"The Eagle & the Monk" reaches out to the reader, laying aside the traditionally bland garb of the "business book" in favor of a story, and, in the process, hands the reader the most honest tools for dealing with change. The book presents 7 Principles that force us to refocus our attention from the cause and effect EVENTS of change to the HUMAN BEINGS involved in change. It is the human beings who place trust in one another and value each others' worth, who form the teams and create synergy, thereby creating successful change. This book makes its point through two characters whose situations must, in some way, reflect situations in which we have all found ourselves. The symbolism is direct, and the stories of the characters touching and inspiring enough to force even the most stiff executive to rethink his or her concept of how change is effective. We need more books that encourage us to positively interact with one another to produce such successes.

As a rabbi, I seldom read books about business. The fable format of E & M, however, was so compelling that I could not put it down. Change is a part of all of our lives. The authors make a convincing case for the need to embrace rather than resist it. They then show us how to do so effectively. The teachings of this book apply not only to business but to all aspects of life and relationships. The EAGLE & THE MONK could become a classic! I plan to use it for staff and Board retreats at my synagogue. Stephen Fuchs, Congregation Beth Israel West Hartford, CT

Books about change often overlook the inward look that must occur to make change happen. "The Eagle and the Monk" goes to the heart of the matter by addressing basic human needs - self-worth, accepting the worth of others, trust, etc. I can't think of any positive changes that have happened in my personal or professional life that wasn't preceeded by trust. This is a book I'll pick up again and again -- and will pass on to my co-workers, friends and family. Donna Culver

Every poem in this book is a gem, and the collection made me want to read her complete works. While this is definitely not "religious poetry" of the greeting card variety, it is an expression of a deep spiritual awareness. Oliver's poems often reveal an amazement and wonder at being alive. Poetic skill and heightened awareness are so well-integrated, those who are looking for well-crafted poetry will certainly find it, and those who are looking for an awakening of consciousness may also find that.

Although Oliver's environment, her field of play, is nature, I wouldn't reduce her to a "naturalist poet." Nature is always interpreted and absorbed by her vision. Nature reveals its secrets to her, but they are the secrets of her own soul. In her poetry, nature is the oracle that reveals the human psyche.

But I should include Oliver's own words, because no prose critique can do justice to the intoxicating natural imagery of her poems. In the poem "Peonies", the richness and fertility of nature mirror the same qualities of the imagination:

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready to break my heart

as the sun rises,

as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open- pools of lace,

white and pink- and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes into the curls,

craving the sweet sap,...

The poem ends with a challenge that reverberates through the book. In spite of the sense of death looming sometimes on the edge of the poem (and our lives), sometimes at the center, are we willing to fully experience life?

Do you love this world?

Do you cherish your humble and silky life?

Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,

and softly,

and exclaiming of their dearness,

fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,

their eagerness

to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are

nothing forever?

With a Pulitzer and a National Book Award, Mary Oliver's poems will catch one's attention. But besides the kudos, this is plainly incredible writing. Her poetry comes closer to the sensibility, depth, and power of Emily Dickinson's writing than anyone in history. Yet Oliver is not a copycat version of the lady in white. Oliver's Nature has its very own stylistic plumes and claws. In a world of mainstream and so-what poetry, Oliver's insights continually cause me to catch my breath and say, Oh, yes. If you love poetry, if you occasionally collect a special volume, or if you're a novice poetry reader who doesn't want to get lost in the "wherefor's" and wails of pompous or confessional poetry, this is a book to own and love again and again

Mary Oliver is living proof that poetry is not something that was invented, rather something that has been present since creation, in us and in nature, waiting to be discovered. And for the last thirty years Mary Oliver has not so much written poetry, but searched for, and discovered, the poetry that has existed in the world all along. It is, of course, much more complicated than that. Oliver's poetry is crafted with delicate, precise language. She lays her words out lazily across the page, often breaking the poem into three or four beat lines, letting a metaphor string out through an entire stanza. It is her imagery, her close observance of the world, that leads to the "ideas" in her poems. There is a moment in nearly all of her poems where the speaker moves from the exterior to the interior, from the water-lily cracking open to the creases in the human heart. What makes her poetry work is that none of this seems forced. It is as if she is taking the reader by the hand and saying, "Look! The sun is rising. Watch it with me for a moment and we'll decide for ourselves why it rises. For certainly, it must have its reasons."

As a professional numerologist, I have a whole book shelf full of numerology books. But none of them are written as concisely or contain the depth and detail as "Numerology: The Complete Guide," by Matthew Goodwin. Of all the numerology books I own, this is the one I consider my bible--that I refer to all the time. It is the only book out today that actually shows you how to do an integrated reading. All other books I have ever seen leave it to your intuition and experience to figure out how to do a professional reading. And the well written and organized tables at the back of the book make the information easily accessible. Though this might not be the best book for a beginner, it certainly is the best book ever written on the subject and is well suited for the intermediate and advanced students of numerology. Another benefit of this book is that if you own one of the several numerology software programs written by Matthew Goodwin (available from Widening Horizons), then you'll find this book of great value in better understanding how the detailed and indepth reports are constructed.

As a professional numerologist, I have a whole book shelf full of numerology books. But none of them are written as concisely or contain the depth and detail as "Numerology: The Complete Guide," by Matthew Goodwin. Of all the numerology books I own, this is the one I consider my bible--that I refer to all the time. It is the only book out today that actually shows you how to do an integrated reading. All other books I have ever seen leave it to your intuition and experience to figure out how to do a professional reading. And the well written and organized tables at the back of the book make the information easily accessible. Though this might not be the best book for a beginner, it certainly is the best book ever written on the subject and is well suited for the intermediate and advanced students of numerology. Another benefit of this book is that if you own one of the several numerology software programs written by Matthew Goodwin (available from Widening Horizons), then you'll find this book of great value in better understanding how the detailed and indepth reports are constructed.

Having done numerology now for many years, I must agree with all previous reviewers. This 2 volume set is the clearest written, most thorough and complete guide to the subject of numerology. It is the book I most refer to when doing readings, and it covers all aspects of the subject.
The only drawback the 2 books present to an aspiring numerologist is, paradoxically, its strength: being such a complete guide to the subject, there may a tendency to rotely follow the examples given, neglecting your own intuition when doing a reading. Of course, it is important to "read what the numbers say," but the overall tone of a reading must also come from a connection to source energy through your own intuition. But this is really a trivial point in comparison to the excellence of Mr. Goodwin's work.
The 2 volume set comes complete with tables and descriptions for every part of a reading, and Mr. Goodwin has many sample readings which will get you started.
Without question, this 2 volume set is the best description of the subject you can find, and should be required reading for any numerologist.

Give up dieting? No way. That's what I used to think.

I suffered with anorexia/bulimia for over twenty years. Dieting was my life. It made me feel confident and in control. But the truth is that I had very low self-esteem, and food was in control - not me. I am now recovered from my eating disorder. A key element in my recovery was giving up on dieting completely. Today I am diet-free and living a life that I never thought was possible.

Wendy Oliver-Pyatt's book, Fed Up!, can lead you to a healthy, fit lifestyle, too. Her breakthrough ten-step, no-diet fitness plan is extremely practical and can easily be applied to your everyday life. It is so refreshing to read a book about health and fitness that does not give long lists of what you can and cannot eat. Dr. Oliver-Pyatt legalizes all food and simultaneously gives you the freedom to truly live your life.

If you hunger for a relaxed attitude toward food and are ready to throw away your diet books, read Fed-Up! You are worth it.

Jenni Schaefer, author of Life Without Ed: Declaring Independence from Eating Disorders (McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books - Feb '04 release)

Fed Up! The Breakthrough Ten-Step, No-Diet Fitness Plan by Wendy Oliver-Pratt, MD. Review by Christine Hartline, MA. Dr. Oliver-Pratt's book offers important insights into the dieting industry, dieting myths and the psychological and physical dangers related to a life spent focused on diet and weight control. Fed Up! offers a comprehensive, well-defined plan on how one can free themselves from the enslavement of counting calories, self-starvation, binge eating, poor body image among other agonizing aspects of dieting. The books provides well-defined tools on how to develop a healthy relationship with food and your body. Dr. Oliver-Pratt share her own process of self-discovery and breaking free from the prison of dieting and an eating disorder and found her way to a healthy, fit lifestyle. Her techniques are based on her personal and professional understanding of the complex reasons people become caught up in an endless cycle of dieting and weight gain.

Christine Hartline, MA
Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center
...

This excellent book was a wake-up call that I sorely needed. I have been on Weight Watchers for a year and a half, and thought I had dealt with all my food demons. Yet I was living in fear of food - going to the extent of throwing it away and hiding it from myself! Wendy Oliver-Pyatt's book covers why many Americans have a love/hate relationship with food, and why diets do not work.

The first several chapters are about one's psychological relationship with food. Much of it stems in the way we are raised, and the way that our culture treats food. We have an abundance of food in America, and at the same time, thin bodies are the ideal. Both food and thinness are fetishized, leading many men and women into a quandary.

Wendy explains how diets do work in the short-term, but in the long-term they can cause depression, food cravings, and weight-gain. She struck a chord with me when she mentioned how many people are afraid to eat normally because they fear gaining weight.

I have already started to try Wendy's suggested mindset. She talks about honoring your hunger without overeating, and exercising to the extent that you still enjoy it. I have friends that can seemingly eat whatever they like without worrying about it like I do. Then I notice that they don't seem to obsess over food, and they naturally take as much as their body needs - no more no less. This is what the book's author suggests as the way to reach your optimum body weight.

Of course, I already eat fairly healthy and exercise regularly. I think this book is best for dietaholics, people who are tired of restricting themselves, but are concerned about maintaining a healthy weight if they stop. I already want to send copies to some of my friends and am planning on bringing this book to my Weight Watchers meeting.

I adored this book when I was a child. I spent 15 years searching for a copy for my kids. Can you imagine that I remembered the title for more than 20 years? I could even remember the story! Oliver Butterworth captures the reader's imagination by luring him/her into a realistic fantasy about a girl who reads minds by "hearing" their thoughts. Her brothers attempt to exploit their sister's new psychic abilities for money and fame. The book never falters in its excitement level and will keep the reader enchanted. My 10 year old son loved this book and it's a book that will not only encourage a love for reading, but is REALLY very exiciting to read! They won't want to put it down! Buy a copy for you kids and nieces and nephews. I searched 15 years for a copy and believe me it is worth it! This is a timeless classic you will treasure for years to come.

i have twin boys who have just turned five, and i cannot wait for them to be able to enjoy this book. (i might jump the age recommendation and get them going on this sooner than 9)

i signed this book out of my public school library in etobicoke (toronto) ontario, and read and re-read it probably a half dozen times ... it's a classic.

I read this book more than 30 years ago and still remember it vividly. I read it in the school library (over and over), and it is responsible for my love of reading. I was transported into the book, where I nearly believed I -=WAS=- Jenny. This is truly a magical story.

A Treasury of Police Humor really tickles the funny bone -- which is located midway between the baton ring and the flashlight holder. This book is must reading for friends and family of law enforcement officers, as well as any member of the service, for its gentle insights into police work.

The sky is too often gray in law enforcement; sometimes it's black. "A Treasury of Police Humor" provides a much-appreciated ray of light. Gaspirtz' book allows cops to laugh at themselves and each other, and civilians to laugh with them, without any ill-will or malice. A delightful book; I chuckled throughout.

Finally, someone has written a book that captures the lighter side of police work. As a 29 year law enforcement veteran and author, it is refreshing to see someone like Oliver, put into words (and cartoons) the emotions COPS often feel. A fascinating book everyone, including COPS should read.

The 20th Century has ended, and we can look back on this famous classic with perhaps a better perspective. It in its own way has moved mountains of ignorance. It brought life to not only the patients in the book, but millions of neurologically impared patients in the world. It explained, along with the great movie 'Awakenings', how one could live but not really have complete life. This is a tragedy the medical profession must continue to confront with better research and treatment. Oliver Sacks originally wanted to be a researcher, but it was not in his destiny. What he became, as documented in this book, was a unique facilitator of science. He became a truly unique being that has blessed our humanity.

Jordan.Jazz's comments are very interesting--and obviously an indication that he didn't read Sach's "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." In this book, Sachs clearly sees a connection between God and how his patients cope with their afflictions. But this truly is a great book. It quickly makes the characters in the movie mere cardboard figures--but then, how detailed can characterization get when you only have a 1.5 hour "canvass!" Read the book and learn more about Rose and Leonard and the real "Dr. Sayer."

Awakenings was one of the most interesting books i have read in a long time. I was amazed that L-Dopa brought those people back from years and years of being prisioners in their own bodies unable to communicate or take care of themselves. L-Dopa made it possible for families to get re-aquanted with family members silent for decades. The reader also discovers what the patients were feeling during all those years in silence. I highly recommend this book.

This book is not only beautifully written and perfect for all ages, "The Princess and the Goblin" is also morally strong and uplifting. Children of either sex will be interested in it, with a loving and beautiful grandmother, a strong and intelligent young girl, and a young boy who is intent on protecting his loved ones and uncovering the evil goblin plot. I have read this countless times, and each time I discover something new. The sequel, "The Princess and Curdie," is also worth reading. I love this book!

So you love C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles? There people who don't are few and far between. One of the biggest influences on C.S. Lewis was this man, George MacDonald (1824-1905). It was MacDonald's talent for telling fairy stories that inspired Lewis in writing his own. Like Lewis, MacDonald has a remarkable ability to tell a delightful and enchanting story for children, layered with strong Christian themes and imagery by means of allegory and symbols. 'The Princess and the Goblin' is one of his most beloved works for children, and an excellent introduction to his style and success.

'The Princess and the Goblin' features a heroine ' a princess called Irene ' and a hero ' a simple miner's son called Curdie. While working overtime in the mines to earn money to buy his mother a red petty-coat, Curdie chances upon the goblins who live in the mountain, and discovers that they are hatching an evil plot against the king and his palace. Meanwhile the princess makes a discovery of her own ' high in the castle she finds a wonderful old lady who is her great-great-grandmother. The problem is, nobody else knows of her grandmother, and nobody believes her. But the princess does believe, and it is by her faith in her grandmother and the magic thread that she receives from her, that she is able to rescue Curdie. Together they rescue the entire palace from disaster at the hands of the goblins.

In telling the story, MacDonald has an enchanting conversational style, wonderfully suitable for reading aloud to enraptured children ' an ability perfecting in telling stories to his own eleven children. But 'The Princess and the Goblin' is more than just a story. Before pursuing a literary career, MacDonald was a Congregationalist minister, and so integrates important underlying Christian themes. Believing in the great-great-grandmother despite the fact that many cannot see her, is a symbol of believing in God. MacDonald uses this to show how the Christian faith involves believing without seeing, and that not everyone has to 'see' something for it to be true. The grandmother's lamp and magic thread are the guides on which the princess must depend, much like the Word which is a lamp on our path. It may sound tacky, but it works.

Children are not likely to grasp the deeper underlying themes that MacDonald is working with. Nonetheless the story has a clear message for children. The clear conflict between the royal powers of light against the goblin powers of darkness is unmistakable. Moreover, the princess is presented as a model of virtue, and MacDonald frequently asserts the importance of moral virtues such as always telling the truth, keeping your word, and admitting your faults ' moral virtues that are equally important for princes and princesses of God's kingdom. Courage, honesty, grace, dignity and beauty are timeless ideals for children of all times to strive for. If you love Narnia, you're sure to like this one, and you'll find yourself quickly grabbing the sequel, 'The Princess and Curdie.' 'The Princess and the Goblin' was one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, highly regarded by C.S. Lewis, described by W.H. Auden as 'the only English children's book in the same class as the Alice books', and generally considered as a classic example of nineteenth century children's literary fairy tales. So if you haven't yet read this book, it's about time you did. With admirers such as Tolkien, Lewis and Auden, if you become a MacDonald's admirer you'll find yourself in good company!

I cant believe I haven't read this untill now, its such a great book! A princess lives in a castle all her life, never knowing of the great dangers that go on in the mountain. One day(being about 7 years old) she finds a stairway in her house that she has never seen and it leads her to her great, great grandmother. After she meets her grandmother she is shown the dangers of the goblins and meets a boy named Curdie who mines in the mountain with his father. Throughout the book Curdie and the princess have many encounters with the goblins. This is a great book I highly recommend it for readers of all ages.

Pfff. I'm a girl, and I started reading these when I was 11. I haven't read any of the ones by Frederick Christian, but I've read four of the ones written by Oliver Strange, and I find him just as good as Max Brand and maybe even better than Louis L'Amour (and I have 45 of his books, so it's not like I don't "get" westerns). I can see why they would stop publishing them, but really, why can't they just change the name? But at least I can find them in old book stores in Pakistan.

The Sudden books by Fred Christian are okay, not as good as the originals by Oliver Strange. It is sad that some people cannot look past the "political incorrectness" of the language and just enjoy the stories. They are the best westerns that I have ever read, as good as Louis L'Amour. I read them all as a teenager and am lucky enough to have kept them all. My son also loved them. James Green, Sudden, is a hero in every sense of the word. If you like westerns you could not help but love these stories.

As a young kid I loved to read, so when I was introduced to the SUDDEN book series written by Oliver Strange and later continued by Frederick H Christian, I went out and bought every copy as soon as they were available in the bookstores. I found that reading these books were even more easier to visualise than seeing an actual Western film on TV. The humour, the slang, the handsome Jim Green ( the SUDDEN character) comes to life before your eyes. It feels like you are riding right next to him.
I have read a couple of L'Amour's and J.T Edson's books, but I have never before or since then, read a western book that I could not put down, (that I did not want to lend out, that I kept hidden and locked away, from family and friends), until I read a SUDDEN.
Had I known, that these books would be out of print so soon, I would have devoted more time to protecting my copies. I have been searching for these books for years since I was a teenager, I am almost 40 and those in my island who have copies refuse to let them go (but I do not blame them). I have only one SUDDEN book now. I won't stop searching for these books until I have them all under my wing. Cause once you pick up a SUDDEN book, like all the rest of us desperately searching, you will never put it down and then you will be one of the thousands, searching for the other lost books of the SUDDEN series. To me, these books are worth more than gold.

This book, which is also on the British site published as "Return of the Naked Chef" is a real find. I have had this book for ages, as I have a British copy and I have found myself using it over and over again, especially for the pizza recipe, which Jamie makes so easy that it's unbelieveable (and the results are so much better than what you get in a pizzeria!-well, at least one on this side of the Atlantic). HIs style is mostly Italian, with a bit of British and a little bit of French and a little exotic Indian touch now and again. The recipes are healthy, creative and make me want to cook when I come home from a long day at work. I find that his ideas in the book will sometimes inspire a different recipe from me, but I get the impression, that in writing his cookbooks, that is kind of what he wants as well. I also like the lists he gives of what you should have in your pantry to be able to make a dinner. Oh, by the way, Happy Days with the Naked Chef is also good, and if you can't wait until November, it is available on AmazonUK.

The great thing about Jamie Oliver is his sheer enthusiasm for preparing food for friends. His love of cooking is genuine, and that's what makes everyone like him. In THE NAKED CHEF TAKES OFF, he doesn't just give recipes, he explains what's so good about each recipe. He describes the ingredients, why they're used, how to prepare them etc, and with the excellent photographs in the book, it's always clear what the finished product is supposed to look like. It's not like many other cookbooks -you won't just find a list of ingredients, instructions and a picture here. The recipes are nearly all very easy to make and, most importantly, they taste GOOD! Jamie uses a lot of raw ingredients - and he gives snippets of background information and tips on how to choose the best ingredients. This is what makes the book so unique - the cook actually cares about you doing it as well as he does!

Definitely worth the money - it should sit in everyone's kitchen for when they need culinary inspiration. Highly recommended!

I have been watching Jamie Oliver on the FoodNetwork since he invaded the States. I love him. Plain and Simple - I think he's a riot and so friendly. He makes me rethink that whole "stiff upper lip - English thing". When I watch his show - he makes me SO hungry. I don't think he's ever made something that I didn't like or couldn't see me making. He's recipes are down to earth - user friendly and SO good. He's a chef for the everyday "man / woman" (you know what I mean).

From the basics to the more industrious recipes - "The Naked Chef Takes Off" is a great follow-up to his first book, "The Naked Chef". Also a wonderful heads up - "Happy Days with the Naked Chef" is available from Amazon UK and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that books. It's wonderful! But - until that one hits the states, check out "Return of the Naked Chef". You'll be chomping at the bit to get into the kitchen.