Two of the most valuable books on can read
351445
I purchased this two book set many years ago upon their being first published.  Today I searched Amazon to see if perhaps they had been published into Kindle format.  No luck apparently.

However, this is my chance to give the set five stars, as when first published I studied them in detail and found them absolutely invaluable for an excellent understanding of the pros and cons very eloquently expressed on the question of approving our constitution.  The men who are recorded in these works demonstrated an intelligence which would appear to be lacking in our current and recent crop of political leaders.  These authors, both for and against exhibited amazing foresight into what could be experienced in our future (from their time frame).  And, they were right.

These books should be required reading for our students, and a real understanding of trade offs, risks and benefits of governmental considerations would be made very clear. Of course, such education will never happen.

With few exceptions, anyone reading these works will be surprised at the depth of thinking, regardless of which side of the question they stood, exhibited by these sincere forefathers  It's an eye opener.  Many of these men were absolutely brilliant and with a sincerity not found today, or in my memory, of our politicians.
214839
I was assigned this book in college, in a previous century, and, unfortunately, sold it a few years ago. Then I got a hankering to read it again, checked it out from a university library, and decided I wanted my own copy again. It is a book to keep, hold, and turn to, on occasion, that is, those occasions when you want guidance and inspiration for how to read aloud to someone else. This is, I think, an important humanizing art, and these authors do a very nice job of instruction.
3462725
A great book elaborating on how to read. Many people that have placed themselves on a pedestal will consider this book redundant but I truly believe this can help majority of people out there read better. The whole idea is that organization is the most important tool for information. You can have a vast knowledge of the world and all within it, but if you don't have a good system of organizing that information, then you will do poorly to retrieve it.
Heard it on audiobook and just had to buy it. The bible for reading and TRULY comprehending books.
2927423
I found extremely interesting the high level point of view about how the brain physically works when focusing. Then it becomes a bit too much detailed at this point, and I found myself lost in the understanding of the pre-cortex, lateral and pre-frontal celebral cortex. The last part about how the focus is essential for leaders is interesting too, but a bit obvious and all the examples described (how Kodak and Blackberry lost their market, how Apple is different from the others, etc...) are the usual ones, so nothing more added to what you may have read thousands of time already.
Having already read "Search Inside Yourself", I found this book the perfect duo which completes what I've read there. The importance and the possibility to train your brain to focus through meditation and self-awareness is the ground basis of both these books.
Anyway, a really interesting book absolutely worth reading if you're interested to this topic.
4260332
This two-volume commentary on the Book of Revelation is one of the most valuable modern sets available for the serious student of the Bible. It maintains a wonderful balance between being comprehensive in scope while at the same time being very readable and clear in presentation. There is much confusion in the church today on the topic of Bible prophecy, and specifically concerning the truths of Revelation. As Tony Garland points out, the Book of Revelation is not often taught from the pulpit in the church today, so believers have turned to other less trustworthy teachers who seem to be more interested in "tickling the ears" of the saints (2 Tim 4:3-4).

The first volume provides extremely important introductory material that puts the Book of Revelation into historical context, as well as exposing the prevalent modern misuse and misinterpretation of these prophecies. It then provides a sound verse-by-verse exposition of the first fourteen chapters of Revelation, using the "tried and true" orthodox principles of the grammatical-historical method of interpretation.

The second volume continues by providing a solid verse-by-verse exposition of the remaining chapters of Revelation, followed by a set of short topical articles on virtually every important side issue that might arise from a study of this crucial Bible book. This topical section could be described as a brief Bible encyclopedia that is focused on the important issues pertaining to the Book of Revelation, and it is not only valuable but very interesting reading.

In addition to this two-volume commentary set, Tony Garland also provides a comprehensive set of audio lectures and an electronic version of the commentary which is cross-indexed and designed for ease of use on a computer. The value of this work far exceeds its modest cost and is highly recommended as a study tool for this important Bible book.
2497589
Amongst several medium reads, this is one of the most useful.

Why is this book worthy of a five star? (A five star review means that I love this book)

- There is is a methodical approach towards bettering one's self

- The subject flow is smooth

- The title is clearly explained and then the concept of expansion is dealt

- Each chapter is accompanied by a worksheet (Provides clarity)

- The book's structure is clear and useful

- The user would appreciate this book better than the reader.

- A fine effort

Readability 4.25/5
Understandability 4/5
Lay out, structure 4/5
Value for money 4.5/5
Usefulness 4.5/5
70055
I normally don't lend out my books but this is one of two books recently that I felt the need pass on to friends. It is a terrific book that is an important read.
By the way the other book I was referring to is John Stossel's 'Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media'
3680122
Two interesting stories by one of our best authors....
1134583
My wife is dyslexic, dyspraxic and ADD, but this did not stop her getting two degrees and leading a successful career. In her late thirties, while training to become a psychotherapist, she came across&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Gift-of-Dyslexia-Revised-and-Expanded-Why-Some-of-the-Smartest-People-Can-t-Read-and-How-They-Can-Learn/dp/0399535667/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Gift of Dyslexia, Revised and Expanded: Why Some of the Smartest People Can't Read...and How They Can Learn</a>&nbsp;and went through a Davis programme. It transformed her life to the extent that I have now trained to deliver the Davis dyslexia and ADD programmes. I believe this was one of the best decisions in my life. I now enjoy working with highly intelligent people unleashing their full potential, and I can not imagine anything more fulfilling as a line of work. Ron's second book, the Gift of Learning is crammed full of practical how-to instructions which truly work. In fact that is the only down-side of this book, compared to his first book&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Gift-of-Dyslexia-Revised-and-Expanded-Why-Some-of-the-Smartest-People-Can-t-Read-and-How-They-Can-Learn/dp/0399535667/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Gift of Dyslexia, Revised and Expanded: Why Some of the Smartest People Can't Read...and How They Can Learn</a>, this new one is a bit too much like a manual. It does not have the same amount of inspirational stories as his first book. Nevertheless, the procedures in this book WORK. If you have a child struggling with maths, ADD, AD/HD, or handwriting issues, this book is one of the very few out there which will actually show WHAT YOU CAN DO about it.
2068721
For fans of newspaper comics, book collections and "treasuries" are an invaluable resource, allowing us to read an archived collection of our favorite comic without having to dig through years' worth of newspapers or cross our fingers that the cartoonist has his strips online somewhere.  And as an added bonus, some of these treasuries contain valuable extra information -- explanations and back stories behind various strips, how the strip was created and developed over time, bonus information on favorite characters, etc.  Gary Larson gave us a phenomenal anniversary collection with&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-PreHistory-of-The-Far-Side-A-10th-Anniversary-Exhibit/dp/0836218515/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The PreHistory of The Far Side:: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit</a>, which is chock-full of preliminary sketches, backstory, and never-before-published cartoons; Bill Watterson, likewise, published an insightful and valuable (if someone spare and preachy) anniversary collection with&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Calvin-and-Hobbes-Tenth-Anniversary-Book/dp/0836204387/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book</a>.  I love both of these comics, and these books are an invaluable part of my book collection.

Where does Garfield's 30th anniversary treasury fall on the list?  Well, I would put it a step below Larson's "Prehistory," but a step above Watterson's "Tenth Anniversary."  While this book isn't nearly as full of "extras" as Larson's treasury, it does something Watterson's treasury didn't -- chronicle the development behind the comic, and track how it evolved over the years.

"Garfield" seems to be a "love it or hate it" sort of comic, and seems to have gathered quite a hate following on the Internet, but I quite enjoy it.  The art style, while not masterful, is unique and appropriately goofy, and the writing never pretends to have an agenda or any sort of commentary but exists purely to be witty and funny.  Garfield, despite talking and walking like a human (at least in more modern strips -- his early strips had him strictly a quadruped as well as much fatter), is pure cat, arrogant and disdainful of the human and dog he shares house with, lazy and self-centered but also at times inventive and affectionate.  Odie, despite being mute and brainless, makes a happy-go-lucky foil to Garfield's cynicism and provides a good deal of the comic's slapstick humor.  Owner John, something of a loser, is at turns as goofy as his animal friends and the strip's "straight man," wondering if he wouldn't have been better off raising gerbils instead.

This treasury, in addition to showcasing some of the best strips so far, includes quite a bit of behind-the-scenes information.  Jim Davis, through strips and commentary, shows how "Garfield" and its characters have evolved over the years, both visually and story-wise.  He talks about how he got his start in cartooning, reader reactions, how success and evolving technology have changed the strip, and his own personal thoughts on both his work and his characters.  He also includes his personal favorite strips in the back, and the inside covers of the book contain "rough draft" sketches of some of his comics.  While not quite as informative as Larson's collection (though to be fair, Larson was almost insanely thorough in his collection), it's informative, insightful, and provides a look at the man behind the strip.  And whether or not you like Garfield, it's hard to hate the man behind him.

A fun comic collection and a unique look at Garfield and his creator, this book is a must-have for Garfield fans and comic-strip aficionados alike.
2413931
Bought this for daughter in high school for a class reading assignment.  There are two ways of looking at these classics--either for mere consumption, or, collecting them for your shelf to read and reread again.  Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were both books I would just not buy in cheapest form.  The original reproduction prints, at around $12, are SO worth it.  Books are more than just printed words.  The bindings, the artwork, the way they heft and feel, and even smell, is important too.  I still have an ancient copy of Treasure Island which is one of the coolest BOOKS I have.  Digital versions on Kindle and Ipad are fine for informational research and homework, but READING for pleasure, books still win out for me.
2630161
Upon opening the package when it arrived and seeing the little book, my initial reaction to was disappointment. I scanned a few pages and simply put aside, until yesterday. Don't judge a book by its size or until you get beyond its poor organization by the book's designer. There are two very wonderful books in this dynamite little package -- once you understand it.

As in his other books, Steinberg's text on the history of the pen is excellent and insightful. Once you discover that it is threaded throughout the excellent illustrations with captions -- from which the text is barely distinguishable -- there is a powerful pocket sized history of the fountain pen that allows the reader to grasp more than a century of sound history on the fountain pen. A history quickly available to the reader in a single sitting. You will also find yourself wincing more than at Steinberg's periodic rye criticisms that keep the subject very alive. That's book number one and I'll read it a second time.

The wonderful illustrations with captions form a second book that isn't as dynamic as the text. Too often the captions waver between perfect and way too brief -- "A streamlined red lever-filler" seams a woefully lacking in substance as a notation in an identification guide and is too typical for a number of these very lovely photo illustrations. But despite the occasional short cutting on the captions, the random placement of these many of photos often provide another needless jar to the reader, making one wonder why the connections to historic sequence so easily achieved were overlooked by the book's designer.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. Even with these admittedly possibly petty problems. Should you want to get a quick grasp on the history and evolution of the fountain pen, this book will provide it. "Identifying Fountain Pens: The New Compact Study Guide and Identifier" offers enough to more than justify reading it and adding it to your collection at a modest price. It will certainly stay in my library to be referenced many times in the future for its solid, but brief, content.
641625
The two chapters on defense and opening leads are worth the price of the book.
2980919
The translation of an ancient text and commentaries provided in this book bring forth some invaluable treasures for the attentive readers. Jade Emperor's "Mind Sealing Classic" is probably the most useful short manual of Taoist Alchemy I found after reading many, many books and pursuing the lineage Taoist teachings for years. Every sentence of this short text radiates the deep meaning, while the arrangement of the verses and the words within verses hide the precious internal structure. Olsen does a masterful work in its translation and commentary, opening the initial gate towards the pragmatic integration of the underlying wisdom.

There was obviously a lot of work and heart invested into this book. I am always very grateful when author provides the Chinese original for the old scriptures, as this immensely helps the serious study. I also fully enjoyed the first-hand experiences that author shared with us. The old saying that an ounce of practice is worth the tone of the theory is especially critical in the study of the secrets that mankind has been attempted to solve for millennia. In this domain there are no deterministic or fit-all solutions and so any sincere attempt to reveal the complex mysteries provides a precious new perspective.

It would be difficult to completely relate to all points some researcher would made, based on the own experience, or to fully agree with everything. For instance, I would argue against the author's point that Buddhism has higher moral aspirations than Taoism and would consider that their contribution to the world are just made in a different way and at the different stage of cultivation. However, there is no way for anybody to fully reflect deep and holistic, Pre-Heaven, Truths within the linear, Post-Heaven, timeline and terminology. As mentioned in Tao Te Ching, any term that can be named is not a part of the Eternal Truth. The reality is self-recursive and multi-faceted, rather than fully causal and it is the Intent, a devotion to the Way of Cultivation that counts.

I salute to the author for the dedicated efforts and a contribution he made to bring some great treasures of Tao to us.
4501174
The Rev. Eli Caruthers' work is without question very valuable to those interested in reading an authentic work of early US history. I'd like to interject that the publication which was edited by Jack Freyar was done in two volumes. I regret that many sellers do not make it clear which volume or volumes they might have for sale. The picture on the jacket covers are different. The man on horseback is vol II and the picture of a man without horse is vol I. Some sellers might have a different edition which contains both volumes. Maybe you knew this already, but there you go! It's a great work.
152138
The first is, of course, the Bible. Choose a translation you can understand, a language you love (or want to learn!), and a font size that leaves room for copious personal notes. Read it through, cover to cover and back again. This is the most important work anyone could ever read, for it is the very Word of God.

After you've read the Bible, or at least the Gospels, read In the Footsteps of Jesus by Bruce Marchiano. Mr. Marchiano is the actor who portrayed Jesus in the 1993, word-for-word film adaptation of the Gospel According to Matthew.

He shares delightful stories from behind the scenes, but the real value I found in this book are his insights into the character and personality of Jesus. For example, Mr. Marchiano struggled with reconciling God's unconditional love for humanity with the seemingly hateful words Jesus raged at those who plotted against Him. The answer? God loved the Pharisees and others with such parental passion that He didn't want them wandering down the path of self-righteousness and pride, much like a mother will yell violently at her children to keep them from running into traffic or sticking curious fingers into the whirling blades of a floor fan. There are many more such insights that Mr. Marchiano learned.

Secondly, the book is written honestly. The author admits to being an amateur writer, but his writing is actually quite good. It flows nicely from his heart to the page. Also, his style is very conversational, like he's sharing his story with you from across the living room. He even pauses to say a little prayer or express thanksgiving, and the pauses are written into the text. Not only did I get to know Jesus better; I also learned more about Bruce Marchiano, the man seeking to know his own Savior better. He's a very humble man.

I could ramble on and on, but in short, everyone should read these books. You will be greatly blessed.
3774767
If anyone could ever be called a national treasure, I believe that it is Alan Alda who deserves the title. His second book, in which he reviews, analyzes and comments upon the speeches he's made, is a brilliant mixture of memoir, effective speaking how-to, philosophy, and academia. Being a writer and actor has allowed Alda to become both an expert on and an enthusiast of humanity and life. His book is not only deeply thought-provoking, enlightening, and heartening, but also full of truth (which is not the same thing as honesty). This is a book of the most brilliant, important advice for living. When I read a book, I like to dog-ear passages I like; looks like the whole thing is dog-eared. A brilliant, wonderful book on how to be a human being, reminds me of a philosophic Bill Bryson, and discusses the meaning of science, of work, of art, and even contains the meaning of life. And he's got it exactly right. Grade: A+