O Books

I have read at least 5 books on parrot behavior getting ready for my African Grey to come home and this is by far the most informative. It is like going over details with a real person rather than cold and impersonal with dry facts only. I recommend for any new or experienced parrot person. Great illustrations also.

I am owned by a male Eclectus parrot. This book is written for a bird hobbiest in terms that are easy to understand. I have gained more understanding of what makes my parrot tick.

It's easy to place this book on any parront's list of must-haves. Well written, well laid out and full of the best information regarding keeping parrots as pets. If you want to set the parrot-person relationship up for success, this book gives you the tools to do it!

Chapters include: Choosing the Right Parrot, Setting Up Space, Nutrition, Adjusting to Your New Parrot and Vice Versa, Behavior and Training, as well as Caring for Your Parrot Over a Lifetime.

Another bonus to this book? It travels well! This is especially useful for behavior consultants, veterinarians and anyone else who assists people with their birds.

I've told my students that I've been waiting a long time for a book of this caliber, and this piece has delivered, plus some! It's not just for the newly bird smitten, it's for those who have lived or worked with parrots for many years as well. It is also a useful tool for animal shelter/humane society staff.

Definitely belongs on your gift giving list this holiday season for all your parrot loving friends, those who are interested in birds, and those who help the avian community. It's such a beautiful and useful tool, please consider donating a copy to your local animal shelter!

This book should come with every parrot adopted. I bought the book not only for the advice and information, but because it's filled with fun, colorful illustrations. I love the ideas for making easy, inexpensive parrot toys in the chapter called "Bringing Home Baby." Good luck with your new buddy.

I own most parrot books available and certainly all books available since year 2000. They are mostly good but very similar.....
A Parrot for Life is, not only a beautiful book to compliment your library, it is different in that it prepares you for events which more than likely will happen and for changes which are also bound to occur when you choose to share your life with one of these beautiful long lived creatures.
Not only is it a Godsend for those planning to bring a companion parrot into their life....
This book is special and unique and I feel it will help parrot owners going through that 'what have I done' stage, help them to get past that and fall in love all over again gaining a deeper relationship with the parrot they chose as their companion.
This book will help you to realise you don't have to be a failure and to make friends again with your companion.
Own this book and open your eyes.
With respect..
Jan

Such insightful information, I highly recommend! I am not sure about the contradiction of the Past Life Angel being the only way to get hints of past lives while at the same time the author is saying that your past lives fears, fobias etc.. are past on life to life sometimes passing thru many lives. That is a contradiction for me. But I do believe that your spirit guide does give hints and places you in situations that can help you along. But the message is still great and worth every bit of it. I do love the fact it doesnt focus on a particular belief or religion. That in itself sold me completely, since I think that imposing your beliefs on something tends to taint the message is my opinion.
Thanks for such a wonderful book and its my most sincere wish that everyone is enlightened, even if just a little. Every bit helps you get closer to being the best you can be and moreover, accomplish what you came to this life for. I know I personally dont want to come back to repeat all the agonizing struggle again and again.

As soon as I picked up this book I could not put it down, it was an easy read and very informative. The author explains beautifully about the Past Life Angels, Trauma symptoms, Carry-overs, etc.
I thought the chapters about the Trauma symptoms and Carry-overs were very informative. Also interesting was the chapter about repetitive behavior patterns, which I am "guilty" of myself. This book has really made me want to take more time to work on mediating to see what I can come up with in regards to my past lives. I thought the stories included in the chapters were very interesting as well.
This book, I believe can be very helpful to those wanting to seek answers to some questions they may not understand or get answers to.
I think it was also nice that there are several pages of therapists located in the back of the book, and they are listed for several countries as well.
The book was very well-written, easy to read, and provided many thought-provoking answers for me. I definatly recommend this book for anyone interested in past-lives and angels.

It seems that the past life angels in this book, which told me why I needed to remember, actually USE the CD by the same author to give you the communication about your past! Amazing!

That's what this book showed me, but in a way that made me finally 'get it'! Now I can move on, no more 'amnesia of the soul' for me!

I bought this two nights ago somewhat unexpectedly. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it back on the shelf. I'll admit that even though I am psychic and I've seen past lives, I was mildly skeptical because there is an inundation of angel material out right now. Everyone wants to connect with their angels and many people do, but it is "trendy" and not everyone really takes it seriously.

Well, needless-to-say, this book convinced me of Jenny Smedley's sincerity and of her knowledge of past lives. She understands the multiple levels of regression and why some people don't feel fully connected to their past lives when they do regress. Jenny also explains why it is important to work with someone well trained because if you go too deep too soon and the hypnotist/regressionist does not know how to give you the right healing suggestions, you could cause a part of yourself to get "stuck" in the past life.

I love the fact that she discusses why some people will meet a person from a past life, marry them thinking that the person is their soul mate, only to suffer emotional and physical distress in the marriage. Another interesting topic is the discussion of past life connections to celebrities. Find out why celebrity stalkers as well as lifetime fans are born.

This is actually a useful book. If you've experienced distress from childhood with no direct cause or you repeatedly suffer from the same kind of illness or injury, your issue can stem from a past life. Jenny explains what this means, how to know if you've got a reasonably good regressionist and more.

Though I initially balked at the price of this book, I found it helped me and it was worth the $20 I spent.

Stepping Off the Edge: Learning & Living Spiritual Practice
I've been in love with horses all my life. That love has brought me into contact with many wonderful people, cowboys chief among them. I met my first cowboy at age 15. That was Glenn Burks, founder of the original Willow Tree Farm in Woodside, CA. I rode with Jim Black, over at Skyline Ranch in Oakland back in the 50s and 60s. I knew Harry Conley and the Rose brothers of Hollister, CA. Cowboys (and women) are as different from the shopping crazed, mall crawlers that now dominate our society as astronauts are from marshmallows. Facing down a stud that would just as soon take off your arm does it, as does shepherding a herd of cattle in an impossible situation--and bringing them through. If you don't have cowboys in your life, this book is a good way to bring them into it. Here, you'll begin to understand a world that's slipped away. Courage, humor, fellowship, compassion: Dayton Hyde demonstrates them all in this wonderful memoir that can teach all of us the meaning of integrity.

I read this great book after visiting the wild horse sanctuary in South Dakota, what a blessing! I was traveling back from the Tetons, where my father(74 yrs old) and I had been working for the forestry service riding mustangs. What a great book to read after my experience in the wild. It must have been GREAT living back then. ENJOY the book, great read

A wonderful collection of stories about the life of cowboys and indians during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The author provides a look back at a period of time in the American West that is now gone.

I don't know if you'd exactly call this a biography or not. It's a series of stories, loosely connected, ordered somewhat in a timeline. And fascinating stories they are. He lived in a time when the west, and indeed the world was changing. Then again, I guess it's always changing. I had dinner last night with a young man that seemed a lot like Hawk Hyde must have been 40 years ago. Forehead white as can be, the rest of his face well tanned. Not a dimestore cowboy. He even made the same comments about rodeos, he competes in the local ranch hand rodeos, but the big money circuit is not for working ranch hands.

I guess this is more of a memoir. Tales told by a raconteur of no small skill. These are stories of the west from the thirties to the years after the war, and a bit on the times since. The stories improve over real life. Real life is endlessly riding a horse along a fence line in the cold, the rain, the hot, hour after endless hour. This is the good moments of the west.

If you love the old west, this book is a "must read." It is very well-written, with poignancy, wry observations and reflections on a life full of unforgettable horses, people, and places. Hauntingly beautiful and a reminder of how much we have lost, it was impossible to put down. Dayton Hyde has captured a part of our country's history that is too quickly slipping away.

Pearlie of Great Price is a wonderful book for anyone who had spent time exploring what it means to lead a spiritual life. However, one of Ms. Hart's gifts as a writer is that her book will speak not only to those who have devoted their lives to spirituality, but to those who are just beginning their personal explorations. Ms. Hart writes candidly and beautifully about her journey in language that illuminates what it means to strive for a life of meaning. I loved this book.

This is a wonderful book. The author writes about her journey with such clarity and economy . The book works on several levels for me. First, there is the story of her life with Pearlie - this in itself is moving and those of us who have, or have had dogs, can identify with it. Then there is the way she describes her dreams and reveals aspects of her inner journey. Finally, she shows us how we all have perceptions of the world that are completely unreal and are the cause of so many of our problems. I can't recommend this book enough.

I loved this book. Beautiful writing. A great, deep, real spiritual journey that follows one women's experience with Tibetan Buddhism and Sufism and the ultimate discovery of the divine in life and in her heart. And its a
great read. I couldn't put it down.

This is a beautiful and beautifully written book, especially for spiritual seekers and dog lovers. If you are both of these, you're in for a treat. You will love Pearlie- the photos can't help but bring a smile to your face. And the author uses language very well, allowing us to know and understand Pearlie in many ways. In her telling of the story, Hilary Hart also allows us to know and understand her and her path- of her struggles and joys and confusion. Her devotion to Pearlie and to finding God through this precious being supercedes all else. For me, there was one occurrence in the book where this was both unsettling and revealing, as she's riding her bicycle and searching desperately for Pearlie and comes upon two young children fishing- I want her to be able to offer something to the children which is not there (which may tell you more about me than about the book). The book sticks with you- Hilary is a great and honest writer, which makes reading fun. The short chapters and their headings make the book a delightful read at any time, and always with the curiosity of what's going to happen next...

Having been lucky enough to spend years close at her spiritual teacher's side, Ms. Hart is suddenly and unceremoniously dismissed with the enigmatic instructions to, "Follow your dog to God!" How many of us would have had the faith and devotion necessary to take these words to heart and truly look into the face of a shaggy haired dog to find answers? What lingers in my heart from this book is the dog Pearlie - a living embodiment of what spiritual life is really like - to be who you are without apology, with all your limitations and faults and yet be filled with joy and love at each new day. Of particular interest to people who wish to explore the spiritual practice aspects of caring for animals.

My 9 year old granddaughter cried when she finished the book. Not because it was sad but because her " favorite book EVER " ended. Can there be a better review ?
I am a little sad too, because we have to wait till September for the next Penina book. But, Ahh, the anticipation.

Penina Levine is one of only two Jewish sixth graders in Mrs. Anderson's class in public school. The class has been given an assignment to write letters "from the Easter Bunny" to kindergarten kids in the nearby Holy Family School. Penina strongly believes she should not write the letter because she is Jewish and Easter is a Christian holiday. She doesn't tell her parents about the assignment because she feels they don't listen to her and favor her younger sister, Mimsy. She does tell her grandmother however, when they are preparing the meal for the Passover Seder. Her grandmother says she is like a hard-boiled egg because when you boil it, it gets hard, just like the Jews: "When the heat is on, we don't turn to mush-- we get tougher." Her grandmother is proud of her for sticking up for her religion and not writing the letter. Eventually Penina tells her parents about the assignment and they tell the principal, who then talks to the class about diversity. Mrs. Anderson, Penina's teacher, apologizes and Penina and her family invite her to a Shabbat dinner. The story moves along briskly and Penina is an appealing and feisty Jewish character with much humor. The various black and while line drawings complement the text. For ages 9 -12.

The girl is spunky, truthful, hardheaded, true to her beliefs and most importantly, very believable. Although written for maybe 8-11 year olds, Penina is very much beloved by my 6 year old, a self described "agnostic" and myself a tripped off the religion wagon ex-Catholic with a Jewish father. It is a great book for helping my daughter explore her Jewish heritage and a great starting point to discuss religion, faith, beliefs, traditions, and how much she dislikes dealing with her little sister. It has a wonderful "conversation starter" in my house. Penina Levine is a real find.

Tenacious sixth-grader Penina struggles to retain her beliefs, trust in adults, and humor while going through what seems like unfair obstacles in the course of growing up. Will an impossible assignment, troublesome younger sister, unsympathetic parents, tricky friend, and attending a school where her heritage is in the minority, weaken her or give her strength? Is telling the TRUTH and self-control always better than just DARING to pay for the consequences of one's actions?
Rebecca O'Connell manages to have all readers experience with Penina the joys and struggles of one's heritage in this flowing story. It is not until the reader of any background has finished enjoying the book that they realize the wealth of information they've gleaned not only about the Jewish culture, but the unique beauty of their own as well.
As a school librarian I recommend this must-have library book to students who want to laugh at the important daily issues of grouping up, as well as to students and teachers interested in diversity. This is one of the few young adult books that lovingly DARES to be sensitive to such major topics.

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the wit and wisdom of Penina. Rebecca O'Connell's book taps in to the frustration we all have felt when an authority figure (in this case, a teacher with a fixation on the Easter bunny) disregards our most diligent efforts to be understood. Start with a Passover feast, add an annoying younger sister, an empathetic friend, and a rich seasoning of humor...and you have the recipe for a rewarding reading experience.

Sailhamer will change the way you look at the Bible. His study and insight about the Torah is tight and very well supported. He has unlocked the way one should look at the structure of the author's writing within a book of Scripture. With this type of thinking he argues that the Bible can stand on it's own, and we can find meaning within the text itself. This book should be required reading for any student of the Bible.

If you are looking for a book which links the ancient Hebrew writings of the Pentateuch to the surrounding Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, this is not the book for you. If you are searching for a book which explains the Pentateuch from the standpoint of modern, critical Biblical OT Scholarship (JEDP et. al.), you will also not be satisfied. However, if you are looking for a work which explains how the various parts of the Pentateuch function as a part of a unifed, whole work, this book is incredibly helpful and insightful. Also, as a committed Christian, the work makes the strange world of the Pentatuech and the ancient Hebrews "come alive" for me as a believer. Each year, as I work my way through the books of the Pentateuch in my One Year Bible (January through March), I find this book the single most valuable one in helping me bring home insights from these Hebrew Scriptures into my spiritual life. I enjoyed Dr. Sailhamer as an instructor of the Genesis course 13 years ago during the Winter Quarter at Trinity Ev. Divinity School in Illinois. He continues to teach me each Winter at my house as I live out my life as a Christian minister, Family Practice physician, and HIV specialist.

My Old Testament prof assigned this book my first semester of seminary and I blew through it so I could check off the reading assignment on the final.

Recently, I began reading through the Pentateuch again and was bewildered as always. Then I remembered to begin looking stuff up in Sailhamer's book. It's amazing how much more I have learned when reading it for fun and not for an assignment.

The introduction is a bit tedious, but worthwhile. The real goldmine for us, though, is in his explanation of those pesky and ever-present laws which make no sense to the average 21st century reader. This book is worth the price of admission just for the explanation of the Levitical laws.

I have a friend who will be studying with Sailhamer at Southeastern Seminary and I envy him a little now because of this book. If you are serious about understanding the OT, this book is an absolute must.

This book is wonderful! Dr. Sailhamer really gets to the heart of what's important about the Torah - what the author is trying to tell us! His study focuses on how/why the author put the Torah (one continuous "book") together as he did and what the reader is supposed to get from it.

He shows how God's addition of laws over time follows instances of disobedience (kinda like the way we add rules for our kids when they act up and remove rules as they show they can handle more responsibility). He shows how the narrative (while simultaneously about events that really happened) foreshadow the future. He explains how the poetry is divine commentary on the narratives. Etc. Dr. Sailhamer brings the Torah to life!

FYI. A Messianic Jewish friend of mine moved from Israel to Raleigh, NC just so he could study under (renowned Christian Hebrew scholar) Dr. Sailhamer at Southeastern Seminary. He's been thrilled with what he's learned. Dr. Sailhamer is brilliant, but knows how to teach.

Text versus event opens the context and intention of Moshe into a whole new light and brings a fresh perspective to passages that may have seemed problematic in the past. Reading "The Pentateuch as Narrative" has completely challenged the way I approach the Torah and deepened it's application to my life. Must reading for anyone serious about grappling with the Torah's application and real life issues.

One of the easiest but best all round business and People Management books I've read in a very long time. People Management in the 21st Century - Understanding the Basics, is indeed a very appropriate name for this very powerful book.

This is definitely one book I recommend that should be read by everyone between 16 and 65, anyone involved in a working environment and especially those who are in any way remotely involved in business or leadership of any kind. The "tools for the job" and "everyday tips" that can be found in most of the chapters through out the book can save you years of research and mistakes. This is an easy to follow and easy to implement book with very positive and profound results from the start.

A powerful guide for all business owners and leaders alike. An informative guide for anyone looking at ways to positively develop their employees' emotional and productive involvement within their working environment.

This book is without doubt one of the better recommendations to have come my way in recent years. People Management in the 21st Century is obviously written by someone with many years experience of seeing at first hand how businesses and employees can work and succeed together in an enthusiastic and passionate working environment.

The various examples, methods and tools-for-the-job listed throughout the book are without doubt some of the easiest and yet ingenious I've come across in being able to enhance personal and team performance while cutting down on bureaucracy and inefficient.

This is an enjoyable and yet very powerful book to read. If like me you are wondering what the future will hold for you and your business then this book will give you the insight, knowledge and enthusiasm to face the future with real confidence.

It's not often that you come across a business book based on actual experiences over a 20 year period and then to have that same book show you in an easy to follow format how to get the most out of your business and yourself in the future. The tools-for-the-job inserted throughout the book are without doubt worth a small fortune on their own. A must have for anyone involved in people management.

Since everyone is gearing up for the 150th anniversary of the John Brown raid in 2009, I thought I'd alert everyone to this title that gives a great overview and historical outline of the event often said to have ignited the American Civil War.

Though fiction, this book chronicles the John Brown raid, trial and execution, weaving in actual facts with the help of newspaper accounts, telegrams and court documents. Narrated by Owen Brown, one of John Brown's sons, the book introduces the reader to famous people who were on the scene, like J.E.B. Stuart, Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jackson -- men who were destined to become key players in the War Between the States that followed.

The author's unique approach of using Owen Brown and another raider, Osborne Anderson, puts the reader on the scene as the events unfold. Despite a harrowing chase, both men do eventually escape (along with three others), never to be found.

This book is a unique mixture of fact and fiction, even using photographs and drawings to accompany the text, which includes actual eyewitness testimony. The author wraps up the book by giving a short account of each person who played a role in this historic episode, a history lesson in and of itself.

This book is well researched and I recommend it to those who want an overview of the John Brown raid and a better understanding of the historic events that occurred in Harpers Ferry.

Jessica James is the author of Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia

The events of Harpers Ferry in 1859 as dipicted in this book was very unique - the use of letters from people who were involved in some way and newspaper stories of the events. How Bob O'Connor was able to pull it all together into a fascinating chain of events kept me turning the pages for more. I wish John Brown wasn't hung but maybe the reaction to his death and his courage to die for his belief that slavery needed to be abolished was the "shot heard around America" for slavery. Well written book.

Living in the midwest, we seldom hear about events from the Civil War days, but I am very interested in that time period. I found "The Perfect Steel Trap" to be extremely interesting and informative to read. I couldn't put it down, and I was extremely sad when John Brown was hung. The characters were very real to me as the author used great detail in developing and presenting their role in the events of that time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history!

I was amazed to find out that five of John Brown's men got away and that so many strange coincidences surround this situation. Other books on this subject had nbot covered those important areas. I think readers of historical novels will like this book. I did! And to think, this is the author's first book! I look forward to reading others from him.

This book is very historically accurate and yet has the ability to keep readers interested. There are many documented accounts of John Brown's raid and trial. Any history fan will find it accurate and compelling reading. I bought 5 books to share with my friends who are fans of historic novels. This one will not disappoint. I highly recommend it.
Historic novel fan.

This is essential. Perl docs are amazing and great, but sometimes you just need a little more info. This isn't just a compilation of books. This is a compilation of SEARCHABLE books. The great thing about version 3 is that the files are still in html and still fully externally searchable, unlike later pdf versions.

The O'Reilly Llama is perhaps the most famous PERL book ever written; this package starts with the Llama, and then just keeps going, and going, and going...

The only drawback with this package is the sheer volume of information that gets laid on you all at once. It's a lot, to say the least. But if you are serious about reaching Guru status, this will get you there.

Well you get 7 great books on a CD, what can I say more?
Even though I already had some of these books in a dead tree version I did not regret any cent spended on this CD Bookshelf. It is almost all time in my drive and the search function is so helpfull you never want to miss it again.

A review of this CD is rather problematic. Most of the books on this CD (as far as I read them before) are worth 4-5 stars. So this CD with online searching is worth ...5 stars... I will only comment on the CD version of the books and not on each single book (look at the reviews for the single books if you are interested in that).

Personally a CD with books is just an add-on to the printed versions, that I can read everywhere (bed, beach ...) and that I can mark in different colours and write on. Online books for me are for online searching and online reading of a few chapters.

This CD contains all the books in HTML format with a Java based full text search engine (works for me with IE 5.5 and mostly works with Netscape ... and an HTML based Master Index. There is a problem in the Master Index for the letter "L" (bad links, see Errata). Go to the O'Reilly website and download the updated file for this index.

Additionally to the online searching capabilities I really like the capability to use the WWW links to external resources directly from the CD (e.g. to CPAN). I think that the quality of the HTML translation of the books is quite high. It seems however that you need a rather new browser because we had some problems with Netscape 4.7 with the documentation. I like that all the links within the documentation are relative so that you can copy the CD wherever you like and still use it (even put it on your internal WWW server which is of course illegal). The size is rather small (60MB for all the books) so that you can put it on your laptop for mobil work.

You can find the following books on the CD:
- Perl in a Nutshell (2. Edition)
- Programming Perl (3. Edition)
- Perl & XML
- Mastering Perl/Tk
- Learning Perl (3. Edition)
- Perl Cookbook
- Perl & LWP

The book "Perl in a Nutshell (2nd Edition) as a printed version is part of the package as a "bonus book". I like it as a reference book.

Unfortunately O'Reilly did not put all its Perl books on this CD. For total happiness I am missing the following books (name your own):
- Programming the Perl DBI
- Perl for ORACLE DBAs
- CGI Programming with Perl (2nd Edition)

The price for the CD is not really low but compared with the printed versions of all the books it is reasonable from my point of view.

If you are a mobile Perl user I can really recommend this CD.

I am a professional UNIX admin, and often do contract work.
I carry the UNIX, Network, and Perl CD bookshelves in my laptop case so I still have access to 15+ incredible books on the road.
Well worth the money!

I've read the books and the essays, Vintage has them seperately, but get them here. Camus is a secular "god," one of the greatest (and bravest) writers of the twentieth century. Don't trust me, just read something short. (Maybe the editorial from "Combat" on the dropping of the atom bomb in Aout 1945.)

Albert Camus is one of my favorite authors. His stories are some of the greatest of the past century.

If you're a fan of existentialism or just great literature then this is the book for you. Just by buying this set you're already saving money and the hardcover makes it great for book shelf eye candy. If you want to read what each section is about then just read the next review but if you're reading this, take into consideration that Camus wasn't awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for nothing. He was deeply involved in the struggles for Algerian freedom and you can tell from his novels that he is consciensly involved with the questions of the absurd and the freedom of man in a messed up world. These books and essays will make you think and start to ask yourself questions.

What is the meaning of life? For many, that question is an abstraction except in the context of being aware of losing some of the joys of life, or life itself. In The Plague, Camus creates a timeless tale of humans caught in the jaws of implacable death, in this case a huge outbreak of bubonic plague in Oran, Algeria on the north African coast. With the possibility of dying so close, each character comes to see his or her life differently. In a sense, we each get a glimpse of what we, too, may think about life in the last hours and days before our own deaths. The Plague will leave you with a sense of death as real rather than as an abstraction. Then by reflecting in the mirror of that death, you can see life more clearly.

For example, what role would you take if bubonic plague were to be unleashed in your community? Would you flee? Would you help relieve the suffering? Would you become a profiteer? Would you help maintain order? Would you withdraw or seek out others? These are all important questions for helping you understand yourself that this powerful novel will raise for you.

The book is described as objectively as possible by a narrator, who is one of the key figures in the drama. That literary device allows each of us to insert ourselves into the situation.

Let me explain the main themes. Love is expressed in many ways. There is the love of men and women for each other. Dr. Rieux's wife is ill, and has just left for treatment at a sanitarium. Rambert, a journalist on temporary assignment, is separated from his live-in girl friend in Paris. Dr. Rieux's mother comes to stay with him during his mother's absence, so there is also love of parent and child. The magistrate also loses his son to the plague after a desperate battle. Separations occur because of the quarantine on Oran, which causes love to be tested. What is love without the other person being present? The characters find that their memories soon become abstractions. But they reach out to establish new love with each other. Tarrou, who is also caught in Oran, decides or organize a volunteer corps to help with the sick and dead. Rambert decides to stay in Oran to help after having arranged to escape the quarantine. The survivors find succor in increasing closeness with each other. Rieux and Tarrou become close, almost like brothers. Even Rieux's patients become people with whom he develops an emotional bond, even though the waves of death become an abstraction as he can do little to avert them. The priest figure also helps to explore the notion of love for God and God's love for us. The exile theme is reinforced by the quarantine. People cannot leave Oran. The disease itself causes that exile to become worse. If someone in your household becomes ill, each well person has to be quarantined. So you may be living in a tent in the soccer stadium wondering what is happening to the rest of your family. Cottard is a criminal who is on the run from the authorities. He is in despair as the plague begins, and tries to kill himself. The distractions of the plague keep the authorities from troubling him, so the period of the plague is an exile from his criminal past.

Suffering is easy to explain. Bubonic plague came in two forms in the book. Both brought painful and rapid death, with few reprieves. There is high fever, painful swelling or difficulty in breathing, and enormous pain. Those who tend the suffering also suffer, from the enormous workloads, the sense of futility, and the fear that they, too, will be next.

Camus does a nice job of pointing out that these themes also recur in everyday life. We just don't see them very clearly. The people in Oran live in an ugly city that deliberately built itself away from the beauty of the ocean on a sun-scorched plateau plagued by winds. They take little time to enjoy each other or the ocean, because they are caught up with making money. Commerce is their passion. So they cut themselves off from love, in an exile of spirit, which causes them to shrivel and suffer emotionally even before the plague comes. Tarrou also describes is own sense of the plague in everyday life when he discovers that his father is a prosecuting attorney who helps bring criminals to the justice of a firing squad. Even that faint connection of not trying to stop the legal killing causes Tarrou to feel like he carries the plague within him.

The book is masterful in its use of metaphor. In the beginning, dying rats and small animals presage the plague attacking humans. At the end, their return presages the return of normal life to Oran. The scenes alternate between illuminating the main themes in the context of the physical plague and the emotional plague. Religion is used as a bridge between the two, raising the fundamental question about what God's purpose is in unleashing the plague. The priest is fully tested in his love of God through this development, which is one of the most moving parts of the book.

I have read the book both in French and in English, and found this translation to be a perfectly appropriate one. There are few nuances that you will miss by reading this in English. Obviously, if you read French well, you should read the book in its original form.

This book is an excellent example of why Albert Camus was named a Nobel Laureate in Literature.

After you read this great novel, I encourage you to consider the subject of complacency. That's the author's ultimate target. Where are you complacent in ways that cost you love, closeness with others, and happiness? What else is complacency costing you? How can you help others learn to overcome complacency in loving, happy ways without the spectre of death to help you?

I had read Camus's "The Stranger" and was taken aback by the wonderful understanding he had of the human mind. I needed to read more, and in this handsome book was a great feast for the mind. It is not meant to be read all at once, I found it helpful to read another book inbetween the full-length novels within the collection.
There has been no singular work that has moved me as much as the "The Plague, The Fall, Exile and the Kingdom, and Selected Essays", it goes beyond existentialism and his philosophy. It delves into the very mind, that which makes us human. The stories are not lost through their translation from French, the characters are the people you see in the streets, but they are put under the eye of a profound intellectual. It is more than worth the price, and the time spent reading the words is time well spent. His contribution to modern philosophy and existentialism is unchallenged, but he is also an amazing author and voice. The Plague may be the highlight of the book, but one will not lose enthusiasm reading that which follows.