This is a straightforward series of reality statements that will awaken your soul.

I love listening to some of the ideas on this disc right before meditation or when I retire for the evening. Dyer suggests listening to just one transforming though per day, but if you've read a few of his books then most of these thoughts you will already be familiar with. The disc then serves as an excellent reminder and will help the ideas soak into your subconscious. The background music on it is nice.

Highly inspirational and uplifting. Books and tapes by Dr. Wayne Dyer have inspired me to write. I am an author myself on Amazon. Full of wisdom, self-empowerment, and encouragement.

This book not only maps out the territory of advanced Capitalism, but it provides a political philosophy that is a "Negri beyond Negri". Although Dyer-Witheford draws a lot of ideas from Antonio Negri and the Italian autonomist tradition, he surpasses them with his excellent analysis of postindustrial capital. Moreover, Negri's most recent work (with Michael Hardt), "Empire" falls short of Dyer-Witheford's "Cyber-Marx" which is more realistic, practical, concise and defensible than Negri has ever been. This book is worth buying by anyone interested in the realities of technological society.

This is a masterwork; a unique and nearly comprehensive view of Marxism appropriate for our times. Nick avoids dogma and certainly eliminates all vestiges of teleology. The absence of dogma is indicated by the wide variety of sources that are tied together with a strong square knot. Optimistic yet realistic, this book is a must for all progressives and all who give a damn about human and Earth survival. I would have liked to see more on neutralizing militarism; if he has ideas on this I hope he writes them up.

Addendum 12/6/02 -- Why aren't more people discussing this superb work?

I had an urge to go back to readings on politics after September 11th tragedy... So I bought a few books from Amazon and Autonomedia. Spent Christmas time reading them with an almost furiouos enthusiasm!
As a 49 years artist, european and ex-trotskyst wandering along the late capitalism pathway of illusions, I found this book an absolute must for anyone trying to do a map of the present state of humankind.
It is most probably the best portrait of post-marxism and neo-marxism done in the last twenty years. Systematic, well balanced, straithforward, wit and very very humanistic.
I think that this canadian leftist - Nick Dyer-Witheford - deserves an urgent translation of his book to french, spanish, portuguese and chinese as soon as possible...

this had been a book as well as an audio presentation. It would have made a great read. Some are put off by Dyer's newer works in which he seems to get pretty "new-agey" and metaphysical and I understand that. I much prefer his work from the late 70's to mid 80's. I have nothing against his spiritual ideas per se, but sometimes all the chanting, Course in Miracles, and doctrinaire eastern thought can get a bit heavy for my taste.

These cassettes are practical, common sense presented in a lively and upbeat forum. There is plenty of humor and food for thought. For example, Dyer talks about people making themselves upset about traffic jams and people saying you "should have" this or "should have" that. He rightly points out that traffic will be traffic independently of our opinions, and that there is no way anyone can "should have" done anything. The past is over and to be victimized about something over which you have no control is absurd.

Far better is to use our present moments constructively and bring our own joy to what we do. Dyer goes on to point out that we all collect mental garbage from our past and then continue to beat ourselves up with it and stay in a neurotic and non- life-enhancing cycle.

If you enjoy wisdom presented in a practical, humorous way, you will love these audio tapes and listen to them over and over again. It may sound over-simplistic, but it is true that if you listen to this message and take the principles to heart and actually work them, your life will change immediately and dramatically.

This could be the best thing you ever did for yourself for under fifteen bucks.

I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Wayne Dyer's books and tapes and especially this one! He has a wonderful way of mixing humor with his advise. This tape can really make a difference in your life. I've purchased it for myself and several friends. He keeps things simple, yet shares profound wisdom with you that can really help you move to a happier, more fulfilled life.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Wayne Dyer and this cassette collection. It has changed my outlook on life. Everyone needs to listen to what Dr. Wayne has to say, it can only enhance your outlook on life. The only limits that exist are the ones that we place on ourselves. After listening to Dr. Waynes Tapes and reading his books I realize that there is nothing that I cannot accomplish if I set my mind to it. I do not feel the need any longer to worry about things that will probably never happen or that no amount of worry can prevent. I realize that yesterday is over, tommorow has not happened but today is my masterpiece to be lived to it's fullest.

This book has come to mean so much to our family...the simple story of the faerie boy and human girl teaches us about strength of character and appreciating differences, true. But as a Wiccan mother, this story has a special meaning for my children about being open to magical adventures and yet staying grounded in their own identity. The illustrations are breathtaking, and the poetry practically sings right off the pages. This book should be on every child's shelf.

This book is absolutely beautiful! The illustrations are gorgeous and the poetical rhythm of the rhymes that accompany the pictures are nothing short of lyrical. My favorite bit though, is the ending, where the author urges her young readers to " Be brave, be bold, be unafraid..." It takes traditional children's rhymes to a new level, reminiscent of old world poetry, and yet it is lively, easy to understand and fun to read out loud. It is simply literature for young children at its best!

I discovered this book in a class about writing children's books. While I have read many books by Jane Yolen, I can honestly say this is one of my favorite Yolen books with a poem as text. The poetry is intricate yet appears simple. This is a story that must be read aloud, simply to delight in the rhythm and the story. The illustrations are stunning, accentuating an already wonderful story. I strongly recommend this book for children, particularly in a read aloud setting. I also recommend this book for adults who love all things faerie or who appreciate a sweet tale that almost sings.

This book is so wonderful! Even from the very beginning it was great! I would definately recomment this book to anyone who's looking for a great book to read! Plus, Akito Hayama is soooo cute. Sana's a intellegant girl also with a great sense of humor.

This manga series is really cool, and one of the best manga comedy series I have read! I love the notes also that the author has written in her books, I love reading about where she gets here ideas and insperation or whatever else she gots to say!

WHoo Hooo! Kodocha is the best manga written!! This is about a girl named Sana, she is a child T.V star living in Japan. If you thought you had it bad in your school just wait 'till you read Kodocha. A bully named Akito is harrassing teachers and students. Sana and her friends haven't done school work in months. Sana finnally gets extremely fed up with what is going on so she tries stopping Akito, and boy is that gonna be hard. First off he has a huge following, or as Sana calls it his "Monkey Group" second off he is extremely strong and not afraid of hurting girls. -Sorry I'm probably revealing a little too much.
Anyways the reason I love Kodocha is becuase the characters are just so darn hilarious. The all have there own kooky traits and personalities so you feel like you actually know them. I also like the drawings. They're not amazing but they're sone with so much detail and personal style so they're fun for the eye. Kodocha takes a very long time to read because there is so much fine print and hilararious background drawings. The beginning of the first book is a little strange and confusing, but so is most manga and anime when you first start it. Over all I love Kodocha but my one problem with it is that the covers are so corny. Do NOT be fooled by the terrible front covers. Kodocha is hilarious for pretty much all ages mabye 11+ You're gonna have to stick with this wonderful characters. All in all there is 10 Kodocha's in Japanese but sadly at this moment (2/24/2003) there is only 5 out in English GRRRRRRRRR. The first one is probably my 3rd favorite of the ones I have read, meanign Kodocha just gets better and better. YAY go out and buy it today:-)
The hilarious side pannels are great also, don't forget to read these.

If you are looking at this review and care about your children or even about yourself, BUY THIS BOOK! I was at a low point in my life, wondering which direction to take and starting to lose sight of who I am. While browsing through parenting books, I found this amazing book and have been highlighting left and right. I discuss it with everyone I can and have found it to be immensely helpful in re-directing my own way of thinking. Postive thoughts surround me, I no longer feel pity on myself, I take action!I am happy to say that although it will make a difference in how I parent my daughter, it already has changed me and how I think. I realize now that I should not allow situations to control me, and this book is wonderfully adept at helping with this. If you have unbridled anger or frustration...this book is for you. Share this book with everyone you know, it will only affect them postively. Although there were some issues which I do not agree with personally, I did understand and respect all of Dr. Dyer's thoughts. It is a powerful and enriching book, which will enhance your life and that of those around you. We need more like this in such trying times.

I think this book is really about what we want for OURSELVES. All parents want the BEST for their kids but they rarely apply it to themselves. This book teaches you how to model the most healthy, sane and life-affirming behavior and attitudes so your children will learn these attitudes. The only way to effectively model this behavior is to actually become this kind of person ourselves. It requires an open mind toward one's own behavior, thoughts and beliefs. Here are the chapter headings:
"I want my children to value themselves
I want my children to be risk-takers
I want my children to be self-reliant
I want my children to be free from stress and anxiety
I want my children to have peaceful lives
I want my children to celebrate their present moments
I want my children to experience a lifetime of wellness
I want my children to be creative
I want my children to fulfill their higher needs and to feel a sense of purpose"
Don't you want to live this way too? I know I do.

My mom is in the childcare business. She has been using this book as a guide to help her rear happier children, with less conflict and more support. She has done an amzing job with some tough to handle kinds...who thanks to her and the help of the book are no longer so tough to handle, and are happier and more cooperative.

To this day this is our favourite gifts to new moms we know :)

Splendid book about Mother Russia, the way moscow was captured during the Viet Nam war was amazing. Us reds will never go wrong when we read such good books. Remember we must be who we are chosen to be and not who we want to be.

I particualry feel that this book was amazing and I am really interested in the people in the book. What an amazing family, how cute the young ones must be! Her story of Pearl Harbor was fascinating and i reccommend this book.

a fascinating account of one woman's childhood. the grandchildren sounded very interesting. i would like to know if someone could give me the the 4th oldest grandchild's number. he looks cute. i hope there are more books like this in the future

This is a beautiful book both visually and in content. The watercolor illustrations are in the realistic style painted in fine detail. My daughter loves to look at the pictures closely as we read the poems aloud.

The poems selected cover a wide range of topics, themes, and moods. There are funny poems like limericks, serious poems about the seasons, poems about how children sometimes feel (such as the one about the boy who didn't do anything right yesterday, so he's not getting out of bed today) bedtime poems, and poems about child play.

This book was a gift and I love it so much I've since given it to other parents and children to enjoy. Everyone has been enthusiastic about it. When my daughter selects this book (which is often) it's fun for us to browse through the pages and pick poems based on the illustrations or on our mood. We'll say, let's read about sleepytime poems, or let's read funny poems. She never tires of this book. There are hundreds of poems to choose from, but the scope is not overwhelming either.

I give this book my highest recommendation. Every home should have some poetry on the shelf!

Last night, my not-quite-three-year-old daughter spontaneously recited a couple dozen poems from this book to my wife and me. We were astounded. She's been requesting that we read TALKING LIKE THE RAIN to her day and night since I bought it last month, but we had no idea how deeply the poems had sunken in. What better endorsement can one give to such a book? We plan to buy several more copies as presents for my daughter's friends . . . and their parents.

X.J. Kennedy is a terrific poet as well as a top-notch editor. I highly recommend his own children's poetry books, particularly his irreverent BRATS, as well as his poetry books for adults, which include the excellent DARK HORSES and CROSS TIES.

This large, gorgeous picture book contains 123 poems perfectly suited for youthful excursions into the land of poetry. You will find many favorites here as well as bountiful opportunity to make new friends. Emily Dickinson, Rachel Field, David McCord, Jane Yolen, Christina Rossetti, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Coatsworth, and Robert Frost are just a few of the amazing talents that grace the pages of this book. From the very beginning where a qote from Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa" explains the title of the book, we are swept up in a cavalcade of imagery, sound and experience that is a true delight and feast for the imagination. Not only is this a wonderful introduction to poetry for children it is a giant step forward toward learning about creative visualization and self-expression. It is a fortunate child who learns to evoke response from others through the mastery and selection of words. There is no better way to teach the art than to provide a child with the opportunity to experience the magic first-hand. The splendid illustrations in this book cheerily invite one to venture closer and then become the magic carpet that sweeps one from place to place within the book. The subject matter covers a broad range of topics, humorous and thoughtful, and can serve as a wonderful catalyst to further discussion about poetry and the use of the imagination. After a long and satisfying relationship with this book, may I suggest that you place a special magical pen and a blank tablet of paper in the hands of your child and discover the wonders it has helped to deliver. This book is truly an ambassador to creative expression.

My teacher leant me her copy, as I am an exchange student from China learning English. She said this would be a good way for me to hear the language spoken by native speakers. I admit that I viewed this first as a textbook of English language in America. But fast, I found myself pulled in to the storys and people. I never knew that a story with sounds only could ever be interesting. I have not to be in New Orleans, I want to go now. I find movies in English can be hard to follow as I am distracted by images. This allowed me to concentrate on the language. If this story is similar to the life in this place I want to see it for myself. I think that anyone who is trying to learn English should know about plays like this. I think a person who is interested in being very entertained should get a copy of this play in specific. It is fun, sad, drama, good, sounds very nice, action, nice music, and the people are very real. The storys are interesting. It is excellent. I enjoyed this very much. I think you would too.

I heartily recommend Joel and Dana Pierson's "French Quarter" for consumption by anyone who loves audio, relishes theatre, and possesses a sincere sense of living and humanity. I will warn you, however, that once you open this tale, you cannot extract yourself from it until its end. And even then, you will not be able to stop yourself from thinking and feeling for the characters and the circumstances they find themselves in. It is with a tremendous love and awareness of life and all its quirks that the Piersons have written this tale ... and it is with pure hard work and dedication that they, along with their wickedly talented and equally understanding cast and crew, brought this superb "baby" to life for all of us to hear. Take it from someone who fell in love with "George" and cried through his greatest sacrifice. And the tale of "Jorge and Rachel" which speaks volumes for the agelessness and racial blindness of true love. Along with its dazzling array of human beings, "French Quarter" also delves into some important social issues such as adoption and women's rights, and does great justice to their significance by treating them with common sense and realism. Let's not forget the biting humor and a sharp eye (or should I say 'ear') for the cultural idiosyncracies of N'Awlins. In all, I found "French Quarter" to be much like an excellent jambalaya! I just couldn't wait to sink my teeth into another beautifully crafted character, a well-written line, or a carefully engineered sound. And left me wanting lots more.

I'm a native of NOLA and was given this for Christmas. I've listened to it for a think the fourth time in 3 weeks (I spend a lot of time in the car). This is great storytelling and so nicely recorded. Great acting. SUPER music by some local New Orleans natives. This is great. Highly recommended. I was happy to find that I stayed interested in all the characters and was touched by some tragic events. Thanks also to the writers for telling "alternative lifestyle" stories with dignity and humor. Thanks also for bringing new life to that NOLA cliche, the vampire. George is powerful and his story is "real".

Get this. Listen to it. Buy it for friends. Worth EVERY penny and then some.

Jamaica and Canada are the backdrop of the thirteen short stories contained in author Bernadette Dyer's "Villa Fair." The characters in the book are of various ethnic backgrounds and classes.

Of the thirteen stories in the book there were two that stood out in my opinion. These two stories are entitled "Driving Through Red Lights" and "Roberta on the Beach."

"Driving Through Red Lights is about Kamla, the child of Hindu Indians who have immigrated to Canada. Kamla was born and raised in Canada therefore she know more of the western culture than she does of her Hindu heritage. This is something that causes her parents great stress. Tradition states that women should marry fairly young, so at twenty-three Kamla is considered an embarassment and disappointment to her family. Tradition also states that the marriage must be arranged.

One day Kamla's aunt Rashna comes to visit from Bombay, India and she announces that she has found someone to marry Kamla. Kamla's husband-to-be, a future doctor, is named Lachman Ramsingh. He will come to Canada in two months to claim his bride and take her back to India. She does not want any of this, she wants to marry for love and live in Canada. The many twists, turns, and emotions make this a very enjoyable and touching story. As a reader I felt drawn into the story.

"Roberta on the Beach" is the story of the Douglas family, a poor working class family from Montego Bay, Jamaica. They are a family of ten, with eight children: Slim, Caleb, Sheila, Georgina, Elaine, Lorraine, Maggie, and Roberta. Roberta is the oldest girl in the family. When she turns eighteen and graduates from high school Roberta is contemplating her future, when fate intervenes. Roberta's aunt Melanie, who is her mother's sister, has written a letter advising her sister that she would like to provide a college education for one of her children. Roberta's parents quickly decide to give Roberta the opportunity of a lifetime. Little do they know that this decision will alter the course of their family forever. "Roberta on the Beach" is a good lesson in family and the strength that families must have to survive.

"Villa Fair" was a good read. The stories were good but not great. "Driving Through Red Lights" and "Roberta on the Beach" were excellent and if these two stories were complete books I would definitely read them. On the RAW scale this book is a 3.5.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks

Villa Fair is a wonderful collection of stories that have common universal themes integrated in a multicultural context. The themes of love, identity, tradition versus modern beliefs are woven well in stories such as Ackee Night in Canada, Segovia's Stories and Driving Through Red Lights. These three stories had characters of mixed heritage. Thus it was quite interesting to read how these themes were developed from a different cultural perspective. These stories were even more interesting because the endings were unpredictable, yet believable. Ms. Dyer writes very well. Her poetic and lyrical style engrossed me in her stories. I enjoyed the stories immensely and look forward to reading more from her.

From the Library in Toronto where she works to the neighborhood in which she lives, Bernadette Dyer sees much go by representing Toronto's multicultural panoply. This clearly inspires many of the takes in "Villa Fair," her collection of short stories. Other tales in the book are the germinated seeds of her own multiracial, multiethnic Jamaican and Portuguese Jewish ancestry. The people in her stories mirror her own ancestors --emigrés from somewhere else, establishing roots in new lands, living through generational conflict fueled by the meeting of old with new, yet influencing the host country and/or culture which is richer for it, and will never be the same. For example, there's Kamla, the twenty-three-year-old Indian-Canadian narrator of "Driving Through Red Lights," in love with a young Canadian man, while promised to an arranged marriage with someone from India. A surprise ending has Kamla's parents and aunt facing cultural change on two continents. In "Segovia Nights," Carlos Fernandez captivates his listeners with legends, reinvented stories about a mythical family and past. The tall tales are indicative, however, of a far deeper problem. One senses that the author and librarian in the story are one. Jomo, from "An African Out in the Cold," is lost, then found again while visiting Toronto, as, unknown to him, his host has suffered a heart attack. His isolation and cultural shock are palpable. Then there are tales coming from the richness of the author's Jamaican memories. The story "Man Man" dances back and forth from spirit world to "reality," as the ghost of a drowned seven-year-old boy moves comfortably among the local people of a plantation, until a new anglo mistress comes to stay. Another from the Jamaican collection, "Ackee Night," show how a much aggrieved woman, whose man has threatened idly to leave for years, calls on a Jamaican culinary secret to keep him permanently from other women -- and herself. The ending takes the reader by surprise. The title story, "Villa Fair," also catches one off guard, yet this reader felt puzzled by its sharp, unredeeming ending. Is Thunder, the chief male character, destroyed as a punishment for straying from his promise? Does the exotic, the magical always win out over the more conventional path? "Leaving Faro," the final tale, is a paean to Dyer's Portuguese Jewish ancestors, who fled to Jamaica to escape persecution. The mythical and the magical touch many of the stories. "Close the Blue Door" tells of mermen who lure their chosen loves to disaster, while in "Six Little Sparrows," the same number of Pakistani children and their mother shape shift into the title. The author's Jamaica and Canada are pulsing, vibrant settings where her characters don't want racial barriers to exist. Her families are strong and loving, evidencing the blurred lines of racial identity. Several of the stories, such as "Man Man" and "Roberta on the Beach," satisfy in their present form, yet would benefit also as longer fictional works, with some of the characters developed further. "An African Out in the Cold" seems a fragment, and one wishes for more. "Villa Fair" is an entertaining collection of well-told tales. We await future works with interest.

(originally reviewed in Halapid, Vol. VIII Issue 2, Spring 2001)