M Books

I ordered the Omnibus intending to surprise my 8 year old daughter who has some of his famous children's books. When I picked it up at the store, I was surprised to learn that some of the stories had appeared in The New Yorker, and ... The Playboy! These are undoubtedly adult versions of his children's stories, with the same wickedly devious mind behind them. If, an 8 year old Charlie concocts a bitter medicine with household chemicals for his nagging grandmother, one can guess what he would do with highly potent bee protein as an adult bee keeper. You certainly need a wicked sense of humour to enjoy these stories but not since Damon Runyon's On Broadway was I so captivated by the short story. Recommended reading but certainly not for children!

i still love reading "the witches" ... but for a little more grownup roald dahl humor, the omnibus is great reading. and as it promises, it is good bedtime story-length (though you get so drawn in that it may end up stay up reading instead of stopping after one story)

Having been a devoted fan of Roald Dahl's from childhood classics like "Danny the Champion of the World" and "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" collection, I had had little exposure to his adult stories until happening upon this book recently. Lucky me for finding it. Every story was an incredibly inventive blend of character and plot, with a twist to every ending, each within the confines of a few short pages. Few other authors can match Dahl's creativity and imagination, Raymond Carver being the only other author I can think of whose short stories and ideas are as impressive in both style and substance. Do yourself a favor and pick this up - an absolute gem.

Roald Dahl has a reputation for being a great writer of disturbing, perverse short stories. This reputation doesn't quite do him justice. Yes, more than a fair share of his stories explore the darker side of human nature, but that's not what he's all about. I think it's more fair to say that he's a talented short story writer, regardless of genre.

Take for example "The Great Automatic Grammatisator." There are no gruesome deaths, no wives murdering their husbands, etc. But it's still a great story, and vintage Dahl. Here he pokes fun at his own profession, inventing a machine that can spit out full-length novels at the press of a button, simply by pulling from a list of generic characters, plot structures, and vocabulary lists. The commentary on the state of the writing profession is not very subtle, but it's hilarious nonetheless.

And that brings us to Dahl's wonderful sense of humor. Take, for instance, the following passage from the same story: "There's a trick that nearly every writer uses, of inserting at least one long, obscure word into each story. This makes the reader think that the man is very wise and clever." When asked where the machine stores all these words, the response is: "In the word-memory section," he said, epexegetically.

Or how about this exchange in "Pig," when a young man goes to the town doctor to request a death certificate for his recently-passed great aunt. "My God, is she dead?" "Certainly she's dead. If you will come back home with me now I will dig her up and you can see for yourself." "How deep did you bury her?" "Six or seven feet down, I should think." "And how long ago?" "Oh, about eight hours." "Then she's dead. Here's the certificate."

There are many gems in this collection, and not just the ones that you've probably already read like "Lamb to the Slaughter" and "The Way Up to Heaven." Read them all; only a few are disappointing. "Dip in the Pool" is fantastic, as is "The Great Switcheroo."

The one criticism I have of Dahl is that his children's fiction alter-ego tends to make an appearance every once in a while. A handful of his stories are either too simplistic or just plain silly, like they were written for a nine-year-old audience. Sorry, but I can't get into a story about a woman who finds a stray cat and thinks that the reincarnated spirit of Liszt is trapped inside. And occasionally the prose and dialog fail to connect with the mind of an adult reader. But that's okay. Dahl isn't striving for any fancy literary awards. His goal is to entertain, not exercise the mind.

Dahl is probably most famous for his stories for children: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and MATILDA come to mind.

None of the short stories herein are that kind of story. At least four first appeared in PLAYBOY, and another 7 in THE NEW YORKER. Some are risque, but not all; one would have been suitable for ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, and indeed was adapted to become one of the strongest episodes of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS ("Lamb to the Slaughter").

Specifically, this omnibus contains:
- all but 2 stories from Dahl's collection SOMEONE LIKE YOU (the two missing stories are "My Lady Love, My Dove" and "The Sound Machine");

- 9 of the 11 stories from KISS KISS (the missing pair are "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" and "Parson's Pleasure"); and

- 3 of the 4 stories from SWITCH B**** (the missing story, unfortunately, is the first uncle Oswald story, "The Visitor", which provides the backstory for how the old lecher's diaries came into the author's hands, as well as Oswald's experiences in the Sinai with a Syrian female leper).

Consequently, see reviews of the 3 individual collections for detailed discussion of all the stories herein. To summarize, the OMNIBUS makes an interesting read for an adult who can stand some macabre stories (including mysteries where justice may not be done), but this is *not* suitable bedtime reading for little children.

Why buy Sasparilla? Well, the wording is lyrical and fun to read aloud, the pictures are clear, colorful and creative, and its fun to see what the Fink is doing! Both my girls giggle at every page, and even my 9 year old stops by to listen when this one comes out!
This was "our favourite book" in my review of it in 2001, and it still is! I started reading it to each of my daughters at 10 months. Now they are 9 and 4 and the little one still asks for it all the time. Both of them absolutely adored it.
This is the ONLY book they were both wild about from the start. And they are really different kids. If you have little girls, get it!

This was SUCH a cute book - really refreshing and fun to read. Great illustrations and a very catchy style. I bought it for my one-year-old neice and her mother put it on the mantle because the cover is so charming. Compliments to the twin authors and illustators!

Sassparilla is girl of my heart, a young dreamer who knows where to begin, at a very basic level, need; when I was a kid I had a shoe collection, glass, copper, bronze, ceramic, wood, even...the old woman who lived in a shoe.

Shoes are metaphors for dreams, and because Sassparilla dreams from the heart she not only transforms her present reality but starts a path, a path of life dreaming, attracting along the way, other magic, friends--in this case, a cool green one--laughter and joy personified.

Shirley Mozelle, Author: Zack's Alligator; Zack's Alligator Goes To School; and, The Pig is in the Pantry, The Cat is on the Shelf.

I'm a barefooter myself, but if Sassy made me some shoes, I'd wear them all the time. I hope my niece follows her (the authors' and Sassparilla's) imaginative lead in life.

I gave this book to my friend's growing daughter who adores SHOES! I've been told it's been read everyday for 3 weeks straight now! Ironically, the Fink is her favorite. Look out Teletubbies, and hang on to your red purse, Tinkie Winkie...here comes the Fink!

Martin Luther King Jr. uses very apt exegesis in his Sermon about the Good Samaritan. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, with your Soul and with all your mind. The second is like unto it to love your neighbor as yourself. Sum of the Law and prophets hang on these two commandments. This truth taught by Christ was demonstrated through the telling of the story about the Good Samaritan. Martin Luther King JR's sermon on this story is an excellent analysis what it takes to be a loving neighbor. Dr. King tells how the Samaritan overcame prejudice, fear of physical danger, expenditure of money, along with inconvenience; time and effort.

In the sermon titled: Death of Evil on the Seashore, Dr. King acknowledges the existence of evil in all men's heart. The theme of this sermon is how a Christian should overcome evil acting upon oneself and respond with love. One should overcome evil with good. In this sermon, Dr. King states Jesus never made a theological statement about the origin of evil. He does state man's evil does not come forth out of mistake or misguidance. Man should be held culpable to his evil. Love is truly made manifest when in response to which one knows wishes harm or ill towards. This type of love does not come naturally to any man.

Martin Luther King Jr. was taught in his youth to hold the truths taught in the Bible are inerrant. In the final chapter, Dr. King says he entered seminary as a fundamentalist. In his senior year he introduced himself to various theological theories and critical thought when he read various books. Dr. King says at one time he became enamored and held liberal theological uncritically including the belief that man is generally good. Objective appraisal and critical analysis are terms Dr. King acquaints with liberalism. Dr. King says liberalism taught him to have an open and critical mind. In reading the `works of Richard Niebuhr made me aware of the complexity of human motives and the reality of sin on every level of man's existence.' Pg. 136 I would think Martin Luther King Jr. would have been taught about Total Depravity in his years going to church. Dr. King rejects the concept of God being Holy other: hidden and unknown. Dr. King states the influence Walter Rauschenbusch's book: Christianity and the Social Gospel had on him. Then student King searched other philosophers who were not theologians about how to bring social change. Student King was in despaired until he discovered and learned about how Mahatma Gandhi brought social justice to India through nonviolence and the term Satyagraha. Satya means truth which equals love. Graha means force.

Paul's letter to American Christians is a sermon by Dr. King in which he attempts to use the voice Paul's letter to instruct the Christian Church in the United States about disunity in the Body of Christ and unchristian thinking among its members. Cultural, political, and the state of Christendom are the focus of the sermon. I think Martin Luther King Jr. tries to invoke the sentiment of Ephesians 4:1-3:

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you to live the life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. In this letter Dr. King criticizes the multiplication of denomination of churches in the United States. He praises the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. He argues for unity with the Roman Catholic Church with no note that there are some things Christians cannot compromise about. Racism and disunity is the only sin taken to task. I do believe racism is an unfruitful of darkness and Paul did address this in his letters-it is not the only unfruitful works of Darkness:

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.
. Ephesians 5:11

A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
Pg. 3 "The historic- philological criticism of the Bible is considered by the soft minded as blasphemous and reason is often looked upon as the exercise of a corrupt faculty. Soft minded persons have revised the Beatitudes to read, blessed are the pure in ignorance: for they shall see God."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes from Matthew 10:16 - Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as Doves.

Later Dr. King equates science as reality and religion as values. He sees the tough minded as those who incorporate their faith to fit science. Dr. King does not believe the Bible is to be taken at face value but be interpreted trough the lens of science and other philosophical thought. Theological thought is used and the Bible is quoted to make the argument, but only when facts are determined elsewhere. Values are not defined through God's written word but to collaborate outside sources. Values are determined and thought processes are discovered with the Bible as the secondary source.

In 1983 I entered teaching in West Virginia and received this book as a present from one of my teachers. In two years I moved to South Central to teach at 93rd Street School then into the Salinas valley and now in Oxnard.It has proved itself to be of great use to a teacher. I say this by way of explaining that as an elementary teacher, one working with a variety of settings, children, cultures, families, many kinds of educational issues I've come to believe that the book King wrote, this book, is a true helpmate to anyone trying to deal with inequity and injustice.Teaching is an act that requires a very deep understanding of who you are, your strengths, purpose, and this volume supports the evolution of your social conscious. For me the text allowed me to solidify who I am as a teacher and why I do what I do. One example might be the difficult job it is to teach in schools under assault for doing poorly, seemingly being de-constructed by politics without enough valid insight into ways to guide real improvement and coming up against ignorance in many forms-including the disparity in economic means permitted in America. It's not easy to teach children with vast dental decay, families out of work and watch a nation laud this as positive "welfare reform" when stranding these children in worse fixes. Sometimes I find it infinitely difficult to love my neighbor,well, my voucher loving neighbor, or even find commonality with those in million dollar homes feeling botox might make them both more appealing and more interesting.The child as a commodity construct which is now prevalent in educational dialog, among many other kinds of views, I find difficult to separate from the individuals telling me( in often rude and hurtful ways) that my efforts educationally are a failure and that schools don't work. In my world it's a constant Lou Dobbs immigration rant that somehow is hiding vaguely words that really seem to be saying something else. I tire of watching the reality of racism, class ism acted out in the lives of children-and this is a fatigue that easily becomes anger-King speaks to this.... I find myself lacking the strength to love positions taken by those that really don't know what they are talking about, and don't care other than for personal advantaging anyway.... There is something truly fascinating about having a book that describes both your situation and your feelings as well as frames this into affective forward action-King can give you individual empowerment quite readily.And he can help you address your mindset. And that in this world of mine is a beautiful thing. I frame my work with principles that are able to outweigh the personal likes and dislikes levels...so I bring to school dealings my thoughts that I am there to help Anthony be the best Anthony he can be...not to condemn Anthony to my judgment about him. Let us say then King's is an active lexicon and this volume is insightful for someone wishing to everyday face injustice and difficulty with positive reaction and action. For me as a person I find the book more helpful than any I ever had.

If anyone underestimates MLK's true intellectual ability, or simply wants to revisit the kind of person he was, a read of this book should serve to illustrate that America has had a prophet in my lifetime. Truly this should be required reading in high school and college programs for the young persons of our country to become acquainted with and use in working on social issues.

Let's not just sit in silence on *Martin Luther King Day* - - We must ask ourselves how WE can carry forward Dr. King's message & become agents for change. Reading his words in "STRENGTH TO LOVE" makes an excellent beginning.

Remember those words from the Bible that challenged us "to love justice"? King's sermons (collected mostly from the time of the bus boycott) prod us today to carry forth "the Power of One" and make this particular holiday a statement of our own acts of Love. To love takes courage as well as strength.

Since the Gulf state hurricanes, we have witnessed injustice toward blacks as blatant as any experienced in the 40's. To summon up the hope and optimism that kept Martin Luther King's message alive is an absolute necessity today. To exercise King's principles, to work for justice, to not allow ourselves to sit in silence - - that's where our beliefs must take us. " . . . the day we become silent about things that matter" IS THE DAY "OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END."

Love is where non-violent action begins. In his sermons King expanded on how the tactics of Gandhi can & do work a mighty force for change. For "Strength to Love" the cover art, a wood cut by Stephen Alcorn, makes another strong statement. Dr. King's words most forceful to me are about *love* and *redemption* - - (the latter is an under-used word these days) - - and the last chapter in which he shared his amazing *PILGRIMAGE* through philosophy and experience. Reviewer mcHAIKU echoes the hope of many: that we act responsibly, energetically and courageously to speak truth to Power. "I ain't gonna study war not more." (Martin Luther King Day, 1-16-06)

Timeless. As relevant now as what it was when it was written. Addresses the issues of hate and indifference and argues that the solution is love. Love does sound all too simplistic but it is one of the hardest things to face but its rewards are beyond words.

"Strength to Love" woke me up.

It made Dr. King so much more real. It contains some of the most powerful teachings on how to love in situations where it is difficult to. Not love -in the romantic sense - but rather, in a much deeper way - as in love of humankind. Of Christ-love. Just read his sermon on "Loving your enemies": he starts with the difficulty of reconciling this commandment, and finishes with a flury of passion exhorting us to make this commandment real when he starts with the words "To our most bitter opponents, we say...". It's not just the banter and broad strokes which he uses so magnificently to generate his passion. He also gathers support from folks such as Emerson, Napolean, Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche and the Bible of course. All of this to convey a sense of urgency to show how low we all have come, and at the same time to inspire us to a place where we can go.

While you may not agree with what he says, you must admire and respect what he says. Dr. King's messages aren't easy to digest- but he says the right thing - which is not always, the easy thing. Even though these teachings were written over 40 years ago now, his messages in "Strength" are no less relevant and more important than ever.

If there is one important question that will affect your entire destiny it is, "How do I hear the Voice of God?" Written in a style that it more a personal counseling session that literature, this book will bring comfort to a confused heart.

One of the most important question you can ask that will affect your entire destiny it is, "How do I hear the Voice of God?" Written in a style that it more a personal counseling session that literature, this book will bring comfort to a confused heart.

In this practical and biblical examination of the gift of prophecy, Cindy Jacobs clearly defines what prophecy is and how it works. Attention is given to both personal prophecy and corporate prophecy.

This is probably the best book for those who are new to the Prophetic. It does an excellent job of outlining the history and basics of the gift of Prophecy (and Prophetic Intercession), teaching fundamentals that are needed to operate in ministry, and to recieve prophetic words more appropriately. More important than the information it provides is the fact that it motivates you to minister prophetically, and addresses much of the fear we have when we begin to operate in that realm. This book was not only packed full of information and encouragement, but Cindy Jacobs does an excellent job of making it an effortless read. In fact, it would have been easy to read in one sitting, had I not been so engrossed in the learning that I had to put it down each chapter and think and pray about each section. Overall I greatly recommend it for beginners who are just learning, and even the more seasoned ministers that need an encouragement boost.

Even though I have not finished reading this book, I have found it to be most helpful to me in regards to my prophetic ministry. I recommend this book to anyone who desires to know and understand the prophetic.

Thank you,
Betty J. Harris

In this slender volume, Fr. Lee not only provides a neat summary of Wagner's epic, but an ample and insightful look at the political and philophical underpinnings of the opera's genesis. His discussion of Schopenhauer's influence, albeit a surface treatment, never overwhelms the reader. Nor does the discussion of the leitmotives bog the reader down and detract from a lively and personal narrative. Highly recommended.

I found Father Owen Lee's interpretation of Wagner's Ring concise, beautifully written and coherent. I was utterly mesmerized and could not put the book down until I had read it.

Father Lee's book is essentially a fleshing out of some radio commentary given on the Ring cycle. While it is a short book and a quick read, it is insightful, deep, and well worth study and discussion.

There is no single 'correct' way to interpret Wagner's giant gesamtkunstwerk, one reason why so many books of interpretations and analysis of the pieces struggle for shelf space. This one makes a worthy addition to the pile.

Readers new to the Ring will find the synopsis and discussion of each opera informative and most valuable in getting them started to a basic understanding. Those more familiar with the Ring should find much to think about and compare with their own or other interpretations.

Supplemental to the text are suggested recordings, short reviews of additional books worth investigating, and a brief list of some of Wagner's more well-known musical motifs. There are more complete such lists and references available, but again for the novice these will all be of great help.

I found Lee's book informative, fascinating, and useful.

This little book is an excellent introduction for folks like myself who have tried for years to make sense of the cycle. The narration gives a plot synopsis followed by the author's view of the meaning behind the drama. I have always been fascinated by Wagner's Ring Cycle though I do not know German. I have been very intrigued by the music. Well this book gave me a tiny little bit to get me going.

Much of Father Owens' analysis may not meet with everyone's interpretation of the cycle but it does make one think.

There is a section at the end that contains written music. My knowledge of reading music is very scant so I just ignored that section. It is not germane to the narrative because one can get these examples by listening to the work. For good examples get An Introduction To Wagner's Der Ring Des Nebulungen by Deryck Cooke on CD. Mr. Cooke's CD gives audio examples that one can appreciate without knowing how to read music.

to one of the most multi-layered works of art in existence.

I have wanted to see this opera series for over 20 years, ever since I saw an opera properly prepared by a Wagner fanatic. Finally, I was in a place where I could, so I turned to the various preparations that I could find.

This short book was indisputably one of the best, and it doesn't shy from bold pronouncements and interpretations. Lee is a classical scholar of great learning and brings together a huge range of sources in this 100plus-page book.

First, he gives a synopsis. Then, he interprets it, with full awareness that the reader may disgree. While the content is covered by other reviewers here, I wanted to say that this added immensely to my experience of this uniquely complex work of near-modern art. Plus, it is aimed that at erudite admirers, but to those (like me) desperate for an anchor as I approach the unique intensity of Wagner.

While it relies a bit too heavily on depth psychology, which places this interpretation at a certain time, it is never dogmatic and addresses many of the other philosophical ideas that underlie it. This is my only caveat. Truly great works of art are re-interpreted by every age, and this one will be too. In addition, it cannot be the only source one approaches - you need to listen to the music as well, so this is one supplement.

Warmly recommended.

This is a good one but is not as clear & comprehensive as "Everything You Need To Know About The Music Business" (Donald Passman)

I highly recommend this book to gain greater insights in the Music business or any business. It was a great buy along with a couple of manuals I purchased from Musicbrains.net entitled the Indie label Kit.

The hardships of surviving on the music industry can be easily compare with the jungle, where nothings is what it seems and danger lurks around every corner. This book is a guide that explains all the dangerous species and all the hazardous area, but also revealing the safe zones and undisputable truths about a world dominated by the strong ones. A good book with great references that has and will be appreciated by many.

Peter Thall's book at first struck me as a good book to have in the collection.

When I started reading it I thought, OH NO, its gonna put me to sleep. Perhaps at times, but mostly I found myself realizing I had not asked myself certain essential questions...which woke me right up!

It IS thick with legal issues. But, we are at this moment budgeting a tour and also negotiating with a manager...and the book made me think of things I would not have thought of. It looks like the book may have saved us from running the tour in the red (at a loss)! We will see how it all works out soon.

Gives a good view of how the money moves in the music business. It gives you ideas you can try to use in negotiations for a better arrangement. Lots of things to avoid and to think about that often get overlooked. What to think about before you sign that contract.

We are negotiating a deal and I pulled out this book and looked through the chapter corresponding to our deal. I got a whole page of questions and things to discuss BEFORE we finalized.

That IS one of Thall's goals with this book. If you forget to discuss it before you sign, then it is too late to talk about it later.

I have read "All You Need to Know About the Music Business" by Donald Passman and I recommend this as a Compliment to that excellent tome on the biz. If you are looking at them both trying to decide...you will have to decide what the application is. If you are an Indie artist/Manager at the early stages of your career then I would say, though "All You Need" is a more comprehensive overview, this may be more easy to take in and applicable to the issues you will be facing right now.

I do recommend them both as Passman discusses many issues not covered here.

Mr. Thall has done us a service. He has forewarned us of many of the pitfalls.

Already, it has helped immensely.

Not a replacement for good legal representation...but it may just save your behind!

From beginning to end, this extremely informative book is filled with music industry tips, anecdotes, and reality checks from one of the most respected entertainment lawyers in the country. As an entertainment lawyer myself, I have benefited greatly from Mr. Thall's straight talk on the way the industry actually works. I have recommended this book to all of my music clients and their managers, all of whom have reported that they have found the book easy to read, eye opening, and well worth their time.

If you are currently in or thinking about getting into the music industry, make the modest investment and purchase this book---to get this much advice, guidance, and perspective from a qualified attorney, particularly one with Mr. Thall's impressive resume, you will easily spend hundreds or thousands more than the cost of this excellent book.

I, a single, never married, man in my mid-30s, am only partially through this book and am amazed and changed by it. In today's society of lies about sex and relationships, if you are breathing you will be able to find aspects of yourself and people you know and your/their sexuality in this book. It's not whether it's an addiction but whether a particular 'use' is addictive. What a profound concept! Everyone has either done this, had it done to them, or heard about it at least once. It is all around us all the time. It is our culture, at least in the US. Broadening the addictive use of sex to include 'uses' of flirtation, provocativeness, submission/domination and sadism/masochism, fantasy, e-mails/IMing, masturbation, and pornography, as well as full on sex, is clear, effective, and true. If you are sexually active in your dating relationships and wonder why it's not working out (most singles), this applies to you. Use it to understand yourself, your friends, your children. There are a lot of examples involving full-blown addicts, but there is also a lot about sexually acting out in any of the above ways and to any extent, and you can find yourself somewhere among the pages -- men and women, guaranteed. We are all so trained by everything around us to behave in this way. It is sad and destructive. I have used and been used, and picked up this book after three very hurtful experiences with women I really cared about.

I sometimes work with people who are struggling with codependent behavior or sexual addictions. This is the book I most often recommend and I also think it is a great reference for professionals such as psychologists, personal coaches and psychiatrists.

In one very good book, Charlotte Kasl provides an excellent, easy to understand model for understanding these issues and how to overcome them. She illustrates these principles with just the right amount of relevant case histories and does it without using a lot of jargon.

This book is solid, but very readable and the author develops her topic with deep compassion. If you are only going to buy one book on this subject, I would go with this one. If you are looking for an uplifting book to compliment it that is not just a restatement of what many other books already say, then I also suggest AWAKENING IN TIME by Jacuelyn Small. She takes a very spiritual which is a synthesis of many schools of thought both East and West perspectives.

Freedom from Relationship/ Co-Dependency/ Sexual Addictions is the greatest asset to this book. I started reading it when my relationship ended with a man I cared for. My bad relationship triggered many unrealistic emotions inside myself that caused me a lot of self damage by acting out and dating guys that were all bad for me because of my low self image since the break-up.
I couldn't see it at the time but I had become Addicted.

Thanks to a friend and this book my healing began two years ago and I feel so much better about myself and about my relationships with others. This book is a MUST READ!

Study it, learn it, then be well...

All of the Amazon reader and newspaper reviews of this book (and I have used the Book Review Index to find all of the book reviews) fail to do justice to this book, and the explanation is to be found in the book itself. This book is one of the most original and most important books ever written on addictions. The reason appears on pages xii, 393, and 378-9 of the Tichnor & Fields hardcover First Edition:

This book began by request: Kasl started working with groups of women and found that some brought copies of marginally useful books on sex addiction to group. Seeing the need for a book, Kasl began writing something for her group and had it copied for them. Then the grassfire began. She handed out seven copies of her book bound in a red binding (hence her book's first title prior to commercial publication "The Red Book"). Several days later, forty women wanted copies and demand continued. A few months and a few bookstores later, thousands of copies were sold. Then the magic began: the groups changed her book and added to it because she listened to their voices.

I first got this book at a library and found that I had to buy a copy. Kasl says that her groups all found that the book is so packed with information that you want to read it a little at a time and think about it: not for nothing did so many women give Kasl feedback about her book.

I hope Kasl will publish future editions of this book with what used to be called in the nineteenth century an Analytical Table of Contents at the back of the book. Sally Vincent in her 25 May 1990 Psychology Today (page 36) book review entitled "Nymphos or Doormats" goes through the book adequately but an analytical table of contents would do a better job. And yes, as Vincent notes, about a third of the book deals with trying to readjust the self after all the abuse. But her review fails to convey the originality of the book and why it must be read.

Kasl asks readers--both women and men (there is a chapter on men because the book was written for women)--to write to her regarding their reactions to her book. I hope that someone will submit a book review that adequately summarizes this book, because I do not think that one can be written which conveys how good this book is. I have two copies of this book and expect to have my first copy rebound soon because I have worn the binding out with use. I am sure that you will have the same experience. Consider purchasing extra copies to give to friends, as I have: they will appreciate it.

This book is amazing.
It has been extremely helpful in understanding relationship behaviors. I would recommend it to both men and women.
Easy read. Good advice. Great examples.
Buy a copy.

I used this book in grad school about 15 years ago and got it out again yesterday to learn more about sophisticated path deformations in the complex plane. This style of going through interesting examples, pointing out possible trouble and explaining the main ideas is perfect for physicists who need advanced math tools but hate typical math papers of the proof-lemma-proof-type.
It's not outdated, symbolic math software can do a lot, but often can't handle the full problem and you have to simplify by hand before starting the computer.

This is one of the finest books ever written on classical asymptotic analysis, one of the most useful areas in mathematics for engineering applications. The material is quite outdated now since the present research is almost completely computational.

Nevertheless, one of the finest applied mathematics texts.

It's a very good book for students and engineers of science and technology. It's worth reading Orszag's book.

I am a mathematics professor, and asymptotic methods is my area of expertise. Bender and Orszag was the standard text on this topic in the early 1980s, and it remains by far the most thorough book on the subject. I had two courses from it in graduate school and have taught from it 3 times now. I have never found a mistake. The book is very well written; its only weakness is that its graphics reflect the technology of the 1970s. Nevertheless, I am teaching from it again next year, because it is in a class by itself.

There is one thing that individual readers and faculty users should be aware of. Some of the exercises, including a few marked as "intermediate," are incredibly difficult. My instructor made the mistake of assigning exercises without working them first. I am careful not to assign any exercises until after I have worked them.

I had the privilege to explore this guide to the universe of asymptotics under Prof. Bender. I used to think, and still do (about 2 decades on), that this book is like the Rosetta Stone, and enables us to solve anything in applied mathematics.

A must have for anyone looking to understand the incredible universe we find ourselves in!

This is an interesting book. It's a good mix for the existentialist history fan. Simone de Beauvoir did a great job of capturing the moods of the various time periods she wrote about. I'm looking forward to reading some of her other books.

There's never enough time in a day to accomplish all that you would like to do...unless, perhaps, you knew had eternity to do whatever floats your boat. Imagine a wizened beggar offering you a dusty old bottle filled with cloudy green liquid and telling you it's the "elixir of immortality" (p.84)...do you dare drink it?

In All Men Are Mortal, Simone de Beauvoir weaves philosophy and history within a fantastic tale of one man's journey into immortality. First you meet Regina, a petty, vain, self-centered, young actress, who desires immortality. When she meets the odd stranger Raymond Fosca in Rouen, she decides to bring him home with her to Paris to "bring him back to his senses," as her boyfriend Roger tells another friend. (p. 18) When Fosca reveals to her he is immortal, she wants to cling to him, hoping to somehow benefit from his immortality.

She alone wants to exist for Fosca, despite Roger's admonition that "it's better to be loved by someone who's mortal, but who only loves you." (p. 39). Fosca knows better; he has already loved--more than once. He leaves her and Paris, but Regina finds him again. Why won't he return, she asks? She entreats him to tell his story to her to help her understand his "curse", and thus she (and you!) is propelled backwards and forwards into Fosca's immortal life.

There is so much history in this story that I was compelled to look up certain historical figures such as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Martin Luther, whom I'm only vaguely familiar with from jr. high history. It was then that I realized de Beauvoir had to have meticulously researched A LOT of history in order to seamlessly weave Fosca into medieval times through the 20th century...amazing!

Through Fosca, you see how others view him as an immortal, and yet you see how his character becomes numb, having accomplished just about everything a man can do in life--knowing he doesn't have a deadline to meet. He makes seemingly rash (selfish) decisions as well as thoughtful ones (thinking of others), through the centuries. For sure, he has a very adventurous life--but at what cost?

Only late night hours forced me to stop reading--otherwise, this was hard to put down. It kept me engaged with Fosca's thoughts and emotions...I thoroughly enjoyed it!

the Realm of Existentialism...

In the middle of a drought?
If it's yellow, let it mellow.
If it's brown, flush it down.

but, if it's a murky green and comes in a dusty old bottle from ancient Egypt, whose keeper is a crusty old street beggar being marched off to his death (to decrease the population of the city of Coroma because there is not enough to feed women, children and the old -- all are sacrificed in this book) -- well, that's the "Immortality Potion" in Simone de Beauvoir's All Men are Mortal -- and, there is only enough for One!

Would you drink it?

Fosca does!

The book begins in the present day, with Regina, an actress (blond, generous, ambitious, scared of death) who is not going to live forever (being a mere mortal, et al), but would like to be remembered...and, thus, live forever. early in the book, Regina discovers Fosca, who convinces her (by slitting his throat from ear-to-ear -- and then magically healing before she can faint) that he is immortal. hmmm, I guess that would work for me.

What can one do with so much time?

a) become a conquer -- crush everything, take all the booty

b) become a political conquer -- crush some things, take some booty "I decided to change my methods. Renouncing military parades, pitched battles and useless campaigns, I put all my efforts into weakening the enemy republics by practicing cunning politics." When you have "forever" on your side, most republics are enemy republics.

c) ho-hum (bored after so many years of fighting and collecting the same old booty) -- lead your armies up to the intended target and potential booty, and then just walk away without striking? Why? because suddenly, one is faced with the absurdity of it all, and enveloped with nausea.

d) Have a son; give him everything; protect him from all things harmful -- only to have him exercise his free-will and die in battle...doing what he most wanted to do -- see "a)" above.

e) Wait a minute...if one is immortal and there are obviously no gods, all things are possible -- How about one ruler for the entire planet, forever -- but through the use of mere mortals?

...and, this is only the first half of Simone de Beauvoir's (exquisitely crafted existential tale) All Men Are Mortal!

Never a dull moment! Beautifully translated. Historically, well researched and finely tuned. One scenario seamlessly fades into the next as one traverses Fosca's adventures of Immortality. This book reeks with basic existential themes. --Katharena Eiermann, 2007, the Realm of Existentialism -- Presidential Hopeful

All Men Are Mortal by Simone de Beauvoir

An amazing book. It tells the tale of Fosca who is cursed with immortality. Only in reading his tale do you fully understand and appreciate that because life is fleeting it is perfect. To outlive all those you've ever loved, as Fosca does, would be torture.
A must read.

In teaching undergraduates Existentialism, I found this book to be a wonderful addition to Sartre's _Being and Nothingness_, Buber's _I and Thou_ and Marcuse's _One-Dimensional Man._ In the novel, especially in the Prologue, De Beauvoir hits all the right chords and themes--the uneasy duality and unity of being-for-self and being-for Others; the necessity and contingency of facticity; the surpassing power of transcendence. Students seem to 'rest their eyes' from the abstract power of dialectic in Sartre and Marcuse on the very concrete descriptions that de Beauvoir offers. Following the novel with her _Ethics of Ambiguity_ only served to ground students further in the character of existentialism and its necessary outpouring into a finite, meaningful, ethical life. A good companion to this piece would be John Russon's _Human Experience_, especially the chapter he has on Memory and how we deposit our memories into the things of our experience. With that in mind, even ordinary passages of the novel, like the one in the Prologue where Annie makes Fosca pancakes and Regina wants them too, despite herself, take on much more meaning. For whom is the absolute? For the one who eats pancakes, the one for whom pancakes matter even when she doesn't want to want them.

This storybook accurately paraphrases all the major stories in the Bible, making them accessible for very young children. The questions at the end of each story are an excellent way to review, and teach children biblical truths. The pictures are beautiful!

My three-year-old son and I love this book. We read several pages every night at bedtime. There are a couple of questions at the end of each story and I'm always amazed that he can answer every one! We've already gone through the entire book three times after receiving it a few months ago. My son is really getting to know the Bible and he enjoys it! The best picture Bible I have come across for preschoolers.

Bought as a gift to a new mother. Beautiful illustrations, short stories, thoughtful questions for little children to consider what they've just read! I used with my own children to begin their foundation of Bible knowledge.

Used an original of this book with my children and found it very good. So good that I am now buying for my grandchild. Like the edition with realistic pictures so much more than the one with cartoon like figures.

Like some of the other reviewers, I grew up reading this book. I have a 1977 printing, as well as a recent one. The old copy was only recently returned to me and I was happy to marvel over some of the beautiful scenes depicted in this book. Truly, they are some of my earliest mental pictures of God and faith stories, particularly the image of God on the very first page, but many others as well.

I was disappointed, upon giving it a more critical overview as an adult, to realize that the paraphrase is terrible in some points. The one example that stood out to me so starkly was the Wedding at Cana. "After a while they needed more grape juice for the people to drink." Grape juice? Also, the author's use of the word "minister" in place of "priest" and "church" in place of "temple" is affected and sounds like it came straight out of a contemporary Baptist Sunday school lesson. Additionally, I find it baffling that, among so many beautiful art depictions on most of the story pages, there are a few images that seem to be photographs of actual people. Specifically, Ruth and her mother-in-law (page 72 in the old version) and Ruth alone on the next page. I might be wrong about how the images were created, but those two really stand out in style from the rest of the book.

I give this book a 3 star rating for the pictures alone. My favorites are the cover (baby Moses being rescued by his sister), God in the darkness on the first page, Jacob's ladder and the angels, The Nativity, Jesus walks on water, the Transfiguration, the Shepherd on the cliff with a sheep, and the Agony in the Garden.

The book lost 2 stars from me because I feel the wordings and translations are lacking, although I appreciate the childlike phrasing and intent to bring the truth of God's love to young people. I also am disappointed in the lack of consistency of quality among the images.