Product Description
The Gift is an exploration of the art of storytelling, a coming-of-age tale in a place and time when magic is not the ring to be grabbed but the poison to be shunned. This Gift is one that will be opened, read, and treasured for a long time to come.
Amazon.com Review
The Gift is the second book from up-and-coming author Patrick O'Leary,and is quite a departure from his wonderful and zany first novel, Door Number Three. The Gift is largely adark fantasy novel, focusing on a world where magic and storytelling holdsway, although there are some distinctive science fiction overtones. Theprotagonists are a young king named Simon, who has lost his hearing, and ayoung woodcutter named Tim, who has lost his family. Both are on a similarquest: they're attempting to find and destroy The Usher of Night, a twisted sorcerer who hasunleashed an ancient evil, and who has caused both men great suffering.Although the quest might make this novel sound like a conventional fantasy, it'sanything but. O'Leary clearly shows that he enjoys bending genre boundaries asmuch as he enjoys telling a good story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Amazed...
This was my first experience reading one of O'Leary's books and I was drawn in and captivated from the first page. The setting, the language, the subtle use of fantasy tropes to tell a unique story, I devoured every page and have re-read it twice to pick up all the details as I traveled with Tim, Simon, and the loathsome Usher.

At under 300 pages O'Leary packs an incredible amount of content, but there is an artful precision to every part as the stories fit with and complement each other in an elaborate puzzle greater than the sum of its pieces. Very welcome in this age of overblown multi-volume epics.

A White Elephant at Best
Full of puzzles and dark fables, plus a twisted bit of pedantry, this book did not meet my expectations. I was hoping for something beautiful but instead got something sickly and unsatisfying. The author had many themes that I enjoyed, but mostly I came away with a bad taste in my mouth.

Worst book ever.
I've read a lot of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and this is by far the worst book I've ever read.

It almost seems as if the author had four of five plot ideas and couldn't make up his mind about which one he wanted to focus on so he just threw them all together and hoped it worked out.The result is a confusing mess with half fleshed ideas that don't mix well.

Unlikeable characters, terrible dialogue, plots that don't make sense, and blatant feminism overtones, does not make for a good read.

The book is the gift.
I read the book quite a while ago, but felt I needed to respond to some of the negative reviews.Everyone likes something different, so I am not saying those reviewers are wrong, just that I disagree strongly.This book drew me in so completely, and had such an affect, that I still think of it often with great fondness.You know the kind of book that makes you sad when it is over, not because the story itself is sad, but because you are loathe to leave the characters and world into which you have been submerged?This is that kind of book.It is a familiar type, a story within a story, but it stands completely on it's own from there.Don't make the mistake of thinking that it is just some silly, empty fantasy, it is much deeper than that, and much more satisfying.But it will definitely appeal more to those who are open to the fantasy genre.If you only like very lean, real life style books (I like both fantasy and realistic books myself), it is probably not going to appeal to you.For me, the writing is superb, the story consuming, and as I said in the title of the review, it is a gift, one that I treasure.

Very ambitious,
very intelligent, very enjoyable. No lapses of logic, no lose ends the author fails to cope with, and it all works out in the end! Now how often does *that* happen? :-)
An altogether satisfying experience. ... Read more

Product Description
OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS collects the best stories, poems and non-fiction of the last twenty years by Patrick O'Leary, acclaimed author of DOOR NUMBER THREE and THE GIFT. OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS is an unabashedly different book. It is a celebration of the inexhaustible shape-shifting power of stories.It is fantastic. It is mundane. And we are not in Kansas anymore. Disturbing, amusing, frank and original, OTHER VOICES, OTHER DOORS is Patrick O'Leary's first (and probably last) collection of writing. Foreword by Gene Wolfe.

Patrick O’Leary wants to tell you a story: about Van Morrison, and vasectomies, and the aliens who are us; about the way it feels - really feels - to be alive and loving and hurting in a world made of wonders. So pull up a chair, open this book: and listen. —Kathe Koja, author of Extremities

Other Voices, Other Doors is essential O’Leary-zany, serious, unclassifiable, and delightful. It reveals the many brilliant facets of a deeply humane and utterly original writer. —Kathleen Ann Goonan, author of Crescent City Rhapsody

Other Voices, Other Doors neatly captures the kaleidescopic nature of Patrick O’Leary’s imagination. Begin reading with any piece - short story, essay, poem - and when next you check the time you will find hours have flown like some impossible bird. A truly hypnotic collection. —Jeffrey Ford, author of The Physiognomy

From LOCUS Magazine, January 2001:

Though today's publishing field is making it harder and harder to find volumes devoted to shorter pieces, collections live on thanks to small presses and the burgeoning print-on-demand business. We should also be grateful to those masters of the field who are willing to support newcomers. Gene Wolfe provides an entertaining intro to Patrick O'Leary's Other Voices, Other Doors, subtitled "A Collection of Stories, Meditations, and Poems"...he shows us through one of those doors and introduces us to the work of an author "so damned human it's a wonder the man-eating sharks haven't come ashore to get him." An author, this reader can now report, whose quirky versatality and hidden depths remind me of none other than Gene Wolfe.

If I were really clever, I might be able to disguise this review as something other than a rave. But nah — Wolfe and O'Leary are the masters at that game. So I just urge you to take a look at Other Voices, Other Doors. You won't be disappointed.—Faren Miller, Locus ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Patrick O'Leary's THE GIFT
I love this book. At first when I heard we had to read an assigned book I thought oh great another boring book report, but I really enjoyed reading this one. The book, The Gift, was published in 1997 by the author Patrick O'Leary. It's very complicated and hard to summarize. It takes you through many different times and places, bringing an unruly team of an orphan, a king, and a Waterman (magical frog) together to triumph over an evil wizard and his accomplice at impossible odds. It is a network of many stories being told by the characters in other stories, interwoven to make one awesome novel.
The review I choose to respond to was written and published by Kate Nepveu on February 21, 1999. She named this book "an astonishing novel of and about stories." Her opinions of the book were all positive, but she thought it was "a book that neither summarizes well nor a book that should be spoiled." She claimed it was a science fantasy for mixing magic with technology, but with the two often confused. In summary, she said "The Gift is an elegant and interesting meditation on story, power, women, and the price one pays with regard to all of them."
I agree with most of the review. While at times it can be hard to follow, The Gift is the kind of book that can take your mind to places your body may never be able to get to. I agree with her (the author's) comment that the book carries some importance of female characters in it. The triumphing hero in the end was female; even the reason the antagonist became the antagonist was because of women. I agree totally with the review's comment on how the importance of women wasn't preached upon but was a natural undertone throughout the plot. After all, the book begins and ends with women with untold stories that cross other stories surrounding them, leaving much to the imagination.
One of the parts I liked in the book that this review touches on is the fact that you can't sum it up in just one story. Kate Nepveu said it the best with her comment that "This is a book about stories." There is the story of the Teller telling the sailors and their Captain another story, the story of Tim. Tim and Simon and Marty encounter many different people, who each have their own background stories and more to tell. It's kind of hard to follow until the last chapter and epilogue, where everything is explained. The review I chose labeled The Gift's many overlapping stories as having "an intricately nested effect that illuminates the world and its characters in a concise, elegant fashion."I agree wholeheartedly with that statement because though there are many things going on. The one story that contains all the others is explained by its contents. The little stories make the big picture, and that in turn made it a very interesting and good book to read.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that will make them think. It's not the kind of book you can read in bits and pieces; once you start it you won't want to stop. It's a modernized fairy tale full of dragons, wizards, people who can fly, frogmen, and anything your imagination can fathom. I guarantee it'll keep any reader enthralled till the very last word.

OtherWise
"Other Voices, Other Doors" will introduce you to the work of Patrick O'Leary.The book is chock full of charm, wit, compassion, style, and voice.A wonderful collection.But what else should we expect from the author of the marvelously inventive novels, "Door Number Three" and "The Gift"? ... Read more

Product Description
John Donelly's life is changed forever the day Laura, a young therapy patient, tells him that she has been left for a year on Earth by the Holock, an alien race. If she can convince one person - and she has chosen him - that she is telling the truth, she can stay when they come back for her. And she exposes her breasts as evidence, revealing square nipples. His least profound response is to drop his cigarette into the crease in his chair.

So begins the wildest SF novel since the passing of Philip K. Dick. Patrick O'Leary's Door Number Three is a constant wellspring of surprise and wonder, a novel about a young man of today and a woman from somewhere else who is out to love or kill him - or both. The whole, apparently real, world and everything in it can never be the same again.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Strong beginning, weak ending
Patrick O'Leary had me for about the first two-thirds of this novel.The writing is elegant, the plot strong and mysterious.John Donelly, a therapist, and Laura, his patient, are both well-drawn characters.Laura may or may not be delusional; her story, involving aliens from the future, may or may not be true.It is to O'Leary's credit as a writer that we want it to be true:we feel for Laura.Donelly's back story, involving his complicated relationship with his mother and brother, blends nicely into the plot, as does the ethical dilemma of Donelly's attraction to Laura.Unfortunately, I didn't think the novel sustained its strong beginning during the last third.Too much exposition, too much murkiness.The relationship between Donnelly and his brother and their parents, in particular, turned into a lengthy explanation that did little to advance the plot.Overall, I was disappointed that the novel fizzled out after such a promising beginning, but I nonetheless appreciated the valiant effort.I would give it 3 1/2 stars if that option were available.

Sci-fi Soup for the Soul
This is a great book.I didn't give it five stars because I don't think it's an undisputable work of art for everyone, but I did mark it with four stars and as a favorite.

This book is a marvelous mixture of psychology (particularly the dream work of Jung), crime thriller, and science-fiction.Unlike so many science-fiction books, this book isn't about a great "idea" or the world of the future . . . it's about love, loss, time, memory, and being a human.

Patrick O'Leary's website talks about how this book was sort of a love letter to his unknown daughter that was given up for adoption when he was a teen (he has since met her and is part of her life).It is this very touching, deep, human element that is at play underneath the intrique, fun ideas, and even humor of this book.

Recommended therapy to read this one!

Sleep, perchance ...
This is a twisted take on the time travel theme we've grown up with. We do have a group of aliens (one of them sexy, the others ugly); secret government agents; and a strange mixture of characters and one - no, I won't spoil it. The Editorial Reviews above tell you more than you need to know about the story line.

This was a fun read with some depth that will give your brain a workout if you let it. I will be reading more of O'Leary's books.

Very, very good
The highest praise in science fiction, it seems to me, is to compare it to the work of Philip K. Dick.This book definitely reminds me of some of Dick's work.The protagonist is a psychotherapist with serious mom/dad-brother issues that he is busy trying to work through in his life.Meanwhile, a patient appears who claims to have been raised by aliens and has one year on earth to convince someone.Suddenly the protagonist finds himself pursued by seriously drug addicted alien women (the drug is sugar; it overwelms them -- they keep purses full of it).He hooks up with some very good people living in a catholic rectory.Turns out that somehow prayer is effective against the aliens (even saying grace stops them at one point!).Also in the rectory is an utterly charming little bird.I don't want to give too much away, but the book is full of time travel, love, hate, and a world where people live in lime jello.What more can a reader want?

Why I stopped reading Sci Fi
I purchased this book after hearing O'Leary's poem on the car commercial. While the poem was mediocre, it did provide a certain haunting quality I thought I'd find in the author's books.

Unfortunately, that one poem was probably his best work. This book is an example of why I quit reading Sci Fi in the 70's. It reads like a bad nightmare (and I don't mean a nightmare that is so real it is scary - I mean a nightmare from which you wake up and go "HUH?").

There is no real discernable plot in this book. It shows no imagination whatsoever on the part of the author. The author substitutes the shock-value of vulgarity, in actions and language, for plot and character development. It provided no comedic relief, no real drama or pathos, and left me not caring what happened to the characters.

Someone here compared it to HHGTTG by Douglas Adams. No way! Douglas Adams provides class-act comedy. O'Leary doesn't even approach the level of Three Stooges comedy. ... Read more

Product Description
There is a place—a world—where famine and poverty do not exist.
Nor sickness nor misery nor unhappiness of any kind.

Is it Heaven?

As two brothers are about to discover,
it’s more like Hell.

Michael Glynn is a hotshot director addicted to a there’s-no-success-like-excess hedonism. Daniel Glynn is a professor of literature, devoted husband, and doting father with a quietly buttoned-down life. Brothers bound by blood. But brothers waging a private civil war—an emotional feud of lies and deceit and dark secrets buried but not forgotten.

But all that is about to change.

One day the brothers are visited simultaneously by gun-wielding strangers claiming to be agents ofan elite government security agency. Each brother is questioned about the whereabouts of the other. What they want is “the code.” The strangers are convinced one of the brothers possesses the code, but they aren’t sure which. Having maintained only sporadic contact, Michael and Daniel can be of no assistance. Or so they think. The strangers will not take no for an answer. Their instructions are simple: find your brother or die.

But what begins as a cross-country manhunt—brother converging on brother—turns into an odyssey of discovery neither could have imagined. It is a journey that will take them to a world of perfect human happiness. A world purged of suffering. A world without death. A world where a life can be relived and mistakes corrected.

Both have been given a second chance. The question is, is a second chance what they really need?

For Michael and Daniel the answer to that question will be found by unraveling the mystery of the impossible bird.
Amazon.com Review
Daniel Glynn is a quiet, responsible suburban father mourning the recent death of his wife. His brother Michael is a brilliant, hot-tempered Hollywood director. The only woman Michael ever loved left him--for Daniel. It's one of many secrets the brothers keep from each other, and from the world. But Daniel and Michael are rushing toward a strange reckoning. Unknown gunmen have shown up at their doors, claiming to be government agents and demanding that each brother find the other--or die. But both brothers are missing from the world they know, and the new universe they inhabit is a heavenly utopia--a utopia that everyone they meet wants to escape.

Patrick O'Leary's previous books are the novels Door Number Three and The Gift(a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1997), and the collection Other Voices, Other Doors. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

An Accidental Treasure of a Find!
This writer is a treasure. What a book! I stumbled upon it, purely by accident.
This work is not a frolic in an easy alternate reality, but disturbing and thoughtful and very original. It was hard to read before sleeping and affected my predream thoughts. Even my brain waves felt altered by the existential repatterning in this science fiction.
I never, never knew what would come next. I couldn't outguess him.
And, to my utter astonishment, he made me weep, scooped up the jewels of what is most precious in our lives and spoon fed them to us in his last poetic pages. I could feel my own heart beating in his hand.
A beautiful and profound story. Thank you and I bow deeply to Mr. Patrick O'Leary.
This is possibly the most profound author of poetic science fiction I have discovered in a long time and a rare compliment to my library. A book I will reread and pass thoughtfully into the hands of thinkers.

Disappointing
This book is good, save for one page toward the end. I won't comment much on it but I thought it was a little over played and could have been completely left out and the book would have been great. If not for that one page. Thats why i gave it three stars and i was tempted to give it two.I know that sounds weird but really its just one page that ruined the book for me. Overall the book was pretty good, it doesn't really slow down, something is always happening.

Disappointing compared to previous books by O'Leary
I bought The Impossible Bird based on my past experience with Patrick O'Leary, including his wonderful debut novel, Door Number Three, which I commented on here, and The Gift. O'Leary seemed to be some kind of cross between the wild ideas of Philip K. Dick with the literary sensibilities of Gene Wolfe, and in those two books the combination worked very well. And that's why the first 70 pages or so of the The Impossible Bird were such a surprise, and unfortunately, not a pleasant one, for it seemed to be all random violence in endless plot sequence without any textual beauty. I put the book down for weeks and only returned to it today because I had nominated for our monthly book club and the meeting was tonight.

Having now finished it, I still don't think it rises to the level of his previous books but I'm not as disappointed with it as I thought I'd be. I found the theme, that life is not worth living if there's no death to measure it by, to be interesting, if not necessarily something I would agree with, and there was some explanation for the rough violence of the beginning. But mainly I'm left with a sense that the novel suffers from the all too easy comparison to the movie, The Matrix, and while these themes and ideas were around long before that movie, it now looms large in the public consciousness.

The basic story, and I'm trying not to give anything away here, is of two very close brothers with a mysterious connection that goes beyond their familial relation and what happens after their deaths. This life-after-death plot is a lot like Jonathan Carroll's similarly flawed novel, White Apples, in that by removing the reader from the "known" world of reality, a loss of structure becomes very hard for the reader to grasp. It's as if there were no rules left for the writer to have to follow, nor for the reader to assume, and the result is a hazy world of dreams that quickly breaks down into a series of talking heads. O'Leary tries to spice this up with some "bullet-time" action (even going so far in one scene as to actually slow down the bullet so that a character can reach out and touch it), but without the framing world, it quickly becomes full of action and fury that ultimately means little to the overall story (in fact, the little logic of the world starts really breaking down when you start to question "why does it take these three things to escape the matrix, and why not others...").

The ending (and spoilers may be here) tries to resolve this, by working around to a reconciliation of the charaters to the main theme, but the gung-ho plot antics made me care much less for the characters when we got to that end. Like them, I was pretty much just ready for it to be over, which may have been what they were looking for, but isn't necessarily the emotion you wish to evoke from your readers.

Remarkable science fiction
I always brag that I know the end of a book within the first 20 pages -- because there is little that hasn't already been used as a plot device.I must say, I certainly did not see this one coming!I found this story very original and well written.Two brothers, close in childhood but distant as adults, suddenly find that teams of people are demanding information about their whereabouts, threatening death, kidnapping, etc.And those people don't seem to stay dead when killed.Also, we are given hints that something quit strange happened in South America to one of the brothers -- something involving a tribal chief, and maybe a hummingbird.OK, that is all I'll tell.Everything else, you have to get from the book.Read it!It's pretty good!

Good story, but fire the editor
O'Leary is a very thoughtful, inventive writer and I've enjoyed several of his books, but in this case the editor should really have kept a sharper eye for plot inconsistencies. In the chapter "The First Letter" (starts on p.92 of the hardcover edition), we learn of the character Michael's past affair with another man's wife--an affair which ended eight months before the birth of the married couple's son. But in the chapter "Please" (starts on p.189), Michael recalls "the first time he'd felt attracted to her"--which happens to be when her husband was tucking their son into bed! Such a plot glitch should never have been allowed to happen, especially when what we eventually learn about the characters' relationships with each other depends on the timetable of events. Shape up, editors. We still need your keen eye. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent basic science reference for the resident surgeon!
This book is a perfect reference book in surgically relevant physiology.Given the upcoming change in the ABSITE to emphasize basic sciences for the 1st and 2nd year resident, this is good addition to the library of a junior surgical resident.

Here is a review by, Jarrell, Bruce E. MD (Shock: Volume 19(2) February 2003 p 193):

"Reviewer's Expert Opinion:
Description:
This is the second edition of the authoritative text on surgical basic science for residents. This edition is more comprehensive than the first and includes new topics in shock, fluid and electrolytes, reproductive physiology, and geriatrics. It also has a companion computer CD program.

Purpose:
The purpose is to assemble the basic science information necessary for surgeons, particularly for surgeons in training. The basic science material is interlaced with clinical care principles, enabling surgeons to integrate basic science into their day-to-day clinical care.

Audience:
Residents in training and practicing surgeons are the intended audience.

Features:
There are 26 chapters that deal with broad areas of basic science. Each chapter is written by an authority in the topic. The chapter covers all of the pertinent basic science issues related to a particular problem with in-depth discussion, tables, and diagrams to help understand the concepts. It is also well referenced with certain excellent references called out in the text.

Assessment:
This is a significant improvement over the first edition. It has more detail and is more comprehensive in its coverage of topics. I read several of the new chapters as well as some of the revised chapters. The geriatrics chapter is an excellent addition and is very well presented. This is a topic that is not commonly covered in resident education. The new fluids, electrolyte, and shock chapters are clear and concise. The oncology chapter has also been improved, taking a very difficult and comprehensive topic and clarifying it well. I was also impressed with the surgical infection chapter. In fact, every chapter has significant revisions that are improvements over the previous edition. This edition is much more readable than the first. This is an outstanding contribution to our resident basic science education and will continue to be the benchmark for basic science requirements in surgery.

©2003The Shock Society"

Basic Sciences
Purely a basic science perspective to surgery. If you are weak in this area, then it might be what you need.It is not designed as a clinical text. It is dense, slow to read, and a great sedative, but honestly, it is beneficial if you need to touch up you basic science fund of knowledge. ... Read more

Product Description
This book introduces a dynamic fighting techniques used by ninja, samurai warriors and western combat commando's for use in practical self-defense.The book has lessons on basic principles of personal combat, body conditioning, sensitive areas of the body, stances, movement, defending against attacks, handling prolonged fighting situations, grappling maneuvers, defenses from the ground, and safety considerations for the practice.There is a strategy section that discusses principles for developing a winning battle plan, handling opponents with different body types and dealing with aggressors with different personality types. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Tactics and techniques from Commandos for self-defense
Fred Neff has done a commendable job drawing together commando techniques and tactics for self-defense in his book Lessons from the Fighting Commandos.It provides training built on centuries of development of fighting techniques and tactics in the western sports of boxing and wrestling.When Fred Neff wrote this book in the 1980's it was a pioneering effort that made people aware of the rich heritage of fighting moves available from western sources.Since this book's publication through modern kick-boxing, tough man battles and other fighting tournaments that allow contestants to use Asian and/or western fighting techniques, the strengths of western fighting have been proven.Fred Neff's Lessons from the Fighting Commandos provides valuable information in a coherent, brief and well-composed manner.There are chapters in Fred Neff's book on answers to common questions, physical conditioning, fighting posture, manner of movement, punching, kicking, dodging, blocking, combinations of fighting moves, combining boxing and grappling and strategy.One really unique aspect of this book is the information it supplies on fighting an opponent once you have been thrown to the floor.Another valuable chapter deals with fighting strategy.Fred Neff has crafted a book that brings out the best of western self-defense in an interesting and useful manner.Woven throughout the book is a non-violent approach to defending oneself, which is commendable in and of itself. Lessons From the Fighting Commandos is a book that is well worth reading and studying.

Lessons from the Fighting Commandos an essential resource
My first introduction to Lessons from the Fighting Commandos was after I had acheived a black belt grade in Japan.When I first started graduate studies here in the United States, I found there was no one to practice my style of karate in the area where I was going to school.After a few months, I did meet another graduate student who had also earned his black belt in a style of Okinawan Karate that in some ways was very similar to my own art.One night we were at a local nightspot and a local tough guy picked a fight with my friend.My friend proceeded to fight this guy in the same way he handled me in sparring, which proved to be a disaster.The tough guy ended up taking my friend to the ground and pummeling him.After the fight my friend and I agreed that he had failed to assess his opponent's strengths and weaknesses and used the one-type-of-fighting-fits-all approach that we had both been taught.A few weeks later my friend found a copy of Fred Neff's Lessons from the Fighting Commandos.This book teaches you to adapt to the needs of the moment.While my previous training in karate had taught me technique, it did not teach me the all-important lesson of adaptation.The more my friend and I studied Lessons from the Fighting Commandos the more we appreciated its lessons.Frankly, this book's messsage of learning how to size up an opponent's strengths and weaknesses and develop a strategy is essential to good self-defense.A few months later my friend and I ran into the supposedly invincible tough guy at a local fast food joint and again he proceeded to pick a fight with my friend.They had a rematch, but with much different results.This time my friend used a hit and move strategy that eventually resulted in the tough guy finding himself on the ground hurt and worn out physicallly and mentally.My friend had not used the one-strike-will-end-the-fight approach that we had been taught in our respective arts, nor the charge in and hit with a quick series of open hand blows taught by some other schools; instead he used an approach taught in Lessons from the Fighting Commandos--that of out-thinking and manipulating his opponent. It has been many years since graduate school and I now live in an area where finding people to work out with is much easier. I still practice and greatly appreciate my style of Japanese Karate, but I also regularly work into my practice routine techniques and strategies taught in Lessons from the FightingCommandos.I have introduced Lessons from the Fighting Commandos to my sparring partners, who also find it a valuable resource. This book is truly outstanding and well deserving of a 5-star rating. It is an essential resource for those interested in martial arts and self-defense.

Lessons from the Fighting Commandos-Platinum all the way
A super present that I got for Christmas this year was a book by Fred Neff on the Fighting Commandos.I especially like this book's coverage of topics not normally discussed in other books on fighting techniques such as defending against hand and foot attackes from different ranges and in prolonged fighting situations.Unlike the typical karate books, Lessons from the Fighting Commandos covers basic grappling maneuvers and defenses when forced to fight on the ground.This book is solid platinum from cover to cover in its exploration and explanation of how to fight.

This is a classic five star book
The other day I again came upon Fred Neff's book "Lessons from the Fighting Commandos," a book that I can best characterize as a classic in the field of self-defense. Years ago, as a high school wrestler, I thought I was really a tough guy until I took a beating at a party from a bigger guy.To add insult to injury, he told me that the next time he ran into me I could expect an even greater beating.Given the size of my hometown, it was inevitable that I was in for another beating.My pride was hurt and I made up my mind that if we were going to fight again, I was going to be on the winning end.A friend of my older brother, who had been away from town for several years serving in the military, recommended that I read a book on fighting commandos written by a great fighting master, the book was Fred Neff's Lessons from the Fighting Commandos.I read the book cover to cover and then started to use it as a practice guide.Every day I practiced the fighting moves from boxing and wrestling contained in the book.Within a short time, I felt confident enough to take on the bigger guy that had given me the beating.We ended up running into each other at a local hangout in a shopping area and as expected he picked a fight.This time I used the fighting tactics that I learned in Lessons from the Fighting Commandos and won.My friends made a hero of me because of my win.Lessons from the Fighting Commandos gave me more than fighting skills, it taught me the value of practice, adapting a winning strategy in dealing with an opponent's aggression and the power of thinking your way out of a problem.This is a five star book all the way, that really packs a powerful punch and will be appreciated by anyone who takes the time to read it.

This is an excellent book!
A friend recently purchased this book for me knowing my interest in hand-to-hand combat and fighting techniques. This is an excellent book!It is jam packed with useful information while at the same time it is concise and to the point.The photographs illustrating each step of the techniques is terrific. The pictures provide step-by-step illustrations of the described techniques.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about hand-to hand fighting techniques.I found the approach taken by the author to be one that I can highly recommend to anyone, from child to adult, who is interested in self-defense. ... Read more

Product Description
The text presents all aspects of cervical spine surgery and non-surgical management strategies. Unlike other spinal surgery books that concentrate on the thoracic or lumbar region, this new resource offers a concentrated examination of the congenital, acquired, and traumatic disorders specific to the cervical vertebrae with a strong orientation in both orthopaedics and neurosurgery. ... Read more

Product Description
The book discusses martial art methods used by Japanese masters, which include fighting techniques drawn from ju-jutsu, judo, karate, kempo, ninjutsu, and yawara. There are lessons on the history, philosophy, principles of self-defense, physical conditioning, sensitive areas of the body, stances, movement training techniques, punches, strikes, kicks, grappling principles, takedowns, throws, escapes, effective combinations of fighting techniques and strategies for handling a variety of types of attackers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Lessons from the Japanese Masters provides valuable philosophic principles
Lessons from the Japanese Masters is far more than an excellent book that compiles fighting moves.It delves into the Japanese philosophy that forms the basis for sports such as Aikido, Karate, Kendo, Judo, and Jiujitsu.The author Fred Neff introduces the philosophic principles of Jiko no Kansei, Bunbu-ichi, Mushin, Mizu no Kokoro, Tsuki no Kokoro, Hara, Kime, Suki, Seiryoku Zenryo, Kufu, Kyo-jutsu Tenkan Ho, and Bushido.He explains each principle in a simple and straight forward way so as to make the principle useful not only for fighting but for other matters as well.This book promotes thinking, which in turn increases the reader's ability to execute the lessons taught in the book.The text and photo illustrations of the book make the reader realize the wisdom of the Japanese Masters.Lessons from the Japanese Master supplies lessons on self-protection while either standing or fighting on the ground, with an emphasis on using your mind to out maneuver your opponent.The information on fighting strategy is especially useful.This book looks at all aspects of a potential fight including the often-dreaded occurrence of having to fight an adversary from a grounded position.Lessons from the Japanese Masters is a book that can be read and reread.It tends to cultivate a civilized attitude toward self-protection where a person is cognizant of the Bushido code of chivalry.I like the fact that this book by Fred Neff stresses Bushido concepts of justice, benevolence and politeness, that can make life better for everyone.The author Fred Neff believes in practicing what he preaches as can be seen by his extensive community involvement including as a teacher and lawyer that led to awards such as the city of St. Paul Citizen of the Month, a commendation from the Sibley County Attorney's Office, the WCCO Radio Award, Lamp of Knowledge Award from The Twin Cities Lawyers Guild and Presidential Medal Of Merit.Lessons from the Japanese Masters is a wholesome and non-violent book with lessons that teaches martial arts fighting tactics while encouraging a sense of social responsibility. The ancient Japanese Masters had a lot to offer us by way of wisdom and a great way to start to learn from them is to read Fred Neff's book, Lessons from the Japanese Masters.

High Praise for Japanese Masters
Japanese martial arts way is intrigingly explored in Lessons From the Japanese Masters.The story of Japanese fighting arts unfolds through its history and philosophy in the beginning of the book.Philosophic concepts are explained that make the self-defense taught in later chapters more relevant.I especially like the way that author Fred Neff explains how the philosophic concepts can apply to not only physical conflict but life generally.Included is a superior cross-section of Japanese fighting approaches for description and depiction through pictures.I found the joint locks taught to be fascinating and plan to make them an enduring part of my martial arts practice.Throwing techniques are also well presented.There is even a part of the book covering how to defend with locks and throws when you are forced down on the ground.Commendable is the emphasis on ethics and safety in the use of fighting techniques.This is a book that should be highly praised and well received for use by children and adults alike.

LESSONS FROM THE JAPANESE MASTERS IS RIGHT ON POINT
Ancient Japanese principles of fighting are well explained in Lessons from the Japanese Masters by Fred Neff.There are misconceptions spread about self-defense, that reading Lessons from the Japanese Masters can dispel.Having been invovled with Japanese Karate for many years, I get sick of hearing the so-called do whatever it takes crowd of self-defense theorists.Equally unrealistic are those naive people that say you do not ever need to take any offensive action in a fight just stand back and try to exploit and attack with a simple trick.Neither of these tactics work, because the former theory of do whatever it takes may not only be immoral but illegal.The later naive stand back and exploit theory, ignores the fact that you cannot always just evade harm or counter with something simple.Lessons from the Japanese Masters is all about real fighting situations including the need in an all out fight to use strategy to set up an adversary for techniques that may end the fight.The book provides concisely and in an easy to understand manner the necessary historical and philosophical foundation for the Japanese fighting arts and then proceeds to explain and show how to fight both standing and on the ground.It not only provides necessary lessons to prepare for a simple attack, but for an all out fight as well.Lessons from the Japanese Masters is right on point. ... Read more

Product Description
The book discusses the beautiful and effective techniquesused in kung-fu and kempo. Secrets of kung-fu and kempo that arecovered including trapping and containing an opponent. There arelessons on history, philosophy, physical conditioning, trainingtechniques, falling maneuvers, fighting postures, sensitive areas onthe body, different ranges of distance in fighting, grappling,wrestling, dodges, punches, strikes, kicks, wrist locks, arm bars,throws, escapes, use of effective combinations of fighting techniquesand strategy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Lessons from the Eastern Warriors explores well the hard-soft fighting approach
Fred Neff's book Lessons from the Eastern Warriors provides a fascinating exploration of the hard-soft fighting approach used in East Asian martial arts.The book integrates history, philosophy, movement and tactics to bring about the consistent message to the reader that some East Asian martial arts strive to fully develop a person's fighting ability so that he or she can efficiently and non-violently defend against attack.The detailed explanations and photo illustrations send a further message that when a practitioner achieves a high skill level, the soft and hard movements may blend to heighten overall effectiveness.Lessons from the Eastern Warrior exposes the reader to a broad overview of training to develop a strong hard-soft fighting approach.The author, Fred Neff,provides history, philosophy, physical conditioning, and postures, as well as the expected information on movement, methods of dodging attacks, blows, holds and grappling.The book does an admirable job teaching how to confound, dodge and set up your opponent for fighting moves.I especially appreciate the way Fred Neff maintains a balanced and socially responsible approach to the use of martial arts throughout the book, which appears consistent with the author's own approach to life.In addition to being an author and a martial artist, Fred Neff is a lawyer who has received numerous awards for involvement such as the the Presidential Medal of Merit, Citizen of the Month Award from the City of St. Paul, a Commendation from the Sibley County Attorney's Office, the WCCO Good Neighbor Award, the HLS Justice Award, the Lamp of Knowledge Award from the Twin Cities Lawyers Guild, and others.

ADD EASTERN WARRIORS TO YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY
Having studied Chinese traditional martial arts for more than fifteen years, I really appreciated the fresh perspective presented in Lessons From the Eastern Warriors.The book explains the common historic and philosophic background for many of the Chinese fighting arts.Not being a Kempo practitioner, I was not familiar with its background and enjoyed reading about its connection to Kung-Fu.Explaining and illustrating common connections between Chinese Kung-Fu and Japanese Kempo is pulled off very well by this author.There is a superb cross-section of fighting techniques chosen for inclusion in this book.My training in Ch'ang Ch'uan, Northern Shaolin and Ch'in Na gave me a special appreciation for the book's lessons.I especially like the way the author teaches how to set up and counterattack an adversary.The book's discussion on blocking and countering with the same hand are very well explained.Closing an opponent's centerline and counterattacking is a vital area of defense often neglected in other works, but extremely well done in this book by Fred Neff.Trapping an opponent is apparently either avoided or not known by other authors, because it does not show up in their works, but is well covered in this book.Lessons From the Eastern Warriors has an excellent section systematically showing several ways to trap an opponent.Another unique area of presentation in this book is its section on grappling on the ground.This subject is neglected in many martial arts discussions, despite the fact that it may be an actual danger in a fight.It seems that many martial artists prefer to pretend that they will not ever end up on the ground with an opponent.This is very foolish.I was very happy to see this book not avoid the subject, but instead give some good tips for handling fighting on the ground.One of the greatest assets of the book is its willingness to avoid the stereotypical presentation of Kung-fu and to instead cut new ground with a presentation that is both fresh and very useful.I have added Lessons From the Eastern Warriors to my small library of martial arts books and strongly suggest others do likewise.

ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY
Having studied Chinese traditional martial arts for more than fifteen years, I really appreciated the fresh perspective presented in Lessons From the Eastern Warriors.The book explains the common historic and philosophic background for many of the Chinese fighting arts.Not being a Kempo practitioner, I was not familiar with its background and enjoyed reading about its connection to Kung-Fu.Explaining and illustrating common connections between Chinese Kung-Fu and Japanese Kempo is pulled off very well by this author.There is a superb cross-section of fighting techniques chosen for inclusion in this book.My training in Ch'ang Ch'uan, Northern Shaolin and Ch'in Na gave me a special appreciation for the book's lessons.I especially like the way the author teaches how to set up and counterattack an adversary.The book's discussion on blocking and countering with the same hand are very well explained.Closing an opponent's centerline and counterattacking is a vital area of defense often neglected in other works, but extremely well done in this book by Fred Neff.Trapping an opponent is apparently either avoided or not known by other authors, because it does not show up in their works, but is well covered in this book.Lessons From the Eastern Warriors has an excellent section systematically showing several ways to trap an opponent.Another unique area of presentation in this book is its section on grappling on the ground.This subject is neglected in many martial arts discussions, despite the fact that it may be an actual danger in a fight.It seems that many martial artists prefer to pretend that they will not ever end up on the ground with an opponent.This is very foolish.I was very happy to see this book not avoid the subject, but instead give some good tips for handling fighting on the ground.One of the greatest assets of the book is its willingness to avoid the stereotypical presentation of Kung-fu and to instead cut new ground with a presentation that is both fresh and very useful.I have added Lessons From the Eastern Warriors to my small library of martial arts books and strongly suggest others do likewise.

Bridges the gap from kung-fu to kempo
Kung-fu methods are heavily taught in the book on Fighting from the Eastern Warriors.The description and illustrations in this book are exellent.The approaches to fighting are exitingly different from the normal kick-punch covered in other karate-based books.The techniques are explored and illustrated so nearly anyone should be able to learn them from reading this book.It is a great guide to Kung-fu and its Japanese derivative art of Kempo.It is highly recommended as not only an enjoyable reading, but as a guide to help build a fighting repertoire.

Book to have for anyone interested in Kempo or Kung-fu
Lesson from the Eastern Warriors by Fred Neff is the best written introduction to Kung-fu and Kempo I have ever read.My passion is Kempo, so I really love the way the book explores both authentic Kung-fu and related Japanese Kempo derivative techniques.I started learning Kempo over ten years ago, but had to take a break from going to classes by my teacher to go away to college.While I was away from my hometown going to college, I was not able to locate a Kempo school nearby, so I took classes in Kung-fu.I observed that there were many similarities in approaches between Chinese Kung-fu and my first love of Japanese Kempo.This came as no surprise because of the influence of Kung-fu on Japanese Kempo.While studying Kung-fu a friend told me about this super book on Lessons From the Eastern Warriors that brought home the connection between the Kempo and Kung-fu.I bought a copy of that book and it has been helpful in both my study of Kung-fu and Kempo.Fighting techniques are well explained through the narrative and excellent photographs.The author's analysis of these eastern arts is right on point.Superlatives aside, Lessons From the Eastern Warriors is the book to have for anyone who's interested in Kempo or Kung-fu. ... Read more

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This is a unique compendium of 150 different short cuts and alternative methods useful in surgery. This collection of surgical "tricks" that accomplished surgeons have learned over the years exposes other surgeons to simplified methods of accomplishing goals in the operating room. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The Enneagram is a most helpful instrument in assisting persons to see themselves in the mirror of their minds, especially to see the images of personality distorted by complusions and other basic attitudes about self. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

the enneagram a journey of self discovery
excellent service and condition of book
written with a spiritual understanding of the enneagram

Never got the book
I'd love to review this.I paid for it with my Amazon bonus.I ordered it from a private seller named Drop Dead Books.The book never arrived.I told Drop Dead Books that I never got the book.They basically told me to drop dead.The end.

One of the first is still one of the best...
My sister turned me on to the Enneagram back in the late '80s before it had become so kool and trendy. Don't be misled by the lack of cover art or excerpts here...this was one of the first books written on the subject, and it's still one of the best. As the other reviewer noted, the "self-test" is one of the clearest and most concise and the emphasis in the book is on your fatal flaws or "sin-types" as the Catholic authors dub them. Rather than allowing you to wallow in self-congratulatory insight of some other books (and similar self-analytic tools, like horoscopes etc.), this book takes a direct approach to telling you why you are so screwed up - because of your type! It has a distinct Christian/catholic approach, including a chapter on how Jesus embodies all 9 types. So this is not the book to read if you couldn't care less about the spiritual implications of your personality. If you're a Christian, it is DEFINITELY the definitive work to own. Having read Palmer, Riso and all the other "experts", I still come back to this one, and I've personally ordered my third copy.

The Enneagram - The Best Way to Understand Yourself
I have four different books and a set of audio tapes about the Enneagram.I have studied numerous personality profiling systems, most of which are based on two dimensions of personality only.The Enneagram is by far the most accurate and useful system I have experienced, and this book is the best of the ones I have studied.Its descriptions of the types are clear, insightful, and "dead on" accurate.I recommend you let this book be your first experience with the Enneagram. ... Read more

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This digital document, covering the life and work of Patrick G. O'Leary, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1084 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author