Owen Books

Violette Leduc invented her own poetics of solitude. Her writings are the ravings of a mad schoolgirl, feverishly and sensually neurotic, and achingly romantic. As unhappy as Violette claims to be, you want to be her, to have her heights of perception, and to desire as intensely as she does. If you like it light and breezy, skip this writer. But if you like to take that queasy peek behind the mask, this is for you.

Despite all of the desire that flows in and out of these pages, La Batarde does not gratify. Leduc refuses to stoop to pander to panting hearts - she simply gives you words of poetry to describe her ugliness, her love affairs, small joys and solitude. And yet, she is not all poetry. She is experimental, and is relentless is driving forth her need to tell you about what a horrible being she is - and yet in the end, you find that you feel not only sympathy but a aching heart when she falls and rises again.
From her childhood trials in provincial France, to her affairs with her classmate Isabelle and her teacher Hermine, to her forced departure to Paris (for being found out with her affairs with the music teacher), to her discovery of Gabriel, to her abortions and black-market activity during World War II, the character that Violette portrays herself is no saint, but in refusing to give herself some pride she emerges as a martyr - of fate (being born with, as she says, an ugly nose). There is no question about her ugliness - even de Beauvoir is reputed to have made fun of her behind her back. Yet this woman must have had charisma, for designers gave her clothign to wear and show off on the streets. A contradiction, this woman was, and this quality of hers is very much shown to the reader in her autobiography.

From her early beginnings with a distant mother to her activities during World War II in the black market, Violette Leduc opens her life to us in stark detail. On her journey to find her voice and become a writer, she experiences life to its fullest and darkest extents. From her love affairs with women to her failed marriage to her adoration of a gay man, she explores her seemingly tragic life to show us the beauty in every molecule of life. Definitely not a slow read, this memoir proves Leduc's mastery of expression and whets the reader's appetite for more self-spelunking.

As Siskel and Ebert would have said, 2 thumbs up. It's a great book to learn about the "shores" of Alaska. WTG Dr.Mason

2 thumbs up....... A book worth it's wait in gold, its a must for readers who want to learn the truth about the "shores" of Alaska.........WTG Dr. Mason

2 thumbs up....... A book worth its wait in gold, its a must for readers who want to learn the truth about the "shores" of Alaska.........

A beautiful meditation upon the everyday details and context of first-century Palestine that adds adjectives and adverbs to the Gospels' action and dialogue. A thoughtful and thought-provoking piece that is faithful to what is written in the Scriptures, and celebrates the gift of imagination, as well. Bravo!

This book could easily be read as a daily devotional, each chapter being short in words, but full of thought-provoking material. This book helps one push pass the stereotypical and well-known portrayals of Jesus and takes the reader to a level with Christ that far too few Christian writers have been able to accomplish.

I have read numerous books about Jesus Christ and this book brought to life once again my intrigue and passion for him. More than a historical review, each chapter looks at cultural, social, and spiritual meanings often overlooked in the Gospels. For those really Looking for Jesus, especially those who have already met him, but would like to know him, this book is a must read.

Virginia Owens is not only a knowledgeable Bibical scholar, but an entertaining writer, as well. Not only did she adress my miriad doubts and questions about Jesus and the Bible, but she actually made sense of seemingly nonsensical parables. By explaining the sociology of the era and the reasons for the choices Jesus made, she brought understanding and enlightenment to my weary soul. Her practical and lighthearted style make this an easy and irresistible read. I wholeheartedly recommend the book, especially for those whose concept of Jesus has outgrown a childlish belief.

The Lost Days is not an easy read, but if you are interested in solving the mysteries of the human mind and the mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, The Lost Days is a very satisfying experience. Author Owens, a therapist, has done a very interesting thing, she has taken Agatha on as a client and the therapy session solves a seventy-year-old mystery as no one else ever has including the great Queen of Mysteries, Agatha herself.

I was surprised to find out that Ms. Christie herself had a mystery surrounding her disappearance in 1926, so I was interested to find this book. But I would have called it, "The Agatha and the Ecstasy."

The queen of mystery biggest mystery was her own. It was incredible to me to find out that Agetha had a mystery of her own that she could not solve. Doctor Owens approach to solving Agetha's mystery was fascinating and a real page turner. It was the most uniqe books I've ever read. Using Agetha history and passages from her books to coherently solve a previously unsolved mystery was a stroke of brillance. Dr. Owens takes us on an intelletual ride that keeps you interested from the first to the last page. The solution was so satisfing that I felt 100% confident that the ultiment mystery was finally solved. YOU WILL HAVE TO READ IT FOR YOURSELF TO BE LET IN ON THE SECRET! The solution and writting is something that Augetha would be proud to have authored herself 5 STARS!

It is a privilege to commend this book to the great multitude of investors, traders and analysts, who are eager to enhance their knowledge of the global financial markets - whether in equities, currencies, interest rates or commodities.

"Mapping the Markets", the brainchild of two well-known practitioners in the world of technical research; Deborah Owen and Robin Griffiths, amalgamate the disciplines of economic and technical analysis, showing how investors can position themselves to benefit from both specialties.

The authors expound on the work of Joseph Schumpeter - this being the backbone of their methodology - and illustrate how Schumpeter's 'three-cycle schema' culminate in trends in the stockmarket that last for generational periods of time (secular timeframes) or in cycles of shorter duration. Particularly interesting is the revelation of the four-year cycle in the US stockmarket, otherwise dubbed the Kitchin cycle in Schumpeter's work, and is shown to have become phase-locked with the US presidential-election cycle.

At the microscopic level, the authors share a unique system for identifying Stocks and conducting top-down analysis that begets from the four-year cycle. The methodology aims to identify the strongest trending markets and stocks based on short, long and relative strength trends and is particularly useful for determining sector rotation within the business cycle. Having applied this analysis, they illustrate simple chart patterns that can be utilised in conjunction with this methodology to sharpen market timing.

On another note, the book is instrumental in revealing how more esoteric
concepts like demographics and natural resource allocation are key in paving the economic destinies of countries and is apropos in interpreting China and India's boom story.

Finally, it is worth highlighting that the primary strength of this book is separating the wheat from the chaff to provide a no-nonsense approach to deciphering financial markets in their changing landscapes.

I only wish that I had this book ten years ago!

Ron William - Bloomberg

Mapping the markets takes you through a global view of today's markets with macroeconomics , technical analysis, demographic trends and a quick review of issues such as energy and biotechnology to date, that it gives a very wide and complete insight into what happens and especially why things happen in the markets. A must have for anyone begining studies of the stockmarkets.

Mapping the Markets is a lucidly written and carefully explained book which focuses on the cyclical changes of the market. The trends recognised have been extremely accurate and this book equips the reader with the skills to detect forthcoming market fluctuations. As an investor this book has become a crucial point of reference when investing in the stockmarket and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the field.

A Medical Diary is a great resource for any person whether in good health or not. It is a wonderful way to keep track of appointment and aliments as well as personal health history. The organization and size of the diary makes for easy use. I would recommend this book to everyone. It is an essential tool for a healthy, organized life!

Having unfortunately lost my parents at a relatively young age, I have no medical records to trace family health history. Since so many of the conditions which threaten our adult health seem to be genetic, family history is a crucial part of the puzzle. This wonderful book offers a very easy means of documenting such information so one is never left to worry about the impact of "what we don't know". It is also extremely helpful in tracking our own history as we look for patterns or potential clues to maintaining good health. I particularly like to keep notes on the effectiveness of varouis types of treatment or medication which have been prescribed for similar symptoms over time to learn which ones provide the best result for me. The book provides a terrific audit trail to help manage my health now which can be passed on so that my children will never have to wonder.

This book is wonderful! How amazing, What a great idea! It will be so helpful, especially for older folks, who do tend to forget sometimes! Thanks!

Well! After playing the tape the 1st time, I thought, "Oh...just another guided meditation." But, then the 2nd time through...wow!...all this stuff came up in the part, "Let the past die.." Stuff I didn't even know I had been holding onto! So, thank you Mister Darrin Owens, for helping me make room for the new!
Your New Fan,
Bobbi Jo
PS- Are you married? I've got somebody I wanna hook you up with!

This cd is a great meditation tool. I love the fact that most of the meditations are very short. I loaded them onto my iPod, and it is so wonderful, as a busy person, to be able to have a quick meditation. Darrin's voice is very comforting. Even after a quick listen, I feel centered and relaxed. The last meditation is 20 minutes, and it is soooo great. I definately feel that this work has benefited me and has impacted my spirituality.

I received the cd as a gift and have been pleasantly surprised! Darrin is the real deal! I enjoy listening to the cd when I take a break from my crazy workday. I actually listen to it at my desk with headphones and it always transforms my day. The prayers help me live in the present moment and I enjoy creating my future now instead of worrying so much about it. The meditation is out of this world, as well as I love just listening to Darrin's serene voice. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I have loved Wilfred Owen's poetry since school days.His exquisite use of language vividly conjures up the horrors of war where young men had no choice in their fate and highlighted the social context in which WWW1 took place. Very moving.

Indeed, this is a book not to be missed by those who love poetry. Owen's verses are mostly gut-wrenching lines that will burn images in your brain, but that is good, particularly next to other poems that we may have been familiar with, where the idea of war is an "ideal" and soldiers are knights who know no fear, who are immune to death and pain. Owen's war is different: the men die like rats in the trenches, in their own vomit, and glory and honor are not enough to protect agaist mustard gas. That the poet perished in that war is only a final irony in the short life of a sensitive man who saw too much in too short a time. Excellent.

This touching collection of poetry stems from the horrors of Owen's own experiences at the front. From his grim, visual and detailed description of a man dying of poison gas, to his conspiracy theories of the real reasons behind the war, Owen uncovers the old lie and disproves it right before our eyes: Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori...

Excellent Book I have had it for about 6 years and I still use it when times get rough in the workplace to keep me on track of looking at myself, getting the beam out of my own eye so to speak. I must say that when I first began reading it I thought Ms. Owens-Smith must have once worked where I was employed at. I let my coworkers use it and they want their own copy.

I enjoy this book as a daily resource of encouragement, reminder, and comfort for work. Sometimes I get stressed with workday activities and it is a comfort to go to a specific place in God's word.

Many of us go to work everyday and it's difficult to look past the issues such as co-workers who are difficult, bosses who may drive us a little crazy and "unfair" promotions or raises.

Ms. Owen-Smith does a wonderful job of laying it on the line and pointing out what is truly important in the time we spend at work.

She is able to do this without sounding "preachy" and also gives great Bible verses to reference in each chapter. This book is not to be missed as I think it provides true encouragement to us all.

As the director of a non-profit organization, I've been accused of being willing to do anything for publicity or to raise money, but I pale beside John Owens, who heads up the Anderson County Fair. This guy ran for Anderson County Council a few years ago and sent a man dressed as a giant pig to campaign for him. Heck, I voted for him just for the entertainment value.
After reading John's book "Opening Night: Creating Successful Events," I know why he used the pig. He calls it "guerilla marketing," and it's one of dozens of great ideas, tips and strategies for getting publicity, sponsors, advertisers and attendance for special events. Although much of the book is geared toward fairs, I found plenty that could be adapted to any special event, from a non-profit fund-raiser to a church-based festival.
"Opening Night" is available [...] through John's website, [...]. When he gave me a copy to peruse, John noted with pride that he had paid for the printing cost by selling ads to promotional companies who wanted to reach the readers of this book. He doesn't miss an angle. Read his book and you won't either.

-- Kathryn Smith, Book Columnist, Anderson (SC) Independent-Mail

Being an event planner I purchased this book looking for ways to increase our business' bottom line. I try to keep up with the latest trends so our business doesn't get lost in the fast pace of today's society. We have produced at many fairs and festivals with our acts and we were very excited when we learned that someone inside the fair industry was giving up some of the secrets that were going to make doing business easier.

We were stuck on how to market to the next generation - the "kids with all the cell phones." When I read the book, "Opening Night" just one small idea paid for the book many times over. We got the answer we had been looking for.

I have read "Opening Night" several times. I have it handy as a reference manual at the office. Each time I get new ideas for our business from the things explained in the book. A new use of sponsorship banners for example sparked a way for us to implement the idea - even though we personally do not have a facility or fairground ourselves.

I found this book to be very helpful for those wanting ideas and simple examples of how to put on an event that attracts sponsors and attendees.

This is a book I will continue to reference for making and saving money and gaining sponsorship dollars for events.

Kitty
[...]

John Owens has done a splendid job of creating a comprehensive guide to the intricacies of operating an outdoor amusement facility. It should be the difinitive text made available to anyone in the industry. I am pleased to see someone finally put in print a reference source for everyone connected to the industry to make use of. Thank you John