G Books

This is an excellent introduction to Jungian psychology - it's well presented, clear, concise, and full of information. It proved in my case to be very stimulating, and I found myself pondering the ideas presented for some time.

Why then, do I award only four stars? Because the title is no longer appropriate. It is not a book exclusively about modern man, but rather, about man as he was seventy years ago. Some of the concepts seem to describe very accurately the state of mind that mankind was experiencing in Jung's time, but today they won't be observed with any great consistency - they are no longer appropriate. That being said, the book outlines the general principles in such a logical way that one may apply them to the world around them, seeing the similarities and differences between Jung's world and their own for themselves.

Worthwhile reading for anyone interested in psychology, or simply expanding their view of life - puts a wide range of life's issues in perspective.

Carl G. Jung is perhaps psychology's most free and original thinker. Perhaps not...However, it is books like this that demonstrate Jung's ability to think outside of the box and examine critically those things that his contemporaries failed to critically examine. I truly believe that Jung has not gained the acceptance he deserves in psychology as a result of his telic thinking/conceptualizing, which appears to many psychologists, who rely on a Newtonian scientific framework (failing to realize that advances have been made in scientific perspectives), as unscientific. In this book, Jung takes aim at and provides justification for seeing difficulties in many of the more cherished "scientific" perspectives and providers counterarguments to forward a more positive direction. Unfortunately, enough people have not read this gem. I highly recommend it.

This book contains eleven lectures given to the general public on various occasions on a variety of topics. Taken together they sum up much of Jung's analytical psychology, covering the subjects:

dream analysis,
problems of psychotherapy,
aims of psychotherapy,
theory of types,
stages of life,
contrasts between Freud and Jung,
archaic man,
psychology and literature,
basic postulates (i.e. philosophic notions) of analytical psychology,
spiritual problem of modern man, and,
psychotherapists or the clergy.

Jung's professional writings can be a hard read being long and difficult to follow. There is none of that problem in this work. Here Jung is clear as a bell. The book is highly recommended for those beginning their inquiry into Jung.

Although was first published in 1933 it still holds relevance to a contemporary audience. One major theme running through several speeches is that many people seem to inherently want to believe in something spiritual, though this certainly does not necessarily imply mainstream religion such as Christianity. We only have to visit a new age bookshop packed with Buddhist and other Asian philosophic texts, not to mention esoteric volumes on spirits, magic and psychic phenomena, to realize that many people are 'looking for something in their lives.' Of course not all of us have spirituality as an issue or problem and Jung at one point goes to some trouble to point this out. Some are hung up on sex, other on power, etc. In these cases a psychology other than Jung's analytical psychology is recommended.

A very insightful and meaningful book, 11 intriguing essays in 244 pages. Jung is a deeper thinker, and I think not reductive like Freud and Adler tended to be. He makes no claim to dogmatism or absolutes. Jung really hits on the psyche and transcends the borders of rational intelligence into areas of the unconscious expressions in symbolism and images.

I am going to argue against another reviewer here that gave this book 4 stars as being outdated. When I look at the present collective societal structure and current cultural pattern apart from the minority of advanced individuals, I can see the postmodern man has regressed far from the modern man of the 1930's in search of a soul. Of course there as been advances individually, but on a collective level; fundamentalism, religious literalism, nationalism, patriotism and one-sided thinking This has grown in major proportions as opposed to the other way around and it is far more serious than most even realize and patterns after historical events of very similiar nature.

The first essay on dream-analysis hits on the idea that dreams are very hard to interpret and suggests that understanding the circumstances and conditions of the conscious life is significant in relation to the dreams of the unconscious life.

On the problems of psychotherapy, Jung relates four stages of analytical psychology, the confessional, explanation, education and transformation

"The great decisions of human life have as a rule far more to do with the instincts and other mysterious unconscious factors than with conscious will and well-meaning reasonableness. The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. Each of us carries his own life-form - an indeterminable form which cannot be superseded by any other." p. 61

The essay on the personality types is short, non-exhaustive and briefly relates Jung's ideas of the introvert, the extrovert and the 4 basic types consisting of those persons who are thinkers, feelers, sensory and intuitive.

In his essay on the stages of life, Jung ventures beyond childhood into early adulthood and the expansion of the self into sexual desires and masculine and feminine traits and how after somewhere in the 40's there begins a contraction of the self where men may acquire more feminine traits and women more masculine. In the second half of life less is needed to educate his conscious will but more aim towards the inner being, until old age where one leaves the rational self and retreats into the psyche as children yet in a different sense.

Jung acknowledges the validity of Freud and Adler and their valuable contributions, yet Jung sees Freud's sexual reduction to all neurosis as limiting, as well as Adler's will to power over inferiority as the sole cause. Both views have proven themselves as valid in many cases, yet Jung finds there is far much more levels in what he calls "value intensities," which underlie many complexes.

Jung also briefly goes into the archaic man's interpretation of all chance events having external meanings and causes, or as causal occurrences and the contrast of the modern man's ability to see the majority of chance and unexplainable events as the human imagination, as the perception of the human. Also the same ability of assumptions in the archaic man, can be seen in the modern who uses science as the foundation over the supernatural.

Jung's essay on psychology and literature is my favorite essay. It hits on something I both think of and am affected by almost every day. I found this entirely meaningful and very much profound. In this he writes of two types of writers; those that explain all they write of and those that have visions where their writing is obscure and needs the psychologist to read into. It is those visionaries that are the most inspiring. Here there exists those as in The Shepherd of Hermas, in Dante, in the second part of Faust, in Nietzsche's Dionysian exuberance, in Wagner's Nihelungenriing, in Spitteler's Olympischer Fruhling, in the poetry of William Blake, in the lpnerotomachia of the monk Francesco Colonna, and in Jacob Boehme's philosophic and poetic stammerings.

Jung speaks of the human intuition that points to things that are unknown and hidden, and by our very nature are secret and that throughout human history this unfathomable primordial source of creative experience been expressed in images, as in the sun-wheel, in attempting to point to this. The artist and poet will resort to mythology and images which only appear to occur in dreams, cases of insanity, narcotic states and eclipses of consciousness.

"A great work of art is like a dream; for all its apparent obviousness it does not explain itself and is never unequivocal. A dream never says; "you ought," or "this is the truth." It presents an image in much the same way as nature allows a plant to grow, and we must draw our own conclusions." p. 171

I really can't even begin to touch on all the vital, significant and soul inspiring information that is loaded in the pages of this book and I think as I try I am taking away from what's written far better than what I'll ever write. I recommend this book.

Someone said in a review that this book isn't applicable for people alive today, that it was only relevant back when it was written a little over 60 years ago.

I can't disagree more. The book is just as relevant now, if not more so.

In one of the essays from this book, Jung accurately predicted today's raging "cultural battles" between proponents of so called "ID" theory and those who espouse Evolution, when he said, correctly, that natural science has for all practical purposes shot down the whole notion of anything "magical" or "supernatural" about the psyche. It's puzzling that in light of the overwhelming mountain of scientific evidence to the contrary, a vast majority of people in the U.S. still believe in "eternal life", and "heaven" and "hell".

Maybe if those who believe in whatever religion they think is the only true religion could loosen up a little, and realize that all religions are organized, but slightly different interpretations of our collective conscious handed down to us through the ages, we might not have problems like 9/11 and ongoing wars, not to mention the ugly politics in this country, all driven by the sentiment "My God is the only right God".

While indirectly discounting the ideas of "heaven" and "hell", as those terms, or their endless variations are commonly defined in most of the world's religions, Jung does point out that there is still a mysterious quality about thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. separate and apart from "reason". Maybe that "spot" is where the "soul" or "spirit" truly resides.

If there were a way for people to find this within themselves, they might just find "God" at last. And if this type of personal, inward looking belief system could be more widely developed, we, as humans, might find better ways to get along.

Not to rain on anyone's religious parade, but the religions "du jour" (or of the current times), will be no more relevant millenia from now (or sooner?) than the religions espoused by the Greeks, the Romans, the Zoroastrians, Druids, or the Pagans before us.

Having said that, we're damned if we have religion and damned if we don't (no pun intended), because one argument that Jung makes for religion being beneficial for society is that if we didn't have religion, God only knows whether we'd all kill each other or not (once again, no pun intended).

Jung's bottom line argument is that you're not going to find God in your local synagogue, church, temple, or mosque, in spite of our collective conscious efforts being channeled toward those places.

This book is very clear, insightful and helpful! When reading it, one may be made aware of ways one has not been as kind as one could or should be - and what one can do to change.

This is hands down one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Fr. Lovasik really pushes the reader toward greater holiness by encouraging the practice of kindness.

The author begins the book with an observation that struck close to home for me--that because one is spiritually devout does not mean one is kind. Some very religious people, he notes, can also be very unkind. So what exactly does the author mean by kindness? In short: If you raise your voice in anger (even to your spouse or children), you are being unkind. If you insist on having the last word in an argument, you are being unkind. If you talk about others behind their backs, you are being unkind. If you listen to gossip, you are being unkind. If you speak with sarcasm, you are being unkind. If three of you are sitting at a table and two of you engage in a conversation in which the other person is left out, you are being unkind. If you wait for others to ask for help before you offer assistance, you are being unkind. If you don't smile enough, you are being unkind. If you jump to negative conclusions about people you meet, you are being unkind. The list goes on and on.

Fr. Lovasik stresses that it is the "little" things in life that often have profound everlasting consequences. Regardless of how faithfully we might pray or read the Bible or attend Mass, it is our kindness that draws people to God--and our unkindness that repels them. Kindness and unkindness alike are contagious, the author points out. Something as small as a smile can brighten another person's day; a frown or a harsh word can have the opposite effect.

If you don't like to have your toes stepped on, this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you're looking for someone to help you conform to the image of Christ, this is a must read.

This is a great book for any age or stage in life. It is challenging and insightful.

No one can read this book, The Hidden Power of Kindness, without looking at himself and his behavior towards his brother. It illluminates the little, yet destructive things that we do to one another, but on the otherhand, it illluminates the little, yet life healing things we can do to one another! Love lives and acts through kindness.

"The Hidden Power of Kindness: A Practical Handbook for Souls Who Dare to Transform the World, One Deed at a Time" by Rev. Lawrence Lovasik is an abridged edition of "Kindness" which was originally published in 1962. Its message is as important today as it was then, perhaps even more so.

We live in a rude world. It often seems that people have forgotten how to be kind. "The Hidden Power of Kindness" seeks to remind us. Lovasik begins by offering six simple rules to living kindly, three "don'ts" and three "do's:"

"1) Don't speak unkindly of anyone.
2) Don't speak unkindly to anyone.
3) Don't act unkindly toward anyone.

1) Do speak kindly of someone at least once a day.
2) Do think kindly about someone at least once a day.
3) Do act kindly toward someone at least once a day."

When you do commit an unkind act, ask God for forgiveness, offer an apology to the person, if possible, and say a prayer for the person you offended.

The remainder of "The Hidden Power of Kindness" expands upon those simple rules, providing concrete examples of ways to practice kindness. Jesus told us to love our neighbor. Acting with kindness is a powerful step to living that mandate. Lovasik's book offers a wonderful blueprint for transforming your life and your relationships with other people.

This is a wonderful introduction to Italian Renaissance art, completely accessible and scholarly at the same time. Not to be read in one sitting though. An hour at a time is enough. Good for use as a college text as well. Don't feel you have to read every page. If your interest flags, go on to another section where you find the art more appealing.

Gave it to my husband for Christmas. He likes it very much and he is very fussy about books.

Its a subjective opinion "Good as New" - I would not give this description to the book I received. It was in Good condition, but definitely NOT "Good as New" - The book looked well used but not abused - Oh well, its a great book and will be well used again and again and again.

Frederick Hartt wrote the original book The History of Italian Renaissance Art however, he is now deceased. David Wilkins, Professor Emeritus Art History, University of Pittsburgh and recognized expert on this important period of world art, has authored the recent History of Italian Renaissance Art books.

I don't give 5-star ratings very often. I reserve them for only the best, and this is indeed the best Italian Renaissance book. I received my undergraduate degree in art history and this was the text used in my Italian Renaissance class. Now, I am completing my master's and we are using the same text, updated edition. It does not read as a textbook for those considering leisure reading. It reads like art history books by Marilyn Stokstad. It is written in easy to understand language, with chapters being grouped by years. There are a TON of pictures! I would say 50% of the book is pictures and 95% of those are in color. There are a few B&W pictures but they are of obscure sculptures or paintings. The book was originally written by Frederick Harrt who was one of the 'Monument Men' in World War II who went around Italy documenting art, missing, damaged, or otherwise. He has passed away but David Wilkins has kept up on the new editions with the current scholarship being done in Renaissance Art. Whether you get this as a textbook for a class, or leisure reading, a coffee table book perhaps, or even a Christmas book for a hard-to-but-for relative, it is well worth the money.

I am an elementary school librarian and have been reading this exceptional book to two fifth-grade classes over the course of about 6 weeks.

Every week they came into the library, eager to continue the story again. First, we'd review what happened the week before, then I would read for about 30 minutes. When we came upon any new ASL words, we would look them up and learn them together. When I finally had to stop reading after the 30 minutes was up, I'd get "Don't stop" groans and then applause!!!

This is such a great read-aloud book! We had some really insightful discussions and we learned SO much! We laughed and we cried (Oh, boy, it's hard to read when you're crying!). None of us will ever forget Sukari and Joey. There are now 60 young people (and three "old" ones!) that will never look at a chimp or any other primate the same again.

Ms. Rorby, THANK YOU for this book! Can't wait to get "Dolphin Sky!"

Thirteen year old Joanne "Joey" Willis has been deaf since the age of six. Her mother Ruth wants her to function in the hearing world by reading lips and adapting to school life with special sound monitors, but despite Ruth's efforts, Joey struggles to fit in and feels isolated from her classmates as well as her family.

Things change when Joey meets Dr. Charles Mansell (Charlie) and his baby chimpanzee Sukari who both speak American Sign Language. Charlie begins to teach Joey ASL, opening up a whole new world of communication for her - against her mother's wishes. Sukari and Joey form a unique bond but when Charlie's situation changes, it is up to Joey to speak up for Sukari and protect the life of her new found friend.

Hurt Go Happy is a captivating and believable novel, with details based on true events. The characters are richly drawn and ready to pull readers in from the very first chapter. Ginny Rorby expertly describes problems involving the culture clash between deaf and hearing people and also weaves several other serious issues into her story, including: animal rights, teen friendships, fitting in at school, family conflicts, homelessness, and abuse. Highly emotional and overwhelmingly powerful, Hurt Go Happy is an amazingly well written book.

I had actually never heard of this title until I stumbled across it on the New York Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age" list for 2007. How I had missed it is a mystery, one that I can only chalk up to a lack of promotional advertising. Which is a horrible shame, because this book is one of the best I've read in years. If you haven't read it, you should. If you've never heard of it, don't worry, because you'll never forget it once you've read it.

I didn't have a lot of preconceived ideas going into the story. From the book jacket, I knew that HURT GO HAPPY was about a girl named Joey who was deaf, and who lived with a mother who forbid her to learn ASL, or American Sign Language. I knew that she met a chimpanzee named Sukari, who had been raised almost like a child by a man named Charlie, who had taught her ASL. What I didn't know was that this is the most emotional story I've ever read. It may have been a mistake to read this book at work (Don't worry, I'm allowed!), because I broke down in tears more times than I can count while reading it.

It's true that Joey is deaf. She wasn't born that way, but suffered from a childhood incident that isn't revealed until close to the end of the book. The reader knows that it must have been something bad, and it probably has something to do with why her mother, Ruth, doesn't want her learning to sign. That abhorrent, inane hatred of sign language is an attribute of Ruth's that had me disliking her from the first, and even though, over time, her stance ultimately changes, I never came to fully enjoy her as a character. That being said, though, she is one of the strongest characters of the story, and even though I fault her for many mistakes she made throughout HURT GO HAPPY, you can always understand, on some level, how she came to make them.

When Joey meets Charlie, an older doctor who lives close to their home in California, she is immediately taken with him. Not only does he know sign language, but he truly knows her -- and for a girl like Joey, cut off from so many people at home and at school by her inability to communicate easily, this is a treasure. When she meets Sukari, the chimp who is more like a child, she's smitten.

Over the course of months, Joey, Charlie, and Sukari bond as if they were their own tightly knit family, and in a way they are. There are obstacles to overcome, as always, that involve Joey's family, Charlie's health, and Sukari's relationship with them all. HURT GO HAPPY spans the course of years, and during that time we see a myriad of changes, from Joey learning to sign and attending a school for the deaf, from Charlie suffering from his bad heart, and from Sukari being taken from the only home she's ever known to ultimately end up in a research lab.

This isn't an easy story to read, but it's so heartfelt and true that you won't want to stop reading it. Although it's hard to say whether or not HURT GO HAPPY has a happy ending, it has one that is so true to life that you'll understand it's the only way it could have ended. The author makes it clear that this is a story based on true events, and that fact alone will have you thinking of the world in new ways. This book isn't just about being deaf, nor is it strictly about using animals for testing. It's about the choices we make, the burdens we carry, and the love that gets us through it all.

There is so much more I could tell you about this book. I could tell you that I ordered a copy of the AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CONCISE DICTIONARY so that my daughter and I could learn more signs. I could tell you that I ordered books about other chimps who have lived their lives using ASL. I could mention that, although I had previously never thought much about testing on animals, I now can't stop thinking about it. I could also tell you that, genetically, chimpanzees share over 98% of the same DNA as humans. In the end, though, I'll just say that HURT GO HAPPY is, simply stated, amazing. Read it. You'll be glad you did. I promise.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

"I'm not going to let anyone take her from the only home she knows."

Joey is a young girl who is legally deaf, but doesn't know sign language because of her mother's objections. Then, she meets Charlie and Sukari, an older man and a sign language speaking chimpanzee who change her life. She begins to learn sign language behind her mother's back. Then, something tragic happens and immediate responsibility of Sukari is put on Joey.
Personally I loved the enchanting story of Hurt Go Happy. It brought tears, laughs, and smiles that only an amazing book can bring. I think it contains a strong message about how anything you do, or anyone you meet can come with a life changing experience. I believe that this book best relates to teenage girls, or young adults with disabilities. Also, anyone that loves a "not so classic'' book about human and animal relationships.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is interested in reading. Hurt Go Happy will take you on an adventure of ups, downs, and even some corkscrews. I personally have read many books this past year and Hurt Go Happy has to be one of the best. Read it and weep, smile, and laugh....

-Rachel Sukenik

This book keeps you captivated. I couldn't put the book down. I would have to force myself to, just so I could do other things in my day.

Well, I think it is very educational. There are so many parents of deaf children who still today feel like thier child needs to "fit it" to the hearing world. In order to do that, they really do need to learn ASL. Reading lips is hard to do, they don't always catch on to every word and then they are to figure out what is said. How can they truely communicate? What about when they are no longer children, but adults? Still struggling to communicate. How far do you think they can succeed trying to complete the partial sentences they interpret from lip reading. In the story, Joey's mom feels that learning sign will make her "handicap" more noticeable. Yet, being deaf is not a handicap. So Joey trys to learn ASL through a new friend even though her mom is against her learning it. She struggles to convince her mom of this and how alone and isolated she is more so not knowing sign.

It's a good book, it really is.

This important book reveals another dimension to Tolkien that remains obscured by his monumental storytelling. Tolkien was gifted with a many-sided creativity, as most artists are, and his visual creativity casts as vivid a vision of re-enchantment as his written work.

This book is much better than I thought it would be. Mostly I was curious to see more of Tolkien's art, but the text that goes along with it is wonderful. Christopher Tolkien asked the authors to write this book to showcase his father's art, and they do a wonderful job of describing the pictures, pointing out details that I missed, and putting them in context of when and where and why Tolkien drew them. Several versions of the same pictures are shown so you can see how Tolkien worked through a problem until he found the best final product. Plus the inspirations for some of the pictures are also shown, to show that Tolkien copied others sometimes, but in the end put his own mark on it. By copied, I don't mean plagarized. He drew his eagle from a book of birds to make sure he got it right, or was inspired by other artists particular works. Highly recommended if you are a Tolkien fan. If you are just into art and not a Tolkien fan, then I don't think this will interest you.

This book is a great way to collect some of Tolkien's best works of art and to get a glimpse behind the scenes of one of the greatest literary figures of the 20th century. Highly recommended.

Lleno de ilustraciones color, y algunas en blanco y negro. Me gusta porque es lo que Tolkien imaginó para sus obras... eso es lo que lo hace más hermoso. Además demuestra que Tolkien era un alma muy sensible, amante de la naturaleza, y esto se refleja no solo en sus libros sino también en sus dibujos. Me gustaría que estos dibujos estén incluidos en sus obras, no solo los dibujos de otros artistas. Hermoso, hermoso, para todos los admiradores de Tolkien.

This book features many of Tolkien's ink, watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil works. The detailed descriptions of each drawing include history, explanations, and dates. Quite a few maps are included, as well as illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is wonderful to see how Tolkien imagined Middle Earth and its inhabitants. The colors he used are very earthy and lovely.

My favorite drawing in this book is "End of the World" done in pencil and colored pencil on a sheet of notebook paper - you can actually see the lines of the paper. It is so simple; yet, the story it tells includes subtle intricacies and complexities similar to those in his writings. I also love the pencil and colored pencil drawing, "The Tree of Amalion," which obviously blooms with the flowers of Tolkien's imagination since they do not resemble traditional flowers. Finally, the hand drawn Christmas cards are beautiful mini-stories with dancing bears and penguins, and Father Christmas making deliveries.

This book is truly exquisite, full of details and surprises for those of us who didn't know Tolkien was an extremely talented artist. It is a worthwhile purchase in my opinion.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles

Everything about this amazing guide is RIGHT from it's convenient size to its comprehensive content. If you know what you need to measure, you'll find the right tool for it here and even if you don't know what to measure, it'll tell you. Just fantastic. A treasure. Useful tip. It's a great resource when I need to present complex information visually in a presentation. Use it for inspiration if, like me, you struggle with visualising business concepts

The day after I bought it my boss asked me to build a priority matrix. I didn't bat an eyelash. I went back to my desk and 15 minutes later I emailed him a priority matrix for our project. He had a meeting in the conference room 15 minutes later with the director and partner. They were so impressed with my work. Thanks Memory Jogger II.

The book provided quick tips for facilitation and team building. I like the format which allows for using the book without ruining the pages.

I had to get this for an MBA class I am currently taking. It provides summaries and examples of common business tools in a small package. It's a great reference guide. I didn't do a lot of searching, but for the little searching I did, Amazon had the lowest price.

This book is set up for anyone to have many tools for them to use at anytime. It has flowcharting, public speaking, many diagrams, and several team based exercises to help become better. In the front of the book it has a tool selector, and it takes some of the guess work out of tool selection.This is just one of many great books this company offers. Our copmany uses several of these in our professional training with our clients. This is a really good book for those looking for continuous improvement. The Memory Jogger Plus is an excellent book also and has many great tools and other goodies.

This book has helped me so much! The directions are clear and easy to understand!

I finally finished after about 30 years! My problem was that the squares weere not all the same size and I didn't know how to sew them up. Turned out to be very easy as the yarn was wool so all the squares were quite easy to manipulate and you can see it in my photo above. I didn't use all the squares though. I'd love to do more from her other books.

I am a beginner knitter and have found this book to be fabulous. I have learned so very much from it. I have knitted 21 of the 63 squares so far. I am following them in the order given in the book. Some I have liked and some not. Good way to learn what kind of patterns you like. I find it very exciting. The glossary is great. Explains each type of stich in the book. Great reference source for any other project I may work on. I have bought three more of these books for each of my granddaughter who knit. I have also bought some for friends who are long time knitters and they love the book.

Verna J. LGreenan

If you want to learn to knit every imaginable type of stitch in a square that can be put into an afghan, this is THE BOOK.

Clear instructions and pictures.

Although I learned the basics many years ago, I have always been a very mediocre knitter. I have never attempted lace, cables, or multi color patterns, and aside from a few children's sweaters and simple socks, I have never completed a major handknitting project.

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for several years now, but I never seemed to have the time or nerve to begin. Finally determined to master the craft, a few weeks ago I obtained a few pounds of yarn, a pair of short #8 needles, and I finally began to work my way through. I have just finished square 21, the gorgeous 'Florentine Frieze', and I can feel my skills and confidence improve with each square. The knit-purl combination, slip stitch and mosaic patterned squares have each turned out beautifully and I am eager to get to twisted stitch paterns, cables, and lace. There is even a square to teach short-rowing.

My goal is to finish this afghan over the next two or three months. By then I believe I'll have the skills to complete any project, including a number of one of a kind sweaters that I plan to design and knit with the aid of Knitware software, this book, and/or Ms Walker's other stitch treasuries, all of which are indispensible to any serious knitting student's library.

I have been so focused on only the financial aspect of retirement, neglecting the more important aspects of wealth. This book offered a refreshing new approach to working toward financial freedom, while continually growing as a person. Well done!

This book really hits me where I live: using resources wisely and being a thoughtful consumer. It's so disheartening to see people get zapped by the $100 Target fairy then wonder why they're in their current financial and emotional situations. As Americans, aren't we entitled to buy what we want? That may be how some folks interpret the American dream. But it's time to rethink. When we're blessed with resources, we have choices. And we have the responsibility to use those choices wisely. This book shows us how we can support our families well and be able to give to others.

Lisa helps us realize the really important things in life -- love of God, ourselves and family. These are the things which make us truly blessed in our lives. Once we are clear on these priorities everything else falls into place -- including financial well-being. I encourage everyone to buy the book and spend a few hours mapping out their true path in life.

Living a Blessed life inspires you to truly appreciate what you do have. We are all caught up in this instant gratification society as the author points out, that we forget what is really important in life. Mrs. Horuczi-Markus has many good points regarding media and what massages it is sending out especially to the women both young and old. Journals are very helpful and makes you think what you really want out of life. This book is well written easy to read and understand full of good advice for our financial needs.

If you've been turned off, as I have, by self-righteous religious leaders who believe that they are rewarded with the nicest cars and the nicest houses and material riches in this life because they have won God's favor (implying that somehow all the poor and unfortunate among us are less worthy or blessed), you might be hesitant to pick up this book. But I urge you --DO pick up this book. It's incredibly refreshing to find a book that reapproaches wealth from a truly Christ-like perspective. Horuczi Markus's authentic and graceful prose remind us that the greatest wealth comes from finding self-respect and personal fulfillment through a relationship with God, which enables us to live more modestly, give more freely, save more for our own and our family's future, and truly make the world a better place while we're in it. This is an inspiring and engaging read that will remind you what it really means to live a truly blessed life.

As a lifelong fan of time travel and alternate timeline stories, I first read this yarn when it was serialized (as "Gunpowder God") in ANALOG in 1964. I came across it recently at a university book sale and decided it was time to reread it, and I wasn't disappointed. Calvin Morrison, a Korean War veteran and the son of a minister, is a corporal in the Pennsylvania State Police (an organization for which Piper evidently had a high regard). While preparing to rush a bad guy holed up in a farmhouse, he's sideswiped by a passing Paratime Patrol transtemporal vehicle and gets bounced into an alternate Pennsylvania countryside where the Aryans of India went east instead of west, occupying what did not become China and then crossing the Pacific. Morrison is extremely adaptable -- it apparently takes him only an hour or so to accept what's happened to him and that he's not going back to his own world -- and quickly finds himself "Lord Kalvan," chief advisor and war leader to Ptosphes, Prince of Hostigos. All in all, this is a delightful exercise in military and geopolitical fantasizing . . . though it seems odd that people who get scooped up willy-nilly and dumped in ancient Rome, or wherever, always seem to possess all the political, historical, and technical knowledge to set themselves up nicely. Of course, if the displaced person were an overweight fries-cooker at Burger King, or a Mary Kay saleswoman, there wouldn't be much of a story! This is by far the best (and longest) of Piper's Paratime stories. If you liked Sprague De Camp's _Lest Darkness Fall,_ you'll love this one!

Calvin Morrison is a Pennsylvania State Trooper who suddenly finds himself lifted out of his (our) world, and deposited on a parallel Earth. In this other Pennsylvania he finds a small kingdom of bearded primitives who appear to be on the losing end of a war of conquest. The locals have so little gunpowder compared to their enemies because the secret of making it is controlled by a corrupt religious order, Styphon's House. Calvin, a student of military history, finds himself proclaimed Lord Kalvan, and given the job of rescuing a seemingly hopeless situation.

This book is very well written, and the action is gripping. I've already read this book three times, and it gets better each time.

Cpl. Calvin Morrison of the Pennsylvania State Police goes out to arrest a killer, stumbles into a lateral time machine, and falls suddenly into the feudal princedom of Hostigos, which is not in another world, but right in the middle of Pennsylvania. Hostigos, ruled by a benevolent prince with a beautiful daughter, faces the short end of a war of extermination. Morrison has a chance to display his leadership ability, utilize his knowledge of military history, rescue the princedom, and wed the princess (who could never be mistaken for the stereotypical damsel in distress). But can he do it before he is hunted down by the Paratime Police? He did, after all, manage to shoot a Paratime Policeman when he stumbled into the lateral time machine.

Piper explores the ramifications of alternate universes and parallel time lines, and makes good use of his knowledge of Renaissance military science in crafting a fast moving, entertaining novella. He should have written a novel.

The title of my review pretty much says it all. The other reviewers have pretty much laid out the story line. Like the other reviewers; from the time when I read my first sci-fi, the idea of being whisked away from the boring 20th century to a place where I could be a sword swinging gallant, in a far away fantasy land, where I fight the good fight, defeat evil, and win not only the princess but the crown. H. Beam Piper made it live and breathe in what I think was his best work. One only has to read a single novel by Piper to wish that he had lived long enough to not only gift us with more brilliant stories, and to receive the recognition as a Grandmaster writer of the genre. Any writer who could range from Little Fuzzy, to Lone Star Planet, and the miriad worlds of Paratime; what surprises would have come next?

Okay, the other reviews tell you about the story, I first read this story in 1977 before they stuck those damned UPC codes on the book covers! (at least on most books). I was completely enraged at H. Beam Piper for photocopying my fantasies, until I found out the story was written prior to my birth! What s-f fan, history buff, and other cool hobbyist have not dreamed of being whisked off to another world where he can "Win The Day"! If you are in the Society of Creative Ananchronisms you should checketh this out, if you are a muzzleloading buff, read it. If you are someone who just likes a good improbable/probable yarn, READ IT! If we could get the makers of "Lord Of The Ring" to make this a flick, FABULOUS!

This comprehensive work consists of bits of information derived from everything that ever had anything to do with Tolkien, his manuscripts, letters, and works, and it is astounding. Every annotation is explained in depth and with accuracy.

I just got the book but am thoroughly impressed with this work. Each book is broken down pretty much by paragraph and the relevant information and background, and history is given. I look forward to exploring more with this book, and would definitely recommend this to any fan of LOTR.

As the authors point out in their own introduction, publishing an annotated edition of The Lord of the Rings, complete with the text, was a practical impossibility. Thus was this "Reader's Companion" brought into being. Perhaps not so intuitive and casual to use (as is, say, Douglas Anderson's "Annotated Hobbit") with a separate copy of LOTR, but at nearly 1200 pages, and with this Companion running over 900 pages, you can easily see why Hammond and Scull and their publishers chose to go this route. As a single volume such a thing might be used to stun a Warg!

As a guide, index, and explicatory text, LOTR: A Reader's Companion excels and exceeds expectations. It is very nearly exhaustive, without being exhausting (as such a book might easily have been). Rigorous and of real use to the serious scholar and academic, but readiy accessible and fun to read for the general Tolkien reader who takes pleasure in going deeper into the story, the backstory, and the life of Tolkien and his greatest tale.

LOTR: A Reader's Companion is as well a clear and well organized accesory volume. Much easier to use than most supplemental guides, it is keyed chapter-by-chapter, and page-by-page to the main text (I have 7 editions of LOTR, paper and hardcover, single-volume and sets, and finding the passage referred to in this Reader's Companion is quick and easy in most cases, as is finding appropriate entries in the RC while reading LOTR and coming across an item you want to know more about). I strongly recommend this book to any reader who has or will read LOTR more than once. It is addictive and fun to read all by itself, and deeply informing when read side-by-side with its source.

The book itself is a sturdy, handsome, well put together piece of publishing. A nicely utilitarian, simple, but still elegant cloth binding, with bright foil stamped spine, and a jacket with a plasticized lining, which will make it stand many more hours and years of handing and reading than most paper backed jackets. The paper is excellent stock, of moderate weight in a very pale cream tone. The print is crisp, dark, and thoroughly consistent throughout (which is becoming something rare even in quality hardcovers recently), and the type is a pleasing traditional serif face of good size, and easy to read. Not certainly a self-consciously "fine" or "collector's" edition, but as definately a book that will last and put up with use, and nonetheless has been designed with care and concern for the craft of book-making.

I own it, and I recommend this "Companion" to all interested readers and their libraries, small and large. With Foster's "Complete Guide to Middle-earth" and Christopher Tolkien's "History of Middle-earth", Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull shall have an equal position (to say: even somewhat superior as regards LOTR in particular, where the other two authors' work is more widely focused on the entire legendarium and body of JRRT's work). My only cavil, and I think it slight, is the absence of photos, drawings, publishing ephemera, and other graphicals, which were so prominent and vital in Anderson's "Annotated Hobbit". But: Buy it! Read it! You'll delight in it! It will enlarge your understanding and pleasure each time you read LOTR, whole or part.

I read the Lord of the Rings about once a year, and have for a while. Even so, there is much that I don't know and a lot of background that I wish I knew.

I just bought this book, and am reading it while I re-read the LOTR. I'm reading a chapter of LOTR and then read the chapter's notes in this book. THe world of Lord of the Rings is expanding hugely for me because of the vast amounts of background information this book provides.

Highly recommended!!

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"...has left the path of wisdom." -- Gandalf

If you'd like to ruin Tolkien's beautiful and exciting story for yourself, I can't think of a better way than this excessive scholarship.

Lest "ruin" seem an extreme term, it means, in this context: remove the LotR from the realm of great story-telling, and enter it needlessly into the superfluous arena of pedantic academia.

I admit that I only got through a few pages before disposing of it, and that I fail utterly to understand what's meant to be gained from turning a tale that's merely meant to be enjoyed (for reference to this, I highly recommend The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien) into "study."

The only reason I'm writing a review in the first place -- I can't be bothered to add one for every volume of the baffling collection of rough drafts called the History of Middle-Earth -- is to counter, for curious minds, the other reviews that call this book "indispensable." It is not. By all means, dispense with it, and retain your sense of wonder for the story itself.

Those who would argue in favor of literary critics (and the like) accepting the LotR as worthy of "merit" because of publications like this should ask themselves: "Who cares? Do I enjoy Tolkien's stories or not? What does the approval of my tastes by others matter?" Seems a rather superficial aim to me.

I offer four stars nonetheless, because anything less strikes me as needlessly rude, in light of the sheer effort. The labor must have been massive.

But Tolkien would have been horrified.