Book Description
"Stefan Zweig was a dark and unorthodox artist; it's good to have him back."--Salman Rushdie
The great Austrian writer Stefan Zweig was a master anatomist of the deceitful heart, and Beware of Pity, the only novel he published during his lifetime, uncovers the seed of selfishness within even the finest of feelings.
Hofmiller, an Austro-Hungarian cavalry officer stationed at the edge of the empire, is invited to a party at the home of a rich local landowner, a world away from the dreary routine of the barracks. The surroundings are glamorous, wine flows freely, and the exhilarated young Hofmiller asks his host's lovely daughter for a dance, only to discover that sickness has left her painfully crippled. It is a minor blunder that will destroy his life, as pity and guilt gradually implicate him in a well-meaning but tragically wrongheaded plot to restore the unhappy invalid to health.
Customer Reviews:
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius.......2007-07-16
...no, not the book by Dave Eggers, but this masterpiece by Stefan Zweig. I came upon this by accident, and bought it, intrigued by the story outline and the reviews below. Only very, very rarely does a book have the power to draw me into the lives of the characters, probably because they're usually just that - characters. Not so here. Here we have flesh and blood and all that entails. I'm still amazed at Zweig's story telling. He's the kind of writer who could make a shopping list fascinating. I lived and breathed every single word in this incredibly beautiful book, and, as has been said elsewhere, the tension becomes almost unendurable. I can hardly do justice to it in a few words. Weirdly, I often found myself smiling, not because it's a funny book, far from it, but just through an appreciation of Zweig's supreme mastery of his art. This is one of those books appearing only a few times in your life that wring emotion out of you whether you like it or not. A heart-breaking, unforgettable and life-enriching experience.
I'd also like to praise the translation, by Trevor and Phyllis Blewitt. At no time is there even a hint that you're reading a translation - something that occurred to me only after finishing the book. On the contrary, it seems to me that the elegance of the language and all the magnificent virtues that contribute to Zweig's humanity and genius have been faithfully rendered. The proof is in my twin disappointments; coming to the end, and learning that there are no further full-length novels by Zweig. I'll definitely be reading all his other works, though.
A review of the introduction .......2006-06-23
In the introduction to this book Joan Acocella tells Zweig's story as a writer. One of her claims is that despite his enormous popularity as biographer, essayist, writer of great novellas and stories, this novel is his masterpience. The novel is in essence the story of a feeling, of 'pity' of how it becoming the obsession and duty of the main character turns self- serving and destructive. Briefly , the book revolves around the relationship between a poor Austrian officer Hoffstein and a crippled seventeen year old daughter of a wealthy family Edith Kekesfalvas. After he has inadvertently insulted her by having asked her to dance he becomes bound into a relationship with her, in which she falls deeply in love with him without his truly reciprocating. This is how Acocella reads the protagonist's reasoning and its result after her doctor informs him that it would be disastrous for him to abandon her.
"So he descends ever deeper into hypocrisy. In the process, Zweig gives us a piercing analysis of the motives underlying pity. Gradually Hofmiller realizes how much he enjoys the courtesies paid to him for his emotional services, how it pleases him that when he arrives at the Schloss his favorite cigarettes--and also the novel (its pages already cut) that he had said in passing that he wanted to read--are laid out on the tea table. Nor is it lost on him that his own sense of strength is magnified by Edith's weakness and, above all, by his growing power over the Kekesfalvas, the fact that if he, a poor soldier, does not present himself at teatime, this great, rich household is thrown into a panic, and the chauffeur is dispatched to town to spy him out and see what he is doing in preference to waiting on Edith. Beyond the matter of power, however, Hofmiller finds that the emotion of pity is a pleasure just in itself. It exalts him, takes him to a new place. Before, as an officer, he was required only to obey orders and be a good fellow. Now he is a moral being, a soul."
This end in destruction is somehow a foreshadowing of what would happen to Zweig.Having been betrayed with the rise of the Nazis by the Europe he loves, tried to make a new home and life with his second wife in Brazil. But it does not work out and the both of them are found after having taken fatal overdoes of drugs hands intertwined.
Black love and the heart's impatience.......2006-04-30
An Austrian lieutenant becomes the victim of the strong emotions of a crippled young girl from a wealthy family, who takes his pity for love: 'the outcasts, the branded, the ugly, the withered, the despised and rejected love with a fanatical, a baleful, a black love.'
The lieutenant doesn't have the strength to cut the links with the girl and her family, partially because he is impressed by their wealth. He continues to give her hope, although he feels that 'anyone who identifies himself with the fate of another is robbed to some extent of his own freedom.'
He is warned against the poison of pity: 'if they were all to give way to their pity, the world would stand still ... You take on yourself a confounded amount of responsibility when you make a fool of another person with your pity ... for the weak, sentimental kind (of pity) is really no more than the heart's impatience to be rid of the painful emotion by the sight of another's unhappiness.'
His undecidedness creates a disaster, also for himself: 'No guilt is forgotten so long as the conscience still knows of it.'
Stefan Zweig is the master of the unexpected U-turns, the eye opening revelations, the surprising upheavals, the passionate endgames, the arousing question marks. While he used his strengths in short novels and historical evocations, he shows here that he also was capable of using them in a longer work.
His insight in the basics of human nature is outstanding: 'Have you ever heard of logic prevailing against passion?'
This story is perhaps partially influenced by Theodor Fontane's 'Irrungen, Wirrungen'.
Not to be missed.
compelling and well-written.......2006-02-09
This was an absolute intoxicating read. I loved it from the first to the last page. Well-written, dramatic and surprising. Thank goodness his work has been newly translated.
enjoyable page turner with depth.......2005-10-28
This is one of the most purely enjoyable books I have ever read, Zweig writes very well and at times brilliantly in creating characters both psychologically consistent and vivid. This is one of a rare type of novels that offers thrilling, page turning excitement combined with emotional and intellectual depth. Beware of Pity is not the most subtle, or beautiful book I have ever read but I can't tell you any other that was more of a pleasure to read.
Average customer rating:
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Beware of Pity
Stefan Zweig
Manufacturer: Cassell & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HI850W |
Average customer rating:
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Women Beware Women and Pity in History (Playscript, 112)
Thomas Middleton , and
Howard Barker
Manufacturer: Calder Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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Middleton, Thomas
| ( M )
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ASIN: 0714541346 |
Book Description
To ever-loyal Kirby Winter, multimillionaire Uncle Omar left nothing -- nothing but a gold watch and a sealed letter to be opened in one year. But Kirby is destined to inherit the magical power to freeze time in its tracks. Power like that promises unlimited wealth, wealth that can't buy love, but does make a down payment on a lot of deadly trouble. In a universe without time, can Kirby stay one step ahead?
Customer Reviews:
A Delightful Must Read.......2006-03-16
This is quite a surprise, coming from a man who generally wrote hard-boiled detective fiction with names like THE GREEN RIPPER. Here, we instead have a delightful, funny SF/adventure novel about a klutz (at least with women) who suddenly finds himself in possession of a watch that can stop time. Toss in a couple psychopathic villains, some thugs, some babes, a lot of practical jokes, and what we've got is a novel that, for some people, will become their favorite read. It did for me, and it just might for you, too.
The biggest practical joke in financial history.......2005-05-29
As best I can recall, the 1980 TV adaptation of this book was my introduction to MacDonald's work. Fortunately the adaptation turned out to be unusually faithful to the text, and lived up to my recollection of the story as an enjoyable romp. The tone is lighthearted (unusually so for MacDonald), and Kirby Winter is quite different from Travis McGee, despite the fact that Kirby's uncle Omar was something of a "salvage expert" himself, with a reputation for fleecing con artists and other slick operators.
Kirby's got a lot of book-learning, and can give a very sophisticated impression, but he's actually an inexperienced klutz when it comes to women, as we learn right away when he literally trips over a table after drinking with Charla, a long-time (but not old) opponent of Kirby's formidable uncle Omar who has been working up to seducing Kirby as a ploy to learning Omar's secrets.
Kirby's phenomenal bad luck has struck with a vengeance as the story opens.
Superficially, Kirby seems to have been groomed as the heir apparent of his uncle Omar Krepps, self-made multimillionaire founder of Krepps Enterprises. Omar organized Kirby's college education, hired him upon graduation, and has directed him personally as part of OK Devices, a very small, clandestine program within the company ever since. Now the mysterious little man who has directed Kirby's life for so long is dead.
Over the years Kirby has worked for OK Devices, 27 million dollars have been funnelled into it from Krepps Enterprises. But instead of financial records the board of KE found books on sleight-of-hand. Furthermore, Wilma (per instructions) had a bonfire immediately after Omar's death, so the board of KE is now terrified of their tax liability if the missing OK Devices assets aren't located.
Unfortunately, the only things Omar left Kirby in his will were his gold pocket watch, a letter to be delivered a year after Omar's death, and a peck of trouble. Not only is the KE board convinced he and Wilma stole the money, but the con artists and thieves from whom Omar "salvaged" assets are convinced that Kirby knows Omar's professional secrets.
Uncle Omar (a self-made man who started life as a chemistry and physics teacher) seems to have felt that Kirby should prove himself. He's arranged a sink-or-swim final exam for Kirby, who'll have to figure out for himself how to establish his innocence and keep his uncle's old foes from eating him alive.
Kirby gets off to a slow start, but shows backbone when facing down the board of KE; there's gumption there. And when halfway through the book Kirby begins to cotton on to the method behind Omar's madness, the fun *really* begins.
Officially, GOLD WATCH is classified as a mystery, but could just as well have been labelled fantasy/science fiction (and in fact, that would've made more sense for the 1991 printing, which was packaged that way in all but name).
Drive-in totals (as movie reviewer Joe Bob Briggs would say):
- Mad scientist fu. (At least, the board of KE would say so if they really believed the ex-science teacher gave all the money away).
- An impressive number of foiled romantic encounters (derailed by everything from locking himself out of his room to the building being hit by an earthquake).
- Some sensual content. I've never known MacDonald to omit such scenes (even when they should've been cut as extraneous), and given Kirby's initial lack of self-confidence and emotional support, it's a legitimate story issue here.
- Practical joke fu.
Delightful book and great TV movie.......2005-03-26
The book is one of those you can't put down once you start reading. Excellent story and characters will have you hungry for what is next. One of the most entertaining reads I have ever had. I grinned so much my head hurt.
When a young man is left only a gold watch by his millionaire uncle he is disappointed. Then he discovers that it can stop time. When he tries experiamenting with it he finds himself in a number of predicaments. Once his secret is discovered he must dodge clever unscrupulous types that will stop at nothing to get their hands on the watch.
Several years ago they made a TV movie by the same name with Robert Hays, Pam Dauber, and Jill Ireland. It was a great transfer of the books best parts. A very funny comedy that I hope they put on video soon. Sadly I have never seen the movie on VHS or DVD. Be sure to read this book for a fun read. My hat's off to John D. MacDonald.
Thoroughly entertaining sci-fi fantasy tale........2002-02-28
John D. MacDonald is one of the acknowledged masters of the Hard-Boiled detective genre, both with his acclaimed Travis McGee series as well as his stand alone fiction.
This book marks a major departure for MacDonald-a foray into fantasy fiction. While MacDonald has traveled well away from his home field to write this one, he brings his considerable skills for characterization and plot with him and adds a true sense of whimsy and comedy to the mix with tremendous results.
Kirby Winter's multimillionaire Uncle Omar has just died as this story opens. Always a very eccentric sort of character, Omar has produced a great fortune during his lifetime-and employed Kirby, his only blood relative, to give it all away to charity. No one really understands this, however, and vultures are circling over the supposedly rich estate.
Kirby is a sort of pathetic character-a bit of a wimp, really-until he gets his Uncles only real bequest-a gold watch. However, as Kirby soon discovers, this is no ordinary watch. It is actually a sort of time machine. Kirby, along with a cute young thing acquired along the way, works to foil the bad guys and protect his girl as best he can. The ensuing adventures are a true delight to behold.
This is superior beach fare type reading-light reading entertainment of the highest order.
One warning is in order-This book DOES NOT represent the norm for MacDonald, whose work is usually very gritty, dark and violent. One would be well advised to keep this in mind if that is not your sort of thing if the later is not your cup of tea.
A delight.......2000-12-22
THE GIRL, THE GOLD WATCH AND EVERYTHING
An unusual book by John D. MacDonald, famous author of hard-boiled fiction. This one is light as a souffle, funny and moving. I enjoyed several of his hard-boiled stories, though some were rather too gloomy and violent for my taste, but this one is a delight.
Timid young Kirby Winter's Uncle Omar Krepps lived an ordinary life until he suddenly started acquiring great wealth, quit his job, and spent his life traveling and practicing amateur magic. Uncle Omar dies and the world besieges the young Kirby, the sole surviving relative, who worked in one of his uncle's companies: his job was making large donations to worthy charities and he therefore knows that all his uncle's fortune has been given away. Nobody believes him, of course, least of all a scheming couple who will use every trick in the book to get their hands on all that wealth.
The young man does get something, however: a sealed letter to be opened in a year's time, and a gold watch. Accidentally, Kirby discovers Uncle Omar's secret - the gold watch can stop time! Aided by an array of gutsy and fun-loving girls, Kirby struggles to keep the secret from the scheming couple (and everyone else). In the process, he discovers some hidden strength of character, loses his virginity and learns to have a ball.
A wonderful fantasy, an adventure story rather than your average science-fiction. As another reviewer here eloquently put it, like "Back to the Future". No explicit bedroom scenes, foul language or blood and gore. A true delight. Personally, I think this is worth all MacDonald's other stories put together.
Customer Reviews:
THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT AND THIS ONE IS GREAT FUN!.......2006-07-19
As another reviewer put it, this is quite different from other works by McDonald. You could almost call it a SiFi story, but it does not have that complete favor. Briefly, our hero finds himself with a watch that can slow time down to almost a complete stop. No spoiler here, so I will stop. The book is funny, a page turner and one that you will no doubt want to give a reread. I first encountered this one back in the 80s and it had been published for sometime before that. Once it is started, it is was and is quite difficult to put down. I have read other McDonald books over the years and was very surprised with this one..it was so very, very different. For a fun read, one you almost cannot help but enjoy, I recommened this one highly. This is another of those books that have sort of gotten forgotten and probably did not get the attention it should have at the time of it's publication.
Having fun with supernatural powers.......2006-06-04
This book is way away from anything else John D. MacDonald wrote except for the fun, the realism mixed in with the fantasy, and it's just plain good.
Kirby worked for his eccentric uncle giving away money and now he's been left with a handful of junk and a gold watch. People left and right from financiers to gangsters are looking for the money Uncle Omar must have hidden somewhere and Kirby is getting into more and more trouble, until he hooks up with Bonny Lee and discovers the secret of the watch. The watch, you see, stops time for everything but you and you can do anything you want until you come back and rejoin the world.
His troubles are just beginning...
I have always loved this book and even though it was written in the sixties it still hits home. Even with supernatural powers there is always the problem of how to live with the rest of the world, and the bonus of having fun while you figure it out.
Average customer rating:
- Too bad it's not out anymore
- Good, light-hearted swords-and-sorcery fantasy
- great yarn
- Wizard's Bane is Wiz Biz
- Good mix of fantasy and computers
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Wizard's Bane
Rick Cook
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Cook, Rick
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| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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General
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Magic & Wizards
| Fantasy
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The Wiz Biz II: Cursed & Consulted (Wiz Biz)
ASIN: 0671698036 |
Customer Reviews:
Too bad it's not out anymore.......2006-09-24
This is a stand alone book about a man brought to a world of magic by one of the strongest 'good' wizards in an attempt to counter the 'evil' wizards who are gradually winning the war.
He's a computer programmer who calls himself the 'Wiz' as that's a play on his name. When he arrives, he has no magic capabilities whatsoever, which confuses the wizard who summoned him.
One thing leads to another and he begins to learn the fundamental rules of magic and starts to correlate them with what he knows best. Computer programming. So he sets out to write a language for magic with which he can manipulate magic to help out the good wizards. When a woman he cares for gets kidnapped, Wiz decides to 'Hack the system'. It just gets good from there.
If you can find it, it's pretty good.
Good, light-hearted swords-and-sorcery fantasy.......2003-01-28
When William Irving "Wiz" Zumwalt, computer programmer extraordinaire, steps out his front door, and into an entirely different world, he realizes he's in trouble. In this other world, magic exists but computers don't. He feels useless here, but the great wizard who summoned him must have had a purpose for him, and, as he is an unknown factor, the evil Dark League are determined to capture him. It's a dangerous world for Wiz...But, when he discovers that working magic *can* be handled like writing a program, it becomes a dangerous world for the bad guys!
This is quite an exciting book. I must admit that when I first saw the book, I did not take it seriously. But, once I began reading, I was hooked. The author spins a fascinating story, people by interesting characters. Plus, I must admit that the author's unique take on magic was quite refreshing. If you like good, light-hearted swords-and-sorcery fantasy, then you will love this book!
great yarn.......2002-02-19
i got this book based on a friends recommendation.
lots of computer (esp. unix) in jokes and a fun read.
the series got better and better.
it's an easy read (i read most on two flights from SFO to ATL) so do not expect to work hard at it.
Wizard's Bane is Wiz Biz.......1999-12-14
I read this book under the title "Wiz Biz" and enjoyed it thoroughly. Treating magic as a science is not a new idea, but treating magic spells as if they were computer programs is a new twist to the idea. This book will appeal to the large number of computer geeks out there who also love fantasy roleplaying. I can't wait to read the other books in the series!
Good mix of fantasy and computers.......1996-12-04
In the Wizard's Bane, the first of his currently 5 book series, Rick Cook starts an amazing and interesting fantasy story with a mix of computers. With a good fantasy and adventure story line he throughs in a computer programmer. This is a mix that should have been done a long time ago. Although the computer programs don't come into play much in this first novel as they do in the other it is a great building block for an excellant all around series
Book Description
Dale was stranded... and around him he gathered the flotsam and jetsam outcasts of a doomed world in deadly peril, becoming it's last desperate defender. The gathering of this group of defenders is the essence of this panoramic novel. It is a novel of the journey of a technologically advanced hero stranded on a world steeped in magic, and the people he gathers along the way-technology made to control reality and magic that would not be controlled. lt’s about people with strong personalities thrown into conflict and held together by the will of one man, a man with a cause, to save a world. WIZARD’S BANE – Book one of the Sojurn Chronicles, is a novel of boundless imagination, wonderful characters, and fast paced action that can be compared with the Shadow Trilogy by Chris Claremont and George Lucas and the daring days of “classic” fantasy. Ray McLester
Customer Reviews:
A unique, creative blend of science and technology with fantasy and magic!.......2007-09-06
Dale is a man in trouble, stranded, lost and seriously out of place - transported through a galactic space warp and marooned on Earth by means and enemies unknown! He is worried to discover that his sophisticated, technologically advanced tools and weaponry, normally capable of modifying and controlling the people and the environment around him are now undependable, inconsistent and frequently out of commission entirely. But the tools that he does have and his charismatic force of personality are sufficient to gather around him a ragtag collection of misfits that seem to have also lost their place in the world - a thief bent on reform and self-improvement, an "animal-whisperer" who dropped out of the local wizard's college, the spoiled son of a baron, a demon held in thrall by a sorcerer's spell who can't seem to stay out of trouble and the runaway pacifist son of a cutthroat murderer.
As Dale and his strange fellowship fight for their lives against Gorgs that, time and again, materialize out of nowhere to attack them, (think really mean, really ugly and really powerful ogres - big brutes with a serious attitude problem) they come to the realization that the entire world is under attack by a magical force that survived the Wizard's War thought to have ended over fifty thousand years earlier. The world's only hope for survival against an impending all-out attack rests with Dale's technological know-how reaching the city of Villenspell and enlisting the magical aid of the City of Wizards!
The obvious themes of "fellowship", "quest" and "world survival" beg for the reader to compare "Wizard's Bane" to Tolkien's classic "Lord of the Rings". I wouldn't presume to make such a grandiose comparison but it is clear that Crystalwizard has succeeded admirably in drawing on the work of the giants before her while still injecting a dose of originality that is at once charming, thrilling, humorous, moving and unique in its own right! As the first novel of a six-part epic, "Wizard's Bane" focuses primarily on the character development of the "fellowship" and the realization of the extent of the trouble the world is really in as it comes under attack from the Gorg army. In a manner reminiscent of Clifford Simak's warm pastoral style of writing, Crystalwizard's characters are realistic, personable, down-home and easy for any reader to identify with and care about. Her credible, completely natural dialogue flows easily and there are plenty of light moments that will cause a chuckle or a wry smile. That "Wizard's Bane" barely gets revved up on the plot can be forgiven on the understanding that there are five novels left for the now eager reader to enjoy.
Where "Wizard's Bane" creatively departs from the standard medieval based sword fantasy is Crystalwizard's unique marriage of sci-fi and creative technology with good old-fashioned wizardry and magic - the science even touches quite clearly on relativistic concepts of time dilation and space warping!
Highly recommended for lovers of both sci-fi and fantasy! In fact, I can't think of a better book to introduce devoted readers of one genre to the joys of the other! I think I'll head off to the bookstore to look up a copy of "Villenspell - City of Wizards".
Paul Weiss
Reviewed by Sarra Borne.......2007-07-13
A classical style fantasy novel that draws its influences from many recognizable sources, Wizard's Bane captures the reader's attention and draws them into the pages. In the opening paragraphs that are vaguely reminiscent of the start of Terminator: The Movie we meet Dale, a man from a technologically superior world who finds himself marooned in a land of magic. Dale has a penchant for attracting a rag-tag band of followers that, not surprisingly, ultimately end up matching the character profiles found in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
This group of misfits sets out on a multi-focal quest to restore Dale's missing powers, discover the truth about themselves, and what good fantasy novel would omit - save the world from sure destruction at the hand of otherworldly invaders. The pacing of the story takes a backseat to character development in this book, so not much progress is made towards the fulfillment of their quest, a good thing in this case as all of the characters possess strong but likeable personalities making it difficult to choose a favorite.
As this is book one in a series, the ending is very much a cliffhanger, since it ends rather abruptly right before they reach their first of many goals. Fortunately books two and three, Villenspell: City of Wizards (2005) and Wizards and Wanderers: Book Three of the Sojourn Chronicles (2006) are already available, and books four through six are written but not yet published according to the author's website.
A few minor flaws: the proof-reading isn't perfect, leaving behind a few errors that wouldn't be caught by a spell-checker. The layout style is a little odd and takes a little getting accustomed to as there are an abundance of new paragraphs, the majority of which are only one sentence long.
A 'must' for fans of fantasy.......2007-03-03
Crystalwizard is a storyteller of considerable ability. Some people aspire to be good writers; my own belief is that the art of weaving a good story is a prerequisite to the craft of putting that story onto paper (or computer screen). Others will doubtless disagree. But, if I aspire to anything as a writer, it is to become a good story teller. Crystalwizard is a good story teller.
Though I have only read the first book of the Sojourn Chronicles, it is clearly an epic tale of Tolkien proportions. The characters are believable, in a fantastic sort of way, and there is both a noble goal (that spans books) and immediate challenges and dangers for the hero, Dale, to overcome. Dale has a mission to accomplish, though he only slowly becomes aware of its scope while struggling to survive on the world into which he has been thrust. His survival is accompanied by his gathering a strange assortment of misfits on his journey to the "city of wizards".
There were some nice touches in the story. I was tickled by the idea of programming as 'magic' (a spell got stuck in a 'for ... next loop')which reminded me of Arthur C Clarke's quotation "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
In one sense, I was disappointed in the way that book one ended; there was less of a climax than I would have liked. But in another sense, this is part of the epic genre; how do you end a story that is a part of a much larger story? If you read Wizard's Bane, then be prepared to read book two (and book three, and ...)
Also be prepared to encounter the odd misplaced word on the way through. These things didn't bother me, but I did notice them. If you are pedantically inclined, then don't let this spoil an otherwise great read.
All in all, I consider this to be a read that shouldn't be missed, and I will be reading the second book very soon.
Wizard's Bane.......2006-04-02
Wizard's Bane is fantastic. I could not put it down and read it within 2 days. The main character takes the role of a leader dealing with the different personalities with each addition to his traveling troupe and must guide this mix matched group to a place, yet to be revealed. As a mystery reader I found it challenging. As a parent I am excited to be able to share it with my children. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Fantastic Reading!.......2006-03-29
Wizard's Bane is very hard to put down once you
read the first chapter. I showed the book to my
friends who couldn't wait for me to finish my copy
to barrow it! I read the book late into the night
and had it finished in 3 days!
I really like the main character and how he deals
with the situations he gets into! Some of the book
just makes me laugh so hard and other parts are scary.
The second book is a must and I'm anxious to get
the rest in the series!
MLM
Book Description
One of the most highly-regarded and respected authors and lecturers in the West, Giovanni Maciocia, illuminates and examines the art of traditional Chinese acupuncture with this in-depth look at the secondary channels and other key structures encompassing the human body in Chinese anatomy. This book describes in detail the pathways, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of the Luo, Muscle, and Divergent secondary channels, as well as other key structures such as the Cou Li and Huang membranes, and gives a thorough, clear overview of subjects poorly understood and incompletely covered in other English language texts. Over one third of the book is dedicated to the Eight Extraordinary Channels, providing the reader with the most in-depth information available in the English language. Drawing on his broad clinical experience, the author covers the energetic physiology, pathology and points by body area, providing ease of access for both the student and practitioner of acupuncture. The Channels of Acupuncture presents comprehensive and clear information on an essential part of traditional Chinese medicine.
Customer Reviews:
Xtraordinary book for use of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.......2007-04-01
I haven't had time to read the whole book of course but reading through a few pages here and there I find it extremely informative. I once read a negative criticism about the author but ofcourse everyone is entitled to there opinion. In my case I find this book very informative. I've been looking for a book that goes into more detail about the Eight Xtra-ordinary vessels and this book is it. Ofcourse I will continue my search on the uses because most successful practioners I have met stress the impotance of this understanding.
Book Description
This text makes available the information a student or practitioner needs to add important and powerful treatments to their repertoire. The authors have assembled theoretical explanations and treatment systems based on the use of the eight extraordinary vessels. The information comes from highly successful Oriental scholars and practitioners. The reasoning and research from which these treatment systems are derived is detailed, beginning with the classical descriptions of these vessels as the oceans of qi and blood.
Descriptions of the eight trajectories include starting points, pathways, variant pathways, and branches. Eleven full-page body charts illuminate the text and more than 50 tables summarize the trajectories, the meeting points, and the areas of diagnostic correspondence. Classical extra meridian treatments are set out, with treatment styles that are detailed in step-by-step presentations. Fascinating systems that have been only partially or superficially reported in the West are fully explained. These systems include plus-minus needling, the Chinese system of body zones, the use of bipolar metals, magnets, and electrically pulsed magnets. Sample treatments, illustrations of correspondence and reflex areas, treatment tables, and diagrams provide practical support. There is a major treatment list for the eight master-coupled points, with thousands of indications for the points from Japanese, Chinese, English, and German texts. Organized by body area or specific condition, this reference permits the practitioner to see how the various indications relate to one another and form groups. A final section describes the authors' experience in combining extraordinary vessel and magnetic treatments with element/stem diagnosis, scar treatment, and zone therapy.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent review of extraordinary vessel theory and practice.......2002-12-10
This is an well-researched, clearly presented work on the eight extraordinary vessels, which represent the deepest level of energetics in chinese medicine.
The book's first section covers vessel trajectories and classical chinese treatments. There are a lot of valuable quotes from the classics here to help you understand the nature of each vessel, as well as symptom/point combinations.
The second part of the book covers modern japanese extraordinary treatment strategies, especially those of Dr. Manaka, who was Kiiko Matsumoto's teacher.
This is a great reference book for any practicioner or advanced student of acupuncture, I highly recommend it.
Don't Buy.......2002-11-03
Totally unreadable for beginners of acupuncture.
Even for a practitioner, one may get really
confused. Translations of Chinese and Japanese
words are lost in essence. Attemp to compile
a book according to the Japanese style of publishing
acupuncture books does not do good service to
American readers.
Book Description
THE CHANNELS OF ACUPUNCTURE CARDS is a set of 109 2-color cards designed to allow students and practitioners to test themselves on their knowledge of the channels and extraordinary vessels of acupuncture. Color illustrations from The Channels of Acupuncture text provide unparalleled images of the channels, giving the user a key visual impression. Each channel illustration displays the pathways of the channel and the reverse of each card provides concise descriptions of the channel pathways. Additional cards illustrate the pathology of each channel, especially for the eight extra meridians. Unparalleled information on the Eight Extraordinary Vessels gives visual and descriptive details on the pathology of the channels commonly seen in clinic.
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