Customer Reviews (51)

One of American History's Shining Stars
There have NOT been enough biographies of Alexander Hamilton, and Ron Chernow has restored this often maligned founding father into his deserved spotlight. The marvelous opening passage describes the longings of Hamilton's widow, Elizabeth, for her husband who had died nearly 50 years previously. This romantic image sets the tone for this brilliant book, as it explores the heart as well as the mind of Alexander Hamilton.

For those who do not know, Hamilton was not merely a capitalist and economist who happened to die in a duel with Aaron Burr. True, he was the founder of The Bank of New York and was America's first Secretary of the Treasury. But Hamilton was also a tireless abolitionist, a brilliant lawyer and writer, General Washington's right-hand-man, a war hero, founder of the New York Post, and a swash-buckling romantic. Taken on their own, these achievements are amazing enough, but given the enormous obstacles and tragedies he had to overcome during his youth, it's just mindboggling. To take it a step further, he accomplished all this in just 49 years, which was his age at the time of his death.

A life as full, as dramatic, as IMPORTANT as Alexander Hamilton's deserves volumes. Ron Chernow's extensive biography is a long book but, even so, the amazing life he is describing requires such length. And, to Chernow's credit, the book achieves just the right balance of admiration and criticism, romanticism and realism, speculation and fact. Hamilton's life swung between often contradictory ideas and emotions, and Chernow presents them all to us, rather than sticking with one overriding image. ALEXANDER HAMILTON by Ron Chernow is perhaps the most important book written about the nascent years of our country since Ellis' FOUNDING BROTHERS, which would make an excellent companion to this book. I would also strongly recommend McCullough's JOHN ADAMS, as well.

The Most Important American Figure Never to Become President
During the 1980s, during the period when Bank of New York launched its hostile take-over of Irving Bank, the following anecdote circulated.

As Alexander Hamilton was getting into the boat to be rowed across the Hudson River to Weehawken where he was scheduled to duel Aaron Burr, he turned to his aide and said, "Don't do anything until I return."

The story concluded, unfortunately, the aide and all of his successors took Hamilton at his word.

The anecdote, though funny at the time of the take-over, could not have a weaker historical foundation. Ron Chernow's biography relates the details of an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan who rose to become George Washington's key aide-de-camp, battlefield hero, Constitutional Convention delegate, co-author of The Federalist Papers, Federalist Party head and the country's first Treasury Secretary.

Hamilton was a rare revolutionary: fearless warrior, master administrator and blazing administrator. No other moment in American history could have better employed Hamilton's abundant talents and energy.

As Treasury Secretary, the country benefited from his abilities as a thinker, doer, skilled executive and political theorist. He was a system builder who devised and implemented interrelated policies.

As in the Revolution, Hamilton and Washington complemented each other. Washington wanted to remain above the partisan fray. He was gifted with superb judgment. When presented with options, he almost always made the correct choice. His detached style left room for assertiveness. Especially in financial matters, Hamilton stepped into the breach.
Washington was sensitive to criticism, yet learned to control his emotions. Hamilton, on the other hand, was often acted without tact and was naturally provocative.

Perhaps the main reason Hamilton accomplished so much was Washington agreed with his vision of 13 colonies welded into a single, respected nation. Chernow presents a well-written and nuanced portrait that arguably is the most important figure in American history that never attained the presidency. Though his foreign birth denied him the ultimate prize, his accomplishments produced a far more lasting impact than many who claimed it.

True Founding Interests
The best all around depiction of a pivotal charecter in the founding of our country. With all of Mr Hamiltons accomplishments and pitfalls of character. Hamilton created almost single-handedly the modern capitalist society in addition to making huge implications into the manner which our government took shape that so many Americans take for granted. I would encourage anyone interested in the formation of the American experiment and a capitalist society read this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1757-1804   2. Biography   3. Biography & Autobiography   4. Biography / Autobiography   5. Biography/Autobiography   6. Hamilton, Alexander,   7. Historical - General   8. Historical - U.S.   9. Statesmen   10. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)   11. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)   12. United States   13. United States - 18th Century   

Customer Reviews (141)

Really good and useful!!!!
This book contains nearly all the necessary materials for a beginning trader to start trading. I think the only area which is missing is fundamental analysis. O'Neil's book has better covering of FA but the part about TA is very weak and hard to understand.

I feel the TA part is more concise than the John Murphy's book. The later has more than 500 pages but without covering too much about trading psychology. I learned quite a lot about psychology from this book which I am using everyday in my trading. Some of them are also useful for my daily life.

Another strong area of this book is it combines the TA indicators to form a trading system. I got the idea to develop my own trading system from it. Although my system is very different from Elder's one, his idea is valid.

Among the hundred trading books that I have read, this is still one of my best favorite and I am still reading it from time to time. The price is slightly high, but I recovered the money from my first trade. Really good!!

'THE' Best Book on Trading
2 Years ago I became a full-time trader after taking several courses and reading more than 40 books on trading. Dr. Elder's book is the ONLY one that has made me money, a lot of money (603% last year).

The first half of the book deals with the psychology of both the market and the trader. I didn't fully appreciate this portion of Dr. Elder's book until I began trading. This is the biggest obsticle of the trader. His insight has really helped me to understand the movements of the market and myself as a trader.

The second half of 'Trading for a Living' deals with technical analysis and money management. This has proved invaluable to me. There is so much accurate information I've read the book eight times, that's how jam packed it is with useable information. Also, every word matters--no fluff at all--unlike most of the books on trading I've read. And, don't overlook his money management chapter. This is where amatuers fail. His simple money management system will help to elivate you to a professional trader. If you want to make money, this is the book.

technically worthless
I am a professional trader. This book has a good section on psychology but thats it. Totally worthless when it comes to the technical part. In fact I always wondered what made this book so popular with the public. I guess most people read the books but don't use the knowledge in them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance   2. Business/Economics   3. Futures   4. Futures And Options Trading   5. Investments & Securities - General   6. Options (Futures)   7. Speculation   8. Stocks   9. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities   10. Investment & securities   

Customer Reviews (26)

The best Cell Biology text, but...
This book is the main undergraduate cell biology text required, and rightly so. However, although it browses all of the sub-fields within the gigantic field of cell biology, it overemphasizes some fields and neglects others. The shortcomings of this text are a classic example of how experts in one field assume that related material will be covered in a related text, and when that invariably doesn't happen, everyone points fingers at each other and nothing changes.

The main shortcoming I am talking about is the field of Signal Transduction. This text very briefly gives a few pathways, and assumes that other texts dealing with Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Immunology, and Physiology/Pharmacology will take up the slack. Nothing could be further from the truth! Most undergraduate Biochemistry texts do give several dozen pathways, but these almost never continue on to gene transcription, a critical part of signal transduction. Molecular Biology texts like Genes VI only give examples of a membrane-to-DNA pathway, and the Immunology texts only give immune-related pathways. Signal transduction is by far the most important aspect of modern cell biology, and yet it is the most neglected sub-field in the texts! This needs to be corrected.

Molecular Biology of the Cell
Molecular Biology of the Cell is one of the best surveys available on the status of current information about cellular biology. The authors skillfully accomplish the difficult task of combining detail with readability while conveying the excitement of this dynamic field. Clear, concise, and colorful illustrations assist in this task and the book is a fine collection of splendidly dramatic photos of "molecular biology of the cell" in action. They covered an enormous amount of material with a style that is simple enough for a college-level biology student to follow with enough detail and references to be of use to an experienced research scientist. Bravo for a job well-done!

Wow!
Taking an online course in Molecular Cell Biology. This is the text.

This is an incredible book. Well organized, very up to date. It is not a trivial book by any means. I recomend that during the first pass on reading an assignment - that you do NOT have a pen at your side, just read it. It is an incredible read. The hard part is the shear amount of information in 1300 pages.

It will take me a while to plow through this text and the course, but I think it will be worth it in the end. The book is full of surprizes, at appropriate times information on evolution or medicines are thrown in. This is not a book for the timid. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cells   2. Cytology   3. General   4. Life Sciences - Biology - Molecular Biology   5. Life Sciences - Cytology   6. Molecular Biology   7. Science   8. Science/Mathematics   9. Cellular biology   

Customer Reviews (76)

a terrible day book
i discovered this book when i was in grade skool and i remember running home and telling my mom all abt it, how it was just like what i used to go through. it's abt this little boy named alexander who has the worst day of his life (or so he thinks.) he wakes up with gum in his hair, goes to skool with no dessert in his lunch, finds a cavity at the dentist's office, wants the sneakers with the red stripes but his brother got them first so he has to have the plain white ones, has lima beans for supper, and is forced to go to sleep in train pajamas. it's such a cute book simply becuz you know kids go through it everyday. if ever yr child is having a bad day, read them alexander and see if they don't improve attitudes just a little.

Still makes me laugh
I'm 17 years old and still remember and enjoy reading this book from when I was younger. A friend of mine and I recently got together to go read children's books all day at the local bookstore, and I was delighted when I found "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" sitting on the shelves ready to be read. Alexander is a typical little boy who believes every obstacle in his life is leading to the end of the world. I laughed the whole way through the book, relating to him on several levels. I think the book is wonderfully written for all audiences; while a child may life, an adult may look at Alexander's tale and reminisce about their own childhood when they received plain white sneakers instead of ones with racing stripes.

Run-on sentences and extremely negative energy.
Allow me to quote the first page of this book:
"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."

This is not posting on an Internet forum about your favorite movies where you can write what, how much, and however you want; it's a book written for children, and we can't have blatant mistakes such as run-on sentences. Therefore, I'm wondering how this page, as well as many other sentences in the book, made it past the editor(s).

As I finished the first page, the five year old child I was reading to, looked at me funny and wondered why I seemed out of breath. Even she noticed the run-on sentences and found it an awkward listen. So for the rest of the book, where I deemed it appropriate, I paused as if there were actual periods and commas where there should be.

Not only is this book an expert at run-on sentences, but it also showcases an extremely negative attitude in a boy. That may have been justified had the book addressed the issue by the end, but it alas, it doesn't. It just plays it off as if it's normal for children to be this negative. Many people wrote that they can relate to this child and his negative experiences, but if you stretch it, you can say that in reference to many other children's books as well.

Negative people give off negative energy, and without ways to deal with this issue, this is not the kind of book I want children exposed to.

An extremely negative character and ugly grammar does not make a good children's book. I would give it no stars if Amazon allowed it. This is the worst children's book I have ever purchased. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   2. Children: Grades 2-3   3. Humorous Stories   4. Juvenile Fiction   5. Social Situations - Emotions & Feelings   6. Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories   

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Customer Reviews (206)

Simplistic title has delightful writing
I read this book, then the second one (Tears of the Giraffe), and can't wait for the next one. Alexander McCall Smith has captured a character who stands not alone, but who represents womanhood and hopefully those of modern Botswana. Having never been to Africa it was a delightful opportunity to read of someone else's descriptive manner at detailing a storyline around a whole of their people. Since I do not have any experience to this observation, let it suffice to say that it intrigued me and kept me reading. The main character was just that, a character. Her life and that of the simple life around her was developed in such a manner that I wanted to find out more of how she thought, lived, and developed her detective agency in such a place. Her main male interest was charming as well. He had pride, depth, and honesty when often we think of those we don't know in far away places as perhaps not being as morale as we believe ourselves to be. It was eye-opening, interesting, and worth the read.

The sad part was reading some viewpoints from readers who found the book not a "great" detective novel. They missed the point entirely. Her neighbors and clients were charming folks with lives that had simple fears, hopes, and dreams. What more could a reader ask than to have a glimpse into their lives.

Read on folks, the second book is as delightful as the first.
Thank you.

Reader in California

Enchanting
The dry, endless land of Botswana is the unlikely backdrop of Alexander McCall Smith's detective novel (the first in a series) and the beloved home of his creative, unorthodox P.I. Precious Ramotswe. The resilient Mma Ramotswe, having survived a brief, abusive marriage, the loss of her child, and the death of her father, sells the cattle she inherits to start the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency (wryly noted as the only one of its kind in the country) and proceeds to deftly handle a string of seemingly disparate domestic cases before getting caught up in the sinister circumstances surrounding an abducted boy. Smith crafts more than a detective in the character of Precious, however, as Precious defies cultural expectations by being a one- woman community service, a confidante for those who need somehow to reclaim their own lives. The novel subtly presents a landscape of changing cultural and gender roles as well as the tensions that arise between those citizens who honor the traditional African family bonds and those parasites that would give the old traditions a bad name. But Smith's hand isn't heavy, and his humor is like a warm desert breeze. Finally, his work is a vibrant celebration of Africa and those Africans who strive for a good, peaceful life. The heart of the book is contained in the epigrammatic shape:
africa
africa africa
africa africa africa
africa africa
africa

The shape of the continent--Precious--Mother Africa--- a good, fat woman!

Not so much of a detective as a loving description of Africa
After the death of her father Precious Ramotswe uses the inheritance to buy herself a house and an office from which she starts the first detective agency in Botswana. Business starts slowly, but she gets a number of clients with problems ranging from missing husbands to fraudulent employees and she starts to build up a reputation leading to new clients. The book describes some of the cases that Mma Ramotswe solves, but the real star of the book is Africa: there are long, loving descriptions of the nature, the people, the culture and the life in Africa and anybody who has been to Africa (and subsequently loves the continent despite all its problems) can use this book to refresh their memories and long back to those real African nights. Don't read this as a detective but as a book about Africa. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   3. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   4. Mystery/Suspense   5. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

Customer Reviews (29)

Another charming entry in a delightful series.
Alexander McCall Smith's "The Full Cupboard of Life" is the fifth installment in the popular series featuring the proprietor of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." Precious Ramotswe is living the good life in Gaborone, Botswana. She has a thriving business, a comfortable home, and two adopted orphans. Best of all, she is engaged to a very good man, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni.

This time around, McCall Smith deemphasizes Mma Ramotswe's investigations and places more stress on the everyday activities of the characters that we have come to know and love. Mma Potokwane, the formidable matron of the orphan farm, is pressuring Mr. Matekoni to take a parachute jump for charity. Mma Makutsi, Mma Ramotswe's capable assistant, is excitedly making plans to move into a new home. Meanwhile, tongues are wagging as to why Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni are still engaged after so much time. Why aren't they making wedding plans? Speaking of weddings, a wealthy businesswoman is looking for a husband. She retains Mma Ramotswe to investigate a group of potential suitors to determine whether they are more interested in marrying her or her money.

The author weaves these and other stories together seamlessly into a whimsical, funny, warm, and touching novel. Once again, Mma Ramotswe waxes ecstatic about how lucky she is to live in the noble country of Botswana with its physical beauty and its long-standing traditions of kindness and neighborliness.

As I read this series, I cannot help but be struck by how such simply written books can be so moving and engrossing, and by how thoroughly captivating the characters are. I adore Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni and I cherish the time that I spend with them. "The Full Cupboard of Life" is a lovely book that renews one's faith in humanity's essential goodness.

Charming, Warm, Wonderful Characters
I don't know how anyone could fail to love the Mma Ramotswe novels of Alexander McCall Smith. Mma Ramotswe and her fiancé, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, are such lovable people and Smith's writing is so fluid and beautiful that the books in this series really transcend the mystery genre. Of course, unlike most conventional mysteries, the Mma Ramotswe series concentrates more on character than it does on mystery and therein, I think, lies its enormous success.

In THE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE, Mma Ramotswe really only has one case: she's hired by a wealthy woman, who, like Mma Ramotswe, was blessed with girth rather than height, to investigate her five suitors, which Mma Ramotswe does in her typically humorous and no nonsense fashion. But that's just the spine of the story. Much more happens in the book and it's every bit as interesting as Mma Ramotswe's detective work.

If anyone has stayed away from this series of books because they're set in Botswana, they're making a huge mistake. These books portray the universality of human behavior, not their differences. And, they're filled with so much warmth and gentle humor it would, I think, take a cold-hearted person not to fall in love with the characters and want more.

Smith lavishes as much love and care on his secondary characters as he does on his primary ones, all to the book's credit. Mma Makutsi plays an enlarged role in this book, experiencing one heartbreaking event as well as one dream come true. Mma Potokwane is also featured as she contemplates writing a book and attempts to sort out the marriage plans of Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni.

THE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE is a warm, wise, witty book told with, above all, plenty of heart. Authors wanting to learn how to create wonderful, engaging characters can learn a lot from Alexander McCall Smith and this wonderful series of books. Readers can gain hours of pleasure with wonderful people they'd love to know and spend time with in real life. I don't think a book can earn much higher praise than that. It's really wonderful to see well-written, charming books filled with warmth, humor and humanity reach the bestseller list. It restores my faith, at least partially, in the book buying public.

The title says it all. Life is a very "full cupboard" here.
In his fifth novel about the #1 Ladies Detective Agency, run by Mma Precious Ramotswe, author Alexander McCall Smith presents the full cupboard of Botswana life in all its richness. For Mma Ramotswe, people and their relationships are paramount, and she believes that these relationships are facilitated by Botswana's traditional code of behavior, with its customs of greetings, sitting down together, drinking bush tea, and casually talking around a subject, rather than addressing it aggressively. Life is a rich, full, and happy experience for Mma Ramotswe, who can find out everything she wants to know from her broad network of family and friends. Engaged to the good-hearted Mr. J.L.B. Matakone, who has not yet set a date for a wedding, she helps him surreptitiously with his problems and cooks and cares for the two orphans he has taken into his home.

In this novel, full of gentle humor and wisdom, Mma Ramotswe and her friends face several "difficult" problems: A woman who has made a fortune establishing hair-braiding salons hires Mma Ramotswe to find out whether her suitors want to marry her for her money. Mr. J.L.B. Matakone finds himself tricked into "volunteering" to do a parachute jump, in order to raise money for the Orphan Farm run by the intrepid Mma Potokwane, who refuses to take no for an answer. He is also disturbed to discover that First Class Motors, a rival garage, has sold improper parts and failed to service a classic old Range Rover correctly, and he has been procrastinating about confronting the garage owner or reporting him to authorities. Mma Makutsi, the assistant at the detective agency, has been so successful running the Kalahari Typing School for Men at night, that her dream of renting her own house has now come true, and Mma Ramotswe is helping her to furnish all two rooms.

With an obvious lack of exciting plot lines, the reader focuses completely on the characters-- beautifully drawn, sometimes flawed, and always forgiven their faults. In a pace as leisurely as life in Botswana, McCall Smith recreates the colorful everyday lives of these ordinary people, who treasure friendships, treat each other with respect, and possess inherent good sense. Honoring the values that contemporary readers sometimes do not take the time to preserve, McCall Smith portrays complex social relationships in very simple and direct prose. Warm, gently humorous, and loving, McCall Smith creates a kind of vicarious nostalgia for this way of life, a nostalgia which readers will continue to indulge and treasure as the series continues. Mary Whipple ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Botswana   2. English Mystery & Suspense Fiction   3. Fiction   4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   5. Mystery & Detective - General   6. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   7. Mystery fiction   8. Mystery/Suspense   9. Ramotswe, Precious (Fictitious   10. Ramotswe, Precious (Fictitious character)   11. Women private investigators   12. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Customer Reviews (47)

As Good As the First
I truly enjoyed the first of this series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and wondered if Alexander McCall Smith could live up to the promise of a great series. He has done that with ease, I think. This book is more of a mystery book than the first one, although still far from the classic mystery genre. It contains so much more than just crime solving. Precious Ramotswe's fiancee, J.L.B. Matekoni plays a much bigger role in this book, as does her secretary, and now-assistent detective, Mma Makutsi.
The main mystery in this entry is the disappearance 10 years earlier of an American woman's son. There are a couple of secondary mysteries, but the main focus of the book is on the engagement of Precious and Mr. Matekoni, as well as two orphan children.
I can't wait to read the third in the series.

Continuing Life Saga of Precious Ramotswe, Woman PI
I'm an American woman who has spent 12 years living in Africa, and traveled to almost every part of the African continent. When I discovered the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, I could hardly wait to read Tears of the Giraffe. I was not disappointed. I can hardly wait to get to the next books in the series. After saying she would never, ever remarry (in the first book), Precious does get engaged in this book, but continues to pursue investigating her cases while engaged. There are a lot of interesting developments that I don't want to give away. She hasn't gotten married by the end of the book, that is left to us in the third book to find out about.....!

I found it interesting that the author is a Professor of Medical law, living in Scotland, but having been born and raised in Zimbabwe. He has published many varied books on many subjects. I think these are his "fun" books! I also think that part of the reason he has written these books is to show non-Africans what traditional African society is like, especially how it is managing to move into the modern age. By setting it in Botswana, he neatly sidesteps many of the problems found in other parts of Africa, and is able to concentrate both on his story, and on showing us how traditional Africans THINK and act. I found this especially interesting, having lived in several African cultures, myself. I also find the series very uplifting and rewarding to read, in addition to being a good story. I think some of the critical reviews are from people who have never lived or traveled in Africa, and they just don't realize how true-to-life are so many of the episodes-I do not find these books at ALL condescending toward blacks. On the contrary, they are a celebration of the traditional GOOD values found in black African culture (a nice change from what we usually see in the news).

There were several things I especially enjoyed about this book. I don't particularly enjoy first-person, male-oriented police detective novels. This is about a woman detective, who had no more qualifications than you or I, but who just hung out a sign, and used her common sense. She ordered a text book from London, from which she learned some investigative procedures. She's very clever. The book is not written as a first person, blow-by-blow account. On the contrary, it is written in third person, and is more about her LIFE, going through her becoming a detective, the cases she meets along the way (which we watch her solve), and what we learn about the society as we go along. I would highly recommend this book to anyone planning to travel to any southern African country. It is a light, humorous book, from which you can learn a lot while enjoying a great story. I found it difficult to put down. I have now read the first two books in the series, and plan to order every single one. I can hardly wait until they arrive in the mail!

Joy
The obvious success of this book is due to the #1 Ladies Detective Agency. And the desire to see what comes next is understandable. This is one great series of books and they deserve their place on the bestseller lists. The main character, Precious, solves the few actual mysteries in the sequels in creative ways that surprise the reader. These sequels, particularly "Giraffe," are a bit more about Precious' relationship with J.L.B. Matekoni, a bit less about the detective agency. But they follow smoothly from "#1 Ladies..." and are equally good. Set in Botswana, the books give such a clear and beautiful picture of that country today that now I would like to learn more about it. Would also recommend Life of Pi and The Bark of the Dogwood. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Botswana   2. Fiction   3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   4. Mystery & Detective - Series   5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   6. Mystery/Suspense   7. No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency   8. No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Imaginary organization)   9. Ramotswe, Precious (Fictitious   10. Ramotswe, Precious (Fictitious character)   11. Women private investigators   12. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

Customer Reviews (56)

A Complete Introduction to Trading Essentials
I really enjoyed the first book by Dr Elder, "Trading for a Living" very much. I have just finished Dr Elder's new book, "Come Into My Trading Room" and have enjoyed it very much too. There are several new ideas in the new book. A lot of the material in this book was presented in "Trading for a Living". It is the best book that combined the 3Ms -- Mind, Method and Money Management -- required for successful traders. It expands on the methods presented in "Trading for a Living" and makes the triple screen concept very clear.

I think the great difference between this book and other trading books is Dr Elder's background as a psychiatrist. He provides valuable insights into understanding the human element of market behavior, and the individual trader that makes his work unique. Dr Elder shares his own, successful trading strategy in a clear, concise, and easy to understand style. He does a great job showing some of his successful trades. I'm sure this is one of the finest books on developing trading skills. It is not only fun and easy to read but it is profitable. It pays back.

An Excellent Follow-Up to Elder's Trading For A Living
Alexander Elder gained well-deserved prominence for his first book, Trading For a Living. It's one of my favorite books on trading. Out of this classic came such new indicators as the Force Index, which is one of the indicators I use regularly in my chart software. I read Elder's follow-up, Come Into My Trading Room, in hopes of learning additional insights of the Force Index. While I found some new information here, I was even more impressed by the following lessons Elder shared:

1) "Some of the best trading opportunities occur after false breakouts" - I'm finding this more and more these days, which is why I actively use my Momentum Divergence indicators to separate the fakeouts from the real breakouts. Elder does a great job showing numerous charts throughout his book, laying the groundwork for the divergence examples he explains in great depth when you step into his trading room in the final chapter with many actual trading examples. You need to understand the concept of divergence to trade today's markets more profitably, and this book will be a great help in showing you how to trade divergence setups.

2) Triple Screen - Elder explains the important of using multiple timeframes, though he advocates two to no more than three time frames. The key concept is that whatever timeframe you use, you need to go up to the next longer timeframe to get confirmation. This provides the bigger picture trend to define the nature of your trades, and then you can return to the shorter timeframe and make more tactical decisions with this broader trend in mind as well.

3) Grade Your Performance - Elder actually quantifies trading effectiveness by defining the width of the channel for a stock, and what percentage of the move the trader actually captured to determine his grade. Regardless of how a trader measures his performance, it must be tracked in order to make improvements and experience constant improvement.

4) The SafeZone Stop - While I have not tested this indicator in my systems yet, Elder's SafeZone Stop looks like a more effective way to place a trailing stop than standard moving averages. The SafeZone Stop appears to adjust more rapidly to trending versus flat periods for a stock, compared to moving averages. This new technique should easily be worth many times the price of this book by itself.

5) Chapter 9: Trading for a Living - This chapter was my most highlighted chapter, as Elder covers the stages of growth from beginning to professional trader, covering a wide range of topics on trading discipline, time management, organization and developing a viable trading plan, to highlight just a few.

All in all, Come Into My Trading Room is an excellent follow-up to Elder's Trading For A Living, and I think you'll also find it a quick and thought-provoking read.

Great book. This should be the first one you buy.
The book is very well written and drives home the three Ms over and over. You can't hear it enough because when your finger is on the trigger, this training will help you execute with confidence. You will not be a loser if you follow the plan. The problem is, very few have the discipline.

I have long been and investor, but I wanted to improve my exit strategies. I knew successful traders had to have great exit strategies or they could not survive very long. Consequently, I actually bought a book on trading. The book helped me with exit strategies, but also completely opened up the world of trading. While I still invest for the long term, I have set up an account for short term trading. I read the book and worked through the workbook in about three days. I already had much of the preliminary work established from my investing experience.

Within about a month, I had a trading plan that I liked and a sound money management and trade evaluation system. While I still primary invest in longer term trends, I have had a blast making numerous small short-term trend trades.

This book will help any trader who reads it with an open mind and strictly adheres to the Three Ms - Mind, Method, and Money (Management). If you are and investor, then this book will expose you to what else is going on with your markets. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Finance   5. Futures And Options Trading   6. Investments & Securities - General   7. Stock exchanges   8. Stocks   9. Trading rooms (Finance)   10. Business & Economics / Finance   11. Investment & securities   

Customer Reviews (41)

Sit Back, Relax, Enjoy ANOTHER WONDERFUL BOOK!!
Alexander McCall Smith has written over 50 books from specialized works as The Criminal Law of Botswana, Forensic
Aspects of Sleep to Children's books. He currently is a Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh University

Morality For Beautiful Girls
Life has become complicated for Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Bostwana. She has a great deal to think about. Mr. J.L.B.Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe's fiance and the owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, has been acting strangely of late. He is unusually listless and he seems uninterested either in his business or in her. What can be wrong with him? Precious determines her man is suffering from DEPRESSION! He too has lot's on his mind!

Being the only Detective Agency in town, and even though her business continues to grow, Mma Ramotswe's detective agency is not exactly prospering. But she has a lot of clients all demanding her services, and she has the repair shop to worry about This is where Ramotswe's assistant, Mma Makutsi, (who happened to achieve the highest score on record at her vocational school with a 97%!) shines and proves to be an invaluable asset. She not only becomes the acting manager of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, but she even takes on a lucrative case of her own. While Makutsi investigates the moral character of four contestants in the Miss Beauty and Integrity Contest, Mma Ramotswe looks into a possible poisoning for an important "Government Man".
Mma Ramotswe's sweet nature, unerring instincts and inherent common sense make her both a wonderful friend and a
superb detective. Mma Makutsi comes into her own in this novel, as she shows herself to be both an excellent investigator
and a shrewd manager. Another winning read from the author with excellent and interesting character development as both the characters and the reader become involved with the plot. Relax and enjoy another entry in this wonderful series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for it's unique and likable characters and exotic setting. The uniqueness of the mysteries
reflect a simpler lifestyle than many of us live and especially expect in a "mystery". TOTAL ENJOYMENT!
John Row

Beautiful....3rd Installment
In the third installment of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe faces new challenges that give this book a slightly different twist. In this story the focus seems to be more on the ever changing quality of Precious Ramotswe's life and the people in it rather than the cases that come into the agency. I missed Mr. J.L.B. Maketoni and his quiet gentleness in this book, as he was indisposed throughout most of the story with a mysterious illness. Mma Makutsi and her new job as the manager of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors and assistant detective figure prominently in the storyline. The reader learns more about her personal life, what drives her and her unique thoughts on the state of society especially the status of women. The mysteries are less obvious and a little less satisfying when resolved. What the reader is given is some beautiful philosophicial prose on the nature of the human condition as Mme Ramtoswe and Mme Matkusi each ponder the intricacies of their cases. I enjoyed this book, although somewhat different. Perhaps, as a reader I must come to expect that each book in the series is unique in its own way. McCall Smith has again created a wonderful story that quietly interweaves the African culture, traditions and communities into a story that touches us no matter where we live.

Not a page turning mystery, but nice read
This is the second book I have read in this series and still have the impression that these books are very light on mystery. I guess I would have to say this is more true for this book than the first one I read. I have to agree with several of the other reviewers that there seemed to be more lose ends (or losely tied ends) that really didn't leave me satisfied. Beyond that, as a fictional read, the descriptions of the people and country have been consistantly good in both books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty contests   2. Botswana   3. Fiction   4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   6. Mystery/Suspense   7. Ramotswe, Precious (Fictitious   8. Ramotswe, Precious (Fictitious character)   9. Women private investigators   10. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

Customer Reviews (43)

I LOVE THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK!
"I must remember, thought Mma. Ramotswe, how fortunate I am in this life; at every moment, but especially now, sitting on the verandah of my house in Zebra Drive, and looking up at the high sky of Botswana, so empty that the blue is almost white. Here she was then, Precious Ramotswe, owner of Botswana's only detective agency, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency-an agency which by and large had lived up to its initial promise to provide satisfaction for its clients, although some of them, it must be said, could never be satisfied. And here she was too, somewhere in her late thirties, which as far as she was concerned was the very finest age to be; here she was with the house in Zebra Drive and two orphan children, a boy and a girl, bringing life and chatter into the home. These were blessings with which anybody should be content. With these things in one's life, one might well say that nothing more was needed." (Page 1)

So begins Alexander McCall Smith's latest book, THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN. He has a wonderful African storytelling voice. Parts of the book are funny, sad, educational, and touching.

Mma. Ramotswe deals with real and moral problems. Although the troubles take place in Africa, they are universal and range from searching for people from the past, cheating spouses, looking for love, raising children, trying to improve one's financial status, trying to right a wrong, to dealing with competition, and more.

I enjoy the way Mma. Ramotswe solves her clients' problems as well as her own. There are no guns or high-speed chases. There is no fighting, cursing, or the likes. An element of danger and adventure exists in Mma. Ramotswe's work but the detective uses her wits and manners when dealing with others. The plot is always refreshing.

I love the way THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN transports me to Mma. Ramotswe's world. I feel like I'm a part of the detective agency. I feel like I'm riding with Mma. Ramotswe in her little white van along the Botswana plains. I feel like I'm sharing a cup of red bush tea with her and Mma. Makutsi. I feel like I've tasted a slice of the cake that Mma. Potokwani always serves Mma. Ramotswe at the orphanage. I feel like I know the kind and gentle Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. I feel like I'm in the same room with his funny mechanic apprentices.

Another good read.

Fafa Demasio

Powerful view of African traditions
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency has problems--a new competitor run by a man has opened in town. And with Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni returning from his long bout with depression, there's the problem of how to pay Mma. Makutsi--who has served as assistant detective and also acting manager of Matekoni's garage. Still, although the competitor threatens to steal some of their business, Mma. Ramotswe has some detecting jobs to do--including finding the people a client wronged many years before and whether a husband is cheating on his wife. In the meantime, Mma. Makutsi comes up with a brilliant idea--a typing school for men--men who wouldn't be caught dead in a secretarial college like Mma. Makutsi attended, but who need keyboard skills for their jobs. It's an ideal solution to her money problems and also a convenient way for the single Makutsi to discover a man.

Author Alexander McCall Smith loves Africa, its traditional ways of life, and the ways that its people (at least the people of Botswana) treat one another. His No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, including THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN are practically poetic in their praises of this traditional way of life. Mma. Ramotswe is the protagonist in these stories and the central pillar for tradition. Her detecting and the solutions to her clients problems flow from these African traditions (as interpreted by Smith) and prove heart-warming even in the midst of poverty and the AIDS crisis that has destroyed so much of Africa (AIDS is not mentioned by name in this novel but its impact is clear to see). Whether Smith's view of Africa has anything to do with the real continent is something I won't even attempt to decide, but it is certainly his view and his love for this Africa is obvious and compelling.

Smith's beautiful writing makes KALAHARI an enjoyable read that can be savored or swallowed in a gulp. The characters of Mma. Makutsi and Mma. Ramotswe are well drawn and interesting. KALAHARI is anything but a thriller, but it makes a wonderful diversion from the everyday.

Charming, but with a touch of condescension
I've read all four of the Alexander McCall Smith books centering on Mma Ramotswe and her No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and I plan on reading the fifth, so clearly (to me, anyway) there is something attractive, charming, and addictive about these little literary gems.

The gentle wisdom of the main characters, the insights into human nature that are revealed in the succession of episodes, the often lyrical references to life, nature, and culture in Botwana, all of these things render Smith's books fun to read and at times spiritually uplifting. This latest episode, featuring the professional and romantic adventures of Mma Rowatswe's trusted assistant, the typing prodigy Mma Makutsi, is every bit as charming and readable as the first three books in the series, so one cannot say that Smith is losing his touch as he cranks out book after book.

There are, however, some troubling aspects to this series that I confess have come to bother me. Example: in his laudable effort to portray life in Botswana in a positive light, Smith's narrative at times takes on a kind of paternalistic tone, the subtext of which seems to be, "these people are simple, yes, but they are gentle, good, and in a kind of salt-of-the-earth way, wise." A style that apparently seeks to keep the prose simple and accessible ends up making the characters themselves often appear childlike and one-dimensional, lacking in real human depth. Because of this, I can see how these books have come to be so whole-heartedly embraced by rat-race-weary urban Western professionals daydreaming of a "simpler life and a slower pace."

This tendency toward flattening out the stresses and complexities of life in rural Botswana would be more forgivable were it not for the fact that this is the nation with the highest rate of HIV infection on the planet. This is a startling, sad, alarming reality that probably will surprise many readers of these books, and yet this overwhelmingly serious problem is never mentioned even once in Smith's upbeat tales about lady detectives and dedicated auto mechanics. I certainly don't expect the author to dwell in his stories upon this health catastrophe, but his failure even to allude to the problem seems to me an almost calculated part of his overall strategy of presenting a romanticized, sanitized, they're-poor-but-they're-happy image of life in Botswana.

People who have read and appreciated all of the novels will surely interject at this point at least one, "Yeah, but..." Noteworthy among these could be the fact that in a previous book the principal male character, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni (always, cutely, referred to by this full title), is diagnosed with clinical depression. Yes, this is strikingly "real to life," certainly, but even here the simplistic, dumbed-down approach to human problems advanced by Smith emerges, as Matekoni's apparently severe depression is completely obliterated almost instantly through a simple presciption for antidepressant drugs. Anyone familiar with the issue of depression knows that overcoming this malady is seldom so simple as is portrayed in Smith's novel. But problems in Smith's Botswana tend generally toward rapid and total resolution, much in the manner of prime time television episodes.

Still, I confess that I find these novels to be soothing and easy bedtime reading, and I'm sure I'll end up buying and reading the next one, despite my growing reservations about Smith's overall project. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   3. Mystery & Detective - General   4. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   5. Mystery/Suspense   6. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   7. Reading Group Guide   

Subjects:  1. Anatomy   2. Atlases   3. Human Anatomy   4. Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology   5. Medical   6. Science   7. Science / Anatomy   

Subjects:  1. Crimes against   2. Edinburgh (Scotland)   3. Fiction   4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   5. Housekeepers   6. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   7. Mystery/Suspense   8. Stockbrokers   9. Women editors   10. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

Customer Reviews (14)

A financial Bible for both profesionals and researchers
Market Models is an essential tool for practioners who would like to gain fundamental expertise on financial modeling. Aside from the practical view, Alexander's book has got such a clear and comprehensive reading that even the most inexpert individuals can get enthusiastically involved in learning issues related to risk management, investment analysis and financial forecasting. Recent econometric techniques on time series are brilliantly applied with real examples on the finance field. The book demonstrates that the author has a great knowledge on both a theoretical as well as a practical basis on market modeling and knows how to combine the two aspects in a very intelligent way. I considered this book to be a fundamental reference for either financial profesionals and academics.

MARKET MODELS
As a Ph.D candidate in finance at the University of Quebec at Montreal (specializing in hedge funds), I believe that Market Models is the leading text in the area of financial data analysis. Professor Alexander is considered as the leader by many in this field. Her many years of experience on both sides of the Atlantic (over 10 years) in consulting on risk management and investment analysis with positions in highly respected banking firms has put together this little gem of a book (long awaited). Professor Alexander's emphasis is based on understanding concepts and implementing solutions. Her past books have been best sellers and are extensively used both in academia and by financial institutions. This book is the only one of its kind that deals with key techniques for selecting and developing models, while using the latest insights into the pricing and hedging of options. At the same time the book focuses on a linear algebraic approach as an important tool for the anlaysis of financial systems. The book nicely deals with traditional time series analysis and is explained using 1)cointegration to long short equity hedge funds and 2) high frequency data prediction using neural networks. This book is a must read for academics, risk management specialists, money managers, analysts and others looking for a clear presentation of the subject. Congratulations on a great text. Hope a second volume is on the way.

Worth the money
If you are looking for detailed rigorous mathematical development then look elsewhere, that is not the reason to purchase this book. It is targeted towards application and there it excels. I have not seen any other book on this topic that so effectively presents a level-headed applied approach that keeps the basic assumptions of the models firmly in sight.
What tool fits when is nicely discussed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General   2. Business & Economics   3. Business / Economics / Finance   4. Business/Economics   5. Finance   6. Investments & Securities - Stocks   7. Mathematical models   8. Portfolio management   9. Stock price forecasting   10. Business & Economics / Finance   11. Economic theory & philosophy   12. Risk assessment & analysis for business   

The second of three books published by the Center for Environmental Structure to provide a "working alternative to our present ideas about architecture, building, and planning," A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. The reader is given an overview of some 250 patterns that are the units of this language, each consisting of a design problem, discussion, illustration, and solution. By understanding recurrent design problems in our environment, readers can identify extant patterns in their own design projects and use these patterns to create a language of their own. Extraordinarily thorough, coherent, and accessible, this book has become a bible for homebuilders, contractors, and developers who care about creating healthy, high-level design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Placemaking Guide
One can find the answers to most of life's little (and big) problems in this classic work. It does everything from helping one determine why the backyard just doesn't feel right to describing the problems with sprawl. I hesitate to label it as an architectural work because it can be so much more. Certainly, it illustrates how architecture can play a much larger role in shaping our lives than it has during the past fifty years.

The format of the book is effective in that it allows one to follow the connections between various design rules/patterns that might otherwise not be obvious. The use of these "links" within the book could have been a source of inspiration for web designers. This book will appeal just as much to the lay person as it does to the legions of architectural professionals who use it as a guide on a frequent basis.

Required reading for designers, planners and architects
Part 2 of 3 part series.

This book is the dictionary for A Timeless Way of Building. The Oregon Experiment is a case study of the use of these ideas to plan a college campus.

This book is about functional design for humans rather than design for design's sake. It directly refutes the real estate industry's insistence on neutral design for quick sale (which is the industry's goal - not the goal of a homeowner!) It promotes design which fits the needs and desires of the user, not the developer or architect. The philosophy involves the users heavily in the process of design, permitting integrated design without requiring comprehensive knowledge of all interacting factors on the part of the designers, it is a way of modularizing the design process into smaller, comprehensible units which can be understood and discussed in a useful way.

You will not be disappointed in reading these books.

Yes, it's dated a bit, especially in it's language approach to social issues.

Yes, it's Utopian, but not impractical.

No, all of the patterns do not apply to all people in all places, but then, they are not intended to.

What is important is the basic premise: That physical environment design can either promote community or divide people. That there exist basic patterns of interaction between people, buildings, roads and environment.

No, you cannot just change your entire community overnight into a utopia (mores the shame) however, these books can help to redefine how your community grows and develops to improve the quality of life for everyone in the community.

All of the research is fairly old, but it is research into basic human actions and reactions to their surroundings - not something which is subject to a great deal of change - examples cover several thousand years.

If you're tired of strip malls, rampant development for development's sake, neighborhoods without character or community, irritating traffic patterns, multiple hour commutes, buildings which are uncomfortable to live and work in or just interested in improving your corner of the world, read these books and apply some of the principles wherever you feel they will fit your life.

I own multiple copies and recommend it highly.

This book changed the way I look at buildings ... and life!
My fascination with Christopher Alexander's work began with "The Timeless Way of Building," but increased tenfold upon discovering his inexhaustible classic, "A Pattern Language." At over a thousand pages (I think,) "A Pattern Language" is an encyclopedic study of what makes buildings, streets, and communities work -- indeed, what makes environments human.

Alexander and his co-authors present us with over two hundred (roughly 250) "patterns" that they believe must be present in order for an environment to be pleasing, comfortable, or in their words, "alive." The patterns start at the most general level -- the first pattern, "Independent Regions," describes the ideal political entity, while another of my favorite patterns, "Mosaic of Subcultures," described the proper distribution of different groups within a city. The patterns gradually become more specific -- you'll read arguments about how universities should relate to the community, the proper placement of parks, the role of cafes in a city's life. If you wonder about the best design for a home, the authors will describe everything from how roofs and walls should be built, down to how light should fall within the home, where your windows should be placed, and even the most pleasant variety of chairs in the home. An underlying theme of all the patterns is that architecture, at its best, can be used to foster meaningful human interaction, and the authors urge us to be aware of how the houses we build can help us balance needs for intimacy and privacy.

They admit that they are uncertain about some of the patterns -- they indicate their degree of certainty using a code of asterisks placed before the pattern. For each pattern, the authors summarize the pattern in a brief statement printed in boldface, and then describe it at length, drawing upon a variety of sources to give us a full sense of what they mean: these "supporting sources" include an excerpt from a Samuel Beckett novel, papers in scholarly journals, newspaper clippings, etc. Most patterns are accompanied by a photograph (many of them beautiful and fascinating in their own right) and all are illustrated by small, casual hand-drawings. Taken together, "A Pattern Language" is an extraordinarily rich text, visually and conceptually.

As I said in the header of this review, "A Pattern Language" has changed the way I look at buildings and neighborhoods -- I feel like this book has made me attuned to what works, and what doesn't work, in the human environment. I'm constantly realizing things about buildings and streets that this book helped me see -- things that make people feel at home, or feel "alive," in their surroundings, or conversely, things that make people uncomfortable. And the book makes me think differently about life because it showed me how our well-being depends so much upon the way our buildings fit, or don't fit, us as UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture   2. City planning   3. Criticism   4. Design & Drafting   5. Planning   6. Semiotics   7. Symbolism in architecture   8. City & town planning - architectural aspects   

Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey. Through brilliant and witty dialogue with the beloved Pooh-bear and his companions, the author of this smash bestseller explains with ease and aplomb that rather than being a distant and mysterious concept, Taoism is as near and practical to us as our morning breakfast bowl. Romp through the enchanting world of Winnie-the-Pooh while soaking up invaluable lessons on simplicity and natural living. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (151)

No poo-poohing...
'The Tao of Pooh', a fascinating synthesis of Eastern philosophy and Western children's literature, is done largely in conversational style between Benjamin Hoff, erstwhile writer, photographer and musician with a penchant for forests and bears. Thus, Pooh makes a natural philosophical companion. But, more than a companion, Pooh is, for Hoff, the very embodiment of the Tao.

'It's about how to stay happy and calm under all circumstances!' I yelled.
'Have you read it?' asked Pooh.

This is two-way book: to explain Taoism through Winnie-the-Pooh, and to explain Winnie-the-Pooh (not always an easy task itself) through Taoism. Taoism, more academically, is a religion indigenous to China, built upon teachings primarily of Lao-tzu, with significant influence from Buddha and K'ung Fu-tse. It is in the teachings of harmony and emptiness and being of Lao-tzu, however, that Taoism draws its meaning, believing that earth is a reflection of heaven, and that the world 'is not a setter of traps but a teacher of valuable lessons.'

As with many religions, this one took various guises: philosophic, monastic, structural, folk. But through them all, the imperceptible Tao, the essence of being, essentially undescribable, shapes the universe continually out of chaos, with a yin and yang alteration of perpetual transformation, in which nothing remains eternal save the Tao.

This makes Pooh a perfect example and exemplar. 'For the written character P'u, the typical Chinese dictionary will give a definition of 'natural, simple, plain, honest.' P'u is composed of two separate characters combined: the first, the 'radical' or root-meaning one, is that for tree or wood; the second, the 'phonetic' or sound-giving one, is the character for dense growth or thicket.'

Through semantic changes, perfectly in keeping with the Tao, we find that Pooh, or P'u, is actually a tree in the thicket, or a wood not cut, or finally, an Uncarved Block. And this, of course, is what pure being is.

Pooh, in his journey through the Tao, with the Tao, of the Tao (it is a hard one to nail down, isn't it?) encounters many. This includes Eeyore, the terminally morose, who represents Knowledge for the sake of Complaining about Something. It also includes Owl, the Western successor of the 'Confucianist Dedicated Scholar', who believes he has all truth as his possession, and studies Knowledge for the Sake of Knowledge (even if it isn't always the best knowledge). 'You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.'

Of course, all of the knowledge of the Owl, accompanied by the variable helpfulness of Rabbit who cannot stop activity in favour of just being something, couldn't figure out what had become of Christopher Robin, who left the Very Clear Note on his door:

GON OUT
BACKSON
BISY
BACKSON

Who or what is a Backson? Backsons are those people trying to outrun their shadows and their footprints, not realising that to stand still and rest in the shade defeats the power of both. And of course, the Bisy Backson is never at a standstill. And of course, one cannot experience the Tao, be the Tao, know the Tao (well, you get the Tao) if one is perpetually on the run.

The Bisy Backson is always

GONE OUT
BACK SOON
BUSY
BACK SOON

or, maybe GONE SOON. Anywhere. Anywhere he hasn't been. Anywhere but where he is. Of course, the idea of not going anywhere is abhorrent to him, and there is no concept of being able to do nothing.

Nothingness frees the mind. Nothing works like nothing. For there is nothing to distract you. Nothing to get in the way. Nothing to hinder you. Nothing means anything.

Now, read that last sentence again, carefully.

Nothing means anything.

Any thing is by definition itself, but when it is no thing, it can become potentially any thing.

'Oh, I see,' said Pooh.

Wisdom lies in the way of Pooh, who shirks the busy-ness of Rabbit, the intellectual hubris of Owl, and the doom-saying of Eeyore. Pooh simply is, and enjoys being who he is. Pooh is a Master, who knows the Way. Learn from him. Learn to be with him.

A fabulous explaination of a difficult topic
Benjamin Hoff has taken an intricate and complex philosophy and distilled it to its essence in the delightful Tao of Pooh. This is much easier to read and understand than the I Ching (Book of Changes) or the Tao ti Ching (Book of the Way.) With Pooh as your guide, Hoff clearly articulates the lessons and tenets of the Tao ("the Way").

Taoism, a Chinese peasant religion and philosophy, was founded by Lao Tzu in the 5th century BC. Essentially it urges its followers not to resist the natural ebb and flow of life - after all, nature will always win, so why waste the energy? Hoff, using Pooh and the other characters of the Hundred Acre Wood, illustrate how "the Way" is practiced in day-to-day situations.

Yet there is more to this wonderful little book than an elucidation of Taoism in practice. Hoff takes neither himself or his subject too seriously, often times having "conversations" with Pooh who, in his almost child-like simplicity, both emphasizes and embodies living "the Way".

This is no children's book - but it is fun to read for its message, its messenger and its content. I recommend it without reservation.

Loveable, huggable, simple-minded Pooh
This book completely expresses the simple-mindedness of Pooh & the simple-mindedness of Taoism. The author explains things that normally would confuse people in the plain 100-acres woods way so that everyone can understand. From the over thinking Owls to the Quiet minded Poohs. I read this book ever few months when I start to feel myself sway from quiet realistic thoughts. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who may be alittle confused or need alittle clarity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (Alan Alexander),   2. 1882-1956   3. 20th century   4. Books and reading   5. Characters   6. Children   7. Children's stories, English   8. Eastern - Taoism   9. General   10. Great Britain   11. History   12. History and criticism   13. Milne, A. A   14. Philosophy   15. Winnie the Pooh   16. Winnie-the-Pooh (Fictitious character)   17. Religion   

Subjects:  1. 356-323 B.C   2. Alexander,   3. American Historical Fiction   4. Fiction   5. Fiction - Historical   6. Generals   7. Greece   8. Historical - General   9. Kings and rulers   10. the Great,   11. Fiction / Historical   

Subjects:  1. Genetics   2. Life Sciences - Biology - Molecular Biology   3. Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics   4. Molecular Biology   5. Molecular genetics   6. Science   7. Science/Mathematics   8. Science / Molecular Biology   

Subjects:  1. 356-323 B.C   2. Alexander,   3. Ancient - Greece   4. Ancient World History   5. Biography   6. Biography & Autobiography   7. Biography / Autobiography   8. Biography/Autobiography   9. Generals   10. Greece   11. Historical - General   12. History   13. the Great,