Book Description
The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta is an astute psychological portrait of a modern revolutionary and a searching account of an old friend's struggle to understand him. First published in English in 1986, the novel probes the long and checkered history of radical politics in Latin America.
Customer Reviews:
Is truth garbage or is the garbage the truth ?.......2002-03-24
People always repeat the phrase, "don't judge a book by its cover", but the cover of my copy of THE REAL LIFE OF ALEJANDRO MAYTA expresses the content more appropriately than almost any other cover I can remember in that it points directly to Peru and the central problem of literature. A mass of Peruvian-style figures stand in darkness, almost obscured. You have to look carefully to see them at all. A single chink in the cell door, a single beam of light in a dark place---all that is revealed in color are the eyes and brow of a solitary man. Do we know what is happening in Peru---exploited, misgoverned, racked by revolution and poverty ? Can we know what really happens in life ? Can we understand the motivations and deepest emotions of other human beings ? Can literature actually create or, at least, reproduce these ?
Vargas Llosa creates a gripping novel out of unlikely pieces. An obscure Trotskyite revolutionary, a member of a party whose membership stands at seven, gets involved in an uprising in an Andean town in 1958. The author-as-narrator is in Paris at the time. He returns to Peru later and in 1983, spends a year trying to track down the people involved (family, colleagues, co-conspirators), to learn what motivated this event and its central character, Alejandro Mayta. He interviews everyone he can find. We jump between these interviews and the re-creation (or is it the actual truth ?) of what happened twenty-five years before. The time line is obscured. We shift constantly between two or more times on every other page, sometimes even on one page. This is a literary trick which some people may find annoying or disconcerting, yet I urge you to stay with the novel. Slowly, the author puts together a picture of an idealistic revolutionary who dissented from nearly everything. The sources tell him of a homosexual dreamer who lived a secretive life in every respect, who had no money, and who was (or wasn't) the inspiration behind the Andean mini-revolt of 1958. "If he had been able to control his sentiments and instincts, he wouldn't have led the double life he led, he wouldn't have had to deal with the intrinsic split between being, by day, a clandestine militant totally given over to the task of changing the world, and, by night, a pervert on the prowl..." We begin to understand Mayta, though some of the interviewees are obviously lying. But Vargas Llosa creates a present (1983) in which Peru is overwhelmed by a Vietnam-like war---invaded by leftwing Cuban and Bolivian forces with Soviet help, who are counterattacked by American marines and airforce. Cuzco is destroyed, the country is collapsing. Though Sendero Luminoso did bring Peru almost to its knees, none of this happened. So can we believe the stories told by everyone about Alejandro Mayta ? Is the story about Mayta years ago true as written by our narrator ? I mean, he's obviously exaggerating even about the present. Suddenly, after a vivid description of the uprising, the narrative ends. The Rashomon-like last 34 pages reveal everything or nothing. We are left with questions, but no answers. Vargas Llosa writes, "Since it is impossible to know what's really happening, we Peruvians lie, invent, dream, and take refuge in illusion. Because of these strange circumstances, Peruvian life, a life in which so few actually do read, has become literary." No matter what you decide, if you live in Peru, you'll have to face the garbage in the streets. In America, it's on TV. There's a lot of garbage around us. Is it in people's minds as well ? Can there be truth ? This is the question this powerful, disturbing book leaves with you. A tour de force.
Disjointed narrative.......2002-01-08
While this is easily a great book Vargas Llosa's writing style may turn off some. The bouncing between an unnamed author researching Mayta's life and the various characters in the novel was an interesting approach and really added to the confusion of the incidents & people being profiled. It's an incendiary approach & leaves some cold, but I felt his character development was right on & disclosed just enough to get us to the next interview, remembrance, encounter... Mayta's involvement w/ the RWP(T) (Revolutionary Worker's Party [Trotskyist]) is about as fractionated as you can get. This revolutionary group of 7 or so people had to keep breaking ties w/ more "mainstream", sellout groups (you know liked Marxists, Stalinists, Socialists, etc.). So it stands to reason that any book following his endeavors would be equally disjointed. Even the settings add to the effect: Mayta's home, the street he avoids crossing, the mountainous Jauja, the rented room where the RWP(T) has their meetings. All add up to one unifying effect. What great literature does.
Vargas Llosa isn't merely a writer on Latin American politics; he's an exiled Peruvian presidential candidate himself, so his attention to detail is appreciated.
You don't have to be into Latin American politics to enjoy Mayta's mid-century revolutionary endeavors.
Exceptionally good.......2000-11-16
I started this book with a slight hesitation. I wasn't so sure if I'd really enjoy a novel about South/Central American politics. What I found instead was a brilliant book that walks the line between invention and reality. The surprise ending of this book is not quite as explosive as the endign to The sixth sense (but almost.) This book is fascinating in the combination of the erotic with the poetic. And then in the last chapter, rather than feeling unforgiving for the fact that I'd been "deceived", I was thrilled that I HAD the wool pulled over my eyes. How? you may ask? I will not say any more. Let's just say that this story on a writer's quest for truth, and the truth as he sees it is a great intoroduction to the works of Vargas Llosa, and one that you won't be able to get out of your mind. Don't be surprised if you find yourself up at night thinking on the myriad plot points. That's when you know a book really was worth your time.
Though provocative is not an engaging read.......2000-10-10
Mario Vargas Llosa is Peru's most acclaimed writer. In 1995 he was awarded the Cervantes Prize, the most distinguished literary honor in the Spanish-speaking world. Born in Peru in 1936, he studied in Madrid and later lived in Paris.
"The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta" is an insightful portrait into the life of an obscure revolutionary. Specifically, the Communist revolutionaries who, for decades, agitated and disrupted Peru and most of South America. The ways and why of their actions are portrayed in this fictional account of the men and women who acted in a desperate attempt to overthrow the oppression of the bourgeois and imperialist revolutionaries.
Author Moario Vargas Llosa paints a psychological portrait of a struggling common Peruvian who seeks to right the injustice in his land. Llosa, through Alejandro Mayta, responds to questions such as, "How much injustice does it take? How much misery and grime much you watch as the wealthy rape your land and use the people as disposable resources? How much before the indignation ignites in the flame of a revolution?"
Though provocative, "The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta" is not an engaging read. For me, it took deliberation and dedication to plow through it. I was interested because of my current work with the poor in Peru and my desire to read Mario Vargas Llosa; however, I was often tempted to set it down and not resume it. Conditionally recommended for students of Mario Vargas Llosa, Peru, Latin America or revolutions.
Though provocative, not an engaging read........2000-09-27
Mario Vargas Llosa is Peru's most acclaimed writer. In 1995 he was awarded the Cervantes Prize, the most distinguished literary honor in the Spanish-speaking world. Born in Peru in 1936, he studied in Madrid and later lived in Paris.
"The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta" is an insightful portrait into the life of an obscure revolutionary. Specifically, the Communist revolutionaries who, for decades, agitated and disrupted Peru and most of South America.
The ways and why of their actions are portrayed in this fictional account of the men and women who acted in a desperate attempt to overthrow the oppression of the bourgeois and imperialist revolutionaries. Author Moario Vargas Llosa paints a psychological portrait of a struggling common Peruvian who seeks to right the injustice in his land.
Llosa, through Alejandro Mayta, responds to questions such as, "How much injustice does it take? How much misery and grime much you watch as the wealthy rape your land and use the people as disposable resources? How much before the indignation ignites in the flame of a revolution?"
Though provocative, "The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta" is not an engaging read. For me, it took deliberation and dedication to plow through it. I was interested because of my current work with the poor in Peru and my desire to read Mario Vargas Llosa; however, I was often tempted to set it down and not resume it. Conditionally recommended for students of Mario Vargas Llosa, Peru, Latin America or revolutions.
Customer Reviews:
Kabumpo is missing.......2007-03-15
I have been wondering where this purches was. As it has never arrived from Amazon, I cannot very well review it. I am not worried, it's Amazon.
I just assumed my order did not take. BB Rye, NY
Magically clever, adventurous, and fun!.......2004-02-12
Wouldn't it be awful if, on your tenth birthday, your wonderful birthday cake exploded right in front of your face; and a scroll was found inside, which read that if you didn't marry a "proper" princess by the "proper" time your kingdom would disappear?
Ruth Plumly Thompson, author of "Kabumpo in Oz," continued the Oz series after creator L. Frank Baum's death. After taking Baum's unfinished notes, she wrote "The Royal Book of Oz." Then she wrote 18 more Oz books. (Including this one) Even though this book is more than 80 years old, it is just as fantastic as it was in 1922. This book is number 16 in the series.
This story begins in a small kingdom of Pumperdink in the northern country of the Land of Oz. It is Prince Pompadore's birthday and all is well. The cooks are summoned and out comes the most wonderful birthday cake you have ever seen. Alas, no matter how hard the prince blows, the candles stay lit. Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Oz, attempts the strange dilemma and not only do all of the candles blow out, but the whole cake explodes! The only clue to this unfortunate accident is a scroll, threatening that if the prince does not marry a "proper" princess by the "proper" time, Pumperdink will disappear! The novel continues as Kabumpo and Pompadore search for a "proper" princess and on the way the meet their comrades Peg Amy, a large wooden doll, and Wag, a large comical rabbit.
I found this novel very clever, adventurous, and fun. The only thing that bugged me was how few problems the adventurers had with the evil side. Glegg, the "bad guy" appears in a cloud of smoke and threatens to take Peg Amy away. (Who is really the former human princess of Sun Top Mountain) But just when you realize what has happened, he disappears and isn't shown again anywhere in the novel. I just wish the author could have developed more conflicts to encounter with Glegg specifically; other than Rith Metic, where invaders have to work their way through by solving math equations; and the Illumi Nation, where candles with flame heads try to light intruders up. Actually, there were a lot of conflicts to encounter, but Glegg just came and went too fast!
Anyone who enjoys fantasy, such as Narnia or Prydain, should read the Oz books. Don't be surprised if you can't put this book down.
"The Cowardly Lion of Oz" is the next book in the series.
Thompson's second Oz effort is an improvement.......2003-02-01
This is Ruth Plumly Thompson's second Oz book, and it is a definite improvement over her first effort, THE ROYAL BOOK OF OZ. This is the book that introduces Thompson's best character, Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Oz. Here, he helps Prince Pompadore of Pumperdink to find the Proper Princess and save the kingdom. The story is a lot of fun, and contains such interesting creations as the Curious Cottabus, who lives on questions, and a runaway country so intent on being settled that it kidnaps the heroes. It also features the return of Ruggedo, the former Nome King. Although Thompson makes a mistake involving Ruggedo's size (which she doesn't make in future books), she does a good job with the character. Wag, a giant rabbit who talks in spoonerisms, is a good addition to the ranks of Oz characters. While Thompson still makes some mistakes, including some involving the timing of the story, this book shows that she can write just as well as Baum, and was an excellent choice to continue the Oz series.
WRITTEN IN TRUE OZZY FAHSION.......1999-12-23
The story begins when Prince Pompadore of the Kingdom of Pumperdink stes off with his elegant elepaht Kabumpo to seek the 'proper' princess for him to marry, or his kingdom will dissapear forever. Meanwhile, Ruggedo finds a box of mixed magic, grows to the size of a giant and carries Ozma's palace away from the Emerald City on his head. Its upto Prince Pompadore to rescue Princess Ozma, whom he thinks to be his 'proper' princess, but only Wag the Giant Rabbit and Peg Amy the live wooden doll have teh secret to rescue Ozma and save Prince Pompadore's kingdom from dissapapearing. This is one of Ruth Thompson's best books, for that matter, one of the best Oz stories ever, The characters are very 'ozzy', especially Kabumpo and so are the plot-lines and teh adventures.....A must for all Oz fans!
A childhood book that sticks in the memory.......1999-10-21
I'm especially affectionate about this book because some sweet person gave it to me when I was recovering from having my tonsils out (a common operation, long ago). My sister and I read it to shreds and can still quote bits from the poems. I am delighted it is available; it's going to be my Christmas gift to my sister. The Elegant Elephant is a splendid animal. The ending is perhaps predictable in a satisfactorily classic way. Oh, my purple wool socks! give it to the kids and maybe some big kids.
Average customer rating:
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Kabumpo in Oz
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Manufacturer: The Reilly & Lee Co., Chicago
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Children's Books | Subjects | Books | Baby-3 | Ages 4-8 | Ages 9-12 | Animals | Arts & Music | Books on Cassette | Books on CD | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Computers | Educational | History & Historical Fiction | Issues | Literature | Obsessions | People & Places | Popular Characters | Reference & Nonfiction | Religions | Science, Nature & How It Works | Series | Sports & Activities
ASIN: B000PBYRXK |
Average customer rating:
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Kabumpo in Oz
Ruth Thompson
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UPS9ZI |
Book Description
Omnibus of all three of the popular Last Chancers novels. Hardened criminal Kage and his team are given one last chance to redeem themselves - they must go on a series of desperate missions behind enemy lines, each more dangerous than the last. Last man standing goes free.
Customer Reviews:
Last chance.......2006-11-14
The Last Chancers oddly enough was my first chance at the Black Library's *army* type novels. Since I had not read any of the 3 stories as a single Im rating the omnibus as a whole tale. Basically there are two main characters, Kage and Colonel Shaeffer. Shaeffer commands troops of convicted criminals taking them into ever more hostile situations so that their actions and more importantly their deaths will benefit the Emporer.The last man standing gets a pardon and a second chance. Make no mistake, action packed isnt the word, the killing just doesnt end. At times the book is a bit slow and the pure amount of fighting boring. The ending leaves a bit to be desired also but over all dont miss out on Last Chancers.
All together now..........2006-05-30
This massive novel begins with a short story called Deliverance. Lieutenant Kage is battling tyranids "nids". The Battle Sisters, Adepta Sororitas, are mentioned, but traitors are beneath them and not their concern. In this tale, Kage keeps the other "Last Chancers" from going AWOL.
The second title is 13th Legion which is actually the first book in "The Last Chancers" trilogy. The single novel was released in January 2001. The Thirteenth Legion is made up by convict soldiers. They are led and controlled by Colonel Schaeffer. There are times I believed the colonel went out of his way to make the men despise him; especially Lieutenant Kage. In this episode, the men must battle a merciless eldar, orks, and other Chaos minions. If they lose, they die. If they win, they go on to the next suicide mission.
Third title is called Liberty and is a short story. The fourth story will begin where this short tale leaves off. Kage is dropped into a prison to rot until the colonel needs him again. Kage is a mean and smart killer. It shows in his actions while incarcerated here. He can also be incredibly stupid. What ever happened to being aware of your surroundings at all times, even if you've just come back to consciousness? When he was dropped off, Kage should have noticed that there was nowhere to run to if he ever escaped the prison walls. Other Imperial soldiers would NEVER have made this fatal flaw.
Fourth title is called Kill Team and is the second book in the trilogy. The single novel was released in November 2001. It begins with Kage in prison waiting for Schaeffer to come back for him. Once Kage is picked up, it is on to the next suicide mission. This time the mission targets a Tau general. In this huge book, it is worth reading. Be glad you did not purchase the title when it came out as a stand alone novel. This tale gets slow often and sometimes gets very boring.
The last story is called Annihilation Squad and was the third book of the trilogy. The single novel was released in April 2004, almost three years after the others! You must read the previous novels or you will not only be lost, but also never come to really know the characters, such as Kage and Schaeffer. Numerous battles occur with the single objective of letting me, the reader, marvel at the outstanding fights and a few strategical elements. Yet nothing important really happens. (At the risk of sounding like a heretic, I really enjoyed the character of Urkug. He is a massive ork and bit like one of my online role playing orks.) This story wraps up the original trilogy, as well as this omnibus edition. The ending is weak and seems pointless, but not totally bad.
**** All stories together get an average score from me of four stars. The first two tales (one short story and the first title in the trilogy) are the best. ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Three great books, three great endings.......2006-05-16
I purchased this book because I felt that many Warhammer and 40k novels are just too short, and this one was massive. I was pleased to find that the characters are pretty complex and individualized. The plot and characters are enough to captivate your attention making you wonder what happens next late at night. Another great quality is that when supporting characters die or get injured, you feel a sense of loss. The action scenes are vivid and descriptive. There is a gore factor which does add to it. The imaginative mind of Thorpe impresses me, he has matured since his first couple books.
Why did I buy this book again?.......2006-05-08
After all these years, I'm still a big fan of Games Workshop and its never ending range of models, games and literature. As someone who's been playing both the tabletop wargames (Fantasy and 40K), I eagerly purchased Last Chancers wanting to experience in my mind the world of the the servants of the Imperium.
Thorpe's first part of the first book, 13th legion, paints a good background for the rest of this omnibus. The characters he creates leave an impression and its the sort of book that keeps you up at night wanting to read on in spite of the wife's or mother's calling you to go to bed.
Thorpe is also good at portraying dialogue between the characters and the style is one of grimy bluntness and pacy plot progression. Unfortunately, all the work in this book show signs of hasty editing with numerous typography errors that can be spotted even by non-copyeditors.
Compared to Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn also set in the 40K universe, Last Chancers seems like a very unpolished literary effort, with numerous descriptions of violent actions that were simply not required. One might think that the ample paragraphs of murder of butchery were just put there to make up for lack of a sophisticated plot or writing style, Thorpe's bluntness being the answer for the lack of wit or finesse.
Average customer rating:
- Book 1
- I don't play the game but I found my first Warhammer 40K novel to be a blast!.
- Dude, where's my arm?
- Ready to read the best book in 40k?
- If only there was a sequal...
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13th Legion (Last Chancers)
Gavin Thorpe
Manufacturer: Black Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fantasy
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ASIN: 1841541397 |
Book Description
Across a hundred blasted war-zones, upon a dozen bloody worlds, the convict soldiers of the Thirteenth Legion fight a desperate battle for redemption in the eyes of the immortal Emperor. In this endless war against savage orks, merciless eldar and the insidious threat of Chaos, Kage and the Last Chancers penal battalion must fight not only to win but to survive!
Customer Reviews:
Book 1.......2006-05-30
This title is actually the first book in "The Last Chancers" trilogy. This novel was released in January 2001. The Thirteenth Legion is made up by convict soldiers. They are led and controlled by Colonel Schaeffer. There are times I believed the colonel went out of his way to make the men despise him; especially Lieutenant Kage. In this episode, the men must battle a merciless eldar, orks, and other Chaos minions. If they lose, they die. If they win, they go on to the next suicide mission. The men in the legion are all traitors. This is their last chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Emperor. They seldom work together as a real team though. Each man looks out only for himself. And if they ever got the chance, they would kill Colonel Schaeffer in an instant.
***** Author Gav Thorpe did an excellent job in making believable characters, even if they are more than just a bit on the darker side. Each of these titles are good reads; however, if you want all three titles of the trilogy, as well as two short stories that help tie them together, consider purchasing ISBN: 1844163008. If you want to keep it all separate, then purchasing the stand alone novels is the way to go. *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
I don't play the game but I found my first Warhammer 40K novel to be a blast!........2006-02-14
The hook for Warhammer 40,000, "In the grim darkness of the far-future there is only war" says it all. It's the 41st millennia and mankind is besieged on its many galactic fronts by different alien enemies, demons from the nether-region-like Warp, and threatened from within by civil war. As harsh as the Imperiam is, it's the last hope for the survival of the human race.
Thorpe takes the "Dirty Dozen" plot and pumps it chuck-full of super steroids and drops it in this WH40K universe, to create the penal legion, lovingly nick-named the Last Chancers. Lt. Kage and his fellow convicted criminals may have been better-off to serve out their life sentences in various prisons then to have been given a chance for redemption by the heartless Colonel Schaeffer. The pardons they've been promised for their military-service is always one more unknown and miserable battle-field away. Will they all only achieve absolution for their sins post-humanously or are any of them hard enough to survive to the Colonel's ultimate plan?
Dude, where's my arm?.......2003-12-16
Bloody carnage? Hopeless battles against impossible odds? Violent psychopaths let loose on the battlefield? Yes, this book has all these things, and manages to weave it all into a pretty fun plot with interesting characters! Our protagonist is Kage, the psychopathic member of the 13th penal legion, a unit led by the mysterious Colonol on an endless succession of suicide missions. Quite the departure from Dan Abnett's more conventional infantry stories, this book is all about the anti-hero.
Ready to read the best book in 40k?.......2002-06-28
At first it was hard to understand mainly because its from a Imperial Guard Penial Leigon. But i then found my self hooked into the book. Battles and Life and Death situations kept me reading and reading. Looking forward to reading Kill Team. This book is a must especailly because of Lorii!! Once you begin reading 'bout her you will never stop reading!
If only there was a sequal..........2002-06-16
I really wish there was a sequal to this...
Anyway, this is a great book about a Penal Legion called the Last Chancers. While reading this book I was thinking about giving it 4 stars since the battles didn't seem to have a purpose, but at the end it all comes together and makes sense. It is nice reading a book that doesn't have a good law-abiding hero for the main character, and this guy knocks out people's teeth, isn't afraid of killing people, and as I said, is in a Penal Legion.
My favorite character has to be the Tech-priest, though. Gav does a great job describing the member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and I am going to "borrow" the description for a Tech-Priest in the Inquisitor game.
Customer Reviews:
Book 2.......2006-05-30
This title is the second book in the Last Chancers trilogy. The single novel was released in November 2001. It begins with Kage in prison waiting for Schaeffer to come back for him. Even if you read the first novel, you will find yourself a bit lost due to this. Yet once Kage is picked up, it is on to the next suicide mission. This time the mission targets a Tau general. In my opinion, it seems as though the author is changing his writing style. The smooth flow, if you can call any story set in the WH40K universe that, is missing. This one is more choppy. It gets slow often. I found myself even getting bored at some points.
*** All-in-all, it is not as wonderful as the first Last Chancers book, but not too bad either. Could have been much better, but by the same token, it could have been much worse. As of February 2006, readers have another option. All three titles in the Last Chancers trilogy, as well as two short stories that help tie the three main novels together, are now in one MASSIVE novel ISBN: 1844163008. However, if you want to keep each novel separate, then purchasing the stand alone novels is the way to go. ***
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
So Where did the fun from the last book go.......2005-08-02
I read this book right after I read the 13th legion book and I had a really hard time finishing it. I enjoyed 13th legion and could not put it down but this one was a completely different story. Throughout the whole book it just seems to drag on and on, especially through the middle with the meetings with the Tau. It did not seem to have the spark that the first book did, nor any suprises that the first one did. Then when it finally did get into some action towards the end of the book, it was over very fast. I was disappointed.
Kill team? More like killed theme..........2003-12-16
Starts off with Kage in prison; a rabid dog waiting for the Colonel to slip off his chain. The interesting character and plot development seizes the readers attention early in the book, only to squander this advantage in the second half. This book loses sight of what made 13th legion such fun, and quickly descends into a bland gun battle with the alien Tau. Gone is the enjoyment of seeing Kage try to escape while the mysterious Colonel sends him into one deathtrap after another. This book abandons that inspired theme and becomes a straightforward tactical battle. You will probably like this if you are a fan of the Tau, and don't expect an engaging plot.
The Warhammer Loremaster Flexes his Muscle.......2001-11-30
Gav Thorpe's 13th Legion returns again(sort of as only Kage survived, but he is back at least). Lt. Kage the antihero of the story once again finds himself back under Col. Schaeffer, but this time his mission is different he will be training and leading a kill team to assassinate a tau general. Thorpe's word is law and the Tau codex designers made sure not to contradict his prose. Thorpe's descriptions of the Tau are great, And Kage is fleshed out as a character even more so than in 13th legion.
Amazon.com
After the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, Sidney Piburn put this book together in response to the clamor to know more about him. Since then, the Dalai Lama's own bestselling books, along with his world teaching tours, have only managed to increase his popularity, and The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness is still the best introduction to his life and teachings. Two full-length interviews elicit the Dalai Lama's thoughts on everything from his stature as an incarnate bodhisattva to how he manages the tragedies of his people, his political ideals, and even his hobby of gardening. Going further into his personal life, the "Day in the Life" article reveals the simplicity, devoutness, and genuine ordinariness of his lifestyle. A Time magazine piece by Pico Iyer provides a general background on his world since childhood, and expanding on his beliefs are several articles on kindness, religion, science, monasticism, and, the topic on which he is especially eloquent, living sanely. Questions and answers round out several of the articles, likely anticipating the reader's own questions and making this book a must-read for anyone wanting a brief capsule of this extraordinary monk. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
Brought me gently and pleasantly into the life and mind of this extraordinary spiritual leader and assured the success of my interview with him.--Bill Moyers, PBS
Customer Reviews:
New Age When New Age Wasn't Cool?.......2000-09-03
This book contains a number of interesting articles about the Dalai Lama as well as many illuminating speeches and addresses by him. One can't but be impressed by his concern for the suffering of the Tibetan people. At the same time - as a theist - I find much of what he teaches quite troubling. For example: "Since all the substances for enlightenment exist within ourselves, we should not look for Buddhahood somewhere else." [p. 79.] "Basically all the great teachers, such as Guatama Buddha, Jesus Christ, or Mohammed, founded their new teachings with a motivation for helping their fellow humans." [p. 57.] "Buddhists do not accept a creator; Christians base their philosophy on that theory." [p. 54.]
At least as reflected in this collection, the Dalai Lama's teaching is directly contrary to historic monotheism: there is no personal god, no created universe, no ultimate accountability, no sin. Man's solution is to look within. Not surprisingly, this "psychological" approach is in accord with our therapeutic culture. Indeed, much of today's "new age" movement seems to be taking its cues from Buddhism. In light of the "atheistic" (for lack of a better term) nature of the Dalai Lama's teachings, it is sad that may supposedly orthodox monotheists like John Paul II are so quick to praise him.
a great introduction book to the dalai lama's thinking.......2000-08-14
This book is a wonderful introduction to H.H. the Dalai Lama's philosphy and beliefs. Though it's a collection of articles from other sources this book should please everybody.
Insightful.......1999-08-07
This book is good and well rounded. It gives you a full perspective of the Dalai Lama, his works, responsibilities and teachings.
Average customer rating:
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The Dalai Lama A Policy of Kindness
The Dalai Lama
Manufacturer: Snow Lion Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Dalai, Lama
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000BO1N3I |
Average customer rating:
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The Dalai Lama A Policy of Kindness
Dalai Lama
Manufacturer: Snow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Dalai, Lama
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000HN9SRG |
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- Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angel and of Time and the River
- Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the Bummel
- Three Sisters Island Trilogy: Dance Upon the Air, Heaven and Earth, Face the Fire (Set of 3 Romance Novels)
- Ticket to Minto: Stories of India and America
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Casa y Comunidad: Latino Home and Neighborhood Design
- The Cat's Mind: Understanding Your Cat's Behavior
- James Williams: An American Patriot in the Carolina Backcountry
- International Monetary Systems in Historical Perspective
- Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes
- The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs
- Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease
- Oil and Labor in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and the Oil Boom
- New York's 75 Best Nights Out: Fabulous to Funky to Just Plain Fun
- 1999-2000 New Mexico Business Directory: The Ultimate Sales and Credit Tool
The War of the End of the World
The Language of Passion: Selected Commentary
Who Killed Palomino Molero?
Death in the Andes: A Novel
The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto
