This immortal play is an allegory: a tale which illustrates us on some superior truth, employing symbols. Basil is the king of Poland, who hides his son Sigmund (Freud?, just kidding)in a tower, for fear that an oracle may come true. Once, he takes him out to see what kind of man he is, and discovers Sigmund is arrogant and authoritarian. Then he puts him back in his cell and manages to convince him that everything was just a dream. After that, civil war begins, and Sigmund is out to fight, a totally different man from what he was.

"Life is a dream" is a play about the utter unreliability of our senses. Of course, we have to use them to figure out some reality in which we can live. But we have no idea of who we are and where we come from, much less what will happen after death. We also don't know what death is. It is also a case in favor of peace and solidarity. Why spend our brief and dream-like time on Earth being mean and dirty?: let's all be friendly and good, and this will be a good dream and not a nightmare.

Despite its philosophical subject, the play is quick-paced and funny. The plot to make Sigmund believe everything was a dream is hilarious, and it is easy to see why it's a classic. Read it.

Reference books are easy to review. They are either good and useful or worthless. We are in the first category here. The authors chose a by author system to review the main operas, for each of which a good synopsis is given. One could rise an eyebrow at some inclusions or gasp at some omissions. But Opera has its fads and fashions and the choices of the authors reflect certainly the ideas of opera in 1964 when the first edition came out. One would have liked a little bit more of musical notes but that would have perhaps scared away the neophyte. As it is, the book is an excellent introductory book, and always a convenient reference for the more knowledgeable opera fanatic. A must have book, even if you already own other opera books.

This book is indispensable in helping people intelligently select meat.

In a nutshell the _Lonely Planet: Eastern Europe on a Shoestring_ guide was lovingly referred to as 'the bible' by travellers I ran into from around the world (myself included). Checking in at the hostel in the evening with my _LP_ stuffed in the side pocket of my pack always generated a look of envy from those carrying other, less comprehensive guides. In the face of the perpetually changing environment of Eastern Europe, _LP_ has managed to compile a list of places to stay and food for the hungary (among other handy things such as maps and phone numbers). Prices and availability change as frequently as the currency in Bosnia, but nine times out of ten when I followed the guide to an address not only was it reliable, but a comfort to know I had friends on my side in unfamiliar and distant countries. Absolutely a must for people starting out on a mision to explore the world (Eastern Europe in this case) and not a bad resource for those of you who have already learned how to make all your train connections and find a place to stay. The peace of mind you have knowing that there's help along the way is well worth the price.

Using the Lord's Prayer as a starting point, Hauerwas and Willimon guide readers through major areas of Christian Ethics and thought in their trademark style. Readers familiar with the work of Hauerwas and Willimon will enjoy seeing their individual styles shine through occasionally, and the book reads like one of Willimon's sermons. It is important to understand that this is not a discussion of the Lord's Prayer for experienced Christians, but it can be good for people who have claimed but perhaps not actively thought about their faith.

A worthy summary of the Rangers cup winning season and subsequent failure. Not quite a behind the scenes look at the team but lots of interesting antecdotes the average fan (like me) would otherwise miss. Great insight into Mike Keenan and why his tactics worked for the Rangers (until game 4 vs the Devils). Also gives insight into why they don't work now. I read it in two days and would recommend it.

This collection of pulp tales brilliantly shows just how different the meaning of a writer's work can differ between a fan and the writer. Editor John Stanley, host of the once popular San Francisco based late night horror movie television show Creature Features, put together many of Robert Bloch's 'famous' Lefty Feep stories. Each yarn involved a very contemporary (for the 1940's that is) con man named Lefty Feep who delighted in telling some long suffering schmuck in a coffee shop the wild tales about his failed get rich quick schemes. Written for the fantasy pulps of yore, each tale has a magical trapping of sorts (i.e. flying carpets, genie in a bottle, etc) that inevitably trip up our tireless, and quite clueless, fall guy of a hero. Not surprisingly Bloch barely remembered writing some of the stories (most were written at the request of the publisher and not out of any desire by Bloch to explore the character further) and this workmanlike attitude casts a humorous light on Stanley's obvious, and quite fanatical, love for the character in the interview segments with Bloch that bookend each story. The small press edition, from Stanley's own, and now defunct, Creatures at Large Press, was intended to be the first volume in a series, but none ever followed. Bloch, in his unauthorized autobiography, blamed the stories with his trademarked bemused self-deprecation. Highly recommended for both the silly stories and the probably unintended fan/writer insight.

Another nightstand selection by Jim Cymbala. Having read his two previous books, I find his writings to be both educational and spiritually uplifting. A must for every Christian, every pastor and for those searching for answers.

This is the best handbook on a pain related subject that I have ever seen. While certainly not intended to be an exhaustive review, it provides a great deal of practical info in an 'outline" form.

I highly recommend the book to anyone who deals with back pain, especially in primary care.

Aging City Commissioner of Streets Bobbo Druff, in an effort to hang on to his persona of authority and power, constructs a "MacGuffin", a paranoid plot where everyone is out to get him. Druff starts an illicit affair, instigates fights with his employees, invents lies for his family, and does anything he can think of to create a world in which he is placed at the center of influential, self-advertising scandal. A memorable comedy figure, Druff's self-conscious madness is hilariously inventive. Author Stanley Elkin writes his novel with the lyrical intensity of poetry and creates within his character universal qualities (including self-delusions and hopeless machinations) that resonate in us all. Highly recommended.