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Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing   2. Computer Books And Software   3. Computer Graphics - General   4. Desktop Publishing - General   5. Handbooks, manuals, etc   6. Microcomputer Graphics   7. Power tools   

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Customer Reviews (6)

You are too unworthy to read this most excellent book
I tried to write my comments on Ernest Bramagh's Kai Lung's Golden Hours, which I just finished, in the same style:

In the opinion of this lowly reader, the esteemed author before our unworthy eyes has created a gem of the highest quality, polished by fine craft.

But you can only do this so long before you get frustrated, which is why you have to admire Bramagh, because he could maintain this oblique and ornate style throughout and still manage to tell a compelling and, more than often, extremely humorous story.

The titular character, Kai Lung, is a storyteller who runs afoul of the local authorities, in particular a rather nasty advisor. The problem is that Kai has set his eyes on a most beautiful young woman who is also highly desired by the advisor, and the mandarin in charge is quite corrupt. The one saving grace for Kai Lung is that the mandarin also likes a good story. Like Scherazade, Kai Lung is therefore in the positive of entertaining for his life, and that he is able to accomplish this is not due to the fragment of 1001 stories available to him, but also the help of his beloved (a fairly strong female character given the situation and the date this was written, 1922).

Not everyone will care for this book, because a style as circular and dense as this doesn't lead itself to the short-attention-span-generation (only James Branch Cabell has a more elaborate, yet beautiful, prose form in fantasy). I don't know what it was about the 1920s that enabled the creation of such great comedy (Bramagh, Cabell, P.G. Wodehouse [who first became popular as a novelist in the 1920s], Thorne Smith). Maybe it was the post-War jubiliation, the underground of prohibition, or the pre-Depression stockmarket? Not ours to wonder why, but just to enjoy and laugh.

The kind of good reading that mass media displaced
If you're here for the first time, then you have my sympathy on learning that this book is out of print. It's time for a re-issue--are you listening, Penguin Classics?

These stories are about a wandering storyteller, who gets into various jams and escapes with the aid of his silver tongue and an admiring coquette. For someone who apparently never visited China, and never even met that many Chinese, the verisimilitude Bramah achieves is amazing. This is an English child's storybook China, yet the stories themselves richly delight adults, too. The scene-setting is wonderful, but the real gem is the dialogue. Suave, sly, elliptically ceremonious, mock-abnegating--but you really have to read it to catch the flavor. Hillaire Belloc's introduction is on the money about how deceptively easy this style looks, and it is a great pity that more people do not have the opportunity to enjoy this and the other Kai Lung works today.

May your sleeves be filled with a sufficiency of taels, and may hungry and homeless ghosts find solace at your house-pole, and preserve your family tablets from the mischiefs of the lesser orders of the beings of the Upper Air...

There's just one thing to say....
The earlier reviewers of this book have said everything there is to say (and much better than I could have said it). I am the lucky possessor of a collected volume of all the Kai Lung stories. After having read Kai Lung's golden hours and the other books in the series, there was just one thing felt : a sense of profound sadness that there isn't more of Kai Lung to read!

I am adding this in 2003. I was wrong in writing that I have the entire collection of Kai Lung books. I learnt subsequently that there are a few missed out from my collection. For the records here is the complete list of the published Kai Lung stories :

The Wallet of Kai Lung
Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat
Kai Lung's Golden Hours
The Moon of Much Gladness (novel)
Kai Lung Beneath the Mulberry Tree
Kai Lung: Six

The last apparently contains six Kai Lung stories previously published ONLY in Punch magazine; the print edition for this book ran into a mere 250 copies and was published by Tacoma: The Non-Profit Press, 1974.

I have only the following :

The Wallet of Kai Lung
Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat
Kai Lung's Golden Hours
Kai Lung Beneath the Mulberry Tree

Kai Lung: Six, unfortunately was published in a very limited number of copies and I am unable to acquire one at an affordable price. The Moon of Much Gladness I hope to get soon.

My thanks to one of the persons who read this review and through his queries alerted me to the fact that - as I discovered later -my Kai Lung collection was not complete. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics   2. Fantasy - General   3. Literature - Classics / Criticism   

Customer Reviews (11)

Totally Entertaining ... Much Deeper Than It Appears!
This book is everything the title says it is and then some! The story starts off simple enough, but hold on ... it gets much better. As I continued to read, I came to believe there's a little bit of Lori and Diane in all women, but most women are not honest or courageous enough to admit it. These women took their thoughts and dreams about "the perfect relationship" and made it a reality. When I finished reading I begin to seriously think about what I REALLY wanted and expected in a relationship. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop. And when you're done, you will definitely want more!

Don't Touch This Book If You Can't Handle Sizzling Heat!
More Than Enough is an intriguing, sensual, explosive and erotic debut novel from Naleighna Kai. Kia takes us into the world of Dianne, Lori and Raymond. Dianne and Lori are roommates who are looking for the perfect male-to share, of course. They've done their research, checked off their list, tested a couple of guys but no one has measured up. Until they meet Ray; unfortunately Ray lives out-of-state is cohabitating with someone else at the moment. But Ray believes he's the one for these two independent, strong willed yet free-spirited ladies and he sets out to eliminate any other male on the list.

Kai does a wonderful job of making us look at taboo issues and questioning what would we do if we were in a similar situation. I must admit that it was a book that caught me completely off guard and one that I probably wouldn't have read if it weren't recommended by a friend. What I thought was a book that would just entertain actually ended up being one with much food for thought. Every woman could use a list to determine what they need to make them happy emotionally, physically, spiritually and sexually from a man. While the sex in the book was hot, steamy and erotic...it was only the icing on the cake. The real depth of the book was in getting to know one self and figuring out what was More Than Enough for you. If you like reading books that are controversial with lots of food for thought then check out More Than Enough from Naleighna Kai.

Don't make a mistake
This book was not worth the money I spent on it. I was expecting more from the book. It seemed like she was skipping from one subject to another. If you want to go to sleep than buy the book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Erotica - General   2. Fiction   3. Fiction - Romance   4. Romance - Adult   

Subjects:  1. Children's Baby - Picturebooks   2. Children: Preschool   3. Concepts - Size & Shape   4. Juvenile Fiction   5. Juvenile literature   6. Poetry - General   7. Shape   8. Square   9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Concepts / Size & Shape   

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for history buffs!
Ever wonder who was the chair of the "establishment" for a good part of the 20th Century. It was clearly John McCloy. Here's a short bio: grew up poor; graduated from Harvard Law School; became a partner at Cravath; was Under-Secretary of Defense (under Stimson) for FDR -- basically the number two guy (and the go-to-guy) in the War Department in WWII; was behind many good and bad decisions like internment of the Japanese (supported) and dropping of the atom bomb (opposed); became the allied ruler of Germany after the war (and was responsible for the democratization of the country); Chairman of the World Bank; Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations; Chairman and CEO of Chase; Chair of President's Disarmament Committee; helped negotiate the Cuban Missile Crisis; served on the Warren Commission; knew every President personally from FDR to Bush. He is a complicated person who made many good and bad decisions -- Read this book.

Modern Europe Decoded
As a lawyer, it's gratifying to see that a fellow lawyer, John McCloy, had such a key role in putting together post-WW II Europe, and it challenges my anti-FDR leanings to read this book, since McCloy was mainly a tool of FDR. Even though he was a Republican. Mr. Bird chronicles McCloy's life starting from humble New York beginnings, and establishes that you must understand the New York investment houses, the law firms they fed and controlled, and the European investments of those New Yorkers, to understand Mc Cloy. By the end of the book, we do.

Bird has the gift of not saying too much, but telling you a lot. McCloy's dad dies, then his mom (hairdresser to the rich) keeps him in contact with Rockefellers and the like, and thru lots of hard work and sacrifice, she sees that John makes it into the exclusive schools with the same upper-crust people. He then becomes a lawyer, and does the dirty work for the unscrupulous bond salesmen who use the public's unsecured money to pay back the priority lenders to doomed projects, mainly railroads, before those same creditors send in the lawyers to repo the assets, and sell them to contolled companies which sell them again. This is all pre-New Deal, pre-SEC. Mc Cloy gets good at it and his skill at tennis leads him to play hard-ball on the tennis courts, as well as in the law courts, with big money NY types, which makes McCloy attractive to the law firms feeding off of the investment houses. At this point, a useful companion book to read would be Robert Sobel's history of the Dillon, Read investment house, which goes into more detail.

McCloy ends up being detailed to the federal gov't during WW I and becomes an intelligence expert, and then has a key part in forming what becomes the CIA. He stays connected with the CIA for the rest of his life, while pinging and ponging out of the gov't, mainly on "commissions" and "panels" and he also gets tied up with the Council on Foreign Relations, which Bird convincingly describes as very powerful in its day.

McCloy's career peaks when FDR appoints him to be high commissioner for post-WW II Germany, with plenary, Caesar-like powers, which McCloy exercises tactfully and with restraint. While also playing lots of tennis. This section of the book is very gripping, as Bird unwinds the CIA's role in funding anti-Soviet left-wing intellectuals to counter Soviet propaganda, and to make sure Germany does not intrepidly rush to unify too soon--before the die-hard old Nazi's of Germany's industrial establishment are neutralized by the passage of a generation.

The European Community is also convincingly penetrated, below the acronyms and meetings which symbolize it for most contemporary students. Bird details how McCloy dealt with the treaties forming the EC, and how insuring Germany's non-reunification fit with putting other countries intot he coal and steel industries which Germany would need to becomea credible threat again.

In this reading, the awfulness of Germany, and the threat of revanchement, is what drove the cold war, not just anti-Soviet inexorabilities of history. In leading the effort at such a key time, McCloy's sportsmanship, learning, connections, and toughness were all needed. Bird suggests where and how McCloy developed each of these qualities, and how the old "Establishment" in America operated through these high quality servants of the amassed wealth of the Eastern types who then utilized WW II to launch America as the ruler of the economic world for the next 50 years. Quite an achievement, considering they could have just sat around Bar Harbor instead, wasting the talents of the acolyte class of McCloys on sailboat lessons and hair-do's for their wives and children.

Leaving us with the issue of what type of Americans will be called on to get us through whatever convulsions are left, now that George H.W. Bush and James Baker III steered us through the definitive collapse of Russian Communism. In this light, should we be glad or sad that the Arkansas contingent looks like they will miss the coming convulsion of Chinese communism? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1895-   2. Biography   3. Biography / Autobiography   4. Biography/Autobiography   5. Diplomacy   6. General   7. McCloy, John Jay,   8. Statesmen   9. United States   10. Biography & Autobiography / General   11. McCloy, John Jay   

Customer Reviews (6)

Clear, Strong, Successful Argument
Nielsen argues that morality does not depend on belief in God or belief in immortality. We should treat people well because we love and respect them, not because God commands us or because we fear punishment. He believes we can invent our own moral systems and our own purposes. To assume an intrinsic human function or purpose would be to treat people as means, rather than ends, as if we were robots designed for a task. Though he writes from a defensive position, he holds his ground well. He is not afraid to take a stand, controversial though it may be, especially in 1972 when it was first published.

As far as I can tell, Nielsen is a theist. He doesn't take the classical idea of God to task at all--he just wants God to stay out of ethics (much as someone might want the government to stay out of private matters or other countries' business, without rejecting the legitimacy, rightness, and existence of the government itself). To this extent, he has a kindred spirit in the former Bishop Richard Holloway, who recently published "Godless Morality."

Some passages restate a simple point over and over, like the chapter on the utilitarian value of human life towards the end of the book. And at the beginning of the book, I would have preferred that he not have expended so much energy on playing the game of classical theology, which I find to be a waste of time. But overall it was well-structured and made good use of space.

A familiarity with the writing style of 20th century analytic philosophy is recommended, but not necessary. This book will answer beginners' questions and give them a lot of ideas to work with and names of other philosophers to cross-reference. Those who have already given the matter extended consideration will probably not discover anything new in this book, but it is still worth a read, as a clear, comprehensive, sensible, and well-researched introduction to the issue.

Tough Questions
Difficult for a non-philosopher (i.e., "me"), but not too difficult to read with pleasure. Can a Christian also be a good person? The question is no mere provocation; there are serious philosophical problems in reconciling fidelity to God and ethical behavior. This book doesn't take on hate-mongers hiding behind Bibles, but rather the pure question of good and evil in people of honest motives.

His most memorable argument seems to go like this:

Ought we to obey the will of God? Of course we should, the believer answers. But why? Because He is almighty and powerful and will punish us if we do not obey? Well, then, obeying God is no better than obeying Stalin and Hitler. Or because he is always good? In that case, you invoke something within you, some discernment of "good," that you apply even to an order from the deity. So why not dispense with the cumbersome deity altogether, and focus on the internal discernment?

Weak Defense of Ethics Without God
2 stars

Weak Defense of Ethics Without God

In Ethics Without God, Kai Nielsen forcefully refutes the myth that one cannot be moral without believing in God. However, that is also not very interesting, for theistic philosophers generally would agree with him. Instead, theistic philosophers argue that only theism can (1) explain the fact that objective moral values exist, and (2) offer a reason for behaving morally. Unfortunately, while Nielsen does provide a minimal discussion of the latter claim, his discussion of the former claim is
virtually nonexistent. ... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethics   2. Ethics & Moral Philosophy   3. Natural law   4. Philosophy   5. Philosophy Of Religion   6. Religious ethics   7. Theology   

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries   2. English language   3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books   4. Japanese   5. Language   

Customer Reviews (2)

This book is amazing!
Kais Al-Kalby is an expert on the ancient languages, cultures and history of the Biblical time period. His extensive study of so many languages gives him an expertise in this matter that is hard to match. Languages including Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Sanskrit, the old Persian, and many others are discussed along with those culture's many religious beliefs as written in their oldest scriptures. You will love this book as you sit with your own scriptures to learn what the original revealed texts laid out for the seeker of Truth and Light. Al-Kalby makes it extremely easy and fascinating, too, by showing word-for-word translations side-by-side with several languages. He uses both transliterations and the actual script of the languages for your comparison and further investigation. He hides nothing! This gives an unusually refreshing understanding of the depth of the original meanings and the poetry of the times. Whatever your religion, you will love this book. And I know the book has been printed at least 8 times, so there must be plenty out there to get a hold of. Do it! You will be amazed, enlightened, and you'll never look at your scriptures the same again.

You don't lose by reading a book
Just try reading this book,you won't lose any thing.I think when someone reads it just looking for the truth,he or she will find it.But when you read it forget that you hate muslims and Islam.Try to bring your bible and the quran with you.Don't forget to bring also Mauris Bocaille's book:the quran,the bible,and sciences,so you can hear the truth from a muslim auther and a christian one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Healing Touch Of Love
Maya is a deeply hurt woman. She has suffered abuse from just about every hand
that should have held her instead of hurting her. She struggles from the effects of that abuse
and has shut the world around her out, especially men. That is until she meets Mykal a
hot, sexy R & B star. Through Maya, Mykal realizes what it is he is missing the most in his life.
He misses being in love and he sees that stardom, fame and money don't really take the place of real love.
Mykal goes through great lengths to help Maya heal and in doing so he confronts his past, his lifestyle
and comes to understand what it is he really wants in life.While Maya and Mykal discover eachother and open their hearts to one another
Mykal's manager Angelique is all but pleased. She controls Maykal, his career and his personal life. She also wants Makal
for her own. When Mykal puts the brakes on her controlling attempts she digs into Maya's past
trying anything and everything to wreck what they share. The story deals heavily with abuse, both mentally and physically
and the effects of it that shadow Maya's life. I found the book touching, A story of real love and a glimpse into that love
that shows that love doesn't have to hurt. The story goes from tragic events to the healing touch of love.

FABULOUS!!!!!!!!
I feel in love with this book! I have read and re-read this book over and over, it makes you care about the characters and I can't wait for the revised copies to come out. I am starting my collection of this author because she definitely has a gift. If you are looking for a good book to curl up with I guarantee this is the one!

Excellent, Very Uplifting, Profound Therapuetic novel
This was one of the best novel I have ever read. I felt very connected to all of the characters. I endured empathy as well as sympathy for all of them as if I knew them personal. This book was completly overwhelming from beginning to end. The Author gives you a total different perspective on things you are already adamant about. I recommend this book to anyone who has gone through/going through any adversity to read this triumph story and allow yourself to be overcome with fearless emotions and understanding of how anything is possible inspite of where (or whom) you come from. This book has taught me that no matter how bad off you think you are there is always someone somewhere with a story worse off than yours. Also that the challenge of life is how well you rise and conquer your fears and recognize your faults as well as realize the roles that you play in any given situation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Romance   3. Romance - General   4. Romance: Modern   

Customer Reviews (3)

Kai is UNDERRATED!
Kai is very underrated! she is one of the best girlhood journeys girl! In A Big Decision Kai and her sister, Jamila ae spending a few days in Oyo because there is famine in her village. In Oyo, kai learnes she can become a sculpor! in her village she cannot because she is a girl. If Kai stays in Oyo, she can bcome a sculptor, witch is her lifelong dream But if she does stay in Oyo, she cannot be with her family and best freind, Aisha. Kai has to make a decision that could change her life! A big suprise at the end helps her deside!

Beautifully illustrated and highly motivating
I have shared this book with many children. They throughly enjoyed the illustrations and found the story to be extremely motivating. Also, I appreciate having a story about a Black child that starts in Africa, as opposed to beginning with American slavery.Lovely story, particularly for young girls, that leaves the reader feeling a "can do" attitude.

Well researched; spoiled by bad plot
Were it not for the lovingly done research, this book would get a one. However, I saw fit to give it a two due to the painstakingly done research. This novel continues the adventures of Kai, a young Yoruba girl growing up in Africa in 1440. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa   2. Art (paintingsculptureartistsarchitectureetc.)   3. Children's 9-12   4. Children: Grades 4-6   5. Family - Siblings   6. Fiction   7. Girls & Women   8. Historical - Africa   9. Juvenile Fiction   10. People & Places - Africa   11. Sculptors   12. Sisters   13. Yoruba (African people)   14. Juvenile Fiction / Girls & Women   

Subjects:  1. Fantasy   2. Games   3. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords   4. Role Playing & Fantasy - General   

Customer Reviews (1)

Advances in Microstrip and Printed Antennas
a raiz de la consulta que realice de otros autores mas me intereza este libro por que tiene un buen contenido. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antenna Theory   2. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic   3. Microstrip antennas   4. Microwave Electronics   5. Microwaves   6. Printed circuits   7. Radar   8. Science/Mathematics   9. Technology   10. Technology & Industrial Arts   11. Communications engineering / telecommunications   12. Microwave technology   13. Technology / Microwaves   

Subjects:  1. 960-1644   2. Asia - General   3. China   4. Civilization   5. General   6. History   7. History - General History   8. History: World   9. Printing   10. Publishing   

Customer Reviews (3)

Add Some Seasoning to Your Life
How often have the major changes in our lives just passed us by? This resource helps to highlight the events of our life both good and bad with simple rituals. I have found the rituals simplicity and depth to be refreshing. For families, and counselling and people who provide spiritual guidance this is an excellent resource.

Be blessed!
Inside you'll find blessings for birthdays, the new school year, and the changing of the seasons. You'll find blessings for adolescent body changes, getting a driver's license, graduations, a new home, a new pet or the death of a pet. Ever wonder what to do for an ill friend of family member? Bless them! Try blessing an important conversation before you begin -- it could be good for business. There is even a blessing for protection against evil. We all could use that. Anyone who uses this book will unleash the power of blessings in their life. May you be so blessed!

A True Blessing for Everyday Life
I've found "For Everything A Season" a profound blessing in itself. As a Lutheran pastor, I eagerly seek ways to effectively empower the people who gather together with me in worship and service. Too often spirituality evaporates under the stress and distraction of daily life. "For Everything a Season" offers a collection of simple, creative, adaptive opportunities to consciously integrate the sacred every day. The range of blessings is delightful, and their simple honesty is refreshing. I've used them many times as I've met with people in joy and in sorrow, in struggle and in celebration. I use them daily in my personal worship. I commend this marvelous collection to you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - General   2. Christianity - Ritual & Practice   3. Religion - Prayer & Spirituality   4. Spirituality - General   

Customer Reviews (1)

HYPNOSIS OF A LOVER
HYPNOSIS OF A LOVER STARTED OUT SLOW BUT PICKED UP SPEED AS IT WENT ON .. IT WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED WHAT IT WAS GOOD TO READ. I LIKED IT.. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General   2. Poetry   

Customer Reviews (1)

A terrific overview
I had been looking for a book like this for a long time. Finally there is an accessible volume that clearly explains the fundamental concepts of German philosophical aesthetics without simplifying them. In fact, this book goes beyond the mere reporting of philosophical positions as it carefully probes them and points out their problems and inconsistencies. Furthermore, the historical narrative that Hammermeister sets up is very original and presents us with a new reading of the developments within the theory of art in Germany.
I found this volume extremely helpful for my studies of philosophical aesthetics, and I expect it to become a classic in this field. However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone in the humanities with an interest in the history of aesthetic thought. I am sure that Hammermeister's book will establish itself as the main textbook for college classes on German aesthetics. It is thorough, it is enormously learned, it is very well written, and it is lucid and exciting. Indispensible for my own library and work! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aesthetics   2. Aesthetics, German   3. History & Surveys - General   4. Philosophy   5. Philosophy / History, Criticism, Surveys   

Subjects:  1. American literature   2. Asian American authors   3. Asian Americans   4. History and criticism   5. Oriental influences   

Customer Reviews (3)

Wayward Puritans
This is a remarkably clear, insightful, and readable study on the topic of social deviance. It is one of the rare academic studies that is also an enjoyable read - combining plainly stated theories with a compelling story to illustrate the theoretical points. While the reviewer from Seattle seems to view this book as providing ammunition for an anti-"right wing Christian" agenda, I found it to be much more value-neutral, and not a polemical work at all. It brackets out of the argument judgements on the validity of the theological points held by the Puritans, and focuses instead on the social forces that led to the Salem witch-hunt. Erikson presents this historical episode as a particularly clear case of the more generic social phenomenon of a witch-hunt. His framework for understanding the events in Salem can be applied equally well to other historical witch-hunts, such as the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union and the McCarthy hearings in the United States.

Puritans, maybe. Wayward, absolutely.
This book should be required reading for anyone interested in political science, history of religion, American history, or for anyone who is a right wing Christian. It is well researched and historically accurate. The writing style is a joy to read. Having been taught how wonderful our founding fathers were and how they left England to escape religious persecution, it is quite an eye-opener to read this book. Apparantly religious freedom was reserved only for the Puritans themselves, not others. Anyone who didn't believe as they did was thoroughly sanctioned if not removed. They weren't leaving Europe to escape religious persecution, they were looking for a new country in which to locate their own brand of bigotry. Maybe if this were required reading in Christian right wing schools, a few budding liberals could still be saved.

Puritans maybe, wayward absolutely
This book is a real eye opener for those of us who have been taught how wonderful our founding fathers were, searching for religious freedom and all. Freedom was apparantly something for themselves, not others. I think this book should be required reading in high school if not in college. Certainly it should be required in any born again Christian type school. It would likely annoy many religious rightests but might just save one or two budding liberals out there. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Massachusetts   2. Puritans   3. Social Science   4. Sociology   5. Sociology - General