583292d3-8072-4367-8ffe-1bfa674301c7TrueNewShip19PAmazonLargeBooksreviewrank68110568111003018326Xhttp://www.amazon.com/Book-Est-Luke-Rhinehart/dp/003018326X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D003018326X842672http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lqii4tXVL._SL75_.jpg5775http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lqii4tXVL._SL160_.jpg122160http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lqii4tXVL.jpg380500Luke RhinehartPaperback1589780030183263003018326XHenry Holt & Co (P)EnglishEnglishEnglish695USD$6.95Henry Holt & Co (P)271Book1976-10Henry Holt & Co (P)Henry Holt & Co (P)7498USD$74.9822499USD$224.990920005.0164003018326X5012008-04-27

Great Behind the Scenes Look into EST.

While reading this book, it occured to me that I could have been sitting in the course - that's how verbatim the majority of the book was written. I certainly walked away with the concepts of EST but without the experience of people who have actually taken this course. For anyone who has taken The Landmark Forum (EST's predecessor), this is a great book to remind you of some of the exercises and concepts covered in that course.003018326X5362007-08-06

Interesting...I read it as a critique of est...

...and was actually convinced never to go near est or any of its incarnations. I like to think I'd be one of the few who in the first session, upon being offered their money back, would go to the back of the room and claim it on my way out. I give this book five stars, but for the opposite reason that many reviewers did.003018326X5892006-06-30

The book provided me even more breakthroughs then Landmark alone!!

I have taken the Forum and have had many additional breakthroughs from reading this book. This book is much more focused on opening up to your experiences the the Forum was. This re-creation of an EST event is more harsh then the Forum with the leader addressing people as A-Hole directly. I had a racket (Est/Landmark jargan) about this at first but then I got the distinction made in the book. An A-Hole is someone who thinks he/she is not a machine (more Est/Forum jargan) and resists in the name of their so called freedom. They do not take responsibility for their experience and this keeps them small. A non-A-Hole is someone who gets they are a machine, accepts it, rolls with it, observs it, and is free as a result. When the arguments between participants and the leader were recreated I felt like I was back in my forum all over again. One of the most powerful breakthroughs for me when reading this book was that I stop resisting and I Take What I Get and I Don't Take What I Don't Get. I was no longer resisting. Resisting what you may ask? Feelings, stories, experiences, being present to others, etc... By not resisting and taking what I get, I feel so much lighter. This is such an important concept as for one, what you resist will persist and number two, if you experience something to its fullest, it will disapear and that is a very freeing feeling. Concepts from the Landmark Advanced course are also covered yet with a different spin, such as the Ultimate test for knowing what is Real. The Forum states that Physicallness is the ultimate test for reality yet the focus in this EST book is that experience is really what reality is. It is all how you experience it. One quick example from the book is if you are hit by a bus and you don't know its a bus because your eyes were closed, AND (big "and" here) you experience it as being run over by GOD, then to you it was "really" GOD that hit you. You created your experience and it was real for you. Incedentally, since you create your own experience and are responsible for creating all of your experiences, this makes you a God as well. The paradox that is pointed out in this book is that not only are you a God but you are also a machine as you are not in controll of your thoughts all of the time. Simply close your eyes and try to think of nothing for over 3 minutes and you will probably find this imposible. No matter how much you will it, want it, try for it, controll it, thoughts will still pop up and so you are not in controll. What you are left with is the power to Choose freely. Often, I have found myself having to put this book down so I can apply what I have read to my life or just observe the distinctions created happening out in my life. It is definitly a different flavor of the Forum so if you have taken the Forum and want to get a wider scope of freeing and enlightening perspectives, this book is well worth the price.003018326X5572005-10-22

Break through, insights, and transformational experiences

The Book of est is like attending the Landmark forum. I found it to be a great reminder of what I got out of the course I attend in 1999. I got something different reading this book than attending the forum. It really can be stated from my experience that it is an opening, a clear slate, an observing viewpoint to experience and see events unfold and not be the at the controlling force of people or events. <br /> <br />You can review many of the topics of how you create your own experience of life, how to discover what is behind some issues that you struggle with and how to get beyond those issues or transform your approach to issues in your daily experience. You will still struggle with things in your life. This book does not fix you, you are not broken. <br /> <br />This is a must read for anyone that finds themselves stuck and is looking for a new point of view and breaking through self-imposed barriers. <br /> <br />Some people have problems with Landmark. I myself do not like the experience of the marketing but as they say "take what you get" what I got from the training I would have paid for it again.003018326X510162005-05-13

One of the Most Valuable Books

This book is the real deal. It's more hardcore than the Landmark Forum, but it does contain many of the distinctions that are at the core of what makes the Landmark Forum so effective. I am dismayed, however, by those reviews that use the context of a book review to opine on something they have no clue about. Landmark Education is a for-profit business; yes, it has programs to sell; no, it doesn't hide that fact. I can tell you that Landmark Education operates with the highest integrity. Yes, its representatives believe that its programs are the best. Many business professionals believe totally in what they sell. As for the guy who said that est and Werner ruined his life and his life, I say "BS." He ruined his own life, if he could only take some responsibility for his participation. As I wrote in a similar review, read the reviews and then make up your own mind.19345684490517535025B0013LRKQ2014200110403851312241000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books3A743702GTEWLBooks for Pro-Actively Making One's Life Great!38GAL0RZHFHW4My favourite 200 books : 26 to 500380702614http://www.amazon.com/Callanetics-10-Years-Younger-Hours/dp/0380702614%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0380702614352737Callan PinckneySallie BatsonPaperback646.759780380702619600380702614Avon Books (P)EnglishEnglishEnglish10001250USD$12.50Avon Books (P)1Book1987-04Avon Books (P)Avon Books (P)1058001898USD$18.981USD$0.011250USD$12.5086250005.016403807026145552007-12-27

Worth the trouble

One thing the other reviews don't quite emphasize enough- these exercises are just plain ol' unpleasant to do. It is not fun to sit in a lunge with one leg held out to the side and slowly move it up and down a few inches 50-100 times. The only justification for this torture is that it works. I don't have any interest in exercise per se, just in being strong and looking as good as possible. (And not limping around like Quasimodo the first three hours of the day) I have been doing these exercises for three months. I have lost 5 pounds, and look like I have lost 20. I do 50 repetitions rather than 100 and do it 4-5 times a week, as it is less boring for me to do less more often. It helps to memorize the sets and then review the book or video every once in a while to make sure one is doing it correctly and not dropping any of the exercises. Read the instructions carefully initially so you don't hurt yourself doing it wrong.03807026145442007-10-09

I love callanetics!!!!!!

I bought the DVD's 10 years younger and super callanetics here on Amazon. I am not ready for super callanetics (although I have heard it works amazingly). I am on my 3rd hour of Callanetics. My stomache is already flatter. I look better, I feel better. I also run and/or hike and bike a few days a week for added cardio. I got the book because of my job, I travel a lot and do not always have access to a DVD player. I am trying to download the DVD onto my Ipod video, but am having difficulties (I blame Apple, not the makers of the DVD). This book is great! I love all the before and after photos and written instructions. I already have a good idea of the exercises from the DVD so the book is nice when I don't have a DVD player handy. I HIGHLY recommend this exercise program. I feel great and energized after (and my sex drive is improved! nice little added benefit :) I recently started doing some yoga shoulderstands and some old school yoga/breathing stomache exercises to supplement this as well. I have been unhappy with my cellulite and stomache for years..... I think I may have found the answer. Be warned, It is hard! I can't finish all the exercises, but, all in due time....03807026145222007-09-26

The BEST!

Still the best excercise plan for women over 50 that has ever been written! Re-marketed (?) on late night TV under a new name 'Fluidity', the concept and execution of these exercises is timeless. Opening the package was like saying 'Hello!' again to an old friend.03807026145442006-11-25

Indeed, still the best!

A few months ago I was clearing up my attic and found the old book. I love fitness, and have done it for ages, but my arms and legs invariably DO bulk, whatever the experts say and whatever method I use! Must be genetics, I have very strong musculature. <br />I always ended up a lot fitter, but not fitting my dresses and blouses anymore... So I started Callanetics again, and the results are great! Also, I'm no longer bored with the exercises, as I was long ago! <br />Is Callan P. still active, do any of you know that?? I'd love a new DVD! <br /> <br />0380702614511112006-08-28

The Best!

I've done Callanetics off and on for years. Of course, like most people, I get sidetracked and stop exercising for whatever reason, but I always come back to Callanetics because it WORKS! No, you won't lose massive amounts of weight, but if you are relatively normal weight for you, and you just need to tone up and get everything back where nature originally put it, this is the one for you. I would advise a cardio session a couple of times a week to compliment this program. If you are still skeptical, I would simply invest in the book and look at the pic of the hourly transormation of the one woman throughout her 19 classes. It is simply amazing. then if you aren't convinced, resell the book here or on ebay.The astonishing deep-muscle exercise technique that offers results in hours, and which was a 540,000-copy bestseller in hardcover, is now in paperback.B00064K0RI6300185486B00064K0SC0399522638B000VSDR1UB00006G9LZB0007Y6BS4B0007NOY3E4622Weight Maintenance4615Diets4613Diets & Weight Loss10Health, Mind & Body1000Subjects283155Books4647General4645Exercise & Fitness10Health, Mind & Body1000Subjects283155Books4708General4705Massage4696Alternative Medicine10Health, Mind & Body1000Subjects283155Books298657General10Health, Mind & Body1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books0763631205http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Charles-Dickens/dp/0763631205%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D076363120521470http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21F712JZH7L._SL75_.jpg7554http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21F712JZH7L._SL160_.jpg160116http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21F712JZH7L.jpg180130Charles DickensHardcoverP.J. Lynch97807636312081000763631205CandlewickEnglishEnglishEnglish9101999USD$19.99Candlewick1160Book2006-09-12CandlewickAges 9-122006-09-12Candlewick170770959USD$9.59919USD$9.193100USD$31.0029201011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewZC6CxH%2BmL90kMxh61p5FAcCNzRe9B3t5coJm9VC1WAO1vy8S8N1DYiHEbwZ1cCMJ%2Fv%2Fp7kUD5B%2BdqzLuaL0w7jVupAGS6Cp31163USD$11.63Usually ships in 24 hours5.016407636312055002008-01-07

One of the pillars of the Christmas season

A Christmas Carol <br /> <br />It was my goal this December to read to my children, ages seven, nine and 14, the Christmas Carol story by Dickens so that they would know the original before seeing the movie. I also thought this would be an accessible way for them to get oriented to English literature and prepare them for further reading. <br /> <br />The requirements of the Christmas Carol book to be purchased were that a) it be new as opposed to a ragged used copy, b) it be unabridged, c) it have good drawings; and d) if possible it be inexpensive. I first looked in the library, but their book was checked out, and anyway I was looking to start a family tradition of reading the story every year with our own copy if possible. The Candlewick Press edition with illustrations by P.J. Lynch appeared to fill the bill; I bought it; and it delivered the goods. The book is nice and readable-sized, the illustrations good, the type pleasing. Thirteen bucks. I was immensely satisfied with the purchase. <br /> <br />As to the fate of the reading, we handled one chapter per evening, there being five chapters; each took an hour or so to read. I found Dickens to be sometimes heavy going for the younger TV and video-generation kids to get a sense of what is going on. I did not recollect Dickens to be so when I read some of his works as a younger person, but apparently it's something you have to be exposed to and get to understand. Anyway I was happy to provide my children with the chance to get started. It gave me a measure of the gap between the reading preparation of today's youth versus my pre-Cambrian elementary and middle school days. On Christmas Day I showed them the George C. Scott version of the movie, and they all liked it. But all knew the basics from the book, which was my goal, even if the mid-1800s prose obscured many of the action points to the younger ones in their Sponge Bob and Hannah Montana mindsets. <br /> <br />So the effort was a success, and this edition of the book did what I had hoped by delivering up an excellent presentation at a very low cost. <br /> <br />Dan of Arlington <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />07636312055002008-01-02

Excellent quality book

If you are looking to purchase a copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, then I believe that this would be a excellent choice for you. The book is very well bound and of excellent quality. The illustrations are wonderful and very well detailed. The pages are slightly thicker than normal so you are probably less likely to tear them. If you purchase this book, you will not be disappointed.07636312055012007-12-24

Revisiting a Classic Christmas Story

I purchased this book as a gift for myself so that I could enjoy this timeless Christmas tale over the holidays. This edition of A Christmas Carol was a wonderful purchase. The illustrations added to the enjoyment of the story and allowed me to visit another time and place while relaxing with this holiday classic. <br /> <br />I would highly recommend this book to young and old alike.07636312055012007-12-22

Gorgeous illustrations!

I think we have yet to experience the definitive film version of "A Christmas Carol", but we now have the definitive book version! Masterful illustrations complement the unedited text. Oh, and EVERYONE who purchases this book, PLEASE take off the dust cover and let this one age without it! WONDERFUL cover, perfect!07636312055012007-12-13

Beautiful addition to any family library

This book is beautiful! The pictures are amazing and held my children (6 and 4) captive while I read to them. I would recommend reading this story every year at Christmastime as a family.<b>The celebrated P.J. Lynch captures the spirit of Dickens's beloved tale in a richly illustrated unabridged edition.</b><br><br>The story of Ebenezer Scrooge opens on a Christmas Eve as cold as Scrooge's own heart. That night, he receives three ghostly visitors: the terrifying spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Each takes him on a heart-stopping journey, yielding glimpses of Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit, the horrifying spectres of Want and Ignorance, even Scrooge's painfully hopeful younger self. Will Scrooge's heart be opened? Can he reverse the miserable future he is forced to see? Now in an unabridged edition gloriously illustrated by the award-winning P.J. Lynch, this story's message of love and goodwill, mercy and self-redemption resonates as keenly as ever.0762410698140008603503930515870780623746B000SR0DDE45Bargain Books2452Arts & Photography13819741Audiobooks2458Biography2459Business & Investing537584Calendars2460Children2475Computers & Internet2476Cooking, Food & Wine67702Film2484Health, Mind & Body2487History2492Home & Garden2498Literature & Fiction2505Nonfiction2512Parenting & Families2514Religion & Spirituality2516Sports16303581Teens2524Travel251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books16266351All Deals13706741Blowout Books44258011Specialty Stores283155Books16266391Children's Books13706741Blowout Books44258011Specialty Stores283155Books16266461Literature & Fiction13706741Blowout Books44258011Specialty Stores283155Books2976General2970Classics by Age2966Literature4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books3018Spine-Chilling Horror3013Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror2966Literature4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books16254411General2966Literature4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books3073Fiction3072Christmas3069Holidays & Festivals3020People & Places4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books170063General2786Ages 9-124Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books6361Dickens, Charles6268( D )5439Authors, A-Z49Horror10134Genre Fiction17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10047Dickens, Charles10023Classics10016British10311World Literature17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books284622General70208Dickens, Charles70025( D )70021Authors, A-Z17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books285661Hardcover70208Dickens, Charles70025( D )70021Authors, A-Z17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books394172011Bargain Books394171011Promotion (special_merchandising_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books673423011Ages 9-12673420011Age Range (age_range)388186011Refinements283155BooksR3KTTKH45LS093Classics That Aren't BoringRBBH0T9JCTVINFor When You Want to Be in EnglandR3R2AINTGJJLSARead-alouds I enjoyed with my childrenR2XQL41GXZ2T4FUtah Mom's 2007 Reading ListR8JHT7IADAVLS"Must Reads" for Lovers of Christmas!R1JYTGSYQSZJE2Christmas Books (and 3 DVDs) Everyone Should HaveR8FB8VII52BH6Seasonal Classics-A Work In ProgressR2Y895JDZU9VBTChristmasR2ML4ZAI720S47Inklings: The Christ Community Church Book ClubR3T3ERKQRWBEVZFor the Intellect1887797084http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Cthulhu-Horror-Roleplaying-Modern/dp/1887797084%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1887797084608271http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510XWN7HQ5L._SL75_.jpg7557http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510XWN7HQ5L._SL160_.jpg160122http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510XWN7HQ5L.jpg475361PaperbackBlair Reynolds7939781887797085651887797084Armitage HouseEnglishEnglishEnglish10902795USD$27.95Armitage House1298Book1997-02-01Armitage HouseArmitage House1638465995USD$59.950700005.016418877970844002008-08-18

Not Lovecraftian inspired, but a good "Modern" horror game

I would have given a much lower score based on an HPL feel scale; but I must admit the product is solid even if it has nothing to do with classic CoC; its a totally different game. <br />That other type of flavor game was mainly to appeal to people that: <br />1) Felt uneasy to play in the 20s <br />2) Wanted more fire power or modern organized resources <br />3) Were fan of X-Files even if DG came a bit before the TV series, the popularity grew much after that <br /> <br />So its a good game to play Mulder and Scully or even men in black kinda investigators with those sunglasses and Steyr rifles <br />Its definitally Modern horror type and not for the classic HPL type of game fans18877970845002007-06-26

Delta Green, back in print!

This amazing game (and just plain interesting read!) is currently back in print. You can pick up the new edition, converted to D20, by heading to the publisher's web site. Pagan Publishing and TC Corp have done a great service to its fans by releasing this reprint!18877970845112006-11-22

Best game ever

I don't have a long, thoughtful review to write. Just wanted to say this is the BEST RPG idea/supplement I've ever seen. Intelligent, thoughtful, scary, fun...get it get it get it!18877970845442005-11-30

Delta Green- Best RPG book Ever?

This is the best RPG suppliment I have ever read, bar none. It's a great READ, even if you are not a gamer. Interesting background, lots of plot hooks as well. The group that did this book are great writers and are loving what they do and it shows. If you are into Horror, X-Files, Call of Cthulhu, ect...buy it to read, if not play. <br /> The book is curently out of print, but I understand that it will be reprinted in 2006 as a hardcover with d20 rules. Anyone wanting to write or publish an RPG should read this book and use it as an example. A MUST.18877970845572004-11-15

Second Fiction Anthology for Award-Winning DELTA GREEN

DELTA GREEN is the modern adaptation of Call of Cthulhu. Drawing on the same body of UFO lore and paranormal activity as the X-Files, DELTA GREEN has tapped into something very deep. And of course, once you have a successful RPG, you might as well start the fiction flowing, right? <br /> <br />Dark Theaters has some fairly lenghty short stories, designed to flesh out the world of DELTA GREEN. Some clues and hints are elaborated on; what exactly happened during the fabled raid on Innsmouth in 1928? What was the final mission of Gen. Fairfield? We find out more about the summoning by the Karotechia that was a dress rehearsal for the end of the world, but the entirety of the episode remains tantalizingly removed. <br /> <br />Dark Theaters, like the rest of DELTA GREEN fiction, is about what it means to be human. Or not human. The monstrosities which are called up and cannot easily be put away serve to highlight our humanity. But in the end, humanity is just short-hand for a fundamental incomprehension of the universe. We are carrying on a rear-guard action against reality, buying our fellow-man time for ... what? To say that humanity loses in the end is to pretend that there are other players, rules agreed upon, some validity to having tried and lost. Life is a game of solitaire, and we're not playing with a full deck. All is meaninglessness, a blowing of the wind. <br /> <br />And yet humanity means staying in the game. Like Lucifer, the real patron saint of lost causes, we know that we will lose and darnit, we are going to keep playing the hand we were dealt. It gives meaning to life, death, and the passing of the seasons, the sacrifices we have made and those we have sacrificed, to play by the rules, even if there aren't any. So let us cheer for the hero and jeer for the villain, and not go gently into that dark night. <br />Delta Green is a sourcebook for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. Delta Green seamlessly incorporates into the Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft such modern horrors as UFOs and alien abductions, government conspiracies, the manipulation of society and politics by 'secret masters,' and good old fashioned paranoia.188779724618877971651887797122078695063315688218164391General4390Graphic Novels4366Comics & Graphic Novels1000Subjects283155Books4445General4442Role Playing & Fantasy4402Puzzles & Games86Entertainment1000Subjects283155Books9808General49Horror10134Genre Fiction17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10125General10127Classics17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10129Contemporary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books16211Gaming16213Changeling16215Dungeons & Dragons16219Mage16221Strategy16223Vampire16226Werewolf25Science Fiction & Fantasy1000Subjects283155Books408268General21Reference1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksR279Z1PTVZNJ68Some fun RPGsR1T4X3GYH6IWNSFor the RPG connoissuer!93ZZTHGNESTGBooks by or from John Tynes3AISQTBAY0TW8Call of Cthulhu adventuresO90RNWVJYZW5RPGs On The Shelf To My Right3CNWZ6E61CY3GWho needs DnD?2TW83RZV98KCLGreat RPG's you can actually buy at Amazon1SKD5NP70J6PHGreat Role-Playing Game Adventures2NYASYQ71W464RPGs for the 21st Century16U5QOEINTYTgood RPGs available from AmazonB00087981Whttp://www.amazon.com/Lost-illusions-Everymans-library-Fiction/dp/B00087981W%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00087981WHonoré de BalzacUnknown BindingE.P. DuttonEnglishEnglishE.P. Dutton3Book1913E.P. DuttonE.P. Dutton0000005.0164B00087981W5112008-03-13

Insight Gained

The Human Comedy is a saga of 92 novels that Balzac said was written by French society. Legend described him as the night-shirted social recorder working until dawn fueled by liters of coffee. Lost Illusions (1837-1843) is considered to be one of the best of the novels in the series in scope and structure. From the frenetic world of writers and booksellers in Paris to the grueling life of hard work and boredom in villages, Balzac traced the systematic destruction of illusions in his characters. No one could be trusted (friends, foes, or family) when the creative or inventive characters attempted to reach a goal. The flicker of hope and joy related to an artistic or business accomplishment was extinguished within days or hours. The enduring artists and producers were those who lived almost without hope, guided by a strict code of ethics protected only by their ability to keep their accomplishments secret. Ultimately, some of these survivors reached their goals. But by then, they no longer placed high value in them, much of the luster lost with their illusions. Lost Illusions set the standard for many of the wonderful French novels of the subsequent years of the 19th Century. The reader is immersed in French culture in a manner similar to the later writing of Gustav Flaubert.B00087981W5122007-11-25

Exceptional and elaborate; delicious and intricate novel

Lost Illusions by Balzac is one of the most famous novels out of the ninety two he wrote in his lifetime and maybe also among a million his admirers have written in 175 years since his first novel was published. <br /> <br />Balzac choses Lucien as a romantic, good-looking dreamy poet. We are first thrust into his provincial life, with details about his ordinary life and extraordinary ambitions that he has no means of realizing. Except patronage by an older woman! She leads him to Paris, only to abandon him to fight his way into the high society. How Lucien rises and falls in the glamorous, amorous, corrupt and vicious life as a journalist in Paris is picturized through a narrative that is bathed in realism, and yet proceeds through both suspense and wit, in the spirit of the pace at which Balzac could conjure up such novels. <br /> <br />In the provinces, Lucien has a friend, David, who likewise is somewhat lacking in social and economic acumen, and is a hard working inventor. David own father ruins him by extracting an unreasonable price for the printing press that he leaves or sells to his own son. Crafty competitors take advantage of David's credulous character. David endures both provincial small mindedness and economic setbacks suffered to keep Lucien afloat. Balzac displays his knowledge of these disparate characters with remarkable attention to detail. He weaves an undercurrent, of what could have passes as a dissertation, on the art and science of paper making. <br /> <br />Balzac creates in his one book, a saga that unravels friendship, love, jealousy, lust, ambition, vanity, greed and absurdity that lurk in our beings and in our relationships. By using two main pillars, Lucien and David, Balzac erects a bridge into the two worlds of poetry and science. He shuns hint of any romance of either worlds, and shows how much character, how many hardships and set-backs, how much devotion and labor are required for a man to become a known poet or a scientist. <br /> <br />I am quoting an example from this translation (carried out by Katharine Prescott Wormeley): <br /> <br />"No one can be a great man cheaply," said d'Arthez in his gentle voice. "Genius waters her work with tears.Talent is a moral being which, like all other beings, is subject to the maladies of childhood. Society rejects undeveloped talent just as nature removes her feeble or deformed creations. Whoever wishes to rise above his fellows must be prepared to struggle, and not recoil at difficulty. A great writer is a martyr who does not die - that's the whole of it!" <br /> <br />Besides the two pillars, the book has an interesting array of characters. Actresses, society women, editors and publishers, lawyers, struggling writers, dandies - all appear with their human failings and foibles as part of a drama that unfolds with an enrapturing narrative. Be it history, economics, alchemy, or psychology, or any topic under the sun, Balzac ushers in his great knowledge, suspending and supporting the story with able and apt pointers, tresses and metaphors. <br /> <br />Balzac's Lost Illusions is undoubtedly a classic everyone can enjoy and must read at some point in their lives. Highly recommended. B00087981W4142006-12-06

A "Regular People" Review

I read this book during my latest visit to my favorite middle east country. I must admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as others. I felt like it was slow to come around and I thought there was too much detail on (seemingly) unimportant things at times. I'm just a regular person, so that said if you are an accomplished reader you may love this, for neophytes such as myself, other titles are more likely to be properly enjoyed (see my reviews)...and keep me updated!B00087981W5672006-09-21

Swimming among sharks

This is one of the best novels by Balzac, which is to say much, since he is still one of the best writers that have ever lived. Here, as in the rest of his work, the reader can appreciate Balzac's knowledge of worldly life, and especially the world of business, so alien to other writers. In this book he elaborates on the printing business as well as on journalism -vastly so-, back when it first began as a mercantilist activity. He contrasts the small life and intrigues of the province with the -no less petty but more gandiose- life and intrigues of the big city, Paris, and in particular of the faubourg Saint-Germain, the paradise of the Parisian jet-set. <br /> <br />David Sechard is a young man who inherits, at great cost, his cold and greedy father's printing business. Lucien Chardon (later "de Rubempre", after taking his impoversihed mother's more aristocratic last name) is his best friend. Both of them share a love for poetry, but it is Lucien who comes to shine as the young genius of province, the promise for whom it is worth it to sacrifice it all. Lucien gets the love of one Louise de Bargeton, the "queen of Angouleme", the most cultivated and refined woman in town. Louise promises to take Lucien to Paris, introduce him into the great society, and make him triumph as a poet. His family gives him all they can to get him started, and off he goes to Paris. But he happens to be arrogant, proud, and insecure, and soon he suffers the despise and insolence of aristocrats and other rich people. After what he believes to be an offense from Louise, he rejects her, earning her eternal hatred. <br /> <br />In the meantime, Lucien has been spending time with two very different circles of friends. The first is composed of a group of young intellectuals, hardworking guys sacrificing money and fun for the sake of science, art, and knowledge. They are there for him in times of need, and encourage him to keep up with his writing. The second group is a bunch of journalists, easy going but corrupt people who convince him to achieve quick fame and money. Lucien gets more and more trapped by this seemingly easy life, and after he conquers the love of the prettiest actress in Paris, his fate is decided. He achieves fame and fortune overnight, and so he jumps completely into the world of parties, frivolity and silly competition for status. At this point in the novel, Balzac introduces us to the sordid, decadent, and disgusting world of journalism understood as an unmerciful network of extortion and constant blackmailing. Lucien slides down that road, getting recognition and fame, oblivious to the growing net of envy that closes in around him every day. <br /> <br />What follows is the sad story of an unlikable character. Lucien has very little redeeming qualities about him, as opposed to some of his early friends, his young lover and his family. He is blind as blind can be, since his extreme selfishness builds a cloud in which he lives. He cares for nobody, except perhaps for the little Coralie, and he goes on leaving too many wounded bodies by the side of the road. Nevertheless, this character is the vehicle that allows Balzac to show us the real world out there. This writer never ever gives up to the temptation of sweetening things for the reader, he's brave and persists on his plan. Balzac is never a moralizing preacher, he is just a skillful painter of life as it is. <br /> <br />Here, as in the rest of his work, you will find characters who also appear in other novels, an ingenious device intended to give us a feeling of reality. This book is never boring and builds up tension rapidly, even for its length. It is an encompassing ride through all the fancies of youth gone wrong, as well as an unrelenting depiction of all the falseness and emptiness of high society. Much recommended.B00087981W5782006-02-15

Balzac at his best

I love Balzac. At his best he soars above the rest of French literature and here he is definitely at his finest. Easy to see why Proust thought him the best, at his best. Vautrin/Collyn is at his most sinister and attractive. If you haven't read Balzac before, this is the best to start with.Lucien Chardon, a young poet trying to make a name for himself in Paris, is befriended by aristocratic patrons but finds himself relentlessly drawn to the low life of the big city.037575907701404423240140442375081296675901928356961000Subjects1Arts & Photography2Biographies & Memoirs3Business & Investing4Children's Books4366Comics & Graphic Novels5Computers & Internet6Cooking, Food & Wine86Entertainment301889Gay & Lesbian10Health, Mind & Body9History48Home & Garden10777Law17Literature & Fiction13996Medicine18Mystery & Thrillers53Nonfiction290060Outdoors & Nature20Parenting & Families173507Professional & Technical21Reference22Religion & Spirituality23Romance75Science25Science Fiction & Fantasy26Sports28Teens27Travel283155Books081541269Xhttp://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-S-Joshi/dp/081541269X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D081541269X5194503S. T. JoshiPaperback9780815412694081541269XCooper Square PublishersEnglish2295USD$22.95Cooper Square Publishers1716Book2004-01Cooper Square PublishersCooper Square Publishers0000005.0164081541269X2882008-03-13

Difficult mixed bag - comprehensive but needs editing

The good: Until S.T. Joshi's book, the only serious, widely-available biographical information on HPL apart from his letters was 'H.P. Lovecraft; A Biography' (1975) by L. Sprague de Camp, which left many gaps and open questions. Joshi's book fills in the gaps and then some. It is the closest thing we have to a definitive Lovecraft bio, and if you're a Lovecraft scholar of any seriousness, you'll eventually need to read it. <br /> <br />The not-so-good: While Joshi's book reads like a rigorously well-researched first draft, I wish he'd consulted a manuscript editor before publication. This massive, expensive and ponderous 708-page book could perhaps be edited into a more readable and reasonably-priced 300-page book, with another 100 pages of small print endnotes, merely by removing Joshi and his scholarship from the foreground and replacing them with Lovecraft. For example: <br /> <br />- Joshi includes himself in the story, using the first person pronoun on nearly every page. "I..." this and "I..." that. While Joshi is likely the world's foremost Lovecraft scholar, and I appreciate his excellent and exhaustive efforts as a researcher, I did not plunk down such a hefty cover price to read about his adventures in scholarship. Easily 200 pages of this 708 page book are about the adventures of Joshi, Lovecraft scholar. That information belongs either in a short appendix or separate article. He'll print a quotation and then add, "To this analysis there is really very little to add...," or "I don't think I can add much to this," or "That last remark may be a little sanguine, but let it pass," seemingly for no other purpose than to firmly return the spotlight, which had momentarily alighted on Lovecraft, to himself. On nearly every page I felt that trapped "captive audience" feeling you get with professors who use class time to speak at length about their personal lives. Surely by now it has become standard practice for biographers to not include the personal "I" in their biographies, at least when they've never met the subject. <br /> <br />- While most biographies focus on the subject and relegate sources and disputes to footnotes and endnotes, Joshi foregrounds the sources and points of contention, which has the odd effect of almost burying the subject. You'll often read four paragraphs of sources and conjecture containing a single sentence of actual biographical information. If Lovecraft did X, but there's some dispute, I'd prefer the main body to say "Lovecraft probably did X," with a small-print footnote citing sources and contentions. I paid to read about Lovecraft, not Lovecraft scholarship. I often feel like I'm being punished, forced to read 708 pages to get 300 pages of information. <br /> <br />- As another reviewer pointed out, Joshi frequently expresses his personal opinions in a tone suggesting that he believes them to be indisputable fact. Especially disconcerting is Joshi's careful habit of never missing an opportunity to denigrate Lovecraft himself. A tiny sampling of Joshi's descriptions of Lovecraft and his work includes: clownish error, clumsily, embarrassing, paranoia, pompous, pseudo-philosophical, trying to do too much, moping, overly given to histrionics, painfully inept, pitiable wish-fulfilment [sic], a pretty sorry excuse for a story, offensive, dubious and pathetic. It's almost as though, while Joshi must have some respect for Lovecraft, he is careful to constantly place himself "above" Lovecraft emotionally. I can sympathize with Joshi, who as a serious scholar must sometimes find himself exasperated by uninformed intellectuals who still underrate Lovecraft's genuine contribution. However, I feel that the body of a biography is not the best place for Joshi to distance himself from Lovecraft's sillier decisions. If Joshi dislikes something, surely he need not bolster his personal opinion by inflating it into a grandiose pretend-fact by pompously lecturing the reader as to what we ought to despise or where to place our "well-deserved contempt." <br /> <br />Why are Joshi's opinions in the book at all? Doesn't he trust his readers to form our own opinions? Almost once per page I felt some resentment at being forced to play captive audience to Joshi's unwelcome editorial opinions and emotional self-positioning in order to gain access to his excellent scholarship. Toward the end Joshi finally provides his editorial rationalization, introducing the topic by slamming previous Lovecraft biographer de Camp with: "[de Camp]'s schoolmasterly chiding of Lovecraft [is] ...galling." Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Joshi goes on to claim that "passing value judgments... is the proper function of any biographer." Excuse me? As with all of Joshi's most dubious assumptions, he provides not a single citation or justification for this opinion, but merely states it as fact. Many (perhaps most) professional biographers would strongly disagree. I couldn't help bursting into incredulous laughter when Joshi finally declares, "...on occasion one feels as if Lovecraft is having some difficulty shutting up." <br /> <br />In closing, I hope this book is re-released soon with S.T. Joshi's presence as a character, editorial opinions, emotional self-positioning and research experiences either cut entirely or summarized in an appendix or endnotes. Then it wouldn't hurt to have a professional book doctor rewrite with an eye to smoother prose and readability. THAT edition will be the definitive Lovecraft biography.081541269X5222008-02-03

Definitive biography of HPL

Joshi is the foremost student of Lovecraft, and in this volume he has written the unsurpassable biography of the man whom Stephen King himself called "the twentieth century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale." <br /> <br />For myself, I can only say it's been a long wait. I first discovered Lovecraft at my local library in eleventh grade. I picked a book decorated with some macabre illustration off a twirling bookstand, checked it out, and rode my bike home with the volume tucked under my arm. That evening I sat with it in the big white reading chair in our home's living room. The first story I read was "The Picture In the House." <br /> <br />I was hooked. <br /> <br />Within the year I'd read every story Lovecraft wrote excepting one--"Herbert West: Reanimator". (I finally got to that earlier this year.) I became, in a way, obsessed with Lovecraft. I wanted to know who he was, so I read Frank Belknap Long's Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Dreamer on the Nightside. The stories and poetry I was writing at the time became increasingly colored by (or downright imitative of) my hero. Somehow, the man infected my consciousness in a way no other writer--before or since--ever has. I guess it's because in so many ways my inner life has been--with some important exceptions--a parallel to Lovecraft's. I see him as a kindred spirit. <br /> <br />That being the case, it's hardly surprising I relished--nay, wallowed in--this biography. It is detailed beyond imagining. Here we follow Lovecraft on his walking tours, street by street. We see his grocery lists and menu items. We read his letters and amateur publications. By the end of this text you will feel you have lived and breathed right alongside the old fellow and slung arm-in-arm with him through his nightmare worlds. No one could have done it better than Joshi, and it is doubtful anyone ever will. If you are a fan, this is a must read. If just curious, the lengthy detail might be off-putting, but you may find yourself a convert by the end. <br />081541269X5332008-01-25

Most likely the definitive Lovecraft biography

Unlike De Camp in his earlier biography, Joshi doesn't consider HPL to be a failed version of what he might have been had he at various key points in his life been just that little bit more commerce-minded: instead he accepts Lovecraft as he was and goes on from there. I think Joshi brings out what it is about Lovecraft & his work that continues to fascinate today: the curious fact that an erudite, scholarly autodidact should, from an early age, have been so caught up in a melodramatic 'pulp' aesthetic that for the rest of his life he focussed the entirety of his self-expression - emotional, intellectual and philosophical - through that aesthetic. Hence Lovecraft's stories have, even at their most garish & mechanical, an (admittedly sometimes near-subliminal) intellectually rich underpinning, and it is this bleed-through of a higher aesthetic that lifts them above the acres of hackwork that surrounded them when first published in Weird Tales, (try reading even a 'best of' by those other writers today!), gives them a psychological curiosity, and has given them their unexpected longevity. <br /> <br />Joshi's analysis of the 'Cthulhu Mythos' is, I think, exactly right: he defines the Mythos (not HPL's coinage, of course), as 'a fictional technique' for presenting Lovecraft's philosophy - which Joshi defines astutely as 'an anti-theology' which makes manifest (as we see with the cultists in Call of Cthulhu) the delusive nature of all religious belief, and asserts the meaningless of human existence in a vast, uncaring, mechanistic universe. <br /> <br />This analysis justifies what would otherwise be an excessively lengthy exploration of Lovecraft's political and philosophical beliefs, given that he published no significant writing on those subjects, and was only considered a great thinker by his friends and epistolary correspondents. It also highlights the unalloyed perversity of August Derleth in imposing a Catholic-inflected cosmology onto Lovecraft's atheistic vision. How strange that he was so fascinated by HPL & his work, but couldn't accept what Joshi rightly points out is its absolute core! <br /> <br />Joshi manages to address various differing opinions in the world of Lovecraft Studies without becoming pedantic or petty, and takes trouble to credit other researchers and academics for their insights. <br /> <br />As a biography this book is full of interest, and Joshi's pursuit of detail is relentless - occasionally to the point of obsessiveness, it has to be said, but some of the details he uncovers are highly revealing. His account of Lovecraft's death I found surprisingly moving, but I did not, as I did on finishing the De Camp biography, regret his life - except in the single matter of his clinging on to racist beliefs and self-diminishing prejudices. <br /> <br />I have very few criticisms. There are no photographs, and I think the cover is horrid - & certainly is not a good likeness of HPL. Occasionally Joshi is so aesthetically aligned with his subject he indulges him (as he does with certain of his amateur endeavors); occasionally Joshi is over-definitive in his judgment of the merits of various yarns. I think he slightly misses the mark at various points when he comments of (eg the denoument of Herbert West) that HPL must have been sending up his own style to *intentionally* comic effect. This, I think, is not quite right: rather, it seems to me, he allowed his discipline to slip, and reverted to the garish style of the Argosy yarns that he had read as a child, the style of which had so fundamentally informed his entire notion of the form of aesthetic and psychological self-expression that he could never quite discard it. Lovecraft knew it was a failing on his part, but sometimes let it off the leash regardless. I'm sure he never thought of his verbal pyrotechnics as anything other than, on sober reflection, accidentally funny. <br /> <br />Aside from those very modest quibbles, I found Joshi's judgments & assessments at all times perceptive and thought-provoking, and his 'Life' a highly-readable achievement in biography.081541269X513232006-12-09

A great, but biased work on Lovecraft's life

Wow, this must have been quite a few hours of work for Joshi! The fonts are below even standard book-fonts, AND I hear it's an abridged version but still the book is almost 700 pages. But don't get me wrong, in many ways I wish it was longer. The book is a fine introduction to Lovecraft's life, and to most Lovecraft-readers, probably quite enough in itself. It chronicles on an annual basis, highlighting and describing any interesting incidents or activities revolving around Lovecraft and his circle of friends and family that happened over the years. There's not much to say about this, its very good and solid biographical work by a fine devotee of Lovecraft; S.T Joshi. Its not often reading a biography makes me sad, but reading the final chapter on Lovecraft himself "The end of one's life" made a certain Norwegian man quite sad. Apart from some points I'm about to take up, I have no doubt that this is a biography that Lovecraft himself would have approved of. It could have been more detailed in its description of how the various fiction came to be, and more analysis of this area, but it IS after all a biography, so that was of course Joshi's prerogative. <br /> <br />Now to the bad; as a little background to the author of the book, he is in fact an immigrant; an Indian living with a miscegenating Euro-American female. This explains why he constantly abuses Lovecraft for his conservative and racialist views. He conjures up non-sense frequently when talking about this subject; somehow concluding that theories about race and miscegenation etc were definitively debunked by the "scientific work" of Franz Boas. This is of course complete nonsense, like Kevin MacDonald has shown in his excellent work "The Culture of Critique". Franz Boas had specific racial reasons himself for carrying out his campaign against the use of "race" in academia, and the reasons for this were far from what the Western standard of science represents. <br /> <br />So even though I highly recommend the book, I wish Joshi could have been so intellectually honest that he admitted in the book that his status as a non-European immigrant himself has biased him, and made him write the book with an extreme liberal and secular slant. So if you manage to ignore this part of Joshi's book; you'll have on your hands an excellent and well-written account of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and a good introduction to his writing.081541269X4992006-10-06

painstakingly informative

Clocking in at 654 pages, this sprawling biography will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the horror scribe -- along with some things you'll wish you hadn't discovered, like how Lovecraft was a more zealous racist than was the norm in his day. Joshi is long-winded, for sure, like the grandfather who, when you ask him how the light switch turns the lamp on, proceeds to tell you the history of electricity, starting with two sticks being rubbed together. You'll be hard-pressed to remember all the details afterward, but the story of Lovecraft's life is smartly woven, divulging the world as viewed through the writer's eyes and those around him. Like a criminologist apt at identifying with a killer, Joshi truly seems to understand his subject down to the crumbs on his coat.The basic facts of H.P. Lovecraft's life have long been known, but before this book the only account of his life worth having was L. Sprague de Camp's 1975 biography, which was lively but sketchy, giving a fragmented view of Lovecraft's life and work. S.T. Joshi has delivered the goods. This is not only the finest and most definitive biography of Lovecraft, it is likely to remain so for many decades into the future. While at nearly 700 pages, it's not necessarily a book every Lovecraft fan will sit down and read cover to cover, it's almost as compulsively readable as it is compulsively detailed. Joshi is sympathetic toward his subject but doesn't pull any punches: he includes Lovecraft's less flattering qualities, such as his "contemptible" racism and his "shabby" treatment of his wife. Best of all, perhaps, for fans of Lovecraft's fiction, are the accounts of how the stories came to be written, concise plot summaries, and well-chosen historical-critical remarks.<p>As <I>Necrofile: The Review of Horror Fiction</I> writes, "<I>H.P. Lovecraft: A Life</I> represents the crowning achievement of Joshi's distinguished career. It offers a concise and eminently readable summary of everything he has learned about Lovecraft, in one fat volume.... Joshi has accomplished no mean feat: writing a biography almost as fascinating as his subject's best fiction." <I>--Fiona Webster</I>15618412930972164405097487891X1931082723B000BQTC982330Authors2327Arts & Literature2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books0471393541http://www.amazon.com/No-More-Sleepless-Nights-Hauri/dp/0471393541%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D04713935412611817P HauriPaperback97804713935420471393541John Wiley & Sons IncEnglishJohn Wiley & Sons Inc304Book2000-08-30John Wiley & Sons IncJohn Wiley & Sons Inc149USD$1.490500005.016404713935415002008-09-30

No More Sleepless Nights

Well worth the money.....covers the topic well. The knowledge I have gleaned from it is enabling me to sleep better.04713935415002008-09-15

BEST DEAL AROUND

THIS BOOK CAME TO ME WITHIN 5 DAYS OF ORDERING IT. I ORDERED USED AND THIS BOOK WAS IN BRAND NEW CONDITION. SO,THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT MERCHANDISE AND SHIPPED IN RECORD TIME.04713935415002008-01-12

Everything we need to know about insomnia and what to do about it

I strongly recommend this audio CD to everybody who suffers from mild or intense insomnia. <br /> <br />I started waking up in the middle of my night sleep or towards the mornings and having difficulty getting up in the mornings quite frequently recently so I listened to this audio CD by Peter Hauri. Because I have just finished listening to it I have not yet applied the recommendations to benefit from them. There is a lot of clearly explained information about the various causes of insomnia and what to do about them, when to seek what kind of professional help etc. . The explanations are made by a highly qualified expert on the topic : Peter Hauri the Director of Mayo Clinic's insomnia program. It is more than mere information about insomnia : in addition the CD provides abundant knowledge about general health and the way it impacts the quality of sleep. Applying the advice is certain to improve not only the quality of sleep but also physical and mental health in general. <br /> <br />The quality of voice on the CD is high, explanations easily understandable and pleasant to listen to. The listener can listen to this CD again and again to refresh his / her knowledge when the need arises without being bored. <br />04713935415002007-12-11

My nights are less sleepless!

It's a helpful book, and is giving me ideas how to improve my sleep without medication.04713935414012007-06-27

Very Helpful Suggestions

The book NO MORE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS has some very helpful suggestions and information that helped me understand what possible causes are. I would suggest it to anyone who is struggling with getting sleep.A revealing expose by one of today's most controversial and successful short sellers<br> <br> According to a 1998 New York Times article, "Satanism has a better reputation in financial circles than does short-selling . . . The controversy over Mr. Asensio is reigniting the debate over short-selling and the role it plays in the stock market, a debate that stretches back to Jesse Livermore." Manuel Asensio has taken this debate to a whole new level, not only short-selling deceptive companies but also researching and publicly exposing them. Each time Asensio practices his type of aggressive short selling he is branded "the Devil's own Trader," but time and again his unpopular assessments have proved dead on the money.<br> <br> "Sold Short reads like an action-packed and gripping detective story, exposing shocking and criminal tales that make the Hollywood scandal sheets look like a high school pantomime. Asensio is a brave and heroic bullfighter who dares to go up against the global stampede of the wildest bull market. He courageously nails down, one by one, grossly overvalued and corrupt companies."-Tony Shafrazi, Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York<br> <br> "Sold Short is a rip-roaring ride through the netherworld of short selling. Part comedy, part tragedy, part horror flick, Asensio uncovers a world that would be ripe for sitcom portrayal where big-name fund managers dress in drag, buy silly stocks, but (and here's the tragedy) lose millions. If short selling is up your alley, you shouldn't miss this book. And if you'd sooner die than go short, you should read this book to make sure one of your longs isn't made of fool's gold."-Parker Quillen, Quilcap Corp.0471394998B00061YC6G04405090170966418956007146743211367Family Health20Parenting & Families1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books0316542296http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Our-Disorder-Life-Lawrence/dp/0316542296%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0316542296602288John E. MacKPaperback35597803165422961400316542296Little Brown & Co (P)EnglishEnglishEnglish7701495USD$14.95Little Brown & Co (P)1Book1978-06Little Brown & Co (P)Little Brown & Co (P)1145107345USD$73.45309USD$3.095995USD$59.9511210005.0164031654229659122006-12-23

An unavoidable piece of work on Lawrence's life

While searching for literature on the man in the movie `Lawrence of Arabia', otherwise unknown to me other than knowing him as the brother of D.H. Lawrence, I stumbled across this most authoritative biography on the man who David Lean so magnificently portrayed in his film. He is one of the men who could be placed in par with other great leaders of Britain during the early part of the 20th century. <br /> <br />While Lawrence's autobiography, `Seven Pillars of Wisdom' gives gory picture of his life in the desert and his adventurous war campaigns, Mack's book gives more insight into the man's psyche just as Judith Brown did on Gandhi in her book `Gandhi - A Prisoner of hope'. His many questionable traits (exhibitionism, homosexual tendancies, overemphasis of his achievements) are wonderfully analyzed with information gleaned from tons of historical materials. While the west looked at him as a great war commander (though some question his contributions during the great desert wars), the east, even the people who worked with him, do not consider him as a man who helped Arabs gain their freedom from Turks other than agreeing to the fact that he helped king Faisel in wars. <br /> <br />Lawrence's genius is considered twined with his behavioral disorder, a not so common association among people who have schizophrenic symptoms except may be for rare cases of autistic geniuses like Peter Guthrie (not the Scottish mathematician but a not so well-known artist). There have been debates during his later years as whether Lawrence was in fact an autistic. At any rate, as reflected in one of his most famous quotes, he was a `dangerous' daydreamer who dreamt with open eyes and made things happen unlike night dreamers who dream in their dusty recesses of their minds only to wake up in the morning to see they are vain. <br /> <br />T.E. Lawrence's life and his untimely death (by motorbike accident) left us with lot of questions as who was he and what was he doing in the middle east and what made him to completely depart from the politics of middle east and lead a secluded life of 23 years in the Royal Air Force (not forgetting his contributions to the invention of new types of speed boats). His appearances in Arab's traditional attire in Versailles during 1919 Paris Peace Conference with the King Faisel and with other western dignitaries draw a stark similarity with Gandhi's appearance in loin cloth and shawl during the Round Table Conference at London. Though Faisal trusted him as his benevolent, he did not entrust Lawrence completely as he always thought him as a British spy. <br /> <br />I would suggest anyone who is inquisitive of T.E. Lawrence, also see David Lean's much acclaimed epic motion picture `Lawrence of Arabia'. If the movie `Lawrence of Arabia' captivated me, Mack's biography enthralled me with its abundance of well researched information. As with any other great men, Lawrence's life also is worth researching into. And these biographers are the ones who make legends live and help sustain the new generations' interest on these great people. A great biographical work! <br /> <br />Mere coincidence or not, John E. Mack died of a car accident in New York in 2004. <br />0316542296518192005-01-05

Wonderfully thorough Research

I have now read several books both on T.E. Lawrence, the Middle East, World War I and English governmental history. This is by far the best biography on T.E. Lawrence and the situation in the Middle East that I have read. John Mack did an outstanding job of researching Lawrence for this book. One of the most interesting sections of the book was reading the endnotes. They provide even more information about Mack's research as well as to clarify some previous misstatements about Lawrence. <br /> <br />Although Lawrence suffered greatly from depression and other disorders he was a truly great man. That he was able to be an outstanding friend to so many people while enduring personal suffering is amazing. John Mack portrays Lawrence in an honest light which actually makes Lawrence and his achievements all the more spectacular because of his personal struggles. <br /> <br />John Mack's biography shows us that great people are not perfect nor does their greatness make them happy. He also shows that people who, if truth were know, live outside of societies norms can do world changing things and be loved by society. Lawrence seemed to have been very accepting of all people, other than himself. <br /> <br />To call Lawrence's life tragic in some way diminishes his accomplishments. Was Lawrence a great man because of his problems or in spite of his problems? I think that Lawrence was capable of being a legend because of his problems. The psychological struggles he endured were who he was. Society is so quick to discount a person because of psychological problems, whether they are great people or not. If society were honest with itself, it would realize that everyone has some problem or other. Some, as Lawrence was, are open (relatively) and honest about their problems while most choose to act as if they don't exist. <br /> <br />Winston Churchill, a contemporary of Lawrence's, also suffered greatly from depression and probably some other things as well. Churchill was also hero and a legend and was largely responsible for keeping the world free from Nazi Germany when few noticed the threat or appropriately dealt with it. <br /> <br />It appears to me, that the greater the leader and the more astounding his or her abilities, the more "different" they are from what society believes is normal. A good thought to ponder. <br /> <br />John Mack does an excellent job of providing a well-documented biography of T.E. Lawrence as well as an outline of his psychological makeup. Mack does not claim to understand Lawrence or to explain every behavior. I had expected to read more of a detailed psychological report and was, at first, a bit disappointed. However, the longer I read the more apparent it was that Mack was portraying Lawrence's personality through an accurate telling of his story rather than trying to lecture on "who Lawrence really was" and "why he did everything he did". John Mack also did not fall into the overly Freudian theory that Lawrence did everything because of sex. Sex obviously played a role in his psychology but did not appear to be the overriding theme.0316542296547472004-08-18

Almost as eloquent as Lawrence himself

Dr. John Mack's study of Lawrence is one of the most absorbing reads I've ever enjoyed in my lifetime. As Irving Howe wrote, "What finally draws one to Lawrence, making him not merely an exceptional figure, but a representative man of our century, is his courage and vulnerability in bearing the burden of consciousness." The impact that the trial by fire in Arabia appears to have had on his post-war life is shocking, and teaches us once again not to envy our great heroes. Lawrence wrote of General Allenby that great men cannot be judged by ordinary standards, anymore than the sharpness of the bow of an ocean liner can be judged by the sharpness of a razor. After reading "A Prince of Our Disorder," I recognize now that Lawrence was probably thinking of himself while writing those kind words about his former master, asking that he not be be judged by his hidden afflictions, torments, and self-doubts, all the while laying out those same imperfections for all the world to read. Lawrence warned us,"The documents are liars ... No man ever yet tried to write down the entire truth of any action in which he has been engaged." No man is truly capable of understanding his own subconscious motivations, but I doubt that anyone has ever struggled harder than Lawrence to achieve self-understanding. We will have to try to read between the lines, learn what we can, and apply that knowledge to enrich our own poor lives. <br /> <br />So sad for all of us that our leaders are not of the same introspective type. Dr. Mack comments in his introduction that "The destructive leader, and the eagerness of a large segment of the population to identify with him, comprise one of the central threats -- if not the greatest threat -- that faces human society. There is perhaps an increasing unwillingness to entrust our well-being and our lives to individuals and characters we do not understand and whose ultimate purposes we are ignorant of." Let's hope so. <br /> <br />Jeremy Wilson's massive biography "Lawrence of Arabia" may better satisfy military readers interested in extensive contemporary document citations, and includes much more detail on Lawrence's Cairo years. Wilson also has a better set of photographs. The 1922 Oxford full text of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," edited by Jeremy and Nicole Wilson and available from Castle Hill Press in the UK, is most highly recommended to all who find "T.E.L." fascinating. 0316542296533332004-01-10

We Will Never See Its Like Again

For years, I have studied the life and works of T. E. Lawrence. My research has lead me across the pages of hundreds of books including his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom, but the best biography and analysis of Lawrence I have yet encountered is A Prince of Our Disorder. <p> Dr. Mack's thorough examination and explanation of the effect of Lawrence's childhood on his adult life and mentality is brilliant. Instead of merely stating his opinions, he touches on those of other biographers as well and then proceeds to state how and why he feels they are accurate or inaccurate, providing quotes from military reports, other Lawrence books, interviews with Lawrence's relatives and friends, and Seven Pillars of Wisdom.<p> If you read A Prince of Our Disorder, I can almost 100% gaurantee that you will have a better understanding of Lawrence's personal role in the Hejaz Campaign and the lasting effects of his experiences in Arabia on him physically and psychologically. Thankfully, it is beautifully written, and not at all confusing. <p> From the moment Mack "introduces" you to Lawrence you will have a desire to learn more about him, and as Mack walks you through his troubled life, you will feel pity and awe for this untouchable man.<p>I think that A Prince of Our Disorder clarifies the line between the legend of the indestructable, hero-Lawrence and the lost, soul-searching man Lawrence really was.0316542296517172003-10-01

Fresh, engaging view

I've been studying the life of Lawrence nearly all of my own 50 years, since I was thirteen. I've read and reread all I could find about him, especially his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom. How refreshing it was to read Professor Mack's excellent book which covers so much more than I'd ever found before and with surprisingly brilliant insight. A fresh look at this enigmatic figure with modern eyes and a richer understanding. A great read.When this Pulitzer Prize-winning biography first appeared in 1976, it rescued T. E. Lawrence from the mythologizing that had seemed to be his fate. In it, John Mack humanely and objectively explores the relationship between Lawrence's inner life and his historically significant actions. Extensive interviews, far-flung correspondence, access to War Office dispatches and unpublished letters provide the basis for Mack's sensitive investigation of the psychiatric dimensions of Lawrence's personality. In addition, Mack examines the pertinent history, politics, and sociology of the time in order to weigh the real forces with which Lawrence contended and which impinged upon him.0385418957B00006ADD59562916375030680354202265677022375General2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2393General2376Historical2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2424Military & Spies2419Professionals & Academics2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books886496General465244Military2396Leaders & Notable People2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books1585424420http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Energy-Psychology-Revolutionary-Dramatic/dp/1585424420%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D15854244203496http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CQ56FW5ZL._SL75_.jpg7549http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CQ56FW5ZL._SL160_.jpg160105http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CQ56FW5ZL.jpg500327David FeinsteinDonna EdenGary CraigPaperbackCandace PertMike Bowen616.89197815854244291001585424420Jeremy P. Tarcher/The Penguin GroupEnglishEnglishEnglish8901595USD$15.95Jeremy P. Tarcher/The Penguin Group1336Book2005-11-03Jeremy P. Tarcher/The Penguin GroupJeremy P. Tarcher/The Penguin Group85590871USD$8.71785USD$7.851595USD$15.9534162011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewnYkfOhHykHYkO14tR7nMJ%2FcyY4and1LlBpOo5lPOElWt%2BlQuMdXzNxJbRAowvNz3Ak4XW85qesl2ug28cGqbEhEmvWBn5qRG1085USD$10.85Usually ships in 24 hours5.016415854244205012008-09-02

Very Informative

I have a few EFT books and am a daily tapper and this one definitely has a lot to offer. Highly recommended.15854244204012008-08-30

The Promise of Energy Psychology

Fabulous book as an addition to learning EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) <br />Very informative and easy reading..15854244205232008-06-05

Sooooooo good.

How they got this much good information in one book is unbelievable! Very, very good.15854244205442008-04-12

Absolutely Excellent!!

As a long-time EFT practitioner and energy psychologist, I can recommend this book with no hesitation. Whether you are new to the concept of energy medicine, or an advanced practitioner, I am sure you will find much valuable information in this book. I haven't seen anything better on the subject! <br /> <br />I especially liked the way the different authors each had their own section in which to describe their specialties, from Gary Craig's EFT to Donna Eden's fascinating work with body energetics. This is a book I will always keep in my reference library.15854244205662008-01-15

I Gave it to All my Friends for Christmas

The title says it all. I found this book at the library several months ago, brought it home and began using EFT on myself. Not long after, I ordered six copies -- one for myself and five for my friends as Christmas gifts. <br /> <br />I used EFT on Sunday to remove a friend's fear of flying. It worked like a charm. I should point out that I am not trained in EFT -- I learned what I need from this book and the book rocks!This groundbreaking book explains how to tap into your body's energy not only to change your health, but to change your behaviors and thought patterns as well. <br><br> Your body is comprised of energy pathways and energy centers that are in constant motion, a dynamic interplay with other energies and with your cells, organs, immune system, mood, and thoughts. If you can shift these energies, you can influence your physical health, your emotional patterns, and your state of mind. <br><br> <i>The Healing Power of Energy Psychology</i> gives simple step-by-step instructions that will help you to: <br><br> - overcome fear, guilt, shame, jealousy, or anger <br> - change unwanted ha