Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Book Description

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott's hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing !!!.......2007-10-11

I have to admit that this is the best book I've read in years !! Very good job !!

Loved it!.......2007-10-11

Not much else to say! I walked into a bookstore at an airport looking for a good read, and the owner suspected I'd enjoy this book. She was correct! I highly recommend it!

Read, Roll Eyes, Continue.......2007-10-11

I work at a bookstore, and this book has been flying out. I picked up a copy to see why. You've gotta admit, it's funny in parts. I don't expect it to have any "weight." But if you can keep moving over the speed bumps of neurotic self-indulgence, you can definitely get a few laughs. I'd say it's a quick and enjoyable read, unless you're expecting something with more meat on its bones. Borrow it from a friend: there are plenty of copies out there.

BRAVO Elizabeth!.......2007-10-10

I thoroughly enjoyed this book start to finish and plan to pass it on to my daughter and nieces. It was very disheartening to read the "slams" this author got from other women. I admire Ms. Gilbert; you don't get to where she is by being a slacker. That woman is well-educated and very disciplined. Writing a book is damn hard work and if any of the naysayers ever attempted one like this they would be eating their words. It also takes sheer guts to step out of the box like she did and brave foreign countries (alone, no less).
Don't knock it until you've tried it! (and succeeded)!

Exhibit "A".......2007-10-10

To those who can find mostly fault in this book and little good, I have included in this post a small but absolutely beautifully written passage from Ms. Gilbert's work that totally made me want to read the rest of EPL. It appears early on in the book, after her husband has finally signed the divorce papers after a protracted, hostile standoff, and she has arrived in Rome. To me it doesn't read like someone who is all about "ME" but rather someone who is aware enough to get to the heart of emotions that afflict all of us at one time or another.

"Depression and Loneliness track me down after ten days in Italy. I am walking through the Villa Borghese one evening after a happy day spent in school, and the sun is setting gold over St. Peter's Basilica. I am feeling contented in this romantic scene, even if I am all by myself, while everyone else in the park is either fondling a lover or playing with a laughing child. But I stop to lean against a balustrade and watch the sunset, and I get to thinking a little too much, and then my thinking turns to brooding, and that's when they catch up with me.

They come upon me all silent and menacing like Pinkerton Detectives, and the flank me--Depression on my left, Loneliness on my right. They don't need to show me their badges. I know these guys very well. We've been playing a cat-and-mouse game for years now. Though I admit that I am surprised to meet them in this elegant Italian garden at dusk. This is no place they belong.

I say to them, "How did you find me here? Who told you I had come to Rome?"

Depression, always the wise guy, says, "What--you're not happy to see us?"

"Go away," I tell him.

Loneliness, the more sensitive cop, says, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But I might have to tail you the whole time you're traveling. It's my assignment."

"Id really rather you didn't," I tell him, and he shrugs almost apologetically, but only moves closer.

Then they frisk me. They empty my pockets of any joy I had been carrying there. Depression even confiscates my identity; but he always does that. Then Loneliness starts interrogating me, which I dread because it always goes on for hours. He's polite but relentless, and he always trips me up eventually. He asks if I have any reason to be happy that I know of. He asks why I am all by myself tonight, yet again. He asks (though we've been through this line of questioning hundreds of times already) why I can't keep a relationship going, why I ruined my marriage, why I messed things up with David, why I messed things up with every man I've ever been with. He asks me where I was the night I turned thirty, and why things have gone so sour since then. He asks why I can't get my act together, and why I'm not at home living in a nice house and raising nice children like any respectable woman my age should be. He asks why, exactly, I think I deserve a vacation in Rome when I've made such a rubble of my life. He asks me why I think that running away to Italy like a college kid will make me happy. He asks where I think I'll end up in my old age, if I keep living this way.

I walk back home, hoping to shake them, but they keep following me, these two goons. Depression has a firm hand on my shoulder and Loneliness harangues me with his interrogation. I don't even bother eating dinner; I don't want them watching me. I don't what to let them up the stairs to my apartment, either, but I know Depression, and he's got a billy club, so there's no stopping him from coming in if he decides that he wants to.

"It's not fair for you to come here," I tell Depression. "I paid you off already. I served my time backing New York."

But he just gives me that dark smile, settles into my favorite chair, puts his feet on my table and lights a cigar, filling the place with his awful smoke. Loneliness watches a sighs, then climbs into my bed and pulls the covers over himself, fully dressed, shoes and all. He's going to make me sleep with him again tonight, I just know it.

Search Engine Marketing, Inc.: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company's Web Site (Ibm Press)

Average customer rating:

GREAT book!
"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." - An Outstanding Book
The SEO/SEM Bible
Professional, practical guidence on SEO and SEM
Essential reading for anybody in the web space

Search Engine Marketing, Inc.: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company's Web Site (Ibm Press)
Mike Moran , and Bill Hunt
Manufacturer: IBM Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day
Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Marketing Handbook: Low Cost Strategies for Attracting New Customers Using Google, MSN, Yahoo & Other Search Engines
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Search Engine Optimization For Dummies, Second Edition (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Google Advertising Tools: Cashing in with AdSense, AdWords, and the Google APIs

ASIN: 0131852922

Customer Reviews:

GREAT book!.......2007-10-09

I read this book and am now successfully marketing my own website/small business on my own. I have steadily watched as my website continues to climb in the rankings and I am getting more and more traffic all the time.
This book is really all you need to get going!

Thanks again,

Julian Epstein
New York, NY

"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." - An Outstanding Book.......2007-09-24

"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." is a wonderful resource for anyone involved in search marketing. With an easy to read style, the book is entertaining yet enormously informative. It is an invaluable source of ideas and practical advice.

"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." does something that many books do not - it helps the reader understand the motivations and diverse objectives of searchers. This knowledge gives you an enormous advantage as you plan a search marketing campaign.

This book arms you with an in-depth understanding of what it takes to be successful in search marketing. It is, without doubt, the best book of its kind.

The SEO/SEM Bible.......2007-07-26

This was one of the best books on Search Engine Marketing and Optimization that is out there. It covered almost every aspect of Marketing and Optimization. From a person who has purchased and read almost every book in this field, please take it from me, this is the book you want! It covered Pay-per-click, organic searches, conversion rates, E-Commerce in general. Truly one of the BEST books on Search Engine Marketing and Optimization. As an avid Search Engine Marketer, I still refer back to it. A+

Professional, practical guidence on SEO and SEM.......2007-05-30

While I think that search engine marketing is a moving target and it's best to read current articles and journals, this book provides a great foundation for people interested in pursuing or understanding internet marketing, search marketing, or search engine optimization. It provides practical guidance and advice on what to do now but also works as a higher level strategic plan as well. It's written by IBMers, so there is definitely a level of professionalism compared to hackers or other non-corporate authors. Good book to add to your library, as I reference it from time to time.

Essential reading for anybody in the web space.......2007-05-23

I would argue that this is perhaps the finest, most concise guide to Search Engine Marketing. Developers, Marketers, CopyWriters, Managers and just about anybody else with a stake in search traffic through a website should find this material valuable. Do not expect code, expect sound advice on how to tailor your code. Do not expect copy, expect sound advice on how to focus your copy. After putting into practice what I learned form this book, I saw immediate and impactful results.

The book is also very current and is very ethical. Do not hesitate in making a decision to purchase this book. The payoff will be swift.

Chasing Life: New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
Not enough substance
A Basic Primer for Longevity
Too New Agey and Vapid
Not for Physicians

Chasing Life: New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today
Sanjay Gupta
Manufacturer: Wellness Central
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Aging | Aging Parents | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100
The Best Life Diet
Joy Bauer's Food Cures: Treat Common Health Concerns, Look Younger & Live Longer
From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By
Grow Younger, Live Longer: Ten Steps to Reverse Aging

ASIN: 0446526509

Book Description

For centuries, adventurers and scientists have believed that not only could we delay death but that "practical immortality" was within our reach.Today, many well-respected researchers would be inclined to agree.In a book that is not about anti-aging, but about functional aging--extending your healthy, active life--Dr. Sanjay Gupta blends together compelling stories of the most up-to-date scientific breakthroughs from around the world, with cutting-edge research and advice on achieving practical immortality in this lifetime. Gupta's advice is often counterintuitive: longevity is not about eating well, but about eating less; nutritional supplements are a waste of your money; eating chocolate and drinking coffee can make you healthier.CHASING LIFE tells the stories behind the breakthroughs while also revealing the practical steps readers can take to help extend youth and life far longer than ever thought possible.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-10-09

I was disappointed by this book, particularly because of Dr. Gupta's excellent television work. The astonishing breakthroughs to help you live forever are: get some exercise, try not to eat too much, and keep an upbeat attitude towards life. Ta-da!

The bibliography is the only part truly interesting enough to study, since it does point in some promising directions for more in-depth reading on the subject of longevity and healthful living.

Not enough substance.......2007-08-28

I was not impressed by Chasing Life. Within the topics it covers (exercise, eating, supplements, memory, attitude, and the future) the practical information and suggestions offered were quite basic. The book focused more time than I would have prefered on how future technologies could extend life. This book is not for people wanting an in depth look into physiology of aging, or a comprehensive approach on how to combat it.
Stylistically ideas and sentances throughout the book seem fragmented. It's an easy read that touches on a few ways to improve your health, with a light conversational tone and lots of stories about the people Dr. Gupta meet during his research of this book.

A Basic Primer for Longevity.......2007-08-22

I found this book a somewhat frustrating read. At times it seems as if it were written strictly for a tv audience, with the content skirting over issues in a glib and lackadaisical tone. It does mention early on that a companion tv series is in the works, and I got the impression that the book is a sort of script for the tv program. There is also some very poor writing, which at times made me feel that Dr. Gupta should have spent more time chasing editors instead of chasing life.

There is a lot of good basic longevity information but nothing that has not been revealed elsewhere. There are some gems in here, like the very clear explanation on what happens in cells to promote the aging process. At the same time, Gupta covers a lot areas that are still very speculative but doesn't tell you that until after you've read the few paragraphs or pages on that topic. This habit starts with the introduction, where he talks extensively about stem cell injections currently occuring in Russia, only to end the section by saying, essentially, "we're not there yet but there's a lot of other good stuff in my book you can follow".

The meat in this book is located at the end of each chapter where Gupta lists the top tips for that section to promote longevity. Again, most of these are not anything new, but each page could be a handy reference (for the rest of us) to help us establish new, longevity promoting habits.

In sum, the book is a good primer on longevity but takes too many detours in speculative areas and can sometimes jar you with its poor writing.

Too New Agey and Vapid.......2007-08-05

This book really disappointed me. I thought Gupta would stick to more hardcore empirical science. Instead, this book covers a lot of questionable territory. In several chapters, Gupta sounds more like Ram Das than an actual physician. Other parts of the book, like his discourse on stress and immunity are just plain factually incorrect. Gupta leaves out whole areas of research and new discoveries, especially those at MIT. If you like this topic, stick with the other new age authors. Gupta is a weak imitator of those before him.

Not for Physicians.......2007-07-11

This book is more suited for lay persons than physicians, although the occasional medical insight was informative.

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family

Average customer rating:

so sad
The brave boy
Dave's story helped me during really tough times.
The story continues
My Hat Goes Off To Dave Pelzer

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family
Dave Pelzer
Manufacturer: HCI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Dysfunctional Relationships | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

A Man Named Dave: A Story of Triumph and Forgiveness
A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
The Privilege of Youth: A Teenager's Story of Longing for Acceptance and Friendship
A Brother's Journey : Surviving a Childhood of Abuse
Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Peril and the Teacher Who Saved Her

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 1558745157

Book Description

Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possesions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just begining -- he has no place to call home. This is Dave Pelzer's long-awaited sequel to A Child Called "It". In The Lost Boy, he answers questions and reveals new adventures through the compelling story of his life as an adolescent. Now considered an F-Child (Foster Child), Dave is moved in and out of five different homes. He suffers shame and experiences resentment from those who feel that all foster kids are trouble and unworthy of being loved just because they are not part of a "real" family. Tears, laughter, devastation and hope create the journey of this little lost boy who searches desperately for just one thing -- the love of a family.

Customer Reviews:

so sad.......2007-10-09

I've read all of the books and this one I felt was not as exciting as the rest but if you plan on reading all of them then you must read this one. So if you do plan on it just read it, it's not that bad but it's not that good.

The brave boy.......2007-05-25

I recommend this book because it is very interesting,and you do not want to put it down.In the book, I learned that I have a good life and that I should be thankful for everything I have after seeing what Dave has gone through in his life. I would read another book by this author because all of the books are sequels and at the end of each book you are left hanging and wondering what will happen next. These are some things about the The Lost Boy.

Dave's story helped me during really tough times........2007-04-18

As a foster parent who accepted only one child at a time, I needed all the inspiration I could get. Dave's story not only inspired but also encouraged me. It is full of truths that make us aware of how blessed we are. Anyone who is interested in helping abused kids should read this book. With Great Mercy author.

The story continues.......2007-04-14

Dave Pelzer gives a wonderfull account of his experiences of foster care in this sequel to A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive. In this book you begin to see the transition to a "normal" state of being, but it is not without it's problems.

My Hat Goes Off To Dave Pelzer.......2007-04-06

All of Dave Pelzer's books are absolutely by far the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put them down!!!

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary

Average customer rating:

No more Scrabble squabbles!
Be Prepared to meet the Challenges
The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary
I'm sorry, but Qwerty is NOT a word.
To many two-letter foriegn words, e.g. xi, xu, qi

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary
Merriam Webster
Manufacturer: Merriam-Webster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Reference | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Word Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Scrabble
Everything Scrabble
Scrabble Game Folio
Scrabble: Classic Edition
Scrabble Word Building Book

ASIN: 0877799296

Book Description

New edition! An inexpensive edition of the book that SCRABBLE players call their bible. Ideal for recreational and school play. More than 100,000 playable two- to eight-letter words including 4,000 new entries. Includes variant spellings. Endorsed by the National SCRABBLE Association.

Customer Reviews:

No more Scrabble squabbles!.......2007-10-06

Loving the Scrabble dictionary. Now there's no more sheepish looking around for a "layman's" dictionary while playing Scrabble, and many official Scrabble words are not in the regular dictionary. And no more Scrabble squabbles! This official version puts to rest any questioning looks from across the board. Who new "qat" was a word? And having learned it prior to a recent game, "qat" helped us build the board north when it was going hopelessly south. I'm having fun learning new Q, J, X and Z words for those formerly heart-sinking moments nearing the end of the game and drawing one of them. A great gift for Scrabble lovers. Nice big print, user-friendly, easy to carry to any game. With all the interest in keeping the brain healthy and sharp as we age, learning new Scrabble words and playing games and puzzles help the brain to stay agile and functional. Who knew Scrabble and this dictionary were actually good for your health!! I will be getting another to give to a friend as a gift. You simply can't play Scrabble without it!

Be Prepared to meet the Challenges.......2007-10-01

With each new volume the avid scrabble player becomes more adept to meet the challenges of intercultural usages of words, making the competition involved in word building, more exciting and satisfying.
Thank you for a great and informative volume.

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary.......2007-09-06

I have enjoyed my book. It has increased my game. The book is in fine condition.

I'm sorry, but Qwerty is NOT a word........2007-09-06

I'm sorry, but Qwerty is NOT a word. Neither is "Herstory" or a good number of other stoopid werds in this aggravating book that - unfortunately - somehow got isself endorsed by Scrabble officials. The definitions are slim and in many cases, nonexistent. I thought Scrabble was supposed to be played in English? well, there's lots of foreign words in here too. "Barneys"?!?! That's a name. Furthermore, we've been playing Super Scrabble (twice the scores, twice the tiles, and twice the time - but BIG fun), and another aggravating "feature" is that this book does not contain any words longer than 8 characters - so you can fuggeddabout adding onto "Further" to make "Furthermore" - cause its not in here! This book gives me an Incredulity (11 letters - not in there!) socre of 75% and an Aggravation (also 11 letters - and not in there either!) score of 99%. Every time we play I want to do a Farenheit 451 on the damn thang!!!!

To many two-letter foriegn words, e.g. xi, xu, qi.......2007-09-02

I got this book because I was heading out on a month-long trip with some people I didn't know and they said they liked to play scrabble. I figured this would be the easy way to end all potential conflict between on this subject. It did that pretty well, but in part because we all did not like many of the words in this book.

I was especially appalled with the words Xi, xu, qi and others like that that converted scrabble from a game of leveraging your vocabulary to one of remembering odd otherwise-useless trivia about strange words.

The next time I play scrabble I am going to request that we either eliminate 2-letter words, or stick to ones that would have been in common english usage throughout the 20th century.

Average customer rating:

"Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete"
everyone should read this book
Must Read for All
Best
Life Changing Experience

Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles at Work
Man's Search For Meaning
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Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning

ASIN: 080701429X

Book Description

Frankl's timeless memoir and meditation on finding meaning in the midst of suffering With a new Foreword by Harold S. Kushner and a new Biographical Afterword by William J. Winslade Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory-known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")-holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful. At the time of Frankl's death in 1997, Man's Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. A 1991 reader survey for the Library of Congress that asked readers to name a "book that made a difference in your life" found Man's Search for Meaning among the ten most influential books in America. Beacon Press, the original English-language publisher of Man's Search for Meaning, is issuing this new paperback edition with a new Foreword, biographical Afterword, jacket, price, and classroom materials to reach new generations of readers.

Customer Reviews:

"Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete".......2007-10-10

"Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete."

What is the meaning of life? Frankl try's to answer that through his experience as a prisoner in a concentration camp in Auschwitz (among others) and in his psychiatry practice after the war. Be it by grace, a miracle, or chance, he made it out alive. And now he is here to tell this powerful, optimistic story and help us with an age old question.

He try's to answer this question: " How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" This would later influence psychotherapy. Even being surrounded by so much evil there was still kindness to be found in an occasional guard. The prisoners were not always kind to there fellow inmates: there were sellouts and CAPO's; Capo's were Jews that watched over their fellow captives for favors, food, and extended life. Who is to say what any one of us would do. With misery and suffering beyond comprehension, "having a why to live for enabled them to bear the how". I will never look at that last leftover pea the same way.

Writing on his concentration camp experience Frankl briefly discusses "logotherepy". In a later chapter he goes into detail: Logotherepy (which he coined), the "striving to find a meaning in ones life is the primary motivational force in man". In his practice he uses a form of reverse psychology. The last chapter is on optimism during tragedy.

Freedom is only part of the story, he writes: "I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast"

There are many quotables from Frankl, I will leave you with this: "Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."

In the end, there is that need for a reason.

Wish you well
Scott

everyone should read this book.......2007-09-29

This should be required reading in all college programs before students begin their course specific courses. The second half is worth much thought. He is not into any specific religious belief, just spiritual and honest....and insightful.

Must Read for All.......2007-09-26

This book is a must read for anyone interested in self-improvement, anyone with an optimistic outlook that seeks validation, anyone in a down turn that needs a spirit uplift, well -- anyone in general. It could change your life literally overnight.

Best.......2007-09-20

This is the best book I have read! It is: easy to read, a nice blend of thoughts and drama, inspiring, and comes with great ideas. I recommend it to everyone.

Life Changing Experience.......2007-09-15

One of the most important themes of this great work is substituting societies common grouping of people (black, white, Jew, gentile, etc.) with a delineation that is truly practical. Frankl rightly says there are only two categories of people "the decent and the indecent." That is perhaps the greatest idea postulated in generations. So now we must wrestle with the fact that there are decent and indecent black people, decent and indecent white people, and yes, even decent Germans in the midst of the holocaust.

To arrive at that conclusion under those circumstance gives hope that we may transcend the unnecessary divisions of our time, freeing us to see past exteriors and balance the core of a person on the scales of decency. We all carry baggage and this book has lightened my load.

While these ideas are powerful they are only a sub-theme in this work. Centrally, Frankl conveys his method of overcoming life's greatest challenges and it is very profound.

The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

Average customer rating:

Carl keeps it real
Cosmicly Awesome
Classic Sagan
Elegant & Eloquent
Inside the Mind of Sagan

The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
Carl Sagan
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Science & Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Cosmology | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Cosmology | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

The God Delusion
God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Letter to a Christian Nation
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

ASIN: 1594201072

Book Description

On the 10th anniversary of his death, brilliant astrophysisist and Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sagan's prescient exploration of the relationship between religion and science and his personal search for God.

Carl Sagan is considered one of the greatest scientific minds of our time. His remarkable ability to explain science in terms easily understandable to the layman in bestselling books such as Cosmos, The Dragons of Eden, and The Demon-Haunted World won him a Pulitzer Prize and placed him firmly next to Isaac Asimov, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sachs as one of the most important and enduring communicators of science. In December 2006 it will be the tenth anniversary of Sagan's death, and Ann Druyan, his widow and longtime collaborator, will mark the occasion by releasing Sagan's famous "Gifford Lectures in Natural Theology," The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God.

The chance to give the Gifford Lectures is an honor reserved for the most distinguished scientists and philosophers of our civilization. In 1985, on the grand occasion of the centennial of the lectureship, Carl Sagan was invited to give them. He took the opportunity to set down in detail his thoughts on the relationship between religion and science as well as to describe his own personal search to understand the nature of the sacred in the vastness of the cosmos.

The Varieties of Scientific Experience, edited, updated and with an introduction by Ann Druyan, is a bit like eavesdropping on a delightfully intimate conversation with the late great astronomer and astrophysicist. In his charmingly down-to-earth voice, Sagan easily discusses his views on topics ranging from manic depression and the possibly chemical nature of transcendance to creationism and so-called intelligent design to the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets to the likelihood of nuclear annihilation of our own to a new concept of science as "informed worship." Exhibiting a breadth of intellect nothing short of astounding, he illuminates his explanations with examples from cosmology, physics, philosophy, literature, psychology, cultural anthropology, mythology, theology, and more. Sagan's humorous, wise, and at times stunningly prophetic observations on some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos have the invigorating effect of stimulating the intellect, exciting the imagination, and reawakening us to the grandeur of life in the cosmos.

Customer Reviews:

Carl keeps it real.......2007-08-06

This is great piece of literature from a brilliant man. You do not need a scientific background to appreciate and understand the points of view Carl Sagan puts forth in his explanations of the universe and his personal search for God. Highly recommended.

Cosmicly Awesome.......2007-08-04

Carl Sagan was undeniably one of the great minds of our time. This series of lectures, given as the famous Gifford Lectures in Scotland, continuously awes one. Even when the material is stuff you already know, he brings a freshness, a joyfulness, a playfulness to it that puts a new spin on the ideas.
No matter how much astronomy you've read, no matter how much physics you've read, this book will toy with your mind, put a sparkle in your eye, and give you new reasons to look to the heavens of a night.

Classic Sagan.......2007-08-01

I was captivated by the title, the play on the original wording. In these lectures, Sagan discusses and compares religion and science, differences, expectations, areas of agreement and disagreement and finally the notion of scientific evidence for a supernatural creator. I would hope that Sagan, were he still alive, would reject the anti-religious crusades by high-profile scientists like Dawkins, Smith & Dennett. He always sought compromise (in the spirit of his friend the late great Stephen Gould) and persuasion as opposed to the near evangelical proselytizing of those obsessed with the subject. Vivir y dejar vivir!

Carl was a rationalist, a wonderer, an unbeliever who put the "I" in intellectual, a genius plain and simple. One can forgive some of the material - it was 1985 and Sagan, with other "progressive" scientists, were in a massive anti-Reagan campaign to keep US nukes out of Europe. Anyhoo, the weapons were stationed, the USSR immediately disintegrated and the incident passed into history. Sagan, like the rest of us, is victim to his own prejudices and opinions. In his case it was his deep belief in the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence over the almost unanimous disbelief of biologists. (His book, CONTACT, is still one of my favorites- as is the stunning movie.)

We went so far as to publicly lobby for SETI funds yet 22 years later we have yet to find a single signal despite tens of millions of searches. This is not surprising to many since the unique conditions for the rise of intelligence on Earth depended on a path of millions of tiny steps, all of which led to our present juncture. Four of these were global catastrophes after which the structure of life began anew. He asks if life evolved on Earth or came from space. He then discusses the UFO craze (seriously) and concludes that (1) Earth has never been visited by aliens and (2) no UFO sighting was authentic. The old Fermi question, "If they exist where are they?" is still apropos with the most obvious answer being the most plausible - we are the first and only, at least in this galaxy. A recent explanation opines that all civilization eventually discard biological bodies in favor of virtual ones. More to the point, would civilizations millions of years more advanced use radio waves? (New search techniques have since been included.)

He tells the story of how humanity was dethroned from our position of uniqueness. Earth is not the center of the Universe, the sun is just a star, we evolved from other species, all life on Earth had a common ancestor. He asks why an omniscent being would wait 4.5 billion years to bring about sentience or what is the purpose of creating millions of species only to have them go extinct? He suggests that civilization extinction could be the reason for the cosmic silence. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations and the speeches are the model of clarity. Carl, we miss you.

Elegant & Eloquent.......2007-07-16

The late Carl Sagan's Gifford lectures are reproduced in this short volume. Despite its brevity, Sagan reminds us of the beauty and wonder of the Universe as revealed by science, the connections to all living things that Darwin's discoveries about evolution gave us, the healthy skepticism that we should all maintain when others make extraordinary claims (they require extraordinary proofs). As a layperson, I find Sagan's explanations understandable and as an avid reader, I find his eloquence amazing.

Inside the Mind of Sagan.......2007-06-27

...incredibly personal, informative and entertaining.
This is one of those MUST READ books. And to think it was almost lost...
Thank you, Ann for this most wonderful work.

In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind

Average customer rating:

Experiments on Short and Long term memory
Great Product plus excellent delivery time
Detailed
In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind
Both more simple and complex than imagined

In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind
Eric R. Kandel
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, And The New Biology Of Mind
Stumbling on Happiness
I Am a Strange Loop
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code (Eminent Lives) (rough edge)

ASIN: 0393329372

Book Description

"A stunning book."—Oliver Sacks

Charting the intellectual history of the emerging biology of mind, Eric R. Kandel illuminates how behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology have converged into a powerful new science of mind. This science now provides nuanced insights into normal mental functioning and disease, and simultaneously opens pathways to more effective healing.

Driven by vibrant curiosity, Kandel's personal quest to understand memory is threaded throughout this absorbing history. Beginning with his childhood in Nazi-occupied Vienna, In Search of Memory chronicles Kandel's outstanding career from his initial fascination with history and psychoanalysis to his groundbreaking work on the biological process of memory, which earned him the Nobel Prize.

A deft mixture of memoir and history, modern biology and behavior, In Search of Memory traces how a brilliant scientist's intellectual journey intersected with one of the great scientific endeavors of the twentieth century: the search for the biological basis of memory. 50 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Experiments on Short and Long term memory.......2007-08-13

Eric Kandel's work represents a harmonious mixture of autobiography and a description of research into the workings of the Brain, particularly memory. Having been tormented by childhood memories of Nazi hounding in Vienna in the early years of the second world war, he wanted to find out how these memories are held in the Brain. At the same time, he was also very curious about how Freud's (a fellow Viennese) representation of Id, Ego and Superego mapped to the Brain in terms of neurons and signaling.

He starts off with a history of discoveries in the structure of the Brain, starting with Santiago Cajal's study of the basic form of neurons. Leading to chemical and electrical signaling between the neurons. He dwells into the details of how the electrical signals are converted into chemicals at the synapses while crossing to a neighboring neuron and how the chemicals change back to the electricity after the crossing has been accomplished. He describes his own experiments with short and long term memories. He brings out the distinction very clearly. Short term memory results from strengthening or synapses, while long term memory results from growing of new synapses. Protein synthesis is involved in such a growth and can come only from a conscious effort on part of an individual to commit something to long term memory. This also explains why cramming for an exam does not really result in a long term learning.

He explains clearly why metal illnesses are difficult to diagnose and treat, unlike the other structural damages like tumors, strokes etc. Mental illnesses do result from multiple genes and sometimes the environmental factors as well. The book ends with the Nobel Prize ceremony and a critique of Austria's turning of blind eye towards Hitler's invasion and persecution of Jews.

The beauty of the book is that it is not restricted to just the students and practitioners of Psychiatry. Anyone with some initiation into Basic Sciences at College level can appreciate the work.

Great Product plus excellent delivery time.......2007-07-18

I am very satisfied with my order, got here in less then a week which is great as i was anxios to get this book.

Had no problems with the seller and would definetly buy from them again

Thanks

Detailed.......2007-07-12

This book is certainly written for those that have a keen interest in the biological fundamentals and intricacies of memory. Do not expect much from a psychological or phenomenological perspective. It is a well written book but a lot of neuroscience nuts and bolts.

In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind.......2007-06-17

An interesting weaving of personal recollection and history that takes the reader on a voyage through some of the discoveries in neural science. The logic of science and twists and turns of fate combine to make for fascinating reading. The book details how the molecular biology of the nervous system is responsible for short term and long term memory, and has been preserved through evolution from primitive snails through human beings, and lays the pathway for possible future understanding and research. On a personal level, the book details how a Jewish boy flees Austria in 1938 as Hitler rises to power, enters medical student with an interest in psychoanalysis and becomes one of the leading neuroscientists of our time, earning a Nobel Prize in the process. Though the book does contain some details of molecular biology, "In Search of Memory" is well worth the time to read.

Both more simple and complex than imagined.......2007-06-15

Is it in his eyes? Is it in his kiss? No, it's in his cells. That's where it is.
For those who have toiled in the field of psychology this book tells the story of where we've been and where we are now. And it tells it well.
It's hard to imagine the author starting with elegant psychoanalytic theory and ending up with utter reverence for a single celled organism. But that's the road science has taken us. The mind is both more and less complicated than we imagined.
In addition to explaining the basics of cell memory, the author recounts his own life experiences, adding humanity to this technical topic.

The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self

Average customer rating:

4 Stars--for earlier version
A Quest to Find Your True Self
Gifted?
Wonderful Book when reseraching the dynamics of Narcissist families
insightful thou i haven't quite made out the title?!

The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self
Alice Miller
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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

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

General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

The Truth Will Set You Free: Overcoming Emotional Blindness and Finding Your True Adult Self
Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up's Guide to Getting over Narcissistic Parents
For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence
The Body Never Lies: The Lingering Effects of Hurtful Parenting
The Untouched Key: Tracing Childhood Trauma in Creativity and Destructiveness

ASIN: 0465016901

Book Description

As charming performers who skillfully reflect their parents expectations, far too many children grow into adults driven to greater and greater achievements by an underlying sense of worthlessness. Never allowed to express their true feelings, and having lost touch with their true selves, they act out their repressed feelings with episodes of depression and compulsive behavior. They in turn inflict the same legacy of repression on their own children.

This poignant and thought-provoking book shows how narcissistic parents form and deform the lives of their children. The Drama of the Gifted Child is the first step toward helping readers reclaim their lives by discovering their own needs and their own truth.

Customer Reviews:

4 Stars--for earlier version.......2007-10-07

Interesting range of views here. First of all, this version of the book is a significanly revised version of the book originally entitled "Prisoners of Childhood." I, for one, think Alice Miller changed the book for the worse.

The original book describes sensitivity of "gifted" children who resonate with the emotional/psychological energy of their neurotic (or worse) parents and don't have the developmental capibility to cope appropriately. And yes, the book is primarily about narcissism.

The new version, however, became about all "abused" children, which inflated--and devalued--the dynamics of which I felt she had described more effectively in the earlier version. I wonder if the revision was so she could get on the "co-dependence" bandwagon of the 90's--and sell more books!! (but then, that's my cynical side...)

This book profoundly "resonated" with me when I first read it in the earlier version--and I think still has relevance in that version. I do not, like some reviewers here, think that Miller was primarily advocating blame (of mothers, primarily); if anything, she was stressing personal responsibility to cease to be a "prisoner of childhood" but through honest exploration that childhood--which is probably the most difficult and painful process a person can go throug. To continually blame without getting past it, as I think Miller would concurr, never accomplishes anything--one is still a prisoner.

This book is (was) a skillful proponent of psychoanalytic theory and practice--and like another reviewer, changed my life in leading me in a direction that has shown to be remarkably productive.

A Quest to Find Your True Self.......2007-09-11

This book is amazing. It takes a serious look at the damage that can be inflicted as a child by narcissistic parents and how it plays out in adulthood. This book encourages one to be set free from the subconscious effects of childhood neglect. This book has been very helpful for me to grow and change after being raised in an abusive home.

Gifted?.......2007-09-11

I picked up this book expecting it to truly be about children with an incredible gift, who also carry the burden of always having to be excellent at it, because that's what they expect of themselves. The gift, if it becomes public, is an enormous burden. Instead I found another book written in the genre of the 80's, claiming that all of one's current problems are the direct result of the horror inflicted on them by evil or ignorant parenting skills. Maybe we would all be better off as a society, except in the cases of horrible neglect and/or abuse, to realize and understand that our parents were human beings, with good intentions, who also made some mistakes along the way. It's always funny to me that authors forget to look at the siblings in the family. How can a good family raise several healthy happy children, and then be condemned because one of the children is unhappy? Perhaps it is the window that child was born with, that makes them view things differently. That being said, I still would like to find a book about the pain of being born with an incredible gift, so I could understand what my daughter was going through.

Wonderful Book when reseraching the dynamics of Narcissist families.......2007-06-22

Alice Miller's Drama of the Gifted Child is a wonderful book a must read for parents and teachers alike! This book was suggested as an informational work for those interested in the dynamics within Narcissistic families. The book touches on many important aspects of childhood and how our families either encourage or discourage the development of a true inner self. It presents personal accounts and theories about how the experiences of childhood shape our ideas and beliefs about the world. As a parent and teacher this book both concerned and inspired me. I read it in conjunction with the Narcissistic Family by the Pressmans. These two books have a very similar message: the importance of learning from the unhealthy and hurtful experiences of childhood and how to overcome these experiences. In addition creating awareness about not passing on our own negative childhood experiences to our children. A must read for anyone interested in coming to grips with the trauma's suffered by children in our world. Miller's work is a guide book on what can be done to work through repressed emotions and liberate one's true self.

insightful thou i haven't quite made out the title?!.......2007-04-03

i wrote a note on the cover page which reads: "this is a very sad book. and very necessary to read BEFORE one has children. unfortunately too late for me :((".
and this is how i felt (and still feel) after having read it (just finished it at 2 am this morning).
the premise of the book is that what we are not aware of, rules (destroys) our lives.
the trauma of being mistreated, manipulated, ridiculed or just ignored in the first days / years of our lives by adults we depended on for our existence gets stored in our bodies and it conditions us not only to neurosis, but also to taking it out on the first available weaker person -usually our children.
it also claims that thanks to the way we are brought up and "loved" by our (own screwed up and wounded) caretakers conditionally, for what we do and how we behave and not for who we are (for the fact we exist), we tend to deny parts of ourselves that the caretakers wish to expunge. we mould ourselves according to what we think they want, and lose ourselves in the process.
as adults, we keep carrying the feeling of inadeqacy and unworthiness and experience it as depression or grandiosity (in which no achievement really is enough for us to start valuing ourselves so we keep pushing for more, just to keep the depression and worthlessness at bay).
some children, on the other hand, "kill" their own emotions and feelings, in order to keep their caretaker's love.
in all cases children take the "blame and shame" for their "inadequacies" and idealize the parents or caretakers who inflicted the wounds.
at times, reading this book, i would remember the fact that i too remember nothing of my childhood, except that it was "idilic". or was it? repression of memories and feelings can go straight into almost complete amnesia.
i also thought of a few people i know, whose parents are strict and cold, who display very little emotion, but go thru life sucking love out of other people only to discard them when they get it.
i would remember how i sometimes lash out at my son, like his being a child is a crime.. the same way i was loved for my achievements, i sometimes get demanding on him and show discontent when he does not comply.
i thought of my son's difficult birth and 6 days in ER, without me, all alone. and i want to scream :(
this book hit me like a hammer.
i hope i read it on time. everyone should do the same, if not for their own sake, then for sake of their innocent children.
oh, and one more thing: sentences are so damn long and sometimes barely comprehensible. the translation could have been done more in the spirit of english language.

Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords (Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords)

Average customer rating:

Navigate the Adwords Jungle!
Lost in Translation - Great for a Speech - not a Book
Anyone Using Google Adwords Needs to Read This Book!
A Rapid Pay Solution
OH MY GOSH, BUY THIS BOOK!

Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords (Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords)
Perry Marshall , and Bryan Todd
Manufacturer: Entrepreneur Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Web Marketing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day
The AdSense Code: What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense
Search Engine Marketing, Inc.: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company's Web Site (Ibm Press)
Google Advertising Tools: Cashing in with AdSense, AdWords, and the Google APIs
Winning Results with Google AdWords

ASIN: 1599180308

Book Description

Never before in the history of advertising has it been possible to spend five bucks, write a couple of ads and get instant access to more than 100 million people in 10 minutes. But that's exactly what Google AdWords does. It's an awesome concept-but you can lose a bundle if you don't know how it works.

Learn how to:

Build an AdWords campaign from scratch
Identify keywords that entice people to click on your ads
Get the lowest bid prices on your keywords
Defeat click fraud and other scams
Use search engine optimization techniques
Turn clicks into customers

Plus get FREE e-mail updates on Google's ever-changing system.

Customer Reviews:

Navigate the Adwords Jungle!.......2007-09-21

If you've ever used Google Adwords, you know how tricky it can be to really do it right. This guidebook is a great tool to help you find your way, and it can be especially helpful if you're a non-techie. Before you sink money into Google Adwords, get this book and save yourself some time, money and headaches!

Lost in Translation - Great for a Speech - not a Book.......2007-08-16

For those of you who are interested in Google AdWords - You might find this book inspirational. You might even get that basic understanding of how Google AdWords works. If you like motivational speakers - you might like this book a lot.

When it comes to teaching about technology - I do not need a motivational speaker - I need clear, concise, tutorial like approach to the subject at hand.

Perry provides many loose examples to support his chapters, but they were not consistent. It would have been better to use a single example (like a fake company profile) and use it throughout the book. Because he is a consultant for many clients, Perry jumps from one type of client to another, often within the same paragraph or supporting text. Basically his writing sounds like a motivational speech on "Ways to Become Rich By Marketing on Google" I was hoping to get "The Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords"

Sorry Perry - your writing voice was comforting, but not very well suited for Technical Guide Books.

Anyone Using Google Adwords Needs to Read This Book! .......2007-08-10

As a general concept, Google Adwords is simple to understand. However, the devil's in the details and what you don't know can cost you a LOT of money. Long before this book was published, Perry Marshall established himself as a leader in the effective use of Google Adwords as a powerful online marketing and profit-generating tool. And, Perry has the ability to break complex information down into bite-size pieces that are very clear and easy to understand. Bottom line, this book is extremely well written and is an excellent tool that almost anyone can use to improve their online business results. Naturally, if you're already an Google Adwords expert you probably don't need this book. Or, if you can afford Perry's $600.00/hour consulting fees, then go ahead and work with him one-on-one. For everyone else, buy this book, read it, and then keep it close at hand as you plan and execute your Adwords campaigns. Your ROI on this nominal purchase will be astronomical!

A Rapid Pay Solution.......2007-08-09

Perry has laid it all out in a very easy and entertaining read.
No techie explanations that only the experts can understand but
rather anyone and everyone that needs to know how to use adwords
without fear of spending their life savings while learning.
I would rate this right up there with Jon Olsons "Hits, Clicks and Misses" for getting rapid paying customers to my online business.
Hits, Clicks and Misses: The Traffic Exchange Experience

OH MY GOSH, BUY THIS BOOK!.......2007-08-07

This is a simple review: buy this book. Before I bought this book (on a whim), I was wasting SO much money on adwords. Why? Well, after reading this book, it became glaringly obvious to me that I had NO IDEA what I was doing when it came to adwords. I was doing EVERYTHING all wrong. This book set me straight AND profitable. Ahhh... advertising that brings in more money than you spend. What a breath of fresh air. Read this book. You will NOT be disappointed.

-Monroe Mann
Founder, Unstoppable Artists
Co-Author, "Guerrilla Networking" with Jay Conrad Levinson

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