International Reviews

In Back to Basics for the Republican Party, Michael Zak has written both a very readable history of the Republican Party and a thought provoking prescription for where the party ought to be headed. From a Republican perspective, Mr. Zak's book enthusiastically illustrates the depth and breadth of Republican Party history and shows that simple issues and historical truths are never quite so simple, or as truthful, as they may appear. He shows that in a number of instances, a lot of what is generally accepted as "true" about the Republicans or Democrats just ain't so. For independents (this writer included), Mr. Zak's lively prose and fascinating historical detail remind us that our modern two party system did not spring fully formed into being upon America's founding. Rather, it evolved over time. As Zak notes, the evolution of the Republican party from the Whigs was significantly shaped by historical events leading up to the Civil War and the rough and tumble politics accompanying them. With chapters like "Holding a Wolf by the Ears," this book at time reads like a historical novel. Zak's call to action makes no bones about laying some of the Republican's current problems squarely at their own feet. "Those who forget History are doomed to repeat it." In Zak's view, ultimately, if the Republicans don't remember their history, they may be doomed. This is an informative book and well worth reading for Republicans looking for an action plan, Democrats trying to understand what they may be facing in the future, or readers generally interested in political parties or U.S. history. It's also something of a cult favorite among Washington insiders and has already been cited in a Supreme Court Opinion. Highly recommended.

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party" is a timely manifesto and historical overview of the ideas that define the Republican Party. As we feel inundated these days with media sound bites and empty symbolism in politics, it is easy to lose sight of the underlying organizing principals on which political parties are formed and how the parties differ from each other. The author argues that most Republicans misunderstand or are out of touch with the party's founding ideals and therefore are not successful in promoting the party to a wider audience. He takes us through a tour of what began as "The Party of Lincoln", emphasizing individual freedom under the rule of law. The immediate political outcome was the abolition of slavery and its enforcement by war. The tour concludes by demonstrating how those underlying principals have evolved today--namely, an abhorrence of tyranny worldwide and a continuing vigorous effort to decentralize government by bringing it closer to the people.

The author brings to life the personalities, both old and modern, who shaped the Republican Party. Both history book and political essay, "Back to Basics for the Republican Party" weaves together an impressive amount of facts and anecdotes that will make you think about Republican ideals in new and interesting ways. It is a well-written, lively, and lucid contribution that will be of interest to anyone who wants to better understand the Republican Party and its roots. The book is also peppered with witticisms and "zingers" that will make you cheer or shake your head depending on where you stand.

Just as Ann Coulter destroyed the myth of Joseph McCarthy, Michael Zak finally sets the record straight on the roots of the Republican Party. Far too often today, the descendants of slavery see the Republican Party as a racist, exclusive club for whites. Hopefully many of them will see this book, and finally learn that it was Republicans who led the fight against slavery from its outset. It was Republicans who passed the 13th , 14th and 15th Amendments as well as the civil rights acts during and after Reconstruction. Zak does not hide the skeletons either. He points out Republican corruption and incompetence, but most importantly points out the tragic mistakes that virtually handed the Democrats almost the entire African American voting block in this country. Where we as a party go from here depends heavily on our understanding of history and the extent of determination to once again become the party of inclusiveness. This does not require compromising those principles that made us the Grand Old Party, and the guarantors of freedom. We have a long way to go, and are sometimes unsure of the right direction, but just maybe Michael Zak and his excellent book will help us recalibrate our compass.

In short, Bastiat wrote this to combat the rise of socialism and communism. He complains that the re-distribution of wealth requires that money be stolen from those who have to be given to those who have not. He calls this legal plunder. Ironicly, Bastiat himself advocates legal plunder, just instead of the government taking it, Bastiat and those who think like him will take it. All of it if given a chance. Communism arose because of the legal plunder and abuse of the wealthy elite. Yet because of the greed of the leaders of the communist revolution, it became the very thing it fought. Bastiat is no different. If you follow his logic, he's merely a mafia boss complaining that another syndicate (the communist/socialist) took over his racket. Does it really matter what your political affiliation is? A greedy communist and a greedy libertarian are both inflicted with the same disease, greed. Take off the party hat, and you have the same individual. Bastiat is what he is fighting. Such irony.

This book was given to me by a friend and it encapsulated all that i believed government should do. A great political and economic primer for all those who love liberty and cherish freedom. The book is short and inexpensive so purchase more than one and give the surplus away.

I just read the book today. In French, but taken off the National Library online as this book is not printed in the nowadays Communist France.
Twice today I got tears in my eyes ...
First when I read the book.
Second when I read your Americans reviews.

Thanks God some people still remember who Tocqueville and Bastiat are !!! They're almost considered subversive material in my country now.

A simple, iconoclastic book which seems too basics for left-wing "publicists" but is more refreshing than many elaborate mathematical heavy treaties.

To be put between a "Road to Serfdom" and "1984".

Read on !

The Osho Zen tarot card deck is a wonderful and highly evocative spiritual tool. These cards have a way of stirring the intuition upon first glance and promptly extracting the truth from any situation in question. My suggestion? Keep an open mind and practice regular use of these cards.

I have found them to be a wonderful guide on my Spiritual Journey. The ultra-colorful illustrations tend to evoke strong images and bring immediate clarity and accuracy to my Readings. This is especially important since I must maintain a high level of excellence at my site, Psychic-Advicespot.com ,as a professional psychic Tarot Card Reader.

There is a very special genius at work here: unlike most decks I've run across over the years, Osho Zen has a silly, yet intelligent sense of humor in its illustration of so-called negative cards like "exhaustion" and "schizophrenia". I think part of the objective behind the author and/or illustrator's humor is to help us poke fun at ourselves and not take every single thing so seriously. The cards seem to offer a "free pass" to not get bogged down by the heaviness of our concerns. Within the cards and the companion book you receive, there is the continued reminder to look at the value in each moment and to live in today (not inside the cares of yesterday or tomorrow).

Osho's visual and written text may indeed be a breath of fresh air for those who need a change from the more Westernized decks, which almost always boast cards like the "Devil","Death"and "Hanged Man". The symbolism commonly associated with the "Hanged Man", for example, is that of St.Peter or Jesus Christ's hangings. Osho contains thought-provoking Eastern ideas like the one depicted in "No-Thingness". I think you should understand what I mean once you read the card's description in the book.

Even if I weren't looking to this deck as a means of spiritual divination; if I merely wished to do casual non-professional Tarot Readings, I still would have made it a point to get the Osho Zen deck because of its amazing artistry! The intensity of color and detail is astounding! Each card is a vibrant feast for the eyes. I have seen many many decks throughout my years as a professional Reader and I still find this deck to be one of the most, if not THE most beautiful I've ever seen!

If you take your Readings seriously, I whole-heartedly suggest you choose the sometimes silly, yet highly meditative images that comprise the Osho Zen deck.(...)

These images are stirring to the masculine and feminine mind because they are both beautiful and powerful. The issue is how to use them for practical advice in real life. Tarot, like the I Ching, taps your subconscious for insights. The greater self already knows what it wants. These methods are for getting the messages through to your conscious mind.

There are many variations of Tarot available including the 52-card poker deck. Osho Zen Tarot with 78 cards combines superb images of east and west with powerful commentary. It is the most exciting and compelling of the decks I've seen. When I saw it I wanted it. When I brought it home I used it.

The book that accompanies the cards shows several simple layouts and how to interpret them. You ask your question, draw your cards, and reflect. The images are of nature, people, and eastern and western symbols. The commentaries in the book address the imagery and Zen principle for each card. Examples can be viewed at: http..... under "ZenTarot".

A NEW AND EXCITING INTERPRETATION OF THE TAROT. MAY POSSIBLE BE THE BEST TAROT AVAILABLE.

ESPECIALLY SUITED FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN EASTERN AND METAPHYSICAL THOUGHT AND PHILOSOPHY.

PROS: EASILY ACCESSIBLE, PROFOUND AND INSIGHTFUL. PRESENTS THE REAL USE OF THE TAROT - OCCULT PSYCHOLOGICAL INTROSPECTION.

CONS: CAPTIONS TEND TO DRAW ATTENTION AWAY FROM INTUITIVE RESPONSES. YOU MAY NEED THE BOOK, WHICH IS SOLD SEPERATELY, FOR A MORE MEANINGFUL DESCRIPTION OF THE CARDS.

Major Bannon's book is a nail-biting thriller and a revealing expose of the inner workings of Interpol. More importantly, it is a literate revelation of a man's painful role in fighting international crime in the only way he knew.

Bannon has carefully crafted a story that is legitimate in every detail and is told in an exciting style that keeps the pages turning. Not since John le Carre and John D. MacDonald has there been such a literate anti-hero and not since Truman Capote and Ann Rule has non-fiction been so well told. It's easy to miss that Bannon is a great storyteller because his art never once inhibits the book, which flies along at such a riveting pace that it will leave the reader breathless at such unsung heroism and heartsick at the cruelty of life.

Bannon's relationships are detailed with tact and honest candor. He uses well-known cliches as a method to quickly involve us in characters; then he subverts these stereotypes to reveal the depth of the real people he met. Bannon's literate craftsmanship allows us to experience his first impression; then we discover with him that that cliches, like first impressions, are only sketches of the deeper person within. This is particularly true of his boss, Commissioner Defferre, who is revealed as a complex man burdened with a mission and a relationship with the author that is heartfelt and complicated. Bannon shares much of the dark, caustic humor shared by his colleagues in moments of stress or rest. What may seem like a corny joke to the reader is actually revealed as darkly clever and refreshingly honest when understood in the context of the horrors surrounding the people in the book. The shallow and less witty who fancy themselves literate and require that every pun has three meanings will never comprehend the lives of these great men and women whose honesty and humor kept them sane in the face of such tragedy.

Descriptions and dialogue do much more than simply propel the thrilling action of Major Bannon's life. The book is filled with the sights and sounds of the places he worked. There are so many cultural and artistic bits of information woven into the story that it's easy to miss them. Korean poetry, American television, Belgian comic books, performance art, folk tales, and fascinating descriptions of what it felt like to eat and walk in these wonderfully different places. When we travel with him to a country or city, whether a castle or temple, park or graveyard, Major Bannon crafts in the history of the place and it's importance not only to the story but also to the people who lived there.

It is the people that make this book so unforgettable. Bannon's greatest gift is the way he blends dialogue into the action. We have a real sense of what it was like to be with these interesting people and to feel, as they so often did, the comfortingly human need to say unrelated absurdities or acidic truths at the most inappropriate times. They were faced with the unthinkable and, through Bannon's descriptions and recreation of dialogue, we understand the truth of evil and the overwhelming power of goodness in the hearts of men and women who fight it.

This is a dense yet tightly paced thriller that reads like a top-notch crime novel and has more angles than a dodecahedron. Bannon's cast seems to have been recruited from the dank, smoke-filled and, invariably, black-and-white alleyways and bars more commonly conjured by Philip Marlowe or Raymond Chandler. Yet this is not make-believe, but horribly, vividly and even nauseatingly real. It is a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying read. Bannon's writing demonstrates his backbreaking research and is spiced with just enough emotion and personality to avoid the banal tone of a travelogue memoir but not go over the top into a morality play. He salts his narrative with bare facts and internal questions that rarely have answers. I hope that Bannon sells the film rights to this book to a foreign director. I don't know if an American could capture the sense of 'film noir' that the story demands. Bannon has done a fantastic job of bringing the details and motivations behind Interpol officers and the criminals they hunt to light. Far more than an autobiographical recounting of events, the author sheds valuable insight on the meaning of faith, good and evil within a daily barrage of violence. He skillfully weaves the facts of crimes and investigations with the disturbing details of the child slavers' narcissistic, sociopathic personality traits. The reader is taken inside Interpol and made to understand how his boss captivated an entire department and came to believe he was above the laws of man. A captivating story from beginning to end that forces us to look inside and to question those in whom we place our faith and trust. A page-turning true crime story that should come with a disclaimer: Read only on a weekend when you don't have early morning plans.

A work of deep humanity and insight, Race Against Evil is an extraordinary tour de force, though not for the faint-hearted. It is an important but deeply disturbing book that offers a terrifying, unflinching look at an organization of shame and glory: Interpol. Bannon's startlingly humble revelations are bold and chilling as they reveal a simple truth: men and women derive pleasure from officially sanctioned killing. The implications of Bannon's memoir are profound - we are forced to understand the intelligence officer as human rather than monster, victim and abuser. Intensely arresting and thought-provoking. Chiu Hse Yu, Lecturer in Law, LLB (NUS), School of Business, Singapore Management University.

Declan Hayes should be proud of this tome. He throws light where, all too often, the professional Japanologists - "it's the unique 5,000 year old culture, stupid" - shed their self serving darkness. Dr Hayes cuts through their cliches - about the unique Japanese snow, intestines and financial system. He firmly positions Japan in hte neomercantilist school - that's what economists do,they correctly categorise - and he shows how and why that catch up policy can no longer work. As a result of mismanagement, Japan is now poorer but far wiser and Dr Hayes has painted this process quite well. He is on slightly weaker ground when he paths the road ahead - perhaps because he is an economist, not a clairvoyant. Because this book wil bring you bang up to dfate on Japan's economy, it is worth buying.

This is a very good book. Prof. Hayes explains everything about Japan's business very well. Sometimes his English is hard to follow for me (I am Japanese) but his argument is not. It starts at the beginning about the marriages and mergers between Japanese and non Japanese companies. It tells that there are too many Japanese working in stupid jobs - like construction (10% of all Japanese workers, shops sales (another 10%)) and so on. It explains why this is silly, what Japan is doing to change it and the other problems. Prof Hayes is a gaijin but he understands Japan very well. I like this book very much.

Prof. Hayes is a well-known Tokyo-based commentator and financial expert. He is especially well-known for his straight talkimg, without being beholden to ideology, vested interests or other unseen affiliations that so often cloud the analysis and the work of others in business, finance and economics. He is very effective in dismissing the cultural argument as a reason for Japan's economic misery. That indeed is a fundamental point: financial disasters (though perhaps of smaller proportions) have happened before in other countries, and the causes were not cultural then... The book should be titled slightly differently, as those that expect detailed coverage of the big Bang reforms may be disappointed - but then again, those reforms can be listed up pretty quickly by anyone doing a 15 minute search on the internet. Hayes' value added is in the incisive analysis. That the book is highly readable and indeed very entertaining goes without saying for this author.

This by far the best of Robert Grave's fictional works. A convincing portrayal of what life was like at the core of the early Roman empire.

Graves masterfully develops the character of Claudius as he ponders his life and impresses his thoughts on to his "autobiography." The reader is then taken through the ambitions and intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from the reign of Augustus to Nero's. Through the eyes of Claudius, the reader is given a bird's eye view into the dynastic contests with wit and humor as well as the evolution of the empire from the remnants of a crumbled republic. With this insight, Claudius is soon appreciated by the reader as having a keen intellect as opposed to being dull and slow of wit. His desire for truth and his loathing of the imperial struggle gives his story clarity and impartiality. All of the characters are well developed; their actions and motivations all come to light in the course of the story.

Along with Gore Vidal's "Julian" this is one of the greatest works in historical fiction in this genre or any genre. A must read for anyone who enjoys history or just a good story full of intrigue and suspense.

Robert Graves, next to Joseph Campbell, is certainly one of the great mythographers of the twentieth century. I,Claudius, and the sequel Claudius, the God, offers a kind of parabolic historical romance. I was drawn to read these literary masterpieces because of my fascination with myth and history. There's an undeniable psychological component to myth and history, as Freud and Jung have shown; and moreover, as Graves and Campbell subsequently conveyed as such individually. Roman perfidy towards an oath of "friendship and protection" to the Phoenicians apparently set the so-called "Punic Curse" in motion, with a "money-madness that has choked Rome ever since," as Claudius, our narrator of the books stated. The disgusting excesses of a Roman Empire, as opposed to its halcyon period of the Roman Republic, soon follow. The "curse" is, apparently, a pervasive though invisible cause, attacking both hereditary and environmental factors. Born into nobility, yet sickly and lame, Claudius is shunned as an Idiot and a Stammer. His character wins our sympathy, nevertheless, because of his sincerity, wit and intelligence. Claudius plays the underdog in a fragmenting political world replete with perversion, duplicity, assassination, murder, sadism, and clinical insanity. Reminiscent of Dante's "Divine Comedy," Claudius take us on a grand tour of the Roman Empire circa the first millennium. As we climb to the zenith of political power with our heroic participant, observer, you could recall that, in and about the same space of time, the Devil is tempting Jesus with "all the kingdoms of the world." The lives of Herod, Jesus, and the prophecy of the Messiah are dutifully reported by our narrative "tour guide," Claudius, evoking an associative parable within parable. "For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul?" is the moral question one could rhetorically harmonize in tune with the synchronous events of the tale and era. The "Punic Curse," like "Original Sin" tries to address the religious causation behind the "disintegration of civilization" (Toynbee). It's a terrifying notion, I think, to play around with, suggesting a chronic form of evil karma, the root cause behind the "schism of the soul" (Toynbee) within the collective unconscious (Jung). "One of the cruelest aspects of the White Goddess," Graves stated elsewhere, is the "Night Mare." The Hellenic world of Claudius seemed to choke on its own cursed actions within a living nightmare. The cursed and dreaded nightmare plaguing our dreams and waking reality, reminds me of the famous passage from James Joyce's Ulysses, "History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake."

A wonderful book. _I, Claudius_ chronicles the reign of the Caesars in Rome from the perspective of the 4th Caesar. Julius is dead by the time Claudius is born, but our hero is intimately acquainted with Augustus and his wife Livia, Tiberius, and finally Caligula. Claudius plays the fool and manages to survive these turbulent years of Rome's history, filled with poisonings, treachery, and the deaths of many honest men and women. Especially during Caligula's reign, Claudius lives on a knife's edge, fearful everyday for his life, playing along with the mad emperor and trying to prevent him from doing Rome irreversible damage.

Stunted from birth, Claudius is a sickly, stuttering child and young man. Ironically, this is the only thing that saves him. Most of his family believes he is an imbecile too unimportant to kill. Ignored by Augustus and Tiberius, tormented by his mother and by Livia, Claudius managed his last hurdle by entertaining Caligula with pert quotes from Homer and flattery. Claudius is a scholar-the only pastime he can manage in his crippled body. His knowledge of history serves him well during this period, providing him with examples from the past to guide his actions during a frightening childhood and youth.

The book follows him up to the point of Caligula's death when Claudius finds himself suddenly the only surviving Caesar, hurled into the office by a dangerous mob of soldiers. He makes his peace with the senate and begins his long reign.

Robert Graves tells the story in first person and provides the necessary guesswork details of Claudius's thoughts and feelings. However, the story is historical in its facts and details. This is a wonderful interdiction to the early history of the Roman empire.

It's hard to believe that anything written about the events of September 11, 2001, could be described as 'wonderful' but Miami Herald columnist Jim DeFede has penned a book that is all that and more.

'The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland' describes what happened when more than 250 aircraft, prohibited from entering U.S. airspace due to the terrorist attacks, were diverted to Canadian airports. Of those, 38 planes bearing 6,595 passengers landed in Gander, Newfoundland, a town with a population of barely 10,000. What happened next goes a very long way to restore the faith in humanity that was shaken by the terrorists. Without exception, the residents of Gander (They call themselves 'Newfies') opened their doors to welcome the unexpected refugees and poured out such warmth and compassion that one passenger later remarked, "I was on a flight from London to New York and landed in Heaven."

Schools were closed to provide space for shelters. Residents took the sheets and blankets off their own beds to deliver to the passengers and stayed up all night to feed and welcome then when they finally were able to get off the planes. Locals approached 'plane people' in the street and invited them into their homes to shower. Pharmacists made thousands of calls worldwide to verify prescriptions and then filled them for free. Shop owners gave away their stock to those in need and, when they ran out, bought more from the competition and gave that away as well. The events described in this book will make you either proud to be a Canadian or regretful that you aren't.

DeFede skillfully blends the tragic and the comic. One moment Gander's residents are compassionately providing around-the-clock care and companionship to the mother of a missing New York firefighter. Meanwhile, other locals are making honorary Newfoundlanders out of several passengers by means of an age-old ceremony involving kissing a codfish and drinking the local liquor whose name, Screech, is apparently an apt description of its flavor.

There's even a little karma thrown in. When the principal of the Lewisporte Middle School allows a passenger to use their computer center to 'run a small business' she doesn't discover until later that the passenger's name was Gordon Conway and the 'small business' that he was running out of her school was the Rockefeller Foundation. Needless to say, her generosity resulted in a new computer center for her students.

After the end of their involuntary visit to Gander, many of the passengers have since returned to Gander to visit and express their appreciation to those who were so kind and generous to them. I, too, plan to visit Gander someday, if for no other reason than to see what kind of people it takes to shine such a bright light on one of the darkest days in our history.

I'd also like to find out what Screech tastes like.

Living just 5 miles from Ground Zero I haven't felt the urge to read any of the many books chronicling the events of that horrible day. On a strong recomendation from a friend I picked up THE DAY THE WORLD CAME TO TOWN. Yes this story will bring tears to your eyes but they will quickly be replaced by sheer awe at a community that, without a moment's hesitation, opened its heart and its doors to complete strangers.

If this story was written as ficton one would accuse the author of an overactive imagination. The people of Gander and it's neighboring communities jumped at the chance to render hospitality and comfort to the "plane people", as they referred to them. This story takes the reader through the full range of human emotions from tears to laughter. Yes, laughter. I want to go to GAnder myself and just hug everyone I see.

If you read one September 11th book, make it this one. It provides a lesson we all could learn about being a good neighbor.

THE DAY THE WORLD CAME TO TOWN is a little book with a huge story to tell about that September day in 2001, when 38 jetliners, carrying over 6500 souls (plus a small zoo of animals in their holds!) came home to roost on an island with its own time zone in a land of Good Samaritans, because the world as we knew it had changed forever.

RebeccasReads recommend THE DAY THE WORLD CAME TO TOWN as one of those immense stories from our collective 9/11 experience of how our neighbors to the north took us in & cared for us. It is also the modern global inter-connectedness that glows from Jim DeFede's gathering of the strands of people's lives into a braid of fear, compassion & gratitude.

This is not the Buddhism I know, and I found it totally unhelpful. I have to admit that I did not read the whole book, but after 60 pages of feeling frustrated and insulted, I had to give up. In those 60 pages, I got no sense of what a Buddhist perspective on death and dying might be. It seems that belief in an afterlife is crucial both to coping with the fear of death and to living a more just and harmonious existence, as if without that reassurance, there is no further insight to be found in Buddhism that could keep us all from running amok. (Is this really so central to Buddhist ethics and its approach to the fear of death? Not to my way of thinking.) Instead of exploring the meaning of that belief in an afterlife (apparently reincarnation?), the reader gets lots of silly references to pseudo-scientific "proof" of an afterlife and superficial comparisons of Buddhist thought and practice to Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism.

A vague and flimsy condemnation of "modern civilization" and its supposed effects on the members of that civilization is also a central part of the author's argument. We live in an admittedly competitive and conflict-ridden world, but is the answer to our dilemma real so simple as translating Tibetan Buddhist practice wholesale into our lives? I say "translate" and, yet, the author fails even to take this step. He recommends mantras in Tibetan that apparently have magical effects on crowds, but if you want to know what they mean, you'll have to flip to the appendix. This is reminiscent of the use of Latin in Catholic mass, which rather transparently invests all religious authority in Latin-literate priests. Similarly, the author gushes about the powers of various masters, and a close relationship with a paternalistic "master" generally seems to be a much more important ground of proper practice than anything that could be realistically adopted by most of us screwed-up moderns, who have neither the means nor the inclination to follow our own Buddhist master.

There's a lot of very interesting material in this book. I found descriptions of the human condition and basic tenets of Buddhism to be intelligently written, and to be inspiring at times. However, I'd like to issue a warning to skeptical people like me who have little interest in unproven or unprovable opinions and expressions of "faith" in their Buddhism. This book spends a lot of time on Tibetan ritual. It cites numerous examples of things the author has seen that seem to prove reincarnation, the possibility and power of enlightenment, karma, near death experiences, etc. When enlightened monks die, did you know that their bodies often don't rot? Or that their bodies disappear into thin air, or that rainbows appear thousands of miles away? That dead monks bodies stay warm for weeks? These things may or may not be true, but I'm just skeptical enough to not want to take the author's word for them. If you tackle this book, brace yourself to read about a lot of belief topics, and then prepare to be accused of being too cynical and capitive of your own ego for doubting it. I would categorize this book as religious Buddhism, as opposed to philosophical Buddhism. An aside: the author's reverence and love for his teachers and his faith is truly touching. His knowledge is great, his love is great, but I'm not sure that makes him the best possible reporter for those who are seeking truth instead of opinion.

Whenever I read a book, I generally use highlighter and underliner to mark the sentences and words that convey the true meaning and essence of what the author wants to say. While reading The Tibetan Book of Living And Dying, I had to stop using the highlighter after a few pages only as the most of the words on each page were worthy of being highlighted. Indeed, the author has said so much precious on every page that a reader must read and re-read the book and with every reading she/he gets more and more knowing.The subject of death has been most puzzling and perplexing to humankind since the time immemorial. The Eastern way of looking at the death as only a 'transition' is explained by the author in a profoundly simple manner. The book certainly helps one to understand the true meaning of the phenomena called death. This understanding helps one to reduce the irrational fear of death. From the lives of the great men and women we know that those who 'lived' a life can only meet the 'death' with equnimity. Thus the author has first taught the art of 'living'. It is only through right type of living that we can 'live' the death also.
I suggest that this book be read by all the Buddhist as well as by non buddhists also. Every one who reads it will find something for him/her.
I salute Sogyal Rinpoche for giving us a wonderful gift of THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING.

This book has an abundance of profound observations of both praise and constructive criticism of the American political system, delivered in a richly eloquent and distinctly objective manner by a young Nineteenth Century French aristocrat/lawyer with a very impressive grasp of enduring political reality. The heart of Tocqueville's message is twofold: (1) his praise of Americans' voluntary associations as prime examples of what results from individuals pursuing enlightened self-interest, and (2) his warning that American democracy has the potential to devolve into pervasive majoritarian tyranny by an all-powerful central government covering the surface of society with a network of small complicated rules and treating citizens like children or timid and industrious animals, in perpetuity. In other words, he accurately predicted the out-of-control bureaucracy and rule by opinion poll which is now inflicting its hypnotic popular tyranny upon us. END

Toqueville's work unquestionably will last for as long as human nature remains the same. Certainly, it is diverting to read accounts about the topography and anachronistically idiosyncratic habits of the inhabitants of America over a century ago; the fundamental value of his work, however, lies in his acute understanding of human nature that does not change throughout time. I must, however, qualify this statement, since there is only one Book, the author of which I am in utter agreement. One part of his book I disagree with concerns the ways of ending slavery. It was not nearly as dangerously problematic as he thinks, since most Western nations that had had slavery peacefully eradicated it, and America could have done so by several means. (One way, although a distinct compromise, could have been for philanthropists, abolitionists, and/ or government to requite the slave owners their money and thereby instantly free those enslaved.) Having said that, I wholeheartedly agree with much of the work, and think that more than most writers on the American polity, he truly perceives how certain tendencies of human nature are revealed in this particular society founded upon practical wisdom, personal responsibility, self-reliance, and faith. Many of his disquisitions on these tendencies that could be accentuated in American democracy are now more thought-provoking than ever. One prominent example is his understanding of an issue fundamental to Americans. He famously shows how they are pragmatically intent upon getting things done by combining in 'societies.' A problem could occur if ever the citizens in general become selfish and much less self-reliant: 'individualism' could arise. He articulates a bleak portrait of a society in which none care to take personal responsibility, but are willing to sacrifice freedom for temporary security. This is disquieting for modern society, and it would be well were more people to read his work and learn from it.

well this book to me seem to talk about how are system flows and the times have completly changed over the pass years. The author Tocqueville was very inspiring and very cunning in the ways he gather knowledge on this great nation I was very fascinated to read the words and see the fact and read the opinion of this very brilliant author. The book shows what pass democracy look like and showed what path he expected it to go. The times were he compares the government with the rest of other nations show how here we have organization and structure. How all the power is not under one rule but split with in different parts no one man is contrrolling everything. Well I am very impress with the book it shows and gives true meaning.

I wanted a Bible whereby, I could make notes in the margins. The paper was extremely thin and unusable for notes. Aslo, the size of the bible was too large for a standard Bible zipper case cover. The leather was not soft and pliable and would crease over extended use.

I purchased my first Thompson Chain Reference Bible as a new believer back in the 70's. It was and continues to be the best study Bible for those who desire to search out the Word for themselves and compare scripture with scripture. And, the extensive Bible study helps in the back of the Bible do add a rich dimension in addition to the topical chain references.

I was a little concerned about the "new" TCR's as several reviewers mentioned degradations in quality and I certainly didn't like the thin glossy paper I saw in the hardbacks in the bookstore. I was delighted today when I received my large print deluxe leather edition Bible.

The Bible I received has excellent flat, opaque Bible paper perfect for note-taking. And, the binding appears to have stitching in addition to the glue, so I'd say the quality of the binding is fine and should serve one well for years.

One caveat in regard to the large print edition--It is LARGE! Not the print (it's 9 point instead of the regular 8), but the Bible itself. It's not so unwieldy that I would think twice about using it, but if size is an issue for you, check the dimensions and choose accordingly.

I can't say enough good things about this Bible. It has my highest recommendation; you won't be sorry in choosing this Bible.

I really enjoy the Thompson Chain Reference bible. It is a great resource for anyone who really desires more fulfillment in their individual or group studies. I will not buy another bible. You can purchase this bible in at least three translations (That I am aware of), but it is the additional material given that makes it better than all other study bibles. The best part about this bible, is that it gives you enough information to start a study, but allows the student to finish the study, and to go as deep as he/she wants to go. The study is not done for you. Some study bibles have a complete exegetical study for you, removing the effort involved in seriously studing the word. It is a great tool, even if you are only reading. It does not confuse the reader, between what is the actual word, and what is the study notes. Maps, topics, study tools, etc... are contained in this bible. Purchase it now. You will not be disappointed. May God bless your studies.