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This story is great! It is so sad about the troubled life of Edgar and it is good to see a writer like Mr. Carbajal adding a new twist and dimension to one of the worlds greatest poets. I also like the dark tone of the recording. My friends and I are using this audiobook to help us with our english term papers. This audiobook makes it fun to learn about Poe.

My friends and I are doing book reports on Edgar Allan Poe and this audiobook of stories and poems is very helpful. Mr. Poe seemed to have a troubled and sad life but he wrote so many neat poems and scary stories. I have friends who write poems and draw. So a bunch of us can relate to Mr. Poes story.

Wow, very new . Like Techno mixed with poetry. Filled with vision.

This thing is really creepy and it makes you think. I like Stephen King and my friends like Charmed and Buffy. This is kinda like that. This is actually interesting stuff. The music is like techno stuff and classic music mixed. My friends and I think it adds to the story. Mr. Poe had some wild things going on inside his head.

my friends and I love Poe. We are using this tape for our tenth grade creative writing class. It tells a sad tale lots of us artsy students can relate to. Sometimes we are misunderstood. Just like Edgar.

beautiful book , beautiful art work , beautiful writing ! Very happy with my purchase !

I can't really review this book cause I haven't even had the chance to use this book but if I ever do get the chance to use it and have the wonderful experience of the oracle I think it would be a great experience. overall I like the cards and I thnk that I would really like it.

If you work with, or want to work with, the Faery beings, this lovely oracle deck can help bring you into contact with the Faery realms. It can be used as a meditative tool, as keys for connecting with certain Faery, or even contacting your Faery contacts who help you within the Other Realms. One thing I love is that the writer of the book and the artist push you to develop your own relationship with the Fey rather than rely soley on the book for interrpretations which is as it should be!

Hail to the Faeries!

I originally purchased these cards for a friend (on a whim) but when I saw them I was so enchanted by them I kept them for myself! (I'll order another set for the friend.) Their energy is delightful, intense, and a welcome change from the standard tarot deck. I like that the accompanying book is a hard-back and have found it a very useful guide to the cards. Users/collectors of tarot or other oracle-type cards should definitely give these a try.

this oracle has a really good, detailed first part, where in the authors explain everything you need to know not only about getting started with this deck but also everything you need to know about starting to contact the inhabitants of Faery. playful but serious at the same time.

A marvelous book. Full of facts about food along with interesting related information. Truly a fun-to-read book as well as a valuable reference.

This is a great reference book for anyone who loves to cook or just has an interest in foods of the world. At date I have bought 12 of them and have given them as gifts to friends arouond the world.

I found this book in the bookstore and thought it would help me with a new job as a cook. Well, it did more then that because it discribes nearly every type of term you could come up with when you cook.

I like how it discribes a particular food item and it's best usage. For example apple: Which are better for baking, eating, and cooking.

There are charts for every conversion possible and tables galor to help you prepare better meals.

I think reading this book has made my cooking at home better because it make me less scared that I might not get the correct taste by using the wrong foods. They even go gover you meat seltion and where they come from. This great for desiding what and how to prepare it.

The good thing about this comprehensive guide, is that there are no recipes with some minor exceptions; like a rux. This is good because it is a guide, not a cookbook.

Enjoy

For the past 4-5 years I've been trying to learn how to cook and of all the cooking books I have, this is one that is ALWAYS stuck between my desk and my kitchen for easy grabbing. No other book as been as handy as this, with the exception of my substitution book that sits right next to it.

It's also a great idea to include this in start kits for new cooks. Anytime one of my friends asks me what books they should get as starters I recommend this.

As a professional working in the industry, my yearning for culinary information never subsides. It may very well be insanity that causes me to focus so strongly on my profession, but I'm always reading and watching culinary related books and TV shows. Very often, you'll find that books and television don't always explain certain bits of information as well as you'd like if at all. And even then, their information is sometimes flat out wrong. That's when I turn to this book. It took years of convincing for me to give this book a try, but now it's the only food reference book that has it's very own place on my desk at home.

The book is basically a food related dictionary that describes a bit about history or culinary uses of nearly every culinary item, ingredient, or term. It also has a very helpful appendix that lists ingredient equivalents such as 8oz dry pasta noodles equals 4 cups of cooked, 15 graham squares equals a cup of crumbs, or 1 cup of dried pinto beans equals 2 1/4 cups of cooked. The appendix also lists substitutes for both ingredients and volume, high altitude baking adjustments, boiling points, temperature and metric conversions, oil smoke points and food label terms as well as consumer information sources.

If I'm looking for extremely in depth information on an ingredient or foodstuff, I may open up Larousse Gastronomic. But if I need the quick down and dirty on a cooking term or a conversion of some sort, which is more often than not the case, I grab this book.

This book is full of great useful information for both my husband and me. I seriously learned a lot for a first time expectant mom - while laughing.

Before our son was born, I bought this for my husband, an Eagle Scout, as a kind of joke. Once we both started reading, though, we were impressed with not just the practical advice, but also how all that useful information is conveyed with such wit and how it really does look and sound just like an old Boy Scout manual!

This handbook was surprisingly comprehensive given its size and how many pictures are in it. I was glad to find that it answered several questions on my mind as an expectant mom (even though I bought it for my husband) and it took a short time to read each section. I find the author really took time to lay out the important facts/options piece-meal so you can absorb the information. I have other books that cover the same subjects in long written form (which is also good) but when crunched on time, this one was succinct and touched on the key points you need. The humor is great but I think the visualizations and breakdowns are really the highlights.

I got my husband several books when we found out we were pregnant. This book is funny and useful. The artwork is cute. It is definitely written for men. My husband loved the humor and advice. A great baby shower gift! This book and Quarterback Dad were the best two of the books I got him.

After reading the reviews about this book, I ordered this book from Amazon.com. I received it and riped into the box to get it out. Actually, my wife stole it from me, but I got it back. I am about to be a new dad and I loved this book. It was funny, gave real life tips and made me want to read it from cover to cover. The book shows a dad with a tool belt filled with everything he will need for his baby, but I think this book was left out of the belt. It is awesome!!!!

Seung Heun was reminded at the end of this book on p.85 of a story from Lao Tzu:

Lao Tze "had a bright student who trained for 10 years in order to be able to control the flow of Ki energy to such an extent that he could form an energy bridge over a nearby river. One day, he showed Lao Tse what he could do...Expeting high praise, the student was flabbergasted when Lao Tse turned purple with anger and shouted at him at the top of his voice, "YOU STUPID IDIOT. You spent 10 years to a stupid trick, all this time, there was a cheap ferry to get accross the river at any time you wished!

Being an incarnation of Lao Tze, let me lead by example from the only letter i gave personally to Jimmy Carter & Rosalynn:

dearest peaceMaker Jimmy and mother Rosalynn,

First I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for humankind so far and for who you are. This letter may reach your heart(s) on George Washington's birthday and is a wake up call for both of you to forgive ourselves even more.
I have asked around 200 adults the following question: IS REAL LOVE CONDITIONAL or UNCONDITIONAL?

More than 95% do choose unconditional, out of that less than 5% can declare they are being it, while the rest say that they know that it is unconditional but can't do it (in China.)

I have asked around the following question: in almost EVERY NATION on earth there are AT LEAST 2 SLAVE CLASSES or caste, my definition of slavery is when we force another human to do what we ourselves don't even want to be. I haven't yet found a person who can tell me who they are?

This is not a test, simply an observation of what is. The answer is SOLDIERS and CHILDREN.

The only reason to have soldiers is to force them to kill fellow human beings using any available weapons, we are the ones TRAINING MURDERERS. The only reason we are forcing children to get educated is for them to compete like GLADIATORS by first using mental weaponry. To DISALLOW that we are ONE HUMANKIND and to enforce the notion that some humans are superior to others and any inferior humans deserve to be at least exploited, if not disposed, by the superior ones. No wonder the US is the first country with incidence of children happily shooting and disposing of fellow humans and showing us how clearly insane we all are for allowing such forceful enslavement, and our children are using exactly the same behavior we taught them with our own blindly learned prejudice and acquiescence.

To ABOLISH THIS kind of SLAVERY, ONE simple UNCONDITIONAL LOVE ANSWER is-Start telling all politicians and generals and any humans that their army and weapons can either be offered to the United Nations or to the temporary leadership of a massing group of unconditional lovers for all life under the temporary leadership of a triumvirate. If this joint-chief-command ever choose to send this volunteer global army to even mediate dispute between warring factions or to forcefully remove some confirmed dictator or to prevent possible genocide, then they will automatically resign their post and leave the function to another triumvirate, preferably one who disagreed with them. This is missing in every constitution as a check and balance. Start telling all humans that firearms and explosive cannot be bought at any price and that all firearms and explosive are for use by this global army only. For the few humans who enjoy the sound of firearms they can only practice shooting in shooting ranges at dead targets. In the long run this standing army can simply become a corps of engineers specializing in explosive and dangerous situation and helping in emergency disaster cases, such as evacuation and re-building.

For the first elected triumvirate I would love to be able to choose from such unconditional lovers for whole humankind as Jimmy Carter or House Rep. Barbara Lee of California (hers was the sole vote in either the House or Senate opposing a resolution authorizing military action against the terrorists ... The House vote was 420 to 1. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/16/national/16LEE.html) or Nelson Mandela or Boris Yeltsin or Mikhail Gorbachev or the first lady president of the Philippines Aquino, etc.

As for liberating the unconditional love that is present in all children before the age of 5, education after 5 will be modified to only include self-paced-study available via Internet with guidance counselors in each different subject. The core curriculum will be based on first-person confirmable examples of unconditional love and that fear is its only opposite. Schools and churches and libraries will be re-opened as places where more people can enjoy one another face-to-face or hug-to-hug, etc.

Needless to say, the side benefit of the above solution is that global disarmament will be in effect immediately at both the national and individual level and unconditional love will start to flourish beginning with all new born. The natural dignity inherent in treating everyone as equal is reclaimed by every living human being. A world will indeed be born anew as long as we don't deny that absolute power corrupts absolutely, as Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, etc. have demonstrated dictatorship and with Bush and Hollywood stars and private schools, etc. demonstrating nepotism and most of us not doing anything when dearest Jimmy declared from his heart in his Nobel speech:

`I decided that the most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm between the richest and poorest people on earth'.

The great prophets and holy men in all of the major religious traditions have conveyed the insight that all men and women are "One". The eastern traditions note that this phenomena is reflected by the energy called "Ki" and is the common bond directly connecting body, mind and spirit. In Healing Society: A Prescription For Global Enlightenment, Seung Heun Lee reveals how we can draw upon this energy to strengthen our spiritual bodies, actually experience a direct connection to ultimate oneness down to the center of our very being. Seung Heun Lee clearly explains how this "noble enlightenment" is meant for everyone, and that by getting into contact with this sense of oneness men and women can illuminate the world and secure their children's future in a transformed world. Healing Society is a very highly recommended addition to Eastern tradition, spirituality, metaphysics, and self-help reading lists and reference collections.

The writer says he is enlightened. Is he sane? I don't know. I don't want to ask him whether he is enlightened or not. Because when I ask so, he will answer me he is enlightened because he realized that there is nothing to "realize." So, I don't need another teacher who want me to surrender before him. Dalai-lama said "spy on your spiritual teacher before you surrender yourself before him." Dalai-lama himself never says he is enlightened. But we know lama himself is a very trustworthy teacher for humankind. Be careful, people. I'm from the same country where this writer came from.

Dr. Seung Heun Lee wrote Healing Society: A Prescription for Global Enlightenment because he wanted "to call upon the world to embark on an Enlightenment Revolution" and "to let everyone know of their own right to enlightenment." Dr. Lee has written sixteen previous books and lectures extensively. He also founded "Dahn Hak Movement," which is designed to help in spiritual awakening, and helped establish the New Millennium Peace Foundation with Neale Donald Walsch. The United Nations has recognized Dr. Lee as a preeminent spiritual leader of the world.

He emphasizes throughout the book that enlightenment is not just for a select few, but available to everyone. He defines enlightenment as "a simple choice that you make to live your life for the betterment and benefit of all those around you." One needs only to make that choice, and then develop the discipline to live out that choice.

Part of becoming enlightened involves training your life energy, or Ki. Dr. Lee explains exactly how to do this. He has also developed a technique called "Brain Respiration" as a "realistic and everyday form of spiritual training" for all those people who don't have the time or inclination to go live on a mountain top or join a monastery.

Once people achieve personal enlightenment, the next step is global enlightenment. Dr. Lee says that we once all lived together as enlightened beings in harmony, and that we have deep spiritual longings to regain this world. In order to do that, "we need to recover the sense of Oneness and harmony that we have lost." That requires making both a personal and a collective choice to be enlightened. He wants at least one hundred million people to be spiritually enlightened by the end of this decade. "The healing vibration of their choices and determination will cure the Earth of the ills we have caused," he says.

Most people have forgotten that we are all part of One. Forgetting that has led to the state of affairs that exists today. If you'd like to meet your Creator Within and become a part of the solution rather than continue as part of the problem, then I highly recommend reading Healing Society.

This book has a bit too much self-promotion for me. Over and over and over and over and over again the author claims that through his program 'Brain Respiration' one may become truly enlightened. His message is encouraging and I like that he says enlightenment is nothing if it doesn't help somebody else. However... this book is simply laced with too many references to his 'Brain Respiration'. If I wanted to read a book on Brain Respiration I would have bought it. Now I won't thanks to this author's rampant self-promotion. This book seems to be merely a lengthy advertisement.

DRAGONSINGER shows off sci-fi/fantasy writer Anne McCaffrey at her best and most accessible. Of the three books which make up the Harper Hall trilogy, this one is my favorite and a book to which I've returned a bunchful of times. Only thing is, whenever I dust this off (or, come to think of it, any of the early Pern novels), I tend to go ahead and re-read the whole friggin' series. The Harper Hall trilogy, more so than any of the Dragonriders of Pern novels, is targeted towards a young adult audience, but it'll certainly charm a reader of whatever age. And if one is looking for a capable, extremely engaging role model, then look no further than Menolly of Half-Circle Sea Hold.

DRAGONSINGER picks up almost immediately from where Dragonsong left off, with Menolly arriving at the Harper Craft Hall to begin her harper's apprenticeship. A gifted songwriter/singer/musician and the young accidental mistress of nine gluttonous but ever loyal fire lizards, the shy and vulnerable Menolly finds herself near overwhelmed by her new circumstances. She's very conscious of her horribly scarred hand (which prevents her from playing her music) and her still woefully tender feet (from having outran Thread, deadly silver spores which periodically rain on Pern). At Harper Hall, Menolly meets and is intimidated by an array of stern and skeptical teachers. She faces the scorn of her fellow female students, with whom she must share room and board. Her unconventionality and her rare fire lizards mark her as a target of curiousity and envy. For Menolly, all this is almost too hard to bear. But she loves music and loves her fire lizards. And, it turns out, she has more friends than she thinks...

DRAGONSINGER, first published in 1977, is the second book in the Harper Hall trilogy, and, in my opinion, is the best of the three. It continues Menolly's coming-of-age tale and introduces the readers to a gang of winning characters, such as the quiet journeyman Sebell, the majestic, offbeat Master Shonagar, and the impish and ingratiating Piemur (who would take center stage in Dragondrums). Of course, the awesome and perceptive Masterharper Robinton figures in most of the Pern novels, and he makes his presence vigorously felt here. Who wouldn't want to work for someone like him?

Another neat thing about the Harper Hall trilogy is that it allows the reader to relive events in McCaffrey's other novels. Specifically, the timeline of DRAGONSONG and DRAGONSINGER coincides with that of Dragonquest (Dragonriders of Pern), so that, just as we revisited Jaxom's impressing of Ruth thru Menolly's eyes in DRAGONSONG, here, we get Menolly and Harper Hall's horrified reactions to F'nor's disastrous foray to the inhospitable Red Star. Later, the third Harper Hall entry, DRAGONDRUMS, would touch on events occuring in The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern Vol 3).

McCaffrey warmly covers a span of seven eventful days in Menolly's life, chronicling her transitioning from an uncertain, bashful young girl to a confident one with the world opened up before her. Menolly is tall and gangly and unsure, and so appealing. It's a joy reading of her overcoming her challenges, making new friends, and impressing just near everyone with her musical talents. My favorite moments would have to be the ones in which she's engaged in her music or spending time with her fair of fire lizards (and, believe me, both activities take up huge, huge chunks of the book). Scenes to look out for: the first time Menolly feeds her fire lizards at Harper Hall, the impromptu Hall concert during Threadfall, all the moments with Shonagar, and Gather Day. As ever, McCaffrey peppers her book with sightings of benevolent dragons, who constantly guard Pern against Thread, and their miniature and inquisitive cousins, the fire lizards. Actually, in this Harper Hall series, the focus is more on the fire lizards than on the dragons. McCaffrey lends Menolly's fire lizards their own distinct personalities, from the imperious Beauty to the nagging Aunties One and Two, to the beleaguered Uncle, to the aptly named Lazybones.

Compared to the other, more adult-oriented novels about Pern, DRAGONSINGER is a lighter, more intimate read, and not as intricately plotted. The stakes here don't shape the world, just Menolly's personal universe. But, I'll tell you what, you'll get caught up in it. DRAGONSINGER (and a whole mess of McCaffrey's novels, come to think of it) fits cozily on my shelf of comfort books. I normally have two copies of books which I particularly love. With DRAGONSINGER, I have three, two of which are pretty threadbare. Such a good read.

The harper Hall Trilogy is my favorite set by McCaffrey and interestingly the first books I read by her. I love dragons and there for dragon stories, particularly ones were dragons are not mindless monsters of destruction, so it would be odd for me not to like these books. The story is very original and the characters well written. If your not sure of getting into the Pern books, this is the series to read! Dragonsinger is a really strong book, despite being in the middle of a set. The story keeps going strong and the characters stay true to themselves.

I know I wasn't supposed to read this book first, but it was on the free book cart at the library. And I've wanted to read McCaffery for some time now. I'd give this book four a half stars. I'd like to have given it five. But I'll get to that in a minute. Her prose is elegant. Each of her characters is clearly defined. The main, Menolly, is strong and modest, but often bleek and insecure because of her background. Thus her behavior makes sense at times when she is overly passive when she shouldn't be. As well as apologizing for every little thing. However, her giving a shiner to Benis was priceless. I love the tiny info on the Fort Sea Hold, and look I look forward to getting clear description when I read DragonSong. The only problem I had with this book was there was no real action, besides the brawl at the Gather. Though I must say, the book was not boringt any time. But I did have to put it down from time to time because its lack of action.

Can't wait to read more McCaffery. I see why she's one of the leading authors in the SciFi/Fantasy genre.

Menolly is now at the Harper Hall. However, she is a geek/nerd and doesn't fit in with all the girls who like doing the standard chick things. Plus there just happens to be a bunch of fire lizards following her around.

She also has to deal with the problem of choosing or being asked to choose a specialisation and someone to be a mentor.

Menolly has achieved her dream of living in Harper Hall, despite the disadvantage of being born female. But she does not know how she will fit in and the fact that she accidentally Impressed nine fire lizards causes disruptions in class and jealousies from the other students. That she comes to realize her full talent as a musician, singer and songwriter and revel in the company of other musicians is the delight of this perfect fantasy novel.

This gem of a story is appropriate for creative girls and women of all ages, all creative endeavors because it says that the barriers the world puts in your way won't stand up to friendship, hard work and talent. I wore out two paperback copies before breaking down and buying it in hardback. Highly recommended.

First I listened to the book on audio. I liked it so much I got the book a year later andit it. Amazing story of survival. Hiding right in a Nazi officers home. WOW. What courage.

A must read for those who what to never forget.

Uplifting to what we can and will do for others when we have to.

Whereas the novel I mentioned in my title left me feeling cold (not to mention the author was a small child when she writes about her experiences, which must be grainy), this powerful account is simply written, but also written well. It's deliciously descriptive and emotional. I felt like I did walk in Irene's shoes, for I saw everything through her eyes (true, it was written in first-person point-of-view), instead of like watching a movie.

By the way, I think this would make a great film, though I am not sure if there is an actress beautiful enough to play Irene (who really should be played by a young, unknown girl, age appropriate, not a trashy pop starlet, who would degrade).

Through it all (being raped by two Russian soldiers and left for dead, becoming a German officer's mistress to protect her Jewish friends, etc.), Irene maintains an innocence that is refreshing, and when she loses her first truelove before they have a chance to marry, it broke my heart.

I will say I have an even dimmer view of the Catholic Church than I did before (not Catholics in general, just some of the politics of the religion), because when Irene goes to a priest to confess being a German's lover to save the lives of her friends, he says, "They are Jews", and I could actually hear the inflection in his voice that said, "They're just Jews", like they weren't worth saving. This un-Christlike priest refuses to give her absolution, which, from a doctrinal standpoint I understand, but not from a spiritual standpoint. Yes, Irene was sinning, but she was not committing crimes against humanity, and I believe my God is a merciful and just God and that He understands for He can see Irene's soul.

This deeply religious, courageous woman has earned my respect and her chronicle is hardcover worthy.

My 14-year-old daughter read this book and insisted that I read it. When I finally agreed, I could not put the book down. The story is so well told that you can can truly understand the experience of a 17-year-old girl in the midst of the horrible events. A compelling book that everyone should read and discuss.

I often think of this woman in my day to day life. She serves as a testament to all mankind that we must put others first and fight for the just cause. What she went through herself is quite harrowing. I am happy that she has been honored with a tree planted in her name at Yad Vashem in Israel. An easy read and a book that you cannot put down. She is truly inspirational.

Unlike most characters featured in such books, Irene Opdyke had no vested interest in helping the Jews during the Nazi occupation of Poland. She began her work in small, timid steps, gradually growing more bold and forceful as she matured. The story is told in an entirely credible and sympathetic way, without forcing young readers to wade though long narratives of graphic atrocities. I found the afterward to be the most moving and memorable part of the entire book.

A gentle reminder of who we really are and why we exist. A must-read, at least once a year.

Every word that Thai has written brings more and more clarity. This is one I will read again and again.

This is one of the incredible diamonds that has been created for the human race - a book that should be read by all world leaders to move each and every one towards an inner peace so that we can all experience results that will ensue from the outer manifestations arising from mediation, deep breathing and appreciation of every tiny step.

Sally Shields, bestselling author of, The Daughter-in-Law Rules, 101 Surefire Ways to Manage (and Make Friends with) Your Mother-in-Law!

Peace is Every Step takes you into a world of peace and happiness, and you need nothing to get there but your attention. In the simplest everyday tasks, the author shows us how to get the most out of our lives and experience true enjoyment. We don't have to do or have different things, we just need to pay attention to what we have and what we are doing now. Nhat Hanh gently leads us to this practice. This book has changed my life for the better. I will keep it and read it over and over.

Thich Nhat Hanh's book Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life is an enlightening read!

The author does a great job of showing the inextricable connection between the mind, the body, and the environment. Mindfulness is an awareness of our living right now. It helps us to become and remain mentally and physically healthy and to live harmoniously in our symbiotic relationship with each other and our environment. Our survival on this planet depends upon it.

Hanh encourages us to be mindful in everything we do--for example, when we peel a tangerine eat it mindfully. He encourages us to feel the spray as we peel it. Smell the fragrance and feel the texture of fruit. Enjoy the taste and nourishment. Think of the mother of the fruit--the tree, its leaves, its blossoms and our connection with it and the environment.

The author encourages us to slow down, breathe, and live in the moment. Instead of being frustrated by the obstacles--red lights, traffic, layovers--that prevent us from getting from one place to another quickly, use those moments to practice Mindfulness.

I recommend this book to people of all ages and backgrounds. The author's writing style is simple and insightful. His aim is to promote peace, happiness, health, and wisdom. He did a great job!

The definition of the word `requiem' is a musical service or hymn in honor of the dead. How fittingly that word rests with the subject matter of this novel. `Requiem for a Dream' is just that, a musical hymn in honor of those crushed and shattered dreams. When reading Selby's phenomenal (and I mean that in the most extreme sense of the word) novel about abolished hope and sheer desperation the reader is forced to face the ugly truth about our horrific society.

You ever read that novel or watch that film that just eats away at the pit of your stomach and pains you to your very core? You ever struggle to turn the page or fight to watch the screen because the onslaught of negativity is picking away at your spirit and bringing you to a dark and lonely place you never wished to visit? That is the feeling experienced when reading (or subsequently watching the Aronofsky film adaptation) this novel.

The novel opens by introducing us to four people. We have Sara, an older Jewish woman who lives for television. The opening scene depicts her son Harry, strung out as usual, stealing her television to pawn it for money in order to get his next hit. Harry also has a girlfriend Marion as well as a best friend Tyrone C. Love. The three of them enjoy a nice taste of heroin every now and again and will do just about anything to get it. Sara dreams of one day being on television, and when she gets to opportunity she grabs it by the horns. She is convinced to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, the one she wore to Harry's bar mitzvah. This leads her to diet pills which she quickly and dangerously forms an addiction to. Harry and Marion on the other hand begin to develop a plan to buy and sell heroin for a profit, that way they can one day by that little coffee shop and make a life for themselves. This little plan involves Tyrone as well, and as the dope starts pouring in, their idea of a small taste begins to grow until they can't stomach the thought of selling any of it but feel compelled to keep all of it for themselves.

The novel brilliantly portrays the mind of an addict; the `I'll never get that bad, I can stop whenever I want to' mentality that cripples the mind and fortifies the very essence of the domination of the soul. All four of these individuals are taken over and beaten down by the disease that is addiction. There is a scene where Tyrone is arrested and spends some time in the jail cell with an elderly addict, a man who is so far gone Tyrone is disgusted by him. Tyrone is determined never to be that man, never to become that dependant on the taste, but the first thing Tyrone does when he gets out is cop him that taste. He doesn't realize that he is already there.

The novel, like I mentioned, is horribly depressing and utterly frustrating, especially as the novel comes to a close and everything begins to spiral into oblivion. As we watch Sara, Harry, Marion and Tyrone's lives completely fall apart in a gradual yet perpetual tumble towards rock bottom we are left with the bitter taste of pain and misery in the back of our throats. Experiencing Sara's mental deterioration at the hands of the pill; watching Marion degrade herself to escape the sick feeling of withdrawals; seeing Harry cast aside his own well being in order to keep that high; watching Tyrone come to realize he is no better than the men he despises; all of this eats at our very being and transports us to a place unlike any we've ever been.

Like the movie, the novel excels when focusing on the female characters. Sara and Marion are by far the most sympathetic and interesting characters in the novel; with that said they are also the most depressing and utterly devastating to read about. Their final outcome is far from pretty and makes the reader feel helpless and alone; much like these characters.

`Requiem for a Dream' is far from pretty. It is dirty, gritty and at times unbearable; but there is no denying that it is a masterpiece; literature at its finest. Hubert Selby Jr. is a deeply controlled and phenomenally capable writer who understands the appropriate darkness of his subject; an author who takes something so terrible, so bleak and painful and makes it quite frankly one of the most important novels ever penned. In my humble opinion this is the type of novel that should be mandatory reading at any substance abuse rehabilitation center. After reading this grisly novel (and of course watching the equally grisly film) I could never even stomach the idea of drug use. In a world that glamorizes any and everything harmful to the soul, `Requiem for a Dream' stands apart as a very real depiction of all you stand to lose.

If you've seen the film, better fasten your seatbelts. Aronofsky went easy on you. I can't adequately describe what Selby achieved in this novel, or in "Last Exit to Brooklyn". He is capable of describing the most brutal things with apparent (but ONLY apparent) objectivity, but at other times he writes with astonishing delicacy. I can't even think of another writer who can do that half as well as Selby.

If you found the last 20 minutes of the film as horrifying as I did, Selby's account of the fates of Harry, Sara, Marion, and Tyrone will make you want to cry for all of them.

This is not going to be an easy read for a lot of people, but it's a masterwork.

It's just that good.

If you've read "Last Exit to Brooklyn," you'll be familiar with Selby's habit of not using quotation marks when he writes dialogue. But even if this is your first exposure to Selby, you'll figure out who's saying what pretty quickly.

And don't skip Selby's prologue.

As an aside: ELLEN BURSTYN WAS ROBBED! (As Sara in Requiem for a Dream, she really should have gotten an Oscar. I'm just saying.)

Hubert Selby Jr writes with in a way that is astounding. Bringing a story like this so heavily to life, to a point where it completely envelopes and engrossing you, all the while disgusting you is a great fete. I saw the movie, which is great in its own right, but not near comparison to the language of the book. Definitely recommended!

Selby's ability to capture inner monologue is incredible. You not only empathize, but you believe with each one of the characters. You hold on to the dream and it crushes you. Should be read in highschools everywhere.

You need to be ready before you read this book. Upon finishing this little dandy I was physically shaking. I can't think of any other book that has made of shake. The manic style and never ending punch in the face flow of this Hubert Selby Jr. masterpiece will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you saw the movie and so decided to not read the book, you are making a mistake. The book is a totally different experience then the movie. Each is a masterpiece in a completely unique way. It's amazing how real this book is. You will feel insane compassion for the lowest of individuals. You will want to reach out to these amazing characters. I don't know how Hubert Selby Jr. does it. His mind must have been a dark but beautiful and loving realm. If you want to be a book this one will make you its own. Read it.

Soul Communication by Zhi Gang Sha is a contradiction and an enigma. Based on one simple teaching - that everything has a soul and that all soul seeks to serve - it explains a core reality that Einstein was seeking to formulate, but does so in terms so simple that even a child can understand. Moreover, though completely unique, this book is eminently practical. A hundred years from now, when the skills it teaches - including Soul Language, Third Eye and Direct Knowing - have become more commonplace, "Soul Communication" will still be the revered classic. If you want a glimpse of the brightest new wave in the spiritual awareness that is sweeping the planet today, be sure to read this book. It is a profound gift to all humanity. Thank you, Master Sha.

Soul Communication is yet another treasure box of Master Sha. It reveals deep wisdom and tools how to connect heart to heart and soul to soul. For all those seeking for this incredible deep soul wisdom, in every book from Master Sha you will find it and receive so much more. The blessings in this book will support you and guide you safely on your own spiritual journey. It is another milestone to awaken humanity at this crucial point in time. Thank you, Master Sha, and all of those people who have worked on this book. You have blessed and nourished my personal spiritual growth.

Verena Myriam

Take time to develop a spiritual path-I recommend this book as well as FREE YOUR MIND by Sensei Anthony Stultz and BEING ZEN by Ezra Bayda.

While what I read seems very interesting, the reviews were pretty misleading, as they were all for the complete book, not for this short ebook that is basically a preview. It's one chapter, or part of one chapter of the complete book. This short does NOT give you the exact "how-to" of soul communication, but it does give you a sneak peek at what it's about for a fraction of the cost. Amazon really should keep separate reviews for the short and complete works.

So I read the reviews. With one or two exceptions, all the reviews were written within a week of one another and they all sounded remarkably alike. My guess is that students/followers of this author were sent a message after publication of this book asking them to write reviews. Who are these people trying to fool? I would expect his followers to like the book. I wanted to read what OTHERS thought of it. This completely put me off of buying this book.