D-A Books

One of the best books I've read in months. Character developement was superb. I just couldn't put it down. An ending that left me hungry for more. I can't wait for the next one! Highly reecommended.

I found this novel very easy to read and enjoyed the storyline and the character involvement. In spite of the fact there were many characters, I did not find their introduction confusing and as the story evovled, the intertwining of each into the story was well done. Looking forward to Dr. Comunale's next effort.

Great Book. I highly recommend it to everyone. The characters are wonderful and unforgettable. The portion of this story on Ellis Island brought tears to my eyes. If you haven't read it--get it and read it tomorrow.

This is a brilliant first novel. I couldn't put it down. Couldn't wait to find out what happened to the characters. Looking forward to the next one!!

The format of story telling in this book varies from what I'm used to reading, and the jumps in narration can be a little disorienting. However, I can honestly say that the more I read through the book, the more curious I become on the fates of it's characters. Ultimately, the author does a great job pulling his audience into the story.

Tarkovsky's 'Sculpting in Time' offers a fascinating glimpse into this master's theoretical and poetic approach to his craft. Reading it alongside with 'Time Within Time', his diaries collected, the text casts a new light upon the work and mind of this artist of truth and sacrifice - A true must for art lovers worldwide.

If you want to find out how to make a movie, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you're one of those who believe in the transcendental power of movies to reflect on humankind, to change it, this might be the single most powerful book on aesthetics ever written by a filmmaker you'll ever find. I say "aesthetics" because he's talking about art, in general, and not only about films. It's sad, but Tarkovsky might have been expecting a longer life, maybe another couple movies when he put this book together, but he died just afterwards.

I was introduced to Tarkovsky's work about 20 years ago during my time in film school, and The Sacrifice was the movie that turned me on to his outstanding cinematic legacy. The more I saw, the more I wanted to learn about the artist. Then I came upon Sculpting In Time; a cinematic memoir which has forever changed my life, and my artistic visions.

This book is nothing short of inspirational. I highly recommend it even if you are not familiar with Tarkovsky's work. Each chapter is loving written, eloquently detailed and profoundly insightful on topics such as the importance of sound, story and visual aesthetics in filmmaking. Tarkovsky's ability to, quite literally, sculpt cinematic moments in time in each of his films is nothing short of genius.

Thames & Hudson have triumphed with what collectors might regard as a limited edition, artist's book.This isn't the place to start chipping into Tarkovsky. It is more the devotee's piece - a touchstone which alludes to the magnificent ediface of his films: all which return the viewer to their world with a deeper, more spacious vision, an expanded present moment. In 'Rubelov','Solaris', 'Stalker', and,'Sacrifice', to name my favourites, he re-invented the epic with sustained inquiries into our transience without heady verbalism or vanity. To grapple with his own thinking about his achievements and how he positioned himself as an artist, one should seek out,'Sculpting In Time,'penned towards the end of his relatively short life. Recently, French documentary-maker, Chris Marker('Sunless') compiled a stunning homage to this Russian cinematic master. Bits of Tarkovsky's aforementioned book, and excerpts from his diaries appear with the reproduced polaroid snaps(the present book's theme)which fall into two geographic zones, Italy & Russia and are bookended with short tributes by two Italian friends. Every effort has been made in layout to convey the darkened atmosphere in which the illuminated materiality of these world's float to the viewer's eye. And in images barely larger than matchboxes this scale has some of the hallucinatory power of his movies. The layout & medium insist on episodic, fragmentary framing. Tarkovsky's films privilege the same exquisite framing with a sensual appetite for textures above narratives that makes us feel newly arrived at a primary experiencing of the world. These polaroids could have served as his flexing towards film projects: even their outtakes.

"Sculpting in Time" is truly an amazing work of art in its own right. Certainly filmmakers have written books about their artistic styles in the past. Philosophers have written elaborately on the subject of aesthetics as a whole in the past as well. And yet "Sculpting in Time" offers those with aesthetic interests something truly unique.

It should be forewarned that Tarkovsky, like Ingmar Bergman, was heavily interested in aesthetic philosophy. In fact Tarkovsky's ideas regarding art borderline the metaphysical (as this book is often used in higher level philosophy classes), and yet - through the tone in which the book is written - "Sculpting in Time" manages to appeal to the average Tarkovsky or cinema studies fan in such a way that no other aesthetics book has managed.

Tarkovsky's self-written "Sculpting in Time" is an amazing supplement which describes the brilliant filmmaker's use of filmic techniques but also goes a step further by explaining (at great length), why the filmmaker believes those techniques are significant. The value of his tried efforts to create a meaningful work of art directly relate to Tarkovsky's view of art as a whole.

Tarkovsky's views of art are complex and yet are reiterated for the reader so simply they stand out in "Sculpting in Time" like a gem. For instance the underlying theme in Tarkovsky's writing is the idea of an "absolute truth" of art which can be derived a given piece of art. Without giving too much away, Tarkovsky's beliefs, as expressed in his chapter "Imprinted in Time" mostly, is simply that art done for the right reasons - containing some form of objective truth within it - serves to link us (subjective beings), with an "absolute." From that blooms Tarkovsky's entire creative aspect fans of his films know and love him for.

I have to recommend this book to anyone interested in aesthetics, cinema studies, or Tarkovsky. I think this is a nice supplement to have when watching Tarkovsky films as well, so it might just serve to spark the interest in a philosophy buff to check out a few Tarkovsky films! Enjoy!

The storyline is awesome although my 5 year more then likely doesn't understand the real meaning of the story yet! Great read - highly recommended.

My daughter (9) loves this book! She says that it is very creative!

What a find! This is a beautifully illustrated book. The story is so magical that the entire family was eager to hear every word.

There is not much not to like about this work. The author has given us a great folk tale, well written, wonderful illustrations, a work full of lessons and just a pure simple fun story to read. Like all good fables this one not only entertains, but teaches some very valuable lessons in life and living (something most of we adults could use a dose of now and again). This is a great book for a child to read on her or his own, a wonderful book to read with a child and a great book to read to an entire class. It is absolutely amazing the amount of discussion this book can create in a class room. I certainly am not going to go into the story line here, other reviewers here have done a grand job of that, but I do say the book is well worth owning and well worth using with children and/or young adults. I do wish more of our folk tales and lore could be so well presented. This particular edition is well constructed, sturdy and can last through many little hands. Highly recommend this one.

This is a charming little folktale about two sisters Ð one mean and greedy, the other generous and kind Ð and their encounter with a strange, magical old woman. In the end, the good sister is rewarded and the bad one punished. A nice story with a good message.

But this isnÕt just a nice book, it is an extraordinary one. One thing that makes it special is the way the author uses language. Robert San Souci draws on an African American storytelling tradition and a southern rural dialect that just makes the language sing! The book is full of wonderful, poetic lines and great rhythmic language. ItÕs a joy to read aloud. The words feel good in your mouth. And any parent or teacher who reads aloud a lot knows what a rare quality that is. Even when IÕm tired, I feel like I canÕt read this book badly. The words just flow.

And the illustrations are gorgeous. Jerry Pinkney is one of the best illustrators around and this is one of my favorites of all his work. The composition, the subtle colors, the intricate detail Ð you rarely come across art this fine in childrenÕs books.

I bought this book for my daughter a couple of years ago, and weÕre still reading it over and over again. ItÕs so good, I hope in a generation sheÕll still be reading it to my grandchildren.

This was the first book I've ever read about addiction. Mikael tells his story with humor, total honesty, and great detail. There were moments when I was reading I would laugh out loud and moments when I'd feel butterflies in the pit of my stomach as he candidly describes what his life was like when he was totally and utterly lost in a world of drugs. I applaud Mikael for the courage it took to write this book and for his desire to help others by sharing his story. This was a great read. I highly recommend it to people of all ages.

I thought the book was entertaining. but that is really abouth the extent of it. He spends 95% of the book telling "war stories" about his debauchery and drug use, but really not his drug addiction. There is very little information about what his family goes through and only mentions them as characters in his exciting stories. He definitly is not a great writer but, that also confirms for me that he wrote it himself, which is a positive. He could of summed up what took him hundreds of pages in the following, I got caught up in a party scene, with an endless stream of hardcore drugs, drug dealing and women, which eventually led to numerous arrests, a baby out of wedlock and several visits to rehab and then spent ample time on how he has changed and how he did it instead of the endless detailed, blow by blow stories of how he got high on this or that. He really seems to be fresh out of that world and it is hard to get a frame of reference of how long he has been in recovery and what the steps are he took and is taking so as not to fall back into this dismal existence. I'm wondering if he really has enough time to have been authoring a book on the subject of recovery. I just dont get the vibe from him that he is neccesarily standing on firm ground as he still seems to resonate a character of self, which is the underlying character flaw of addiction behavior. Also, I am irritated at how he just jumps into a marriage with a new girl and has a new baby with her and sort of seems to just forget about the first child he has. overall an entertaining read but I would not recommend this as a tool to educators and parents to understand how a good kid goes bad. Try, "Broken" or a "Beautiful Boy" for that subject.

This excellently depicted story of Mikael's descent into the dark world of drugs is a wake up call to all of those out there who never thought that it could happen to them. He candidly shares the most tumultuos and low points in his life while giving a good lesson at the same time. This book is well written and easily reads in conversation format. Mikael has a unique writing style that processes truth behind the words and emplores you to learn from his mistakes while telling his story. Overall, a good read!

Attention parents, educators and teens -- this book is a must read for all of you. This is the one book that parents who think "Oh, not my kid... " must read, to get a real grasp at the fact that EVERY kid has the potential to spiral into drug addiction and destroying everything of value -- just like Mikael. Unfortunately, unlike Mikael, many will not be able to brake out of their prison of addiction.
I applaud Mikael Luman for sharing his story, and for founding Generation Free - advocating proactive education.

It is hard to imagine how deep of a hole a person can dig for themselves, only to fall into the dark abyss of nowhere. Rarely do those people find their way out, but somehow Mikael did. Many others were not so fortunate.....I knew many of these same people. This book teaches a good lesson when it comes to drug use, friends and making good or bad choices. Read the good with the bad in this very honest account of a roller coaster ride from hell.......and back. Highly recommended for anyone thinking that drugs won't change their lives....

Great book for any players. Yes, it's an older edition, but in my opinion, better than the newer editions they have now.

This book harkens back to the "good old days" when playing the paper and pencil D&D used to be new and fun. There have been several reincarnations of this manual and I've thumbed through them but they just don't hold a candle to the original, despite the fancier artwork and rule changes. I remember spending hours combing tables as I built a new dungeon. I am not at all happy with the direction TSR took after Mr. Gygax was booted out (or left, can't remember which) and one big loss was the original manuals. They are now up to version 3 something of the rules but I do not even know what they are because I just play computer games now. All I know about the new rules is that multi-class characters are easier to work with. It was an exciting time, a different era. I still have this manual and will always treasure it. If you can find one, pick it up just to see how things used to be done. Highly recommended.

The wonderfully unique writing style of Gary Gygax shines through on just about every page of this book.

This work is an essential companion to the 1st Edition AD&D Players Handbook. It gives you combat charts, rules for followers, average sale values for magic items (something left out of the 2nd Edition Dungeon Masters Guide), general advice on how to run a game, several pages of artifact descriptions (fascinating descriptions that give amazing depth to the objects), random monster encounters for different environments and dungeon levels, random dungeon generation tables and even several pages of monsters from the monster manual in abbreviated form. This book is packed with great information from cover to cover.

Maybe what I like most about this book is its almost total lack of political correctness. From the nudity in the artwork (the topless mermaid on page 180) to the descriptions of various disgusting diseases and forms of insanity, it gives you a raw, gritty version of the game full of style and flavor. Unfortunately, this is something the Dungeons & Dragons game will never likely see again.

The only thing I dislike about the book is the combat system. Although playable, especially with a few house rules thrown in to smooth things over, its hard to get an understanding of exactly how combat is supposed to work just from reading the text.

If you can find a used copy of this book, I recommend you pick it up. It's definitely worth a read.

This is a great players' resource for refererencing some of the forgotten races and images that were updated and/or revised from 1st edition into the 2nd edition.

It is an historical find in terms of role-playing games, since these books are now in extremely limited numbers and are quite collectible. I purchased this book together with the Dungeon Masters Guide (AD&D 1st Ed. revised) and they are a part of my role-playing game collection.

With a few pages with pen marks and a slightly damaged hardback cover, I now have a decent addition to my RPG collection.

This is a fantastic book, if purely because it shows the roaming imagination of Gary Gygax. Future editions of the game have cut down on the unplayable aspects of the first edition (with elegant variations in bonuses tables for different ability scores, impossibly low level limits for various non-human characters, terrible encumbrance tables, etc) but the first edition contains a darker side which feeds the imagination and was supported by a fantastic group of modules. Worth getting whether you play 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3.5 or 4th edition as it contains plenty of detail on roleplaying and random things of interest. Almost like an unedited journey through Gygax's head.

Both David Von Drehle and Michael Mello's books are excellent and very well describe what life is like for those on death row and those representing death sentenced persons, particularly at the old CCR [Office of Capital Collateral Representative]. However there is more:

After Mark Olive voluntarily resigned from CCR about March 1988, Billy H. Nolas became the next Chief Litigator. It is extremely odd that neither Mello nor Von Drehle even mention Nolas nor the next Chief Litigator Martin or Marty J. McClain. For important reasons they should have.

Billy H. Nolas is an excellent litigator like Olive. Nolas was the Chief Litigator for the last two years of the Gov. Martinez "regime", which was the most difficult time in CCR history [during my employment there] with Martinez signing death warrants as if he was at a Republican Party event signing autographs.

Nolas resigned at the end of 1990, after Martinez had been defeated by former U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles and former U.S. House of Representatives member Buddy MacKay.

Nolas was completely drained from the years he endured and litigated while at CCR, due to the huge case load and the internecine warfare within the agency. McClain and his faction within CCR did their best to cause Nolas to leave -- eventually they were successful -- and THAT is when clients' cases began to suffer.

Martin J. McClain is an excellent litigator, however his strategic decisions in various cases are questionable. When Mello writes on page 245 of the hardcover version of "Dead Wrong" regarding CCR, "Look beneath the surface of CCR's 'success rates', however, and you'll find an artifice typical of hack public defender officers. CCR has in the past farmed out the hardest cases to outside lawyers (by finding that it has a 'conflict of interest')". The period of time that Mello is referring to is when Martin J. McClain was the Chief Litigator and Michael Minerva was the executive director of CCR.

As the premier example of McClain alleging a "conflict of interest" [and I can only assume with the consent of the director of CCR at the time, Michael Minerva] is the client Jerry Layne Rogers, Sr. -- a wrongfully convicted and innocent man -- Mr. Rogers's case in 1992 consisted of at least 80 boxes of documents, from court files, prosecutor and law enforcement files, trial and evidentiary hearing transcripts, etc. Mr. Rogers's case was the largest and most complicated that CCR has ever represented.

The second largest and most complicated was that of Mr. Gerald Stano, whose lead attorney during most of the development of his case was Mark Olive.

McClain simply didn't want to have such a complicated case as a CCR case, so McClain, in my considered insider opinion as Mr. Roger's only investigator from 1989 until my involuntary departure in 1992, alleged in a misrepresentation to the Florida Supreme Court (FSC) that he had a "conflict of interest" with Mr. Rogers -- while Mr. Rogers's case was pending at the FSC.

As a result, Mr. Rogers had no counsel for an extended period of time until the Washington, D.C. law firm Covington and Burling became his pro bono counsel in 1995. The result was an unanimous FSC 26 page opinion ordering a new trial due primarily to prosecutorial misconduct, in particular Brady v. Maryland violations.

To read the opinion, go to the Florida Supreme Court website, to recent opinions, to the year 2001, scroll down to February 15, 2001.

During the summer of 2002, Mr. Rogers was re-convicted, however the jury recommended and Mr. Rogers received a life sentence. Thus for a second time Mr. Rogers has been wrongfully convicted.

Another wrongfully convicted Florida death row inmate, who is now a free man, Juan Melendez, testified about his neighbor on death row, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers taught him how to speak, read and write in English as well as assisting him in coping skills while on death row.

In 2004, the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal denied relief. The FSC declined to accept jurisdiction and thus denied the petition for review.

Mr. Rogers' case is pending Federal review.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Joseph "Crazy Joe" Spaziano, who avoided Florida's electric chair six years ago when his condemnation for murder was thrown out, was denied parole Wednesday, on a sentence of life plus five years for raping a 16-year-old Orlando girl and slashing her eyes in 1974.

The state Parole Commission voted against changing Spaziano's April 2060 parole date on the rape conviction after a 40-minute hearing Wednesday when family members and attorneys on both sides testified in the case of the one-time member of the Outlaws motorcycle gang.

Spaziano, now 58, will be eligible to seek another parole hearing in 2009.

Bill Cotterell has been a journalist with UPI and more recently for a good number of years at the Tallahassee Democrat covering primarily state government news in Florida. His email address is bcotterell@tallahassee.com for verification of this account and a more accurate recounting.

He has recounted to me several times about the time in one case that Ms. Holdman said something to the effect that the murdered youth would just have to miss her high school prom --- said in a scarcastic and offensive tone -- meaning minimizing the impact that the murder had upon the murdered youth herself.

Michael Mello's "Dead Wrong" quote from page 195 (hardcover version): "There were some days (and nights) when CCR was the best public defender office in the world." I agree -- "some" being the operative word here.

For more insight, Michael Moline, formerly of UPI in Tallahassee, wrote a long article for a California newspaper (the name I don't have with me at this time) about Scharlette Holdman shortly after she arrived in California from Florida by means of South Carolina.

A professor in the Sociology department of the University of Delaware recommended Von Drehle to me for an example of a writing style I could use. I'm glad to have made the purchase both because of writing style and content.

Though the author never specifically articulates his beliefs about the death penalty anywhere within this volume, I had the distinct impression that he was actually, in principle, a proponent of the punishment, but had become increasingly frustrated with its practice as he investigated every capital case in Florida during the first few years of the death penalty's reimposition. It is this perspective, along with the excellent writing and the telling details he unearths about each case (details concerning the commission of the crime, the investigation, trial, appeals, execution, and aftermath) that separate this volume from most of the other anti-death penalty materials. Above all else, it is an excellent read.

Easy, clear and informative; this useful guide aids quickly and assists in giving me additional insight.

This is a great book for the beginner or the experienced. We carry the book, CD and cards at Facets of Healing. It's also one of our suggested reads for our shaman students or those just wanting to know more about animal guides, or energies. I personally love the Antelope section, being an antelope shaman.

Namaste
Antelope Medicine Woman
AKA Jacuqeline Kennedy,
Facets of Healing and The Reiki Energy Healing Center
717 Vista Ave
Boise, ID 83705
208-429-9999

Received this book right away and really love it. It is well written and a wonderful addition to Animal Speak and Wise books by Ted Andrews

I absolutely love this book. I am getting so much more information now after I got this book. I have it easily accessible because I am constantly getting animal images I then look it up in the book and the messages are relevant to what is going on in my life.
I had the earlier version of this book and felt guided to give it to a family member..And when I saw that he came out with this version with tons more animals I was SOO excited!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!

Well let me tell you, I will never look at an animal the same way again. I'm not sure how true the messages of the animals in this book are it is still a fun read that everyone (believer or not)can get a kick out of. The other day I read this book about the eagle and later on I took a walk and I heard the scream of an Eagle! There are very few eagles in this area, but there she was flying just above me and when I told my neighbors about the sighting, no one believed me. Go figure, when you start reading stuff like this, strange stuff (cool stuff) starts to happen. Enjoy!

A young boy wanders from one vivid experience to another to another, just like kids do. His childhood had unique exposures to Nazi terror and horror, to be sure. But throughout those grim days, there remained that irrepressible insouciance of youth. There was even hero worship when he became involved with the French underground. He brings us right along with him as he becomes a man.

This author described what was, more than anything else, a normal, adventuresome boyhood. Although I was expecting something more like "The Diary of Anne Frank", this book was more reminiscent of "Huckleberry Finn".

Seeped into the depths of war and dispair of mankind, Dr. Burnell takes us on a journey through Nazi-occupied France during WWII. As opposed to the atrocities of holocaust victims in that same era, we are instead introduced into the lives of the common citizenry as they struggle through each day not knowing who is friend or foe. Dr. Burnell's family must decide when to run and when to stay; while knowing their decisions set them at risk to lose everything, including their lives. Balanced with historical facts, Dr. Burnell tells a tale that has us turning the pages, immersing us into the joys and sorrows of a family that in the end prevails despite their losses and succeeds in spite of the tragedy brought by war.

Dr. Burnell tells a story of fear, brutality, resourcefulness, courage, and sensitivity. These emotions are the backdrop to his autobiographical tale of growing from just-past-childhood to near-adulthood in Nazi-occupied France during WW 2. Burnell describes how he and his mother survived the relentless threat of the Nazis as they fled from city to city in France just barely ahead of the Nazi persecution. From Strasbourg in the eastern part of the country to Paris to Bordeaux and finally to Lyon in the south. Along the way his stepfather was consumed by the Holocaust and by the end Burnell was fighting back by working for the French Resistance. The writing is clear, personal, and carries the read along swiftly. I could barely put it down- thus I read it in just a few nights.

This is a well written, interesting memoir of a Holocaust survivor in France. The sections on political events are well placed and provide appropriate historic background to contents of the book.
Myself a Holocaust survivor, I learned from it a lot about life in France during those years and enjoyed reading it.

"Beating the Odds" by George Burnell is the exciting autobiography of a youngster growing up in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In 369 action packed pages, the author traces his journey from Strasbourg, France in 1939 until the end of WWII in May, 1945. "Beating the Odds" is a real page turner that reads like a novel full of twists and turns. As an adolescent French Jew, George with his family lived in constant fear of discovery by the Nazis and moved frequently to ellude them. Despite these risks, he manages to join his Uncle David, a Dentist, and others in the French Resistance and narrowly escapes with his life. This fascinating memoir gives the reader an interesting and unique perspective on WWII in France and I highly recommend it to you.

This book is about a girl who finds out who she truly is through many painful experiences. Cecile, who's humble father never accepts anything from anybody, is very surprised when her father helps a woman who is of French royalty and when she asks for anything to give to Cecile's father, he asks if she might be a servant to the french royalty. Cecile gets whisked away to the palaces of Versaille, which is what "gates of gold" means. She learns proper ediquette, getting a job to tending the woman's 12 dogs. She learns a side of herself that she never thought she had through tending and walking the dogs, also meeting a soon to be "his royal highness" Bretagne, who was about 5-7 years old. Through the dogs, Cecile and Bretagne create a heartwarming relationship, which is tested over the months that Cecile lives at the palace. This book is based on actual history, although the author does a very good job adding her own twist of fiction into the story. This book ends suddenly and heart-breakingly, which I'll warn the emotional readers about. You will love this book.

Cecile is a heartwarming, cheerful and peaceful young girl. Serving at court was one of her most important dreams. However, when she finally got the chance to work there, it was nothing like she had expected. The worst part about working there was being apart from her father. Cecile felt that she had to be there with her father and tend to his growing cold. While at court, she becomes friends with the royal family. This book has many joyful and unfortunalty, some hard times. I would recomend this book to any young girl around the age of 12. This is a very touching book and teaches all a very improtant lesson. Dream big becuase what you dream may come true and change your life forever.

The year is 1711, and 12-year-old Cecile Revel, is a peasant girl living in the French countryside with her Doctor Father. Cecile is stricken by poverty, and her daily life consists of going hungry and facing various hardships. Her one dream is to serve at the court of King Louis the XIV's court, where she will have the opportunity to wear gorgeous gowns, attend balls, and eat her fill of marvelous foods. However, when her dream comes true due to a fluke, Cecile realizes that serving at the court is unlike anything she's ever imagined. Instead of playing, and racing through the lovely gardens, Cecile is forced to spend many long, agonizing hours learning proper etiquette. Then Cecile learns some strange information about her Father, and the short time that he spent at the court, and realizes that maybe court-life isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I have been a fan of the AMERICAN GIRL series for years, and was ecstatic to see the new series PLEASANT COMPANY was publishing for older readers. I received every book in the GIRLS OF MANY LANDS series for Christmas, and while I have only read two, I already know that CECILE: GATES OF GOLD is sure to stay one of my absolute favorites. Cecile is a marvelous character, whose kind nature, and friendly outlook on life are two traits that will have readers wanting to know what will happen to Cecile next. Mary Casanova has done a fabulous job with writing this novel, and her historical information couldn't be better. A must-read!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Young 12-year-old Cecile Revel helps save Madame -sister in law to the king- and as a reward, Madame takes Cecile from her poor town of Rileaux to Versailles to work for her Madame's dogs. Cecile is not used to etiquette, and breaks many rules at first. Then she gets into the swing of things and is a great worker. But then an outbreak of measles effect her friends, the king's great grandsons. If you want to know what else happens, you should read the book. I didn't like the ending chapter, so be warned. I would recogmend this book for children 10-15, this being about a French girl with historical hapennings through the book. This was a great book!!

Cecile is a young girl living in 16th Century France. She and her father have little money to support themselves, and are barely getting by. But when she discovers a woman in the middle of the woods, crying for help, her life changes drastically.
The woman turns out to be the queen. Cecile comes to her rescue, and in turn, the queen hires her as a servant. Cecile knows the money will benefit her family, so she gows to work in the palace.
Very well done.

I think this is one of the better book I have readed about Zen...Wonderful Book!

I must be an idiot, because this book really spoke to me. I understood it better than all the other books about Zen that I have read, and it helped me understand those other books, too. It answered just about all of my questions about Zen. I don't know if its definitions of Nirvana, Satori, and Kensho are orthodox or not, but they make me happy, and they confirm some of my own previous ideas. Buddha is right here, right now, and we are only waves in an infinite, eternal Ocean. Meanwhile, back to everyday reality. This book shows how Zen can help even a layperson find enlightenment in everyday life, in work, in play, in relationships, in hardship. It is a finger pointing straight at the moon.

There you have it, the essence of Zen. You, right here, right now. Reading this review with your full attention. Mindfully.
How simple and great is this? No complicated formulas or history to learn. No need to buy anything (besides this book). No mistakes to be made. You just start living Zen.

Right here. Right now.

The authors of this deceptively simple guide make it easy to grasp this concept, and answer all your questions about how to quickly and easily focus on the present moment (which seems easier said than done for many).

If you've ever longed for peace, calm, and a positive way to live your life, you may find it in the practice of Zen. And what a relief to learn in this guide that you can start right away.

Right here. Right now.

I love the Idot and Dummies series of books for making complicated subjects easier to understand, and this is no exception. If you hesitate to buy this book because you think it doesn't have meat, you are mistaken. Not only does this ease you into the subject of Zen, it gives you the tools to start using Zen in your life right now. The book contains additional information on recommended books, internet links, etc. If you are new to Zen like me, this is a great place to start. You will not be dissapointed.

I bought this book based on the reviews here and I am so glad I did! This is one of the top 5 spiritual books I've ever read.

I'd describe it as a nuts-and-bolts, non-religious, no-nonsense reference book for the average person to live a more peaceful life. Most books on the topic seem to assume one has the luxury of time, money, etc. to retreat to a mountain hut dressed in robes. This book offers information on how a REAL person--with a job, family stress, and all that accompanies the typical American life--can achieve more inner peace.

In particular, I have to mention that it gave the ONLY truly useful discussion and advice on meditation I've ever found (and I've searched for answers on this for years); this has allowed me to actually understand meditation and start integrating it into my life. I never thought I'd be able to.

GREAT BOOK.