KIRKUS REVIEW A U.S. Navy physician shares his secrets for a more successful life in this self-help work. Mathurin conceived of his debut book when he realized how critical checklists are in the worlds of naval aviation and medicine. Itemized lists, he says, help avoid flight mishaps and operating room errors, so he wondered, “Why not apply this same concept to people’s lives to help them achieve their highest potential?” That epiphany resulted in this book—a kind of instruction manual for living that breaks achievement into seven “checklist items”: “Goals,” “Take Action,” “Courage to Consistently Commit,” “Value Resources,” “Investing in Yourself and Others,” “Giving Back,” and “Create a Legacy of Service to Others.” An introductory section helpfully explains each of the core concepts, in brief, and these same blocks of text are repeated at the beginning of each of seven chapters. The items themselves are unlikely to be new to most readers, as many of the ideas are common in self-help literature (such as “Have the courage to go the extra mile with everything that you do, each and every time”). But the presentation of the material feels more novel, as the overarching checklist concept isn’t taken literally; the book’s merit derives from the idea that one can systematically address several broad areas in the quest for a fuller life. At the very least, this notion gives the book a highly focused structure that makes it easy for readers to navigate.? Unsurprisingly, given the author’s military and medical background, there’s a sense of logic and precision to this book. Each chapter’s content is uniformly positive and always emphasizes proactivity, but it’s also clear that the book isn’t intended to highlight step-by-step procedure. Instead, it offers a wide-ranging, general discussion of each list item, using examples and personal anecdotes to illustrate specific points. To that end, Mathurin writes from a very personal perspective—sharing, for example, how he grew up in poverty in Haiti—and he explains with some eloquence how he used the principles that he lays out in his book to “transform [his] life from famine to abundance.” He writes with a great deal of insight, as well, offering not only accounts of his own experiences, but also the wisdom of others, such as investor Warren Buffett and the late self-help authors Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill. Mathurin’s style often takes an inspirational tone, as he exudes a sense of confidence in his approach to life: “Success,” writes Mathurin, “is only ten percent intention and ninety percent action.” About leading others, he writes, “always strive to be the leader you would want to follow; strive to be the calm voice in the midst of the chaos, and—while you are at it—strive to be the change that you want to see.” Finally, Mathurin stresses that you can “lay the path to your legacy by focusing on giving back the acts of kindness you have received along the way.”? A book of noble, sincere, and expressive advice for living.

Writers Editors Critics (WEC) An International Biannual Refereed Journal of English Language and Literature Volume 7, Number 2 (September 2017) ISSN: 2231-198X RESEARCH ARTICLES Sharan Speaks: Colours of Resistance and Emancipation on the White Paper - Jaydeep Sarangi Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet: An Appraisal of Life Skills - S. Kumaran Analyzing Intertextuality in Paulo Coelho's Manuscript Found in Accra - Joji John Panicker Multicultural Ideologies in the Select Poems of K. V. Dominic: A Rendition of Poetic Insight - Parthajit Ghosh Confrontation of Democracy and Religion-Centred Politics Intriguing Khushwant Singh's India in The End of India - Sreedevi R and Raichel M. Sylus Pangs of Lacerated Psyche--An Analysis of Ramesh K. Srivastava's My Father's Bad Boy: An Autobiography - Smita Das Poetry and its impact on status quo: The case of poems by Ethiopian students in the 1960s - Tesfaye Dagnew Gebrehiwot Tracing Spirituality in a Feminist Context in Khushwant Singh's I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale - Kanchan Mehta A Study of the Radicalism of Daniel Defoe in the Novel Robinson Crusoe - Iman Abdullah Al Mahdi A Socio-Psychological Analysis of Anita Desai's Baumgartner's Bombay - Atul Rasika Moudgil Conflicts between the Conscious and Unconscious mind in Shashi Deshpande's Strangers to Ourselves - M. Durga Devi Bio-Diversity and Deep Commitment: A Deep-Ecological Study of Bengali Dalit Poetry - Sibasis Jana A Canadian Asset: Mavis Gallant Celebrated For Her Style and Technique - M. Revathi REVIEW ARTICLES T. V. Reddy's Insightful Survey of Indo-English Poetry - Manas Bakshi Effusion of Emotions in Manas Bakshi's Parnassus of Revival - S. Barathi An Economic Perspective of K V Dominic's Short Story "Who is Responsible?" - Mousumi Ghosh Seeing Beyond Seeing: Ecstatic Epiphanies, Uncanny Realizations and Ultimate Transformation in Alexander Raju's And Still Plays The Abyssinian Damsel on her Dulcimer - Kavitha Gopalakrishnan Jacinta: A Pioneer Tribal Poet in Hindi -Fr. Varghese Paul, SJ BOOK REVIEWS O. P. Arora's Heartbeats of Silence: A Collection of Poems - Anisha Ghosh (Paul) Natalia Molebatsi and Tiziana Pers, Elephant Woman Song - Jaydeep Sarangi Jaydeep Sarangi's To Whom I Return Each Day - Patricia Prime SHORT STORIES A Memorable Present - Ramesh K. Srivastava Vanity Fair - T. V. Reddy A Hartal Safari in God's Own Country - K. V. Dominic A Change for the Better - Chandramoni Narayanaswamy As You Sow - Manas Bakshi In the Light of Anamika's Thought - Sabita Chakrabarti Another dawn ... another day... 164 - Molly Joseph POEMS How to Tear away the Self - D. C. Chambial Sitas and Savitris - D. C. Chambial The Chameleon - O. P. Arora I Walked through the Forest - O. P. Arora When I Was Thirteen - O. P. Arora Taking it from Nature - Manas Bakshi Caution - Manas Bakshi In Search of New Hues - Ketaki Datta No Bullets for No Cause - Ketaki Datta Peace Bombed to Doom - Ketaki Datta Poetry - Rajiv Khandelwal Miser - Rajiv Khandelwal Standing Alone - Rajiv Khandelwal A Hymn - Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya Life Touches - Molly Joseph The Cart - Rita De A Seat - Rita De Learn more at www.ProfKVDominic.com

For 7 to 9-year-old boys and girls. Children, usually driven by peer-pressure, want the latest toys, electronics and clothes, but have little understanding of the value of money or where it comes from. This is essential knowledge for later years. Billy wants a new skateboard and games controller, but doesn’t understand why he can’t have them bought for him. He doesn’t pay anything towards other household costs, so why does he have to contribute to a toy? His mum and dad are presented with some large and unexpected household bills, but once Billy understands the challenges his parent’s face, it makes him respect them more, and understand how much they work to invest in their family. Does Billy get a new skateboard? Who pays for it? Can the family afford to keep their pet dog? Billy Wants It All is the seventh title in the Billy Growing Up series. Each book addresses a unique topic—bullying, arrogant pride, jealousy, lying, stealing, lack of self-belief, understanding money, and secrets. Written to help parents, guardians and teachers deal with the issues that challenge pre-teen children; each topic is presented in a gentle way through storytelling. Setting the issues in a meaningful context helps children to understand the challenges, and to see things from a different perspective. The books act as icebreakers allowing for discussions of difficult subjects. Additionally, each title is supported by a free activity book to reinforce the learning, while having fun. Buying this book today will help your child learn about the value of money and where it comes from.

The Town Traveller is one of Gissing's novels which earned him more income during his lifetime than most of his other novels. The story is full of life and descriptive detail. It revolves around life of town traveller Gammon, just the sort of quarter-educated that Gissing usually despises.

Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters, from oldest to youngest: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. A romance, a quest, a family drama that validates virtue over wealth. The start of the story is set at Christmastime, where Jo, the second eldest of the March sisters, grumbles that Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents. The four girls discuss the upcoming holiday and sigh as they long for pretty things that they can't have because of money constraints

Λνε τι ο ρωτα περνει απ το στομχι. Πολ αμφιβλλω! Αν ο ρωτα ακολουθε κποιο μονοπτι, ττε το στομχι εναι, σω, ο τελευταο προορισμ, μετ απ πολλ στροφ, στσει και σταυροδρμια… Τραντζει τα μσα σου και το τσιτωμνο δρμα στο στρνο σου πλετε σαν να εναι τουμπερλκι. Τραντζει το πουκμισο ανμεσα στο δετερο και το τρτο κουμπ, που πντα χει την εντπωση πω το βλπουν λοι… Και ποιο εμαι εγ που αμφιβλλω ε;, θα μου πει. Με λνε Γιργο… Ο Γιργο, παιδικ φλο του Στθη, δεινο καρδιοκατακτητ και επικριτ του ρωτα, αποφασζει να σου διηγηθε με πολ χιομορ αλλ και αγπη την ιστορα του φλου του, προσπαθντα να αποδεξει πω αν η ζω θλει να παξει μαζ σου, δεν θα τη γλιτσει σο ξυπνο πονηρ και αν εσαι. Γιατ εναι τιμο πργμα ο ρωτα! τιμο και πουλο. ρχεται πντα ταν δεν τον περιμνει. Η ιστορα ξεκιν τη νχτα των γενεθλων του Στθη. να ατχημα που θα τον φρει πολ κοντ στο θνατο γνεται η αφορμ να πρει την απφαση να αλλξει τη ζω του, μχρι που θα ρθει η ρα να την πατσει για τα καλ!

Our first ever collection of plays with multiple roles for large casts. Suitable for schools, colleges, youth theatres, amateur dramatic societies and community groups to perform. This great collection of critically acclaimed plays has been produced internationally. ‘Twice Upon a Time’ – Somewhere in the distant future, a shape-changing creature known as the Cailleach deceives a young warrior into entering the Otherworld, a place where a single moment can equal an eternity. Can he find his way back to the girl he loves? ‘Small Fry’ – shortlisted for The Writers Guild Award for Best Children's Play. A play in which the small fry take on the mighty dragon, win the jackpot and outwit the scavengers and predators that usually prevail. ‘The Minotaur’ – A spell-binding version of the famous myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. ‘Talking with Angels’ – An original and highly imaginative retelling of the complex story of Joan of Arc.

In modern-day Tehran, you can never predict how life will turn out. Part thriller, part cookery lesson, this is the story of a family struggling to deal with the challenges of a regime where secrecy and surveillance are an everyday part of life. Abbas calls together his wife and daughter and their friends and nighbours for an impromptu feast. Going in the pot are fresh herbs, spices, sweet vegetables and Eli’s mother’s secret ingredient…

After the festive dinner with its eight courses and its endless conversation, Olga Mihalovna, whose husband’s name-day was being celebrated, went out into the garden. The duty of smiling and talking incessantly, the clatter of the crockery, the stupidity of the servants, the long intervals between the courses, and the stays she had put on to conceal her condition from the visitors, wearied her to exhaustion. She longed to get away from the house, to sit in the shade and rest her heart with thoughts of the baby which was to be born to her in another two months.

Writers Editors Critics (WEC) An International Biannual Refereed Journal of English Language and Literature Volume 7 Number 1 (March 2017) ISSN: 2231 - 198X RESEARCH PAPERS The Confessional Voice and Rebellious Cry of Kamala Das as Visualized in her Poetical Works: A Brief Analysis - S. Chelliah The Philosopher-Scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and his World View: A Study - J. Pamela Artificial Intelligence and the Instrumental Marvellous in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Novels - Lekshmi R. Nair Return to Wholeness: The Landscape of Willa Cather's O Pioneers! - Vikas Bhardwaj Nation and Identity Defined through Bodies: A Study of Bapsi Sidhwa's Ice Candy Man - Sonia Soni Ramesh K. Srivastava's "Under the Lamp": A Study - Shipra G. Vashishtha Reinventing Roots in Esther David's Book of Rachel - Giftsy Dorcas E. A Critical Reading of Authentic Existence in Claude Mckay's Banana Bottom - S. Khethzi Kerena "Write My Son, Write": An Aesthetic and Spiritual Reflection of World by K V Dominic - Laxmi R. Chaughaan Nandini's Sita: A Deep Dive to Every Woman's Journey - Arti Chandel Lives on Pyre: A Socio-realistic Portrayal in D.C. Chambial's The Cargoes of the Bleeding Hearts - Parthajit Ghosh& Dr. Madhu Kamra An Evolution of His Demography: A Socio-cultural Flow in the Fictional World of Manoj Das - Suresh Bera & Somali Gupta Maya Angelou's Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?: a Paroxysm of Confession - Ishita Pramanik & Dr. Shukla Banerjee REVIEW ARTICLES Eco-critical Perspectives in K. V. Dominic & Pamela Jeyaraju's (eds.) Environmental Literature: Research Papers and Poems - S. Barathi T. V. Reddy's Melting Melodies: An Analysis - P. Bayapa Reddy Critical Evaluation of T. V. Reddy's Melting Melodies - Dwarakanath H. Kabadi BOOK REVIEWS T. V. Reddy's Golden Veil: A Collection of Poems - Patricia Prime Ramesh K. Srivastava's My Father's Bad Boy--An Autobiography - Smita Das O. P. Arora's Whispers in the Wilderness: A Collection of Poems - Patricia Prime Vijay Kumar Roy's Realm of Beauty and Truth: A Collection of Poems - Sugandha Agarwal GENERAL ESSAYS Regional Integration in South Asia: A Nepalese Perspective - Shreedhar Gautam Role of Information Library Network (INFLIBNET) in Checking Plagiarism in Indian Universities - P. K. Suresh Kumar Sojourn in Forests - Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya The Commonplace Economic Thoughts of a Seventy Five Years Old Lady - Mousumi Ghosh INTERVIEW Conversation with Subodh Sarkar - Jaydeep Sarangi SHORT STORIES Perils of Simplicity - Ramesh K. Srivastava The Melody Queen - Jayanti M. Dalal (Trans. Dr. Rajshree Parthivv Trivedi) A Strange Reunion --- Chandramoni Narayanaswamy Is Human Life Precious than Animal's? - K. V. Dominic Psychological Effect - Manas Bakshi POEMS Regain the Vision - T. V. Reddy Down the Memory Lane - T. V. Reddy Memories - T. V. Reddy Patiently I Saw - D. C. Chambia

Peek inside the mind one of Contemporary India's most influential poets Inside this book you'll find Dr. Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya, one of the most erudite philosopher-critics of India, brilliantly evaluating his compatriot English poet K.V. Dominic. Among the contemporary English poets of India, Dr. K.V. Dominic has established an unchallengeable position of his own. Through his poetry collections Winged Reason, Write Son, Write, Multicultural Symphony, Contemporary Concerns and Beyond, and K.V. Dominic: Essential Readings and Study Guide, Dominic has beautifully portrayed themes of environmental, social, political, and humanitarian concerns. Mukhopadhyaya, with his unique style, critically and philosophically studies not only Dominic's poetry, but also the poet himself as a person with his background of family, town, state, and country. Being a master of Indian as well as western philosophy, Mukhopadhyaya digs out the philosophic thoughts lying hidden in many of the poems. In addition, his depth in English and Sanskrit literature has enabled him to make comparisons of Dominic's poems to those of the legends. "Dominic's poetry reflects India. This is the base of the study by Mukhopadhyaya who has taught literature and authored books. He finds Dominic's poetry irresistible. I add that Mukhopadyaya's book is enlightening and also irresistible. His study is a compassionate painting of Dominic's poetry with the shades that are eternal." --Dr. Stephen Gill, Canadian poet and novelist "Dr. Mukhopadhyaya's critique is a remarkable contribution to Dominic's poetry, as it is systematically written with philosophical explications and comparisons to great legends as well as classical poets of the East and the West. Indeed an important addition to the existing works on this major literary figure." --Dr. Rob Harle, Australian poet, author and artist "More than merely an analysis of Dominic's poems, this book is an insight into the vibrant philosophy experienced by the Indian mind that has amalgamated both the perennial bliss and the painful vicissitudes of life to foster sublime and universal notions of life. As the volume reveals the personality of the poet, it invites attention to the authenticity of the impersonal theory of poetry." --Dr. S. Kumaran, Indian critic, scholar and academician, author of Philosophical Musings for a Meaningful Life: An Analysis of K.V. Dominic's Poems Learn more at www.profkvdominic.com From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

ONE of the best things to be said of the stories in this volume is that, although they are not biographical, they are about real persons who actually lived and performed their parts in the great drama of the world's history. Some of these persons were more famous than others, yet all have left enduring "footprints on the sands of time" and their names will not cease to be remembered. ??In each of the stories there is a basis of truth and an ethical lesson which cannot fail to have a wholesome influence; and each possesses elements of interest which, it is believed, will go far towards proving the fallibility of the doctrine that children find delight only in tales of the imaginative and unreal. The fact that there are a few more than fifty famous people mentioned in the volume may be credited to the author's wish to give good measure.??SAVING THE BIRDS?ONE day in spring four men were riding on horseback along a country road. These men were lawyers, and they were going to the next town to attend court.?There had been a rain, and the ground was very soft. Water was dripping from the trees, and the grass was wet.?The four lawyers rode along, one behind another; for the pathway was narrow, and the mud on each side of it was deep. They rode slowly, and talked and laughed and were very jolly.?As they were passing through a grove of small trees, they heard a great fluttering over their heads and a feeble chirping in the grass by the roadside.? "Stith! stith! stith!" came from the leafy branches above them.?"Cheep! cheep! cheep!" came from the wet grass.?"What is the matter here?" asked the first lawyer, whose name was Speed.?"Oh, it's only some old robins!" said the second lawyer, whose name was Hardin. "The storm has blown two of the little ones out of the nest. They are too young to fly, and the mother bird is making a great fuss about it."?"What a pity! They'll die down there in the grass," said the third lawyer, whose name I forget.?"Oh, well! They're nothing but birds," said Mr. Hardin. "Why should we bother?"? "Yes, why should we?" said Mr. Speed.?The three men, as they passed, looked down and saw the little birds fluttering in the cold, wet grass. They saw the mother robin flying about, and crying to her mate.?Then they rode on, talking and laughing as before. In a few minutes they had forgotten about the birds.?But the fourth lawyer, whose name was Abraham Lincoln, stopped. He got down from his horse and very gently took the little ones up in his big warm hands.

When George Washington was a boy there was no United States. The land was here, just as it is now, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific; but nearly all of it was wild and unknown.??Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Allegheny Mo-untains there were thirteen colonies, or great settlements. The most of the people who lived in these colonies were English people, or the children of English people; and so the King of England made their laws and appointed their governors.??The newest of the colonies was Georgia, which was settled the year after George Washington was born.?The oldest colony was Virginia, which had been settled one hundred and twenty-five years. It was also the richest colony, and more people were living in it than in any other.??There were only two or three towns in Virginia at that time, and they were quite small.?Most of the people lived on farms or on big plantations, where they raised whatever they needed to eat. They also raised tobacco, which they sent to England to be sold.??The farms, or plantations, were often far apart, with stretches of thick woods between them. Nearly every one was close to a river, or some other large body of water; for there are many rivers in Virginia..

Michael Faraday (1791 –1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include those of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis. Although Faraday received little formal education, he was one of the most influential scientists in history. It was by his research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current that Faraday established the basis for the concept of the electromagnetic field in physics. Faraday also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an underlying relationship between the two phenomena. He similarly discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation of electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became practical for use in technology. As a chemist, Faraday discovered benzene, investigated the clathrate hydrate of chlorine, invented an early form of the Bunsen burner and the system ofoxidation numbers, and popularised terminology such as anode, cathode, electrode, and ion. Faraday ultimately became the first and foremost Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, a life-time position.. Faraday was an excellent experimentalist who conveyed his ideas in clear and simple language; his mathematical abilities, however, did not extend as far as trigonometry or any but the simplest algebra. James Clerk Maxwell took the work of Faraday and others, and summarized it in a set of equations that is accepted as the basis of all modern theories of electromagnetic phenomena. On Faraday's uses of the lines of force, Maxwell wrote that they show Faraday "to have been in reality a mathematician of a very high order – one from whom the mathematicians of the future may derive valuable and fertile methods." The SI unit of capacitance is named in his honour: the farad. Albert Einstein kept a picture of Faraday on his study wall, alongside pictures of Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell. Physicist Ernest Rutherford stated; "When we consider the magnitude and extent of his discoveries and their influence on the progress of science and of industry, there is no honour too great to pay to the memory of Faraday, one of the greatest scientific discoverers of all time". ABOUT AUTHOR: John Tyndall (1820 – 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His initial scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air. Tyndall also published more than a dozen science books which brought state-of-the-art 19th century experimental physics to a wide audience. From 1853 to 1887 he was professor of physics at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. Tyndall was born in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Ireland. His father was a local police constable, descended from Gloucestershire emigrants who settled in southeast Ireland around 1670. Tyndall attended the local schools in County Carlow until his late teens, and was probably an assistant teacher near the end of his time there. Subjects learned at school notably included technical drawing and mathematics with some applications of those subjects to land surveying. He was hired as a draftsman by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland in his late teens in 1839, and moved to work for the Ordnance Survey for Great Britain in 1842. In the decade of the 1840s, a railroad-building boom was in progress, and Tyndall's land surveying experience was valuable and in demand by the railway companies. Between 1844 and 1847, he was lucratively employed in railway construction planning. In 1847 Tyndall opted to become a mathematics and surveying teacher at a boarding school (Queenwood College) in Hampshire. Recalling this decision later, he wrote: "the desire to grow intellectually did not forsake me; and, when railway work slackened, I accepted in 1847 a post as master in Queenwood College." Another recently arrived young teacher at Queenwood was Edward Frankland, who had previously worked as a chemical laboratory assistant for the British Geological Survey. Frankland and Tyndall became good friends. On the strength of Frankland's prior knowledge, they decided to go to Germany to further their education in science. Among other things, Frankland knew that certain German universities were ahead of any in Britain in expe-rimental chemistry and physics. (British universities were still focused on classics and mathematics and not laboratory science.)The pair moved to Germany in summer 1848 and enrolled at the University of Marburg, where Robert Bunsen was an influential teacher. Tyndall studied under Bunsen for two years.

n lucrarea sa, care a ctigat premiul Pulitzer n 1981, Robert K. Massie prezint detaliat viaa acestui captivant personaj istoric i evideniaz evenimentele cruciale care au transformat un biat ntr-o legend, inclusiv cltoriile sale incognito prin Europa, curiozitatea sa de nepotolit fa de obiceiurile occidentale, obsesia pentru mare i constituirea mreei flote ruseti, modul n care a creat o armat de nenvins i relaiile sale cu cei pe care i-a iubit cel mai mult: Ecaterina, iubita sa tandr, i Menikov, prinul fermector i lipsit de scrupule care a ajuns la putere prin intermediul prieteniei cu Petru. Un loc special n carte l ocup relaia dificil a lui Petru cu fiul su Aleksei, care a fost judecat i condamnat la moarte n 1718. Autorul nu neglijeaz nici viaa politic, social, cultural i religioas din Rusia pe parcursul jumtii secunde a secolului al XVII-lea i primei pri a secolului al XVIII-lea. Astfel, Massie i conduce cititorii n lumea ruseasc medieval i premodern schimbat iremediabil, uneori n mod violent, de reformele iniiate de monarhul autocrat Petru cel Mare. Fie c sunt schimbri care au afectat n primul rnd individul, precum obligativitatea tierii brbilor, sau iniiative care au vizat consolidarea forei statului, de exemplu, nfiinarea marinei ruseti i a Sankt-Petersburgului, reorganizarea administrativ inspirat de modelul occidental, toate acestea au transformat Rusia medieval ntr-un stat modern. n acelai timp, multe dintre reformele din timpul lui Petru au avut o influen ndelungat asupra societii ruseti. Cartea lui Massie nu ofer doar o perspectiv intern a societii ruseti, ci urmrete i aciunile lui Petru n planul politicii externe, la nivel european sau chiar global. Astfel, dou dintre cele cinci seciuni ale lucrrii se ocup de relaiile Rusiei cu celelalte state europene. Poate cel mai important conflict din timpul domniei lui Petru a fost cel mpotriva Suediei. n urma Marelui Rzboi Nordic (1700-1721), Rusia a obinut o serie de teritorii (Estonia, Livonia i Ingria). Totodat, deznodmntul acestui lung rzboi a nsemnat i ascensiunea Rusiei la rangul de putere continental. Pe plan militar, ns, domnia lui Petru nu a fost scutit de eecuri. Campania arului din Moldova, pornit mpotriva Imperiului Otoman, s-a terminat prin nfrngerea de la Stnileti (1711). Nu de puine ori, autorul american i aduce n prim-plan pe actorii politici importani din Europa sfritului secolului al XVIII-lea i nceputului secolului al XVIII-lea. Regi, comandani militari, nobili, toi sunt prezentai cititorilor, care pot astfel nelege mai bine aciunile sau atitudinile lor. arul Aleksei, tatl lui Petru, Ludovic al XIV-lea, Wilhelm de Orania, Carol al XII-lea, Augustus de Saxonia, ducele de Marlborough, prinul Eugeniu de Savoia sau feldmarealul Rehnskild se numr printre figurile ilustre descrise de Massie. De regul, atunci cnd analizeaz anumite perioade, istoricii pun accentul pe rolul proceselor i al fenomenelor de lung durat, lsnd cumva n umbr personalitile excepionale. Tocmai pentru a sugera impactul lui Petru cel Mare asupra istoriei Rusiei, n special, putem face apel la istoria contrafactual i s ne ntrebm: Cum ar fi artat Rusia contemporan dac n-ar fi existat Petru cel Mare

Cum ?i-au crescut regii britanici copiii din 1066 p?n? ?n prezent Lumea ?ntreag? a fost uimit? c?nd Prin?esa Diana s-a dovedit a fi o mam? bun? ?i afectuoas?. Ea a constituit o excep?ie: Familia Regal? a Marii Britanii este cunoscut? mai cur?nd pentru rela?iile reci ?i chiar tensionate dintre genera?iile de p?rin?i ?i copii. ?nc? din vremea Reginei Victoria ?i a Regelui George al VI-lea, p?rin?ii ?i-au exprimat ?n mod f??i? dezam?girea fa?? de mo?tenitori. David Cohen folose?te materiale noi ?i documente descoperite recent, ce dateaz? ?nc? din vremea dinastiei Tudor, ?i realizeaz? ?n Educa?ia regal? o combina?ie captivant? ?ntre istorie ?i telenovel?. ?O bog??ie de anecdote – de la lec?iile de scrim? p?n? la faptul c? Prin?ul Charles a avut valet de la v?rsta de trei ani.“

O carte-eveniment, alc?tuit? din dialoguri cu Ana Blandiana, Nicolae Breban, Augustin Buzura, Ion Iano?i, Gabriela Melinescu, Irina Petra?, Dumitru Radu Popa, Alex ?tef?nescu ?i Ion Vianu. Un manual indirect de istorie, realizat de cunoscuta scriitoare (romanciera, poeta ?i eseista) ?n baza m?rturiilor unor oameni de cultur? de prima m?n?, posibile modele europene, care – ?n falsa tranzi?ie interminabil? – aleg, iar ?i iar, voca?ia, atipica meserie de scriitor, r?m?n?nd – martori impar?iali ?i aten?i – mereu ?n prim plan. O carte extrem de dens?, actual?, un fragment dintr-o posibil? istorie a mentalit??ilor. ?Aceast? carte a ap?rut din nevoia de prietenie; a fost adunat?, treptat-treptat, ?n ritmurile felului meu de a fi, uneori-adeseori, catastrofic de ?ncet. Interlocutorii mi i-am ales, i-am c?utat, am ?ncercat s?-i "tachinez" cu ?ntreb?ri, temele discu?iilor converg?nd, firesc, de fiecare dat?, spre o arie de preocup?ri, care ne unesc mai mult dec?t ne despart. Fie ca dialog?m cu Ion Iano?i, fie cu Nicolae Breban, fie cu Ana Blandiana, fie cu Augustin Buzura, fie cu un alt interlocutor, de fiecare dat?, voiam s? aflu – folosind ca instrument, iar uneori ca arm? (din apanajul retoricii, de buna seam?) ?ntreb?rile; unele dintre acestea, da, naive, st?ngace, ?n schimb vii, mereu vii! – cum a rezistat fiecare dintre ei, cum a reu?it s?-?i construiasc? un destin, cum a izbutit s? fie, sa r?m?n? el ?nsu?i/ea ?ns??i ?i s? nu se pr?bu?easc?, cum a izbutit fiecare s? nu renun?e la lupta pentru sine ?nsu?i, pentru cultura rom?n?? Cu unele dintre personajele acestei c?r?i – dac? acceptam ca fiecare scriitor e un personaj, iar literatura este o singur? carte unic? – vreau s? cred c? m-am ?mprietenit, descoperindu-le, redescoperindu-le de fiecare dat?; ?mi place s? cred c? fiecare, aproape fiecare dintre invita?ii mei – ?ntr-un fel sau altul – m-a marcat, m-a f?cut s? m? reapropii altminteri de literatur?, de lectur?, de carte, s? v?d altminteri c?teva lucruri nelipsite pentru mine de greutate, sau – ?i mai important ! – m-a ajutat (uneori, f?r? s? ?tie!) sa r?m?n aceea?i, adic? s? nu m? schimb. Adesea, c?ut?nd prezen?a scriitorilor, de fapt c?utam o calitate la care ?ntunecat?, ?ntortocheat? de mine ajunge greu, c?teodat?, foarte greu: senin?tatea. Apoi… c?utam oameni de litere vii, scriitori ?n carne ?i oase – cum spuneam ?n adolescen??, ?i, iat?, mai spun ?i la cei circa patruzeci de ani – c?rora nu le este str?in cultul prieteniei, cultul voca?iei, cultul lucrului bine f?cut, al lucrului "rotund", cum afirm? un personaj din unul din romanele mele. Apoi… da, nu ascund, c?utam ceea ce se nume?te "complicitate" ?ntr-o lume cultural? postdecembrist? pestri?-amar?, desp?r?it? ?n grupuri, biserici, pui de catedrale. Marea majoritate a protagoni?tilor acestei c?rti de altminteri sunt mari lupi singuratici; ?i mi-a f?cut pl?cere s?-i ?ndemn s? vorbeasc? despre felul ?n care trateaz? solitudinea, via?a, literatura, contemporaneitatea. (Aura Christi)

Cassian Maria Spiridon e un fervent al fragmentului liric, al concentratului capabil a fixa poezia. Spa?iul ?i timpul verbului se contrag astfel la minimalul semn al substan?ei, ungarettian urm?rite ?n sensul unor fugitive contacte ale universului l?untric cu cel exterior, ?nconjurate de magia t?cerii. Pe deasupra oric?rei dezvolt?ri, resim?ite ca parazitare, fragmentul e suveran ca loc privilegiat al poeziei. Dac? Paul Valery afirm? c? partea cea mai profund? a omului e pielea sa, ?n?elegem alarma nivelului senzorial, ?ncordarea sim?urilor ?n vederea ?ntegr?rii ?n real a fiin?ei. Se ajunge astfel la o poetic? a sim?urilor. Aceasta restaureaz? concretul ?n drepturile lui de atotputernic? imaginea a lumii. Cassian Maria Spiridon tr?ie?te liric prin concret, ?nlocuind sublimarea experien?elor sale suflete?ti printr-o decupare ghidat? de acuitatea contemplativ?. (Gheorghe Grigurcu)Pozi?ia individual? a unui Cassian Maria Spiridon, interiorizat, divizat ?i iscoditor (dup? o copil?rie frustrat?), comport? st?ri de opozi?ie, accente de orgoliu ?i tentative (e?uate) de ini?iere ?ntr-un umanism f?r? tenebre. Ca?iva dintre contemporanii s?i mai v?rstnici ?i sunt aproape. (…) Problematiz?nd, la modul ?nalt, d?nd prioritate cerebralit??ii ?i ?nc?dr?ndu-se axial ?n fluxul psiho-nevrotic al momentului sau, Cassian Maria Spiridon opune decorativismului ?i transparen?elor ?nsemnele unei vie?i interioare fr?m?ntate. Poezia sa, de un lirism ideizat, e jurnalul superior-ceremonios al unui melancolic de extrema luciditate. (Constantin Ciopraga)

Volumele de dialoguri (vor fi trei ?n total) socratice adun? convorbiri cu personalit??i ale culturii ?i literaturii na?ionale, realizate ?n libertate, ?ncepind cu 1990. Ele au fost publicate ?n diverse reviste, ?n principal ?Convorbiri literare“ ?i ?Poezia“, dar ?i ?n ?Dacia literar?“, ?Poesis“, ?Hyperion“ ?.a. Dialogurile se succed ?n ordinea apari?ie ?i reflect? fr?m?nt?rile culturale, literare, politice ale momentului, de interes peren ?i constant privind biografia artistic? a personalit??ii intervievate. Dialogurile sunt vii, atractive, instructive ?i mereu actuale prin problematic? abordat?. Participan?ii la acest veritabil banchet platonician din primul volum, Democra?ia oblig? idiotul sa stea al?turi de geniu (310 pagini), sunt: Petre ?u?ea, Ana Blandiana, Alexandru Zub, Ioan Alexandru, Dimitrie Gavrilean, Mihai Ursachi, Cezar Iv?nescu, Svetlana Paleologu-Matta, ?erban Cantacuzino, ?tefan Avadanei, Cristian Simionescu, Luca Pi?u, Lauren?iu Ulici, Corneliu ?tefanache, Ioana Cr?ciunescu, Paul Goma, Monica Lovinescu, Ilie Cleopa, George Astalos, Marin Mincu, Liviu Ioan Stoiciu, Dan M?nuc?, Costache Ol?reanu, Sorin Vieru, Gellu Dorian, Alex ?tef?nescu, Nicolae Manolescu, Ilie Constantin.

Este un autoportret al cunoa?terii personale, un autoportret schi?at ?n timp real, sub ochii cititorului, pe m?sura ce Lara ia cuno?tin?? de st?rile emo?ionale prin care trece, ??i analizeaz? sentimentele, rezultatul posibilelor ac?iuni, analizeaz? deciziile pe care le ia, consecin?ele posibile. Dilema declarat? a Larei este: cum ?mpaci nevoia inimii pentru noutate, pentru tr?iri spontane, cu monotonia mariajului, chiar dac? acesta e fericit? Con?tiin?a sa este prins? ?ntre dragostea pentru so?ul cu care ?tie c? se potrive?te ca structur? ?i pe care ?l iube?te, ?i efervescen?a aventurii cu un alt b?rbat, care ?i furnizeaz? spontanul dup? care t?nje?te. Romanul se concentreaz? pe amant ?n mod deliberat. Lara este perfect con?tient? de r?ul pe care ?l produce celor trei personaje ?mplic?te: so?, amant, ?i ei ?ns??i. Perioada ?n care este creat ?i definitivat autoportretul sunt ultimii ai comunismului, anii ?n care priva?iunile impuse popula?iei sem?nau mai degrab? cu priva?iunile unui r?zboi. Cu toate acestea, eroina se concentreaz? cu ?nc?p???nare pe iubirea ei, pe mi?c?rile sufletului ei, refugiindu-se ?n tr?irile proprii ?i reu?ind astfel s? se salveze de autocomp?timire ?i s? supravie?uiasc? ?ntr-o aparent? normalitate.

Schlesak l combin pe Bakunin cu Marx i era sedus de modelul politic iugoslav. “Teoria tnrului Marx (preluat de la Hegel): realizarea i autorealizarea.“ Dictatura i aprea nc umana, aproape de o forma de realitate i de trirea autentic. Libertatea occidental ar fi creat doar un context amorf. n acest inacceptabil context, nu caut o ieire practic, optnd pentru una teoretic, teoria fiind suficient siei i dizlocnd tot restul. “Nu de soluii, ci de utopii, de ieiri, de asta avem nevoie.“ (dec. 1971) epeneag nu gndea diferit. i el definea contextul social i politic n termeni identici. Accepta i modelul iugoslav. i gsea calitatea de a fi joncional. “Iugoslavia poate juca rolul de punct de contact.“ Nu degeaba se spune: Historia magistr vitae! Istoria (realitatea, contextul) dicteaz modurile de a gndi, prea puin retrospectiv, vag proiectiv, ntr-un prezent tranzitoriu, amorf i (n)formal. La 12 august 1973, urma modelul ceh, “opoziie pe fa“ i-i schia corespondentului su un plan de colaborare.“Un eseu incitant despre unul dintre cei mai importani scriitori romni de expresie germana, stabilii n Italia.