Reed Books

The purpose of the book is to explain how Zen, (Zen Buddhism), the practice and philosophy have influenced Japanese culture. The author has a deep knowledge of Zen its origins and history and how it came to Japan from China where it is called Ch'an. I assume that the author is a Zen master as there is no author information provided. Suzuki explores how Zen came to Japan and how it was shaped by Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism and Buddhism. The authors view is to describe the history of the philosophy, the key users, how it was practiced, refined and its impact on Japanese culture as we see it today. Suzuki writes to provide a broad overview of the topic and sprinkles, quotes, historic tales and detailed insights that allow the reader to get a closer view of Zen, what aspects appealed and how the Japanese have refined it.

The book is structured into six chapters covering a range of topics including a preliminary to the understanding of Zen, general remarks on Japanese Art culture, Zen and the samurai, Zen and swordmanship, Zen and the study of Confucianism and lastly Zen and the Tea-cult.

The author's style is quite free flowing and shares a range of ideas, themes and topics. In some cases delves deeper into points of interest and sometimes loses the reader with idea and topic jumps which are hard to follow and understand. As with any translation it is hard to really judge the original idea in its true form, so one must allow a broader assessment of the topic and content.

It is aimed at those readers looking for a deeper meaning to Zen and I believe it does help to get a better understanding of the topic. Does it achieve it's goal, yes by slowly circling the topic and forcing the reader to read between the lines for the deeper meaning. An art form in itself.

Personally, I found the book informative particularly on the history aspects of tracing the philosophies roots and evolution over time. Chapters discussing its use by samurai, relation to swordmanship and the tea-cult were most enjoyable as they gave concrete examples as to how and why Zen was accepted and applied. Did I get closer to Zen? Yes, I think so!

It will be of interest to those who have an interest in Zen, Japanese culture and enlightenment. The book awakened an urge to seek more information on the topics raised. A sign of a good book.

Best quote in the book, "It was therefore, natural for every sober-minded samurai to approach Zen with the idea of mastering death"


Peter Hanami, CEO, JapaneseCustomer, Tokyo, Japan

Zen and Japanese Culture

Suzuki's writing is a warm embrace, and is not only easy to read and comprehend, but full of subtle and delicious humor. If it were not for him, I would still think elightenment was merely illumination. If you enjoy this sort of thing, you MUST read Alan Watts. The Way Of Zen is a wonderful companion to this book, and is written from the same semi-detatched, yet delightfully perceptive point of view, and Mr. Watts was both a contemporary of Mr. Suzuki, and also much influenced. I would almost recommend reading Suzuki's "Introduction to Zen" first, as it makes it even more enjoyable. Follow with Douglas Adams. Thank you for your time.

Through this delightful and profound text the concept of Zen is presented as the facets in a diamond. Suzuki does so by presenting Zen in a variety of ways: from a swordsman's perspective, painting and other art forms.

The simplicity of Suzuki's style never cheapens nor detracts from the teachings; on the contrary, it seamlessly guides us through all the nuances and difficult to explain concepts. His writing style contributes to the "feeling",if I may say so, of the flow of Zen.

It is not dogma. It does not pretend to give answers. It is
a guide or portal to the way of Zen and gives us an awareness that may help us find our own way to it.

If organized religion does not do it for you this may be the path you are looking for.

If you'd like to look like you are all fancy and smart then I suggest buying this book. It will give you an air of authority when the conversation inevitably turns to zen things. The chapter on swordsmanship is (as the British might say) spot on. Oh, and get you some of that sweet, sweet haiku analysis from a zenorific perspective. After you read this book you will be prepared to quickly forget all of the knowledge that the tome contained and empty your mind in the style of the zen masters. Really, you must read about the tea ceremony and consider for yourself the zenishness of setting some tea leaves in some hot water. In short, I applaud this book loudly with one hand.

This is the best book I have ever read on any subject. This is a beautiful book, Suzuki's clear explanation is unique and fluid. Every facet of this book is intriguing. I especiialy appreciate Suzuki's chapters on The Art of Tea. A book everyone should study!.

I had to work very hard to find Henry Reed books in the mid-1990s for my son once he had read one of them. He loved Henry. Boys books tend to be scary and their are less choices -these were fun and comforting reading. He moved on to the Jeep books.

"Henry Reed, Inc." is the first of a series of books about a fourteen-year-old boy who is the son of a diplomat. The book was written in the late fifties and is Henry's journal about what happens when he is sent to New Jersey to spend the summer with his relatives. His teacher gave him an assignment to report on the free enterprise system in the United States, so Henry starts a business. Soon he has acquired a dog and a business partner in the form of the girl next door, Midge. Their adventures are hilarious and innocent. All of the Henry Reed books are really entertaining and to me epitomize what a summer vacation should be about. They would be perfect for readers over ten.

(Review by a nine-year-old third-grader, who read this book for a home school assignment)

Henry Reed's story starts out when, for vacation, Henry goes to the USA. He has all kinds of adventures. Henry starts a research business. Then he meets a girl named Midge who wants to be part of his business. She says that she will give him two rabbits if he lets her join, but she only has one.

One adventure happens when Midge and Henry make a balloon and their dog and the neighbor's cat and a dead pigeon go up in the balloon. The cat jumps on his owner's roof and stays there for about a day.

I liked this book because their adventures are very exciting.

Henry Reed is an unforgettable character, a strange mix of can-do entrepreneurialism and good-hearted goofiness who would make any parent proud.

This is the first book in a terrific series, and is a perfect transitional novel from children's reading to more adult fare. At 239 pages, it weighs in as a longer book than most readers will have tackled to date, and the writing is slightly more sophisticated than you would see in a Hardy Boys or early Judy Blume book, for example. I would compare it to the series "The Mad Scientists Club," which has the same type of humor and level of sophistication.

As for the story, it is presented as Henry's journal entries over the course of a summer that he spends with his uncle and aunt. He comes up with schemes that young teens will find exhilarating, because they are just wild enough to be exciting, and yet just realistic enough to be believed and emulated. Some of the plans are purely to make money-such as his attempts to find valuable truffles in the neighborhood. Some of them are research, as when he sends a large balloon up into the air bearing a pigeon to measure weather conditions. All of them are humorous and fun to read about, as he often bites off more than he can chew.

This is a terrific series that will not only entertain, but also inspire children to think about their own start-up businesses and scientific research. I highly recommend it.

The main characters of the story are Henry and Midge. Henry moved here from Naples,Italy. They tried to start a research business out of a old barn. To find out more you will have to read this book.

This book flows nicely. It gets straight to the point without being overly wordy. Anatomy is not the easiest subject for me, but this book does a good job of explaining the human body and it's functions very clearly and concisely. The diagrams are plentiful and clearly show all viscera, muscles and bones. These authors make use of drawings and cadavers. You really begin to understand the workings of the body systems and exact locations of all bones, muscles and cavities from posterior, anterior, lateral, and ipsilateral views....absolutely every angle and region is covered. A good amount of pathology is included within this book.

I ordered this great text book at a very unbeatable price, which saved me a couple of dollars as compared to the school bookstore. This site was really a life and stress saver. The book came in great condition and within the time frame. I really like the clarity of the pictures. Its very self explanatory---easy to understand. I love it and will never hesitate on purchasing my future text books from this site. Folks Keep up the good work in satisfying your customers. Thanks for cutting back on my stress for this semester. God bless you all.

The book was good was in excellent condition when it arrived. It came at the appointed time. I recommend the book if anyone is planning to pursue a field in medicine. It explains things, gives pictures and real medical stories pertaining to the particular topic.

Overall a very nice transaction. The only downfall would be that I bought the book "new" but it was not in the plastic, and it did not include the CD that a new book would provide. Shipping was fast and book was received in excellent condition. Thanks!!

Thanks for the super quick shipping on this book. It was in brand new condition.

I try to read as many books on engines as I can. I own GotEngines.com and I always have a strong interest in learning more about each and every engine, especially diesel engines.

Unfortunately I carry very few marine engines, but as an engine expert I'd recommend this book to anyone!

This is another fine reference book from Nigel Calder! I think that this book along with a good factory type manual would be all you needed to maintain your diesel engine. I have yet to purchase a book that Calder has authored that was not worth the money.

Very helpful guide to understanding a diesel engine and all that relates to it. I will maintain my engine much better now!
It should be read before installing a new engine.

I am using, to great benefit, this book to rehabilitat the Mazda diesel engine in my 1983 Ford Ranger pick up. Also, since I share a sail boat in Vallejo, Calif with a brother, that has a diesel, my self confidence level is increased.
Will

The book gives you the tech you need, in terms you can understand. Calder is very impressive in his ability to impart knowledge to the layman. Don't however, assume this is just fluff overview, because it truly is the down and dirty of how it works and how to maintain it.

This is one of those few books that was written from the soul. Reading Annie's book is like having a conversation with some of your best friends over a cup of cocoa in their livingroom.

The information given here prompts one to think about what's important in his or her particular circumstances. After reading this book I feel that I would not live completely like Annie and her husband but I would probably approach each problem of living aboard a boat and cruising in the same logical fashion.

I can't remember when I bought this book, but as one of its reviewers noted, it can change your life. I'm a 67-year old retiree building Badger, the boat Annie's book is about. It's a wonderful book, and her occasional tartness about things we think we need but don't is icing on the cake. Building her is not difficult - epoxy is magic, read Parker and Buehler and the Gougeon brothers, and trust your eye and hand: you'll do fine - it has the single most gratifying experience of my life. The way the form emerges from the plans! You'll just sit and admire. I've less than a year to launch I think, and my brother-in-law has already staked a claim for the trip out the St. Lawrence. You'll need good tools - I've come to love the Makita impact driver and sliding compound miter saw, the Bosch electric hand planer and jobsite table saw, and the festool 'rotex' sander, among others from Lee Valley, Lie Nielson and the like. And Jerry Limber's blog has been invaluable (link from Benford Design Group website). "JUST DO IT!"

An excelent an informative book by someone with the runs on the board. Thank you Annie. Not the least for re-igniting a somewhat jaded enthusiasm. I want my own "Badger".

Very often the finances of cruising are left out of the discussion, and here it is not. It's really an inspiration. Still, I think it's important to note that Anne doesn't sail a junk anymore, and that she's living a bit different life that's perhaps a bit more moderate. Also try "Sea-steading" Jerome FitzGerald to fill out the vision a bit, get them both.

I found the information to be helpful and honest in opinion. I am restoring a sail boat and have been reading tons of books on all systems from electrical, mechanical, heating, cooking, efficiency, safety, etc and felt this book was helpful. It doesn't have all the answers, or cover all the choices, but the author shares what she knows in an honest manner and gives actual models and types of different items for comparison. I liked the female point of view as to ease of management, cleanliness of systems, & actual daily use efficiency. A heating system was rated high, but messy, which made author reluctant to use, I appreciated the candor. As I said....Food for thought, definately worth the price.

I am taking a masters course in designing J2EE applications, and this book has been incredibly helpful. It shows the design of a web-based application, with sample use-cases, sequence diagrams, and deployment diagrams. It is light on the actual code, but you can get that from the online J2EE tutorial from SUN.

The author does a great job explaining the steps in designing a solution, and the book made me truly understand the flow of UML diagrams, and how to go from one diagram to the other. I finally understood the logical progress from use-cases to class diagrams, to sequence diagrams, and finally to EJB beans, html pages, and servlets.

I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how to design J2EE applications, but be sure to bookmark the J2EE tutorial so you can look up the technical details.

This book is tremendous on theory, but horrible on actual usage. I picked it up several times and was never able to get through it, and I don't believe you could ever get an entire team of developers to read, understand and implement the theories in this book.

Unless your sole job is UML, I don't know how one would ever find time to get through this book. Perhaps my view will change after I develop a better understanding of UML.

.. and I have read many, I assure you...
This book is a shame. Written in a cocky, airy style, could be good only for an executive who feels like reading some buzzword about these strange terms J2EE and EJB he' s been hearing about lately so that he can think he knows something about it. Value
to the prgrammer really interested in the theory: ZERO. Value
to the programmer interesting in coding and in a hands on approach: ZERO. Don't be fooled by the fact that the book is advertised as presenting an exmaple application: can you say you are presenting an EXAMPLE application with a couple code snippets and ONE sequence diagram???

This is an excellent book for programmers new to Java, UML and Java architecture. This is not a complete book on UML, patterns, EJB or Java but that is not its intention. The author does an excellent job of taking the rational unified process and UML and breaking it down to the relevant artifacts and diagrams. It contains excellent examples and doesn't try to over simplify. I highly recommend this book to development teams that are beginning to embark on Java web applications from other programming languages.

My only warning is that if you are unfamiliar with basic Java patterns (session façade, controller), you may get a little lost. It helps to have a basic understanding of Java and OOP. The book does get into EJBs but not enough to start coding your own EJB application but you will get the big picture and that is the best way to view this book.

This book was required reading for a project that we are currently doing. I am managing a team with some developers new to Java but had extensive VB experience. They found that this book helped then "think in Java"

I supplemented my reading with other books like Mastering Enterprise Java Beans by Ed Roman and the Sun J2EE Core Patterns Book. There is a decent book called Advanced Case Modeling if you want to get a different view on use case designs.

I would like to add that the book uses a session façade controller for each use case. The book doesn't really stress the consequences of doing this. The definition of a use case is as quite broad. Some architects prefer fine-grained use cases to course-grained. This book has you using course-grained. This is important so that you don't end up with too many controllers which can translate to hundreds of session beans. Make sure that you develop your use cases in a course-grained manner to avoid this problem. In addition, the book's example uses value object creation at the entity bean level. This could be abstracted to a value bean assembler.

This is a one-in-a-million technology book that makes sense from multiple angles. Most UML books are written by researchers that tend to have a myopic view on a project's scope. My impression from reading the book is that Paul Reed, the author, knows the theory and is experienced at practicing this theory - a rare find.

This book fully encompasses a whole project view and succesfully involves/educates the reader.

Let me explain : It is challenging to develop a book that covers OOP, UML, Rational Unified Process(RUP), Java/J2EE, Application Servers/IDE etc. Also most publishers will not touch such a subject assuming it will narrow the potential readership.

Having heap all the flatery, I must add some caution - to fully make sense of the book the rader must be somewhat familiar with some of the concepts - i.e. OOP, Java. Otherwise it can be hard to grasp.

I would recommend this book to developers/managers that wish to enhance their requirements process in software development.

In this book you can expect to visualise the role of UML in the full cycle of a project. The development process followed is RUP. There are nice background information on how to enhance the productivity of the development team in the design stages. The project discussed is a typical J2EE set-up - JSP, Servlets, choice of Javabeans and EJB, choice of Tomcat or BEA WebLogic and a Microsoft SQL Server (or Oracle) as the back-end.

I hope this review helps - please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Thank you.

Is blood thicker than, well ..... diamonds! Wilbur Smith, writing in 1971, explores the rivalry between an estranged foster-child and heir to the Van Der Byl diamond fortune and his rival "brother" Benedict. Throw in the love of a woman and whammo you gotta adventure novel.

"The Diamond Hunters", while not Smith's best novel, is nevertheless a fantastic read. As Smith's has matured over the years his novels have become a bit more tedious. Not so with Hunters.

"The Diamond Hunters" comes right at you from the first page. There is action, adventure, love and scenery.

Just about every Wilbur Smith novel is good. This one will not disappoint you. It is fun, fast and entertaining. Well worth your time...

Densel Myers
Yukon, Oklahoma

I am sorry the books were a gift but the recepent gives great reviews and wishes to have more from that auther'

Wilbur Smith just proves how good he is this is a must read book with characteristics of betrayal and loyalty coming into the fray.The ending was not finished strongly but never the less another work of art by Wilbur Smith

This novel was written over 30 years ago. It is not as polished as his newer books but it contains all the elements that make Smith one of the masters of action and adventure. Exotic locale, unforgettable characters and a prose that takes you `there'.

Let Wilbur take you to a trip to Africa, you will be coming back for more.

I have seen Wilbur Smith novels on the bookshelves for years but for one reason or another none of them had ever really piqued my interest, but while browsing in an airport bookstore looking for something to read on a long flight I picked this one up and as I began to read I found that my flight was too short. I didn't want to be interrupted for something as trivial as changing flights. I intend to read more Wilbur Smith in the near future.

The way Smith builds the story of Johnny Lance being an outcast and the way that he discovers the truth about his childhood and the animosity that builds between him and his foster brother Benedict Van der Byle makes for a spellbinding read. Smith's descriptions of the African landscape and exotic locations are well written without being over-done. When he describes Thunderbolt and Suicide you can smell the salt air and see the foamy spray shooting skyward and hear the crashing of the huge waves against the unyielding rock formations.

Like all fiction stories this one is not for everyone, but if you enjoy action/adventure, emphasis on action you will find this a very enjoyable read.

From the get go it is abundantly evident that Colin Thubron is an extremely talented writer. He has a way with words that I have not seen in any other travel writing I read; his book is the first I have went through that transcended a quaint, shallow, "Let's Go Travel Guide" type of narrative that storms through cities in a few days, marvels at surface elements, then moves on. There is nothing rushed about Thubron's writing style, his descriptions are thought out, in depth, and delicate. This unique distinction I think is vital for anyone doing travel writing in Central Asia: in the minds of Westerners (who will compose the bulk of people reading this kind of writing), Central Asia is a vacuum, both geographically, culturally, and historically. Few Westerners know much about this area, which is a shame, since geographically, culturally, and historically Central Asia is perhaps one of the most evocative places in the world. It is therefore vital for any travel writing to bring Central Asia to life, which Thubron definitely succeeds at.

It is also clear that Thubron is an excellent traveller, so this book is an good read not only to learn about Central Asia, but also to learn about travelling in general. Despite claims of modesty at the beginning of the book, Thubron seems to have a pretty solid command of Russian, which has permitted him to conduct complex conversations with the people he meets along the ways about politics, history, culture, and religion. Morever, Thubron has a unique talent in being able to locate people who are willing to talk to him about these things, which he does often. Finally, Thubron seems to have a near encylopaedic knowledge of the history of the area, indicating quite a load of research before he set off on his travels. Every place he goes, from large cities like Ashgabat and Tashkent, to tiny villages and even long abandoned forts, Thubron is able to provide extensive historical commentary, which goes far in "brining Central Asia to life."

All this is five star material, except for one particular issue I ran into several times reading The Lost Heart of Asia. All throughout the writing, I continuously detected subtle tinges of superiority and prejudice. As I mentioned before, Thubron is a talented and obviously culturally aware author, having travelled to Central Asia in the first place, so this prejudice is not blatant or blunt, but the subtlety of it all almost makes it worse. For example, Thubron often chats with locals about the history of their cities, cultural heroes, etc. Many times, these locals are historically inaccurate, and Thubron seems to have a smug glee in correcting these inaccuracies, sometimes in the actual conversation, sometimes in the narrative. I see no fault in pointing out historical inaccuracies, but the manner in which Thubron does it ("actually...; but...") harbors a sense superiority. Never does Thubron bother to analyze the unfortunate state of education in the thrid world as an explanation for this, instead, readers are left with the idea that English people just know better. Sometimes, Thubron just seems plain contrarian, like when the caretaker of Tamerlane's tomb pridefully counts Tamerlane as a Turk; Thubron finds it necessary to remind him Tamerlane actually was of Mongol and Tajik (Persian) descent. This bleeds into pettiness: culturally, Tamerlane was from a Turkic environment, and so can legitimately be claimed by Turks as a Turkic icon. I could easily see Thubron criticizing Americans for praising George Washington, since biologically George Washington was of British stock, not "American."

Also bothering me was the role of Islam in Thubron's narrative. Again, he is not blunt about this, but constantly Thubron seems to evoke Islam as the terrible, ghastly force of barbarism that will soon overtake the region, since he visited the area right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Often, as people he interviewed discussed their hopes and worries about their new future, Thubron would often quixotically quip, "What about Islam?" as if it were some bogeyman to check under the bed for. Irritatingly, Thubron also found it necessary to ask almost every "progressive" woman he met their thoughts on the dreaded "veil." I truly can understand fears about fundamentalist Islam and women's rights in Central Asia, but this comes across as a slight Islamophobia because Thubron, who rarely inserts his own actual conversation or opinions in the narrative in the first place, only seems to talk about Islam as a terrorizing force and the veil as Islam's only feature vis-a-vis women. I would accept his criticism if he bothered to explore other theological aspects of Islam other than the veil, but he doesn't. Actually, near the end of the book he even seems to look back on the Soviet years nostalgically as days of peace and order.

Thubron is a superb writer, with talent that neither I nor many people could hope to equal in a lifetime. However, his cultural attitudes seem inappropriate for someone as well travelled as he. Perhaps I should read his other books for further background, as I know he travelled extensively through Russia, China, and the Middle East before writing this, so perhaps taken as a whole Thubron's works can elaborate more on his cultural opinions.

Don't loan this book. You'll never get it back. It's that good. It's that informative. It's that true to life. Reading Colin Thubron's "The Lost Heart of Asia" put me in a part of the world I now want to experience for myself, but probably never will. It helped me understand how history and current events interact on such a diverse region. The Soviets left them with one major gift: A common language.

This was a very well-crafted and informative book, which I would recommend reading to those who haven't yet. For those who have, and who enjoyed it like I did, I would also recommend Tent Life in Siberia: An Incredible Account of Siberian Adventure, Travel, and Survival, which George Kennan's account of his travels around eastern Siberia on dog and reindeer sleds.

I've been thinking about Turkestan travel lately, not so much that I plan to do it in person, but more in terms of literature. The whole field of travel literature is such that there are distinct styles among the authors and it's pretty much up to you to select the style that you like. One style that I definitely don't like is the "Yuck" style guaranteed to wrinkle noses, elicit groans, turn stomachs, and produce the reaction "thank God it was her, not me". Authors of this school no doubt garner kudos for having "braved the wilds of X" but it's basically a kind of fraternity/sorority gross-out tour. Still another variety of travel writer finds everyone an idiot, venal, politically incorrect, or somehow unappetizing; definitely not "like us" (which is bad). Everything is awful; if only he'd come here ten years ago---they say it was paradise then, but now, look at all the plastic bottles on the beach. Etc. etc. What about your hometown, buddy ? I'm not exhausting all the possibilities here, but let's turn to two more appealing schools---the Beautiful, Enchanting place group, and the Sad, Wrecked, and Disoriented place group. I could plump for either of these because a) there are some really beautiful places in the world and you can have some great experiences almost anywhere, come to think of it, and b) the world is pretty messed up too, and a lot of places have been wrecked by wars, poverty, and misgovernment, the people have a hard time getting by, and things look pretty grim. I don't require that everything look lovely, but what I do want in a travel book is a writer who doesn't condescend, who doesn't try for laughs at the expense of the people she meets, and who puts in a fair bit of background information on the particular place so that I learn as well as travel vicariously.

Colin Thubron's travel book about the five new/old nations of Central Asia, written in the early 90s, definitely pleases. Speaking a fair amount of Russian, Thubron was able to talk to many people over the several months he spent travelling around. He seems to have had a number of contacts, gleaned in England, but he also met up with various characters along the way. I admired his lyrical descriptions of the land, of places, of ruins, and of conditions, as well as his portrayals of the people he met. His is not a very optimistic view of human nature, nor of the conditions extant in those lands at the time (not that they have vastly improved). The sudden collapse of Russian rule left a vacuum, political, economic, and cultural. Everything turned upside down. Even the most optimistic traveller might have been hard pressed to find upbeat material in the detritus of the Soviet colonial legacy. In none of the five countries does he describe rulers---not even the later-notorious, egomaniacal Saparmurad Niyazov in Turkmenistan. He concentrates solely on the people he meets, who long incessantly for a better material standard of living, who often say that Communism, even Stalin, was better than the present mess. He meets many people who cling to Islam, either in fact, or merely in retrospect, holding onto some dimly-recalled shred of their nearly-erased cultural past. Some of the rather odd characters will touch your soul. Asia had lost its heart long before in the case of these repressed, depressed, and suppressed peoples, condemned to be cotton growers, pollution dumps, or open prisons by successive governments in Moscow. Overall, his is a thoughtful, beautiful book that anyone interested in Central Asia should read.

Colin Thubron, in this extremely interesting and well-written travelogue, has shed a common (or, owing to his previous experiences, uncommon) traveler's light on this amazing region of the world. Set amid the turmoil and confusion of the year following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Thubron portrays the incredible diversity of sentiment displayed by the area's inhabitants. From fatalistic apathy to alcohol-driven nationalism, he finds it all as he makes his way between crumbling ancient cities and Soviet-era apartment blocks. Chronicling the tentative resurfacing of Islam and hesitant steps toward fumbling democracies, the author has described the birth of these fledgling nations, offering a wonderful snapshot of the dynamic countries.

Although clearly re-released to ride the wave of the post-9/11 world's interest in Central Asia, this book has as much to do with the current conflict as Persian poetry has with a Steven King novel. If anything, Thubron demonstrates the differences between the many ethnic groups in the area. Interspersing his experiences with variously specific tidbits and sweeping portraits of Central Asian history, he manages to contrast the immense historical role of the area and its current, virtually unknown part.

All in all, Thubron's work makes for a wonderfully interesting read. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone; most people could use a more in depth look at this remarkable area of the world.

I have never laughed so much while reading a book in my life. Some of the stories told are hilarious. I enjoyed learning about Michael Crawford's life. If you have any interest in Michael Crawford, I advise you to get and read this book. You won't be disappointed.

Item in excellent condition and arrived on time.

I have just started reading Michael Crawford's bio but must comment on the service.I ordered the book on Tuesday and was amazed to find it in my mailbox on Thursday.Never have I received such speedy service before.Thank you Ed Silver!

This book is my favorite book of all time. Michael is the best! He truly wrote a wonderful book. I love it! I loved reading about his childhood . It was so interesting. Really,the whole book is very interesting. If you are a fan of Michael's, please read this book. Michael, Thank you for writing this book. Please write another one soon!:)

Though I've not read many autobiographies, this has without a doubt been the most entertaining that I've read thus far; indeed, at times it is simply hilarious. Michael Crawford's career is meticulously chronicled from its beginnings (he started out as a child performer) through to and including the international super-stardom he achieved with his coveted role as the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, The Phantom of the Opera. In the process, he tells of his short and disillusioning stint doing Hollywood movies in the late 60s/early 70s. He recounts the huge television success he had in Britain in the 70s with Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (and the hilarious upshot--hilarious for us, that is--of being nationally recognised as and taken for a disaster-prone half-wit!). Crawford went on to forge a name for himself in the 70s and 80s as a formidable lead in musicals (the culmination of which was, of course, his role as the Phantom). Greatest of all, though, was the tremendous honour of receiving an OBE in 1987.

Crawford, who was born in 1942, is extremely candid--even quite personal at times--as he recounts his life story, and sharing the limelight with his professional life are the many recollections he shares about his personal life. There are a great many happy and humorous memories (and even some embarrassing ones), but he doesn't hold back from sharing with us the painful memories as well--like his mother's unhappy marriage to his step-father, or the death of his beloved mother and grandmother.

What really makes this autobiography stand above the others I've read are the many humorous anecdotes that infuse Crawford's recollections of both his personal and professional life. He was a practical joker and a bit of a clown as a child--traits which he continued (thankfully!) to embrace wholeheartedly as an adult. That combined with his love for daring stunts result in some absolutely hilarious experiences that are rendered all the more enjoyable for being so engagingly told.

This 329-page hardcover has 24 pages of black-and-white photos, many of which are from Crawford's own private collection. There are photos of Crawford as a baby and as a child, photos of his mom with her first husband (who sadly died in the war after only a year of marriage), photos of his grandmother with each of her two husbands, photos of his two daughters at different stages in their lives, photos of his then-wife, and photos of Crawford--shots of him with his various co-stars or shots of him in his various productions--from the many stages in his career. Though published in 1999, Crawford ends his story in 1990, following his last appearance as the Phantom in Los Angeles. It would've been nice if he'd brought things up to date, but I suppose one cannot fault him for wanting to end his story on what has been (at least to this point in time) the apex of his career.

In conclusion, I heartily recommend this delightful autobiography to all fans of Michael Crawford. His engaging style reveals a man who is a very capable story-teller, and he certainly has no shortage of entertaining stories to tell.

Steinbeck's book comes with this comment on the back cover: "Each of these self-contained stories is linked to the others by the presence of the Munroes, a family whose misguided behavior and lack of sensitivity precipitate disasters and tragedies." This opinion, which the author of the Introduction seems to endorse, strikes me as a very surface take on the deeper significance of these stories.

The Munroes do show up in all of them; but when they do, a bubble of fantasy is punctured. They are the Nemesis principle, the breath of reality, among people lost in delusions and deceptions. Because of it, a man nicknamed Shark loses his social mask and finds his backbone, a father is forced to give up custody of his wild son, another father realizes the wrongness of raising his son in isolated poverty, a woman lets go of the insane daughter she's emotionally dependent on and stands up for her own life, two sisters face a crucial choice about their future, a daughter is given the chance to face her long-lost father...

These are not tragedies so much as consequences that puncture the psychic insulation of people living in a kind of Californian Eden. Their stories are not Steinbeck's finest, but they reflect the lucid writing and psychological acumen that characterize his later work.

steinbeck captures the essence of the areas of california that he so much likes to descibe--and all the characters often somewhat described in other novels are here as well

Because I am such a fan of John Steinbeck's writing, I feel I am able to say that this is not among his best work. "The Pastures of Heaven" is centered around a beautiful valley in California. After its discovery by a Spanish Corporal, the book goes into the stories that happend on this land. While some of the characters recur, most of the characters are forgotten after their story is told. Steinbeck's character descriptions are the masterwork that is expected of him. However, since there is no running theme aside from the land itself, the reader may have difficulty maintaining interest. Without a main character, it is difficult to be drawn in to the story.

Each chapter in the book starts a separate story. Some of the stories are amusing. I found the story in Chapter IV to be the best. Other stories such as Chapter IX seem to lack any coherence with the rest of the stories, but serve only the purpose of forwarding an opinion on a social issue. In the case of Chapter IX, Steinbeck is discussing the ethics of the death penalty.

While fans of Steinbeck are certain to read this book, casual fans are unlikely to enjoy it. The Steinbeck fan who reads all of his work is likely to find some of the stories enjoyable.

More a book of short stories than a real novel, The Pastures of Heaven is one of my favorite of Johnny Steinbeck's. The book consists of ten stories centered around the very different and very realistic groups of people living in the California valley. Bittersweet is a good way to describe most of the stories as most seem to end tragically and hit where it hurts.

Steinbeck, as always, tells the stories as a passive observer with a great eye for detail and leaves it to us to form our own opinions on the characters and events. Each story will have you debating the characters' motives and actions. Easy to read and hard to put down.

You needn't be familiar with Steinbeck's work to enjoy Pastures of Heaven. Indeed, he wasn't a well-known writer at the time of its publication. But you DO need to be familiar with the way books used to be read -- over and over and over, allowing the richness of a work to be revealed after multiple readings. So it is with Pastures of Heaven.

Certainly, a single reading of this work is rewarding and each story alone could serve as a great introduction to Steinbeck's style and grace. But these stories are interrelated in ways that appear only on the second and third and fourth readings. And...the book should probably be read slowly. (Hint: pay VERY close attention to the first story!)

Like other readers, I, too, was disappointed/puzzled after the first reading, but then I found certain images from the book would appear to me weeks and months later. I found the book again in my bags as I traveled cross-country and re-read it slowly, taking two nights to read each story. As I drove the next day, I'd let my mind wander over the textual terrain it had encountered the night before. The story grew in richness and complexity this way and has left me fully satisfied. It remains within close reach on my shelf.

While the book as written is a treasure -- one often neglected in discussions of Steinbeck's portfolio -- I have to say that time is changing its nature. As the book nears its 75th birthday, it gets only more true; the universality every good story has is here exemplified and magnified. Centuries from now, this book may be seen not so much as a portrait of its time, but rather a timeless tale, merely set conveniently in a place and era Steinbeck knew well; in this sense, the work reminds me of Shakespeare's work.

Final thought: the work also grows richer by the reader's extension of it. The reader will inevitably draw parallels with his or her own life; doing a little contemporary research to investigate side avenues also give the book more depth. I was distracted for a week comparing Steinbeck's Tularecito with Shakespeare's Caliban.

In short, if you are an inquisitive, thinking reader, one not afraid to give as much to Steinbeck's novel as he has given to you, then you will enjoy this book immensely.