Peter Books

If your looking for a book to aid you in seducing young maidens; this is not the book for you. This is a well written handbook for those who have a understanding of hypnosis, that wish to expand their knowledge to use it in the bedroom. The author will tell you right at the beginning that this takes two willing partispants to use this book. So all you misguided deviants beware of wasting your money trying to seduce women by purchasing this book.

As a certified hypnotist, I know that Peter Masters' guide to unleashing the euphoric power of HypnoSex (or Erotic Hypnosis) is a gift to the sexually adventurous! By tapping into the power of one's own erotic mind (where ALL our pleasure already originates), most anyone can experience explosive orgasms which can be even more intense than wildest fantasies!

"Hypnosis and sex" can be shared with oneself or one's partner in the bedroom or even during phone sex. Married couples or dating couples will enjoy exploring each other in new, exciting and playful ways. With little practice, women can achieve consistent, multiple orgasms. Men can achieve longer stamina and more powerful orgasms.

I particularly enjoy being able to delay my wife's orgasms, so that they can build to new levels of sexual highs. Male friends have told me that they now feel even more confident meeting women, because they know that they have something totally unique and special to eventually share with them. For them, it's almost like a "speed seduction".

"Look into My Eyes" can only enhance the intimacy which partners already share with each other. Do yourself a favor, DRIVE HIM OR HER (OR YOURSELF) EVEN MORE WILD & CRAZY IN AND OUT OF BED!

Sincerely,
Gerry@EroticHypnotist.com

I was curious to read Master's book because I have been hypnotized several times myself - though in a therapeutic setting, not a sexual setting. I haven't yet tried the techniques outlined in Master's book (though I've passed my copy off to my partner and am curious to see where things go) but I can say, speaking from my own experience of being hypnotized many times, that Masters has written an excellent guide to hypnosis for the lay person. His instructions are clear and very detailed and he often explains the reasoning behind his instructions as well so that the reader will be able to confidently adapt the techniques for individual situations. Masters even covers many of the "glitches" I personally experienced as a hypnosis subject and explains ways to avoid or minimize those situations.

Masters spends a good amount of time explaining the ethics of hypnosis. This is very important since hypnosis requires a good amount of trust and is an activity that can be abused by the unscrupulous. Despite the possibility for abuse, however, Masters makes certain to point out that hypnosis cannot force someone to do things that they wouldn't otherwise be willing to do. This is not a book for someone who wants to trick people into going to bed with them or force people to do things against their will. This is not a book of techniques to save a failing marriage. Hypnosis is about enhancing what is already there, lowering inhibitions against following one's inherent desires, helping one to gain the courage to explore one's desires more closely and so on. The author does not come across as preachy when discussing ethics and his writing style makes it interesting to read what might otherwise be a dry topic.

The reader should expect to spend a lot of time and effort implementing the ideas in this book. This is not a book one just reads and then sets down and is done with -- to get the most out of this book, one has to be willing to work on the exercises. Progress is slow as Masters wisely advises couples to take their time getting into hypnosis. In fact, Masters strongly suggests that the first session consist only of hypnotizing one's partner, checking to see if they are in a trance, bringing them back out of the trance and talking about what happened. Don't expect to be able to read this book in the afternoon and then have fully hypnotized active sex that evening unless you are already an expert hypnotist and your partner is already a proven subject with whom you have worked before. If you want an instant sex toy, get a new vibrator. This book is for people who are willing and able to put a lot of effort and time into building creative and vibrant sex play.

For those interested in using the ideas in this book professionally (such as dominatrices and other sex workers), Masters offers sufficient information and advice that is readily adapted to a professional setting including a short section about the BDSM applications of hypnosis. He also covers what sort of people should most definitely not be hypnotized and workers can use this information for screening purposes to "risk out" those for whom hypnosis play would be more dangerous than erotic.

One of the most valuable aspects of this book, in my opinion, is the copious inclusion of scripts. When I think about hypnotizing a partner, my biggest fear is that I will not know what to say or not remember the best ways to phrase ideas. Masters includes scripts for inducing hypnosis, scripts for dealing with various hypnotic situations and even suggested scripts for sexual fantasy play. Of course many of these scripts should be modified so that they more accurately fit individual situations. A really dedicated reader could even type out the scripts with appropriate modifications and print out their own personal scripts for play sessions.

I found this to be an excellent book and clearly written. I am eager to begin working with the techniques to add a little extra spice to bedroom play between my partner and myself and recommend this book to anyone who wants to add some adventure and mystery to their sex life.

Ever since reading the once infamous novel Trilby, in which the evil Dr. Svengali hypnotizes the innocent but untalented Trilby into becoming a brilliant pianist, I've been fascinated by hypnotism. Also, my partner says I make love as if I'm in a hypnotic trance anyway, so I thought I'd see if this book could help. Having been trained in hypnosis at the famous Svengali and Trilby Institute myself, I can only say that this book is a fine contribution to the field, especially for those guys (like me) whose modus amore, as it were, is indistinguishable from a zombi-like stupor. Highly recommended.

I won't be using hypnosis in my sex life or my mundane life but if you want to know a bit more about the topic and want to learn how to do it safely, Peter Masters has written an excellent introduction. He spends enough time on the safety issues to satisfy a safety freak like myself but in a way which isn't too frightening if you are already interested in the practice. Using scripts to demonstrate and re-enforce the procedure he has outline was a wonderful teaching method. He is also very realistic about what can and cannot be done using hypnosis though I think many of these activities and changes are likely to take more time than the average person is willing to spend. Another great non-fiction book from Greenery Press.

This book is a breezy meditation on the creative process in writing. It sprang out of a series of lectures the author gave on fiction writing as a form of mental mapmaking. While this could have been dreadfully pretentious, Turchi writes deftly and never pushes his "extended metaphor" beyond the limits of plausibility. He even thanks us (readers, colleagues, and students) for indulging him in it. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I still browse through it from time to time for inspiration. Highly recommended.

Be warned. This book compares the craft of writing, particularly fiction writing, to mapmaking and other forms of graphic representation. It is not a book about imaginary maps that do or could appear in fiction. This book does refer briefly to a few books containing such maps: Absalom, Absalom!; Watership Down; Lord of the Rings; Treasure Island; etc. But imaginary maps in fiction are not this book's subject.

The book tries to be for fiction writers and poets what Tufte's Visual Display of Quantitative Information might be for a statistician. For fiction writers and some readers, this book is probably helpful and interesting. It is well-written, contains many illustrations, and makes some valuable points about perspective, metaphor, and details. But the illustrations often don't match up to the text. And one won't learn much about mapmaking or visual representation here. For that sort of thing, time with books by Edward Tufte or Mark Monmonier would be time better spent.

I'd still like to see the book I thought I was buying. What might a map of Combray (In Search of Lost Time) look like? How about the map that Le Grand Meaulnes made? Turchi lives in Asheville, North Carolina. What might a map of Altamont (Look Homeward, Angel) depict? The list could go on.

What a terrific book! I read this around the same time I undertook Cowan's Mapmaker's Dream (which I have also reviewed on Amazon), and the two books -- ostensibly on similar subjects -- could not be more different!

Turchi's book is a genuine treasure! His prose is wonderful, full of rich images and musical language throughout. It could easily serve (and probably has done) as the text for a creative writing course, and there are thought-provoking passages on just about every page. The illustrations, too, as a prior reviewer has noted, are beautiful and fascinating. Turchi has unearthed kinds of maps I'd never conceived of before, placing them alongside medieval mappaemundi, early political maps, upside-down maps, maps drawn by children, maps drawn from memory -- you name it! Throughout the book, Turchi reinforces the point that cartography is an excellent metaphor for the way writers think, write, and revise. And as obvious a metaphor as you might be tempted to think that is, Turchi continues to surprise and delight with his imaginative insights, page after page.

The book, too, is an absolute jewel (I'm speaking of the first edition hardcover here). The perfect weight, with heavy boards bound in cloth and a sewn binding; the perfect paper weight, highly readable type, and excellent use of color throughout. This is how all books should be made.

I can't rave enough about it. Check it out for yourself, and I don't see how you could be disappointed. The only real disappointment comes when you turn the last page and find no others to follow it.

I'm not a writer, not in any meaningful sense. I am a reader, and I deeply admire writers who can immerse me in their story.

I received this book as a gift from someone who I respect. It seemed an odd gift, but now I understand it. This is one of the best non-fiction books that I've read in quite a long time. In this book, Turchi gives us a fascinating and engaging extended essay about writing. He compares it to the art and science of cartography, pointing out the myriad and unexpected ways in which cartography and writing are similar.

While the idea is an interesting one, Turchi makes it all the more approachable through the examples and quotes that he sprinkles liberally throughout the book. This is possibly the only book that references both the storytelling of "Lolita" as well as that found within the Road Runner cartoons that I grew up with. I found myself constantly writing down more books, stories, and poems that I needed to read, based on how they were discussed herein. Many of them are books that I've been meaning to read, such as "Treasure Island", others are authors that I've heard discussed before but never in a way that made me want to rush out and read them.

The book is full of maps, ranging from early maps of the world to a map drawn by the author's son showing locations in town for street luge. These maps serve as a reminder of one of the central points of the book: cartography and writing both choose what to illuminate and what to ignore. I remember annotating a map with landmarks that I found useful, which tells you just as much about what I found useful at the time as it tells you about what I didn't find useful at the time.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I feel like I need to send a copy of it to every writer I know.

Cartography is an analytical science ... mathematical, temporal, evolving. Novels are literal explorations. Perceiving a common link between the technical cartography and the creative novel becomes a fascinating common ground. Ever wonder how a left brainer thinks? Turchi gives us a hint.

Turchi makes a living from his application of the understanding of the technical structure of novels ... cartography is his hobby. Right brainers make a living from the technical ... novels are the hobby.

The subtleties and enjoyable descriptions of the structure and theory of great novels are merged with the structure and theory of great maps. How we use language and data to convey structural information is common ground in Turchi's premise.

For this reviewer, a great map improves efficiency in getting from "A" to "B". Turchi is revealing in his observation that humans use maps to reduce an anxious uncertainty of the unknown. As one of those 'if I'm lost, get loster' types, I suppose I do enjoy the ' ... get loster' adventure. The same is true in enjoying the unexpected adventures in the great novel. Turchi's insight into natural human motivation to seek a clearing of the veil of uncertainty left me thinking down a whole other set of rabbit holes.

This book is a box of chocolates.

FERDINAND-DREYFUS, Un philanthrope d'autrefois: La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, 1747-1827 (Paris, 1903). Translated to English. WJH (François-Alexandre-Frédéric).

Born at La Roche-Guyon, on 11 January, 1747; died at Paris, 27 March, 1827.

Opposed during the last years of the reign of Louis XV to the government of Maupeou, and the friend of all the reformers who surrounded Louis XVI, he owed to the influence of these economists the favour of the king. Having little liking for the military profession he devoted himself to scientific agriculture. During the rage for rural life which characterized the last years of the old regime, La Rochefoucauld made his estate at Liancourt an experimental station, whishing to improve both the soil and the peasantry. He introduced new methods of farming, founded the first model technical school in France (intended for the children of poor soldiers), and started two factories. Politically, he was a partisan of a democratic regime of which the king was to be the head, and throughout his life was faithful to this dream. Deputy for the nobility of Clermont in Beauvaisis at the States-General, he voted unhesitatingly for the "reunion of the three orders". it was he who in the night which followed the taking of the Bastille (14 July, 1789) roused Louis XVI, saying: "Sire, it is not a revolt, it is a revolution." He presided at the Constituent Assembly from 20 July to 3 August, 1789. On the night of 4 August he was one of the most enthusiastic in voting the abolition of titles of nobility and privileges. As grand master of the wardrobe he accompanied Louis XVI from Versailles to Paris on 5 and 6 October, 1789. As president of the committee of mendicancy, he made a supreme effort at the Constituent Assembly to organize public relief; he determined the extent and the limits of the rights of every citizen to assistance, determined the obligations of the State, and established a budget of State assistance which amounted annually to five millions and a half of francs, and which implied the national confiscation of hospital property, of ecclesiastical charitable property, and of the income from private foundations.

Liancourt is one of the most undiscerning representatives of the tendency which led the revolutionary state to destroy all collective forms of charity. Absolutely devoted to the person of Louis XVI as well as to the doctrines of the Revolution, he secured for himself in 1792 the lieutenancy of Normandy and Picardy, so as to prepare for the flight of the king as far as Rouen; but Louis XVI refused to place himself in the hands of constitutional deputies. La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt emigrated shortly after 10 August, and resided in England until 1794, afterwards in the United States (1794-7). He took advantage of his residence in that country to write eight volumes on the United States to induce Washington to interfere in favour of Lafayette, and to gather ideas upon education and agriculture which he attempted later to apply in France. After 18 Brumaire, Napoleon authorized him to return to his Liancourt estate, which was restored to him. This former duke and peer gloried in being appointed, during the first Empire (1806), general inspector of the "Ecole des arts et métiers" at Châlons, of which his Liancourt school had been a forerunner. The book "Prisons de Philadelphie" which he composed in American and published in 1796, was meant to initiate a penitentiary reform in France at the Restoration in 1814 he begged but one favour-to be appointed prison inspector. In 1819 he became inspector of one of the twenty-eight arrondissements into which France was divided for penitentiary purposes. Louis XVIII gave him back neither the blue ribbon nor the mastership of the wardrobe, and in the House of Peers he sat with the opposition.

La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt was the Franklin of the Revolution. An aristocrat by birth, a liberal in his views, in touch with all the representatives of the new commerce, he availed himself of this concurrence of circumstances to become the leader of every campaign for the people's protection and betterment; improvement of sanitary conditions in hospitals and foundling asylums, reorganization of schools according to the theories of Lancaster, whose book he had translated (Système anglais d'Instruction). He brought into use the methods of mutual instruction, and the pupils between 1816 and 1820 increased from 165,000 to 1,123,000. In 1818 he established the first savings bank and provident institution in Paris. On 19 Nov., 1821, he founded the Society of Christian Morals, over which he presided until 1825. It was at times looked upon with suspicion by the police of the Restoration. At its meetings were such men as Charles de Rémusat, Charles Coquerel, Guizot the Pedagogue, Oberlin, and Llorente, historian of the Inquisition. Broglie, Guizot, and Benjamin Constant were chairmen in turn, and Dufaure, Tocqueville, and Lamartine made there their maiden speeches. In these meetings provident institutions, rather than charitable ones, were discussed; slavery, lottery, gambling were combatted, and the matter of prison inspection was taken up. When La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt died, the Restoration would not permit the students of Châlons to carry his coffin, and the two chambers were much concerned over such extreme measures. La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt was a typical philanthropist, with all that this word implies of generous intentions and practical innovations; but also with a certain naïve pride, inherited from the philosophy of the eighteenth century, which led him to mistrust the charitable initiative of the Church, and to forget that the Church, the most perfect representative of the spirit of brotherhood, is still called in our modern society to win the victory for this spirit by putting it to practical uses, as she alone can.

There is nothing quite like this book. I am a little surprised it is not more widely read, because in my opinion, Rochefoucauld's insights are absolutely fascinating.

Maxims is a brutally candid, straightforward, and oftentimes blunt look at human nature. For the most part, La Rochefoucauld believes that we have inaccurate perceptions of ourselves and others, and that the actual motives of our behaviors are often vastly different from the motives we commonly attribute our behavior to. Basically, he tries to get at the root of human nature, and says that appearances are very deceiving, as evidenced by the book's opening line (right before maxim #1), "Our virtues are usually just disguised vices." In his view of human nature, La Rochefoucauld portrays people as mainly self-interested, vain, and deceptive. His statements are brief and to the point, and he brings an immense amount of content into one very short book. Maxims is a very enjoyable and fun read, and in my opinion is one of the best books ever written. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I made it a major part of my book A Collection of Wisdom.

There are several English translations of Maxims available. This Tancock translation is excellent. The other most used one is probably the J.W. Willis Bund & J. Hain Friswell translation. Also be sure to check out my ultra clear translation of selected material from Maxims contained in A Collection of Wisdom.

Some of my favorite Maxims:

The passions are the most effective orators for persuading. They are a natural art that have infallible rules; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without it. (8)

A man often believes he is leading when he is [actually being] led; while his mind seeks one goal, his heart unknowingly drags him towards another. (43)

A clever man should handle his interests so that each will fall in suitable order [of their value]. Our greediness often brings trouble to this order, and makes us pursue so many things at the same time, that while we attend to the trifling too eagerly, we miss the great. (66)

Men would not live long in society if they were not the dupes of each other. (87)

The head is ever the dupe of the heart. (102)

We become so used to disguising ourselves to others, that we end up becoming disguised to ourselves. (119)

...Some of the greatest charms we can have in conversation come from listening well and answering well. (139)

In all aspects of life, we take on a part and an appearance to seem to be what we wish to be [seen as]--and thus the world is merely composed of actors. (256)

La Rochefoucauld isn't for everyone. Let's excuse those who are going to be offended right away. Do you insist your movies be in color and have a happy endings? You're excused. Do you believe man is perfectable through his institutions? You're excused. Do you believe that love remains bright, eternal and unchanging? You're excused. Do you believe you know yourself completely and thoroughly? Then I'll see you around. Have a nice day.

Now, for the rest of us, realists rather than idealists, La Rochefoucauld is a Godsend. A nobleman from the highest levels of the French aristrocracy pulls up a chair and starts talking to us, telling us deep and profound things, giving us insights so quickly and so accurately that we erupt over and over again with deep, raucous laughter. He tells us the essential, conceptual problems with love. He tells us that the sexes are not the same and cannot act identically, and says this profoundly and without dismissing or mocking either men or women.

He warns us about vanity, resentment, envy and jealousy. Most especially, he convinces us that these qualities are dominent in human affairs. He tells us why a dismissive attitude about death is not genuine. He warns us of the great dangers brought about through laziness.

The art of using the minimum words to convey a subtle truth was in its highest form in Paris at this time. The Maxims were shared and honed in a salon. La Rochefoucauld's life of warfare and court intrigue and betrayal and unrequited love allowed him to bring deep wisdom into the emotions and moods he describes. Particularly, his rivalry with a self-aggrandizing courtier informs his writing. Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz, was a pompous and annoying hypocrite who was extremely successful in some aspects of his life. Retz once received eight votes for election to the Papacy. Yet La Rochefoucauld both saw through him and came to understand why so many others did not pierce the veil of the cardinal's reputation.

The salon and rivalry with Retz are an important introduction Tancock gives us to the Maxims. That material should be read thoroughly and introspectively, especially the cardinal's written description of La Rochefoucauld and the duke's written description of the cardinal.

In the actual body of the Maxims and Reflections, La Rochefoucauld tells us of the dominent human characteristic, an impulse for self-preservation so strong that affection for oneself, pride, and vanity about one's reputation become included in it. It's called "amour-propre," for which self-love is only a glib translation. The essay on self-love, the longest and most stunning of the writings, is more than a maxim. It resists being broken down into pithy sayings. Sturdily written, it was so shocking to the French aristocracy that it was excluded from later editions of the Maxims.

But La Rochefoucauld's description of amour-propre is a masterpiece, a work of genius and modern psychology, three hundred years ahead of its time. Personally, it is the most important essay I ever read. Here is a partial quote from Tancock's translation of the maxim on self-love (number 563):

"....From this enveloping darkness come the ludicrous ideas it has about its own nature -- the errors, ignorances, obtusenesses, and sillinesses where itself is concerned -- believing, for instance, that its emotions are dead when they are merely dormant, that it has given up wanting to run just because it is resting, or that it has lost the tastes it has satiated. But this thick darkness that hides it from itself does not prevent its seeing with perfect clarity things outside itself, just as our eyes can perceive everything else and are only blind when it comes to seeing themselves. Indeed, where its main interests and really important affairs are concerned, and the violence of its desires takes up the whole of its attention, self-love sees, feels, hears, imagines, suspects, penetrates, and guesses everything, and one is tempted to believe that its every passion has magical properties of its own..."

Tancock here, and throughout the book, performs a meticulous translation for us. His friend, W. G. Moore, wrote about this particular passage in his book "La Rochefoucauld, His Mind and Art" and said:

"Surely this is writing of a high order. Lucid in form, short unremarkable phrases, few images, most of the stress on the single verb -- these features are not usually combined with the description of something that no human eye has seen or brain registered. Apparently the only way of describing the quality called amour-propre is to make it personal. The phrases are understandable as applied to a human being; perhaps even more to an animal, in a lair, taking precautions against surprise, running, resting, feeding, hiding, finding no rest,. We are not, as we thought, in the domain of critical assessment, still less in the domain of phrase-making, we are reading about magic, a picture is conjured up before our eyes; we watch the imagination at work. What it shows is a monster, something unnatural. The mood of scorn, discernible in many epigrams, is absent. The attitude is one of respect, almost awe, before something ubiquitous and mysterious. Yet we know what is being described: the power and plight of fallen man is here more imposing and impressive than in a Bossuet sermon. This is an Augustinian passage."

Let this nobleman, Francois, the sixth duke of La Rochefoucauld, stun you, amuse you, and lead you to greater wisdom.

These maxims- aphorisms are a Western classic .In one way they look with a cynical eye at this vain self - aggrandizing creature the human being and do their best to debunk his illusions. On the other they are written with such grace , point and wit that they amuse and give the reader pleasure.
If there is one criticism it is that on the whole Rouchefoucaud has a very limited view of mankind and human nature. We may not all be as wonderful as we think, but humanity is far better and good in many ways than is seen in these aphorisms.

The famous Indian classic, Kautilya's 'Arthasastra,' a treatise which deals with the attainment of worldly ends, distinguishes between two kinds of wisdom - Straight and Crooked. To the former belong (to use Western examples) such works as 'The Imitation of Christ' by Thomas a Kempis, a work which teaches how, ideally, the virtuous should live, while overlooking the fact that often it would be extremely impractical and socially disastrous to live in such a way.

The second class of books, those which teach the art of 'Crooked Wisdom,' is exemplified in the East by Kautilya's 'Arthasastra' itself, and in the West by such works as Balthasar Gracian's 'The Art of Worldly Wisdom,' Francesco Guicciardini's 'Maxims and Reflections of a Renaissance Statesman' (Ricordi), and by the present collection of Maxims by La Rochefoucauld.

These books are both highly realistic and extremely practical, for they depict, not man as he is supposed to be, but man as he is with all his selfishness, stupidity, ambition, arrogance, malice, laziness and other imperfections, and they teach the art of how, not merely to survive, but even to thrive in the midst of our far from perfect fellow men and women. And, certainly in the case of La Rochefoucauld, this teaching is done with great precision and wit.

'Crooked Wisdom,' then, should not be understood as the product of a crooked mind, but as the clear-sighted wisdom one needs to survive in a world teeming with such minds, a world, as Tancock says, involved in a "sordid struggle of self-interests, a scramble for power, position, and influence in which the foulest motives and methods [are] decked with labels such as duty, honor, patriotism, and glory."

La Rochefoucauld seems to provoke two very different kinds of reaction. Fully paid up members of the rose-tinted spectacles club, are shocked and horrified by his portrait of man and society, and they tend to dislike both the man and his book.

The more realistically inclined, however, will savor his bite and wit and will readily acknowledge the self-evident truth of much if not all of what he says. The man was undoubtedly brilliant, not only in terms of the many profound insights he gave us - particularly those having to do with 'amour propre' or self-love - but also in terms of the skill with which he translated those insights into pithy and memorable maxims.

Tancock defines the maxim as the expression of "some thought about human motives or behavior in a form containing the maximum of clarity and TRUTH with the minimum of words arranged in the most striking and memorable order" (my caps). La Rochefoucauld's aim, in short, was simply to tell the truth, and to tell it for our benefit.

The maxim as a literary genre was cultivated in his milieu, and La Rochefoucauld's were polished to a high state of perfection, for they had to satisfy a critical and sophisticated audience. Seven years were devoted to refining them, during which the circle of his aristocratic friends and fellow habitues of Mmme de Sable's salon repeatedly offered advice and criticism.

The 'Maxims,' then, although the product of an individual sensibility, also become in a sense the product a collective effort, having emerged from a serious and civilized salon whose interests were psychological, literary, and linguistic. Anyone who feels inclined to dismiss them might keep this in mind.

I discovered La Rochefoucauld many years ago, and have always been a great admirer of his Maxims. Once read, they are never forgotten. They have a way of burrowing deeply into the mind, and the fact that they tend to recur in those moments when we are reflecting on life and mulling over our experiences seems to me a kind of proof of their veracity.

One that has always struck me as particularly significant is Maxim 22 : "Philosophy easily triumphs over past ills and ills to come, but present ills triumph over philosophy." Or, in the words of the Red Queen : "Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but no jam today." If such truths are not exactly cheering, this in no way detracts from their being true.

There is an enormous amount to be learned by the honest and open-minded reader from La Rochefoucauld's 'Maxims,' especially if they also have a sense of humor. But the 'Happy Days! Happy Sky!' school, whose main requirement of a writer would seem to be that he should confirm them in their beautiful illusions, would be wiser to look elsewhere for edification. La Rochefoucauld is not a writer for the faint of heart, nor for those without a sense of humor.

I've been a fan of Modesty and Willie since the books first came out, and I was a loyal reader of the strip in the London Evening Standard for many years.
If you like action novels, with unusual villains, fast-moving scenes, and plenty of tongue in cheek humor, Modesty Blaise is the girl for you, and 'Modesty Blaise', the first novel in the series, is a good place to start.
After writing non-fiction for many years, I turned to fiction in 2003, and my first novel 'Snides' is available on Amazon. As a gesture of homage to Peter O'Donnell, I created an action duo, John Pilgrim and Sally Brandon. They're not straight copies of the originals and the best, Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin, but I've tried to hit their target of plenty of action, with a little humor.
I own the complete series of Modesty Blaise books, and one of them is always on my bedside table. I must have read them all dozens of times, but I still keep re-reading them!

Tony Walker
Scottsdale, Arizona

Modesty Blaise is the perfect woman. That is if the perfect woman is a different sort of beautiful, witty, funny, sophisticated, terrifyingly focused and a lethal killer without commitments.

If you like your superheroes or thrillers to be up close and personal, you need to read O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise. There are gadgets, guns, and impossible missions, not to mention hand to hand combat poetry.

In this book, Tarrant, of the British Secret Service, has a problem. He wants Modesty's help, but really has no leverage, except to play on how much she cares about Willie Garvin. The reasons why are revealed.

He does so, and they go into action. A very dangerous situation, and they must be captured by a ruthless man named Gabriel, to stop a diamond operation.

I became an instant fan from the beginning pages of this lst of a series. Modesty and Willie are fascinating, likeable characters with almost superhuman powers between them. They fight the evil doers of the world and win against all odds. The strong, fast moving plot is deeply satisfying with unexpected twists and turns. Even though it was written over 40 years ago, the characters are still fresh and compeling. Modesty can hold her head high in the world of superwomen who break rules when necessary for the greater good. A winner for both male and female readers!

Modesty Blaise started life as a cartoon strip, but O'Donnell then put his creation into novel form, and did a superb job in both formats. This is the first novel in the series, and introduces the setting and most of the main characters.

Modesty Blaise is a former refugee and survivor of the terrible disruptions caused by the war, and as a child drifted across Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the company of an old professor. She had to be tough to survive; but her companion instilled in her a strong moral code. She took over a small criminal gang and built it up into a powerful criminal organisation infused with that moral code--they never touched drugs or vice, and occasionally co-operated with the police and intelligence services to help clean up such crimes. She retired a wealthy woman at the age of 24.

As the novel opens, Modesty and her friend and former second-in-command Willie Garvin are finding that retirement is boring and adrenaline an addiction they cannot shake. Sir Gerald Tarrant, the head of British Intelligence, exploits that addiction to recruit them for an intelligence operation for which they are peculiarly suited. What follows is a thrilling caper novel pitting Modesty and Willie against a bizarre criminal mastermind. Tight plotting and wonderful prose make this a very entertaining read, with a unique pair of heroes. It's wonderful to see Souvenir Press reissuing the novels, making them available again to both a new generation of fans and those with fond memories.

It is hard to say whether the Modesty Blaise novels or the Modesty Blaise comic strips are better, but the lucky reader doesn't have to choose. Read both. The comic strips have been reprinted by Titan Books, Ken Pierce Books, Manuscript Press, and in Comics Revue magazine, and now the novels are being reissued. Also highly recommended are the books Peter O'Donnell wrote under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent.

I never read a heck of a lot of Margueirite Henry, but this was one I read over and over again as a child. Henry takes on a distinctly more human view point as she deals with a very human woman who falls in love with the beauty of the wild horses and is horrified at their treatment and fate. It's inspiring for all people who want to change the world or at least save a few animals and Henry's passion for horses is evident. Great book.

I have always been a cowgirl, western, country girl my whole life. I bought this book a while back when I was into the Misty series and I wanted to know what were some of hte other books Henry wrote. This book was truly inspiring and beautiful. I was rooting for Annie the whole time! This is the perfect book for the biggest cowgirl and horse nut.

Mustang:Wild Spirit of the West is a good story about a girl who loves horses all of her life. When she grows up, she tries to stop the killing of wild mustangs. It is a story that I'm sure you would enjoy.

When I was in Elementary School, I read all of the books in the school library that had to do with horses. Of all of them, this was my favorite. I've remembered it until today when I decided to refresh my memory from 7 years ago. I think it's so neat that books like this can stay with you and impact your outlook after so many years. This is such a beautiful and inspiring story, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I first read the book in sixth grade for a book report. One of my friends said I should read it because my name is Annie, too. The aspect I like most about it was the fact that it the hero was a woman, and she fought with courage and determination for something that she believed was right.

First, Kropotkin discusses mutual aid among animals. His first point is that Darwin had nothing to do with Social Darwinianism. In fact, he quotes Darwin as saying, "Those communities which included the greatest number of the sympathetic members would flourish best, and rear the greatest number of offspring."

He gives numerous examples. One of his examples is about the crested screamer, a bird species which holds massive song recitals. Would Lorenz agree that those birds are chirping merrily? Or would he insist that they are marking their territory?

Next, he discusses mutual aid among savages. Note that he uses a word which is scientifically unacceptable today.

Since K. cannot travel back in time, he surmises how our earliest ancestors lived by observing how isolated tribes today live--which is in clans. Although such tribes are still called "primitive," there is some question of whether or not these tribes live like our prehistoric ancestors did.

Since isolated tribes tend to live in clans, Kropotkin claims that the marital bond is not as strong as in the nuclear family system. In the appendix, he debates Westermarck on this matter.

Next, he discusses mutual aid among barbarians--another taboo word. According to K., there was a wave of migrations in ancient Europe, in which "races were mixing with races." The social institutions seemed to be wrecked as a result, but K. assures us that they instead "underwent the modification which was required by the new conditions of life."

Next, he discusses mutual aid in the medieval city. Now we are up to the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries. Our next institution, then, is the professional guild.

Finally, he discusses mutual aid among ourselves. He sees a faint vestige of mutual aid today. K. sees the union as the successor of the clan, the village, and the guild, so he calls for more and better unions. K. also speaks highly of organizations with special interests, such as garden clubs and glee clubs.

However, K. cautions us against the "reckless individualism," or "the war of each against all," which he sees as prevailing today.

Kropotkin's discussion, persuasive as it is, can be counterbalanced with arguments in favor of individualism and competition. I wonder how Kropotkin would respond to the famous anecdote about the Jamestown colonists.

One can also question Kropotkin's claim that only the most sociable animal species prosper. The feline order is renowned for the aloofness of its members, and the lion has been dubbed "the king of the beasts."

I would like to close this report with an ad hominem attack against Kropotkin himself: If individualism is so reprehensible, what is he doing writing a book by himself and claiming credit for it by himself?

Anarchist classic, rooted in observation of natural phenomena and history. Challenges the conception that capitalism is a natural progression of Darwinism at work in the wild. The author cites numerous examples of compassion and innate goodness at work outside the bounds of a structured power-based society. The study covers cooperation among animals, instances of non-hierachical interactions from primitive tribes to mediaeval cities, and on to his contemporary labor unions. It has been some years since I read it and I plan to revisit this title soon.

This book, which appears to be about the only surviving scientific text from Kropotkin's work, is very interesting and insightful. The first two chapters which deal with animals I found most interesting, because they address the roots of the falsehood of social-darwinism. Kropotkin then proceeds to move through the different stages of human society and describes the mutual aid a compassion fetures therein. It is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. It is a scientific text, but it has major political implications and is very accessible.

Este libro es uno de los pilares fundamentales de la teoria del anarco comunismo tan desvirtuada por el imperialismo, y nos da la esencia que el anarquismo, lejos de lo que se cree comunmente es una doctrina que se basa en el amor y la ayuda mutua, quitando las barreras de desigualdad entre las personas y haciendo un recuento de cómo la ayuda mutua es un factor de evolución hcia una sociedad más justa.

Peter Kropotkin is one of the most noteworthy anarchist thinkers over the last two centuries. As with other political thinkers, so, too, with Kropotkin--his analy¬sis of human nature is critical for understanding his overall philosophical position. For his view of human nature, "Mutual Aid" is a key for understanding his views. His work is a harbinger of more recent studies of sociobiology, many of which explore the roots of altruism--human and otherwise.

Much of his thinking on the nature of society was formed when he was observing the behavior of animals in Siberia. While assigned to a Siberian regiment of the Russian military, Kropotkin did innovative original work on geography and geology as well as the study of animal behavior. His observation of animals led him to respond to Huxley's assertion that natural selection was based on keen com¬petition among animals with the following statement: ". . .wherever I saw animal life in abundance, as, for instance, on the lakes where scores of species and millions of individuals came together to rear their progeny; in the colonies of rodents; in the migration of birds which took place at that time on a truly American scale along the Usuri; and especially in a migration of fallow-deer which I witnessed on the Amur, and during which scores of thousands of these animals came together from an immense territory, flying before the coming snow, in order to cross the Amur where it is narrowest--in all these scenes of animal life which passed before my eyes, I saw Mutual Aid and Mutual Support carried on to an extent which made me suspect in it a feature of the greatest importance for the maintenance of life, the preservation of each species, and its further evolution."

He synthesized his observations of animals within a species cooperating with one another and concluded that, in the struggle for life, cooperation was at least as important as competition. Kropotkin did not argue that competition was unimportant in the natural selection process. However, he did emphasize that mutual aid was a factor that many Darwinists (although, as Kropotkin made clear, not Darwin himself) ignored. The data that Kropotkin utilized came from many different animal species.

Kropotkin goes on to speculate about the survival value of cooperative behavior. He states that: "Life in societies enables the feeblest insects, the feeblest birds, and the feeblest mammals to resist, or to protect themselves from, the most terrible birds and beasts of prey; it permits longevity; in enables the species to rear its progeny with the least waste of energy and to maintain its progeny with the least waste of energy and to maintain its numbers albeit a very slow birth rate; it enables the gregarious animals to migrate in search of new abodes. Furthermore, cooperation facilitates the development of intelligence, since that quality is so important for social life among animals."

Kropotkin is not content to rest his case at this point. He subsequently indicates the likely course of human evolution and the role played by cooperation. He adopts the method of using existing societies at differing levels of socio-cultural complexity to speculate about the course of human socio-cultural evolution. Kropotkin argues that, at each stage, mutual aid is apparent and important for humans. Even in the period dominated by the great states, the present for Kropotkin, mutual aid institutions still flourished despite the state's intimidating presence.

Thus, Kropotkin's view of human nature is, ultimately, that it is inherently good, i.e. cooperative toward his or her fellow. What of this assertion? Is Kropotkin's view of human nature completely inaccurate and confounded by the available evidence? That is where each reader must evaluate his or her view of humanity's nature and render a judgment on "the anarchist prince."

I ordered this for my daughters bridal shower and it was everything we wanted and more. I highly recommend this book.

This was exactly what I was looking for. There are places to attach sample shower invitation and other such items, plenty of space for photos, and areas for the guests to write in their advice to the couple. The one small complaint I have is that the size is a little small. In order to attach the sample invitation, I had to cover the printed heading for the page. The spiral binding makes it easy to open this flat so the sections can be filled out easily.

This book will complete every girls special Day, it has a place to add all your favorite pictures, Guests, Gifts, & Jolees for decorating! We presented it to my Sister all decorated at her rehearsal Dinner & she loved it!!!!

I looked through the album prior to the shower and decided what I needed to get pictures of. I took the album to the shower and had guests sign and contribute to the end pages. I also used it at her lingerie shower if guests wanted to add additional advice. I added many photos, napkins, ribbon, game sheets, etc. Overall, the finished book was a great keepsake! Hope to have one like this for my own bridal shower one day!

I just got the book and I LOVE it. It is a hard shell spiral bound book. Great illustration and color on each page. This is exactly what I wanted. A place to describe the shower, place for guests to sign in, place for you to write gifts recieved and by who. Place for guests to leave advice. And places for pictures. I would recommend this book to any brides or bridesmaids.

Thomas Merton begins with man without God and ends with man in union with God. This book provides the existential basis for man's need for a relationship of faith and love with God, our Creator. The reader finishes this book with a unique understanding, perhaps for the first time, of the purpose for which each of us was created and the destiny which can be ours if only we connect with both the God within us and with the infinitely transcendent God of the universe. This book is challenging reading, but the rewards are worth the struggle.

Thomas Merton Writings:
Merton, who had a unique gift of a probing intellect, absorbed various human cultures since his early childhood in Prades. He digested a wide spectrum of knowledge during his study in Cambridge and Columbia and later when he adopted Trappist monastic vocation, delved into a very different environment. He synthesized his global cultural heritage and Cistercian piety into dozens of literary, mystical and inspiring Christian books (ca 50), articles, and lectures written from his cell at Gethsemani abbey, Kentucky.

The New Man:
This is Merton's Patristic theology debut, he approached a theological exposition of the monastic tradition and thought, so fundamentally important although it did not get the attention it deserves. The New Man shows Thomas Merton at the ripe of his spiritual powers and has as its theme the question of spiritual identity. Merton's meditative interpretation of the Bible can be met throughout his essay on the history of fall and theology of redemption. Reading such experience of the mystical transformation in which we will be perfectly conformed to the likeness of Christ, involves the kenosis / theosis way of the desert fathers. We will become 'the New Man' who is the Christ, the new Adam. Salvation, rightly understood and genuinely experienced, is to realize that we are shaped in God's image and created for fellowship with the Living and Loving Creator. This process promises not only self-discovery but also self-realization.
To reach one's 'real self' one must, in fact, be delivered by grace from the illusionary and falsely created self, corrupted by our selfish habits and self deceit.

Life, death, and identity:
What must we do to recover possession of our true selves? Merton discusses how we became strangers to our inner selves by our dependence on outward recognition and material success. Life and death are at war within us. As soon as we are born, we begin at the same time to live and die. Even though we may not be even slightly aware of it, this battle of life and death goes on in us inexorably and without mercy......, instructed by the Spirit Who alone can tell us the secret of our individual destiny, man begins to know God as he knows his own self. The night of faith has brought us into contact with the Object of all faith, not as an object but as a person Who is the center and life of our own being, at once. His own transcendent Self and the immanent source of our own identity and life. ( Opening and closing paragraphs)

Sample Quotations:
Promethean theology: The longing of the restless spirit of man, seeking to transcend itself by its own powers, is symbolized by the need to scale the impossible mountain and find there what is after all our own. ... The great error of Promethean mysticism is that it takes no account of anyone but the self.

Spirit in bondage: The image of God is brought to life in us when it brakes free from the shroud and the tomb in which our self consciousness had kept it prisoner, and loses itself in total consciousness of Him Who is holy. This is one of the main ways in which "he that would save his life will loose it." (Luke 9:24)

This book might truly change your view of life because it leads you to examine the deepest parts of your soul. In plain language that's very easy to follow, Merton describes how we can abandon our self-absorbed lives and then discover again our true selves in Jesus Christ. It is a book about the transforming power of God, and although it is deeply spiritual in tone and theme, it is highly logical and straightforward in style and structure. Merton hopes to lead us to transformation and salvation not through fear or blind hope, but by persuasion.

Apart from other theological musings, Merton develops rather profound thought, namely that "Christianity is not the religion of a law but the religion of a person." (page 181 of paperback edition).

The philosophical consequences of such move are profound, since the whole focus shifts from the logic of intellectual pursuit of knowledge to the mystical endeavour towards Truth by love.

Being an atheist, I do not quite understand how presented approach could be in any real sense satisfying to the human mind. However, Merton's analysis renders interesting feedback on assumptions, presuppostions and mechanics of the religius mind. I feel like the outcome of Merton's writing is much more than satisfaction of his artistic ambition. The author seems to be congruent about what has been written, which makes it even more interesting.

First I read Merton's "Mystics and Zen Masters" just out of curiosity--How does this Christian monk see the monastic tradition of Zen Buddhism? I found his writing on this subject so compelling that I wanted to find out more about the author himself and read "The Seven Storey Mountain". Then I was so moved by this guy's long and arduous spiritual journey that I just had to see what he had to say about his own tradition, Christianity...and so I read this book, "The New Man", and wasn't dissappointed.
In one way this book is an extended meditation on Saint Paul's idea of Christ being the New Adam, and of what this idea really means for us. Merton has an uncanny ability to take old, familiar passages from the Bible--passages that have become dull and opaque in their very familiarity--and breath new spiritual life into them; they come alive with a significance and relevance you never really thought about before, but that seem natural and unforced after the fact. And he does all of this in ways that communicate eloquently with modern, educated people in today's world without strain or condescension.
In another way this book is an extended meditation on the significance of the sacrament Baptism, and again Merton is able to take what some might see as an old, tired, silly ritual and tease out its deeper spiritual significance in compelling, convincing ways. For any adult preparing for this sacrament I would highly recommend this book for that reason alone. And in general I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to see the Christian tradition at its best.

A niche business is one that serves a small geographic area or a small portion of a big market where the needs of the customers are more specific, more specialized. The main advantage of a niche business is the lack of direct competition.

I was first introduced to this concept reading J.J. Luna's books. One of J.J. Luna's own experiences of niche businesses is the alarm company he established in Canary Islands in 1960's. There was virtually no crime in Canary Islands until there was an increase in international trade and the seamen from foreign ships started breaking into jewelry shops and stealing the goods just before their ship left the harbor for high sees. In response to the new need, J.J. Luna ordered some alarm systems from the U.S., analyzed them and developed a system of his own. His company was the only company which can address a specific need.

This excellent book by Jennifer Basye Sander and Peter Sander is about the same concept of niche business. It starts with a section describing what niche is and goes on to other chapters about how to discover such a niche idea; how to evaluate if your idea is a good, feasible one. In order to better clarify the meaning of the concept, perhaps it is a good idea to give examples of niche businesses from the book.

One of them is the mother who had children with milk allergies. She experimented baking with different ingredients and ended up with a number of recipes which tasted excellent and children with such allergies could eat. When she discovered that there is an interest coming from other people with the same problem, she started a bakery specializing in allergy-safe products. She was, and continuous to be, the only one serving a small section of the public.

Another one is the gentleman who wanted to get back to his teenage hobby of riding a unicycle. He discovered that there was nobody around who sells unicycles and it was difficult even to get them through mail order, and there wasn't a large selection. He launched unicyle.com as a side business but in a short time, his business grew big enough to convince him to quit his job at IBM after 23 years. It turns out there was a good number of people who are interested in unicycles, who had the same problems as this gentlemen in finding them. He had discovered a niche market.

"Niche and Grow Rich" goes beyond just describing what a niche business is and how to discover one of your own and evaluating if your idea is a good one. In later chapters, it examines related topics about establishing your company, protecting your idea with trademark laws, considering going online, getting recognition, etc. Many enthusiastic would-be internet entepreneurs might find the "taking your niche online" chapter interesting. Generally, the book suggests caution and a resistance to the temptation to going online under the assumption that any new idea is sure to make a lot of money on the internet. In fact, it says that internet serves only as a brochure for many businesses and nothing more. In the case of unicycle.com it worked because the needs of unicyclist can't be efficiently served through traditional channels. There simply aren't enough riders for a small bicycle store owner to justify stocking more than one model, if they stock any at all.

Overall, this is an excellent book which I can wholeheartedly recommend to anybody.

I only gave this book 5 stars for those who are new to business and marketing. If you have no background in neither this would be a good general overview book. For those who are at least knowlegable of the subjects mentioned this book would not be a good read, it is very basic in content. It appears to be an updated edtion with of course the added chapter on "web marketing",this seems to be popular with authors these days with tring to get additional sales of there old outdated books. DO not read this book if you are already into business or have an understanding of the marketing process. I'm giving my copy away free, Anyone want it?

This book was mentioned in Black Enterprise (February or March 2006) magazine article featuring successful niche businesses. The book does not disappoint. You can find your niche and dominating it with this book.

The title confuses me a little. I keep thinking of Think and Grow Rich, or Speak and Grow Rich. I think the title would have been better if it had not included the word "niche." In fact, I kind of liked the tag line to the title better: Practical Ways to Turn Your Ideas into a Business.

I enjoyed reading this book which appears to have been written for novice entrepreneurs. My SCORE clients will probably get something out of it. It's practical, conversational, and very basic.

I think if you read this book as advising you to DIFFERENTIATE your business idea from your competition, then you will get a lot more out of it. Creating a true niche business is very difficult, and usually costly, to do. And anyone starting a new business has enough trouble trying to fit into an already established market rather than trying to invent a new one. My understanding of a niche is having your own market.

The material covered in this book can be very helpful to anyone who has to analyze their business idea and figure out a way to turn it into a profitable business. It won't act as a blue print to success, but it will be an educational read providing a general overview of what one should think about when trying to be successful as an entrepreneur.

The online Table of Contents for this book is very detailed. By giving it a quick look on Amazon you can see for yourself what is covered and determine whether the book will discuss things that might interest you in your research on how to start your business. I recommend it. 4 stars!

... I've discovered after reading five books that covered this topic for my book, SmartPartnering.

The authors' extensive experience in publishing, and in running niche-based businesses shows. Their writing is practical, conversational and - most importantly - specific (no fluff).

Niche and Grow Rich is helpful for both those fleeing corporate life and the seasoned business owners who are seeking higher profitability.

Every boomer looking for more independence, money and satisfaction with their work in this next chapter of their life should get this book to smooth their way: matching their interests and experience with the kind of market they will be adept at and happy to serve.

I've recommended this book from the platform at 48 conferences so far and have received only raving emails from those who bought it.
- Kare Anderson, author SmartPartnering, Walk Your Talk, Getting What You Want, Resolving Conflict Sooner, Beauty Inside Out, etc.(sayitbetter.com)

Peter Reynolds is a children's book author and illustrator who also owns a bookshop, and also is an "educational media developer and publisher". He formerly worked with special needs children at camp and worked in the classroom with children as well.

This lovely book is designed picture book style, with one or two illustrations on each two-page spread. The illustrations are in pen and watercolor paint. The story is told largely through the illustrations. The book could be read to young children but it is also a book with a message for people of all ages. The message is one that preteens and teens need to hear also, but I'm not sure if they would be willing to read through a book that is as cute as this, and looks and reads like a picture book.

The story is a fable with a pretty direct message. The message is that the world has a one right way path laid out for people, but that not all people thrive on this path and some will find great rewards by intentionally leaving that routine path to follow their own intuition, and watching for other, more subtle sign points along the way. By deliberately ignoring some direct orders, the little boy in the story makes some unique discoveries that he would not have experienced if he just stayed on the normal path. Also of benefit is changing course along the way, being flexible and open to change as the process of the journey unfolds. This book is not about pre-planning, setting routines and doing what others want you to do. It is about going with the flow, putting aside analysis and worry and just continuing forward along a not-always-predetermined path.

Not only is this message good for children to hear, but it is good for adults to remind themselves about too. In fact some young children may have the bulk of this message `go over their heads'. Some parents may enjoy reading this book to their special needs children. Wise adults will recognize the importance of this message and may immediately think of a few people who would benefit from hearing the message (even other adults). For that reason this book would make a good gift book.

The illustrations are cute and whimsical. If you love watercolor paint and hand drawn illustrations you may enjoy these very much and for that reason alone, you may desire to own this book.

Teachers will also appreciate the message in this book, especially those touched by students who don't follow the cookie cutter norms, or special education teachers.

The biography of the author/illustrator says that Reynolds has his "passion to help children began at age twelve when he volunteered at a special needs camp. There he saw the profound power in truly understanding the unique gifts and abilities of every child." Also noted in his biography is that he creates fables that will "reach ALL children". It goes on to say "Peter's personal mission is to help others on their journeys of self-discovery."

I really enjoyed this book and hope to own my own copy someday. It is a keeper.

Peter H. Reynolds has done it again! This is such an amazing story for children and adults of all ages. He is trying to hard to help children hold on to their creativity and imagination!

I'm an "ability focused" disability awareness educator and I've adopted The North Star and its messages into my work with students for the past several years. With its messages of self-acceptance and acceptance of diversity, The North Star has been a natural companion for my own goals of helping students develop a greater appreciation of individual differences and abilities. This is a gift we all deserve, no matter what our age... no matter what obstacles we face in life.

Besides the success I've had with The North Star in the classroom, it also has great meaning to me on a personal level. As someone living with a lifelong respiratory disability, reading The North Star for the first time felt like someone was smiling at me, and nodding... confirming and celebrating the person I am and the unique life I've led, and it made me believe it is the kind of life I want to continue leading.

Review of The North Star by Peter Reynolds

A True Story

My smart friend Jane read The North Star and said: "It's a dumb book." I looked at her quizzically. I began to notice how straight she sat, how straight she dressed. She had no children. "It's about something very rare," I said. "Something wonderful but all too rare." Now Jane looked at me quizzically. "Unconventional children," I said. Her quizzicality grew. "And that's all of them," I added. Jane's eyes lit up, her jaw dropped a little. She said, "Oh." I started to explain but she is smart and didn't need me to tell -- about children who get those double-messages that appear on almost every page of The North Star, the wooden sign telling you to turn right, then below it a maddening little arrow pointing left. "Girl children get a ton of double-messages. Children in poverty get them, children in privilege. The messages about sex leave no room for homosexuality, for domestic violence, for exploitation. No wonder children grow up feeling lost. Who wouldn't love to read this book to kids everywhere?" "You're so right," said smart Jane. "Why didn't I see it?" "Maybe you've become conventional, Jane. Did you ever find your own North Star?" The quizzicality returned. "In the book the lost boy stops following the conventional signs when he discovers his North Star - surrounded by his very own constellation. That's just his true calling in life, surrounded by all his strengths and talents. It leads him back home: to himself, to an original self." "How wonderful," said smart Jane, tears standing in her eyes. #

William Cleary August 23, l999

If you are lost on your journey, any part of of your journey, sit down, have a cup of tea, and read The North Star. Take some time to imagine how you and the 'boy' are alike as your 'paths' unfold before you.

It is a book that is meant to be read over and over again. The North Star is a wonderful reminder of how you can control your destiny and life's journey.

Enjoy!