Miniature Books

A little repetitive...

No point in worrying... enjoy life at the moment... can't control birth or death so lets get drunk and make love


But pretty.

I'm new to the Ruba'iyat of Omar Khayyam, but I must say I throughly enjoyed this translation. It's great for reading alone, reading aloud and discussing with good philosophically-minded friends.

To sum up the feelings of this book, I shall use some quotations from other media I enjoy. Here we go:

"Seize the Day" (Dead Poet's Society)
"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you shall die" (The Bible)
"From dust you are, and dust you shall return" (Genesis, The Bible)

That's pretty much the gist of the poem, written in a style that evokes the Bible book of Ecclesiastes, which is not surprising. They are both written by old, disenchanted men nearing the end of their lives. The only difference is one is a disenchanted Jewish King (Solomon of Ecclesiastes) and the other (Omar Khayyam) is a disenchanted Moslem thinker and astronomer. It's very interesting to note the parallels.

I'd recommend this book and this very literal translation to those who are questioning the meaning of life. It's worth every penny...

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is almost certainly the most widely known work by an Islamic writer. It is the only non-western piece of literature that I was required to read when in high school and I recently re-read this version. Like most historical pieces, it is difficult to understand without additional knowledge of the historical context. Khayyam was a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer, which means he was as educated as the times allowed. The Rubaiyat was written in about 1120 C. E. and is in the form of quatrains or four-line rhymes.
As a poem, the flow is smooth and the imagery deals with the lot of what human life is. The fourteenth quatrain is:

Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust descend;
Dust into Dust, and under Dust to lie
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and--sans End!

with clear imagery regarding death, which is a consistent theme throughout. Other quatrains deal with how we cope with life, and how we deal with the difficult questions of our existence. Quatrain 74 is

Yesterday This Day's Madness did prepare;
To-morrow's Silence, Triumph, or Despair:
Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why:
Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where.

describing how little we know about the consequences of our journey through life.

The deep imagery of the poems requires that you read it slowly and several times. Like the best of poems, the passages are often open to multiple interpretations, which increases the level of interest. I hope that the high schools in my area still require the eleventh grade English classes to read this poem, understanding it is truly within the purview of multicultural studies.

I collect this work in different formats. This particular book is very good. I recommend everyone reading the Rubaiyat at least once in their lifetime. It is an excellent poetic examination of Man's purpose and Man's relation with God. One can appreciate the Rubaiyat only for its beautiful poetic images or explore it over and over for its deeper philosophical nuances. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is ever a delight no matter how you prefer it.

There are so many editions of Fitzgerald's Rubaiyat translations that have been published, with many being limited editions. Several of these rose to highly collectible status, especially those with tipped-in color plates by Dulac, Pogany or Arthur Szyk. These necessarily set them apart from other more textual editions.

This review has specifically to do with the Illustrated Editions Company 1938 printing. Physically, at 11 1/2" x 8" it is rather long and wide, almost completely black, except for a red illustration of a mosque on the cover, and thin.

I give 4 Stars only because it is not the first Fitzgerald edition, but a 20th century reprint. Beyond that, this is the most excellent of editions. The Illustrated Editions Company version has the first and last Fitzgerald translations.

This book is powerful and sacred. Reading it will invoke a shamanic experience-- you will be there, as Omar uses the wine metaphor to teach the value and ephemeral substance of life. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is essential metaphysics. The note and comment that open this edition are key to understanding why the Illustrated Editions Company is above all the rest, even other collector editions, of which I own several. It is the care and quality of the edition that sets it apart, certainly not anything distinguished about its content. This is my favorite edition of all. The tipped in color plates by Hamzeh Abd-ullah Kar are authentic Persian fantasy, and reading each carefully printed verse on the heavy, slightly glossy parchment is a religious experience. There is something qualitatively different about reading the Illustrated Editions Company version.

I can't find much else about this copy on the net, but there is one site that shows a copy remarkably similar to the one which I am using to base this review. I see no evidence that the title letters were ever gilt, although whenever the book goes up for auction the owners usually say the gilt is worn from the letters. This can't be true of all these copies, especially for a printing as late as '38, so I'm inclined to believe there never was any gilt lettering. I have seen other far less well preserved editions from earlier periods that have almost fully retained their gilt. The gems are between the boards, in this case.

The comment by Edward Heron-Allen is itself a collectible piece of literature, though he wrote only one paragraph. Truly an edition which can only be enjoyed by the reverential Rubaiyat enthusiast.

A nice little book filled with overworked and obvious little sayings. Enlightenment for 10 year olds.

This has become pretty much one of my favorite books. Open Your Mind, Open Your Life contains clearly written thoughts that are simple yet immediately strike a deep chord. The statements are common sense yet inspiring and profound, beginning with the very first sentence. The thoughts are encouraging and helped me to realize I don't have control over certain things and to let got of them.

I liked it so much that I have recommended it to about five of my friends and they in turn have recommended it to others and given the book as a gift. Because this mini version was so wonderful I also recently bought the larger version, which I have yet to read.

This book is a wonderful collection of ideas and thoughts which can guide one on life's journey. It seems to gently remove the word "enigma" from life as it profoundly teaches with simplicity and depth.

Each thought is incredibly powerful mainly because this collection touches and challenges not only one's mind, but it also reaches the heart and the spirit.

It seems that westerners have difficulty in knowing how to live life, and the eastern philosophers just have the innate ability to do so. We are too focused on analysis and we are not very action oriented, while they offer the path and emphasize the action. Knowledge without action is really useless.

If you want to recapture the magical warmth and joy of discovery, and smile as you ponder these words of wisdom, buy this book. It's inspiring, and well worth it's small price!

"Genuine happiness, or enlightenment, is already within us; we have only to reveal it. As spring water rushes through open earth, so happiness flows through open lives." - Taro Gold

In just a few words of a good quote, you see the big picture or universal truth. This is a collection of Eastern Wisdom and contains quotes by Buddhist and Eastern thinkers such as Nichiren, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Taro Gold sees these quotes as "guideposts." He believes in having an open mind and in illuminating your life's path with wisdom from great thinkers.

Taro also includes:

The Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds
Short Allegories
Short Biographical paragraphs of Historical Figures quoted in this book
Longer passages for reflection
Common Sense Quotes
Universal Truths
Eastern Wisdom

An Iris represents Faith, Hope, Wisdom and Valor. Not only is the cover beautiful and filled with this flower, the entire books is beautifully illustrated in an ornate fashion. Almost every page has a beautiful border and then the quotes are in black ink and easy to read on cream-colored paper.

I've been contemplating the reality of how we become what we think. Lately I've been watching how my own thoughts change my behavior.

Taro Gold has included a wonderful quote from Mahatma Gandhi about this:

"Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive, because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny."

This beautiful book will have me contemplating "thoughts" for a long time! An enjoyable collection of quotes to reflect on in moments when you want to think more deeply about life and your own journey to lasting happiness.

A book you will love adding to your collection.

This is by far the best little book of wisdom I've ever found. Packed with hundreds of uplifting thoughts and advice, I keep copies of it around to give away as well as to read from every day.

We received this as a present for our daughter, and our first thought was "How adorable!" The box set is very cute, and the brown fur covered book is certainly attractive to a child's curious little fingers, but that is where it ends for us.

Our daughter enjoys petting and pulling the fur, but the story and illustrations do not hold her attention. Even the sounds (kerchoo, thump, kerplunk, ssip, etc.) didn't catch her attention as they usually do. The illustrations are softer than most children's books and are not eye catching.

Plus, my husband and I found the story to be a bit weird. The "fur child," "fur world," "fur mother," "fur grandson" and other "fur" references were a little much. The fact that this "Fur Family" wears fur coats was also a tad unsettling.

Does this mean the book isn't worth buying? For us it's not worth it since my daughter doesn't enjoy it and neither do we, but I'm sure others would appreciate the classic.

THe same child-centric text that entranced my daughter 30 years ago, and other people's daughters 30 years before that, and the same fur-covered binding that appealed to them, but in a format 3 to 4 times the size. Easier for grown-ups to hold, not so much fun for children. But compared with the reprinted original version, the color in the illustrations is a real disappointment (dark and dreary, reminded me of rotting vegetables).

This is the first book that any parent should buy for their child. It is more fun than any other book for the child, parent, grandparent or great grandparent.

This is a real cute story. Its just long enough to keep my two year olds interest before bed so that's a definite plus. Thanks.

We received this book as a gift when my oldest was a baby. It is an amazing little, quirky kind of book - and the song at the end I made up our own little tune too. Even my older children gather around when I read it to the youngest. It is very sweet, simple and beautiful. Great for very young children 0-5.

This book is highly Recommended! Very Inspiring!

It reveals to the reader the treasure that is within, if you would but search a little deeper instead of looking else where or to others. It causes you to really think and tap into the hidden gifts and potential that is on the inside of oneself. 5 KUDOS!!!

Lanesa Stubbs

Timeless wisdom. Proves once again the principles of success do not need to be re-invented. Everything needed to be successful in life has already been written, and is available to all of us! Excellent

First given as a lecture at the beginning of the 1900's, the inspirational thoughts contained in "Acres of Diamonds" are still as relevant today as ever.




Consider how the following passage plays into today's headlines, "I hear sometimes of men that get millions of dollars dishonestly.





But, they are so rare a thing, in fact, that the newspapers talk about them all the time as a matter of news until you get the idea that all the other rich men got rich dishonestly." The Reverend Conwell of the Baptist Temple Church in Philadelphia was so successful in attracting people to his "Acres of Diamonds" lectures that he made enough money to found Temple University.





How Religion and Capitalism work together and how money could be made right in one's backyard if a person knew of a need and did something to meet that need were the tenets of Conwell's lectures. Conwell's inspirational examples of success are worth a look.





Spend a lunch hour, a commute in or back from work or another quiet break in the day to read Conwell's stories of those who missed finding diamonds and gold in their own backyards because they were too busy focusing on finding their fortune in faraway lands. Since the book is under 100 pages, even if you don't find your eyes have been opened a little wider, at least you haven't wasted much time giving the stories a try.

At 64 pages from cover-to-cover, "Acres of Diamonds" is probably the shortest book I've read in a long time. Written by Baptist minister and founder of Temple University, Russell H. Conwell, this book originated as one of his sermons, which was so popular that it was published as a book.

"Acres of Diamonds" is based on a parable told to Conwell by an Arab guide during a trip to the Middle East. The parable tells the story of a man who sells his farm to search the world for diamonds. The man dies in poverty and wretchedness far from his home, not knowing that his farm sat on the richest diamond mine in the world.

It is easy to think that great things are only accomplished by other people in faraway places. Conwell argues that we can all accomplish great things wherever we are. He gives many examples of regular people who accomplished great things. After all, he says, even a great man like Abraham Lincoln was just "Abe" to his neighbors.

I believe this book was first published in the early 1900s, so the writing style is kind of old-fashioned and Conwell refers to people and products that were prominent during his time, but have less meaning to people today. There are no chapters or other structure to the book (of course it's only 64 pages long).

Despite these minor complaints, the book has a great message. You can accomplish great things where you are right now. You don't have to move to New York, Los Angeles, or Paris. Whether you're in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Portland or Shreveport, there are "acres of diamonds" below your feet.

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Michael Mihalik is the author of Debt is Slavery: and 9 Other Things I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me About Money. Learn how to gain control of your finances, pay off your debt, and create financial security!

Poor copy of a great text. Author's name is misspelled on the cover. How could that happen? Text looks like a computer copy with spacing problems. Choose a different edition or publisher.

we have very few babar books. he died so young, and his family cannot cut it. the later books are so bad that they're offensive. but this is the first and it works. the only sad thing about it is that babar was not brunhoff's brain child but his wife's and she has never gotten credit for it. she created the elephant as bedtime material for their children. he retold them well, and illustrated them as his children cannot but she should have been co-author at the very least! our kids love this book and the characters and if adults poke holes they can keep quiet. remember, this was told in another day and age and must be read accordingly.

My 3 1/2 year old son loves this book. It's quite a long story and takes about 10 to 15 minutes. I actually never "read" the story to him, I tell the story in my own words, also because at one point, the mother of Barbar is shot my hunters. I tell my son, that Barbar's mother tripped and Barbar took the opportunity to run away. The rest of the book is marvellous and seems to touch children's longings and imagination, which I as a grownup can not always understand, but seeing how much my son enjoys the story is all I need to know. For some time now my son wants me to tell him the story every evening before going to bed.
The drawings are easy to understand, which makes this book even more precious to young children.

I am in the process of reading Babar to my fourth grandchild, and she loves it! I grew up with the magical story and timeless pictures, as did my kids. My 19-month old granddaughter likes to sit on my lap for what she calls "Bar-Bar." The pages of Babar going for a drive and the wedding party with all the animals are great to play "Where's the....?"

Uh, classic or not, I don't care for this book. It's yet another kill the mom book -just lioke all the disney stuff starts out. I don't think this is a good choice for today's wee ones. This is NOT what I'd choose to read at bedtime with my kids at all.

I had this Babar book as a child and could not resist buying it for my daughter, and I am so happy that I did. This book is so incredible, the pictures and colors so vibrant and the text so incredibly addictive, that your child wil carry it with her forever. I know I have. I was stunned by how much of the dialogue and how many of the pictures I remembered. This book is a reasure that you and your children will share for years to come. Some people my comment about some of the themes, but as a child they went over my head, and as an adult, I recognized how tastefully done they are. Highest possible recommendation

Very detailed and accurate (save for estimated items' worth).

But, the pictures, especially the ones of the vehicles, are dull. Colors, angles and light are just enough to see what's depicted, never delightful.

Looking forward to a new edition with better photos!

My husband has collected GI Joe guys since he was a kid. He bought this book after a GI Joe collector website recommended it and when he's not poring over it, he's raving about it. It's a great book for collectors old and new and features A LOT of detailed images and good information. A must-have for any GI Joe collector.

As an avid childhood collector of GI Joe 3 3/4 figures and vehicles, I can certainly say that this guide seems extremely accurate. Although most of my collection sadly did not survive my childhood, this book certainly brings back some memories. It also helps to appraise some the pieces that did survive. I'm only depressed now that I didn't take better care of my original collection as it would have been worth a lot. As a GI Joe geek, it was interesting to see Larry Hama's (the original author of the Joe's Filecards) comments and thoughts on the characters. As a kid, I can certainly say I never gave the ideas behind the characters much thought. I also didn't understand half the things written on the filecards as they had more military jargon than a Tom Clancy novel. It does contain numerous references to the GI Joe cartoons and comics to help illustrate complete character biographies - which is interesting only if you were (or are) well-versed in the comics, the cartoons, and the toys. Overall, this is a great resource for serious collectors and devoted GI Joe disciples, but it's probably a bit too technical for casual fans.

My husband and I enjoyed this guide and found it very useful for our collection. Great pictures with accessories. Just seemed very complete for the collector. Well done in my opinion and would recommend.

For those of us that collect this is an excellent reference guide. It details weapons, vehicles and just about anything you can think of. The only thing I was expecting was to have pictures of the figures/vehicles..carded. And thats one thing that would have made this book perfect, that aside its a great book and I am glad I picked it up. The pictures included are crisp, clear and the information on them is detailed. Enjoy...

If you're new to dogs or isn't quite familiar with basic dog psychology, dog habits, dog health etc, then this book's for you.

It's a nice reference guide to the basics. It even shows you how to train your dog with basic commands for sit, stay, come and more--for a really good training DVD though, I'd recommend Train Your Dog - The Positive Gentle Method because sometimes, it's just better to see it in action than just read how it's done.

I recently re-read this book after 6 years (and getting a second dog) and I can honestly say it's a good book for covering all the basics of getting and owning a dog. I recommend it as a staple item for your dog-book library second only to the Dog Bible by Tracie Hotchner.

I never owned a dog,we currently have 2 cats; so when my son(9) started to ask for a dog, I wanted to do my homework before taking that leap. This book is excellent. Our whole family read it and it is easy and fun to read, but full of essential information. Everything from choosing the right breed, to more of the detailed physical care every puppy/dog needs. It also gives you a fair picture what commitment is needed to be a responsible dog-owner.
We particularly liked the authors commitment to older dogs and shelter dogs, that's the way we will go. I'm sure we will use the book once we have a dog, there are chapters on health care and training as well as feeding - your dog should be a healthy and happy dog if you head this advice. Suggestion: add a breed specific book if you decided on a pure breed to get the finer details.

Clearly written, good information and good overview of info new dog owners will need. However,could use more detail in several sections such as obedience or manners training.

This book, along with "Dog Training" for Dummies, should be manditory reading for most dog owners, who have little solid education or experience in dog behavior and training. I am a senior volunteer & trainer at a major metro shelter. I specialize in working with Behavioral Evalution dogs. I interact with hundreds of different problem dogs a year and the core information in these two books have helped me immensely. The reason dogs are "bad dogs" is becuase they have untrained and unskilled lazy owners who let them get away with way too much and don't re-inforce pack order via regular basic obiedance training. This series, combined with the Dog Wisperer videos, should literally be government mandated reading/watching for dog owners. If you want to get your dog(s) under control, or keep your new dog on the right path, these books are a must and easy read. Hope this helps!

This little book, and it is little, gives all the basics on bringing up kitty. If you never knew anything about cats, this will help you. If you know something about them, but are looking for a particular sub heading, buy another book. This one doesn't give specifics, only basics.

This book is actually for both advanced and beginners. New ideas and has pictures to illustrate those ideas. Would recommend.

I've gone from zero knowledge about cats to a wealth of information in a matter of hours. It's given me the confidence to be a first time cat owner soon. Highly recommended.

This is a valuable source of information for first time cat owners as well as long time lovers of the furry ones! We knew practically nothing about caring for kitties and now feel that we are enlightened and well informed.

Item was in good condition with a crease in the cover that was not noted in its description. Otherwise, the book was great.

I bought this for my 5 year old son because I had the original book as a child. The book has been updated and it's absolutely wonderful. The songs are still the original songs which are fun to hear again and to teach to my son. He loves them. The book is full of perfectly written to help your kids learn and understand things about life.

I first bought the VHS, Free To Be You and Me for my daughter and my school in 1979. It was loved by everyone and very ahead of its time. Kids and parents alike loved it and it was shown frequently for the next 25 years. I recently purchased the book for my granddaughter after seeing Marlo Thomas on TV saying it was re-released. However, I also bought the DVD separately as the book is cute BUT the DVD makes it all work. We had a wonderful time sharing and my 6-year-old granddaughter memorized the entire DVD word-for-word and reads and sings the book better than I do. It was a wonderful bonding experience and she is now sharing it with her entire first grade class. What a find!!!! J Lang

The book comes with a CD of songs...the updated illustrations are terrific, the book is fun, and brings back many memories of my children's childhood. I am looking forward to sharing these with my grandkids...
The music is delightful, and energetic but buyer beware, there are only four songs on the CD the rest is empty!!!!! Too bad that there are no more songs, new or old songs or poetry, some supplements to fill the disk, I feel a bit cheated...

I gave this book five stars because it is beautifully illustrated and a wonderful new edition of this old classic. It does include a CD, and my one complaint is that the CD only has four songs on it. I'm glad I still have my older version on CD!

I purchased Free to Be You and Me for my grandchildren for Christmas. The new edition of the book looks very good. In the write-up it indicated that there was a CD included. I, of course, thought that it was the CD with all the songs that are in the book. It was one of the reasons that I was buying it. That was a wrong assumption.

The CD that comes with the book has only four songs and I was very disappointed when it arrived. I had to find and buy the CD with all of the songs. I wrote to Amazon and told them that I thought that this was deceptive in the description and asked that they let buyers know that the CD that is included is not the original soundtrack. Just be aware that you will need to buy another CD if you want all of the songs that go with the book.

Summary: A poor, barefoot, little girl is sent out on New Year's Eve to sell matches. As the cold and hungry girl awaits a sell, she lights the matches to keep warm. With the matches lit, illusions occur. As with all illusions, the light goes out on them and the little girl is faced with a grim reality.
The classic author depicts a memorable theme. The setting the author uses is intricately depicted giving the reader an almost live impression of the book's reality. As the character leaves reality and passes into fantasy, the author further impresses the setting with careful detail. The time of "New Year" stabs at the reader's soul with their own memories of Christmas.
The movie is equally wonderful.~The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (The Red Shoes / The Little Match Girl)

Book was sent in great condition and in a timely manner. I would use the service again.

I first saw this story as a cartoon on tv. It made me cry a lot. It's a very sad story. However, it has a very powerful messages in terms of love, care, poverty, cruelty and dreams. I gave an assignment to my ELD students in high school and some students even told me how touchy the story was. I love the pictures in this book. It's really creative. Overall it's a great, sad story for all ages.

I want to agree with another reviewer that the meaning of the book for me was to look within for our own rich resources. That we can transform our own world if we transform our minds. The young girl used her imagination to picture herself out of the situation until it happened. Law of Attraction? Maybe from today's perspective. I just took it to mean that in this time in my life I have to go within to transform my own situation. God knows, I tried everything else :)

I was read the Spanish version "La Pequena Vendedora de Fosforos."

This is one of my favorite stories to hear at Christmas-time. It really reminds you to be thankful of all that you have. My grandmother read this story to all of her grandchildren every year on Christmas Day. This story holds fond memories for me. Since she is no longer here to read the story to us, and now all of the grandchildren are adults, I wanted to have a copy of the story so that when I have children one day, I can read it to them. I want to carry on the tradition.