Burton Books

The Penguin Classics '01 paperback edition is laden with typographic errors. The spacing between individual letters is inconsistent on numerous occasions, which can be rather jarring to the eyes when "it" becomes "i t" whereas the rest of the line is densely packed. The typesetter even got the most brilliant idea by turning "flourish" into "∫tourish". Although I enjoyed reading the play, my experience was marred by these misprints.

I'm pleased with the purchase, I got what I expected and for little money. The delivery was timely and the product was in good shape.

"Major Barbara" is a morality tale of a young woman, a Major in the Salvation Army, who finds her work supported by an arms dealer. Surprisingly, the arms dealer in the play, Undershaft, is witty, urbane, generous, industrious, and ruthless. He has some of the same rationalizations for what he does that contemporary arms dealers still use. He does not kill anyone. He does not start wars. He is in business. He creates jobs. If he did not do it, someone else would. Everyone does it, including governments. Poverty is the crime. Industry, including making armaaments, is the cure.

So, not much has changed. The world of the play is a complex web of moral ambiguity, hiding the most murderous of crimes. Or, are they really crimes at all? You be the judge.

This is a play worth reading. But if you are interested in the morals, or lack of them, in gun-running, and don't like reading plays, try "Lord of War," the film with Nicholas Cage.

GBS wrote play with "approaching audiences as citizens capable of thought and prompting them to think imaginatively to some purpose" in mind, as Margery Morgan says. And there are plenty for one to think seriously about in Major Barbara.

The most interesting is his conviction that no money is untainted. That's interesting because it means the donations and public fundings the environmentalists take in come from no less than the evil polluters themselves, perhaps feeling, which GBS rightly agreed, as the Salvation Army would that they "...will take money from the Devil himself sooner than abandon the work of Salvation." But GBS also wrote in the preface that while he is okay to accept tainted money, "He must either share the world's guilt or go to another planet." From what I can gather from the preface and play, GBS believed money is the key to solve all the problems we have, hence his mentioning of Samuel Butler and his "constant sense of the importance of money," and his low opinion of Ruskin and Kroptokin, for whom, "law is consequence of the tendency of human beings to oppress fellow humans; it is reinforced by violence." Kropotkin also "provides evidence from the animal kingdom to prove that species which practices mutual aid multiply faster than others. Opposing all State power, he advocates the abolition of states, and of private property, and the transforming of humankind into a federation of mutual aid communities. According to him, capitalism cannot achieve full productivity, for it amis at maximum profits instead of production for human needs. All persons, including intellectuals, should practice manual labor. Goods should be distributed according to individual needs." (Guy de Mallac, The Widsom of Humankind by Leo Tolstoy.)

If GBS wasn't joking, then the following should be one of the most controversial ideas he raised in the preface to the play. I quote: "It would be far more sensible to put up with their vices...until they give more trouble than they are worth, at which point we should, with many apologies and expressions of sympathy and some generosity in complying with their last wishes, place them in the lethal chamber and get rid of them." Did he really mean that if you are a rapist once, you can be free and "put up with," but if you keep getting drunk (a vice), or slightly more seriously, stealing, you should be beheaded?

So says Andrew Undershaft, the extremely wealthy owner of a tremendously successful English armaments business, in George Bernard Shaw's play "Major Barbara." Undershaft, whose self-proclaimed religion is his wealth and his industry, inherited the business from a long line of Andrew Undershafts, each of whom was a foundling adopted by the corresponding previous Andrew Undershaft. This is not to say that the Undershafts don't marry and have families -- the current Andrew Undershaft has married the aristocratic Lady Britomart and has three children by her; he just doesn't let them have anything to do with the family business, preferring to stick to the tradition of bringing in an outsider to perpetuate the Andrew Undershaft dynasty.

Indeed, Undershaft feels that poverty is the primordial crime from which all other crimes -- burglary, murder -- spring, and that it is better to give a poor man a job so he can afford to live rather than spend public money on methods of punishing him should he violate the law in his efforts to afford to live. Undershaft moralizes when he speaks, but in actuality he scoffs at what he considers ordinary Christian morals of the kind professed by his daughter Barbara, who has joined the Salvation Army in her fervid desire to help the poor and has attained the rank of major. She works at a shelter doling out bread and milk to the downtrodden and trying to find work for the unemployed, but her real goal is to bring them to "salvation" by raising them to a higher state of spirituality. When her fiance, a scholar of Greek named Adolphus Cusins, who by a certain twist of logic happens to be his own cousin, reveals himself to be a foundling, Undershaft decides he's found his heir.

Although the play reflects the perspectives that Shaw, as a Socialist, had on the effects of poverty on morality and society, he doesn't seem to take sides with his characters and instead lets them be funny within the context of their respective social classes. His idle rich characters are lovably comical, like the mentally vapid trio of Undershaft's son Stephen (who wouldn't know what to do with his father's armaments business even if he were qualified to inherit it), daughter Sarah, and her fiance Charles Lomax. His impoverished characters -- those who come to the Salvation Army shelter for handouts -- can be honorably industrious like Peter Shirley or pugnacious and troublesome like Bill Walker. If Undershaft, for all his willingness to feed his fortune by manufacturing items that shed the blood of millions, represents the right way to fix poverty and Barbara the wrong way, why is the play named after her? I think it's possibly because her morality is one with which most theatergoers of the day could identify, while Undershaft's is idiosyncratic to say the least.

This book brilliantly summarizes how the legacy of the Cold War, the self-sustaining military industrial complex Eisenhower warned us about, has thoroughly corrupted American politics and its foreign policy. The wretched results are too obvious in the wastelands of Iraq and Afghanistan. The author gives brief examples of how the US uses private contractors to do its dirty work (go see the movie "Lord of War" for a wonderful cinematic treatment) and how the revolving door between the Pentagon and the defense industry begs for the public interest to be violated. For a perfect example of a military-turned-entrepeneur pimp, read about Alexander "I'm in Charge Now" Haig's sweet deals. No American will read this book and not feel like they've been screwed over big time. The only drawback to this little gem is that it is pre-9/11. A subsequent new edition will doubtless be twice as thick with details of this criminal Bush administration's corrupt and malignant behavior.

Ken Silverstein's "Private Warriors" is an excellent resource -- I wish we had more journalists like him, willing to delve deep into a story and present just the facts, and leave it to the reader to connect the dots. Silverstein doesn't preach: he just offers an incredible amount of information -- all but the most diehard reactionary will find it persuasive.

He names names, and provides an exhaustive account of the ongoing American policy of permanent military mobilization, which was conveniently masked during the Cold War but which continues to grow after the death of Soviet Communism.

The book is broken into six chapters, each exploring a different avenue of the war industry -- from ... arms dealers to private mercenary companies, to the cynical use of military consultants to evade public accountability and oversight and, of course, Star Wars (these days referred to as the Ballistic Missile Defense).

What I was struck with on reading this book is how cynical and amoral the participants are -- they may be flag-waving Americans, but the brotherhood of warmongers really transcends nationality, which is probably a sign of the changing times. It's frightening and infuriating when you see the level of corruption at work, here, and the incredible success achieved by these individuals, and the degree of networking they engage in to ensure that American policy remains firmly locked on a wartime footing.

The only drawbacks I saw in this book was there was so much information presented, it was a little hard to keep track of all of the players -- I would have liked to see some graphs or lists to illustrate some of the points Silverstein enumerated. Also, I thought there ought to be a concluding chapter to the book, to sort of wrap everything up.

Get this book if you want to get a sense of why the "peace dividend" was a short-lived concept (I recall it being talked about for about two weeks, after the collapse of the USSR); I recommend it as a gift for anybody who wants a sense of what's wrong in American policy, and also for anybody too enamored of the status quo.

Ken Silverstein's excellent book `Private Warriors' exposes the underside of that vile, despicable trade the making and marketing of implements to destroy wholesale-lives, properties, cities, countries--yes, civilization itself. WAR!

It is a megabillion dollar business and with big money at stake greed prevails and morality is easily compromised. Just imagine the size of the business. Start with a US defense budget for next year of $305 billion (that is $8,000 per second) and add what other countries around the world will spend.

The book consists of a preface and six chapters that explore six aspects of the business. Each chapter consists of areas that provide important connections in the mosaic of the military-industrial complex. Upon completion one gets an overall perspective of the whole messy business.

Early in the century munitions makers were known as "Merchants of Death" and dispatched agents and salesmen around the world to promote their business. To control this unconscionable activity governmental regulation was effected. With their strong influence over a period of time the merchants were able to gain acceptance. Now instead of restraining their activities governments actively promote the interests of the arms makers. And in spite of the regulations-where big money is involved--clandestine trading proliferates. According to Jane's Intelligence Review black market sales are about $1 to $2 billion dollars a year in bad years and five times as much in good years.

Among other services, arms brokers set up shell companies and offshore bank accounts and secure vital documents such as end user certificates stating which nation the goods are headed to. If all end user documents were legitimate Peru would have a bigger army than the United States. Most importantly, the brokers provide governments with `plausible deniability'.

Two brokers profiled in the book are former unrepentant Nazis. Their wealth from the business is enormous. They have close connections to our military and are held in high regard. Yet for the right price they do business with just about everyone, frequently dealing with both sides in a conflict. When the military wanted to compare a Soviet helicopter against an expensive anti-aircraft gun, a dealer was able to acquire the helicopter.

Formerly it was considered unconscionable to use the influence and knowledge obtained on a military job for personal enrichment. That prohibition no longer exists. Often the companies that officials regulate become the official's next employers.

Former government officials trade on their vast connections to procure contracts on behalf of defense firms and represent foreign governments desirous of expanding their military. Alexander Haig is a wheeler-dealer who has used his connections to open doors for corporations who seek foreign investment; and has represented such individuals as Sun Myong Moon and governments as China, Indonesia, etc.

With the end of the Cold War there was panic. Arms makers feared a significant reduction in their business. Employees in occupations connected with the military were threatened with a loss of jobs. What to do?

Consultants and think tanks provided the PR to convince the Congress and the public of the new dangers that confront us around the world and pressed for additional spending for defense and a nuclear buildup.

With the reduction of armed personnel, private mercenary firms came into existence. The firms absorbed former officers to create a staff with the proper experience and connections. They provide the military and police training for any allied government under contract. The firms provide many benefits: the legislature does not have to authorize sending our troops; if casualties occur there will be no popular backlash; and no spotlight is put on the human rights abuses of the recipient regime.

The sheer waste of our military budgets are exemplified by some of these choice nuggets in the book: According to a Brookings study, Pentagon spending from between 1948-1998 was $19 trillion dwarfing second place social security at $7.9 trillion! In 1999, dozens of M-60 and M-48 tanks were dumped off the Alabama coast to form artificial reefs! The world's second largest air force-after the Pentagon's-is mothballed in Arizona so that new aircraft can be delivered! As of 1998, four major defense firms-Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon-had more than 250 influence peddlers on their payrolls and the firms collective spending for lobbying that year topped $22 million! Trent Lott, providing pork for his state, added $1.5 billion to a defense appropriation bill for an assault ship the Pentagon did not even ask for!

After reading this book I realized how prescient President Eisenhower was when he delivered his farewell speech on leaving office. Some pertinent remarks were: `...we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence...by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist...we must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together...'

Read the book. Learn how the skullduggery of the warmongers have caused terror, death and destruction throughout the world. Learn how to satisfy their insatiable appetite for greater profits they have bamboozled us with fears of non-existent enemy threats. Our pusillanimous politicians rather than heeding Eisenhower's warnings outbid each other so that our defense outlays continually increase. Meanwhile our infrastructure deteriorates and the poor are relegated to hunger and homelessness.

I thought this book was great.I think that Private Militiary
Compinies are the Futuer of warfare.I think America should train fomer Soviet countries against terrorism.I found this book very informative.It was great.

This was a very interesting and eye opening book. The book is broken into chapters that look at different aspects of the current war / armaments industry. We get the full picture from arms dealers, armaments companies and their lobbyists to private mercenary companies. The author gives the arms dealers some extra mystery by introducing us to two of the more successful ones, both of which were ex-Nazis. We also get a who's who name run down of past government officials who are now employees or lobbyists for large arms manufactures. I now know where all the cold warriors go after they leave office.

The book really leaves the impression with the reader that the military arm of the government is running the rest of the country via the spending allocated to it via the budget. The author presented the reader with an armload of facts, and left the reader to make his own conclusions. This is not an anti military propaganda piece, but a good book with an incredible amount of information. One of the more shocking conclusions one takes from the book is the ongoing American policy of continual military mobilization. I guess this should not be that surprising given that it is a billion dollar business that has a vested interest in making sure the business keeps on coming it's way.

Overall the book was very good and interesting. It was easy to read and I got through it in only a few days. My only complaint is that there was no ending chapter, no wrap up - it just kinda ended. Other then that a great book.

Written about one hundred years after the events 2kYs ago, it is less far from the truth than fanciful stories of later times. And much more enciting, exciting, alive. Depressing as well if you like, as you could only change the names and get a rather accurate description of the feuds and cruelties during the crusades or even Saddam Hussein & Co.

This book is a useful accompaniment to A Thousand Pieces of Gold (Adeline Yen Mah). I purchased this book because of the constant referral to it by Yen Mah. If you enjoy historic novels of gigantic proportions then I would recommend this book.

Sima Qian has the distinction of being almost an eye-witness to all the events in the life of the greatest emperor of China. Qin united China, had the Terra Cotta army and grounds constructed and started the Great Wall of China. Here's a book that tells you exactly who he was and what happened to this troubled genius.

Sima Qian was appointed grand historian of the Emperor Wu's court in 108 B.C. In his Records of the Grand Historian he describes the events which he witnessed or heard of that occurred during his lifetime, which offers the modern historian a fairly accurate account of a contemporary historian of the Han Dynasty. He composed his records from conversations he had with courtiers. In addition, he also consulted a plethora of documents and files which were stored in the palace as well as having had the ability to interview generals which enabled him to comment on the military institutions of the Han Dynasty.
Sima Qian had the ability to accompany the emperor on his visits to the provinces where he was able to record the "barbarian" tribes and lands which were brought under Han rule by Emperor Wu. In Sima Qian's records we also have evidence of the penal system and the conditions in the prison system. Qian wrote very detailed descriptions of these penal conditions for he had an intimate experience with them, having been punished for his "attempting `to deceive the emperor'" (xii). He was accused of using "veiled" words in his description of Emperor Wu, which was Qian's way of criticizing the emperor using language and words that were not outright critical, but inferred disapproval of the emperor and his actions.
The purpose of his official history is to record things so that the people who will be reading the history will be able to understand their past. This need to understand where one comes from helps states and individuals determine how and why they got to where they are. He organizes his accounts thematically, he discusses the military, generals, and he offers a geographic and ethnographic account of the peoples in the various "barbarian" provinces as well. He repeats himself often in order to get a certain point across.
The second way in which official histories are used is that they teach people important lessons. As Thucydides articulated in his Peloponnesian Wars Book I:
It will suffice if my work is judged useful by those who wish to gain a precise understanding of past events because, due to human nature, such events, or ones resembling them, will occur again at some time in the future (Thucydides, 1.22.4)
Basically, if you don't understand or study history, and the mistakes that were made in the past, then you are doomed to repeat them. He is very detailed in his descriptions because the more detailed a history is then the more accurate it appears to be by those who read it.
In contrast to Tacitus, the Roman historian who wrote about the Roman frontier, Sima Qian's descriptions of the barbarians occupying the Han frontier lands is more accurate, possibly because he was able to actually visit and see "first-hand" these barbarians whom he writes about, whereas, much of Tacitus' description came from second-hand sources, and usually merely stereotypical.
As an official history of the Han Dynasty, this book serves its purpose. It allows modern historians a semi-accurate look at what life was like along the borders of Han China. As a source, Sima Qian has recorded a history which makes a valiant attempt at staying clear of certain stereotypes which other historians such as Tacitus could not avoid, that of the uncivilized "barbarian". Rather, Qian's description of the frontier peoples is written from the barbarian perspective, therefore more reliable.

Good, readable translation of the authentic source material on ancient China. Nearly complete text (skips a few boring parts). It's worth it for Sima Qian (aka Ssu'ma Chien)'s story alone: imperial historian who offends the emperor but chooses not to do the honorable thing (aka commit suicide) so he can finish his book. That's perserverance.

This collection of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's work is a fantastic snapshot of the great romantic poet. Included in it are his two great poems, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan." Additionally, my two favorites, "Lewti" and "Love" are in the collection. Coleridge builds amazing worlds from his education and his opium habit that still astound the reader. Anyone who is looking to read some Coleridge should pick this one up.

A good cheap trippy collection from Dover, is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Other Poems, and that is how we
like our poetry, cheap. This includes quite a few, and has Kubla Khan,
if it didn't, I certainly would not have purchased it. So if you are
after the title track and that so to speak, this one will do you.

'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is a haunting and strange poem. The great memorable lines of the opening , ' It is an ancient mariner / and he stoppeth one of three/ by the long grey beard and thy glittering eye / wherefore thou stoppest thou me?/ lead us to a kind of enchanted and impossible world. The tale itself of the slaying of the albatross of the cosmic coordination in response to the evil of Man has a certain Biblical flavor which connects the story with Jonah . The work as a whole I have always found perplexing in its ultimate meaning, but strong in its great poetic lines. (Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink)
In another great poem in this collection ' In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree ' Coleridge 's great musical power and mystical sense is again felt .This scattered man of ideas this long- suffering lonely genius the incredible master of the mind's digression, this supreme talker and goer- on- and -on did in his youth also write great poetry .
There is much much beauty here amid the musings and meanderings of this great wandering and wondering mind.

This is BORING. You have to practically stagger through it, and the poetry makes it even harder. The albatross was a curse, or whatever, but I wouldn't recommend this.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge produced nearly all of his best poetry in a two year period, 1797-1798, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. After writing Ode to Dejection (1802), his farewell to the Muse of Poetry, he wrote few poems and concentrated almost exclusively on literary criticism and political, philosophical, and theological essays.

This short, inexpensive Dover publication offers a broad sampling of the poetry of Coleridge - imaginative poems, lyrical ballads, witty poems, and more serious poetry on literary topics and political events. I expected more fantastical poems like Kubla Khan and I was unprepared for his serious, contemplative, and somewhat difficult poetry. Coleridge was more like Keats and Wordsworth than I had realized.

I was surprised by Coleridge in another way. He confronted political and social issues that are just as relevant and controversial today. Fears in Solitude, written in 1798 during the alarm of a possible invasion by France, criticizes the public's naïve willingness to undertake military conflict, while arguing that Coleridge's criticism was neither unpatriotic nor mistimed. "I have told most bitter truth, but without bitterness."

Similarly, in France: An Ode he tells of his unbridled enthusiasm for the revolution in France, followed by his bitter disappointment as the cause of liberty was betrayed by a revolution gone awry. In his short poem The Dungeon Coleridge challenges the practice of incarcerating prisoners in dark, dismal dungeons. He questions whether more humane treatment might be more curative.

His short, witty poem Cologne should earn him honorary membership in the Sierra Club. In observing how the Rhine River washes away the sewage of Cologne, he asks a question not fully answered today: But tell me, Nymphs, what power divine shall henceforth wash the River Rhine?

After reading his better known poetry, I suggest that you skip around to other poems of interest. But do come back to the more challenging poems. They will likely require multiple readings, but the effort will be rewarded.

This memoir kept me interested the whole time I was reading (and when I was not reading it)

I liked this book but I seem to be the only person stunned by the fact that one of this century's greatest actors practiced statutory rape again and again and apparently with little or no remorse. I will never again enjoy any movie with Richard Burton. The book is a sad yet compelling read. I can't be angry or vindictive towards a child of 14 but as she got older, she should have realized what a creep and child molester Richard Burton was. I am glad she is successful now and can only pray she learned how NOT to live her life having written a book like this. Thank God women can work outside the home and have careers, attend higher college and pursue lives without depending on any man. This is a good, but sad sad book. I was very depressed by it.

This delightfully lusty memoir's core bit of cheap gossip is a secret she's kept for more than 40 years: she lost her virginity to Richard Burton. After a rather shaky beginning, Kingsland settles down to a slower pace, pulling readers into a lush background tale of her parents' life in India during the era of the Raj. When Partition forced them back to England, her father was devastated by the change in their circumstances and comforted himself with women and writing poetry. Her mother became agoraphobic in defense - until their fortunes were changed by their improbably huge winnings in a football pool, which allowed them to move from the provincial Cornwall into London.
The episodes surrounding her relationship with Burton, when he was a stage star and she was a star-struck, infatuated 14yo schoolgirl, are written with insight that can only be gained by the passage of all the intervening years.
Charming and evocative coming-of-age memoir.

This book made a big splash when it was published, there were oodles of headlines screaming, "Richard Burton was a pedophile!" Ah hem... not quite. The only portions worth reading here are the Burton ones, the rest of the tome is one rather large snooze fest. Kingsland lived a teenage life to die for: as a 14 year old school girl in London, she meets Richard Burton, then 29 and starring in various Shakespearean productions at the Old Vic. Not surprisingly, she was instantly attracted to Burton (what female between the ages of 9 and 90 wouldn't be?), and told him she was 17.

Then their affair began. It was long afterwards that Kingsland admitted to Richard that she was actually only 14 years of age, but Burton didn't seem to care, and continued making love to the girl for several more months. He finally dumps her, as he dumped all his mistresses of that era: Jean Simmons, Claire Bloom and Susan Strasberg, to name a few of his thousands of conquests. Kingsland writes well and her chapters on Burton are engrossing, to say the least. Richard comes off as a drunken but charming cad, and his lovemaking prowess seems to have been rather limited: a slam, bam, thank you, ma'am sort of guy. But when you look like that, who is going to complain? There are some problems with dates, the author puts Burton in London when he wasn't there, and he was certainly not playing Hamlet at the Vic in 1954!

I can think of worse things than to be deflowered by Richard Burton, even if he should have done the proper thing and waited until this girl was out of school. If you're into Burton, this will do you nicely.

Don't be fooled by the slightly salacious title--this is a gorgeous memoir that's sexy without being trashy. Rosemary Kingsland tells a truly unique coming-of-age story: raised in the English Raj, she and her family move back to England from India when the Empire falls, only to live in poverty, first in the misty wilds of Cornwall (the descriptions in this part are among the most enchanting of the book) and then in grimy post-war London. Her family is like something out of "Long Day's Journey Into Night", full of frustration, alcoholism and violence, but she renders them fully human and sympathetic. Of course, the most shocking part of the book is about her affair, at age 14, with Richard Burton. An inveterate womanizer, Burton manages to seduce young Rosemary while simultaneously carrying on other affairs. The story of their relationship is surprising, but the author appears to have no bitterness or anger towards Burton, and he comes across as surprisingly sad, despite his dashing ways and handsome looks.

Overall, this is a rare literary memoir that is also compulsively readable and provocative. I highly recommend it.

I read this in high school and loved it. I bought the book a while back -- and I still love reading this piece!

This was one of the books i had to read in my Eng 101 class.. loved it.. one of the only books I've read cover to cover. Interesting and inspiring

I was required to read this book in college ... and I loved it. A tale of courage, the knights code of moral and adventure, this book is not only an adventure story but a depiction of the human condition. Selfishness and fear can ruin our moral constitutions. The knight was a tower strength and courage yet the book brought to focus his fears and his selfishness.

I'm sure there are deeper levels of analysis for this book - good books often do.

- johnny -

I was required to read this book in college ... and I loved it. A tale of courage, the knights code of moral and adventure, this book is not only an adventure story but a depiction of the human condition. Selfishness and fear can ruin our moral constitutions. The knight was a tower strength and courage yet the book brought to focus his fears and his selfishness.

I'm sure there are deeper levels of analysis for this book - good books often do.

- johnny -

The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is perhaps the most authentically English of all the King Arthur tales. Most of the Arthurian mythos was largely a largely French creation, when the Norman conquerors discovered a few old Celtic legends about Arthur and wove them into a dynamic myth of chivalric idealism. The story of Sir Gawain is regarded by most scholars as a much purer version of those Celtic stories, as well as a much more nuanced synthesis of Celtic cultural heritage with Christian ideals. J.R.R. Tolkien was fond of citing it as one of his very favorite stories and deepest influences.

Raffel's translation is sure to endear itself to any fan of fantasy, medieval literature, or the King Arthur stories. It flows with the simple beauty of a dream, and the purity of heart of Gawain himself. Do yourself a favor and spend an hour or two reading this.

This book isn't really just about losing weight.
It shows you how to eat right, herbs that can help, and fasting.
I got it originally out at the library and couldn't put it down.
I had to buy it!!
You will love this if you enjoy health.

I've struggled most of my adult life with the same 30 pounds that I never quite seemed to lose until reading this book. This book gave me the tools to understand my weight problem at a level beyond counting calories or following the latest fad diet.

This book contains a wealth of information about how the body functions; contributing factors to weight loss/gain; an overview of all the popular weight loss programs; and valuable resources if you want to follow-up any of the ideas or programs.

I highly recommend this book.

EVERYONE should be forced to read this book concerning their health, regardless of their weight. It's about your health, and how what you don't know CAN hurt you. People need to know if their livers, kidneys, or colons are filled with toxins and are virtually breaking down their body systems day by day, for years, causing everything from cancer to depression and anxiety. This book is FULL of information, from MANY TOP ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE DOCTORS, all giving their opinions and experiences. I found it fascinating....and inspiring!

Burton Goldberg emphasizes that his newest book, Weight Loss: 17 Smart Ways to Permanently Shed Unwanted Pounds, is not just another diet book. It's about improving your health by learning to eat in a balanced way. Well-known in the field of alternative medicine, Goldberg says that "unlike the countless fad diets, alternative medicine recognizes that one size does not fit all." Each person is different, with different biochemistry, and has gained weight for different reasons.

Goldberg starts with a general discussion of diets and why they don't work for most people. He describes some of the serious health problems associated with being overweight, and explains what causes weight gain in general terms.

He then gets into specific information about those causes. He discusses things like what is eaten and how often you eat, the role of exercise, psychology (eating as a response to stress or boredom, etc.), and chemical imbalances, such as those caused by an underactive thyroid, hormones, allergies, yeast infections, and parasites.

Goldberg explains how to customize a diet to fit your needs, including basic information on the components of food, like fats and carbohydrates, the role of nutritional supplements, and alternative medicine therapies for correcting chemical imbalances. He also includes information on detoxification.

The format of the book allows readers to easily turn to the pages that apply to their particular situations. Medical words and special terminology are clarified in "Quick Definition" boxes in the margins. Whenever a test or procedure is suggested, contact information in included in a box on that page.

Goldberg says his book "is less about dieting and more about regaining a state of health--good health is the key to weight loss." For all those who believe they have tried everything, but haven't been able to maintain a healthy weight, Weight Loss is a "guide to finding a personal plan that you can live with."

This book is amazing. There are so many things that can cause you to gain weight or have a problem losing weight. They cover such things as: thyroid disorders, enzyme deficiencies, hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies.

If you have a thyroid problem, this book is one of the best at explaining how your thyroid works, which supplements to take and why. Many people take too much iodine and actually suppress their thyroid function. There are many herbs that actually will support your thyroid and stimulate hormone release naturally.

The chapter on food allergies was enlightening. Many Americans are allergic to wheat and corn and bloat up when they eat them. Wheat is actually a very addictive substance, it affects the serotonin levels in your brain in the same way some drugs do.

This is an excellent book for getting you out of your rut and propelling you forward. This book is most effective if you are ready to be honest with yourself and take your time doing so. I bought this book over a year ago and didn't actually complete it until this year. It is definitely a worthwhile addition to my personal library!! I encourage you to try it for yourself!!

This book tells you what you need to hear and sometimes what you don't want to hear. The author touches on some of the negative points that lead to failure that we all do. And she teaches you how to overcome them through exercises. I saw one of the reviews stating it says the same thing as the more detailed academic books. But reading those hefty books are not always necessary. In fact they tend to water down the issue with a lot of psychotherapy "mumbo-jumbo" that looses the average reader very quickly.

The author has explained the facts of how to succeed in life in a way for everyone to understand. And my personal favorite are her references to the bible. Not only do you get a jolt of energy to succeed but she gives you a verse in the bible that confirms Gods word for you to succeed in that area.

This was a pleasant read that really made you think. She is very insightful. This is a book that can be read over and over again.

Great job Valorie.

Valorie Burton has what I would call *the perfect* writing style to convey what you need to know about taking every area of your life to the highest levels. The chapters are very short and so directly to the point so that you will not be lost in information. She speaks to you as if you are a close friend, and it is very easy to see that she genuinley cares for the people who read her books. In using her own gifts that she openly acknowledges are God given, she is able to truly inspire you to be unafraid to pursue the purpose in life that God has chosen for you.
I highly recommend this book to people who would like to move through any obstacles in any area of their life. Valorie will help you understand that the fear you have that is holding you back is: (1) actually devoid of power over you and (2) can be pretty simple to overcome with God and a plan! I have personally read the whole book through once, and am now actively journaling and doing all of the things that she suggests to do in each chapter. I plan on giving many copies of this book as gifts to my friends and family.

I thoroughly enjoyed What is Really Holding You Back. This book is not only thought provoking, practical, and easy to read it is simply life changing. If you are not ready to go to the next level in your life than do not read this book. After reading this book I made several crucial positive changes in my life and I am seeing the benefits immediately. Valorie has a writing style that causes introspection and ultimately positive action. I have read hundreds of books on motivation and self-help such as "Failing Forward" by John C. Maxwell, "The Assignment" by Mike Murdock, "Awaken The Giant Within" by Anthony Robbins, and more. Valorie's book is one of my top ten favorite of all time. Why? Because she knows what she is writing about, she cares about the reader, and her insights Work! This is a must read and I encourage you to buy several copies for those you care about!

This book couples references from the bible to help understand what is going on in our lives. At first I was wary of that but it makes sense in this book. The promary focis of this book and the reason why I read it is about being stuck in your life and getting unstuck in your life. It shows examples of what to do.

The Word in The desert:
This fine study explores the interpretive process and effective application as the center of the desert fathers' quest for holiness. The setting within which the early monastic movement centered was on the guidance of the enlightened Elders, their insight into the good news that set you free, and their schemes of following the Lord by Kenosis into Theosis (The Imitation of Christ).
In three systematic parts, D. Burton-Christie instruct us with a goal: the Realization of the Word, by the Desert Fathers, through careful analysis of their sayings: The Apophthegmata Partum, called by Coptic monks and laity; "The monastic Garden" is his spiritual archeological field. Starting with their hermeneutic, and how scripture was their fountain for holiness. Chapter 3 , is a fascinating tour in their ever living thought. D.B-C reveals secrets of the continuity of Coptic Monastic Traditions: from its origin and through its growth, within the setting in Scetes. Words in response to a question reminded me of Macarius, instructing us in response to Evagrius Ponticus request: "Do not speak, unless when asked to". Wisdom words in response to a question was the basic way of teaching in Alexandria's Catechism: of Q & A., well observed by Roman Catholics today

Theomystical Analysis:
This study represents a radical change in the historical study of the fathers into the source of their spiritual powers and endurance, a main support to Alexandrine Orthodoxy, best represented through Athanasius, and Cyril, both got their monastic training in Nitria. This inward study of the core wisdom of those fathers of the Universal Church is a fruit of a genuine analysis of the reflection of the Word in their life, monasticism and the Church's life in Christ.
The book also discusses the early social organization of the monasteries founded in the desert, Scetes of Nitria and kellia. Through their catechetical discourses with novices and sages, their tradition emerged and grew, developed in the intricate patterns of meaning woven into their words and their lives. Many of them proved their true faith (St. Mark, longer ending), that opens the door to mystical life.

A Wave of Mystical Fascination:
The growing fascination, in recent decades, of the mystical world of late antiquity, renewed in the up surging revival of the desert monastic devotion as illustrated by the ecumenical fellowship of St. Macarius, and visits to St. Anthony communities, only treated their life and some of their sayings, preserved in the Apophthegmata Patrum: (Monastic Garden), giving many anecdotes about their spiritual trials and discipleship to their mentors 'Old men'. In the last two centuries, in the cradle of monasticism, some holy men, Abba Sarap-Amon, the veiled, Abba Abraam, the Almoner Bishop of Fayyum (Arsenoe), and many others, crowned by the thematurge (wonder worker): Papa Abba Kyrillos (1959-71), revived the curiosity of scholars from Leeder to Dr. Inge, the Gloomy dean, and recently from Thomas Merton to Benedicta Ward. Presently, devoted scholarship of C. Kannengiesser, J.McGuckin, O.Meinardus, T. Spidlik, T.Vivian, and J. Watson following W. Budge, D. Chitty, J. Danielou, A. Guillaumont, and U. von Balthassar.

The Quest for Holiness:
Western scholars have mostly focused on the quest for holiness by the early Christian monks known as the desert fathers, and mothers. Yet until now, little attention has been given to their most vital tool of practical spirituality, acquired by their penetrating interpretation of the Scripture, The desert fathers' mystically enlightened hermeneutics. It profoundly shaped every aspect of their lives, rooted in solitude, and cultivated in stillness, a fruit of meditation on the word. Their practical appropriation of the sacred texts, and mystical interpretation of real Christianity, and its unrelenting application in every day life became the central corpus of practice of their enlightening wisdom.

Holiness through TheoGnosis:
Many of these early fourth century desert dwellers had a limited access to the scripture, since the bible was translated to Bohairic Coptic in the late fourth century. They lacked any written spiritual instruction, and some of them could not even read, they would go to their spiritual fathers and beg for a "word of profit: guiding wisdom;" a verse of scripture that they would repeat to themselves, apply it in their daily life and live it within their hearts.
The Elders interpretation of scripture was mostly allegorical, since Origen influence was very profound, its spiritual sense may have grown out of his mystical writings, developed later into apophatic theology. A powerful biblical support was Jesus parable of the publican; Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. They called this unceasing prayer; 'The arrow prayer': Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.

Douglas Burton-Christie has produced an excellent, readable work of scholarship that reveals the seminal value of biblical text for the Christian monastics of fourth-century Egypt. Burton-Christie explores the spirituality of these early monks within the three major divisions of the book: The Desert Hermeneutic in Its Setting, Approaches to the Word in the Desert, and The Word Realized. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on "The Humble Way of Christ", which explores the virtue of humility as an essential monastic spiritual trait. He also tackles the often misunderstood concept of monastic renunciation as rightly understood to be a spiritual tool to develop an inner freedom for the monk, which finds its parallels in monastic traditions of other faiths.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in delving more fully into the spirituality of early Christian monasticism as well as for those who wish to see how the primitive roots of Christian monasticism touch other, non-Christian, spiritual traditions. It is particularly gratifying to see how the early monks, while devoted to the study and memorization of Scripture, allowed the Word to work deeply towards a profound expression of Christian love.

"The Desert Fathers quest for holiness and the shape of their spirituality, suggests that their continuous rumination upon scripture, their desire to embody the texts in their lives, was a primary source of the compelling spirituality that emerged from the desert." D. Burton-Christie, Epilogue


The Book in perspective:
Twelve years after winning of 'The College Theology Society's 1993 annual Book Award, D. Burton-Christies' revised dissertation, published under the name: The word in the desert, is still holding to its position as 'a major work of scholarship in desert spirituality,' borrowing commonweal's review words, even if the study has limited its main source of the sayings to the Apophthegmata Patrum.

Integrity of the Sayings:
When Didaskalex mentions in his review, "The Apophthegmata Partum, called by Coptic monks and laity; "The monastic Garden," he should have mentioned the inferiority of the Greek secondary writings to the original Coptic sources. As the eminent scholar, Sidney Griffith (thirteenth president of Am. Pat. Soc. 1986-88) has expressed, "But when the scope of the study is Egyptian desert monasticism as a whole, this single work, the Apophthegmata, is too narrow a base to use exclusively. It is time to discuss the monastic phenomenon in a holistic way which does not introduce unnecessary distinctions based on the different languages of the sources, in this instance Coptic and Greek."
The author anticipated a reply to the problem, "The reciprocal literary influence among the various texts from the world of early monasticism make it difficult to find the seams between the different writings. I have already suggested the probability of the Vita Antonii's influence on the Sayings. It is very likely that other early monastic writers, such as Evagrius, also helped shape certain features." (p. 93)

The Word realized:
Fr. S. Griffith wrote, in this book review, "One does not mean to complain immoderately, nor to appear ungrateful for what is on its own term a good study of a timely and an important topic; nor does one want to review a book the author never intended to write." But his own Am. Pat. Soc. successor Charles Kannengiesser, an expert on the subject, in an address "Scripture and Spirituality in Ancient Christianity;" set his goal as "relevant for our contemporary self identification as Christians,' not to 'announce an archaeological survey.'
D. B-Christie concluded in his epilogue that, on at least three levels, "It is now possible to see with renewed clarity the profound way in which scripture shaped the spirituality of the early Christian monks." These are in order: shedding new light on our historical understanding of early monasticism, promoting monks to make sense of and living within the world of scripture, and a new meaning for the quest for holiness.

Monastic Origins:
Nothing is more likely than Alexandrian Christianity gained adherents among the Therapeutae, and that their institutions were adapted to the new religion. Eusebius was so much struck by the likeness of the Therapeutae to the Christian monks of his own day as to claim that they were Christians converted by the preaching of St Mark, which is most likely.
"The semi anchoritic character of the Therapeutae community, the renunciation of property , the solitude during the six days of the week and the gathering together on Saturday for the common prayer and the common meal, the severe fasting , the keeping alive of the memory of God, the continuous prayer , the meditation and study of Holy Scripture were also practices of the Christian anchorites of the Alexandrian desert." (Prof. C. Scouteris)

The Desert, a City:
In the fourth century, the deserts of Egypt became the center of a resurgent Therapeutae movement, we now call monasticism. Groups of Christians, illiterate peasants as well as learned intellectuals moved out to the deserts beyond the Nile Valley and, in the famous words of Saint Athanasius, made the desert a city. They perfected the techniques of discipleship and spiritual direction, of prayer and asceticism, that have remained central to monasticism ever since. Seeking to guide the soul's long journey into God, plotting out the subtle ills of the human heart, they practiced wisdom sayings, and maintained oral tradition of the Fathers teachings. These Desert monks were also brilliant storytellers, some of Christianity's finest, inspiring the Eastern monastic communities, and translated to became classics of Western spirituality.

The Word in the Desert:
The growing scholarly attention in recent years to the religious world of late antiquity has focused new attention on the quest for holiness by the strange, compelling, often obscure early Christian monks known as the desert fathers. Yet until now, little attention has been given to one of the most vital dimensions of their spirituality: their astute, penetrating interpretation of Scripture. Rooted in solitude, cultivated in an atmosphere of silence, oriented toward the practical appropriation of the sacred texts, the desert fathers' hermeneutic profoundly shaped every aspect of their lives and became a significant part of their legacy. This unique book explores the setting of which the early monastic movement emerged, the elders interpretive methods as a catalyst of the desert fathers' quest for holiness, and the spiritual meaning lived through their words.

Words only as response:
The Word of Biblical wisdom, centered on sayings and teachings of Jesus Christ, were taken seriously by the Desert Fathers, as a personal guide for their lives. Later on, through careful analysis of their sayings: The Apophthegmata Partum, called by Coptic monks and laity; "The monastic Garden" were recorded and used as early as the Pachomian later koinonia, and read to this moment in the refractory during meals to the congregating Coptic monks. Starting with their hermeneutic, and how scripture was their fountain for holiness. D. Burton-Christie offers a fascinating tour in their ever living thought, that reveals secrets of the continuity of Coptic Monastic Traditions: from its origin and through its growth, within the setting in Sketes.
The monastic tradition of silence limits advise to a question, as St. Macarius, instructing us in response to Evagrius Ponticus request: "Do not speak, unless when asked to" i.e. in response to a question. Wisdom words in response to a question was the basic way of teaching in Alexandria Catechetical school, in Q&A., an effective Neoplatonic tradition.

Epilogue:
D. B-C came to few conclusions of his in depth analytical study of the Desert fathers, stressing the vital role at which scripture 'permeated' their experience, and shaped their capacity to make sense and live the word, and inspired their quest for holiness, and shaped their spirituality. He rightly concluded that scripture may have played a central role in this process, and that certain key biblical texts may have influenced the development of early monasticism.
He claims that it is utterly clear that the texts were proclaimed, recited, memorized (especially the Psalms), ruminated upon, and discussed.

Most Cited Scripture:
The author gave an index of Biblical citations and their frequency in the 'Sayings,' the most complete count is from Mortari's translation. Biblical citations from the OT, Psalms is the most frequent, then Genesis, Isaiah, and quotations of Matthew are the most frequent from the NT, followed by Luke and John, Hebrews and James reflect the Alexandrine tradition, from Revelation only 1.
This confirms that in spite of the differences in the sources of the sayings, the Greek translation, albeit some obvious glosses, is generally representative.
For a Coptologist, it is clear that a story as the identity of Melchizedek (p 170) is a Byzantine addition, since this monks bragging is contrary to the tradition.

Douglas Burton-Christie is a professor of Christian Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University specializing in monastic studies. This book is a reworking of his doctoral dissertation. As such, "The Word in the Desert," is extremely throrough, scholarly, and keeps the central thesis in mind throughout.

Burton-Christie's purpose in writing is to examine "how the use and interpretation of Scripture shaped the quest for holiness amongst the desert monks of early Christianity (4)." But before he begins examining the role of Scripture and Sprituality, he devotes significant space to the formation of and life in early monastic communities (and why not? This is a doctoral dissertation). While this section was interesting and provided some necessary foundations, this section was the most frustrating to read as I was anxious for Burton-Christie to actually get into the meat of his thesis.

Once the backgound of monstacism was firmly in place, Burton-Christie moved into monstic ideals of the Holy Life and the role Scriputre played in this life. The interplay between these two ideas made for an informative and enjoyable read. The illustrations were excellent and made the weighty subject matter entertaining. As a result of reading this book, my knowledge of and respect for the monastic lifestyle has grown.

I would recommend this book, but those who have had some historical and/or theoligical training would benefit most from reading it.

I hate to say it, but I am deeply disappointed with the lack of historical accuracy in this book. I'm listening to this book in audio and I haven't finished it yet. It's an interesting listen and has certainly kept my attention, but I find myself groaning over the license taken. I understand it's fiction, but being based on a real woman from the Bible, I feel that more care should have been taken to stick close to what the Bible does say about Abigail. I do not believe that I would lable it "inspirational." As for being any sort of view of the peoples of the times, I consider that doubtful also. It's just sordid to have Abigail and David basically having an affair in all but the final sense. Who knows.. maybe that's still to come. I get more disappointed and disgusted the longer I listen.

I often depend on Amazon reviews to give me some idea of what to expect from a book. This time I wasn't prepared as well as I could have wished. I've never left a review and never expected to give a negative review if I did, but I'd have appreciated some warning, so here I am. If you read/listen to this book, you may well enjoy it, just don't expect Biblical accuracy.

I think Ann Burton's books about Women of the Bible are the best! I have read 3 of her novels and I will never view these stories from the Bible the same way again. She really has a way of showing how these women lived and what their lives were like. PLEASE ANN, KEEP WRITING THESE BOOKS! THERE ARE MANY MORE WOMEN YOU COULD WRITE ABOUT!!!! If you haven't read these yet, you need to!!!!

It was a wonderful book, set in bible times. A fictional look at how they were real people.

if you liked this book you would like Liz Curtis Higgs series Thorn in my Heart, Fair is the Rose and Wence came a Prince.

A great story about the wonderfully brave Abigail from the Bible. Ann Burton paints a wonderful picture of a wonderfully brave yet normal woman who grew up in poverty and marries a monster to pay her brother's debt and keep her parents from being sold into slavery. She's sent into the country where she meets many of her husband's people who are starving. She also meets David who's an outlaw, slayer and future king. Abigail's a creative person coming up with a way to feed her husband's starving people and intervins to stop a war. A great story.

Abigail's Story is a fictitious novel based upon a little known but none the less important women from the Bible. Wonderfully blended with cultural enrichment from the era of King Saul , this reader found herself immersed into the day of a life of a poor potters daughter who's father riddled with what we know today as arthritis can no longer work the clay. Yet she provided for her family as she sales the clay she secretly turns herself. Events turn when she is forced to throw herself at the feet of the selfish, greedy,brutal Nabal as wife to pay off her brothers gambling debt lest her and her elderly parents by law be sold into slavery. Abigail's bravery bred out of necessity continues as the story once again takes a new direction as the "city girl" goes to the hills of Paran and must face the people her heartless husband starves as they tend his flocks. While carving a life among the herdsman and their clan she must ignore her heart that beats for the mysterious wandering Dal in the blue mantle. She is torn when she finally faces David, giant slayer, outlaw and future King of her people as commanded by the Adonai (Lord). Though she may be married to a monster she is still a married woman and must not commit adultery even if her husband rather see her dead. So when she must put her life at risk to intervene for the man she loves and for the people who have become her family only the one true Adonai can spare them.

In the back of the book you will find a handy glossary as well as a short but interesting discussion guide. I look forward to Ann Burton's next two scheduled books in the Women of the Bible series beginning with Rahab's Story due this September.