Labyrinth

Average customer rating:

Boring; Predictable

Eh

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Interesting and entertaining

Pointeless novel

Labyrinth
Kate Mosse
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Templar Legacy: A Novel

The Last Templar

The Secret Supper: A Novel

The Last Cato: A Novel

Black Order: A Sigma Novel (Sigma Force Novels)

ASIN: 0425213978
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

July 2005. In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig, stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery-two crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, and the pattern of a labyrinth.

Eight hundred years earlier, on the eve of a brutal crusade that will rip apart southern France, a young woman named Alais is given a ring and a mysterious book for safekeeping by her father. The book, he says, contains the secret of the true Grail, and the ring, inscribed with a labyrinth, will identify a guardian of the Grail. Now, as crusading armies gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take a tremendous sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe.

Customer Reviews:

Boring; Predictable.......2007-09-29

Yet another da Vinci Code wanna-be/clone. Self indulgently too long (by about 200 pages), with very pedestrian, predictable writing (and full of typos - where were the editors??). What gives this book any interest/color is its descriptions of this hot, arid corner of southwest France and its history (although the history is quite superficial).

Eh.......2007-09-21

Labyrinth is the story of the Holy Grail, the Crusades, and the Cathar heresy of the 13th century, as told through the experiences of two women: Alice Tanner, living in 2005 and Alais Du Mas, living in 1209. They have a lot of more in common than their first names. One afternoon, while on an archaeological dig, Alice finds a brooch as well as a cave with human remains in it. The narrative goes back and forth between the two time periods.

The book's premise is interesting, and I thought it a good idea to tell the story through the female perspective, but I thought the author got too bogged down in describing every single little thing! The devil may be in the details, but I thought that the describing of everything really detracted from the story. I also didn't like Alais's character. Mosse makes the same mistake that many writers of historical fiction make: the character was too modern for the time in which she lived. In short, there are better works of historical fiction out there on the medieval period. Don't waste your time with this one.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.......2007-09-19

If only Kate Mosse had published her novel not in 2006, but shortly after the astonishing success of the Da Vinci Code, it perhaps would've received the literary respect it deserves, instead of coming last in a slew of novels involving the subjects of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, and what they mean in the present day. The quote on the back of the paperback edition from the Kirkus Review really says it all: "A quickly paced adventure that wears its considerable learning lightly - and of higher literary quality than The Da Vinci Code, to which it will inevitably be compared." And yet Labyrinth goes more than a few steps further, not just adding new and original twists to the myth of the grail, but adding a new depth and level that hasn't been seen before. As for the truth behind it all, Mosse doesn't offer a note of explanation, but leaves it to the reader's imagination.

Labyrinth opens with one of the two main characters, Alice, working on an archaeological site in southern France, where she finds a hidden cave and two skeletons within. She also finds a unique ring bearing an unusual symbol: a labyrinth. Notifying the authorities of the discovered site, with the skeletons it suddenly becomes a crime scene, and the archaeologists are kicked off the site. The reader is then taken back in time to the thirteenth century, where they meet the other main character, Alaïs, a young girl held back by tradition and ritual in a chivalric society where the knight and the priest are strongest. For the duration of the book, the reader follows these two characters, as they live their lives in parallel.

As Alice returns to her hotel, strange things start to happen, as strangers contact her about what she found in the cave, police telling her to describe exactly what she saw and confiscating her sketches. Members of the dig go mysteriously missing, as people begin to die for unknown reasons. Finding pieces of evidence, Alice weaves together the story bit by bit, and as she does she discovers that she is intrinsically linked to it all, and most importantly to Alaïs. Her strange dreams of this unknown girl from the late Middle Ages are the least of her worries.

Alaïs finds herself caught up in the changing and challenging times when the pope launches a crusade against the Cathars, a declared heretic group who believe that while God is absolute and utmost, the work they do in their lives is by their doing and not God's. It is a time when Christians are fighting Christians overtly because of their supposed heretical ways, but subversively because the northern French want the rich southern land of the langue d'Oc.

Wrapped in this dense plot is the story of the Grail, which every Christian of every group seeks, and it is only when the three ancient texts with the strange hieroglyphs are brought together, that the true way to the Grail will be shown. But the story of this Grail is not the one that we all think we know, but something deeper and more ancient that is tied in with this mysterious symbol of the labyrinth, and reaches back into Ancient Egypt and the founding of civilization.

While the last third of the book seems somewhat rushed, as Mosse forgoes the back and forth chapters through time, and relies on present day characters telling what they know of the past; there is an inevitable building that results in a climactic ending of not just character realization, but eye-opening shock on the reader's part, as they finally know the whole story. Like the symbol, Labyrinth is a story that begins simple and straightforward, but grows more and more complex, until the denouement when all is revealed and finally understood. Check out www.labyrinthbook.net for more information.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Interesting and entertaining.......2007-09-12

I enjoyed this book a great deal, primarily because the 12th century characters were so compelling (I agree with previous reviews that the modern-day Alice was not as interesting or believable as her Alais counterpart). The history and description of the Languedoc was fascinating. My complaints about the book are that, given its length, it did not go into very much detail about the Cathars and their theology, nor about what Mosse perceives the "true grail" to be. For such a long book, I felt like it wasn't until halfway through that any significant questions posed were being answered. Finally, and this is just a personal thing -- I find it irritating when big, open questions in a book (or a movie) are all tied up in a conversation at the end. I feel it's better to let it come out in the action of the story. Still, a vivid and very entertaining historical novel and worth reading.

Pointeless novel.......2007-09-07

This book is pointless, overlong, under plotted, and is "much ado about nothing". Unidimensional characters trapped in a maze of nothingness. For me, it was a stupendous disappointment from start to finish.

I kept reading it, expecting (hoping, really) about some kind of development or originality. I'd even welcomed silly plot twists! But you end up with plenty of descriptions of places and things (gotta fill those pages!) and pretty much nothing else.

My only consolation is that I did not pay for it.

STAY CLEAR OF THAT BOOK

Thanks.

C.

The Legislative Labyrinth: A Map for Not-for-Profits (AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series)

Average customer rating:

The Legislative Labyrinth: A Map for Not-for-Profits (AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series)

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Nonprofit Organizations & Charities | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Congresses, Senates, & Legislative Bodies | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Practical Politics | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Jurisprudence | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Business | English Law | Law | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0471400696

Book Description

A simple, practical guide to help not-for-profit organizations lobby local, state, and federal legislative bodies

Only a fraction of not-for-profit organizations take advantage of the legislative process in representing their members and their organization's goals. Yet lobbying is an important way to gain visibility, attract members, and find new sources of funding. This book is designed to help the modern not-for-profit develop and implement an effective lobbying program without jeopardizing its tax-exempt status. Dr. Pidgeon and the contributers he has assembled provide in-depth analysis of all the major issues of the lobbying process, including:

The basics of lobbying
The structure of local, state, and federal government
Using the mass media to spread the message
Political action committees (PACs)
Marketing and communication strategies
Strategic partnerships
The legal aspects of government affairs and lobbying
When and how to use outside consultants
A strategic, step-by-step plan for success

A CD-ROM with a wide-ranging array of tables, forms, and checklists as well as a complete model strategic plan is included. When used in conjunction with the CD-ROM, The Legislative Labyrinth is a comprehensive guide that explains and simplifies the process of developing and maintaining an effective, efficient government affairs program. This wealth of wise and insightful advice will help executive directors, board members, consultants, and lobbyists find creative, effective ways to earn the attention their organizations deserve.

Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey Through the Labyrinth of Sexuality
Average customer rating:

So disappointed and left me with a bad taste

wow... big book. far fetched?

this book changed my life

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A message for all time

Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey Through the Labyrinth of Sexuality
Jeannine Parvati Baker , Tamara Slayton , and Frederick Baker
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books | Baby Names | Fertility | Fetal Drug & Alcohol Syndrome | General | Sears, Dr. William
General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Obstetrics & Gynecology | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Parenting Begins before Conception: A Guide to Preparing Body, Mind, and Spirit For You and Your Future Child

Hygieia: A Woman's Herbal

Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year (Wise Woman Herbal Series, Book 1) (Wise Woman Herbal Series : No. 1)

Sacred Birthing: Birthing a New Humanity

Soul Trek: Meeting Our Children on the Way to Birth

ASIN: 0938190830

Book Description

Conscious Conception is the comprehensive reference for fertility awareness. All natural methods of family planning, both ancient and current, are presented within the larger context of sexuality and an evolving spirituality, which embraces the religious wisdom traditions and goes beyond.

The book is for anyone who wants to prepare before conception for the great journey as partners in creation: commonly known as becoming PARENTS. Couples who are labelled "infertile" will discover new possibilities and ways to naturally conceive.

This book is also for anyone exploring fertile sexuality and desires a way to avoid contraception and pregancy both at once. The information is shared with the hope that every baby can be a welcomed baby AND strengthen sexual relationships. Rather then rely upon medical device, chemicals or surgeries, the invitation of Conscious Conception is to experience fertility as not in the way of sexuality, but rather, that fertile sexuality is THE way of spirituality.

The authors boldly guide us through such real issues as abortion, adoption and choosing the gender and birth time of our babies yet always within a larger story of SOUL myth, metaphor and our evolution of ideas about sexuality and by extension, creation.

One prevailing concept in Conscious Conception is that we can put to rest the "victim-of-fertility" archetype which has been at best the inspiration of great literature/tragedy for millennia, and at worst has released much pain and suffering upon our Earth. We can become conscious of our capacity to co-create as simple as knowing when one is hungry or thristy, we can know when we are fertile and act in ways which are best-for-life.

This natural knowing is aided by attention to not only our physical bodies and fertility cycles, but our dreams and desires. What is emerging at the end of this millennium is the realization that fertility awareness is a SOURCE experience, one which puts us in direct relationship with creative energy. By becoming conscious of our fertility, we become more creative.

It is our choice in what form we show the world our love a baby is but one option. Conscious Conception transcends the pro-choice and pro-life polemic. Conscious Conception is both at once simply stated, it's instruction is to "Choose Life".

The propaganda which is put out by the contraceptive industry results in many unwanted children and abortions. All contraceptive methods have failure rates which mean real conceptions. Natural Family planning has the best statistics in effectiveness for one reason when there is any possibility of pregnancy, abstinance is practiced. When fertile, regardless of contraceptive promises, babies can be conceived, and sometimes are.

Included are detailed ceremonies for healing previous abortions, both public and private rituals to resolve the past and be more present in the unfolding fertility story now. Abortion is not moralized as being "wrong" rather, it just hurts and is increasingly unneccessary as the practice of Conscious Conception/ Fertility Awareness is spread throughout the world. Again, contraception is deconstructed to show its inevitable failure while in contrast, when cyclical abstinance is employed, there are no conceptions.

Plus the world's best kept secret fertility awareness inclusive of abstinance, enhances a long-term monogamous relationship in many ways that usage of contraception cannot. It also is optimal in short-term relationships as the practicioners need fear no untimely pregnancy.

What would the world look like if every baby was a wanted, welcomed baby? If women knew ourselves and honestly communicated our truth in regards to fertility to our lovers? What if teens learned fertility awareness, which embraces the best of all ideas about sex education, and developed a real self to esteem? Conscious Conception describes such a world a world of the POSSIBLE FAMILY. Freebirth, waterbirth, tota

Customer Reviews:

So disappointed and left me with a bad taste.......2007-03-10

I bought this book because I was interested in natural techniques to fertility and "consciously" conceiving my future child. I was hoping that the authors would have an unbiased, balanced perspective; however, I have found that this book is VERY "new age". Don't get me wrong, there are many new age principals that I agree with. I just think that the authors of this book are on the extreme deep end and are extremely biased by their own opinions.

One example is in the article "Health, Nutrition & Fertility" by Frederick Hamilton Baker. In regards to the amount of chemicals that are found in foods and therefore in our bodies causing infertility, he says "It's as if the soul isn't very interested in coming to unhealthy parents especially in these 'latter days' when there are already so many other early obstacles to fulfillment. (Unnatural birthing practice, lack of breastfeeding, childhood torture in the form of cribs and city housing, etc.)"

"Torture" as he uses it, is such an extreme viewpoint. I haven't read the whole book; it's unreadable. But one can assume from this statement that he is pro- bed sharing - which is fine, except I think it's really rather rude and ignorant to assume that all children are "tortured" by being put into cribs (I know plenty of them who love their cribs, my own son being one of them). He also expresses a belief that eating meat is deviating from a healthy "whole" diet. Regardless of what he feels is personally best for himself, I think it is small-minded to assume that that must be the case for everyone and a better proclamation would have been that if you are not a vegetarian, meat consumption needs to be moderated.

Elsewhere in the book is an article by Jeannine Parvati Baker called "Astrology: Stars in Our Eyes or Preventing Dis-Aster". I don't know what else to really say about this article except that it seemed to lack a point. She talks excessively of what sign the moon (for example) was in when she first ovulated and then after she gave birth one out of five times, the signs of all of her children, etc., and goes on to say that she sees a pattern without really discussing what that pattern is. I am pretty in to astrology, more so than the average person, and I really didn't get the point.

In fact, much of this book seems to be a little self-indulgent. The authors speak from their own heavily biased perspective without maintaining any sort of objectivity or sense of how their experiences might relate to the reader. It is unfortunate, for this book had great potential - it's large with beautiful illustrations throughout and alot of the topic material is good. The writers just didn't seem to be able to keep their feet on the ground long enough for this book to really be practical at all. And quite frankly, it is also offensive. It seems to me that the authors are taking the viewpoint that living a natural lifestyle in sync with nature that you can achieve fertility, healthy pregnancy, etc. My last pregnancy ended in a stillbirth because my son had a birth defect, and I eat and buy everything organic, never take medication, do most of what they are suggesting in this book anyway. And it still happened. My point being not that living a natural lifestyle is not good, but there are most definitely instances in which modern technology and medicine can be helpful. For example, many women suffer from clotting disorders and suffer repeated pregnancy losses until they are diagnosed and take blood thinners during pregnancy, after which they are able to go full-term and give birth to healthy babies. I get the feeling like Jeanning Parvati Baker was lucky (nothing more, nothing less) to have given birth to five healthy children. I don't think that it's because of astrology, or vegetarianism, or anything else that she is talking about in this book.

So in conclusion I would say this book is good if you are extremely into new age ideas, as this book is VERY new age (I don't even know how other reviewers said it wasn't at all; this book reeks of it). But if you are someone who is not at all into new age ideas, or you are into some but combine new age with conventional wisdom to find the balance that is right for you, then this book is pretty worthless. I wish I could return it and get my money back. I am going to try to buy some other books that might be related to what it was I was originally looking for, and hopefully they will be much better than this book was.

wow... big book. far fetched?.......2007-01-23

Not an easy read... pretty "flighty" swoops around from subject to subject, really difficult to follow. Wouldn't particularily reccomend.

this book changed my life.......2004-09-08

I am an avid reader of books on many topics..spiritual, medical, educational....this book is all that and more. It has changed me. I have recommended it to many friends and all have loved it (can't put it down). This book is such a great inspirational resource for women and while the focus is fertility...even those not trying to conceive will find plenty of empowering wisdom inside this book. It offers a great perspective of who we are as females and the power of creation that is contained within us. While some of the views are a bit controversial (abortion..to have or not to have....baker is confidently pro-life) ...my pro-choice self did not at all feel put off by baker's comments on the subject. In fact, quite the opposite. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-01-05

This book is a beautiful, breath of fresh air! Ms. Baker is a goddess, and will thoroughly help you to see the goddess within yourself. What can I say about this lovely work of art? As you meditate through the words of this "bible", you will begin to cultivate a fertile self you never knew you had. I bought this book to help with my fertility problems, and it is wonderful in this aspect, but it is oh, so much more! Please read this book.

A message for all time.......2003-12-28

In today's world of ever-increasing assisted reproduction technology, this book is even more important than when it was first published in 1986. This enormously rich and original work of art takes readers on a very special journey. A journey about beginnings, with a very special guide-Jeannine Parvati Baker reigns as the spiritual leader of the Women's Movement in the US and her influence has spread abroad as well. She has always been a powerful advocate for babies to be born naturally into families who can express their own power inspite of the medical establishment.
Every individual considering pregnancy should study her insights, and return to the book again and again, because a conscious conception is the cornerstone of primal health.

The Labyrinth of Solitude: The Other Mexico, Return to the Labyrinth of Solitude, Mexico and the United States, the Philanthropic Ogre

Average customer rating:

A man of electric intelligence
Classic text but badly outdated
Interesting Book
Well Done, Octavio Paz!
Magisterial, profound and provocative

The Labyrinth of Solitude: The Other Mexico, Return to the Labyrinth of Solitude, Mexico and the United States, the Philanthropic Ogre
Octavio Paz
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Latin American | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Underdogs
The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers)
The Death of Artemio Cruz: A Novel
The Collected Poems of Octavio Paz, 1957-1987: Bilingual Edition
Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans

ASIN: 080215042X

Amazon.com

First published in 1950, The Labyrinth of Solitude addresses issues that are both seemingly eternal and resoundingly contemporary: the nature of political power in post-conquest Mexico, the relation of Native Americans to Europeans, the ubiquity of official corruption. Noting these matters earned Paz no small amount of trouble from the Mexican leadership, but it also brought him renown as a social critic. Paz, who went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, later voiced his disillusionment with all political systems--as the Mexican proverb has it, "all revolutions degenerate into governments"--but his call for democracy in this book has lately been reverberating throughout Mexico, making it timely once again.

Book Description

Octavio Paz has long been acknowledged as Mexico's foremost writer and critic. In this international classic, Paz has written one of the most enduring and powerful works ever created on Mexico and its people, character, and culture. Compared to Ortega y Gasset's The Revolt of the Masses for its trenchant analysis, this collection contains his most famous work, "The Labyrinth of Solitude," a beautifully written and deeply felt discourse on Mexico's quest for identity that gives us an unequalled look at the country hidden behind "the mask." Also included are "The Other Mexico," "Return to the Labyrinth of Solitude," "Mexico and the United States," and "The Philanthropic Ogre," all of which develop the themes of the title essay and extend his penetrating commentary to the United States and Latin America.

Customer Reviews:

A man of electric intelligence.......2007-09-24

Octavio Paz was a spirit who united an originality of vision with an intellectual rigor; a poet and political essayist deeply read in Western/Eastern thought as he was in the philosophical traditions (indispensable for knowledge). His razor-sharp mind immediately captured my attention with his witticisms, his irreverent reflections, his arbitrary opinions, his culture, and his valiant, insolent sincerity. This is the first of various books of caustic and penetrating essays of his country and fellow countrymen. Perhaps is too prolix for a foreigner who is not interested in all the details of Mexican politics, nonetheless it contains remarkable passages that illuminate the history of modern Mexico with another light, crueler but more real. Some of his passages are like the corridors of a lavish, sinister, and endless dream. This is somehow his philosophical and moral testament that is both moving and makes us reflect.

Classic text but badly outdated.......2006-12-01

Prior reviewer Scott Henson is correct, this book does not adequately reflect modern Mexico of the 1990's to present. Some elements of Mexican character as described by Paz remain true, but generally this book does not describe modern middle class Mexicans very well at all, who, while still small as a class, are nevertheless very Western in their general lives.

Reading this now without an actual awareness of life in today's Mexico, you would think that the country is still populated by stoic indigenous peoples at the mercy of fates they don't understand.

While that is true for some sectors of the population, the country has become as modern as many European countries. In fact, Modern Mexico reminds me of post WWII Italy in so many ways. One foot in the future and one foot in the past, and struggling to keep their balance.

Try reading this book and then watching Y tu mama tambien or solo con tu pareja to see the differences, as well as the continuities, with Paz' essay...

Worth a read, but no longer so relevant as it was once. And don't be fooled into thinking that this is the Mexico you will find upon visiting.

Interesting Book.......2006-08-12

The writing in this book is a bit thick and meandering, but it does give some interesting insight into a culture many Americans have a hard time understanding at a time when we need to understand the most. If you can handle the frequent revisiting of the same topics throughout the essays, you will learn quite a bit.

Well Done, Octavio Paz!.......2006-02-09

Looking at this book through a young American male, undergraduate student, double-majoring in Integrated Social Studies (Education) and History's eyes, this book was challenging to read. However, as I once read recently in an education text, "if anything is odd, inappropriate, confusing, or boring, it's probably important" (Developing Readers and Writers in the Content Areas: K-12/Moore, Moore, Cunningham, and Cunningham, 2003, p. 28).

I am currently in a Latin American history class, and decided to read this book for an assignment. Not having a background in this area made reading some sections difficult and dare I say, boring (important)! However, I enjoyed reading the original book "The Labyrinth of Solitude" and his "Mexico and the United States" essay.

Some aspects that sparked my interest in particular in "The Labyrinth of Solitude" include his discussion of the following: the characteristics of Mexican men and women in comparison to their American counterparts, democracy, socialism, the Mexican economy in the late 1960s, love, and wealth in relation to birth.

The other section that captured my interest was his prose comparing the U.S. and Mexico. In this work, Paz writes about several of the major general differences between the U.S. and Mexico, including the subjects of religion, history, economics, their different ties with European countries, language, and the men/women of the two countries.

Hence, looking at The Labyrinth of Solitude and Other Writings from an American viewpoint, there appears to be much of interest for the reader to learn about not only American culture and possibly some things wrong with it, but why Mexicans act the way they do and is their society as big of a mess as it seems from the outside looking in?

Magisterial, profound and provocative.......2005-05-24

Like all great books, Paz' exploration of the Mexican soul begins with concrete historical and cultural detail and exfoliates into something complex, profound and ultimately moving.

Paz sets his book at the junction where historical experience, ritual, myth, the Mexican sense of interior solitude, Mexico's European, Maya and Aztec roots, and its incredible legacy of art and writing intersect. The book-- in gleaming prose-- describes Mexico from both personal and historical points of view. His thesis is that, despite much of its horrific historical baggage and the mess that its twentieth-century governments made of it, Mexican culture understands that North American materialism and individualism are "nightmares reflected in the torture chambers of reason." Paz' eye, of course, is critical-- Mexico is here as scrutinised as its northern neighbour-- but his book shows that underneath what often appears to observers as a macho and weirdly tacky culture there is a powerful and enduring old wisdom.

This is a remarkable book-- a great intro to Mexican culture for those who've read the historical basics.

Maps of the Mind: Charts and Concepts of the Mind and its Labyrinths

Average customer rating:

A Great Mind at Work
Maps of the Mind (Charles Hampton-Turner)
Contents:
Completely indespensible to anyone interested in the mind
Magnificent essays summarising thinking about mind

Maps of the Mind: Charts and Concepts of the Mind and its Labyrinths
Charles Hampden-Turner
Manufacturer: Collier / Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Consciousness & Thought | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Neuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series)
The Atlas of Experience
What We May Be
Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer
The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By

ASIN: 0020768702

Customer Reviews:

A Great Mind at Work.......2005-04-23

This book is the best example of a fine mind at work that I know of. Although I first read it in the 1980s, it still is current and continues to convey complex and timeless knowledge about the mind in an understandable, non-polemic, yet in an eclectic and fresh way.

The volume is dense but segmented into bite-sized frames with diagrams and pictures that intentionally take the content out into the third dimension and makes it less formidable. And although it is segmented into bite-sized frames, the reader's appetite for learning about the concepts of psychology -- from Gregory Bateson, Freud, Rollo May to Ernest Becker and Otto Rank -- will be more than satisfied.

The leitmotif of the volume is the idea of connectedness. There are three messages: Humanity is about wholeness; survival of the planet is about wholeness; and living a rich and full life is about self-knowledge and wholeness.

It covers the waterfront of what we knew about human psychology and the mind up to the 1980s. And although the frontiers of psychology have moved ahead somewhat, the book was so far ahead of its times that even 25 years later it remains fresh and current.

It is an academic tour de force that leaves a deep impression on the reader and is a book that has been an invaluable companion to me in my writings. Ten stars.

Maps of the Mind (Charles Hampton-Turner) .......2005-01-05

I began reading "Maps of the Mind" in the mid-eighties, and have found this to be the most important, inspiring and influential books I've ever read. The authors' suggestions of possible appliations of hemispheric specialization upon biblical, historical and mythological events are facinating and insightful. This book makes a geunine attempt at reassemling "humpty dumpty". No other publication (that I've read) even dares to attempt to "make sense of" and "unify" practically every religions, philosophical, political, mythological and acedemic "ideas", "concepts" and "phenomena". This is my #1 choice of books, and I've both recommended it to others, and given several copies away to friend. Read this book!

Contents:.......2004-04-04

This book, essentially collates, combines, and compares theories of how the human mind works, finding parallels, offering interpretations, and finding intersections of ideas. Beginning with historical and religious ideas, it differentiates among more than 50 main concepts including those of Freud, Jung, Fromm, Marx, Erikson, Piaget, Maslow, Russell, Buber, Chomsky, and Marcuse. It's an amazing trip through explanations of "us," and serves as an introduction to concepts of cybernetics and feedback in mental and information systems.

Completely indespensible to anyone interested in the mind.......2003-02-07

I encountered this book in the late 80's, and it became one of the most influential books in my life.

This book, essentially collates, combines, and compares theories of how the human mind works, finding parallels, offering interpretations, and finding intersections of ideas. From Frued to Marx, Jung to Blake, it's an amazing trip through explanations of "us," and served as my first introduction to concepts of cybernetics and feedback in mental and information systems.

If you're involved in psychology, social work, programming, writing, anything that touches on the mind and information, get it and read it. You'll be a much richer person for it.

Magnificent essays summarising thinking about mind.......1999-10-22

I bought this book years ago, and now need to replace it. With a brilliant layout of a cartoon, an abstract, and then a one or two page essay, Charles describes how people have thought about mind from very early times. His summaries are absolutely brilliant, and the insights from Freud to de Bono to ... are illuminating.

Average customer rating:

Another home run for Saul
From Start to Finish
Not his best
Creepy.Very good from the begining to the very end
No more like this please Mr. Saul!

The Devil's Labyrinth: A Novel
John Saul
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Good Guy
In the Dark of the Night: A Novel
The Darkest Evening of the Year
Blaze: A Novel
Critical

ASIN: 0345487036
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Book Description

For more than three decades, bestselling novelist John Saul has been summoning macabre masterpieces from the darkest realms of his imagination. With each new book, his instinct for playing upon our deepest dread has grown only stronger and more sinister. He’s never been afraid to push the boundaries of suspense and confront us with what frightens us most.

After his father’s untimely death sends fifteen-year-old Ryan McIntyre into an emotional tailspin, his mother enrolls him in St. Isaac’s Catholic boarding school, hoping the venerable institution with a reputation for transforming wayward teens can work its magic on her son. But troubles are not unknown even at St. Isaac, where Ryan arrives to find the school awash in news of one student’s violent death, another’s mysterious disappearance, and growing incidents of disturbing behavior within the hallowed halls.

Things begin to change when Father Sebastian joins the faculty. Armed with unprecedented knowledge and uncanny skills acquired through years of secret study, the young priest has been dispatched on an extraordinary and controversial mission: to prove the power of one of the Church’s most arcane sacred rituals, exorcism. Willing or not, St. Isaac’s most troubled students will be pawns in Father Sebastian’s one-man war against evil–a war so surprisingly effective that the pope himself takes notice of the seemingly miraculous events unfolding an ocean away.

But Ryan, drawn ever more deeply into Father Sebastian’s ministrations, sees–and knows–otherwise. As he witnesses with mounting dread the transformations of his fellow pupils, his certainty grows that forces of darkness, not divinity, are at work. Evil is not being cast out . . . something else is being called forth. Something that hasn’t stirred since the Inquisition’s reign of terror. Something nurtured through the ages to do its vengeful masters’ unholy bidding. Something whose hour has finally come to bring hell unto earth.

Customer Reviews:

Another home run for Saul.......2007-09-03

Another great thriller from John Saul.. book took a little time to develop, but was terrific when it got there! Great read for anyone!

From Start to Finish.......2007-09-02

This book dealt with different peoples lives, and sometimes that can be confusing, but not this book. I was captured into, once reading one chapter, I found myself starting the next one. I could not put the book down at least not for long. I wanted to read what happened in every chapter, until the end.The book kept me spell bound, and the ending was so good, that after finishing it, I could actually say I read a good book, that ended just the way I wanted it too.

Not his best.......2007-08-31

This wasn't his best book and it didn't seem to me to be a typcially John Saul thriller...but it was still a good book. If you are a huge John Saul fan though, you might be a little disappointed.

Creepy.Very good from the begining to the very end.......2007-08-23

A defenitly page turner.I had a hard time putting this book down.I enjoy Mr Sauls books.This is in my opinoin one of his best books.Make sure to read this one

No more like this please Mr. Saul!.......2007-08-18

I have read every one of John Saul's books, I'm a huge fan of his...and so I really wanted to like this book. Only because it was his book and out of loyalty to him did I make it through and finish it. I was even willing to get past the religious aspect of it.
But it was just boring and the characters I never really cared about or believed credible. Like the woman just blindly following the new man in her life and not picking up on any of his controlling manipulations. And I kept waiting for it to explain how things were happening, how the evil was being put into the kids and it never did. It never explained such a significant aspect of the story! The ending was very weak and too hastily tried to wrap things up and I honestly was just glad to be done with it.
I feel guilty even writing a "bad" review for a John Saul book but I had to be honest about it.

Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's

Average customer rating:

Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheiner's
Thanks!
Another exploration into ALZ by one who is there
A Must Read
A must-read for those caring for others with AD

Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's
Diana Mcgowin
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Special Needs | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Alzheimer's Disease | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Losing My Mind : An Intimate Look at Life with Alzheimer's
My Journey into Alzheimer's Disease
Speaking Our Minds: Personal Reflections from Individuals with Alzheimer's
Voices Of Alzheimer's: Courage, Humor, Hope, and Love in the Face of Dementia
Learning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease

ASIN: 0385313187
Release Date: 1994-10-01

Book Description

Living In The Labyrinth is the story of how one woman found the strength and the courage to cope with a devastating disease that has afflicted five million Americans. Far from being an exercise in self-pity or a standard autobiography, this is an unflinching and ultimately uplifting look at a debilitating illness from the inside out.

Customer Reviews:

Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheiner's.......2007-06-13

This book was well done with frightening information about the dreadful disease of Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, the copyright is 1993 and I would love an update. There are new things that are helping with Alzheimer's every day. Every 72 seconds another person has been diganosed with Alzheimer's (according to Alzheimer's Desease Research)so we need more books like this that are more recent.

Thanks!.......2005-10-01

Thank you for your quick service and amazing availability. I have checked over half a dozen places for my new book and no one seems to carry it! I appreciate your speedy shipping as it comes in handy when I need something soon.

Another exploration into ALZ by one who is there.......2002-10-03

This is a magnificent addition to the small but growing oeuvre of those telling it like it is from within the shadow of Alzheimer's. Unlike Kuhn's "Alzheimer's Early Stages" who offers a Prozac to those of us who defy his Polyannish view of a CRS' mental functioning without seeking insights from those who remain lucid and analytical and rational within, despite our infrequent "windows of clarity", McGowan tells it like it is for some of us: warts, fistulae, et al. She does not hold back from her anger, depression and increased libido. [Discretely, I have observed that the female party in an ALZ pairing, whether caregiver or ALZer, seems to be affected by ALZ as if it were a female aphrodasiac, whereas the male is threatened by his partner's increased "horniness." Studies of sexual activities in aging environments seems to confirm this casual observation, which appears psychological rather than physiological, i.e. it seems not related to the physical phenomena of erectile dysfunction, or loss of vaginal lubrication, but rather a soritin reward for coping with the stress of ALZ.

McGowan's struggles with those who demanded that she surrender control over her completed opus are mirrored in our daily lives as our caregivers, facilitators, and M.S.W.'ers "command" that we
that we surrender our remaining identities since these are an obstacle for those who "know what is best for us;" and regard disobedience as defiance by ADHD juveniles.

McGowan's book could have used a considerate and conservative collaborator and/or editor to polish the rough diamond she has put forth, just as DeBaggio's "Losing My Mind" cries out for polishing, which refining Snyder's "Speaking Our Minds" exemplifies. But both McGowan and DeBaggio give us the raw data, from which we we middle stage ALZheimers desperately need so that we are not be alone nor terminally unique.

Interstingly, McGowan justifiably claims credit for instigating an Alzheimer support group, where none existed [there are an abundance of groups and "Idiot's Guides" for caregivers, but these tend, like Alanon, to be pity pots of anger and resentment directed at those of us with middle stage Rapid Onset "Late Onset" diagnoses, who have not yet deteriorated like Iris Murdoch into vocal or literary aphasia although the communicating becomes more difficult as the Ah!HA!s of insight flee much too rapidly. [I do not envison heaven for those who forget that one must recall spelling in order to use a dictionary or word processer!]

Like Strauss' "Speaking to Alzheimers", "Living in the Labyrinth" is an ideal guide of "Do's & Dont's for those who wish to communicate with us, without inflicting their own anger and resentment into us.

A "Must Read" for ALZers, Caregivers, Facilitators, and others who do not have Closed Minds regarding those of us who assure them that there is "A Human Thinking Within" the quickly closing walls of outward communication, acknowledgement, and recognition.

On the other hand, "cursed be those who have eyes and do not see, and ears which do not hear;" [Jeremiah & Ezekiel] vasecors et amens.

A Must Read.......2002-09-06

Living in the Labyrinth is one of the first books I read when I began researching Alzheimer's disease. It is a gripping account of Alzheimer's disease from the inside. I found myself reading the whole book in one sitting.

A must-read for those caring for others with AD.......2002-04-27

When I first began my zealous quest to understand the disease of Alzheimer's, I stumbled across this book. To this day, it remains the most influential book I've read for understanding stages 1-5. Written in first person, it provides a soul-revealing glimpse into the maze of AD as one woman shares her quest to deal with the loss of function and depression accompanying this stage of the journey. Years later, I still pick it up occassionally to reconnect.

Labyrinths of Reason: Paradox, Puzzles, and the Frailty of Knowledge

Average customer rating:

Brain candy
Thought-provoking treatment
great read
A good starter
Great book on logic and the meaning of 'knowing'

Labyrinths of Reason: Paradox, Puzzles, and the Frailty of Knowledge

Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Logic & Language | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Prisoner's Dilemma
Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street
How Would You Move Mount Fuji? : Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle -- How the World's Smartest Companies Select the Most Creative Thinkers
The Compleat Strategyst: Being a Primer on the Theory of Games of Strategy
How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle - How the World's Smartest Company Selects the Most Creative Thinkers

ASIN: 0385242719
Release Date: 1989-12-01

Amazon.com

We conceive of and describe the world in ways that usually work just fine, but in the far corners of the labyrinth of reason, our best intentions fold back on themselves, and we end up trapped in an intractable loop or tumbling down a chute of infinite regress. Labyrinths of Reason is a collection of classic philosophical thought experiments and other imponderables that push reason and language to their logical limits. Beyond just idle brainteasers, William Poundstone shows that these mental exercises have profound implications for such fields as cryptography, decision theory, subatomic physics, and computer programming. But most of all, they're good, clean philosophical fun!

Book Description

This sharply intelligent, consistently provocative book takes the reader on an astonishing, thought-provoking voyage into the realm of delightful uncertainty--a world of paradox in which logical argument leads to contradiction and common sense is seemingly rendered irrelevant.

Customer Reviews:

Brain candy.......2007-10-10

This is a fun book on logic, pardoxes and puzzles. It's a good mental tune-up and reminder of the limits of what we think we know. Poundstone is an entertaining writer who knows how to take us through the logical steps without making feel like work.

Thought-provoking treatment.......2007-10-02

Though LoR covers well-worn ground, it does so both ably and entertainingly. The paradoxes Poundstone discusses are of the ages and for the ages; as long as humans think, they will never cease to fascinate, confound, and inspire. Anyone interested in language and reasoning and the relationship between mind and the external "objective" world will find much to chew on between the covers of LoR. LoR provides a gentle introduction to some very difficult topics in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of science. It is well worth a read.

great read.......2006-01-29

You should be math-oriented to get the most out of this book - but some of the paradoxes are dandy and the 'prisoner's dilemma' is always worth a review.

A good starter.......2004-09-04

I enjoyed this book, but one should realize the audience for this work. I was a novcie to logic when I read this book and felt quite satisfied with the content and structure.

Labytinths does not overwhelm the reader; it introduces a fair amout of classic logic problems, scenarios, etc. Many of the examples offered would serve well in a high school math class.

Great book on logic and the meaning of 'knowing'.......2004-02-29

I have to confess - I bought this book after reading Mr. Poundstone's book 'How would you move mount Fuji?' I probably never would have bought this book otherwise - and I'm glad I did.
So first of all - this is not a riddle book. Its a philosophy book trying to dismantle well know paradoxes in modern epistemology. It's not revolutionary in any way, but it collects its ideas from good sources and gives a nice and coherent view of the topic and the field.
I would recommend this book only to people willing to read slowly and think about what they read. The journey is not easy - but Mr. Poundstone would get you to your destination every time.

LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records' Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal

Average customer rating:

Mindblowing Information
Great book, very well-written
Mindblowing!
Biased author, unsympathetic characters
Outstanding

LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records' Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal
Randall Sullivan
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Killing of Tupac Shakur
Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations from NYPD's First "Hip-Hop Cop"
Inside A Thug's Heart
Have Gun Will Travel
Tupac: Resurrection

ASIN: 080213971X

Book Description

Flaunt magazine declares LAbyrinth "absolutely impossible to put down" -- a book whose stunning discoveries are nonetheless "incredibly thorough and surprisingly credible." Acclaimed journalist Randall Sullivan follows Russell Poole, a highly decorated LAPD detective who in 1997 was called to investigate a controversial cop-on-cop shooting, and eventually discovered that the officer killed was tied to Marion "Suge" Knight's notorious gangsta-rap label, Death Row Records. During his investigation, Poole would come to realize that a growing cadre of black officers were allied not only with Death Row but with the murderous Bloods street gang. And incredibly, he began to uncover evidence that at least some of these "gangsta cops" may have been involved in the murders of rap superstars Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Still more shocking is what happened when Russell Poole became lead investigator in the murder of Notorious B.I.G.: as his shrewd detective work pointed to crooked cops such as David Mack, who orchestrated one of the biggest bank heists in Los Angeles history, Poole found his investigation stifled by a police chief wary of doing further damage to a department already sullied by the O. J. Simpson trial, the Rodney King beating, and the Rampart corruption scandal. Could it be that the Rampart scandal -- in which dozens of officers were implicated in a conspiracy of robbery, brutality, drug dealing, and false imprisonment -- was only a smokescreen for a far more damaging debacle? Igniting a firestorm of controversy in the music industry and the Los Angeles media, the hardcover publication of LAbyrinth helped to prompt two lawsuits against the LAPD (one brought by the widow and mother of Notorious B.I.G., the other by Poole himself) that may finally bring this story completely out of the shadows. Entertainment Weekly insists that "no single source presents so complete or damning a record" of this "compelling" epic tale of L.A. noir. "[An] engrossing, damning tale of widespread unchecked corruption in one of the nation's largest police departments, one that deserves attention." -- Renee Graham, The Boston Globe " "A deftly told, immensely relevant, true-life potboiler from the streets of urban America." -- Kirkus Reviews " "LAbyrinth is a jeremiad, leveling everything in its path." -- R. J. Smith, Los Angeles Magazine "You don't have to know anything about any of this to love this book." -- Carolyn See, The Washington Post "You haven't got the goods on any of these notorious cases until you read this intricate show-biz true-crime thriller." -- Mike Tribby, Booklist "Sullivan's reportorial writing style accurately reflects the investigative work ... while building the drama within the truly labyrinthine political cover-ups." -- Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Mindblowing Information.......2006-10-12

This book is one of the main reasons I could not bring myself to vote for former LAPD police chief Bernard Parks, in our most recent mayoral race. Seems we were so worried about more negative press in this city, we too often just looked the other way. One of the better documented works on the subject; the background info on L.A. street gangs, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. are worth the cost alone. Will keep you glued to the pages.

Great book, very well-written.......2006-09-02

I recommend this book for several reasons. First off, it is extremely well-written. There's no rambling, it's very well researched, and the way the stories and facts are expressed are not dry at all. The writer, Randall Sullivan, writes for Rolling Stone magazine, so it's presented in that style. Even if you aren't interested in the Tupac/Biggie story, this book still goes deep into the origins of the Bloods and Crips, East coast and West coast rap feuds, and especially, just how corrupt the LAPD was(and probably still is). I've read other books on these subjects, including the recently released book by "hip-hop cop" Derrick Parker, but this book is by far the best. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Mindblowing!.......2004-07-21

If ur a fan of either tupac or biggie GET THIS BOOK .....russell poole blows the lid on how death row was really run. He explaines the level of corruption within the LAPD, and how and why the investigations into their murders remain unsloved. After reading this book, and watching the Nick Sullivan Biggie and Tupac dvd, its plain and obvious to all who was behind their murders!

Biased author, unsympathetic characters.......2003-08-28

As a fan of both Tupac and Biggie, I was very interested in learning more about what really went down. Former Officer Poole seems to think he has the answers so I was eager to learn what he knows draw my own conclusions. I was very disappointed.

First of all, to my absolute surprise, nobody else seems to have picked up on the author's extreme bias. For example, on page 14 of the hardcover version, Sullivan notes that "[In the early 1960s], as now, black males committed a hugely disproportionate amount of crime in Los Angeles and across the country." WHAT? I can't even believe that went to print. Question: do black males commit a disproportionate amount of crime in this country or are they accused and convicted disproportionately? At the very least, if you're gonna make such outrageous comments, back it up. With no statistical data, I consider Sullivan's comment to be hearsay. Then, just a few pages later, on page 18, Sullivan gets a little diatribe going about how the LAPD hiring process has become less stringent over time, noting that "liberals had successfully argued that [baring applicants with juvenile records] limited the number of blacks and Hispanics who could join the LAPD." I'm not even 20 pages into the book, and my reading of the author is that he really doesn't like minorities or "liberals," whatever the latter term means to him because he sure doesn't define anything. Yet I decided to take these and similar comments with a grain of salt and press forward with the book.

If one-tenth of what's written in these pages is true, Biggie and Tupac were just as despicible as Suge Knight, the LAPD, the affiliated gangs, the attorneys and just about everyone else who graced the pages of the book. And that made me really sad because it's hard for me to listen to the music the same way. Tupac and Biggie were not innocent; they were just greedy [...] who courted violence successfully. Truthfully, none of the stuff about the LAPD or any of the other authority figures surprised me. Money and testosterone--bad combination. Lest you think I'm a man-hater, the women in this book are appalling, too. I hate to say it but Tupac and Biggie got what they deserved.

I do think that Sullivan's style is extremely readable and engaging. I also like the way he attempted to provide background on the LAPD history, the history of the Crips and the Bloods, etc. If you're not likely to be critical going into this book, it's not bad for escapism. Unless you were living in a plastic bubble or don't keep up w/ current events, I doubt that you'll be blown away by the overall picture Sullivan paints.

Outstanding.......2003-07-26

An outstanding book. Very well researched and a methodical investigtion of the underworld that the rap music business has become. To the few people who thought that this book was a waste of time I can't imagine that you read the same book. There is so much evidence that the top brass of the LAPD covered up certain investigations that it is overwhelming.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
DARK, SHADOWY DELIGHTS

Dark Labyrinth
Luis Royo
Manufacturer: Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Subversive Beauty
Conceptions III
Prohibited: Book 3 (Prohibited)
Prohibited 2 (Prohibited, 2)
Wild Sketches 1

ASIN: 1561634840

Book Description

An artist admirer of a master is fascinated by his increasingly dark visions and seeks to meet him. The trip becomes a voyage into the depth of dreams and nightmaresŠ In an exciting new hardcover format and featuring almost all-new work!

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-05-13

Royo never disappoints. His work just keeps getting better, and more exciting to look at. I love his sense of erotic fantasy!!!

DARK, SHADOWY DELIGHTS.......2006-12-25

Dark Labyrinth is artist Luis Royo's latest collection, thinly disguised as a graphic novel. There is a modest story that frames the collection of Royo's artwork. The story tells of a young artist who visits the studio of a painter that he has long admired. The young man has long been enthralled by the painter's brooding, yet sensual work. The young man praised the older painter as he was invited into the master's studio. When the old man asks if he would like to become his apprentice, the young artists jumps at the chance.

The old painter's routine, however, is quite confusing. He paints only at night, and in a small room with only moonlight for illumination, a room the apprentice is forbidden to enter. One day, while his teacher is sleeping, he dares to enter the forbidden room, only to find canvases covered completely in black. He begins to touch the painting, sensing something beautiful and terrible beneath the darkness, and soon finds himself drawn into the gothic, exquisite world of the Dark labyrinth.

Well that's the backstory but the real story is 64 pages of Royo's stunning art, all fitting into this theme. The book contains primarily work that was previously unpublished, most of it finished paintings along with a smattering of sketches. Royo's art is horrific and evocative. His beautiful women are sexy yet with an air of danger about them.

"Mother Earth" is one of my favorite paintings in the book. It shows that nature goddess shedding a tear of blood over a desolate landscape. Then there is "The Game of the Mask" featuring a lovely, mask-clad nude in a richly detailed costume, looking like a princess of Hell. "The Counter of Time" depicts an angelic blond maiden wearing a skull headpiece, apparently looking down over the world.

Each page of Dark Labyrinth brings a new shadowy delight to the reader in one of Royo's best collections yet from NBM Publishing. A true spectacle!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books