Editorial Review

Reviews

New York, N-E-W Y-O-R-K!, September 23, 2010
This lovely book follows the same format as Taschen's Los Angeles, Portrait of a City: a history based on named photographers though there are many fine images taken by anonymous snappers. The LA book had thirty-nine photographers but as this is New York it takes 124 of them and over 500 photos to expose the city.

All the regulars are here, photographers who have created that special look over the years. Abbott, Bubley, Eisenstadt, Feininger, Klein, Orkin, Riis and a good showing from Weegee but what I found fascinating was the number photos from anonymous sources. Right up to the late Forties unknowns had taken some quite remarkable shots revealing a particular aspect of city. Some of these run over spreads throughout the book and they look stunning. Pages 108-109 have that famous shot of the sunlight streaming through windows at Grand Central Terminus, anonymous from 1929.

The book's five chapters look backwards over 160 years starting in 1850 and though maybe one could fault it by only using historical photos rather than a wider range of graphic images I think it succeeds because of this. The city has a long pedigree of photographic interpretation and some of the best works are in these pages. I thought it a plus that so many well-known images are mixed in with the dozens and dozens of not so well known shots and all collected in this big, chunky book. Another plus, least from my point-of-view, is that there are very few photos of popular culture celebrities. The celebrity is the city with nearly all the images exteriors showing the changing landscape, people (mostly just New Yorkers) or just out on the street.

Mixed in with the photos there are largish thumbnails of cultural graphic items: book jackets and posters for plays and movies. The back pages have an interesting listing of suggested cultural reading, listening and viewing and all the named photographers get a hundred or so word biography.

Like Taschen's LA book this is a lovely designed and printed title that takes a different and fresh look at New York. The large page size and huge photos celebrate one of the world's great cities.

***LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

New York: Portrait of a City, November 2, 2010
There have been plenty of monographs about New York, and coffee table books full of visual cliches, but this impressive volume (8 lbs and 560 pages) is in a class by itself. Author Reuel Golden doesn't just round up the predictable photographs here. There are many well-known images, of course, but he has also combed the archives for lesser known and even unknown gems. The result is a rich and varied visual history of the city from about 1850 to the present, told through its people, landscapes, and architecture. Golden divides the book by eras, roughly coinciding with the influx of immigrants after 1850; the period of booms and busts between the two world wars; the post-war prosperity; the city's dark days from the mid 60s to the late 80s; and its relatively triumphant period since then. What shines through is the optimism and aspiration and relentless energy that defines the city, and constantly renews it. For anyone in your life who loves New York, this is the perfect book, at not much more than the cost of a cab ride from La Guardia.

I <3 NY, November 14, 2010
to love new york is to love this book, a celebration of our great city over the decades.
with historic perspective, sensitivity and nostalgia, new york: a portrait of a city honors it all.
highly recommend as a gift, or present to yourself.

photographs retouched with wrong color profile and saturation, October 15, 2010
the photographs have been saturated and over contrasted...they have applied too much correction and even the well-know Meyerowitz images have colors completly awakard compared to the original prints. Nothing has bene respected. it's a shame.

Not the best in the series, September 25, 2010
I bought this book because I had already acquired the ones on Berlin and L.A., which are both excellent. But this one falls short -the text I'm just beginning to read and it's quite alright, but the pictures for the most are either so iconic, that you've already seen them a million other books, or so drab and quotidian, that they end up being uninspiring. This book is okey -but not worthy of the others in the Taschen series. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This text argues that the ignorance and lethargy of the poor are the direct result of the whole economic, social and political domination. The book suggests that in some countries the oppressors use the system to maintain a 'culture of silence'. Through the right kind of education, the book suggests, avoiding authoritarian teacher-pupil models and based on the actual experiences of students and on continual shared investigation, every human being, no matter how impoverished or illiterate, can develop a new awareness of self, and the right to be heard. ... Read more

Reviews

a must read to understand modern man, August 4, 2000
KEY CONCEPTS:

* Important exploration of dialogue and the possibilities for liberatory practice.

* Freire provides a rationale for a pedagogy of the oppressed;

* introduces the highly influential notion of banking education;

* highlights the the contrasts between education forms that treat people as objects rather than subjects;

* explores education as cultural action.

In the early 1970's, Brazilian educator, Paulo Freire, visited Harvard and published an English translation of his best known work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. His general critique of education presented an analysis which challenged the neutrality of the technological model dominant in American schools. He argued that any curriculum which ignores racism, sexism, the exploitation of workers, and other forms of oppression at the same time supports the status quo. It inhibits the expansion of consciousness and blocks creative and liberating social action for change.

In Freire's view of education, learning to take control and achieving power are not individual objectives, as in a "boot strap" theory of empowerment. For poor and dispossessed people, strength is in numbers and social change is accomplished in unity. Power is shared, not the power of a few who improve themselves at the expense of others, but the power of the many who find strength and purpose in a common vision. Liberation achieved by individuals at the expense of others is an act of oppression. Personal freedom and the development of individuals can only occur in mutuality with others. In the experience of women's groups, civil rights workers, and many others committed to liberatory action, collective power and collegiality protect the individual far more than authoritarian and hierarchial modes of organization.

While Freire's theoretical framework gave many community-based educators grounds for hope, it was his pedagogy--the practical, how-to-do-it methods--which gave them sought-after tools for the reconstruction of urban adult education. Freire advocated dialogue and critical thought as a substitute for "banking" education in which the riches of knowledge were deposited in the empty vault of a learner's mind. He suggested several pedagogical techniques based on the mass literacy campaigns he organized in Brazil and Chile--campaigns integral to broadly defined programs of revolution and social change. It was these techniques which many literacy and basic education programs immediately incorporated into their practice: reflection on the political content of learner's day-to-day experience, the organization of "culture circles" which promote dialogue and peer interaction, and the use of "people's knowledge" as the basis for curriculum.

How does knowledge truly emerge?, January 30, 2000
What does knowledge contained within the "banking" form of education have to do with the reality of the oppressed? Freire's discussion of this concept brought to mind a passage in Robert Kaplan's book The Ends of The Earth in which he discusses a school in India where people were taught things pertinent to their lives, such as sustainable agriculture and literacy; things that help them shape their own reality and find their places within that reality (Freire, 75.) What is reality and who determines it? Freire argues that reality is an always changing, transitory process with dialogue and critical thinking at its heart. Reality is not motionless, static, compartmentalized or predictable. Teachers make it seem as though it is. In light of this, what is the appropriate education for the oppressed or for anyone?

Freire states that education is a subversive force. In particular education is both subversive and real when it is liberating. "Education as the exercise of domination stimulates the credulity of students, with the ideological intent (often not perceived by educators) of indocrinating them to adapt to the world of oppression" (59.)Whereas, "Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferrals of information" (60.) Most tellingly, "Problem posing education does not and cannot serve the interests of the oppressor. No oppressive order could permit the oppressed to begin to question: Why?" (67.) Indeed, problem posing education is a form of education which provides a method of finding meaningful problems and solutions for those receiving the education; not a way to oppress those attempting to gain education. The oppressors basically do not wish for the oppressed to think for themselves; similar to how advertisers attempt to plant ideas in the consumer's subconscious mind and give him/her notions about providing for the ease of things being done for them, pre-made. The oppressors do not want the oppressed to have the education that is based on experiential learning. A pre-made education is one which will keep the oppressed oppressed and without freedom. True education is a practice of freedom (77) and requires that the oppressed apprehend and intervene in reality (90.)

Conscientizacao is a central concept to Freire's conclusions. Ther term is described as "learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions, and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality" (17.) Freire states that some perceive conscientizacao as a danger. Conscientizacao involves knowing and naming the reality around you and interpreting that reality with critical analysis. In a sense it is a state of becoming fully conscious.

"Unity and organization can enable them to change their weakness into a transforming force with which they can re-create the world and make it more human." This book is an excellent work providing prescriptive evidence about how the oppressed might go about creating their own reality to overcome oppression, seizing education, true education, as a path to freedom.

Freire obituary, August 4, 1997
The most widely known educator in the world died on May 2, 1997. Paulo Freire leaves a legacy of dogged struggle for democracy, equality, and the social consciousness required to envision and retain a more just world. In his most widely read book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire detailed the role of education as a political force---for either liberation or domination. He argued that the process of liberatory education, reflecting the specific intersections of an educator, a student, and a community, must be a process of unveiling, questioning the central issues of life: work, culture and the construction of knowledge. He opposed his pedagogy to "banking " practices, rote memorization of the teacher's facts, which he insisted only reproduce injustice by aculturing the student to passivity. A critical education, in contrast, assists the students in methods to unravel her world--and the words which hide or expose its realities, While Freire was never able to resolve the shipwreck contradiciton of socialism, critical consciousness versus national economic development, his insistence on the need for new styles of education and leadership, coupled with his own lifetime of activism, leave an indominatable testimony of hope. Most educators want to change the world. Freire did

A must-read one if you are keen on Education, February 2, 2007
You will see how his idea is very influential in the educational discourse. Intrigued particularly by the Chapter 2, I would say that his revlutionary notion of education will be alive and well-adapted in the contemporary educational practices.

Freire wants to critisize the idea of narrative education in which teachers just impose students with plentiful information without encouraging them to think cirtically and to search for realilty, and students just listen passively, try to memorize, and repeat teacher's words and lessons accordingly. In fact, education should be to forster students' creativity, transformation ,and knowledge so that it helps them to become fully human being. In the ideology of oppression, teacher is the oppressor, and students are the oppressed. It means it is not neccessary for students to argue, ask questions, have their own position, and the roles of teacher are to preach students and to dominate their opinions. In other words, it is called the banking concept of education used by oppresors to change the mind of the oppressed in order to easily cotrol them. Conversely, the concept of liberian education entails deeper cooperation between teachers and students. Teachers and students can learn from each other because students must be seen as people who have prior knowlege and raise their opinions influencing teachers'.

The education "'bible" of/for the next millennium., July 14, 1999
As Freire makes it clear, the "Oppressed", as far as learning and growth are concerned, are not only the disenfranchised but the elite as well. Anyone who hears and responds to the call of service in the extrication of human consciousness from the oblivion of fear, ignorance and greed to the realization of freedom, self-realization, ordinary imperfect reality (and a few other pleasant experiences, chockful of collective joy and progress) will be very happy to have this book. As a (current) teacher of incarcerated adolescents and adults on Rikers Island, New York City - I know that Paulo Freire speaks the truth - and that his so-called abstract theories (by self-involved, rationalizing, "thinking and writing for that next grant" pandering intellectuals) are rooted in the concrete realities of the human condition. Thus, they are catalysts for concrete results in discovery, surprise, laughter and joyful learning (for both student/teachers and teacher/students) in my jailhouse classroom.

Should Be Required Reading For All Educators, November 4, 1999
There continues to be a correlation between Brasilian peasants in the 1960s and Americans at the cusp of the 21st century, regardless of what the conservative nay-sayers may crow. I feel that many who are in authority, especially in the highest echelons of state education choose to ignore the cries of those who are suffering under the crush of economic and social oppression in favor of sweetheart business dealings. Freire is not an easy read; he scares 95 percent of undergraduates and requires a lot of thought and reflection to just get an understanding. Once tuned into his ideology (not that a good dictionary is not necessary), his heart and soul comes through in every word. Freire is gone, but there will stil be men and women who humbly follow in his footsteps, even if they cannot completely follow his precepts.

A revolutionary book for adult educators and adult learners, December 5, 1998
My initial thoughts upon reading the first chapter of the book were mixed. The author took a whole chapter to explain what could have been said in a few words in order to explain the message the book was trying to model. Fortunately, I kept reading and wound up really enjoying this book and recommending it to others.

Where the book starts to become interesting is in the second chapter. The revolutionary feel of this book comes on strong and this thread continues throughout. This book is not for those who are in fear of words near and dear to behavioral sciences or psychology. A lot of "adult" language is used and I recommend having a good dictionary near by.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed looks at two audiences, the oppressor and the oppressed learner. Oppressors try and oppress their students or subjects for selfish gain. Through the process of oppression the "oppressed" become brainwashed into thinking that they cannot improve their socio-economic positions.

This book is a must for anyone who goes into the teaching or education of adults and will challenge the traditional model of teaching. This will make you think about your own paradigms as well as your own learning as an adult.

"Pedagogy of the Oppressed" is an excellent book. The language is a bit challenging if you are not familiar with psychological terms and adult education yet with a bit of patience and a dictionary, it can be understood.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed, November 11, 2001
Is there a book more important to understanding how the educational systems facilitate the reproduction of oppresive systems? Probably not. In this classic work, openly critiques current "banking" models of education and explains how they work to reproduce oppresive systems. In true recognition of his Marxist ethos, Freire subsequently lays out a plan of action (praxis) for transforming society and realizing humankind's "historical vocation" of becoming more fully human. This is a must-read book for EVERYONE!

Pedagogy of the Oppressed, May 21, 2009
This is an excellent book.

I do not have a great deal to add to many reviews that have been written on this widely read book. But I would like to say a couple of things here.

First of all, this book has often been criticised for being biassed. Indeed, Freire expresses a strong bias. But, he makes no attempt to hide this and is often quite explicitly self-conscious of his own bias. All points of view are biassed. The reader should be wary on any book that claims to be "objective" or "unbiassed" on any subject. Selection and perspective are inevitable.

Secondly, Freire did make some quite naive remarks about Lenin and Mao, and he had very romantic view of the Cuban revolution, but these do not detract from the insights and intelligence of his views of education and how it can aid human liberation from oppression.

Thirdly, this book should be read alongside his Education for Critical Consciousness.

Necessary Information, March 7, 2010
As it says in the title, this book is necessary information, and it's important to understand what the author is trying to say. There are two classes of people: oppressors and liberators. The book discusses the difference between them and the importance of guarding against becoming an oppressor. There is a lot of wisdom here, but the down side of the book is that it seems to re-explain, over and over, the basic concepts in the pedagogy of the oppressed. Kind of like the instructions for using the Holy Hand Grenade in the movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Still, if you haven't thought about these issues, or you have and don't have a clear context for your thoughts on this matter, this book is valuable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Setting down his thoughts on swordplay, on winning, and on spirituality, legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi intended this modest work as a guide for his immediate disciples and future generations of samurai. He had little idea he was penning a masterpiece that would be eagerly devoured by people in all walks of life centuries after his death.

Along with The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings has long been regarded as an invaluable treatise on the strategy of winning. Musashi's timeless advice on defeating an adversary, throwing an opponent off-guard, creating confusion, and other techniques for overpowering an assailant was addressed to the readers of earlier times on the battlefield, and now serves the modern reader in the battle of life.

In this new rendering by the translator of Hagakure and The Unfettered Mind, William Scott Wilson adheres rigorously to the seventeenth-century Japanese text and clarifies points of ambiguity in earlier translations. In addition, he offers an extensive introduction and a translation of Musashi's rarely published The Way of Walking Alone. This gift-book edition also features original art by Musashi himself as well as new calligraphy by Japanese artist Shiro Tsujimura. ... Read more

Reviews

Best translation available, August 25, 2005
I have studied this book for years, and have read five different translations. The William Scott Wilson translation is by far the best. I always get the feeling that other translators are putting too much of themselves or their ideas about what Musashi is saying into the translations. Wilson's translation is clear and concise and yet does not feel filtered.

Here is a passage from the Thomas Cleary translation "Upset happens in all sorts of things. One way it happens is through a feeling of being under acute pressure. Another is through a feeling of unreasonable strain. A third is through a feeling of surprise at the unexpected."
Here is the same passage translated by Wilson "There are many kinds of agitation. One is a feeling of danger, a second is a feeling that something is beyond your capability and a third is a feeling of the unexpected. This should be investigated thoroughly."

They say the same thing, but Wilson is clearer.

As for the book itself, it is a classic masterpiece that describes not only a style of swordsmanship, but a way of living.

Some comments on the philosophy, June 21, 2003
As others have already written very complete reviews, I just had a few miscellaneous comments, mostly on how to understand Musashi's seemingly paradoxical ideas about technique.

This has become a legendary book. Written by the famous swordsman, sometimes referred to in the west as "The Lone Ranger of Japan," Musashi claimed to have been in over 60 sword battles, triumphing each time, so it's no wonder Musashi's name has become legendary in both Japan and the west.

The book sets out Musashi's philosophy and correct Way of the Sword. But the principles Musashi espouses are bound to sound perplexing to many people. Musashi says that the best stance is no stance, that too much strength is bad (your sword may shatter when clashing swords), and that even too much speed is bad (it may upset your balance), and that none of these are the true Way of the Sword. The best technique is, in fact, no technique.

This sort of philosophy is bound to be more than a little confusing, so I'll see if I can clarify it a little. I'm not sure I understand Musashi either, although I've studied martial arts for many years and have read my share of eastern philosophy, but I'll give you my ideas on how I relate to them just in case you find them useful.

Basically what Musashi is saying is that once you've learned a technique and committed it to memory and especially "muscle memory," it becomes fixed and is no longer adaptive. Your body becomes channalized into this form or technique, which then becomes limiting, preventing you from achieving true mastery, which is the ability to adapt and flow with any of the infinite number of situations you may encounter. Fixity is therefore dysfunctional and is not the true Way of the Sword. This might be what Musashi means when he speaks of the Way of Emptiness being his way and the true Way of the Sword. In other words, his technique is no technique because it is empty of all fixed, unchangeable, and unadaptive aspects.

There is an analogous principle in Zen. In Zen, the highest level of technique is called "the technique that can't be seen." This doesn't mean that the technique is so fast it's invisible. It's that the technique is so advanced and subtle that its principles aren't obvious and easily seen. Musashi's ideas seem to reflect this Zen Buddhist principle also.

Interestingly enough, this idea has some support from western research into learning and the brain. In learning theory, there is the idea of "stereotyping," (which has nothing to do with social or racial stereotypes), where motor movements that have been learned become fixed into a certain sequence or pattern, but which is not necessarily the most efficient or effective. My learning theory instructor used the example of shaving strokes. He realized after some years that he always did his shaving strokes in the same way, after having learned how to do them, but that they weren't necessarily the best way to shave, anymore. Now that he'd been shaving for years, he "re-engineered" his shaving strokes so that they were more efficient.

This may apply to the martial arts too. After we've learned a certain movement and achieved a certain level of skill with it, we may become complacent and never go back and question the movement again. All because we believe we've achieved a level of "skill." I notice Paul Vunak, an important martial artist in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino martial arts, also emphasizes the learning of principles rather than "technique," and specifically mentions this in his seminars. The idea is that once one has learned the principle behind the technique, one can do an infinite number of those techniques, depending on the situation.

Another interesting physiological principle that is almost as paradoxical as Musashi's ideas has been found by western science. There is a phenomenon in neuromuscular physiology known as reciprocal inhibition of flexor-extensor pairs. This means that during muscle activity the opposing muscle tension is inhibited to reduce effort on the flexing muscle. So if you're trying to do a straight punch, the tricep tenses and the bicep relaxes, thus reducing resistance. The paradoxical aspect arises from the fact that by performing a small jerk backwards in the opposite direction to the punch the outward extensor motion can be speeded up. In kinesiology they refer to this as a "pliometric jerk," and is how basketball players jump higher. But it also has equal application to the martial arts, and I've had good results using this to get more speed and snap in my own techniques and for my students.

Anyway, I just thought I'd offer a few suggestions from my own experience on Musashi's book, although I can't say I fully understand it either. But I hope you find them helpful in some small way in your own understanding and training.

The Best Translation Ever!, November 25, 2002
William Scott Wilson is one of the best translators I have ever read. I think this version is the best of the ones that I have read. I love the book and the binding. The book is a wonderful presentation.

A fair translation, well presented, November 1, 2003
Having read and annotated this book, I must admit that this book has confirmed what I always knew about martial arts. It is a value system and not a believe system, it is strongly based on self discipline and requires you not to lie about just reading books, but to actually go out there and practise over and over.

The translation itself is decent, without overemphasis in any one area (military, religous etc.) and the book presentation itself is admittedly good.

Master, July 5, 2005
There is only one reason to fight an apponent and that is to cut him down and win. The "Way" is the only way to assure victory in any engagement, at anytime, anywhere, with anyone. One must dedicate and commit all one has to living the "Way" and then one can reach the level of complete mastery over oneself. Nothing else matters. Not fighting stances, thoughts, beliefs, but only the single determintion to cut down your opponent and win. Nothing can come between your goal and the outcome you desire. If you think about doing anything, you have lost before you have started. While the other person is thinking about how to strike, or how to stand, or where to look, you have already cut him down. He's dead or close to it.

There is a similarity in Bruce Lee's "Dao of Jeet Ken Do" where there is no "style", only response to action. One must be water. Musashi flows like water. To do so one must practice and attain spirit, awareness, and discipline.

Being self-taught, Musashi wasn't bound by the rigid formality that binds all minds (and it is the mind that wins) in any endeavor. He was free of form and could respond accordingly to any situation. You should investigate this and also read this book.

This guy knows Japanese, March 15, 2006
I've read several versions of this book and William Scott Wilson seems to have the best understanding of the Japanese language and desire to keep it as "word for word" as he can keep it without making the text obscure. I highly recommend this translation. Oh yeah, and this book is highly valuable for philosophers and martial artists alike. Musashi was a genius of both martial arts and life.

The Black Fleet, February 25, 2003
This book is incredible. Musashi, however, assumes you are decently trained in the martial arts. He describes his art as a sure way of always being victorious, so whoever can master it is probably near impossible to defeat. This book, though, does not offer easy learning. It provides basic ideas that must be meditated upon to sort of understand what's being said. Great skill and power in the martial arts is the crystal produced from years and years of training, it's not so cheap it can be gained merely by willpower. Musashi mentions the importance of training repeatedly. "You should investigate this" is mentioned after almost each lesson. This book is one of the few that need to be in every true martial artist's library.

WARRIORS BIBLE, April 29, 2008
Musashi, like every great warrior, knew that strategy was as important as tactics and techniques in combat. This book will teach you things that were learned in combat and will enhance your survival potential on the battlefield, street and life.

It is not the easiest book to interpret and understand, but that hardly matters, as for the information in this book is worth your time and effort. One good book is worth a hundred crummy ones, and this book is one outstanding book. This book is divided into various distinct sections, and the serious and professional warrior should extract as much information as possible from each section. Every time I pick this book up I learn something new. This is the warrior's bible.

I highly recommend this book to all readers.

An interesting read for sure, May 3, 2009
Most books I read to gain an advantage in business, sales or negotiating skills. This book was written hundreds of years ago but is relevant for business or personal life. I have not read any other versions of this book nor will I. This is a amazing read and you will find out more about yourself than you would know if you take the time to study this book. I came out with more questions about myself after reading the book and reflecting about the future.
Studying the great leaders and warriors throughout history has many advantages so you can help beat the odds against you.

Business and Martial Arts, January 30, 2008

The book written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645 is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work.

The term "Ichi School", which is referred to in the book, Go Rin No Sho, when referring to such books, refers to "Niten No Ichi Ryu", or "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu", which literally translated, means "Two Swords, one heaven".

Throughout the book it is clear: what is primary for Musashi is The Goal, while the means of achieving the goal are secondary. He wrote "According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size."

The same is in business: the leaders who are attracted by the goal rather than by embellishments are the true leaders. For example, the dot-com bubble of 2000 was caused by the managers who forgot about the primary goal of the business: net income. Those who were obsessed by their stock prices regarding of massive losses and the lack of revenue became bankrupt. They put attention to the fancy office buildings and furniture rather than to the assets that generate earning. Musashi wrote about it: "Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Spears and halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative".

Musashi also encourages to maintain a balance of your skills throughout your life. This balance could be thought of as Yin and Yang. The balance is to be neither over-familiar with something nor under-familiar. The over-familiarity or over-use of one weapon is not recommended by Musashi, as it would be seen to reveal your spirituality to your enemy, and thus your boisterousness, or over-calm. The over-familiarity makes you stick to a conviction. This is a very important for the business. Take, for example, mr. Warren Buffet.

A quality standing out about Mr. Buffett is his ability to morph. If you read his materials from the 1960s, he said very different things than in the 1970s and early-1980s. Early on he was buying dirt-cheap stocks by simple statistical standards and typically smaller stocks (smallcap), later he bought "franchises", then he entered a period of buying great managements of big companies and being a long-term holder, then, amazingly, he was buying smaller things dirt cheap again just as value came back into play as the twenty-first century began. He tactically morphed steadily over the decades. Trying to freeze his tactics from any decade and replicate them in the next few would never have led you to his actual actions. Musashi wrote about that this way: "You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes."

... Read more

Editorial Review

Go beyond conjugation and learn the right verb tenses for speaking and writing in Spanish

If you are looking for help memorizing Spanish verb conjugations, then any Spanish verb book will do. But if you are interested in becoming fluent, you'll need to learn how these language building blocks are used in everyday speech and writing. That's where Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses comes in.

The ideal reference/workbook for beginning to intermediate Spanish-language learners, Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses shows you when and why to use certain verb tenses and gives you plenty of examples, increasing your confidence in choosing the right word.

Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses lets you:

• Learn when and why to use different verb tenses
• Reinforce your knowledge with everyday examples covering a wide range of topics
• Build your verb skills using more than 250 engaging exercises

With numerous skill-building exercises, comprehensive verb conjugation tables, and the proven Practice Makes Perfect format, you will learn to speak and write in Spanish fluently in no time at all.

Topics include: Present Tense; Conjugation of Regular Verbs;Ser and Estar; Hay; Tener; The Personal a; A Dozen Highly Useful Irregular Verbs; Saber and Conocer; Stem-Changing Infinitives; Noteworthy Infinitives; Reflexive Verbs; Gustar et al.; The Present Progressive; The Past, Future, and Conditional Tenses; The Preterite Tense; The Imperfect Tense; The Future Tense; The Conditional Tense; The Present Perfect Tense;The Past Perfect Tense; The Imperative, Subjunctive, and Compound Tenses, and the Passive Voice; The Imperative; The Present Subjunctive; The Imperfect Subjunctive; The Future Perfect; The Conditional Perfect; The Present Perfect Subjunctive; The Pluperfect Subjunctive; The Passive Voice

Reviews

Great book, with one suggestion, May 21, 2010
This book is great, I started learning Spanish two months ago as a complete beginner, I purchased this book along with Basic Spanish and Pronouns and Prepositions.

I went through Basic Spanish in 2 weeks and then delved into verb tenses. I have to say I love these exercises, it is really interesting and encourage you to continue without making you feel bored. I finished this book today with 1.5 month of daily effort.

English is not my first Language so I know how boring learning grammar could have been. I wasted so many times before trying to understand these English verb tenses. But when using this book, everything is just naturally falling into its category with the great explanation and exercise provided by the author(of course, some of them is quite similar to english, so it saved my time)

I'm not go for a grammar expert in spanish, so a clear explanation of the commonly seen verb structures like "se puede" is my expectation. Right now, I think Spanish Verb Tenses did a fantastic job

Only suggestion for this book, I wish there's review sections and exercises in the book covering different chapters, because the exercise under its own chapter title makes me little bit lazy to think about the tense deeper, I just have to use the one indicated by the chapter title.

(Another thing I'd like to mention is that the conjugation of Spanish verb is much more complex than English since it's directly from Latin, while English is not. So at first you might be little bit scared, but believe me, it is really nothing. People are not very interested in memorization these days, but if you've made up your mind to get started with these verb tenses, you can memorize of all them in a few days, firmly, and refresh it again and again in the coming days with the exercises in the book, after that, your memorization understanding will become real understanding)

Update: another suggestion for this book is about imperative. In this book, imperative is introduced before the the subjunctive, so when I used this book for imperative, I just felt that all these formation rules of imperative are just so random that I totally can not categorize them. Later someone tell me that all imperatives are just the corresponding present subjunctive except for the affirmative of t� and vosotros, So I think it might be a good thing to introduce present subjunctive before introducing imperative

Update Sept 30
It has been 6 months since I started learning Spanish, and right now I can say this book is enough for you to get a good sense of this language, to be honest, you don't need to buy any other books(maybe the pronouns and prepositions, but I found the only thing that is critically important is the RID pronouns). But you have to learn some real Spanish, the Spanish which you can not learn from any text book or work book, as for the grammar, you're already prepared after you finished this one. Practise your knowledge learnt from this book in real Spanish conversations, until turning them into your second nature

4.5/5 Highly recommended

Why didn't I get this when I first started learning Spanish?, May 10, 2010
This is by far the best investment I've made in my Spanish learning career. This book has helped me understand so much more than anything I've ever had. Visual learning is a good start, but when you get down to the knitty gritty of things, you realize that you are going to have to know how to form sentences on your own if you ever plan on getting anywhere. This book is marked for beginner to intermediate and that seems about right.

Best practice book EVER, May 19, 2010
This is by far the best spanish workbook I have ever used. It gradually exposes the reader to vocabulary while keeping it's focus on grammar. I love the way it describes "rules" that I never could get before. I have studied Spanish for a long time, and this book helped clarify somethings to me that I didn't learn in the classroom. To anyone who has self-motivation, I would highly recommend this book.

Very good book, July 20, 2010
I have been living in Chile for about a year (picked this book up while visiting the US) and learned Spanish basically only through semi-immersion. I didn't have a background in Spanish so I've learned a lot of Spanish through living in Chile, but what I lacked was some basic foundational Spanish. This book has really helped provide a good foundation for me for the things I have picked up while living in Chile. I love it! I'm learning so many things that I had questions about before. I'm a little less than halfway through, and I'm finding it so helpful. I've decided to buy a few more Spanish books by the same author, because I really like her simple straightforward style. It doesn't skip around and give you lengthy explanations about things. It just provides you with the information you need to know in an orderly fashion and then you do the exercises.
The only complaint I have is that there isn't any review from previous chapters. In order to review you have to go back through the chapters and review for yourself. That doesn't bother me so much, because the way the author explains things is pretty simple, and you can just flip back through the pages and do some reviewing for yourself. I'm using this along with Rosetta Stone and I think I'm getting a very good foundation that I can build upon when I go back to Chile.
This book is for the beginner to intermediate level.

Excellent Learning Tool, June 28, 2010
I bought Spanish Verb Tenses as part of the Practice Makes Perfect Spanish language learning set. I have purchased several learning manuals over the years by various authors and I find that the Practice Makes Perfect series to be the best by far. It teaches and reinforces basic grammar which is the foundation for learning any language. The exercises are helpful. Even though I have been taking Spanish lessons for quite some time, I discovered some new tools with the Verb Tenses manual which helped me with my understanding of Spanish grammar and also in speaking Spanish. I would certainly recommend Spanish Verb Tenses as well as any of the manuals in the Practice Makes Perfect series.

Working well for me., September 11, 2010
I took two years of Spanish in high school nearly 50 years ago. I can converse in simple present tense with a limited vocabulary. I am trying to get so that I can converse and understand in most situations. It also requires that you write a paragraph in each section which helps immensely in reinforcing what you have learned. This book replaces one I had been using that I was not that happy with. I am finding this is much better structured and I can progress quickly. They say you can't learn at 65 but with this book I am making great progress. Has anyone seen my car keys?

Exactly what I needed, August 11, 2010
I am so pleased with this workbook on Spanish verbs, particularly how the author writes why and when to use the verbs in each of their tenses. I also like her explanations about irregular verbs. I'm one of those people that if I can remember the "why", I can remember it better. As someone who has taken the equivalent of 7 years of Spanish, but has become rusty in recent years from relative lack of use, the book addresses my current needs right where I'm at. I feel like the author understands native English thinkers/speakers well and bridges the gap to speaking/writing Spanish correctly. I feel like "Yeah!!", somebody gets it! The exercises are very helpful and so are the paragraph translations that have you utilize the verb form you just learned in a paragraph. Also, there's a English/Spanish and Spanish/English dictionary, and you can check your answers in the back after you've completed a section. She's a bright woman, and she gets it! Thank you Dorothy!! I'm grateful for your book, knowledge, thinking and planning in how the book was organized. I'm trying to hang on to a small job I recently took as a bilingual office assistant, and I think this book is a good tool that will enable me to do so. If you already know some Spanish and need help brushing it up, and/or making what you know more permanent, this is a great book.

I bought for myself and then my Spanish teacher wanted her own copy, October 20, 2010
I bought this book before my Spanish exam ( lower intermidiate level). I wish I owned it months ago. My teacher reviewed it and asked me to order a copy for her as well. This book has conversational style and explains in detail the concepts that are sometime difficult to grasp in class or from other texts that I own.

Learning Spanish for love, October 12, 2010
Absolutely fantastic! Fun, well-written and incredibly useful. I have three of these books (vocabulary and grammar also) and they really compliment each other. The exercises are challenging, yet realistic and develop well in intensity as you go along.
I'm getting to the point where I'll be able to speak to my prospective South American mother in law when I meet her!

Excellent Workbook!, September 10, 2010
I got a series of these "Practice Makes Perfect" Spanish language workbooks to refresh the 2 years of Spanish I took in high school many years ago. They are reasonably priced, well organized, and full of practical information and fun exercises (with an answer key in the back). Between studying these, watching Spanish language TV and chatting with some Latina friends at work, I feel I'm making real progress. I also recommend getting an Espanol-Ingles Diccionario as a handy reference. The Oxford Gran Diccionario is a huge volume which gives many examples of how each word is used and has many extra features. It's a sturdy hardcover that will last you a lifetime, and it's only about $30. Gran Diccionario Oxford: Espanol-Ingl�s:Ingl�s-Espanol ... Read more

Editorial Review

This valuable book provides a complete manual for the studyand practice of Raja Yoga, the path of concentration and meditation.This new deluxe printing of these timeless teachings is a treasure tobe read and referred to again and again by seekers treading thespiritual path.The classic Sutras (thought-threads), at least 4,000years old, cover the yogic teachings on ethics, meditation, andphysical postures, and provide directions for dealing with situationsin daily life. The Sutras are presented here in the purest form, withthe original Sanskrit and with translation, transliteration, andcommentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda, one of the most respected andrevered contemporary Yoga masters. In this classic context, SriSwamiji offers practical advice based on his own experience formastering the mind and achieving physical, mental and emotionalharmony. ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent book on the philosophy of yoga, November 26, 2001
This is *the* book to refer to get a proper understanding of the philosophy of Yoga.

I have gone through other books ( B. K. S. Iyengar , Georg Feuerstein , Swami Prabhavananda ) and some audio cassetes on the Yoga Sutras.
This is by far the best book on the subject. The sutras are beautifully explained in layman terms with ample annotations. The sutras in samadhi pada and sadhana pada are covered extensively.

Whenever there was a discrepency in the translation among different authors (such as sutras 18,19,33 of sadhana pada, which have been interpreted very differently) I found the translation and explanation in this book to be most logical, intuitive and complete.

Extremely well done but still leaves questions, January 27, 2003
Swami Satchidananda's book on the Sutras is one of the best for digging into the background and foundations of the Sutras, and his commentary, unlike Iyengar's and most other eastern commentaries, is clear, simple and easy to understand. Yet I finished the book still feeling that I did not fully grasp it. Swami Satchidananda is clearly in touch with the truth that he is illuminating with this book, and it's also clear from the powerful tone of authority with which he writes that he has reached the state of awaking which is the end purpose of the Sutras, but it seems too immersed in the history and culture of Hinduism to be fully appreciated and grasped by a westerm mind conditioned by concepts, ideas and images that are vastly different from the eastern traditions. So the book does not have a deep and profound illuminating impact as has McAfee's book on the sutras - "Beyond the Siddhis". But it is rich in historical information and its tone is true to the purpose of the Sutras. I would recommend it for for all aspiring yogis.

Much knowledge and wisdom, January 26, 2005
I gained much from this book. A great book for those who are gaining an interest in yoga as a whole. The author is a monk who has devoted his life to God and it shows through in his writing. Each sutra is written in Sanskrit, then proper pronunciation, then translated in English and then given commentary by Satchidananda. Sometimes he seems to go on tangents and forgets about the Sutra at hand, yet even in those tangents, much is learned. This book will take beginners to the next level of discipline and practice; an extremely useful reference for experienced practitoners. I highly recommend this book.

The Best Translation Of A Vedic Scripture Ever!!!, June 5, 2006
I have been studying the Vedic scriptures since 1996. And, I must say, out of all the different translations; the bhagavad-gita, the rig-veda and etc....this one by Sri Swami Satchianda is the best!
His hands-on understanding of Vedically grounded Yoga/meditation, qouting the Vedic scriptures and truely knowing intuitively and intellecually Vedic principles is astonishing and inspiring.
The one thing I really like about this translation, is that Swami Satchitanda does not taint the translation with a particular Cult slant, like the hare krishna's bhagavad-gita...which is fill with their particular cult flavor and mistranslation of sanskrit words and phrases.
He also adds wonderful and helpful techniques and tips that have really helped me in my meditational practices.
Since first studying this particular translation, I have grown tremendously from this Vedic scripture and this translation.
It was always interesting, lively to study,and always compelled me to want to study more...a far cry from studying the ISKON/hare krishna translation of the bhagavad-gita, which took me three months to read,which was dry, boring, mistranslation of the sanskrit word and phrases abounded, bashing of other groups and philosophies filled every page and a hard core push for their spin on the vedic literature.
With this translation of the Yoga Sutra....You will not find any of this!....it was such a pleasure to study it and it was soooo rewarding in reading it. It made me feel very good and uplifted to study this book.
I wish that this Swami would have translated more of the Vedic scriptures.
Please take a look at this translation..you will love. I have grown alot from it.

Very clear and uplifting explanations of the Sutras., June 30, 1999
Swami Satchidanandaji explains clearly the Sutras by giving practical tips on how to apply them in our own life. The book is full of wisdom and is not meant to read and keep aside, but read and reflect and that too repeatedly. Verily, a treasure for the spiritual aspirants. Personally, studying few stanzas each day and reflecting on them, provides immense peace and upliftment. The original Sanskrit text with meanings also provides an additional benefit for seekers to commit the sutras to memory.

How to tell a good commentary on the Sutras, January 3, 2007
How to choose a useful commentary on the Sutras? A rule of thumb is to examine the author's take on the first five sutras. These are the ones in which Patanjali defines what Yoga is and in a nutshell points to what the enlightened state is. Authors who have no idea either don't get this, or are not able to explicate it well. Satchidananda is one of the happy few who are able. An illustrative comment is on P7, in reference to Sutra 3: "You are that true Seer. You are not the body or the mind." The thing that makes the Satchidananda commentary reliable is that he never loses sight of that intrinsic point of the first, definitional sutras. Beyond a certain cultural context, Satchidananda does not abandon "no-body and no-mind" for a moralistic exhortation. He keeps clear sight of the concept-free nature of universal reality.

This version is not as good as the out-of-print The Authentic Yoga Sutras of P Y Deshpande, nor does it have the clarity of Osho's limited commentary - but it is miles ahead of commentaries of some of the more famous names in contemporary Yoga.

Jani Baker
Principal, Australian College of Classical Yoga.

Delve Deep!, September 5, 2001
If you don't read Sanskrit, this is the translation of the Yoga Sutras to use. Swami Satchidananda, founder of Yogaville in Virginia, has translated and provided commentary on one of the most basic texts of Raja Yoga. Each reading of each and every sutra invites the serious student to delve deep and deeper into him/herself and discover the truth. Highly recommend!

Practical,humorous, guidance from an enlightened teacher, November 9, 1999
I am not a 'follower' of Swami Satchidananda. I have previously studied Indian philosophy from an academic view. That is not the audience for this book. I personally have only tried to make Indian philosophy part of my life when outside sufferings force me to. This is a book for that! Swami Satchidananda's whole style is warm, straightforward and very modern. He never compromises the truth of the teachings, but his tone is beautifully supportive and gentle. If your desire is to try to understand the truth of the Yoga Sutras in your current life situation then I can't imagine a better book.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali-Commentary by Swami Satchidananda, February 18, 2006
This is an excellent book. It gives the Sanskrit for each of the 200 sutras, then the English translation, followed by a comment by Swami Satchidananda. These comments are essential for helping make some of sutras more understandable. I would highly recommend this book.

A Trustworthy Translation, June 15, 1999
Satchidananda presents a warm hearted translation of this classic. It is saturated with the kindness, compassion,warmth, touching sense of humor, and open mind that define the truly spiritual. He draws from all religions, not seeing any one as better than the others; as is the case with all masters from every tradition, Satchidananda sees that "the paths are many, but Truth is one." He makes a good representative of Yoga and True Religion in general. I can't believe that no one else has reviewed this book already. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

What a SEXY book!!!, December 3, 2005
WOW... words can't even begin to describe how much I love this book! It's about time they released a book like this! And the wrapper of this book is genius! It looks like a gigantic box of Polaroid film... I didn't even want to remove the cover at first... I fondled it for awhile and then I slowly peeled it off and curled up on the couch for an hour or two and looked at all the pretty pictures.
This book is highly recommended for any Polaroid enthusiast! And if you want to see some great 'roids on the net- check out Polanoid.net!

One of the BEST photo compilations ever!!!, October 12, 2005
My dad bought a Polaroid Land Camera (of the peel-apart type) before I was born... to take pictures of his chubby firstborn (that would be me, BTW).

Ever since, the sharp, colorful and amazingly stable little prints became part of our family's memory. My love for pictures was definitely boosted by the instant gratification offered by an SX-70 camera, which I still own and use after 25+ years, as well as a brand new Jobpro 600.

"The Polaroid Book" is a must for any hardcore Polaroid fan. Lotsa pictures, beautifully printed, with absolute respect for the authors' vision (Ansel Adams, Joyce Tenneson and Bill Allard, to mention only three of them). Nevertheless, the book's greatest virtue is to prove, without any doubt, that beautiful and creative work can be achieved with the simplest tools and the sheer power of imagination.

Polaroid is still alive and well, and this book is the best supporting evidence. Now, I'll just lay back and wait for that new new-old stock Polaroid Nightcam that I bought on the company's website. Let's see what that 600 film-munching baby can do.

A delightful, detailed guide, June 7, 2005
Visual eye candy compiled by Steve Crist from the archives of the "Polaroid Collections of Photography" are presented in The Polaroid Book, a delightful display highly recommended for photography collections at the college and public library levels. Most color and some duotone shots are presented one to a page for maximum impact. The artist index and polaroid model styles are in the back, so as not to detract from the image impacts. A delightful, detailed guide to what the camera can do at its best.

Breathtaking and Refreshing, December 8, 2009
Most readers will likely be overwhelmed and delighted from reading the
"Polaroid Book, Selections from the Polaroid Collections of Photography" not only
because of the visual appeal and variety of technical use with the images, but in
discovering how Edwin Land, the inventor, and Ansel Adams, the photographer, met
and how Adams became an integral part of the Polaroid Company.

The two met in 1948 as the first Polaroid "Land" camera was introduced to the world
providing photographs that gave an instant image to the photographer. No more
waiting for photographs by sending film off for processing.

Land hired Adams as an artistic consultant. His assignment: test cameras, film and
related photographic paraphernalia in the field and in the studio and report back.

Edwin Land finds not only a colleague and life-long friend in Ansel Adams, but a most
admired artist--a label that Land felt suited him as well. Both were captured by the art
of photography.

Adams began collecting photographs to be used as the "standard" of which to
compare the "Polaroid" results. Work by famous photographers such as Minor White,
Eliot Porter, Laura Gilpin, and Margaret Bourke-White, and others, were purchased as
"the Library Collection". This collection grew as relatively unknown photographers'
work was added which evolved into what is now "the Polaroid Collections".

This body of work wasn't simply the routine, the established, the expected of each
photographers' particular style. It evolved into experiments with often breath-taking
outcomes.

Ink was added, the images were painted upon, chemicals were added, film was frozen,
dyes and pastels were played with, and actual piercing of the photographs occurred.
Just about anything that one could think of doing to the film and images was done.

The results are more than surprising. At first blush, it would be inconceivable to think
that the use of instant photography was able to produce such a collection. So many of
the techniques emulate a standard, manually controlled camera with timed images,
double- and multiple-exposures, and unique lighting. Many are surreal.

In addition, the book provides a brief historical timeline of the Polaroid cameras and
milestones made with different types of cameras, film and processes.

I highly recommend this book as a guide, a resource, and an inspiration, to all who are
stirred by visual medium.

The images in this book will certainly spark a reaction.

Do not miss the opportunity to own this treasure!, May 15, 2008
This is a classic which sold out its first printing. BUY THIS NOW! You will have, preserved on your bookshelf the essence of what Edwin Land envisioned over 65 years ago distilled in one BEAUTIFUL volume. How can the Petters Group (who now owns Polaroid) dare to banish such a beautiful art form from humanity? That's right, Polaroid has stopped making instant film and the supply may barely run through the end of this year, and all expire by the end of next year. THIS IS A CRIME AGAINST ART AND HUMANITY!! Buy the book, then go to savepolaroid.com and join us all to save this incredible art form. JUST LOOK AT THE PAGES OF THIS INCREDIBLE VOLUME!!! You will be amazed!

Awesome Book, January 8, 2010
My husband loved getting this book for Christmas. Very nice art book & not pricey. It's also interesting because it explains the history of the polaroid.

a MUST-HAVE for all polaroid enthusiasts, July 7, 2008
I recently purchased this book and must say that this is a beautifully created masterpiece. Give it up to Taschen for yet another exquisite piece of documentation; this time showing the love and art of the polaroid instant medium. This book provides a visual history of art created through the polaroid lens by some of the great photographers. If you love polaroid you will love this book. Simply a must-have for any enthusiast. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Four top-notch authors present the first book containing a catalog of object-oriented design patterns. Readers will learn how to use design patterns in the object-oriented development process, how to solve specific design problems using patterns, and gain a common vocabulary for object-oriented design. ... Read more

Reviews

The best way to really learn object-oriented design, March 6, 1997
This book really changed my way of thinking about object-oriented design. The idea is that when designing a new class hierarchy, though implementation details may differ, you often find yourself using the same kinds of solutions over and over again. Rather than approaching each design task out of context as an individual, isolated problem, the strategy is to study the task and identify the underlying design pattern most likely to be applicable, and follow the class structure outlined by that pattern. It's a "cookbook" school of design that works amazingly well.

There are other advantages to this book. It isolates 23 of the most common patterns and presents them in detail. You wouldn't think that 23 patterns would be enough, but once you become adept at recognizing patterns, you'll find that a large fraction of the patterns you use in practice are among these 23. For each pattern, the book carefully presents the intent of the pattern, a motivating example, consequences of using that pattern, implementation considerations and pitfalls, sample code (C++ or Smalltalk), known uses of that pattern in real-world applications, and a list of related patterns.

Upon first reading, you will start to recognize these patterns in the frameworks you see. Upon second reading, you'll begin to see how these patterns can help you in your own designs, and may also start to see new patterns not listed in the book. Once you become familiar with the pattern concept, you will be able to originate your own patterns, which will serve you well in the future. One of the most valuable contributions of this book is that it is designed not merely to help you identify patterns, but to give you a sense of which patterns are appropriate in which contexts.

I think this book is particularly valuable to many C++ and Java programmers, because of the dynamic and flexible design philosophy it follows. (Its two fundamental principles of reusable OO design are: "Program to an interface, not an implementation" and "Favor object composition over class inheritance".) I've found that many C++ books unfortunately tend to emphasize a rather static and inflexible design philosophy. Many C++ programmers do not realize how the language and the books they've studied from have been limiting their thinking until they have been exposed to ideas from other lanugages. The authors of this book have obviously been influenced by other languages as well, especially Smalltalk, and have brought many of its best lessons to C++ design. Most Java books seem to take after the C++ books, even though Java is a more dynamic language. This book may help Java programmers take full advantage of the extra power offered by their language, if they look deeply enough into some of the lesser-known features its runtime system affords.

Last, but not least, this book is valuable because it names the patterns it uses, and so gives programmers a common vocabulary to describe design concepts, rather than particular implementations. You'll find yourself saying things like, "That would be a good use for a Decorator", or "Should we use a Facade or a Mediator in this case?" I encourage readers of this book to use this vocabulary with other programmers.

In summary, this is one of the few books that I think belongs on every programmer's "must-have" list. Not to overuse a cliche, but like object-oriented design itself, the pattern concept is one of those rare paradigm-shifts in computer programming. It is equally valuable to expert professional and novice student alike. The book has a home page at http://st-www.cs.uiuc.edu/users/patterns/DPBook/DPBook.html

Must read, but requires some sophistication, May 15, 2000
As you probably already realize from the large number of reviews, this book is one of the seminal books on patterns in software development. If you are a professional software developer, you must read this. If you are learning to write good software, this is a book that you will need to take on at some point, but I urge some caution.

In particular, many of the patterns in this book represent highly distilled wisdom about effective solutions -- distilled so far that, unless you have implemented code that realizes the pattern in question already, you may have trouble absorbing the material. I find that programmers-to-be who dive into this book, often end up talking annoyingly about "applying patterns" without having a real grasp of how these things translate (with some distortion and compromise) into real projects.

That being said, an excellent way to bridge the gap is to read this book along with "Pattern Hatching : Design Patterns Applied" by John Vlissides. That book is a chatty companion piece for this one -- I found myself understanding how to incorporate patterns into my day-to-day design work much more after reading both books.

See: Pattern Hatching : Design Patterns Applied [also at Amazon.com]

Overall, while this book is an extremely important contribution to software developers, it is structured in a way that makes the material difficult to absorb if you aren't approaching it with substantial previous knowledge about developing software. You can start with some of the simpler patterns (Singleton, for example) and work through the harder ones, but only by implementing projects and stumbling upon these yourself will you really feel a flash of recognition as you read them in the book.

Now that the hype is over..., January 19, 2005
... well, it's over. "Patterns" have not revolutionized the world. Nor does this book need to be "studied" for deep insights.

What it seems patterns are actually good for is giving common names to popular solutions to problems, to make them easier to call to mind, and easier to discuss with others. Even this much is overrated. Before the advent of patterns, you could have said "callbacks" and people would have understood. Now you say "the Observer pattern".

_Design Patterns_ is none the less valuable, because it is one of those few books that EVERYONE is expected to have read. This is helpful in practice, as you can expect everyone to be familiar with its vocabulary. Few books truly fall into this "required reading" category. The only other that comes to mind is the MIT algorithms text. Many tech pundits claim that every next book is "required reading", and the claim becomes tiring after a while, but this is one of the few that really is.

I would not necessarily purchase it, though. The "pattern" schematic is verbose, and requires pages upon pages to describe something that, once you have seen it in practice once or twice, you will recognize immediately. Omitting the appendixes, the book is barely 350 pages, and presents only 23 patterns. Only a handful of the patterns are truly famous: Singleton, Observer, Template Method ... perhaps a few more. A number of them are poorly presented. Chain of Responsibility, for instance, is just one of many ways to define an event framework and does not belong in a book that doesn't present the alternatives. Mediator is another; there must be dozens of ways to create a Mediator, which most people would call an "event registry" or something else, rather than a Mediator. "Mediator" itself is little more than a name, and won't help you in design.

Some patterns are boring, since modern languages tend to provide them, and we've heard about them many times already: Iterator, Proxy, Memento (serialization). Others, like Command, are geared towards GUIs, and provide little value to other types of applications. Then there are the State and Strategy patterns, which are two sides of the same coin, and needn't be given two different names.

And so on. Definitely do not "study" this book if it seems you "just don't get it". Chances are the book is wrong. It is worth a read through, and a second read through if the terminology doesn't stick the first time, but stop at that. My gut feeling is that this book is most appropriate for someone working on his or her first large project. After that, once the terminology sinks in, the book has little else to offer. And if taken dogmatically, or considered "inspired" or infallible, the book is a hindrance. Finally, overuse of patterns can result in a "kitchen sink" design, instead of a simple one that takes a few patterns, that may or may not be ones from this book, and implements them cleanly. Take the book for what it's worth, but remain skeptical.

Not for the faint-hearted, but a must read., February 10, 2000
Obviously, this book is *the* most recognized reference work on software-related Design Patterns, and as such cannot be ignored. If you want to know about patterns, here is where to start.

The main asset of this book is in its trustworthiness and credibility - not such an easy thing to come by in computer books these days. I went through many if not most of the C++ examples in detail, and did not find a case where it didn't hold up, at least to the extent where it clarified what the point of the pattern was. The UML diagrams are also extremely helpful.

Be forewarned, however; this is not light reading. The examples are based on heavy-duty design tasks your average programmer doesn't face, like language-parsing, toolkit creation, compiler writing, and the like. It makes one wonder how applicable many of the patterns are to less complex programming tasks.

Also, most of the examples are in C++, so you really have to understand the syntax of C++ before you can get much value out of this book. Another drawback is that many of the examples are abridged, so at times you have to kind of extrapolate on what some of the code *would* look like in order to understand the examples. The chapter on Interpreter in particular was a tough nut to crack due to this. I actually would have liked to have seen *more* explanatory text associated with the code itself.

For all that, many of the patterns are pretty staightforward. The trick is to nail down that you "get it" for each pattern. One technique I found enormously helpful in accomplishing this was to write a summary of the pattern after reading a chapter - right in the book, so it can referenced later (there's often an entire blank page opposite the beginning of each chapter you can use for this). You may find yourself delving back into the chapter to confirm your understanding.

Overall, a challenging but ultimately rewarding read for anyone who wants to understand what design patterns are all about.

Possibly the most practical textbook I've read, October 31, 2000
I've been a software developer in C++ for some time. I would have to agree with the reviews that mention that most C++ textbooks rarely show the full scope and power of what this language is capable of, until you look at modern OO languages like Java and how they have been put to use. After all, those are language textbooks, not OO design/philosophy books.

This book, on the other hand, made clear the "why" behind many software library architectures I've used, from the basic Java classes and AWT to things done in MFC, COM and the Stingray MFC extension libraries. Not only did it give an explanation, but it explicitly set out the "how-tos" on using these patterns yourself (complete with diagrams illustrating the structures and interactions), and more importantly when and when not to use particular patterns.

For me at least, the most difficult part of designing an application is not coming up with good algorithms or efficient routines, but is constructing a sensible, easy-to-maintain architecture that will hand the demands placed on it...without writing excessively convoluted code. This seems more all the more difficult the larger the application gets. The patterns in this book clarified many things which I wish I had known earlier. A few patterns that I had "discovered" through much trial-and-error and observation were set out, often in a much cleaner form than I had come up with myself. Several of the patterns in the book were immediately applicable to a project I was working on, helping to speed through what likely would have been another messy and slow design phase.

I would recommend ths book for any OO designer. At the very least, it will enable you to understand why various libraries were implemented in certain ways. At best, it will provide a useful toolkit of proven solutions enabling one to get the most out of an OO language such as C++ or Java, a toolkit that can be drawn on to solve your own architectural issues without reinventing the wheel.

The only warning I would give about this book is to reiterate the warning in the preface's very first paragraph: "This book assumes you are reasonably proficient in at least one object-oriented programming language, and you should have some experience in object-oriented design as well. You definitely shouldn't have to rush to the nearest dictionary the moment we mention 'types' and 'polymorphism', or 'interface' as opposed to 'implementation' inheritance."

The classic, and still the best, August 13, 2002
From all other people's reviews, you have already known this is the classic text on the subject of design patterns. This is indisputable so I don't need to waste time trying to prove it again.

However, I would like to say something to those readers who are totally new to design patterns and C++/Smalltalk -- please do not be intimidated by the seemingly terse, dry and difficult style of this book. Since I myself am new to the world of design patterns, I would like to share with you my own experience and hope you can make a better decision when you pick your design patterns book.

"Design Patterns" is the classic text; its style is academic-oriented, rigorous, and terse. Unlike most popular computer books, you will find reading this book takes a lot of thinking, for each paragraph or even each sentence. Most examples used in this book are adapted from real world systems popular many years ago, so you will likely find you're not familiar with them at all. Moreover, some examples are related to GUI programming, so if you're mainly programming for backend, you will probably feel it's tough to understand some of the examples. Most code example in the book is written in C++ (some in Smalltalk.) If you're a Java programmer and have limited knowledge in C++, it might take you some time to guess what certain C++ syntax means.

These all seem to be negative comment, but my conclusion is to the contrary -- this is the BEST book in the area, and you should read it despite of all the issues I mentioned above. I started my design pattern learning by using a couple of other books, such as "Java Design Patterns: A Tutorial", "Design Patterns Explained: A New Perspective on Object-Oriented Design", and "Applied Java Patterns". I chose these books mainly because they seem to be much easier to understand than "Design Patterns". However, after spending time in these alternative books, I found none of them offers the accuracy and depth as "Design Patterns". Often, after I read a chapter of the "easy" book, I feel I am still kind of lost. I seem to have understood the pattern I just learned, but then I feel it's not quite so. I guess I only learned the pattern in a superficial way, with little depth, and without being part of "big picture." Later, I turned to the classic, "Design Patterns". I forced myself to sit down and try to understand the authors' terse and rigorous writing and their unfamiliar examples. Gradually I found I was getting used to the style and the examples, and I actually started to learn much more from this book than from others. After reading half-way through the book, I felt the rigorous style is actually a big plus for this book, because I can get more accurate and in-depth information.

Therefore, I strongly suggest that you buy and read this book, even if you feel it's difficult to read. Your effort will pay off eventually. Use other books as reference only.

Too bad I can not give 10 stars, February 6, 2001
This is absolutely one of the best books on OO design. I am a System Archtect and I can't image how my design (and Java) would look like without applying the concepts and patterns described in this book. This book, IMHO, plays a much more important role and should enjoy a much higher reputation than the UML series written by the 3 Amigos.

This book is definitely not for those who still do not understand the virtue of the concepts presented in the book. This book is not for programmer level either(although they can still greatly benefit from the book to enter the next level). The examples in the book are in C++ but the patterns it describes is language independent. Those who really know Java(not just reading sth like Teach Yourself Java in XX days,weekends,in a nutshells, etc) should tell immediately that lots of patterns are already applied in Java, especially in J2EE. Knowing the patterns in the books not only make your design step up to the next level, but now also a MUST if you want to pass the perfessional certificate exam like SCEA. I have to say no one can claim they know OO design without knowing the concepts and patterns described in this book.

This is one of those few books in computer world that will receive more and more recognization as time gose by. In three years no one will even mention 90% of those books currently getting five stars, but this one, I have to say, will be in top in foreseeable future and much longer.

I totally agree that this book is a little bit hard to read. Please think it this way, anything you can learn in 10 minutes is useless and of little market value because anybody can do the same. Those who grasp the essence missed by the majority are distinguished and of high value....

a must read, but a very tough read., July 2, 1998
The authors define design patterns as: descriptions of communicating objects and classes that are customised to solve a general design problem in a particular context. A design pattern names, abstracts, and identifies the key aspects of a common design structure that make it useful for creating a reusable object-oriented design. The design pattern identifies the participating classes and instances, their roles and collaborations, and the distribution of responsibilities. Easy to wrap your mind around, eh? Design Pattern people are in love with the power of abstraction and generality. You might even say they prefer to impress rather than inform. However, somehow you are going to have to learn this stuff, even if only to get into the heads of the guys who designed the AWT. Try starting with the code samples in the Design Patterns book. You have to read this book at least twice before it begins to make any sense. However, if you want to call yourself a programmer you MUST understand this book. I hope somebody writes a version of this book for Java programmers. It is written from the perspective of C++ and Smalltalk. This is a book where the you want the hardcover version. You go back to it again and again.

The original and definitive work on OO design patterns, May 16, 2001
Design Patterns, referred to warmly as the "Gang of Four" book by it's fans, is the book that introduced me to the world of design patterns. After reading this book, you'll immediately see patterns from it everywhere - many classes you use every day will suddenly all fit together in a pattern.

Besides being a tool for writing good maintainable code, patterns are a crucial tool for communication among developers. Knowing even a half-dozen of the basic patterns will facilitate communication among team members immensely. For instance, you may be having a whiteboard design session with another developer or two, explaining some particular design you have in your head. Instead of having to detail 3 or 4 or more classes and how they would interact, you could simply say that you are thinking of using the Factory pattern here, and the Decorator pattern over there, and the others will know exactly what you are thinking.

The patterns are grouped into three groups: Creational, Structual, and Behavioral patterns. Each pattern is considered in turn, each having sections detailing the intent of the pattern, the motivation for using it, the consequences (both good and bad) of its application, collaboration among the objects involved, and examples.

The examples are mostly in C++ with a small dose of Smalltalk, but the patterns are equally applicable to any object-oriented language, Java in particular. Some of the patterns can be implemented even more simply and cleanly in Java, as a result of language features such as dynamic class loading, among others.

This book is well-written, and it's a quality book well worth owning. It even has two nice ribbon bookmarks attached to the binding which makes to book even more practical as well as handsome.

An excellent complement to the book of the same name., July 9, 1998
This CD should not be considered a replacement for the book, at least as long as you are like me and like the portability of a book, it's ability to record notes, etc.

What John Vlissides and the folks at AWL have done very well is re-shaping the book to electronic form. This is not just a duplication of the book, but a genuine adaptation of the content to a different medium, in this case HTML. Perhaps most valuable for me is the ability to pop this in and do a full-text search. I still use the paper book, though.

It would have rated 5 stars but for one thing: the inability to record notes within the medium. That's not the fault of the publisher or anyone--it's a difficult technical problem that hopefully someone will solve.

I would heartily recommend this to consultants or anybody who doesn't necessarily have a "home base" because these are much easier to lug through airports than the hardcover GoF book. :-) ... Read more

Editorial Review

A fun and easy new way to quickly acquire or enhance basic reading skills

These unique guides are based on the premise that the best way to learn a language is to start reading it, immediately. Suitable for raw beginners to intermediate-level language learners, the new editions of these popular titles feature engaging readings of progressive difficulty that allow learners to rapidly build comprehension.

Easy French Reader begins with the adventures of two friends, an American and a Parisian, as they learn about their respective cultures. This is followed by readings on the history of France, from ancient Gaul to the present. The final section features four abridged short stories by famous French authors.

Similarly, Easy Spanish Reader begins with the story of two high school seniors involved with their Spanish Club, followed by a history of Mexico, from the Conquistadors to the present, and an abridged version of the classic story of "Lazarillo de Tormes."

• Progressive format makes it easy to quickly build comprehension
• Marginal word glossaries conveniently present new words and phrases
• Exercises challenge comprehension and build reading skills

Attractive new editions, fully updated and featuring appealing new artwork and expanded exercises

Reviews

I really enjoy it!, March 22, 2001
I really enjoy this book. The texts are fun to read as well as easy to absorb. In a short time, i feel that my reading comphrehension skill level has shot up dramatically. There are a few reasons why this book is successful:

(1) Unlike other language programs which gives you set conversational pieces (which quickly becomes boring and too regimental), the stories in this book built on each other. Key phrases are repeated in different chapters to reinforce learning.

(2) the stories are memorable and fun to read. I've also found that in a very short time i've become very familiar with how phrases/sentences should be put together - something i had not experienced with other French learning materials. This teaching method is remarkably effective.

(3) Because the stories are so interesting, i want to read them over and over again. I would also recommend that you should read them aloud.

(4) Finally, it teaches you a lot about French culture and history. You will learn about all the important periods in French history, French kings, famous French authors and their works.

All in all, it is a very good book to supplement your French studies. Bonne chance, mes amis!!

They're still publishing this? Nice!, February 3, 2007
Wow, I haven't even thought about this book since I started studying French with it when I was a little kid. I can't say I'm surprised it's still so popular - the book works.

What made this book so great was you're learning about French culture and history and literature through the language, so you're not just learning straight vocabulary. At the top of each section is a list of new words, and at the end are reading comprehension questions. In the beginning of the book, the lessons are extremely simple and geared toward the absolute beginner (the equivalent of things like: Christine is American. Charles is French. Christine has a little dog named Chou-Chou.).

As you progress, the sections become more involved, finally evolving from short skits involving fictional French and American students to short summaries about French history. Finally, you'll have actual short tales from French writers like Maupassant (whose "The Necklace" is still one of my favorite stories for its wicked humor). Through the progression of the textbook's three sections, the reading comprehension questions get progressively more advanced as well as the vocabulary.

All told, this is a great book for beginning to intermediate students. This book may be a little beneath advanced students, who would only find the last few stories to be at their level. In that case, I would recommend Wallace Fowlie's "French Stories/Contes francais" (a dual language book), which is a very nice compendium of Voltaire, Balzac, Gide and other great French writers and at a level appropriate for the advanced student.

It should be noted that, in addition to French history and culture, this book is about building up vocabulary and reading comprehension skills. That's it. If you're really serious about your French proficiency, you're going to need to apply yourself to learning grammar and conjugation, and those things are not covered in this text. So in conclusion, this is a great book, but it should just be a supplement to your learning arsenal.

Just a tip: a book that I STILL own, because it's the best French resource ever, is "The Ultimate French Verb Review and Practice" by David Stillman. Whereas already-conjugated verbs just appear in the Easy French Reader with no explanation, Stillman's book offers three-hundred pages covering every aspect of grammar, from the basics of conjugation all the way up to proverbs and figures of speech. Well-worth the investment.

Lover of the French Language, April 26, 2005
I gave this book three stars,because it is not really for true beginners with zero background in the language. I have been studying the French language on and off for 3-4 years.It is an excellent book for someone like myself who has some background in the French language. It helps either to reinforce what you already know and helps to advance your grammer, reading, and comprehension skills.The stories are short and simple. Each story emphasizes on key words that are located in the margin of the page. There is a vocabulary section, simple crossword puzzles, and lessons after each story. It, also, has an answer key to check your answers.The book keeps everything short and sweet as not to bore or lose the learner.However, I feel that a true beginner may require supplemental material to help him/her understand some of the material in the book.

A good supplementary reading text, May 1, 1999
It's important to pay attention to the title: this book is for those who want practice *reading* in French. (This isn't a comprehensive teach-yourself-French book.)

But for those who want to practice/improve their French reading skills -- at both beginner and advanced levels -- this is a fun text.

The book is divided into 3 sections: Dialogues, Profiles in History, and Short Story Adaptions. The Dialogues are easy enough to understand that even someone just beginning French study will be able to use them. (For the more advanced, they function as a handy review). There is also a very brief Basic Grammar section at the end of the book, along with a vocabulary list of most of the French words used in the text.

Text difficulty increases as the book goes on, so you really can see where you've made progress. My only quibble is that no answers are provided for the quizzes following each chapter.

French newspapers and magazines are still a little too difficult for me -- I find this a fun, informative alternative.

Stellar, February 11, 2002
A graded reader for beginners. The vocabulary and (especially) the verb forms are strictly controlled. This makes it a good way to start noticing agreements, prepositions, and so on without running into a lot of unfamiliar grammar. The readings are fairly interesting too!

One of the best NTC lnguage books.

For even the weariest of language learners, April 20, 2005
I personally have about as much luck mastering languages as I would have trying to single-handedly launch a space shuttle. And I know that I'm not the only one, so, fortunately for those of us who are challenged, this little book exists.

I picked it up and was reading French. Better yet, I was understanding it. It really gets you into the language and then subtly challenges you to stretch your comprehension.

I would like a better grounding in grammar, but the fact that this book doesn't provide an intense explanation of grammar shouldn't count against it. That's simply not the purpose of the book.

If you want to learn to read French and feel like you're actually getting somewhere, get this book!

Not too easy!, March 15, 2005
This book has worked well in my effort to study French at home, without taking a class, with zero background knowledge. It is much more entertaining than memorizing vocabulary and studying grammar rules. The language is presented in context and the gradual progression seems to purposefully expose you to passages where you must use your brain to intuit meaning, just as you will in a real situation. I go to french.about.com for grammar explanations

a truly great book, April 19, 2001
Whether you are studying French in a formal course or learning at home with CDs, this book is a GREAT resource for learning to read French. It is made up of three parts: a clever dialogue section to get you warmed up, then some interesting (really!)readings in French history, finally ending with French literature (slightly simplified & with a few translations in the margins). A person beginning French from ground zero, with no more than basic (subtitled French movie) knowledge, will find him/herself reading and understanding pages and pages of French after a few nights' read. Amazing! I'm ready to move on to France Soir or Le Figaro -- with the help of a decent dictionary bien sur!

Vraiment francais, December 5, 2007
Being a native speaker , I always have trouble finding a reader for my students that is without mistakes...This is it! Not only is it fun because of the topics but it is 100% accurate...what a thrill!

Easy French Reader is just that., March 10, 2006
I am a French teacher for a senior center and was desperately looking for a textbook that would provide easy learning, humor and achievement. This excellent text does just that without all the overwhelming information that a high school or college text has. I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Editorial Review

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In 2000 Harcourt proudly reissued Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's masterpiece, The Little Prince, in a sparkling new format. Newly translated by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Howard, this timeless classic was embraced by critics and readers across the country for its purity and beauty of expression. And Saint-Exupéry's beloved artwork was restored and remastered to present his work in its original and vibrant colors.Now Harcourt is issuing uniform full-color foreign language editions. The restored artwork glows like never before. These affordable and beautiful editions are sure to delight an entire new generation of readers, students, children, and adults for whom Saint-Exupéry's story will open the door to a new understanding of life. ... Read more

Reviews

Magnifique, April 11, 2001
I was given this book to read for a high school French class, and I'm so glad I did. (If you're by some fluke reading this, Coop, thanks so much for introducing me to "Le petit prince"!) It may be classified here as "children's" literature, but it's so much more. This is a beautiful, moving story of the little prince and his journeys through planets and on Earth. It contains some incredibly deep philosophy and will make you appreciate the simplicity and innocence of childhood... and make you want to regain that outlook on life. I know that I'm trying to see the world as a child again.

...Et si vous pouvez lire ce livre en fran�ais, c'est beaucoup plus beau. Le livre en anglais n'est pas mal, mais il n'y a pas l'�l�gance.

A book of true beauty., March 19, 1999
I do not read a lot of books. I have only read what was assigned to me throughout school and the occasional NY Times bestseller. A friend of mine gave me this book as a gift one day, she said I would enjoy it. She was right - I loved it. I didn't read it right away, but when I did I couldn't put it down. I am not an emotional person, or at least I never thought of myself as one, but this book made me look at myself and it broke my heart. I related with the character of the pilot and I felt as though the Little Prince was talking to me. The book helped me realize that I had forgotten a lot of things since childhood, like the meaning of friendship. The book also reminded me of what love really is. It made me realize what "grown-ups" really are, children who lost their innocence. The greatest thing about the book is that it is universal. It's message is simple: "love has no prejuducies, never dies and always forgives." It is a children's story but it is something all adults should read. There are few books that can do what this "children's story" can do. It will make you laugh, break your heart and make you think about what really is important in your life.

- Jeff

Audio CD actually sound track, January 4, 2005
After buying this, I was disappointed to find that the "audio CD" (which I hoped would be the entire book on CD) was actually just a selection of five songs from the musical version. It comes wrapped in cellophane, so after opening it and discovering it was really just music, I was slightly mad. If you read the blue slip of paper around the cover, it says "accompagne' avec 4 chansons du spectacle musical". It would have been more helpful if Amazon posted a small description of the contents of the package.

A fabulous book that teaches the most important thing of all, April 24, 1999
'Le petit prince' is a fabulous book that talks about a little prince that loves his planet and takes the advice of his flower which seems to him the most beautiful rose. But a fox that he meets teaches him the most important secret of all life: and that is that you see the real things with your heart and not your eyes, that your eyes only hide the true beauty of being alive. Just by looking at a person you can't tell who they are. You have to become friends and look with your heart to see what is really in front of you and what you are missing. The world would be a better place if people looked with their hearts and not their eyes; and by reading the little prince's story, 'Le petit prince' will you come to know this. It is a touching story that taught me a lot about this world. Read it.

Even better than in English -- sublime!, December 22, 1999
This book was one of my favorites as a child...it is surreal, sweet, and teaches a valuable lesson on love. The story of lost and rediscovered love is one of the most pure and true things ever written.

In this, the French (original) language version, that purity seems even more clear. It was one of my first "real books" to translate as a young student of French, but it holds up to me as an adult, in both languages.

Illustrated with lovely and simple pictures of the Prince and his rose, this French language book is a must for Francophones of all ages. The English translation edition is a must for everyone else!

This version is abridged, April 15, 2000
I have the French copy of "Le Petit Prince" and have been using it to improve my vocabulary. I was disappointed to find out after receiving this audio tape that it is only 40 minutes long, and thus quite a bit of the text is cut out. Roughly the original text is 15,000 words and the transcription (included with the tape) is under 6,000 words. I understand that the use of different voices for different characters can replace some descriptive phrases, but entire dialogs are missing, and some are changed. For example, when the Prince first asks for the drawing of a sheep, the pilot draws a picture of an elephant inside a boa constrictor (which had baffled his parents when he was young) and the Prince immediately recognizes it. This was one of the funniest parts, but it is left out.

The voices are fine, sometimes a bit fast for a beginner, and the music is nice. If anyone knows of a full-length version where the French speaker is very clear and not too fast, I'd love to hear about it - dparsavand@yahoo.com.

A na�ve look on friendship and human behaviour, December 5, 2000
When I was eight years old, my parents game this book saying it is a great book for children. I started reading it and quit after I had reached the third chapter. It was too boring for an eight-year old child. Well, now I'm 23 I decided to give the book one more chance and... I loved it! In spite of what most people say about 'Le Petit Prince' (including Saint-Exupery himself on the book's preface), this is not a book "pour les petits". It is too philosofical for children. The book is about growing older and how grown-ups loose their innocence during this process. It is about how clumsy adults do become. 'Le Petit Prince' depicts the nature of human behaviour by means of a worderful fable. A pilot with engine problems in his aircraft is forced to land in the middle of Sahara desert where he meets Le Petit Prince, a mysterious child who had just arrived from his tiny lonely planet in search of friends. During his trip to Earth, Le Petit Prince meets several unusual characters. Each of them reveals something about the nature of adults. The pilot (an adult himself) is much disconcerted in realising he has something to learn with the child-prince, who has a na�ve look upon people the pilot had long lost.

One of My Favorites!, September 1, 2001
When I first read this book when I was a senior in high school and read it for my French class, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book. I'd heard so much about it. After reading it I can say that I love this book so much, no wonder Le Petit Prince is on some French currency! I've read this book in English and French, and I'd have to say that the French is sooo much better if you know French. It's not all that difficult to understand if you are at a beginning level. This is a great book and is worth every penny in both languages!

On apprend l'essence de l'amitie, et de la responsabilite., April 18, 1999
Au premier lecteur de ce conte, on comprend une belle histoire d'un petit garcon qui fait un voyage epatant. Helas! au fond de ce conte se trouve une histoire de laquelle on se rappelle l'importance de la vie, l'amitie et fidelite, et la responsalite que l'on a vers notre planete. On se rend compte de la beaute de l'enfance, et que meme les adultes, nous devrions garder l'enfance qui se cache dans nos coeurs.

A novel that adults and children will cherish forever!, November 12, 2001
Le Petit Prince, published more than half a century ago, endures into the twenty-first century as a beautifully written children's novel and a powerful philosophic work that speaks volumes about love and friendship. Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery during World War II, Le Petit Prince was published as a children's story, but soon became recognized the world over as a profound introspective statement. By using the novel as a type of allegory, Saint-Exupery was able to write a commentary on life as he had lived it. The novel takes readers on a fantastic journey through the universe that, by the end, will have even the most hardened soul in tears.
The novel, although simply written, is not simple in style or in taste. Saint-Exupery uses powerful metaphors, similes, and analogies to address the very abstract themes of love and friendship. By personifying many of the personality traits that make up a true friend, Saint-Exupery makes these complicated issues so simple that even a child could understand. This is, of course, what Saint-Exupery had in mind all along.
I loved Le Petit Prince and have read many of my favorites parts to members of my family and just about anyone else who will listen. That is the magic of this novel. Beautifully written and illustrated, it will have you coming back to relive the adventures of the little prince time and time again. Through the eyes of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, this often-troubling world becomes a universe filled with the possibilities of true friendship and lasting love. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This collection of Neruda's most essential poems will prove indispensable. Selected by a team of poets and prominent Neruda scholars in both Chile and the U.S., this is a definitive selection that draws from the entire breadth and width of Neruda's various styles and themes. An impressive group of translators that includes Alistair Reid, Stephen Mitchell, Robert Haas, Jim Harrison, Stephen Kessler and Jack Hirschman, have come together to revisit or completely retranslate the poems; and a handful of previously untranslated works are included as well. This selection sets the standard for a general, high--quality introduction to Neruda's complete oeuvre.

Pablo Neruda was born in Chile in 1904. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.

Reviews

Actually Essential! Instructors Should Use This Book, May 2, 2005
This collection is by far the most thoughtful and persuasive introduction to Neruda available--it really is "essential." The translations are some of the best ever published (to be sure, it's an impressive line-up of contributors), and the editor obviously deeply knows and honors the material. I am a college professor, and I plan to use this work in my classroom. If you are lucky enough to be heading to Chile, this is the one Neruda book to carry you through your travels...to introduce you to that beautiful poetic country.

it is all in the title, January 15, 2006
As a former student of Spanish literature, I have always held a deep appreciation for the work of Pablo Neruda. I have often wished to share the beauty of his work with friends and family - yet many of them have found Neruda translations to be inaccessible. I have also found that many of the other translations are stilted or do not properly recreate the rhythm and imagery of the Spanish original.
The Essential Neruda combines an excellent overview of Neruda's work with accesible and faithful translation. Whether you are new to the poetry of Pablo Neruda or have already read every one of his works - the Essential Neruda will give you valuable insight into his art and an appreciation of cutting-edge poetry translation.
This book also launched a non-profit organization and on-line community dedicated to Neruda and his work.

Check out www.redpoppy.net to learn about contemporary Neruda translation and scholarship, Chilean politics and more.

It also shows how you can get involved with the legacy of Neruda.

Wonderful tool (and treat!) for those learning Spanish, October 10, 2006
My husband is a linguist, and one of the things he suggested I do while learning Spanish is memorize various items -- stories, poems, songs -- that I can say to myself whenever I like. Other than "practice the verbs!" this has been the best language advice I've ever received. It helps me with pronunciation, understanding, fluency -- and, as a major side benefit, I have great pastimes for when I'm waiting in line, or stuck somewhere without a book.
"The Essential Neruda" is a goldmine of beautiful pieces, and most anyone will be able to find a poem that appeals to them enough to learn by heart. "Oda al Libro (II)" is one of my favorites, and it has helped me learn and retain the meanings of several great words.
Side-by-side bilingual texts like this one also serve as terrific motivators for language learners because as we grow in skill and are able to read in both languages, we can evaluate the translators' work and notice where certain nuances and meanings are lost in the shift from one language to another. Being able to understand a writer like Neruda in his original language is a glorious treat!

Great Introduction to Neruda, January 2, 2006
If I were to introduce someone to the greatness of Neruda I would give them this book as it gives an insight into his life's poetry.

The Truly Essential Neruda, November 4, 2004
A careful selection of fifty of Neruda's poems from his lifetime oeuvre, this book is truly essential for new fans of Neruda, offering a wonderful introduction, as well as for long time afficianados, presenting fresh translations by an all star cast of poets, both Chilean and American. This aspect, along with the beautiful layout of Spanish and English side by side on the page, the book has a balanced feel, compelling to readeres interested in decisions in translation, linguistics, or who just love great poetry.

Teach and enjoy Neruda, May 10, 2004
I teach Neruda in Chile, we often see the work of this poet in translation, since the students come from different countries. I've read the Essential Neruda and decided that this is the best choice to teach and enjoy Neruda's poems in the English language. First of all it covers all important poem collections published by Neruda, its affordable for any reader and above all, Eisner's versions of the romantic poetry and the joint translations of Alturas de Macchu Picchu -just to name a couple of many examples- are accurate and close to the strength of the poems in the original language.

"Essential" is the ESSENTIAL word!, August 2, 2005
For those of you - like me - who may be intimidated by those huge tomes and volumes of poetry, this is perfect for you. It's a very manageable collection of work from one of the most influential writers of the past century. His writings ring eerily true today, and provide a sense of solace and solidarity between what Neruda had to live through and what many of us are feeling during Bush's regime.

A New Translation, November 3, 2007
"I became saturated with his poetry and began to translate his poems. Although there were many beautiful existing translations, many others did not flow as I felt they should and I often had interpretive differences with them." ~ Mark Eisner, translator

"The Essential Neruda Selected Poems" is the best translation I've read so far. The words are alive with beauty in a way that feels authentic to the heart. You can immerse yourself in the poems and emerge with a sense of wonder.

"Leaning into the evenings I throw my sad nets
to your ocean eyes."

Mark Eisner has captured the soul of Pablo Neruda's art and perhaps even enhanced the creative majesty of each poem. At times the poems can make you feel a little breathless as if you have happened upon a new discovery or secret revelation.

"And the air came in with orange-blossom fingers
over all those asleep:
a thousand years of air, months, weeks of air,
of blue wind, of iron cordillera,
that were like soft hurricanes of footsteps
polishing the lonely boundary of the stone."

The imagery is at times so vivid, as if you were transported to each scene. Pictures flash across your mind and you can almost catch the scent of the ocean or see the colors vivid and pure. Angels and death dance through the poems with equal ease and at times the words are heavenly or earthy and dark.

"Full woman, carnal apple, hot moon,
thick smell of seaweed, crushed mud and light,
what obscure clarity opens between your columns?
What ancient night does man touch with his senses?"

If you are new to the poems of Pablo Neruda then this would be an excellent place to start. The poems present many facets of the poet unlike other books that simply reveal his romantic nature. While I seem to enjoy his love poems best, I can say that this experience gives a more wide-ranging portrait of Pablo Neruda.

~The Rebecca Review

By one of the greatest known Spanish poets, May 18, 2004
The Essential Neruda Selected Poems presents fifty poems by Pablo Neruda, one of the greatest known Spanish poets, both in their original language and in new translations created by a collaboration of eight poets, translators, and Neruda scholars. A captivating celebration, and a superb introduction to the pathos of Neruda's work one hundred years after his birth. "Winter Garden": It shows up, the winter. Splendid dictation / bestowed on me by slow leaves / suited up in silence and yellow. // I'm a book of snow, / a wide hand, a prairie, / an expectant circumference, / I pertain to earth and its winter...

Be sure not to overlook this one, July 30, 2005
The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems is a wonderful translation of some of Pablo Neruda's greatest poems. The amazing cast of translators who contributed to this work provide an incredible amount of talent to one project. I saw the editor, Mark Eisner, give a discussion in Traverse City, Michigan and found his talk to be very rich and thoughtful. His desire to convey the passions of Neruda's work to an English reading audience is evident in The Essential Neruda. Don't overlook this one if you have even the slightest interest in Neruda! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The author turns his attention to sex and the reasons why we are driven constantly to analyze and discuss it. An iconoclastic explanation of modern sexual history. ... Read more

Reviews

Misinterpretation by Reviewers, October 11, 2003
This text is perhaps Foucault's most well-known, although it might not be his best. It is an important work, so if you are at all interested in sex as an abstract and organizing principle, this is a must-read. (Note: it is not a history in the proper sense of the term). While not a terribly confusing book, it is WIDELY misunderstood, including by many of the reviewers. First off, do not make the mistake of reading the first section as Foucault's thesis (it may seem that way)--he is presenting the common approach to the issue, one that he will eventually CHALLENGE. "Sex" was never repressed--on the contrary, there has been an explosion of discourses, a productive manifestation of power. Foucault admits that this was partially organized through technologies of confession, normalization, etc.-BUT THAT IS NOT THE MAIN THRUST. The main idea of the text is that there is no commanding, Platonic principle "sex" that we must uncover or saturate ourselves with, and hence, while prudery seems suspect, liberation through "sex" or "sex-desire" is entirely nonsensical, since sex is subordinate to sexuality and not vica-versa. Foucault, with much uncertainty, thereby envisions a different economy of bodies and pleasures, more like the ars erotica, that focuses on the local and individual, with all their multiple possibilities for deeper value and communication. Hence, depite what people make of Foucault's life, this book is more "conservative" that one would imagine... It is ideal for anyone who wants to free themselves from either a deep-rooted fear of sex or the incessant demands sex makes from on high (from the media, etc.) To Foucault, the idea that sex is seen as a requirement for one's deepest sense of being is absurd (and almost comical). A fascinating exploration which you might have to read twice, the History of Sexuality demonstrates Foucault's otherwordly insight. Do not fall into the traps I mentioned--Foucault's purpose here is not to free sex from all controls, but merely from one in particular--the reader is given the freedom to reflect and counter it with a more positive and meaningful grasp of his own sexuality and sexual experience.

One of the most important books of our time, November 1, 1999
Foucault's three-part History of Sexuality begins here with an examination of the ways in which our contemporary interpretation of sexuality has been shaped by historical trends. Foucault makes a compelling case for the construction of sexual identity as a function of political and economic forces. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in sexuality, psychoanalysis, gender studies, queer theory, or feminisms, or indeed anyone who wishes to confront his or her own personal assumptions about gender and sexuality. Think you know what normal is? After Foucault, you may not be so sure. (One more thing: while this book is a fascinating read which can stand alone, I strongly advise anyone interested in this subject to go on to read the second and third volumes)

Foucault at work..., January 10, 2004
This book can be seen as a perfect example of a brilliant mind at work. Foucault surely considered this book as an introductory piece, a draft of brilliantly posed ideas and problems about sexuality as a dispositive, not in the traditional sense of the word that we have all become so acquainted with. This book works in many respects: Foucault succesfully makes his case for an open refusal of the "repressive hypothesis", explaining in a very precise manner why the discourse on sexuality in the XVIII and XIX centuries, far from being shy about it, positively promoted discussion... what he calls a "discoursive explosion". Foucault quite brilliantly introduces the two ways in which sexuality has come to be assumed by the human race: as an art (in ancient Greece) and as a science (in our present era). He also develops his own ideas (ideas that also appear in his courses at the Coll�ge de France, particularly "Society Must Be Defended") about bio-power, disciplinary societies and biopolitical regimes. He successfully questions the fact that we have come to place sex under a veil of secrecy which must be undone... how sex has become the key to our personality, our "identity".

The last verses of the book are revealing: how is it that we still consider sex to be liberating when in reality we are always under its gaze, when it really has become a burden to be dealt with?

This book is astounding. Maybe not as brilliant as "Discipline and Punish" (which says a LOT about Foucault's creative nature)but certainly a key text toward understanding the problems Foucault tackled in final years of his life.

Note: the last two volumes of the History of Sexuality display a shift of focus and a leap back in "history"... you'll have to read the introduction to volume 2, "The Use Of Pleasure", to see what I mean. Still, it all makes sense if you dig deeper into the final developments of Foucault's work.

Foucault - the smart kid who doesn't do homework, February 20, 2009
More like a 3.5 if that was an option. Part of me hates rating this book so low, but I really have to. Here's why.

I love and hate Foucault more than just about any other philosopher. He is probably the pre-eminent French philosopher of his generation. The problem is that he is probably also the worst French historian of all time.

Foucault certainly has his moments and he's consistently entertaining (he's a very good writer and judging from his lectures, a great lecturer), but underneath it all, he's fundamentally lazy - he never does research studies or clinical work, he never looks outside France, he uses translations and secondary sources when he should be using original texts, he cites literature as if it is representative of the masses in the society in which it was written. Yet his writing is so confident, and his ideas so interesting and self-assured people believe him without checking his sources or his historical assertions.

He reminds me of the student I always have in my class who comes up with the best ideas but is unwilling to follow them through. The B student that should be an A+ student. He doesn't do homework, he doesn't show his work. I have to give them split grades. I'd give Foucault a split grade if I could - Ideas 5/5. Reasoning and Research 2/5.

In Foucault's case, he didn't do research outside France, he didn't reference or respond to contemporary History of Ideas works on Sexuality (e.g. Otto Kiefer's Sexuality in Rome and Greece, Van Gulick's Sexuality in Ancient China), he failed to develop a basic understanding of medicine, he cherrypicked texts that suited his arguments and failed to consider opposing arguments, and his Greek and Latin leave something to be desired.

His concept of the "repressive hypothesis" in this book is extremely interesting and well-reasoned (apart from the historical examples). His notion of biopower is also fairly intriguing, though not fleshed out in sufficient detail here (Psychiatric Power has more on it), and seems to be a kind of extension of the Hegelian for-itself (which is conceived in terms of relationships). He also very briefly, mentions third sex/intersexed individuals, which became a jumping off point for a lot of queer theory. Buyer beware - if you're looking for queer theory, it's only about a page or two, so you'll probably be disappointed.

Here's the real problem with this book - the examples, the historical scholarship. Foucault, determined as he is to prove (like Nietzsche did quite a bit more convinvingly in Beyond Good and Evil) the lack of foundation of contemporary morality bends the truth and fails to see things that are very obvious to medical professionals and more objective historians.

Case in point:

In a passage (31) and elsewhere in references to Ancient Greece, Foucault more or less writes an apologia for pedophilia. There is a problem though with all this - the unstated biological injunction. As someone who was an EMT - I can tell you something that should be obvious to someone as smart as Foucault, but wasn't - apart from normative moral concerns (which wouldn't concern an anti-foundationalist) - sexual intercourse with children physically and biologically injures them. I won't go into the gory details. If they're young enough, it could kill them. There's also the way young people respond to STD's. Sometimes, that's different, too.

Even if you completely dispense with normative morality and enact purely utilitarian laws based upon simply minimizing biological damage or instead engage in a minarchical system with protective services, this would still be largely prohibited either by law or contracted mutual assent.

In addition, Foucault does not understand biology very well and often uses outdated medical references like Pinel to represent current medical practice. The thing is Foucault is clever about it. It's a straw man, but it's a clever straw man, because he cites Pinel in a historical context and later as a means of (falsely) explaining the contemporary. Either that, or he just doesn't get medicine all that well.

Then there's Christianity. Oh, God, is Foucault ever wrong on this frontier. He even claims (117) the first treatise on sin was written in the 15th century. Off the top of my head, there are writings on sin as early as Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century (and perhaps earlier). You're ten centuries off, Foucault! That kind of oversight borders on ridiculous. How no one else has picked up on that baffles me.

I'd definitely read this book, but read it critically. It's not as inept in the scholastic sense as Madness and Civilization (which famously contains references to the non-existent Ship of Fools) but some of the scholarship is abysmal.

The French/Greco-Roman focus is a tad trying too, especially considering the wealth of available laws of quite a number of other major civilizations, which Foucault overlooks, presumably because they have male to male sodomy prohibitions which problematize his central arguments, or because of his obvious ignorance of other languages.

If this sounds overly negative, bear in mind - I like this book, and wholeheartedly recommend purchasing it. Just take it with a grain of salt. It has some extraordinarily interesting ideas, but alas, when I see it, I see what could have been if the author was more disciplined in his approach. If there wasn't so much there that was good, I wouldn't be nearly as upset by Foucault's sloppy scholarship.

the titillating game, October 17, 2001
In "The History of Sexuality", Foucault enlightens us with sexuality as a tribute benefiting from knowledge and power. Sexuality before the 18th century, was in a sense, located in the body and the flesh. There was no established fetish. Sex had not come under the scrutiny of science (psychoanalysis). Sex was just sex; for procreation and physical enjoyment. When the confessionals started to become a ritual in religion we see a shift or rupture in history. Priests in the middle ages became concerned with what people did sexually. It was the confession that would free, but it was the power that reduced an individual to silence. Thus the titillating game began and repeated and repeated. Freud and his psychoanalysis came along, which defined and categorized sexuality and its dysfunctions. Psychoanalysis became a scientific confessional. Thus society has become a singularly confessing society; Western man has become a confessing animal. Foucault then begins to posit anchorage points in institutions such as in the home; anchorage points which standardizes roles of family classification. It's roughly 160 pages long and readable. This was probably my favorite of Foucault's work.

Hard...but worth it., June 20, 2006
Foucault is one of the most important thinkers of our time. He is a historian, a cultural theorist, and a philosopher. When looking at the History of Sexuality Foucault does not see powerful figures repressing sex, but actually encouraging people to discuss it. This discourse was encouraged so that sex could be controlled and this discourse actually created what is today called sexuality--a norm that we believe to be culturally independent or universal. The belief that sex is repressed is only another strategy formed through a series of power relationships that desires for people to keep discussing sex in order that this "sex" can be classified and controled. For example: Encouraging a discourse on the act of sodomy enabled a catagory of homosexual to be created. Instead of sodomy being a act that a person may engage in, that person instantly became a homosexual, his sexuality constituting his entire being--how he/she should talk, act, and live in general. The discourse that was encourage to develop around sex enable power to classify and control sexuality--power actually created what we believe to be the "real sexuality". Foucault explains the complicated relationship between power and discourse that developed a set of complicated and sometimes contradicting--and always changing--ideas about what sex is and how we are to approach it.
This book is not easy. I will have to read it again. However, I believe that this book is a good intro to Foucault's very important theories on power relationships. An important factor to be recognized is that this book is a translation from french and, as many people have already expressed, has made it more difficult to comprehend. I did not understand everything in totality but I feel that the most imporant concepts were revealed. If you get confused take a deep breath and reread the previous paragraph, doing this helped alot and gives your brain a second chance to wrap itself around the really difficult parts. This is a very rewarding book that will give you valuable tools for confronting and interpreting the ideologies and power relationships we are confronted with. Good Luck!

You will never see the world or yourself the same way again, March 25, 2001
There is no doubt in my mind that Foucault is one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century and without a doubt among the most influential. His philosophical inquiry into material history of systems and their construction/perpetuation has revolutionized the way in which we see the world around us and has led to fruitful and fascinating inquiries in the field of cultural studies.

No volume articulates Foucault's ideas with greater clarity than this first volume of his history of sexuality. More a manifesto than a true history, Foucault outlines with astonishing deftness the ways in which our perceptions are molded by systems of knowledge and power. These systems, which he describes as "intentional but non-subjective" (in other words, having a purpose and goal, but not directed by any guiding intelligence) are like natural forces that shape and mold our understanding of the world while they perpetuate themselves. His analysis of the formulation of ideas of sexuality in the 18th and 19th centuries illustrates his argument both forcefully and clearly. Readers may, by the way, want to compare Foucault's ideas with Louis Althusser's in his essay on the Industrial State Apparatus in his collection "Lenin and Philosophy," which provides a similarly materialists, but more politically Marxist, view of how subjectivity is constructed and limited by existing modes of power.

Influential and important work, absolutely dreadful translation, April 15, 2006
I would concur with the Marquis point regarding the quality of the translation, which is obfuscating at best, and downright misleading at its worst. For those with the French, go with the original text (French title "La Volente de Savoir"). But I thought it worth mentioning that there does apparently exist an alternative translation of the work by a Robert Hurley, which has been published rather recently under the title "The History of Sexuality: the Will to Knowledge" (ISBN: 0140268685). Unfortunately I haven't had an opportunity to check out the new translation, though I would love to know whether it's any better.

Incidentally, one aspect of this work which appears to have been only eluded to by other authors, is that as the introductory volume of what was intended to be a more far reaching study, there is a significant portion of the work relevant for those interested in Foucault's (contra Dmitry) genealogical method, which made quite a splash in contemporary political theory, as well as the exposition of Foucault's rather novel theory of power. Unfortunately much is left out, and I would therefore suggest inquisitive readers to acquire the collection of Foucault's essays published under the English title "Power: Essential Works of Foucault, 1954-1984" which contains many texts particularly relevant to this work.

Review, September 1, 2003
This is part one in Foucault's three part series on Sexuality. It doesn't have the gripping opening few pages that Discipline and Punish has (quite possibly the most engrossing beginning of any book I have ever read), but it still grabs you. What this volume does have is amazing clarity in the ideas that he presents. The general idea is that society controls sex through how it talks about it and organizes it (this is pretty much the idea in all of Foucault's works) and Foucault examines this power structure of society. How marriage controls sexuality, why there has been such a veritable explosion of discussion about sex in the West since the seventeenth century, why do we believe that talking about sex will make us less repressed about it, etc. Foucault addresses many questions in this work.
I did have some problems with it, however. I'll only mention one or two here. In the closing chapter of the book Foucault discusses the Right of Death and Power over Life. He begins by talking about the Right of the Sovereign to compel to war (Foucault is very anti-War) and how it has changed from wars being waged to protect a sovereign to wars being waged to protect people and ideals and an entire nation. We have this line: "In any case, in its modern form - relative and limited - as in its ancient and absolute form, the right of life and death is a dissymmetrical one. The sovereign exercised his right of life only by exercising his right to kill, or by refraining from killing; he evidenced his power over life only through the death he was capable of requiring (emphasis added). I'm not sure I agree with this statement. Nor am I convinced that history does - and Foucault offers neither text nor argument to support this. He expects us to take it as fact. Gone are theories of divine right and other power structures invoked by sovereign's (taxes, services, "For England", or "For France"). Patriotism isn't only a modern day invention. Joan of Arc drove the English out of France so that France could be it's own nation again. "Power in this instance was essentially right of seizure: of things, time, bodies, and ultimately life itself; it culminated in the privilege to seize hold of life in order to suppress it." The implication is that "Power" has changed (and it has) so that now society (through it's mechanism of discussion and examination) has power even when the "right of seizure" isn't enforceable - or doesn't exist. These themes tend to come out over the course of reading several of Foucault's books, but never does M. Foucault state them so precisely and with such clarity as he does in this volume.

Important Author, Terrible Translation, October 17, 2005
While Foucault is a must-read in nearly all social science fields, this book should be read in conjunction with several other articles and books by Foucault--most notably, "Nietzsche, Genealogy, History", "Schizo-Culture", and 'Discipline and Punish'. There are far too many misconceptions regarding Foucault's thought, which is inescapable given the scope of this book and the sophistication of langauge used. I would also recommend having a basic understanding of Freud's theories on sexuality and the Critical school of thought.

The largest problem I have with this book is that it is a terrible translation of the original French work. This is clear even to me, just from a basic reading knowledge of French. If you do read French, you can buy a copy from Amazon. Otherwise, read several of his articles and books in addition to this one--I do not know of any other English translations of this book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

No managerial or administrative task is as universally dreaded as the performance review. Supervisors may know the points they need to get across, but putting them on paper is another matter. This book puts the the right words at their fingertips, with ready-to-use phrases and words, action items, and descriptions that managers, supervisors, and HR professionals can use to evaluate performance, prepare development plans, and address performance problems.

2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Appraisals covers the 25 most commonly rated factors, including productivity, time management, decision making, and teamwork, as well as specific roles such as customer service, finance, sales, and more. The book provides hundreds of phrases to use in performance improvement plans, plus an appendix of helpful individual words. ... Read more

Reviews

Great Book! Just what I needed., July 13, 2005
As soon as my book arrived, I started flipping through the pages reading a few of the phrases on each when I realized this book is exactly what I need. I've been putting off my own performance review for several months now (yeah, I work for a manager - the CEO - who is very bad at completing performance reviews). As if writing an effective performance review isn't a daunting enough task, for me at least, it's ten times more difficult when it's my own performance I have to rate. I'm my own worst critic and this book is going to help me be more objective. Every page contains relevant phrases that I know I'll use over and over again. This will become an integral part of my HR Toolset! P.S. - I stayed up past midnight & completed my performance review. It was a breeze!

A great tool, January 3, 2006
I think this book is just great. It really helps you think about the performance of your direct reports and to articulate it clearly. I appreciate the way the book is laid out too - very helpful "goals" section helps you give constructive feedback to your employees. This book literally sits open on my desk as I write each review.

2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews, January 15, 2007
I would definitely recommend this book. I am presently involved in developing a template for a new Performance Appraisal for my company. The performance phrases in this book helped me define the guidlines for how to rate a performance in our work environment. Good reference book to have around.

Specific, actionable and measurable reviews., March 1, 2007
This is definitely a practical and usable book. A very good starting point for designing and writing performance reviews, especially with its wide scope of job types, and generous lists of example phrases for providing feedback and setting goals. I won't say it's perfect (despite rating it with 5 stars), because I think users of the book need to be aware that no off-the-shelf solution can work in every situation. Using this book shouldn't be about "copy and paste" but about conscious selection, finetuning and design.

That said, the majority of the phrases provided are very specific, actionable and measurable (very importantly). Paul provides a great model and great direction in an area that way too often is fraught with subjectivity, bias, poor judgement and fear.

2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews, January 13, 2008
Excellent tool for assisting managers with written comments on the performance reviews they are required to do on their employees. It especially helps managers with new phrases for employees they have been reviewing for years.

'2600 Phrases' great resource for Performance Reviews, October 10, 2008
Reviewing this book2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews: Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases That Really Get Results, I found it to be a useful resource for ideas when writing performance reviews. I have twenty reviews to write every quarter! Guess what? Sometimes I run out of ideas and ways to state something intriguing about each team member. If you are the type of person that gets 'blocked' when under pressure to get a report out, try this book. It will prompt you with phrases and catchy words that will jumpstart your brain. If you need support in writing an effective review, I think you will find that this is the book to try; I know I found it helpufl and will keep it for a resource on my shelf.

Extremely Helpful, November 9, 2008
Looking for a key word or phrase and/or having writers block? "2600 Phrases for Effective Writing" really comes in handy. Being in the military and writing performance reports on a daily basis, this book has helped me out all the time. Not only does it help for the good reports, it also does for the bad.

Great phrases found, February 12, 2008
This product was a quick way to finalize a review. It has great phrases that are very useful. Ever have one of those days where you just can't think of the greatest way of putting a sentence together? These phrases help put everything together in a well written manner.

A Must For Anybody in Management, March 9, 2008
This is a great little book. It covers just about very situation. It gives, on the money, phrases. It also provide phrases to use for recommended improvements. I'm the newest member of management in my corporation. When my boss read first reviews, he was totally impressed. It is definitely worth the money. I highly recommend this book.

Meets/Exceeds Expectations, October 24, 2008
Communication & Cooperation
* Regularly displays constructive information
* Asks well thought out questions
* Explains complicated issues clearly
... Read more

Editorial Review

Say sayonara to your fears of speaking Japanese!

Interested in learning to speak Japanese but feel intimidated by the complex characters and pronunciations? No need to worry! Even if your only experience is ordering sushi, Japanese Demystified will have you saying konnichiwa to your new language skills in no time.

Beginning with a review of Japanese writing systems, basic pronunciation, and everyday expressions, this book covers key grammar fundamentals such as particles, nouns, verb forms, and honorifics. You'll build your Japanese vocabulary with essential words and phrases and quickly master this challenging language. Test yourself at the end of every chapter for reinforcement that you're fast on your way to speaking, writing, and understanding Japanese.

This fast and easy guide features:

• Clear and straightforward explanations of Japanese grammar fundamentals
• Numerous examples of simple and complex sentence structures
• Japanese hiragana, katakana, and kanji with phonetic transliterations for all Japanese words
• Helpful writing and speaking exercises that bring the Japanese language to life
• Coverage of everyday topics as well as conversational expressions
• Quizzes at the end of each chapter to reinforce new material

Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for a more experienced student, Japanese Demystified is your shortcut to mastering this complex language.

Reviews

Finally, something helpful and affordable!, October 20, 2008
Finding this book was a wonderful thing.

With so many books on learning Japanese out there, it's hard to find a couple of good ones that provide you with the means to learn the easiest way. That "easy" way is different for all people. I have always thought that fundamentals, basic building blocks, are essential in order to understand the way something works, so that learning more difficult or involved concepts later is easier. For example, in my life, this applies to math, playing an instrument, or learning a language.

My requirements for teaching myself Japanese without the availability of local, affordable classes are as follows: First: it must be affordable. A $20 book is more my speed than an $60 or $80 one, for instance. Second: like most people, I want the most bang for my buck. I don't want to be lugging around 6 books if I can get the same information out of 2 or 3. Third: I would like it to contain Japanese writing so I can learn to read and write what I am saying. Fourth: I prefer some sort of self-test included so I know if/what I am retaining.

This book delivers all that. 445 pages of information, delivered in Japanese characters, romaji and English at the same time. Chapters 1-3 are pretty basic. I have the entire set of Pimsleur's Japanese lessons, which I love, and aside from some new vocabulary, it's about the same. Pronunciation, writing, names, titles, pronouns, particles and questions. The CDs teach you to speak, but explain nothing of the fundamentals of grammar or how the Japanese language works, nor do they explain the many verbs and their forms. I feel strongly that to learn Japanese well and thoroughly, these things are important in order to facilitate fluency as learning progresses.

I am really looking forward to using this book to augment my Pimsleur lessons. It gives me hope that I will someday be able to engage in conversation in this language with confidence. I get vocabulary, grammar, verbs and forms, and self-tests all in one book! I love that it is all arranged according to English grammar structure. This is familiar and helps me to understand the information.

For the really curious, there are 20 chapters arranged in four parts with a "final exam":

Part One is Identifying People and Things.
Including pronunciation, everyday phrases, questions, describing people and things, and expressing existence and location.

Part Two is Talking About Actions
Including coming and going, what you do (verbs), talking about the past, the Te- form, and asking permission.

Part Three is Stating Facts
Including your opinion, adverbs and adverbial clauses, comparing people and things, complex phrases and clauses, and indicating change.

Part Four is Expressing Implication, Attitude, and Perspective
Including implication, attitude, considering and planning your actions, changing perspective, and using honorifics.

At the end is a 100 question "final exam", followed by two Appendices (sentence predicates and verb forms {as a table}), two glossaries (J to E and E to J), an answer key for all the test and practices, and finally an index.

This is not the only book I plan to buy, or already own (my other favorite now is Japanese Step by Step). I highly recommend learning about Japanese culture while studying the language because so much of how Japanese express themselves is ingrained in their society and how they interpret things. It is a point of view that can be radically different from anywhere else. It is not enough to learn Japanese, you need to learn about the people as well in order to effectively express yourself in their language. Japanese Beyond Words is a wonderful book to start with.

In short, buy this book. I don't think you will be disappointed. Beginners, dive right in, it will help! Advanced students, this will probably serve more as a great reference book, or it may clear up something you've been struggling with.

Heck, for this price, you definitely get what you pay for, and then some. ^_^

modern and easy to use but lacks abit in vocabulary, June 2, 2010
When a friend of mine asked me which beginner book on Japanese to use, I recommended this one. The focus of this book is on explaining Japanese grammar as clearly as possible, from basic to complex structures.

Like most self-learners I have a stack of books on Japanese at home, including: Japanese For Everyone, Japanese For Busy People, Genki, and so on. This book 'Japanese Demystified' is one of the best for beginners who struggle with Japanese grammar.

The reasons are many:
1. the grammar is explained in a simple way
2. the chapters are arranged according to grammatical concept
3. the book uses the real script from the start
4. it is roughly equal to a one-year course at university (as far as grammar goes)
5. it is modern and teaches you all sorts of words and does not focus on college-life or business use
6. it has a wide variety of exercises in each chapter
7. all the text are in both script and romanization
8. it is fully aimed at self-learners and have no class or group excercises

The exercises include:
1. translations
2. putting the correct word into a sentence
3. building sentences
4. transform a word into the correct grammatical form
5. reading exercises

If you are thinking about buying this book you should be aware of a few things:
1. there's no audio material
2. it does not show you how to draw the Kanji characters
3. the book has no system for teaching you the Kanji

You can easily find information on the web on how to draw characters so that's not really a problem. The book has no system for teaching you the Kanji - it is up to you to write them down on paper and practice them yourself. These are not actual complaints I have with the book, it is simply something the persons reading these reviews should be aware of.

However a minor complaint I DO have is that the glossary is too short and does not list all the words taught in the book.
In addition and perhaps more significantly, the vocabulary covered is quite small compared to other textbooks. 'Japanese Demystified' only covers about 500 words (excluding verbs), while other books such as 'Japanese for Busy People (I-III), Japanese For Everyone, Genki I & II' etc. cover at least 2000 words.
I think the author deliberatly did this so that the learner can focus on understanding the grammar really well without being stressed by learning new vocabulary.

I still rate this book very highly because the way it covers grammar is just brilliant, it is all right there in front of you and explained so clearly. I think this far outweighs the negatives. The book works so well on its own and because it is structured according to grammar it also works really well as supplement to other textbooks: if I don't get clear explanations from my other textbooks I can just look things up in this one. This book and my old favorite 'Introduction to Modern Japanese' are the only two beginner's books I plan to keep in the long-run.

In short, the book is easy to understand, modern, shows you the complete script, and will teach you basic vocabulary.

It... makes... sense!, October 17, 2009
After facing the horror of "Minna no Nihongo" (sorry fans of the book, but it proved not to be my cup of tea), I discovered that "Japanese demystified" made far more sense to me; it's friendly, you learn at your own pace, and it's not intimidating at all so buy it already! However, I strongly suggest that before you dive into it, (or any other Japanese learning books, by the way) you invest a few weeks into learning your hiragana, katakana, and a few hundred kanji as well, now that you are into it. It sounds like too much work but believe me, it will make your learning experience a more enjoyable one. Books from James W. Heisig (Remembering the kana, Remembering the kanji) can be of vast help to achieve this. Also, and to help "Japanize" your mind, Boye Lafayette De Mente`s "The Japanese have a word for it" can provide a rich cultural background, with dozens of words and terms that simply don't have a direct translation into western languages, and will help you "feel" the language from a native's perspective. I'm not going to lie to you; it's not going to be easy, it's not going to be fast, but... what the heck, it makes your brain a better one.

good for JLPT3 and under, December 12, 2008
I'm taking third semester Japanese (finished half of Genki II) and found this book a bit too "easy." Almost wish I'd gone to Kinokuniya and bought something else. However beginner students will find it extremely helpful.
"Japanese Step By Step" (roughly same cost) is a better investment IHMO.

Great book, August 19, 2010
This was a great book, as a workbook to accompany my Japanese course.
I would say though, you can NOT use it alone to learn Japanese.
It has very clear explanations and is an excellent workbook for beginner students.

After using this book, you may want to check out "Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication: A Self-Study Course and Reference", which covers everything in this book and a more as a nice compact review.

Unfortunately, non of these books help with speaking or listening, its not something that is expected from these books but just keep it in mind.

A GREAT SEF TEACHING BOOK, ALL IN ONE, REALLY EASY TO UNDERSTAND GRAMMAR, September 22, 2010
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BOOK YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU ANYWHERE. YOU GOT ALL THE IMPORTANT INFO TOGETHER, STARTING WITH THE WRITING SYSTEM TO GRAMMAR ISSUES, WELL ORGANIZED, FRIENDLY PAPERBACK BOOK, FOR YOUR TRIPS TO SCHOOL OR WORK BY UNDERGROUND OR BUS, JUST GREAT!

It's Awesome!, December 5, 2009
This book was the best japanese book i got to learn out of b/c it teaches how to write in the first chapter and also has oral exercises with english pronunciation to make sure that you get it. i'd recommend it if you are itching to learn a new language!

An Excellent Japanese Grammar, November 7, 2010
This is an excellent book for people who want to know how to learn Japanese and to learn with the proper grammar.

Japanese Demistified, December 14, 2008
This is a great book for anyone who is studying Japanese at any level. It gives a person the information they need to know in a easy manner. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Over 50 fun songs, games and everyday activities to get started in French!

From taking a bath to going shopping, books in the Play and Learn Language series turn everyday routines into fun language-learning activities for parents and children.

Packed with lively four-colour illustrations, each package features fun songs, games, and activities, key word illustrations, engaging comic strips, sidebars with fun cultural information and English translations for all activities. ... Read more

Reviews

Wonderful, April 20, 2006
While this book is geared towards children, I found it to be very helpful to me as a beginning French college student. I originally bought this mainly for it's pictures and dual translations as I'm a visual learner and because I've heard many foreign language audio programs that I didn't care for at all. This, however, is obviously done by a native speaker (and a good singer at that).

The audio and pronounciation is clear, making it easy to follow along with the text. The topics that are covered are everyday activities, making it easy to find ways to make use of what you learn in real life practice. Also, as the previous reviewer noted, the use of colloquial terms is also very helpful and useful.

As an experienced adult language learner, I feel that this will do well to improve not only my pronounciation, but my vocabulary as well.

Painless colloquial French, June 29, 2005
I was surprised at how much I liked this book. Most language books cover the basic, standard vocabulary in a set format. This one covers colloquial vocabulary that children learn, so you hear the endearments that parents use with their children and how roosters crow and the words for 'see-saw' and common phrases like 'Time to wake up!'. I can see myself using some of these phrases as ice-breakers in informal chats in my travels. Delightful!
I'll be looking for other works by these authors as they become available.

Rich content with helpful vocabulary help, January 9, 2007
I bought this for my 3-year-old girl who's going to a French immersion preschool. She loves it! She likes it when I read to her (I speak pretty fluent French) and she can figure out things by looking at the pictures. E.g., when I read a sentence and ask her in French what a certain object is, she'd point to a picture. She also likes to hear the CD. The book is colorful. The pictures and the English translation for the scripts are very helpful. My 7-year-old boy who doesn't speak French also likes to read with us and he'd read the English and I do the French part. I can tell the book is appealing for kids no matter what language it's in. I give 4 stars because I think they could have done better on the recording with more animation and variety in the tone, etc.

Play and Learn is not very engaging, January 9, 2007
I haven't been able to find something as entertaining as Learn in Your Car French for Kids (Marie and Robert going to the fete). The CD on Play and Learn is completely in French without any clever songs, stories, or activities that the kids can really follow along to. If they know a LOT of French then maybe it would be something they can follow along to, but it certainly doesn't teach anything using English/French together in an engaging way.

Fantastic to learn to talk to your child in French, June 30, 2007
As someone who had some very rusty high school French I have found this book and 60 minute CD invaluable in teaching my 1 year old son to understand and speak French. He even enjoys listening to the CD in the car while Mummy learns French as he recognises phrases and songs that we have begun to use. The book and CD show you how to conduct everyday conversations with your child in many situations such as getting dressed, eating, cleaning up, bath time, going to the park and playing games. In addition to the vocabulary there are lots of easy songs that you can learn and sing during those activities.

Great as an addition to any curriculum, August 24, 2007
I am bilingual (Spanish and English) and wanted to add in French with my own children. Since I just partnered in working on Flip Flop French: Ages 3-5: Level 1, I've been using that of course, and I so enjoyed using Ana Lomba's Play and Learn Spanish for my own students and classes, I got it in French.

I haven't been disappointed! After the children (three of them, ages 5 down to 2 years) completed lesson three, they were able to pick up quite a bit of this book and the interesting conversations that go along with the pictures in the book (it's full color!) My children really enjoy coloring and drawing, so after we do the Flip Flop French activity for the day, this is a great supplement and change for them. It's a little advanced for them without the other more simple lessons, but I think they'll continue to grow into it!

All in all, I love it!

Solid resource for useful phrases in French, July 26, 2007
I learned to speak French as an adult (and am still learning).

As a result, I have had very little exposure to 'children's French' - how to speak to a child and use phrases appropriate for them.

This is a fantastically reliable source for just that, and it is enjoyable to expand my own vocabulary along with my children's.

Learn French with a childs' book, July 19, 2007
Highly recommended for any adult who is trying to learn basic French. A great compliment to Pimsleur and Michel Thomas.

Horrible, annoying, and to avoid at any cost, July 6, 2010
The voice is horrible, from the beginning to the end. It really sounds like the woman who is speaking is either bored, tired, and has no more motivation in her life...

Clearly not a product that will motivate your kids to study French.

As French native myself, I used other methods, and you can hear better quality of sound, and happy people singing...

The singer sounds like, she never studied music, and does not like what she is doing.

Just Ok, March 13, 2009
I am a little disappointed with this product. Although the book is great for non-French speaking parents (it has French on one side and English on the other, along with illustrations) the cd is not very entertaining for a baby or toddler. Not to mention, at many points, the voice on the cd does not even sound like a native French speaker (I speak French and have lived in France). There is really only one person speaking the entire time (it sounds like the same person does the adult and child voice), and the whole cd is the "adult" saying or asking something and the "child" responding. There is no music or anything that would make my baby want to listen to it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Now beginners can master Spanish grammar with the proven Practice Makes Perfect method!

Combining clear presentation, exercises, and a focus on practical conversational skills has proven a winning formula for the Practice Makes Perfect workbook series. Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Spanish Grammar builds on the series' success with a similarly interactive approach, embracing all aspects of Spanish grammar that you need to master. This engaging guide offers:

• An extensive grammar review, highlighted by illustrative examples
• Dozens of exercises, including fill-ins, translations, and creative writing
• Time saving thematic vocabulary panels to cut down on dictionary drudgery
• Boxed summaries of key grammar points for focused learning
• Detailed answer keys for progress checks

Reviews

Thorough but full of mistakes, January 17, 2007
I have been studying Spanish for 7+ years and used this book as a text book in a college course that focused on the verb conjugations and tenses. We did about 90% of the exercises in the book. It's very thorough with the material that it covers, but the answers in the back are full of so many mistakes that the book almost isn't worth it. It was frustrating for us students to use the book and check our answers only to find mistakes. Eventually our professor stopped using the book.

EXCELLENT, March 5, 2005
This book is amazing. It really does contain ALL aspects of spanish grammar. There are clear grammar explanations, plenty of practice excercises and good vocabulary/idiom lists. Seriously, buy this book.
BTW: don't listen to the above reviewer. My copy is not missing a single page.

Awsome and Cheap, December 3, 2005
This book deserves a 5-star rating because it is very comprehensive and it is very cheap. I love the exercieses because not only can you practice the grammar but also learn more new vocabularies.

However, this book is NOT for beginners. The author states in the preface that this book is for advanced beginners or above. You should have at least very basic knowledge of the lauguage. I started learning Spanish by listening to the Michel Thomas CD's (the complete 8-CD set). I really learned a lot, but the Michel Thomas course does not cover every thing. If you really want to be fluent or to be able to read Spanish, you should study more on your own. This book is a great follow-up.

My copy of this book does not miss anything. Don't listen to the other reviewer.

Excellent review for someone with previous knowledge, February 24, 2006
Fantastic series!

What kind of learner am I?
I teach in a university-based adult education program, where many of my students are native Spanish speakers. My high school and college Spanish classes were a distant memory, but when I chose this book and its companions (pronouns and verbs), I DID remember enough to communicate at a basic level. I've found this series excellent for improving my Spanish enough for my students to comment enthusiastically after a relatively short time. I have no instructor, but I learn well from books, and I already knew how to pronounce Spanish words. For someone else in my position, I can't recommend this series highly enough--it's the best I found after extensive searching, library loans, etc.

Getting the most from this product:
I also recommend getting all three books (complete grammar, pronouns, and verbs) as I did. I've found that it's been helpful to work through a few sections in one book, switch to one of the others, and move ahead in similar jags through all three at once. I can tell when to switch by when I start to feel like I'm getting in over my head--I think it would be difficult to learn alone using just one of these.

Another tip: This series is pure grammar, but there's plenty of culture and literature available free online. I've supplemented the books by reading Spanish-language newspapers online (my favorite seems to be the BBC/Latin America), pasting the text into www.freetranslation.com to check my reading as needed. Often, I've translated these in their entirety for practice (the free translation's enough to understand, but not a particularly good translation). I also found a Spanish-speaking penpal by visiting Spanish chatrooms, and write back and forth frequently as a way to practice my written Spanish. These activities have provided the learning richness that simple grammar texts aren't intended to offer.

Who shouldn't use this?
However, if (for example) you know no (or almost no) Spanish now or remember very little vocabulary, this would be a poor choice. It definitely assumes some level of familiarity with the language.

Great Supplementary Learning Tool, May 17, 2007
First let me clarify by saying that if I could have given this 4 and 1/2 stars, I would have; it's ALMOST worth 5 stars, but not quite.

This book is an excellent learning tool if you already have a little bit of experience with Spanish going in. I bought it to use during a year off from school so I wouldn't forget the Spanish I had learned in my 100-level courses in college. If you do the exercises conscientiously and make an effort to really learn the material, this book can be an invaluable tool to your success in doing so.

That said, the only thing preventing the book from receiving 5 stars is that if you have no prior knowledge of Spanish, it can be a bit confusing going in, as the author completely separates the sections on verbs from those on nouns, adjectives, pronouns, etc. This is an okay idea, but it makes it difficult to complete some of the exercises in the earlier chapters if you don't already know how to use the more basic components of a Spanish sentence.

Still, I more than recommend this book, especially if you just want to brush up on Spanish you learned a long time ago and have since forgotten.

Excellent Resource for Learning Spanish, February 25, 2007
My husband who is a Spanish professor picked this book out for me when I first started learning Spanish. In the very beginning, it was too difficult. But, after a few weeks into my Spanish class it became manageable.

It was an excellent supplement to my class and it really helped to reinforce the grammatical concepts. Also, my Spanish class was all in Spanish, even the grammar explanations, and I really appreciated how clearly this book explained the concepts in English.

I'm now moving on to more advanced Spanish exercises, but I will keep this book handy as a reference. The explanations are really, very good.

The vocabulary introduced in the book is also very comprehensive for the most common words and phrases in many aspects of daily life. However, there is an inclination toward Latin American Spanish vocabulary rather than Castilian Spanish.

The exercises are also good overall. But, each chapter and topic is isolated and the exercises do nothing to reinforce concepts learned in previous chapters. Therefore, this book is not the end-all-be-all program for learning Spanish. However, it's a great introduction to the grammar and could be an integral component of any beginner's study program.

Regarding the other reviewer's comment about the answer key being full of mistakes, I did find a few, but it by no means rendered the book useless. Perhaps he/she was using an earlier edition and the mistakes have since been corrected.

Outstanding grammar review, February 20, 2006
This book covers all parts of the spanish grammar exceptionally. It not only explains the focused topic in a chapter clearly and give a lot of exercises to let the reader practice, it also contains concepts from other chapters, which reinforces understanding of other chapters. The fact that this book can be covered in any order is also very good.

The vocabulary used in here is also quite complete, but only a fraction is in the glossary (the others should be mostly known at this level anyway). Be sure to have a spanish dictionary handy when learning, as always.

Really good tool for self-teaching, November 19, 2006
I've been trying to improve my rather rudimentary Spanish for awhile now, and this book helped more than anything else so far. I thought it was much better done than the other two books in the same series. I would say it is meant for a "2 or 3 out of 10" speaker, and if you apply yourself to all the exercises and review them you could get to a "5 out of 10." For the money and time invested, that is simply unmatched.

Good review book, November 9, 2006
It's a good book, but I would go for Spanish Verb Tenses since the latter is better written and organized.

Sitting on the shelf, August 17, 2008
I have mixed feelings about this book. I bought it expecting a good and thorough workbook on Spanish grammar, which it is thorough. However, it's frustrating because some of the exercises don't seem to "go with" what the chapter is covering. There's a translation exercise at the end of each chapter and after dutifully translating as I had just studied, I turn to the back and the answers are completely different. There are some glaring errors in the book too. Example: "Mi hermano cumplio treinta..." is translated as "my brother turned twenty". If a beginner such as me can catch this - it's glaring. The frustration was so great that after struggling through 3 chapters, the book now sits on the shelf - a bad place for books. I've since purchased The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice and am working along quickly with this user-friendly and consistent book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Rise and Sprawl: How Los Angeles Came To Be


A pictorial history of the world's most enigmatic city



From the first known photograph taken in Los Angeles to its most recent sweeping vistas, this photographic tribute to the City of Angels provides a fascinating journey through the city's cultural, political, industrial, and sociological history. It traces the city's development from the 1880s' real estate boom, through the early days of Hollywood and the urban sprawl of the late 20th century, right up to the present day. With over 500 images, L.A. is shown emerging from a desert wasteland to become a vast palm-studded urban metropolis.



Events that made world news including two Olympics, Bobby Kennedy's assassination, and the Rodney King riots reveal a city of many dimensions. The entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood, and its celebrities are showcased along with many other notable residents, personalities, architects, artists, and musicians. The city's pop cultural movements, its music, surfing, health food fads, gangs, and hot rods are included, as are its notorious crimes and criminals. This book depicts Los Angeles in all its glory and grit, via hundreds of freshly discovered images including those of Julius Shulman, Garry Winogrand, William Claxton and many other superb photographers, culled from major historical archives, museums, private collectors, and universities. These are given context and resonance through essays by renowned California historian Kevin Starr and Los Angeles literature expert David Ulin.



About the editor:

Cultural anthropologist and graphic design historian Jim Heimann is Executive Editor for TASCHEN America, and author of numerous books on architecture, pop culture, and the history of the West Coast, Los Angeles and Hollywood. His unrivaled private collection of ephemera has featured in museum exhibitions around the world and dozens of books.

... Read more

Reviews

Sun and neon, November 13, 2009
At last, the city at the end of the rainbow gets the Taschen treatment: a large, chunky, 570 page, visual history. This is more than just an ordinary picture book though because so many of the photos, after the Thirties, have been taken by named photographers (there are biographies of thirty-nine of them at the back of the book) and it's the mixing of their work and anonymous photos that I thought gave the book a special feel. Another interesting theme reflects the creativity of the city with the use of quotes from well-known historical books and movies that appear throughout the pages, nicely with a graphic of the jacket or poster.

Having looked through the pages a few times it does seem amazingly comprehensive. The seven chapters run from 1862 to the last photo in 2005. Each starts with a several hundred word overview followed by a spread with a period map then by captioned photos. Cultural, political and sports personalities, architecture (including street scenes plus industry) and historic news photos are the dominant themes and I thought the selection was rather impressive, there doesn't seem to be any image that would make me say "Just why is that one included".

What I really love about the book is its big page size. Pin-sharp photos from before 1940 are frequently run over a spread and look terrific as do news photos from later decades (all printed with a 175 screen). Tying in with the historical book and movie links throughout the book the back pages carry a recommended list of viewing, listening and reading material that sum up this intriguing city.

A slightly similar photo book of Los Angeles but with images selected from the last few decades which might be worth checking out is Looking At Los Angeles, with many of the same well-known photographers as Jim Heimann's book.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

A Wondrous Portrait of a Hard-to-Navigate City, November 26, 2009
To a life-long New Yorker, Los Angeles is a foreign country, filled with vivid impressions -- warm all the time, unseemly pink and tourqouise neon pillars at the airport, lush vegetation, endless freeways, glittering Disney Center, lovely bungalow neighborhoods, downtown that stretches to Santa Monica, Hollywood emblazoned on the hill, Century City sprouting from somewhere, the Getty Center gleaming from its perch, Wilshire Boulevard marching through time and linking it all together, mammouth city hall, nostalgic Union Station, pinata and flower markets, new rapid transit, cars, cars, cars.... Of course, we all have mental images of the place, products of the media -- cops, movie stars, immigrants, water wars -- that shape a superficial understanding of LA. But in many ways it's a hard-to-navigate place -- I am not talking about the famed transportation routes, but about its culture and history. For the discerning visitor, there are visual hints of the past, wonderful surprises in the canyons and a shadow of a long-gone community here and there, but its full imprint is gone. At least it was gone until Los Angeles, Portrait of a City appeared this fall.

Here, the city unfurls in word (Kevin Starr is simply brilliant) and in image (Jim Heimann's selections, extraordinary). We can see who made the city what it is today. We can sense the hopes, drive and ambition of its inhabitants over time and view its developing and ever-changing landscape. This book is a masterpiece.It makes the city no longer hard-to-navigate, no longer a foreign country but a beloved American icon.

I'm lovin' it, December 6, 2009
I am a Northern California native, but moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago. This is a great book for anyone who wants to know more about a city that is often accused, mostly by outsiders, of being shallow, one-dimensional or soulless. It provides a unique glimpse into the real Los Angeles, one that is rich in history, complex and ever-changing. Great book. Highly recommended...

a new perspective on a fascinating city, December 4, 2009
As a Bay Area resident, LA has always been a curious object of my attention. The glamour and grit of LA shines through in this majestic work which peels back the layers of this fascinating city. I haven't been able to put the book down since I purchased it and I sincerely expect that all of these fantastic images will keep me busy for weeks to come. Taschen has really done something incredible here.

Truly Special, December 4, 2009
As a Los Angeles history buff, I have many books on the city but this one is truly special. It is not the same tired collection of photographs you have seen in so many other publications. Taschen has collected unique images of all the sites you have always wondered about or have seen remnants of. I am particularly fond of the vintage maps which are truly inspiring. Moreover, Taschen's well known large image format creates an amazing and unique experience for the reader. Jim Heimann has really done it! It's truly a special book.

Great visual history of LA!, December 4, 2009
This book is home to a spectacular range of LA images, all beautifully printed. I absolutely love this book. It is a great gift for anyone interested in the history of LA and vintage hard-to-find images. One neat feature of the book is a "Recommended Reading" list in the back with a list of classic and contemporary books about LA, and the images featured. You won't be disappointed by this book!

LA, December 9, 2009
This is a phenomenal book about Los Angeles. Beyond being a exquisite art book with stunning photographs, it is also an in-depth social history of the city. No stone is left unturned, every topic imaginable is included. The level of research and accuracy should also be commended - it's an ambitious book that succeeds on every level.

"Story of my Life" Why I love LA, December 4, 2009
"A floodtide of orange and lemon groves with origins in Riverside County to the east flowed down through Orange and Los Angeles counties to the sundown sea, enchanting the air in springtime with the pungent perfume of blossoming trees..." -- Kevin Starr. WOOOOOWWWW! I've finally sat down to read Kevin Starr's text and am bowled over by his descriptions and its scope. The sweep of the city is all in there, sprawling like Los Angeles itself. There's a conversation happening between the photographs and the essays that adds a real depth and buzz of excitement. Born and raised in LA, I am happy to say I've never seen a better or more beautiful documentation of my city! Thanks again Taschen!

I am obsessed with this book, December 4, 2009
I haven't been able to stop flipping through this book since I got it. It's amazing to see the historic photos alongside contemporary images by photography's greats (Helmut Newton, Julius Shulman, David LaChapelle, etc.). It's been so popular with everyone who comes over to my apartment that I'm thinking about getting a second copy (one to keep on the coffee table and one to display on my shelf).

If you're looking for the definitive visual history on LA, this is it!

Los Angeles: Portrait of a City (Taschen), December 31, 2009
As long time Angelenos, we were certainly excited to receive our invitation to Taschen Books headquarters for the new release party for their latest coffee table opus `Los Angeles - Portrait of a City.' While partying with the Hollywood elite (Diane Keaton, Hugh Hefner, Jerry Bruckheimer, David LaChappell, Rodney Bingenheimer, various politicos, etc.) and being serenaded by hometown music from the Doors, Mamas and Papas, the Go-Go's and others, we celebrated the release of Jim Heimann and Kevin Starr's new 572 page exhibition of the colorful photographic history of the Los Angeles basin.
In this heavyweight book, readers are treated to nearly all the glorious history of the City of Angels from it's very beginnings as an oil and orange grove mecca, thru the war years, the Hollywood years, the earthquakes, the riots and beyond. And while the book chronicles numerous LA icons (the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Frank Gehry and the Case Study House; the famous buildings of Ciro's, the Brown Derby, the Hollywood Bowl, Capitol Records, Grauman's Chinese, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Watts Towers, as well as the Dodgers arrival at the L.A. Coliseum, JFK's 1960 convention, RFK's assassination, OJ's car chase, Rodney King and more...) as well as the world famous personalities (the MGM players, James Dean, Cecil B. DeMille, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, the Beach Boys, Hugh Hefner and Joni Mitchell) and artists (Billy Al Bengston, Dennis Hopper, Helmut Newton, David Hockney's pool at the Hollywood Roosevelt and clips from Ed Ruscha's masterpiece `Every Building on the Sunset Strip, 1966), there are still significant gaps in the author's coverage.
One does wonder where some of the more recent luminaries of LA disappeared to within these pages. There are, for example, no photos of sports greats Sandy Koufax, Magic Johnson or NBA logo model, Jerry West, nor L.A. superstars like Jack Nicholson, Mickey Mouse or the Dreamworks triumvirate, no Johnny Carson or TV game show hosts or four time mayor Tom Bradley, and, in fact, very little or no depiction of the twin L.A. Olympics, the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl or the most recent years of LA fame and glory (the Queen Mary, Staples Center, The Grammys, Kodak Theatre, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink's, etc. - there are so few photographs taken since the year 2000 that the book has a dated-right-off-the-press feel.) In fact, one might have to squint to even find legends like Jack Warner and Walt Disney within these pages.
Though light on descriptive captions, Kevin Starr's text is quite comprehensive and the book does a magnificent job of referencing a reasonable number of additional L.A. inspired movies, books and records in its back page indexes, leaving anyone who wants to earn a masters degree in the city's stature with hours of resources to indulge their every whim. The English language book, which bills itself as the most complete photographic collection ever done on L.A., is translated into German and French as well. Ultimately, a fine collection, but not without some significant gaps. - [...] ... Read more

Editorial Review

Here is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for leaders in all professions, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction.

The Book of Five Rings —which has become a well-known classic among American business people, studied for its insights into the Japanese approach to business strategy—was composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Unlike previous editions ofThe Book of Five Rings, Thomas Cleary's is an accessible translation, free of jargon, with an introduction that presents the spiritual background of the warrior tradition. Along with Musashi's text, Cleary translates another important Japanese classic on leadership and strategy:The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War by Yagyu Munenori, which highlights the ethical and spiritual insights of Taoism and Zen as they apply to the way of the warrior. ... Read more

Reviews

Places Musashi in an Historical Context, February 15, 2003
What I prefer about Victor Harris's translation of Musashi Miyamoto's book is the fact that Harris has gone through exacting lengths not just to present an accurate translation in the context of a 17th-century samurai, but to present Musashi in his proper historical context. As opposed to every other English translation I have read, this one includes a chapter which gives a biography of Musashi, and shows many of his creations, such as paintings (including a self-portrait), tsuba (swordguards), etc. We can see where Musashi stayed, and what his grave looks like, etc. For clarity in understanding, this volume, along with the translation by Thomas Cleary, are the best. I should justify that by explaining that I practice martial arts--for those of you looking for a business oriented edition, there are several translations and interpretations out there which are geared towards your needs. For those of you involved in the practice of martial arts, sports, or with an interest in historical strategy texts, I heartily recommend this translation!

Whay does this book discuss? Musashi's masterpiece eschews practice, and decries vanity, ego, and "secrets". Musashi was a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and the influence of Zen philosophy can be seen everywhere in his writing. This is however, definately a book on the strategy of swordsmanship, and not a treatis on religion. Musashi Miyamoto fought in a number of duels--back in the era of true challenge matches--when usually the victor was the man left living! The realities of his times, the fact that life was so cheap and had to be guarded fiercly, and that Musashi succeeded in doing this is what makes his writing even more precious. This was the book Musashi passed on to the students of his school, the unusual two-bladed Ni-to Ryu (two-sword school). For more on the historical Musashi Miyamoto, read Makoto Sugawara's excellent (non-fiction) "Lives of Master Swordsmen".

Have sword, will fight, January 11, 2000
Everybody should read this book. That's all there is to it. Musashi takes the reader into a world filled to the brim with devotion, self-respect, disciplin, honesty and purity of thought. Even though this book was written by and for warriors and samurai, and in a completely different time and culture, it is a remarkabe source of inspiration for selv-developement. Musashi's teachings are concise and to the point. He uses phrases like "you must understand this" and "you must practice diligently" and explains only general, but unquestionable and fundamental, concepts of the Way of the Warrior. These guidelines are not directly applicable in our time and age, but what is applicable are the things this book contains about working with yourself. Striving to achieve improvement on the inside as well as the outside.

It would be a lie to say that this book is a "positive" book. Taken litterally it's about how to become an efficient, albeit enlightened, killer. The value of this book comes from reading between the lines, and let me tell you: Those lines could fill volumes.

Musashi in an Historical Context & Best Translation, February 15, 2003
What I prefer about Victor Harris's translation of Musashi Miyamoto's book "Go Rin no Sho" is the fact that Harris has gone through exacting lengths not just to present an accurate translation in the context of a 17th-century samurai, but to present Musashi to us in his proper historical context. As opposed to every other English translation I have read, this one includes an in-depth biography of Musashi prior to the translation, and shows many of his creations, such as paintings (including a self-portrait), tsuba (swordguards), etc. We can see where Musashi lived and practiced, what his grave looks like, etc. For clarity and understanding, this volume, along with the translation by Thomas Cleary, are the best. I should justify that by explaining that I practice martial arts--for those of you looking for a business oriented edition, there are several translations and interpretations out there which are geared towards your needs. For those of you involved in the practice of martial arts, sports, or with an interest in historical strategy texts, I heartily recommend this translation!

Whay does this book discuss? Musashi's masterpiece eschews practice, and decries vanity, ego, and "secrets". Musashi was a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and the influence of Zen philosophy can be seen everywhere in his writing. This is however, definately a book on the strategy of swordsmanship, and not a treatis on religion. Musashi Miyamoto fought in a number of duels--back in the era of true challenge matches--when usually the victor was the man left living! The realities of his times, the fact that life was so cheap and had to be guarded fiercly, and that Musashi succeeded in doing this is what makes his writing even more precious. This was the book Musashi passed on to the students of his school, the unusual two-bladed Ni-to Ryu (two-sword school). For more on the historical Musashi Miyamoto, read Makoto Sugawara's excellent (non-fiction) "Lives of Master Swordsmen".

A sword-fighter's bible., January 30, 2000
I've read several books on sword techniques, methods, philosophies, etc... This book takes all that knowledge and adds an edge to it I haven't found anywhere else. It makes you think about your movements, and style of fighting... and answers the questions on things like why the samurai used a long and short sword instead of two long blades.

Musashi fought back when it meant living or dying, and never lost. He wrote the book years after he retired from fighting and tried to capture the very essense of how to win in any situation. This book does not have any pictures of techniques, but it makes you evaluate every technique.

It offers a great deal of knowledge for every day life and even if you never pick up a sword or raise your fists, this book can teach you how to win in life's battles by way of your mind. A great book, and I feel lucky to have it on my shelf... available when I need it.

Good Book Bad Translation, August 2, 2002
I have read 4 different translations of Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings and I would have to say this is the worst translation I have read by far. It is obvious the translator does not have a passion or understanding for Japanese Martial Sciences. The translator made numerours mistakes, and he consistantly referred to Japanese swordsmanship (kenjutsu)as Kendo. This is a major mistake and the very first time I saw Kendo mentioned in the book, I wanted to put it down. It is quite obvious that the translator missed alot of subtle lessons Musashi tried to convery in this book. I would not recommend this version of a classic. However I would recommed A Way to Victory The Annotated Book of Five Rings by Hidy Ochiai. Mr. Ochiai is an accomplished martial artist and has a good understanding of Japanese Martial Arts. I would also recommend reading Legacies of the Sword by Karl Friday. This book will give you a complete understanding of a traditional Japanese (kenjutsu) school still operating today.

Lacking Commentary, June 1, 2001
Many of these books are difficult to understand because they are meant to be used as study and reference guides along with a teacher. The Book of Five Rings (of which I've read 3 of the 5, and am just a few pages away from finishing) is a treatise describing Musashi Miyamoto's personal school of fighting - the school of two skies. He eschews other schools as too this or too that. They concentrate, he says, on technique rather than what swordfighting is all about - killing your opponent.

The text is dry, and the sections are short. They are intended (a) for swordfighters, and (b) to be meditated on. The principals in this book would take a swordfighter years to master. In fact, at one point he says one should study for about 3 years (he gives a specific number of weeks) and then practice for 30 or so more years.

How does this translate into my life? I'm not sure. I don't have enough of a background in swordfighting, the culture, etc. to know how these concepts apply to my life. If perhaps I had a guide, in the form of commentary, I could more easily integrate these concepts into my life. As is, however, this book isn't of much use to me, except as reference for the day when I do have commentary.

I reccomend, instead, Cleary's Classics of Strategy and Counsel. This trilogy of books includes the Art of War, Mastering the Art of War, The Lost Art of War, The Silver Sparrow Art of War, Thunder in the Sky, The Japanese Art of War, The Book of Five Rings, Ways of Warriors, Codes of Kings (which includes several works), The Art of Wealth, Living a Good Life, The Human Element, and Back to Beginnings.

In addition to the text, there is often commentary, and supplementary material that can put the text in context and aid the student on his or her journey. Amazon lists several of these as the same book...

Deep book, March 13, 2002
This is a deep book - not one that you can sit down and read straight through and get right to the point -- each of the strategies deserves its own session and a great deal of thought. I've now gone through the book several times and feel like I'm just beginning to grasp the applicability of certain pieces. Even read out of context, such as with business in mind, it is useful. I also highly recommend 'Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom' by Taro Gold.

A fine translation of a rich book, December 2, 2000
In a fit of generosity I gave away my copy of Victor Harris' translation to a martial artist friend. Having searched for a replacement I finally purchased a dismal 'Interpretation' of the book by an American Karateka, who restyled many passages until they spoke the exact opposite of the original. I threw it away. Mr. Harris' faithful translation, however, bears reading again and again and I believe keeps to the spirit of the original which defies simplistic interpretation, and increases in depth with each reading.

Like poetry it suggests more than it says, July 11, 2004
Okay, so I really have no clue as to what compelled me to buy this book. I hate to admit it but it looked "pretty" and it looked "historical," so I got it. I also love the Japanese film classics starring Toshir� Mifune as the ultimate samurai warrior. Many of them illustrate a combination of charm, sophistication, humor, even comedy, with violence, ruthlessness, and arrogance. The comparative lack of graphic bloodiness tends to focus the viewer on the human dynamics and art of the situation, and while some of these classics have been translated by the Hollywood film industry for Western tastes, what transpires still has a "foreign" feel. One sees the action and senses that something going on here is different, uncomfortable. Upon reading a few paragraphs of the Book of Five Rings : The Classic Guide to Strategy, I understood why.

For one thing, I had not understood that the character in the samurai collection that Mifune had been portraying had actually been an historic individual living in a unique period of Japanese history. Why I should have been surprised, I don't know, since the exploits of the likes of Pat Garret, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holiday became the basis for a good deal of 19th and 20th Century pulp fiction, TV series, and movies in the United States. In fact, the period in Japanese history that the translator describes sounds not unlike the "Wild West." The sod busters and the ranchers have made their peace, leaving hundreds of gunmen unemployed. The lucky ones find work as lawmen while the unlucky wander the country looking to enhance their reputations by lethal confrontations to see who's "fastest on the draw." The winner may ultimately find a job as a peace keeper; the loser finds a spot on boot hill. In the case of the American western, the contestants use guns; in the case of the Japanese samurai, they use swords and other equipment. Still there seems something more to it. The something more, I think, is a philosophy, a school, an etiquette, even an art that leaves the Western mind a little uncomfortable.

With some of the techniques of sword work and battle strategy, I think that as Musashi himself informs the reader, it is very difficult to "write" how to do a mechanical task. One can only convey the "feeling" that performing such a task has for the expert writer on the subject. In modern times this facet of the learning process is overcome by photo illustrations, but even then only to a very limited extent. As the author points out, there is no substitute for experience with the process and practice, practice, practice. Even the very limited experience I acquired years ago when I took fencing lessons helped me picture more clearly some of the moves the author described.

Part of the difficulty in connecting with the author's experience as he performs the various actions of sword fighting may be that this book is a translation from the Japanese, was originally written in an older version of the language, and embodied an ancient version of the culture itself, one that is no longer available even to modern Japanese let alone a Western translator. A warrior of Musashi's time may well have connected far better with the similes he uses than a modern person. The unique benefit of this fact, however, is that a great deal can be read into the work. Part of this is the author's intention, but part of it is due to the very ambiguity of the work. Just as the author himself suggests, the reader who does not concentrate on the words but allows the mind to float over them makes all sorts of interesting discoveries. For instance a book on dealing with problem people suggested a technique much like Musashi's "To Know the Times," essentially to match the rhythm and intensity of the subject until one can gain control of that rhythm to de-escalate it. His "To Become the Enemy" immediately brought to my mind the individual characters of Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and his opponent George McClelland. As Musashi suggested, the enemy always feels he is outnumbered which means that a few may defeat many if they are trained in The Way. Or as Lee is reputed to have said before a battle, "The Army of the Potomac is a very good one, unfortunately General McClelland brought himself along." Lee understood The Way. He knew that McClelland's personality, or lack of The Way, produced vast armies of the enemy in his mind.

In all a very interesting and surprising book, one I expect to read again and again to mine for concepts. For a slender 95 pages, the author, like a good poet, has packed each word with a maximum of information because they encapsulate concepts and principles.

A Profound Work of Philosophy, May 7, 2003
The Book of Five Rings is an amazing insight into the mind of one of the greatest warriors in human history. Miyamoto, or "sword saint" as the Japanese call him, was both a powerful warrior and a deep thinking philosopher. He produced numerous works of art, including self-portraits, paintings of buddhas, and sword tsubas. The depth of his thought can be seen clearly in this philosophical treatise, a must read for anyone who is serious about combat and the philosophy behind combat. However, the reader be warned that this is not a martial arts "how to book." Miyamoto fails to divulge any specific sword techniques, only describing strikes, stances, and sword positioning at a most basic level. Having said this, the work is centered around the philosophy behind combat and killing. The most powerful weapon is the human mind which Miyamoto attempts to begin training with this fantastic work. It is a book that can and should be read again and again by both beginners and experts: it never fails to yield some bit of philosophy that helps strengthen the mind. While what Miyamoto says on numerous occasions is mind bending, such as his section on fighting and defeating fifty to sixty men, and difficult to fully grasp this is a work that I think everyone should read sometime in their life and should be required reading in every dojo. ... Read more

Editorial Review

At first glance, Walton Ford s large-scale, highly-detailed watercolors of animals may recall the prints of 19th century illustrators John James Audubon and Edward Lear, and others of the colonial era. But a closer look reveals a complex and disturbingly anthropomorphic universe, full of symbols, sly jokes, and allusions to the 'operatic' nature of traditional natural history themes. The beasts and birds populating this contemporary artist's life-size paintings are never mere objects, but dynamic actors in allegorical struggles: a wild turkey crushes a small parrot in its claw; a troupe of monkeys wreak havoc on a formal dinner table, an American buffalo is surrounded by bloodied white wolves. The book's title derives from The Pancha Tantra, an ancient Indian book of animal tales considered the precursor to Aesop s Fables.



This large-format edition includes an in-depth exploration of Walton Ford s oeuvre, a complete biography, and excerpts from his textual inspirations: Vietnamese folktales and the letters of Benjamin Franklin, the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini and Audubon s Ornithological Biography. ... Read more

Reviews

What a buy!, September 23, 2009
I'm a huge fan of Ford's work, and I've been trying to get some printed resources for a year. All the calendars and previous boooks are out of print or too expensive, so when this edition became available at this price I almost went nuts.

And this beautiful book does not disappoint. The color plates are gorgeous, the wonderful pages showing details are crisp, and the superb text by Bill Buford is illumnating. I am ecstatic about this purchase. One of the best deals I have ever had on Amazon.com.

Pancha Tantra is Amazing, September 10, 2009
This book is absolutely amazing! I only learned of Ford after seeing his work on the cover of naturalist book of essays and was instantly captivated. I am happy to finally have a book with so many wonderful images of his art, both full images of the paintings as well as close-ups of certain details. Ford's incredible work is wonderfully presented in this affordable edition.

The 2009 Art Book of the Year, January 15, 2010
This book at 15 inches tall is packed full of reproductions of panoramic wildlife paintings by Walton Ford. Ford is what you might loosely call a naturalist - a painter of nature with an old fashioned sense of fidelity to the anatomical proportions and whiskered details of God's creations. On top of that he is a fantasy artist who flings his animal subjects into crazy social situations of mischief, conflict and comic chaos. While some of the scenes he paints involve implausible situations, he gives the animals a credible sense of character. Vengeance, humour, calculation - these are just a few of the thought processes infused into the faces and the gestures of these animated beasts.

The original artworks reproduced in this book are monstrous large, with many of the animals (alligators, great apes, tigers etcetera) at least as large as life. Prize of the herd in this book may be the multi-panel painting of a male elephant on heat, titled Nila. At 3.66 metres tall x 5.49 wide, the original artwork is quite literally the size of a young elephant. Playing upon the intimidating size and power of many of these wild animals, Ford often paints them in situations of victory over man. A painting dated 1596 shows a lumbering polar bear triumphant over the bones and personal effects of an explorer, while in the background a shattered sailing ship creaks against an arctic shore.

Also unusual is that these works are all watercolours, painted onto huge sheets of paper. Watercolour normally lends itself to modest, even miniature work, because of the difficulty of handling the medium across large surfaces without washes drying in inconvenient places. Furthermore watercolour on paper is unforgiving when mistakes are made and the consequences of the risks are greater when the painting is on a gigantic scale. Ford works skilfully in the medium making heavy use of the "dry brush" technique - a method that avoids bleeding, helps keep brush lines precise and allows the overlay of variegated colour (for instance to paint a mass of silky fur).

To admire the original massive works, which can cover whole gallery walls, viewers would need to stand several metres back. Ford aides the viewer with some sharp linework, a technique has a secondary benefit of allowing the works to reproduce wonderfully well in book format. Pancha Tantra includes a nice mix of cropped close-ups bled to the edge of the page - allowing us to study the overlay of wash and brushstrokes, with long shots of whole works - at a size where we can still appreciate the fine detail. On my count this book displays 72 artworks on single pages and a further 41 spread across double pages. In addition there are 43 pages with crops of interesting details, plus 17 double pages devoted to cropped highlights. Some artworks have several pages devoted to them, including the wide shot and multiple close-ups.

The background washes on Ford's paintings include mock mould spotting and branching mildew, to make the paintings look ambiguously like nineteenth century prints. At first glimpse the effect is deceptive. But these artworks are far more lively than conventional stiff animal portraits. And the wit and allegory packed into some of the works can make the viewer do a double-take. While these images are show beautiful beasts and colourful fauna, the situations depicted include some moments of drama and visceral brutality.

The only disappointment to this book is the absence of any chapter on Ford's working methods or career story. There is only a two page basic `Biography' that includes a chronology of exhibitions, awards and references to previous media stories on the artist. Perhaps the Collector's Edition with its additional 34 pages has a more rounded biographical treatment? Maybe I'll have to save for it and find out!

This book provides a marvellous folio of artworks to the mass market and does this at an agreeable price. Many of the main competitors to Taschen would have charged at least twice this price for a book this scale. The post-release price won't last and shouldn't last, it is too good to be true for a book of this size and quality. This is an abridged version of my full review on Art Book News at blogspot.

Book specs: Hardcover 320 pages, 15 x 11.4 inches, 173 colour illustrations (across 231 pages)

India's Aesop's Fables: Walton Ford Explores The Pancha Tantra, December 27, 2009
Walton Ford makes art that is exceptional in technique, arresting in presence, and challenging to the mind. This comprehensive book WALTON FORD: PANCHA TANTRA is as complete a survey of the artist's career to date as any published. Not only is it filled with full page and double page quality reproductions of his paintings, but it also explores the sources of Ford's artistic imagination. Note: the term Pancha Tantra is an Indian one referencing the stories suggested by the age old Aesop's Fables...with a twist!

Ford's approach to the animal kingdom is more like a bestiary ('A medieval collection of stories providing physical and allegorical descriptions of real or imaginary animals along with an interpretation of the moral significance each animal was thought to embody. A number of common misconceptions relating to natural history were preserved in these popular accounts.') than a survey of the animals he elects to paint. These varied animals carry anthropomorphic messages that take the viewer by surprise and allow the art to soar into the imagination of the viewer, returning after digestion to the realization that the commentary illustrated in the animal behavior captured in Ford's meticulously realistic paintings is actually a commentary on our society as we live it.

But the problems and resolutions he poses with these grand scaled paintings, impressive and sophisticated as they are, do not diminish the viewer's enjoyment of the paintings as pure art. He is a master draughtsman and a colorist without peer. This very fine, large collection of his works is a book that will appeal to every art lover, despite preferences for other schools of painting. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 09

Gorgeous, substantial book, January 9, 2010
I received this as a gift, (they knew I wanted it)
I love it!
you can get lost in the beautiful, intricate paintings. The size of the book is large- it's substantial and the reproductions are gorgeous.
Like Audubon on acid. (a compliment)

walton ford: Pancha Tantra, August 18, 2010
The book is large, the prints are detailed and it was everything I had hoped for, as a artist I was blown away by the detail. If your not into art, it still makes a great cocktail table book, anyone would enjoy looking at.

Big book, nice reproductions, great price, June 14, 2010
I was expecting a great book but this exceeded my expectations. It is large, with a great cover, and nicely reproduced illustrations inside. My only complaint is that the large paintings are placed in spreads with the gutter dividing the image in half. It would have been better to have gate folds so the entire painting could be viewed on one page. But that is probably too much to expect for a book of this price. On the positive side, the book is not bound overly tight so the spreads do open so you get a good view of the work (books bound too tightly obscure imagery in the gutter).

In addition to Ford's paintings there are quite a few of his prints, which I had never seen before. They are remarkably similar to Audubon prints (with a bizarre twist, of course). There are excellent close-ups of nearly every image and the collection seems like a nice overview of Ford's work. I haven't read the text yet but plan to do so soon, but suffice it so say that the text doesn't overwhelm the visuals.

In short, it is a great book at a great price.

Nature's Dark Side, February 27, 2010
In most of his paintings Ford depicts the more twisted and ironic elements of nature: perverse portraits of murderous birds with mouthfuls of frogs, drunken monkeys, and wounded rhinos. The most wonderfully disturbing element of his style is its technicality; the paintings are spot on as far as biological and anatomical correctness to the point where they resemble cold, anatomical drawings out of scientific textbooks. In a very upfront way, Ford delves headfirst into ideals of Darwinism, nature vs nurture, symbiosis, cycles of life, biodiversity, and all that happens when nature goes completely awry, all the while telling stories from the Hindu epic Pancha Tantra. Beautiful, harrowing, dramatic, thought provoking, obscene and definitely memorable. The perfect companion for any eclectic coffee table.

Walton Ford: affordable, January 30, 2010
Simply amazing collection of Walton Ford's superlative watercolors. An extensive overview of his work, in an oversize volume to allow for the clear reproduction of his oversized and very detailed painting, and yet not much more expensive than an average paperback museum catalog. If you're familiar with Ford's gorgeous (and thoughtful) art, you need this book. If you're not familiar with his work, drop a few bucks on it and check it out. It's really worth it.

Vanity Fair, May 9, 2010
This book has an amazing way of evoking strong emotion. The detailed beauty of the prints speak volumes to Mr Ford's dedication and eye. The subjects and situations express the barbarism of the natural world in an almost absurdist satire fashion.

The quote on the dust jacket from Vanity Faire describes the book to a tee. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Plato's "Republic" is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy. Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, it is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation other questions are raised: what is goodness; what is reality; what is knowledge? "The Republic" also addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as 'guardians' of the people. With remarkable lucidity and deft use of allegory, Plato arrives at a depiction of a state bound by harmony and ruled by 'philosopher kings'. ... Read more

Reviews

Absolutely necessary, but don't put it on a pedestal, January 23, 2001
Plato's Republic is the fount from which nearly all Western thought flows. Pretty much everything written in that tradition either borrows from Plato or refutes him, and the Republic articulates his philosophies more fully than any of his other works(although the Timaeus is more mature and the Symposium is an amazing discussion on a single point). I must disagree with both of the main camps on this site; it is neither just a work of political philosophy NOR just a work of moral psychology(how to order your mind). Plato thought that all things should reflect the ultimate good, so that the ideal society would be ordered in the exact same way that the ideal human being would be. Thus, every part of one's psyche would correspond to a part of society(it's a microcosm!), and the "higher" parts of one's mind would be mirrored in the Guardians, the "higher" parts of society.

With that said, it is easy to see that the Republic proposes many things that disgust most modern human beings: censorship for political stability, ostracism of those with "weak" (read: human, sensitive, or some equivalent) emotions, killing young children, government regulation of sexual activity, and such. Even when Plato tries to give women equal rights, an _extremely_ radical idea in Ancient Greece, his ancient prejudices show up when he calls them "equal but weaker in all ways(morally, intellectually, and physically)".

Despite all of its shortcomings, the Republic was the work that singlehandedly separated the real from the ideal in Western civilization, and it also defined the kinds of questions that Western philosophers would try to answer until the 20th century. Pick up a book of Western philosophy at random, and I guarantee you that some issue introduced in the Republic will hit you within the first five pages. Even the Communist Manifesto rips off his discourse on women and his notion of work defining human beings. The Republic was the first work of real philosophy in the conversation of ideals that continues to this very day in fields as diverse as politics, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and religion. (PS: If you think Plato's an idealistic fool, read Aristotle. So did he.)

Philosophy's wellspring of questions., July 24, 2002
It has been said that all philosophic work of the past 2400 years stands as footnotes to Plato's writings. 'Do the ends justify the means? What is justice? Whom does it serve? Who should serve as its guardians? Is it absolute or relative?'
Plato's protagonist is his old teacher, Socrates. The arguments are presented as dialogues and thus embody a literary aspect different from many, although certainly not all, subsequent philosophical writings. His object is "no trivial question, but the manner in which a man ought to live." The answers are seen to point to the manner in which a utopian society should be operated.
As a storied mountain calls to a climber from afar, Plato calls to the student of the art of thinking. This is why we read Plato, for the "neo-Platonists" -- Plotinus, Augustine, Descartes, Leibniz, Kant, Whitehead, G�del, and others -- have certainly propounded improved philosophy. But it is Plato on whom they improve. Most thinkers (perhaps especially most mathematicians and logicians) yet agree with Plato, at least insofar as his understanding of "form" -- often adapted or restated as: ideas / perfection / consciousness / mind / or, 'the thing in itself'.
Plato's realm of [what he calls] "forms" acknowledges the mysterious, yet logically necessary, existence of non-material reality. In Republic he views this as the realm of reference in constructing his understanding of an ideal society. We find in the work of subsequent thinkers (and within Plato's Republic as well) that this non-material reality is perhaps more easily recognized in purer considerations of reason, aesthetics, mathematics, music, love, spiritual experience, and ultimately in consciousness itself, than in idealized human social institutions. Mathematics, for example, although readily practiced in material ways, is not itself material. Thus the understanding of the purity of reason as opposed to the synthetic (and uncertain) nature of empiricism, arises from the work of Plato (and is particularly well developed in Descartes' existentialism).
Modern readers should rightly find that Plato regards the State too highly; in pursuit of an ideal State his supposedly improved citizen is highly restricted and censored. His "utopian" citizens are automatons, bred by the State; unsanctioned infants are "disposed of." Where his ideas are wrongly developed, they are in fact important ideas, i.e., they are issues deserving serious examination. Should the ruling class be restricted to philosophers? Plato says yes, that wisdom and intellectual insight are more desirable in leaders than are either birthright or popularity. Of course we, in the democratic West, tend to see this idea as totalitarianism, but it remains an interesting argument.
Although the product of polytheistic culture, Plato is leery of the tangled accounts of the gods received from the poets, Homer, Hesiod, etc. His view of the divine -- that "the chief good" has one eternal, unchanging and surpassingly superior form -- which he also calls "Providence", hints strongly of the common ground which was to emerge between neo-Platonism and monotheism. Like Plato's proverbial cave dwellers, we perceive this transcendent entity through poorly understood "shadows" of the actual truth. Beside its philosophical, literary, political, and theological aspects, Republic is also important as a treatise on psychology, in fact the science of mind seems to have progressed very little beyond Plato's insights. Books 5-7 are particularly fascinating.

The classic--what did you expect?, July 31, 2000
There probably isn't much I can add in a scholarly vein to what people have already said about Plato. So I thought I would make a few personal observations from the standpoint of a somewhat philosophically literate, 21st century man who is reading such an august classic in middle age.

I came to this book with more of a background in modern epistemology and the philosophy of science than in classical philosophy. So political philosophy isn't exactly my strong suit, but nevertheless I found the book interesting reading in a way I hadn't really thought of before.

Actually, I had read portions of this book 20 years ago when I was a young student first studying philosophy, and I have to say, there is something to be said for having a more mature outlook in approaching such a venerable work. At the time I thought political philosophy pretty dull stuff, and besides, I felt there was no real way to answer any of the important political questions that get debated here, despite the easy way Socrates disposes of everybody else's half-baked opinions and theories.

The fact is, if you move ahead 2400 years and read something like Karl Popper's "The Open Society and Its Enemies," an advanced modern work, you can see how much, or how little, political philosophy has progressed in the last 24 centuries.

Well, that may be true, but at least with this book you know where it basically all started. The best way to decide this issue is to read the book and decide for yourself.

Although entitled "The Republic," this society isn't like any republic you've probably ever read about. Plato proposes an ant-like communism where there is no private ownership of property, philosophers are kings, kings are philosophers, people cultivate physical, moral, and ethical qualities, and the idea of the good takes the place of political and social virtues.

Another odd facet is that the bravest citizens are permitted more wives than those less brave in battle. And then there is the infamous proposition that all poets and artists are to be banished since they are harmful purveyors of false illusions.

I find the Socratic method as a way of moving along the dialogue between the participants sort of interesting, and it is certainly an effective device. However, none of these people, even the Sophist Thrasymachus, are really Socrates' intellectual equal, so he really doesn't have much competition here.

If ancient Athens disproportionately had so many towering intellects, relative to its small population (about 20,000 people, most of whom were slaves anyway), you'd think they would show up in Plato's dialogues more. But all we seem to get are second-raters who are really no match for the clever Socrates.

Yet I would say this is still a great book. Classical scholars say there are more perfect, less flawed dialogues than Plato's Republic, but none that are as profound, wide-ranging, and as influential and important for later philosophy. As someone once wrote, in a sense the entire history of western philosophy consists of nothing but "footnotes to Plato." After finally reading it, I can see why there is so much truth to that statement.

PLATO'S REPUBLIC IS THE ODYSSEY OF PHILOSOPHY!, August 22, 1999
Plato's The Republic, is not only a classic work of the fourth century B.C., but a masterpiece of utopian literature as a whole. Mr. Lee's translation brings into light the political and poetical wisdom of Plato into English from the original Greek. In The Republic, Plato raises questions that are still at the heart of many modern conflicts and heated debates. What is justice? What is goodness? What is the right political authority? Plato examines these questions as aspects of a single theme. He offers a portrait of an ideal state in which power is entrusted to the philosopher king(s), and other men and women accept the authority of the wise and the good. If no one has read The Republic, then he or she has not read anything!

Readable, well-annotated, makes Plato approachable, December 11, 2004
"If an ass peers into a book, do not expect a saint to peer out." (Augustine) If Lee had biased his choice of words, or his explanatory notes toward any one interpretation of this complex work, then he would have been as foolish as most of the reviewers posting polemics here.

The strength of this rendering is that Lee is sufficiently accurate and balanced in his approach to allow for reasonable debate even among first-time readers. He -- for the most part --makes Plato approachable, and opens the door to the many issues raised by this book.

Lee does a good job of presenting oft-misconstrued arguments, noting important shades of difference between the English words he has chosen and the original Greek, pointing out ambiguities of meaning, and important issues that may not be apparent to a modern reader. Lee also handles the poetic passages with sufficient grace that many of my own students have found them inspiring.

Whether or not you like Plato, Lee has done his job, and for the most part lets the work speak for itself.

Great book, mediocre translation., October 2, 1997
Sir Desmond Lee's second edition of this, the translation of Plato's Republic, misses the mark it seeks to strike. By using too much contemporary (for the 1970's) English, we lose the feel for what Plato was actually trying to say. This translation would have read much better had it followed the original text more faithfully. This, though, is one of the pitfalls of writing for Penguin: if it's a translated work, it better sound modern--no matter that it was written two millenia ago.

But The Republic itself? Stunningly simple. Beautifully wrought. Criticized as a bone thrown to totalitarianism, this work still remains the core of all modern political, social and philosophical thought. Most powerful is the opening Book, where Socrates definitively refutes the common herd's definition of justice. The masterful reasoning he employs to demolish Thrasymachus's argument that justice is that which is in the interest of the stronger party will enlighten as well as refresh: might does not make right, then or now. The later Books pack comparatively less punch, but nonetheless will give any thoughtful person plenty to sink his teeth into. The philosophical section on the Line, the Sun and the Cave cannot be understood without supplemental reading, as they form an integral part of Plato's theory of Forms, an idea he never fleshed out concretely in any one tract. Modern philosophy departments have consigned this book to the trash heap, to which the objective reader can only say this: If The Republic is trash, then our own generation's literary legacy looks bleak indeed.

Plato's great masterpiece, July 20, 2006
This is a fascinating piece of literature because it gives us an intimate look at Socrates who was Plato's mentor. The book is broken up into 10 different sections or books. In this work we get a clear picture of Socrates' idea of an ideal state, and it is remarkable how timely a lot of Socrates' thoughts are to modern day problems, considering that this work was written by Plato in the mid-400's. B.C. A lot of the ideas that are expounded in this massive work are Plato's own. The work is set out in a series of dialogues with two men where Socrates is supposed to be visiting. It begins with a philosophic argument as to what is justice and what is injustice, and from there a whole state is set out. The state includes three main groups of people - The Guardians who rule and advise the rest; the soldiers who defend the state and the workers such as husbandmen or farmers, cobblers, etc. who provide all the useful materials used by the citizens of the state. I found this work pretty tough going as it is long and detailed, but I managed to slog through it all, and actually found the work quite insightful, and certainly interesting.

Very Well Done., March 7, 2008
My intent is not to bog down the reader with a lot of drivel.

This is one of the better copies of the republic I have seen and read. I would have prefered a hardcover version, but at this price it is a steal. There are copious footnotes and references which further assist the reader in deciphering one of the most published and interested philosphical texts ever.

As far as the work by Plato, it is one of the single most important books ever written and should be read by every person with an above average IQ and a thirst for knowledge and understanding (which begins with truth, thanks Plato!).

The Rhetoric, March 17, 2008
Most people know this book by title, not by content. I must admit reading this book is not for the faint at heart. Rhetorics will be thrown in your face as if it is common language and some sense of historical background on the Greeks may help as well.

But this shouldn't hold you back from reading this classic piece, all 450 pages of it. It is not so much the result of all thinking, but the process of thinking itself which makes this a great book. Known as one of the greatest Greek philosiphers of all-time you can get a taste of his way of thinking and the time he was living in.

If you have any interest in history and philosophy you'll love this book.

Required reading, August 23, 1999
An excellent look at the positives and (many) negatives associated with an elitist dictatorial society. Ironically, while many argue that Plato was calling for just such a utopia, a strong argument can be made that Plato was in fact pointing out the weakenesses with just such a creation. Plato's allegory of the cave is, perhaps, the most eye opening part of the text. ... Read more