Lives of Girls and Women: A Novel

Book Description

The only novel from Alice Munro-award-winning author of The Love of a Good Woman--is an insightful, honest book, "autobiographical in form but not in fact," that chronicles a young girl's growing up in rural Ontario in the 1940's.

Del Jordan lives out at the end of the Flats Road on her father's fox farm, where her most frequent companions are an eccentric bachelor family friend and her rough younger brother. When she begins spending more time in town, she is surrounded by women-her mother, an agnostic, opinionted woman who sells encyclopedias to local farmers; her mother's boarder, the lusty Fern Dogherty; and her best friend, Naomi, with whom she shares the frustrations and unbridled glee of adolescence.

Through these unwitting mentors and in her own encounters with sex, birth, and death, Del explores the dark and bright sides of womanhood. All along she remains a wise, witty observer and recorder of truths in small-town life. The result is a powerful, moving, and humorous demonstration of Alice Munro's unparalleled awareness of the lives of girls and women.

Customer Reviews:

lovely writing.......2007-01-05

I hadn't read Munro prior to this "novel" loosely woven from a series of short pieces connected by sequence and character, but found this work delightful. I took the most pleasure in the texture of the prose. Sentences frequently contain, mostly conclude with, these interesting, nearly polar modifiers, so that they say the thing and it's opposite in rapid succession. And both are true in the way that ripened fruit contains within it its future rot. I'm encouraged to discover other Munro.

maybe I missed something?.......2006-06-28

I agree with many of the other reviewers that the characters and the story were generally enjoyable to read. Though it did take me a bit to get invested into the book I found myself deeply involved with them, of course Del primarily, toward the end. The descriptions of Del's adventures and curiosity were tangible and brought back childhood memories and feelings. However, I expected a much different outcome; I expected this curious, intelligent, intellectual Del to develop into a different woman. I can't help but wonder if this book is popular among women who are looking for reassurance in their decision to follow relationships rather than personal ambitions (and maybe that is ok to a certain degree). Hate to sound cynical, but I was outraged at Del's decisions toward the end of the book and in my opinion she made some serious and more importantly, uncharacteristic decisions that really ruined the book for me and made me wonder how this is a major book for women. I couldn't tell if it was condoning her behavior or simply displaying it as the constricted and likely course for women of a time period and even to (I think) a lesser extent today. Still I think that Del's character in the last chapter was entirely too emotional and irrational given her previous actions and thoughts. I myself am in my mid-twenties and I know that life options for women now are not what they were for women in their 50s, 60s, even 40s today, so perhaps it is more relatable for those a little older, and maybe it is important that I've read it to gain a bit more understanding about where we've (women) have come from; but I'd hate for a young girl today to read it and think that she should emulate Del.

What a load of crap.......2004-07-15

Typical anti-male diatribe disguised as a work of literature. This was assigned reading for one of my college literature courses over twenty years ago, and the memory of the distaste I felt while reading it is still fresh in my mind. The symbolism and 'moral of the story' is heavy-handed and overtly obvious. I recommend avoiding it like the plague.

A classic coming of age story with a twist........2002-06-18

Alice Munro is truly the master of the short story. "Lives of Girls and Women" deserves to be on everyone's list of must-read books. Munro is an exceptionally talented writer, one who can take ordinary situations and turn them into something wonderful. Here, she presents a traditional coming of age story, then spices it up with her own unique brand of dry, subtle wit and a host of zany characters. In "Lives," we follow Dell Jordan from childhood to young adulthood as she struggles with her identity in a small town in southern Ontario. Along the way, we meet many colorful characters, including Dell's Baptist boyfriend, her social outcast mother, a suicidal music teacher, and a lecherous friend of the family. "Lives" is more of a collection of short stories than a novel, but each story is like a puzzle piece. In the end, each piece fits together to create a massize jigsaw puzzle of Dell's life. I have read "Lives" three times, and it is one of my favorite books - addictive, humorous, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Great literature - Munro is a master structuralist.......2002-05-21

What an amazing book! This not merely a good book for middle-aged women, or good instruction for girls, or any such claptrap. To label Munro as good "women's lit" is demeaning to women and demeaning to "The Lives of Girls and Women." (Plus it makes men who enjoy reading her a bit funny.) It's a great book! In any category!

Munro is a master of characterization and narrative structure. Del's description of her mother, for example, reveals: (1) Del's feeling of discomfort at her own place within Jubilee's hierarchy and environment; Del wants to fit in, and her mother embodies the eccentric within her own self. (2) Del's mother's strengths, pulling herself from abject poverty, putting herself through school, starting her own business in conservative postwar rural Canada - this woman evokes our admiration, despite the disgust of our narrator. It's these multidimensional portraits that makes Munro so great - yes, a character (Del's mother) can earn our admiration, disgust, and pity all at once...

Then in the building of conflict, Munro ALWAYS surprises us. Every scene is fresh, new, interesting, every culmination of conflict resolves in ways we would never expect. Take the time when Del was being molested by her mother's boarder's boyfriend. One day she goes off with him in his car out to the country, and we're expecting some "Bastard Out of Carolina" child-raping exploitation and subsequent weepy victim hood. But Munro makes a left at the light, has the man simply masturbate in front of the child, who for her part is excited, charmed, and repelled by the sight and is grateful to be introduced to the mystery of the penis.

And lastly, Munro refuses to depict her women in the same, old tired way. Her women are not dragged around by the hand by handsome strangers, as they so often are in movies. Her women are not victims of rape, incest, or peer pressure, as in way too many contemporary novels. No, Munro's women are real. They have drive, ambition, and a deep desire to be seen as people.

Book Description

Canadian Fiction Studies are an answer to every librarian's, student's, and teacher's wishes. Each book, about 80 pages in length, contains clear, readable information on a major Canadian novel. These studies are carefully designed readings of the novels; they are not substitutes for reading them. Each book is attractively produced and follows the same format, so students will know exactly what to expect:

A chronology of the author's life The importance of the book Critical reception Reading of the text Selected list of works cited

Customer Reviews:

A great book to read about life..........1999-05-08

The Lives of Girls and Women is written by one of the most observant writer Alice Munro. A wonderful written book about a girl's live. A book that's very hard to capture its theme. I am a student studying this book. So if you have any useful information about of the book, please mail it to me. Thanks

Realistic tale about ordinary people. A sedative........1999-03-14

This book is a difficult one to contemplate.If you have any good material about this book. Please state it in your review. I am a student studying this book and would like to know more indepth information about it.

Willa Cather (Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians)

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Willa Cather (Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians)
Sharon O'Brien
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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The two Addies: maternity and language in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women.: An article from: American Review of Canadian Studies

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The two Addies: maternity and language in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women.: An article from: American Review of Canadian Studies
Cinda Gault
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Review of Canadian Studies, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 9839 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The two Addies: maternity and language in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women.
Author: Cinda Gault
Publication: American Review of Canadian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Page: 440(18)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Lives of girls and women;: A novel
Alice Munro
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Ryerson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG28PA

Book Description

Eden Sinclair is director of the exclusive Galerie Raton in Atlanta's prestigious mid-town district. As summer temperatures soar she finds it increasingly difficult to adhere to her self-imposed celibacy, and spends a lot of time fantasising about the attractive young artists who pass through the gallery. Among them is Michael MacKenzie, the flame-haired sculptor whose sexy masculinity sets her pulse racing. Almost delirious with unrequited passion, Eden sets out to seduce him - despite her professional promise never to become involved with her clients. Things become even more charged when she finds out gallery owner Alexander is having an affair with her best friend. In downtown Atlanta it's going to be a summer of saucy surprises and steamy encounters.

Customer Reviews:

Nope did nothing for me..........2006-06-23

Did a lot of eye rolling here, and the ending was unbeliveable. I like a story that can draw me in and but for the most part most of the character here acted like teenagers not adults.

If the premise of the story sounds great to you then read "Undressing Mercy" now that is a great story that really makes art erotic.

Great easy going story and HOT HOT HOT erotica .... .......2005-06-30

Probably one of my favorites from this young author, Eden's Flesh delivers a literal smorgasboard of yummie characters that tease the reader into very believable, and, this is the best, erotic sex scenes that are easy to see, and feel, vicariously ....

Eden, a young female curator of a chi chi art gallery in Atlanta, hasn't had an intimate relationship with a man for almost a year and a half. The, as happens in real life, out of the blue, the gallery owner delivers some eroyic sculptures from a new and unknown sculptor resulting in Eden practicallly 'gushing' the minute she sees the pieces being delivered. To make matters worse, if this man's art has such an effect on her, Eden was already imagining the effect the real scupltor would have ion her.... she was right ....

Surrounding Eden are a group os 'supporting' charatcters that are exciting in themselves ....

Super Super summer reading .......

SOBs (Soldiers of Barrabas, Books 1 Thru 10) : The Barrabas Run; The Plains of Fire; Butchers of Eden; Show No Mercy; Gulag War; Red Hammer Down; River of Flesh; Eye of the Fire; Some Choose Hell; Vultures of the Horn

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SOBs (Soldiers of Barrabas, Books 1 Thru 10) : The Barrabas Run; The Plains of Fire; Butchers of Eden; Show No Mercy; Gulag War; Red Hammer Down; River of Flesh; Eye of the Fire; Some Choose Hell; Vultures of the Horn

Manufacturer: Gold Eagle Worldwide
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000FCI23A

Product Description

Set of 10 books in the series. One thru Ten 1 - 10. Niles Barrabas - The Man, The Legend, The Leader. The last man out of Vietnam, the guy who leaped up from the U.S. Embassy roof to grab the skid of that final departing chopper. Regular military service was now over for him. But the irregular service had just begun.

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EDEN'S FLESH
ROBYN RUSSELL
Manufacturer: Virgin Black Lace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVG4GE

Book Description

As Leia must deal with a new threat to the fragile alliance that binds the New Republic, Lando becomes a prisoner aboard a runaway spacecraft of unknown origin. The ship is following an unstoppable path to its homeworld, destroyed by Imperial forces. Luke continues his quest to learn more about his mother among the Fallanassi, where his every belief about the use of the Force is about to be challenged. And while Leia ponders a diplomatic solution to the aggression of the fierce Yevetha race, Han pilots a spy ship into the heart of Yevethan space and finds himself a hostage on one of the vast fleet of warships under the command of a ruthless leader.

Customer Reviews:

Love this series.......2007-06-22

I'm not sure why all the negativity...this is a very well-written yarn. I remember reading it 10 years ago, and enjoying the plot but feeling uncomfortable with the characters...yet reading it again now (at age 38) I love it. The characters have great depth, and the story is intricately interesting. It all felt very realistic to me. Maybe this is just not a story for a younger reader, or a reader who just wants action. But this is a thoughtful story, doesn't deserve the kind of panning that The Crystal Star got, certainly.

Kept making me mad..........2007-05-18

By the time I reached this book, I was half tempted to give up while I was ahead. But I must like punishing myself (or be very obsessed about reading each and every Star Wars book), because I started AND finished this one.
Pretty much nothing of consequence happens in this book. Luke is still off with his newfound girlfriend, still hunting for his mother. Han is kidnapped. Lando is having fun exploring his ship while people are dying. Leia is behaving like a whiny child. And Chewie, well, Chewie is Chewie. He is that character everyone brings into the story and then goes, "Uh, oh. What do I do with him?"
I hated how the book was divided into sections dedicated to each character. Instead of learning a bit about everyone throughout the book, you have to wait to reach each section to learn what happens to each character. Though I really shouldn't have been upset since nothing really happens to anyone, or at least nothing that won't be repaired before the end.
I won't blame the series for sounding too much like the Vong, because technically this came before the Vong. Still, I guess (???) this was better than the continuous "Oh, the Empire developed a new superpower. Luke, grab your lightsaber and help Leia and Han defeat it!"
Have I said yet this is a terrible series? Have I warned you to avoid at all cost? In case it isn't clear, buy the books to complete the set. Just don't open them!

Wow!.......2006-03-18

The book rocked. I like the parts were Luke looked for his mom. It recovered for the bad beginning. Part three on Leia just made it even better.

Better than the first.......2006-01-05

Ok so this one started out a lot better. It continued with lando's adventure, which was a great start. The author had the book devided in three sections. THe first section starts with Lando, the next is Luke's story, and the Last deals with leia. Granted the storyline with luke is still awful and he still doesnt do Luke justice he did manage to pull off a decient leia. so all in all I would say better than the first but still not up there with star wars authors like Zahn.

Horrible. This if for the people who defend this trash.......2004-05-30

This book is lousy. Its pointless and dragged out. If these 3 books were made into 1, it may be decent. But this 2nd book is just horrible.

I seen one person say "I am sorry that your limited intellect cannot stand plot development and intricate story lines"

1st of all, plot development is suppose to lead to a plot right? NOTHING HAPPENS. Lando solves nothing in book 2, Luke figures out nothing in book 2. Nothing happens.

2nd of all whats so intricate about a vessal that was made by a long lost race. Sure its in interesting ship, but it could have been wrapped up in about 50 pages. Not page after page, book after book.

Oh No, a Hitler like character in Nil Spaar. Dont get too intricate on me. Boring story.

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The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy - Before the Storm - Shield of Lies - Tyrant's Test
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KZ4SHQ

Product Description

3 mass market paperback. The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy - Before the Storm - Shield of Lies - Tyrant's Test

Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis, Book 2: Shield of Lies

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Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis, Book 2: Shield of Lies
Michael Kube-McDowell
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000NJXFNC

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"Once more I saw the spoor of treason, how it prowled from one victim to another."
Enjoyable
3.5 stars - a bit slow at times
First in an Intriguing Elizabethan Mystery series
HISTORICALLY THOUGHTFULL MYSTERY

To Shield the Queen (Unabridged)
Fiona Buckley
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
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ASIN: B000KCI686

Book Description

In this compelling debut of her historical mystery series, Fiona Buckley introduces Ursula Blanchard, a widowed young mother who has become lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Armed with a sharp eye, dangerous curiosity, and uncanny intelligence, Ursula pledges...

To Shield the Queen

Rumor has linked Queen Elizabeth I to her master of horse, Robin Dudley. As gossip would have it, only his ailing wife, Amy, prevents marriage between Dudley and the Queen. To quell the idle tongues at court, the Queen dispatches

Ursula Blanchard to tend to the sick woman's needs. But not even Ursula can prevent the "accident" that takes Amy's life. Did she fall or was she pushed? Was Ursula a pawn of Dudley and the Queen?

Suddenly Ursula finds herself at the center of the scandal, trying to protect Elizabeth as she loses her heart to a Frenchman who may be flirting with sedition against her Queen. She can trust no one, neither her lover nor her monarch, as she sets out to find the truth in a glittering court that conceals a wellspring of blood and lies.

Customer Reviews:

"Once more I saw the spoor of treason, how it prowled from one victim to another.".......2006-08-26

A recent widow with a small child to support, Ursula Blanchard is fortunate to catch the attention of Sir William Cecil, Secretary of State to the new queen, Elizabeth, only eighteen months on the throne. Cecil finds a position for Ursula as one of Elizabeth's Ladies of the Presence Chamber, assuring a monthly income, although the young widow remains in dire financial straights. The court is currently rife with rumors of a romance between Sir Robert Dudley and Elizabeth, not the least of which is the matter of Dudley's wife, Amy, who is ill and isolated at their estate at Cumnor. When gossip insinuates a threat to Amy's life, so that Robert will be free to marry the Queen, Elizabeth and Dudley enjoin Ursula to go to Amy and assure her of their concern for their safety. Ursula agrees to the task, leaving behind a gentleman seeking to win her favor, Matthew de la Roche.

Amy Dudley is indeed pitiful, distraught at the loss of her husband's affections and suffering from what her physician has diagnosed as a terminal illness. Sympathetic to the young woman's plight, Ursula wins Amy's trust, reexamining Dudley and the Queen's motives for sending her on the mission. Certainly, strange comings and goings on the estate warrant suspicion as court rumors infiltrate even Cumnor. Unfortunately, Ursula cannot prevent the inevitable. When Amy suffers an "accident" that takes her life, it is impossible to determine the cause and Ursula reevaluates her position as servant or pawn to the Queen. Her own man killed while on a journey to deliver a vital message, Ursula sets out to find his murderers, at the same time stumbling upon a plot to challenge Elizabeth's throne.

Elizabeth's reign draws gossip by its very nature, as suitors and sycophants gather, currying royal favor and jockeying for power. Anyone close to the Queen is a target for malicious scheming and Dudley is no exception, a threat to others who would have the Queen's favor. With the best of intentions, the honorable Ursula is caught in a conundrum not of her making, doing the Queen's bidding yet unable to protect Amy Dudley from her fate. Her own future in jeopardy, Ursula is at the core of the scandal caused by Amy's death, faced with decisions that will not only determine her future happiness but influence the direction of the country. Luan Gaines/2006.

Enjoyable.......2006-03-24

I received this book as a gift several years ago, when I was in high school. At first, the book did not look very appealing, but eventually I decided to give it a try. I actually liked the book. I re-read it a few months ago and still found it enjoyable.
I only gave it 4 stars because this is not the type of book I'd usually read, so it's not one of my favorites. However, the writing is very good and the plot is intriguing.
Someday I hope to read some of Fiona Buckley's other Ursula Blanchard mysteries but my Books To Read list is quite long already and growing longer every day.

3.5 stars - a bit slow at times.......2005-04-06

Ursula is a strong, independent woman, but not unrealistically so for her background or position. The mystery is okay, but the characters and depiction of the period kept me involved. Although it dragged a bit at times, Buckley paints a wonderful picture of the life and intrigues of court life. I would read another.

First in an Intriguing Elizabethan Mystery series.......2003-12-02

The first in a series of mysteries by British author Fiona Buckley, set in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. If you loved the movie ELIZABETH, you'll love this series.
Ursula Blanchard, a recently widowed woman, must leave her young daughter in the care of a servant and make her own way in the world as a lady in waiting to young Queen Elizabeth I. At court she finds herself encountering intrigue at every turn and is soon offered an opportunity to serve the Queen and earn some extra funds which she can use to support her young daughter. Rumors abound that nobleman Robin Dudley is having an affair with the Queen, and that he is poisoning his wife to free him from his marriage. Ursula must go to his home to protect Dudley's name, and through him the Queen's. But once Ursula arrives, she begins to have doubts, especially after the warnings she receives. Is there something to the rumors? And if so, is Dudley the one behind them, or is there something even more dangerous and sinister afoot?

If you know your Tudor history, you're going to love this series. It's full of people, places and customs of the period, very well researched. Even the central mystery of the plot is based on fact, like all of Fiona Buckley's books. There's a subtlety to the plot, and a great deal of political and religious intrigue mixed in. It's quite rich and pleasantly complex.

What I most enjoyed was the detailed account of the daily life of a gentlewoman. There seem to be a lot of books about daily life of the working class and peasants, many more on the life of the nobles. What you don't often see are the middle class, which is what makes Ursula Blanchard such an interesting heroine. She is caught between the two classes, at the mercy of the nobles and trapped in their plots and games, yet high enough that she can be a player (or pawn) in those same games.

This is a great start to a very intriguing series.

HISTORICALLY THOUGHTFULL MYSTERY.......2003-05-10

With so much historical literary strip mining going on it's hard to find a worthy and faithful narrative. Mystery writers and otherwise love the flavor of the past but too often use it only as a back drop to their otherwise "modern" tale. There are exceptions (K.Follet's Pillers of the Earth - my fav) and Ms. Buckley is one of them. For starters, she doesn't bite off more than she can chew by trying to fit in pounds of historical facts designed to let the reader know that she did her research. The premise is simple and perfect: Who Killed Robert Dudley's wife? It's been a great unsolved mystery since it happened and speculations have abounded. So, kudos' for the choice of plot.
The reason I gave 4 stars and not 5 was simply my personal feeling that the story stalled here and there, but allowances have to be made for character development. I enjoyed the unlikely heroine and her entourage.
Bottom Line: I recommend this mystery to anyone interested in the period, but not to anyone who likes to gather clues and bust the culprit before the end. It's not that kind of mystery.

Un engaño.(política energética en México)(TT: A lie.)(TA: energy policy in Mexico)(Artículo Breve): An article from: Siempre!

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Un engaño.(política energética en México)(TT: A lie.)(TA: energy policy in Mexico)(Artículo Breve): An article from: Siempre!
David Shields
Manufacturer: Edicional Siempre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008HXCE6
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Edicional Siempre on April 18, 2001. The length of the article is 661 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Un engaño.(política energética en México)(TT: A lie.)(TA: energy policy in Mexico)(Artículo Breve)
Author: David Shields
Publication: Siempre! (Refereed)
Date: April 18, 2001
Publisher: Edicional Siempre
Volume: 47 Issue: 2496 Page: 37

Article Type: Artículo Breve

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Star Wars, The Black Fleet Crisis, 3 book set: Star Wars: Before the Storm + Shield of Lies + Tyrant's Test

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Star Wars, The Black Fleet Crisis, 3 book set: Star Wars: Before the Storm + Shield of Lies + Tyrant's Test
Michael P. Kube McDowell
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A shield lies over
Elizabeth Perdix
Manufacturer: Creative age press, inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007E6KTE

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more practice guide than academic discussion

Not a Manual for Contentment, but a Path to Self-esteem

Accessible Meditations, Enhances Meditation Practice

A Supreme Guide to Meditation and Contentment

Genuine Happiness: Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment
B. Alan Wallace
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind

Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves

Balancing the Mind: A Tibetan Buddhist Approach to Refining Attention

Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge (Columbia Series in Science and Religion)

ASIN: 047146984X

Book Description

Discover your personal path to bliss

"This book will give anyone interested in the spectrum of core meditative practices stemming from the Buddhist tradition but in essence universal the deepest of perspectives on what is possible for us as human beings as well as excellent guidance in the essential, time-tested attitudes and practices for actualizing our innate capacity for wisdom, compassion, and well-being, right here and right now."
—Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and Full Catastrophe Living

"In Genuine Happiness, Alan Wallace displays his rare talent in boiling down the complex to the clear and in guiding readers through a practical path to contentment. A gift for all moods and seasons."
—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

"This lucid and rich book offers brillant, wise, and accessible teachings on the essentials of four core meditation techniques that lead one to genuine joy and happiness. Alan Wallace's years of practice and teaching shine through every page, as with ease and great humanity, he brings to the reader the possibility of liberation."
—Joan Halifax Roshi, abbot of Upaya Zen Center

"Genuine Happiness is a treasure chest of wisdom: clear, inspiring teaching jewels. It is an excellent support for any student of meditation."
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience

In today's overstimulated world, many are realizing that happiness gained through material wealth and frivolous conquests is short-lived. To achieve long-term happiness, you must access your own bountiful resources—housed in your heart and mind. In Genuine Happiness, longtime Buddhist practitioner Alan Wallace shows you the path to bliss.

Drawing on more than three decades of study under His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sixty other teachers, as well as 2,500 years of Buddhist tradition, Alan Wallace guides you step by step through five simple yet powerful meditations to help you focus your mind and open your heart to true happiness. Featuring a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, this book will help you discover that it is possible to experience genuine happiness every day.

As you incorporate the meditations from Genuine Happiness into your life, you will discover that the joy you've sought has always been only a few meditative minutes away.

Customer Reviews:

more practice guide than academic discussion.......2007-01-22

I own several of Alan Wallace's books. I like them all. He presents information from a Western perspective, which I find easier to understand. Here there are specific meditation techniques presented in detail. You are encouraged to practice for a while at each stage using the suggested exercises before continuing on in the book. This book serves as a nice checklist for a complete Buddhist meditation practice, including meditative quiescence (Shamatha), (Buddhist) wisdom meditation, dream yoga and more.
Alan Wallace's other book, "The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind" would be more appropriate if your interest is specifically in meditative quiescence (mind training).

Not a Manual for Contentment, but a Path to Self-esteem.......2007-01-07

I read the first three chapters of "Genuine Happiness" as the textbook for a class in Tibetan meditation at a Buddhist monastery in Atlanta: a valuable supplement to techniques to quiet the `monkey mind' of frenzied western consumers.

But the book, like Tibetan Buddhist meditation itself, is not about a technique for relaxation, nor merely an escape from frantic behavior. It is a path to an awareness of the necessity for ethical behavior: a prerequisite for true happiness. And, ethical conduct is based not only on clarity of thought but also an awareness of what service to other sentient beings entails.

As an entry to guided mediation, the book is helpful. (Although, mastering new concepts without the aid of an experienced teacher is worse than learning new software without at least a User's Guide.) Life is rarely "intuitive"... No meditation book can function as a self-contained manual.

The profound value of this book is its gentle synthesis of the rational views of western science with eastern visions of esoteric reality that surpass a biological understanding of consciousness. The last few chapters define levels of enlightenment that exceed what most of us can attain - levels of mastery that transcend western explanations of conscious control of our physical reality. These forms of enlightenment redefine the "Happiness" of the book's title.

If you are interested in a genuine path to happiness through service to others (with more self-awareness than one gets from the Boy Scout's oath), this book will be a wonderful companion for your journey.

Accessible Meditations, Enhances Meditation Practice.......2006-02-02

One of my meditation leaders recommends this book and uses similar meditations in small groups. The book goes into more detail than the small group has time to do. But, I found the meditations easy to read and comprehend. This book has extended my meditation practice with both breadth and depth.

A Supreme Guide to Meditation and Contentment.......2005-10-13

This is one of the most concise books I've ever read on meditation and Buddhism's method for leading a virtuous and happy life. This is the one book that brought together everything that I had previously read in other books on Buddhism and meditation. With so many approaches to meditation, it's a relief to find an experienced practitioner who eloquently maps out the elements of Buddhist meditation in relationship to the balanced development of both wisdom and compassion. In particular, I found it very helpful the way the author divides the practice of 'samatha' or tranquility meditation and 'vipassana' techniques or insight meditation. The explanation of the Four Immeasurables (kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity) and how they balance our practice that's useful to others as well as ourselves was also invaluable. The writing is condensed and to the point with many jewels of wisdom. I found myself underlining almost every other sentence. If you're looking for a clear outline for meditation practice and how to apply it to your daily practice on an off the meditation cushion, this is a great book to read, study, and put into practice.

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