P Books

This book makes a teacher out of every one who reads it. Whether you are a parent, guardian, relative, teacher of a child with special needs, this book will give you the tools to teach essential skills and enable you to use them effectively.
This book was recommended to me and I recommend it to every else.

This book is a must have for parents struggling with training there children independence skills. It ofter so many easy to do exercise to get your little or big one independence. My 3 year old is finally bushing his teeth, because this book showed easy to do steps to get him going. I highly recommend this book to any parent struggling with training there children independence. It offers easy steps by step solutions in teaching your child what you have been trying to teach them for months . Try it, its a great training tool for independence.

No parent OR special education teacher should be without this book! Easy to read, and the content is excellent! Step-by-step approaches to teaching everyday skills to children with special needs, but would be just as valuable to ANY parent! After reading this book, I have found it easier to establish goals for my students and everyone is using the same approach to teaching everyday living skills (play, toileting, self-help, PLUS behavior management)! It is working fabulous! The students are learning more with less frustration! A must-have for your resource library!

The book is formatted very well. It has helped me approach my child in a new manner with excellent results. Some of the tasks we take for granted are broken into smaller steps that can be overlooked. This book helps you identify missing steps and provides multiple methods of application. It isn't a "one size fits all" approach. It gives good ideas for praise and correction if consistently followed.

The page layouts are easy to read and the cartoons are cute. Everything addressed in this book has samples to serve as a guide for you. The appendices has more ideas for aiding with independence. Overall, the application of this book, used in a routine, is great for any age and any skill level.

I've been looking for a book like this for quite some time. Here's what it covers:
Chapter 1: Setting Out
Chapter 2: Targeting a Skill
Chapter 3: Establishing Steps
Chapter 4: Picking Rewards
Chapter 5: Setting the Stage
Chapter 6: Teaching
Chapter 7: Observing Progress and Troubleshooting
Chapter 8: Get Ready Skills
Chapter 9: Self-Help Skills
Chapter 10: Toilet Training
Chapter 11: Play Skills
Chapter 12: Independent Living: Self-Care Skills
Chapter 13: Independent Living: Home-Care Skills
Chapter 14: Independent Living: Information Skills
Chapter 15: Plugging into the Personal Computer Revolution
Chapter 16: Behavior Problems
Chapter 17: Initiating a Behavior Management Program
Appendix A: Get Ready Skills
Appendix B: Self-Help Skills Inventory
Appendix C: Self-Help Skills Programs
Appendix D: Play Skills Programs
Appendix E: Information Skills Programs
Index

This is a companion book to Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America, both of which are transcriptions of Reagan's radio addressees delivered during his interregnum from governor to president. This slim tome, however, focuses more on Reagan's philosophical and spiritual side, as opposed to policy.

Indeed, it is more of a devotional book than anything else. You feel Reagan's faith in God, and his love for the down-to-earth people that make America great.

There are so many heartwarming stories. One of my favorites is his retelling of The Little Red Hen, which begins on page 86. On the surface, it has a new twist on an old fable. But once you think about the underlying tales, and the punch-line, you see this story ranks with Animal Farm: Centennial Edition and Atlas Shrugged.

Regan's America is our America. In this selection, Reagan gently reminds us who we we are, and our power as individuals to do good. Reagan was for small government simply because he believed that everyday people were so big.

Not earth-shattering or impressive, still this collection of stories written by President Ronald Reagan is a worthwhile glimpse into the thinking of our former president. Each story is brief, a format that lends itself well to a person whose habit is to read a book little bits at a time due to a busy schedule. I found the stories insightful and well done, further demonstrating to me the depth and integrity of someone I've admired for many years.

For the most part, this little book consists of brief, non-political, stories written by Ronald Reagan for delivery on his five minute radio program in the 1970's. Some are his own. Others are based on stories which he had read or heard and which apparently touched him in some way and which he felt were worthy of repeating to a broader audience. My expectations weren't very high when I began reading the book; probably because there have just been too many such books compiled in recent years. If I'd noticed that the book was produced by the same people who earlier produced "Reagan, In His Own Hand..." they wouldn't have been quite so low.

In any case, this small book exceeded my expectations. Taken separately, its stories are quite topical and quite interesting. Taken together, they tell us a little bit more about our 40th president and it becomes clearer than ever that he was not only a great president and a great human being but also a master story teller. In my view, this book should be of interest to anyone who is interested in Ronald Reagan as well as those who simply appreciate a good story well told.

On Sept. 20, 1983 during my freshman year at the University of South Carolina, RR came to speak. When some students of the far left heckled him, he replied "Is there an echo out there?" and disarmed them. He also entertained the crowd with folksy anecdotes of his days at Eureka College that we as students could identify with. Most of the students (myself included) who disagreed with many of his policies and would never vote for him in susequent elections agreed that RR had a gift with a story and with an audience.

This is the RR that appears in this book. These are the folksy anecdotes that he shared mostly with radio audiences and a few are from his presidential days and some go as far back as his newspaper columns in the 1930s. Much of this makes for good light reading, such as his impressions of hollywood in the 30s and his joy of his parents coming out for a visit, the tale of his hosting a black fellow athlete at his home when a hotel refused to house him, and of the girl who braved a crowd of student demonstrators to shake his hand, as ell as his observations on death.

Unlike some other compliations of RR's writings, tales such as these transcend political opinion. This would make good bedside reading or on a short flight.

This is a compilation of transcripts of Ronald Reagan's radio talk-show from the late 1970's. Reagan always loved to use stories to communicate ideas and give advice, and this collection is replete with perfect examples of that. I believe that the four components of leadership are:

1) A clear vision of a better future; 2) The ability to communicate that vision; 3) The ability to get others to want to listen to your ideas and to believe you; 4) The ability to translate your vision into action

Whatever you might think of Reagan's vision for America or of the actions he took, this book shows us how he excelled at communicating his vision and pulling people into it. He was not called "The Great Communicator" without reason, and this book shows you that reason clearly. This is a treasure for Reagan fans, and for anyone who wants ideas on how to be more charismatic.

As any work of Ms. Estes, «The theatre of the imagination» gives a long deep journey inside one self. Her perfect voice control, the feeling of going down a huge well of being with holding hands of the best help.
You must love stories, fairy stories to be able to enjoy the whole work. It is also interesting to be able to open your soul to hear more than with our brain. Her work is not about 1+1 but about real soul real people and real life!
Maybe it is a good help if you are already aware about the power of psico analysis but not necessarily a must.

It's a great CD! I like to listen to it, not just one time, it's not boring, but it's entertaining and deep. It has positive attitude and brightness, unlike some other authors after reading which I feel drained.

I thought it might be helpful to write what it says on the back of album in "highlights", because that's what w'd be reading if we were looking at it in a store-Thee are 2 volumes of this amazing work-VOLUME ONE includes "TAPE ONE, Godmother Death- The cycles of life & death, Our mother tongue, The language of symbols, Images of the moon landing, Aesculapius, Aztec Goddess Txati,Symbolic 13-TAPE TWO; Lost Mother Moon-Longing to return to the home withn, Healig the homesickness of the soul, Nostalgia, Wounds & the violet light, Rose Tree story-TAPE THREE; Vasalisa & the Baba Yaga-On intuition, Claiming your strengh, The meaning of blessing, Repairing the world-TAPE FOUR;Bluebeard & the Forbidden Key-Waking the 1,000 eyes of intuition,How to stop the destructive inner critic, Naivete' & predator in the psyche, The Initiate Story-TAPE FIVE;The Ugly Duckling-On the gifted child, Hephaestus & the 12 women made of silver & gold, Finding where you really belong,The 10th father, Active imagination-TAPE SIX;The Joyous Body-La Mariposa-The Butterfly Woman-The female body of God, Reclaiming the bodies we were born with, Sappho's poetry constructed, Negative shadow, Old Big Mother, poem, Procrustes' bed"-There was much more listed, but I couldn't copy all of it here-I hope this helps give you a taste of the content

I've just listened to this amazing set of stories, and I can't say enough about them. Ms. Estes is a brilliant, creative, and inspired storyteller.

Posting below has some of the highlights listed on back of album for VOLUME ONE-Here are some for VOLUME TWO-"TAPE SEVEN; THE THREE OLD ONES-Agelessness, The Grandmother Blessing, poem, The three old women bears, Melding of opposites-TAPE EIGHT;THE FISHERMAN'S WIFE-Boy who married an eagle, The silver fish in the pink polka-dot dress, Drain pipe story, King Lear, On fatherhood-TAPE NINE; SKELETON WOMAN-On staying in love, Sedna & the dog-man story, The Wedding Night,poem,TAPE TEN;THE CRESCENT MOON BEAR-On anger & the God of love, Pandora's box, 4 vital steps to forgiveness, Watching yourself exercise-TAPE ELEVEN; SEALSKIN/SOULSKIN-On the marriage of the sacred & the secular, Power of the divine child, La placita-TAPE TWELVE; WOLFEN-Receiving the "pleasure of lushness", If You're Lucky, poem, The meaning of sweet, The Creation, poem"-As with the previous posting on the 1st volume, this is only a small portion of what's listed, but I hope it gives you a sense of the material on the tapes

This is a beautiful book that burns you turning your thoughts upside down about life and society. If read closely it will rescue you from the mundane. READ IT.

E.M. Cioran is one of the peripheral (non French [technically], non German, non Anglo-American) characters of philosophy but, as any of them are, he is an interesting aside to the major ideological fights. Part of the rich history of Existentialism, Cioran is certainly not a philosopher of hope and inspiration but rather the man who could make Schopenhauer feel absolutely dreadful. Meditations and lamentations on life and it's futility, he is a tangible example of the 'moody Existentialist' stereotype many people hold in their minds.

Starting his career when his mother told him she considered an abortion for him, he took himself to new highs and lows of explaining why being born was the ultimate immoral act and how death is no better. Bleak, unintentionally funny, and comically Existential, I would recommend this to people interested in characters such as Schopenhauer, Ortega y Gasset, Unamuno, Sartre, Camus, and others from the rich canon of literature relating to existence. Also, a great book of aphorisms to liven up any party!

Cioran has a great style, indebted to Nietzsche, in which he raves cynically, a la Schopenhauer, about life. Definitely worth reading.
Also recommended: Toilet: The Novel by Michael Szymczyk (A Tribute to the Literary Works of Franz Kafka)

His name is pronounced cho-ran. With an accent on the last syllable. He happens to be my spiritual doppelganger. And he might be yours as well. What's especially endearing about Cioran is the fact that he hates God as much as he hates everybody else. He's a gnostic. He's convinced that the universe was created by an evil lifeforce. And he's right. Everything makes perfect sense as soon as you realize that God is evil.

He's brilliant. The most daring philosopher of XXth century. It's like a revelation. Iconoclast at extreme.

If you are a lover of turquoise jewelry, this book is a must. Before you waste money buying reconstituted, stablized or totally 'fake turquoise'...learn about the stone and how it is processed. Also the book is cheaper on Amazon than from the author's museum website.

This book has helped me to identify several pieces I have that I have
been wondering about. It has helped me to be able to differentiate
between the real thing and the fake.

Turquoise Unearthed is a well written, very useful guide to this most attractive of minerals. The organization by site or mine is helpful to those with Native American jewelry from different sources. This reader found a number of long standing interests and questions satisfied. A small volume, but a "keeper".

THIS BOOK OFFERS ALL THE INFORMATION YOU WILL EVER NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TURQUOISE. I LOVE BROWSING THROUGH IT AND KEEP IT ON MY COFFEE TABLE. ANYONE WHO HAS A LOVE OR DESIRES A KNOWLEDGE OF TURQUOISE WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK. A MUST FOR THE COLLECTOR!! YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A PIECE OF TURQUOISE WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE IT ORIGINATED FROM.

"Turquoise Unearthed" in a brief but thorough introduction to turquoise that would be suitable for anyone interested in turquoise and turquoise jewellery. Although only 74 pages in length, this book is packed full of information, including a history of turquoise, advice on purchasing turquoise, and a guide to the different turquoise mines in the American South-West. There are colour pictures throughout the book, including colour photographs of the turquoise you would find in each of the mines (yes, turquoise does differ between mines); a recommended reading list at the end; and most importantly, it actually has an index. The only thing that could have made this book better would be some sort of pricing guide. Nevertheless, this is still an excellent book and well worth the money I paid.

There is no higher praise that I could bestow any OTHER book than to compare it favorably to The Unobstructed Universe. I read it in 1972 and have read it at least three times since then. It never fails to teach me SOMETHING of value.

The most fundamental measure of any philosophical system is if it is internally consistent, i.e., that its internal parts are in agreement, with no contradictions. TUU is completely, 100% internally consistent.

It is logical. It is thorough. It puts all its pieces together, into one consistent whole. Even the premise of the book is that THERE IS ONLY ONE UNIVERSE (TUU). The universe "over there", on the "other side", is the same universe as THIS ONE, the one we inhabit. To claim that there is only one universe must be backed up with discussions about HOW they are the same. With its spelling out of the trilogy (time, space, motion) that we live with, and comparing it to the "trilogia" (conductivity, receptivity, frequency) of the universe that interlaces with ours, it unfolds for us principles - ESSENCES - that once learned about stay with us forever.

Without creating a philosophy complete with followers and gurus, Betty and Stewart White lay out a framework that we can all use, in formulating our ideas about why we are here and how we fit into the universe. There is no church that has ever built up around this, no sect, no cult, no belief system. It is just crib notes for taking the universe seriously, while appreciating it all with wonder.

Reading this all those years ago, I was pretty new (and YOUNG!) and eager to learn all I could about reality and the universe. After reading it, I thought that there would be books like this every so often along the trail. Sadly, that has not ever been the case. Yes, some uncovered for us a few tidbits and others did other tidbits, but none has come up to the standard of TUU.

The closest one - THE only other one I highly, highly recommend to anyone searching this area of inquiry - is another book of Stewart White's that was never actually published. It is titled "THE GAELIC MANUSCRIPTS" and is FREE for download at http://harmonhouse.net/fdl/gaelic.htm#contents. Like TUU, The Gaelic Manuscripts is an amazing book. Anyone reading White's contributions to metaphysical study will be grateful to have found this unpublished book. It is challenging, enlightening, and opens up vistas about many subjects that 'blow my head off'. It is NOT an easy read, and it is easy to read right past great passages that only make sense later on, and only when we come back to these points in a subsequent read does much of it hit home.

TUU is a foundational book, one that every searcher into the metaphysical would do well to read. And read again. And again. Gaelic, too.

On a scale of 1-5 stars, I rate The Unobstructed Universe a 15. And the funny thing is, I am not exaggerating. Gaelic might be a 20.

I've been curious about Stewart and Betty White's books for a long time. I finally purchased 'The Unobstructed Universe' and found it to be refreshing because of the time period it was written. Humans will always be curious about life after death - it truly is the great unknown. Yes, we can read about what 'mediums' and others have to say with interest, but the Whites are one of the original authors on this subject so I found their take on the subject refreshing. Because they lived in simpler times, they were not distracted by all the chaos at the beginning of today's 21st century as we are currently experiencing. Cell phones, TV, radios, computers, video games - we're all wired for endless chatter in our heads - too busy and perhaps too uninterested in what will happen to us after we pass over. Gotta live in the 'now', don't you know.

While we are bombarded with 'future shock' on a daily basis, the question begs "Will I die with a satisfied mind? Did my life have any meaning or was I just in survival mode from crade to tomb?" No judgement here. This book will slow down your thinking processes to ponder such thoughts. Highly recommended for both beginner and advanced alternative-paradigm thinkers.

THE UNOBSTRUCTED UNIVERSE has been in print since 1940 and is still relevant to today's world. It was published as a psychic book that gives convincing evidence of continued life after death. Yet it is much more than this, for it also provides a philosophy about the afterlife that goes beyond religion. It borders on science, giving tantalizing views of what we might expect in a future life without giving detail that suggests angels, light at the end of a tunnel, and other such irrelevant concepts. It is thought-provoking and challenging. This is a book that could sell well on Kindle.

You can't beat a chapter title like that!
I enjoyed this book. Made sense to me!

Of the seven spiritual works by Western fiction author Stewart Edward White, this one is the most comprehensive and powerful. However, I recommend you read "The Betty Book" first. Some may very well take issue with the mode of enquiry (communications between Mr. White and his deceased wife, Betty)--I have my doubts about that too. But the metaphysical universe that White constructs (supposedly with Betty's guidance) is consistent, inspiring, and IMHO logical. It fills in gaps left in other metaphysical/cosmological systems. It makes a lot more sense, IMO, than other (e.g. the Seth) books do. I suggest, if the stated source offends you, that you just ignore that and, instead, look at the vision as a whole and see if it resonates with you. It does with me.

I received this as a gift for Christmas and have now purchased at least 3 others for gifts. The 1 page, short, daily devotionals are true, uplifting, and have given me a great view into God's practical power and grace for each day. A true blessing!

If you are mission minded or want to be then this book is for you. The introduction is written by Beth Myers but the individual daily devotions are written by missionaries from all over the globe. I purchased four of these books and gave them as Christmas presents. When I find a good book, I always want to share it with someone. I asked for a copy for myself as a Christmas gift from my son. It has been a very heart warming book and makes the missionaries seem more like real people doing a real job. As I read these devotions and pray for them, I feel like I am having a part in their work. The four friends I gave this book have told me that it has truly blessed their hearts and they look forward to reading it every day in this New Year.

If you are looking for a devotional book that will broaden your prospective about missionairies; this is the book. Beth Moore has an introduction at the beginning of each month. The daily devotionals are grouped together into topics that change each month.

I started reading the devotions in September. October was on spiritual warfare. I was amazed at the depth of the content. You will be suprised that some of these beliefs still exist. We are so caught up in our own little worlds that we do not have a clue about the world around us. Each day has a scripture to read, a story, and a prayer to use.

The missionaries are identified mostly by initials but you are given the region that the missionary lives in. My Sunday School class is using the devotionals before our lesson on Sundays. We take turns presenting the text that usually works right along with our lesson on that particular Sunday. I have ordered the book for some of my friends and they love it also.

OUR HOLY FATHER USED THIS BOOK TO BRING THE WOMEN OF OUR CHURCH TOGETHER NOT ONLY IN PRAYER BUT IN MISSIONS. IT WAS A REASON TO GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH AND SHARE STORIES. WE ORDERED 25 BOOKS AND THEN ORDERED 10 MORE. WE NOW HAVE 35 WOMEN OF THE CHURCH WORKING TOGETHER, PRAYING TOGETHER AND REACHING OUT WHICH IS SOMETHING OUR CHURCH WAS STUGGLING WITH. THANK YOU AND WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK, MOST OF THE WOMEN COULDN'T STOP AND READ ON AND ON NOT WANTING TO STOP. THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR DIRECTION AND THANK YOU BETH MOORE AND MISSIONARIES FOR MAKING THIS BOOK. IT NOT ONLY CHANGED OUR CHURCH BUT OUR LIVES. (WE WERE NEVER MUCH ON MISSIONS BUT WE SURE ARE NOW!) GOD'S BLESSING ON ALL OF YOU. A SISTER IN CHRIST.... MARILYN

This is a collection of short essays written by western Christian missionaries who are located throughout the world.

Beth Moore compiles this set of short inspirational readings (one for every day). Each reading is one page. The objective is that you read the short essay, all of which are based on Bible verses, and contemplate the teaching throughout the day.

The essays are arranged by subject. Each month has a different theme. February - the word of God. March - prayer. Etc. Each month's essays are preceded by comments by Beth Moore.

Some of the essays are very inspiring. It takes a couple of minutes to do the daily reading, but one can contemplate it during your daily commute or throughout the entire day. Some of these messages are that good.

However, Beth Moore's comments are my favorite part. She uses charm, wit and wisdom to arrive at a very entertaining writing style, and at the same time she is very effective at getting her point across, and her monthly introductions are perfect for setting up the theme for the coming month. But her short introductions are only to set the stage for the real stars of the book, the missionaries.

This is an amazing book! It gives a great overview of the history and uses of the Labyrinth, and it helps you get started with walking and making them :). This book has really changed my life.
I bought a wonderful wooden double fingerlabyrinth that I use every morning and evening, and in between when I'm upset, and I realized that the town that I have been living in for 12 years now (Nijmegen in the Netherlands) has quite a big stone labyrinth outside on the public street, made by an artist years ago, that can be walked anytime, so now I'm walking it now and then :).
You can see pictures of it here on the artist's site: [...]

I purchased this book because a young man built a large, paved labyrinth on the property of our retreat center as his Eagle Scout project. The labyrinth is 40 feet in diameter. It was not being used because people did not know how to walk the labyrinth. I purchased this book so I could write a short guide for people to use for prayer and meditation as they walked the labyrinth. Now the labyrinth is being used a great deal.
The book was most helpful, providing very specific instructions, and also providing an excellent history of the labyrinth. I recommend this book highly.

A dear friend gave me this book.

My friend is not someone who talks about feelings or his spiritual life and he rarely finds himself walking in a labyrinth. Yet he knew when he saw The Way of the Labyrinth in a museum bookstore in Washington DC that it was a book he must get for me. On December 31 2000 my friend and I did walk in a laybrinth in Hamilton Montana. My friend enjoyed the walk but for me it was transforming. I didn't know much about the power of Labyrinths until then, nor did have much information about them. Lucky for me I have a woman friend in Missoula who has created several labyrinths in Vermont. She came to my house in May of 2000 and we installed a labyrinth of mowed paths in my backyard. I immediately felt more happy and at peace than I had in months. I have a much deeper connection to my small piece of property as a result of the labyrinth that has been uncovered in yard.

I walked in my "lab" for almost a year before my friend gave me this book. After a year of meaningful walks I was still without much formal understanding of the labyrinth concept. I was now ready to take in information and become more knowledgeable of the history of labyrinths and how they have helped people throughout time. This book is a wealth and gift of gentle information. As a result of walking my labyrinth for 18 months and reading this book I feel more grounded in my labyrinth practice. I feel very lucky to have recieved such a lovely gift from such an unlikely friend. I'm happy every morning to see this book on my desk in my yellow kitchen and I am even happier to have read a book that is so well written.

The book confirms what I've always known inside. The truth is already there, you just have find your way to the center to listen as it quietly speaks to you in ways you can understand. I reccomend this book to everyone who has ever walked a labyrinth, and even for those who have been walking all year without any formal understanding of the journey. You won't be disapointed.

This book was my introduction to labyrinths - I didn't even know that labyrinths weren't mazes before reading "The Way of the Labyrinth". Reading this book was a valuable experience for me. I found the tone very agreeable and it helped me make my way through the book at a comfortable pace that was a nice complement to the material. The whole "labyrinth concept" is sort of a personal experience and a lengthy intellectual document would have missed the point entirely. I read it one or two pages a day and every time I picked it up it was like continuing a interesting conversation.

Reflecting on and meditating with labyrinths is a process of carefully and peacefully reflecting on life with something tangible, labyrinths. It was surprising to me how relevant some of the aspects of labyrinths were to issues I was thinking through. A labyrinth, as opposed to a maze, is a path you can follow which winds you around till you get to the center - always. There are no dead ends, and no choices (other than the choice to keep walking forward). This book outlines a few famous historical labyrinths and discusses basic lessons that people have relearned every time they incorporate labyrinths into their society: focus, patience and reflection among many more. The method in which labyrinths focuses people on these lessons shows how powerful a symbol labyrinths are. Its sort of like how you can't help thinking about the future (or the past!) when you see funeral.

There are many personal experiences that Helen shares about her experience with labyrinths. They are a nice guide to what to what you might think about when walking a labyrinth - or even just thinking about labyrinths. Helen seems to be sort of new-agey and religious and I'm not in to new age stuff. Also, I don't have any concrete feelings about religion - I don't even pray. So, any reflections on religious aspects of labyrinths could have been distracting; but they weren't. Her religious reflections were sort of offered as her experience, not something you had to think was part of the labyrinth experience. I could see how they would be helpful for people who were thinking about religion while walking labyrinths.

I really was able to take from this book a set of insights into labyrinths and how this very old meditative tool can help guide your thinking in a secular, non-new-age manner. So, for all you out there who see the word "christian" or "self development" printed in reviews of other labyrinth books, don't get scared away from labyrinths because you think it has something to do with any organized religion or new age philosophy. The reason that people have religious reflections on labyrinths is clear to me - as it will be to you if you know about labyrinths or decide to read up on them. But religion does not have to be a part of your understanding of labyrinths.

I think that meditating is something everyone has tried at some point in their lives (usually when they are teenagers) and that most give it up as life gets more complicated. Part of the problem with keeping with it, I think, is that there's usually this feeling when you try to meditate, that you have to "do" all these things - clear your mind, focus on your breathing, think of a white light, focus on your energy, sit still for 15 minutes, blah blah blah. As we all know if somethings hard, people just won't keep doing it. But, my experience has been that the labyrinth concept gives you a tangible tool for meditating that takes a huge burden off of you. Since reading this book 2 years ago the concept of the labyrinth pops into my head at least once a week and helps me think through things more easily. I know it sounds crazy, but the basic concepts I pulled from the book have helped me lead a calmer, more comfortable life - and I'm not even one the hardcore "labyrinth walkers" that Helen refers to throughtout the book.

In fact, I have yet to actually walk a single labyrinth (aside from tracing the labyrinths in the book) - but the concepts are concrete enough that I have taken something valuable from this book. If I have the opportunity, I will walk a labyrinth and am sure that I will notice things I haven't thought of yet.

I now believe there are real, meaningful reasons the concept of the labyrinth has been a helpful meditative tool for people for thousands of years and I believe it is worth a read for everyone else to find out about labyrinths for these reasons. This book was a nice way to get in touch with that information for me and I suggest it to everyone with an open mind.

Finished THE WAY OF THE LABYRINTH, and, dear friend, you are certainly doing "the work," as you would say. You've put together a book rich in history, experience, and possibilities, and you have made this time-honored meditation tool easily accessible to others. That is, after all, what we are all here to do -- to help each other as we each journey toward God.

Charles Wohlforth's The Whale and the Supercomputer is a brilliant conversation between the indigenous Inupiat of Barrow, Alaska, and the Anglo world of science. It deals not only in ideas, observations and theory, but in the lives of the women and men who give rise to these ideas, observations and theories. The result is a deeply human book.

Wohlforth gives all sides of the conversation a hearing, showing the strengths and blindness of each. Many of us who claim to be environmentalists live too far away from the land to really know it, but our critique is also helpful to those who live too close.

Some of the most interesting stories in this book are the ones he does not tell. It seems that many people do science as a way of getting back to the land. It also seems that some of those who do the science are worried about what their experiments are showing and so they do them again and in different ways, just in case there might be a different outcome. The result is that Wohlforth thoroughly engages his reader.

The conversation between the Native Way and White Capitalism that is going on in Alaska today may be the most important conversation Americans will ever have. I am grateful to Charles Wohlforth for letting us listen in.

who are 11 and 13. They wanted me to read the whole chapter about the snow-sampling expedition. They are thrilled and disturbed by the whale hunts and the vivid descriptions of the ice, and they are more interested in the science than I expected -- but as another reviewer noted, the author is a parent, too, and while the science isn't oversimplified, it is set out in plain language.

My kids want to go to Alaska as soon as possible, "before it's all melted and gone forever" as my daughter says. And my son wanted to know -- "Mom, if I can figure out cold fusion, will you be proud of me?"

All the accolades by other reviewers here are well deserved. This is a wonderful read; the science is woven into the story so seamlessly that you don't realize just how much you're learning. But I think the most important message of this story is that the earth has an intrinsic value and beauty that we do not have the right to destroy.

So, get this book. Read it. Donate a copy to your local library. Maybe our children really can save the planet. This book could be the inspiration.

I flew a Jet Ranger helicopter for ERA Helicopters in the spring of 1969, shortly after oil was definitely discovered at Prudhoe Bay. I was the farthest west contract at that time, living with and working for a seismic crew. As a result I had to learn a lot about surviving in the white-out, memorizing the shapes of all the tundra ponds, various willows and other Arctic shrubs, snowy owls and ptarmigan, and so forth. Reading this book brought me back to all those adventuresome skills and a time just before we were all so skeptical of our society and its outcome. Working in extreme outdoor jobs then was a lot like the life described in this book. Certain abilities to pick up on local lore of the Natives, as well as the most advanced technical thinking was expected of you, and comforting. I have enjoyed seeing anything about the Arctic's North Slope of Alaska ever since, and hope we can move forward into our complicated future without confiscating that amazing habitat up there. And good luck to the Arctic Ocean's inhabitants and their ecology; they are going to need it for what we have done to the atmosphere. This writer is a fine journalist for conveying what we have learned so far.

This book tells many stories centered on the theme of climate change as seen in Northern Alaska. The Iñupiat people have lived around what is today Barrow, Alaska for over a thousand years. As with many indigenous peoples, they have a keen awareness of their natural surroundings. For the Iñupiat, knowledge of weather, ice and whale behavior is a matter of life and death, both moment to moment in a climate so harsh the cold can kill quickly and in the larger life of their villages, where successful whale hunts are needed to feed the people.

Barrow has also been the site of scientific Arctic climate studies since the 1800s. A parallel culture of scientists has developed in the several research stations in the area. For many years, the Iñupiat and scientific communities have coexisted in varying states of tension. Both recognize strengths in the other but their ways of approaching life and understanding the world are very different and often not possible to reconcile. While the scientists have frequently consulted with and tried to learn from the Iñupiat, the scientists have typically found this a frustrating exercise and the Iñupiat have had enough bad experiences with researchers on short projects not really understanding the people or the place that they do not easily trust outsiders.

Charles Wohlforth has lived in Alaska and did a remarkable job of coaxing stories out of the Iñupiat. They are storytellers - telling stories has long been deeply ingrained in their culture and way of life. We hear some of their stories as well as those of the scientists. Perhaps most remarkably, we meet a scientist who returned to Alaska to adopt the Iñupiat way of life as a whaling captain instead of pursuing his scientific career and Iñupiat who have made their way as scientists even as they live next to the people they grew up with.

But most important, while we see the effects of global warming and climate change as seen by the scientists doing research and the Iñupiat whalers trying to cope with the impact of bad ice and warmer weather on all aspects of whaling, the author reminds us that these local effects are just a snapshot in one place of changes that will affect us all. Reading this book compels an appreciation for the depth and breadth of knowledge of an indigenous people surviving the changes in the modern world while preserving their native ways and traditions.

We know why this book was honored with the 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Award for science/technical writing. Wohlforth cheerfully tackles the deep fog of climate science (even some of the career scientists he interviews seem hopelessly befuddled by the complexity of it). But he approaches it both as a journalist who makes his living by storytelling, and as a father used to gently encouraging his four bright, curious children to understand their world. He can distill a century of mind-numbing bench science into a metaphor that his 10-year old can understand and that readers of all ages will appreciate.
To get the story he drops into whaling expeditions and arctic research explorations with equal aplomb by chipping in and becoming one of the team. (The comparison is not unlike the cinematographers who capture on film the drama of a Mt. Everest ascent: the only way to get the picture is to strap on the gear and make the climb themselves, right alongside the adventurers they're filming.)
Getting and telling the story is what Wohlforth knows how to do. In his book, he captivates us by telling us what his "characters" know how to do. From the fox who knows how to skitter across a thin sheet of newly-forming ice without falling through, to the native who knows how to take compass readings by studying the shadows on snow drifts, to our generation's academic elites who know how to wrap their minds around the infinitely complex equations that underlie the mysteries of climate change. In the end, it's really not so mysterious: the signs of climate change are obvious and all around us.
Read this book and prepare to be moved and enlightened, just as you will be charmed by the people whose lives, livelihoods, and ways of knowing are as diverse as the environment itself.

The French Defense has been used by stronger chessplayers than Wolfgang Uhlmann, and has seen its fair share of action in World Championship matches. But there has never been a player so loyal to the French Defense as GM Uhlmann. He is a hero for all devotees of the French (like myself), having faced many of the World's best and never shying away from his pet defense. Has he ever played anything else against 1.e4?

The French Defense can be played as a stodgy, defensive weapon, or as an uncompromising, counterpunching system. I have played countless games in both styles, and both are valid depending on one's temperament/mood/tournament situation. Uhlmann's book is comprised of 60 games played in the second style. It is true that some of the variations nowadays are *possibly* not the best, but there is much to be learned in terms of how the opening can be handled, and the kind of chances available to the second player.

The book has chapters delineated by variation, so it is easy to find ideas (abundant!) in the particular lines you are looking for, and features games played from the 1950s through the 1990s. Uhlmann also admits to using subvariations not favored by theory, but that he has faith in. And I daresay, if Uhlmann has faith in the lines, so can we! Even Botvinnik, Smyslov, and Petrosian did not live and die by the French as much as Uhlmann.

Each French player has his or her favorite books, but this is one most of us agree on.

GM Uhlmann is certainly an acknowledged specialist in the French defense. I for one decided to buy this book to deal with problematic variations as black (i.e., Tarrasch variation and KIA) I found more than I could possibly hope to find in the book. For one, this is not just an insuferable encyclopedic treatise bound to be outdated the minute you buy it. It isn't a pedantic presentation of lines with no logical sense but a concise and fun explanation of IDEAS commonly used in the French. GM Uhlmann promises in his book to show you what's typical and how to find your way out from unknown situations over the board and gives you an arsenal of weapons to enrich your French defense.

The book's format is simple: Anotated games by Uhlmann full of comments, variations, ideas, and opinions. I found it interesting to see that GM Uhlmann shows a remarkable objectivity when mistakes by him appear on the games. With utmost professionalism he warns about his mistakes, suggests an alternative approach, and implicitly tells you how to fine tune the opening. I have applied many of the ideas presented on this book and can say that I feel more confident each time I play the French. GM Uhlmann makes you fall in love with the French by exposing the ideas behind each variation and how to thrive when facing unknown situations.

I must forewarn anyone reading this review that the book is very specific in the variations covered: Tarrasch closed and open (with an isolated queen pawn), Winnawer, Advance, KIA and exchange. Do not expect to see the classical variation among the lines covered or any other non-fashionable lines. GM Uhlmann has worked the above repertoire of the French defense and since those lines are his specialty you will learn them thoroughly with him.

In regards to negative aspects of the book I can say that I would like to see a more thorough discussion about the pawn structures that result commonly and how to play the resulting endings. This is of course very subjective and it is just my opinion on how to deal with the study of chess openings. In spite of that, I believe that discussing pawn structures resulting in the French would make the book just perfect. However, I am giving the book 5 stars because it delivers what it promises to the reader.

I have almost every french book published in recent five years in my collection, but they are primary the books about openings and its many variations. But one can feel strong emotions about this book, feel the love and mastery of its author about this particular opening, he never shy away from. This book is not too big or too tick, but it has covered almost every subvariation of french nicely. There are even 5 fully anotated game vs Kings indian attack, very annoying for some french players, and even 4 games in exchange variation. I am using this book when i need refreshment and inspiration in french. Best collection of french games available.

I have over 500 chess books, and this is one of my ten favorites. I keep coming back to it again and again, unlike the hundreds of supposed classics that sit on my shelf un-opened. Many say that games collections annotated by the GM who played the games are the best teaching tools. The problem that I often have is that there is no connecting themes between the games. I play the French as black. So, I would like to have a games collection of games in the French. The Korchnoi Best Games book is great because there are quite a few games where he plays the French. And of course there are books by and about Nimzowitsch and Botvinnik where a few French games are featured. But here we have a unique book by Uhlmann. In all 60 games of this book, he plays black in the French. The annotations are brilliant, concise, and instructive to follow, without being too dense or over-the-top, as are annotations by Nunn, Speelman, and Timman. Those are all good authors, but they do not write for the masses; they write for top-flight GMs. This book has a directness and an instructive theme that is lacking in those other works. It will inspire you to play the French, and will inspire your chess in general. It is one of the best chess books that I know.

This one by Uhlmann has the special something that separates art from the mundane. It brims with love and care about his French Defence, yet it is objective too. He does not smirk at white's various lines, such as the King's Indian Attack. He treats chess with respect, and he does not make ridiculous claims, ala Watson, that the French will give black an edge in every line. This book is a keeper, and I don't even play the french!