I searched for a book to send my niece who is currently living in England: something Canadian, something inspiring, and above all, something interesting. I found all three in The Journeys of Remarkable Women. Harding's free-flowing style made reading effortless as these plucky pioneers sprang into three dimensions, page by page. I found the details of the lives and travels of these women fascinating as their adventures in the new world unfolded.

Although Douglas Harding has written many books, basically what we find him doing in all of them is looking at what is essentially the same problem from various angles, and then offering his unique and wholly original solution to that problem.

The problem that concerns him is the central problem that all human beings have, that of trying to discover who and what we really are.

In our efforts to resolve this problem, many turn to the study of the ancient wisdom texts because we feel they may be able to help us understand who and what we are. But what we quickly discover is that these ancient texts, whether Zen such as Seng-ts'an's 'Hsin-hsin-ming,' or Buddhist such as the Prajnaparamita 'Heart Sutra,' or Vedantic such as the 'Ashtavakra Gita' (or 'Astavakra Samhita') even when quite short, as these three are, are by no means easy to understand. One could easily spend a lifetime studying the original texts, their translations and commentaries, and still end up no wiser. Ultimately, what they demand is not so much understanding as insight. What is Brahman, or Emptiness, or Seng-ts'an's 'Not-Two'? How does one really find out?

Traditionally one approaches a Master, attends to his words, and practises meditation. Then, after prolonged meditation, insight may come. But not everyone can avail themself of a Master. Some of us have to make do with texts. And meditation can take years. And we are busy and harassed modern folks. Is there a simpler, easier, faster way of arriving at insight? Amazingly, there is. If you really want to grasp what all the great Indian and Tibetan and Chinese and Japanese Masters and Sages and Rishis have been trying to convey to their disciples down through the centuries, all you need do is read this book.

Why, after these thousands of years, it should have been left to an Englishman to discover a simple mental act, an act which anyone can perform anywhere at any time and which unlocks the mystery of 'Not-Two,' I have no idea. But after spending more than twenty years puzzling my head over Eastern texts before finally discovering Harding, I can assure you that his instructions for "reversing the arrow of attention" really do work. His are the most important books I have ever read.

Attention is a bit like a compass. The act of attention which you are bringing to bear on these words as you read them is like the compass needle. Just as the needle always points North, your attention is almost always pointing here, out here. You give no thought to this. But the answer you seek is not out here.

Make Harding your Master. Let him neatly sever your head. You will quickly find that the 'Not-Two' is not a mystery any more. For by following his simple instructions you will have become it. And having become it, you will no longer be in any doubt as to the meaning of either life or death.

Simply put, a misericord is a bracket attached to the underside of a hinged seat in a church stall against which a standing person may lean. From the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries, these under-seat ledges became masterpieces of the woodcarver's art. In England and Ireland carvers made their misericords with an artistic difference, adding supporters -- small, often round carvings that flank the main image.

In this beautifully photographed and elegantly written little book, Mike Harding introduces us into the world of the rarely seen misericords and their supporters. We learn that misericords are not just carvings, but celebrations of legends, folklore, the lives and traditions of common people, bibles, bestiaries, or books of hours carved in wood. Or as the author puts it in an opening poem, "These homespun Winter's Tales/under the bums of Bishops,/worlds upside down, and turned to give/release to rheumatic monks." And ending with the splendid rhetorical question: "Did Bishops' bums have eyes to read?"

Zagst, this is a great book. Wonder if you're still writing. It takes history and bends it in interesting ways. Warren Harding, Thomas Edison and other bigwigs go camping... Sounds like a bad joke. Instead it's a good novel.

This is an excellent book that covers all aspects of Chod.The internal workings of your physical and energetic(channels,chakras etc) anatomy are explained by Machik to her student.There are detailed explanations from the founder to her students and son on the practice and the stages you encounter in your Chod practice.

Very informative field guide; snakes are listed under Family, Subfamily. Data as to distribution, habits and habitat. Color plates clear and professional, making identification simple. Included are sections on Biology of Snake, Snakes and People, Conservation, Controlling Problems and Snakebites. Handy pocket reference.

As an amature collector of Staffordshire Figures, I was looking for an inexpensive book to help with my collecting. In the City where I live, one can rarely find Staffordshire figures for sale. I started collecting on ebay and through that site I ran across Miller's book that Kit Harding and A. & N. Harding, who listed Staffordshire figures, consulted in writing. I cannot say enough good things about this book for the novice such as myself. It was a great quick reference book. The descriptions of the figures and excellent color photos helped me with the basic knowledge of the figures. This book listed prices and what factors to look for in distinguishing the authentic from fake. I highly recommend this book for any serious collector.

As a neurology resident, I find this book to be extraordinarily helpful. It is, as the title of this review suggests, the first text I consult for any neuropathology question. It is also an outstanding resource for concise summaries of the clinicopathological hallmarks of a wide variety of conditions.

The book contains numerous high-quality photographs of gross anatomical pathology and histopathology. The text is well-written, clear and concise. There are a number of handy summary tables in each section. The overall layout of the book is clear, aesthetically pleasing, and visually appealing. The color coding of different sections is helpful in reviewing a given topic, and the index is complete.

Some previous reviews suggested that bibliographic references could be more complete. While this is true, I find it to be a minor point in such an otherwise outstanding text. For comprehensive treatment of any given subject, other, more detailed textbooks are available, but few can rival the clarity of text and quality of pictures in Ellison et al.

From the perspective of an academic neurologist in training, this is the one neuropathology book I want to have on my bookshelf. It is an outstanding contribution to the field.

I found this book quite by accident several months ago, and since then have given over ten as gifts. I never thought I'd like a book about outhouses, but this one is a real gem. The photos are very creative and evocative: Thomas Harding knows his stuff, as his years with the Bachrach Photographers can attest to. He's paired these lovely photos (of not-so-lovely subjects) with quotes from great literature, pulled out of context in the most hilarious ways. My favorite one is a picture of a "two-holer" paired with a classic Edmund Waller quote: "My joy, my grief, my love,/Did all within this circle move!" Give this book a chance, you'll be glad you did.

I ordered this book used, and essentially received a new book. It was in outstanding condition. I consider it one of the better books on the culture of Peony's that I have had a chance to read. I would highly recommend it to anyone, serious about peony's.