by both her fragile beauty and predicament. I also enjoyed the enthusiasm and insight into the forest and it's people provided by the Abel the story's narrator and main character.

Although this is a Victorian-era novel, it is not a difficult read, and it is a notable and well worthwhile book. A good non-fiction companion to this is Wade Davis's "One River" an account of ethnobotanists in the South American Andes Mountains and Amazon forests.

This obscure classic is a jewel!I first read it when I was about 10 years old, and I never forgot the love story of Abel, a political refugee from Venezuala and Rima, the last of a race of exotic, mystical, bird-like people.If I could rate Green Mansions past 5 stars, I would use all the stars in our universe to convince you to read it!

Hudson, a noted naturalist during the Romantic/Victorian periods, grew up in the wild Pampas, and this book reflects a fascination with nature that most likely began during his childhood. Themes of civilzation vs. savagery and the untouched beauty of the tropics vs. development are found throughout Green Mansions, but these issues are encased in a love story that holds notes of mystery, fantasy, and romanticism.

While the novel provides a good introduction to the naturalist writings of this period (and a much easier read than most of the more scientific prose being written at the time), I thought that the ending was not as developed as the rest of the book, in addition to being highly unsatisfying. The novel does, however, offer wonderful descriptions of the wild forests of the region, and develops fantastical characters, particularly in the case of Rima, the primary female character.

William Henry Hudson's novel Green Mansions is an exotic romance that takes place in the South American rainforest. The novel is written from the perspective of Abel, a young man who had to leave the city he was living in for political reasons. During his time in the rainforest he meets Rima, who he describes as a bird-like girl, and her grandfather Nuflo. Despite these two, Abel mainly interacts with the Indians with whom he was living before he met Rima and Nuflo. The Indians are mostly referred to as savages.
Green Mansions mainly focuses on the intimation of love and death, and the romanticism of nature versus the disturbing influences of civilization. However, Abel does not see any living creature during his stay in the rainforest as equal to him. He thinks of himself as superior to the Indians, Nuflo, and to Rima as well. He bases his sense of superiority on a better education, a greater intelligence, as well as a better physical condition. This sense of superiority is kept throughout the novel. However, his arrogance is one way to deal with his insecurity about many situations. Abel only seems to feel secure if he sees himself as superior to everybody else. This is the reason why he defines superiority based on the situation. Sometimes superiority is referred to as greater intelligence and in other cases as physical superiority. The way he uses superiority depends on the way it is easier for him to define himself as superior.

This is 1 of my favorite novels!!! WH Hudson's prose is very lush: he pulls you into the hypnotic South American jungle and reveals a strange unforgettable tale of adventure and romance ... so unlike today's stale and predictable "stories." This isnt an easy read ... you'll need lots of time to savor the prose. As others have noted, the ending is underdeveloped (and a disappointment). I dont often buy books, but this 1 is a keeper!!!

I am very happy with the speed of delivery, price and condition of the book.Thanks!!!

Great book. It is a must for any sewer of garments. Great tips and good directions.

This book is GREAT! I use it for my sewing class in college, and it comes in very handy! It's a good reference to fall on even for the expert of sewers! It's a must have for sewers of all levels!

I bought this sewing guide looking for the advanced time-saving construction techniques used in the garment industry. Sadly, I didn't find them in this book, despite the glowing reviews. It is a good textbook and reference manual on basic sewing. The information is clearly presented with excellent and plentiful illustrations. However, the skills depicted are ones I mastered quite a while ago. I will keep this book in place of others in my library, but this was an expensive experiment. I would not recommend this book to anyone over an intermediate skill level.

While many of the techniques are covered in some of the other sewing textbooks you might have read one techique in particular stands out to me as I have never seen this elsewhere is how to sew a all in one facing professionally. Normally the intructions tell you to leave the shoulder seams open and then "hand sew" them. Not this one it shows you how to do the factory way. If you don't own any other sewing books then this is the one to get

If your any kind of fan of gunsmoke , you have to own this book !

How fun would it have been to have been on the set of this amazing show? This is a great book with a lot of interviews, anecdotes, and pictures. I wish more shows today had the quality of Gunsmoke...maybe I'd watch them more than the Gunsmoke reruns!

In "Gunsmoke: An American Institution Celebrating 50 Years of Television's Best Western", author Ben Costello has provided the legions of fans for America's most popular and long-running television western series with an exhaustive compendium showcasing and celebrating all twenty seasons (comprising a total of 635 episodes) of Matt Dillion and his many friends and foes. Profusely illustrated with literally hundreds of photos about what went on both in front and in back of the cameras, "Gunsmoke" covers the major cast members, as well as the producers, writers and directors, and features an especially insightful interviews with Dennis Weaver, Buck Taylor, and Burt Reynolds. There are even sections featuring Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Highlights; reminisces of distinctive guest stars; Gunsmoke memorabilia, the post-television series Gunsmoke films, and so very much more. Certain to be a popular addition to any community library American Popular Culture collection, "Gunsmoke" is a 'must read' for anyone who grew up with Matt Dillion, Miss Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, and all the other denizens of Dodge City and the Old West.

This book is a pleasure to read. The background stories and photos really enhance the episodes presently shown on TV Land cable channel. The volume is both informative and entertaining.

This about covers every aspect of that 20 year phenomenon "Gunsmoke"The personal insights from everyone associated with that show from the writers to all the great and soon to be great actors.As a die hard fan of this show I was incensed by some of the decisions made by a couple of producers who made I think,some very bad decisions based on personal feelings and insults made to some key actors.

But the bottom line is thats what a good book does.Gets the reader wrapped up in the story and triggers emotions of both good and bad.This book did all of that and if you are like me and still enjoy watching all the re-runs then you should buy this book and put it all in a wonderful perspective..

Now a note to all that stations that are airing these shows:Where are all the black and white episodes?

I avoided this book series for years simply because of the price, since most ghost story books tend to be formulaic I just assumed these were the same. Then one day I decided to give them a try, and I have been hooked ever since. It is well worth the price.
This is without doubt one of the scariest compilations ever put together, I can't recommend it enough there a ton of stories in each volume to keep you busy for a while.
More then likely it will leave you wanting more, so don't worry there are plenty of additional books in this series (haunted Ohio addiction is fairly common, Chris Woodyard is the supernatural equivalent of Patrick O'Brian, you can't help but want more.)
I should warn you though, this book may give You a sleeping disorder.
Actually this thing should come with a complementary night light.

During a recent camping trip, we found this book and three others (the fifth one is in hardback and we decided to wait till it was in paperback) at the state park visitor center. My parents have the series and my nieces and nephew absolutely love these books ~~ they would beg my dad to read it to them. So we thought we would introduce a new tradition for our boys. There was a small problem though ~~ the stories in here are just a little bit too advanced for five year olds' comprehension.

But it's perfect for me. I couldn't read it at night though as the stories were spooky. And I had to walk to the bathroom in the dark with only a flashlight to protect me. (The nights before I read this book, I was more worried about bears. After reading this book, I am now more worried about spooks!)

The stories in here are about familiar history pieces that I've heard over the years. I've been to lots of these towns and never realized that they had haunts of their own. I am a skeptic about ghosts since I have never seen one. But the stories in here are thrilling, sad, spooky and sometimes, just plain weird. Some of my favorites are: The Ghostly Girl of Woodland Cemetery (that cemetery is absolutely beautiful ~~ makes me want to go back and see it!); all of the ghost stories of the Victoria Theatre in Dayton (I used to be an usher there and never heard the stories till now); Julia Grant's stories and so on.

This book is a combination of stories and historical bits all tied in together. It is a compilation of stories (and not all that well-written in some cases as I had to re-read several stories again to make sure that I understood them correctly) that Ms. Woodyard collected over the years. These stories are perfect to read over the campfire at night ...

Just be sure to carry a heavy flashlight when you go out for a nightly walk to the bathroom ...

9-11-07

The entire Haunted Ohio series has been excellent. Woodyard has an engaging writing style, unlike a lot of the other dry, sketchy true ghost story collections I've read. There is enough historical background to flesh the stories out without making them read like a textbook. Highly recommended!

I liked Haunted Ohio because it wasn't just a collection of ghost stories put together by an author. It also contains one of Chris Woodyard's personal experiences of living above a haunted store in "The Ghost of Unicorn Vintage Clothing." She also showcases her extensive historical research by bringing out little known paranormal facts, such as due to the high casualty rate in WWI the production of Ouija Boards increased. A reference section is provided that has been divided by chapter so that a reader may look up the original stories. Woodyard's stories are written in a lively style and though short are detailed enough to be wonderfully scary.

Local stories that will keep the lights on....she brings them to life..a great story teller!

This book as been a valuable resource. If you are interested in Amino Acids and their benefits this book will be helpful.

This book is exactly what I was looking for. I needed information about each of the amino acids, what functions they are involved in, how they interrelate, and what illnesses they are connected with. This book is well-organized, highly readable, and extremely interesting. It was just the right mix of research information, along with dosage and uses.

This book has been very useful in helping me find supplements that are improving my medical issues.

quite a bit of the research on which it is based is now dated, and some important aspects of nutrition have been completely ignored. It does however give a simple introduction to amino acids, and this is a complex topic, so that it is a good place to start

This is a wonderful book for those who are serious about using amino acids to balance the neurotransmitters and avoid the need for prescription medications.

The amino acids in the human body are proving to be potent healing substances. This book reveals the findings of research in the 1980s and 1990s on the beneficial role of the aminos in Alzheimer's, cancer, depression, heart conditions, stress and many other disease states.

The different amino acids are discussed in chapters according to type: Aromatic, Sulphur, Urea Cycle, Glutamate, Threonine and Branched Chain. Their food sources, nutrient interactions and proven benefits are given in detail.

The therapeutic functions of specific aminos include pain relief (Phenylalanine), fighting addiction (Tyrosine), treatment of Parkinson's (Methionine), heart protection (Homocysteine), herpes killer (Lysine). Many of them also play a part in immune stimulation or as anti-oxidants.

There are three appendices: 1. The Problems of Vegetarianism. 2. The Much Maligned Egg: The Best Amino Acid Food. 3. Continuing Breakthroughs in Amino Acids. This informative book with its good news concludes with an extensive bibliography, a glossary of terms and an index.

Everyone can benefit from the use of supplemental amino acids. This excellent book shows how to integrate them in one's own health management programme. Similar helpful books include The Amino Revolution by Erdmann and Amino Acids In Therapy by Chaitow.

need not be Buddhist to gain insight from this wonderful book, highly recommend, easy to understand.

Sharon Salzberg's most stressed point within this work is the practice of meditation so that we can come to see life more clearly; acknowledging the interconnection of all sentient beings and practicing loving kindness towards one another. She reminds us all that compassion is not mere empathy, empathy is simply cognizant. True compassion requires action to "materialize."

The book is basically a compilation of various teachings she's received from various Buddhist traditions throughout the years, guides such as H. H. the Dalai Lama to name just one among many mentioned herein.

Sharon co-found the Insight Meditation Society, an organization devoted toward spreading the Buddha's teachings throughout the world. While at the center she has met countless teachers and taken in 84,000 teachings throughout the years, and lucky you and I can access these fine teachings here in this relatively short, yet very concise, read. Enjoy!

Sharon Salzberg is such a capable, warm, and inspiring voice for Western Buddhism. This work beautifully weaves together Buddhist philosophy and practice, reality and practicality, compassion and joy. She fleshes out concepts of meditation and mindfulness using her own experiences, often amusing, without drawing attention to herself. Rather, she is a skilled teacher who guides the student on his/her own journey.

Whether Buddhist or not, beginner mind or monk, most readers will celebrate this work.

I read this about a year ago when I first started meditating seriously, and I picked it up again a little while ago -- it's as if the book changed since I last read it. So much more of it resonates with me now, and I'm glad I bought it rather than just checking out from a library. What's very nice about the book is that it's written in nice little essay form -- like little talks -- and one can read them in a few minutes before bed and then sleep nicely thinking -- or perhaps NOT thinking! -- about them.

A great book for most everyone who is seriously committed to making the world a better place by also making yourself a better person. Her warm personal stories commingle with Buddhist principles. Before I knew it I had finished the book! I learned a bunch from this book, and it really has deepened my practice. Ms. Salzberg has such a friendly, easy going way of discussing powerful spiritual principles that it truly makes them accessible to everyone. If I find them accessible, then most anyone will! I really do highly recommend this book.

Thoreau's journals ran to two million words and contained survey information and other matter most readers would not find interesting. This smartly edited collection spans Thoreau's writing career and reveals him as he truly was, in dialog with himself and the world.

It has become a cheap fad in some quarters to criticize Thoreau as a would-be outdoorsman when in reality he lived at Walden Pond on his friend Emerson's land and visited Concord almost daily. But Thoreau never claimed to be a John Muir. As this collection makes clear, his talent had to do with focusing on the ordinary but neglected. His mood is one of almost constant celebration of natural images and forces he did not see (as we tend to do) as necessarily in conflict with urban human life. As he says about seeing the beauty in people and things, "If I seek her elsewhere because I do not find her at home, my search will prove a fruitless one."

There is, of course, the less admirable Thoreau. He was prone to moralizing and offering suggestions of the "let a man do such-and-such" variety about how to live one's life. His comments about women generally do him very little credit, and they also explain the lack of an enduring feminine presence in his life. Fortunately, those thoughts are brief and few. Thoreau the activist and lover of freedom is here too, and Thoreau the social critic: "The council of nations may reconsider their votes; the grating of a pebble annuls them."

An entire life cannot be summed up, but this journal entry hints at the shape of his own: "It is not words that I wish to hear or to utter, but relations that I seek to stand in..."

How could this man have read every thought of mine over 100 years before my birth?! Timeless truth in all of his writings...not just this one. This is a most intimate example being his personal journal. Every word, every well thought out phrase speaks to my heart and idea of what truth should look and sound like. It should make you catch your breath and Thoreau absolutely accomplishes this for me.

We all know Walden and some of the other famous essays but the journals are sometimes hard to get through. This book of excerpts provides some of the gems from the journals and shows Thoreau in a new way.

The Heart Of Thoreau's Journals provides readers with an intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of American literature's premier individualist. Consolidated into 218 concise pages by Odell Shepard from the 39 volumes Thoreau left behind upon his death at 45 in 1862, the journals reveal Thoreau as an irreverent and shrewd observer of the human character who was happily fated with the gift of forever seeing the king riding proudly in public without clothes ("The mass never comes up the standard of its best member, but on the contrary degrades itself to the level with the lowest," "After all, the field of battle possesses many advantages over the drawing - room. There is at least no room for pretension or excessive ceremony, no shaking of hands or rubbing of noses, which makes one doubt your sincerity, but hearty as well as hard hand - play. It at least exhibits one of the faces of humanity, the former only a mask," "This lament for a golden age is only a lament for golden men").

Requiring solitude in the manner most require food and shelter, the philosophical, ascetic Thoreau lived most of his life in isolation ("The poet must keep himself unstained and aloof") as an ardent lover and keen observer of the natural world ("All of nature is my bride," "My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know his lurking - places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas, in nature"). A comedic misanthrope ("I have lived some thirty - odd years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors," "The society of young women is the most unprofitable I have ever tried"), Thoreau also wrote with sympathy, understanding, and concern about the townspeople whose company he preferred not to keep. Even his plain - spoken contempt for the boorish, the smug, the pretentious and the assertively conformist ("What men call social virtues, good fellowship, is commonly but the virtue of pigs in a litter, which lie close together to keep each other warm") was often tempered with humanity and matter - of - fact acceptance for the inevitable variations of man's psychology. The simple, the genuine, the uncomplicated and the sincere came in for high marks in Thoreau's estimation of people, places, and things.

A Harvard graduate who was born and spent most of his life in New England, bachelor Thoreau set the standard and defined the blueprint for all introverted American artists and thinkers to come. Though Thoreau wrote incessantly and found work as a lecturer, schoolteacher, editor, and tutor at different periods of his life, he typically worked as a gardener, handyman or land surveyor, and spent a particularly frustrating period working in his father's pencil factory. Though he knew himself to be misunderstood by most, Thoreau was uncomplaining ("Ah! How I have thriven on solitude and poverty! I cannot overstate this advantage"), confident, ultimately self - satisfied, and generally unconcerned with what, if anything, future generations would make of him. The respect, acknowledgement, and honor of society meant far less to him than his day - to - day, moment - to - moment freedom to continue to enjoy his perceptions, sensations, and ideas, which he rightfully understood to be his life's work and birthright.

As one of the founders of Transcendentalism, the idealistic Thoreau was a dryly passionate believer in man's capacity to overcome mundane (and often self - imposed) obstacles, identify and focus his attention on the eternal fundamentals of life, and enjoy personal communion with God by utilizing nature as a lens. The journals abound with declarative passages which readers have found enlightening, guiding, and inspirational for generations ("Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat. Men were born to succeed, and not to fail," "We forever and ever and habitually underrate our fate...ninety - nine and one - hundredths of our lives we are mere hedgers and ditchers, but from time to time we meet with reminders of our destiny"). Thoreau's journals, along with key American text and masterpiece Walden, represent the cream of his work.

I found this book on the shelf at my school's library after I had read a selection of Ralph Waldo Emerson's in which he praised Thoreau for being a particularly clear-seeing individual. I had never read Thoreau and did not know who he was, but this book immediately became my most valued possession after my own journal.

The editor did a wonderful job of selecting from Thoreau's many (often tedious) writings those that offer most in the way of communicating what he felt about life, love, society, government, death, religion, nature, science, beauty and self. The writing is in many ways flawless. Along with Emerson and Whitman, Thoreau embodied the spirit of American Transcendentalism, the philosphy under which one aspired to realize a word beyong the physical and social world. "The Heart of Thoreau's Journals" is the best evidence that Henry David Thoreau realized such a world and lived contently in it many of the days of his life.

This book is probably the best possible choice for anyone looking to read or know Thoreau. It is necessarily as honest as any other work. And unlike "Walden" or other commercially-produced works, it lacks the endless musings and explanations of ideas and events for the audience's information. It is only the bare naked thoughts and feelings of the author. I would suggest it as preliminary reading for anyone who wants to read his other books. It will give you the foundation of an appreciation for Thoreau that puts all other work in proper perspective.

I do remember as a kid ( 60's ) picking books from my parents library in the middle of a desert peninsula in Venezuelan Caribbean , inside a Shell Oil Refinery and reading Alexander Kazantsev: The Destruction of Faena, Jules Verne and most of his known and unknown classics , the Bible and it's amazing human tales ; then moving to the Usa and discovering Assimov's Foundation , Frank Herbert's Dune , Kurt Vonnegut Jr's The Sirens of Titan ( after watching 20 or less times Slaughterhouse 5 ) and Galapagos , Aldous Huxley's Island and Door's of Perception , Gurdjiell's All and Everything ; then coming to the Mexican Caribbean and discovering Ann Rice and the Vampires , Daniel Quinn and his adventures of mind and spirit and James Tiptree Jr ( she spent the 70's in the now Rivera Maya ) . To bad i did not get to read her as a man , it does change some prespective , but the stories in these collection are Up there with the Classics ... Highly entertaining with provoking ideas that we have not been able to surpass as the slow learners we are as humans ...

In 508 pages we get 18 short stories by James Tiptree, Jr. Original publication dates range from 1969 to 1981. Time has overtaken many of the tales in a strange way, that makes one wish Tiptree were still around to appreciate developments. For instance, in "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," the world breathlessly watches the real-time antics of young, beautiful wealthy girls... who are actually brainless synthetic creations animated by what amount to brains in jars in an underground lab. What would Tiptree make of the Parises, Nicoles, Lindsays and Brittanies of our own day, who appear to have no brains located anywhere?

Tiptree really got rolling in 1973, when she published her three best-known stories, "The Girl...," along with "Love is the plan the plan is death," and "The Women Men Don't See." Along with 1976's "Houston, Houston, do you read?" these are the quintessential Tiptree tales. "Love is the plan..." is my favorite science fiction short story, and one of the best short stories of any kind ever written. It has not a single human character, and depicts the unbearably touching efforts of a gigantic, heavily-armored, multi-limbed alien to tackle and solve three deadly problems faced by his species, two internal--- stemming from instinctively programmed behavior--- and one external, a global climate change. That he will fail, and why he will fail, is evident early on from many clues fairly planted within the narrative. But he does his level best, which is indeed far better than you and I could hope to do, and like most Tiptree aliens, he is totally charming and lovable throughout his hopeless task. Our own species is currently failing completely to deal with a global climate change, and we are neither charming nor lovable in our miserably conflicted efforts.

"A Momentary Taste of Being" is another quintessential Tiptree story; an expedition of interstellar exploration inadvertently discovers the true purpose of human existence... a purpose which reveals all human effort, achievement and aspiration to be utterly pointless and futile. "With Delicate Mad Hands" is a key story, from 1981, that catches Tiptree in transition from symbolic War of the Sexes tales to space-operatic adventure. Almost all her stories from 1981 to her death in 1987 were space adventures set in the distant future.

Several tales here were completely new to me, particularly "Slow Music," from 1980, in which a chance (?) encounter of the earth with some alien stream of disembodied consciousness has made suicide so irresistibly attractive that there are only a handful of living humans. This story seems to contain a sly self-portrait of Tiptree herself, as the dying ancient human wreck that the two main characters discover on their way to see "The River," as the stream is called.

There's not a bad or mediocre story in the volume. And, alas, this is probably the only collection of Tiptree fiction currently in print in the US. Get it while it's still available.

All the best stories written by Sheldon are here, and they are as powerful as they ever were, and more cogent in today's violent world. We think we've come a long way, but there's so much more to be done. Sheldon says it all, and says it best. Buy this book for your collection, and for your daughters.

I am over the age of 13, but first started reading sci fi when I WAS 13, many eons ago!

I'm an unsure how James Tiptree/Alice Bradley's work hasn't appeared in more of the feminist/women's studies courses I took in either undergrad or graduate school. Her perspective on the future of humanity and the exploration of science has a viewpoint I have never read in science fiction up to this point and I'm glad a book review in a different source led me to reading these stories - in particular The Screwfly Solution, Houston, Houston Do You Read? and a Momentary Taste of Being. Both provocative and incredibly disturbing, I have already recommended this book to other female sci-fi aficionados.

Some of the blurbs about Alice Sheldon, writing as James Tiptree, Jr., indicate that her real gender was a mystery and, in fact, some commented that `he had to be a man' because of the writing. I have a hard time, in retrospect, seeing that. All of these stories seem to me to have easily been seen as a woman writing, if you were so inclined to think about those things. The other thing is that Alice Sheldon is described as an `ardent' feminist. Again I don't see that, but I do see a somewhat clinical misanthrope. The men in these stories tend to be ineffectual neuters or sexual-sociopaths. The women tend to be background or professional victims (with the exception of `Slow Music,' probably the best story in the collection).

Having said that I did find the stories very well written and I can well understand the awards and critical acclaim at the time. However they do tend to take on a rather common theme of hopelessness and profound melancholy at the future aspects of humans. One or two of the stories made a passing attempt at uplifting the future of humans, but mostly these are, to me, the writings of a deeply depressed person. I found it no surprise to learn that Ms Sheldon died at her own hand after killing her husband, probably as a suicide pact.

I do recommend these, especially if you are a fan of the SciFi short story. All are well written but the best way to appreciate them is to read one story at a time over a long interval. These have such a common `feel' to them that if you read them one after another you start to get the feeling that you've been there, done that.

This Book is one of the best books I've ever read....the insights and secrets revealed in it are staggering. It demonstrates the larger picture about the origins of life on this planet and much more. This book is a must read for anyone with an open mind who wants to know whats been hidden from the masses.

Slightly different from other Rampa books insofar as it is written in the third person. The contents switch easily between the life of the hermit and the story he is telling. If you believe that earth is not the only inhabited world in this or other galaxies then this will enhance your fascination of the subject. With some 'quite logical explanations' for some of the more profound happenings in our history it certainly gives food for thought. Some, perhaps not followers of the Lobsang mysteries, will consider this production from Lobang's imagination. Read it and judge for yourself - no matter what your thoughts on the matter - it's not to be missed.

At the outset, let it be declared that "The Hermit" by T. Lobsang Rampa is a genuine classic of UFO and abduction literature. While that may not have been Rampa's original intent, what he has written not only accurately predicts the future of what would be eventually learned by abduction researchers decades later, but also provides another dimension to the typical abduction narrative that is almost never present: In Rampa's book, the aliens actually SPEAK to the abductee and make him a conscious and active participant in what is happening.

But let us first look at the framework of the story Rampa tells. It begins with a young Buddhist monk's arrival at the cave of another monk who is a hermit greatly advanced in years. The hermit has been expecting the younger priest to visit for more than sixty years, meanwhile enduring deprivations of mind and body that would kill many less faithful to their appointed task. The young monk is to be the repository of knowledge that his elder counterpart has been waiting to impart to him.

The hermit's own story began when he was himself a young Tibetan priest and was taken captive by the Chinese, who falsely believed he was carrying classified information to their enemies. The hermit/priest is tortured as part of his interrogation, and eventually has his eyes gouged out before being thrown on a nearby dung heap to die. Now blinded and barely alive, he makes his escape to the mountains, where he is eventually captured by the aliens and taken to an underground location for indoctrination into the mysteries he is to pass on to the world.

The aliens tell him he has been chosen because he has an exceptional memory that will allow him to vividly remember the details of their message to the world for the rest of his life. At that point, Rampa begins the story of the hermit's abduction experience that, given that it was originally published in 1971, seems absolutely prescient today.

The hermit tells the young monk the entire story in a series of lectures. The hermit was initially placed on an operating-type table with only one pillar in the middle supporting it, one of the most familiar details of the standard abduction scenario. Various devices are connected to his body that seem to serve some kind of medical purpose. At one point, the top of his head is sawed off and a kind of brain surgery performed. There are also moments when he views other worlds on large television screens onboard a ship, as well as a fascinating extended out-of-body experience that teaches him about the slow process of alien-controlled evolution by which mankind came to dwell upon the Earth.

The aliens' message concludes with their many attempts to send religious role models to help keep mankind as much as possible on the straight and narrow. Historical figures such as Moses, Buddha and Christ are shown to be alien creations whose true purpose remains obscured behind the clouds of human superstition.

By now, you may be tempted to say, "But we've heard it all before." Which is precisely the point, it really HAS all been heard before. Whitley Strieber and Betty Andreasson Luca and any number of abductees have had similar things happen. But their stories began in the 1980s, more than a decade after Rampa's book was published in 1971. (Inner Light Publications has enthusiastically reprinted it.) At that point in UFO history, the only other widely read abduction account was John Fuller's "The Interrupted Journey," which told the story of Barney and Betty Hill's 1961 capture and medical examination onboard a UFO.

Rampa has quite simply assembled a narrative report so remarkably consistent with what would be learned in future years that it staggers the imagination and serves as a wonderful bit of prophecy that has been undeniably fulfilled by the abduction research that came later.

The story ends with perhaps one of the most profound scenes ever to grace the pages of a book of this type. Though Rampa is himself deceased, "The Hermit" will live forever as both a spiritual work of sublime depth and as another invaluable glimpse into the crucially important phenomenon of alien abduction, which may one day be the deliverance of life as we "know" it. And for which we will owe T. Lobsang Rampa and others like him a debt of gratitude.

This very special book I have read a long time ago in a french translation. It is an extraordynary book since it explains a lot about ATLANTIS and the human race. Everything had been planned by the E.T.s(the gardeners). In this book, as well, L.R. surpasses any possible imagination. Anyone who has read this book learns all of a sudden that reality is more complex as we have ever thought.

This book is amazing. More people should read this book. We hear people talk about aliens and U.F.O.'s and this book provides proof that they exist and interact with certain humans. It has changed my outlook on how we are supposed to live life. This book will leave you amazed and wanting to hear more.

Hospital Stay Handbook summarizes the essential issues needed to ensure your loved ones will survive a trip to any hospital regardless of duration. Ms. Buck lifts the "White Curtain" on standard operating polices calculated to cause harm to patients - policies not intended to harm, of course, just not carefully and tightly managed by the hospital system. She explains the concept of "body part Doctors" who see the patient as a Liver, Lung or Spleen, not a human being. The most important message Ms. Buck delivers is "be there 24/7" or expect the worse. Our family's experience bears testimony to her advice that some family members must be at or near bedside continuously - the consequences of not doing so are dire.

A Grateful Patient

Hospital Stay Handbook is a necessary read for anyone who is unfamiliar with how the hospital and medical system really works. It is an inside guide to ensuring quality care for you and your loved ones. Having been one of the health care professionals who assisted in the care of Jari's husband, Bill, I am keenly aware of the circumstances from which the book was written and am inspired by the amount of knowledge the book imparts. As a voice of advocacy for patients, Jari's efforts are unparalleled. Raise the bar for hospital-based patient care by educating yourself -- this book is the perfect primer.

Jari Buck has authored a book that enables the family of a patient to potentially make a most significant difference in the outcome of the loved one. The text imparts good common sense, as well as needed encouragement to step up to the bat and participate.

A serious illness can generate overwhelming fear and depression, which of course, makes it difficult for someone to become engaged in the process of healing. Yet, problem solving and just helping out when the staff is stretched too thin can work miracles.

Just try...and if you're lacking in ideas, please read Jari Buck's book.

Holly Fritch, M.D.
Leawood, KS

I purchased this book for my healthy, yet aging parents who have been facing some hospital stays recently. I was concerned they could be 'wiser consumers'.

Having a book lay out the risks and true dangers and how to prepare in advance is extremely valuable. The idea of 'advocacy' and advance preparation in this field strife with land mines is aided by Jari's unfortunate personal experience.

Thank you, Jari.

Having health insurance is a critical component in assuring quality health care ~ but there's another kind of "insurance" that is just as important. Being a patient advocate for someone you love can truly make the difference between life and death, as Jari Holland Buck writes in her "Hospital Stay Handbook." My eyes were opened when I witnessed the constancy and continuity of care that's required to support a loved one who's in the hospital for any length of time. Read this book now ~ before a crisis strikes ~ as a kind of personal insurance policy for how to be an effective advocate for your loved one if the time comes. As with most insurance policies, you hope you never have to use them but, should the need arise, you're always glad you invested in preplanning.