5 comments about The Man Who Listens to Horses.

1. Having seen Mr. Roberts on television demonstrating his "Join-Up" technique with unruly horses, I'm a little bit shocked at the number of accusatory & negative reviews I'm reading on this page. Especially from people who seem to have never actually read his book.
   
   For those of us who believe that horses are naturally social creatures, and that a little gentleness & patience towards any animal is a far better training technique than trying to force a creature against its will, this is a terrific book.



2. It's been years since I read the book, but when I first got it, I read it twice in its entirely. The Man Who Listens to Horses is actually two books in one: It's an autobiography, and it's a how-to manual for gentling horses and speaking their language. It's just a wonderful, wonderful book, and I can't recommend it enough.



3. I think this is a very good book on horse husbandry. The story is rather sad in many ways but for people who want to be kind to their horses, it's a very informative book.



4. I have not read this book. There may well be information in here that is useful. I will not buy the book due to what I read in a Time Magazine article:
   
   Monday, Dec 14, 1998 "Horse of a Different Color"
   By John Skow and James Willwerth/Aspen
   
   The article starts with:
   "To put the matter politely, memoirs are self-serving. Still, it's something of a shock to learn that Monty Roberts' enormously popular, enormously self-approving memoir The Man Who Listens to Horses may assay out as part fiction. Call it horse puckey for the soul, if charges by Monty's younger brother Larry and others close to the author's life are to be credited. By these accounts, backed up by TIME's reporting, the stirring tale with more than 800,000 copies in print--out this month in paperback--contains an embarrassing number of seeming untruths, some harmless, others outrageous."
   
   The article can be found as of today on the Time free archives site. Decide for yourself if you feel comfortable with paying money for this book.



5. well ill try out his method and if a mustang doesnt kill me ill return to rate it

5 comments about The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus.

1. This book is presented in the guise of addressed serious questions of the Christian faith in an objective, thorough manner; as a lawyer would defend a case. Listen, if Lee Strobel was defending Christ in a court of law, Christ would be in trouble. No offense. This book may work well for the naive, but is doesn't answer any serious questions regarding the validity of Christianity. Also, notice how everyone he interviews is a "Dr." Something. That's to help him prop up his side of the argument. He's hoping that the reader will see the "Dr." and not question the evidence. It's downright insulting. If he had good evidence to answer the questions posed, he would need someone with a "Dr." in front of their name. He could just use the evidence.



2. I'm not your classic Doubting Thomas, but I certainly like primary sources and first hand evidence where possible. As an educator and a person formally trained in literary and source criticism of the Bible, I constantly struggle to make a case for many the tenets of faith it heralds. Given that preamble, I gladly agreed to read A Case for Christ at a colleague's recommendation.
   
   Lee Strobel, a former court investigative journalist, set out to tackle the tireless task of making a case for and proving the existence of Jesus, not as a man, but as the Christ. He relied on his investigative prowess to prove the case for Christ. Each chapter opens with a vignette from a criminal case within the justice system. Strobel then takes the role of litigator and begins to question expert witnesses. This proved to be a very compelling process, as the Bible itself is actually filled with legal and courtroom jargon. Along the way Stobel interviewed a variety of experts in fields from psychology to fingerprints, but only gave a slight nod of the head to archeology.
   
   In each case Strobel defaults to faith and written words that have been edited, redacted, translated, deciphered and used for political posturing for more than two thousand years. He leans heavily on the Apostle Paul. In the end, his strongest argument, one he defaulted to again and again, comes as he points to the Bible. The New Testament says the Jesus story is true, ergo it must be. Moreover, rather than delineate an iron clad case for Christ, the book reads like a personal testimony for Strobel's religious beliefs. His "expert" witnesses all used the opportunity in like manner, as each admitted to being a Christian.
   
   For many, myself included, the Bible certainly holds authority, but I need more than the one believer's veiled testimony in order to suspend understanding and rational thought processing in the name of faith. To stay with Stobel's motif of the justice system, Mr. Strobel did not make his case beyond a shadow of a doubt.



3. "The Case for Christianity" is a terrible book, and the only way the conclusions could be reached would be if Lee Strobel WASN'T an atheist, but already a Christian. The reasoning was awful - 'I can't explain this, it must be God. And if it's God, it can't be a general God, it MUST be Christ!' Or... "This New Testament researcher who's a Christian SEEMS to be using flawed and biased knowledge, therefore he MUST be correct! There's surely no need to talk to someone less biased who would know about the New Testament."
   
   I read this book AS a Christian, and I recognized it for what it truly is: tripe for fundies that are so convinced already, that this sort of reasoning is allowed to continue.



4. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to know more about why someone would choose to believe in Christianity.



5. If you're new to the debates about the real evidence for the Biblical Christ, this is a good introductory book.
   
   However, my expectations were to see a technical detailed analysis of the evidence for Christ. This was not exactly the case. What I found was a sequence of interviews by Lee Strobel, who claims to be an atheist at the time of the interviews, with leading academics who discuss evidence of Christ in their respective fields. Strobel does not go into great detail, but rather paints a broad brush over many different fields of academia which have some support for Christ. Strobel provides references at the end of each interview, which is helpful when I want to get more detail.
   
   After adjusting my expectations, so that I was prepared for a broad range of ideas without getting into the technical details, I was left with just one criticism: there was not enough discussion about the evidence for opposing views by non-christians. After reading the book, I feel like I have a general idea of the evidence for Christ, but little exposure to the arguments by non-christians. It would certainly be helpful to see both sides of the argument, whether you're a Christian seeking to understand and defend your faith, or you're a truth-seeker interested in matters of faith. Of course, there are many other books which can explain the opposing arguments.

5 comments about My Life.

1. When faced with impeachment after Monica rumor became The Story, President Clinton, to whom ambiguity was never part of his nature, took the worst situation to mean retreat from Office, which would not have relieved his soul.
   This autobiography is informative and tender in every corner. At times the ex-President aggravated his bitterness and despair; not a pleasing prospect for a vigorous man with an appetite for distinction. His excessive passions, one for his wife and the other for his daughter, at the end of the day had caused Miss Lewinski and partners to be removed from the White House. I believe the young lady was also a victim of irrational exuberance (Excuse me Mr. Greenspan)
   At times there is always some sort of melancholy demeanor than can grow daily more somber in high offices. President Clinton is telling us he could not possibly have been entirely impervious to the mounting evidence against him, such signs were motivated by political reasons from rival factions with nefarious ends - to hurt the Democrats from within.
   
   Clinton, once known for his vivacity, was now showing the strain of the shameful events.
   
   Clinton, the deep-rooted optimist who found it temperamentally difficult to resign from trouble, has had his face already sagging with worry as daily attacks compounded his sense of doom...
   
   At 55 he left office with a 65% approval rating. (One of the highest after WWII)
   However, the charismatic President looked a narrow-chest man with the face of a person much older in age. That did not at all resemble him nine years ago when he took that Office.



2. A long and interesting read, overly detailed on fairly mundane aspects of his life and unsurprisingly brief on more interesting times.
   
   Nevertheless, an engrossing read. Who knows where his road will end.



3. Clinton supporter or not, you will find this biography to be fascinating. Clinton gives you the works, from his childhood all the way through his Presidency. If you're looking for lurid details, he doesn't give them. What he does give you is a chance to see how he saw things. What I found especially interesting were the stories about the fight over controversial issues with Congress and the long Whitewater investigation. This book is VERY long and is anecdotal, so be prepared to read a thousand short stories, with little or no overarching theme other than "this is how it happened".



4. Undoubtly Bill Clinton will be remembered as one of the most influential presidents of the US. Politically he was a moderate as opposed to a liberal as seen in different policies he pushed forward. He was a savvy president too in terms of his political skills. The government shutdown, I believe, was one of his greatest moves in this sense. The 1996 victory was the corollary of the latter, besides the fact that Bob Dole was not a strong opponent. Clinton would have won anyways.
   A lot of lessons to be learned from Clinton's book. However, certain parts of it are too detailed.



5. I am not a fan of President Bill Clinton, but to read his life and how he started from nothing to be President in the Oval Office shows that every American can fulfill your dreams if you dream big. President Clinton shares valuable insight into his life from childhood to his political years. Every time I walked into a bookstore I would pick up and book and look through it. I finally decide to give it a read, and I found out that I could not lay it down.
   
   My biggest qualm with President Clinton is his wishy washy stand on life. You cannot believe to be pro-life, but believe to be pro-choice at the same time. It makes no sense. I am a Roman Catholic who is 100% PRO LIFE and I make no apologies. Life needs to be protected from conception to natural death. The respect for life has been lost since Roe vs. Wade.
   
   President Clinton did accomplish wonderful things during his presidency, and sad to say he did better things for the American people than some of our Republicans in Washington.
   I am glad I took the time to read this book. We hear a lot of jokes with his infidelity, and he admits his wrong and hurtful actions. But did Jesus not say, "He that is with out sin cast the first stone?"
   
   We are use to hearing the term, "Slick Willie." But I believe that Bill Clinton honestly opened his mind and heart to the American people and told his story, and I am glad to have a better insight into his life. Being the President of the greatest country of the world is no easy job.

5 comments about Faith of My Fathers.

1. I recently decided to read four books; one written by each candidate, and another written about each candidate. This I feel will better prepare me for the November 2008 election.
   
   I read Faith of Our Fathers and enjoyed it. There are some sections that I found boring though, including a lengthy discussion of the McCain linneage, and lots of stories about John McCain's parents and their lives in the various places they lived.
   
   For someone who wants to learn more about life in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, the book will provide a lot of good (yet scary) information.
   
   I feel that the book gives an excellent perspective on John McCain the man. It is not a political book, so someone wanting to get a feel for McCain can peek into his psychology without the pretense associated with a book written as propaganda.
   
   I definately did come away with understanding about John McCain's philosophies, values, and personality. I won't tell you what I think of McCain. That is the purpose of this review; to let you know that the book provides information that will allow you to understand the man. I think this book might allow you to do so better than perhaps any other source.
   
   I give it five stars in the "now I have a real handle on John McCain" category, and 2.5-3 stars in the "gee this is a great book" category.



2. I bought the audio cd version of this book. To listen to John McCanin tell the story of his life, in his own words, gave me insight into this man. The inflection of words the words most important to him, was worth the price of the book.
   Whether or not you agree with his politics, this tells what makes him tick.



3. John Sydney McCain, III, the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States in the upcoming 2008 presidential election, penned Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir, along with Mark Salter (1999). I purchased the book in March of 2008 to learn more about McCain based on his early memories.
   
   I was pleased to find two especially remarkable McCain memories in this readable and rather engaging book: one at the beginning of Chapter 7 and one at the beginning of Chapter 9.
   
   Both memories contain a number of similarities, including that both mention a naval officer. Both also reference anger, an explosion, sharing information, a surprise attack, as well as an act of war, water, the loss of control, abandonment, a reference to black, and teaching someone a lesson.
   
   With these two memories alone, we learn a great deal about John McCain, most significantly that his worldview is anger empowers. To be sure, even as young as two-years-old, McCain is using "anger power" on himself (chapter 9), showing us the grit of a determined individual spirited enough to one day endure torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese.
   
   We also learn that McCain was reared as a middle child - an often difficult position. In a family of three children, the second child, who once had the distinction of being the adored baby, has been dethroned and is now the middle child. This dethroned middle child suddenly discovers that he doesn't have the advantage of being older, nor does he any longer have the privilege of being the baby - resulting in a feeling of being slighted and abused. He has the impression that life and people are unfair, and he may be provocative in order to feel even more justified in his assumptions. It is well-documented that McCain has gone to great lengths to create himself as a unique person - seeming to take pride in going against the majority when possible and frequently doing the unexpected.
   
   In addition, we learn in a second earliest memory that after a naval officer informs the family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor, McCain's father is rarely seen by his family for four years. Thus from the time McCain is in kindergarten (age 5) until the fourth grade (age 9), war is foremost in his family's mind - and in the minds of all the people with whom his family associates. In time, war becomes tolerable, even comfortable - the expected.
   
   Throughout the book McCain lays out the pathway to his current thinking. To learn more about his memories, see Thinkwriter, a blog about earliest memories, and to understand McCain and how he will likely lead the United States if elected, read his telling book.



4. John Sidney McCain III is running for President, using his experience as a POW as a credential. This book, if closely read, shows exactly how poor a credential his POW experience and conduct is. Two examples (there are more): Within four days of being captured, he specifically admits that he first offered and then provided valid military information so that he could get treatment other POWs in his position didn't get. He details at last two propaganda broadcasts/interviews he gave. Both of those are in direct violation of the Military Code of Conduct that he swore to uphold (and he was not being either tortured or coerced when he did those things -- he did them of his own free will and for his own purposes).
   
   McCain is not the hero he portrays himself as being -- at most he is just a survivor, who survived in a less-than-honorable way. The American public really needs to learn the truth about this McCain. This book, if closely read, is a good starting point. I recommend it for that purpose.



5. This is interesting to know John MCCain's background and the reasons for some of his actions and thoughts. It is a good read and I recommend it.

5 comments about Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

1. Although this book is a highly self-centred and personal account of his role in the "corporatocracy", Perkins' account is an eye-opener and a great introduction into the current state of our world. Perkins has been criticised for publically airing his guilt over his actions, however this is his way of coming to terms with his actions. I don't believe this is fair criticism, as this book is a personal account. It is engaging because it is about John Perkins. It's like criticising an apple for being an apple. However, I do admit that including a three page resume about himself was a bit much. That's way too much ego! That said, I would still recommend this book to people seeking answers to why the world is in the state that it's in, and for anyone else in fact!
   
   Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary story of a modern man facing his inner demons, with the backdrop of a world gone mad. Highly recommended!



2. This is one of the worst books I have read in a long time. All his mistakes in life are someone elses fault (ie, his parents, school, wives, employer,etc.) It amazes me he stayed with the organization for 3 decades and FINALLY decided it was evil. He takes no responsibility for his actions. Sour grapes to me.



3. During college I came across numerous critiques and debates over the negative aspects of globalization on "emerging countries" in how often times quality of life is worsened, not improved for the local populous. In this respect, Perkins's insights are not revolutionary. However, his discussion of how unchecked personal greed leads to the intertwining of political and financial interests to create a new global empire is fascinating. This new global empire, deemed the "corporatocracy", seeks to advance the interests of unbridled capitalism (read: corporate greed) through a combination of economic and military pressures. What's truly fascinating, and frankly shocking, is that this omnipresent greed is often not the work of handful conspirators, but rather the product of a system that equates materialism and consumption with economic and social development. That's not to say there aren't appalling examples of cloak and dagger conspiracies and purposeful manipulations, such as American support of the House of Saud, the Panamanian invasion, support for the Iranian Shah, and Halliburton in Iraq, but the truly sickening examples are the pervasive and far more subtle manipulations engendered by a system driven by consumption. This book exposes how special interest groups manipulate perception to advance personal interests at the expense of long-term national security and global stability.
   
   This book is not "political" in the sense that it is a criticism of the current administration, or favors Democrats over Republicans, but rather is an indictment of all drivers of global empire, which includes government, media, and finance heads across the political spectrum. Moreover, this is not a criticism of America as some might suggest. It is a criticism of a perversion of the American ideals of freedom, equality, and the pursuit of happiness with the pursuit of ever-increasing consumption. This consumption fuels our need for natural resources, which in turn drives our foreign and economic policies leading to corruption and abuse of our power as the world's sole Super Power. It helps illuminate how this abuse has created many of America's enemies, because our dependence on foreign resources has forced us to create this global empire with little regard for those we seek to bring into our spheres of influence. This unsustainable empire building poses far greater risks to the U.S. than any individual terrorist or rogue nation threat because it is this reckless imperialism that destroys empires. Confessions of an EHM is essential reading to understand how the greed of our past continues to drive the current geopolitical instability. Open your eyes to prevent history repeating itself for the next generation!



4. Why has America's prestige in the world fallen? Why are we involved in costly international intrigues? This book's title is sensational-appearing but the subject is serious. The issues raised aren't hype they are happening today.
   
   Mr. Perkins' experiences relate closely to my observations as a national finance and banking executive in this country. The methods that he describes ring true to what I have witnessed.
   
   What should have been obvious to me, in the international setting, was made clear by John Perkin's book with the "film noir" title. The corprate-political machine described has no respect for national sovereignty including, I fear, our own.
   
   Please read, share and debate this very readable book.



5. I wanted to like this book. And I'm really a pushover for conspiracy and behind the scene shenanigans. But by page 6, I was done. There are little things that give away a lie, i.e. inappropriate self references that sound like puffery and macho sounding titles that no actual business or agency would use. And an overall sense of vacuousness as though words are just as good as reality.
   
   Also, making conclusions about the most innocuous events based upon a stereo-typical liberal immaturity: hatred of America and anything that relates to morals (interesting how those 2 things always are found in the same person) He used the words puritan, prudish or moralistic several times in the first 3 pages of text. Few words expose a person like those do.

5 comments about A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive.

1. This was a very real study of emotions in the mind of a very young child.I wanted to know how this story would end. I felt that since it was the author's life story,he made it to adulthood,but at what cost?
   I was so haunted by the actions of the parents ,I wanted to take some kind of action to see that these parents were punished for the damage that they had done to him.In my mind I wrapped my love around him to try and ease the hurt in his heart,mind and soul.



2. I just finished reading A Child Called It and The Lost Boy. I knew this book was embellished after just reading a few pages into it. How can anyone seriously believe this account to be solid truth? It is so sad that someone can make so much money from telling a false story as if it were fact. It is even sadder that we buy into it and allow it to happen. I am sorry I did, I should have read the negative reviews. I trusted a family member. This book lacks the ring of truth as soon as Dave begins listing the abuse he recieved from the hands of his alcoholic mother. He recounts vividly all that she did to him, but never once explains why. The strange part is that for the first few years of his life, his family was perfect. They had a lovely home, went on family trips, had picnics in the park, daddy was a hero fireman, mother cooked delicious meals, decorated the house with hundreds of lights at Christmas, they got loads of presents from Santa, and most importantly Mother hugged David and loved him. Suddenly, almost overnight, she changed into a monster and began beating him, starving him, stabbing him and burning him. She laid on the sofa all day, drinking and watching her shows. The father sounds like he was abused by her too as he was not able to stand up to her and allowed David to be abused and drank along with her. David was the only one of the kids that was chosen to be abused, she treated all the other children well and they also turned on David. The family ignored him and made him sleep on a cot in the basement with no blanket. He was not allowed to eat meals with them and then not allowed to eat at all(not even from the garbage). He was starved, made to wear old ripped up clothes to school and not allowed to bathe(except for the days that his mother tried to drown him in the tub). His brothers and their friends would walk into the bathroom and see him laying there in the water and look at him with disgust. No one thought to say anyhing and when caught stealing at school some food from kid's lunches, he got in trouble even though he must have looked like a holocaust victim? No one wondered why he was wandering the neighborhood knocking on random doors asking for food? The entire town and school system were scared of his alcoholic mother so much so that no one dared to cross her. Even the cop that rescued him near the end was shaking and looking over his shoulder until they crossed the city limits? And he had never even met her, had only spoken with her on the phone. This mother was powerful. When Dave decided to embellish his abuse story he could have at least made it more believable!! The timeline even contradicts itself. Child abuse is not funny, and I am not making fun of it. I just don't believe Mr. Pelzer's account. I do think he was abused, just not like he portrays. He decided to make it sensational in order to sell more books. What he does though is make it sad for real abuse victims. He supposedly tries to get a message across, but fails miserably. There is no real inspiration here, only his inspiration to make money. He portays himself a hero. Any child would have done the same in his situation, survive. The will to survive is usually strong in victimized children. Many do grow up to inspire others, they glean depth from their situation and are able to make something good come from something bad. Dave Pelzer fails to do that. Even as an adult he fails to inspire me with his words. His journey is only incredible in the telling, not in it's depth. He seems to have gained nothing from his suffering. I find it hard to believe that people go to listen to him as an inspirational speaker. I hope his speech is better than his books. If my child were given this book to read in class I would have to object. It is no different than watching a spot from MTV for an hour. A waste of time, both.



3. A Child Called "It" is the story of the childhood of Dave Pelzer. Do to his mother's drinking problem, he suffers severe punishments, which he refers to as "games." Some of the "games" are deadly, frightening, and down right malicious. She grinds down her second son's self esteem by forcing him to wear the same clothes to school day after day.
   His world turns upside down when he was only four years old, when the abuse began. Unlike most abusive parents, Dave's mother focuses on him and his other brothers are left unharmed. It isn't until after he is rescued that his mother turns on his younger brother, Russell.**
   Thanks to some staff at his school, he is rescued from his mother. The years he spends in foster care are written about in his book, The Lost Boy.
   **Russell is not his brother's real name. In his books, he changes his brother's names.



4. I read this book about ten years ago, after my first child had turned one and as I read it I found myself picturing my child as David. I connected with him in that way- like a real loving mother should have.
   I've never forgot the horror that he went through and still cannot believe that it's true. I was happy to read that he finally escaped his terrible monster of a mother, but then saddened deeply to read that his brother was his mother's next victim.
   This story is truly one of brutal courage and not for the faint of heart. I was truly touched by David and he lives in my heart to this day.



5. This is a moving story of a child's efforts to survive extraordinary torturous and prolonged child abuse at the hands of his evil unrelenting mother. Sadly his fathers and siblings stood by and let it happen. Starved, beaten, humiliated and unloved this child survived the hellish and horrendous childhood of one's worst nightmare.
   
   This is the first book of a trilogy that exposes the worst of abuse through the eyes of the abused. I recommend that it be read by parents, teachers, social workers, and all who are in a position to recognize, intervene, and prevent child abuse.
   
   Thank you Dave for revealing your story and doing your part to protect children from abuse.

5 comments about Plutarch's Lives.

1. First off, let me clarify that what follows is a review of a particular edition of Plutarch's Lives, the current (2001) edition from Modern Library Classics. It is not a review of the book itself and will not provide any information on the relevance of this wonderful classic or the many lives it includes or the ingenious structure of paralleling the lives of Greeks and Romans or the importance of this text to the history of biography. Several other reviews here do a fine job of that and I see no reason to cover the same ground. Moreover, I've noted rather a lot of confusion about this edition in reviews here on Amazon (see particularly the reviews associated with the hardbound Modern Library volumes). I am still researching the Dryden edition, but thought I might offer a few comments to provide clarity and a better understanding of this edition for those whose buying decisions are based on the nature and quality of a particular translation.
   
   "The Dryden Translation" - this unusual phrasing (which appears on the cover) has become the traditional descriptor for this version of the Lives. In fact, Dryden is not, properly speaking, the translator of this book. In one article in Wikipedia he is described as an overseer for the edition and in another as editor-in-chief, but he is also described as having simply "lent" his name to the enterprise. I am still researching this, but I should not be surprised if Jacob Tonson, the publisher, was not more involved in editing than was Dryden.
   
   Dryden's primary involvement in the project seems to have been his "Life of Plutarch" which is included in this edition only by way of a two short excerpts in Clough's Preface.
   
   Arthur Hugh Clough's Preface and Revisions - Clough was a nineteenth century poet. Clough's preface was, for me, a major reason I became interested in the Modern Library edition. I found the preface quite intriguing. It is a solid piece of work from an individual who was neither a full time scholar, nor a particularly notable prose writer. In a couple of cases, the argument at the very beginning of the preface for example, he seems to drop his thoughts without fully completing them. But this is a minor problem in an otherwise well thought out and informative discussion of Plutarch and his book.
   
   The text itself - One of the reviewers here on Amazon calls this Clough's "train wreck" assuming that the difficulties in the text must lie with Clough because, concludes the reviewer, Dryden is a much better prose writer. Few would doubt that Dryden was a better prose writer, but I strongly suspect that the translation in this case (not Dryden's as I have already pointed out) was aided by Clough's hand. I am having trouble getting a copy of the original (pre-Clough) "Dryden" translation, although I should very much like to do a comparison. Once Clough's version came out, publishers seem to have had no reason to go back to the original which provides at least some indication that Clough had resolved some of the problems with the text. As a result, the pure "Dryden" editions are older and more expensive.
   
   I find the text quite readable. It is not a "modern" translation (I hate using the word "modern" here because I think of Clough as a modern, perhaps I should say it is not a twentieth or twenty-first century translation). This text is clearly more given to complex clausal structures than waht we would expect of a popular translation today. I think it more than has its merits. I'm not sure but that the complex clausal structures might not have their own virtue in a text like this. Certainly one of the interesting qualities in Plutarch is a kind of questioning of sources that the syntax of this edition brings out rather nicely. I say that, however, as a non-classicist with little or no Greek, so I cannot be sure whether it really does reflect the original.
   
   My chief concern with the text would be that it lacks annotation or other textual apparatus beyond an index. This is particularly peculiar given that the cover states that it includes notes by Clough! I am trying to get my hands on an earlier edition of the Clough revision to see what it might contain in the way of notes. Nonetheless, I'm not quite sure what to make of the Modern Library advertising notes on the cover, but providing none. Until I know better what these notes might entail, I'm loath to make any judgment.
   
   Introduction by James Atlas - I wish I could speak more highly of the Modern Library introduction, but I am afraid I felt it was lacking on many levels. It fails in anyway to clarify the nature of the translation. One would think that it would at least contain some mention of the relevance of this particular text (why reprint it now?), of the curious assignment of Dryden's name as translator to a book that he did not translate, and of the role that Clough played as a nineteenth century editor of a seventeenth century text.
   
   Additionally, and perhaps most warranting concern, Atlas's introduction covers such similar ground to Clough's Preface (even using many of the same quotations) that it feels rather curiously redundant.
   
   The cover - I cannot close without commenting on the cover. It looks like wallpaper for a nineteenth century classicist's study. Quite honestly, I like it.
   
   I've given the book four stars because I see no reason to visit the sins of this particular edition upon the text as a whole, and the text has plenty of merits both as a translation and as a classic of literature.



2. Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome. Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years. Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline. He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer. Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.
   
   Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid. In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome. When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work. His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.
   
   If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.



3. This is one of the most incredible pieces of literature in human history, yet is one of the most often overlooked.
   Plutarch is not as much a historian as he is a moralist, and it is his examination of the lives of some of the most important historical figures of the ancient world for their moral roots that is so incredibly engaging.
   Oddly enough, I was first introduced to the works of Plutarch through the fictional novels of Louis L'Amour, who often has one charcter encouraging another to read various classical authors.
   For a interesting peek at the lives and morals of some of history's most intriguing figures, Plutarch is a great place to begin.



4. Plutarchs historic portrayals of the lives of the gretest men in BCE western history, is truly inspiring. From the passionate warrior kings Alexander the Great and Julius Ceasar to the Athenean states men Dion and Draco, the list goes on, each text providing an insight to lives that were lived to the fullest potential.



5. After having read McCullogh's splendid series on Rome, I turned to this fat, dense book with great expectations. I was not disappointed: the stories are endlessly fascinating, from their basic details on ancient history to the bizarre asides that reveal the pre-Christianised mind-set of the author.

   Like all great books, this one can be read on innumerable levels. First, there is the moralising philosophy that is perhaps the principal purpose of the author to advance - each life holds lessons on proper conduct of great and notorious leaders alike. You get Caesar, Perikles, and Alcibiades, and scores of others who are compared and contrasted. Second, there is the content. Plutarch is an invaluable source of data for historians and the curious. Third, there is the reflection of religious and other beliefs of the 1C AD: oracles and omens are respected as are the classical gods. For example, while in Greece, Sulla is reported as having found a satyr, which he attempted unsuccesfully to question for its auguring abilities during his miltary campaign in Greece! It is a wonderful window into the mystery of life and human belief systems. That being said, Plutarch is skeptical of these occurances and both questions their relevance and shows how some shrewd leaders, like Sertorious with his white fawn in Spain, used them to great advantage.

   Finally, this is a document that was used for nearly 2000 years in schools as a vital part of classical education - the well-bred person knew all these personalities and stories, which intimately informed their vocabulary and literary references until the beginning of the 20C. That in itself is a wonderful view into what was on people's minds and how they conceived things over the ages. As is well known, Plutarch is the principal source of many of Shakespeare's plays, such as Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. But it was also the source of the now obscure fascination with the rivalry of Marius and Sulla, as depicted in paintings and poetry that we still easily encounter if we are at all interested in art. Thus, this is essential reading for aspiring pedants (like me).

   Of course, there are plenty of flaws in the work. It assumes an understanding of much historical detail, and the cases in which I lacked it hugely lessened my enjoyment. At over 320 years old, the translation is also dated and the prose somewhat stilted, and so it took me 300 pages to get used to it. Moreover, strictly speaking, there are many inaccuracies, of which the reader must beware.

   Warmly recommended as a great and frequently entertaining historical document.

5 comments about Isaac Newton.

1. How can you sum up the life of Newton in roughly 190 pages. This is nothing but a pamphlet of one of the greatest lives of discovery the world has ever known. If your IQ is below 130 and you are looking for good reading go for it, but if you need meat and deeper substance about Newton, this is not where you look.



2. This book is comprehensive in addressing the themes of Newton's life, though the introversion of the subject limits the detail which the author could provide. More simply stated, this book is well versed and written, so enjoy!



3. I really wish I had liked this book, but I didn't.
   First thing that I noticed is the small volume, I had just read IKE's bio by Ambrose and in comparison this book seemed more like a brochure than an inclusive biographical work.
   What I hated the most was the style. Too pompous for my taste, the author gets in lengthy descriptions on the period and the landscape that surrounded Newton while only giving Isaac himself a mere sentence here and there. I think the author was trying to appeal to a public that doesn't know who Newton was and did, and therefore finds it appropriate to remind us, on multiple occasions that 'yes, Newton is the one that invented calculus and before him there was darkness'. I gave the book away to somebody that could appreciate it, hopefully. Fortunately now I know not to buy "Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman" by the same author, I would have been much more upset to read it instead of this book since I've been a Feynman fan for years.
   Numerous repetition in the descriptions of the era and in the contributions on Newton, I could not force myself to keep on reading. I do not consider this book a serious read, not on the subject Isaac Newton anyway.



4. The shape of the world we live in has been mostly determined by a few hundred people. Newton is one of those. This is a concise, readable, entertaining bio of one of history's really great thinkers. Anyone who uses gravity should read it.



5. Most of the reviews of this book seem to be reviews of Newton, not the book. To be sure, Newton is one of the most influential scientists who ever lived, but that is not the point. Rather, the point is how good is this book? I liked the book, but not as much as I had hoped to. I found the book to be somewhat flat and un-exciting, the same impression it gives of Newton's life. There are areas of Newton's life that could have been presented more dramatically, most specifically his conflict with Robert Hooke. The author paints Hooke as one of those people who claim to have done everything before anyone else. In this book, he is depicted as a blowhard, but in other accounts his claims are given much more weight. (For instance, see "The Scientists" by John Gribbin.) Another point of contention is exactly how indispensable was Newton. Had he not lived, how long would it have taken for others to discover what he did? Being a biography of Newton, it is not surprising that he is painted as being indispensable. Again, this is a point of contention, not hinted at in this book. Much of what Newton did was also done by others (calculus was developed at the same time by Leibniz and it is his version that we use today, not Newton's). Newton could not have formulated gravity without the work of Kepler, Galileo, and Descartes. Gribbin believes that within a decade of Newton's death others could have used this same background to develop "Newton's laws". The point is not whether Gleick or Gribbin is right, but that Gleick does not even acknowledge that this controversy exists.
   
   All in all, the book lays out the scope of Newton's life (including the fact that he spent much of the latter part of his life as an alchemist), but in a rather unexciting manner. The important areas of controversy, which aim to evaluate Newton's position in the pantheon of great scientists, are not even broached. I think that such a discussion would have enriched the book and broadened the outlook of the reader, so that Newton would not be just "the man", but rather a man among many.

5 comments about Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction.

1. David Sheff helps others learn a lesson it took him years, and a brain bleed, to learn. That lesson is that if you let him, the addict in your family will take down everyone in his path in order to continue to experience the pleasure of his high.
   It's a heartbreaking journey, but at the end of the book, the son is clean, at the expense of the rest of the family. But the father has decided not to let his son rob the life from him, his wife, and other two children any longer. This seems even more important than the son's sobriety, as the rest of the family can be saved, and the son's life seems uncertain.



2. "Beautiful Boy" is a harrowing, well written, and honest look at drug addiction. It will be sadly familiar to anyone who has known a meth user. Although Nic Sheff fares better than some, his life is frequently derailed by his addiction. His father (and mother and stepmother, although they play less of a role) is driven to the point of a breakdown by fear and worry about when Nic's next relapse will occur, and what it will entail.
   
   David Sheff writes with the clarity and attention to detail that you find in quality magazine writing; I particularly liked the sections about other addicts he encountered... some of the hard luck cases living along Stanyan street in San Francisco and encountered in drug rehab programs. Nic, in some ways, is one of the luckier meth addicts. (And when you read the book, you'll realize what an outrageous statement that is.)
   
   I enjoyed the book all the way through, although I was mildly annoyed by the slightly too optimistic ending. Every memoir feels the need to end on a grace note, and I often find that jarring.



3. After catching a bit of David & Nic Sheff's interviews on "The Today Show," I decided to read both of their memoirs. While waiting for "Beautiful Boy" to arrive, I read some reviews on it and some of them were fairly critical.
   
   I was really moved by this book. As a mother, I could feel his pain as he described the anguish of not knowing where his child was--out on the street, high, or possibly dead somewhere. David Sheff was very brave in writing this book--he is open and honest when he describes the decade of Nic's drug abuse and he clearly realizes that he had several missed opportunities to possibly help his son. He owns up to some very serious mistakes and bad choices he made that didn't help his son's situation, but perhaps contributed to it.
   
   I am fortunate, in that I have not been touched with addiction in my immediate family. David Sheff was able to clearly communicate the way addiction impacts a family--not just the addict. His memoir about the constant ups and downs, the constant anxiety, the ever present reality that a slip from sobriety is just around the corner--it allowed me to have an understanding of how incredibly awful addiction is and how all-consuming it becomes to those who love the addict.
   
   I would absolutely recommend this book to any parent--it opened my eyes up to how easily a "good" kid can slip down a very dark hole that is nearly impossible to dig out of, especially without the love and constant support of his family.



4. My heart bleeds for Nic-he never stood a chance with these parents!
   
   Though the author clearly loves his son-he did him no favors by treating him like his best pal instead of a son. Taking him to parties where people do drugs, having strings of girlfriends in and out of his life. He cheated on Nic's mother, moved in with the girlfriend and her kid. Then he gets dumped by her-more psychological damage on top of the divorce to Nic. I can't imagine how Nic's mother could have picked up and got married, and moved 500 miles away, hence ensuring the author would get custody of their son. How could someone do this? Then the author marries someone else and also moves, so more new schools ang changes for Nic. Is it any wonder this poor kid got so messed up? I gave the book 5 stars because it is well written, researched, and thought out. it is very readable, I am just so disgusted with how this boy was treated. Talk about putting your needs before your kids!
   
   I am most disgusted with the authors flippant attitude about drug use. Like it's no big deal he himself smokes pot at parties with friends. Umm yes it's a very big deal, and it's illegal. What a fine example you are to your son. And I just can't imagine how damaging it was to have his mother move away at age 5, and only see her in the summer and on holidays.
   
   I've also read Nic Sheff's book and it is heartbreaking, if not a bit disjointed. I hope he has success and can stay off drugs and is able to find some peace and happiness-no thanks to his parents.



5. I saw this book waiting on line at a Starbucks and bought it on a whim. I'd never read anything by David Sheff before and thought it would make some nice light summer pool side reading...it was much more than that. It is a captivating book that really gets into not just how and why young people become addicts but the effect that it has on their families and gives insight into how he coped in living through it. It is a really great book for anyone who has ever known, loved or had to live with an addict, alcoholic, or person with addictive-compulsive tendencies or anyone who has just wondered how or why some talented bright people who seem to have perfect lives have turned to drugs and addiction. Philadelphia has a large community of "street kids", homeless youth in their late teens and 20 somethings many of whom look like not too long ago they were living in nice suburban homes or going to college and I'd often wondered how or why they wound up that way. This book is about exactly that. Definitely the best summer reading I've found in awhile.

5 comments about River: One Man's Journey Down The Colorado, Source To Sea.

1. i have read and enjoyed some of Fletcher's other works, and want very much to run the Colorado myself someday - so this seemed like a perfect read.
   
   alas. i found myself so infuriated with his inability to get over himself and his superiority complex that i had to stop reading the book. his refusal to acknowledge the humanity of, or attempt to understand, other human beings was extremely off-putting and really had no place in a book that i thought was about a fantastic adventure.
   
   i don't know when Mr. Fletcher soured on humanity, but he was obviously consumed with his disdain for the world when he wrote this book, and just couldn't keep it out of his writings. if you want an optimistic and truly ADVENTUROUS river-running account, read "Lost in Mongolia" by Colin Angus.



2. Perhaps I expected too much. I love Colin Fletcher's other books, I think I have read all of them. But somehow he seems to have lost his beautiful and inspiring style of writing. He didn't seem as motivated as on other trips he has written about. Or perhaps it was just a dull trip. Anyway, I had a hard time staying awake. I would recommend his "The Thousand Mile Summer" or "The Man who Walked Through Time" if you want a treat from the late Mr. Fletcher.



3. I have to agree with many previous reviewers. This book is slow. I imagine Mr. Fletcher would be very interesting to talk with, perhaps even to tour a river with. However, reading him, his introspective observations become arduous and strained. I put the book down years ago at page 249 and I can't convince myself to pick it up again.



4. This is a good book for those who are genuinely interested in a journey in the wilderness. This is not a book for those who look for thrilling adventures, or those "armchair travelers" who look for commercialized travel books (such as those by Bill Bryson). You can say that the book lacks drama, it is too "plain". To a certain extent I agree with that. As Fletcher says in his book (about the Colorado), it plays "themes and variations". The same can be said about this book, most of the time it flows slowly, but along the way there are reflections, thoughts, observations, etc. It is not as "exciting" as the commercialized writings of Bill Bryson and the like, but you can sense the honesty in Fletcher's writing, that is, he did not take the journey with the goal of writing a book about it, he genuinely wanted to take the journey just for the sake of it.

   This is not an Edward Abbey type of book either. Abbey's writing is definitely better. Comparing this book to "Desert Solitaire" is like comparing a amateur's snapshots to Ansel Adams' murals. But, like I said, if you are genuinely an ourdoor and wildness person, especially if you hiked or rafted in the canyon country, you will find much to enjoy in this book.




5. I did a whitewater rafting trip last year through Canyonlands NP and this book brought the wonderful memories of that trip - the beauty of the scenery and excitement of the rapids - back to me full force. I LOVED this book. Colin Fletcher's descriptions really bring you to the river and its surrounding beauty. I love how he describes everything, and how he goes off on tangents back to memories of his own life. This book is well worth the read!