Opening

The Opening of the Way : A Practiful Guide to the Wisdom Teaching of Ancient Egypt is a refreshing alternative to the more traditional religious literature. It is very well written and easy to follow. Although not advertised as a "Self Help" book; it definitely falls in that category. Isha Schwaller De Lubicz displays her wealth of Egyptian knowledge by starting out with correlating the body system and organs impacting man's spiritual system. The stomach representing "The Opening of Way". The entire book focuses on the spiritual growth of the individual using the lessons of the ancient Egyptians. Its void of the religious rhetoric and concentrates only on the basic of the ancient Egyptian teachings. This is an excellent book for spiritual self examination. If you want a step by step on how to make a spiritual transformation using ancient Egyptian wisdom, this is the book to get. I am using it as my personal "Good news Book - Bible ". I have enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading more of Isha Schwaller De Lubicz works.

When you're sitting in the dentist's waiting room or passing 20 minutes while your car's oil is changed, a novel seems like a hassle. Just when you start getting into the story, it's time to put your book away. That's where a short story comes in handy. Your commitment is to a few thousand words that take you from beginning to end in less than 30 minutes.

Once upon a time, many magazines published at least one short story per issue. A few - Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine - were dedicated to short mystery fiction from cover to cover. Alas, advertising space took precedence and few magazines today even consider the lowly short story, let alone a devious one. Now they're generally found tucked away in the pages of anthologies such as Opening Shots.

The beauty of this particular book is that not only are these shorts by known mystery and crime authors, but they are their first published short stories. Some land at the beginning of the writer's careers, such as David Black's "Laud," which later became the opening chapter of his first novel, Like Father. Others, such as Susan Isaacs's "Compliments of a Friend" came after a series of novels.

Editor Lawrence Block gives an excellent brief history on short fiction followed by 18 pieces plus one of his own. The stories are fun, provocative, twisted. All of this in 385 pages.

I sat down with the book and couldn't stop reading (kind of defeats the purpose of a short story, huh?) until I'd finished them all. Not one of them stunk and none of them left me feeling like I'd wasted my reading time. Block knows how to pick 'em. (As well he should. He is a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and has taken the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards four times.)

Original publication dates range from 1952 to 2000. Styles vary widely, as one would expect. There are a couple with a tricky Hitchcock twist, two or three with a Stephen King ending, and one that features a cat as the detective. Because I haven't read most of these authors yet, I can't say whether or not the short stories are a fair representation of the authors' styles in longer works. I suspect the novels are nothing like the shorts. But I look at this as a way to pick new names for my library and the opportunity to get a taste of a certain writer before making a commitment to a full-length book

Who are these authors, you ask? In addition to those mentioned above, the contributors are Donald E. Westlake, David Morrell, Sara Paretsky, James Sallis, Simon Brett, Max Allan Collins, Loren D. Estelman, Peter Lovesy, Peter Robinson, Margaret Maron, Joan Hess, Susan Moody, Justin Scott, Minette Walters, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, and John Harvey.

Would I recommend this book?

If you like crime fiction, definitely.

If you're a mystery writer, absolutely. Writers in this genre should take a look at how these stories are put together and what makes them work. Several of the authors admitted in their introductions that a short story is much harder to write than a novel.

And by the way, if you like what you see in Opening Shots, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine published quite a few of these short stories. Both still feature short mystery fiction.

What a fun book! Every chapter is thoroughly researched and provides juicy details about each actor's screen debut. Mr. Bona engages you at every turn. He should be at your next dinner party. A must-read for movie afficionados!

This book explains why Peter Perlman is one of the nation's best trial lawyers. Perlman shows that speaking to a jury is something that involves communication at the human level, not at the legal level.[...]

Don McNay...

Opening the cage is a collection of autobiographical writings where women record their life experiences. These women all have a Christian background which many found inhibiting to their personal development. Their explorations of their faith journeys to new forms of spirituality make inspiring reading. The frank disclosures of challenges faced through life experience are authentic and heart warming. They will resonate with many readers who have faced discrimination and recognise the constraints of gender. These women generously share their learnings which celebrate their humanity.

Opening the Door to Retirement really opened my eyes to the issues facing people moving into retirement. You shouldn't retire without knowing the information in this book. I found the book to be well written and easy reading for a novice investor. I found the chapters on investing and taking a distribution from a retirement plan especially helpful. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking about retiring in the near future.

The authors give a 'nuts and bolts' overview of the entertainment business, and generally what a novice can expect once they have taken that first step into the glittering city called Hollywood. The sage advice given is ample to give a newcomer enough information to lead to the proper Hollywood doors, rather than down blind alleys. The authors give great advice, the dreamer has to do the work. I would highly recommend.

Opening The Eye Of New Awareness was written by the Dalai Lama in 1963, four years after his escape from Tibet and the communist Chinese. Opening The Eye Of New Awareness was written for both Tibetan lay people and westerners, and provides a basic summation of Buddhist doctrines and practices as they were practiced in Tibet for more than a thousand years. Opening The Eye Of New Awareness is a very highly recommended work of Buddhist scholarship, wisdom, and compassion. This Wisdom Publications edition is enhanced with a new introduction by Professor Donald Lopez which provides valuable insight into the historical and philosophical context of His Holiness' writings.

This teaching will change your life--FOR THE BETTER!
enough said--get to work! (S!)

I believe this is the best single book available on intuition and its applications. While there are many books out on the subject, no one book other than William Kautz's provides as knowledgable and comprehensive a balance between a solid examination of the nature of the subject and a rich description of how it can be used. ... Kautz has had more experience than anyone I know in using expert intuitives to successfully bring their unusual information accessing abilities to problem solving tasks in the real world.