Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Michael Gruber, a member of "the elite ranks of those who can both chill the blood and challenge the mind" (The Denver Post), delivers a taut, multilayered, riveting novel of suspense

Somewhere in Pakistan, Sonia Laghari and eight fellow members of a symposium on peace are being held captive by armed terrorists. Sonia, a deeply religious woman as well as a Jungian psychologist, has become the de facto leader of the kidnapped group. While her son Theo, an ex-Delta soldier, uses his military connections to find and free the victims, Sonia tries to keep them all alive by working her way into the kidnappers' psyches and interpreting their dreams. With her knowledge of their language, her familiarity with their religion, and her Jungian training, Sonia confounds her captors with her insights and beliefs. Meanwhile, when the kidnappers decide to kill their captives, one by one, in retaliation for perceived crimes against their country, Theo races against the clock to try and save their lives.

Customer Reviews (46)

An understanding of Islam, but poor story plot
This is the first book I read by Michael Gruber, so I had nothing else to judge it by.But I found the story predictable, with stereotype characters, and with a plot that I found was not believable.A mother and others were kidnapped by Islamic extremists, and her son born in Afghanistan fighting against the Russians but now an US Army special force person planning ways to save her.Through family ties and friends and false information to the CIA, he succeeded as predicted. The part of the book I found interesting is the description and stories of Islam and how one can interpret this religion much differently than the extremists.I found that I could understand why millions of people in many different countries believe in Islam through the mother's interpretation and living and practicing this belief.I found the book OK, but would not recommend it.There are many other much better novels.

Great read
Yes, it characters were a little far fetched but he did that to get across some of the more interesting notions he discussed.I found the mystical discussions fascinating and it helped make the book very rich and diverse.The kinetic military parts were also fun...I read this on deployment in Afghanistan but it still kept me very engaged.

Tedious
When ever Gruber injected the character's back stories, the book suffered. The momentum of the chase, the thrill, the espionage was lost. Those lengthy passages slowed the book way down to a crawl. I found myself racing through them to get back to the current story and then I finally gave up. Reading this book was too much work and not enough pleasure.

Gruber Cannot Write a Bad Book
I only "discovered" Michael Gruber as a writer when he started writing under his own name.I have all of his books and not are less than excellent.THE GOOD SON continues this fine tradition.
Yes, I know trhat Michael wrote teh first ten books in the Butch Karp sereis, and have now read most of those, but they seem rather hard to fine.I did make the mistake of reading one of the series not by Michael and - well, let's just say I will not be tempted again.
Each of Michael'e recent stand alone novels stakes out new and interesting ground.From writing to art, and now to terrorism.They are good reads, one and all...

A Thinking-Person's Thriller
Isn't it great when a novel surprises you? Despite the fact that Michael Gruber's The Good Soncontained three of my literary pet peeves -- story told in flashback, story told in alternating strains of storyline, and dreams and their interpretations playing important roles in the story -- I really enjoyed it.

Gruber is known as a writer with incredible range, writing books about forged paintings, lost Shakespeare plays, cop thrillers, and now this: a ripped-from-the-headlines international thriller with an intellectual bent. Indeed, if Gruber's name wasn't splashed across the cover, you might think Vince Flynn, who had suddenly learned how to write well, had been trapped in a room with John LeCarre, with the resulting work edited and polished by Khaled Hosseini (of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns fame).

The Good Son contains three strains of story: 1) Theo Laghiri is a special forces soldier back in the US to recuperate after being injured in Afghanistan by friendly fire. 2) His mother Sonia, a bit of a free spirit, is organizing a conference in Lahore, Pakistan to discuss how to bring peace to Central Asia. This is a risky move, to say the least, as she is infamous in the Muslim world for a book she wrote in her younger years in which she chronicled her experience of dressing as a man and going on haj to Mecca. Muslims were not amused, and there is a Rushdie-esque fatwa out on her. 3) National Security Agency up-and-comer Cynthia Lam has translated some intercepted communications between what appear to be Muslim terrorists plotting something big. She follows leads and hunches, and plots to use the situation to advance her own career.

And so, as they must, the stories converge at first subtly, and then rapidly, making for a fast-paced, exhilarating second half. But even the back-stories of Sonia's young-womanhood and Theo's childhood in Pakistan that make up good chunks of the front part of the novel are so rich in detail and intrigue, it'd be impossible to tell the real-time story as effectively without them. Sometimes, with back-story, you wonder how much is relevant or even necessary. Not here -- it all is.

Other chunks of the novel are conversations between characters (Sonia vs. Muslim jihadists) in argument regarding the terrorist rationale and the debunking of such. Part of this is Sonia (as a trained Jungian psychologist) interpreting dreams. These dreams and their well-written and logical interpretations provide a fascinating insight into the Muslim religion; one that makes you appreciate the purity and beauty of a religion that has been polluted by radical fundamentalism. Additionally, Gruber's handle on Pakistani and Afghan culture is brilliant, especially in showing the profound differences between those and American culture and thought.

Another really interesting part of the book emerges in the first 100 or so pages, as Theo tries to re-acclimate himself into day-to-day American life. Three different times, he ruminates about the ignorance of Americans about what is happening on the other side of the world; about how angry it makes him and other soldiers that we deign to "support our troops" but have no idea what the wars are really like.Theo says, "...when you come back, you kind of secretly want your fellow citizens to get blown up a little; we don't admit it, but it's true. How the (expletive deleted) can they be so -- I don't know, normal, like in a dream of shopping and careers and ordinary daily (expletive deleted), while what's going on over there is going on?" And then later: "...maybe obsessing about money and sex and celebrities and celebrity sex and the teams is a sign that the terror has failed to bite, which is great, but if it's no big deal, why the hell are we breaking the army into pieces over it? ...it's another thing that makes me snap and get pissed at my fellow Americans."

Overall, I'd rate The Good Son 4 out of 5 stars -- minus a star because at times, you really have to suspend disbelief. Still, this is will certainly be a satisfying read for anyone who likes fast-paced thrillers that challenge readers to think deeply...maybe about some preconceptions you've never really spent any time or energy to really consider. ... Read more

Product Description

Critically acclaimed, bestselling author Michael Gruber's second novel to feature police detective Jimmy Paz is a chilling and remarkable work of intelligence and imagination. After a wealthy oilman plunges ten stories to his death from the balcony of a Miami hotel, Paz and the young cop who witnessed the fall discover a woman on her knees praying in the dead man's room. A motive and strong evidence point to the woman—Emmylou Dideroff—as the murderer, but she insists that she's innocent of the crime, while freely admitting her guilt in numerous other criminal acts and abominations. As her shocking confessions blur the lines between charity and vengeance, delusion and reality, Paz finds himself drawn once again into the unexplained . . . and into a collision with an evil of inconceivable power.

Customer Reviews (36)

Excellent book, excellent condition
This book came quickly and in perfect condition. I am very happy with it.

Intriguing Characters and Plot
This is the 3rd Gruber novel I have read and am not in the least disappointed. I am amazed at the depth and extent of Gruber's knowledge of so many different subjects. I will be reading everything he wrote in the near future.

Scary & So Good it'll Make You Cry
Miami Police Detective Morales is out if front of the Trianon Hotel when a body falls from one of the rooms. Detective Jimmy Paz (of Tropic of Night fame) joins him in checking out the stiff's suite and up there they find Emmylou Dideroff on her knees, praying. It looks like an open-and-shut case. Emmylou describes the victim as a Sudanese man who deserved to die. The killer had taken a connecting rod to his head and Emmylou's prints are on that rod.

Paz tells Emmylou she had better confess or she could receive the death penalty, to which she replies that it would be an honor to be executed unjustly, like Jesus himself. Paz thinks the woman is crazy, how could he not. She says she'll write out her confession and asks for four of those old-fashioned black and white composition books and begins to write.

In her narrative she writes that she'd been raised poor in Florida, that after her father died her mother married the local police chief, who in turn sexually abused Emmylou. She spent her teen years planning how to kill him, before running away and earning a living as a lady of the night, then she hooked up with a big time marijuana dealer, eventually getting shot during a police raid. Luckily she escaped the cops and wound up in a school run by the Nursing Sisters of the Blood of Christ, who minister to innocents trapped in war zones. There she was brought back to health, embraced Catholicism and came to believe that she had been redeemed for a special role in God's plan. She goes on to tell how she went to Sudan with others of her order to minister to refugees from the civil war. She is a student of military history, and after witnessing atrocities against the refugees and finding a cache of weapons, she begins to train an army. She becomes a modern Joan of Arc, leading her army against the government forces. Emmylou's experiences are illuminated by saintly visitations, damned by demonic possession, and driven by the voice of God.

And now a lot of people, included Paz's father don't want those notebooks to come to light. Is Emmylou God's instrument on earth as she truly seems to believe. Paz can only wonder as the story races to a climax that puts its characters in conflict with a terrifying evil.

This book is scary. This book will have you on the edge of your seat. This book will have you reading the night away. The characters are as real as you and me. The tension drips off the pages. I can't say enough good about this story.

Is she crazy?
This was loaned to me with a warning that I would like it.I did.Mysteries are something that I only read (in this case listen) from time to time.

The mystery begins with office Morales responding to a disturbance call from a hotel and becomes a witness to a possible suicide.He investigates the victims room and there he finds Emmylou Dideroff huddled in a corner of the room muttering prayers.

Detective Jimmy Paz enters the scene and figures Emmylou is the killer and thinks she might be going for a crazy plea with her apparent Religious fanaticism.Emmylou is to be evaluated by psychologist Lorna Wise who is drawn into the plot by the fact Emmylou does not fit the normal profile and in fact might be a new classification of mental condition. Paz starts to wonder especially when Emmylou demands four notebooks to write her confession which involves the telling of her hard life of abuse, drugs, prostitution and the eventually joining a Nursing order.Confessions are never that long.

Is Emmylou crazy? Are her stories true? Paz has a case on his hands to where he begins to wonder if she is not the killer.

The story or should I say stories will keep the reader entertained. You have the mystery, Emmylou telling her her story and a side story of the history of the order.

There are references to another book but the information is not presented in a way that will confuse the reader.

Michael Gruber did a wonderful job with Emmylou as her stories are good and at times will make you wonder if she is crazy and making things up. The side story of the order helps as you might wonder if the order did exist. Even on the Net you can find such questions.

If I had to suggest a bad part of the story, I might say it was the ending. It seemed a little to orderly and rather simple almost in the typical Happy Ending.

The story was read by Nick Sullivan of assorted TV and theater works. He does a great job overall by I must admit to getting annoyed by the whining of Dr. Wise but that was probably his intention.

Overall it was a great story and I will look for other works.....

a very different, but good, read
This was a very interesting book.It is definitely one of the stranger books I have ever read.Almost gave it up several times but when I finished it I can truly say that I enjoyed it.A very different read.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'" ... Read more

Product Description

Retired Miami Homicide Detective Jimmy Paz has put the darkness behind him. But now he, his wife, and their young daughter are being haunted by terrifying dreams. And when affluent Miami businessmen begin dying gruesomely in their fortress-like homes—with the footprints of a giant jungle cat found at the crime scenes—Paz has no choice but to get involved, because what he loves most may be the next thing devoured.

Customer Reviews (15)

WOW!Michael Gruber is an Artist with Words!
I have read all of Michael Gruber's books now and he paints a picture with words like an artist paints a picture with oils.I have a library of several thousand books and I can honestly say Mr Gruber is my favorite author.He is intellectual and his work is well researched and intriguing.I wish he had 10 more books I could buy and read and love.If you want a quick read and are into Harlequin Romance novels don't buy this.If you want to really delve into another world, enjoy mystery and great literature, then buy this book.

Worthy and interesting read
This is the third Jimmy Paz adventure that I have read and I've enjoyed the series very much. One of the difficulties this type of adventure has and a common problem of many books is the creation of an almost invincible evil in the first 85% of the novel only to be defeated in an almost simplistic method. I still recommend these books if the genre of spiritual mystery is of interest to you and hope my critique hasn't put you off.

Outstanding
Briiliant new genre, excellently written, a great pleasure to read. Has a quite different twist.

Night of the Jaguar
I found the writings of Michael Gruber by accident about a year ago. I was so impressed and entertained by his book that I had to find out just who this guy was and why had I not come across him before. Turned out that he was busy. Google him, he's had a fascinating career outside of writing and he certainly brings this rich background into his stories. His characters are uncommonly well defined. In other words, they are ALIVE. His story lines are intelligent and seamless. "Page Turners", I would find myself up a 2am saying "just one more chapter, I'm good with 4 hours sleep." I've read all his books and happily await for more.

Plausibly supernatural & a fine character-driven mystery
Nobody has done a better job of bringing the "lost" supernatural dimension of primitive folk magic and religion into the modern mystery/thriller world than Michael Gruber.He has a deep and sympathetic understanding of what we secular Westerners might regard as "alternative belief systems," and he manages to seamlessly juxtapose witchcraft, Santeria, etc., with utterly plausible crime and violence plotlines.Additionally, few authors in the thriller genre can match Gruber's ability to flesh out characters -- even bit players -- in three dimensions.By now it's well-known that Gruber is the ghostwriter responsible for the first 13 crime novels "authored" by his cousin, Robert K. Tanenbaum, which are among the very best of the genre.I will read anything he writes. ... Read more

Product Description

An artist born outside his time, Chaz Wilmot can paint like Leonardo, Goya, Gainsborough—and he refuses to shape his talent to fit the fashion of the day. His unique abilities attract the attention of Werner Krebs, an art dealer with a dark past and shadier present, and soon Wilmot is working with a fervor he hasn't felt in years. But his creative burst is accompanied by strange interludes—memories that are not memories . . . and he begins to wonder if he is really the person he believes he is. When a previously unknown masterpiece by the Spanish painter Velázquez is discovered, the artist suddenly finds himself lost in a mirrored house of illusions—and propelled into a secret world of greed, lies . . . and murder.

Customer Reviews (37)

Great price....good read
Quick delivery, great price, and a very exciting art mystery with all the technical aspects of being a fine artist.I am an oil painter too.

Another Winner for Gruber
I read and loved Gruber's The Book of Air and Shadows and, while perhaps falling just short of that book's lofty standard, this is another excellent, wheels-within-wheels literary thriller from Gruber.This time, the foci are (separately) on painting and psychosis, and Gruber's facility with these fields appears as effortless and complete as his command of Shakespeare and book binding in the The Book of Air and Shadows.Gruber's stories are so complex that they are difficult to wrap up without leaving the reader saying "huh?", as I did a bit at the end here.But the journey he takes you on is outstanding and stays with you.The old masters, Velazquez, psychosis--this book gave me a perspective that will stay with me for a long time, or did I just dream reading this book?

Outstanding!
I have just sent an e-mail to my friends urging them to read The Forgery of Venus. It is one of the three best art-world novels I have ever read, right up there with Richard Condon's The Second Oldest Confession and (say I modestly) my own Someone Else's Money (you can look it up to see what AMZ readers think). I cannot recommend this wonderful novel warmly enough. I didn't know Gruber's work, doubtless thanks to New York's constipated book world, but I feel as if I have stumbled into Eden - with all his other books before me! Just flat terrific!

The Forgery of Venus: A Novel
The story line was a bit over the top. It helped to know something about Velasquez and his paintings.

Far-fetched but fascinating
The story is hard to believe in but I couldn't put this book down. It would make no sense to readers who aren't familiar with time travel fantasy, but this book is exceptional. I might read it again, just to refamiliarize with the juicy details. And the accounts of painting techniques are riveting. Reminded me a bit of Jack Finney's books and stories. ... Read more

Product Description

Jane Doe lives in the shadows under an assumed name. A once-promising anthropologist and an expert on shamanism, everyone thinks she's dead. Or so she hopes.

Customer Reviews (74)

A spellbinding tale deliciously spun and served up for the reader
This book transcends any particular genre category but manages to combine elements of many:adventure, crime/mystery, magical realism, psychological suspense, anthropology, mythology, and perhaps even some others.I've read thousands of books over my 50 years as a reader, and I would unhesitatingly place this book, as well as the two follow-up books involving Jimmy Paz ("Valley of Bones" and "Night of the Jaguar") in my favorite top 15 books.I have also listened to them on audio CD, and the images unfold before your eyes like you are watching a play.As I listened, I thought, on more than one occasion:"How can a book be THIS GOOD??"Michael Gruber is a storyteller of unparalleled talent -- his research of the topics on which he writes is astute for sure, but it's the spellbinding way he unfurls a story that is so captivating. I quite often found myself alternately laughing out loud at the clever tongue-in-cheek commentary, holding my breath in fear, and ultimately sitting in my car in the driveway listening to the audio book long after I'd arrived home simply to hear "what happens next."

Thrilling, and fascinating to boot
Gruber merges (seemingly authentic) anthropological observations and seat-of-the-pants storytelling in this very unusual, totally riveting, take on the detective novel.Towards the end of ToN, the whiff of the supernatural is a little stronger than Publisher's Weekly would have you believe.But the setup is so intelligent that the ending at least seems credible -- albeit stretching the limits of credibility.ToN is unputdownable, a masterful piece of fiction.

Spellbinding
I love Michael Gruber and I'm going slowly through his books. I'm afraid if I rush through them that I'll be lost until he writes another. Tropic of Night spans decades, civilizations and parallel realities while drawing you in more and more, until you can't unwind yourself at the end. Gruber has vast knowledge about the wide world and what goes on in it, both past and present, but he never patronizes the reader. His characters are fleshed out with sensitivity and compassion, and his dry wit is unmistakable. But enough about Gruber. Tropic of Night will chill your bones. It is terrifying. A great mystery and a wonderful study of human frailties and, ultimately, love. That's the amazing thing about Gruber. He writes mysteries, but his books transcend the genre. They are full of human folly, adventure, intrigue and the complex bonds between families and humankind in general. Once you get into Tropic of Night, you're done. Send your spouse/kids/etc. to a movie without you and enjoy.

It'll Knock Your Socks Off
I'm not into sorcery, witchcraft, Santeria, or Africa. (Or at least I wasn't.)

But I LOVED this book.

Michael Gruber is simply a superb writer: witty, elegant, intellectually interesting, artful....you name it. His prose is better than that of most "literary" novelists, and he combines that with suspenseful, intelligent plots and great characterization. Where he leads, I will follow, all of my usual skepticism turned off at the pump. He's one of fewer than five authors I buy in hardback as soon as the book comes out.

Read this book, and the ones that follow. You won't be disappointed.

meh.
not that great.pretty well written, but "thought provoking"?Not really.Literary thriller?Not to me.Too much silly action in the end, and I had to suspend my belief a whole heck of a lot. ... Read more

Product Description

A fire destroys a New York City rare bookstore—and reveals clues to a treasure worth killing for. . . . A disgraced scholar is found tortured to death. . . . And those pursuing the most valuable literary find in history are about to cross from the harmless mundane into inescapable nightmare.

Customer Reviews (121)

Book Got Here Okay...But Not as Promised
There were many pages that had markings (underlining) which was not disclosed in the description of the item.

Pure Fun

First of all, I wish reviewers would stop rating every book they like five stars. To me five starts implies "One of the best things I've ever read; a timeless masterpiece." I think a really good read, like The Book of Air and Shadows, that doesn't take itself too seriously, has a good balance of character and plot, includes interesting historical and literary facts and is often funny and sarcastic, deserves four stars as its highest rating.

With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel even more than I did The Good Son, which I read first. Both Jake and Albert are flawed men who recognize their flaws but don't allow them to stop them from being heroic, funny, quick-thinking and self-effacing all at the same time. The plot is a little fantastic, but the story never loses its charm, mostly because Jake and Al seem to agree with the reader that everything going on is a bit over the top. I mean, people get shot often in this book, but noone ever seems to go to jail or suffer consequences. Everything gets "handled" by some supporting character who has connections with the police department or underworld. But you're too busy rooting for the heros to really care. Will they clear up the mystery of the manuscripts? Will they get the women they love? These are the questions that kept me going. Not "Why does Jake have so much sex?" or "How can Albert's mother be so knowledgable?"

It's a fiction, people, and as long as the author doesn't insult our intelligence with unrealistic motivations or nonsense dialogue, we might as well give in and enjoy ourselves. I did, and I'll likely pick up "The Forgery of Venus" next to see what fun Gruber has with the art world. I like to be entertained.

Great novel, fun to read
This is the second novel by Gruber I've read (The Fogery of Venus was the first), and I'm as pleased with this one as I was with that.Not only it is a bit of a mystery story with many untimely deaths and a big mystery as to who is actually pulling the strings behind the scenes, but the novel has a lot to say about what is truth and what is the truth in memory.At one point the main character (who is rather unlikeable but there are several other major personages in the story who make up for that) says in his narration: "What if everything I thought about my past was wrong? what if I am akind a fictional character, fed with lies for the purposes of others, or maybe for no purpose at all, or for sadistic amusement? Being alone...aggravates this feeling of unreality, or incipient madness. Perhaps I will start to hallucinate, whatever hallucinations are.Although feeling one is going mad is supposedly a sign one is not.If you really go crazy, everything makes perfect sense." This is one of the major themes of the book, in my opinion, similar to themes explored in The Forgery of Venus.In short, the book is a very good read, one that keeps you interested in the plot, plus gives you a lot to ponder.I heartily recommend it.

Addictive read
The Book of Air and Shadows turned out to be an addictive read... somewhat like your favorite TV show... you can't wait to see what happens next.I stopped reading mystery novels some time ago, as I always figured them out... I'm so glad I gave this one a try... how wonderful and refreshing to be pulled along... I couldn't wait to have the chance to pick it up again and continue with the story.Full of wit, twists and turns... an enjoyable ride and read.

When does the story start?!
OK, I can't give it a full review because I have to admit I didn't finish it. But that's my point. I picked up the book based on a couple suggestions from people reviewing other books (including those by Dan Brown). I got as far as page 54 and gave up. I am 54 pages in and I cannot tell you what the book is about. Sure I can read blurbs or reviews but if I was 30 minutes into Raiders of the Lost Ark and all that had happened was Indy sitting in a bar talking about his childhood - my knowledge of the plot wouldn't matter. By this time in a reasonably good novel you should be hooked, not wondering what the plot is. ... Read more

Product Description

A wondrous journey through the realms of magic

Customer Reviews (13)

entrancing and magical
Having read another book by this author, I chose this.I was totally engaged by the world that he created.

The infant child adopted by a witch...raised by a bear...with the lovingkindness that we would all wish for for any child.

The characters that we meet...some are fairy tale characters...you find out the true story of Hansel and Gretl from their own mouths (certainly not the story we remember as children).

The love of a mother, the rebellion of a child, the greed of adults and the compassion of others.And, finally, well, that I will leave to the next reader of this book to savor.

The book is magical, entrancing.

I am happy that I read it.

I hope that you will be too.

Gruber Story with a message
I thought I knew what to expect when I bought another Michael Gruber book, even though it was for "children".I was suprised and loved this book and wished it was longer or there were additional books to follow.I loaned the book to four other people and two loved it, one had trouble getting into it but then loved it, and the other liked it okay, but couldn't handle the fairy tales being changed - she just didn't get it.(She is a romance novel reader).

I would recommend this book for children over 13 as it has messages that would be missed by anyone younger.I am going to get a copy for my grandaughter for her birthday because I think she will devour and love it.I hope some of the message of selfishness is not missed on her, because she could use a little nudge in that direction.Children don't really get many moral messages these days from their parents and this story has a deeper message about family and love and hopefully it is not missed on the children that read it.

Amazing novel, a classic in the making!
I had thought that maybe they didn't make good literature any more, but this entertaining and fast-paced adventure deserves to be in the ranks of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and George MacDonald.It's not quite so preachy as some but does explore morality, how people change over time, relationships, desires, gratitude, sin and redemption, and does so in a very entertaining (tho it does get dark at times) way.

I really liked this book
I rented this book from the library and it is a really good book.I like how they touched upon other fairy tales.It was a good read and hard to put down - I needed to know what will happen next...Will Lump change and be a better person - will he find love - will he forgive his mother - will he forgive himself.

Hate to use the wordtoo often but "Classic" fits here
This wonderful tale of the witches boy named Lump, is one of the best children's books that I have ever read.Though at times the story becomes a bit too dark and the vocabulary too difficult for the young ones.Hey, who am I kidding, at times the vocabulary was tough for me. That being said I read this book over about a month to my 8 year old daughter before bed and as we got into the second hundred pages we both began to look forward to bedtime.Like the other reviewers, I found the retelling of several fairy tales to be the books greatest strength but the characters of Lump, Ysul the bear and Falance the cat are characters that won't soon be forgotten.With the spate of fantasy movies being made these days, I hope some filmmaaker options this wonderful book as a movie, done right it could be a "classic" as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Beginning with a consideration of Nietzsche's inflammatory and critical insight that the modern world is framed by the death of God, Michael Gruber confronts contemporary disenchantment and its necessary offspring, the "universalization of terror." By making truth relative, negating the value of beauty, and rendering questions about the good dubious if not obsolete, terror permeates all aspects of our psychosocial existence with the threat of dehumanization. In response to this terror, which is the fundamental mood of our time, Gruber advocates re-imagining our destiny as a path of initiation.

Describing an inner awakening to the spiritual world, whose earthly manifestation of its inherent divinity invites and necessitates our conscious participation, Gruber offers readings and practices that promote the incarnation of "noble souls." Referring to the work of Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Steiner, An Unknown Destiny describes how psychotherapy can move beyond healing the ego to transcending the ego. Gruber shows how opening the soul to meditative or intuitive forms of thinking can contribute to the development of new soul faculties of perception and to the experience of moral freedom. Most important, he shows how the incomplete and continuously evolving Mystery of Golgotha can inspire the emergence and presence of modern human beings infused with Christ consciousness--reverence, wisdom, peace, and love.

"An Unknown Destiny is like a stream of fresh water in which all psychotherapeutic approaches would do well to immerse and possibly transform. Gruber's reading of the works of Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Steiner concerning the realm of terror that pervades our world, is not only a tour de force of reflection upon the writings of these seminal figures, but a clear and highly accessible one. Michael Gruber has done a great service to psychotherapy. I learned a lot." --Nathan Schwartz-Salant, Ph.D., Jungian analyst, author of The Mystery of Human Relationship and The Black Nightgown

"Michael Gruber brings together key points in Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Steiner to point out the connection between psychotherapy and the path of initiation appropriate to our time. In this way, he locates the essential spiritual challenges from our greatest thinkers. Gruber has an appreciation of the mythic that approaches, at times, that of A.K. Coomaraswamy. But he does more. He shows how living thinking, the fresh experience of being, and the awakening from technology's hypnotic thrall, can all become realities for us. In doing so, Gruber clears a path for the self-aware individual to become no longer a passive recipient of mass culture, but a point source of love and wisdom." --Michael Lipson, Ph.D, psychotherapist, author of Stairway of Surprise

"Michael Gruber has written a truly remarkable, courageous-beyond-belief book. He shows how modern psychology serves terrorist structures of consciousness. He further shows that only a truly spiritual psychology can break through these forms. His creative reading of Nietzsche opens the path of therapy as modern initiation. His work with Rudolf Steiner reveals the presence of pathologies of spirit that are still being approached as psychological difficulties; and how to approach them anew. Finally, his understanding of Heidegger shows the way to the imaginal reality of the unity of person-world. A truly breakthrough book!" --Robert Sardello, Ph.D., author of Love and the World and Silence, cofounder and codirector of The School of Spiritual Psychology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Deeply important step forward in consciousness.
This is a tremendous book. It is a priceless addition to the tool chest of anyone struggling to become a conscious human being. Reading it gives the experience of being in the presence of Christ and points the way to becoming a truly creative, constructive, warm Christian.

It also addresses the progressive understanding required of healers, seekers, psychotherapists, and anyone else who wishes to keep up with the evolving states of human consciousness. ... Read more

Product Description
This lavishly illustrated history of the American railroad poster whisks us away to an era when the rails were king. These enticing advertisements to visit the cities and landmarks of the growing United States make fora truly sentimental journey--and a luscious feast for the eyes! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Bygone Era, Remembered
I love trains, and I was born just a little too late to have enjoyed the last great decade of train travel (I was 15 when Amtrak was formed).

So it's great to live that era vicariously through books like this. The presentation of the posters is top-notch, as are the bios of the artists and the descriptions of the processes by which certain posters were created. Not a complete documentation, but a vital part of any railroad library.

This Book Stimulated My Interest in Railroad Art
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R31W9OS7MPFJZF So I went out and bought my first print from NelsonArtWorks.net? So waddaya think?

Another wonderful book
We came across posters that we had not seen elsewhere in this book. Great documentary for a bygone era and the prints are excellent.

Stuck-up trains.
The American railroads sold their services using posters but had a problem deciding what should be shown.European train posters mostly favored showing the end destination rather than the American graphic idea of showing the train.The first few posters shown in this beautiful book are a mixture of route maps, flamboyant lettering and illustrations of trains, sometimes all on the same poster, too.

Santa Fe, to my mind, really kicked off the great railroad poster by using the talented Louis Treviso and Oscar Bryn.They both produced knockout, straightforward graphic solutions, with bold colors and strong typography, clearly influenced by the leading European poster artists like Ludwig Hohlwein, Lucian Bernhard and the Beggarstaff Brothers.Into the twenties Santa Fe used Sam Hyde Harris to continue the trend in strong graphics.Southern Pacific used Maurice Logan to design equally powerful posters, page sixty-two has a stunning Logan graphic of two trains selling the Great Salt Lake.

Other artists and designers who get a good showing are Hernando Villa, who developed the memorable Indian's head for Santa Fe, Leslie Ragan for the New York Central (he has the most illustrations in the book) Sascha Maurer for the Pennsylvania Railroad and many artists who have one or two works shown.The authors combine all these creative folk and the way their output was used by the rail and ad industries up to the Fifties.

I thought the book was very well produced, though the caption typography is rather fussy, using the rather old fashioned Fig.33 and then capital directions in brackets (FACING PAGE TOP LEFT) in every case there is enough space to put the caption below each poster.The back of the book has a bibliography and index.

This is probably the best (and only) title about American railroad posters, some good work is shown in All Aboard!: Images from the Golden Age of Rail Travel, by Lynn Johnson which also covers general railroad graphics.European travel posters have had plenty of coverage and I can recommend a really super book of British work Railway Posters 1923-1947: From the Collection of the National Railway Museum, York, England, by Beverly Cole and Richard Durack with over two hundred illustrations in a well designed book.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover, ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive finds report discusses and catalogues discoveries of Italian Terrra Sigillata decorated with applique made in the Roman Province of Noricum. Sections examine the history and technology of applique decoration, the subject and pattern types, such as rosettes, figures, spirals, animals and plants, the quality and fabric of the vessels and their distribution across this northern Province. The volume includes chemical analyses of the pieces. A CD-Rom publishes the catalogue but the volume itself is fully illustrated with vessels and types of decoration. ... Read more