MISERY is a masterpiece plain and simple. There are no other words to describe his work. MISERY's plot is simple, yet it is complex enough to keep the reader involved and interested.

MISERY begins with a car crash. Paul Sheldon(the protagonist) is a writer who has a successful series of books about a heroin called Misery. He was in Colorado finishing up on his next book, when he did so, he left his hotel in Colorado and headed for New York. He did not get far. For a blizzard occurred, and through sheer power, sent Paul's car off the road and into the woods, turning over several times as it did so. When Paul comes to, he finds that he is in someones house. Not to shortly after, he meets his savior, she is Annie Wilkes who was a former nurse. It is because of this that she is able to nurse Paul back to health. She tells him that she'lll take him to a hospital after the snow from the blizzard is cleared. But, as the weeks go by, she never takes him there. She feeds him addictive pain killers, and it is by this she controls Paul. She also knows who he is, she knows that he is Paul Sheldon, the romance novelist. She tells him that she is his "biggest" fan.

With his identity known, she pulls out an ancient typewriter, and demands he write her a book, a book just for her, and if he doesn't she'll do things to him--- terrible things.

MISERY is excellent read. If you ever see at a bookstore I demand that you pick it up and start reading it! It is definately worth your while. MISERY shows us our fear, then shows us how defeat it with a vengance.

Inside the book he goes through ten totally different online writing jobs describing each in detail from their description, pay, disadvantages, opportunities and even tells you if you have a chance of dominating the market with each type of work. He goes as far as giving you tips from his own personal experiences with each to help you produce work for every job even quicker and more efficiently.

Mr. Covington concludes his book with a list of other online writing opportunities that he himself has yet to venture, leaving us with the confidence that the online publishing world for the serious online writer is a wide open field just waiting to be explored.

In the book, he gives out his email address in order to answer any questions that the new hopeful online writer may have. And at the very end, he states that he would love to receive any feedback (good or bad) offered from any reader of his new writing guide.

“This book is a very fresh informative piece. I would recommend it to new online writers and the very experienced as well. It took me two days to read the entire book from front to back. I couldn't put it down!”

In the book, Gary will tell about his early marriage struggles and how he overcame them. He will introduce the idea of an Attitude of Service, which is important in any functional household and will take you through step by step on how to improve marital relationships, relationships with the kids and rekindling the romance.

With his Christian based ideas, Gary Chapman continues to show that he is the best in the business and does not disappoint. An important read for any family that is struggling emotionally, Five Signs of a Loving Family will give reassurance to anyone who is committed to making their home life better.

The Grade: (On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest)
9

Also recommended books by Gary Chapman:
The Five Love Languages

In what could be called her best yet, Binchy brings alive the small town of Rossmore, Ireland in a brilliant collaboration of characters that relate to one another and the towns situation. This is a book about heart, and Binchy tells the story of each character with passion and humility.

In Rossmore, Ireland, there is a mysterious well in the Whitethorn woods just outside of town. It is there that people go to pray for hope and for their well being. Some think that it is blessed, others think that it is on the verge of witch craft. But it has been a part of the town for centuries. Now a road is being planned and it would take out the well in Whitethorn woods. Go on a journey through the lives of the town folk and decide for yourself if the well should be torn down, or kept alive.

The Grade (On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest)

• 8.5

Other recommended reads by Maeve Binchy:

• Nights of Rain and Stars
• Circle of Friends
• Scarlet Feather

River of Fire requires deeper reflection. Dr. Taitetsu Unno introduces us to the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan providing spiritual insight. Unno does not only discuss in detail the Shin Buddhist doctrine but also relates his own experience and the changes that took place in his while practicing Shin Buddhism for decades. The book is partly autobiographical. The main theme though does not revolve around his life.

Shin Buddhism serves to enrich the increasing practice of Buddhism in the United States, which was already introduced to other forms such as the Zen and Tibetan traditions. River of Fire, River of Water is the first introduction to the practice of Pure Land Buddhism from a trade publisher and is intended for readers even those without prior knowledge about it.

The Pure Land tradition went as far back as the sixth century c.e., when Buddhism was first established in Japan. Unlike Zen where is practiced mostly by monasteries in remote areas, the Pure Land tradition was the form of Buddhism practiced by ordinary people. It is applicable on the daily life of a person. This makes the Pure Land tradition more adaptable to those who seek the Buddhist way. The method may differ but the end goal is similar to the others which is the development of the true self.

Shin Buddhism has been the widespread Buddhist faith of Japan. Its practice is mainly contained within the Japanese communities in the United States which somehow limits its growth to other groups. Books such as this will provide necessary information that will make Shin Buddhism easily understood and attractive to people.

Shin Buddhism requires the practice of conscience and faith. It does not encourage compulsion. Simple faith and conscience are the most important requirement to be able to attain enlightenment not strict discipline and morality.

River of Fire, River of Water is both an "easy read" and a reference work. Chapter 6, “Nembutsu: The Name-that-Calls" gets to the heart of Shin Buddhism. One quote that stuck is :

"Philosophically speaking, the nembutsu is the self-articulation of fundamental reality. As such, the saying of the Name contains the alpha and omega of the Buddhist soteriological path."

Faith in Amida Buddha simply means uttering the name of Amida Buddha, or the Nembutsu - "Namu Amida Butsu." It is not an automatic chant but celebrates deep faith to Amida Buddha's promise to save all troubled beings who request for help.

Unno uses a variety of angles in Shin Buddhism to communicate the simple doctrine behind a difficult to understand faith. He describes what the practice is like:

"The person who chooses the Shin path devotes hours, days, and years to the interior practice of deep hearing.... This initial stage of deep hearing is like mastering the theory. But this must be followed by the saying of nembutsu, the practice equivalent to mastering technique in dance. After that everything must be forgotten and the person must "just live," but now live with awareness, sensitivity, and grace."

This book can be used as an introduction to a deeper study into the fundamentals and history of Shin Buddhism. Or, it can provide enlightenment to a person who seeks it and wants to experience this great faith. It depends on the reader but whatever options he or she chooses will work.

River of Fire, River of Water is a wonderful elucidation on Shin Buddhism and the tranquil life of faith in Amida Buddha. The fact that it is published by a major publisher, Doubleday, gives the book the prominence it deserves. Hopefully, it touches many lives as it preaches the constructive and life-affirming path of Shin Buddhism, the natural way to enlightenment.

Iago sowed intrigues between Desdemona and Othello and Othello and Cassio. Iago made Othello jealous by insinuating that Desdemona and Cassio was having an affair. It so inflamed Othello that he decided to kill Desdemona by strangling her, also upon the suggestion of Iago. Cassio got wounded by Roderigo and the death of Desdemona.

Othello later learned belatedly from Emilia, Iago's wife, that Iago manipulated all the stories. Othello wounded Iago then killed himself. Iago killed Emilia. Iago got imprisoned and Cassio was proclaimed the new governor of Cyrpus.

Orson Scott Card's Ender`s Game was more gruesome as miscommunication led to the annihilation of an entire race - the alien Formics or better known as the Buggers. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin was a young child-genius who was made to undergo training in preparation for the feared Third Invasion of the alien Buggers. During the first invasion, the alien almost wiped out the entire human population due to lack of technology. The Second Invasion, the human population again almost got eradicated but not as much as the First invasion.

To prevent total eradication of mankind, the International Military Forces enlisted the help of genius children aged five to thirteen to undergo simulated space training that were intended to equip them with skills when the aliens would come.

Ender showed incredible battle skills earning him the Commander post in so short a time. He was then made to undergo a series of simulated battles culminating in the exterminating of the buggers' planet which in turn killed them. It turned out that the final test was not simulated but the real one. And Ender just committed Xenocide by eliminating the entire Bugger race.

Ender feeling remorseful for his mistake, he together with his sister Valentine, left on a colonization ship bound for the bugger's destroyed planet where he intended to reside. There, Ender found out that the Buggers' left him the pupa of the last surviving Queen or the Hive-Queen. The pupa telepathically talked to Ender and explained to him that the reason why Buggers attacked humans was they believed that humans are not sentient or capable of consciousness. The Buggers realized their error and wanted to make amends by refraining from attacking humans anymore. Therefore, Ender's Xenocide to defend earth was no longer necessary. Due to lack communication, the bugger could not relay this message to humans which led to the tragic end of the buggers.

Ender related the Queen's tale by writing a book called “The Hive-Queen” and using the pen name “Speaker for the Dead”. He left the colony and brought the pupa with him to seek a place for the bugger to breed.

Orson Scott Card's Speaker For The Dead was another tale that delves on miscommunication. But unlike the previous examples, William Shakespeare's Othello and Ender`s Game, the story did not end tragically. It did not also led to death of humans or the wipe out of an entire alien race. The Speaker For The Dead offers Ender the redemption he so desperately sought after the Xenocide of the Buggers in the preceding book due to miscommunication.

In Speaker for the Dead, Ender was called by his real name Andrew Wiggin. Ender wanted to amend for his previous mistake by working as a speaker for the dead or a person who speaks in behalf of the dead to shed light on their actions or the way they lived their lives.

Another possible miscommunication problem arose in the story when a new specie of intelligent alien called the Pequeninos or popularly known as the “piggies” had been discovered. Conflict arose when the piggies killed two xenologists - Pipo and Libo. The killing started when Novinha discovered the presence of descolada in every life form in Lusitania. The significance of Pipo's and Libo's murders was revealed: the piggies do not consider the trees as their gods and do not worship them.

The trees came from dead piggies called the brothertrees. Another tree was the fathertree derived from dissected piggies. These fathertrees are capable of reproduction and are sentient. Descolada aids in the change of piggies to trees. Due to Ender's efforts, he was able to forge peace between humans and piggies through a signed treaty. In this instance, Ender effectively lessened the harmful effects of miscommunication.

The three tales vividly depict the possible harmful effects of miscommunication among races or peoples. Miscommunication has waged unnecessary wars and took a number of lives. Communication then is a necessary aspect in human relations as shown by the stories.

Iago in Shakespeare's Othello provided a face to the chilling act on the ease with which communication could be easily twisted in order to create conflicts. Miscommunication could easily be brought upon by people with malicious intentions, people with no conscience and lives for their ulterior selfish motives. People such as Iago are guilty of treachery and falsehood.

Through Iago's masterful and cunning manipulations, Othello committed the worst act of killing the one he loved most. Then in an act of repentance upon the discovery of truth on how Iago made up stories, he killed himself too. This tragic end goes to show the extent miscommunication could lead to in people's relationships and lives.

Iago shows a side that is inherent in some people. We can relate to Othello's plight as we, ourselves, experienced intrigues sown by other people. We hear criticisms, unfair judgment, backbiting and other acts of manipulations. In the process, we feel hurt. We lose friends. We got alienated even to the point of being ostracized. Such is the effect of miscommunication that every person could relate to.

Card's Ender's Game provides another facet to the dangers of miscommunication. It is worst than the fate suffered by the characters in Othello as the Buggers met total annihilation due to plain simple miscommunication. The massive xenocide leaves the readers feeling totally deflated. It is simply mind-boggling how a simple lack of communication could lead to such a tragic end. Yet, what makes it so chilling is the fact that that this is realistically possible.

How many times do we see wars explode due to plain miscommunication of motives? Civil wars, wars among countries, genocide were evident in our history. From this nonsense threat of human lives, we see the negative effects lack of communication among leaders, among the government and its peoples and among nations bring. How easily could problems have been avoided if people took the time to sit down and address issues in a more objective way?

Card's Speaker for the Dead offers us hope in the midst of such grimness. Humans, as we are, miscommunication would be something we need to cope with. With Speaker for the Dead we learned that the hope of eradicating the debilitating effects of miscommunication is found in the act of reaching out to another person or race.

It is indeed ironic that we come to hate what we don't understand. At the same time, we come to understand only if we stop hating. All three stories depict the kind of hatred that could stem from miscommunication. Hatred could be as total as Iago's or blinded as Ender's. But hatred and its dire consequences could be greatly reduced if we all take the time to understand the enemy. At least, if not to understand them, then to stop hating them so we could start the long process of understanding their motives.

People's motives for doing certain things vary. Some are for their own gain. Others for revenge. Still others, for good intentions. It is a special kind of person who takes the time to stop and listen. There is a thin line between what we perceived reality to be and actual reality. In our haste to view and judge things negatively, we fail to grasps its positive implications. That is why, in the process we end up judging other people's motives unfavorably.

The problem with miscommunication is it underplays man's more noble side such as the values of trust and honor. If we hear false accusations about us it is so easy to react negatively. To lose objectivity in the face of unfair accusations. Too often, we fall victim to these unfair lies.

The breakdown of communication such as in the case of Iago would have been greatly reduced if Othello took the time to talk and listen to his beloved Desdemona and his friend, Cassio's side. The negative consequences of miscommunication would have been avoided if Othello remained objective all along and not let his emotions took over.

Somehow, Othello's rush judgment offers us a lesson on what to do in the face of intrigues and manipulations.

At some point in our lives, we all come across people who would misunderstand us and our motives. We meet people who have no qualms hurting us and our loved ones by spreading vicious lies. Betrayal is not confined to Iago alone. In our lives, it is almost a certainty that we would stumble across a few Iago's and fall victim to their wiles. Therefore, it is imperative then that we ready ourselves for such eventuality. We do not want to end up as clueless as Othello.

Basically, to lessen the impact of manipulations I believe it is important to maintain objectivity all throughout. Then weigh options available well before deciding which one to follow. Had Othello took the time to observe with his own eyes and not through someone's prodding what was actually taking place then he would have avoided the tragic end that he and Desdemona met. He should have get to the heart of the matter first before making rush decisions.

From the stories, we can gather that another good way to prevent miscommunication would be to avoid preconceived notions about the person. For instance, if we look at someone wearing ordinary clothes we naturally assumed that he or she is of average financial status. On the other hand, if we see someone dressed to the nines, we assume that he or she is filthy rich. These misconceptions, of course, could greatly hamper our ability to communicate with the person as we already formed opinions about him or her even before the person speaks.

We could also try to do what Christians normally do in the face of lies and intrigues - we can forgive. By forgiving, we begin to see the person for what he or she truly is. With hatred out of the way, we can be more objective in dealing with the situation and getting to heart of the matter would not be as difficult as when we are under the influence of hatred.

It is sad that during our present times, despite the advances of communication, miscommunication is still a huge problem we faced even on a daily basis. Perhaps if we stop judging and start understanding then we become better communicators and effectively reduce miscommunication in the process.

 

 

Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891-January 28, 1960) was an African-American folklorist. She wrote the critically-acclaimed Harlem Renaissance but was best remembered for her work Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Both authors were better-educated than most girls during their time. Austen entered Reading Ladies boarding school in the Abbey gatehouse in Reading, Berkshire. Hurston took undergraduate studies at Howard University then transferred to Barnard College where she finished a degree B.A. in anthropology in 1928.

Despite a century that gulfed between them, Jane Austen and Zora Neale Hurston are authors that share similar characteristics and themes in their novels.

In consonance with the custom for female authors during her time, Jane Austen was forced to publish her works anonymously. Austen's works revolved around love stories. During her time the Romantic movement of literature in England was in full bloom. But Austen's writings were far from being romantic. Romanticism often borders

on passion. Austen, however, extolled love tempered with reason in her novels. She would most likely depict who people practiced moderation in love as having more chances of success than those who went for it at all costs.

In similar grain, we find American author Zora Neale Hurston's novels reflecting the same values. Moderation is the key she preached. The characters she wrote were not subject to violent or overly emotions. As a matter of fact, anyone could relate to them.

Austen tackled social issues during her time. She delved on issues such as the dilemma of single genteel English women in the early 1800s. During this time, inheritance law and custom favored the male heirs. The bulk of the family's fortune often went to them, leaving the unmarried women to cope on their own. Austen often depicted socially perceptive comedies on manners in her books. These are particularly true in her work Emma where critics often cited it for perfection of form.

The main plot of both authors' stories center on the lives of women. Take for instance, Hurston's book Their Eyes Were Watching God, we findJanie the main protagonist living a sheltered existence. Her grandmother, who was an ex-slave, did not want Janie to experience the harshness in the world. She brought up Janie in a wealthy environment. As a natural consequence, she revolved around similarly well-to-do black social circle. Her first husband was Logan who wasn't able to provide her with financial stability. She was forced to find a job to augment their meager income. As tough times threatened, Janie left him. Her second husband was Jody, a mayor. Jody

brought her to the all black city called Eatonville. The lifestyles of the people in Eatonville were similar to those of the white people. Her husband, Jody, being the town's steward, implemented all the rules in the town. As a consequence, the town prospered. Jody, in turn, became financially stable. Somehow, despite her obvious wealth, Janie did not find the happiness she sought. Years rolled by and Jody died. Janie went to the Everglades with Tea Cake and found work in the fields where she was finally able to find true happiness.

Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, which is one of her most popular books, featured two sisters Marianne and Ellinor. Marianne, who, being emotional was acquainted with passionate feelings such as love at first sight. She expressed openly ardent emotions. She admired the grotesque "picturesque". And she represented Austen's idea of "sensibility". Elinor, the sister, was the one blessed with more "sense" as shown by her rational moderation when it came to love. Despite her outlook she still suffered from disappointments brought about by love now and then.

Jane Austen and Zora Neale Hurston provide a strong voice for the issue of feminism in literature. Jane Austen, due to the constraints of her times, was forced to hide her gender and keeping her identity anonymous in order to promote feminist literature. Zora Neale Hurston, on the other hand, continued and promoted the feminist literature movement by her writings. The desired end Zora Neal Hurston had strived though, being a black person herself, was to promote freedom for black people. The issue of Black Liberation Movement, around 1910, was foremost in her times. Their Eyes Were

Watching God, Hurston's most popular work, carried a themebased on a rural Southern setting. It focused on the relationship between man and nature, the ongoing dynamics of human relationships, and Janie's thirst for independence.

Authors criticized Zora Neal Hurston because they expected her, being a black author during the black liberation movement in the 1910's, to write stories depicting black people's oppression and support the movement by writing about black people struggles for freedom. They wanted Hurston to voice out their experiences on how they are being suppressed by the people around them. Instead, Zora focused her writings on the issues of the women being suppressed in their rights and not allowed to be free. She seemed largely apolitical. But by tackling this idea, Hurston probably wanted to depict the struggles of black people on their quest for freedom.

In a way, both authors went against popular opinion during their time when they opted not to join the bandwagon. Jane Austen did not pursue romanticism in her novels despite being under the influence of the Romantic Period. Instead, she gave her character like Ellinor a degree of control over her emotions. Zora Neal Hurston, like Austen, did not openly campaign for black independence just like her contemporaries were. She decided to take another route which was to present a more tame view on the movement by tackling women issues and relating them to black people's struggles.

This is how Hurston deals with pressing issue of racism. Instead of taking sides, she pointed out that black critics during her time were themselves racist against other people. Hurston did not want to limit her view of freedom to a particular group of people alone such as blacks. Freedom for Hurston should be shared by everybody especially freedom from oppression - blacks, Indians, and women.

Austen described in her novels women who were after marriages that would provide them comforts. Readers during our time may find this abhorring but Austen was simply writing the practices during her period. During her time, men and women often married for money. Opportunities for wealth were not widespread. So they turned to marriage as a way to gain financial freedom. Austen is popular for her ability to intertwine romance with the social situation in her era and produced a believable love story. The conflict in her novels often tackled emotional aspects such as love, friendship and morals being tested by financial concerns.

Just like Austen's women characters, Hurston's female lead in Their Eyes Were Watching God particularly Janie also married for money. Her first marriage did not work out because she was used to the life of wealth and abundance. She had not worked a day of her life when she was young being born to a privileged family. Being married to her husband Logan woke her up to the harsh realities that black women her age had to contend. Janie left her first husband in search of a man who could provide for her needs, to find advantageous marriages.

The strength of Austen's works lies in her ability to give a unique voice on her characters especially women and depicting them in their everyday lives belonging to the middle or upper. It is easy to relate to Jane's character because they did not out of the ordinary lives. Each woman especially in our generation finds themselves reflected in part by the characters Jane wrote.

Austen's literary appeal is also due in part in her ability to depict her character vividly and firmly. The characters were always ordinary people who were consistent with their views and principles throughout the story. Austen did not try to embellish them with her own views. But, she managed to preserve the characters' views all through out.

Just like Austen, Hurston too chose middle and upper class black women in her stories. Their lives just like Austen reflected the lives during their times. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston was able to escape being labeled or attributed to a single movement, whether literary or political. Wright's criticism about the book which came out in 1937 is, to some degree, true: the book is not a political treatise-it carries no single, overwhelming message or moral. Far from being a weakness, however, this resistance is the secret of the novel's strength: it is a profoundly rich, multifaceted work that can be read in a number of ways."

If you are a poet and you want to hone your craft, The Great Modern Poets is perfect for inspiration. If you are a fan of Great Poetry, or even a professional poet or writer this book is for you.

Dylan Thomas, Ezra Pound, Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, just to name a few. This book is a must read for poets and fans alike. If you love poetry, the messages or the art, go get the book. You won't regret it.

Professor Michael Schmidt's other works include Lives of the Poets, The Story of Poetry and the Harvill Book of Twentieth-century Poetry in English. If you like The Great Modern Poets, be sure to look for his other books.

The Office Art of War is a fit addition to the ranks of such books, replete with quotations from great generals, military strategists, politicians and the authors of past Arts of War, naturally including Machiavelli and the earlier Sun Tzu.

This is not so much a guide through the terrain of the modern office as an SAS Survival Guide for the professional jungle. This book lists the dangers and hazards of the office; how to recognize the various power plays and betrayals that are a daily feature; the real motivations behind boot-licking, childish antics and macho posturing, and how best to respond when confronted with these professional plagues. Like a good martial arts manual, The Art of Office War also explains how to use these same Dark Side teachings for your own advantage.

Delicate readers may be distressed to discover that this book is not Politically Correct; like the writings of Machiavelli, The Art of Office War is concerned not with how people should behave but with what they actually do: people resort to low tactics in all walks of life, especially the office.

Arm yourself with the knowledge to pre-empt any catastrophe that your colleagues may be brewing to poison your career, and seriously consider laying your own malicious schemes well in advance; The Art of Office War is your codex of strategy.