As a resident of Manila since birth, I applaud James Hamilton-Paterson's excellent work. I hesitate to call it fiction since the events he says are mostly ripped from the newspapers. For an outsider, Paterson's backstories and subplots may sound too fantastic. But it is all too real. He didn't need to push his imagination on the events described on this book. Just observe the city and a lot of magical-realist stories will come to you. His weaving together seemingly unrelated events is his true talent. Yes, the Manila described here is unflattering but it is the only city with a character all its own.

I am from Manila, but I am young. I did not go through this period of Manila, which was literally on the brink of anarchy. This story is set during the latter years of Marcos, and those were rather scary years. Goverment policies weren't getting anything done. People were miserable, and the government was under heavy criticism. When my mom tells me about it now, it is so unbelievable.

Manila is such a different city now. In the book, it was terrifying. People were getting killed left and right, and it was the work of the government, so no one could do anything. Kids of prominent dissidents were kidnapped and tortured. Women were raped. It was not a good time to be living in Manila.

Much credit must be given to James Hamilton Paterson, who has managed to portray a city so haunting and scary, it scared even me, a true blue Filipino, residing in Manila. I might know the streets and places in this book, but I am sure glad I did not live through these horrible events. If Manila's walls could talk, they would probably tell this story.

An exciting thriller with a fantastic, unpredictable storyline and rich use of vocabulary. The Hamilton Conspiracy is an excellent character-driven action thriller that follows the fortunes and mis-fortunes of a man fighting to avoid personal and financial ruin.

Some great characters and good storytelling kept me reading this book well into the early hours.

I hate saying I couldn't put it down but it's true. The plot unravels at a pace and is full of twists and turns. I was delighted that I was unable to guess what was coming next and there was no way I could have predicted the ending.

It is the story of Jack Gregory, a wealthy guy, who is a business professional. Events conspire to ruin both him and his reputation. How is he going to fight back?

I enjoyed the plot, admired Jack's determination and was enthralled by the characters - especially the bad guys.

I don't want to spoil it for you by giving too much away but suffice to say it was a great read, which made me laugh and made me cry. I couldn't get it out of my mind and kept wondering what was going to happen next and exploring ideas of what I would do in Jack's position. I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did.

These are warm and fun romances about love with the "boy next door". The two different narrators (one man and one woman) really offered good variety.

What a great idea. These are short romantic stories, just long enough for a long walk or a work-out. I listened to mine in the car and it made the commute bearable. Both offer well-plotted romances, profesionally narrated by a man for one story and a woman for the other. It takes a lot of imagination to make a short story come to life on an audio tape, and these met the challenge well. I heartily recommend them.

After bemusing the possible dynamics of the aforementioned literary work, there is a possible conundrum between the civilities of modern progressive ideology and past marxo-realism. This fixates itself by properly realigning the over-stated political asylums of post-regressive truism. A parallel universe then exists between confounded pluralism and unfounded singularities of cognition. This then beckons the ponderance of man's own independence of separate dualities. A sort of presupposition, if you will. To be or not to be, that is in essence all.

For anyone who, like me, wasn't able to go to college and finds themselves a little clueless at parties when people start talking about politics, history and the like, this book is great. Several concepts are explained in ways that make you want to learn even more about them. The only thing I didn't like so much is the title, because it makes me feel like I have to "hide" the book because I don't want friends to see it on my bookshelf and know I'm cheating! It's not so much that I want to impress people as I don't want to sound like a complete idiot, but still, the title is good cause it caught my attention, and they DO give some great advice for how to handle yourself in a group discussion at a party, etc. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel a little more confident in discussions about cultural topics and the like.

This is an essential book for practicers of Theravadin meditation methods. This analysis of the "khandas" indirectly explains the underlying rationale of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, although meditation practices are not discussed directly. Do not miss the thrilling sequel, "Early Buddhism: I of the Beholder".

Dr Sue Hamilton in an up and coming Buddhist Scholar in Kings College London and this is an analysis of the 5 aggregates, the constituents of being according to early Buddhism.

These are body, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. This book is a somewhat exhaustive appraisal of each in turn from a scholarly vantage seeking to explain what they are. The book represents an analysis of the idea of no-self, much misunderstood.

It should be good reading for students philosophers and psychologists interested in self and various views of self.

I'm puzzled as to why IN THE BEGINNING is listed by Amazon as a children's book! Perhaps a child would enjoy the astounding pictures, but it would be only a very advanced child who could read or understand the impact of this examination of the religious beliefs of other cultures. It's the perfect book for cultural anthropology students or mythology buffs. It would certainly tweak the curiosity of readers who wonder about the origins of religion.
I found it a book that led me into more exploration into a fascinating field.

This is the perfect book to introduce readers of all ages to the creation myths of different religons and cultures. In these days when the teaching of evolution and modern cosmology are controversial, this book provides valuable perspective on the way different people have accounted for the earth and its inhabitants. It should be required reading for all public school administrators, and would be a valuable addition to any school (or home) library.

This is a great story of a remarkable business turnaround. Imlay gives great anecdotal examples of business fundamentals. If you want to be entertained and informed, buy it. It is required reading for all our managers.

John Imlay has written a compelling and motivating book that has the power to change how you think of business and the people, the metaphorical tigers, who hunt for success through the business jungle. And in the process, bring food back to their corporate den. A very human philosophy of business revealed through our most primal of instincts. Anyone interested in being successful in business, from students to management, should read this book.

This book moves the reader to new places! For me, it was all about changing the way I relate--to God and those around me. After completing the journaling questions I felt different, changed, and more connected to God and my husband and friends. I experienced a sense of "wow, I'm not the only one who struggles" and that I am not alone on my journey toward deeper relationships. It helped me get "unstuck" and explore the truth of how I really felt about God and myself. This book is for those who want more for their lives--who want to grow, change, and experience the fullness of life that God intended. Many women I know are on this same journey and this book is helping to heal their wounded hearts in many different ways. This book cuts to the heart of the matter and really spurred me on to "leave the mud and learn to fly."

Hamilton does a wonderful job in this encouraging book. She is incredibly vulnerable in sharing her own experiences and, by so doing, helps the reader identify with her. If you have ever been stuck with your relationship--desiring more closeness but not sure how to make it happen--then you ought to check this book out. After reading it and the real-life stories of the women chronicled throughout, I personally felt freedom and am better enjoying my relationship with my wonderful husband. I have already recommended this book to several of my friends, as I will to you.

I'm not one of the sort of people who falls often for heart warming. I'm too bitter, too jaded... too educated to be able to gush openly about kindly regard for many things. This book, though, deserves that kind of praise.

As you could gather from the blurbs from magazines, this is a hundred year old book that seeks to illustrate the lives of typical, everyday (not to say uninteresting) Americans. The book is short; it's stories are realistic. Thus, it gives great insight into our collective 'ancestry': a voice to the long-dead.

I'm inclined to think that every time I mentally want to destroy America, in this book, again, could be found renewed hope and exploration. In this book one can find the stories of Lithuanians who set out to cross the ocean, of free black women finding for the first time life in a segregated south, of Greek pushcart workers who end up with $50,000 in the bank. More or less, these are the voices that give our community continuity.... and, well, I'm starting to ramble and make little sense....

Just read the book....

This book should be more widely available. I find it full of the kind of detail about peoples' lives (in this case, immigrants to the United States) that are cogent, relevant, and delivered with considerable charm and lack of artifice. Everyone to whom I have given a copy of this book has raved about it.

I bought this book at the Dollar Store and it was worth every penny. Whenever I have a crisis, I open it and read a passage at random and it always brings me comfort. And the chapter on tanning is a must-read, whether you're pasty or not.

An essential read for anyone who is seeking out quick answers to reach a plateau of serenity. Only George Hamilton, who personifies such a life of appreciation of the moment can convey such a philosophy. Anyone who appreciates the little things in life must read this treasure.