News and Media Books

S.W.A.T. by Diane Cary is a thrilling book that keeps its reader constantly on the edge of their seat. The author makes sure to always keep the reader interested. I couldn't put this book down and read its 276 pages in 2 days. You are actually placed into this book as Jim Street, the main character. This was a good book. It was well written so that you knew what was happening around the characters. "He walked to the Crown Victoria and got in-to find that Hondo was already inside, lounging back in the passenger seat, shuffling through seven or eight personal files." The words that the author has chosen were specific but understandable. "Street stood there alone. He'd pleaded, hoped, mourned, fought for this moment. Now that it was here, he actually wasn't sure what to do. If he showed up at seven o'clock in the morning, he could just as easily be shot down in front of all the other officers chosen for this team." The dialauge was always enjoyable, weather it was serious, or hilarious. ""She's like, how's she gonna take care of the kids if something happens to me, right? So I call State Farm, looking for some extra life insurance, and when I tell the sister I work S.W.A.T., guess what she does."
"Laughs?" T.J. suggested.
"Hangs up?" Boxer threw in.
"The woman laughs her ass off, then she hangs up on me!""

First off, if you haven't seen this movie, go! Now! It is easily, besides the matrix trilogy, the best movie out there. Action, Thirller, Mystery, Humor, Everything. Then, you can buy this book, which is probably, besides the lord of the rings trilogy, the best movie book ever made. By far. This has even more suspense than the movie. The author did a supurb job at describing the action. You can thank me later. Have fun. :-D

Carolina da Silva can transform anything, from a suitcase to a house, into a personal shrine. Chockfull of holistic concoctions, multicultural traditions, and the magical essences of colors and scents, her book, "Sacred Spaces: Transform any Space into a place for Rejuvenation, Relaxation and Transformation" has to be the Feng Shui of New Age.

I just finished reading SACRED SPACES and found it an intriguing and exceptionally informative book on how to transform any space--including a wallet--into a personal place for meditation, comfort, and joy. I enjoyed reading how cultures all over the world transform their own spaces for protection, enjoyment, relaxation, cultural identity, and a number of other purposes. I especially liked the sections on African American yard shows and "flash and light." What a fun book!

In the turbulent wake of Vatican II, many of us never learned--or learned badly the ESSENTIAL TRUTHS of our faith. The birth of the Charismatic movement,while authentically nourishing and giving roots to many; confused others. In this timeless masterpiece, Luis M. Martinez answers questions I had forgotten how to ask. It is a refreshing, pivotal link in coming home to the Truth we missed in those formative years.

In the noise of the world, this book takes you into a silence with the Holy Spirit in a manner I have not encountered before. It is a classic in the study and understanding of this often forgotten Person of the Most Blessed Trinity.

Learn more and greater insights into this, the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity as each page unfolds newer dimensions of His work within a world sometimes going seemingly mad. He is the Comforter and Enlightener, the Guide and Way to a deeper understanding of many mysteries. Do not pass up the opportunity to learn of Him Who is still active within the world and each one of us if only we will listen to His still, small voice.

Doc

Read this to the five-year-old twice already, and expect to r3ead it lots more. The ten year old was delighted: she joined us and reread the book when we were done.

Recommended. You got to love those cows.

Those loveable Santa Cows take their human friends on a magic carpet ride to the islands! Tropical fun to keep the holiday spirit alive. You'll love the whole Santa Cow Series!

The US Marshal Service assigns rookie Deputy Gillian Logan to protect witness Joe Morgan, whose wife and four marshals were murdered by a drug lord last year, but the killer Tsun-Chung, who was released on a technicality, faces a new trial shortly. Joe rejects her offers to keep him safe as he blames her agency for his wife's death. Gilliam ignores him while she also tries to help Joe cope with his grief and guilt that his spouse is dead while he lives and that he misses their daughter Meggie who is safely away from him.

However, his guilt rises as he finds he desires the federal agent; she reciprocates his deep feelings. While he assumes he has a biological need, she fears she is not doing her job by falling for the client she is supposed to keep safe.

The key to this fabulous romantic suspense thriller is the lead protagonists as fans will understand what motivates Gillian, whose three older brothers are marshals and so she feels born and bred to the job. The story line is action-packed from the moment that Gillian believes in SAVING JOE in spite of his anger and resentment and never decelerates until the final climax. Readers will fully enjoy the latest US Marshals' thriller.

Harriet Klausner

After months of studying, U.S. Marshal Gillian Logue finally has her first field assignment. This is the assignment that will help her prove to her overprotective father and three older brothers that she is capable enough to do something with her life besides becoming a wife and mother. Of course, the man she is sent to protect is exceedingly reclusive, and has been ever since the murder of his wife. Finally tracing him to an island he owns off the Oregon coast, which just happens to be very close to where Gillian grew up, Gillian is dropped off there with a tent and enough supplies to last her two weeks. She has to watch this man and protect him for two weeks until the trial of the drug lord who killed his wife.

Ever since his wife was murdered, Joe Morgan has lived his life on the run. In order to protect his daughter, he left her with her maternal grandparents in Los Angeles, knowing they have the money to keep her safe. Of course, if Joe hadn't gotten involved in this case to begin with, his wife never would have been murdered and he would still have his family. It's been two years now and Joe still holds himself responsible. He finally ended up here on his island off the Oregon coast with only his daughter's dog for company, which is how Joe wants it.

When Joe finds Gillian on his island, he can't believe it and is ready to run again. Constantly fighting the attraction between them, Gillian eventually begins tearing the down the walls Joe has erected.

Will Gillian be able to prove herself with this assignment? Will the two of them fight the attraction, or eventually give into it? Will Joe ever get over the loss of his wife and be reunited with his daughter? Will Gillian be able to keep Joe safe and deliver him to the trial?

SAVING JOE is a wonderful story of dealing with loss and bitterness. Laura Marie Altom has done a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life, including all the baggage they've been carrying. We have Joe dealing with the guilt of his wife's murder and trying to reconcile himself to her loss. On the other hand, we have Gillian dealing with her feelings of never being good enough to do what she wants with her life. Not only do these two individuals deal with each other's baggage, they're also surrounded by danger. This is a wonderful little story, complete with heartfelt sigh at the end and I highly recommend reading it.

My two daughters (ages 2 and 4) request this book be read--at least once a day (along with all the other "Ready-to-Read" books we bought for them). They love playing with the toy cameras they already have with each other, taking pictures of each other and us. So, they especially love this book. They love to yell out, "Cheese" with the characters as they get their pictures taken by Dora. Even Diego makes an appearance in this book.
I think this book is probably geared toward the preschool/beginning grade school set. It has big words and colorful pictures. The stories are simple and not too long.
Certain words have little "pictographs" with the word that it's for directly underneath it in smaller print. I suppose this is to help the child learn to read these certain words. Since my daughters are still pretty young (the oldest is now just learning the sounds different letters make; she already can recognize all the letters), we haven't really tried to use these little pictures in that way. Although, we've read this story so many times to them that they "read along" by reciting from memory certain parts of the story. All Dora the Explorer books are great fun for the kids because it involves them in the story much like the TV show does.
I highly recommend it.

My son loves Dora. He also is very late in verbal development. This book really helped because he had so much fun participating in the story, that he seemed to forget to be shy about speaking.

The book is set up with a combination of words and pictures so your child can 'read' along when you get to the pictures. This book only works if your child is familiar with the Dora universe though. For instance, there is a picture of Boots every time in the story you would normally read the word Boots. If the child doesn't know who Boots is, it isn't going to make any sense to them.

The book is great for the pre-reader. It shows them how to scan a page (top to bottom, left to right) to read the story and allows them to participate and help 'read' the story.

For those familiar with other Dora books, it is written in a much simpler style. (most of the other books seem to be full scripts for the tv shows and can seem terribly long sometimes).

Would recommend!

This work is a discussion on topics including religion, education, ethics, humanism and Buddhism/Christianity. Through the dialogue, SGI President Ikeda and Derbolav, professor of education and philosophy at the University of Bonn, offer a bridge between Asian and European cultures.

This book deals with a variety of contemporary problems in the form of a dialogue between Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, the world's largest Buddhist organization, and the late Josef Derbolav (1912-87), then professor emeritus of the University of Bonn and a world-renowned authority on pedagogy and Greek philosophy.

Together they explore a wide range of topics, starting with a discussion of the tension between tradition and modernization in Japan and elsewhere. They compare humanism in East and West, and Buddhism and Christianity.

Focusing on the crucial topic of education, they consider the roles of ethics and religion. They conclude their dialogue by "searching" for a new humanity that can face and conquer the daunting problems we have created in our century, especially overpopulation and destruction of the natural environment.

By selecting the word "search" for their title, the authors consciously stress the dialectic approach, whether it be that of Plato searching for the ideal, Augustine for God, or the bodhisattva of the Buddhist tradition searching for perfect enlightenment. This search for the future is to be based on substantial expertise, the strongest sense of responsibility and the highest degree of self-control.

Therefore, they state, "it is necessary to remember that attaining a new form of humanity entails an inner revolution - a radical alteration of our way of thinking - that will free us from prominent egoistic, commercial, and ideological motivations and at the same time liberate us to the deep and genuine claims of Eastern and Western cultural traditions and such of their treasures as Buddhism and Christianity."

The discussion began in May 1981 when Ikeda visited West Germany and continued in 1982 in Tokyo and then again in 1983 in Bonn. During the intervals, they sustained their dialogue through regular correspondence, clarifying and elaborating their views.

Completely awesome book for someone who wants to spend a day with nature. Gives specifics as to how to get to the particular place and the things you will encounter and enjoy on the way there. Hikes and trails are rated with difficulty levels so that you can choose them based on your skill and energy levels. We've visited a few sites already and plan to visit them all one weekend at a time. Do remember to bring the recommended plastic bag for litter with you so that we can all keep these beautiful spiritual places as healthy as they can be.

If you like the great outdoors and are going to be in the Buffalo/Niagara region this book is a must. Everyone knows where the big attractions are, this author takes you to those lesser known treasures. These are off the beaten path, quiet locations that show the true beauty of New York State and leave the commercial touch behind. The true nature lover will not miss the concession and gift stands. The only other people you may find are other nature lovers. You'll feel like a true explorer the first time you see the eternal flame burning behind the waterfall and then climb up the root ladder. But use caution! These are off the beaten path and no safety's are around. It is truely at your own risk and you need to be nature savvy.

"Censorship" is a truly ugly idea, repellant to anyone who values First Amendment rights. And yet, few would argue that in wartime is unnecessary. _Secrets of Victory: The Office of Censorship and The American Press and Radio In World War II_ (University of North Carolina) by Michael S. Sweeney tells a previously untold story. Sweeney has assembled what is surprisingly an inspiring tale on what could have been a dismal subject. The censors did their patriotic duty, and in almost every case, did it well, staying to a middle course that got the job done but was not unduly repressive.

There's a hero in this often dramatic book, a hero who helped win the war not with firepower but with persuasion, common sense, and patriotism. Byron Price was a newsman nominated by Roosevelt to be director of the Office of Censorship shortly after Pearl Harbor. Price had huge amounts of authority and responsibility, but the miracle is that Price got all that power and chose to run a voluntary system whereby the nation's journalists would become their own censors. All Americans wanted to do their part in winning the war, and journalists were no different; Price enlisted them in a cooperative effort. He issued a code of voluntary censorship, and enlisted the help from newspapers and radio stations in following it. Essentially, the code spelled out details of a rule of thumb: "Is this information I would like to have if I were the enemy?" Violations, and there were hundreds of them, got confidential letters from Price's office, detailing the mistakes and asking for more circumspection. There were few serious complaints about the self-censorship program. Sensible rules included that opinions could not be censored, nor could stories that had been publicized in other countries. Even the ACLU approved of the way the censors had done their job.

Sweeney's description of how censorship was applied is fascinating. Even descriptions of sporting events had to contain no mention of the weather, and "lost dog" ads and requests for a certain song dedication were curtailed, for they could contain coded information. There are wonderful details on censoring (or failing to censor) such things as the Manhattan Project, General Patton's slapping of combat stress victims, and the threat of incendiary balloons floated over from Japan. It goes into detail on censoring the movement of the President, who sometimes unfairly hit the road so that political dialogue would be stilled by his silence. This is a fascinating book about an aspect of the war not generally appreciated, but which turned out to be well waged at home. The admirable Price was quite eager to be put out of a job, hounding President Truman before the surrender papers were officially signed to end all censorship. He had an admirable distaste for a job he had executed in an exemplary fashion; he wrote, "It should be understood that no one who does not dislike censorship should ever be permitted to exercise censorship."

"Censorship" is a truly ugly idea, repellant to anyone who values First Amendment rights. And yet, few would argue that in wartime is unnecessary. _Secrets of Victory: The Office of Censorship and The American Press and Radio In World War II_ (University of North Carolina) by Michael S. Sweeney tells a previously untold story. Sweeney has assembled what is surprisingly an inspiring tale on what could have been a dismal subject. The censors did their patriotic duty, and in almost every case, did it well, staying to a middle course that got the job done but was not unduly repressive.

There's a hero in this often dramatic book, a hero who helped win the war not with firepower but with persuasion, common sense, and patriotism. Byron Price was a newsman nominated by Roosevelt to be director of the Office of Censorship shortly after Pearl Harbor. Price had huge amounts of authority and responsibility, but the miracle is that Price got all that power and chose to run a voluntary system whereby the nation's journalists would become their own censors. All Americans wanted to do their part in winning the war, and journalists were no different; Price enlisted them in a cooperative effort. He issued a code of voluntary censorship, and enlisted the help from newspapers and radio stations in following it. Essentially, the code spelled out details of a rule of thumb: "Is this information I would like to have if I were the enemy?" Violations, and there were hundreds of them, got confidential letters from Price's office, detailing the mistakes and asking for more circumspection. There were few serious complaints about the self-censorship program. Sensible rules included that opinions could not be censored, nor could stories that had been publicized in other countries. Even the ACLU approved of the way the censors had done their job.

Sweeney's description of how censorship was applied is fascinating. Even descriptions of sporting events had to contain no mention of the weather, and "lost dog" ads and requests for a certain song dedication were curtailed, for they could contain coded information. There are wonderful details on censoring (or failing to censor) such things as the Manhattan Project, General Patton's slapping of combat stress victims, and the threat of incendiary balloons floated over from Japan. It goes into detail on censoring the movement of the President, who sometimes unfairly hit the road so that political dialogue would be stilled by his silence. This is a fascinating book about an aspect of the war not generally appreciated, but which turned out to be well waged at home. The admirable Price was quite eager to be put out of a job, hounding President Truman before the surrender papers were officially signed to end all censorship. He had an admirable distaste for a job he had executed in an exemplary fashion; he wrote, "It should be understood that no one who does not dislike censorship should ever be permitted to exercise censorship."

Raphael says often: "It's very demanding and at the same time very easy." This also applies to this book. It explains the metaphysics of Vedanta, comments on traditional (Sanskrit-)terms: "The Drgdrsyaviveka (Drg = Spectator-observer; drsya = spectacle [the visible; the object of vision or knowledge]; viveka= discernment) is a rational discerning method for distinguishing between the Spectator [the seer; he who sees] and the spectacle (Self and non-self)." (p. 13)
For me personally it was not continuously easy to follow the text, to 'digest' the condensed knowledge.
It might be best to start with the last chapter 'Bibliographical Appendix', as there you find valuable hints about purpose und goal of the book as well as to HOW to read it:
"The only aim ... is to present the Advaita vision to those who are ready 'to spread their wings'. Those who are ready for this experience do not need elaborate or intricate reasonings or erudite treatises. The attentive disciple needs only a 'vision' to meditate upon and contemplate. ... Union and Identity with THAT can not occur upon rational basis or through intellectual knowledge. ... One must grasp the essence of a sutra in order to meditate upon it and then embody it. After which the sutra ... or the text may be thrown away because they have served their purpose as a stepping-stone."
While reading the book, on the one hand my mind has complained at times: "Uff, this material is really dry." But, on the other hand, when I then (nevertheless!) continued to read on, suddenly (just a few pages further on) it was as if a "wide space" opened up. With an "Aha!" of cognition a section (or sometimes just one sentence) appeared, that absorbed me totally. Here Raphael's hints provide a useful and very concrete(!) support for the practical transfer into life. And in the end - despite some lean times during the reading - I found myself really glad and grateful for having read this book. Important coherences have become clear. Thank you, Raphael!

I've been researching Advaita Vedanta for approximately 5 years now and this book is a well constructed exposition on the nature of maya and Being, it points out the relationship between subject/object and their transcendence, and discusses the 4 states of being explicated by the religio-philosophical system of Advaita Vedanta. Raphael makes an interesting analogy between the philosophies of plotinus and paramenades, demonstrating their similarities with Advaita Vedanta. Overall this was an extremely helpful book reguarding the nature of non-duality and how one may go about distinguishing between the being attributed to maya, the jiva, the apparent self of phenomenality....and Being, the absolute, the noumenal, our wholesome and inviolable Self.