This book can clarify a lot of questions for anyone who has started meditating but doesn't really see the whole framework of the Buddhist middle-way path. It lays out the causal path so clearly that when you're done reading it you have a feeling that you know exactly what you are doing, and better still, exactly what all Mahayana practitioners have been doing for the last 1,000 years. You also can see how it relates to Vajrayana practice, which at first glance seems so different.

Thrangu Rinpoche starts out with some background history so that the practice can be seen in its context in the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, but this is only the first very short chapter. From there on out it gets extremely practical. He lays out the three causal conditions which are compassion, bodhicitta, and prajna and explains clearly why they are the foundation of practice. Each of his further instructions relates precisely to each of these conditions. He explains that compassion and bodhicitta are important because they are the motivation for practice and gives instructions on how to develop them. He clarifies the difference between aspiration bodhicitta (which turns into the deep wish to practice) and actual bodhicitta (which arises out of practice as a seed of the actual power to liberate beings from samsara). And finally, he gives instructions for sending and taking practice (tonglen)and explains how it works and what it does.

If compassion and bodhicitta provide the motivation to enter the path, The last chapters on prajna give detailed instructions on the means to enter the path, that is how to gain an understanding of the emptiness of self and phenomena, without which none of our actions can be taken with intelligence. So these are meditation instructions and they are the clearest I have run into anywhere, including an explanation of the "Nine Stages of Placing the Mind" which never made sense to me before I read this. He explains the difference between cutting a thought and non-interference with thoughts and when and how you do it. He itemizes the obstacles to practice and gives each remedy. He gives a chapter on insignt meditation in middle way practice, and clarifies how the middle way practice fits into the Vajrayana.

It's all here, the whole path -- clear, concise, and in only 106 pages. The editor has provided useful charts, a glossary and some notes. Some of the charts I thought were a bit misleading and I found myself trying to redo them, but otherwise this is a wonderful book and I would recommend it with no reservations for anyone seriously wanting to meditate and understand what they are doing.

Between spiritual practice and living in the world, between the buddhist view of existence and one's personal experience, between aspirations and one's desire to change basic conditions in one's life, there is a tension. Too tense and it is stress or distraction or ambition. Less tense and it is procrastination, discouragement, fantasy or unconsciousness.

Thranghu Rinpoche uses the works of the 19th century Tibetan scholar Mipham to map a psychic terrain where, between these states, one enters the Middle-Way. The Middle-Way is actually a vast rich plain, almost another world, where one finds a map and direction - the Instructions - to a realm that gradually unfolds its own meaning to the meditator who uses awareness as a compass.

Rinpoche begins the Instructions with the basic vajrayana views of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan buddhism in a deceptively straightforward manner that builds in the reader a disposition for meditation itself. This sense of application of the views in itself demonstrates the preparation stages that naturally lead one to want to meditate. The book does what the presence of a good teacher would do. And Rinpoche is that. He will probably be chosen by the Dalai Lama to be the teacher for the 17th Karmapa, the titular and spiritual head of the Kagyu lineage, one of the four major schools of Tibetan buddhism.

For this task of creating a Middle-Way in a person to begin their meditation, the book is suitably brief, 120 pages, including an introduction, overview and glossary. Beginning with the Chapter "Nine Stages of Placing the Mind" and reaching "The Right Tension" in the next 50 pages, readers may indeed feel that they have already had a pleasant and meaningful meditation. They will have had a distinct experience of their own and have met with the transparent guidance of a gifted and prominent spiritual teacher.

The book invites one back to its wellspring again and again.

Although molecular phylogenetic analysis can be extremely complex, this reference provides an introduction to the subject that is straightforward to read. The reference begins with consideration of trees, which are structures used to model actual evolutionary relationships between genes or entire lifeforms. It then provides an introduction to molecular and population genetics. Coding as well as noncoding DNA (tandem repeats, transposable elements, retroviruses, spacer DNA) is considered. The reference then considers how genetic change can be measured, followed by how we can deduce molecular phylogenies. The validity of the molecular clock is then considered, along with a discussion of the neutralist-selectionist debate. The reference finally considers how different phylogenies can be combined to determine actual phylogeny, reconciled trees, and rates of diversification.

This book is very well written and a handy tool for anyone who is new to molecular evolution. Nice diagrams and concise chapters. The authors know how to break up the sometimes demanding ideas into appropriate bites. Perfect for grad students and senior undergrads.

A great read. I love mysteries that are puzzles and this is one the best. Author is familiar with the criminal justice system; the novel rings with authenticity. The plot is well paced and suspenseful. The protagonist is an original, a jurist as the detective. Justice Scott is richly nuanced, neither eccentric nor stuffy, one of a kind. Overall, the mystery has a fresh and original quality.

I'm a legal groupie. Holmes Marshall led me through the Vatican-like halls of the Second District Court of Appeals with the confident step of an insider. That's what I loved in his new mystery novel -- peeking under those medieval robes of Justice. Justice Cameron Scott is Cinderella-in-Reverse: a handsome, principled, Appeals Court Judge who shines during daytime hours on the bench but falls to shambles once he leaves the polished mahogany courtroom. Scott has a failed marriage, an under-achieving son and sexual adventures that draw him into a catacomb of greed and murder. Marshall's sophisticated take on the delicate balance between corrupt palace politics and a democratic judicial system makes MURDER ON APPEAL a smart, intriguing thriller... and you do get to peek!

The new advantages of Sherlock Holmes is absolutely fabulous this is only one of the sets available for this series. I'm only 26 years old, but the new adventures of Sherlock Holmes has given me a great appreciation for old-time radio. These are true collectors items. If you think you know Sherlock Holmes, I challenge to to listen to the new adventures. I guarantee you'll discover subtle nuances that you didn't know about before. The new adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a fresh approach to this wonderful fictional detective.

Although Edith Meiser was the most prolific author of Holmes radio pastiches, the team of Dennis Green and Anthony Boucher was the best. This collection contains one original Conan Doyle story ("The Speckled Band"), one story from Holmes' retirement days as a beekeeper ("The Living Doll"), and one from the time while he was in hiding after the fight at Reichenbach Falls ("Murder Beyond the Mountains"). Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone star as Holmes and Watson, but the final tale in the collection ("The Stuttering Ghost") is the first broadcast starring Tom Conway as Holmes. When Rathbone left the series at the end of the 1945 season, Tom Conway stepped into the breach, and the Green-Boucher team wrote the series for one more season. Conway does a creditable job as Holmes, but after Rathbone's departure, they gave Nigel Bruce top billing.

one of my top 5 favorite cookbooks- many accessible yet impressive recipes with a good variety of appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts. I'm giving them to everyone I know as wedding gifts. a good way to incorporate nuts into your diet.

I have been using the new Diamond cookbook for a few weeks and want to say that the recipes are very usable. Most ingredients are on my shelf, the directions are simple, effective, and the results so far for all the recipes I have tried have been just perfect. I have been surprised at how easy the preparations are. With some cookbooks, I feel it necessary to try the recipes out before cooking for company but with this book that has not been necessary. I enjoy the many different types of recipes as well as the beautiful pictures. Lovely cover photo also!

I just received this book, and have skimmed to locate items in my particular field of interest -- I am a military historian for fun and (very little) profit.

As I peruse favorite topics, I find it quite impressive. It's pretty comprehensive considering it has to include some trendy topics such as gender and war, as well as more traditional subjects such as battles, campaigns & leaders. There are a number of surprisingly complete and helpful articles on more obscure battles (most run about 300-600 words) and good overviews on campaigns and wars. The length of each essay, or blurb seems appopriate to the complexity or importance of the particular topic.

Comparisons with other compendia are appropriate. Brassey's published a two-volume encyclopedia of military knowledge in the mid-90s, each containing about 1200 pages, the first covering biography and history, the second military theory, concepts and weapons systems. The Trevor Dupuy "Encyclopedia of Military History", whose fourth edition appeared in 1993, is set up in a chronological and geographical scheme and runs over 1600 pages. At 1048 pages the Oxford Companion embraces the themes contained in all those volumes plus sociological matters, literature, journalism, humor, and pop cultural topics.

An impressive group of contributors, all prominent in their specialties, provide ample information both for the novice and the professional wishing to jog his or her memory. Sidebar treatments (some running several pages) on Artillery, armored warfare, airpower, seapower,uniforms, rank and insignia, signals, etc. are very handy reviews of these topics.

I have a few quibbles with the suggestions for further reading. Perhaps some out of print classics focusing narrowly on their subject might have been more appropriate than the suggested recent books that covered the person, battle or campaign as a minor part of a general history; but this is a very minor drawback.

Thhis is a very handy reference indeed, and most importantly, a pleasure to browse.

As a writer, I am often interested in selecting a military example for a point I am making about business. Invariably, I have a hard time locating the facts to see if the examples I have in mind work for my purposes. Weeks of fruitless research have often followed from wanting a fairly minor example. Then, in editing, much rewriting occurs because the details were slightly off in the draft. With the Oxford Companion to Military History, those problems are now all behind me.

I began my investigation of the book by checking out every military history question I could ever remember having had for my writing. Sure enough, this volume contained enough information to have answered each and every one of my questions more than adquately. That was very impressive to me, and it made me decide to add this volume to my reference library. One of the many nice features of this book is that each listing also refers to the best full-length works on that subject, for those who want to get a lot of detail.

The book has more than 1300 entries, written by more than 150 specialists in these military subjects. The subjects are elaborated on by more than 70 detailed maps and 15 pages of diagrams. Each entry is in alphabetical order, with cross-references to more general and more specific topics.

The book focuses on land warfare, so air and naval warfare are in the book primarily to round out the picture on land. So you will find Billy Mitchell, but not the air raids on Ploesti during World War II.

As the editor points out, "There are dictionaries of battles, of military leaders, and even of military history. This is none of those things, although, in its way, it subsumes them all." The purpose is to provide "dependable information and thoughtful assessment for intelligent readers of many kinds . . . ." The book is also designed to be a "reliable and quick reference for scholars . . . ." The limit is that "no companion can claim to be comprehensive."

The subjects include battles, individuals, campaigns, wars, military concepts, weapons, uniforms, equipment, and wider issues (like the military in politics, gender in war, and casualties). I was impressed with the fineness of the detail for many fairly obscure references. Anyone but a military historian would rapidly add new knowledge from just scanning the listings.

Here are some sample listings I found while searching for answers to my old questions: Gulf War, battle of Thermopylae, Alexander the Great, essay on Strategy, Clausewitz, battle of Shiloh, battle of Stalingrad (with maps), Mau Mau uprising, Hundred Years War, siege of the Alamo, and diagrams of how to construct nuclear devices.

After you have a chance to become familiar with this important reference work, I suggest that you think about questions that we should ask about what humanity has learned from warfare. What lessons can be drawn from military examples?

Turn the history of swords into visions of better plowshares!

maximum performance by laurence morehouse and peak evolution beyond peak performance and peak experience by lauren holmes

Great Book! Themes: Growth and change place us in the Unknown. And in the "Unknown" we must 'pathfind'. How do we 'pathfind'? We use our inner-guidance system; as energetic, vibrational beings we have a resonance or frequency. Lauren Holmes teaches us to use it as a guiding force. Seek work or a career at your frequency and you may find yourself in "flow state"; a state of altered consciousness where we can have 'spontaneous knowledge', 'quantum leaps' in change. I love this book! Throw out the detailed plans! Lauren Holmes suggests plans are okay, they have their place, but think about it, how many plans do go awry? Nature moves in non-linear ways; and since we are part of nature we also can access this intelligence which is within us and outside of us. Then watch out for the cluster of coincidences and synchronistic events that come your way, as we are "pulled" along by forces that support and lead us toward our highest fulfillment. An intricate exploration of "follow your bliss" (Joseph Campbell). It's a little complex at first, because it is well done. She even gives free teleclasses each week, so readers can discuss and ask questions. Great stuff! Gotta go...I am feeling a tug to do something else at this moment, and I trust it!

Dr. Holmes is a wonderful instructor who genuinely cares about everyone she comes in contact with; whether it be in the classroom, in church, or anywhere in the WORLD!!!

This is a well-written, well-documented book about the plight of the homeless. It gives you a more realistic insight of the way homeless people live and more importantly, how they feel about their situation. You feel what they feel. This book helps remind us that this situation can fall upon any one of us at any time. Way to go Ms. Furlow Holmes!

This book was a revelation to me. The idea that stress can be a positive force in my life is something I never realized. These two women have really caught the essence of true empowerment by teaching us how to change a negative emotion into something positive and useful.

This book offers an alternative to all other "how to deal with stress" books - it really works! It is a positive, realistic approach to recognizing the stress in your life and learning how to change that stress from within. Stress is all around us but what matters most is how we learn to use our own positive energy to either conquer the stress or accept it in a new format. It will change the way you see stress and the way in which you find solutions to it. Drs. Holmes and Webb are two incredible women who truly have the gift of being teachers. They will teach, inform and delight you as you learn that stress really can be good for you - really!

I'd like to know if this book is teacher's edition?

I need a teachers edition