Francis Books

I was immediately drawn to this book since my sister gave me my middle name after her favorite saint, Saint Francis. The illustrations are beautiful, an important factor for those of us with young children since they will be more apt to enjoy a book with detailed pictures. The story is told by Saint Francis to the donkey to help him understand his place in the world. It provides parents a perfect opportunity to discuss how harmful pride can be and how God has given each of us a reason for living. The tale includes an explanation of the creation of the animals and why the donkey was chosen to carry Mary to Bethlehem. In the afterword, the author has also included a mini-biography of St. Francis and an annotated bibliography. A selection you must have to add to your Christmas reading traditions.

I bought this last year for my grandson. He loved it. He turned it over and looked for a gold sticker. He thought surely it had won an award. It has beautiful pictures of Assisi, and combines the story of creation with the Christmas story. I am now buying a copy for our church.

Trevor Leggett does his usual outstanding job. But the book is not for everyone. If you are looking for an introductory book to Zen meditation steer clear! This is hard core stuff. Samuari Zen is especially good for those like myself who found their path in Zen via bujutsu, but if you come from another perspective don't let that stop you from considering it. Like most koans, you could be on this book all of your life. If you use koans in meditation this is a great source with lots of background up front in the text. There are a few books I'd give $100 to own....This is one of them.

There are a lot of books on martial arts, and how to use zen, martial arts, I Ching, Sun Tzu, and other even more esoteric Asian wisodm for everyday living. Some are very shallow, some are good, some are classics. The there is Samurai Zen: The Warrior Koans. This book is for the serious scholar. The first part is just forewords, telling the background of the Warrior Koans, how they were used, and how to use them in the present day. It also explains that it will take years for the dedicated reader to get through the book, and that I agree with!
What I like with this book is that it does not promise a quick fix. It clearly states that it takes time and dedication. Long time and serious dedication. I am not through it yet. I can also see that the very process of going through the book and understanding the koans will create a certain peace of mind.

What a fortunate find at a used bookstore in Hilton Head while browsing for something to read! This book focuses more on Reconstruction and The New South than Civil War times; a lovely novel, though quite long at 970+ pages. Discovering and enjoying this book about the Low Country of South Carolina while vacationing in it was fabulous.

This reader found A Sea Island Lady more believable and better thought out than Gone With the Wind. Characters where truly Southern; As a medical librarian who is favors non-fiction it is the truly outstanding novel that can capture my attention for nearly a thousand pages.

Do read this book!!!

C

This is an excellent historical novel of the pre and post Civil War era. The book spans approximately 70 years. It is not a strictly southern depiction of the war as the main character, Emily, comes south from Boston during the war. All of the characters are well-developed. The plot is coherent. The descriptions of South Carolina, and Beaufort in particular, are truly excellent. Having travelled to Beaufort and Charlston, I can testify that Mr. Griswold researched his setting well. The book combines elements of comedy, history and tragedy. It is far superior to Gone With The Wind and reaffirms the value and gratitude of life itself.

At last, a sizzling romance about Ireland in a different period of time, and an author who does not talk down to their reader. Excellent research, sizzling romance, and more murder, mystery and intrigue than an Agatha Christie novel! Great stuff! Enjoy every word of it, just like I did!

At last, a sizzling romance about Ireland in a different period of time, and an author who does not talk down to their reader. Excellent research, sizzling romance, and more murder, mystery and intrigue than an Agatha Christie novel! Great stuff! Enjoy every word of it, just like I did!

More of a book on the life of an archeologist than the discoveries themselves it nevertheless makes for an interesting read. I think many will be surprised, as I was, at the various facet involved in the life of an archeologist. In that way is it is a very generous book. A tale worth telling.

First the negative, minor though it might be. The book is really rather misnamed. If anything, while Seahenge is a captivating title, it is way too limited. While the author discusses the wood circle at Holmes, he does so only briefly in the introduction and over a couple of chapters at the end of the book. What the main body of the volume contains is a very pleasant recitation of a life spent working in Neolithic and Early Bronze age archaeology in England.

For those looking for a more thorough description of the work and story of the remains at Holmes, it would probably be better to look to the journals. A visit to the local reference library for a bibliography will probably come up with what you want, and large public and certainly most university libraries will carry many of the journal entries on your list. These are likely to be quite technical, though, so be forewarned. More popular accounts might be available in journals like Archaeology, Archaeology Odyssey, or Scientific American.

Next, the positives. And they are major positives. First and foremost, the author has a very nice narrative style. It's readable and friendly, and while laced with some technical terms and ideas, these are usually fully explained without being labored. Furthermore, the author shares his knowledge of his field in practice so the reader has a first person, first hand account of an archaeologist at work. At one point Dr. Pryor quotes from his site diary, letting one in on his personal thoughts and experiences at a crucial point of his work at Seahenge.

Probably more than anything, the book offers a glimpse of what it means to be an archaeologist. In particular the reader learns how one goes about acquiring ones credentials, what the management of daily routine on the site is like, under what conditions one works and lives, what job opportunities there are, and how these effect ones personal lifestyle.

If one is inclined to follow up the information on archaeology and the archaeologist, the bibliography provides a good deal of material, some on specific topics from the journals and some on more general topics from books, most from 1980 to the present and some of historical interest from the 1960s and later.

I would definitely recommend this book for a school library serving students from forth grade and later. The book would be comprehendible to good readers of whatever age and gives a clear account of an archaeologist's life and what one has to learn to become one.

Penn Leary has written an outstanding book that gives positive proof of the true authorship of the Shakespeare works. Anyone with an interest in either Shakespeare or ciphers will find this to be a fascinating book to read. His proof through his discovery of encripted ciphers in the Shakespeare works is well supported by both the Baconian society and scholars alike. Search the internet for 'Penn Leary' to find out more about this incredible discovery.

Through the science of Cryptanalysis, the name of Francis Bacon may be read as the First Word of Dialogue in the First Play in the First 1623 Edition of Shakespeare's Works, and in may other places. The writer is the author of a paper published in "Cryptologia," a respected Journal of Cryptography. Order from Amazon, $15. postpaid

In Seeking the One Great Remedy, Lorien Foote offers a compelling picture of nineteenth century reformer, Frank Shaw, and reveals the antebellum roots of late nineteenth century reform movements. Challenging the epistemological contours of traditional scholarship, Foote argues that the complex partnership between Shaw and his associate, Henry George, demonstrates the link between mid-nineteenth century reformist tendencies and the radical movements of the 1880s and 1890s. Foote's careful scholarship, masterful prose, and evocative style, make Seeking the One Great Remedy a necessary read for anyone attempting to understand post-Civil War reformist history.

This is the most immediately accessible work on history I have ever read. Though comprehensive and innovative enough for connisseurs, it is equally enlighteneing and enjoyable to the layperson. In talking about reform, Foote also touches on many fascinating aspects of 19th century life - such as contemporary issues facing women, interracial relations, and the intricate relationship between the north and south. Foote's writing is excellent and her explanations and analyses of her topics clear. She will also personally engage and move you in her chapter on the civil war. A must read for any history or biography lover.

Good introduction to a host of exciting topics in Physics. Good narrative style. Text is interspersed with a lot of interesting tidbits. A great way to get started!

Professor Landsberg's love for teachng and for physics
are displayed with elegance in this little book.

Read it and enjoy!

Raphael says often: "It's very demanding and at the same time very easy." This also applies to this book. It explains the metaphysics of Vedanta, comments on traditional (Sanskrit-)terms: "The Drgdrsyaviveka (Drg = Spectator-observer; drsya = spectacle [the visible; the object of vision or knowledge]; viveka= discernment) is a rational discerning method for distinguishing between the Spectator [the seer; he who sees] and the spectacle (Self and non-self)." (p. 13)
For me personally it was not continuously easy to follow the text, to 'digest' the condensed knowledge.
It might be best to start with the last chapter 'Bibliographical Appendix', as there you find valuable hints about purpose und goal of the book as well as to HOW to read it:
"The only aim ... is to present the Advaita vision to those who are ready 'to spread their wings'. Those who are ready for this experience do not need elaborate or intricate reasonings or erudite treatises. The attentive disciple needs only a 'vision' to meditate upon and contemplate. ... Union and Identity with THAT can not occur upon rational basis or through intellectual knowledge. ... One must grasp the essence of a sutra in order to meditate upon it and then embody it. After which the sutra ... or the text may be thrown away because they have served their purpose as a stepping-stone."
While reading the book, on the one hand my mind has complained at times: "Uff, this material is really dry." But, on the other hand, when I then (nevertheless!) continued to read on, suddenly (just a few pages further on) it was as if a "wide space" opened up. With an "Aha!" of cognition a section (or sometimes just one sentence) appeared, that absorbed me totally. Here Raphael's hints provide a useful and very concrete(!) support for the practical transfer into life. And in the end - despite some lean times during the reading - I found myself really glad and grateful for having read this book. Important coherences have become clear. Thank you, Raphael!

I've been researching Advaita Vedanta for approximately 5 years now and this book is a well constructed exposition on the nature of maya and Being, it points out the relationship between subject/object and their transcendence, and discusses the 4 states of being explicated by the religio-philosophical system of Advaita Vedanta. Raphael makes an interesting analogy between the philosophies of plotinus and paramenades, demonstrating their similarities with Advaita Vedanta. Overall this was an extremely helpful book reguarding the nature of non-duality and how one may go about distinguishing between the being attributed to maya, the jiva, the apparent self of phenomenality....and Being, the absolute, the noumenal, our wholesome and inviolable Self.

As intended, this is a very good summary of Semiotics and Structuralism. I discovered the book on the Web and decided that it is worth buying it in book format as an excellent reference to keep around. The book seems to contain more information and seems to have gone through some good editing. My only criticism is about its organization -- maybe Mr. Chandler could have thought of a more narrative organization where one concept gives way to the next, although I am very aware that the subject matter is very complex to control.

I firmly believe that these extremely important "diagnostic" and critical approaches of the 20th century will make (and, I think, are making) a come back. I am mostly interested in creation of contemporary dance and theatre and I read about semiotics and structuralism with a very pragmatic, worldly eye. In that respect, I believe that post-Barthes French thinkers diluted the issues towards pure speculation and inapplicable and frequently unintelligible brain gymnastics and denied their methodological aspects for use in linguistics, anthropolgy, film, etc. I have not been able to deduct practical benefits from the critical movements of the past 30 years either.

I have read maybe a dozen books about semiotics and I must say this is the best yet. It is both easy to understand and surprisingly comprehensive given the topic. His book is so good that I bought the second edition of the book when it came out even though its available for free online. My sister is even using this book for as part of the required readings for a graduate level university course she is teaching and I know she isn't the only professor on the faculty to do so.