Allen Books

I loved this book! Basically, it's a collection of short (some very short) stories about the author's life on and off the oil rigs of the world, the people he meets along the way and his reflections on all of it.

The writer is clever and extremely funny, he has the knack for telling a story that makes you feel as though you're at a party with him and he's a good mate just back from the rigs. He's also extremely honest about his past, his mistakes (sometimes with dire consequences for him and his friends) and his love life.

I have talked about some of his stories at parties and had people in tears with laughter.

I particularly liked that the author knew where a story should end. He didn't pad them out with uninteresting facts, he just told his stories and let them end where they should.

This book is heaps of fun and has the added advantage of being great for busy people; just read a story and pick it up again when you have a free 5 minutes.

I end up buying a lot of books that document people's interesting adventures in far away places. Some of them turn out to be poorly written or boring, but NOT THIS BOOK. I read it in a day, and loved it. While I'm in the oil industry, and that might help viusalize some of the places he ended up in, it's not at all necessary to have a background to enjoy this book- the majority of it is actually his travels to and from the rig. Love the crazy cast of characters, variety of pets, and especially the Brunei native whose dog had a dog...

Paul Carter's "Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs (she thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse" is the first book I've read in a single sitting in over a decade.

This is a hilarious lad book that follows the outrageous life of Paul Carter, who is among those nomadic and enigmatic outlaws who work on oil rigs around the world.

Oddly, there is little about rigs in detail chronicled. Rather, Carter builds his tale around the odd characters and the remote and improbable settings of oil rigs, dealing in turn with boredom, drinking, outrageous anti-social acts, elaborate practical jokes and the bizarre pets he and his comrades of the derricks collect along the way.

Carter's narrative is clean and direct, something that apparently comes naturally to him (while other authors struggle for years to lean-up their prose reading endless swatches of Raymond Carver to do so).

But it is Carter's human and animal characters that haunt: for indeed any lad who has gone off on adventures (working in Alaska salmon fishing and canning for me) recognizes the human flotsam and jetsam depicted here. Those with a past, those who'd like to forget a past, those who'd like others to forget their past, and those who have no future other than their immediate animal needs in the present are all here, faithfully and fatefully sketched like so many guys you've known. Carter makes rig workers into that odd fraternity of a modern French Foreign Legion.

This book surprised me - don't be fooled by the title. It is hilarious. Paul seems to be one of those people whose life is a series of laughable events. Highly recommended reading.

I laughed out loud at this book. I found I could not put it down until it was finished. Even if you are not familiar with the oil industry (I'm not) the book is a must read.

This is a book that will be useful to both health practitionners as well as patients.The book challenges us to look at our body, mind and spirit in a new way.I discovered that what I was thought in school and what I had learned in life through countless hours of studying and post doctoral work can be repositionned in a new way.This book is a shift of paradigm on many levels.

In Healing Myths, Healing Magic, Donald Epstein examines the deeply ingrained stories and myths we commonly hold about how our bodies heal. Some these myths may actually inhibit healing. These myths have a powerful, magically suggestive effect on the way we interpret our symptoms, the way we heal, and the quality of life we experience. Epstein argues that our capacity to heal is more often affected by society's collective myths than by our personal circumstances, symptoms, or disease. Our myths can create the magic of healing in our lives, or they can stop the magic completely. Healing Myths, Healing Magic is a seminal, breakthrough treatise that divided healing myths into four categories: Social, Biomedical, Religious, and New Age. He then exposes each myth individually and suggests an alternative statement or "Healing Magic" to help the reader reclaim his or her own body's natural ability to heal. Healing Myths, Healing Magic is important, highly recommended reading for students of alternative medicine, traditional medicine, and mind/body metaphysics.

I highly recommend Donald Epstein's most readable book, Healing Myths, Healing Magic.

Pick any chapter that appeals to you, read it, and it stands on its own.

Like most anything Donald does, it is absolutely profound and thought provoking; so for me reading a chapter or two and then digesting the information for awhile works best.

Inevitably, in this book, Donald will label a myth something that you have held as fact, and this is where you will need some time to digest, but don't discount what he is saying too readily: Having attended Donald's seminars for years, I can tell you that sometimes it takes me two years to really understand something he has told me.

Donald Epstein created the most profoundly elegant and amazing healing system on the planet, Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) about 20 years ago. I have been learning how to practice NSA for the last five years.

Every practitioner, whether MD, DC, DO, PhD, LMT, or any person interested in healing needs to read this book. I have a whole library of books related to healing, and this book is the star of the collection, you need this book.

God Bless,

Hans Conser

Alternative medicine hits the mainstream as more people integrate and use complementary methods to restore and replenish well-being. The challenge arises when someone uses the new age blame game to force some kind of healing. A common example is when a person diagnosed with cancer is told by some holistic practitioner that they caused it. Maybe yes, maybe no, and this book provides some grounded advice on the matter. Quacks abound in the realm of metaphysical healing and Dr. Epstein offers wisdom to tell genuine assistance from downright silliness. We are repsonsible only for our own behavior and not anyone else. If you are into the whole mind-body scene on well-being this is a great guide to separating myth from fact and staying grounded by keeping yout intellect in place. Many people throw their intellect out the door when entering an intutive phase ... and this is a costly mistake. Dr. Epstein gives a blend of intellect and intuition as he cracks the common myths around healing.

Myths and stories surround the healing process - myths which can inhibit healing. From circumstances where healing is difficult or impossible to choices not followed, Healing Myths Healing Magic examines healing myths and exposes and religious, social and medical frameworks for their origins. An important survey.

(Forgive my English grammar, it is my second language)... I am currently reading my parents' spanish version of this book "El Arte de Ser Padres" from Dr. Dodson (I am currently a 3 yrs. kid father) and as I go on from chapter to chapter I just can't believe how good this book is.
The fun part of all this is that I used to go through this book (that has been in my parent's book shelves for 30 years now!) when I was a kid because of the fun cartoons it included, but I never thought it was such a well written and childern's-psychology-knowledge based book until a couple months ago when my mother took it out of the book shelve when I asked: "What should I do when my son hits someone else?"... I started reading one chapter and from then on I could not stop.
It is also amazing how all this theory still makes perfect sense 30 or 35 years later. My only regret is that I did not start reading it three years ago, when my son was still unborn. If you have kids, buy and read and save this book, for it deserves six stars instead of five. Regards!

My mom bought this book a year before I was born in 1975 and always told me it was the best book on parenting she ever read and to "forget Dr. Spock" (or something to that effect). I don't know how much different a parent she would have been without this book but my mom was in a league of her own so for whatever part this book played I thank Dr. Dodson.

I haven't read the book but as a product of a parent who used it as her only "parenting book" I echo the sentiments of an earlier reviewer and say 5 stars isn't enough.

There is no other book I recommend higher than this one for parenting to family and friends. I majored in child education and sociology and therefore, read many, many books on child development. I bought this book in 1975 when my first child was born, along with many others. I found Dr. Dodson's book to be the most thorough and the most interesting of them all. I learned more from that one book than all the others put together. I found what Dr. Dodson said made so much sense. He helped me to understand each year and/or developmental stage through the months of the first year, and then each year/stage up to the age of 5 years. Toilet training, discipline, temper tantrums, teaching regard/respect for others, the best time to take that bottle/pacifier away, a parent's emotions and how to understand your feelings... are a very few subjects in a book holding a wealth of great information.

I raised 3 boys and 2 stepchildren and had to deal with a divorce. I truly believe that the knowledge and practices I gained and used from Dr. Dodson offered my children a better parent and a better life. I raised them all to be independent, imaginative, moral, responsible, courteous and happy children. Sometimes our life was hard, we didn't have very many material things, some of them went through rough teen years, and those that went to college, worked their way through. They are now all in their 20's and each of them, though very different in personality, reflect these important values. Thank you, Dr. Dodson, you made my life and my chilrens' so much easier.

Dr. Dodson wrote another book entitled "How to Father" which covers the years after 5 into the teens. As I remember, "How to Father" was a continuation of How to Parent. It was not just for fathers.

Buy this book. Utilize it. I used all of Dr. Dodson's methods on raising an infant. Toilet training was easier, because I knew what signs and what age to start trying and knew when to stop if it wasn't the right time. Taking the bottle/pacifier away was a snap because of the timing. Knowing what to do when my child threw a fit kept it from becoming a horrible time... it even became enjoyable, because I could see my child learning and dealing with disappointments in a heathly way. I could go on and on about the successes I've had because of this book. It should be in every parent's library and in every school!

You will find that you will pull this book out with eagerness as your child grows to review and prepare for what is coming next.

Dr. Dodson, a child psychologist by training, was our mentor in raising our three children starting with our oldest in 1970. When I tried to find the book recently, I was surprised to learn it was out of print. Fortunately, I found a copy at Amazon.com--I wanted three to give to each of my children as they begin to raise their children.

At the time of our first introduction to Dr. Dodson, Dr. Spock was the guru of many, but as a pediatrician Spock was not versed in the psychological/emotional side of child-rearing as was Dodson.

What was valuable to me was understanding the changes and expectations that come with each age as children mature from toddlerhood to teenagers to young adults. Dodson's "How to Parent" should be required reading for everyone who has children and who cares about them. As he stated, children don't come with an instruction manual nor do parents instinctively know how to be good parents. We can avoid a lot of parenting mistakes by learning from the best. The advice in this book is priceless.

I recently came across another of Dr. Dodson's books, "How to Grandparent," an equally exciting book.

I bought this book in the early 70's when my youngest daughter was born and I became a single parent. I found Dodson's methods made complete sense and felt natural to me, encouraging the practical use of his techniques (his 10 commandments) which were as much for my benefit as my daughter's. Now at the age of 29, my daughter is happy and un-afraid of life's many challenges with a powerful commitment to personal growth. She is definitely one of my favorite people and the amazing thing is that in spite of financial hardships, she looks back on her childhood and as one where she was blessed to have me as her mother. I have Dr Dobson's book to thank for some of that as his methods helped to keep me sane through all the madness of my highly un-orthodox lifestyle. Strangely enough, I have also found his techniques to work perfectly well while managing my employees. Kind of "The One Minute Manager" (Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard) for parents.

How to Raise Your Child's Emotional Intelligence: 101 Ways to Bring Out the Best in Your Children and Yourself is the best parenting book we've read. As new parents of a toddler, we have found the tips and practical ideas in this book to be extremely helpful. We also liked the 101 short chapters, which made the book a delight to read. The book is filled with ideas on how parents can encourage the development of emotional intelligence through simple child rearing techniques & also through their own behaviors which model emotional intelligence. How to Raise Your Child's Emotional Intelligence also uses poetry, short stories, and quotes from men and women from all walks of life -- from Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, Hellen Keller, to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "Little Prince" to cleverly reinforce the concepts in an entertaining and often inspirational manner. We really loved this book. While we have already given other books away, this is one book we intend to keep and use throughout our coming years as parents. It is a book for everyone, from all walks of life. Don't miss this book!

Are you looking for a book, which will provide you with help in raising children who will behave, as you would like them to, and grow into emotionally mature adults and improve your emotional intelligence at the same time? Then, this is the book you have been searching for. I have never written a book review before. But, after reading this book, I felt compelled to do so. Why? Because I have read a lot of self-help books over the years and never got anything out of them. Either because I felt the suggestions in the books were impractical or were not necessary. However, this book not only presents the principles, which will help to improve the emotional intelligence of you and your children in a practical, fresh, new, humorous, and imaginative way. It reached out and touched my heart in such a way that it inspired me to do what it suggests. For example, in Chapter 2 - Choose Love Over Conflict in Your Relationship With Your Children and Spouse, the following question is asked. If the world were to watch a 10-hour video of the last ten hours of your interaction with your spouse and children, would you be proud of what they saw? Furthermore, the point is made that the world will never see that video, but your children will watch hundreds of real-life hours of such interaction - will you be proud of what they see? These words touched me so profoundly that every so often I re-read this chapter. I do so to remind myself to set a good example for my children and to behave in a way that my spouse and children can be proud of. This is just a small sample of the many insights the book has to offer for improving the emotional intelligence of you and your children. I highly encourage you to buy this book. You will be happy you did.

Are you looking for a book which will provide you with help in raising children who will behave as you would like them to, and grow into emotionally mature adults and improve your emotional intelligence at the same time? Then, this is the book you have been searching for. I have never written a book review before. But, after reading this book, I felt compelled to do so. Why? Because I have read a lot of self-help books over the years and got little or nothing out of them. Either because I felt the suggestions in the books were impractical or were not necessary. However, this book is very different. It not only presents the principles which will help to improve the emotional intelligenece of you and your children in a practical, fresh, new, humorous, and imaginative way. It reached out and touched my heart in such a way that it inspired me to do what it suggests. For example, in Chapter 2 - Choose Love Over Conflict in Your Relationship With Your Children and Spouse, the following question is asked. If the world were to watch a 10-hour video of the last ten hours of interaction with your spouse and children, would you be proud of what they saw? These words touched me so profoundly that every so often I re-read this chapter. I do so to remind myself to set a good example for my children and to behave in a way that myself, my spouse, and my children can be proud of. This is just a small sample of the many suggestions and thought provoking insights this book has to offer for improving the emotional intelligence of you and your children. I highly encourage you to buy this book. You will be happy you did.

We have all heard that newborn babies don't come with a parenting manual strapped to their back. How to Raise Your Child's Emotional Intelligence: 101 Ways to Bring Out the Best In Your Children and Yourself, is the manual!
It seems like I've read every self-help, parenting, and feel better book in print, and this one stands out as clearly being the unique best.

This easy to read book on raising the emotional intelligence of your children is a must read for all parents who want their children to experience happiness in life. Through practical suggestions, lively stories and 101 examples they will give you real life examples which can be easily shared with your children. This book teaches understanding, compassion, honesty, kindness, patience and many of the other qualities we so much want to instill in our children.

These chapters can be read together with your children. It is a wonderful format and is appropriate for any age group. You will love this book. Be careful as you read to your children, you just may find your level of emotional entillence growing as well.

I found this copy last week at Waterstone in London . It made me feel the plane ride was very short! I should have bought a couple. This is a great book for a refresher in analytical philosophy: pleasant, clear. Great training for people who tend to forget elementary relationships.
I did not know that JAP was a logician. Go buy this book!
The only competition is "Think" by Blackburn (rather boring).

IN John Allen Paulos's book 'I think therefore I laugh: An alternative approach to Philosophy', he is inspired by Ludwig Wittgenstein's statement that one can write a comprehensive Philosophy book consisting of jokes alone. If you get the joke, you get the philosophical point. After reading this book, I tend to agree. If we really think about it, it's surprising how many jokes we crack everyday; mundane, sophisticated, derogatory, or otherwise, mostly at the expense of others. Many of these jokes are downright stupid, and we are aware of that. Now in this book, Paulos explains why they illustrate important points of philosophy. And in doing so, he sure gives us a rollicking, rib-tickling time. Paulos weaves an extremely entertaining web of anectodes, humor, and language puzzles, each time demonstrating a central philosophical point. In doing so, he also pays due homage to more or less most famous classic and contemporary philosophers including Russell, Wittgenstein, Hempel, Dewey, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Hume, Descartes, Kant, Quine and Popper, among others. He uses examples from daily life, indicating the paradoxes we unknowingly indulge in during our everyday hustle- bustle. He inspires us to look about for such examples, and most importantly have a good laugh about them.

Case in point. Today, I started to read the manual of a computer program named SYBYL which I am supposed to learn. All of you will know how mind numbingly unforgiving a manual reading session can be. However, my spirits were immediately uplifted when, on the first page of the manual, I saw the following typed statement:
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
I got the joke; I got the paradox. I laughed- thanks to Paulos.

Highlights of the book include a hilarious dialogue between two most unlikely men: Bertrand Russell and Groucho Marx, trapped in an elevator on a 'virtual' level in the Empire State Building. Their conversation is completely nonsensical, each talking from his unique point of view. But just like Lewis Carroll's nonsense, it makes perfect sense. All through the book, Paulos uses two proverbial scapegoats, George and Martha, to illustrate the finer points of philosophical thought through seemingly idiotic, bizzare and generally hilarious conversations. In doing so, he touches upon reductionism, syllogism, sylligism, opportunism, and most of the other famous "isms". A few examples:

Everybody loves a lover
George does not love himself
Hence George does not love Martha

Illogical as the above argument looks, by the rules of logic, Paulos explains that it makes perfect sense. Or consider this "Proof that God exists"

1. God exists
2. Both these statements are false.

Welcome to the world of paradoxes! Some thorny thinking convinces us that irrespective of whether the second statement is true or false, the first statement HAS to be true. In fact, you can substitute any statement in place of the first one (For example, 'George Bush was in love with Elizabeth Taylor'). The second one will guarantee that it's true.
How about this one. Its a chilly winter night and Martha meets George in front of his house.

Martha: George, what are you doing?
George: Oh, I am looking for my car keys. I lost them near that bush there.
Martha: So why aren't you looking for them there?
George: Because its brighter here and I can see better.

Some of the examples are outright stupid, great examples of PJs that all of us crack sometime or the other.

Martha: That's the last straw! I have had enough of this. I wash my hands of the whole business.
George: A good idea. You can wash your neck too.

Paulos says that this dialogue actually demonstrates an important philosophical principle.

The title of the third section is: "The Titl of This Section Contains Three Erors"
Can you spot them? If yes, you would have unearthed a very important philosophical 'classification of classes or sets', having deep implications for math and logic.

Another examples of this 'classification of classes':
'Robert Benchley once remarked, "There may be said to be two classes of people in the world; those who constantly divide the people of the world into two classes, and those who do not." He should have added paradoxically that he belongs to the latter class.

I could go on and on! But I don't want to give away the wonder of the book. It is a truly refreshing read, for the sheer reason that it shows us how we can constantly laugh at others, life, and most importantly ourselves, and have an educational experience doing it. I think it would be a fascinating experience for us to glance around everyday, and have a look at the idiosynchracies that we indulge in, the jokes that we crack, and the criticisms that we dispense, and endure, knowingly and unknowingly demonstrating philosophical insights. Paulos tried to convince us that there is more to daily life than we think, and that philosophy need not be a separate 'subject' to be studied. It is a part of our everyday where-withal and exemplified in all its glory in all our relationships. I had a ball of a time reading this book, and I think that you will too.

This is a wonderful joining of laughter (which nearly everyone does) and mathematics/logic (which not as many do well as they should be able to - me included). I would hesitate to use it as a supporting text in a mathematics, logic or philosophy class but many of the examples given would be great teacher's aids. (The book is sometimes too technical for students and its technical details may alienate some of them - in my estimation anyway.) But I have written elsewhere (see 'Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea') that I believe mathematics education will be greatly assisted by humanising it, putting people back into it (who could not be fascinated by Ramanujan, Erdos, Gauss and company?). The writings of Paulos would be a great tool in this direction and I wouldn't hesitate in prescribing 'Innumeracy', for example, as a required text. This book, however, would be a great source of ideas for a teacher or an interested reader like myself. And there are some very good laughs too!

It takes a rare writer to synthesize Descartes, Russell and Marx - Groucho, that is. Somehow John Paulos manages to write a treatise on analytical philosophy (logic, self-referential statements, language recognitition) using examples from humor. Yet perhaps that is the story - that humor comes from logical contradiction.

Written for the non-philosopher, this concise book is packed with great learning and quite a few laughs as well. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Paulos is entertaining, awesome, etc. My first book by him I couldn't put down. I was so intrigued with Innumeracy that I even had a hard time finding time to do my math homework. Ironically, Innumeracy was "advertised" in the math book that I was working in. Really, any books by this genius is worth your time and money. "I Think" reminds me a little of Lewis Carroll, word and math games. Paulos does what all of these math wizards out there claim they can do: make math more palatable and interesting. I tried, "Laugh With Math." What? I wasn't laughing! Paulos, I believe, doesn't even have to try.

That's one of the logical questions that Mr Wurmbrand posed to his audiences in jail. This man is one of the most intelligent men I have read. An intellectual. A hero of the Christian faith. A man of integrity. Blessed with a long and beautiful life as a reward for all his pains spreading the Good News in Romania during the long Communist dictatorship. years in prisons, being tortured physically and mentally. And never giving up his faith, which was the prize the commies were looking for. It was amazing to see how many, almost all, the commies who had a chance of talking intimately with Mr Wurmbrand would eventually open up their hearts and crack. That tells a lot for the influence of evil spirits on people, people whose soul is naturally Christian -as Wurmbrand says.

A man well-learned, who can talk of science, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, ancient history, or almost anything without hesitation, who can give a quick and wise response to any questioner who's trying to ridicule the faith. The book is full of lessons on how to live as sheep "in the midst of wolves... therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Mat. 10:16) This was Mr Wurmbrand.

Reading him is learning to be wiser. There is priceless advice on how to face situations that can compromise your faith in Christ. It is not an idealistic, theological treatise, it's simple and handy advice on how to respond to the test of atheists.

Here's one pearl of his philosophy: "A real disciple does not seek gifts but Christ himself, and so is ready for self sacrifice to the end. They were not followers of Jesus, but customers."

Since the persecutions of Christians in ancient Rome, there has been no such hellish scenario up to the communist era in the 20th century. The book is not pessimistic though. It is a wonderful story of victory of faith against all odds. When faith in the Christian God of Israel was put to the test real bad, and boy did it come out alive!

If I were going to be stranded on a desert island I'd definately want this book with me. If you get a chance, it's a must read, triumph of the human spirit type book, but completely real and honest.

This is an awesome book which gives the account of Richard Wurmbrand, a Jewish, Lutheran pastor, who endured suffering and torture in a Communist prison while being a Christ-like example to the many people around him. This book will inspire you (as it did to me) to walk closer to the Compassionate and All-loving God who used Wurmbrand to lead many prisoners to Christ and the grace that flows freely from the Cross to ALL who will accept it.

This book touched me and changed my whole view of the term 'martyr'. I have since become a great fan of Wurmbrand, his books never fail to stun one into a deep, reverential silence.

No matter your (ir)religious beliefs, you will be astounded by this account of life, endurance, perseverance, faith, and love in the worst possible conditions and suffering. An astounding witness to the strength and love the living Christ imparts, and an indictment of the horror and hollowness of atheism. Not for the faint of heart or closed of mind, and brimming over with insight and depth of thought; especially fascinating are his theological and philosophical conversations with a myriad of colorful characters, from (formerly) powerful politocos and military figures, to "lowly" farmers and thieves.

In volume five of Proust's massive and perspicacious `a la recherché,' we find the narrator Marcel, slowly, yet surely, falling out of love with Albertine. Proust is extraordinarily masterful at evoking the painful (and yet very real) feeling of gradual disaffection, which all lovers must inevitably face with each other. Marcel pontificates endlessly and relentlessly on Albertine. He loves, her (or maybe we should say him), he doesn't love her, he loves her, he doesn't love her, etc. etc. Until, finally, the moment of decision, he tells her that he does not love her and wishes her to leave, insisting that she will be happier without him. Of course, the moment Albertine departs, Marcel is in despair, he has lost has love, and Albertine is reduced to the status of the `fugitive.' This volume is one of the most beauteous and thoughtful unfolding of the loss of love, and the painful convalescence that transpires in the subsequent period. Marcel goes to Venice, and explores that wondrous and ancient European city, and he sends help to find Albertine, only to discover that she has died in a horseback accident. In addition to the tragic loss of Albertine, Marcel grows continually disenchanted with the aristocratic world to which he belongs. Proust is brilliant in his ability to sustain this massive web of characters, as he reintroduces figures from the early stages of the search, such as Gilberte (Marcel's first love), and Mme Verdurin. This book evokes the meaning of life as it unfolds temporally, and the meaning of relationships throughout the course of a lifetime, and how they change and drift in and out of focus at different stages. It is one of the great works of Western literature.

The 7th of March I found this book, ISBN:0713996048. Now it's the 12th and I've returned to buy the book,except I can't locate it on the site! What is going on? Where's the first volume in the set? I'm so frustrated by this. I waited for years for the new translation to be completed.Help me!

Modern Library's Volume V deals with the relationship between Marcel and Albertine. It is a complex, psychological relationship to say the least. In the Captive, Albertine lives with Marcel in his apartment in Paris and in The Fugitive one wonders who is, in fact, more captive -- Albertine or Marcel. It would seem to be Albertine for whom Marcel possesses an obsessive love and concurrent fear of her sapphic penchant. But it is also Marcel who will sacrifice experience if he makes a commitment to her. Who is more free, the captive or the fugitive? Proust raises questions about how to serve best the artist's quest for beauty. In fact, how does one really ever "capture" the beauty of life in art or music or literature? Even in a masterpiece, is it not beauty the fugitive that usually dwells just beyond one's capture? Or like Vinteuil's septet or the music of Wagner or the painting of Rembrandt, is the best for which one can hope of fugitive beauty only a brief fleeting experience? Are the vast tracts of time spent to understand the beauty and meaning of life worth it? As a writer does he not habitually surrender life in order to capture it? Or is the pursuit of the capture of the beauty of life in fact where one realizes its most sublime value? One sees in Proust toward the end of The Fugitive a member of society who respects it but chooses by reasons of health not to position himself so visibly within it. Despite his family name and vast but dwindling fortune inherited from his beloved grandmother, he seems to become somewhat ultimately disenchanted with the intricacies of Faubourg-St. Germain society to which he devotes so much of his writing. He recognises society's shallow obsession with materialism and rampant snobbery but his own place in society is captured by its complex history and tacit rules and Marcel is inescapably a captive of his own culture. When Albertine is lost to him toward the end of the volume, as in the prior volumes, the story line's serial intrigue advances most. Characters from prior volumes reappear, reminiscent of Balzac, whom Proust adored, but like him they change,too, and usually for the worse over time. The great tapestry of the characters of Proust -- Albertine, Gilberte, Swann, Brichot, Bloch, Charlus, Morel, Saint-Loup -- ultimately surprise and usually disappoint him. As to nagging questions about Proust's own orientation, "Personally I found it absolutely immaterial from a moral standpoint whether one took one's pleasure with a man or a woman, and only too natural and human that one should take it where one could find it." I found myself wishing that Proust had written more about Bloch and Saint-Loup and Gilberte, and less about Albertine. But she was, like his work, the one obsession, the endeavor of which understanding he could never escape and never quite marry -- she was his beauty and his art. She was the breath of life itself from his pen and from his experience of life as seen through the eyes of a true genius.

This is volume five of the superlative new translation of "In Search of Lost Time," containing the two books of the Albertine cycle, which are now titled "The Prisoner" (translated by Carol Clark) and "The Fugitive" (tr. Peter Collier). Though I haven't yet read their translations, I have found the new editions to be a wonderful improvement over those done in the 1920s by Charles Scott Moncrieff. So I have no hesitation in giving them five stars.

Unhappily for American readers, current U.S. copyright law prevents Viking/Penguin from publishing the last two volumes of "Lost Time" in this country until 95 years after Proust's death, or 2018. The first four volumes have been published here in handsome hardcovers (more handsome than the British edition), but the only way to obtain this and the final volume ("Finding Time Again") is to find an imported British hardcover or paperback. -- Dan Ford

The Albertine episodes make more sense if we assume this is a homosexual ralationship. Albertine's independence, and her being allowed to live in a young man's apartment, and other aspects of her social life do not seem likely for a young woman in the nineteen hundreds. Marcel's (and incidentally this is the only volume where he refers to himself as Marcel) suspicions then become the gay lover's fears that his lover prefers heterosexuality. Albertine is the only female in the Recherche who never gets married.
Apart from these external clues there is quality about the the affection Marcel feels that suggests a gay rather than a straight relationship.
This volume marks a turning point in the narrator's fascination with the aristocracy. From here on disenchantment sets in, and the references to homosexuality become almost homophobic.

MAGIA BLANCA..porque en este libro agrega a los cuarzos la MAGIA CON VELAS Y CON YERBAS... los cristales de cuarzo NOS PROTEGEN DE LAS MALAS VOLUNTADES Y AUEMNTAN NUESTRA ENERGIA POSITIVA ... Está buenísimo el libro !

sobre LA ENERGIA QUE TRANSMITEN LOS CUARZOS

and it's logical:
Energy is a fact, and this book contains spells done with the enery of the Earth's stones, The Fire of Candles and the blessing of herbs...

Just try it once !
YOU'LL NEVER LEAVE IT !

of the power ef the energy that quartz and some candles rightly used can bring into your life..
IT WORKS !

Este libro es de Rodney Allen, que también tiene dos libros fabulosos de magia blanca...
Pero este es fantástico, y no se contrapone ni se parece a sus otros dos libros:
Nos enseña a manejar la ENERGÍA DE LAS PIEDRAS NATURALES, DE LOS CUARXOS..
TAMBIÉN TIENE MAGIA BLANCA CON VELAS...
Desde que lo leí y lo empecé a practicar, NO ME QUITO DEL CUELLO UN COLLAR DE CUARZOS... Comencé a usarlo a diario desde un día en que me asaltaron, lo llevaba puesto, y lo agarré como instintivamente:¡LO SENTÍ CALIENTE !
En ese momento, APARECIÓ UN POLICÍA QUE SE VENÍA COMIENDO UNA DONA... ¡Ay, como le agradezco:Tiró su dona y corrió a protegerme:
Los asaltantes se echaron a correr ( los agarraron más adelante a los tres )y el poli me ayudó a levantarme, porque me habían tirado al suelo en el jaloneo de mi bolsa..y se le quedó mirando fijamente a mi collar de cuarzos. Me dijo:
"Usted cree que los cuarzos son mágicos, señora?"
Menti creyendo que se iba a burlar, y me dijo:
"Pues debería creer, doña ( era latino )"
Desde ese día, no he dejado este libro en paz ¡Y ME ALEGRO !
Te lo conté topdo para que te aimes a leerlo, amiga !
¡SI FUNCIONA ! Los cuarzos despiden una energía positiva especial !
Mi esposo trae un llavero de cuarzos...

'Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies' is a great resource on the career of 'the boys'. The making of each film is covered in detail and there is quite a bit of biographical information sprinkled throughout. This was one of those books that I found hard to put down once I got started. Kudos to the author for providing a very informative and entertaining book!

Randy Skretvedt produced a highly entertaining and thought provoking work with the release of this work on two of the cinema's greatest comedy legends,Laurel and Hardy.
Most volumes up until this point had approached their careers in similar styles by focusing first on their backgrounds,early entries into showbusiness,their early careers,then into their most popular times and from there into their declining years.All filled with andecdotes either from friends,colleagues or the comedians themselves.
This book though giving a brief overview of the Boys careers examines each of their films starting with their silent shorts right through to their last film.What makes it different is that Randy examines each film from more of a production angle than any other book before has done.He explains in many cases how and why a particular film came into being and compares the original idea or storyline/script with the end product.It's a fascinating departure from the usual and gives a more detailed and informative look into the men behind the comedy,up front and behind the scenes.
I highly recommend this book to all students of film but especially to all fans of Laurel and Hardy.This is one book along with all of John McCabes' books,William K.Eversons' "Laurel and Hardy",Glenn Mitchells' "The Laurel and Hardy Encyclopedia" and Wes Gehrings' "Laurel and Hardy-A Bio-Bibliography" that should form the basis of your collection on the Boys.

Almost to good to be true. If you want to know anything or everything about Laurel & Hardy and all their movies and films, you can find it here in this wonderfully written book.

For years.Many film history books have tried to give some insight into the creation,development and the successful appeal of Laurel & Hardy's film work.With the exception of Leonard Maltin's"Movie Comedy Teams"and"The Great Movie Comedians!".No book seemed to show the readers how these classic comedies came about.Until now.Film historian,radio interviewer and musical entertainer:Randy Skrevedt's book"Laurel & Hardy:The Magic Behind The Movies!"finally gives us all a chance to see how these two great performers created and presented their cinematic clowning on screen and onstage.With the use of extensive research,interviews with the boys colleages,family members,friends and with staffers from The Hal Roach,MGM,Fox Studios and With Mr.Hal Roach Himself.The book shows us the creation of the team's films from their first effort:"Lucky Dog"to their earliest films at Roach to their glory days at:"The Lot Of Fun!".The book also tells us the true story of what finally lead to the duo's departure from Roach and the unsuccessful efforts to give the boys creative freedom at MGM & Fox.Where they made alot of forgetable films.And additionial info.L&H were slated to make ten features at Fox.Not six as many film history books have stated over the years.There is also some insight into the boys stage performances overseas in Music halls and cabrets during the late 1940's and into the early to mid 1950's.And a large collections of Photos from private collections.Plus in the updated second paperback edition.Info about the recently discovered spanish verison of"Chickens Come Home".Which features some never before seen footage(The newly found footage has little or bearing on the film's storyline.But it's interesting to read about it).These features plus some insight into the boys lives(Which does not get ugly)makes this a fun and informative manuscript and one that's long overdue.Bravo Randy! Kevin S.Butler.

To me, the Laurel and Hardy (L&H) team was easily the best comedy team of the first half of the 20th century. I realize others may have other favorites (Three Stooges, Our Gang, W.C. Fields (another of my personal favorites), Abbott and Costello (not one of my favorites), Marx Brothers, etc.) But the L&H team was beyond these other comedy teams. Randy Skretvet did these men proud with this book that traces them from the very beginning to their eventual demise. If one appreciates L&H and the comedy of the early 1900s they should appreciate this book.

I read Lionheart around 3-4 years ago and it instantly reminded me of all the years I went sailing with my family when I was a small girl. It made me appreciate the art of sailing to the fullest. Jesse is an inspiration to everyone that reads his adventures and he gives a great motivation to follow your dreams until they become true!

This is a fabulous book and I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to anyone but especially to any young people as it shows just where enthusiasm, optimism and determination can get you and that you dont have to (shouldn't) follow the crowd to succeed in life. He is a wonderful storyteller and very modest about his achievement. Everyone I know who has read it has found it unputdownable.

Jesse's honest account of his experiences and his comments on success make this book well worth the read.

I loved this book,and fell in love with sailing all over again. I've been sailing since I was a little girl, yet his out look on sailing affected mine all over again.
This book quickly became my favorite, replacing my old favorite books. I keep it by my bed and for inspiration I only have to open it up.

I just finished reading Lionheart a book that has reminded me that dreams can come true. As a sailor, I dream about taking my boat to distant places but can't find the courage to do it, I think Jesse has opened a new window for me. This book is much more than a sailing story is about fullfilling your dreams.