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Customer Reviews (62)

Dream Warrior (Dream-Hunter)
Just one of many Hunter books by Sherrilyn Kenyon that shows what family is all about no matter who or (what) you are. I've loved these books since I read the first one. If you read one, you'll want to read them all.

Between hate and dislike
I had a review up months ago, but I deleted it because I realized it was a bit... harsh.So here's my take 2:SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't read the series up to this book yet >>>>>

I can't really add much more than other reviewers already have. The writing quality was poor compered to her first couple of books. The romance was forced, and when I say forced I mean that just a little sex and an "I Love You" and there we have a HEA for the couple.

We have the son of Warcraft and Hate (how many "war gods" have we seen up to this point?).
The heoine, not particularly memorable. There was no spice, no chemistry between the two, they were simply thrown together because this is a paranormal romance (even though the larger ongoing conflict is much more interesting... at least, it used to be).

We have super-duper evil bad guys who've been around since the beginning of the universe. No, the REAL beginning, from The Source itself. It's clear that SK has no idea where she is going with this series because the canon changed from book to book.


A couple of things that stood out:

- Zarek's one-liners were a nice welcome. "Kill them all and let Hades figure it out." - I laughed for a good few minutes, even better that Hades was actually there to respond to him.

- Asmodeus was mildly entertaining. His personality was actually a bit different from the rest with his almost-cute rambling. Or maybe I just think that because no one else was remotely interesting (aside from Madoc). Hmmm.

- Artemis and her words of wisdom about love. Say what? This is from the same person who tricked Ash into a blood bond, kept him for eleven thousand years for torture and abuse, and failed to tell him he had a daughter? SK is clearly trying to set her up as a sympathetic character worthy of a HEA. It ain't gonna work, at least not with me and I'm NOT the only one.

Great Book!
This was a great book I am so good I bought it I loved it. I would definitely recommend it to any one who like the the Dark Hunter Series or anyone who like Paranormal Romance, as with all Sherrilyn Kenyon books speacially the Dark Hunter series.

Kenyon's books going downhill
I was in LOVE with the Dark Hunter series and raved to anyone who would listen - "Twilight who?" but then she began to slowly write so formulaic and just when you thought you could map the universe out she switched it on you and not in an enjoyable way. I used to own every book in the Dark Hunter series and after the introduction of Sin and the Gailu I decided "Forget this!" it doesn't make sense anymore. She is writing for money not her public. Then along came Stryker's story and PLEASE! i wanted to say STOP now you are embarrassing yourself. I have still checked in with the book storyline through the library and reading at Borders but Kenyon does not seem to be learning anything from her faithful public. Now she has started Nick's "Series" and it seems she is going to re-work things and milk it for all its worth.I loved Nick and was really hoping for a redeemable book in his story but i have a bad feeling it is just going to be one more thinly veiled marketing ploy for our money. It is too bad when your favorite writers go over to the "making money" side of the business and forget those of us who got them their place in popular fiction by cranking out books instead of inventing a better story.

haven't read
sadly i haven't read this book and I thought sherrilyn kenyon couldn't write a bad book but two or three of them have just left me feeling sick inside like i wish i could just forget that i had ever read them. ... Read more

Product Description
A young man's quest for beauty through literature, love, drugs and dreams becomes a mystical, lyrical classic from the father of supernatural horror. There is a foreword by Catherine Fisher one of whose acclaimed "Oracle" trilogy was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and is an international bestseller translated into over 20 languages. Originally published in 1907, it is widely regarded as Machen's finest lyrical work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Worst edition - completely shameful!
I purchased this edition of Hill of Dreams published by Wildside Press and after only 10 pages in I had to stop because I encountered half a dozen spelling errors. I contacted them to make them aware of the problems and they claimed it's not theirs but that it's an "Alan Rodgers" book (even though it has their logo, web site and ISBN number). I wasn't looking for a refund but this fear might explain why they reacted this way; and Mr. Rodgers doesn't answer his emails in any case.

I want to caution anyone who might be tempted to purchase books from these people. They do nothing to enhance the literary merit of so-called "supernatural fiction" and may in fact hurt it.
Dover puts out a very affordable and reasonably priced edition but there are other options such as a forthcoming edition from Parthian Press:

http://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Machens-World-Library-Wales/dp/1906998167/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264024508&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Great-God-Pan-Hill-Dreams/dp/0486443450/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264024461&sr=8-3

Arthur Machen's autobiographic masterpiece
Arthur Machen, one of the 20th Century's most talented writers of supernatural horror fiction, wrote Hill of Dreams, his autobiographic novel, in 1922. The novel concerns a gifted young writer, Lucien Taylor, whose calling to write great (not just good) works of literature dooms him to self-destruction.

The novel follows Lucien's life from boyhood until his mid-twenties. Lucien grows up in a rural village in Wales near the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress (Machen himself grew up in Caerleon, Wales near the ruins of the Roman citadel, Isca Silurum). While exploring these ruins, Lucien undergoes a mystical awakening and becomes fascinated with ancient Roman culture, paganism and the supernatural. His imagination is so captured, it is only a matter of time until he starts to write fiction with supernatural and pagan themes.

While still in his teens, Lucien sends a manuscript to a publishing firm. The publisher rejects the manuscript. A few months later, Lucien purchases a newly-published novel which contains entire chapters lifted from his "rejected" manuscript. Saddened and angered, Lucien again wanders to the Roman ruins. There, he happens to meet a neighbor girl and has a sexual encounter which he associates with the fauns and nymphs of Roman mythology.

Lucien's imagination is so active that the border between reality and fantasy is sometimes blurred. In an effort to reach new heights of imagination and expression, Lucien begins to induce mystic experiences and trances. He dabbles in the occult, engages in masochistic rituals and starves himself to induce visions. His neighbors and relatives notice the changes in Lucien and encourage him to eat, to get plenty of rest, to give up writing and to pursue a real occupation.

Unexpectedly, Lucien receives an inheritance which enables him to move to London and devote himself to writing full time. By this time, Lucien is caught in a downward spiral of increasingly disturbing visions, induced by a number of unhealthy methods. He manages to completely erase the border between fantasy and reality, but ironically, he has so disabled himself that he can no longer write coherently.

Machen's story reads almost like poetry and is told in an artful, subtle fashion. The imagery of the first chapter is indescribably beautiful. The final four chapters, detailing his character's descent into insanity, are vivid and horrific. Machen describes the final sensations of a dying brain so vividly and in such detail that I cannot help but wonder how close Machen came to the same fate. Hill of Dreams is among the finest portrayals of the self-destructive artist, ranking with Coleridge's Kubla Khan, Mann's Doctor Faustus and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantasique. Through repeated allusions to Poe, Coleridge and DeQuincey, Machen pays tribute to other great writers who have tried the same path to greatness. Although Machen has achieved cult icon status (due, in part, to his role in the creation of the Angel of Mons legend), he is underrated as an author. I am greatly impressed with all of his works that I've read thus far. Hill of Dreams is the most impressive of his works.

Lyrical
"The Hill of Dreams" is arguably Machen's finest work, and that is saying something.While there is definitely a story and most especially interesting characterization, the star feature of this jewel of a novel is Machen's rich descriptive prose, virtually prose poetry.It possesses exactly the dreamlike quality the story demands, and becomes a dream itself, a vision of rural beauty, into which the reader may enter.The lush prose, which seems to be supporting the story as a river supports and carries a boat, is eventually seen to have been a necessary tool, and all the elements of story-telling come together at the finale to round off a work of terrible beauty.

Hill of Dreams

Arthur Machen, master of the macabre, created something a little bit different in this book. Coming from a childhood background that left him lonely and prone to living in imaginative worlds himself, the main character here is exactly the same. Lucien Taylor, unable to attend Oxford because of a lack of money, "lives" in his father's library. He is particularly attracted to ancient history and magic and hopes to become a writer. This hope is crushed, however, and, with the help of Annie Morgan, a woman who loves him, he escapes into an imaginary world of ancient times. There he remains, totally self-absorbed (to the chagrin of Annie), until he is jolted back to reality after receiving a small legacy. He then becomes an opium addict, which causes his death. Machen captures the moods of his characters perfectly, and this is the best of his books.

Gothic Vision of a Young Writer in 1890s London
Arthur Machen is better known for his "horror" tales such as "The Great God Pan". However, there is more to Machen that that. Machen believed in a quality of literature (and life) that cannot be pinned down - a sort of magic.

When he first came to London from rural Wales in the late 1800s, he was involved in fin-de-siecle "magic" circles - such as The Order of the Golden Dawn. He translated "fantastic" tales and in works like "The Great God Pan" created his own vision of them. However, like Harold Bloom today, he was perhaps at his best when he wrote about literature, and he did this is three forms: directly, in "Hieroglyphics", autobiographically in "Far Off Things" and "Things Near and Far", and in a fictionalized manner in "The Hill of Dreams".

The Hill of Dreams is about a young writer from the country who goes to London and wanders its streets looking for inspiration, but finds himself caught up in the city's past and becomes alienated from those around him. It is like a Peter Ackroyd novel set from 100 years ago. There is also a magic there that is all Machen's own.

Machen is a writer worth getting to know, particularly in the books mentioned above. In the end, though, "The Hill of Dreams" is his masterpiece. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Obama the Pragmatic Moderate
"Conservative" is a word. A 'signifier' in the jargon of philosophy. As a 'word', it ought to have a meaning, to signify something. I've checked my American Heritage dictionary, and I find two primary meanings The first is: "tending to favor the preservation of the existing order". The second is: "moderate, prudent, cautious". To my mind, both meanings would perfectly fit Barack Obama as President, making him patently a "conservative" for better or worse. The "existing order" in the USA is the mixed and balanced economy - loosely watch-dogged capitalism with a modest safety net - paired with the mixed and balanced plan of governance established by the Constitution and its discreet number of amendments. That's NOT the order which radical extremists of the Right want to preserve! By that definition, Sarah Palin and Rand Paul are scarcely conservative. Likewise, it would be hard to make a case that someone who boasts of being a "rogue" and who has participated in a movement in Alaska to secede from the United States should be perceived as "moderate, prudent, cautious."

The Barack Obama whom Professor James Kloppenberg unreservedly admires, whose words and deeds remind the Harvard historian so clearly of those of James Madison, is above all a pragmatic moderate, not attracted to ideology per se of either the Right or the Left, a political man committed -- sincerely committed -- to "deliberative democracy." That commitment has been demonstrated from the beginning of Obama's presidency by his non-imperial relationship with Congress, the 'deliberative' branch of government, and by his cautious attempts to involve the "other party" in bi-partisan discourse. Here's a key paragraph from Dr. Kloppenberg's text:

""Obama is drawn toward the ideas of anti-foundationalism, historicism, and philosophical pragmatism. As an anti-foundationalist, he questions the existence of universal truths. As a historicist, he doubts that any ideas transcend the particularity of time and culture. Finally, as a philosophical pragmatist he insists that all propositions, positions, and policies must be subjected to continuing critical scrutiny. Whereas many activists on both the left and the right proclaim their incommensurable principles with the fervor of true believers, Obama sees things differently. He believes that anti-foundationalism, historicism, and philosophical pragmatism are consistent with the principles of civic republicanism and deliberative democracy on which America was built and for which it should stand.""

How has Dr. Kloppenberg formed this perception of a president so often described in radically different terms? By attentive reading of his two books and his hundreds of public speeches. By listening to the man's own words, analyzing their consistency, comparing them to the writings and speeches of the Founding Fathers of this republic as well as those of thinkers and leaders of the two centuries of America's 'experiment' in representative government. Dr. Kloppenberg finds that Pres. Obama's political values and positions are fundamentally consistent with the American tradition of reasoned disagreement, adaptation, and compromise -- in a word, Discourse. This entire book is devoted to enlarging and documenting the perception that Obama is whole-hearted in his devotion to "preserving" the equanimity established by the Constitution. Here are some lines that Prof. Kloppenberg quotes from a speech Obama delivered on August 31, 2010:

""The greatness of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and to learn from our experiences as we confront the many challenges ahead.""

Talk-show ranters might denounce that statement as mere rhetorical boiler-plate, but Dr. Kloppenberg argues that barack Obama means precisely what he says, and also means to govern accordingly. Deliberatively. Moderately.

Professor Kloppenberg does not turn to Europe or to European politicians in his analysis, but I find that his representation of Obama's 'mentality' seems remarkably close to the ideas of the contemporary German political philosopher Jürgen Habermas, another 'thinker' regarded as too centrist by both Right and Left dogmatists. What Dr. Kloppenberg and Pres. Obama might call "foundationalism", Habermas simply calls "ideology", and what Kloppenberg calls "deliberation" Habermas calls "discourse". Under either name, deliberative democracy or discourse is the antidote to ideology. The 'discourse theory of morality', in Habermas's view, conceives morality as a collective and dialogical process of reaching consensus. The ultimate goal of such consensus is to to establish and/or preserve "the kinds of institutions ... needed to protect individuals against the attractions of political extremism, on the one hand, and the depredations of a burgeoning capitalist economy, on the other."

Habermas is a strenuous, abstruse thinker and a ponderous writer. It wouldn't serve Barack Obama's electoral prospects to try to expound his notions to American audiences, though I'm fully certain that he is aware of them. Habermas is, above all, an "optimist" about the capacity of the public to "identify the social and institutional conditions that foster autonomy .... truly democratic institutions capable of withstanding the corrosive effects of capitalism and of the state administration." Now, THAT'S Moderation! Neither a statist nor an anarcho-capitalist be! And that seems to me to be the commitment to optimism that Barack Obama pledges. ... Read more

Product Description
In a new paperback edition of her bestselling book, renowned psychic and teacher Betty Bethards shows how we can decipher the subconscious messages of our dreams for a fuller understanding of ourselves with her outstanding collection of 1,650 dream symbols. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Finding peace and knowledge in your Dreams
The Dream Book brings me early morning calm on days the night has only set me into uncertainty and confusion.The symbols are clear and specific and easy to come to feelings of peace and knowing from reviewing.The symbols are not always the "answer" that the dreams are telling me, but the leads that the book provides are very helpful in bringing understanding to my
consciousness.

Dafydd Nicholas

Great book
I consider this book to be the single best dream interpretation book there is.Betty Bethards was a very special woman, and she explains very well what dreams are and how to understand them.The book consists of 55 pages of explanation and the rest is all definitions of dream symbols.She also goes into brief detail on how to remember dreams more consistently as well as a basic way to meditate.This is a book that I will cherish and keep with me for the rest of my days, and a book that I have bought as a gift for many of my family and friends.I would recommend this book to everyone, and I have already recommended it to many.

Good for the most part...
For the most part, this is a good book but it does have a few faults.One that I find a bit off putting is the "God" language.I'm glad that it looked at dreams from a spiritual aspect but I would have felt more comfortable with a more generic term for the Divine. It also got a bit preachy at times.I did like that she included the chakra system and the importance of including those ideas in your interpretation repertoire.

The second thing that made me hesitate was that, although she has a whole paragraph saying that "you are the final word" on the meaning of a dream symbol, she immediately follows that with several pages containing some pretty concrete interpretations.For instance, she claims that if you are traveling in a downward direction in a dream, it means you are going the wrong way. It possibly could, but it may instead indicate that you are "going deeper", so a blanket interpretation like that could be misleading.I would have been happier if she had used a lot more terms like "may mean", "could possibly indicate", "sometimes shows", etc.

One statement that the author made that I do agree with is that the feelings that the dream leaves you with are very important when determining it's meaning. If a dream had disturbing images but ultimately you awoke feeling powerful and liberated then those "positive" emotions give you a real direction for interpreting the dream.

Overall, I think I prefer the book from Kelly Sullivan Walden called "I Had the Strangest Dream...".She outlines a great method in which you write down the key symbols from your dream in one column, your own interpretation in a second column and then, lastly, the dream dictionary definition in the third.This correlates a lot with the method we use in the "dream group" I belong to.We really encourage each other to come up with three or four of our own words to describe each of the prominant symbols in the dream, whether objects, places or people. My four words for cat (for example) may be very different from someone elses and it is ultimately most important how I perceive the symbols.

Here are a couple little tips that I have used for years that you may find helpful:

1. To remember a dream, immediately create a couple keywords to summarize it.For example, if I briefly awake right after a dream during the night about being beside a beautiful mountain stream with my favorite pet, I repeat "stream, Boots (my cat), stream, Boots, stream, Boots" over and over in my mind until I fall back asleep.Once I wake up in the morning, if I can remember those keywords, they will bring most of the dream back with them, even the details. It may not be as fail proof as having a pen and paper right beside the bed, but it is more practical for me (and makes my spouse's night sleep a lot better too).With this method, I can get up, use the bathroom, and make a pot of coffee before I sit down to write out my dreams and I don't have to worry about forgetting as soon as my head leaves the pillow.

2. Create your own dream dictionary! This is especially helpful if you have recurring symbols, images, objects or people in your dreams.This can take some work and will definitely evolve over time but it is very helpful in giving you a place to start with a dreams interpretation.Over years of recording my dreams, developing my own interpretations and learning my own symbols, I now know that when cat is in my dream, this is a spiritual lesson.My interpretation is now jump started because I know from which angle to approach it.

Awesome Book!
I have this book close at hand at all times...it is an unbelievably reliable resource for dreams and life's every day messages and situations.I highly recommend it!!!Full of truth and wisdom...

The Only Book You'll Ever Need To Understand Your Dreams
The best book I have found for dream interpretation is Betty Bethard's "Dream Book." It is also great for interpreting signs and omens that come into our life. It is universal. I am a Feng Shui consultatant and refer to it daily.
Betty Bethards was a great mystic, an excellent teacher and a compassionate person. There is a wonderful meditation at the back to the book, that can really change your life.
Everyone can benefit from this book. ... Read more

Product Description
THE NOW-CLASSIC DREAM REFERENCE–
NEWLY REVISED AND UPDATED FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM!

Jam-packed with all-new material, including astonishing new scientific discoveries, Internet dreamsites, new categories, and new links, the bestselling Dream Dictionary is bigger and better than ever before.

Let dream therapist Tony Crisp be your guide on one of the most enlightening journeys you will ever take: into the world of your unconscious mind. From Abandoned to Zoo, based on material from thousands of dreams gathered during three decades of research, this essential reference is alphabetically organized, providing instant access to a wealth of fascinating information about:

• RECURRING DREAMS and their significance

• NIGHTMARES–what they reveal and how to banish them

• RELATIONSHIPS–what your dreams are telling you

• WORK–are you following the right career path? Your dreams will tell.

• FAMILY–how to resolve old hurts and gain new perspectives

• PROBLEM SOLVING in your dreams–how to carry the solutions into real life

• GAINING INSIGHT into your own behavior and that of others

• MAXIMIZING HEALTH–recognize healing foods, danger signs, and more

See what is happening in your body, in your mind, and in your most guarded self and intuitions....Discover what your style of dreaming (color, smell, setting, and other key elements) says about you. It’s all here, and more, in the ultimate guide to your world of dreams!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Dream Analysis
I purchased this book as I had purchased a cell phone app Dream Dictionary that was very useful and unlike and other dream dictionary I've seen.I looked up the app info and found the author to be Tony Crisp. The phone Dream Dictionary is a great quick tool, but only contains a small fraction of the topics available in the book.

Tony Crisp's Dream Dictionary will really help you to interpret your dreams. It doesn't offer a black and white definition of a symbol in your dream. Rather, you will find that symbols can represent similar, yet different, meanings depending on how those symbols were featured in the dream and how you did or did not intereact with those symbols. Tony Crisp gives more information and asks just the right questions to help you discover what is going on in your mind as you sleep. Furthermore, for dreams that leave you with a bad feeling or are unresolved, you will often find useful suggestions that will allow you to resolve those issues in your waking life.

Thrown in are a few pieces of information regarding the function of dreams and sleep in our lives. As I'm a great reader of books about brain formation, brain function, and neuroscience, I have found nothing to date to argue any of the points he has made.

I find most dream dictionaries to be very "new age" and metaphysical. But the Tony Crisp Dream Dictionary is more analytical in its approach, somewhat like having your very own therapist to help you sort out your mind's thoughts.

not for me
dont waste your money. there are far better dream books out there. i bought this for my kindle because it looked promising. it lacks the origins of a lot of the definitions which leaves me to question where they came from.

A Deeper Understanding of the Unconscious Mind
In my dream I'm following a beautiful woman up a ladder leaning against a house. She has said there is a room for me but as I'm climbing the ladder I look up and see that I will only be able to go through a small opening in the wall without my suitcase. At first I thought this meant that I will never "reach the top of some field" because I have "too much baggage." But that is not what this book says. That was too obvious, apparently.

Here is what the book says:

House - Someone else's home; what you sense as the attitudes and atmosphere - or the situation prevailing in that home.

Ladder - Your feelings - whether anxious or secure - about reaching situations or opportunities in life that are new, presently out of reach, or not easily attained; attainment through effort and daring; the heightening of insecurity, anxiety...

Suitcase - The womb; what one carries inside oneself, such as longings, attitudes, fears; how we see ourselves socially - the luggage might be a sign of status, how we rate ourself; also a symbol of independence or going somewhere; what we are hiding from others, or what others cannot see; a secret and perhaps dangerous thing, but certainly often unknown. See bag.

Woman - A woman in a woman's dream: an embodiment of what you deeply need, fear, hope for, or avoid. What the woman is doing in the dream gives a clue to what the need, feeling, or fear is.

Since I keep dreaming of places to live and since most of my dreams before were indicating that I was lost and couldn't find a home, this dream seems to be saying that I've found a place to call home but perhaps I need to leave my fears behind.

The same night I also dreamt of a cat but the cat was injured and needed to be taken to the vet. The book says: "Jungians see the cat as representing a deep psychological secret, a hidden side of one's nature." It also states: "...cats are a substitute baby, it is therefore used in many dreams to represent a woman's urge or need to care for someone."

This book is fairly easy to use except in some cases where you are required to look something up twice. Like when I looked up cat it sent me to "animals." The opposite is often true, like if you are looking up family relationships you will find that "widow" is something you need to look up again, it is not included under the general heading. If you are looking up parts of a house you also have to look under "house, buildings." You can't just look up "windows." This may frustrate some users but after a while you get used to how the book works.

I have found that this book always has the dream symbols I need to look up. Without fail, this book has brought me to a greater understanding of my dreams. If you are looking for books on dream interpretation, I'd start here.

~The Rebecca Review

very general
though i have found many of the dictionary explanations dead on and provocative, i feel its lacking seemingly obvious topics.

Not all that
At first I thought it was a great book, but then as I look up "eyes" or another word it will say "Go to bla bla bla" and you find yourself playing a game with this book. Purchase another book about dreams, not this one. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sigmund Freud
I really liked this book. It is a very solid read, that is, if you like Sigmund Freud enough to at least want to read about his theories and opinions. I give this book 5 stars, not because I completely agree with every view that is expressed in it, but because I think it was an interesting read. ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times bestselling novel that inspired the Oscar-winning movie! What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death. But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair. Richard Matheson's powerful tale of life-and love-after death was the basis for the lavish 1998 film starring Robin Williams.Amazon.com Review
A classic novel of love after death, from one our greatest fantasy writers. The premise is deceptively simple: Chris Neilson has died in a car accident, but his life-force--his spirit--is still conscious of this plane of reality. And he is still too in love with his wife, Ann, to completely let go. She in turn does not want to go on living without him, as each regards the other as their soul mate. What Chris will do to get back with Ann after she dies makes for one of the most unusual love stories ever told. Even though the story can be enjoyed as pure fantasy, what makes What Dreams May Come unique is how the author spent years researching the subject of life after death. (An exhaustive bibliography is included to verify this.) And while Matheson admits that the characters are of course fictional, he also states that "With few exceptions, every other detail is derived exclusively from research." Whether, after reading this novel, one believes in life after death is of course a matter of opinion. At least you'll entertain the possibility that, even though we may not live forever, true love can be eternal. --Stanley Wiater ... Read more

Customer Reviews (216)

Excellent!
I had seen the movie but the book goes into so much more detail and it is based on research - as much research as one can do about the afterlife - which I believe gives it a little more credibility.
A must read for everyone wondering about the after life.We all know what happens when we first pass over but then what?This book answers that.

Arbitrary rules and empty romance make for a heartless, joyless book all around. Not recommended
After his death in a car accident, Chris Nielsen awakens in a dreamlike plane between this realm and the next. What follows is his journey to heaven and ultimately to hell, in search of his wife and soulmate, Ann. What Dreams May Come may have inspired the film of the same name, but the similarities between the book and film are slim--and the book is far inferior. Would I find the book so disappointing were I not an avid lover of the film? Perhaps not. But these criticisms still stand:

Matheson's concept of the afterlife is sometimes creative, sometimes peaceful, but rarely transportive. Arbitrary rules abound (particularly in relation to suicides, and therefore to Ann's journey), stripping away any sense of universal truth and making heaven into a dry, lifeless place; worse, the arbitrary rules are arbitrarily enforced. And there is much emphasis on rules, and customs, and the specific nature of the afterlife: what purports to be a lovestory is bogged down by constant worldbuilding in the form of dry infodumps, which disrupt the pacing, feel unrealistic, and are often, frankly, boring. Also dry is the narrative voice, which even further slows the book's pace--especially in the climax, where repetitive descriptions and the constant interruption of explication strip away both suspense and emotion.

Not that there is much emotion in the first place. Chris seems to view Ann more as an archetype than a person: she is a woman, therefore his wife; she is childlike, therefore in need of rescue. Her actual personality and mental state are merely glimpsed. Often, the reader is expected to take Chris's desire to be with her, to save her, at his word--rather than sharing his emotions. A hasty, impersonal conclusion caps off the would-be love story. The relationship between Chris and Ann is overshadowed and unexplored, and what is seen of it borders on demeaning and offensive; it's poor motivation for such a vast journey through the afterlife. In the end, Dreams is sterile and dry, heartless and joyless; the plain narration is easy to read, but infodumps bloat the book and slow it to a slog. There's some familiar characters, plot points, and even lines for fans of the film, but its heart is entirely different. I adore the film, and readily admit my bias towards it--but as the film's original and as a novel in its own right, I found the book to be a distinct disappointment and don't under any circumstances recommend it.

How far would you go for your soulmate?
This amazing book takes you on a journey that is so unexpected and exciting. Life after death can be one of the scariest concepts to wrap your head around because no one knows. It is inevitable yet we spend most of our lives fighting it.

It was interesting to read about many theories all put into one cohesive book that makes it so possible its very eerie. Through much research, Richard Matheson takes you on his journey of discovering what everyone wants to know, what happens after we die?

Richard also delves into the explanation of soul mates which is another greatly explored subject in the book. The main character, Chris (recently deceased) and wife Ann are determined by the higher powers to actually be "soul mates". This makes matters complicated when Ann can no longer live in a world where her other half does not exist. Chris never waivers in his determination to be with Ann again which makes this a heartbreaking tale of love lost. But after the journey has ended, it leaves great hope that life does go on, just not as you think it may.

Convincing life changing book
This book was very powerful for me. I have a relative that has cancer and their condition is deteriorating week by week. This book made me feel a little better about the afterlife. Most of the book is very believable and seems like this is what it could be. I love the idea that the afterlife is what you make it and there is no punishment from god, just your self punishment if any. This is a book I'd recommend to those that are trying to find answers to what happens after death. Though this is fiction, the way it is written is so thought provoking and so believable.

My Personal Opinion
Richard Matheson is a very talented and precise author. [If you're not a Christian, feel free to skip the rest of this review]. This book specifically and viciously attacks Christianity at the finale. It was not for me and I regret reading it. I recommend Heaven by Randy Alcorn for a far more positive image of Heaven. ... Read more

Product Description
In his book Shattered Dreams, Larry writes: “A new way to live is available to us, a way that leads to a joy-filled encounter with Christ, to a life-arousing community with others, and to a powerful transformation of our interior worlds that makes us more like Jesus.”

Now this Bible-centered companion workbook can guide readers deeper and more intimately into the truths Larry shares, helping them move forward on this pathway to joy. In practical, realistic, and reflective ways, Shattered Dreams Workbook will show readers how to look through life’s disappointments and troubles and see, as never before, just how lavishly God is blessing them–for His pleasure as well as their own.

This eight-session study–ideal for individuals or small groups–offers intensely personal study and liberating reflection based on the landmark book by one of today’s most respected Christian communicators. It will equip readers to begin the life-changing adventure of encountering God in the midst of life’s most difficult times...by living beyond their shattered dreams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Life Changing
This is one of the few books I have read that I can honestly say is life changing. Those who are cruising through life with few bumps or bruises will probably get nothing out of it. But those who have had a dream or two shattered will find it amazingly refreshing to the soul. Loosly based on the story of Ruth from Naomi's perspective, Crabb takes us on a journey to look at life in a totally new way - to find and experience joy and fulfillment in God alone.

I considered it worthless
This book was a required reading in Bible College for the Poetical Books class.

To better understand my review, I must first state that I am a Fundamental, Bible believing/obeying, KJB old time holiness preacher. I believe that the vast majority of psychology is rooted in humanism and is a false religious movement.

That being said, I would not recommend that anyone read this book or anything else written by Mr. Crabb. This book certainly does not esteem God's Word in an absolute manner and in my view promotes humanism. If my memory serves me correctly, Mr. Crabb even portrays our relationship with God as a sexual experience.

I cannot browse this book again to write a more detailed review because I literally destroyed the book as I was reading it.

I believe that Larry Crabb is false in his theology and views concerning God, humanity and the absolute nature of God's Word. This book is probably better accepted in more liberal theological circles.

Excellent read for most anyone who has lived life
After losing my husband of only 17 months, my dreams were shattered.This book has wonderful Scripture and thoughtful comments that helped me realize life is full of shattered dreams---and the most important thing is not happiness, which is illusive, but joy.

Life Changing
I read this book after going through one of the most difficult times in my life. It opened my heart up to healing. I am thankful to Larry Crabb for writing this book and have recommended it many times to friends going through tough times.

Shattered Dreams
Next to the Bible, I really think that everyone should read this book. Seriously, Larry Crabb is a genius. With a simple premise of handling disappointment in life, Crabb uses this book to look at suffering using the book of Ruth. (Well, more accurately the story of Naomi). However, instead of explaining suffering away in a "God will do good, and its because sin still exists in the world" he really enters into the cause and solution, walking through the "ok-ness" of pain. He likens Christianity's attitude of suffering-- minimize the hurt and truck through it till things are ok again-- to an attitude of buddhism. Rather, he states we are called to enter our pain. We serve a God who knows every emotion we hold and a Savior who shared in our suffering so he may know us deeper. Regardless of if life is wonderful or painful, I'd recommend reading this book. It's great challenge to look at your understanding of God and expectations of his character. ... Read more

Product Description

Struggling with debt?

Frustrated about work?

Just not satisfied with life?

“Trent Hamm set out to boost his happiness by freeing himself from debt. This account of how he succeeded, and how he was able to construct the life he’d always wanted, will inspire readers to put his ideas to work in their own lives.”

–Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times best seller, THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

“The Simple Dollar paves the way to an uncluttered financial and richly rewarding life. Trent’s experiential advice prepares readers for the expected–and most importantly the unexpected–complexities of the modern economic world. Live debt free, mind the gap, and find a framework to get the secure and happy life you desire.”

–Erin Rooney Doland, author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week and Editor-in-Chief, Unclutterer.com

“If you feel like your finances are out of control, read The Simple Dollar. Trent Hamm burns with the unforgettable fire of someone who has gone from debt to wealth, and this book can inspire you to do the same.”

–J.D. Roth, author of Your Money: The Missing Manual and editor of GetRichSlowly.org

The Simple Dollar can change your life.

Trent Hamm found himself drowning in consumer debt, working in a job he couldn’t stand… and figured out how to escape that debt and build the fulfilling career he’d always dreamt about, all at the same time.

Hamm shared his experiences at TheSimpleDollar.com—and built it into one of America’s top personal finance websites. Now, The Simple Dollar is a book: packed with practical tips, tools, and lessons you can use to transform your life, too.

This isn’t just “another” personal finance book: it’s profoundly motivating, empowering, practical, and 100% grounded in today’s American realities. Trent Hamm will show you how to rewrite the rules, creating healthier relationships with money… and with your loved ones, too. With his help, you can get out of debt, start moving forward, and build the strong personal community that offers true happiness—no matter what happens to the economy.

·        Escape the plastic prison, and stop running to stand still

5 simple steps to eliminate credit card debt… and 5 more to start moving forward

·        Shift your life’s balance towards more positive, stronger relationships

Learn how to put the golden rule to work for you

·        Discover the power of goals in a random world

Then, learn how to overcome inertia, and transform goals into reality

·        Navigate the treacherous boundaries between love and money

Move towards deeper communication, greater honesty, and more courage

Customer Reviews (16)

True Story With A Happy Ending
I recently grabbed "The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams" by Trent Hamm on my Kindle while it was being offered as a freebie.Debt free living is a popular topic these days and I was interested to learn how the author wiped out his debts and achieved the life of his dreams.This book was inspired by the author's blog, "The Simple Dollar".
Mr. Hamm explains how he and his wife found themselves deep in debt when his son was a baby.He started reading books on personal finance, economics and philosophy.He was determined to learn how a family could balance all the aspects of modern life on a limited income.Over a period of three years,the author got his finances under control, quit his job and devoted himself to writing full time.
This book gives detailed information about how this family did what many American families dream of doing.The author emphasizes the importance of communicating with your partner and setting realistic goals together.He outlines a practical method of debt repayment that will be very effective if you are willing to sacrifice and stick with the plan you design.He describes how he cut back on spending and also sold household items on eBay to supplement the family budget.
The author explains that many people feel overwhelmed by their debt load.He wants his readers to know that it is not hopeless. This book gives practical, common sense advice on how to manage your money and how to manage your life.I found the book motivating and inspiring.I like to read a book with a happy ending that explains exactly how you can have the same outcome.

Excellent book!
This is a very practical book. The advice given is more realistic than other books like Rich Dad Poor Dad etc.

Very easy to get into, enjoyable read.
I purchased this title on a whim to get ideas about how to reorganise my finances. When I started to read it for the first time, I didn't put it down until I had read four chapters and realised I had lost track of time. 'The Simple Dollar' is fitted with a really personable and engaging style, with lots of easy and simple to understand steps about how to sort out your money/life/everything situation. Highly recommended.

Your Going to Love The Book
Every once in a while you find a book that is loaded with information and inspires you to make a change in your life. This is one of those books. It's easy to read and the facts are helpful, not boring academic statistics.

What put this book at the top of the list is how the author recounts his own experience, and not some economist trying to sell you on unproven ideas.

I think anyone looking to clear their debt will find the resources and knowledge in this book very useful.

James Garton
Author of 25 Ways to Make Money Online

Financial health and quality of life are intertwined
When I picked this up on my Kindle, I assumed I was getting a book loaded with financial guidance.Long a believer in debt-free living, I still enjoy picking up these types of books - they are very reinforcing when swimming upstream from the way most American families operate and I often get tidbits of wisdom that come in very handy.I wasn't aware of the author's blog until after reading this book, but it appears to be very interesting and I have added to my "Favorites" on my computer.

Regarding this book -- take a moment before purchasing to look at the table of contents.The first chapter is about reducing debt (or ideally becoming debt free) and while fairly basic, is helpful.Good, solid financial advice.The remainder of the book really leans more toward life improvement, knowing yourself, following your dreams, etc. but the tie-in is that most of these things can't be accomplished if you are drowning in debt.For example: You can't take that new job with a startup company that doesn't pay much initially if you need the monthly paycheck from the job you are currently in.It gives an excellent explanation of the difference between frugal and cheap.Frugal is aligning your spending with what you truly value and gives you pleasure - it's not negative, just smart.

These are only two examples of what is contained in this book, but it is loaded with all kinds of thought provoking data and suggestions for anyone willing to open their mind and question the status quo.It intertwines financial health with quality of life and I found it to be an excellent guide for all ages.

A definite winner though not a financial how-to book as expected.
... Read more

Product Description
Nine years before the Senate campaign that made him one of the most influential and compelling voices in American politics, Barack Obama published this lyrical, unsentimental, and powerfully affecting memoir, which became a #1 New York Times bestseller when it was reissued in 2004. Dreams from My Father tells the story of Obama's struggle to understand the forces that shaped him as the son of a black African father and white American mother-a struggle that takes him from the American heartland to the ancestral home of his great-aunt in the tiny African village of Alego. Obama opens his story in New York, where he hears that his father-a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man-has died in a car accident. The news triggers a chain of memories as Barack retraces his family's unusual history: the migration of his mother's family from small-town Kansas to the Hawaiian islands; the love that develops between his mother and a promising young Kenyan student, a love nurtured by youthful innocence and the integrationist spirit of the early sixties; his father's departure from Hawaii when Barack was two, as the realities of race and power reassert themselves; and Barack's own awakening to the fears and doubts that exist not just between the larger black and white worlds but within himself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Condition
The book was in great condition. i got it on time for school to start so I was pleased.

Growing up black in America
Barack Obama is the product of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother from Kansas. His story is that of cultural confusion and crisis of identity and purpose.

Obama's father abandoned him and his mother while Barack was a toddler. Barack's mother remarried an Indonesian man, and the three relocated to Jakarta. Barack attended elementary school in Indonesia, but his mother sent him back to Hawaii to attend private prep school while living with his maternal grandparents.

As a teenager in Hawaii, Barack became aware that he was white and black, but acquired a persistent confusion as to which culture he belonged. He grew to resent white people, while feeling slighted for being black.

All of his male role models as a youth were weak and seriously flawed.

He attended Occidental College in LA and later transferred to Columbia in New York. In search of his cultural identity and purpose in life, Obama became a community organizer in Chicago. After three years of accomplishing little in the housing projects of the South Side he left for Harvard. But first he would visit his father's homeland in Kenya.

Barack's father died a couple of years earlier in a car accident in Kenya. Barack has a dozen half brothers and sisters living in Kenya and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. In the end, Barack learns that his estranged father and his grandfather too suffered from identity and cultural confusion.

The book explains the traumas of growing up black in the US. Obama discovers that the social, political, and economic pathologies on the South Side of Chicago are the same in Kenya.

The book is needlessly wordy. Obama admits that a new rewrite would easily cut 50 pages from the total 450.

Barack's mother died shortly after this memoir was published. He writes that had he realized that she was dying, he would have concentrated more on his appreciation of the parent who was there for him instead of meditating upon the one who was absent.

For a decidedly different response to the difficulties of growing up black in the US, I recommend "My Grandfather's Son" by Justice Clarence Thomas.
... Read more

Product Description
This is the famous book about dreams by Sigmund Freud.Amazon.com Review
Whether we love or hate Sigmund Freud, we all have to admitthat he revolutionized the way we think about ourselves. Much of thisrevolution can be traced to The Interpretation of Dreams, theturn-of-the-century tour de force that outlined his theory ofunconscious forces in the context of dream analysis. Introducing theid, the superego, and their problem child, the ego, Freud advancedscientific understanding of the mind immeasurably by exposingmotivations normally invisible to our consciousness. While there's noquestion that his own biases and neuroses influenced his observations,the details are less important than the paradigm shift as awhole. After Freud, our interior lives became richer and vastly moremysterious.

These mysteries clearly bothered him--he went to great (often absurd)lengths to explain dream imagery in terms of childhood sexual trauma,a component of his theory jettisoned mid-century, though now popularamong recovered-memory therapists. His dispassionate analyses of hisown dreams are excellent studies for cognitive scientists wishing tolearn how to sacrifice their vanities for the cause of learning. Freudsaid of the work contained in The Interpretation of Dreams,"Insight such as this falls to one's lot but once in a lifetime." Onewould have to feel quite fortunate to shake the world evenonce. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

Groundbreaking (obviously)...
Freud was one of the first, and one of the most brilliant, psychologists to attempt a `scientific' study of the mind. Freud attempted to explain and understand the dynamics of the psyche, not through mere casual observation or personal introspection, but through clinical experience. There are many scientists and philosophers, Karl Popper being the most famous, who have attacked Freud for being `unscientific' in method and for failing the test of falsifiability in his conclusions.

It must be admitted that any attempt to study the mind using the methods of objective science is going to run into some serious epistemological hurdles; hurdles that still have not been entirely overcome to this day. These epistemological questions are important questions and should be taken seriously. But in my opinion the people who are busy picking apart Freud's theories to see whether they are `scientific', or whether they measure up to some preconceived notion of what a scientific theory should be, are asking the wrong questions. The question that should be asked is: have Freud's theories and writings increased our understanding of the nature and the dynamics of the human mind? The obvious answer to that question, in my opinion, is yes.

The Interpretation of Dreams is Freud's attempt to understand the nature and dynamics of dreaming. We all take for granted the fact that we dream, but few of us ever truly begin to wonder at how strange a fact that is; and even of those of us who do only a few will go on and attempt to understand why we dream in any serious way. There were people who attempted to understand dreaming before Freud but Freud has come to tower above them in the same way that Adam Smith has come to tower above all the economists who came before him and probably for good reason.

Freud puts forward some fairly counter-intuitive thesis in regard to dreaming. The first is that all dreaming is wish-fulfillment. This is the kind of claim that seems to fly in the face of empirical evidence, as well as our everyday understanding of the nature of dreams. I am not going to attempt to enter the debate in regard to whether Freud was right in this conclusion but it should be pointed out that this was a conclusion Freud was led to in his clinical experience, and the obvious objections to this theory (the existence of anxiety dreams for instance) were objections that Freud was well aware of and Freud deals with them directly in this book.

The real meat of the book, in my opinion, is Freud's attempt to analyze the psychological processes that give rise to dreams. The fact that Freud begins with a counter-intuitive hypothesis, namely, that all dreams are wish-fulfillments, requires him to undertake the task of explaining how (and why) these wishes take the form of dreams as we know them. Dreams certainly do not appear to us to be wish-fulfillments. Freud has to explain why dreams do not appear on the surface to be wish-fulfillments and this requires him to work out a theory of psychic functioning which will adequately explain how dreams are formed.

This ultimately is the reason why I say that Freud was one of the first to attempt a scientific study of the mind whether his theories measure up to the philosopher of science's standards or not. Freud's method is entirely different from the person who simply attempts to describe the nature of dreams by describing their pictorial form, their logical incongruities, etc. Freud puts forward an hypothesis and this hypothesis leads him to some new and startling conclusions about psychic functioning which would not be immediately obvious to a person merely engaged in casual introspection.

In order to explain the form dreams take Freud first makes a distinction between the manifest and latent content of a dream. This is probably the central notion behind the whole book, and the reason, in Freud's opinion, that no one had succeeded in understanding dreams before him was because no one was able to make this distinction. Attempts to understand dreams before Freud focused all of their attention on a dream's manifest content. The latent content of a dream can only be discovered in the analytic situation by allowing the patient to free-associate in regard to different elements of the dream. Through this method one is able to discover the latent thoughts behind the creation of the dream.

The dream is formed by a number of processes operating on these latent thoughts. One of the processes is condensation in which elements from the dream-thoughts are combined and condensed into a single manifest content. Another process is that of displacement in which psychic values are transferred between contents. The dream also has to deal with the problem of representability which Freud deals with extensively.

There are a number of aspects of Freud's work which seem slightly primitive when reading him today. Freud was well aware that he was heading out into new territory and that many of his theories would have to be revised in the future as we learned more. But a person can still learn a great deal about the functioning of the psyche from reading this book, and not just about the formation of dreams. Freud's theory of dreams (as well as his theories on neurosis which are not dealt with directly in this book) required Freud to re-evaluate the nature of the human mind. He presents a new schematic of the mind and how it functions in the final chapter of the book. While some of this does seem slightly primitive today it cannot be denied that Freud's theories have profoundly altered our understanding of what it means to be human. No one who is interested in that question should skip this book (or Freud's other works).

-Brian

assumptions and speculations
it humored me how Freud could twist anything and everything to fit his presupposition that ALL dreams are wish fulfillment, he is very skilled at cramming every square, round or oblong peg given him into his triangle hole. But it is all assumption and speculation, maybe he is right, but it is not provable. If you are 'smart' enough you make a case for any absurdity and anyone in their right mind who challenge you, look like a fool. Its hard to reason with a mad man, especially when the madman is a genius. Though he was a genius, I think he started off in the wrong direction and created quite a highway and built a huge castle on top speculative foundation.

Hard read
Such a hard read for a non-psychology student - never to the point, ineptly organised, more 'jargon' type language than really necessary. Not worth it if you're not actually studying the subject or have advanced interest in psycho-analysis.

Terrible book
My professor was not happy with this rendition of the book.
He felt it was interpreted poorly and wanted me to buy another book.

Definitively, a great book
This is a revised edition of A. Brill translation adapted into American English. This is a widely accepted translation and the reader should trust the translation. I did not see any typo. The book is great as Freud's geniality and ideas are. I love Freud, he is greater than Einstein and many others. His coutribute to humankind is priceless.
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Product Description
The beloved play by William Shakespeare. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
It's neither the best nor worst of Shakespeare's many comedies, but "A Midsummer Night's Dream" definitely holds one honor -- it's the most fantastical of his works. This airy little comedy is filled with fairies, spells, love potions and romantic mixups, with only the bland human lovers making things a little confusing (who's in love with whom again?).

As Athens prepares for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, the fusty Egeus is demanding that his daughter Hermia marry the man he's chosen for her, Demetrius. Her only other options are death or nunhood.

Since she's in love with a young man named Lysander (no, we never learn why her dad hates Lysander), Hermia refuses, and the two of them plot to escape Athens and marry elsewhere. But Helena, a girl who has been kicked to the curb by Demetrius, tips him off about their plans; he chases Hermia and Lysander into the woods, with Helena following him all the way. Are you confused yet?

But on this same night, the fairy king Oberon and his queen Titania are feuding over a little Indian boy. Oberon decides to use a magical "love juice" from a flower to cause some trouble for Titania by making her fall in love with some random weaver named Nick Bottom (whom his henchman Puck has turned into a donkey-headed man). He also decides to have Puck iron out the four lovers' romantic troubles with the same potion. But of course, hijinks ensue.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is another one of Shakespeare's plays that REALLY needs to be seen before it's read. Not only is it meant to be seen rather than read, but the tangle of romantic problems and hijinks are a little difficult to follow... okay, scratch that. They can be VERY difficult to follow, especially if you need to keep the four lovers straight.

But despite those small flaws, Shakespeare is in rare form here -- the story floats along in an enchanted haze of fairy magic, forest groves, and a love square that twists in on itself. And Shakespeare's lush, haunting poetry is absolutely lovely here ("With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine/There sleeps Titania sometime of the night/Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight...").

But he also packs it with plenty of hilarity -- not only is it funny to read about the haughty fairy queen fawning over a guy with a donkey head (Nick Bottom = "ass's head", get it?), but there's plenty of funny moments in the dialogue ("Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet...").

The four main lovers are relatively bland and interchangeable, and we never find out much about them except that Helena is kind of stalkerish and not too bright (she tips off the guy she likes that the girl HE likes is eloping so he can stop her?). The real draws are the fairy creatures -- Titania and Oberon are proud alien creatures filled with both cruelty and kindness, and Puck is delightfully mischievous and.... puckish.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a shimmering little concoction of magic, romantic mayhem and fairy squabbling. Absolutely stunning.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (The New Folger Library Shakespeare)
Unfortunately, I did not get this book on time.A couple of days past the due date, had to call Amazon helpline to find out the status. Happy with the response and could understand that the book is lost in the shipment.The representative was helpful to immediately ship another book on express delivery and finally got it the next businessday.Overall, the experience is good.

confusing
i know im 13 i have no right to say its confusing but that of my perspective of whate ive seen so far im doing the play in school and im helena hippolyta snout and wall i know oberon is supposed to be like the lead but my teacher cut some parts out so now im the lead ive remembered many lines and a have untill march i love the goofy character of puck if i would of known what he was like that would be who i would try out for in the first place thats kind of like me in real life welli guess ive kind of been off topic im supposed tp be sayimg what i thimk of the book not my personal life well anyways to start out i guess it isa little hard to comprehend for umeducated and young minds but the backround of the setup has star potential that people should figure out and give it the bemefit of the doubt the plan of shakespeares idea to make this story shows comedy and romance back befoe i was born its nice to see the quality of things years later in a time thats desperate for the civilization of superficial people you have to respect the thought coming from other s asif they are friends or family this book or play asi know it has quality beyond the limits of th emind and shows what people can do in a time like that it has many waysof showing the thoughts of people without making an obvious impact on one another. to break down the vocabulary and actually discover the meanings of shakespeares words can have you relate to them in infinate ways without damaging the ways you think of ot without the peocess. to summarize this book allows open minded people of all ages to comprehend the dialogue of the past.

Nice and easy
Love, the play's centerpiece, is a force of nature. Gods and fairies administer it onto lovers as if fastening strings to puppets. The subjects of divine attention are powerless to alter the strings, parents and dukes shouldn't even try. In the end, harmony reigns only because the benevolent Oberon presides. Oberon changes the way the lovers see each other. The Ghost in Hamlet, Weird Sisters in Macbeth and Iago in Othello work in similar ways. Sometimes when characters have no such guiding force they spin out of control: look what happened to Lear.

Shakespeare's exploration of what makes his characters tick is always fascinating, and may be the most prominent tie that extends from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to his best works. The awkward play within the play, performed by Bottom and his companions, seems like a thunderbolt designed to divert any possible audience's discontent from the main play. Puck's suggestion that the whole thing may be seen as just a dream feels like Shakespeare's (already the author's of Richard III) excuse for the lighthearted and simple story.

mid summers night dream
this was awesome, i needed to purchase extra books for a classroom for children that could not obtain their own coppies.this worked out great because the local book stores only had one copy and i needed 5. thank you.

... Read more

Product Description
When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove.

Marsh meant to turn down York’s offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve—coupled with the terrible force of York’s mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind’s most impossible dream.
Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman’s dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (88)

Interesting, but flawed
Martin's interesting but flawed "Fevre Dream" maybe just needed a better editor.Martin's occasional descent into silly melodrama and a stock villain detract from the story, which is mostly good.He tried to write a different type of vampire story and for the most part succeeded.If only his characters didn't on occasion make you roll your eyes in disbelief.

Mark Twain, Vampire Familiar
Fascinating take on the vampire myth.What sets this book apart is GRRM's ability to recreate the 1880 riverboat area.Unlike his more contemporary novels,the line between protagonist and antagonist is much more clean cut.

fantastic
Fantastically unique depsite a somewhat familiar premise. Martin has created a beautifully atmospheric world that is extremely absorbing.

I am not a fan of vampire stories, but....
This story is so beautifully written, and such an entralling tale that I read it several times.I have since purchased several copies so that I have them available to give to people!If Mark Twain had written about vampires, this would have been the book.(He was interested in the supernatural--see the Smithsonian magazine of May or June 2010)This book actually made me think I might enjoy other books in this genre, but...not one compared to it and I gave up on that reading track.If you are a Mark Twain fan, this is the vampire story for you!

A Modern Genius
I began with his later books, his masterpiece A Song of Ice and Fire. After finishing the most recent I made exhausting attempts to find more spellbinding heart gripping novels. After a few frustrating disappointments, I made the return journey to some of Martin's earlier works.

Fevre Dream. I approached with cautious skepticism given the content (not a big vampire lore fan.) I was immediately captured. Martin creates and develops a beautiful world, larger than life characters and a storyline that keeps you flipping page after page.

Though not completely gripping and incredible as his most recent works, Fevre Dream does not disappoint! Read this book!
... Read more

Product Description
BEST KNOWN AS THE DIRECTOR of such spectacular films as The Ten Commandments and King of Kings, Cecil B. DeMille lived a life as epic as any of his cinematic masterpieces. As a child DeMille learned the Bible from his father, a theology student and playwright who introduced Cecil and his older brother, William, to the theater. Tutored by impresario David Belasco, DeMille discovered how audiences responded to showmanship: sets, lights, costumes, etc. He took this knowledge with him to Los Angeles in 1913, where he became one of the movie pioneers, in partnership with Jesse Lasky and Lasky’s brother-in-law Samuel Goldfish (later Goldwyn). Working out of a barn on streets fragrant with orange blossom and pepper trees, the Lasky company turned out a string of successful silents, most of them directed by DeMille, who became one of the biggest names of the silent era. With films such as The Squaw Man, Brewster’s Millions, Joan the Woman, and Don’t Change Your Husband, he was the creative backbone of what would become Paramount Studios. In 1923 he filmed his first version of The Ten Commandments and later a second biblical epic, King of Kings, both enormous box-office successes. Although his reputation rests largely on the biblical epics he made, DeMille’s personal life was no morality tale. He remained married to his wife, Constance, for more than fifty years, but for most of the marriage he had three mistresses simultaneously, all of whom worked for him. He showed great loyalty to a small group of actors who knew his style, but he also discovered some major stars, among them Gloria Swanson, Claudette Colbert, and later, Charlton Heston.

DeMille was one of the few silent-era directors who made a completely successful transition to sound. In 1952 he won the Academy Award for Best Picture with The Greatest Show on Earth. When he remade The Ten Commandments in 1956, it was an even bigger hit than the silent version. He could act, too: in Billy Wilder’s classic film Sunset Boulevard, DeMille memorably played himself. In the 1930s and 1940s DeMille became a household name thanks to the Lux Radio Theater, which he hosted. But after falling out with a union, he gave up the program, and his politics shifted to the right as he championed loyalty oaths and Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anticommunist witch hunts.

As Scott Eyman brilliantly demonstrates in this superbly researched biography, which draws on a massive cache of DeMille family papers not available to previous biographers, DeMille was much more than his clichéd image. A gifted director who worked in many genres; a devoted family man and loyal friend with a highly unconventional personal life; a pioneering filmmaker: DeMille comes alive in these pages, a legend whose spectacular career defined an era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A masterpiece about cinema's master showman
Mea culpa: I am Scott Eyman's researcher here in SoCal, so I admit to a bias here.That being said, this is his best book, and since my previous fave was his book on Lubitsch, it has taken this long to find both a book and subject to top that one.That he has done that so brilliantly and with a genuine storyteller's gift goes without saying.This is a monumental biography of a man that when you think of Hollywood-not just of the past but what still exists-this should be the man that automatically springs to mind.

Cecil B. DeMille was one of the true pioneers of the film industry, after struggling in the legitimate theater with his wife and brother, he found his true calling behind the camera at a converted horse barn on a dusty street in a quiet town in the Los Angeles area.From that humble place was born both perhaps the greatest movie studio that has ever existed-Paramount, and films that ranged from astounding dramas (THE CHEAT, KINDLING), groundbreaking social comedies (WHY CHANGE YOUR WIFE) to epics that still define the word for all moviegoers around the world (THE KING OF KINGS, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and two versions of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, the latter still showing on network TV every Passover even close to 60 years after it was made).

For years, many "cineastes" have looked down their noses at the films DeMille made, calling them "pure escapism" or "high camp."Eyman takes the films that, to a great deal of movie lovers are still so incredibly entertaining and fun to watch, and examines them with a sympathetic voice that puts them both into the context of their times and the personal connection with the man who sheperded them into our consiciousness.This is a "warts and all" story of a life, with a look at stumbles as well as triumphs: the break with Paramount over the high cost of the first TEN COMMANDMENTS, the well-intentioned but ultimately failed attempt at independence that still produced one of the best films about Christ, and the infamous days of the witchhunts and loyalty oaths that tore apart the Director's Guild in the early 50's when DeMille tried to impose his right-wing beliefs in a way that is still extremely relevant today.
The Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection)The Cecil B. DeMille Collection (Cleopatra/ The Crusades/ Four Frightened People/ Sign of the Cross/ Union Pacific)King of Kings [VHS]The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution, 1926-1930
Yet, DeMille comes off not as an autocrat, although he had those tendencies, but as a man full of contradictions and humanity, which is not easy for a biographer to pull off, and Eyman has done that magnificently.It makes you want to go and watch as many of the man's films as you can get ahold of, and isn't that a true sign of a great biography?

Eyman's Finest Work Yet
Eyman's finest work yet and one of the finest film bios I've ever read. It ranks up there with classics like The Parade's Gone By and The Genius of the System.

One of the greatest biographies of a film director I've ever read...
I've always liked Cecil B. DeMille.He's a fascinating man and one of old Hollywood's most popular (probably the most popular, in terms of name recognition and box office) filmmakers.But this book has managed to take my opinion of DeMille and make it even stronger.This is one of the best filmmaker biographies I've ever read, ranking it up there with Kevin Brownlow's masterful book on David Lean, Tag Gallagher's book on John Ford, and Barth David Schwartz's book on Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Not only does Eyman cover DeMille's career, he also sheds light on the man himself, his eccentricities (which are rather charming), his work ethic, the way he made films, the way he treated others (he was very kind, loyal, and quite often willing more often than not to help out old friend and colloberators), and his struggles with Paramount and the triumphs of his work.Despite being an authorised biography, it is no whitewash.Eyman goes over about DeMille's marriage and his mistresses, and DeMille's attempt to take down Joseph L. Mankewicz during the heated, legendary battle of the Director's Guild during the McCarthy era (as we know, DeMille lost, rather badly).It also shows that DeMille hired Edgar G. Robinson at a time he was blacklisted, so DeMille's politics were a little more complicated than the simple right vs. left garbage.Eyman interviews many actors and technicians who worked with DeMille, and many show deep respect for him, and admire his absolute belief in what he was doing.

DeMille started out in the silent days of cinema, and was always sorrowful that those days were gone.He excelled at silent filmmaking, and managed the transition to sound without losing his perspective or his career.He was one of the few hollywood directors to go out with considerable aplomb and panache.His last 2 films were The Greatest Show on Earth (which won him an Oscar for Best Picture, his only win for Best Picture), and the legendary The Ten Commandments.Many have disliked DeMille because of his politics (he was a Republican, even though the book mentions that DeMille voted for FDR in 1932 mainly because the country was in such bad shape) and his (at times) corny yet mesmerizing films.

DeMille deserves respect for not only being his own man, but for managing to have a staying power that most directors would envy.He came from a time when Hollywood filmmakers were not afraid of being themselves and had much more forceful personalities.This is a magnificent book, one that I would recommend over and over.

Excellent and fair
The legendary director is at last ready for his OWN close-up as Eyman -- with excellent biographies of John Ford and L.B. Mayeralready under his belt -- draws upon previously unavailable archival matter to craft this fascinating volume. My only real quarrel with the book is its title, which seems a little... I don't know... cotton-candyish for such an imperious figure. Much better would have been something simpler like "Director" or "Showman." C.B. was perhaps THE major figure in the development of the "cult and culture" of the Hollywood director (or, as he was originally called when preparing his first feature THE SQUAW MAN, "director-general") and, as Eymanmakes clear, he was a legitimate artistic pioneer during the silent era, introducing challenging and daring subject matter (miscegenation, the challenges facing married people) in addition to technical tricks. During the sound era, DeMille broadened his canvas and made the "epic" his own while, at the same time, paying less and less attention to realism in scenario and dialogue. This went against the grain of contemporary practice and ensured that C.B.'s films would often go begging for critical acceptance, but, when all the elements were in place, his films were among the most effective, exhilarating, and memorable ever made.

Eyman makes a number of the same points that Simon Louvish did in his 2007 biography CECIL B. DEMILLE: A LIFE IN ART but is considerably easier on DeMille's politics and personality in general. The fact that Eyman was writing a bio authorized by the DeMille estate may have influenced the tone of the book somewhat, but the manuscript is certainly not sycophantic; rather, it is, as the slogan goes, "fair and balanced," which is all that one can ask when it comes to such a controversial figure. I gather than Eyman is probably a liberal, but his treatment of DeMille on political matters is eminently even-handed, just as it was in the case of L.B. Mayer. DeMille's famous decision to refuse to pay a $1 fee to the American Federation of Radio Artists to support an anti-"right to work" campaign -- which cost him the right to ever appear on radio and TV in a non-publicity-related capacity for the rest of his life -- is put in its proper perspective as a decision based on principle, though C.B.'s general anti-union sentiments are also made quite clear. DeMille's support of loyalty oaths and such during the blacklist era is qualified by his decision to give work to such "tainted" actors as Edward G. Robinson. The weirdness of DeMille's personal life -- he was a devoted family man who also kept a trio of mistresses on the side -- and the man's legendary tantrums get a full airing, but so too do C.B.'s frequent kindnesses and generous dealings with associates and acquaintances. The relationship between C.B. and his brother William and the description of DeMille's capable handling of his role in Sunset Blvd. are particular highlights of the narrative.

Anyone interested in the history of Hollywood will certainly enjoy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover how wealth is actually created, the psychologyof personal success, how to think and live as an entrepreneur, and howto succeed in network marketing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Excellent
I was refered to this book, and even so it is out of print - a great manual for networkmarking

My Favorite
I've read a number of network marketing books since I added a complementary network marketing business to my coaching business 2 1/2 years ago.This is hands down my favorite!Even though it was written 12 years ago, it's still a valuable resource that I wish I'd know about when I first started in this business.I like the practical information in helping people understand the value of network marketing, creating new ways of thinking, being realistic about financial expectation, getting out of their own way psychologically, and understanding the leadership role.

I recommend that every one of my business representatives read this book too.I'm now reading Barrett's next book, Success Happens!It appears to be just as valuable as this one.

excellent
Most realistic book written on network marketing.A must for anyone in network marketing for the first time.

Amazing book!
I own my own Arbonne business and have read many books on network marketing, but this book blew me away! It's so good that I'm reading it for the second time in just a week.It has such valuable information even if you are just considering network marketing and for sure if you already own your own business!This is a must read!

Really Great!!
Easy to read.Thoughtful.Extremely helpful for anyone who is considering a network marketing career. ... Read more

Product Description
The average person will dream over 150,000 dreams in a lifetime--each one a complex web of imagery and deeper meaning. The Complete Dream Book uses the interpretation of 28,000 actual dreams from contemporary dreamers, just like you, to help you access the substance and meaning of your own dreams.

Discover:

The Complete Dream Book is the only dream interpretation book based on concrete data about real people's dreams and how the real events in their lives relate to their nighttime visions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Great Book!
Great Book!! I'm only half way through but so far this book is exactly what I was looking for. I've had the same dream for years and I now know what it means!

Limited detail
This book covers a multitude of cicumstances but is short on detail. All in all is informative and should satisfy most readers.

non delivered book
I sent this book as a gift to an inmate in PA. It was refused and shipped back. I notified the publisher, but have still not been refunded and don't know what to do next. The shipment has not yet been returned to sender. I have never had this problem before.

Not as complete as advertised
This book was definitely not as completed as advertised. It also is not from a Christian viewpoint and so it will not help much when trying to interpret a God-given dream with a Godly meaning.

Only good if you have other dream books
The book is lacking many of the common terms that one might look for in a dream book. I feel it is a great accompinimant to other dream books, but if you are wanting it as your first or only dream book you will be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
On the Letherii continent the exiled Malazan army commanded by Adjunct Tavore begins its march into the eastern Wastelands, to fight for an unknown cause against an enemy it has never seen. The fate awaiting the Bonehunters is one no soldier can prepare for, and one no mortal soul can withstand - the foe is uncertainty and the only weapon worth wielding is stubborn courage. In war everyone loses, and this brutal truth can be found in the eyes of every soldier in every world. Destinies are never simple. Truths are neither clear nor sharp. "The Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen" are drawing to a close in a distant place, beneath indifferent skies, as the last great army of the Malazan Empire seeks a final battle in the name of redemption. Final questions remain to be answered: can one's deeds be heroic when no one is there to see it? Can that which is unwitnessed forever change the world? The answers await the Bonehunters, beyond the Wastelands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Another excellent installment in the series
If you've liked the other Malazan books (and if you've made it this far I'm assuming that you do), you'll like this one as well.Erickson just doesn't ever seem to lose steam, unlike other fantasy series that make it past a half dozen books.The characters and storylines are still compelling without feeling contrived, my only lament is that there is only one more book coming after this one.

I'm not much of a literary critic and also don't give away spoilers so I'll basically just leave it at "I loved it".

Waiting on book 10 ... the right time to review book 9
The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts in Erickson's approach. As I read the book by book review of this epic by Amazon readers, they are not much help. None of the individual installments stand on their own but are a distinct reading pleasure within the total.

After reading nearly 100,000 pages of Malazan-world, you should understand that you are making a long term commitment of 100's of reading hours. The good news - It's worth it ... stick it out. The bad news ... book 10 promises to close the epic.

I'm choosy in where I invest reading time in massive fantasy. I've been gyped. JRR Tolkien finished the first modern fantasy epic. On the other hand, GRRM's Throne series is a massive failure. I'll be bashed by GRRM-lovers, but bottom line GRRM promised but failed to deliver the last book. GRRM's act of defiance to his dedicated customers is unforgivable. Erickson's Malazan's on the other hand is a champion. The scale far exceeds Tolkien as you will discover. Erikson is finishing the race with a firm release date for the conclusion. How Erikson wraps up the 100,000 page epic should be a wonder.

Given the wonder, I cannot recommend this entertainment highly enough to you. After 100k pages, the mystery for me is whether it's 80% fantasy and 20% ScFi or vice versa or neither. The conclusion should answer that question. This work is interchangeably intensely dark and ineffably noble. The reader must glean the differences that are buried in the many levels of complexity as the story unfolds. Erickson's command of the language is the best I've ever seen and is subtly significant to the story. Philosophical threads are profoundly explored across the volumes. The reader is kept unsettled in distinguishing the nature of selflessly good and monstrous evil. Erikson's writing style pushes the readers own command of language to reveal the masterpiece that the Malazan books represent.

My only issue, and it's not trivial, is that the 10 book series really, really needs a reference companion. There are hundreds of characters, dozens of races, 300,000 years of active story, a global map never revealed, and maps that might be the worst I've ever seen for following the volume being read. I gave up on trying to discern location, distance and destination language. Characters appear and disappear from the narrative but return two or three volumes later. This is not normally an issue except that Erickson's characters are so numerous, so vastly different and individually unique that a quick refresher is needed for reference.

I do have one question for other readers. Are all the continents accounted for?

Another great Malazan Empire book
A friend who reads Erickson told me this installment of the Malazan Book of the Fallen was a bit tedious.I did not find it so at all. Like each book in this series it took me awhile to reconnect to the story, but I was only disappointed when it ended.Steven did warn the reader that the book was really half of the last "book" and did not have a typical story curve.Expecting that up front did not leave me frustrated at the end, knowing it would end as he said.It, of course, leaves me waiting impatiently for next year and the final volume.

I also have to say, I never race through an Erickson book.His prose is like poetry to me, written with such a beautiful command of the English language I am reminded of Dickens and Poe and other great 19th century writers.I read these books slowly, savoring the writing style and the words and images thus created.It is its own pleasure, entirely separate from the story.

And the story is so rich, so deep, so full of amazing characters, there is no real comparison in modern literature except, of course, Lord of the Rings and Tolkien.I can only assume Erickson spent many years designing the Malazan world before he ever put pen to paper, to get it this evolved and complete.Cudos, once again, Steven.Wonderful book, wonderful characters.

Another great tale
Simply amazing in the breadth and scope.If you've enjoyed all the previous books in the series, you will not be disappointed.For any looking to start reading the series:Be prepared to keep notes as there are so many characters that you may have to remind yourself who's who as you travel along with them.

Each book becomes my favorite book of all. This is no exception.
The Malazan series gets better with each book. I'm actually sad that Erikson will really wrap this up as promised. Never thought I would say this, but I wish he would do a Jordan and just keep writing. After all, there's no final confrontation being hinted at like with Wheel of Time. Anyway, this one is great as well, new and cool stuff and far reaches not traveled before. Shocks as always. Read it slowly, savor it. The finale will be here before we know it. ... Read more

Product Description
An autobiography put together from conversations, writings and lectures with Jung's cooperation, at the end of his life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

Abraxian
One of the few "life-changing" books I've encountered.The book served as a gateway into the terrifying beauty of consciousness.

An accident turned into an obsession
I was at my local library looking for 'serious' books on dreaming. I was sick of all the flimsy material I was reading and wanted to find out what the big thinkers thought about the subject. This book came up in my library search and I picked it up thinking it would be a book about what a psychologist thought about dreaming - in all honesty I didnt know anything about Jung or had read any of his material. I started reading this book and found out I had picked up his memoirs, which was really disappointing for me as I dont generally like reading autobiographies of any kind - but I simply couldnt put the book down! The imagery of his language drew me in, and a simple sentence was enough to set me into a train of thought that could last for hours on end - it has simply been the most amazing book I have ever accidentally read so I had to buy it! This is not a book for anyone looking for hard facts about anything, but rather an exploration of this man's amazing life. The way he is able to weave the stories of his life together without sounding mystical, over analytical or insane is absolute genius. If you are caught up in the mysteries of the world and are looking for someone to identify with, then you cant go past the life of Jung.

CG Jung: "I invented a psychology to prove myself sane!".
At one point in the largely fascinating hodgepodge of his remiscences, musings, and summings-up of his life and work, aka "Memories, Dreams, Reflections," Jung makes a startling admission, the implications of which, if he notices at all, go unremarked upon. That is, Jung describes the development of his psychoanalytic system as driven by his desire to fit his own experiences--many of them unconventional, inexplicable, if not downright paranormal--into some order of normality. "I may be insane," he might well be saying, "but if I can fit my experiences into a coherent template and demonstrate that a lot of other people's experiences can also be explained thereby, then I am perfectly sane."

This attitude doesn't invalidate Jung at all; it merely honestly affirms the solipsistic basis of all our so-called rational thought. We use reason to rationalize how we intrinsically are the way a lawyer uses argument to defend a murderer. Nothing wrong with that...especially when someone is brilliant enough to come up with an explanation that rationalizes--and thereby normalizes--a good deal of the rest of us in the process.

This celebrated book is not so much an autobiography, it's not even completely written by Jung, but sort of cobbled together from a variety of source material, some of it by Jung, some of it transcriptions of what Jung said, all of it, we're assured, overseen by Jung and given his imprimatur of approval. Jung himself makes it clear that this book isnt to be taken as strictly biographical inasmuch as he believed, quite rightly, that autobiography inevitably becomes either hagiography or apologia.

By way of contrast, what Jung does here is give an account of the major events of his life, (including his psychic life--the dreams, visions, etc) that shaped his work. As a result, "Memories, Deams, Reflections" is a curious blend of intimacy and impersonality. Jung divulges the content of some of his most harrowing dreams, but at the same time he manages to give away almost nothing of his personal life with family, friends, lovers, etc.

I find it puzzling that where psychoanalysis is still considered seriously at all, it's dealt with in almost strictly Freudian terms, as if Freud's bacon hasnt already been fried and refried, his water carried and carried back, enough times already. Jung is saying something entirely different than Freud, something, it would seem, far more cogent to our times than Freud's reductionist psychological materialism, which seems now so much a product of the late 19th century. Is the relative marginalization of Jung a judgment passed by the academic elite that Jung, always abundantly more popular, especially among New Age types, is considered a bit of a crackpot, a pseudo-scientific fabulist akin to a Tolkein or a C.S. Lewis, a mystico-literary curiosity suited more for artists and occultists, and not for serious-minded medical men?

Jung is often derided as a god-obsessed, would-be prophet of the New Aeon (as opposed to Freud's scientific atheism), but a careful reading of Jung's reflections in this book shows the matter to be quite different. What Jung tried to point out is that the "god-need" in our psyche is real, even if god, per se, is not. Human beings have a need for "religion" almost as desperate as their need for air. And if it isnt Judaism or Islam or Christianity that satisfies this need it'll be something else, like Marxism, Fascism, Scientology, Environmentalism, Statism, Satanism or any one of the ten-thousand-and-one "self-evident truths" that people will cook up in order to provide a transcendent meaning to their lives. One look at the rabidity of some radical green activists, for instance, is enough to convince you that worship of God has been replaced in their minds by worship of Mother Earth, and the violent fanaticism that led to Inquisitions and Crusades in the one instance is never far from the surface in the other. Our age has its sacred cows just like any other and those who dont worship them are subject to ridicule and ostracism just like they've always been.

Wherever one god is overturned, another rushes in to claim his place. The throne is never left empty for long. Our psyche, it seems, abhors a god-vacuum.

This is an important insight into liberating ourselves from the notion that we now stand liberated from the need for god. That notion, perhaps more than any other, has led to some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

What Jung points out more than anything else is the limits of reason, boundary beyond which science cannot go. The psyche, he argues, has its own reality and its own needs and they cannot always be squared with what is reasonable or scientific. During a period of intellectual history in which we've been led to believe that science could provide us with verifiable answers to all our questions if only we were clever enough to understand them, Jung's insistence that there exists a class of "truth" that cannot be categorically proven-- except, perhaps, by gathering evidence of its traces in what is common in our dreams, histories, and cultural artifacts--must almost by the definition of "science" be regarded as a form of mystification.

Thus, Jung's rather ill-deserved reputation as a "mystic," "prophet," and "sage." If he were any of those things, it was only incidentally. As "Memories, Dreams, Reflections" amply points out, Jung approached his project with intellectual and scientific rigor, even to the point beyond which science, and to some extent, intellect itself, could not go. At that point, he rather courageously refused to dismiss what could only be limned darkly and sought instead "proof" that it might well exist in the abiding need we have for it to exist. Jung is something of an archaelogist of the psyche. He searches for traces at the bottoms of consciousness, he reconstructs the bones of giants (the Archetypes), and he identifies their evolutionary descendants in our own shifting times.

If god were a brontosaurus long extinct, he's left his tracks in the ossified mud of the lower layers of our brain. No one may ever have seen a brontosaurus in the flesh, but something left those tracks, something left those bones, something Big.

If Jung is a "Christian" as he's often maligned to be, than he's the sort of Christian who would have been burned at the stake. Jung's idea of "Christianity" is one of perpetual heresy, of a "god" in a constant state of development--an idea that he took a lot of heat for in his book "Answer to Job." Jung's notion of religion was always, first-and-foremost, one that demanded an on-going personal relationship between the individual and whatever he might conceive as "god." In the absence of such a relationship, man's connection with god withers; when god stops growing and religion stops developing than Christianity (in this case) ossifies and dies, just like any other mythology

Well, Im in Florida at the moment, in a hotel room, lying next to my boyfriend--its nearly 6pm and we've been out all day. I think I'll give him a massage; altho he might have drifted off to sleep, in which case, I'll let him nap for a while. Anyway, while I'm off taking care of that, I really think you should begin reading "Memories, Dreams, Reflections"--its gotten me back into Jung and reminded me of why I used to love him so much. I've started drawing mandalas; I'm whistling a happy tune; even my coffee tastes fresher. Thank you Carl Gustav Jung!

Better than the Red Book
Memories, Dreams, Reflections will no doubt stand as one of the most influential books I've ever read (and I've been reading a long time). I read an article in the New York Times about Jung's Red Book, which said he used much of the material that came forth during the time of its writing and illustration to co-author his autobiography (Dreams...). So since the Red Book wasn't yet published, and since it was $200 compared to $10 something for Dreams..., I purchased Dreams...Each day of reading this magnificent book was a splendid journey, a meditative circumambulation around one of Jung's (and our collective) mandalas.

You will find this book interesting even if you're a Freudian...
This "mythical" (Jung's word) book on Jung's life is certainly a beloved "bible" of many Jungian analysts and devoted fans, many claimed to have re-read this book once every year or so (so as to have a closer touch with the psyche of the guru).Fair to say the book is rich in metaphysical speculations, Jung's web-of-dreams as demonstration of his mythical (alchemical?) life goal in understanding human psyche (his own individuation), his famous or infamous encounter with his own unconscious (the raw data as recorded in the Red Book has been an embarrassment of his descendants for many years), near-death experience (rich speculative materials for New Age mediators), and his life-after-death speculation has given rationalization for some current Jungian shrinks to treat patients based on the belief of a trauma happened in one's previous life....not to mention his UFO mention.

Yet, Jung had categorically maintained that his analytical psychology belonged to the realm of natural science and that he himself was a scientist.As such, he never proclaimed the physical existence of metaphysical entities, though he didn't deny the possibility of such physical existence.This position is quite different from some current Jungian psychologists and new age fans of Jung.And Jung made this (him being a scientist) quite clear in the book.For example, concerning the "loud report in the bookcase" (p. 155) that Jung described as having meaning (i.e."synchronized" with or even caused by his psyche), Jung gave the readers a fair view of Freud's scientific argument in Freud own words.I shall quote as length here because it shows the true character of Jung (p 361): "At first I was inclined to ascribe some meaning to it if the noise we heard so frequently when you were here were never heard again after your departure.But since then it has happened over and over again, yet never in connection with my thoughts and never when I was considering you or your special problem. (Not now, either, I add by way of challenge). The phenomenon was soon deprived of all significance for me by something else."Jung didn't refute Freud's argument in his book.

In summary, a book with excellent materials to study Jung from different perspectives.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in becoming the second wife to her brother-in-law Verlan LeBaron. When the government raided their community-the Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona-seeking to enforce the penalties for practicing polygamy, Irene and her family fled to Verlan's family ranch in Mexico. Here they lived in squalor and desolate conditions with Verlan's six brothers, one sister, and numerous wives and children. This appalling and astonishing tale has captured the attention of readers around the world. Irene's inspirational story reveals how far religion can be stretched and abused and how one woman and her children found their way out, into truth and redemption. (2006) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (124)

383-page Pity Party
I find nothing compelling about ignorance.Everyone, including the Author, must be mentally ill.A man that takes no responsibility for his family(s) and is living in a dream world.Hard to feel sorry for the women that were so lame and stupid to accept it.My pity is reserved for the children who were neglected.Frankly, I think that Verlan and his wives' "reward" will be in Hell for being such lousy parents.

Shattered Dreams

Having already read "His Favorite Wife" I was much surprised to find out that this book was written by a sister-wife of "His Favorite Wife"'s author.Eagerly, I set into it to find a different perspective of the same family.And like the others, I found it immensely heart breaking.

Irene starts the tale of her life as a small girl growing up in a polygamous family. Coming from four generations of polygamy, the doctrines are all she knows of life.When her mother leaves her father and becomes married to an abusive man, she escapes to her Aunt's polygamous family and in doing so meets the charming Verlan LeBaron.While she has a love at home, but sadly only one that would turn into monogamous for he and give her no hope of being "exalted" she turns to him thinking it would be better for her future.

In a secret wedding, she becomes his second wife.Only then does she realize the heartache she's gotten herself into.She has to compete with his first and to her mind, favorite wife who is also her half sister.Throughout the years she has thirteen children with Verlan and also sees the addition of 8 more wives to his family.Each one breaks her heart and she wants some time with him.Throughout these years she is forced to move a number of times and must make do with many hardships and living in poverty.

Surprisingly there's not much in there about her sister-wife Susan who was the author of the aforementioned book but Irene does say that she thought of her fondly and held no grievances towards her.It was interesting to see the difference between the two books because in Susan's book she made Irene out to be happy and cheerful and loving, while in this book it was clearly shown that she was always miserable.Irene had a sense of humor though and to my opinion that had to have helped keep her going despite everything.

Such a sad book but it was nice to see that she was finally able to leave and found love and someone who deserved her.I was shocked to find out how large her family has grown.With thirteen children she now has 118 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren.That's a whole lot of family!

After reading so much about polygamous families and thier lives I find it so unbelievable that more is not done to help those that want out.I know there are several groups that have been formed but it seems like in Utah, Mexico, and other areas that there is not much accountability for the despair these people live.Hopefully as more books like these come out there will be more women who are able to escape this life.

Having wrote the book herself, I would have to say Irene did a marvelous job.She tells her story clearly and concisely and even manages to put a bit of humor in such a sad story.I strongly recommend reading this book just for the value of learning.

Shattered Dreams
Copyright 2007
385 pages
Also includes a good portion of photos in the middle.

Interesting read; better with 'Favorite Wife'
Irene Spencer's story is a good, easy read and details her life in the polygamous LeBaron family.Having read her sister-wife Susan Ray's story as well Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy, it's nice to see another side of the story.Sadly, there is one consistent parallel between the two stories and that is of poverty, lonliness and the huge struggle to accept life as one wife in a household of many.It's pretty clear after reading both of these books Escape] and [[ASIN:B001O9CDFG Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffsthat polygamy was most definitely more appealing to the men than the women.

Easily read in a few evenings; fairly engrossing.Some people may find the descriptions about the horrors of frequent childbirth hard to stomach.Worth the money on Kindle.

Couldn't put it down.
I could not put this book down.It was not only interesting but very funny at times.It helped me appreciate the life I have.I wish she would of shared more about her current husband thou.

hard to put down
This book was really, really interesting, especially for those of us in Texas who watched as the state enteredpolygamists' compounds and took their children away. I refer to this recent event in particular because I think the author really tried to be a good mother, despite her own unhappiness, and maybe that's how a lot of those women dressed in their Little-House-On-the-Prairie-Costumes (who appeared, to me at least,to be complete dupes of the patriarchy) really were. In other words, within their limitations, maybe those oddly costumed mothers thought they were doing the best for their children.(Although it's hard to see how permitting your 14-year-old daughter to be "married" to a man of 50 or 60is good mothering.) But it's interesting to think, anyway,about how people get to the point that they believe such a load of nonsense. Of course, indoctrination from birth, despite lived experience, seems to have had a lot of sway.

I can't say I loved this book, but I kept reading it because it seemed so incredible. It's almost like she split herself into two--the person she was as a woman, and the person that she believed she should be as a polygamist Mormon wife. And there was no way to reconcile those two halves of herself.She was clearly unhappy as a woman and as a person for the 28 years that she remained a polygamist wife, and yet she continued to justify her experience on the basis that people fail the principle (polygamy), rather than accept the idea that the principle itself was flawed. It's very sad, but in some ways I wonder how different (although maybe more extreme) her unhappiness in marriage and her expectations for the future were from those of other, so-called "normal" women of that generation. It seems to me that those women were denied so many opportunities and so many outlets that only the most elite or the most strong were able to escape the social oppression of their time.So, in a certain way, her experience is not so far removed from that of many American women of her time.

I have to say that the male experience, as reflected in this book, really does differ from that of most men of the time. I think that many non-Mormon men of that generation tried to do their best within the expectations (breadwinner, strongman) assigned them, and many men overcame the socially prescribed limitations imposed upon them to become a loving force within their children's lives. The Mormon men of the time (and today) seem to have had innumerable rights and few responsibilities, but even the Mormon husband in this book, who appears to me to be a parody of a father, inspired great loyalty in his children. Of course, the women, and particularly polygamous Mormon women, were left to work around the "needs" or economic or emotional limitations of the males of that generation. To a much lesser extent, this is still true in many relationships today, but I really think (maybe wishfully) that the world has changed for women, and unfortunately, economically, the world has also changed for the vast majority of men, who now depend on women's salaries. (Both sexes have reason to lament this change, it seems.)

I guess one thing that really disturbed me (and disturbs me about other, non-Mormon relationships in today's world) is that everyone, males and females, not only felt free to reproduce without restraint, but also felt obliged to reproduce. Does religion preclude any consideration of the state of the planet? If there is a god, as stated by believers, why would this being not allow consideration of the needs of other species? Is our beautiful world such a horrible place that it must be, in the name of religion, defiled by human beings without end?

At the end of the book, the authorChildren of DustEscapeLife on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett relates that she became a born-again Christian, and that she saw that she and others, as polygamist Mormons, had sincerely believed something that was false, with the best of intentions. I hope that this gives her the enlightenment, or at least the possibility, of considering that perhaps she might not have the whole truth once again.For me, one of the higher forms of existence consists of asking questions. I hope that this newfound Christianity that the author professes will allow her to continue to question, to probe, and maybe to someday understand those of differing (or no) faiths--that is, I hope that she can see that all human beings, no matter how different, might have a "truth" to offer that might be as valid as her own, and yet that this does not require that she give up her truth, which is true for her, and in which, she may live accordingly. Life is a process, not a doctrine. I think the author knows this to some extent, but I wonder if her leap into Christianity will cut this off yet again.Perhaps we should await a sequel. ... Read more