Book Description
Agatha Raisin Has Finally Married The Man Of Her Dreams.But Now Her Life Is Nothing Short Of A Nightmare....The honeymoon is most definitely over for Agatha Raisin and her new husband, James Lacey. It's only been a short time since their wedding-and already they aren't getting on. But his wandering eye and her God-awful housekeeping are the least of their problems. Just days after a very public, very ugly marital row, James disappears-and when his mistress is later found murdered, he's the prime suspect. Agatha just doesn't buy it. Sure, he's a liar and a sneaky, low-down cheat. But a murderer? That's bloody impossible! And as some speculate on the role Agatha may have played in his vanishing, the forever-feisty Mrs. Raisin must piece together the most unsavory parts of the dead woman's past to clear James's name-and her own....
Download Description
The eleventh outing for Agatha Raisin, the beloved but prickly amateur sleuth.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Begin Your Reading of the Agatha Raisin Series with This Book!.......2007-08-13
If read as a standalone, this book would be a two or three-star effort for most readers. But if read in sequence, Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell provides unusually satisfying mysteries to solve and excellent character development that will make you glad you are a fan.
For almost the entire series, Agatha Raisin has been attracted to James Lacey and the idea of having romantic male companionship. It's never quite clear how much is the one attraction versus the other. Agatha's friend, co-detective, and sometime lover, Sir Charles Fraith, has been so concerned that he insisted that Agatha seek an analyst to secure a cure.
In recent series books, James Lacey has become ever more inaccessible and irritating. That tendency reaches its acme in Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell after James and Agatha marry at the end of Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam. James flies off the handle if Agatha shows her usually messy ways (such as by turning his laundry pink by not sorting the colors), her lack of skill in the kitchen (with her preference for cheap microwaved foods), or her smoking. He often storms out without further explanation.
Agatha feels diminished by James's constant disapproval and carping. Beyond that, James is keeping a large secret away from Agatha. Naturally, Agatha is cut to the quick when she learns that others know.
In a fit of pique, Agatha takes on a temporary PR assignment with a local company . . . and drives a deeper wedge into the marriage. James and Agatha are soon living separate lives in their respective cottages . . . and spending time with sympathetic members of the opposite sex, creating even more hurt.
Something has to give and it does. Agatha is pulled away from her PR triumph to find that James's cottage is open with blood everywhere. But there's no James. Soon his bloody car is also located. As Agatha investigates, she finds out many unpleasant facts about James that make her doubt the wisdom of marriage even more.
There are cameos of James after he leaves the cottage, but those cameos raise more questions than they answer until near the book's end.
Soon, James's former lover, Melissa Sheppard is found dead by Agatha. Convinced that James being missing and this death are related, Agatha pushes her investigation in both directions with the help of Sir Charles Fraith. But progress is slow: She mainly discovers a lot of very undesirable people . . . many of whom seem to have good motives for killing Melissa, but none for James.
The red herring clues point in all directions and create a satisfying mystery to solve for most of the book. You'll tumble onto the solution before Agatha will, but only because M. C. Beaton gives you lots of hints just before the solution is revealed.
But the biggest mystery of all is what will happen to Agatha and her marriage. M. C. Beaton keeps you hanging until almost the end on that one.
Those who enjoy the Agatha Raisin series for its humor, wit, and drollery will be disappointed in this book. It's a serious mystery that looks mostly at the dark side. But if you are open to more than one style of mystery, Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell will be one of your favorite Agatha Raisin books (along with Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death).
As you read the book, think about how much or how little you know about the people in your life. Open up!
Addictive Reading.......2007-03-26
I was given the first Agatha Raisin book "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death" and despite the title opened it up and quickly finished it. I have now become addicted to this series of English based murder mystery books. This is the 11th book in the series, number 18 - "Kissing Christmas Goodbye" is out in October.
Agatha Raisin is a modern day Miss Marple - wherever she is there is a murder or two. But unlike an Agatha Christie novel the books also detail the emotional aspects of Mrs Raisin's life as well as the murders: her concerns for her appearance, friendships, loves etc.
In this book we learn that her great achievement - her marraige to her long time love James Lacey (we have followed the romance from book 1) is not what she had hoped for. Indeed a woman he has an affair with is later found murdered and he then disapears. Mrs Raisin must fight to save her own and his name and she hopes her marriage.
Although this is 11th is the series it could be read alone but would be greater enjoyed if the previous books had been read first.
Typical Agatha.......2006-03-21
M.C. Beaton can't be beat for the cozy mystery and Agatha Raisin is so much fun. she's 50-ish, stout, and has bearlike eyes. Moreover she's human -- vain, silly, romantic. She's also smart and sassy and independent. Love from Hell is another in a long series of Agatha mysteries, and reads are good as the first ones.
--Another enjoyable Agatha Raisin story--.......2004-02-14
AGATHA RAISIN AND THE LOVE FROM HELL is the eleventh book in this fun and entertaining mystery series.
The story begins with Agatha and James Lacey married and struggling with their new life together. In the past, James had been a committed bachelor and Agatha had been a very successful businesswoman. Now that they are actually together all of the time, it seems that James can't stop criticizing Agatha. Her smoking, style of dress and lack of cooking skills, seems to annoy her new husband. James even appears to be having an affair with Melissa, his former girlfriend. Agatha's confidence is at an all time low and their loud arguments attract the attention of the neighbors. The people in the little village of Carsley are gossiping about the newlyweds. To make matters even worse, James is very ill and confides his situation to several people, but does not tell Agatha.
When James goes missing, and Melissa is found dead. Agatha becomes a suspect. She's terribly depressed, but pulls herself together when her friends, Sir Charles Firth and Mrs. Bloxby challenge her not to let herself go. She then decides to take an active part in the police investigation.
Why did she ever marry James?.......2003-07-06
In this 11th book in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha finally seems to have it all, but is once again miserable. She has finally married the man of her dreams (or so she thinks), James Lacey, but marriage is not all that she thought it would be. It seems that Agatha is not the kind of housewife that James had been hoping for (she turns his laundry pink, serves him microwave meals, and smokes in the house) and she soon begins to feel lonely and depressed. Just when Agatha thinks she cannot tolerate him for another second, James disappears leaving only blood behind. Frantic, Agatha turns to friend, Sir Charles Fraith, to help her discover what has happened to her new husband. Her chief suspect is James' ex-lover, but when she turns up murdered, James becomes the prime suspect. Determined to not only find her man, but also to prove him innocent of murder, Agatha sets out on a suspenseful mission of murder and mayhem.
Every book in this series just gets better and better! Even though I find the character of James Lacey despicable, I feel that he is one of those characters that we just love to hate. He is mean, selfish, and hard to please, but yet Agatha tries to win his affections and attention over and over again. This may shed an unkind light on Agatha for some, but I believe that this goes along with her inherit character flaw of having low self-esteem. To combat this, Agatha puts herself in many precarious situations and butts her nose in other people's business at every turn. She is so successful at her blundering that each time Agatha solves the mystery and catches a murderer! She picks up more depth of character with each book, and readers of this series quickly become fans of this high-spirited, yet warm-hearted soul.
The first book in this series is "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death". Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Why Did She Ever Marry James?.......2006-07-25
In this 11th book in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha finally seems to have it all, but is once again miserable. She has finally married the man of her dreams (or so she thinks), James Lacey, but marriage is not all that she thought it would be. It seems that Agatha is not the kind of housewife that James had been hoping for (she turns his laundry pink, serves him microwave meals, and smokes in the house) and she soon begins to feel lonely and depressed. Just when Agatha thinks she cannot tolerate him for another second, James disappears leaving only blood behind. Frantic, Agatha turns to friend, Sir Charles Fraith, to help her discover what has happened to her new husband. Her chief suspect is James' ex-lover, but when she turns up murdered, James becomes the prime suspect. Determined to not only find her man, but also to prove him innocent of murder, Agatha sets out on a suspenseful mission of murder and mayhem.
Every book in this series just gets better and better! Even though I find the character of James Lacey despicable, I feel that he is one of those characters that we just love to hate. He is mean, selfish, and hard to please, but yet Agatha tries to win his affections and attention over and over again. This may shed an unkind light on Agatha for some, but I believe that this goes along with her inherit character flaw of having low self-esteem. To combat this, Agatha puts herself in many precarious situations and butts her nose in other people's business at every turn. She is so successful at her blundering that each time Agatha solves the mystery and catches a murderer! She picks up more depth of character with each book, and readers of this series quickly become fans of this high-spirited, yet warm-hearted soul.
The first book in this series is "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death". Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-30
The End of Time is a place that we would call decadent. To those that inhabit it, it is just normal. They are immortal, they can immense powers, and they can pretty much do anything they want. However, what they do mostly is get bored.
A time traveller from the late 19th century changes this, and Jherek Carnelian's relationship with this woman grow in ways he is not used to, or even sure he understands.
A fantastic read.......2006-08-03
Millions of years from now Earths citizens can have whatever they wish whenever they wish. They can create and recreate matter at will, which has, in effect, destroyed their humanity. They value nothing and care for nothing. The words marriage, fidelity, shame, and morality mean nothing. Emotions are something that they attire themselves in to thrill their friends at dinner parties. Carnelian is a prince among princes in this future. A man who prides himself on his expertise in the area of 19th century history. A man who skips from one perfect day to the next. Until he meets Amelia, a time traveler from the 19th century who wants nothing to do with him and turns his whole world upside down.
I enjoyed this book on so many different levels. It is more than a `science fiction' novel.
The first in the funniest science fiction series ever written.......2006-03-21
Ok, this book is not as good as the 2nd two of the trilogy, but it is necessary in order to introduce you to the setting and characters. Once the introduction is over the story flies along on a breathtaking, hilarious and outrageous rollercoaster love story ride that is totally different to anything else I have ever read.
I discovered M.Moorcock in the mid-70s. This was the first book of his I picked up (purely at random) and as a consequence I have been hooked on MM ever since. None of his other books quite realized the entertainment of the 'Dancers' series, although he wrote several sequals that come close.
Don't be put off by the early chapters. If you don't know what to expect, you may find it tough to understand what is happening, but once you have accepted the main characters it is very difficult to put these down.
Be prepared for some loud chuckling in case reading in public.
Les.
Volume 1 of Dancers at the End of Time.......2005-12-03
This series is not for everyone. In this first book, Jherek Carnelian comes back from the end of time to Victorian England to court Mrs. Amelia Underwood.
Unfortunately things have changed so much by the end of time that he does not understand courtship, marriage, the use of the toilet (a small adjustment would take care of that issue, but Amelia refuses to be tampered with). Carnelian skips back and forth through time and space doing strange and childish things in pursuit of love while almost everyone else rejects his reality in pursuit of their own. If you can follow his strange point of view the story grows from entertainment to a hint of something profound.
Children at the end of time.......2005-05-25
Generally, in science fiction, when humanity reaches maturity they are portrayed as gods. Moorcock turns that convention on its end. After billions of years, near the end of the universe, humanity has instead turned into children in adults' bodies, with technology so advanced it might as well be magic. Why this is so the author does not explain. I find it hard to believe, anyway. In this distant future we find one Jherak Carnelian, child extraordinaire, who decides he is in love, and perhaps he is. The rest of the book is about his pursuit of this woman through time. Carnelian is extraordinarily naive -- he does not understand deprivation, pain, or death. Believing this of him required a suspension of disbelief of which I was not capable. Moorcock is a very good writer, but this is not his best novel. Perhaps if you are a fan of his, you might greatly enjoy it, but the best I can give it is three stars. It might have been better as a short story.
Book Description
Enter a decaying far, far future society, a time when anything and everything is possible, where words like 'conscience' and 'morality' are meaningless, and where heartfelt love blossoms mysteriously between Mrs Amelia Underwood, an unwilling time traveller, and Jherek Carnelian, a bemused denizen of the End of Time. The Dancers at the End of Time, containing the novels An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands and The End of All Songs, is a brilliant homage to the 1890s of Wilde, Beardsley and the fin de siecle decadents, satire at its sharpest and most colourful.
Customer Reviews:
My only question is..........2006-12-07
... why hasnt Hollywood figured out what a gem this is?
Outrageous and fun.......2004-03-29
From the moment the Iron Orchid makes her entrance on a seat of crushed bone, to outlandish adventures in Victorian England, a robot-run nursery and a primeval planet, this trilogy never flags. Moorcock creates consistent, believable characters, places them in enchanting and amusing settings and lets all hell break loose. Truly masterful writing and an ability to move and delight place Moorcock in the ranks of great sci-fi writers who transcend the genre, like Neal Stephenson and Orson Scott Card. His wicked and subtle sense of humor puts him in company with Wodehouse and Dickens. Now if only I could meet a man like Jherek...
Romantic Comedy.......2003-09-05
There is no denying that Michael Moorcock is an inventive writer. I've only started to read his work recently, starting with that irreverent novel about Jesus "Behold the Man", the peripatetic adventures concerning Elric, and now "Dancers At the End of Time".
This series of books is set in a future well beyond our own time. For Jherek Carnelian and the rest of his kind, our world is so far in the past (hundreds of thousands of millenia in the past) that history and Hollywood, fiction and fact have blurred together. Moorcock takes us so far into the future that "sand" on a beach is actually crushed bone, and characters behave in ways which would shock even the most open-minded people of our own society.
In Jherek Carnelian's society it is impossible for anyone to feel shock. No one is encumbered with the conventions and standards which we in our own time feel obliged to live by. In the future life is one long game without rules, a fairground in which to indulge. Death is practically an obsolete notion. Sounds like heaven on Earth, doesn't it? As space and time are no longer barriers, it wouldn't surprise me if another time traveller like Karl Glogauer had gone into the past and "implanted" the concept of heaven - the misinterpreted promise that all the misery and suffering, the turmoil and deprivation, would eventually be rewarded with everlasting life and blissful harmony. All in exchange for clean living and a lot of faith. This would have been a cruel trick for a time traveller to play, even if it wasn't intentional.
In the early 20th century Marcel Duchamp once declared that anyone can be an artist. In Jherek's time everyone is an artist, able to create their own environments to whatever specifications they desire, alter their bodily appearance whenever the whim takes them, and build menageries filled with specimans culled from anywhere and anywhen.
Jherek has a fondness for anything associated with his favourite period the 19th century. When it comes to nostalgia past eras are best loved by those who never experienced them. It's like someone obsessed with Robin Hood holding a romantic view of the Middle Ages. One object of beauty coveted by Jherek is the elegant Mrs Amelia Underwood. Much of Moorcock's story concerns Jherek's attempts to win the heart of Amelia Underwood in a series of well-intentioned gestures and temporal wanderings. I don't want to say too much more than that, but rest assured, it's an eventful ride. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of what the characters look like as they keep changing their appearance, but just hang in there. When Jherek pursues Amelia in 1896 he's like the proverbial fish out of water. You won't be disappointed.
It's the bible.......2003-06-03
An excellent book which exposes the conventions of today for what they are. Given the ability to do whatever you wish, what do you actually want to do. Without constraints of any kind, which of your behaviour patterns would survive?
Oscar Wilde would have loved it.......2002-08-06
Michael Moorcock is one of the most literate and witty fantasists of the twentieth century. His Elric Saga took the sword and sorcery epic far beyond standard tropes and created a literary tour de force.
The Dancers at the End of Time, which is a part of the Eternal Champions series, is full of the kind of wit and social satire that Oscar Wilde would have written.
Jherek Carnelian is one of the glittering, amoral denizens who inhabit the world At The End of Time. Magic and technology are inseparable, and life, such as it were, goes on like there's no tomorrow...which of course, there won't be. Jherek meets and falls madly in love with Mrs. Amelia Underwood, a very prim and proper Victorian wife, who finds herself in his future. Thus ensues a comedy of manners, morals and philosophical leanings reminiscent of the social changes that rocked England in the late nineteenth-century.
Not to mention that I loved the Thomas Canty cover art. If anything, buy the book just for that alone!
Average customer rating:
|
An Alien Heat (DANCERS AT THE END OF TIME)
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: Mayflower Books, London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Moorcock, Michael | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000Q9RE9K |
Product Description
UK edition. Book one of the DANCERS AT THE END OF TIME trilogy.
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-30
In an ironic twist, Jherek Carnelian and Amelia Underwood are now stuck at the beginning of time, rather than the end, or at least the beginning as far as the Earth is concerned.
Miraculous rescue happens, and they are again at the End of Time, but the very dangerous pointy end, and what has Lord Jagged got to do with all of this?
imaginative!!!.......2003-01-25
never in a million years could this book/series be made into a film!!!! the scenes where the characters change the scenery with their magic just to suit their fashion is simply amazing and Moorcock writes so imaginatively, you can shut your eyes and almost see the skies changing to pink and the mountains swirling about in patterns. The best thing about this book (as with any moorcock book) is that it is directly linked to all the other series (corum, elric, erekose etc etc) and reveals extra background information that explains a lot from the other books. The little latvians will make you laugh! To describe this book in one word.........colourful!!!
imaginative!!!.......2003-01-25
never in a million years could this book/series be made into a film!!!! the scenes where the characters change the scenery with their magic just to suit their fashion is simply amazing and Moorcock writes so imaginatively, you can shut your eyes and almost see the skies changing to pink and the mountains swirling about in patterns. The best thing about this book (as with any moorcock book) is that it is directly linked to all the other series (corum, elric, erekose etc etc) and reveals extra background information that explains a lot from the other books. To describe this book in one word.........colourful!!!
Average customer rating:
- Five stars for the tragic elements, a health warning for the rest...
- A mind & spirit opener
- Paean to Life
- Goes on and on and on....
- Profound wisdom!
|
Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life and Death of Treya Killam Wilber
Ken Wilber
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Developmental Psychology
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cancer
| Disorders & Diseases
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Inspirational
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Wilber, Ken
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Simple Feeling of Being : Embracing Your True Nature
-
One Taste
-
A Brief History of Everything
-
No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth
-
Sex, Ecology, Spirituality: The Spirit of Evolution, Second Edition
ASIN: 1570627428
Release Date: 2001-02-06 |
Book Description
Here is a deeply moving account of a couple's struggle with cancer and their journey to spiritual healing. Grace and Grit is the compelling story of the five-year journey of Ken Wilber and his wife Treya Killam Wilber through Treya's illness, treatment, and, finally, death.
Customer Reviews:
Five stars for the tragic elements, a health warning for the rest..........2006-07-25
This is a tragic story and for that (and for that alone - in so far as the book is sold as an account of Treya Wilber's lamentable and extremely moving death) it gets five stars. However, the other side of this book is equally lamentable. It is also a desperately cynical and muddled stab at publicising Ken Wilber's ideas via a `soft' title. It stands as the work of a man who uses his wife's death to grandstand, once again well away from any rigorous academic spotlight, his untested `Integral' vision. He tells us that Treya herself wanted this kind of content to be published with personal diaries after her death, but, really...how sickening does the book rapidly become when chapter after chapter is devoted to stating how much of a genius Wilber is alleged to be, or how incisive his ideas are according to himself and the various spiritually biased writers he turns to for validation? Consequently, I have one or two questions, seeing the book is now actually in danger of being turned into a film starring Jennifer Aniston.
Firstly, I wonder if the movie adaptation will focus on both Treya and Ken's support for the notorious cult leader Adi Da? Ken had written gushing and enthused prefaces for Da's work before Treya's death. After her death Wilber then continued to reference Adi Da and to write further gushing prefaces and supportive recommendations for other ex-students of Da, including Saniel Bonder and David Deida, who he continues to work with and include in both his Integral Institute and Integral University. Is the film to then finish with some mention of this, perhaps as a title card over a black screen saying "Ken Wilber to date still esteems Adi Da as one of the greatest spiritual geniuses of all time, despite the vast number of sickening horror stories offered by ex-devotees of Da's organisation, Adidam, alongside the fact that Da is listed at every major anti-cult website across the internet and in several publications beyond it"?
Likewise, I wonder if the film will mention at all that Ken Wilber's ideas, seeing that they form such a goodly portion of the text, have not in any sense been validated or given the necessary and vital scrutiny by academic institutions/publications/systems of peer review aside from Wilber's own colleagues at the Integral Institute or the Integral University (while the Transpersonal Psychology movement - which I think it would be fair to say does not rate as exactly `crank-free' or thoroughly academically validated - did review them in print and rejected most of them outright). Subsequently, will the film run a reference to this debate or rather the lack of any serious wider debate, and mention that Wilber seems to unworthy of review by the kinds of heavyweight academics that he unflaggingly relies upon for quotes?
Thirdly, I wonder if the film will go on to chart Wilber's support of Andrew Cohen as another guru listed at anti-cult websites across the net, who also has had books published detailing the abuses he has allegedly perpetrated (including one written by his own mother) and who, in reply to his website and magazine What Is Enlightenment? is the subject of highly critical counter-website composed of articles from ex-devotees entitled What Enlightenment? Indeed, as Wilber's support of these controversial figures seems to be a mainstay in the transfer of his theory from page to practice, then one would hope so as the filmed result will be a distorted and sanitised mess if it is not.
Lastly, I wonder if the film will be able to do justice to the context of Wilber's work and its (lack of) general acceptance? There is a tendency amongst Wilber's supporters to act as if Integral somehow meant Accepted-By-All, which I personally consider to be a reflection of Ken Wilber's own distorted presentation of quoted material and highly selective reading of the sciences, of philosophy and of history. As a case in point, Wilber's recent highly misleading comments about evolutionary biology are true to his general form. He claims that evolutionary biology cannot explain `anything' in the overall development of organisms (I've deleted Wilber's term and replaced it with `actually' as it was a crude expletive in the original quote), whereas evolutionary biology both can and does--which is the less Wilber-friendly actual fact. To detail, Wilber uses half-wings and half-eyes as an example of this lack of explanatory power, but as any first year biology student can tell you, both are entirely explicable and Wilber's critique is nothing more than a refuted and out-of-date non-starter.
To conclude, myself and other concerned individuals will be sending our own detailed criticisms of Wilber's work, alongside links to many other refutations and criticisms (covering entire websites and offered mostly by freelance academics) found on-line, to the production company and media who either produce or then review any movie made from this book--that is, if it even gets off the ground! Similarly, it will be considered an ethical project to draw attention to Wilber's allegiance to those associated and supportive of cults, as to do otherwise would be a total and complete dereliction of any moral duty and would truly lack either Grace or Grit.
A mind & spirit opener.......2006-06-25
Other books may be eye openers, this one opened my mind and spirit. It was recommended to me by a friend who'd read it after his mother died, and I took it up after two recent deaths in my family and to prepare myself to deal with my own mother's severe illness. I found this book not only to be soothing and truly inspiring, it also provided something I had long sought for without being able to put a name to it - an introduction to perennial philosophy, a starter and a guide on how to to explore and combine Western and Eastern philosophies and religions.
Although this book is praised as the story of a deep and transcending love, the love it describes - although deeply moving - is not the main point for me, as it goes far beyond the exemplary relationship between two extraordinary people. I would like to thank Treya Willam Kilber for Being, and Ken Wilber for sharing this with so many people.
Paean to Life.......2006-06-19
There are many documented reports of caretakers and victims of terminal illness. Although Treya Wilber's story is that, it would be a slight to suggest that's the whole story.
What gives this story its teeth is the style -- an interplay between Treya's journals and her husband's (Ken Wilber) narrative -- and its philosophical underpinnings. In the telling, we're exposed to a full spectrum of beliefs, myths, reactions, therapies, alternatives and emotions of two people loving, living and fighting for life. Along the way, we're also clued-in to Ken's "integral psychology" which unites consciousness, spirit and psychology, an admittedly thick philosophical stew. Surprisingly, this succeeds and helps carry "the story" along.
On one level, Grace and Grit is a profound philosophical discourse. On another, it is a touching story of the power of redemptive love. On any level it's engosssing, often entertaining, and always life-affirming. Highly recommended.
Goes on and on and on...........2005-11-14
Okay, I am a pretty educated woman, as much as the next person, not glorified as the world's greatest thinker thank God or Buddha or whoever. But this book was about 200 pages too long. The truth is, if this book is to be about Treya's life and death, why in the world is it interrupted with all this other stuff inserted by Ken? I found myself incredibly bored to tears by his interpretations on everything about what his wife experienced that I skipped a lot of it and read the parts that were truly Treya's writings or experiences. That is the human part of this book. Is this man too arrogant to just simply write about his wife and her life and death as the title leads you to believe. Why do I need to know about all the other books he has written and all of his friends and how he spent his younger years working and spending 25% of his salary on books, where he went to college, how much beer he drank, etc. sounds boring right? Right!
At times I got the feeling that this book was not intended for just anyone to read. Lots of things were not explained, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who in the world "Witness" was and lots of other Buddhist terms and phrases that are used throughout. On the plus side, it is (once you pick out the good parts) a tremendously moving and emotional story. It is truly amazing to what great lengths Mrs. Wilber went to to try to save her life and her willpower must have been awesome, but I would imagine not above the willpower of anyone faced with terminal cancer. I would say that this book overall is too mixed. It goes back and forth all the way through between what Treya said and did and then Ken's interpretations and opinions in between. No doubt that this man loved this woman with all of himself. That becomes obvious quickly. I give it 3 stars because it is a good read for sure, but many parts could have been left out.
Profound wisdom!.......2005-08-17
Just finished reading Grace and Grit and I don't remember reading a book that had such a great positive impact on me. I didn't think I could cry so much reading a book! Not of sadness but a mix of many emotions... Grace and Grit is about so many things and touch us at so many different levels, it is a must read!!!
This book is so profound and of such wisdom that it urged me to rethink both life and death... It made me think about so many things in my life: how I relate to the ones I love; my values, my desire for meaning, it made me think about serving other - about being compassionate. It is making me reflect on how I handle certain issues I before considered depressive and hard to deal with.
There are many good reviews written here and I don't want to be repetitive, I just wanted to leave my comment expressing how much this book touched me (and I believe will change me). This book has a message to all of us in our quest to live more joyfully, integrally and spiritually... Above all, above practices and teachings Grace and Grit shows us in a first person stance the tremendous power of love and compassion, of grace and grit.
Average customer rating:
|
Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life of Treya Killam Wilber
Ken Wilber
Manufacturer: Gateway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Grief & Bereavement
| Death & Grief
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Internal Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
| Cardiology
| Critical Care
| Endocrinology & Metabolism
| Gastroenterology
| General
| Hematology
| Hepatology
| Infectious Disease
| Nephrology
| Neurology
| Oncology
| Pulmonary
| Rheumatology
| Urology
Wilber, Ken
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 071713234X |
Average customer rating:
- Loved this book
- Suzanne's Review
- Warm Collection of Hungarian Standard Dishes
- Written with memories, traditions, and lore
- terrible cookbook
|
Hungarian Cookbook: Old World Recipes for New World Cooks (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)
Yolanda Nagy Fintor
Manufacturer: Hippocrene Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
European
| European
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Hungarian
| European
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
International
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
June Meyer's Authentic Hungarian Heirloom Recipes
-
The Hungarian Cookbook
-
Magdi's Quick & Easy Hungarian & Other Gourmet Recipes
-
All Along the Danube: Recipes from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (Hippocrene International Cookbooks)
-
Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague
ASIN: 0781809967 |
Customer Reviews:
Loved this book.......2007-08-06
I love the title of this book and when I saw terms like Grandma and Grandpa Nagy in the introduction, I smiled because, I, too, am a Nagy. That was my maiden name and many of these recipes reminded me of my Grandmother's kitchen in Cleveland, OH. I'm keeping this book with my small colection of Hungarian culture for my daughters and grandchildren.
Suzanne's Review.......2005-10-22
A very good cookbook. The paprika chicken was delicious! The history in the book is very interesting which makes the book worth reading. Worth the money.
Warm Collection of Hungarian Standard Dishes.......2005-08-27
"Hungarian Cookbook: Old World Recipes for New World Cooks" by Yolanda Nagy Fintor has a long title. It should. There is a lot packed in it.
As cookbooks go, this is among the most accessible I have read. While many tend to err with a tone too haute cuisine, Fintor realizes she's suggesting ordinary people cook these dishes.
To many Americans asking themselves what Hungarian food is, I can say it is a good, good thing. It will challenge your arteries, but delight your soul. Your stomach will be happy too. Here, you will find recipes proving that.
Fintor explains in a brief introduction a history of Hungarian cuisine. She writes how, despite its present unique place in the culinary world, it began as an amalgamation of French, Italian, Turkish, German and Transylvanian food.
While not exactly useful to the American cook, she has a section on Hungarian language. Now, you can pronounce the dish names when your Hungarian date comes over for dinner. If things work out, you will impress your spouse's family too.
More practical to most readers is her section on how to interpret the recipes, and what ingredients you will need handy. The difference this makes is important, like that vinegar to be used is distilled white, and that butter should be the salted kind.
Keyed into the needs of beginning cooks, Fintor provides some useful tips, a glossary of basic cooking terns (like dredge, dice, trussing, and what roux is).
Recipes are the bulk of the book, with some black and white pictures of dishes. The layout is easy on the eyes. Directions are straightforward. Occasionally, she gives ideas to adapt the recipe to an American context, in case the ingredients are somewhat different. The only significant drawback is the hardcover design, which makes keeping it open while cooking difficult.
The recipe sections are as follows, each with an introduction:
Appetizers, relishes, and sauces
Salads
Soups
Biscuits, dumplings, and noodles
Poultry
Meats
Vegetables
Desserts
Breads
Wines (no recipes, just an introduction).
I fully recommend "Hungarian Cookbook: Old World Recipes for New World Cooks" by Yolanda Nagy Fintor. Jó Étvágyat! (May you have a good appetite!)
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
Written with memories, traditions, and lore.......2004-01-12
Now in a newly expanded edition, Hungarian Cookbook: Old World Recipes For New World Cooks by Yolanda Nagy Fintor (who learned cooking from her Hungarian mother) introduces the reader to a culinary wealth of truly great recipes that have been passed down through generations of Hungarian cooks via an oral family tradition. Featuring not only recipes with meticulous instructions, but also memories, traditions, and lore from those who have prepared and shared such dishes as New World Creamy Potato Soup, Sweet And Sour Cabbage, and Beer Bread Sticks, the Hungarian Cookbook is very highly recommended for anyone seeking to learn about, create, and taste the flavors and culinary traditions of Hungary.
terrible cookbook.......2002-11-02
DO NOT buy this book if you like Hungarian cooking. Its idea of a recipe is to cook something as bland as possible and add, mmm, sour cream, or maybe canned tomato juice, or maybe bacon. And a little bit of paprika. I only bought it based on the Amazon.com feedback.
Books:
- Blood Is Dirt
- Bloody River Blues
- Butchers Hill (Tess Monaghan Mysteries)
- By the Pricking of my Thumbs
- Cardington Crescent
- Charmed Circle (Circle, Book 2)
- Cold Streets (The Vampire Files)
- Cop Hater (87th Precinct Mysteries)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Serial (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (IDW))
- Cutwork
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
- Taming Your Gremlin
- Introduction to Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
- History: Fiction or Science
- In Style Parties
- Organizational Behavior Reader, The
- Quick & Healthy Volume II: More Help for People Who Say They Don't Have Time to Cook Healthy Mea
- Asian Style Hotels: Bali, Java, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
- Green Office Buildings: A Practical Guide to Development
- A Friar's Bloodfeud
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came (Agatha Raisin Mysteries)
Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam (An Agatha Raisin Mystery)
Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden (An Agatha Raisin Mystery)
Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate (Agatha Raisin Mysteries)
Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham (An Agatha Raisin Mystery)
