Customer Reviews:
Should have been "Lord Crowley's Novel".......2007-08-20
It's a gross presumption for me to scribble a few lines about a book that Mr. Crowley gave time and blood to write. But reading time is limited, and these reviews help point out what should be read and what perhaps left aside. Read "Little, Big" and others before this one. The idea underlying "Byron's Novel" is faulty, leaving us with the unavoidable outcome. The book should have been much better. How so?
Mr. Crowley's book is faulty on the first level because one cannot write a strong work as a ventriloquist. Nominally, this book is an imagined facsimile of a novel that Byron could have written. Mr. Crowley called himself a ventriloquist in this work, and we end up at a double or triple remove, too far to reach emotion, and thus bloodless. So must it be, always be, when we write as another and not ourselves, for we cannot reach our own heart when we create another's imaginary heart. Throughout the reading of the book, we long for the true authorial voice, but it never comes.
The book is faulty on the second level - the Ada level - as well. Granting that the author is ventriloquizing, we play along with his game, but he then digresses from that Byron-novel with imaginary Notes to it, supposedly by Byron's daughter, Ada. Yet this too is bloodless, an academic's comment that very slightly reveals the person underneath. From the Ada Notes, we learn nothing of Ada of any real import, nor do we feel what the real Ada could have felt - her rage at dying and its unfairness, her bone-wracking pain, and her (supposed) longing for the great and famous father she could never know and who apparently abandoned her. Approaching the book's end, I was hoping (praying) for blood-infusion, perhaps in the form of Ada herself writing the last chapter of an unfinished novel by Byron, and (inadvertently? consciously?) writing in her own longing, pain, and rage. Then would father and daughter, in this work of art, break through time, separation, and death, to a fusion of great souls. And then we, the reader of Crowley's book, would perhaps know Ada for the first time, and feel something.
The book is faulty on a third level - its second level of digression (!) -an epistolary fragment set in the present day, interspersed through the Byron-novel and Ada-notes. Perhaps authors love to imagine the effect of their works on the culture, academia, and the public - but the author with power to say great things, as Mr. Crowley has, cannot do so, at least in publication. Here, Crowley says that he needed to show the lost text being discovered and contemporary response. Why is this so? It is not so. It is a way for Crowley to perhaps daydream about what would happen if a lost Byron were found. It doesn't belong in this book, and detracts much from it, again being emotionally detached and (this time) with wholly uninteresting persons, even including its nominal parallels to the Bryon-Ada relationship.
What should this book have been? It should have been Mr. Crowley's book, not Byron's or anyone else's. If he wanted here to write a ripping yarn, as he said he did in interview, then he should have done so without academic mediation. He could have, and it could have been very good. I do not believe that such tales have slipped beyond our horizon, so that authors have to couch them as from a simpler time. We've not grown so advanced and modern to be unmoved by tales of incident. If the author wanted to explore Ada's point of view, then write her into the story. To sum up, I guess I want to say that Byron here is a disfiguring crutch for the author (whom I greatly admire) that Mr. Crowley should have thrown away, or hidden from us.
Admirable Achievement.......2007-07-30
The technique of a story within a story is not new. In fact, it goes back to Sanskrit literature. Shakespeare used it effectively. Gide's "The Counterfeiters" carried on the theme and, bringing it into the modern era, John Gardner used it in his "October Light" and Margaret Atwood in "The Blind Assassin."
I admire both Gardner and Atwood but, in both novels, I found the book within a book distracting.
In Crowley's hands we actually have three stories, each playing off against the others and it is an admirable achievement.
A collection of papers alleged to have belonged to Ada Lovelace, developer of the world's first computer program and estranged daughter of Lord Byron, is offered for sale. They include one page attributed to Byron and a number of others covered with strings of numerals. What is not known in the beginning is that Lovelace found and preserved the only novel ever written by her father--one which actually explains much which mystified her about their relationship. Though she was dying at the time, Ada encoded and annotated the novel, hoping it might be preserved for future generations.
Smith, whose relationship with her own father mirrors that of Ada and Byron, enlists his help in deciphering and authenticating the material. The collaboration brings them to a closer understanding of one another.
Great Idea.......2007-05-12
Great idea, that wore thin after a while. I loved the parts with the lovers communicating via email about the discoveries regarding the book. I loved the background of Byron's daughter's story. I didn't really get into the actual "novel" that much. Nice try though.
A Fine and Thoroughly Disappointing Novel.......2006-12-07
This novel is virtually devoid of the mystery and depth of meaning of Crowley's best novels, which I consider to be Little, Big and the Aegypt series.
Technically, it is a marvel, and the mock Byron novel is a rip-roaring read, and even the email exchanges among the principal contemporary characters are interesting; but the book as a whole is terribly predictable (the Byron novel itself being predictably unpredictable). Considering that the novel includes an account of intense literary sleuthing, there is no suspense or sense of discovery. From the beginning you know that the Byron novel has been found, so the sense of excitement the characters feel and express in their email exchanges is totally defused en route to the reader.
The book does explore the nature of self, but for Crowley in a very simplistic dualistic fashion (Byron (or rather his alter-ego in the novel-within-a-novel) in the end revealed as a split personality ); but essentially the book is about daughters coming to terms with absent, troubled fathers, which is admittedly a moving subject, and I suppose Crowley handles that aspect with subtlety and depth, so certain people will certainly find at least parts of the novel moving, but it's just too specific a subject to carry the weight of the entire novel, which in the end I considered little more than an academic display of technical virtuosity, an excercise in various voices.
An intriguing novel that elegantly intertwines mystery with history..........2006-06-24
After reading most of the reviews about Crowley's novel, it is clear to me that the greatest misconception that one can have about this story is that it was written to be a recreation of Lord Byron's lost novel and that alone. When in fact, the story Crowley tells within this book holds a much deeper resonance than that of just simply capturing a largely unknown piece of history and giving life to it. This story breathes with the diversity of a great many qualities, both historically and modernly significant; qualities like passion, strength, loss and deception. Crowley indulges his crafted words throughout this novel with both a sense of romanticism and of modernism. He weaves an intricate fantasy of what Byron's novel could have been while ingeniously informing the reader of Byron's history and staging its creation through the communication of modern characters. I thought this novel was nothing less than brilliant. Once you understand and appreciate the intricacy of significance that Crowley has created within this novel, you will name it brilliant as well.
Amazon.com
When liars are being accused of something, they'll stay calm because they're working on their rebuttal; this is why detectives were suspicious of O.J. Simpson when he didn't express outrage when accused of murdering his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman. Never Be Lied to Again is bursting with tested tips like this for quickly determining when you're being boondoggled. Body language, facial expressions, sentence structure, and word choice can all reveal when someone is lying, says psychologist David J. Lieberman, and he includes 46 of these "clues to deception" to help you, including tricks for framing questions without putting others on the defense. Once you use your newly honed "human lie detector" skills to figure out if you're being lied to, you can then dig for the truth using the specific, influential words and body postures that Lieberman suggests. Written with flair and humor, Never Be Lied to Again is designed to help you get the upper hand in any situation, whether you're trying to figure out if your spouse is cheating on you or if you suspect your coworkers are cooking the books.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
It's difficult to have honest communication in a world where people bend the truth to fit their needs. Even more difficult is confronting a suspected liar in an open, forthright manner. In Never Be Lied to Again, human behaviorist Dr. Lieberman coaches listeners to face unfaithful lovers, colleagues, and employees. Lieberman introduces the tape and the remainder is read by male and female voices in varied tones. These different voices pinpoint numerous verbal and physical clues that will help you detect when people are lying; "attack sequences" and "silver bullets" allow you to initiate discussions with the guilty party. Although much of the information is geared to personal rather than professional situations, this tape is still a good resource for starting uncomfortable conversations. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Sharon Griggins
Book Description
How many times have you been manipulated or taken advantage of by someone's lies? Are you tired of being deceived, tricked, and fooled? Finally, renowned behaviorist David J. Lieberman shows you how to stop the lies and uncover the truth-- in any conversation or situation. In a simple, user-friendly format, Dr. Lieberman gives you the tools to determine, with uncanny accuracy, if you are being lied to.Utilizing newly developed techniques in hypnosis and psycholinguistics, this book also shows you how to easily influence anyone to tell the truth-- within minutes. Use it in any situation, from casual conversation to in-depth interviews. Never Be Lied to Again is chock-full of colorful examples and engaging scenarios to help you keep from being taken advantage of and give you that extra edge. Use these groundbreaking techniques to take control of every personal and business situation....and never be lied to again.
Customer Reviews:
A painful read with some useful information.......2007-09-14
This was a tough book to get through and failed to introduce much information that I didn't already know. The writing style was painful due to the authors choice to alternate the pronouns "he" and "she". He did this to avoid sounding sexist but pointing it out made it even more irritating. Most of the examples used were nap inspiring: "You think a student was cheating on her exam." Or unrealistic: "You suspect someone of selling you a puppy with a bad heart." Lieberman knows what he is talking about and the cover of this book looks great but the inside presentation could use a major overhaul. You don't have to read "Never Be Lied To Again" to know I am telling the truth.
Wonderful.......2007-09-05
In the past two weeks it has saved me over $200 at the mecahnics (I used one of the techniques in the book and found out he was lying to me about my brakes AND transmission) amd it has probably saved me a lot of heartache. (It turns out that a guy I had just met was married although he told me otherwise. He confessed to being married after about ten minutes when I used one of the advanced techniques on him) I'm not kidding--this stuff works like magic. This book could not have come at a better time. (Although I don't beleive in coincidences)
All in all,of the books I've read over the years,this is the most significant without adoubt. I can't say enough about it.
Great Book!.......2007-09-04
Another new bestseller which I highly recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune
Fun and useful.......2007-08-07
I have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, it does cover a lot of signs that you are being lied to, and if you know about them you will pay attention and will be more likely to figure out the truth. On the other hand, some methods for finding out the truth are really disturbing because the author advocates using lies and manipulations for discovering the truth. However, I would still recommend reading it. You don't have to use every suggestion in it - use what feels right for you. I especially found the first part of the book useful - this is where the author lists all the signs of lying (and there are a LOT of them, I think that he probably covered them all). The second part lists the aforementioned "strategies". All in all, I found the book fun to read and very useful, and it is up to the reader to chose to use the book defensively or offensively.
Excellent book.......2007-06-28
He explain the subject very well and he doesn't need a lot of lines for explain each ideias. I bought others books and he is a expert in the others subject too. (I'from Brazil and I recommed him)
Amazon.com
His religions, psychoses, divorces, and drug use aside, Philip K. Dick changed the face of American science fiction with his mind-bending writing. There may be readers who have only heard of him as the mind behind Blade Runner (based on his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). But even casual PKD fans should take a look at these 24 short stories, among them, "Second Variety," from which the movie Screamers was made, and "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," basis of the Schwarzenegger film Total Recall. Other standouts include "The Turning Wheel," "The Last of the Masters," "Tony and the Beetles," and "The Minority Report." Readers will recognize PKD's trademark themes: capitalism and the American dream run amok, a disquieting loss of ability to distinguish friends from enemies, and humans versus machines.
Since Philip K. Dick's heyday, and thanks in large part to his influence, the contemporary science fiction short story has evolved into a form more self-reflective and psychologically complex. This is a wonderful development, to be sure. But don't regard the older stories in this collection as dated. Instead, enjoy the peppery punch: PKD's stories provide plenty of plot twists and surprise endings. --Bonnie Bouman
Customer Reviews:
A Good Introduction to Phillip K. Dick's Short Stories.......2007-04-29
This is a budget-priced compilation of several of science-fiction novelist Phillip K. Dick's short stories. These are a different breed than his novels. Whereas the novels are brilliantly eccentric and philosophical, Dick's short stories (as a rule) were cranked out for the monthly sci-fi market of the late 1950s/early 1960s. As such, there are a lot of pulpy overtones and virtually every tale has a Twilight Zone-style twist to it. No wonder so many Hollywood films were based on Dick's short stories, rather than his novels!
You're going to enjoy these stories a lot and, if you only know Dick from the movies based on his writings, you will be in for many surprises. Hollywood insists that its heroes be Supermen, but even Dick's pulpiest heroes are ordinary men thrust into unusual and frightening situations. Even if the Twilight Zone-type settings seem dated, Dick's quality writing impresses throughout. I'm simply stunned to learn that he wrote so much so quickly.
My favorite of the stories is the last, entitled "Second Variety." It's longer than many of the rest, and it's a great transition to early Dick novels like "Eye in the Sky."
If you want a low-priced, no-frills introduction to Phillip K. Dick, you really can't go wrong with this one.
More Twists than a corkscrew.......2007-04-02
PKD is such an amazing writer. This book is so much fun to read as each story is a great length to pull you in and then in PKD style it twists around and your jaw drops. I am surprised they have not made everyone of these stories into movies.
Any fan of things like The Twilight Zone or Amazing Stories should check this book out as it is filled with fun and surprising stories.
A man and his obsessions.......2006-11-09
Philip K. Dick is one of the most recognizable names in Sci Fi, and this compilation of his short stories would be a good first exposure to his writings. The stories are, however, somewhat uneven in their quality, but this has been the characteristic of PKD in much of his oeuvre. The earlier ones seem rather amateurish, both in terms of the writing style and the ideas that they deal with, but the later longer ones are true gems of the genre. Among stories included here are 'The Minority Report', 'Paycheck' and 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale', all of which had been made into major Hollywood movies (The last one under the name 'Total Recall'), and one can imagine that it's only the matter of time before some of the other ones are adopted for the silver screen as well. It was interesting to see how the stories differed from their movie version, and to notice how things that capture our imagination have evolved from the time PKD wrote these stories. What really caught my eye is PKD's obsession with military establishment, and his seemingly constant fear of the military completely overtaking the civilian life. Those obsessions seem very far away form the contemporary readers, which is why they were completely downplayed in the movie adaptations of his works.
Hint of Things To Come?.......2006-03-23
The trend of late is to talk about Philip K. Dick as a 20th Century Edgar Allen Poe...considered a hack in his time, but after his death reconsidered as a seminal literary mind. This book is the first and so far only work by him that I have read and I haven't made up my mind if he really is destined for greatness or if the current attention to his work is due to the excellent movies (Blade Runner, Total Recall) based on his writing. The ideas of the stories in these books are incredible. However, I'm not bowled away by the quality of the writing. It's pulpy and two-dimensional in many places. That being said, I believe the stories in this book are by and large his earliest work, and his writing may have developed further over the years. These stories intrigued me enough that I plan to check out his novels, starting with The Man in the High Castle. Then I'll be able to decide for myself whether PKD will stand the test of time or if he's just a fad.
Amazing short story compilation........2004-11-04
This might be the best sci-fi short compilation in existence. Phillip K. Dick is a master at the short story, developing a whole universe and its history in a few short pages to deliver heavy-duty payloads of ideas time after time. No other author in the genre produces such varying and unique ideas through his stories.
Asimov and Heinlein are great, but you get to know the universes they have created and they don't change much. Where these two greats excel in other areas, they cannot get close to the raw creative power of PKD. This is a tour de force: in this one volume are the stories that inspired the movies "Total Recall," "Screamers," "Minority Report," and "Paycheck."
I highly recommend this book.
Average customer rating:
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Philip K. Dick (Starmont reader's guide)
Hazel Pierce
Manufacturer: Borgo Pr
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Book Description
World War Terminus had left the Earth devastated. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, in search of the renegade replicants who were his prey. When he wasn't `retiring' them with his laser weapon, he dreamed of owning a live animal -- the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of animal life. Then Rick got his chance: the assignment to kill six Nexus-6 targets, for a huge reward. But in Deckard's world things were never that simple, and his assignment quickly turned into a nightmare kaleidoscope of subterfuge and deceit -- and the threat of death for the hunter rather than the hunted...
Customer Reviews:
What exactly makes the difference between man and machine?.......2007-09-15
In this second piece found in the omnibus "Counterfeit Unrealities (contains Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep [aka Blade Runner], The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch)," we find ourselves working between two intertwining plot lines. One is based around Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who "retires" escaped androids - who have killed their owners off-world in the colonies and then come to Earth to live and try to blend in. The latest model - the Nexus-6 - can only be told from humans through use of a sophisticated psychological testing mechanism that measures empathy levels; empathy being the one thing that androids quite simply lack. The other plot line revolves around J. R. Isadore, a "chickenhead" (that is to say, a man who has mutated enough that he is starting to lose his cognitive abilities, but not so much that he cannot still manage to take care of himself and serve the public in some small way). He works for the Van Ness Pet Hospital, which serves people who own electric animals. However, his day gets off to an uneven start when first he discovers another tenant in his previously empty building, and then he is given a real cat - which subsequently dies on the way in to the hospital before he even realizes it is actually alive.
Similar in theme to the previous Philip Dick novel I reviewed, this book explores the differences between reality and fantasy by probing the differences between man and machine, as shown by the differences between human and android (sometimes that line is very blurred), electric animal and real animal, and so forth. Always in the background is the constant back and forth of Mercerism vs. Buster Friendly, who always gently (and sometimes not so gently) accuses Mercer as a fraud and fake.
Please note, those who have seen "Blade Runner"; it has been years since I have seen the movie, but from what I recall - the movie is only VERY LOOSELY based upon this novel.
Nonetheless, I did find the story enjoyable; dense and difficult at times, but the interchange and interplays are always deft and intriguing. This classic bit of surreal sci-fi is not to be missed.
Classic Dick.......2007-09-10
(This review is based on the novel as it is printed in the Library of America edition.)
Famed for being the basis of the cult movie "Blade Runner", this novel is, in my opinion, not as good a book as the movie is as a movie. There are big differences between the two, as far as the plot is concerned, and the mood, and quite frankly, I prefer that of the movie. But to the novel itself.
If you are familiar with Dick's style, you will not be in foreign territories here. All the features that define Dick's prose are there. Interestingly enough, and as for his other novels that I read, I never find myself bored, and it's always a pleasure to read Dick's work; and that, despite the shortcomings.
If you've never heard of "Blade Runner" or this novel, then here is a short sum up of the basics: it's set in the future, where humans colonise the universe, and have reached the level of technology enabling us to create androids, a sort of organic machines resembling humans. Those androids are illegal on earth and whenever some of them flee to this planet, bounty hunters are after them. The main Character of the book, Rick Deckard (named after René Descartes, the French thinker famous for his "cogito ergo sum", or "I think therefore I am") is one of those bounty hunters. As usual, Dick creates a very interesting dystopian world, the kind that you can't get enough information.
The story is a lot more complicated than that, and for those who know "Blade Runner", there are many things that you never heard of in the movie. Mercerism, to name but one. The fact that Deckard is a married man, and not much like the Deckard of the movie.
What I disliked about the novel was similar that what I dislike in every Dick novel I know of. For one, this novel has one of the worst titles in existence that I had the displeasure to lay eyes on. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", I cannot think this is anything close to a good title. Dick is quite bad when it comes to naming things. One reflex he has that I cannot stand is that he somehow feels obliged to give ridiculous names to either people or companies, and it just makes the whole thing sound grotesque. In "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch", one big company was called "Perky Pat Layouts"; in this novel, a TV host is named "Buster Friendly", and I won't list the others. Or just this one more: "andy". That is the word by which Dick has his novel call the androids. In plural form, this becomes "andys". Not very thrilling.
The movie changed those things. "Andys" become "replicants" and "bounty hunters" become "blade runners". All for the better, if you want my opinion. I believe the plotline of the movie to be far superior to that of the novel even though they share a lot, as would be expected. My feeling on Dick is that he crams so much material in his relatively short novels that he cannot get the best of it. Mercerism, mentioned above, is a quite obscure religion that never gets fully explained in the book, and is completely absent from the movie, and one understands why all too easily.
Another thing I think Dick is short on is descriptions. For all I remember, Dick rarely, if ever, describes much; and the result of this is that one doesn't really see the world in which the characters evolve. If you expect visions similar to those in the movie, you will be disappointed. In Dick's novel, Earth is being abandoned by everyone, and it's mostly desert and gets less and less populated. Quite unlike the Earth of the movie, quite unlike the megacities people live in. I think it's an impressive feat that the people who made "Blade Runner" based it on this book. The themes are excellent, and Dick, in my opinion, doesn't reach the full extent of what he could have done. To name one example, the relation between creator and creature, à la Frankenstein, is entirely nonexistent in the novel, whereas it's central in the movie.
If you love the movie, you will only get disappointed by this book if you expect it to do the movie justice; it won't. But it's nevertheless a good read and an interesting one with regards to the "Blade Runner" universe. It won't be as good as the movie - that's hard - but it is a good read, and that is why despite all my negative comments I still gave this novel 4 stars. I would recommend to people who enjoy the movie, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the book the same had I not known of the movie first. Yet, there definitely are good things in the book.
One of the best sci-fi books ever...........2007-09-08
Really I don't know what I can add that hasn't already been said about this fantastic book. A must read for even non-sci-fi fans as it could be the book that converts you to the genre!
What a Vision.......2007-09-04
I noticed that many commented on the quality of Dick's writing. This may not be Shakespeare-quality prose, but what sci-fi novel is? (Dune was actually exceedingly well written, though.) Dick is so committed to his vision that he draws you in, and by the end it's hard to escape the eerie despair of life after World War Terminus. It may be clearer after a second or third read, but my only objection is the concept of Mercerism as it's developed late in the book. Its relation to the characters is not explained in-depth, and I was left wondering why it affected certain characters in certain ways. But I don't want to give too much away! This is a definite buy if you enjoy sci-fi lit of any kind.
Are Humans Better than Machines? Let's Hope So..........2007-08-09
Dick presents us with yet another bizarre vision of the future in this fast-paced adventure novel. The protagonist is a bounty hunter who tracks down renegade androids who have killed their off-planet masters and fled to Earth to lose themselves among the general human populace. Complicating his job is the inevitable fact that as technology improves, it becomes increasingly more difficult to tell the androids from real people. So the hunter has to administer very subtle tests to his subjects in order to verify their non-humanity. These tests require the co-operation of the subject, even as the androids - knowing they are about to be detected - are preparing to kill him.
The title is a riff on the reigning philosophy of the period, a faith called Mercerism, which advocates the sanctity of all life (spiders, chickens, goats, whatever) and provides a communal experience that validates human empathy. Dick postulates that no matter how closely the machine mind may approximate humanity, it can never achieve empathy with the living, and so must ultimately fail. Even if Mercerism is a sham, it is better to believe in humanity, it is better to believe that we are not alone, it is better to believe that someone will help us when we find ourselves stuck in the tomb world, than to give in to despair. The machines, which know neither despair nor empathy, have nothing to bind them together, to take them beyond the confines of their own short existences, while humanity, which has the potential for community, can see a bigger, and ultimately more lasting picture.
This is one of Dick's best novels: well-constructed around a strong central character, with a reasonable ending instead of the jaw-dropping "twist" that (while cool) sometimes mars his books. Readers new to this giant of the genre might do well to start here.
Amazon.com
Considering the huge number of books that beloved Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh has put out, we really need a "best of" collection. Here we have it, in Thich Nhat Hanh: Essential Writings, which brings together snippets from Nhat Hanh's poetry, his Christian-Buddhist dialogues, his introductions to Buddhist sutras, and of course, his own well-spoken takes on core Buddhist ideas. If there is one word that sums up Nhat Hahn's Buddhism, it is "interbeing," the name he gave to his own monastic order. Being fully present in the moment is mindfulness, and interdependence tells how all things are intimately connected, the understanding of which encourages us to engage the world at every moment. Sister Annabel Laity, a master in her own right who has received transmission from Nhat Hanh, provides a brief but illuminating biography of Nhat Hanh for this collection, along with insightful introductions to each of the chapters. Themes that order the chapters are those that run through all of Nhat Hahn's teachings: mindfulness, compassion, delicate attention to detail, patience, and forgiveness. For those interested in this Zen monk's life and works, Essential Writings is essential reading. --Brian Bruya
Customer Reviews:
Being in the present moment.......2007-08-27
If you haven't read anything by Thich Nhat Hanh, this would be the book you want to read first. Gradually, the reader enters into the peaceful realm of this gentle teacher. From short, but meaningful essays to beautiful poetry, the journey through this collection is one that provides material to live by. The book concludes with the fourteen mindfulness trainings. My personal favorite is #7 which begins "Aware that life is available only in the present moment and that it is possible to live happily in the here and now,..." Enjoy!
Great Book.......2007-04-02
Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the best writers in Buddhist litature. I prefer him over any one else. This is a great introduction to his work. Thich Nhat Hanh breaks down the most basic and difficult teaching of Buddhism in simple terms that can be applied easly to everday life. I recomend this book to any one and everyone.
Spirituality Made Simple.......2007-02-11
This is a wonderful little book that makes everyday spirituality very simple to pursue and achieve. Through awareness and joy we can learn to treasure each moment of our lives and Thay gently points us in the direction to go so we may find those seemingly elusive treasures. This is a sweet, simple message for very mean and complicated times and comes through like a ray of sunlight after a terrible storm. It reminds us that life is good, there is love and beauty in the world, and we have it within us to find them.
This volume has it all.......2007-02-10
If you want to own one concise volume of Thich Nhat Hanh, this is it. It pulls together lessons from many of his earlier writings, and like the title says, his most essential writings are within these pages.
powerfull.......2007-01-21
I've been practicing a peaceful lifestyle for a few years now and it's been sort of an up and down path. Since I started reading this book it has gotten me back on track. I take so much joy in everything I do now. This book is absolutely incredible. I wish everyone in the world could read it.
Book Description
A Lifetime of Peace follows the successful model established by A Lifetime of Wisdom: Essential Writings by and about the Dalai Lama. It draws on dozens of sources to collect the very best writing by and about Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. This timely collection is both a political and spiritual handbook which encompasses all of Thich Nhat Hanh's major themes—mindfulness, love, truth, compassion, and peace on earth. In 1967 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing the monk’s lifelong efforts to encourage peace and reconciliation around the world. This important collection will not only present Hanh’s writing about his experiences during the Vietnam War and excerpts from his journals, but also collect a range of other highlights, such as his advice for those entering into meditation practice and his unique insights into Buddhist and Christian theology. But above all, A Lifetime of Peace is a timely and thought-provoking examination of the nature of peace—both as an inner state of being and as a real condition in the world.
Customer Reviews:
Gifts from a True Master.......2006-03-21
A Lifetime of Peace is a compendium of writings by and about the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Over the years Thich has written numerous books for seekers on the path and also for people looking to find more happiness in their lives. This book strings together several different works so you get a taste of a great collective body of literature.
Some of the works in this collection were interviews Nhat Hanh had given with other publications. One of them that could be especially salient in today's world was one titled What would I say to Osama Bin Laden. In this interview Nhat Hanh makes it clear that we have to try to understand a total perspective. Issues of importance are seldom black and white and if we can come to a better understanding of the discontent in someone like Bin laden we can perhaps take measures to ensure compassion. Only by true compassion can we overcome hatred and potentially find a satisfying solution to terror in whatever form it may take. A fire is never put out by throwing more fuel upon it, and only light illuminates darkness.
Another interview that was very interesting was one with Daniel Berrigan, a Catholic priest. Berrigan had been imprisoned for a time for opposition to the Vietnam War. He found a true friend in Thich Nhat Hanh who had witnessed the devastating effects of this war on his homeland. Part of the dialogue between these two religious men is written here for us to read. In this dialogue we see how politics often has a corrupting influence upon religion. One example would be where people forsake their Jewish beliefs of peace in favor of maintaining the Israeli state.
Throughout the rest of the book you'll find a couple of writings about Thich Nhat Hanh from other people like Bell Hooks and also works by Thich Nhat Hanh himself. In most of Thich's writings you'll read familiar themes. Some of these themes are the importance of mindfulness in every activity, the realization of the impermanence of all things, the benefits of peace and understanding, and the interdependence of all things.
I can't imagine anyone coming away from reading this book without a deeper sense of peace. Of course, the real challenge is implementing these teachings within a daily practice. However, this book is a good place to start to get practical suggestions and advice from one of the true masters to help you realize your entitlement to true happiness. Recommended for anyone regardless of religious beliefs and where they may currently find themselves in their quest for happiness.
A powerful and life-affirming read.......2004-01-10
A Lifetime Of Peace: Essential Writings By And About Thich Nhat Hanh by Jennifer Schwamm Willis is a "reader friendly" compendium showcasing a great Buddhist monk's wisdom concerning those paths to peace that all individuals (Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim, or any other faith) can follow in order to bring about their desires for a better world. Emphasizing the crucial importance of mindful compassion, A Lifetime Of Peace is a powerful and life-affirming read, and highly recommended for both Buddhist Studies reference shelves and Religion/Spirituality independent studies reading lists.
Books:
- Mama's Bank Account (Harvest/HBJ Book)
- Memorias de una Geisha (MTI): Una novela
- Minaret: A Novel
- Mona in the Promised Land: A Novel
- Paradise Alley: A Novel
- Please Don't Come Back from the Moon
- Prodigal Summer: A Novel
- Queen of Dreams
- Quincunx
- Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America, The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster, and In Watermelon Sugar
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Milosevic: Portrait of a Tyrant
- Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life
- The Turquoise Ring
- The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener
- YEARNINGS: EMBRACING THE SACRED MESSINESS OF LIFE
- Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World with CD-ROM
- America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
- Almanac of Famous People : A Comprehensive Reference Guide to More Than 30,000 Famous and Infamous N
- Trials of an Inventor: Life and Discoveries of Charles Goodyear
- Money Is My Friend
The Translator
Endless Things: A part of Aegypt
Novelties & Souvenirs: Collected Short Fiction
Little, Big (P.S.)
A Princess of Roumania
