Picking up a deck of Tarot Cards is like jumping feet first into a cold lake. It may be exhilerating, but it's pretty intimidating as well, especially to a seeker who has no idea what he or she is about to get into. This book offers hope, practical advice, and common-sense answers to the beginner, the intermediate student, and the advanced adept alike.

Lavishly illustrated with the lovely Robin Wood cards, but applicable to any deck, Louis' remarkable observations and essays on each card are on the mark, easily understood, and readily remembered to any serious student of the Tarot.

Louis seeks more than "how to read," and instead teaches the meaning of each card as a tool of self inspection. If the reader cannot read his or herself, she or he cannot read another. Instead, Louis looks to the symbolism, the richness, and the history of each card as pertains to the reader. "Know thyself" was the inscription of the Oracle of Delphi, and Louis has tried to apply that knowledge to his interpretaion of the cards.

The result is a splendid text for beginner or experienced practitioner alike. A wonderful read, a glorious illustrated guide, and a charming introduction to an art too long held too arcane for the layman. "Tarot: Plain and Simple" is the best addition to the field in thrity years!

The title of this lovely volume says it all; Tarot, Plain and Simple. The book itself is, the use and knowledge gained are far more than the innoncence of the title would suggest. Mr. Louis is able to the put the cards in your hands, and to work immediately. There is much on the history of the images, the development of the cards, and other esoteric Tarot lore that Louis omits (wisely, in my opinion). This little book is an introduction, not a thesis. Robin Wood's illustrations and Louis' own charm and humor make this a "user friendly" volume, which is fun to read, re-read, and refer too again and again. Easy, yet challenging, Tarot: Plain and Simple will likely become a classic addition to the field.

Look no further, this is simply the best tarot introduction book. The book is really all-round, written in a clear and simple language which everyone can understand. I have several other tarot introductory books, but all of them fail to give me clear explanations of the court cards (maybe it's just me:-)), and the court cards have been a headache to me when it comes to doing a tarot reading. Now with Tarot Plain and Simple, I finally begin to grasp the court cards and put them into my reading at ease.

Most importantly, the book doesn't skimp on the reversals. Most tarot books for beginners seldom put emphasis on reversals and tell you to neglect it. This one doesn't. The explanation of every card's reversal is as detailed as the upright meaning, and right to the point. I am really impressed.

Five stars, no doubt.

After years of running into this name, "Borges," I felt as though I were falling short of my expectations as a reader to ignore this man and his colossal reputation. Ficciones seemed to be his most widely read and critically acclaimed book, and so I inevitably found myself reading it.

To try to capture the essence of Borges in a handful of words is like trying to capture the Lochness Monster on film: impossible, but frequently attempted. With that understanding in mind, here's my assessment:

All of Borges's stories are very different, and yet they all share a common sensibility, one of understated but very deeply felt anguish. This is not the anguish of an ordinary writer feeling sorry for himself and his fate. This anguish is deep, metaphysical. You get the sense that Borges views life and his fellow human beings at a distance, and yet is able to see more and understand more from this distance. He does not attempt to explain; he simply wants to impart his sense of awe, wonder, and inevitability.

The subject matter varies widely: an infinite library, a scholarly review of the life's work of a fictional writer, a boy with a perfect memory. Some of his stories are Kafka-esqe in a nightmarish sense, while others have the intellectual playfulness of an M.C. Escher drawing: what you thought was 'up' is really 'down,' and yet once you see the big picture you realize that this is the only way it can be. The endings are as inevitable as death, and yet you rarely see them coming.

I'm not so sure that Borges wrote his stories with a specific point or message, although many of them seem to have one. I believe that most of these stories are simply meant to inspire thought and contemplation of the very issues that Borges had been thinking of when he wrote them. One could do a lot worse than to see things through the eyes of this great thinker.

My only complaint is that his stories are not as accessible as they could be, and his scholarly manner may be problematical for some. But the most effective pills are often the hardest to swallow...

If you are lucky enough to read Spanish well, you might you want to try Borges in Spanish. That's not to say that this is a poor translation but rather there are so many minute details in Borges' prose that they are sometimes lost in the translation. Regardless, this collection of stories represents one of the greatest literary accomplishments in 20th century latin-american fiction and beyond. Borges is a writer of the mind, and that's where most of his stories live. You'll find yourself asking questions about what is real and what is not; what is a dream, what is a nightmare. Borges prose is flawless and his imagination is like no other's. Influenced by philosophy, history, and art, Borges captures a piece of humanity into a collection of stories and he only leaves you wanting more and more.

This collection of Jorge Luis Borges' "fictions" brings together incomparable masterpieces of contemporary world literature. No other writer I know of has been able to muster up the sheer creative energy and intellectual power necessary to mold into shape such magnificent ideas and stories. Borges mixes the realms of mystery, mythology, adventure, metaphysics, human misery and compassion, and literary criticism into an awesome whole. His manner of prose-writing is almost equally as impressive: journalistic, balanced, eloquent, evocative. Borges' "Fictions" has had a profound influence on my way of looking at literature and the world. He has evoked an abiding interest in the mythological and historical roots of contemporary writing and, by extension, a deeper understanding and appreciation of the mysteries and meaning in the visual and musical arts, as well. I highly recommend this book (or Andrew Hurley's more complete collection) for an outstanding read.

I love the Xanth series, and this was no exception. I don't recommend this book for anyone who hates puns, though, as it is chock full of them, just like the others. As usual, Mr. Anthony provides characters who are fantastic, yet we Mundanes can indentify with. Who hasn't felt that they don't belong? Or wondered how they will find a sould mate? We have all had a crush we know can't work out. But most of us have not had to deal with these things while on an adventure through a magical land while solving riddles and running from dragons. If you liked other Xanth novels, you'll like this one. And, best of all, this series can be read out of order. I don't recommend it, but it can be done. Pick up any Xanth book, and you will enjoy it.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and so I decided to check it out. I wasn't expecting it to be a spectacular read. boy, was I wrong! This is one of my favorite books of all time and I'm really eager to read all the other Xanth books. There a so many bad puns including a sar-chasm, Com Pewter, and a great deal of having secs (as in the abbreviation to seconds)! Harpy Thyme is a cute, funny, romantic book, and it's hilarious and fun to read! I'd recommend it to anyone!

Anything Piers Anthony writes is wonderful and this is true for this book also. His play on words is great and they make you think. The ending to the book was perfect. And I love finding out about new characters, while still seening some of the old. This is a book you can pick up and start reading with no need for background information from the other books in the series. I would recommand any Xanth novels.

This is the best of the Narnia series. C.S. Lewis allows the plot to get away occasionally from his strict form of Christian allegory. Moreover, the book is funny and episodic and exciting. And it's about getting to know yourself and changing what you don't like.

Unexplored waters and unknown lands create a magic of their own in which Lucy and Edmund and, especially, Eustace -- having magically found themselves on board the Dawn Treader --can come to terms with their weakness and strength. The Dark Island, where all dreams (not just good ones!) come true, Deathwater Island -- the place of greed, Dragon Island, where Eustace turns into a dragon (which, of course, he was on the inside all along), Ramandu's island, the sea people's land, the house of the Retired Star, and more, reveal what stuff these children are made on. What their mettle is may not always exemplary, but in this book at least, characters can change. Eustace can be un-dragoned and become a changed child (having dragon skin a foot deep ripped off by a lion would, I think, inevitably result in change). This is a book of deep, miraculous possibility. As a child, I read *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* until it fell apart, and I've gone through another copy since.

My only criticism is this: C. S. Lewis, having loosened his strangle-hold on his constricting Christian allegory, occasionally seems to feel obliged to bring in something really ham-handed. It's most annoying. The most egregious intrusion occurs when the children encounter, in the middle of nowhere, a milky white lamb frying fish on the open grass. How the heck does a lamb fry fish? Where does he get fish? Where does he get the frying pan? Why do we *need* this for the plot? The Lamb of God (Christ), communion, fish. Cringe. It's all tossed into the pot and left somehow to be digested. There are fabulous Christian allegories; this is not one of them. I would to say that this is the only place in the entire series where C.S. Lewis' allegory truly and absolutely and utterly crashes and burns. But one Lamb doesn't stop this from being a great book. *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* provides delight, wonder, and best of all, a promise of a second chance for every one of us.

Think of a whole series of books based on a different world from ours. Now you are thinking of the Chronicles of Narnia. My favorite book of the series would have to be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This book by C.S. Lewis is the only book in the series that is based around a ship and the islands it encounters. Even if fantasy isn't your favorite genre this is still a book to look at. I beleive when stories are about different worlds, it makes you want to learn more about that world and all the unique of it. As an example, in this story a river turns anything that enters it into gold;and monsters, dwarfs, and creatures called fauns exist. I would recommend this book to anybody who has an imagination and enjoys things that cannot be explained. Also the author C.S Lewis has written the other six books of the Chronicles of Narnia which are all great. My favorite part is that you don't know how much time has passed in Narnia for every book you read. These are all the reasons why I read the book and why you should too.

I thought the book was great! It is one of the best books I have ever read. The book is about a boat named the Dawn Treader and it's crew. Some people in this book are in other Narnia books such as Caspian, from the book Prince Caspian, Lucy, and Edmund with there new to Narnia cousin Eustace. The story is great and I really like Reepicheep the mouse that could talk. My favorite part was where Eustace turned himself into a dragon and could fly over the island. Lucy, Edmund and Eustace were [taken]in by a picture of a boat. Onboard they met Caspain and went with them on their journey to find seven men that Caspain's father sent out to see what was to the east of Lone Islands, Where no man had gone and returned. on their way there a storm hit and they landed on a unknown island. They went looking around on the island to see if one of the seven men were on the island. They found several more islands and found the remains of several men. They sailed past the Silver Sea and to the end of the world. This book was great and I really liked the book.

Anyone who has taken an Art Survey or Art History course at a major university will no doubt already be familiar with this monumental and venerable book. It's long been the standard reference, for good reason. It doesn't merely take a few paintings or pieces of sculpture from a particular cultural period and overload the reader with needless minutiae. Janson's (father's and son's) text merely presents the relevant info that provides for a clear understanding of the progress and trends in areas ranging from visual arts (painting and sculpture) to architecture.

The prints in the new edition are more vivid and outstanding than ever. The helpful timelines and diagrams have been updated, to great effect. The sections on Oriental and Sub-Contintent art , that was just a postscript in earlier editions have been expanded significantly. The emphasis is still on Western art and architecture, but the editors are making strides. As the Amazon blurb-writer notes, some attempts have been made to include more female artists besides Mary Cassatt and Georgia O'Keefe. The recent revival of interest in women artists such as Frida Khalo and Artemisia Gentileschi will no doubt have an impact on the next revision.

This book would make a perfect gift for the budding artist in your household. It would also be a useful and important source of information if you are planning a trip to Europe. There is a reason they call it "Art Appreciation." The more background you have, the more "appreciative" you are of what is involved in the creation of a great canvas or a Gothic cathedral. If you believe that the contemplation of great works of art is a rewarding and enriching endeavor, then I highly suggest you make the investment and let the Jansons be your guides. For more background on Renaissance artists, in particular, I would also recommend Vasari's Lives of the Artists and Benvenuto Cellini's highly enjoyable autobiography.

BEK

This book is a huge work of art in and of itself. The contents span from art in the Ancient World (Prehistoric, Egyptian, Ancient Near Eastern, etc.), the Middle Ages (Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, etc), the Renaissance to the Rocco, and the Modern World.

Naturally, the book is very well illustrated. However, it is also well written. Description of the art as well as the time, artist's life, history, motivation, etc. are included in the text. The book also has some very helpful and detailed time lines between each period. These time lines help the reader be able to visualize the framework in which the art was produced.

Since the book is a history of art, merely thumbing through it allows the reader to visually see the changes which have occurred over the various centuries. These changes included the trends which were followed, the rogue artists who followed no trend, and the stylistic changes which occurred, especially in the postmodern "chaotic" period.

While the history of philosophy is revealing about the changes (good or bad) in people's thinking, the history of art is revealing about the changes (good and bad) in societies lifestyles and tastes (amongst other things) which reflect that thinking. This book is a telling text with respect to how art has changed, been molded, and publicly demonstrated from its beginnings to the present day. It is well worth the sticker price if for no other reason than it contains some of the greatest works of art ever produced.

I was first exposed to this remarkable work in a high school art history class; we used a different text but our teacher showed us this book as the standard undergraduate art history textbook. I managed to secure an earlier edition (I think the second, but I'm not sure) in order to prepare for the Advanced Placement test in Art History. I read through the entire book in just under a week. It's that good. Each chapter flows seamlessly into the next, making reading a breeze. I was fortunate enough to receive this edition (the fifth) as a graduation gift this June and, remarkably, it has improved upon the nearly perfect earlier edition. So what makes the Janson so good? First of all, the images in the book are amazing. Almost every single page has a high quality (usually color) image. The images correspond very well with the text, so you don't have to search around to find what the author is talking about. As other reviewers have mentioned, no previous knowledge of art is assumed. It is exceedingly easy just to open to a random page and understand what is being described. One could learn a great deal merely by reading a few random pages each day. But the beauty of Janson is how unified it is. If someone were to read from start to finish (quite a task), a complete picture of the history of Western Art would be planted firmly in his/her mind with no large gaps or leaps in knowledge. Janson has it all; clearly it is not an exhaustive list of every artist ever to make a contribution. But, a thorough acquaintance with Janson will allow you to expand your knowledge of art history with ease. You cannot go wrong with this book.

As a young professional single woman, I find Eric Jerome Dickeys writing style of the "90's" to be very fresh, provacative and totally realistic. His style of writing such as in "Cheaters", gets you very involved with the characters from the get go, which makes this book very difficult to put down! You can't wait to find out what is going to go down in the next scenario between Chante and Stephan, or any of the other characters for that fact. I appreciate EJD and his ability to write about such personal and sexual feelings. Coming from a man, this is rare, but he has mastered the art of combining pleasure, entertainment and lust into a meaningful story that we can all relate to. I really enjoy how he individualizes each character within their own chapters, as if they themselves have written it. This gives you great insight on what each character is thinking and how they see and feel about the situation at hand. It is as powerful as Milk In My Coffee, his last hit novel, which amazingly lent a positive and realistic imagery towards interracial realtionships. As a person involved in interracial dating, this really hit home for me and made me look at mistakes I have made in my own dealings. EJD is a great author because he writes REAL stories about REAL characters that everyone can relate to. Keep up the great work ERIC,...cos we all love ya out here and think you are da bomb! I will buy any book you write because I already know it will be great!

By now, I've read all of EDJ's books and am a hugh fan. Cheater's however, was the ultimate, my favorite, and absolutely off the hook. The story was completely engrossing from the first through the last sentence. I hated for the story to end, algthough he brought it to a very satisfying conclusion. As the book cover synoposis explains, the story revolves around the African-American dating scene in L.A., and the trials and tribulations associated with loving them and leaving them on the one hand and finding someone for a one-on-one relationship on the other. It also deals with personal growth and the consequences associated with two people who are either on the same page in terms of their goals and/or are growing together or growing apart (with respect to dreams, plans, aspirations). Lastly, it deals with stunted emotional growth and the personal hell people put themselves and others through as they struggle to deal with their inner pain and/or short-comings. Dickey's treatment of all of the scenerios he creates was truly gifted. The book is funny, serious, poignant, sexy, hot and irresistably engrossing. Dickey should no longer be compared to Terry McMillian (Exhale). He has raised the bar and created the NEW standard in depicting meaningful Africian-American relationships, and penning stories that help us see ourselves, enjoy ourselves and perhaps learn something about ourselves along the way. I'm looking forward to the movie, too! Thanks again, EDJ. I'm eagerly awaiting your next book!

Cheaters is the first book by Mr. Dickey which I've read. It's truly a SUPERB piece of work, and I literally can't wait to read everything he has written! Once I started reading this book, I would of never put it down, if it wasn't for those few hours of sleep I needed at night. Even with all the "cheating" going on, I found the main characters to be engaging, easy to relate to, and their situations mesmerizing. The detail in the erotic scenes captivated me; for the simple fact that Mr. Dickey kept it intense & HOTT! That was a refreshing change from other African-American fiction I've read which seemed to be, ummmmmm, devoid of sexual imagery. As if.......... Anyway, in closing, I would just like to thank Mr. Dickey for keeping it funky and also the enjoyable trip he took me on! PLEASE don't make us wait too long to see, CHEATERS, THE MOVIE!

De Mello's "Awareness" is one of the most profound books on spirituality that I have ever read. Breathtaking, stunning, life changing - these are some of the adjectives that come to mind. Sell your house, your car, and your television set, whatever it takes to own a copy of this book. You will feel like Oedipus when he discovered the horrible truth about his own life, except that the discovery will not be one of tragedy but exhilaration. What makes "Awareness" unique is that although it is a short book that is easy to read, it provokes a revolution in outlook and attitude that can only be pondered over a lifetime.

A Father knocked on the door of his son's bedroom and announced, "Wake up! It's time to go to school". The son replied, "I don't want to go to school". "But you must", answered the Father, "why don't you want to go?" "For three reasons", said the son through the door, "first, I don't like it, second, all the kids tease me and third, it's so dull" "Well", said the Father opening the door, "I'll give you three reasons why you must go: First, it's your duty, second, you're forty-five years old and third, you're the Principal" With stories like these Fr. De Mello explores how all of us, young and old, resist waking up. By helping us examine our own beliefs and thought patterns, he leads us to SEE our ourselves for the first time with all of our flaws and selfishness. And by so doing, liberates us. Fr. De Mello is a Master Teacher. If you are ready to see yourself truly for the first time and awake from the sleepiness you currently believe is your life, you must read this book. It's has plenty of humor and playfulness to match it's intensity. It has been said that the gap between stimulus and response is the area called human awareness. Fr. De Mello helps you to increase your gap and lead to even greater AWARENESS.

This will be a brief review, to cast my vote "for" this wonderful book and to offer some advice. I was greatly impressed with Father De Mello's advice to stop thinking about being aware and Just DO IT! That advice -- to be aware of the blessings of God in our world and in the brief section of the world we call our life -- is superb and valid no matter what your faith or outlook (assuming it is basically positive).
Just one word of advice -- the Vatican has, indeed, cast some aspersions on this book (at least for now; who knows when that may change). I would recommend this book be read by someone who feels comfortable with their faith and with their trust in the Lord. The book can seem a bit new age-y but it can also bless one's prayer life and one's response to the wonderful creation, which includes one's awareness.

Not because he's a great writer or director, but because with every single project he makes me feel like I can DO this. I can make good movies that people will enjoy watching. And you can, too.

This is one of the most inspiring books on filmmaking I've ever read--it depicts, in detail, all the ups and downs that went into making and selling EL MARIACHI, the $7000 sensation that opened doors for Rodriguez.

A lot of filmmakers argue that EL MARIACHI isn't a great film, that the story's kind of silly, that the version that most of us saw had $500,000 worth of post-production work added, and on and on.

But they're talking about it. It's 2003 and people are still talking about the amazing feat Rodriguez pulled off with this film. For $7000 of his own money, plus a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears, he got himself noticed and made a career out of his hobby. "Do what you love, then find someone who will pay you to do it."

This is a how-to manual for the basement movie-maker, written by a man who is excited about using movies to tell his stories: in this book, in the commentary tracks for his movies, in his Ten-Minute Film School installments, I have never once felt like Robert Rodriguez was bored with either his work or his achievements. The guy has fun, and his personality gets its fingerprints all over his work--if you can't enjoy yourself while watching a Rodriguez movie, you're expecting too much and thinking too hard.

This guy is not changing the face of American cinema: he wants all of US to change the face of American cinema, and this book is an open invitation to do just that.

Devour Rodriguez. Consume this book and engorge yourself on his DVDs. Chow down on special features on how he did it that also show YOU how to do it. If, after a week-long diet of Robert Rodriguez, you DON'T want to make your own movie IMMEDIATELY, seek a different destiny: making movies is not for you.

This book is very informative without being boring. It takes an often complicated businessBRand makes it easy to understand. PRobert Rodriguez is truly an inspiration to up and coming filmakers like myself,his ten-minute film school is almost shockingly easy to learn from,and his exploits at the research hospital to raise the money for the making of EL MARIACHI is very funny and almost sureal.Speaking of which I am still trying to decide if i'm willing to go to the lengths that Robert did to get the moneyBRfor my first feature.Becoming a leatural lab experiment is not something that appeals to BRme...at least not at this time.

Rodriguez never ceases to amaze me. This is, by far, the most inspirational book on modern independent filmmaking that I've ever read. He simply leaves the mechanics of the art behind and gets right to the soul of it. The diary is a clear illustration of this man's personal triumph in an industry filled with closed doors. Robert Rodriguez not only tells his own story in a fast-paced, exciting style, he actually motivates the reader to get out there and make movies as well. It is evident that this man's passion is film. I am still amazed at how strongly he's able to channel that passion straight into the reader's bloodstream. Rebel Without A Crew is a definite must-read for anyone even remotely interested in producing films. If this veritable shot of motion picture-making adrenaline doesn't move you to action, you don't belong in the business! Read it, love it, live it!!!