This is no trivial "new age", pop psych, pot boiler. This is an extremely well written book of sacred wisdom. This is a book of the Quest, and of the Grail. Personally, I've read it three times in my life, and took the time to carefully consider and fill out the the "personal myth section."
The book welds the ancient celtic myths with Jungian type theory. I defy a man not to see himself as a Warrior/Hero, Lover, Magician/Wiseman, or King/Father (as expressed positively or negatively.) The book points out that as we mature we may evolve towards a more mature archetype (i.e. from Warrior or Lover towards Magician or King.) This is the result of the Quest, for both the true Magician and true King have descended into hell, and returned, to earn their gifts. There is a sophisticated understanding here that we are not supposed to strive to be an equal, homogenous, conglomeration of all these roles, but that there are separate, mature, archetypes that we are to embrace and develope towards during a lifetime. Like an acorn, we are to grow towards oakhood, or if an pine cone, to pinehood.
Here also is the explanation of the "The World Tree" universal to all mythologies. This tree is the link between the worlds, with it's branches in heaven and it's roots in hell. It is that which magician and shaman must be crucified on to transcend the world- or be destroyed. Indeed, there is a profound understanding here of shamanhood- and an emphasis on the complexity of this role.
This book also explains the failure and despair in so many modern lives. The sacred wound that never heals- the inability to accept and grow in spiritual undestanding. The wasteland resulting in a failed king's inability so realise that he and the land, and the people, are one....
I seldom say that I love it book, too many people use that phrase too carelessly. But this book of deep truth, deep myth, deep wisdom, I do not hesitate to say that I truly and deeply love.

In today's world of increasing balance between the sexes, sometimes men's spirituality is left unexamined or even ignored. No longer! This book delves deeply into the male side of myth and mysticism and seeks to help men answer difficult questions such as: What do I really want out of life? Why do I feel the need to bury my feelings? How can I become more fulfilled and complete a person? With a mix of psychology and Celtic mythology, the authors examine the four male archtypes -- Warrior, Lover, Magician, and King -- and through stories and examples help men analyze their motivations, how they think, what they lack, and finally, how to heal and to start down the road of wholeness on all levels of life. Included is a quiz to discover which of the four archtypes one embodies the most and meditations to promote understanding of your archtype(s). This book is one of the best on male spirituality out there, especially if you already have an interest in Celtic culture.

I first remember seeing one of Richard Brown's spectacular photographs on he cover of Country Journal, a magazine devoted to celebrating rural life styles that ran a span of several years in the early to late 1980s. Brown's stunning photographic style showcased the day-to-day confluence of ordinary Vermonters living their lives in the rural splendor of the Northeast Kingdom in the far reaches of the lovely "People's Republic Of Vermont". Often Country Journal would feature a number of his photos inside each issue, so one subscribing the magazine began to look for them both on the cover and inside, as well. Indeed, his work was what made me search for the latest issue at the beginning of each month.

Here he stuns us with the majesty of Vermont as it transpires the incredibly beautiful cycle of seasons in a way that only a photographer of such obvious abilities could. Herein he shares many of his favorites, and several of these I have seen before in other venues. The problem with a book filled with such gorgeously shot, developed and produced rural photographs is that one is tempted to carefully extract them for framing on the wall. They are really that terrific! Photographs range from shots of landscapes to silhouettes of a farmhouse steaming against the winter cold, from children walking down a dirt-covered tree lined country road exploding into autumn's extravagance to an elderly gentleman leaning against a barn with his favorite cat.

While gazing at the book, one sits transfixed by the sheer variety of scenes and colors so native to the rural landscapes and personal portraits. Brown shows us all of the changes that transpire in the North country, a place where the changes are so frequent and so momentous that they comprise six seasons, adding both the dreaded mud season of early springtime on the one hand, and the so-called 'off-season' after the autumn glory has been swept away, leaving cold bare trees and a hauntingly spare and vacant atmosphere to settle over the region on the other. Listen a few times to folksinger Tom Rush's rendition of "Urge For Going" a few times on the CD player and you will get the idea. Brown's imaginative hand is lovingly apparent in this book, displaying both the soulful visages of local inhabitants and the unique flavor of the haunting ever-changing scenery so typically Vermont. This is a distinctive and memorable recreation of what we love so much about being native new Englanders! Enjoy!

we have visited vermont many times this book captures all the beauty of this spectacular part of the world

Anyone who has visited this quaint and delightful town will love Connie Cooper's collection of essays about historic New Castle. Dr. Cooper is the Manuscript Librarian of the Historical Society of Delaware and her thoughtful manner is reflected in her choices of articles for this volume. I was particularly pleased to discover an essay about the Dutch in New Castle by C.A. Weslager; a 1795 description of the town by the Duke de la Rochefoucault; and Deborah Van Riper Harper's essay "The Gospel of New Castle: Historic Preservation in a Delaware Town,"which focuses on the work of Daniel Bates and mentions Louise Crowninshield. The book is fun to read, a refreshing piece of scholarship, and beautifully printed by Cedar Tree Press. It is a real collector's item that will give pleasure to readers for many generations to come.

In this book, the Bobbseys are headed to the town of Merlin to visit a friend who is the owner of Creepy Castle, the town's main attraction. But from the first time the Bobbseys enter the castle, things start to go wrong. First off, Flossie sees a vampire that Laurel, one of Creepy Castle's managers, claims should not be there. And then Cara, the other manager, disappears under mysterious circumstances. When Nan and Bert enter a store to buy something, Mr. Phillips, the store's owner, catches them with counterfeit money. And then Mr. Phillips mysteriously disappears, too! This book is a very hard find, and supposedly worth a lot, but it is worth it! This book is another excellent addition to the New Bobbsey Twins series, which, unfortunately, is out of print.

Leila Castle has gathered an exceptional collection of distinguished women's journeys to sacred sites. It shares the feminine aspect of well known and lesser known ancient sites in Europe, South America, and South East Asia. It is a celebration of the creative, intuitive, and sensual experiences of women of all ages and cultures. The journeys vary in duration, but there is a common experience of finding one's "ancient knowing", and remembering cultures that celebrated in harmony and co-creation with Mother Earth.

This book is the most well-written book on ghosts I've ever read. The author's general story-telling style can easily captivate the reader and leave him wanting more. The author is obviously well-read, a scholar who is very eloquent, and a splendid writer. His tales are memorable and haunting, not only because of the subject. His characters and their stories will linger in your mind. I've read many ghost stories, but this is the only book (on ghosts) I choose to own.

When I moved to DE, relying on directions from natives was usually a bad idea--they'd lived here so long they all used landmarks (some of which no longer existed) to give directions. This map has yet to get me lost in 4 years of use. It lists both route names (which the natives use) and numbers (which the rest of us use.) Invaluable!

The story is great. Very simple to read and understand. The illustrations are the greatest. Anyone who has ever moved will identify with the character. It's a truly wonderful book.

In this book of the Olsen twins MK&A are invited to Princess Glorianna's ball. But when mysterious things happen and Glorianna goes missing, Mary-Kate and Ashley have to figure out what has happened to the princess. This book was pretty good. I reccomend it to younger readers. I love Mary-Kate and Ashley!

THis book is a very good book. It's about Mary-Kate and Ashley get a letter from a real live princess!! It said: You are invited to a royal ball in honor of a princess. They were so happy. Until the princess get's kidnapped!! The Olsen's were on the case. Than they look out the window and find the princess's slipper. And some broken glass on the outside. So it had to have benn from the inside. Read this book and find out who took the princess.

This book is mostly about a princess that is kidnapped in the midle of the night. The best part in this story is when Mary-kate and Ashly get chased by guarddogs and jump into the dumpster.I think anyone would enjoy this book!!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and give this book a negative review. It's not that I don't like Kafka, I've read most of his fiction and I think he was a brilliant writer. But this book just disappointed me. It's a few hundred pages too long--he pretty much makes most of his main points in the first part of the book and the remaining narrative seems superfluous and, well, tedious. Although his other two novels are also "unfinished" I think he expressed himself much more clearly in them. I agree with the other reviewers that this novel was about many things, i.e. the quest for truth, the frustration of the invididual facing the state and society itself, etc., but I think it could have been done better, especially by someone like Kafka. While reading "The Castle" I couldn't get over the impression that I was reading the first draft of something the author probably would have refined and improved had he lived longer.

I read somewhere that Kafka used to read the newly-written chapters of THE CASTLE to his friends who would laugh uproariously along with the author. I found this the scariest thing about the book, indeed one of the strongest clues that late 20th century America is immeasurably distant from early 20th century Austria-Hungary. This book will give you nightmares. It is nothing so childish as a Hollywood horror movie, but a somehow crumpled, twisted, horrifying view of human nature, especially as manifest in bureaucracies. K needs to speak to someone to get something done. He approaches the castle where the lord lives. The whole story involves his endless efforts to speak to someone, anyone, who can help him contact the servant who has the ear of the clerk who can speak to the courtier who might be able to talk to the cousin who occasionally is known to have the ear of the lord. And of course, K is continually frustrated. Not to mention you, the reader. It is the stuff of the worst nightmares. Thus, though it is extremely unpleasant,without any hint of beauty, love, or human feeling, THE CASTLE is a most powerful novel, one of the best I have ever read. I can't say I liked it, but it impressed me no end. If you have ever read anything else by Kafka and liked it, you will definitely like this one. It was never finished, but then such a novel can have no finish.

Translation means everything! Over the years I've read much of Kafka especially during adolescence and into my early twenties when his worldview spoke most directly to my own attempts to understand how the world really worked. Of all his books only The Castle totally defeated me. I must have begun it five times in my life, only to abandon it partway through. Now I know why. It wasn't Kafka. It was the translation.

Mark Harmon's translation brought Kafka close to my ear and heart, the way he used to when I was younger. I could see the darkness of his interiors, feel the cold of his snow covered wind blown exteriors, smell the stale beer of the taproom, taste the small meals and strong coffee served, sense the animal []attractions of his characters. Most of all I could really hear the voices of his people as they simultaneously revealed and concealed themselves through their stories.

Sometimes I laughed out loud. Sometimes my hair stood on end at the dark realities which this book unveils. The Barnabas family stories in particular chilled me. Especially in this time of fear and shunning by powerful majorities of the 'others'in our societies and in the exhaustion of the 'cleansings' and genocides of the last century, the fall of that family made me feel like I was inside a hateful part of our past, present and future.

I've now lived part of my life within bureaucratic organizations, even as an 'official' and I understand as I couldn't as a youth how absolutely Kafka has gotten to the deepest truths about how our power structures work. What it's like to be enmeshed as part of them, and-or to be at their mercy. It is hard to find free space in the world.

I used to think Kafka was a genius and an artist of the highest rank. Now, reading him in an excellent translation I understand that he was also a prophet.