I found this book in a state of confused abandonment at my local bookstore, lost among a mumbo-jumbo of unrelated material. I took it home and doubted my purchase until I had tried to obtain TCM information from about five other sources and felt completely confused. TCM can be very difficult to understand, let alone explain, without the guidance of such clear minds as Dr. Fan's. Many books on TCM fail to follow a clear line of explanation and get lost among the confusing similarity and seeming interchangeability of terms found in many sources, but Dr. Fan never does that. Clear, scholarly, a bit dry at times, he never leaves the reader in a void, but rather goes back on himself so as to ensure understanding. His presentation really does TCM a great service, as he dispenses completely with esoteric-sounding, tried and trite pseudo-explanations found elsewhere, and shows how TCM really is a scientific, integrated, logical science. Even obscure concepts such as "disrespect" among the five phases are explained clearly. Differential diagnosis is covered step by step, and Dr. Fan again shows he did extensive homework by summarizing and giving clear correlations between all stages of this most important TCM diagnostic technique. The explanations are brief, but they are a sure starting point and landmark for the student pursuing in-depth knowledge of TCM. For anyone who is looking to study TCM, and for students already lost in the half-english works of authors whose use of the language is their most appalling shortcoming, Dr. Fan's work is my recommendation. And for all practitioners of TCM, please give this book a read, you will find in it a renewed sense of the scientific coherence and depth of TCM at its best.

For both acupuncturists and herbologists, a clean and clear review of Chinese Traditional Medicine techniques and diagnotstics. One of the best teaching guides/references I have read thus far.

This is the book that I find that I consult most often on questions of Chinese medecine. I think the book is easy to read, interesting, and filled with useful information.

The Aldens are waiting for snow when Grandfather tells them that they are going to an inn with a competition. When they arrive, there are missing keys and 4 flat tires. The Aldens all enter an activity. Jessie does skating, Henry does skiing, Violet does ice sculpting, Benny does everything. Benny tries to put on his skiis but the laces are a little tight. So he decides not to try out for skiing. He builds some does some snow-sculpting with some kids his age, but someone has recked them! And some people have acted strangely. Will the Alden's solve this mystery? Will they be winners? Will they find more clues? Find Out all the answers in The Mystery In The Snow.

I am a 10 year old girl.I have read 2 Boxcar Children books so far (including this one)I think it was a great book!I really like mystery stories.So I am looking forward to reading more of the Boxcar Children books.

The story is very interesting,the culprit turns out to have a very good reason,and the answer to the mystery brings a family close.Fun and exciting story about caring,kindness and families.

With the Founder's Day celebrations quickly approaching, the Aldens begin plans to redecorate their boxcar as a float for the parade, until their boxcar suddenly and mysteriously vanishes. The dog has been stolen with it. Can they solve their most important mystery yet?

Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny are fixing up their boxcar for a parade. But then it gets stolen, and worse, their dog Watch disappears! Can they find them both in time for the parade?

When the Alden children decide to enter their boxcar in a parade someone has stolen it with watch their dog. Is it a bratty little kid,a man that collects train(real ones-not models), a person working for Senator Teacher, or Sam,who sells ice-cream and his wagon broke. This is the most important mystery the Boxcar children will ever solve-if they solve it. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.

A.J. Leibling captures the smokey ambience of the ring and its world with a masterly hand. Joyce Carol Oates ("On Boxing") may be squeamish and over-dramatic, and Budd Schulberg self-promoting and exasperating, but Mr. Leibling the has a touch born of a top flight journalist and ardent boxing fan who also has the benefit of minute observation, a genial sense of humor, a well seasoned knowledge of the world, and a strong classical education. We enter the world protrayed in A Neutral Corner by way of the dingy confines of Stillman's gym in New York City, but on the way over are entertained by a short, amusing and thoroughly knowledgable meditation on the Great Ancients of boxing: 18th/19th century Pierce Egan (whom Liebling calls the ring's "Thucydides") and Jewish greats Dan Mendoza and Dutch Sam. Liebling muses on their significant contribution to the ring and that of the Jewish fighters in general and we finally fetch up at Stillman's gym (an icon of New York Boxing) simultaneously with the reflection that there are few Jewish fighters these (1952) days. "With a good Jew fighter now" One of the managers declares, "you could make a fortune of money." There is the rise of Irish fighters and the economic circumstances that gave birth to both Jewish and Irish fighters, and the availability of day jobs that waylay their ring ambition. Yet this is hardly a dry academic treatise, for it is entertwined and amplified by the thoughts and opinions of the trainers, managers and boxers at Stillman's.

Liebling is interested in everything and everyone, and nothing escapes his pen as he immerses the reader in whichever world he is illustrating with his mixture of scholarly observation and streetwise humor. At one point we arrive in Tunis, where one escapes from the oppressive heat into a museum and suddenly comes upon an ancient mosaic of a boxing match. It depicts one fighter knocking down the other. "The fellow on the receiving end", Liebling muses, "has an experienced disillusioned look, like that of a boy who has fought out of town before..." The Tunisian passion for prizefighting has deep roots, and seems hardly about to diminish, with the buildup to a local match nearly consuming the entire city.

Throughout these essays there is the sense of accompanying Liebling as he chats with the managers, watches the boxers train, pokes his head into training camps and interviews fighters and has a drink at The Neutral Corner, a New York bar and grill, to hash it all out. We sit with him near ringside where his smooth prose in no way interferes with his immediate and lively portrayal of the fights. We become acquainted with Floyd Patterson, a sensitive and intelligent fighter forever in search of his soul, the professorial Archie Moore, a very young Cassius Clay and another side of the habitually taciturn Sonny Liston.

Liebling's prose flows and some have remarked on its pyrotechnics, but is tight and descriptive, and his interests comprehensive. Each essay (originally printed in The New Yorker) builds an absorbing world of its own, though several are connected by common themes (for instance, Stillman's gym, Floyd Patterson's series of fights). This is a book for the die-hard boxing fan, for it there is little in it that does not pertain to boxing, its past and present. It can also be enjoyed by the general reader and lover of good writing, for it is a collecton of essays, each one lively and gracefully written, about the people, first and foremost, who make up the old and sometimes dark world of prizefighting.

Leibling's essays are filled with history, humanity and delightful idiosyncracies - all in a prose that recalls a bygone era. This book is not simply for fight fans, it's for anyone who loves to read.

This book is a must for all boxing fans. It contains reviews of BOTH Patterson/Johansson and Patterson/Liston fights, plus Ali's first pro bout. Mr. Liebling was the consummate boxing writer. He gives some very interesting information on the fighters camps and personal lives that make for a great read. An essential addition to any library

Three Books by Kosho Uchiyama, February 21, 2000 Reviewer: Eric Arbiter from Houston, TX
"The Wholehearted Way", "Opening the Hand of Thought" and From "Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment"

I have re-read these books so many times that I think of them as different components of the same work, since the subjects
interweave to produce a wonderful fabric of integrated Zen practice viewed from different perspectives. At first
glance all of these books might seem "lightweight". I thought so at first because of their covers. Especially
"Opening the Hand of Thought- Approach to Zen". It suggests a new-age type of quick fix book about Zen.
Nothing could be further from the truth. This was just the book I needed, though I didn't yet know it. Having come
to Zen meditation 2 years before reading this book, I was still unclear about meditation (zazen). Many of us reach
the point where we realize that we need and want to practice meditation. Then we get to the same point of the
monk in Master Dogen's (1200-1250) quote in Fukan Zazen-gi:

"When Yakusan was sitting [in meditation], a monk asked him 'What do you think when you sit?' The master said,
'I think of not thinking.' The monk inquired further, 'How do you think of not thinking?' Yakusan replied, '[by sitting]
beyond thinking".

What is beyond thinking? This is where Uchiyama makes his point of departure, walking us through just this
juncture. He describes the movement of the mind and what need be done or not done about it. He even includes
a diagram of the action of the mind getting caught up in thoughts and alternatively falling asleep. He speaks of
zazen as neither developing thoughts, nor hating them, but releasing them (hence the title Opening the Hand of
Thought). Zazen is opening the hand of thought (not grasping thought) and returning to seeing the wall millions
of times.

"Opening the Hand of Thought" addresses the vast world of seated meditation and the religious and personal
underpinnings behind it. It is as though Uchiyama Roshi is your own grandfather, telling you about his life, and
your life, too. It is about living the "most refined way". This is not a detached dry retelling of ancient stories about
someone else, but the vital story of ourselves living the life of ourselves (which he says is the very life of the
buddhas, patriarchs and matriarchs). It is the way of "not being dragged around by our thoughts" and living our
lives based on this even-mindedness. We take this into our daily lives in every encounter.

"From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment- Refining Your Life" at first appears to be a popular cookbook appending
Zen to the title for more interest. Again, not so. This is Uchiyama Roshi's commentary on another of Master
Dogen's texts: Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions to the Zen Cook) which was part of Dogen's manual for his monks.
Translator and practitioner Thomas Wright says in the introduction: "Now, what possible connection could a text
written for a group of male monks some 750 years ago have for present-day Europeans and Americans, neither
living in a monastery nor particularly familiar with the society or way of looking at life which differs totally from our
modern Western societies? That is the question to which Kosho Uchiyama Roshi addresses himself when he
began writing the commentary that accompanies Dogen's text". I would say that the emphasis of this book is on
Master Dogen's "three minds": magnanimous mind, joyful mind and parental mind. Through meditation (zazen) we come
to the place where we see that the world is none other than the self and that we take care of others because they
are really ourselves. Everything which arises in your life IS your life.

"The Wholehearted Way" is Uchiyama Roshi's commentaries on Master Dogen's Bendowa, his early manifesto
about the practice of zazen. It is followed by questions and answers (probably asked by his chief disciple, Ejo)
directed at various misunderstandings of what Dogen felt to be the true significance of zazen.

"Sitting is itself the practice of the buddha. Sitting itself is nondoing. It is nothing but the true form of the self. Apart
from sitting there is nothing to seek as the buddha-dharma".
(from Eihei Dogen's, Shobogenzo-Zuimonki)

Uchiyama Roshi's commentaries are in the same vein as the other books, bringing these ancient teachings to us
in a fresh and vital way so that they function in our daily lives. The translations and introductions are done by
three of Uchiyama Roshi's close disciples and long-time practitioners, Tom Wright, Daniel Taigen Leighton and Shohaku
Okumura. Their comments in themselves are worthy of our study.

There is for me tremendous appeal in the great scope and depth of Uchiyama Roshi's teachings expressed in his
straightforward and engaging way. Although carefully thought out, I get the feeling, (as I expressed earlier) of
being spoken to directly. He takes great pains to really look into and study certain Buddhist terms that can cause
confusion if we are unclear about them. For example, he devotes several pages to the term "buddha-dharma".

I consider these three books to be essential in the deepening of my practice of Zen and meditation.

Here are Uchiyama's closing words in his foreword to "Opening the Hand of Thought":

"Above all, I hope that when you read this book, (Opening the Hand of Thought) you will forget your sentiments
about exotic foreign lands and read with a completely fresh mind. I hope that, as you read, you will look at your
own life and apply what I have written to your everyday life. That is the only place where the real world of Zen is".

Successfully defends zazen against Krishnamurti's unfair characterization of the practice as "crude & unnecessary". Clearly and rationally presented in simple language, this book is for non-academic english-speaking lay-folk.

Excellent depth. Uchiyama analyzes the content of Zen, the actual internal experience when doing zazen. Even Dogen, the founder of the meditation practice of zazen, can be accused of not clearly explaining the internal content of zazen. (See Bielefeldt, "Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation") But with a diagram, Uchiyama illustrates how to aim at the target of letting go or "opening the hand of thought." He further explains that although we aim at the target of "not aiming" (my term), we can never really hit this target. But, not being able to stay on target is also part of the "reality of life," the total content of zazen. So, does Uchiyama provide the definitive explanation of the "what" or "how" (Dogen's terms) of the content of zazen? Hardly. Unfortunately, the internal content of zazen cannot be explained through books or over the Internet. Theory only complements practice. "How" we aim, the very power to "aim," remains a mystery. It remains something strange (myoho, the wondrous dharma), something we cannot grasp with our intellection. (See Shohaku Okumura's introduction to Uchiyama's newest translation of and commentaries on Dogen's "Bendowa.") If we could explain it, it would no longer be "wondrous." However, Uchiyama's book does provide a signficant clue about what happens when you sit in zazen as instructed by Dogen.

We purchased 3000 of these books for our healthcare system - one for every employee - and within months our scores went up 40 points!

I would recommend this to everyone!

Our medical clinic became the most recognized organization for patient care because of this book. The strategies are easy to apply and achieve unbelievable results!

Fantastic patient care book that shares the best, proven strategies that work. Our hospital increased its satisfaction ratings by 30%. It should be bought for every healthcare provider.

I've worked with Matt in both a high school and University setting. His teaching style is very effective and is well conveyed in this book. It is a resource for all levels: beginners can learn the rudiments correctly and quickly; more proficient players learn ways to improve the rudiments as well as their overall sound. The solos provide a great forum for understanding how rudiments can be musical and incorporated into one's playing.

i'm not the biggest matt savage fan...even though he writes are music for marching band. But i msut admit this boog ahs it all. It will teach you all the Rudiments you need to know. and it will help you inprove your skill as well. i suggest buying it. :)

The way Matt Savage teaches is amazing. I remember one time, and a drum camp where he was teaching, the snares just couldn't get 1 or 2 measures. Matt broke it down, he said play this...we did...play this...ok, now add this...yep, and do this...and we all had it! It was really cool when I realised not only I could do it, but so could the entire line. This book teaches in the exact same way, and is a must have for any snare drummer trying go get better. It even has CDs for the solos to make sure you're playing it right ;)

This vocal score contains complete lyrics, dialogue, vocal line and piano accompaniment to the musical Sunday in the Park with George. The great aspect about the vocal score is that it contains ALL the music, even songs which are not featured on the CD. The arrangements are excellent and the melody has not been incorporated into the accompaniment, which is the case with many cheap vocal scores. Inside the score it is mentioned that it 'has been prepared from the composer's piano manuscript rather than the piano-conductors score so that it can be more useful to the rehearsal pianists.' As a result, when the orchestral parts are utilised, some small musical discrepancies will be found. Several of the musical themes are quite repetitive, however there are still almost 250 pages of music to enjoy. The music would be difficult to perform for someone who does not feel confidant playing piano. The difficulty lies in the modern rhythms and sometimes obscure tonal flavour of the music. The key signatures regularly change and g-flat and f-sharp major bob up often. As is characteristic of Sondheim's most recent musicals, the vocal lines would be difficult for singers. However, if you are a vocalist that could handle the music, it would be fantastic to own this book. I personally feel that this is an incredible vocal score of a brilliant musical. If you have a love of Sunday in the Park with George and you enjoy either singing or playing Sondheim I highly recommend this score.

This vocal score contains complete lyrics, dialogue, vocal line and piano accompaniment to the musical Sunday in the Park with George. The great aspect about the vocal score is that it contains ALL the music, even songs which are not featured on the CD. The arrangements are excellent and the melody has not been incorporated into the accompaniment, which is the case with many cheap vocal scores. Inside the score it is mentioned that it 'has been prepared from the composer's piano manuscript rather than the piano-conductors score so that it can be more useful to the rehearsal pianists.' As a result, when the orchestral parts are utilised, some small musical discrepancies will be found. Several of the musical themes are quite repetitive, however there are still almost 250 pages of music to enjoy. The music would be difficult to perform for someone who does not feel confidant playing piano. The difficulty lies in the modern rhythms and sometimes obscure tonal flavour of the music. The key signatures regularly change and g-flat and f-sharp major bob up often. As is characteristic of Sondheim's most recent musicals, the vocal lines would be difficult for singers. However, if you are a vocalist that could handle the music, it would be fantastic to own this book. I personally feel that this is an incredible vocal score of a brilliant musical. If you have a love of Sunday in the Park with George and you enjoy either singing or playing Sondheim I highly recommend this score.

At first glance, the price for this selection may seem a trifle hefty. It is worth every penny to be able to own the score to the most emotional musical written by Sondheim. The music is amazing to listen to, but the experience is heightened when one is able to study the score in conjunction with an excellent recording. This score serves as a resource for anyone needing audition music, and it is great as a teaching tool in an advanced Broadway piano class. Incredible buy!

This is an excellent and richly illustrated book on animation at Warner Brothers. It contains a lot of background information on e.g. Carl Stalling's music, the styles of the different directors, inside jokes, war cartoons, forgotten cartoon characters and so on. The joy of reading this book is only surpassed by watching the Warner Brothers cartoons themselves.

While writing an article for the Talaria Enterprises Museum Store's new release of Looney Tunes sculptures, I turned to this very informative book. It discusses the history and impact of the Looney Tunes characters from historical, technical, and theoretical perspectives. Very Good Sourcebook!

First, I have to confess that I am a card-carrying adult who still watches cartoons every Saturday morning. As an adult, however, I'm now interested it the history of the cartoons I watch. (It makes me feel more...sophisticated about my cartoon viewing.)

"That's All Folks" has incredible full-color pictures, chronicals the history of WB cartoons, provides specific information about the most popular characters and cartoons, AND includes a filmography of WB cartoon releases. If you like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the gang, you should have this book.

For new teachers going into elementary school, this book is filled with good ideas and helpful advice. However, much of the writing is based on elementary students only. Most of the ideas would be considered too childish to use with middle or high school students. Also, many of the advice is clearly for elementary only (rewards for lining up in the hallway, giving students hugs, procedures for borrowing crayons, etc.) Looking at secondary teaching, I found this book disappointing.

As a newer teacher in Middle America, I found this compact book to be an extremely worthwhile investment of my time and money. This book has lots of examples and advice to handle those non-education scenarios that often "make or break" a new teacher. Great tips on dealing with other staff (not all will be helpful!), parents etc. This is a book that will help all teachers, especially newer ones like myself, thrive and survive. Buy it. Read it. Its worth it (as is First Days of School by Mary Wang).

As a preservice teacher, I have researched several dozen books of this nature, and I found this one to be the best. It is a compact size (for tucking into my book-bag or purse), and it has hundreds of real-world teaching tips, scenarios and situations for consideration. There's solid information on gaining insight into youself as a person and as a teacher, and down-to-earth and sensible information on how to be successful in the classroom from the start. I got a huge charge of self-confidence from reading this book.