Book Description
About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Browning as never before
"Grow old along with me!/ The best is yet to be .... Great line--quoted recently and beautifully by Christopher Plummer in the popular movie "Must Love Dogs," but did you know it comes from the poem "Rabbi Ben Ezra"? This book discovers Browning as never before. Not only will you find the chestnuts you've heard over the years, but you will read them in context. Not only will you see the breadth and depth of this poet's work, but also find extraordinary essays on his technique and discussions of specific poems by Carlyle and James and Hopkins sitting right next to essays by Harold Bloom and other present-day luminaries. And to boot, you won't be overwhelmed by footnotes, but when you find one, it will be in plain English. This is a book to treasure.

Good introductory anthology.
This is as good as you'll find for a brief one-volume, in-print collection of some major Browning poems.Browning, as Pound himself made clear, is the forerunner of "modernism," his poetry capable of outdoing Pound's in difficulty because of the labyrinthian syntax in pursuit of meanings which for their originator, at least, were clear.Even "Sordello," the ultimate poem about the ultimately self-conscious troubador, was too much for Ezra, who couldn't get on with his Cantos until distancing himself from its difficulties.

With all due respects to the other reviewer, Browning is a "Christian" poet but no orthodox one.He believes in a dynamic Incarnation repeating itself throughout creation and in every moment of existence.Grace and redemption, however, are relatively foreign if not alien concepts to him--one of the reasons it's quite accurate to think of him as the most "optimistic" poet, if not author, in all English literature.Life is purposeful becoming: there's no need to mourn or forgive the past.

Also, any reader may read, or teacher teach, "My Last Duchess" without guilt.Though certain readers might find it easy or convenient to reduce the Duke to a two-dimensional character, to do so is to produce a willful or ignorant misrepresentation of him.His rhetoric alone is dazzling, complex, as obfuscating as it is revealing of his character.Moreover, the poem also has the characters of the Duchess and Envoy to evaluate, both of whom become complex in proportion to the maturity and perceptiveness of an ever-present 4th character--you, the reader (or "implied reader," as the Reader-Response crowd would designate him).

Lesson: Don't mess with Browning unless you're willing to become an active participant in the poetry which, admittedly, can involve considerable patience, time and work.Even Pound is easier, if only because he allows a reader more "wiggle room."

A good reference!
I am a fan of Robert Browning, and believe him to be one of the best Christian poets from the Victorian age.

In the introductions to poems that I've read, the editor James Loucks, perhaps to be "objective," fails to even make the slightest mention of Browning's Christianity, or how that could have affected the themes of his poems.

In Browning's earlier dramatic monologues such as "My Last Duchess," his characters are wholly villainous or otherwise two-dimensional.They don't have any redemptive qualities about them at all.However, in Browning's mature dramatic monologues, his characters have specks of redemptive qualities, and this makes them real, and even makes the characters human.

In "an Epistle Containing the Strange Medical Experience of Karshish, the Arab Physician," Karshish meets Lazarus shortly before the fall of the Jewish Temple.

Loucks says that "the title refers to an imaginary encounter between an itinerant Arab . . . long after [Lazarus] was raised from the dead by Jesus.Since the conflict experienced by Karshish -- that of positivism opposed to the will to believe -- was shared by many of Browning's contemporaries, the poem has a modern resonance" (127).

He leads the reader to believe that Browning was trying to express and maybe even uplift the belief of unbelief, to praise his 'scientific' contemporaries, yet this is far from the case.

Browning, a Christian, in part shows how the Incarnation, God becoming Man, could strongly twang the beliefs that Karshish has of God -- that the body entraps the soul, and that the soul and body are wholly separate and cannot be mixed.

I will conclude with a quote from this poem where Karshish, in a redemptive moment, briefly opens his eyes to the power of the Incarnation:

The very God! think, Abib; dost thou think?
So, the All-Great, were the All-Loving too--
So, through the thunder comes a human voice
Saying, "O heart I made, a heart beats here!
Face, my hands fashioned, see it in myself!
Thou hast no power nor mayst conceive of mine,
But love I gave thee, with myself to love,
And thou must love me who have died for thee!" (lines 304-311) ... Read more

Book Description
Robert Browning, a towering poetic presence of the Victorian era, was hailed by Henry James as a tremendous and incomparable modern. The sheer immediacy and colloquial energy of his poetry ensure enduring appeal. Browning paints landscapes both suburban and sublime, combines lyric and demotic language, and introduces everyday events of the streets and marketplace into the rarified world of Victorian poetry.

This edition includes examples from the early Dramatic Lyrics (1842) and Dramatic Romances and Lyrics (1845); from the masterpieces Men and Women (1855) and Dramatis Personae (1864), and from the less familiar works of his later years. Together they convey the intensity, the lyric beauty, and the vitality of Browning's poetry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The poet of dramatic monologue
This is the opening of one of Browning's most well- known poems "Rabbi Ben Ezra"
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith ' A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all,
nor be afraid!'

Browning is a poet of the inner life.His dramatic monologues are in the words of F.B. Pinion the editor of the Collins Edition of ' Dramatis Personae' centered on ' the thought- processes and mental outlook of his characters than in dramatic action" The
poems are rich in consideration of the moral and religious problems of his time. Lovers of poetry and students of human relationships can certainly be enriched by the reading of these poems.

one of the greats
Browning is one of the great poets. this selection contains poems such as 'the last dutchess', 'porphyria's lover' and 'childe roland to the dark tower came' which shows browning at his best. this selected poems only whetted my appetite for a complete version. ... Read more

Book Description
Success Is All That Was Expected is a comprehensive operational history of the Union naval blockade that monitored the southern Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Florida during the American Civil War. Created in 1861 by the order of President Abraham Lincoln and charged with halting Confederate maritime commerce and closing Southern ports, the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron was the largest of the four Union coastal blockading squadrons for much of the conflict. This story covers the harrowing engagements between ships and forts, daring amphibious assaults, the battles between ironclad vessels, the harassment of Confederate blockade runners, and the incredible evolution of underwater warfare in the form of the CSS Hunley.

The worlds leading scholar of Union naval blockades during the Civil War, historian Robert Browning, reveals the squadrons numerous tactical accomplishments. He also illustrates how its success was constantly hampered by indecisive leaders in Washington who failed to express their strategic vision as well as by reputation-conscious naval commanders who were reluctant to press the fight when the specter of failure loomed. Despite lost opportunities, unfulfilled expectations, and failures along the way, the bravery, sacrifice, and vigilance of these fighting men played a crucial role in the Unions ultimate victory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Second in a Series
One of the first measures imposed by the North on the South during the War was to establish a blockade. The United States Navy was ill prepared to enforce such a blockade. Officially the U.S. Navy consisted of ninety vessels. Only forty-two of these were in commission, the rest were in moth balls, or as it was called then 'in ordinary,' or they were on foreign station, or patrolling the Gulf coast. Nor were the ships that were available suited for blockade use. The Navy primarily had ships designed for deep water operations, not the shallow coastal areas typical of the southern coast.

As the title says, success was expected. The blockade of course lasted throughout the war. By the end the Navy was not only prepared, but was indeed able to effectively blockade these ports.

The particular area covered by the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron covered from Cape Fear to Cape Canaveral. This book joins the authors previous bookon the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and presumably there is at least one more book to come in the series. ... Read more

Book Description
This authoritative edition was originally published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship of Frank Kermode.It brings together a unique combination of Browning's poetry and prose chosen from the whole range of his career to give the essence of his work and thinking.Browning's work ranges from the beguiling magic of 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin' to the epic book-length poem The Ring and the Book.This comprehensive selection includes over eighty of his shorter poems, amongst them his most famous and best-loved dramatic monologues, as well as the complete text of many of his longer poems (Pauline, Pippa Passes, 'Bishop Blougram's Apology').It contains three books from The Ring and the Book and Browning's only significant piece of critical writing (the 'Essay on Shelley'). This edition also selects generously from the love letters between Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, as well as from Browning's more general correspondence - letters which cast a unique light upon the poems themselves, and poetry in general. ... Read more

Book Description
The story of the peasant's son who became an emperor and the dissolute actress who resided beside him on the throne is one of the greatest and most controversial romances of history. United, they presided over a key epoch in the formation of Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Engaging Portrait of Justinian and his times
This is a very good, readable account of the reign of Justinian and Theodora.The author does a commendable job of providing a conciseoverview of the political, religious, social and economic issues of this era of the Byzantine empire.Architecture and art are also addressed.The author is clearly knowledgeable about the subject matter and knows how to tell the story in an engaging manner. He is adept at bringing many of the key individuals to life and describing the political, diplomatic and military activities among the Byzantine empire, the Persian empire, and western Europe.A nice set of illustrations and maps are also included.Highly recommended.

Justinian and Theodora- a good source
Justinian and Theodora is a good book with lots of information. I personally think it should have more about Justinian's early life. It's also just a tad bit confusing at times. Other than that, though, it's a great source for information on not only Justinian and Theodora, but also other well-known and not-so-well-known characters of ancient Rome such as Anastasius, Belisarius, and many others. You would do well to read this narrative if you need information on Justinian and/or Theodora, or are just interested in ancient Rome. ... Read more

Book Description
A Riveting and brilliant work of biography. The story of two great English poets, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, whose work was immediately recognized and adored by their contemporaries, whose courtship ranks with the great love stories of all time -- and in whose marriage romance was not merely sustained but intensified.

We enter their story through the sealed Victorian world of the Barretts of Wimpole Street: Elizabeth, at thirty-nine, a poet of international fame, a child prodigy who had grown to be a middle-aged spinster, a woman for whom romantic love seemed not to be possible, confined by illness, morphine, and the tyranny of her father, scion of rich Jamaican slaveholders, rum and sugar traders.

It is to this fortress that Robert Browning, already an admired young poet and playwright, already a devotee of Elizabeth's, lays siege. ("I love your verses," he had written Elizabeth in his first letter to her, long before they met. "I love your verses with all my heart -- and I love you too.") And miraculously Elizabeth let life in.

Julia Markus chronicles their extraordinary courtship, their marriage in secret (Browning to Elizabeth: "How you have dared and done all this ... for my only sake?"), and their radiant honeymoon in Italy.

Markus shows us how the political events of the times inspired the great dramatic monologues of Robert's middle years and how Italy's stormy reunification inspired Elizabeth's later work.

We come to see Elizabeth as an artist with a fierce and final confidence in poetry and its effect on the poets' lives. We see husband and wife celebrate the birth of their son, Robert Wiedemann "Pen" Barrett Browning (Browning to her sisters: "I sate by [Elizabeth] as much as I was allowed, and I shall never forget what I saw, tho' I cannot speak about it").

We see them among their artist/writer friends: in London with Tennyson, Thackeray, Rossetti, and others; in Rome with William Story, the American lawyer, poet, sculptor; with Harriet Hosmer, the stonecutter, who was one of the models for Aurora Leigh; with Charlotte Cushman, the American actress, who held readings of Elizabeth's novel in verse. We see Elizabeth in Paris meeting her heroine George Sand, whose society of socialists and theatrical types Robert described as "ragged Red."

We come to understand Elizabeth's dependence on the ever-present drug in her life ("I should not be alive except by help of my morphine") and her constant battle with depression. And we see Elizabeth, encouraged by a woman with whom she was infatuated, move from interest to obsession with spiritualism, a cause that became the only source of serious dissension between the Brownings.

We follow the course of their rich marriage, from the beginning when each saw the other as a brilliant poet, a compassionate and strangely similar heart, through the years in which they discovered each other's differences, each remaining a complex and thrilling human being to the other.

To tell their story, Markus for the first time makes use of much of Elizabeth's unpublished correspondence, amid a wealth of other documents. She delves fully into the Brownings' Creole background and shows how it affected their lives and their work (Elizabeth was the first of the Jamaican Barretts to be born in England in many generations).

Brilliantly interweaving the Brownings' own words with her authentic and perceptive narrative, Julia Markus brings these two great poets -- their marriage, their work, their times -- alive as never before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Dares and Does draw you in
A wonderful biography of a marriage between two genius poets, Dared and Done drew me in with such force and speed that I was almost glad of being ill myself so as to have an excuse to stay in bed and finish it. Markus has managed to convey her own excitement at relating such an intriguing story and did what a good author should do - made me want to delve into these poets' lives and their poetry even more.

Some of the speculation I did not agree with such as EBB's father not wanting his children to marry because of possible African blood. The birth of Pen Browning should have eradicated that concern. We may never understand the strange, cruel elder Barrett and fortunately, Dared and Done doesn't hinge on the theory. I did want to know more about the conniving Sophia Eckley - her cause of death for example, since she played such a huge role in the Browning marriage. I was also curious about EBB's illness - oddly, we never do get a diagnosis - only her maintenance cure of morphine and ether.

Remarkably,EBB had the greater reputation as a poet during the Barrett-Browning marriage with Robert Browning for many years being considered the lesser poet. That can make for trouble in the most loving of marriages and re-witnessing the devotion these two gifted poets demonstrated repeatedly is both exceptional and inspiring.

A Romantic Story
The romantic story of 2 poets who fell in love at mid-life, married, escaped to Italy, and lived happily for 15 years until Elizabeth's death. The author discusses the lives of the poets amongst their friends, acquaintances, other writers, & artists in Italy where living was less expensive and the climate more favorable. There are many cute stories about their son Pen and how the couple disagreed over various aspects of his unbringing. Also touched upon are the previous generations of both the Barretts and the Brownings and their history in Jamaica. Besides learning about the the Brownings, this book gives you a good feel of what life was like in the middle 19th century. Lots of B&W illustrations throughout the book.

A very nice bio into the life and poetry of immortal lovers
The Brownings hold a special place in my world, especially EBB. "Sonnets From The Portuguese" speaks with the eloquence, dignity and passion of the human ideal behind the flaws and veils of life and lovers (both RB and EBB's poetry are available on disc). Especially the last ten sonnets. EBB wrote not only about love and lovers, but about the human condition. She lived an insulated life yet was by nature a worldly and sophisticated soul. RB struggled with his inability to support his family, living off of EBB's inheritance annuity. Through this biography I was better able to appreciate his humaness and struggle, though I am still inclined toward EBB and her poetry. They were the sum of many contradictions, the big one being that they were so English (formal and proper) yet Bohemian in their liberal thinking. Both lovers and artists in the same household, in the same relationship, in the same struggle to survive and create (they do remind me of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's struggle and life together). While the book probably told the whole story, at least as much as a biographer can research and reveal, I still felt something lacking. I wanted the story to go on a little longer, a little deeper. I knew quite a bit about EBB before I began the book, I learned much more about her heritage and conflicts by reading this biography. My appreciation is much greater. It's a shame that we Moderns let so much of our heritage lay dormat (literaturewise) in the vaults of the "old days". To sip and savour the lives and poetry of the past is something we should cherish and celebrate. This book points in that direction. I strongly recommend this to all lovers of RB & EBB and poetry.

Dared...and well done
I picked up this book out of a desire to learn more about the lives and love of the Brownings.I had merely intended to skan through the pages, expecting yet another boring biography, but I was surprised.

Ms. Markushad done a wonderful job in making the characters come to life for me, andshe had achieved this without adding a trace of fiction. Her extensiveresearch blended in so well with her writing that I had no troublefollowing along.In fact, I found it so interesting that I ended upreading the entire book, from beginning to end.

I can only hope that theromance of Robert and Elizabeth will forever live through this brilliantbiography!

This book was informative as well as easy to read.
One of the reasons I ordered this book was that I had only seen the film version of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" and I had never read any biography of Elizabeth or Robert Browning.I found the book to be informative and readable.It didn't get bogged down with the psychologicalissues, although there certainly were many involved.The book wasn't stiffand formal, one of the problems I have had with many other biographies. Ms. Markus did an excellent job in following the Brownings through theirmarried life and showing the love and respect they had for each other.Iwould recommend this book to anyone who loves biographies and who alsoloves to reach back into the Victorian Era. ... Read more

Book Description
Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning are without parallel in the nineteenth century: celebrated poets, they became equally famous for their marriage. Still popular more than a century after their deaths, their poetry vividly reflects the unique nature of their relationship.

This collection presents the Brownings’ work in the context of their lives: the early years and their initial friendship, their courtship and marriage, the fifteen happy years they spent living in Italy until Elizabeth’s death. Whether in short poems such as Elizabeth’s “Hector in the Garden” and Robert’s “Natural Magic,” or in extracts from longer works such as Aurora Leigh and Pauline, the great themes they shared are all represented: love, marriage, illicit passion, England and Italy, childhood, religion, poetry, and nature. Elizabeth’s famous Sonnets from the Portuguese, based on their love affair, is included in its entirety.

The poems are augmented with a generous selection of the marvelous letters the Brownings wrote to each other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A nice idea
This anthology is based on a nice idea. Instead of representing each of the Browning's separately it presents them together. Their life story and poetry are bound up with each other. And this volume shows to a degree their development together. ... Read more

Product Description
Robert Browning (1812-1889) represents the intellectual and argumentative strand in English poetry in contrast to the more ornate style of Spenser and Tennyson. His poetry demonstrates how a poet must be a sharp perceptive observer of the complexity of the human condition. Perhaps his most moving poetry was written to express his feelings for his wife, the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in which he deals in a very 'modern' way with the uncomfortable fact that we can never quite bridge the gap between ourselves and the people we love. ... Read more

Product Description
WITH PORTRAITS AND FACSIMILES ... Read more

Book Description
In the 1880s, the aging Browning showed once again the remarkable versatility of his lyric and narrative talents. Ranging across eras and cultures, the books here reveal his late thoughts about history, myth, legend, faith, love, and desire. He had never been more popular, and the founding of the BrowningSociety in 1881 expanded both his audience and his sense of his place in English letters.The first title in Volume XV is Dramatic Idylls, Second Series (1880). Taking his subjects from classical history, colonial India, Arabian legend, medieval sorcery, Jewish folk tales, and Greek myth, Browning startles the reader with the rapidity of his thought and the inventiveness of his art. In Jocoseria (1883) Browning’s subjects range across time and space from Hebraic legend to the England of the Romantics. Such variety helped attract new readers: Jocoseria was immediately successful, and a second edition was printed in the same year as the first.Although Browning’s next volume, Ferishtah’s Fancies (1884), was so popular that three editions were printed in less than two years, this artful string of anecdotes and lyrics has attracted little favorable criticism. The materials— Persian legends and Arabic backgrounds—chimed with the wildly popularOrientalism of FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát, Whistler’s Peacock Room, and Alma-Tadema’s paintings. But the thought was pure Browning in his most optimistic vein, and not at all in tune with the growing pessimism of the day.As always in this series of critical editions, a complete record of textual variants is provided, as well as extensive explanatory notes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Excellent book....
I stupidly was involved with Equinox for a few short months back in the spring of 1994, I'm embarassed to admit. A good friend of mine had gotten me into the company (he had already been involved for a few months himself at that point). I can't remember how much money I put up but I believe it was about $2,500. Anyhow, I never really made any money. I did sell some products. But my friend very quickly got a bad feeling about Bill Gouldd & dropped out (plus, it was causing problems at home & his wife was almost ready to leave him over it). I stuck around for a few months & then realized it wasn't for me.
I have only read the first 3 chapters of this book but it is an excellent read & reminds of some of the "atmosphere" of a typical Equinox office. I was located in the New Haven, CT office. I remember one of the top guys there was a young guy named Dave Campo. I wonder what ever happened to him. I now wonder if he ever made any money with the company himself. And another guy named Mario. They seemed like nice guys, who believed 100% in Equinox. Maybe they were just good liars...? I don't know. I'd like to believe that they WERE good guys who just got caught up in this "scheme" like everyone else. Hopefully they didn't lose their shirts. I remember a few other names as well, Beta, Katie, Mike...
Anyhow, I do believe the products were of good quality but it seems like the products were almost an afterthought to these people. It was all about bringing in more & more people. I would always wonder, "if I'm just bringing in more people & then they bring in more people, who is actually SELLING PRODUCTS??" Nobody ever seemed to be doing any selling.
The last thing I have read about Bill Gouldd is that he had some new seminar company. But that was back in 2003. I wonder what he is up to these days. And how much money he has left. I seriously doubt he can be doing as well as he was in the mid-90s. I still don't know what to think of that guy. Was he a good guy who let money corrupt him? Or was he a bad guy all along? All I know is he should be in jail for all the people whose lives he ruined. Whether intentionally or not. His company's principles were built on quicksand.
Anyone who was ever involved with Equinox or any of these other pyramid schemes, should read this book. And stay away from companies like these. If it's too good to be true....

What a tragic loss for so many
In the early 90s my former wife got hooked into the NSA MLM program in Baltimore.She chased her dreams of fortune at the clip of $4,000/month for desk rental, phone rental, seminar training for herself and paying for others to attend as she tried to con them into her new world.At one point the first office had to be closed, and several senior reps opened a new office.The idiots asked me to sign the lease contract, as none of them had the money or good credit to do so.I refused, and was immediately branded an enemy.The NSA product line was soon after moved to Equinox, and the heat for new recruits was turned up.

After that who I met Bill Gouldd once in a Building Blocks seminar my former wife forced me to go to (yes, I also paid $300 to go, plus she paid again).What a smooth operator, spawned from the loins of Satan himself.I saw right through the hype.But my wife saw glamor and riches.

After that came the Journey seminars for herself and others she tried to recruit.$2,500 a crack, and she paid for these folks in the hope they would buy into her dream.I finally called American Express to advise I was no longer going to pay for her card use.It was her account, they refused to close it.I never paid another dime for her account.I hid every dime I had left after she burned through over $80,000!

I remember she did not want to pass on shipping charges or sales tax.She absorbed it, as though magically losing money was going to help her break a profit.I was all about getting new suckers in her downline, the hell with good business sense.

So much of what this book says is so true, the cult mentality was so pervasive, and the attempt to alienate new recruits from other Neg Heads permeated everything.After the former wife burned through over $200,000 (most of it conned from my own parents behind my back), and wound up all but bankrupt (my CA home was in my name, and I had my own credit and money - now I am independently wealthy due to hard work in the computer software business), she decided I was to blame (more Gouldd cult influence) and filed for divorce.Good fu@^ing riddance.She was later impregnated by some Peruvian guy who bolted out of the USA upon hearing of the pregnancy.Poetic justice.The last I heard she could not afford to pay for repairs for her BMW, left it for the repair shop to sell to cover the bill, and wound up in a rusted out Taurus from her parents.

Drawing and Quartering of Bill Gouldd would not be enough to mete out justice.Bravo for the author to have come out so clean in the end.I do not blame Bill Gouldd, or anyone else, for my rather nasty turn in life.His influence merely brought a basic fault in the ex-wife to a very costly head.I survived financially, and kept my own pride intact, but so many others were deep into a downward spiral even in the earliest days of my seeing all this going on.All in denial, the next big deal was just around the corner, just had to get to some more $eminars...Meantime get a fancy car before going totally broke, "If you can't make it, fake it."Gawd, the memories...

The Wonders of Modern Capitalizm
A cautionary tale of greed gone oh so wrong, Spellbound made me thankful that my experiences with direct marketing have all been with a company that actually wants its sales force to make money. For those of us who believe in capitalism and have done direct sales with a well-run and fair company (Mary Kay Cosmetics), this book comes as a sad surprise.
What particularly left me with respect for the author is that Styler makes no victim of himself, instead admitting his own culpability in everything that occurred; and makes no hero of himself for helping to bring down a selfish and dangerous man who gave direct marketing a bad name.
Spellbound is a readable book. The tone is confessional but without maudlin sentimentality. Pick it up when you have plenty of time to read; you won't want to put it down.

Awesome Journey Thru The World of Networking!
This books took a tremendous amount of courage.First to walk away
from a lot of money because Styler discovered unethical practices,
then to stand up against a $200 million dollar company and later shut
them down with his testimony...that takes character.When you read
the story, what is really surprising and interesting is how honest
Styler is.He does not make himself out to be a victim.He owns his
faults and learns from them.It is a fascinating read.

Looking behind the smoke and mirrors at Equinox Int'l
This book is an absolutely fascinating read for anyone who came into contact with Equinox International, the Multi-Level Marketing company that flared across America in the early 1990s and lured thousands of Americans into handing over their money, time, and, most often, their self-respect in pursuit of quick fortunes. Equinox, led by charismatic leader Bill Gouldd, used slick promotional materials and pop psychology-based training techniques to induce thousands of people to purchase environmentally friendly products(water filters, vitamins, hair and skin care products) to resell to friends and family for profit. Eventually the US Government shut down Equinox for legal and ethical improprieties and fined Gouldd millions, but not before many people who had bought into the Equinox dream were left with empty pocketbooks and caseloads of unsold Equinox products collecting dust in their garages.
Rob Styler, a former Equinox Executive Director who was part of Gouldd's inner circle, sheds light on the machinations of this defunct company. Through a first person narrative Styler illustrates the way Gouldd helped prey on the naivete and blind desire of people; at its peak, Equinox was convincing lawyers, nurses, insurance agents, and other professionals to leave their stable careers to join the Equinox dream. Inevitably, the inherent flaws of Multi-Level Marketing led to the vast majority of Equinox participants making little to no money while Gouldd and a select few walked away with bundles. Styler interweaves his personal experience with the larger Equinox story to shed light on the workings of this simultaneously fascinating and horrifying company.
Styler's style is accessible and quick; I read the book in one sitting without strain, finding it difficult to put it down. The only minor quibble is Styler's devoting the last section of the book to describing a New-Age spiritual transformation on top of a South American mountain; this is the least interesting part of an otherwise fascinating book. Nevertheless, the majority of the book is devoted to recounting the Equinox story, which is a telling story of the perversion of the American Dream. If you didn't experience Equinox in the 90s this book will still be interesting, but for those who came into contact with the company, it is absolutely stunning. Kudos to Styler bringing the truth to light. ... Read more

Book Description
Read by leading actors of the British stage and screen: Douglas Hodge, David Horovitch, Derek Jacobi, Jeremy Northam, Diana Quick, Prunella Scales, and Sian Thomas.

The vitality and accessibility of Browning's poetry have given it lasting appeal. This splendid collection features selections from Browning's entire career, through the poet's literary successes and critical disappointments. Includes: "Paracelsus," "Home—Thoughts from Abroad," Dordello," "Christmas-Eve" and selections from "The Ring and the Book." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nicely done
As with other titles in this fine series, the poems are presented in roughly chronological order, and are interspersed with a running narrative of the poet's life.Vivid readings are delivered by actors and actresses.

Browning is an excellent lyric poet (e.g. Meeting at Night/Parting at Daylight) but he was best known for his dramatic monologues.The recording emphasizes the monologues, which is good because I doubt I would have ever read them otherwise.The downside is that some of the monologues, especially those Browning wrote later in his career, seem to drag on, with the general idea of a "befuddled narrator attempting to sweet-talk a highly skeptical lover/policeman/critic" (hence 4 stars instead of 5).I expect I'll be listening mostly to the first of the two tapes.Incidentally "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" children's verse is included and is well done.

Most of the earlier poems appear in the Dover thrift edition of Browning's work (for a buck!).I find it easier to concentrate when I can read the poems while listening.

Underappreciated Approach to Poetry
One of the best ways of internalizing a poem is to *hear* it, and this is especially true of classics.This audio presentation of selected poems by Browning is a great way for those familiar with his work to rediscover thepoems' daring and mischievousness.The audio format is particularly aptfor Browning in that it brings to life his use of dramatic monlogue.Inthat way, it can also serve as a good study aid for students who are new toBrowning. ... Read more

Product Description
On the subject of Browning’s work innumerable things have been said and remain to be said; of his life, considered as a narrative of facts, there is little or nothing to say. It was a lucid and public and yet quiet life, which culminated in one great dramatic test of character, and then fell back again into this union of quietude and publicity. ... Read more

Book Description
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning captures the remarkable love story of the renowned poets behind these famous words, from their dramatic elopement in 1846 to Elizabeth's tragic death in 1861.Their romance began with a letter from Robert admiring Elizabeth's highly acclaimed book,Poems. When her father disapproved, they married in secret and boldly moved to Florence, Italy. Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning describes how their love and lives flourished there, producing one son, writing some of their most renowned works, and maintaining friendships with some of the most prominent literati of their time, including John Ruskin, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and William Makepeace Thackeray. ... Read more