I had to read this book for a course on Tantric Buddhism and it was so much fun to read. There is a great introduction which explains a bit about Tantra and some of the terminology in the book. The book is about the mahasiddhas or exemplars of this tradition. The book consists of short stories, about two pages each, of the enlightenment and adventures of these religious people. The best part about it is that they all went through these rigorous mental and physical states to reach Enlightenment and none of them got there in quite the same way. There are thiefs, kings, and young women who have interesting and fun tales to read. I would recommend reading some of these stories for children at bedtime but be careful choosing which one, those Tantrics can get a little crazy!

This is a "Review" of a Book that I think is important. I have just got an idea about the context, but as a pedagogue in Violinplaying and Languages I am all for studying this book closer. I am not a sentimental Man, but I feel that this book has a lot to give. Our school-system (all over the World) is not respecting the little Child. It is a start for the competition against one's fellow-students. It should instead be a Competition
together with one's Fellow-Human-beings !

There are NO Bad Pupils - only Bad Teachers !

It's not recommendable to write about a book that I haven't read,
but nevertheless in this case, the subject is so important;
to give the Best possible start to our Children !

If the book is a "disaster", it's even more worth studying, because it leads somewhere.
But this is an exception from my side !

arielmar2001 - Ingemar Ariel LINDGREN

This book is a wonderful addition to any speech pathologist's (or anyone who works with preschoolers) library. It gives examples from a real program, with proven success. Everything is provided for you to use in your own classroom - including daily lesson plans.

While few fictional books stand the weather of time (in this case, the Cold War, its thawing before then warming into something entirely new), Vasily Aksyonov's "The Burn" has manaaged to, and I expect will always, endure. The author, whose mother was the famous and very courageous Elena Ginsburg who wrote of her prison experiences ("Journey into the Whirlwind"), was trained as a medical doctor and had merged into literary circles, encountering virtually everyone from Steinbeck to the Metropol before being personally exiled by Brehznev. In short, he is a Giant, a prospective for the Nobel. This book long considered his magnus opus, chronicles a group of friends, their experiences in the former Soviet Union and combines jazz, science, politics and very large questions. Astonishingly, it has most often been compared to Pynchon's "V" and, as such, the author writes in a very western and post-modern manner; if Gogol had endured the Cold War and completed his "Dead Souls" series this might be something of what it would appear. This book soared as a bombshell upon its release (its own screaming across the sky heard far), and should be immediately acquired by anyone interested in Russian literature.

The Book: Business Early Warning Systems The Author: Dr. Patrick J. Caragata The Publisher: Butterworth Group ISBN 0408715766

Lets face it, the management of risk should not be a retrospective issue, but rather one of forecasting the probability of possible future problems and preventing them before they can happen. This should be done by addressing these possibilities through the use of contingency plans and is something that occurs far too infrequently. This subject for some reason has, to a major degree, gone without being addressed even though it is pertinent to marketing, just as it is to all other areas in business and government. Dr. Caragata, A CANADIAN SOFTWARE DESIGNER LIVING IN NEW ZEALAND, is well qualified for the task and has put together what this writer considers one of the most important books dedicated to this subject available today. This book is unique in that it addresses the subject of risk and how it can and should be addressed. Many examples of past incidents are cited. In an era in which greater culpability is being placed on administrators be it industry, commerce or government, this book is mandatory reading. It addresses the different types of risk and cites examples of how that risk can be addressed and the costs involved both in terms of monetary loss and survival. This can be appreciated when one considers the rash of air disasters such as the Swiss Air crash, oil spills such as that of the EXXON-Valdez and environmental CATASTROPHES such as that in Bhopal India by Union Carbide, to name only a few. Dr. Caragata provides examples of how these disasters as well as others could have been avoided had the early warning signs been acknowledged and dealt with. HE demonstrates that the science of examining the warning signs for survival are consistent ACROSS MAJOR BUSINESS DISASTERS. He states that many signs can be tracked electronically through the use of electronic risk profiling. He suggests that the use of such tools can provide senior management with the tools to train management and boards to be more open to information challenging their dominant values. He CONCLUDES THAT THERE ARE EIGHT MAJOR FOOTSTEPS TO BUSINESS DISASTERS:POOR QUALITY INFORMATION, INADEQUATE BACK-UP SYSTEMS, INADEQUATE FUNDING FOR WARNING SYSTEMS, WEAK RISK STANDARDS, IGNORING RISK THRESHOLDS, IGNORING EARLY WARNING SIGNS, INADEQUATE ADVANCE SCREENING AND LACK OF CLEAR SIGNALS. I would add that these deficiencies are applicable to all functions within industry, commerce or government. Again I emphasize that this book is mandatory reading for any person in a position of authority

As a preschool teacher for 13 years I am continually looking for new ideas to teach my class of 3's and this book is it! It offers simple, yet age approxiate activities for this age. The songs and ideas are so easy to use and correspond to the world of the 3 year old. The ideas are also for 2's and are usuable in all the areas of a child care teachers curriculum. Excellent!

I have read this book, plus I had Dr. Levin as a professor in the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill. He was a great teacher and his book's style and way of conveying business concepts was equally satisfying. This is not a book for the scholar, rather it is a very good book for those that want a quick, but substantive way to grasp the basics of everyday business. The title also belies Dr. Levin's laid back and easy-going style and sense of humor. He teaches and writes using sometimes folksy, but always perceptive stories and examples of the concepts and points he is trying to convey. If you want to get the basics of how a business operates, how cash flow works and why it is important, why "buying low and selling high" are not only simple concepts but critical guidelines for any business, of any size or scale or complexity . . . then Dr. Levin's book is for you.

I think the vast majorities of stories I have heard about how Francis Scott Key came to write the words of "The Star Spangled Banner" begin with Key being held as a prisoner on a British ship during the attack on Ft. McHenry. In "By the Dawn's Early Light: The Story of The Star Spangled Banner," author Steven Kroll begins with Key, a well-known Washington lawyer, being informed that Dr. William Beanes had been arrested by the British. It seems the doctor had been treating British wounded after the attack on Washington, D.C., and had some unruly stragglers arrested. Key gets permission from President Madison to try and affect the doctor's release.

Kroll's narrative follows the events from August 13, 1814, when Key was informed of Beanes's plight, to when Key's poem, originally called "The Defense of Fort McHenry," was published in the "Baltimore American." I like the way Kroll weaves all sort of historical details into his narrative, making this the most memorable account of the writing of the national anthem that I have come across. The story being told is complimented by the oil paintings of Dan Andreasen, which are done in a style reminiscent of what you found in classic children's books during the Fifties. There is also a photographic reproduction of the original manuscript of Key's poem that her wrote in a hotel after the battle.

In his Author's Note Kroll explains that it was the fort's storm flag, measuring 25 by 17 feet, that was flying overhead during the battle. The flag that was raised in celebration, as Key sailed back into Baltimore, was the larger, garrison flag for Ft. McHenry (both flags were made by Mary Pickersgill). When I last visited the Smithsonian Institute I was memorably surprised by the display of the Ft. McHenry flag, which, I assume, was the aforementioned storm flag. At least, that is how I would interpret what I have read; I might be wrong.

Having had the chance to listen to Robin Cormack speak, and always having had an interest in Byzantine art, I look forward to reading this. I was not disappointed in the least. As Cormack rightly points out both in his introduction and his bibliographic essay, the art of Byzantium is presented either in an homongenous manner, linking all stylistic periods and developments into a monolithic, unchanging facade, or as a realm only the specialist would be willing to engage in. Cormack deftly navigates through the subject in such a manner that is both introductary as well as substantial enough for those already familiar with the subject. Where controverserial arguments are needed, Cormack enthusiastically dives in; where basic explanation is necessary, Cormack elucidates without dumbing-down; where a style of writing is called for to atmospherically render the majesty of the art, Cormack's writing never fails.

For those of us teaching art history classes, finding a textbook devoted to Byzantine art is especially difficult. We now have the classic that will be more than sufficient for years to come.

Kaegi broke the habitual insights into the early breakdown of the Byzantine Empire that usually "blame" external factors such as Armenian disertion, Christian Arabs flight from the battlefield, or even natural catastrophy. The book points out that the Muslims have done everything to secure victory, they even played down the political traps neatly set by the Greeks. Also, the Byzantines' weaknesses and strategic flaws were thoroughly explained without the usual "blame-it-on-someone/something" basis.

A much clearer picture of what went on in the frontline (or rather front cities) and temporary Byzantine's headquarter at Antioch was presented excellently. Along with what the Muslims' Generals carefully thought about their disintegrating, once formidable, foe. A must for anyone interested on the field, a necessity for any researcher looking for a fresh approach on the subject