Wow! I thought I'd ordered the wrong book for my needs, which are 1.more knowledge of the process of myofascial release and 2. more understanding of places/points of anatomy. It has been a long while since I've been in school and a long time since I worked at a top teaching hospital in the Bay area in California.

I read a few paragraphs, taking care not to damage the book, because I thought I'd probably return it. HOWEVER, after a few sentences I was immediately caught up in the beauty and clarity of this work. NEVER has physiology been made so interesting. Finally, I understand so many things that were just a jumble of memorized facts in preparation for exams. This book has rekindled my love of physiology and is even undoing my dislike of anatomy. Anatomy didn't make sense to me - it was boring - it was memorization. Now I am understanding why my body is so damaged from the stresses I subject it to, but better, I understand how I can undo some damage and prevent more.

I worked on a Sports Medicine unit where famous athletes came for surgery. So much surgery can be avoided with corrective measures for chronic stressors. The medical community needs to be aware of this important material.

So bravo for such a readable work. What depth of historial findings, beautiful graphics, excellent grammar and text. I feel as though I'm in school again, but this time it is for pleasure and for pain relief.

After a few pages I tried to find out more about the author and was surprised not to see a Ph.D. by his name, although I'm not sure a Ph.D. makes one any wiser.

I totally concur with the first review.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for a simple, trendy approach to bodywork. This is so much more.

I am so grateful to Dr Kuperman for his kind words. All the copies we have have the illustration he mentions, so it must be just a singular printing snafu. I am grateful to be able to correct the spelling of oligodendrocytes for the 2nd printing which will be here shortly, but I would maintain that peizoelectricity is a property of most materials - it is how the crystal in your watch works - and that most endothelial linings are endodermally derived.

But everything else in his review is true, true, true! (though Ah do declayuh, I am blushing.) Thanks.

I am a Board Certified MD Neurologist, with osteopathic training, a Yoga Practitioner of 25 years, and have been teaching Yoga in the Ashtanga and Iyengar styles for 10 of those years. I was familiar with Tom Myers' work for some time. Needless to say I was awaiting this book's release with an anticipation that was not disappointed.

Myers is that rare bird who can convey his insights in a way that is not only accessible but also enjoyable. As is often the case, the revelations in his book (and all of his previous articles) will, I predict, have a profound effect in the Medicine of the XXI century, and have come from "outside" the mainstream of the profession.

The style is agile and yet precise (I particularly enjoy his command of Latin) The book's design is ideal both for straight-through reading and for focusing on particular interests the reader (manual therapist, yoga instructor or practitioner, etc) may have. The illustrations are awesome (to use that tired adjective, for once, in its true etymological sense) although my edition lacked the one facing page 93 (Superficial Front Line) due no doubt to a printing snafu.

The basic idea, that tensegrity ()tension integrity) patterns and structures undergird function at a macroscopic level, while not new, is presented here with clarity, scientific and anatomical rigor, and esthetic sense. It is, above all a practical book, a veritable "Instruction Manual for the Human Body" whether our own or that of the fortunate human that is a reader's cliant.

The few errata (Myers should have specified that piezoelectricity is a property of some materials, having to do with their molecular conformation and disposition; specific glial cells are called "oligodendrocytes" not "oligodendrytes"; the mesoderm, rather that the endoderm, gives origin to endothelial cells in page 36) are minor, and do not detract at all from the overall quality of this work.

I imagine that Myers is already hard at work, perhaps taking this to the next level of visceral manipulation, all the way (who knows) to the manipulation of cytoskeletal and trans-cellular elements. There again, yogis and yoginis have been manipulating microtubules and integrins for millennia...

Make no mistake, there is nothing "New-Agey" or "woo-woo" about this book, though. It is as concrete, flesh, blood and sinew as they come. I could not recommend it more heartily.

With razor-sharp insight and wit, Trotsky points to the necessity for art to exist free from political and social agendas, as well as from the shackles, the stereotypes, the dark ignorance of reactionary class rule. These are not at all contradictory goals. Trotsky declares boldly in these articles that artistic truth must be based not on any particular literary school or dogma but on "the immutable faith of the artist in his own inner self." In this collection Trotsky debates Stalinists, appreciates Tolstoy, Essenin, Gorky, and Jack London, and slam-dunks Winston Churchill's pretentious writings. Must reading for activists who seek to advance their understanding of the arts as well as for writers and artists seeking to understand how their work relates to society.

This is a marvelous book which brings out the deep humanistic sensibility that lay at the heart of one of the twentieth century's great socialist revolutionaries. Trotsky's writings show that Marxism is far from being a sterile set of formulas which relegate art, literature, music, love, and our emotional lives to the sidelines, in favor of economics. No, the book shows that Marxist ideas are so powerful because they can illuminate the complex connections between economic structures and the varied human creativity expressed in all forms of art. It also takes a strong stand against censorship and for freedom, not only in capitalist societies, but in post-capitalist ones, such as the Soviet Union, where Stalinists had made a mockery of artistic freedom in the name of socialism. These ideas are illustarted by a fascinating set of writings, including literary reviews, correspondence with artists like Andre Breton and analysis of the challenges facing artists and writers in the Soviet Union.

Throw out all the misconceptions that you have drawn from Stalinism the worst antiMarxism there is, about Marxists and culture. This is the real deal. This collection gives the real Marxist view of culture, particularly in the major excerpts of Trotsky's Literature and Revolution, a book edited by Lenin. Culture cannot be judged simply as propaganda, but as an organic expression of society, of humans struggling to depict reality. Culture needs freedom. This book contains not only works from the 20s, but works from the 1930s when Trotsky joined with Diego Rivera, the great Mexican muralist, and Andre Breton, the master of surrealism, in a revolutionary defense of modern culture against Stalinist and capitalism.

If you have previous programming experience, Prolog will be quite a challenge. Logic programming is very different from functional or imperative, and will definitely be a major culture shock.

The first part of the book introduces the concepts of logic programming at the right pace, giving you time to assimilate everything. The second part contains several applications of Prolog.

This is a great first book on Prolog and will certainly help you 'getting it'.

I bought this book for the cover (it's good enough to keep on a coffee table), and stayed for the code. My favorite part of the book is Part II, where the Prolog language is described. I learned Prolog from the Clocksin and Mellish book, but never really "got it" until I went through The Art of Prolog.

I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book. The writing is clear, the examples numerous and interesting, and topics are covered thoroughly. There are exercises of various levels of difficulty. Very suitable for self study.

My sister, the unstoppable Codemaster Talon, gave this book to read as part of our literary exchange program (she gives me books to read, and I give her books to read). When I first glanced at this book, I thought it would be an easy read (it's just over 200 pages). Then, when I started reading it, I found myself stumbling over some of the old-fashioned English phrases. I asked her when it was written. "The 70s." she said. "The 1970s?" I asked? "No, the 1870s", she joked. I honestly wasn't sure which one was the real date when until she told me. Yes, this book is indeed authentic in it's language. But for me it was hard. My sister told me to stick with it. Boy am I glad I did.

The story starts out with the giant Black Jack being executed, and then procedes to tell the story of a poor good-natured youngster who finds himself in this terrifying scoundral's strange company. The strange thing is that for some reason, this terrible man finds that he likes the young lad, and won't let him go.

When the boy finds himself suddenly and strangely abandoned by the giant after starting (and ending) his search for an escaped lunatic young girl, he folows the road till he finds (and joins) a traveling carnival. The that's where our story begins.

As Black Jack struggles with his fear of lunatics (can you believe it?) and growing admiration for his young friend, Tolly (the young fellow) gains maturity and learns about life as he helps the poor lunatic (her name's Belle) regain her sanity. It's really engaging, because all the characters are so very HUMAN, and as Tolly continually tries to help the girl while at the same time keeping her from getting to close (she loves him you know) he starts to find that he cares for her too.

When Belle becomes convinced that she really is insane and has herself commited, and Tolly can't get the people imprisoning her to let him see her (despite his growing love for her), and Black Jack won't let anything get in the way of his friend's happiness... Well, let's just say it makes for one of the greatest climaxes I've ever seen in a book (especially when you consider the world is ending at the same time).

What really addicted me to this book was one thing. Love. When I read the passages about how Tolly and Belle found their feelings for each other grow, it gave me a simply wonderful feeling. The author of this book has managed to perfectly describe the feeling of being in love. I haven't felt this way while reading a book in a long time. This feeling the book gave me grew stronger and stronger as it progressed, but the very, very end made it shoot to the sky. Because what Belle kept describing in her wild rants of insanity turned out not to be mere dreams after all, but visions of a future more wonderful than she could have imagined.

If anything I have said connected with you in any way, READ THIS BOOK.

Leon Garfield is one of the best writers for older children ever; no, make that for anyone! His gorgeous language, fabulous, gripping plots, vivid characters and Shakespearean understanding of humanity put him in the very top class of that golden age of children's books of the 60s and 70's--and some of the best of today's golden age, such as Philip Pullman, cite him as an importantinfluence. Back Jack is one of his best books, a wild, terrifying, exciting, romantic and mysterious adventure story that left me reeling as a kid, and still thrills me to bits! Don't miss it!

The wonderful Leon Garfield spent the 1970's writing wildly inventive litaterature for children, and "Black Jack" is his masterpiece. Funny, frightening, and ultimately a deeply touching love story, this terrific little novel is perfect for young adults or intelligent pre-teens.

The plot, such as it can be described, concerns a young boy named Tolly who inadvertently revives a notorious murderer who has just been hanged in the village gallows. The criminal, a fearsome giant nick-named Black Jack, promptly coerces Tolly into a life of crime, very much against the will of the decently noble young man.

Thereafter the novel builds steam as Jack and Tolly meet up with an escaped asylum inmate, join a carinval troupe, encounter various eccentrics and villians and finally witness the end of the world (well, sort off). The final thunder-bolt of an ending is almost unbearingly suspenseful and leaves the reader breathless.

As always, the fun of Garfield's writing is his ability to stack surprise after surprise without loosing credibilty. Despite the crazy goings-on , Garfield always makes his characters seem like real people and their development over the course of the book is complex and moving. If you enjoy intriguing stories with superb dialogue and wild plot twists, don't hesitate to buy "Black Jack". If you like this novel I also recommend Garfield's "The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris" (which introduces one of his finest literary creations, best friends Bostock and Harris) and "John Diamond".

Every serious reader (and especially writers!) owe it to themselves to discover the genius of Leon Garfield, and "Black Jack" is a great place to start.

The first target of Stalin's murder machine was the thousands of communist workers who supported the left opposition of Leon Trotsky. In the Soviet Union the human continuity of real Marxism was broken by Stalin, but the political program remains today. An important part of this program is collected in this book, which analyzes the early tendencies of the bureaucratic machine that was beginning to supplant revolutionary Marxism. Trotsky brilliantly analyzes the first fruits of Stalin's narrow world outlook in the years following the defeat of the German Revolution of 1923. On the domestic front, he points to the need to build an alliance of the working class and peasantry. Within the party, he calls for democratic discussion to replace lies and slander. Now, with the collapse of Stalinism coinciding with a disastrous crisis of capitalism, is a good time to check out these articles by Trotsky.

This book consists of talks and articles by the leader of the fight to keep the Soviet Union on a revolutionary course from 1923 through 1925. Lenin's perspective of extending revolution world-wide clashed with the views of the nationalist, bureaucratic caste growing within the USSR, led by Stalin. Lenin sought Trotsky's collaboration to oppose Stalin's political and organizational transgressions and remove him from the position of Communist Party General Secretary.

But a stroke felled Lenin in the spring of 1923 and he remained incapacitated until his death early in 1924. It was left to Trotsky to lead the fight for Marxism - Leninism against its negation: Stalinism.

This volume marks the beginning of the struggle Trotsky launched at Lenin's insistence to oppose Stalin, Bukharin and others who adapted to middle class bureaucratic layers in Russia and began to turn the young Soviet Union away from the revolutionary communist road Lenin had led it on, onto the bureaucratic degeneration that became known as Stalinism. Covered here are how to fight bureaucracy--is it an administrative or social economic problem--the real history of the Russian revolution, and so much more. This is required reading for fighters in the former USSR, in China, Vietnam and other countries trying to fight their way out of the debris of the Stalinist regimes. This is a great asset for Cuban fighters to understand that Fidel and Che's fight against bureaucratism was not the first.

From the beginning, The Charney Report : Confronting the Israeli-Arab Conflict draws you in. It starts with a historical perpective of the conflict and then is followed by excepts of interviews from his television programs. These interviews are fascinating, captivating and straight to the point.

I couldn't put it down!

This is a fascinating book about the Middle East. It is written with an understanding and honesty that seems to stem from the author's direct involvement with the situation. This personal perspective makes it a very interesting and compelling read. I did not want to put the book down, which is unusual for me when reading non-fiction. The personal perspective brought the issues to life in a way that was exciting and informative. I recommend this book highly.

I have been involved for over thirty years with the developments in Israel and therefore consider myself well-versed and aware of the general gist of the principal political leaders opinions during this time.
What for me was new and informative, and therefore very interesting, were the thoughts and feelings of the second echelon of opinion makers over the past decade "plus", that were expressed in their own words in these interviews.
I very much liked the chronological presentation of the twentysix interviews which forced me to relive and review this last decade and which made me realize the very substancial convergence of ideas, if not feelings, among the Israeli protagonists.
The afterword by LC is to the point, concise and hopeful but not overly optimistic. (I agree.)

This text offers a straight-forward reference to assist in the management of gyn problems I commonly encounter as a Family Doctor. It goes into great detail about anatomy and physiology of gynecologic problems yet is well-organized for use as a "quick reference". For example, it took less than a minute to find the section on hirsuitism to refresh my memory as to what the initial work-up should consist of.

This is an incredible book. Speroff is still the king when it comes to infertility. In our OB/Gyn setting we refer to it many times in our treatment of basic infertiltiy and have had great success following the guidelines given by Speroff. It should be on the bookshelf of anyone who treats basic infertility!!

This is one of the bibles of the OB/GYN resident. Excellent reference for the in-service exams. Simple diagrams & tables make this text readable and easy to understand.

The finding of a disfiguraded corpse dressed in woman clothes forced detective Guido Brunetti to investigate - from the lower districts where male prostitution is a daily routine to the higher districts of Venice where lawyers and financers living a double life used the male prostitute to satisfy their vices and corrupted planes - to find the killer of the faceless corpse. A very well written novel that keep the reader intrigued since the first pages.

It's not that Venetians are unaccustomed to discovering a body in and about one of its many canalas, but when this particular body is found to be that of the director of a local, influential, bank, eyebrows and curiosity are raised. And even more so when this body is presented as a transvestite prostitute! All Venice is in an uproar!

Donna Leon returns triumphantly in another of her brilliant Commissario Guido Brunetti episodes, and the reader is not left for one second in anything but gripping suspense. Leon, an American writer who is enjoying incredible success at writing police procedurals set in Italy, presents "the Pearl of the Adriatic" in more than all its glory. With Brunetti, she explores not only its grandeur but reveals the city's mud as well.

Just as the body is not as it seems, Brunetti finds that there is even more deception to come. Two more bodies are found that are related to this case, and the author examines more than just police procedures here, as she seems to do in all of her novels. The various aspects of Venetian life are examined, the corruption of government officials, the criminal activities (covering a wide range of subjects from drugs to illecit sex trade), and, of course, the personal lives of her central characters. She has a great knack for character presentation that make them more than just "interesting and lovable"! I have found few authors who do so with such dedication and thoroughness.

Leon, who lives in Italy, certainly seems to know her subjects well, beginning with the first Brunetti novel, "Death at La Fenice." None of her books should be missed, not simply because she has a glorious setting, or fantastic characters, or plots that are convincing, but simply because she is a good read!

Billyjhobbs@tyler.net

Picked up an English copy of this with the title "The Anonymous Venetian" in a bookstore in Venice. It was a fascinating experience not only to read such a wellcrafted mystery but to be able, literally, to walk along with Inspector Brunett as he investigated this murder. The twists and turns of the plot are neatly matched by the twists and turns of the calles and canals of its location.

I have read it a million times and i still love it

My son has loved this book and has been his favorite since he got it as a newborn. It has great colorful drawings and the story line is in verse making it easier and more fun to read over and over again. I had to buy a 2nd copy, because the 1st one went everywhere with him and got wet, food stuck to it, pages falling apart after so much abuse, etc. I highly recommend this book. It is a great way to introduce your child to the beauty of nature and trees specially.

One of the most beautiful childrens books I have ever seen. Highly recommended for children of all ages interested in the love of nature and the love for the puertorican culture

Anthony Burgess has written so many great novels. He is of course most famous for A Clockwork Orange, and that one sotry has overshadowed much of his other terrific work.

This book has three different storylines, including Trotsky and space travel, and its never clear as you read through the chapters how they are related, but the plotlines are captivating. And at the end, he does a masterful job of tying it all together. Simply fascinating.

It will be hard to find this book, but if you do, definitely buy it.

If you enjoyed "A Clockwork Orange" as a literary achievement and for its apocalyptic/dystopic vision, then this is a book for you. Look for it in used-book stores. I'm sure there were a few re-prints of it, so don't give up.

Sigmund Freud discovers the psyche in Vienna, Leon Trotsky discovers the worker's paradise in New York City and America waits for a comet to snuff out all life. Three very different tales spin around and through each other in another masterpiece by one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.

Like most Burgess, this is a vastly entertaining book, but you can't just stand back and admire the architecture of this tale. Human characters dealing with super-human problems draw you in to this discussion of the uses of power and the purpose of life.

At first, the interwoven stories jar. You hurry to get back to the interrupted story. What happened next? To whom? But each story blooms, each story comments nimbly on the others and takes its own place in a masterwork by a masterwriter.