Roberts Books

I think any Robert Munsch book is a winner! You can't go wrong with Munsch! I recommend all the Munschworks collections (each volume contains 5 stories) and anything else by Robert Munsch; he is so smart, clever, witty, entertaining, funny, creative and just plain amazing! This book is particularly popular in our family because my wife uses a motorized wheelchair. We all like to think that Lauretta (the girl in the story) is "mommy" as a little girl. "Mommy" still likes to go fast and the kids like it too!
Zoom! shows that a kid who uses a wheelchair is just like any kid who wants to have fun! Zoom! also shows that a book with a character using a wheelchair does not need to have a blatant message on disability. A great, fun story!

Recently, I learned that the character Lauretta in the story is based an actual girl named Lauretta Reid from Ontario. Lauretta uses crutches most of the time and a wheelchair for.long distances. Zoom! came from a combination of Lauretta's request for "a story about a little girl who walks with crutches and uses a wheelchair" and a story idea from a student named Grant; he wanted to be in story about a kid who got a new bicycle that was so fast he got a speeding ticket. Grant (now in his 20's) gladly gave up his role in the story and we have Zoom!

Unfortunately, Zoom! is currently out of print and the publisher (Scholastic) has given no information about when the book will be reprinted. There are a few used copies available online but they are pricey! And at this point, I will honestly admit that I am the one who bought all the reasonably priced copies I could find - and in my search for copies I learned the story behind Zoom! You can read the whole story and see pictures of the real Lauretta at www.robertmunsch.com . I hope in the near future new copies of Zoom! will be available. Feel free to visit the Scholastic website and write a comment requesting that Zoom! be reprinted - I did!

How can I not put in a plug for this book? My 6 year old Kindergarten son has borrowed this book 3 weeks in a row from the school "media center." He has all but memorized it and loves reading it aloud, with or without an audience. It's fun for the adults too, with fun illustrations. It goes without saying that I am planning to buy this for our home library.

As with all the Robert Munsch books we own, my son frequently picks this one for reading. It is silly and always makes him laugh.

You might expect a book about a girl in a wheelchair to have some socially correct message -- something about how the "differently abled" are people, too, so we should all be nice to them. Or maybe how we should try to imagine life from their perpective, so we can count our blessings. Yada yada yada.

So it's refreshing that "Zoom!" doesn't try any of that. Rather, it simply uses a girl's need for a wheelchair as the basis for a fun story. The girl, Lauretta, wants a FAST wheelchair, and when she gets one, a series of fast-paced scenes ensue. More than most kids books, "Zoom!" has ACTION.

My kids, now 4 and 5, never ask, "Why is she in a wheelchair?" or anything like that, they just accept that she is. They love this story for its lively story and colorful, expressive, pictures. It's fun to read out loud, with "sound effects" built into the story like "Blam! Blam! Blam!" and "Zooooooooooooom!"

My daughter adores this book! She checked it out of the school library so many times the librarian asked me if she would consider reading something different. I decided to purchase her own copy to avoid conflicts. She reads it constantly. I adore the fact that Robert Munsch has the foresight to reflect real life children in his books. The star of this story is a little girl in a wheelchair. As soon as I see Robert Munsch as the author of a book, I know that we are in for a great story with good humor and the story will take us on a fun ride. My daughter knows this too. Keep up the great work!

There are a number of books on the market on reinventing yourself or finding a second career. This one was easy to read and offered a number of practical steps to take as you move forward. I liked that he inserted real-life stories to illustrate each of his points. Definitely worth purchasing if you're thinking about another career or concerned that your existing one may disappear!

"50 Plus, Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life," while written for those in their fifth decade, presents sound practical advice for persons of any age. Particularly helpful are the chapters devoted to how to move up in your profession, how to do your own public relations, and how to determine when it is time to change your job. In this, the author's third book offering advice to persons in specific age groups (the first was the well received "The Critical 14 years of Your Professional Life"), he devotes more time to the tactics, strategies, rewards, and pitfalls of striking out on your own than he did in his previous volumes. Throughout this latest work Dilenscneider not only tells the reader "how to do it," but his consistently upbeat approach also leaves one with the feeling that "it can be done."

50 Plus! is a relevant to-the -point, no nonsense guide that applies to all those in the work force who want that extra "edge" to achieve their goals. Every page offers something of value to the reader. It covers the "in's and out's" of business from the hiring interview, to how to leave a job and all the stops in between..resumes, creating an image, business relationships,even how to conceptualize and start your own business. Although this book is titled 50 Plus!,and indeed provides 8 rules for "getting back in the game",it offers practical information that can be used at any age.
This is a well written "must read" for everyone and a great book to keep as a reference.

Mr. Dilenschneider has written a fine book based on his own experiences and those of his friends and network that is mostly as applicable to 30 year olds as to 50+ year olds.

He's at his best when he's describing his own successful experiences in the public relations field. The sections on how to leave your current job, get a new job, how to become a consultant, how to get clients and how to handle public relations are spot on. They are worth the price of the book. However, if you are not interested in those sections, you will probably be disappointed in this book.

I particularly recommend chapter 9 "Bridging the Generation Gap" for its fine material on how to stay up-to-date with and relevant to younger people, regardless of what your relationship is with them (whether boss, subordinate or child).

Some of the book didn't quite work for me, such as the "dress for success" advice from two of Mr. Dilenschneider's haberdashers. As a result, I almost stopped reading the book before I got to chapter 5, when the helpful advice began to kick in.

If you want to understand the heart of the 50+ perspective in the book, you really only need to read chapter 9. If you think you are going to have age-related job issues, then other chapters come into play. As a result, I suggest that you check this out at the library before purchasing it.

After you finish, think about how your life can be filled with expanding choices and potential . . . while you feel excited and rewarded by how you spend your time. Then, spend some time exchanging ideas with others who are younger and older than you to see what their perspectives are.

This book should be #1 for anyone in the market for a job, not just those looking for a career change. After 6 months of trying, I nailed a job on my first interview after reading this book. The advice is totally relevant to this economy's job market, and I especially appreciated the tips on getting and maintaining positive control of interviews and meetings. I can't imagine there's a better book out there.

I find myself refering to this book so often that I don't know how I ever lived without it! A must, must have for Academy Awards fanatics! Believe me, I'm one of the biggest Oscar nuts out there and I'm telling you this book is worth every penny!!!! I can hardly wait for "75 Years of the Oscar"!!!!

This fabulous book is informative, interesting and absolutely CRAMMED with excellent photos, many of which I am sure have never been published before (at least I had never seen them before reading this book). Robert Osborne's excellent book is as up to date as anything gets, the only awards not included having been given out less than a month ago. This book also includes a complete list of ALL nominees in every single category for each year, somehing I have found in no other book I have ever read on the subject.

An absolute MUST for all movie/trivia buffs!

I bought and I bought again...gave it away and then couldn't be without it...there is a downside; you'll find yourself boring everyone at parties with the Best Film Oscar of their Birth Year Challenge...but if the anorak fits, wear it I say..it's an Oscar winning performance by Osborne.....

If you are OSCAR crazy, splurge (it's expensive) save or steal and buy this book.....it includes all the gossip, snarky asides, and real data you'll crave and you'll refer to it again and again....true OSCAR nuts read it all the way through, like a novel.

This hefty tome by Robert Osborne, columnist and critic for THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, is a cinephile's dream! The author has exhaustively researched the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from its origin in the 1920s and includes a detailed chronology of the popular Academy Awards. This is a must-have for any movie buff. The over-sized book will attract even casual movie fans who might pick it up off your coffee-table and start skimming through the over-350 pages jam-packed with photos, quotes, and anecdotes of the first 70 years of the Oscars.

Very interesting theories about the intersection of ADHD and prisons. We tracked down most of the research quoted in the book and it seems to be solid. We brought the authors to Littleton, Colorado after reading the book to meet with the Greater Littleton Youth Initiative members. Patrick Hurley's 17 years experience as a law enforcement officer (and his experience with his own ADHD) combined with Bob Eme's research around the criminal justice system make for a very compelling duo. This is a quick read but has some deep insights into how ADHD kids are wired to go wrong if they don't get help.

Obviously a copy of this book should be in every police station, jail, and prison. The book covers more than just the interface between the person with ADHD and the criminal justice system, though. It gives very good information on what make people with ADHD prone to negative contact with law enforcement from the beginning of their lives, and how that can be reduced or avoided. In addition to law enforcement personnel, I'd recommend this for anyone who has ADHD themselves, or is partnered with or a parent to a person with ADHD.

As a psychiatric social worker for almost 20 years I have been aware of the tragedy of people stumbling into the criminal justice system who did not belong there. This book does not apologize for criminal behavior in any way, however, it illuminates the struggles of individuals with ADD which can often render their behavior incomprehensible to the professional. I particularly appreciated the lay-out of the book - I found it to be comprehensive, well-designed and well-researched. The writing style was personal and accessible without being sentimental. I also appreciated the many anecdotes which successfully illustrate the problems which ADD people face that are so often hard to describe. The problems of ADD can manifest in a vague way - but are nonetheless incredibly destructive to the individual. I think medical and mental health professionals (as well as those in the criminal justice field) will benefit greatly from this book!

As someone who's been recently diagnosed as ADHD, I've been on fire to learn as much as I can about the condition and traits. So far, along with a slew on online articles, I've read "Delivered from Distraction" by long-time expert Edward Hallowell as well as the ADHD memoir by Robert Jergen, "The Little Monster." Both of these books I appreciated for their positive outlook, even in the face of extraordinarily discouraging problems as a result of ADHD. Further, it strikes me as essential that these authors don't try to deny ADHD as just inattentiveness that can be "cured" in 20 minutes (as one book I saw on Amazon did!) or a condition that doesn't require medication. Some children and adults with ADHD perhaps don't need meds, and in fact medication doesn't work for everyone; but it's important that people seeking credible information about ADHD get an objective sense of appropriate and helpful treatment options, rather than someone's anti-drug agenda.

In terms of Hurley and Eme's book, I respect how they've done more than anyone I've read so far in documenting the research that went into the observations and information they provide. They don't quibble about whether ADHD exists or not, just state that it does, and back that up with excellent sources.

I went to the library in search of more than self-help guides on ADHD -- I was interested in the cultural and social implications of the condition because it strikes me that so many more people have it than is currently estimated. "Spinning Out of Control" was the only book I found that even touches on the wider implications of ADHD -- and the authors have done a great job defining the condition in the myriad ways it manifests in those likely to commit criminal acts as well as in non-criminals. They've done terrific work in outlining, then describing either by further explication, anecdotes, quotes from ADHDers, case histories and, surprisingly, self-disclosure what it's like to have ADHD. And they're far more comprehensive and systematic about it even than the Hallowell book I mentioned above! What I most appreciate about "Spinning" is its straightforward, distilled and no nonsense approach.

Finally, "Spinning" doesn't sugarcoat ADHD and what often happens to those who have it and don't get treatment for it. While I appreciate the positivity of Hallowell and Jergens (who both have ADHD themselves), who both understand well that ADHD can often lead to depression and pathological behavior, I was glad to read Hurley and Eme's nuts-n-bolts book. ADHD can be quite destabilizing and lead to real trouble, and the only way we can deal with it effectively on that level is to view it without rose-colored glasses. While ADHD isn't necessarily more widespread among the underprivileged, certainly this segment of society hasn't got the means nor the inclination to address what turns out to be a problem of enormous proportions. Hurley and Eme seem to be in the vanguard of people willing to address the problem on a grand scale -- isn't it about time someone does, instead of continuing to debate the existence of ADHD or morality of using drugs to treat it?

No doubt further research will show the condition to be much more complicated and differentiated among individuals than it is currently understood to be. Remember, for instance, that studies on the brain -- while more sophisticated and informed than ever before -- still aren't as complete and comprehensive as we'd like. The same necessarily must be said about ADHD. In my view, that doesn't mean we ought to take a wait-n-see posture; rather, let's begin to put what information and understanding we have together, and try to do something about it. Kudos to Hurley and Eme for their attempt to do just that.

I am currently an inmate at the Idaho Prison in Orofino, Idaho. My name is Richard Eugene Brewer. I was recently sent the book "ADHD and the Criminal Justice System". I was a Ritalin kid growing up, which was before many people really knew much about ADHD. I related so much to the information and descriptions contained in this book. It seemed like the book was almost written about me specifically. The restlessness, inability to sit still and not paying attention in school settings were my classic symptoms.

I feel this book should be a prerequisite for people who are involved in the criminal justice system as it applies to my everyday experiences in life. I feel that we with ADHD are often misunderstood and often times end up in situations that could possibly have been prevented. I sit in prison and watch the news now and see people on the outside having problems that I think could be related to undiagnosed or untreated ADHD and I wish I could let them know about this.

My opinion of this book is that I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was informative and knowledgeable and easy to read. I feel it could have a tremendous positive impact on the Criminal Justice System and how people like me are recognized and treated. I hope it is read on wide scale basis and helps others as much as it helped me.

Richard Brewer
I.C.I.-0. C-2-B-10
Hospital North Drive # 23
Orofino, ID 83544

After reading this book, I called Robert Jackson in England to thank him for writing it. It is an outstanding source for air war historians, and Mr. Jackson obviously did his homework! The book is chock full of excellent color photos, and all aspects of the Korean air war are covered, including all NATO forces involved. Appendix III has an excellent listing of the Orders of Battle. Jackson ends the book with some very thought-provoking conclusions. A very well-written, extremely informative book!

Having served with the 8th FBG, I found this account of "our" activities to not only help me better understand the "big picture", but brought back many memories of the fine people with whom I served. I've read several accounts of the Korean War and none of them gave the various air forces more than superficial mention. The photos were terrific, also! Thanks to the author and to you for making this available.

After reading this book, I called Robert Jackson in England to thank him for writing it. It is an outstanding source for air war historians, and Mr. Jackson obviously did his homework! The book is chock full of excellent color photos, and all aspects of the Korean air war are covered, including all NATO forces involved. Appendix III has an excellent listing of the Orders of Battle. Jackson ends the book with some very thought-provoking conclusions. A very well-written, extremely informative book!

This fascinating book tells the story of the planes and pilots who fought for air supremacy over Korea from June 1950 through July 1953. The experiences of early jet-to-jet combat as well as close air support and strategic bombing are told in chronological order and illustrated with dozens of B&W as well as color photographs, including many two page spreads.

Some of battle recaps are amazing. Many times 20, 40, 60 or more North Korean/Chinese/Soviet Mig-15s came up to battle F-86s and other "UN" fighters in extended battles over hundreds of square miles. B-29s were attacked by Migs despite jet escorts and there was lots of danger, day and night, from AAA and other ground fire. The USAF was never able to take air supremacy for granted.

There are appendixes listing all the "aces" (the only US Navy ace flew a WWII left over F4U Corsair to shoot down North Korean biplanes!), other notable pilots (future astronauts, etc.) and order of battle listing all USAF, US Navy and British Commonwealth units and the planes they flew. The emphasis is fully on the "UN" side of the war (mostly USAF, but some sections on US Navy and land and carrier based British and Australian units), with virtually no photographs (except gun camera shots) of Communist aircraft and very little about their pilots.

Highly recommended to Korean War and aerial combat buffs, veterans and military historians.

After reading this book, I called Robert Jackson in England to thank him for writing it. It is an outstanding source for air war historians, and Mr. Jackson obviously did his homework! The book is chock full of excellent color photos, and all aspects of the Korean air war are covered, including all NATO forces involved. Appendix III has an excellent listing of the Orders of Battle. Jackson ends the book with some very thought-provoking conclusions. A very well-written, extremely informative book!

Mr. Myers wrote this book in 1948, and based it on careful research into the facts as they were known at the time. THE ALAMO is a story of heroic men, dedicated to the cause of freedom, sacrificing their lives willingly for that cause. Bowie, Crockett, Travis, and all the others with them, were the stuff of legends, and as such we should remember them. This is a story to rival THE ILLIAD in its nobility of character and cause. Sadly, later research has shown that these giants were, like the Trojans, at least partialy the product of myth, and their cause was not quite so noble. But this in no way detracts from the telling of a great tale, and, if the men of the Alamo were not quite as tall as we imagined them, they were still men deservant of our admiration. They died for what they believed in, and this is their story, from the first man who ever bothered to compile the whole thing in one place.

Although written in 1948, John Myers Myers "The Alamo", proves that he did his homework well way back then. As a result, the factual conclusions he arrived at then, dovetail with those arrived at by other Alamo authors in later years, including Walter Lord. Myers writing presents the subject in a historicly accurate manor, but at the same time with the wit and insight of a newspaper editorial, which brings it to life on a human level.

Although written in 1948, John Myers Myers "The Alamo", proves that he did his homework well way back then. As a result, the factual conclusions he arrived at the time of his writing, dovetail with those arrived at in later years by other Alamo authors, including Walter Lord. Myers writing presents the subject in a historicly accurate manor, but at the same time with the wit and insight of a newspaper editorial, bringing it to life on a human level.

Newer books have been written based on more recently available sources, but this book stands the test of time. It is based on solid research, it doesn't spend entire chapters digressing into, for instance, the ins and outs of the Bowies' business dealings, and it keeps speculation on the motivations of Travis, Crockett, Bowie and Santa Anna to a couple of paragraphs each. Any speculation is just the author's guesswork, and I find Myers guesses to be kept more brief - and more to my personal taste - than, say, William C. Davis' in "Three Roads to the Alamo". It has been said that a revisionist is one who, lacking the notion of honor in his/her own character, cannot understand it when encountered in others. While Myers examines the actions of the three main personalities in a journalistic manner, the enormity of their patriotic sacrifice is never deprecated as is the fashion in modern, revisionist historical writing.

This book remains not only the best single volume on the siege, it provides a great introduction to the historic and social melieu of the era for those seeking to understand the background of the Mexican-American War. -

John Myers Myers, in the last sentences of his book, The Alamo, perfectly captures the essence of what this story means to America. He writes, "The Alamo isn't a structure now; it is a symbol of valor in the minds of men. It can never fall again." Though he closes with that thought, it is obvious that he wrote this history with the knowledge that this particular event is just as important as myth as it is as history, and that it presents unique challenges to the historian to distinguish between the two. In the forward, he addresses the issue of how hard it is to find solid, historical evidence about the Alamo. The combatants were killed to a man, and as for the non-combatants who survived to tell their tales, none were professional writers, and no historian bothered to interviewed any of them during their lifetimes. He explains in some detail how he decided the veracity of the various surviving source materials: letters, journals, official orders of the Mexican officers, and interviews of survivors. He then launches into the tale.
Myers divides his book into three sections. The first third is devoted to the history of the structure of the Alamo, from mission to military outpost, and to the history of the roots of the conflict between the Texians and Mexico. This is vital information to understanding what happened at Bexar during those fateful twelve days in 1836. The fact that Myers devotes so many pages to explaining this background and placing the story in its proper historical context is one of the books strongest points.
In the second third of the book, Myers introduces the principal players who history associates with the Alamo - Bowie, Travis, Crockett, and Santa Anna. A chapter is devoted to each of them, and Myers does an admirable job of placing each within the context of their own personal histories without resorting to what later became so controversial as detracting "revisionism". He notes that while Bowie and Crockett were already legends in their own time, that Travis' fame is tied exclusively to his participation in the Texian revolution. He solidly establishes who they were as flesh and blood men, rather than the demigods of myth that they became, yet does so respectfully. Likewise, he paints a balanced portrait of Santa Anna rather than simply demonizing him.
In the book's final section, Myers writes skillfully of the siege and storming of the Alamo. It is a tale that comes with its own in-built drama, which requires only an expert storyteller to assure its success, and Myers is indeed an outstanding storyteller. He has an idiosyncratic style of writing that lends itself perfectly to the telling of this particular tale. Throughout, he is generally faithful to the more traditional interpretations of what happened at Bexar, but does acknowledge some of the elements that smack more of legend than of historical fact (such as Travis' saber-drawn line in the sand).
Myers has written a fine history of an event that has become an indispensable part of our national mythology. His research is firm, his writing style captivating, and his tone respectful to both the history and the legend. I heartily recommend it.

Theo Logos

A friend loaned me this book after I asked for something mindless to read as I recovered from an illness. My friend failed me in that this funny bittersweet novel made me laugh and think and reread.

Charlie Wiggins is leading a reasonably happy life with a few cracks in it. His marriage is tottering, but he refuses to acknowledge it. A messenger from God offers him the opportunity to have God's power for a year--an offer he accepts with some reluctance. The story builds from this premise interweaving themes of love, adoration, free will, good, and evil as well as the nature of heaven.

The book reminded me most of the fragile nature of love. You can love, adore someone with your whole heart and yet that person may not feel the same way or worse, lose his/her feelings because of where he/she is in life. A journey the loved may need to take may not include the lover.

I hope to find a few more books like this one. Books that make me laugh out loud while making me think.

Never mind that this book will inevitably lead you to On The Way Home (Bausch's searing novel about a family left to deal with the aftermath when their son returns from Vietnam). Never mind that if you are easily confused it will ALSO lead you to wonderful books by Richard Bausch. Never mind that it is some of the funniest material I have ever read. Especially never mind that the library has issued a bench warrant for my arrest since I can't bring myself to give it back.

If you are a human being who has ever questioned faith, religion, the meaning of God, and the Universe you need to read this book.

If you do not fit the above category, congratulations on being the first animal to surf the web!

Bob Bausch was my favorite Professor in College. This book is great. I wish the great Chet would come and pay me a visit.

Very deep book. Not just a lot of humour. It's full of philosophy and ideas about the way things are.

Way to go Bob! Your the man!

A delightful hoot and delicious novel -- pretend you were annointed God for a year and had an angel named Chet. And, it ain't just funny; there's more than laughs. Would make a perfect holiday gift for many were it not out-of-print. Shame, shame on the publishers!

...Bruce Almighty ripped off this book.

Mr. McDonald offers a grounded, intelligent snapshot of life on Wall Street and beyond, peopled by a variety of memorable characters. Perhaps surprisingly, given the Wall Street setting, the older personalities are drawn with particular flair and heart. The protagonist, too, emerges as vivid and real: more someone you know than just a character in a book. A fine first novel.

The Altar Boy is a quick, fun read. McDonald's tour through the twisted world of investment banking and the frenzied world of big city romance, left me laughing. It was a treat.

For a first novel, Mr. McDonald did a very nice job. Good characterizations and very believable dialogue. The story line was good. He writes about what he knows, that being the world of finance. I read his bio....what is a mud engineer?

This is one of those books that you enjoy not only once, but again and again, savoring each phrase. The dialog is hilarious, the author's description of people and places make you feel as if you were really there. I'm hoping for a sequel.

Finally, a book with heart, set on Wall Street. Crisply written, laugh-out-loud funny, and, in the end, deeply moving. A fine, lovely read.

What I mean is that I think its Cool that this Girl is speaking her mind,telling us what she wants in a relationship.And Althou I Might not Knowtis(?)a flower poking its head threw a crack in some cement I would do all that i could to live up to that And other simmiler ideals.(If Any Girl Is Interested)

This book is a great read.some of the stories made me cry and feel the writer's pain.There are stories of incest and rape,first
love and menstration.This book is a must read for any women who
has been hurt by a man .For we all share a bond in sisterhood

Am I The Last Virgin? is a collection of frank and honest short stories about african-american female sexuality. I cried...I laughed...I could relate... The book is a courageous dialogue about a very important aspect of life and living. A must read for young girls, their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their friends. I have passed copies along to many of my family members.

I didn't notice it until I sat down to write this review, but this book was written for adolescents. However, I got a lot out of the book, and I'm 27 years old! This is a very short book (you could read it in less than an hour), but it's chock full of beautiful, and painful lessons about female sexuality, love, relationships, and healing. My favorite story was House Arrest, which was written in "Dear Diary" form, and is about a young woman having to overcome her fear of leaving the house after being raped coming home one evening. Even though that's a painful issue, the writer handles it in a rather humorous way. Other issues addressed are remaining a virgin, incest survival, a lesbian coming out to her family, and losing oneself in an unfulfilling relationship, to name a few. As another reviewer mentioned, this is an excellent read for ladies of ALL ages, because we, or someone we know, have faced, or will face some of the issues addressed in these powerful stories.

I am Executive Director of Sisterhood Infinity, a mentoring program for young women in Brooklyn, NY. We, the mentors and mentees read "Am I the Last Virgin" to prepare for a seminar on Human Sexuality. In discussion, we found the stories to be wonderful tales of young womanhood that touch on several experiences that are pertinent to issues of past and present. This book of insightful and honest essays is a great introduction for teenagers considering taking that serious step into womanhood. Furthermore, it is a great conversation piece that could bridge the gap between older and younger generations in conversations around womanhood and sex. I would highly recommend this book to anyone of any age.

I imagine this book bouncing around the traditional publishing circles for years, no doubt garnering interest, though invariably meeting with rejection. That is the only way I can fathom a work of this caliber coming to market through a POD publisher. For this is a unusual book that defies simple description and categorization. Nonetheless, Apology is an extraordinary achievement, as both literary art and philosophical meditation. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the authentic mystical experience.

Apology requires multiple readings to be fully appreciated. This is not to say that the writing itself is difficult to manage. Its beautiful composition serves a touching personal story that is by turns sad, funny, terrifying and ecstatic. The writing is elegant in an almost symphonic sense, the thematic elements layering and intertwining as the story methodically builds toward its magnificent climax. But the true complexity of the arrangement is only more deeply illuminated by subsequent readings.

The cultural landmarks, sacred and secular, noted along the story's journey are familiar to most of us. But here we find them transfigured by the blazing light of ... well, of something ultimately inexplicable. Apology is the uncompromised record of one person's life-altering encounter with Transcendence, offered up in all its gritty psychological detail.

Having recently experienced the death of my father, I found this book to me most enlightening. Its gives me hope, and helped me accept my despair. Mr. Arias simply stated is a genus.

At first I found the title Apology: A New Age Meditation a bit off-putting. But the title brought back memories of college philosophy courses, and so I did some investigating.

The Greek word apologia means "speech before". In Plato's terms, "Apology" was an account of Socrates' defense before his fellow Athenians, and an examination of the value of philosophical examination.

In the same way, Robert Arias' Apology is an account of his own examination of the meaning of life and consciousness, and the first steps in the search for "truth".

Written in the first person, and chronicling Arias' passage through psychedelic drugs, comparative religious thought, and meditation, the book is a series of richly interwoven narratives. Conversations held in the past weave threads similar to those held in the present, and at each moment the fullness of truth is but a hair's-breadth away.

I was particularly impressed with the detail and clarity with which Arias' psychedelic trips are described. Few people would attempt such a description. Fewer would do it well. Arias' trips leave the experienced reader with a "morning-after", kinesthetic remembrance, and the inexperienced reader with a small taste of the pleasure and danger of psychotropic investigation.

The novel moves like a Socratic cyclone, tearing down dogma and doctrine, leaving nothing but emptiness and uncertainty in its wake. And yet, in that emptiness and uncertainty lives a hope and possibility that can not be expressed in words.

...brings him to a place where the treasures are in the Here and the Now. "Every story must have a beginning." Rob asserts in both the beginning and the end of this novel. As if he is still being renewed, still being born. And the reader is exposed to his many, many revelations on the way to that final page.

His soul aches for answers to the question of why...? When he brother dies, why? When his mother does not understand or relate to him anymore, why? When his pal Jake or his girlfriend must move on, why? Why does living have to be so confusing, and so painful? And if God is such a good God, why has he allowed so much suffering in my life and others? And so he gleans from the masters of eastern and western religions, numbs and sucuumbs to maddness, wild pharmaceticals and hallucinogens and to Moebius strip like electron micrographs. To attempt to get the answers, to help himself deal with the pain. He has heady discussions like of the way of Jesus, original sin and the how to of Meditation. It all makes for a compelling read. The casual reader, however, may find his consumption of cigarettes all through out his various travels and reinventions quite paradoxical, but, like he puts it, tabacco is good for brooding intellectual types.

My opinion? It is a well-written How-To disguised as a bio. But the reader does not really have to do what he has done to come to the same answers. Rob serves as, like, the ultimate test subject in a self imposed set of clinical/spiritual trials. As a scientist--he is a neurophysiologist--he just may have come upon just what us neo-millenium searchers may require. A proxy for the spiritual realms. Not too unlike...?

This book is great, it has been extremely hard for me to boil down my thoughts about this book and about where it took me in religious thought, down familiar roads, but further down those roads than I have been before. It compares with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

The author's description of the use of psychedelic drugs as a lens resonates with my own experiences. The drug elements of the book are interesting and important because of the paranoia that they precipitated and the centrality of the ensuing madness to the story. But the drug element is ultimately incidental to the major themes of the book. What struck me repeatedly while reading was that I learned so much from the book's perspective of the big issues? reality, family, friends, religion, love.

I've tried to come up with some brief blurbs about the book that would draw in other readers. Such as: Few books have been written with the power to enrich one's thoughts about religion, love, relationships, and the nature of reality. This is one of them.? Or: this extraordinary author is able to drop all walls of privacy and allow perfect strangers into his soul's view of the BIG questions: How do we help family and friends? What is real.? Are the central truths of all religions the same? His depth of feeling and vision will help many to arrive at new insights.But I fall far short of doing this book the justice it deserves.

If you like feeling that you've grown from reading a book, Apology by Rob Arias is a good choice.