D-A Books

I think for anyone on the fence, this book will demonstrate the advantages of marketing, even before one's product or service is out. The authors explain the different sectors of the market that need to be addressed at different times. Check it out!

As the advertising industry becomes more and more competitive, startups become increasingly desirable new business prospects. Yet, once the business is won agencies spend most of their time bemoaning their new client's lack of marketing savvy. The result? A doomed professional relationship. LIES STARTUPS TELL THEMSELVES is an indispensable new business tool for agencies. If it isn't on your agency's bookshelf, put it there. The next time you have a new business pitch, you'll know the lies (and fears) your prospect is going through. And you can start a relationship based on realistic expectations. The result? A long, beautiful and profitable relationship.

LIES STARTUPS TELL THEMSELVES ... is packed with essential strategy and tactics for ALL pharma, medical and related management; not just startups.
I know Sandy Holtzman as head of the NYC LES chapter so read as a courtesy to her, initially; but found I learned a great deal from this relatively short book and marketing is my major and one of my strongest experience areas. Don't try to market a product without reading.

I received this book from a friend, and it was one of the best gifts I received this year. In marketing as in life, one of the most damaging problems is ironically one that can be solved so simply - self-delusion. Like a dope-slap to the head, this book woke me up to some problems on my company Web site.

Besides the advice, a key feature of the book is the collection of examples of start-ups who have both succeeded and failed because of their marketing. Now I'm better equipped to avoid being one of the latter.

WARNING: If you're even thinking about starting a high-tech, nano-tech or any business, read this book first. Reading LIES has taught me how to avoid burning valuable time - and even more valuable investor funds - thinking I knew how to generate revenue or market share without a competitive strategy. Like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest with noone there, without a marketing plan to signal the world that you are there, most business launches are likely to fall flat. Lucky for us that these two savvy marketing pros offer valuable advice on how to build a smarter foundation that will support a successful business launch. And, for those of us a bit too near-sighted or distracted to grasp the basics, Holtzman and Kondek have included easy-to-understand graphics that teach the basics at a glance. This is a must-have primer for anyone serious about building a durable brand in a competitive world. The book made me feel a lot better armed for the battles ahead. Even though the title is "Lies" - I feel as though the book is the truth that has set me free....entrepreneurially speaking.

Journal Of Financial Service Professionals May 2000 Issue

Bookshelf

Selected Summaries

Life Insurance Boot Camp Buyer's Guide - Second Edition 2000

Designed as a buyer's guide, this volume provides basic financial information to combat the uncertainties of dying too soon, living too long, and becoming sick or injured. The volume is divided into eight parts: life insurance basics, life insurance considerations, life insurance term types, life insurance non-term types, life insurance accessories, life insurance ledger statement terminology, and the need for present-value living money.

Topics discussed include life, disability, and long-term care health insurance; income and estate taxes; retirement planning; investment principles; and the time value of money basics.

This volume should be of interest to anyone interested in making reasonable, comprehensive financial planning decisions for all the stages of life.

Your Money - A Consumer Digest Inc. Publication April/May 2000 Issue

Who Really Needs Life Insurance?

"It's a very emotional issue and a very subjective one," says William Brownlie, a retired chartered life-insurance underwriter who now advises consumers and author of Life Insurance Boot Camp Buyer's Guide.

Life Insurance Boot Camp is basic training for the life insurance industry. Aimed at consumers of life insurance, this 330 page paperback (also in a diskette Word 97 version) will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about life insurance, and then some. From what to look for in a company or agent to the calculations for the internal rate of return of a whole life policy, this manual covers all.

William Brownlie is a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War and a career life insurance agent now retired from actively selling life insurance. He holds the CLU, ChFC, CIP, LIA designations. His other works include "Life Insurance: Its Rate of Return", and "The Life Insurance Buyer's Guide". He is also a former member of the Million Dollar Round Table, a group of life insurance sales achievers.

The book is divided into nine parts: Life Insurance Basics, Life Insurance Considerations, Term, Non-Term, Riders, Who Should Pay the Premium, Ledger Statements, Claim Procedure, and a Life Insurance IQ Test.

The material in the book is suitable for beginners to life insurance experts, although the internal rate of return discussion do get a bit complicated. The author is obviously an expert in this area.

Each chapter ends with the author's subjective opinion on the topic at hand, and leaves the reader with the impression of being gently guided along the education process.

If you could purchase one book on the topic of life insurance, this one should be near the top of your list.

An excellent primer for the middle income market long forgotten by the life insurance industry - because they have taken Plato's advice by developing "philosopher kings" as agents to serve those earning high six figure incomes.

This guidebook excels in describing the "return" of a whole life policy. The author is an expert in evaluating the internal rates of return (what buyers are getting for their money measured in terms of compound interest) for term and non-term life insurance.

I read this book after my mother died 16 years ago and I still recommend it when someone I know has lost a loved one. It really explains the grief process and lets you know that no matter how you feel and how you respond, you're not losing your mind. I found it very comforting. I also pulled it out and reread after having a miscarriage. This book is full of wisdom that will help with any loss. I highly recommend it!

Lead Me Home:: An African-American's Guide Through The Grief Journey

My husband of 46 years committed suicide 3 months ago. While reaching out to every resource available to me, I came across this book. After reading it, I went back through and highlighted it everywhere it hit the mark. It took two days. This is the most astoundingly helpful book I've seen and I've read a lot of them. I've also recommended it to my therapists as a wonderful source of wisdom, insight, and understanding for those who are dealing with all kinds of grief: death, divorce, job loss, giving birth and many other events. What a lot of helpful insights Dr. Bozarth offers! I recommend it unreservedly to all who are traveling down this road. God be with you. Elizabeth J. Riney, M.D.

At a time when I had lost 3 people that I loved very much over a period of only 6 months, I was not sure where to turn. Friends, family and co-workers said, "just take it one day at a time". Although this is a very true statement, understanding the emotions you are feeling and why can really, really help after a loss. This book doesn't just touch on death, it encompasses all losses from a job or divorce to the loss of a loved one. There are so many different things to consider and this book helps to drill down to your connect to the job or person and why the loss if effecting you in the way it is. I highly recommend this book, it does have a bit of a religious spin but not as a turn off, as a warm welcoming feeling that someone else understands.

This book has helped me so much during a very rough time in my life where I've split from my husband, lost my house that I dearly loved, and moved to a place that I hate. It helps you understand what you're going through, and it gives you things to do that can help. An amazingly good book!

I purchased this book after the sudden death of a friend. I was at a complete loss as to how to deal with it, and had never experienced this type of loss before. I was shaken.

I can't believe my good fortune to have this book. It taught me so much about the role Grief plays in our lives, as well as it's not just limited to the lose of a person or relationship. Grief can come in all forms from all things. I found it very comforting to discover this and it actually helped me to embrace grief as a natural precursor to healing.

This is definitely a great book to have around, and did give me some tremendous insights. I highly recommend this book for anyone having experience a loss or a feeling of loss that you can't seem to attach to anything. I really feel like this book was a sanity saver in a sense, as it helped me identify something I would have never recognized as 'grief-worthy.'

If you like lighthouses, this is fun book. A fast read written by a young girl about her experiences as the daughter of a lighthouse keeper. Happy and sad, it gives a window into her life. Busy, danger, lonely? Yes!

This is an amazing book... I was really moved by the adventures and trials of this little girl growing up on an island by the lighthouse, with the backdrop of the beautiful, yet dangerous, Pacific Northwest at the turn of the XX century. The language is simple and direct, but the stories are so full of life and all those little details that make up childhood. Even if this book is a child's story, it is very romantic, in the highest sense of this word. So if you love the sea, or childhood, or the Northwest, or if you're a dreamer at heart, read this book!

Patos Island is a tiny, magical, mystical undeveloped island that only a few fortunate sailors visit. I fell in love with it on my first visit, and only later did I learn of Helene Glidden's book. What a treasure! It brings her family alive in vivid detail--the hilarious, the heartbreaks and the nearly unimaginable hardships. After reading "The Light on the Island" I could not sail in that area without the benevolent company of their ghosts--I could almost hear them singing across the water, as if rowing on their way to a party on a neighboring island. Anyone who loves the San Juan Islands, anyone with a thirst for history will love this little book.

The Light On The Island was written by my great aunt, Helene Glidden. We have enjoyed reading the story over and over, and have spent two nights in Active Cove on Patos Island with our children. The last night we spent there was about 5 years ago, tied up to a bouy in our 29 foot sailboat. It was a terrible night, as Active Cove often lives up to it's name. I spent all night thinking about my aunt and what it must have been like to call that lighthouse home.
...a lovely book. I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as we have.

Helen Glidden wrote this gem for the amusement of her children. Lucky for us, she was persuaded to have it published. Now, happily, 50 years hence it's back in print. It's an enchanting story (mostly true) about a large family (13 children) of light house keepers posted to tiny Patos Island in the San Juan Islands of NW Washington State at the turn of the century. It is told through the eyes of the five-year-old, middle daughter and comes complete with smugglers, heroes, a murder or two, colorful characters, whimsy and plenty of humor. Glidden masters the tricky business of writing from the point of view of a youngster growing from five to 13 who, for example, thinks the bushy bearded man living on the lam in their forest and know only to her is God. The author was this girl.

Longevity Made Simple by Richard Flanigan M.D. and Kate Flanigan Sawyer MD, MPH, has a subtitle, `How to Add 20 Good Years to Your Life.' This book is not a diet book or is it an exercise book. It is longevity book that explains in simple language what science tells us about living long, healthy lives.

The book consists of eleven chapters plus an appendix with simple recipes. Some topics covered in the book are how long should we live? Eighty-five if we are in good health. The top 10 causes of death in the U.S. Did you know the 10th leading cause of death is Septicemia? Find out what that is in Chapter 2.

Also included is a personal risk profile. It explains what is good and bad cholesterol. Along with BMI charts, a good predictor of health risk is your abdomen size, that's your waist size. It also states the limits for men and women.

Which is better, to be Fit and Fat or Sedentary and Lean? The Cooper Institute, using data from the Aerobics Center Longitude Study answers that question. The minimum amount of exercise is listed and some cautions on over-exercising.

Health foods are also covered. There is a list of Super foods that help to reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, improve the elasticity of the arteries, and improve blood pressure. Heard of plant Stanols and Sterols? These lower serum cholesterol naturally.

Tea or coffee, which is healthier? Seems like both are. Tea contains antioxidants and coffee is associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Also explained are vitamin supplements and some common medications like statins for cholesterol and different type of high blood pressure medicines. A whole chapter is devoted to common health tests, such as EKG, ultrasounds for heart and arteries, and cancer screening tests to name a few.

Rounding out the book is 10 health tips that are practical and do-able. Several of the suggestions I have already started on, such as eating several veggie meals a week and changing my exercise routine.

With charts, graphs, and lists and concise explanations, the Flanigans have made the medical science easy to understand. They write with just enough science to provide meaning and with common language to make it understandable. The amount of data inside makes this a very good quick reference book to have on hand.

Common sense, practical advice about your health. Readable, understandable, and useful. Explains cholesterol numbers, blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and how these issues affect your health and ultimately longevity. I'm giving the book to people I care about.

This book is wonderful! It is quick and easy to read. All of the information is well organized and to the point, which makes it a valuable reference tool. Many other books are way too long, repetitive, and use language that is difficult to understand if you don't have a degree in medecine.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn how to live a healthier life!

By George Fulmore

In retirement, there would seem to be a link between our health and our longevity. The healthier we are, the longer we probably will live. The trick, of course, is 1) trying to figure out the best advice for our individual situation, and 2) trying to follow that advice, while still enjoying ourselves in retirement.

"Longevity Made Simple," by Flanigan and Swayer, (2007, Williams Clark Publishing), I found to be a book that gives a good, up-to-date overview on how to live as healthy and as long as we can.

The thesis of the book is that we are genetically capable of living to about 85 years of age, but that the choices we make in what we eat and how we take care of ourselves can add or subtract years, even decades, from that age.

The basis advice involves:
1) Lower cholesterol
2) Lower Blood Pressure
3) Avoid Tobacco
4) Eat a diet rich in fish, fruit and vegetables
5) Get exercise
6) Maintain a healthy weight
7) Prevent accidents
8) Drink alcohol (daily in small amounts)
9) Take aspirin
10) Take a multivitamin

Heart disease, cancer and strokes are the cause of nearly 60 percent of Americans deaths. By keeping our cholesterol level below 182 mg/dL, our blood pressure under 120 mmHg, and not smoking or having diabetes, we can greatly reduce our risk of heart disease or stroke. Not smoking, of course, significantly reduces the risk of lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer for both men and women in the United States, according to the book. For other types of cancer, early detection dramatically increases the likelihood of survival.

The authors also suggest that other tests be done on a regular basis, including Cholesterol (lipid) panel, Advanced lipid testing, Coronary Artery Calcium Testing, Blood tests for the presence of inflammation, Electrocardiograms and Treadmill Stress tests. They say that coffee, with its "high level of antioxidants," is actually quite healthy to drink in moderation. And they site the recent study that found that exercise and fitness are more important than body weight, plus they note that there is no longer evidence that a type-A personality is directly linked with a higher risk of heart attack.

There is much more than in the book, which, again, I think gives a good, high-level overview of improving ones health and longevity in retirement. I recommend it.

Reading this book gives one the feeling your doctor is sharing everything they can with you...in one visit.

Unfortunately, only later in our life do we tend to get more serious about our health. Even later is never too late, and you can make a difference and you can educate the young now. Absorb it.

Through extensive scientific research, professional experience, the authors, both doctors, have teamed up for a thorough user-friendly book targeting longevity, providing YOU with the choices for a longer better life. And what's more, everything is explained in layman's term. Layout is designed with gray-shaded sidebars to quickly view and digest those very important topics. Lightweight and easy to carry, this is a great book to refer to during those quiet moments.

Understanding the Threats
You will get clear facts on the 10 threats to your health and its risk factors, from the number one killer, heart disease to the number 10, Septicemia. Do you know what septicemia is??

Then, you can assess your own profile. And here, completely understand those HDL LDL cholesterol levels and triglicerydes which you have never understood before.

Happiness...is it in you?
I especially like chapter on your mental health, a critical factor in our lives.

Exercise - "the real fountain of youth"
Don't try to live without it! I cannot stress how much in this book refers to the importance of exercise and how favorable it is to ward off many aspects of diseases.

Facts on Diets of long-lived people, Excellent Food Choices and Menus
Included is fact-based info on diets of various cultures, you are given a simple list of superfoods, learn about fish, nuts, and bad foods. Several menus are included.

Another chapter deals with our medications and/or supplements. Learn what statins are, and the dos and don'ts of your vitamins, etc. Great information!

As I mentioned, make this handy well researched and referenced book your bible for a long healthy life. Carry it with you. Give it as a gift!! Rizzo

I'm a teenager and i really enjoyed this book.It is a real page turner & I recommend people of all ages read it. Even if you dont like westerns, read it you will truly enjoy reading this book.It was written with taste that even a teenager could enjoy.

Luke Ludd is a book of revenge and what friendship's are supposed to mean; and makes the reader agree that revenge is the way. While Luke has been away, working as a Pinkerton Agent, Laughlin attempts to take over water and range rights from everyone in the valley resulting in multiple murders, including Luke Ludd's father. Luke's only desire is to see the men responsible dead. This results in his killing three of the McKues brothers in the streets of Rising Star. Luke is badly wounded himself during the gun battle and struggling to survive. After being rescued by Cork Langtry, an old family friend with a beautiful daughter who has loved Luke her entire life, the book is off and running with non-stop action. The character's come alive and the reader feels as though he is there with them to the end. Luke Ludd is a must read for any fan of western novels and a book you will not want to put down because you can't wait to see what happens next. D. J. Bishop is a writer with in depth knowledge of his genre, and readers will look forward to future books.

LUKE'S REVENGE FOR MURDER OF HIS FATHER
LORAINE'S LIFETIME LOVE FOR LUKE
CHARACTERIZATION WAS SUPER

After seven long years away, Luke Ludd returns to the town where he grew up after receiving word that his father had been killed. He arrives back in Rising Star to find not only had his father been shot down in cold blood, but a man by the name of Maxwell Laughlin had ordered it done so he could take over the ranch and water that in time would surely give him control of the town and all the people in it. To make things even worse Laughlin had hired the five mean-spirited McKuen brothers with their fast guns to carry out his orders and to do away with anyone else who stood in his way. The pursuing gun battle leaves three of the McKuen's dead and Luke under the boardwalk of the barbershop near death with three bullet wounds in his body and what remained of the McKuens closing in. This is an Avalon Western, and like all Avalon books, it is suitable for the whole family to read.

FROM COVER TO COVER A REAL PAGE TURNER
WELL DEVELOPED
VERY CREATIVE
PACKED FULL OF ACTION
I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN
The book has a straight-line plot. The author's style is simple and straight forward. The book is a real 'page turner.' The focus of story is on action, situations, and events. Characterization focuses on several characters of different sexes whose lives are intertwined. There are memorable and important secondary characters. The ending wraps everything up.
The geographic setting(s) of the book: Texas.
The time period(s) of the book: Mid 1800's

Luke Ludd by D.J. Bishop is must read western. It is a story of a famly and its strugle to stay together, and how in those days revenge was a must. Luke and Lorraine, Cork and his brother Elam, are examples of how families are suppose to be, and how they were the backbone of our country when a mans word was everything. The characters were strong and they stick with you. It is a real page turner I'm not a avid reader and I couldn't put this one down. This is my first western but if there are more like this one of D.J. Bishop's it won't be my last.

Luke Ludd by D.J. Bishop, what can I say. You must read this western. It weaves a story of a family that stays together no matter what the consequences. I absolutely loved this story. I even loved Sadie the ole black sow. The feelings that grew between Luke and Lorraine. Cork and his brother, Elam, a wonderful pair. These men were the backbone of our country. The characters were strong and they stay with you! I bought the book it was so good. A ten stars and two thumbs up to this great story of the western life of a family made strong with the lives they weaved.

I was given this book when i was very young, and learned how to read from this book. i still have it; it is worn from years of reading it. And to this day when i want to feel like a kid again, i pick it up and read. it will always be a favorite, and I plan on reading it to my children when i am older.

I'm 16 years old now but when I was little my father read "Maia" to me every single day. It is one of my all time favourite books. It's perfect for any kid who loves dinosaurs, just like I did. The pictures are great and the story is wonderful. I still have my copy and keep it in my room so it's always nearby for whenever I want to read it again.

My almost 6 year-old daughter loved Maia and when her teacher read it in school during "Dinosaur Week," she came home asking if we could buy it. It is the story of Maia, the Maiasaur,of her growing up and learning about the world outside the nest. The story tells of the wonder and fright as she discovers she must make it on her own, that she must become independent. It is the story of Maia becoming a mother herself and knowing that while she must nurture her baby dinosaurs, she must also move them toward independence so that they can survive on their own. The illustrations are fabulous and the story teaches children about dinosaurs and about growing up in a caring and thoughtful manner. Beautifully written and illustrated.

My almost 6 year-old daughter loved Maia and when her teacher read it in school during "Dinosaur Week," she came home asking if we could buy it. It is out of print but available from the Museum of the Rockies by calling 406-994-2252. We were thrilled to get it. It is the story of Maia, the Maiasaur,of her growing up and learning about the world outside the nest. The story tells of the wonder and fright as she discovers she must make it on her own, that she must become independent. It is the story of Maia becoming a mother herself and knowing that while she must nurture her baby dinosaurs, she must also move them toward independence so that they can survive on their own. The illustrations are fabulous and the story teaches children about dinosaurs and about growing up in a caring and thoughtful manner. Beautifully written and illustrated.

My father wrote this book when I was very young and it is just gratifing to know that other people enjoyed it as much as I did growing up. A friend of mine saw a copy in my house and then told me that it was her favortie book as a child. Its nice to know that people love this book. We appreaciate your comments very much. Thank you, Celia Gorman.

The book was brand new just as described and had absolutely no flaws. The only problem I had was the slow delivery. The book was not sent out within two or three business days as promised and this caused a delay in getting the book.

Product arrived quickly and in the condition advertised. Seller also included extra study material for no additional cost. I would recommend purchasing from this seller.

Very fast delivery, great price (for a textbook- all of which are rediculously overpriced anyway)and arrived in excellent condition. Thanks.

I had to get this book for an Economics class I took in pursuit of my MBA. It is an easy read with good problems. It really helps understand economics in a simple way.

I ordered the book and requested to receive it on the next day. I recieved it the next day!! It doesn't get any better than that!! Thanks Amazon!

I bought and read this book when it was first published. I used it to begin discussions with my two daughters about the importance of developing an inner life versus obsessing about one's appearance. It proved a very valuable tool in that regard. I just ran across the book again on my bookshelf. My daughters are in their early 20's now and their values are firmly in place. But they, and I, and the next generation of women, are continually hounded by a media which won't "give up" trying to convince us that we need improving. This beauty-obsessive attitude promotes self-criticism and self-doubt and inadequacy. Wake up, women of America. Take back your power. Stop believing the insidious lies that the media giants are using against us, just so that they can get us to spend our hard-earned money to line their pockets!

I've had this book on my bookshelf for a couple of years, but I've never picked it up. I think I was put off by the title, which is really inadequate to the contents. But I finally did, and found it to be quite thoughtful and insightful.

No book can be powerful enough to address the pains of body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders (whether under- or overeating). That has to be done in real life, with the help of a caring professional. But if you are dealing with serious problems such as these, or with less disturbed but still painful obsessions and with constant self-criticism, this book is a good source of reminders for how to shift your attention toward the positive.

The author's own journey is quite apparent throughout the book, at times directly through her words, but often less directly through her insight. It's an act of love to turn that journey into a gift for others.

A judge a book by the number of lines I underline. This had about 4. It consists of 1-2 page essays on body-image, dieting and beauty issues. I wished the essays were longer and more factual. It is a helpful read if you are studying self-acceptance,but by far the best book on the subject is, "How Much Does Your Soul Weigh?" by Dorrie McCubbrey.

This is a wonderful book. I read it constantly. The chapters are short- almost like meditations. It is a really refreshing perspective on how women can focus on what is really important in their lives.

Excellent reading material for any female. Coming from a generation hounded by Seventeen Magazine from age 11, this really woke me up to the constant messages we women are bombarded with from childhood. It helped wake up to the person I can become if I continue to fear aging and trying to stay 22....it gave me a new perspective on becoming a truly valuable person. A great first step to exploring exactly who it is you are and how you feel about your appearance vs. who you could become.
Wish it were easier to find, and I certainly wish she had written other material!

La Rochefoucauld isn't for everyone. Let's excuse those who are going to be offended right away. Do you insist your movies be in color and have a happy endings? You're excused. Do you believe man is perfectable through his institutions? You're excused. Do you believe that love remains bright, eternal and unchanging? You're excused. Do you believe you know yourself completely and thoroughly? Then I'll see you around. Have a nice day.

Now, for the rest of us, realists rather than idealists, La Rochefoucauld is a Godsend. A nobleman from the highest levels of the French aristrocracy pulls up a chair and starts talking to us, telling us deep and profound things, giving us insights so quickly and so accurately that we erupt over and over again with deep, raucous laughter. He tells us the essential, conceptual problems with love. He tells us that the sexes are not the same and cannot act identically, and says this profoundly and without dismissing or mocking either men or women.

He warns us about vanity, resentment, envy and jealousy. Most especially, he convinces us that these qualities are dominent in human affairs. He tells us why a dismissive attitude about death is not genuine. He warns us of the great dangers brought about through laziness.

The art of using the minimum words to convey a subtle truth was in its highest form in Paris at this time. The Maxims were shared and honed in a salon. La Rochefoucauld's life of warfare and court intrigue and betrayal and unrequited love allowed him to bring deep wisdom into the emotions and moods he describes. Particularly, his rivalry with a self-aggrandizing courtier informs his writing. Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz, was a pompous and annoying hypocrite who was extremely successful in some aspects of his life. Retz once received eight votes for election to the Papacy. Yet La Rochefoucauld both saw through him and came to understand why so many others did not pierce the veil of the cardinal's reputation.

The salon and rivalry with Retz are an important introduction Tancock gives us to the Maxims. That material should be read thoroughly and introspectively, especially the cardinal's written description of La Rochefoucauld and the duke's written description of the cardinal.

In the actual body of the Maxims and Reflections, La Rochefoucauld tells us of the dominent human characteristic, an impulse for self-preservation so strong that affection for oneself, pride, and vanity about one's reputation become included in it. It's called "amour-propre," for which self-love is only a glib translation. The essay on self-love, the longest and most stunning of the writings, is more than a maxim. It resists being broken down into pithy sayings. Sturdily written, it was so shocking to the French aristocracy that it was excluded from later editions of the Maxims.

But La Rochefoucauld's description of amour-propre is a masterpiece, a work of genius and modern psychology, three hundred years ahead of its time. Personally, it is the most important essay I ever read. Here is a partial quote from Tancock's translation of the maxim on self-love (number 563):

"....From this enveloping darkness come the ludicrous ideas it has about its own nature -- the errors, ignorances, obtusenesses, and sillinesses where itself is concerned -- believing, for instance, that its emotions are dead when they are merely dormant, that it has given up wanting to run just because it is resting, or that it has lost the tastes it has satiated. But this thick darkness that hides it from itself does not prevent its seeing with perfect clarity things outside itself, just as our eyes can perceive everything else and are only blind when it comes to seeing themselves. Indeed, where its main interests and really important affairs are concerned, and the violence of its desires takes up the whole of its attention, self-love sees, feels, hears, imagines, suspects, penetrates, and guesses everything, and one is tempted to believe that its every passion has magical properties of its own..."

Tancock here, and throughout the book, performs a meticulous translation for us. His friend, W. G. Moore, wrote about this particular passage in his book "La Rochefoucauld, His Mind and Art" and said:

"Surely this is writing of a high order. Lucid in form, short unremarkable phrases, few images, most of the stress on the single verb -- these features are not usually combined with the description of something that no human eye has seen or brain registered. Apparently the only way of describing the quality called amour-propre is to make it personal. The phrases are understandable as applied to a human being; perhaps even more to an animal, in a lair, taking precautions against surprise, running, resting, feeding, hiding, finding no rest,. We are not, as we thought, in the domain of critical assessment, still less in the domain of phrase-making, we are reading about magic, a picture is conjured up before our eyes; we watch the imagination at work. What it shows is a monster, something unnatural. The mood of scorn, discernible in many epigrams, is absent. The attitude is one of respect, almost awe, before something ubiquitous and mysterious. Yet we know what is being described: the power and plight of fallen man is here more imposing and impressive than in a Bossuet sermon. This is an Augustinian passage."

Let this nobleman, Francois, the sixth duke of La Rochefoucauld, stun you, amuse you, and lead you to greater wisdom.

FERDINAND-DREYFUS, Un philanthrope d'autrefois: La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, 1747-1827 (Paris, 1903). Translated to English. WJH (François-Alexandre-Frédéric).

Born at La Roche-Guyon, on 11 January, 1747; died at Paris, 27 March, 1827.

Opposed during the last years of the reign of Louis XV to the government of Maupeou, and the friend of all the reformers who surrounded Louis XVI, he owed to the influence of these economists the favour of the king. Having little liking for the military profession he devoted himself to scientific agriculture. During the rage for rural life which characterized the last years of the old regime, La Rochefoucauld made his estate at Liancourt an experimental station, whishing to improve both the soil and the peasantry. He introduced new methods of farming, founded the first model technical school in France (intended for the children of poor soldiers), and started two factories. Politically, he was a partisan of a democratic regime of which the king was to be the head, and throughout his life was faithful to this dream. Deputy for the nobility of Clermont in Beauvaisis at the States-General, he voted unhesitatingly for the "reunion of the three orders". it was he who in the night which followed the taking of the Bastille (14 July, 1789) roused Louis XVI, saying: "Sire, it is not a revolt, it is a revolution." He presided at the Constituent Assembly from 20 July to 3 August, 1789. On the night of 4 August he was one of the most enthusiastic in voting the abolition of titles of nobility and privileges. As grand master of the wardrobe he accompanied Louis XVI from Versailles to Paris on 5 and 6 October, 1789. As president of the committee of mendicancy, he made a supreme effort at the Constituent Assembly to organize public relief; he determined the extent and the limits of the rights of every citizen to assistance, determined the obligations of the State, and established a budget of State assistance which amounted annually to five millions and a half of francs, and which implied the national confiscation of hospital property, of ecclesiastical charitable property, and of the income from private foundations.

Liancourt is one of the most undiscerning representatives of the tendency which led the revolutionary state to destroy all collective forms of charity. Absolutely devoted to the person of Louis XVI as well as to the doctrines of the Revolution, he secured for himself in 1792 the lieutenancy of Normandy and Picardy, so as to prepare for the flight of the king as far as Rouen; but Louis XVI refused to place himself in the hands of constitutional deputies. La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt emigrated shortly after 10 August, and resided in England until 1794, afterwards in the United States (1794-7). He took advantage of his residence in that country to write eight volumes on the United States to induce Washington to interfere in favour of Lafayette, and to gather ideas upon education and agriculture which he attempted later to apply in France. After 18 Brumaire, Napoleon authorized him to return to his Liancourt estate, which was restored to him. This former duke and peer gloried in being appointed, during the first Empire (1806), general inspector of the "Ecole des arts et métiers" at Châlons, of which his Liancourt school had been a forerunner. The book "Prisons de Philadelphie" which he composed in American and published in 1796, was meant to initiate a penitentiary reform in France at the Restoration in 1814 he begged but one favour-to be appointed prison inspector. In 1819 he became inspector of one of the twenty-eight arrondissements into which France was divided for penitentiary purposes. Louis XVIII gave him back neither the blue ribbon nor the mastership of the wardrobe, and in the House of Peers he sat with the opposition.

La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt was the Franklin of the Revolution. An aristocrat by birth, a liberal in his views, in touch with all the representatives of the new commerce, he availed himself of this concurrence of circumstances to become the leader of every campaign for the people's protection and betterment; improvement of sanitary conditions in hospitals and foundling asylums, reorganization of schools according to the theories of Lancaster, whose book he had translated (Système anglais d'Instruction). He brought into use the methods of mutual instruction, and the pupils between 1816 and 1820 increased from 165,000 to 1,123,000. In 1818 he established the first savings bank and provident institution in Paris. On 19 Nov., 1821, he founded the Society of Christian Morals, over which he presided until 1825. It was at times looked upon with suspicion by the police of the Restoration. At its meetings were such men as Charles de Rémusat, Charles Coquerel, Guizot the Pedagogue, Oberlin, and Llorente, historian of the Inquisition. Broglie, Guizot, and Benjamin Constant were chairmen in turn, and Dufaure, Tocqueville, and Lamartine made there their maiden speeches. In these meetings provident institutions, rather than charitable ones, were discussed; slavery, lottery, gambling were combatted, and the matter of prison inspection was taken up. When La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt died, the Restoration would not permit the students of Châlons to carry his coffin, and the two chambers were much concerned over such extreme measures. La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt was a typical philanthropist, with all that this word implies of generous intentions and practical innovations; but also with a certain naïve pride, inherited from the philosophy of the eighteenth century, which led him to mistrust the charitable initiative of the Church, and to forget that the Church, the most perfect representative of the spirit of brotherhood, is still called in our modern society to win the victory for this spirit by putting it to practical uses, as she alone can.

There is nothing quite like this book. I am a little surprised it is not more widely read, because in my opinion, Rochefoucauld's insights are absolutely fascinating.

Maxims is a brutally candid, straightforward, and oftentimes blunt look at human nature. For the most part, La Rochefoucauld believes that we have inaccurate perceptions of ourselves and others, and that the actual motives of our behaviors are often vastly different from the motives we commonly attribute our behavior to. Basically, he tries to get at the root of human nature, and says that appearances are very deceiving, as evidenced by the book's opening line (right before maxim #1), "Our virtues are usually just disguised vices." In his view of human nature, La Rochefoucauld portrays people as mainly self-interested, vain, and deceptive. His statements are brief and to the point, and he brings an immense amount of content into one very short book. Maxims is a very enjoyable and fun read, and in my opinion is one of the best books ever written. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I made it a major part of my book A Collection of Wisdom.

There are several English translations of Maxims available. This Tancock translation is excellent. The other most used one is probably the J.W. Willis Bund & J. Hain Friswell translation. Also be sure to check out my ultra clear translation of selected material from Maxims contained in A Collection of Wisdom.

Some of my favorite Maxims:

The passions are the most effective orators for persuading. They are a natural art that have infallible rules; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without it. (8)

A man often believes he is leading when he is [actually being] led; while his mind seeks one goal, his heart unknowingly drags him towards another. (43)

A clever man should handle his interests so that each will fall in suitable order [of their value]. Our greediness often brings trouble to this order, and makes us pursue so many things at the same time, that while we attend to the trifling too eagerly, we miss the great. (66)

Men would not live long in society if they were not the dupes of each other. (87)

The head is ever the dupe of the heart. (102)

We become so used to disguising ourselves to others, that we end up becoming disguised to ourselves. (119)

...Some of the greatest charms we can have in conversation come from listening well and answering well. (139)

In all aspects of life, we take on a part and an appearance to seem to be what we wish to be [seen as]--and thus the world is merely composed of actors. (256)

These maxims- aphorisms are a Western classic .In one way they look with a cynical eye at this vain self - aggrandizing creature the human being and do their best to debunk his illusions. On the other they are written with such grace , point and wit that they amuse and give the reader pleasure.
If there is one criticism it is that on the whole Rouchefoucaud has a very limited view of mankind and human nature. We may not all be as wonderful as we think, but humanity is far better and good in many ways than is seen in these aphorisms.

The famous Indian classic, Kautilya's 'Arthasastra,' a treatise which deals with the attainment of worldly ends, distinguishes between two kinds of wisdom - Straight and Crooked. To the former belong (to use Western examples) such works as 'The Imitation of Christ' by Thomas a Kempis, a work which teaches how, ideally, the virtuous should live, while overlooking the fact that often it would be extremely impractical and socially disastrous to live in such a way.

The second class of books, those which teach the art of 'Crooked Wisdom,' is exemplified in the East by Kautilya's 'Arthasastra' itself, and in the West by such works as Balthasar Gracian's 'The Art of Worldly Wisdom,' Francesco Guicciardini's 'Maxims and Reflections of a Renaissance Statesman' (Ricordi), and by the present collection of Maxims by La Rochefoucauld.

These books are both highly realistic and extremely practical, for they depict, not man as he is supposed to be, but man as he is with all his selfishness, stupidity, ambition, arrogance, malice, laziness and other imperfections, and they teach the art of how, not merely to survive, but even to thrive in the midst of our far from perfect fellow men and women. And, certainly in the case of La Rochefoucauld, this teaching is done with great precision and wit.

'Crooked Wisdom,' then, should not be understood as the product of a crooked mind, but as the clear-sighted wisdom one needs to survive in a world teeming with such minds, a world, as Tancock says, involved in a "sordid struggle of self-interests, a scramble for power, position, and influence in which the foulest motives and methods [are] decked with labels such as duty, honor, patriotism, and glory."

La Rochefoucauld seems to provoke two very different kinds of reaction. Fully paid up members of the rose-tinted spectacles club, are shocked and horrified by his portrait of man and society, and they tend to dislike both the man and his book.

The more realistically inclined, however, will savor his bite and wit and will readily acknowledge the self-evident truth of much if not all of what he says. The man was undoubtedly brilliant, not only in terms of the many profound insights he gave us - particularly those having to do with 'amour propre' or self-love - but also in terms of the skill with which he translated those insights into pithy and memorable maxims.

Tancock defines the maxim as the expression of "some thought about human motives or behavior in a form containing the maximum of clarity and TRUTH with the minimum of words arranged in the most striking and memorable order" (my caps). La Rochefoucauld's aim, in short, was simply to tell the truth, and to tell it for our benefit.

The maxim as a literary genre was cultivated in his milieu, and La Rochefoucauld's were polished to a high state of perfection, for they had to satisfy a critical and sophisticated audience. Seven years were devoted to refining them, during which the circle of his aristocratic friends and fellow habitues of Mmme de Sable's salon repeatedly offered advice and criticism.

The 'Maxims,' then, although the product of an individual sensibility, also become in a sense the product a collective effort, having emerged from a serious and civilized salon whose interests were psychological, literary, and linguistic. Anyone who feels inclined to dismiss them might keep this in mind.

I discovered La Rochefoucauld many years ago, and have always been a great admirer of his Maxims. Once read, they are never forgotten. They have a way of burrowing deeply into the mind, and the fact that they tend to recur in those moments when we are reflecting on life and mulling over our experiences seems to me a kind of proof of their veracity.

One that has always struck me as particularly significant is Maxim 22 : "Philosophy easily triumphs over past ills and ills to come, but present ills triumph over philosophy." Or, in the words of the Red Queen : "Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but no jam today." If such truths are not exactly cheering, this in no way detracts from their being true.

There is an enormous amount to be learned by the honest and open-minded reader from La Rochefoucauld's 'Maxims,' especially if they also have a sense of humor. But the 'Happy Days! Happy Sky!' school, whose main requirement of a writer would seem to be that he should confirm them in their beautiful illusions, would be wiser to look elsewhere for edification. La Rochefoucauld is not a writer for the faint of heart, nor for those without a sense of humor.