Carroll Books

This is a very good book for aspiring cheese makers. The basics are clearly presented along with recipies and other interesting asides.

I really like this book, it was written for me, someone with no experience making cheese. I will be using it a lot. I have other cheese making books and they are good as well, but this one makes me feel confident I will succeed at making cheese.

Thank you for your quick shipment. Book is in great shape, as you stated.

As a novice at making cheese this book has given me the confidence I needed to give it a try. My daughter and I had a wonderful Saturday afternoon making Mozerella and Ricotta cheeses. The book is great.

As a beginner cheese-maker, I bought this book to learn how to make cheese. Also bought Ricki's 30-min mozzarella kit. Figured I'd start with a basic mozzarella cheese, and it might be tasty with all the tomatoes in my garden. Well, things got a bit complicated.

While there was a lot of useful and interesting info in the book, the directions on how to make this 30-min mozz did not jive with her kit directions, nor did they even jive with the directions offered on her website (and there are two sets of slightly diffeent directions on the site!!). So, four sets of directions, each a little different (including target temperatures!!!), this beginner was frustrated from moment 1.

First batch failed entirely, probably due to the milk used. Bought another brand, dug around in the bin for the freshest one...this time things went better, BUT the curds did NOT form in the time she tells you....nor a half-hr later. Nearly an hour later, got soft curds and was never sure if they were "right"....they seemed too soft. Did manage to make 2 balls of cheese, but they tasted a little cooked.

I wrote to her website asking for help understanding what happened and for process clarification. No response a week later. I also wrote to this guy Steve who has his own cheese making website. He promptly answered, explaining that when he sells the Ricki kit he actually includes HIS OWN DIRECTIONS. Apparently the curd will often take up to an hour to set and tablet rennet (in the kit) can take a bit longer than liquid rennet. He offered a few other notes that very effectively explained what I was experiencing.

I am hesitant to make other cheeses from this book. I will probably compare the recipes/directions in the book vs online just for better understanding before starting the next trial. Part of me regrets this purchase because who needs to do all this homework? Ok, ok, it was just one recipe, but I bought the book thinking it would offer everything I'd need to just get started...and it failed to deliver on the first cheese!

I love the advice in this book, these women love what they do and you can tell.

I wish nanny 911 had been around while I was raising my children. It's just wonderful being able to turn a very difficult job, caring for children into a more peaceful and respectful relationship. To be able to turn a frantic situation around is quite an art. This book helps me to turn around problems that arise in my daycare. Also helps to take the frustration and replace it with confidence in meeting the situation head on.

Excellent book.
I recomend this book to all the parents who care about parenting.
It works 100%!!!I tried most of the advices and results were really fast and fascinating (I stoped yelling, we set our house rules, ...) . But you must work together (Mom and Dad) and be consistent!Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies

This book arrived in no more than two weeks, in excelent conditions. This book is full of great advices for everyone who is a parent or someone related to kids (teacher, babysitter...).

Love this book. Maybe it's because I've seen the show and seen how effective their approach is, but somehow this book did a far better job of communicating ideas that I've seen in a dozen other books I'd read. Implementing the ideas is easy, and it's impact almost as dramatic as seen on the show. Tantrums way down, clean rooms, more respectful behavior. My kids and I are MUCH happier.

Interesting, informative, well researched. It should have been bound in 2 volumes, as a one volume edition it is too thick, heavy and cumbersome to handle and interferes with the reading enjoyment.

Very important book to understand globalism and the new transnational forms of government, its origins, its rational, its implementation.
Everyone who wishes to grasp how the transnational post-democratic mind works and perceives the world should read this book. Quigley is very honest as he state the new regimen as inevitable and already in fast implementation and although very apologetic of it, he is displeased by the fact that all those changes are been made disingenously and in secret.

This book is the bible of globalism, read it if you want to understand it, and to understand how the world works nowadays...Quigley wrote it mostly because he thought people should have the option to choose and participate in all those changes openly...and not merely acept them passively and deceptively.

You'd think it would take several chapters to get to the heart of the matter - think again - I was stunned at Quigley's take on economic influence as a driving factor in world affairs. To those who say this is too long a read, weighed down with superfluous anecdotes - they are wrong. Tragedy & Hope should be the default text for 20th Century World History.

A must have for everyone's library, more relevant to the modern state of affairs than any of the modern pundits drivel.

"As a teenager I heard John Kennedy's summons to citizenship. And as a student at Georgetown, I heard the call clarified by a professor I had named Carroll Quigley, who said America was the greatest country in the history of the world because our people have always believed in two great ideas: first, that tomorrow can be better than today, and second, that each of us has a personal moral responsibility to make it so."

When Bill Clinton spoke these stirring words to millions of Americans during his 1992 acceptance address before the Democratic National Convention upon receiving his party's nomination for President of the United States, the vast multitude of his television audience paused for a micro-second to reflect: Who is Carroll Quigley and why did he have such a dramatic effect on this young man before us who may become our country's leader?

Carroll Quigley was a legendary professor of history at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, and a former instructor at Princeton and Harvard.

He was a lecturer at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the Brookings Institution, the U. S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, the Foreign Service Institute of the State Department, and the Naval College.

Quigley was a closely connected elite "insider" to the American Establishment, with impeccable credentials and trappings of respectability.

But Carroll Quigley's most notable achievement was the authorship of one of the most important books of the 20th Century: Tragedy and Hope - A History of the World in Our Time.

No one can truly be cognizant of the intricate evolution of networks of power and influence which have played a crucial role in determining who and what we are as a civilization without being familiar with the contents of this 1,348-page tome.

It is the "Ur-text" of Establishment Studies, earning Quigley the epithet of "the professor who knew too much" in a Washington Post article published shortly after his 1977 death.

In Tragedy and Hope, as well as the posthumous The Anglo-American Establishment: From Rhodes to Cliveden, Quigley traces this network, in both its overt and covert manifestations, back to British racial imperialist and financial magnate Cecil Rhodes and his secret wills, outlining the clandestine master plan through seven decades of intrigue, spanning two world wars, to the assassination of John Kennedy.

Through an elaborate structure of banks, foundations, trusts, public-policy research groups, and publishing concerns (in addition to the prestigious scholarship program at Oxford), the initiates of what are described as the Round Table groups (and its offshoots such as the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Council on Foreign Relations) came to dominate the political and financial affairs of the world.

For the ambitious young man from Hope, Arkansas, his mentor's visionary observations would provide the blueprint of how the world really worked as he made his ascendancy via Oxford through the elite corridors of power to the Oval Office.

Published in 1966, Tragedy and Hope lay virtually unnoticed by academic reviewers and the mainstream media establishment.

Then Dr. W. Cleon Skousen, the noted conservative author of the 1961 national best-seller, The Naked Communist, discovered Quigley, and the serious implications of what Quigley had revealed.

In 1970, Skousen published The Naked Capitalist: A Review and Commentary on Dr. Carroll Quigley's Book Tragedy and Hope.

This was soon followed by None Dare Call It Conspiracy. This slim volume by Gary Allen (and Larry Abraham) provided the massive paradigm shift of grassroots, populist conservatives from mere anti-Communism to a much larger anti-elitist world-view.

Millions of copies of these books came into print, and the conservative movement changed forever.

Copies of Tragedy and Hope began disappearing from library shelves.

A pirate edition was printed.

Quigley came to believe that his publisher Macmillan had suppressed his book.

Dr. Gary North, the esteemed economic commentator and historian has an interesting discussion of these curious facts in the chapter, "Maverick 'Insider' Historians," in his book, Conspiracy: A Biblical View, available on-line.

Quigley himself discusses these issues concerning his book in a five part YouTube interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxVlBVXwU5k

However some persons believe Carroll Quigley was simply amplifying earlier research in conservative authors Emanuel Josephson's Rockefeller 'Internationalist': The Man Who Misrules The World, and Dan Smoot's The Invisible Government, or that of the radical sociologist C. Wright Mill's The Power Elite, which had outlined these same elite networks of power.

I disagree with that narrow assessment. Although there is much to disagree with in interpretation in Quigley's book, the originality and titanic scope of the work cannot be doubted or disparaged.

In a book much praised by economist and historian Murray Rothbard, author Carl Oglesby's The Yankee and Cowboy War: Conspiracies From Dallas To Watergate, has a fascinating discussion of Quigley within a wider framework of American power politics and subterranean intrigue.

And in a volume hailed by Gore Vidal, Christopher Hitchens, before he morphed from Trotskyist man of letters to Neocon mouthpiece, had some insightful musings along the line of Quigley in his Blood, Class, and Nostalgia: Anglo-American Ironies.

Tragedy and Hope is indeed one of the most important books you will ever read.

Yes international bankers run the world for their own ends.We see what the FED has done for them lately,but not for you.World economy will probably go into depression.U.S. dollar worth practically nothing.Inflation with paper money really worth nothing over long term.Outsource everything to Asia,and bring there immigrants to the west.Third world for them to keep power and profit.

War and fear without end the best means of control.Keep their minds on other things.Don't think about the U.S. Constitution,or Bill of Rights.That way they can have police state.Black Water one of many contractors building fence with technology that is flawed.Also over runs in cost.You know those contractors.Don't forget the arms dealers.They are our finest in the corporate state,or should it be called the U.S. company international.

Now Pear Harbor attack intent was known about by our government 11 days before it took place.This is fact.Iraq war started under false pretenses.No Weapons of mass destruction.It is stated in this book that Hitler was financed by bankers.Part of English government backed this position. Chamberlain and his actions for example.WW1 England needed U.S tax payers to pay for war,so they got us into ww1,ww11, to support these ends,and for profit etc.Of course international bankers were dominant factor.The authors of books I have reviewed support this books accusations.Yes they use all sides against each other.They are involved in all movements. Environment,socialist,communist,fascist,unions.We see who is supported by U.S. government.Israel for example,Egypt.Look at condition of Mexico, central and south America Africa,Parts of Asia.Who is responsible.Democracy ploy for imperialism.

Foundations are use to evade taxes and sponsor their ends.They control universities,news media,etc.Central banks run countries?.Do they own them?Privatize everything for corporation.Own utilities.Monopoly of seeds for crops.Control fresh water and sell at highest price.Do this with everything.Internationalize the world under one King the head of the international bankers.War forever and fear for best profit.The Report from Iron Mountain.The protocols of the Elders of Zion it makes no difference whether there fiction,or not they are in action to make the world third world with one world government.Ask the elite to explain about oxford university,Cecil Rhodes,Rothschild.The Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs.C.F.R.,AIPAC,Bilderberg group,and all the other secret organizations.Ask Rockefeller too.Kings,queens,and other super elite are real rulers of the world.These make up the richest people in world,for them this has to be perpetual at the cost of the worlds population.The N.W.O.Globalism,One World.Immigration law is not enforced.This is killing America.The report From Iron Mountain.War,disorganize nations to point it has no identification,or culture.Tibet is being over run by Chines to take over Tibet.Same method for North America.Iraq destroyed to be reorganized under oil king rule.There is no energy shortage only a world monopoly of oil,and there is the gold,diamond king.Biology says diversity is the real king,so New World Order won't work,but nuclear WW 111 will, and is coming soon.Decline of the West,Law of Civilization and Decay.The end of the world.The Report From Iron Mountain.Jew Watch at Google.com.
Walter E. Haas reviews and comments from others.God Bless America.

In his introduction, "Poke" states that this text is for those "who have ever yearned to be a wizard or enchantress in the grand old medieval/Renaissance tradition, but were put off by the bric-a-brac of "Victorian Occultism" while finding (themselves) underwhelmed by the current Neo-Pagan and New Age alternatives". While at first glance seemingly a grandiose statement perhaps to appeal to fans of "Harry Potter", "Poke" actually addresses a genuine frustration in the magical community with the near emasculation of magical practice by "airy fairy" notions. Originally published in 1996, around the same time author Tyson chose to address the same issue by stripping magic of its doctrinal trappings to focus on its mechanics and physics, "Poke" focuses on one of the more traditional and ancient classical grimoires predating modern magical convention.

From the start, "Poke" makes it clear that this is his personal interpretation of the Goetic rites, and that there are some departures from the classic material. While there are assumptions and, (clutch one's chest here), even outright alterations and departures from the standard Goetic rites and associations, it's key to recognize that 1) this is what works for "Poke", and that's a key part of the whole trial and error science of magic, and 2) he is quite honest about the fact that he has made these modifications, and explains the reasons behind them to some degree.

From the introduction, "Poke" states that "this system was developed by and for imaginative people who are not natural psychics". Given that there are, truly, so few of us who are, contrary to some of the self-delusional assertions (though all can, of course, be trained - but most aren't willing to make the effort, and most start quite late in life, which makes it harder), the technique presented is invaluable even if you find the actual re-interpretation of the Goetic practice in some way off-putting.

"Poke" either re-discovered, or created from scratch, a magical system whereby one uses black mirrors and a trick of light to "evoke" images of the various Goetic spirits into appearance. Whether or not this was, in fact, the way the operations were originally performed, (and there's a good case to be made they were), "Poke's" approach is certainly effective. Much like David St Claire, Poke takes the shortest route here, focusing on maximum effect, and, while not expressly stated as such, he postulates an approach that will actually develop one's abilities at seership and scrying.

For those who deride this approach as purely imaginary, take heed - "Poke's" system may seem so on the surface, but, as any magician knows, the process is still psychologically potent, and the "barbarous words of power" do indeed put you in touch with these intelligences, though they may not be in physical manifestation (appearance in a mirror through the technique does, in fact, qualify as "evocation to physical appearance"). While his approach may seem cute and adulterated to some hard core types, this is not stuff to be played at under the covers with a flashlight, and not something to do to simply scare yourself on an odd dark and stormy night. "Poke" mentions a time when he, himself, appears to have discounted the systems potency which, while a humorous anecdote, is also a cautionary one.

Finally, there are instructions for creating a very, very nice altar. While intended for use with this particular system, it's genuinely beautiful and evocatory appearance makes it highly appropriate to ritual general use with some modifications.

While I have one frustration with this text, that being the omission of the original assignment of the Shem-ha-mephorash angels prior to re-assignment, this information can be found in the more recent and very exceptional "Goetia of Dr. Rudd" by Skinner, a text everyone working with "Poke's" approach should have anyway.

This book is quite easy to read and digest as far as books on this topic go. I also like how the author presents some different ideas with a variation of the arrangement of the "demons" and some other significant re-discoveries in the field. One thing that would have been helpful would have been some sort of appendix of acceptable substitutes when certain materials cannot be practically obtained, such as gold or mercury or a lion's pelt. Likely, it's up to the individual user, so such trivialities may not matter, but a nudge in the right direction rarely hurts. Well worth the time and money for anyone interested in this school of magick.

I actually bought this book along with Runyons companion video "The Magick of Solomon " two years ago.

What one finds when beginning to study from this book is that NOTHING is left out, all the essential bits and pieces, theory, prerequisites and actual step by step methods are all included in the most practical and easy to read fashion evr to be seen in print.

Now you might be thinking that the preceding paragraph was a lot of praise for the author of this tome?...well, yes it is, and deservedly so.

Runyon has re-pieced together a lost art in the most accurate and detailed form ever.

If you always wanted to learn how to evoke the 72 spirits of Solomon to visual manifestation, but were never quite able to pull it off, then you must get this book! His corresponding aligning of the 72 angels of the Schemhamephorash to balnce the effect of the 72 solomonic spirits is spot on! and really brings a powerful balnce and control to the operation at hand. Simply Brilliant!

If you are an academic approaching the study of Solomons magick from a psychological or Anthropological perspective, then you really need this book.

This is without a doubt the most authorative and effective study and guide book on how to really evoke the spirits and make Solomonic evocations work for you.

The course of study that Runyon suggests is thorough and necessary to do before you get down to the actual operation itself, it isn't a cake walk in the beginning and if you are just a dabbler...beware!

However if you are seriuously thinking about undertaking the study of solomons magick...to effectively evoke the spirits...Everything you NEED is contained in this volume.
The methods presented in this volume really work..powerfully!

IT's an outstanding work, simply the most complete and authorative textbook ever made available to the public.

I would strongly recomend getting the DVD companion "The Magick of Solomon" together with this book, the two really compliment each other completely and you actually get to see the regalia, ornamentation and temple layout visually.

I think this is a good book on ceremonial magic. It is well and clearly written. I plan to keep it in my library. I also appreciate the study guide and reading list in the back. This is definitely a book for serious students of ceremonial magic.

This text is great for those in need of grasping magickal terminology (define kabalah, hermetica, the tree of life, etc. etc.). The author uses terminology which I sometimes wish to find in other texts by the time my brain is all cluttered with nasty equations and formulae. However, the layout of chapters does bother- dealing with the "black-mirror"-concept before defining the thought of the reader towards its "greater" use. This does not in ANY WAY do damage to the content of this chapter. The author does seem somewhat ideological in some aspects, but in a very positive way that could even motivate some intense practitioners to follow the same route and become part of the few magickal genii. The combination of text with DVD (as advertised) does make an interesting pair. I suggest getting both! The author manages to escape the "me-me-me-me" syndrome by using the word "I" just one to little time! The first person generally is not a very good idea to use when writing non-fiction texts. A more aggrevated critic would give this text a 3 based on technical points, regardless of its contents. However, the innocence of the author does give him the advantage. I would therefore suggest this text to any serious beginner, together with some other texts also available from amazon.com (especially Franz Bardon texts). The text should supply a good foundation in this specific field of the magickal arts.

I originally bought this book, because I am always interested in books on the topic of life in India during the British Raj. Unfortunately, it was not exactly what I expected.

The book is set in 1925, and Devora, a British woman in her late twenties, has left England to join her British husband, Gerald, who is a civil servant in colonial India. Gerald sees the British as superior in every way to the native population of India and is not at all interested in learning about India's culture or its people, other than satisfying his sexual urges with those who native women who work in his household as servants.

Devora, on the other hand, is very interested in Indian culture and its people. She loathes the British society that is in place, as she finds it dull and hypocritical. Unfortunately, Gerald is frequently away on business, and Devora is left to her own devices. She finds herself intrigued by India in all respects, including its erotica, and raises eyebrows among the colonial community, when she lunches several times, sans her husband, with the local Maharaja, a man with a notorious reputation. Of course, the inevitable occurs, during those long, languid lunches.

Even her husband's trusted head servant, Rohan, is of interest to her, as she finds herself exploring her own sensuality. A steamy affair ensues between Devora and Rohan, a native who, with his patrician bearing, seems to have more class than any of the British colonials. When their affair becomes common knowledge, Devora refuses to do what her husband demands in order to clear her reputation. Consequently, the marriage heads south, and Devora finds herself living a life that she never imagined.

This is an easy reading novel that has explicit sexual content, which is probably why the book is marked erotica on the back cover. Unfortunately, I did not find it to be at all erotic. Nor did I find the book to be particularly interesting, except for the Anglo-Indian, historical fiction angle. Over all, it was mediocre reading fare, at best, predictable and uninspired. Still, those who gravitate towards romance novels with a dose of spicy, sexually explicit content may enjoy this book.

Nina Roy's "Tea And Spices" is set in Calipore, Uttar Pradesh, 1925, during the British Raj. Devora Hawthorne has just come out from England to be with her colonial diplomat husband Gerald. The two have been married a little over a year, during which time they have spent six months apart. Unlike most of the British colony, Devora develops an interest in India - her people, culture, art, religions and food. She also has a difficult time adjusting to the strict class structure and rules of the British community. Gerald is a stickler for the rules. He makes it clear from the beginning that one does not have personal contacts with the Indians. It just isn't done. Of course, this only holds true for the British women. Gerald thinks nothing of having sex with the local serving girls. The theme here is a common one in novels of the British Raj. The British think their culture is by far the superior, and that they bring civilization to the natives, who are looked upon as lower class -- even the Indian royalty. This is a period of political strife and sedition in India with the Independence Movement in full gear.

Devora is a sensitive, artistic woman and the heat and color of her exotic surroundings liberate her sensuality, rather than stifle it. She finds herself retreating from the formality of her station. She is invited, along with her husband and his colleagues to dine at the palace of the local Maharaja, a man of questionable morals. He is intrigued by her and invites her to a Hindu temple to view the religious and very erotic art. She also visits him alone at his palace a few times, and a sexual relationship begins between them. It is a very brief relationship, however, as the man lives up to his cruel and perverse reputation.

Rohan, the head servant of the Hawthorne household is an educated man from a good family. He was forced to become a servant due to circumstances beyond his control. He is an aloof, introspective person, and, at first seems disapproving of Devora. There is tremendous tension between the two initially. She believes it to be over who holds sway with the servants and the house. As Devora begins to know Rohan - she hears him playing the piano and has some interesting discussions with him - the two begin an affair. There is a strong chemistry between them, on more than just a sexual level. Gerald discovers the relationship and only agrees to try to salvage the marriage if Devora will accuse Rohan of rape.

This is a short but well written novel. I think it does the book a disservice to label it erotic. There are no really explicit scenes here and although the storyline is trite at times, there is more focus on plot and character than on sex. "Tea and Spices" is light and enjoyable reading.
JANA

I usually don't write reviews because I'm not much of a writer but I had to add my words of praise about this book. It truly is so much more then just an erotic novel. Nina described the colonial British in India with such detail that I was transported to that time and place. She describes the art and scenery with such detail that you can feel the hot India sun and dust covering you as you read through the story. You discover the magic and beauty of India as Devora discovers it. I think I loved the world that Devora discovered more then she did! Devora and Rohan are beautifully written characters with incredible passion. Rohan was incredibly passionate and wise. He is the perfect lover for Devora. I loved this book so much I've written the author to ask for a sequel.

I bought this book so that my wife and I could add some fun in our personal life. We usually enjoy reading "improper" stories off the Web when we find the ones written by good authors. So I figured this book should give us more of the same.

After we got it, we read it in 2 days. We had a lot of fun reading this one. We're still re-reading it once in a while, and it never fails to excite us again... There's no violence, rape, or any unordinary perversions. Just a good story with good adult people having fun. :) All mixed in a decent and sensuous historical setting.

We love the characters, especially Deborah. Her husband is sketched out a little too harshly, in my male opinion. Oh well, what else is new. I don't take it personally. I can only wish someone would make it into a movie.

This book is not erotica. Danelle Harmon and Lisa Kleypas (main-stream romance writers) write more graphic erotic loves scenes than this book . The book is well-written, so I won't give it one star. I don't recommend this book if you are looking for something sexy. Actually, I don't recommend this book at all. It was depressing and filled with lots of unpleasant characters. Just pass this one up.

I am a huge fan of Carroll, having read almost every single one if his books. Sleeping in Flame, the most recent of his books I have finished, is a decent book that blends the fantastic into the everyday life of reality. The dialogue is believable and the plot twists are fun.

Two minor faults. Having read Outside the Dog Museum I felt the Venasque scene was all too familiar, giving the feeling that I had already read that part of the book. Additionally, sometimes the plot is a little forced. All of a sudden Carroll writes, "And this is the dream I had", or "This is what happened" rather than telling and showing the reader.

Don't get me wrong. I still enjoyed Sleeping In Flame. The book is an enjoyable fast read that takes bits of pieces of common folkloric information everyone is familiar with and weaves it into a tale. I would certainly recommend other Carroll books such as After Silence or The Wooden Sea, but in the end I would recommend this book as well.

3.5 stars.

This was the first Jonathan Carroll book I ever read. Now, having read all his others as well, it's the one I keep coming back to and recommending to my friends. Carroll is a skilled prose writer and constructs believable dialogue surrounding almost-unbelievable situations. Although his books get a little predictable after a while, this book stands out for me as Carroll at his best.

"Walker Easterling, an actor, saves a woman's life only to place her in infinitely greater danger by falling in love with her. Maris York, an artist, is an androgynous beauty who arouses incinerating passions in the men around her. Sleeping In Flame is a novel populated by a shaman with a fondness for sandwiches, an autistic Adonis, and a tiny man as powerful and ravenously jealous as the God of the Old Testament." (cover blurb, paraphrased)

Just when the reader thinks he's in the middle of a slice-of-life romance, this novel takes a sharp left turn and veers into classic Carroll territory -- in other words, deep into the mythic and the folkloric. That jealous old man claims to be Walker's father, and Walker isn't who he thinks he is. Carroll treats us to clear rich prose, and somehow makes even the most fantastic situations seem plausible and perfectly ordinary.

Jonathan Carroll remains one of my favorite "unknown" authors.

Okay, clearly I'm in the minority here. I purchased this book because so many people put it on their list of best nontraditional fantasy novels. This is not, however a book in the fantasy genre. It falls more in the tradition of books like The Alchemist, that is to say, books of the "the magic is within you" type of spirtualality. Unlike The Alchemist, however, the story takes forever to unfold, and in order to even get to the old, Jewish shaman who likes to watch Miami Vice on TV, you first have to read through 100 pages of nothing. The narrator's romantic interest is a supermodel whom we are supposed to like because she's a slob and drives a car without a heater. Or as the author puts it: "she drove the way she spoke: nervously, a little too fast, but clearly in control." If that kind of writing appeals to you, perhaps you will like this book. But nothing happens until almost page 100 and by that point I was bored to death. The book gets two stars simply because the author can write well. Unfortunately, to me, he didn't choose anything to write well about. If you like Vienna, you might like this book as Carroll describes the city in as much loving detail as he describes the narrator's supermodel girlfriend. But the narrative about the city is just as monotonous as everything else -- it feels like its only in there to prove that Carroll speaks German and has spent a lot of time in Vienna. If you like Carlos Castaneda, Paolo Coehlo or were one of the many who fell in love with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, maybe you'll like this book -- I'm not aiming this review at you, it just isn't my cup of tea. I'm posting so that people who dislike this kind of material will know that this isn't for them.

I never knew what magical realism was before I read this book. To be frank, it didn't seem possible. You were either writing magic, or you weren't. Magical realism seemed this hypothetical mix that couldn't hold water. For me, if you were writing about magic and you weren't writing a fantasy book (or Terry Pratchett), it seemed pointless. With Sleeping in Flame, Jonathan Carroll changed all that.

I went into this book knowing it was in the magical realism genre, not knowing what that genre was. A friend suggested I read this book, telling me to expect an interesting ride, and saying it was a "cult waiting to happen." To be sure, this was an interesting read and, more than that, Carroll really is a cult waiting to happen. Sleeping in Flame is that and more. This is an excellent read that challenges what you believe about fate and love, and in a less than ordinary way.

As far as I can tell, magical realism is this. You take an ordinary, run-of-the-mill setting - say Vienna - and add magic to it. The key expression here is "add magic", sort of like you add salt to a meal. You don't submerge it in salt. You sprinkle sparingly, lest your blood pressure rise to astronomical levels. Same thing goes for this genre of literature. If you add too much magic, you're suddenly waking up with dragons in your bed and rubies implanted in your forehead. While that's all well and good, there's nothing real about it.

Regardless of how you feel about this approach to writing, the element of magic here doesn't overwhelm the reader, it merely helps the story along. Likewise, regardless of your belief system, the story flows well and keeps you interested as you turn the pages. Having said that, it's safe to say this book isn't for everyone, but what book is? Those interested in the cookie cutter court room stories of John Grisham aren't going to enjoy this. Then again, the shift in gears might do that class of reader a lot of good.

To this point, I haven't really said much about the book. I guess I needed to edify the whole magical realism thing in my head before I went any further. It only stands to reason the style of the book be pointed out. But what about the story? The story lures you in with flowing text, a smooth story featuring characters you're genuinely interested in, and intrigue. It's pretty hard to see where the story is going until you're done reading it, so I'll leave those sorts of details as an exercise to the reader. The book is a sort of mystery, or adventure, where you laugh and emote yourself though the lives of Walker and Maris, the couple around which the story is centered, which we fall in and out of through combinations of reality and dreams, woven together in intoxicating combinations.

The story is impossible to guess, so don't bother trying. As you reach the last page, and you think the roller coaster ride is over, you'll be tossed one last time before you finish. This last scene brings home a bit of foreshadowing that was dropped 250 pages earlier. Take that and you *still* won't be able to figure it out. As opposed to overthinking it, just sit back and let Carroll take you for the ride. It's quite enjoyable.

The downside here, what keeps it from the 5 star category for me, is the general ending of the story (not the last scene). Faced with a conflict, we expect resolution. This is the reader's expectation and you get it - nothing given away there, what book leaves you without resolution? However, the resolution is unconvincing and most of all, convenient. For all the splendor Carroll graces the pages with, he falls short when it comes to tying the story up, which makes the story suffer. The resolution comes with little fanfare, sliding in where it scarcely belongs. Maybe I was expecting more, my expectations of Carroll having run rampant. Obviously, some suspension of disbelief needs to be taken seriously here, magical realism and all. But in the end, some well-established character behavior disappears, and the story suffers for it.

Having said all that, the book is still a great read, taking you on a fantastic journey which explores love and fate, and dabbles in the occasional dream. Sure to be a hit with those who own their own deck of Tarot cards, Sleeping in Flame should appeal to a much wider audience than that. With shades of Tom Robbins, Milan Kundera, David Lynch, and occasional shades of Dan Brown (in a good way, seriously), yet carving his own style-niche along the way, Sleeping in Flame is hard to put down.

In all, an excellent book that isn't for everyone. If you had trouble selling Skinny Legs And All to people because of a can of beans character, you'll have the same trouble selling this story. But if you liked Dirty Sock, you'll like this, but for different reasons. Before you embark on this, be ready to suspend disbelief. When you do, be ready for a wild ride into the world of Jonathan Carroll, a world that has a lot to offer and is worth looking into.

The only knowledge I'd had of Burgess was through his novel "A Clockwork Orange," which I loved, so when I saw "Earthly Powers" at the bookstore over twenty years ago, I bought it, hoping that it would have the same flavor. Wrong! I couldn't get into it at that time, a story of an aged homosexual and his relationship with a priest who becomes the pope, it seemed boring to me so I set it aside until 2007. I'm glad I did, because now I feel mature enough to absorb and understand a lot of what Mr. Burgess had to say in this novel and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is an epic of a novel, chronicling the dual lives of the protagonist, the writer Kenneth Toomey, and his brother-in-law's brother, Carlo Campanati, an Italian priest who eventually becomes pope. The book spans several decades and touches on deep philosophical issues of religion, homosexuality, fascism, and more. I thought the characters were richly drawn, and the way Burgess weaves the character's family together over the decades is masterful. I love the way Burgess uses a repetition of symbols or themes throughout the book: greedy eating, being victimized, the loutishness of youth, etc. It created an extra element of depth that kept me enthralled throughout the whole novel. It's very readable and Burgess's portrayal of homosexuality seemed very accurate to me.

I was a little bit put off by a lot of the philosophizing over religion, but I think it all tied together at the remarkable ending. To me, this book was about non-belief and how living without a "belief system" can be me more moral and loving than tying oneself to a dogmatic faith that can ultimately lead to corruption.

I chose Earthly Powers as my introduction to Anthony Burgess only because I found this novel on my parent's bookshelf. Little did I know that this book was considered by many to be Burgess' pinnacle novel in the form of fiction. Published in 1980, Earthly Powers is a novel which basically outlines the historical situation of western society in the early half of the 20th century and although most of the characters in the novel are fictitious, a lot are based upon real-life people.

Earthly Powers heavily discusses the impact and reaction of homosexuality in society during these years. There is serious discussion upon the development and political stances of the Catholic Church and also how these positions affected people. This religious theme was contrasted with further contemplation upon the development of atheism in the heavily catholic families of France and Italy. Burgess also slips in a lot of his own opinions on some of the 20th century's greatest literary figures such as James Joyce, Rudyard Kipling and H.G. Wells and how and why these men were raised into sublimity.

The only quality this novel displays which many people might find a hindrance is the heavy use of pretentious vocabulary. There was extensive use of words of which I had no understanding of and had never seen used and although this is good in moderation, when used excessively it becomes quite a disturbance for some people. I would definitely recommend those who decide to read this novel to have a good quality dictionary nearby.

To finalize I would state that this book portrays a very original and educational approach to societal development during these seminal years of modern culture and I would recommend this novel to most people who have an open mind about such matters.

Ijust finished EARTHLY POWERS and I enjoyed it.It's intelligent and very readible.Burgess displays a sophistication coupled with eruidition that is a pleasure to encounter.I suspect he must have been a great conversationalist.However,one should not let the pleasure one might derive from the sound of Burgess' voice obscure the fact that for all it's size this is not a very substantive novel.Burgess creates a panorama of the 20th century with a particular focus on the Catholic Church.Surprisingly he has little to say of interest about the century or the church .He's also ,at best,a little muddled at points.Even more striking is the weakness of most of the characters.The main character and narrator,ken toomey is carefully drawn and compelling.The same can not be said for the other characters.They are contrivances of the author.Burgess trots them out so they can say or do something he wants said or done.They don't live off the page.Also Burgess has little feel for the U.S.His Americans don't"work".One minor character ann(toomeys niece)is completly botched.Unfotunately Burgess decides he has something to tell us about jim jones.He should have left this topic to Shiva Naipul.I'm being quite hard on a book I liked and would recomend but I think I'm right to do so.Burgess shows admirable ambition here.He simply doesn't pull off the assignment he gave himself.

This book, like much of Burgesss's output, is sui-generis. Yes, our narrator, Toomey, by Burgess's own admission, is based on Somerset Maugham, but he is also based on Burgess himself----For those who missed the Burgessian word play here: "Two of me". The word play is one of the things I delighted in about this book, so is the arcane vocabulary. For readers who detest fun with abstruse linguistics this is Not the book for you----For all others, you'll love coming across, time and again, words like (off the top of my head) "cecity".

But, as almost all reviewers have noted, this book is also a kind of roman a clef of historic personages, literary and otherwise, populating the Twentieth Century - literary and otherwise - from Henry James to Jim Jones. This effect does, as another reviewer has noted, become tedious after a bit, as does the theological casuistry strewn throughout the book, another one of Burgess's - as he calls himself, a "lapsed Catholic" - obsessions. He once told critic Harold Bloom, "I'll see you in Limbo, Bloom!" - But I digress. At their worst, these parts come across as preachy. - Burgess gave a 1985 interview with Donald Swain (to which you can listen online at Wired for Books) in which he repeats verbatim several points Toomey makes in his Wodehousian broadcast for the Nazis herein. It's just a tad off-putting. But Joyce, Burgess's greatest literary influence, can be off-putting and Jesuitical at times too.

So, I'm ready to forgive Burgess/Toomey this theological muddle in light of the splendid, erudite dialogues and cutting wit that permeate the book from first page to last. This book truly is a swan song for literacy and art. As Toomey/Burgess says in the early going:

"I believed that writers were fine people and the legislators of the world and so on, but I was already desperately out of date. The future belonged to the universal eye, to be tricked and overfed with crude images; it did not belong to the imagination."

And, well, look around you.


Toomey has as the tentative title for this narrative (revealed in the last few pages of the book) Confabulations, a title I like much better than Earthly Powers. Perhaps it's what Burgess wanted to call it himself. But I don't know this as a fact. So, I'll simply appropriate it for my review title-----and trust that it incurs no unintended consequences.

Burgess's best novel. Food for the gods: watch as Toomey's memory exfoliates in hideous comedy through the demented twentieth century. Love, music, movies, linguistics, James Joyce, Nazis, Dante, & Shakespeare. An incredible cast.

An exceptionally well-written book which I highly recommend. It covers the resistence on Musa Dagh(Ler) led by Gabriel Bagradian, a grandson of a rich Armenian. With out spoiling the ending I will say that regardless of the happy ending regarding the people of Musa Dagh, this story is part tradegy. The plot is beautifully written and in my opinion can be considered as a great literature classic.

This is the story of the Armenians in eastern Turkey. The Armenians were Christian and the Turks Muslim. At a point just prior to WW I, the Turks commenced a genocide of the Armenians and this is the story about how one harrassed Armenian group banded together and defended a mountaintop, in a Turkish seige, until they were rescued.

I have to say that this is one of the most inspiring stories that I have ever had the pleasure to digest.

This one should be on the shelf in any serious library!

Yes, the book is fictional, but based on a real incident. The survivors were taken by the French warships to Lebanon and started an Armenian village there. As to one reviewers questions as to what happened to the Turks in Armenia, they are still the majority there, along with Kurds. Turkish Armenia has no Armenians, they are all gone. The modern country of Armenia was part of the Russian empire at the time of the massacres. It was predominately Armenian in population and escaped the massacres. As to the extent of the destruction, we will never know just how many were killed. However, I do feel that Turkey from 1915 through 1922 was one of the first modern examples of ethnic cleansing, with a determined effort to rid the country of all non-Turkish elements. Western Asia Minor had been Greek for better than 3000 years (Symrna, Miletus, Laodicea, Ephesus, etc). It is not today. The land around Mt. Ararat and Lake Van had been mostly Armenian for 3000 years. It is not today. The Black Sea coast had been mostly Greek for 2500 years. It is not today. Yes, the Greeks did invade Turkey in an attempt to take advantage of the country's defeat in WWI. They were thrown back in a great show of courage and patriotism. But the aftermath must also be examined. Yes, there were Armenians who wanted to succeed and form an independent state. But the aftermath must also be examined.
We are talking of things that happened almost 100 years ago. I do not feel that the Turkish people today have guilt for the actions that were taken then. I like Turkey and the Turks I have met. But historical facts do not disappear by denying them.
We all have an obligation to face up to the unpleasant facts of history. Only when all of us say "Never again" to any genocidal action will genocide cease to exist.

The Forty Days of Musa Dagh is an historical fiction drama set in WWI Turkey. During the war, the Turkish government imposes a policy of forced relocation on Armenian Christians living within its borders. Refusing to leave, the residents of several villages at the foot of Musa Dagh (Moses Mountain) decide to stay and fight. They take refuge on the mountain, constructing a fortress with their meager resources. The band of ordinary citizens courageously holds out for forty days, sucessfully holding off the better equipped, better trained and vastly larger Turkish army. Want to know how it ends? Read the book!

The book is clearly written, and translates well from the original German. The imagery is vivid and I really cared about the characters. Although the book is long, there are few lulls. It's been over 18 months since I've read this book, and I still find myself thinking about it and I remember a surprising amount of it; it's that memorable!

I was amazed that I had not even heard of this book before reading it. The Armenian genocide in Turkey was barely mentioned in my college history classes. It is a shame that such a well-written book about such a large atrocity (1.5 million people died) is so obscure. Of course, there is some controversy regarding the historical accuracy of this book and of the Armenian genocide in general, but the consensus is that, except for the names and minor details, the book is accurate. Do your homework and make up your own mind.

How do I begin describing this book? this marvelous novel penned by an Austrian writer who was not indebted to the Armenian people and owed them nothing. How do I describe and compress this eight-hundred page long book into a miniscule summary?

The truth of the matter is, is that words alone cannot describe Franz Werfel's "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh". It is too grand a story that should, rather, be read by everyone and experienced to the greatest extent possible in the human spirit. The novel revolves around the life and culture of the Armenian people in a Western region of Syria in 1915. The Ottoman Empire, lead by the Young Turkish leadership have enacted the state-wide policy of genocide against the Armenians. Sensing the impending the danger, the 4,000 people of this region are forced to take shelter on the towering and biblical mountain of Musa Dagh. With a Turkish military force encircling the mountain, it is up to the Armenians to defend their way of life or die and vanish into history.

I do not wish to impede on others' reviews and assert my position on whether or not they are correct, it is their opinions after all; however, those who gave this book a one star rating did it out of malice and contempt over what they see as a misrepresentation of their country's history. Rather they looked at what the book was professing about and instead of placing what they thought of a well-written novel, they placed their version of the events of 1915.

It is of no matter, it is up to the reader to gain an understanding from what the reviewer provides. Werfel composes a beaufiful note which instills the reader's spirt with much more than words, it gives them hope, it gives them proof that perhaps there are happy and positive stories that stem from tragedies. Werfel couldn't have done it any better.

I loved Steinmeyer's The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the Marvelous Chinese Conjurer and so was looking forward to reading this book. It did not disappoint. Steinmeyer brings alive the excitement of magic from the turn of the century, the early innovations and the amazing characters who performed these tricks and illusions and brought them to life. Mixed in with the stories, the history, the secrets, and the magic is Steinmeyer's view that the way the tricks were performed was more important than the secrets behind them, and yet figuring out the secrets and the way they evolved has a thrill all its own. A wonderful read from cover to cover that brings new light to an amazing piece of history and magic.

This is probably my favorite nonfiction book ever. Not being a magician or otherwise a part of the magic community, I'd never thought about the history of stage magic. Steinmeyer lays it all out, the people who made magic what it is today and how their careers and rivalries interlinked, with a tone that's readable and engaging. I couldn't put it down and after reading it I have much more appreciation for the art of illusion.

The author, Steinmeyer, amazes and delights along with the top magicians who appear in this book. I never had any interest in magic until my grandson, then 11, became interested. He's now a member of the Society of Young Magicians. Now, having some insight into the creativity behind illusions, and the stage presense required to create them, I appreciate and enjoy the illusions much more. This book is a delightful read. It's well organized and beautifully written. Woven through all are the personalities of some of the best magicians who worked in England and the US in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. Steinmeyer follows the development of certain kinds of illusions from early ideas, to later and more spectacular versions. The illustrations are helpful, and there's a nice photo section.

Seeing how incredibly precise and creative these entertainers were makes this a fascinating book. I highly recommend it. Even if you've never had much interest in magical illusions, this is simply a good read.

Fortunately I am as this is no laymen's book. I quite enjoyed it and found it full of the fragmented tidbits of information I am so fond of. A little technical at times - I was far more interested in some of the stories then in precise line drawings or sketches, though Steinmeyer is skilled at taking complex principles and breaking them down into simple line drawings. I wish it had been a bit more chatty but am glad i read it.

This is a fun and easy read. Probably nothing new for serious fans of the history of magic but it is a good summary of the lives of some very special people in an interesting sub-culture.

For those buying the book to discover magical secrets, they will learn little other than the truth of the cliche that magic is all smoke and mirrors.

I purchased this book as a gift for a friend. Many notable games are disected and give opportunity for study.

The authors have put together an excellent collection of great games from the last 175 years of chess history. The book is aimed at the intermediate and advanced player. It starts with a brief introduction to the players and the game for each game and then proceeds to explain and analyze what is happening in the game. It contains the right amount of explanation and analysis to appeal to a wide variety of players and has plenty of diagrams so that the stronger player will not need to have a board and set to follow the action. For the less experienced player, the authors place a aynopsis of the lessons to be learned at the end of the game.
Although the description of the book say 512 pages, it is actually 624 pages. The amount of material, quality of annotation and reasonable price make this a very worthwhile book to own.

I looked at this book (2nd edition) specifically for a game where Nigel Short marches his king across the board to defeat Jan Timman. I got interested in this because chess teacher Fred Wilson mentioned it in his "Four Fighting Kings" tape (available from fredwilsonchess.com).
It was a real disappointment to see that the book I examined was apparently the result of a printing that went from pp. 481 to 486, then went back to 482 and was missing the first 8 moves of the game!
So I ordered a copy of the first edition.

This book contains selected games. Both of the masters of new, old all great which will help your ability to checkmate! One Hundred and Twelve games analyzed games study, alone or with your best buddy. The analysis though not real deep makes is light enough for your mind to keep. Want deeper analysis using games get books by Nunn (Understanding Chess) or by Snyder ("Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors"). They are move by move both fun and the the analysis more tighter. These days when it comes to books with games and good analysis you have many to choose so start reading them all it's no time to snooze.

Now down to real business! "The Mammoth Book" contains a wide variety of games over a long time span by many strong players. The analysis ranging from light to moderate in depth is for an intermediate level to stronger player level. This is not a down to basics level book. I was disapointed only in that the book was made out of really cheap paper and is hard to keep open when using (why four instead of five stars). True, I prefer the "every move commented on approach" used by Chernev, Nunn and Snyder, but "the Mammoth book" is still excellent.

This review pertains specifically to the first edition. I do not have the second edition and probably will not buy it because I will probably never finish learning everything that I can from the first! I really like the book and have learned much so far. The selection of games is very good and that analysis is good. Based upon some of the other reviews here, it may not be perfect analysis, but it is very good. At first I thought that the biographies were unnecessary because anyone who could use this book would know about the players, but then I learned quite a bit there too. A very good book and at a very reasonable price.