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This book gets you through your day and your life better. May you find your way to enlightenment. Get Buddha in Daily Life.

When I got this book, I thought it a little boring. I like histories, not words of wisdom. But through the days, as I read it, I could see how it would help me. So, every time I am sad, or when I am too nervous, I like to read it and forget everything. It is very beautiful, and coming from a so learned man, it is a promise of a good book. Read it with your eyes closed and even so, you'll feel the power of Dalai Lama's words. (I don't know English so much as that, so please, sorry)

The daily wisdoms of the Dalai Lama have inspired me each morning . The last thing I do before heading out the door is read my wisdom for the day. It has inspired me, made me think before I act and, most important, made me think about how and why others act. This is the first book by the Dalai Lama I have owned. I am so inspired by it that I have given it as gifts to my friends. His Holiness has such insight and is an inspiration to read. I reccommend this book to everyone, religous or not, as I believe we all need a positive thought to begin our day.

In typical Wodehouse fashion, this is a comical story with many hilarious twists and turns. I found myself laughing aloud in many places. Simply put, if you like Wodehouse and especially the Blandings Castle series, you like this book. It is one of the later "chronicles" of Blandings Castle, but it would be a good read for anyone--even those unfamiliar with Lord Emsworth. This is a great book, and author, for those who enjoy light, comical novels.

A great and entertaining read. I highly recommend it. It's one of P.G. Wodehouse's best in my opinion. Life at Blandings castle
is like paradise!

Pigs have wings is one of the best books I have read, because it so funny. The way the characters are many times spaced out and the way they act on their stupidity, mostly the way P.G. Wodehouse makes fun of characters. Pigs have wings, is about competition between two pigs for the fattest pig class. They try to steal each other's pig, and the Empress (the name of the hero's pig) has been the winner of this class for two years in a row. All this is tied with some knotted yet silly love relationships. But the way Wodehouse makes fun of it is so funny that you will laugh untill tears start pouring down.

This is one the great comic novels of the history of the world. I would expect it would not be quite the work to start out with, but for people aware of what Britain was like during the first days of WWII, this is pure pleasure.
The book, like most of Waugh's satires, contains a number of secondary characters who are often quite amusing. In this Waugh is the equal of Dickens (a comparison Waugh might not have appreciated), in his celebration of the English eccentric. From a technical execution the novel is rather interesting in that its main character, its anti-hero, Basil Seal, is somewhat of a character himself.

Basil Seal originally appeared in the work "Black Mischief" is a trickster, eternally on the lookout for a way of earning a dishonest living. Basil's life is complicated by the outbreak of war and the insistance by the women in his life to play a hero's part in it (preferably dying while do so, in the case of his mother).

Possessed of considerable guile he hotfoots it off to the country where he runs a profitable extortion racket involving three very undesirable war refugee children. These obnoxious brats manage to destroy most of the stately cottages of, if not the upper classes, then the upper middle classes.

Another central character in the book is Ambrose Silk. Silk wishes the war would go away and at the same time wonders what his role should be. Eventually he settles on publishing an arts magazine, whose most notable work celebrates his love for a German soldier is twisted into Nazi propaganda by Basil working as a counterespionage agent.
Though filled with topical humor, "Put out More Flags" manages to transcend the time in which it was written. It contains a number of thinly disguised portraits of famous people. If anyone is curious as to the various identities, I would recommend Humphrey Carpenter's excellent work, "The Brideshead Generation."

The work is also interesting for fans of Waugh as
well. It is the second to last of his "funny" books. The next books would take on a more serious tone. Waugh's next book would be Brideshead Revisited. With the exception of "The Loved One" Waugh's later works would take on a seriousness which ultimately would set him apart from his contemporaries. I also recently read "The Sword of Honour" Trilogy and it is interesting to compare this work with "Put out More Flags." The themes are similar, but the approach is markedly different. This book shows Waugh as a writer who had already conquered many worlds, but at the same time was preparing to take on new challenges.

Not even the traumas of World War II could put Evelyn Waugh's delightfully satirical pen on hold; the horrors of war expose the grimness beneath his humor and invite a new kind of irreverence. Consider a scene in "Put Out More Flags" (1942) in which a woman's husband has just been killed in combat and the man with whom she's been having an affair wastes no time in proposing marriage. Her lackadaisical response to this most solemn of requests: "Yes, I think so. Neither of us could ever marry anyone else, you know."

Like Wodehouse, but with greater subtlety, Waugh finds an underlying silliness in all types of characters and sets them up to be knocked down like ducks in a shooting gallery. In "Put Out More Flags," he dredges up some characters from previous novels and introduces them into comic situations within the context of the incipient European war (1939-1940). Foremost among them is Basil Seal, a thirty-six-year-old who is as unemployable as a six-year-old. His mother tries to help him get a prestigious position in the Army, but he blows it when he unintentionally and unknowingly insults the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Bombardiers. Fortunately, he is able to get a job with the War Department where he discovers that the secret to success is to level charges of Communism and Nazism against his (mostly) innocent friends and inform on them.

Basil's friends and family also make the most of war time. Ambrose Silk, a Jewish atheist, takes advantage of his job at the Religious Department of the Ministry of Information to start a fustian periodical. Alastair Trumpington, a pampered aristocrat, dutifully enlists as a soldier because he believes that "he would make as good a target as anyone else for the King's enemies to shoot at," while his wife Sonia waits for him in the car outside the training camp like a mother picking up her kid at school. Meanwhile, Basil's sister Barbara is allowing the use of their country estate as a shelter for poor people evacuating London for fear of German bombing raids; among them are a trio of insufferable brats named the Connollys who provide Basil with the fodder for an irresistible extortion scheme.

Waugh's great insight was the immediate recognition of the potential humor of the war's impact on the British class conflict, and therein lies his brilliance. His books are funny, but more importantly, they're every bit as intelligent, perceptive, and well-written as any "serious" novel, whose level of social consciousness they rival. The twentieth century needed an Evelyn Waugh, and we certainly could use one now.

It's vintage Waugh, standing halway between the farcical funny ones and the serious ones. He's unique in being a satirist of the idiocy of war who can also deal with patriotism and courage.
This is set in that strange time when Britain had just gone to war but France had not fallen. You meet some characters from his other books. This added to the pleasure for me but I don't know if it's the one I would recommend to someone who'd never read any Waugh before. It also helps if you know something about the 1930's British literary scene and can recognize who is being satirized. Parsnip and Pimpernell are presumably Auden and Spender. I've heard of various candidates fir being Ambose Silk.

I really can't believe how truly inspired and inspiring this book and its companion book (Adventures on the Quest) is. If you want to be on a spiritual path or if you are on one and want to be more tuned into your spiritual side, this is the book for you. The authors make it clear that spirituality and religion are separate things. It's not a short book but it's worth every minute I spent on it. It has truly changed my life for the better.

Simply the finest book on personal spirituality in existence. It's not a short book but if you begin reading it you won't be able to put it down. It will take you step by gentle step into a world within. I just can't believe that anyone could have written such a magnificent book! And if you purchase this book, be sure to buy the companion workbook, Adventures on the Quest. They are made to be read together. Do yourself a favor, if you are at all interested in finding peace within yourself, buy these books.

This is flat out the best book on spirituality I have ever read. It is NOT religious in any way but it is spiritual. The JaFollas have a way of making complex ideas extremely clear. The book is a pleasure to read. From the opening words in the Prologue, "Hello, Friend" to the very end I was captivated. The Quest really is a journey and if you follow that journey you will indeed re-discover a spirituality as deep as the ocean. This is truly, truly a GREAT book. It has impacted my life more than any other book I have ever read.

I heartily agree with the other readers of this wonderful book who have given it 5 stars. I first read it as a teenager back in my native Wales and was fascinated by its accurate historical detail and wonderful earthy characters - I think it exlains better than any other novel of its type the eternal struggle of the Celts against their Anglo-Saxon would-be conquerors, and why we (the Celts) are so different. Had this book been written about Scotland or Ireland, I am sure it would have been made into an Oscar-winning movie by now!

am amazed that this book seems so obscure;1 other review! Ive read extensively including all of the great and renowned authors in most modern lists-this book would be up there in any list in terms of the quality of the writing.Cordell brings the welsh character to life with 3 dimensional people enduring the bitter hardships of 19th century mining life.Humorous,tragic,heartfelt,real 'The rape of the fair country' is a must read for those searching for pure quality;unlike many novels relating struggle or hardship this one stands above,resonates truth and emotion and leaves the reader with an indelible memory.There are two more in the series of the Mortimer family but this is the best of them. Told through the eyes of the younger son Iestyn in a first person account the language will charm,the plot will intrigue and the characters will be endear with a real ring of truth.At times earthy and sensuous,never falsely romantic this book is a gem that surprisingly seems to have missed out on any mainstream recognition.Dont be misled by that ,with this book you wont be disappointed

I am 27 and embarrassed to say that "Rape of the fair country" is the first book I've really read, but what a way to start! When you begin reading the book you soon become inseparable for you feel as though you are part of the "Mortymer" family. Its a tragic but beutiful tale of life at the begining of this century in the iron works of the South Wales Valleys. But it's an eye opener into the world we live in today. (Some third world countries). It makes you appreciate our past and be thankful of what we have today. A trully wonderfull read.

Despite its diminutive size, this book packs a powerful punch and is probably unlike anything you have read before. Although it is well-written and entertaining, it is by no means a comfortable or easy read. Be prepared to be taken in different directions and to be confronted with unaccustomed perspectives. There is a passage from the book which gives an indication of its effect: "A pungent thought is a corrective to deterioration of the thinking: like cold water helping slack muscles to work again..." This book is full of such pungent thoughts...

Aptly titled, "Reflections," is a collection of fables, aphorisms, and statements that challenge the conditioned, assumptive manner we use when thinking of and interacting with others and ourselves. These reflections-whose effect is similar to being shaken out of sleep-offer insight on many levels.

The most insightful comment about this collection appears in the book's forward, written by Idries Shah: "Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community and in the individual's mental processes."

In its own quiet way, this pocket-size gem of a book offers something that's often claimed but rarely found: a true means of rousing the sluggish brain from its customary, comfortable state of automatic-pilot torpor. Comprised of bite-size sayings and stories, it avoids the emotional, the obvious and the sententious in favor of an entirely different approach that nudges the attentive reader in new and unexpected directions, chipping away at assumptions and habitual thought-patterns that screen us from seeing things the way they really are. I found it thought-provoking, bracing and a pleasure to read as well as a real eye-opener. Its size and format also make it an ideal gift.

This novel was an airplane read for me--a solid three hour flight plus a few moments at the hotel the next morning to finish it up. The plotting and characterization were solid, but not particularly novel. The "extras" added to the plot are in the main eccentric and interesting, as good mystery cameo players should be. Ms. Jance's protagonist was somewhat disappointing--a suitable sleuth, but some of the backstory just didn't work for me in this one. I'd pick up another Jance if I were in the airport and needed a good read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to locate the rest of this series. What do you get when you cross a dash of Christie, a dash of Hammett, a trace of Paretsky, and a lot of those modern "suburbanesque" detectives....something readable, certainly, but not quite a top flight mystery. If you need a good read, it's here, but it's a flawed work, and the villain is obvious from way too early in.

First I must say in response to an earlier review, no the villian is not revealed early on! I don't know how she knew, but I didn't know until the very end! This was a good book and a fast pace read. I'm not usually a big mystery reader, but I really like Jance's style and most of all I like J.P. Beaumont. He is a great main character.

Any JP book is a good ...book.
Are you kidding get this and all the others, I love JP Beaumount!

This book explains how oil affects our lives, our nation, the world's economy and political situations. Yergin's writing style is superb, and although the material is somewhat dry, he really brings events to life. This work is rare for non-fiction - it is easy reading and informative. I have just finished the book a few minutes ago, and I really feel that I have learned a great deal. My favorite section was on World War II. I have read hundreds of books on the subject, but the section in "The Prize" dedicated to the War from a petroleum standpoint is superb

This book is one of the best for enlightening those of the the 1970's forwrd of the preferred interests of their mothers and fathers. Ex- President Bush is heavily documented in his actions with those of the Middle Est in his attempts at acquiring a chunk of the oil industry. It highlights South America's Venezuela and its failing oil fields. It shows the world's efforts at unity for one major purpose. It defines OPEC and ARAMCO as they need to be understood. For anyone not current on world issue, this is the book to read.

Yergin's grasp of the broad view of the history of oil and its context in world history is amazing. Scholarly and yet as compelling as the best fiction, this book is a masterful work

This book was a tragic, candid look at the lives of everyday soldiers caught up in a hellish conflict. This reality is so unimaginable for my generation today, yet these men confronted it with honor and dignity. The author's affection and admiration for his companions makes his memoir both powerful and moving.

An incredibly detailed, truthful, moving, and painful personal account of war as experienced by a front line soldier in the Vietnam War.
This book was obviously written from extensive notes taken by the author when he had the time in the field to write down his feelings and experiences. For reasons of his own, the book was not published until after his death in April 1994.
This book will have immense meaning to anyone who has experienced the hell of war, as well as, anyone who wishes to understand the sacrifices our fighting men and women in battle must endure. President Bush and his top advisors should read this book before they send our treasured youth to fight another war. If those in positions of highest political authority, after reading Sgt. Peterson's war memoir, still decide we must go to war then they will understand we must fight the war to the finish with the best military tactics and strategies available not hindered and defined by vague political considerations.
I recommend this book to all. I sincerely thank Mr. and Mrs. Peterson for their service to our country.

one of the best memoirs i have read on the vietnam war.
maybe even one of the best books i have ever read.
peterson's daily account of his vietnam experience is meticulously described,providing a view of his metamorphosis from an average midwestern farm boy to combat-weary grunt that is brilliant. reads more like a novel in the sense that the character in the first few chapters could not even fathom the feelings,thoughts, and experiences of the character at the end.
also provides compelling illustrations of the frustrations and inner conflicts felt by an average american required to follow orders which he is morally opposed to and intuitively wary of.
the book grows darker by the page and the reader is drawn into his sense of impending doom and constant fear.
i highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the vietnam war.

One of the most popular films of 1993 was Steven Spielburg's Schindler's List, the story of
one man's fight against the Nazi killing machine that we know today as the Holocaust. As the
film closed, the audience saw many of the survivors and their families as they gathered at
Oskar Schindler's grave to pay homage to this 'Righteous Gentile.'

Like many others in the audience, I wondered what had happened to those men and women
after the war and the experiences that had not made the movie. Now I know. In Schindler's
Legacy, Elinor Brecher has shared the fascinating'and horrible'stories of over 40 of those
who eventually came to live in America.

They tell, for example, of the almost random nature of their survival. Several tell of times
when the German guards lined up their work detail and shot every fifth person. Many were
away from home on some kind of errand when the Gestapo came and took away the rest of
their family. We read of Celena Karp who was selected by the notorious Josef Menegle for the
line heading to the gas chambers. For some reason, he decided to remove some from the
doomed line. When Celena reached him the second time, she begged him, 'Let me go,' and
for some inexplicable reason, he did!

In these accounts, we learn again of the horror of the concentration camps. Remember the boy
who survived several searches by hiding in the filth of the latrine? This was no product of the
writer's imagination; Roman Ferber tells his own story in his own words. Others relate the
beatings they survived, the rides in unheated and unventilated cattle cars, of the friends they
carried to the ovens. That they survived is nothing less than a miracle.

These aren't just the stories of the camps, however. We learn more about the people and the
lives they lived before the war'the young couple who married only days before their arrest,
the woman who had to give her new-born son to a Catholic family in order to survive herself,
and the men and women who watched in horror as their parents and their brothers and sister
were dragged away or shot before their eyes.

After these experiences, what kinds of people did they turn out to be? Some have never
forgiven the German people for what happened, while others have miraculously put the past
behind them. And some are so traumatized that they have never been able to watch the film
based on their experiences.

This is a book that needs to be read!

Oskar Schindler, one remarkable man who outwitted Adolf Hitler and the Nazis to save more Jews from the gas chambers than most of the heroic rescuers during WWII.

Oskar Schindler was one of only a handful who surfaced from the chaos, and generations will remember him for what he did ...

When asked, Schindler told that his metamorphosis during the war was sparked by the shocking immensity of the Final Solution. In his own words: "I hated the brutality, the sadism, and the insanity of Nazism. I just couldn't stand by and see people destroyed. I did what I could, what I had to do, what my conscience told me I must do. That's all there is to it. Really, nothing more."

Oskar Schindler died in Frankfurt on the 9th of October, 1974, at an age of 66. From 1939 to the day he died he was such in love with his Jewish people, that he wanted to be buried in Jerusalem. His friend, a Schindler-Jew, Poldek Pfefferberg asked him shortly before he died, why he wanted to be buried here. He answered :"My children are here ....."

I'm stressing this to all, that this book is one of the greatest books I've ever read. It's very intense and real. Because of the way these Holocaust survivors explain their experiences at the concentration camps, it makes you feel as if you could've been there. The way that these survivors have achieved great goals in there lives after the Holocaust, is amazing. I recommend this book for everyone to read to get a better understanding of the Holocaust. This book is truely amazing.