Berg Books

This was given to me by one of the people featured in the book while on a business trip to Texas. Honestly, I couldn't put it down! It is so lovely, so inspiring, and so celebratory of the act and diversity of adoption. I highly recommend it to anyone touched by adoption--especially those that need to start celebrating! The photography and testimonials couldn't be better and they represent each person in the adoption triad. Treat yourself and buy a copy!

Wow! I loved this book. Letting people speak for themselves about adoption is so important. I sensed a compassionate hand in the editing of these stories that makes them a pleasure to read and gives an artful consistency without diminishing the individual voices. The photography is wonderfully evocative. By chance, I have had the opportunity to meet a few of the people whose stories are in the book. I was delighted to find that there was no disjuncture between my brief encounters and what I read, which added to its authenticity for me.

I re-visited "Sacred Connections" after almost a year. Any parent would benefit from these tender , moving stories of love, courage and commitment. The voices, of the subjects, reverberate in many of my personal encounters and experiences. It is a wonderful book.

I bought the book because I know some of the people interviewed in the book...but the book was even better than I had hoped it would be! The stories are very moving and brought tears to my eyes. It was nice to see a variety of closed adoption reunion and open adoption stories. I think the book shows people that contrary to current adoption stereotypes...adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents can all share a special bond or connection if they are open to it. Everybody has something special to add to the relationship...and having birth parents be a part of that relationship doesn't have to be threatening or confusing for anyone! This book would make a beautiful gift for anyone you know who is involved in adoption!

I'm a birth mother of a child in an open adoption, and I gave this book to my son's adoptive mother for Mother's Day. The black and white photographs are gorgeous, and they really sum up all the complex emotions inherent in adoptive relationships. The text for each story is well-written and illuminating, and the authors were obviously careful to represent the full range of adoption experiences. If you're looking for something special to express the lifelong connections between the adopted person and his or her birth and adoptive families, this is your book.

If you have been reading into Kabbalah and enjoy meditating this is an excellent way to focus your meditation. It's small and travels well. It provides brief and direct statements.

This is a very interesting book. I fully recommend it to anyone looking for spiritual answers. You may not agree with everything -- and that's OK. But take whatever you get from this book and simply make it yours. You don't have to become a follower of Kabbalah to put some of the ideas into practice. Try it. You may like it.

Also recommended: "What Did Jesus Really Say, How Christianity Went Astray: [What To Say To A Born Again Christian Fundamentalist, But Never Had The Information]" by Peter Cayce

This book is very inspirational and the pages are attractively designed. I appreciate the simplicity and the novelty of the technology given for improving the quality of my life. I use it every day in conjunction with 'The 72 Names of God Meditation Deck72 Names of God: Meditation Deck. The card that I choose from the Deck and the corresponding reading from the text indicate the life lesson I need to learn.Additionally I select the Name that I wish to work with. This is the next step in my spiritual development.

Great book. I wish it had the alliterative Hebrew pronunciations for those of us who wish to be able to say these beautiful words as well as meditate on them.

This is one of the tools Kabbalah offers us, each of the 72 names is for a specific purpose. You meditate on the name or names (one at a time) that you feel you need, in the way the book explains. The names cannot be pronounced, as they are not words, but combinations of letters, so they really don't have a meaning, but each combination of letters has a diferent energy that helps us in the way that is described in each of the meditations!!! If you want to say any specific name you say the letters, for example Mem Hey Shin, which is the name for healing. The meditations are beautiful, very wise words by Yehuda Berg, that touch your heart and your soul!!!
You can also scan the chart with the 72 names of God, in the way that is described in the book, once or twice a day.

As an avid reader I feel this first book by Cheryl Robbins Berg is Fantastic and a MUST read! I love an enticing book that you can't wait until the ending to see what happens, but at the same time you are torn about finishing it because you do not want it to end! The author's legal background and medical knowledge make her an authority with the material she writes and keeps you reading and turning the pages as fast as you can. I put her in the same league as John Grishman and can't wait for her second book to be finished! Gwen Johnson, NE

I found Pending Litigation to be a rare book that is so engrossing and a real page turner. I read it in one week because it was so hard to put down. The characters in the book were people you could really care about. The plot was engaging with a twist at the end.

Pending Litigation is an outstanding book. It has an excellent plot and is fascinating from the beginning to the end. It was particularly refreshing to read a book where the author has a vocabulary such that foul language was not necessary to fill in the gaps of a lacking intellingent mode of expression. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those who enjoy sitting down for a few hours of superb reading

This is a really first-rate thriller! Charity McLaughlin is a young lawyer who must decide whether or not to take a case that is both intriguing and risky to her mental health. The author does a great job of weaving the personal with the professional, giving the reader a wonderful picture of the demons Charity must overcome. Anyone who likes mysteries should not miss this book. I could hardly put it down.

This book is a a good book for women readers. It has action, clean language, and an interesting subject. It doesn't delve too deeply into the technical and deep profession of the law. It is entertaining, easy to pick up after putting it down for awhile.

The part I liked best was recognising the use of local places where the author lived, worked, and persons that she knows.

This book is full of good information. Had I read it when I was younger and followed it, my life probably would have turned out different. Still good to know.

Simply AWESOME! --- Such a VALUABLE Book!
I didnt even know much about Kabbalah, wasnt really interested neither, although I've heard of it, I thought that it was just another religion. When I first bought this book on Amazon there were only 2 reviews (one with 5 stars and one with 1 star) I usually buy a book based on the number of good reviews however, I need to thank the negative review entitiled "Rubbish" because after reading it I knew that the person writting that review was a christain "fundie" -- you know how that goes...we are all born sinners so you NEED to be born again (because you NEED to be forgiven first) to reach heaven with a God who is separated from you and resides in the sky, and if you dont do this through Jesus,(because this is THE ONLY WAY to get to heaven) you go straight to hell when you die...for ETERNITY!...Oh, yeah, and God loves you unconditionally even though he allows you to go to that flaming Hell for chosing to not be saved and somehow his hands are tied now, he cant help you at this point..even though he's God with all the power that created everything from the very beginning!..and this is Christianities version of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE??!..I laughed when that review said: "This book is dangerous because it will draw you away from the truth to set you truly free." hee hee hee..Yep, I guess according to the "fundie's" we all better live in fear,huh? I often hear Christians ask: are you a GOD FEARING person?! funny! I usually reply--NO, I dont fear god at all I'd rather LOVE God.--Fear only creates more fear and more chaos in this world..havent we learned yet? I just need to say THANK YOU to that christian "fear based" negative review. After reading it I knew this book would be a good read but I was wrong; This book IS BETTER THAN GOOD it's LIFE CHANGING and gives you great powerful insight into Spiritual (not dogmatic) relationships between men and women implementing both the physical and non-physical. (Women will especially LOVE this book!)to make it even better Yehuda Berg is EXCELLENT in his practical, easy to understand, entertaining way of writting...I couldnt put the book down! If you are a person who likes reading books to give you more insight on improving your relationships and it doesnt matter if you are single or married because his book addresses both issues, infact it doesnt even matter if you are a Kabbahlist or not you are definitely in for an enlightening and eye opening treat! This book is a gold mine for those wanting to improve not only their relationships but their lives! Kabbalah even states..dont believe them, apply the universal principals and see for yourself! They encourage you to always question authority and dont just believe everything they tell you! This information is good for all religions, faiths & beliefs. If you like Quantum Physics you'll notice that the information in this book will blend right in. Kabbalah knew way back then what Quantum Physics are finding now. I've been ordering from Amazon for years and never wrote a review because I was never inspired to...this is my first, because I believe that this book deserves great reviews. I am now interested in purchasing Berg's other book: The Power of Kabbalah. I'm sharing this book with my friends and others too as I feel that it is highly needed in today's uncertain and confused society. I want to give my eternal gratitude to Yehuda for helping mankind by bringing this awareness to us in an entertaining,easy to understand book--Thank You my brother! I also want to thank that negative review by: "Rubbish" K.Zukowski "Whatever is Pure" -- not in a cocky or sarcastic way but in a deep appreciative way -- Thank You for motivating me to buy this book...we are all one -- may love shine on you!

The book is amazing, I couldn't stop reading it! Got even more impressed that Yehuda Berg could understand so much what women think and like!I recommend everyone to read it asap and see the changes in your way of seeing relationships!

This book is the best companion a woman can have in helping her in the search for her soul mate. It is practical with lots of vital information on practical rules which can be easliy applied.The author eloquently explains the concepts of Kabbalah and how it can blend in women s lives. Every word, every phrase empower women and offer hope for attaining inner power and finding love.
A must for women who are on their spiritual path and for those who yearn for love and spiritual growth.

this is what i needed to know to find out my soulmate. and i did it. Ok, actually he found me and i know what to do now. Thanks Yehuda and all your family.
This book is not about religion, moral or ethics. Is only about practical things that helps you to understand what is this "soulmate thing". If anyone try to let you think something else... is only because you need to read this book for your self and take your own decision.
Do it... you will not be disappointed!!!!

In my 40 years of trial practice, few books are better organized, or present more useful insights in how to try cases. David Berg has been in the pits, has dozens of verdicts in all kinds of civil and criminal cases-everything from murder to patent infringement-and writes about them very well. Drawing on his experience, David explains the importance, goals, and methods of achieving those goals, for each step of representation, from the first meeting with the client, to the final words of closing argument. And while this isn't one of those "war story" book, he does use examples from his own cases and those of other trial lawyers to make his points. This book is a "must read," not just for aspiring trial lawyers, but for all who want to enhance their skills in the courtroom. It should be mandatory reading for law school advocacy classes.

Each arena has it's Michael Jordan. In the courtroom, it is David Berg. And Berg has taken this natural talent and time-honed skill to a new level as he unlocks certain secrets that have catapulted him to the top of his profession. What most have considered his "magic," he explains as common sense practice. This book should be a required text at every law school. Those in the legal profession should not just read this, they should study it. The difference it will make in case results more than pays for the book, over and over again.

In the Epilogue, David Berg states that the next generation of trial lawyers must win back the public's respect. Given this belief, it is no surprise that this highly accomplished trial lawyer passionately shares with us the lessons he has learned over an astonishing career.

It is difficult for any trial book to cover everything, and Berg's book makes a wise decision to emphasize the need for preparation which has been neglected in the trial literature. For example, over a third of the book, 126 pages, addresses the importance of preparing your case through discovery, conducting mock trials, and spending a lot of thought and time on voir dire.

Throughout the book, Berg shares memorable anectdotal stories from trials he has tried or famous lawyers he has known. The stories make for a very interesting read.

I am in my fifth year now, and I've still never had a jury trial, because of the explosion of alternative dispute resolution. Despite the diminishing frequency of the jury trial, this book is still an absolute must. To me, the following points the author makes are accurate--you must conduct litigation like you will go to trial, and, on occasion, you must actually go to trial. This book teaches you how to act like a real litigator. He emphasizes being a "bulldog about documents," and states the best depositions are the ones that draw blood. He also tells you how to pick a jury, how to open, how to conduct direct and cross, and how to close, among other things. In fairness, there really are just too many good parts to single anything out--the whole damn book is invaluable. Further, it is written with humor and with good stories. Highly recommended.

If you want to learn more about trying cases, get this book and splurge for the deluxe DVD edition. Failure to do so is, as Berg might put it, "false economy."

For example, the DVDs contain large parts Berg's closing in Wyatt v. Sakowitz, videotaped at the old Harris County courthouse. It is a rare glimpse of a masterful closing as it happened. You can hear the nervous tension in Berg's voice, but also the rhythm, emotion, and sincerity of his delivery. A transcript would get only about a tenth of what the tape captures. To use another Bergism, it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

Berg also provides one of the best guides to jury selection I have seen. He shares strategies that took him decades to develop in a way that even a novice can quickly adopt and use.

Berg once said that history forgets many of the great trial lawyers. Berg's book will preserve not only his achievements, but also those of many of his contemporaries in the various war stories he uses to illustrate his points.

If you're looking for pretty, nature, Haiku-esque poetry, then this might not be for you. Many of these are graphic sexual depictions. Many have four letter words. Ikkyu, aka Crazy Cloud-- Zen Monk, Enlightened One, Patron of Whorehouses, Virile and Active into Old Age.

But don't think these are just sex poems. These are poems built of a version of primary colors: light, dark, mountains and wind.

There's a Whitmanesque Bullheadedness and Joy of Life to many of these short poems (most 2 lines long, rocking back and forth in their sliding images and rhythms) but you don't get the tongue-in-your-ear feeling that comes with reading Leaves of Grass.

Whether he's telling you about burying his pet sparrow or going down on a woman in the kitchen as she cooks, Ikkyu rewards the reader again and again.

hands down one of my top 3 "desert island" books. i don't even know what the other two would be, but berg's translations - ikkyu's work - man...these can - without fail - render the reader speechless, at least one or two times in a reading...easily.

"Only one koan matters," Ikkyu writes, "you" (p. 67). "Believe in the man facing you now" (p. 21). While meditating on a boat when he was 27, Ikkyu Sojun--also known as "Crazy Cloud" (1394-1482), was enlightened when he heard a crow call (p. 9). As a Zen Master, he was considered sort of an eccentric rake (p. 13), and he never pretended to be much else. He loved sake. He loved women. "The crow's caw was ok," he writes (p. 58), but "a woman is enlightenment" (p. 64). Ikkyu scandalized his Zen community, and his poetry will offend many readers today as well. "Look me up if you want to," he writes, "in the bar whorehouse fish market" (p. 40).

These poems are "frank, naked, sincere" (p. 15), and full of vivid imagery of "erotic renewal" (p. 13). It's enough to say for purposes of this review, Ikkyu lives "in a shack on the edge of whorehouse row" (p. 40). These are the poems of a poet who is "all there" (p. 15), and fully present on his "long pure beautiful road of pain/ and the beauty of death and no pain" (p. 24), whether he is watching his four-year-old daughter dance--"I can't break free of her" (p. 60), watching the "snow moon tangled among black flowers" (p. 39), or "shuttling between whorehouse and bar" (p. 47). Question "flattery success money," he writes (p. 22). "This city these people where I live still are impossible" (p. 30). "Sing until you have no throat then words come by themselves" (p. 55).

I'm not qualified to comment on Stephen Berg's translation of Ikkyu's poems, but I can tell you this book is certainly something to crow about!

G. Merritt

Ikkyu is perhaps the most like "normal" humans by any accounting of a Zen master I've encountered in print. One can relate to this guy. Some of his poems are like Michael Jordan putting up a final second shot and touching nothing but net. I wasn't sure I would like his poetry since I'm not that big a poetry fan but this is the kind of book to take on a long run down the Grand Canyon or somewhere you might crave inspiration when space is at a premium.

Ikkyu wrote his verses in a four line form which has been reworked into couplets by Stephen Berg. It is important to remember that these are version by Stephen Berg not careful translations from the original - as reworkings often are the most accessible translations.

Ikkyu was not a typical Zen master - the monkish disciplines of celebacy and sobriety were not in his repetoire. While this makes him an oddity, it reinforces the ideal that one who is enlightened is one who is free. This freedom (often seen as indifference or non-clinging) is voiced in this poem "Ikkyu this body isn't yours I say to myself / wherever I am I'm there". His freedom from the disciplines is shown in poems that are explicitly sexual not merely erotic. A very tame example: "don't hesitate get laid thaat's wisdom / sitting around chanting what crap".

Ikkyu is definately a poet that students or would-be students of Zen should read ... in fact, we all should read it for the sheer fun and beauty of it.

Awesome book. I enjoy reading it. It's easy to read and very comprehendable. It's good information!

I ordered this book and received it very quickly. The book came in new condition as described. Thanks!

The book arrived ahead of schedule and it was in mint condition. I am satisfied with the service and the product.

I am happy with the purchase that I Made. It was delivered on time and was in great shape.

I was asked to evaluate ths for the textbook selection committee at a local high school for possible use as the text book for an environmental science class next year. Since my degree is in Environmental Science, and I have done a lot of work with environmental education, I have read a large number of environmental science books and have seen the good, bad and worst of books on the market.

At first I just planned to skim the book, but after reading a few pages I decided to look at the book more closely, and I was impressed with what I saw. The book is well written in clear, easy to understand language, using a good amount of well done graphs, charts and photos. The layout, in addition, was good, making the book flow in an orderly manner.

The information in the book was excellent, and covered the entire range, as much as is possible in one book, of environmental science. The biology and chemistry were integrated nicely and flowed smoothly.

I have rated this book as four stars only because I feel the authors didn't cover the section on renewable energy as well as I would have liked. The book tended to move through the subject rather quickly, offering only a limited view of what can be done to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. In all other ways this book was superior to many I have read.

I would highly recommend this for an introduction course in college, and also think it would bean excellent choice for a text at the AP or regular high school level, provided the students had enough science background to be able to understand the science. I even believe that a motivated home schooled student could study from this book and do quite well in the subject. Overall, one of the best introductory text books I've had the pleasure of reading.

Berg does a great job, and the subject is absolutely a fascinating one.

A. Scott Berg does an excellent job in capturing the life of one of the American cinema's first industry moguls. From his tough beginning as an immigrant to his phenomenal success as an independent producer, this entertaining and fascinating biography delves deeply into the man with the "Goldwyn touch." Berg also effectively captures the spirit of early cinema and its rapid rise in American culture. Along the way, we also learn about many of Hollywood's colorful personalites, including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. This book is a must for any fan of early American motion pictures.

What a story! A remarkably easy to read account of Sam Goldwyn's rags-to-riches life. Did you know "Goldwyn" was not his real name? Did you know he was thrown out of the MGM company after a few years?! Goldwyn worked at some stage or other with just about every famous name in the business, and also fell out with just about everybody he ever met. A cantankerous and perverse character who loved contradicting people. When people quit because he made their lives intolerable, he sometimes felt personally attacked and betrayed. The book is full of colourful characters, and Scott Berg has done a wonderful job of using quotations and dialogues to really bring these people alive: Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Lillian Hellman, William Wyler, Billy Wilder, and the remarkable Hilda Berl. It reads like a movie! By tracing Goldwyn's history, the book also covers the story of many of the other famous movie companies that are still famous today: United Artists, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO and of course MGM. Goldwyn also came across many young actors and actresses before they were stars: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, etc. And of course the famous Goldwyn malapropisms are here, though limited to the ones actually traceable (as far as possible) to Goldwyn himself: "Anyone who sees a psychiatrist should have their head examined! Include me out! A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on," to pick just a few.

A remarkably well-written and well-researched biography that brings this vigorous, infuriating, yet oddly attractive ugly duckling to vibrant life. This must rank amongst the best biographies, up there with Ron Chernow's book about the Morgans. Anyone at all interested in movies and movie history will enjoy this.

I picked this book up at the library not knowing what to expect and was amazed! Although it is indeed a biography of Sam Goldwyn, it is also a very well told piece about the studio system and Hollywood in the first half of the century (with an emphasis on the 20's) Not only insightful but entertaining; it makes for a read more gossipy than the trashiest celeb autobiography while maintaining class and style.

I recommend this book to anyone the least bit interested in the classic hollywood days. It is the best book I've read thus far on the era, and it will get you down to the video store hunting down old movies just to see the actors and actresses you've read about.

Great book! I enjoyed reading about a man who literally came from poverty to be on of Hollywood's pioneer filmmakers. He was a rough man to work with no doubt, but knew what worked and lasted in an industry that is hard to last in! A. Scott Berg did a wonderful job of writing a respectful book about this man!

I had the tremendous good fortune to read "The Sojourner" in the early stages of my discovery of Marjorie Rawlings' works. As a result, I have read virtually all of her published writings. Anyone who wrote such a magnificent book as "The Sojourner", I decided, certainly deserved as much attention as possible. My loyalty has been richly rewarded. I cannot recommend this book too highly to anyone who enjoys a beautifully written, epic and inpirational story with an extraordinary protagonist. It amazes me that this book has never become better known. Rawlings' last novel, it shows her at the formidable peak of her powers.

What a wonderful book! The characters are vivid and captivating. Asahel Lindon is the type of warm, decent, honest human being we may all aspire to be. The author's simple, direct prose is enlivened by her appreciation of the central character's love for the land he tended for over sixty years. There is also much of the author's love for good food in evidence, with many country home-cooked meals described in mouth-watering detail.
But it is the caring, gentle nature of Lindon which is the real drawing point of the novel. I was sincerely saddened when I came to the end of the book. In leaving Asahel, I felt that I had left a very good friend whom I shall not soon forget.

Although Asahel Linden would not have cared whether others considered him successful or not, it is a great encouragement to watch the protagonist of this book live with such an integrity and a highly developed ability to perceive beauty and wonder and delight and excellence that all with the capacity to recognize such qualities see in him a great man. Marjorie Rawlings writes honestly and well; her novel encourages us to live in the same way.

I join the other reviewers in praise of this book. I cannot believe that I had never heard about it before. Once started I could barely put it down. The characters are well-drawn, and the prose is lovely. The storyline of good and evil, the obvious love of the land, drew me in and wrapped me up in the story. I feel as though I know these people, particulary Ase, the main charactor. I was truly sorry to see the story end, althought he ending was deeply satisfying. Read this--you won't be sorry!

The Sojourner, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 1953.
Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. 313 pp.

Ase Linden, is a small farmer who adores his wife, loves and fears his lunatic mother and yearns for the return of a brother who fled the confines of an overly affectionate mother to never look back again. Over the course of the story, Ase is confronted with trials set upon him by family members. The story is surrounded by the theme of Ase recognizing his failures with his children, mother, and wife. He desperately wants to share with them his thoughts and feelings, but is unable to effectively articulate what he wants to communicate. This literary effort greatly contrasts with Marjorie Rawlings' earlier Florida writings. Critics tend to be hard on The Sojourner, probably due the enormous success of her previous Florida based novels. This criticism is unfounded. This story, though unlike her Florida novels is an impressive book. The readers will find themselves siding with Ase Linden and cheering him on in his pursuit of simple pleasures and joy through personal connections.

I found the audio tape to be a great source of entertainment. My imagination was captivated. It's a great source of family entertainment, personal journey and pure fun.

We have just listened to the audio book of "Stickeen" produced by Mara Purl and thoroughly enjoyed the story! I have already told my daughter and she is anxiously waiting for my next "care package," because I told her I would be sure to enclose the tape of "Stickeen" so she can enjoy it also. The story was wonderful and it was so beautifully produced with music and sound effects. I will look for some of Muir's other stories to enjoy, especially if Haven Books Audio does some more.

I first met Stickeen by reading an exerpt on a Pomeranian calendar. I immediately went to Amazon to get the book. It is a thrilling and emotional testamony by John Muir of his most memorable day on a glacier with a brave little dog. It is a story you just can't put down and by the end you love and admire Stickeen as much as Muir. I did some research and found that John Muir worked on this story for decades perfecting every word. He considered it his most important work because it showed the dog Stickeen as an emotional and thinking being therefore requiring mankind to consider how we treat our canine companions.

Our family loves to travel by car. In a huge state like Alaska, there's plenty to see, but not much to listen to on the radio, as stations are few and far between. One of the best things we listened to on our trip was "Stickeen," the remarkable dog story by John Muir. We loved Lee Salisbury's voice, and the beautiful music on the tape. This was an hour that flew by, and a few dollars well-spent. We're sending copies to all our relatives.

Every doglover will be swept away by this captivating audiobook of John Muir's adventure with STICKEEN. I had never known the story before I listened to the tape, and I was completely captivated by the bravery and heart of STICKEEN - and by the voice of Lee Salisbury. John Muir's words capture the innate goodness of EVERY dog - and somehow explains why we can't help but love them so!! I bought 5 copies to send to my dog loving friends, and I'm sure I'll be buying more! This is a story you'll want to share with everyone who loves animals.