5 comments about Living the Wisdom of the Tao: The Complete Tao Te Ching and Affirmations.

1. Tao Te Ching..meaning Book of The Way, or book of the Word. One of the best books ever written. Certainly , the book that has had the most profound positive influence on my life.
   
   If you are like me, you may be wondering should I get this particular version, and how does it compare with other versions like the Mitchell, English and Star version.
   
   No matter how great a writer you think Wayne Dyer is, he did not write the Tao, yet his rendition is consistent with the best versions I have read. The distinguishing trait of Dyer's version is that there is a short affirmation opposite each verse, a lesson to be derived.
   
   Some of these are good, and still leave room for you to come up with your own ideas. In fact, that is an inspiring way to go through the tao, and I must make a point of going through my other versions and writing out my thoughts on each chapter. So, thank you, Mr Dyer. I also like the layout with the graphics. They add a little atmosphere to each verse.
   
   So, my personal favorite version is the Stephen Mitchell version. The Tao is wise, paradoxical, counterinituitive, puzzling, fascinating, mysterious, inspiring, amazing and true. These concepts bypass ego based thinking, and the idea of doing things by not striving is allowing a higher more authentic way of thinking to inform your being and your action.
   
   The Jane English version, has a 25th Anniversary Edition which is a large size book, coffee table version, with symbols, and graphics, and a regular size version.
   
   One of the Jonathan Star versions has Chinese symbols at the back, with multiple meanings of each symbol.
   
   This is a great idea, which allows you to come up with your own version of the Tao, and would really open up your thinking on the Tao.
   
   If you are like me, then as you read you discover the wisdom
   like a raw jewel which you shape into a glittering diamond. That is the brilliance of the book.
   
   The Tao is always present within you.
   You can use it any way you want.
   
   
   81 chapters, all less than one page. Like any great mystery, the Tao is there to be experienced and not necessarily understood. Here is a selection from verse 81 to illustrate the difference between different versions.
   
   True words aren't eloquent;
   Eloquent words aren't true;
   Wise men don't need to prove their point;
   Men who need to prove their point aren't wise.
   
   A different version might substitute the word beautiful for eloquent.
   
   You can feel comfortable buying the Wayne Dyer version, or any of these other versions.
   
   I also recommend The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, which is another classic book of wisdom, and The Dhammapada featuring the succinct teachings of the Buddha.
   
   If you were to find this review helpful, please click yes.



2. I have been interested in and a student of the teachings of Wayne Dyer for some time.
   
   This work is yet another piece to have in your self-improvement library. I believe firmly in the messages he relays and have been learning the power of meditation.
   
   If you're interested in expanding your horizons, this is for you.



3. Dr. Dyer writes in a down-to-earth style easily understood by anyone. His books may hold information one knows already, but just reading them tends to bring the words home and helps one to make positive changes in one's life.



4. This is a good translation of Lao Tzu's masterpiece. The wording is clear and concise.



5. Wayne Dyer is an enlightened human being. His outlook on life derives from many years of mastery. I especially like his affirmations related to intention.

5 comments about Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Hope, Healing and Forgiveness (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. I brought this book for a good friend of mine who is currently in prison and he enjoyed reading the book and found it to be very encouraging.



2. Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul was suggested to me by a prisoner. Having worked in the California State Prison at San Quentin in the late 1960s and at other lockup facilities in California and Arizona, I am usually hesitant about inmate suggestions for my reading list. However, this book far exceeded my expectations. It is so powerful, I read only a few chapters at a time. The effect could be overwhelming. So turn off your speed-reading skills, resist any temptation to use this for bedtime reading and expect to get more than your money's worth



3. prisioners need to have something possitive to read. A bad attutude will carry to there life after they get out and on the other hand so will a possitive one. Smiles to all



4. I was searching to find a inspirational book for my dad whom recently was sent to prison. He said right away he loved the book and now it is being shared by all his friends in his unit. He cant get enough Chicken Soup books and wants more of them right away !!! 5 stars for sure



5. I purchased this book for my husband and he had written me several times quoting passages from it and told me he wished I had a copy so we could discuss it together. With that said, I purchased an additional copy and read it in one day. My son walked by and saw and me tearing up and asked what I was reading and I read him the except. We continued reading them together out loud. He too cried. It is an awesome and inspirational book that will make you laugh and cry. It created some bonding time with my son and opened up topics of conversation between my husband and me. Worth every penny and so much more!

No comments about Firstborn Advantage, The: Making Your Birth Order Work for You.

5 comments about The Art of Speed Reading People: How to Size People Up and Speak Their Language.

1. Wow, what an eye-opener this book is! I really enjoyed reading this book about human personality and strongly recommend it to everyone. The book compares different personality traits and guides the reader to effectively and efficaciously interact with people regardless of their trait. Wish I'd read this book in high school!



2. wow this book gives us the best of solution to understand and identify the personality of others. I recommend it!



3. My impression of personality tests where like Horoscope readings. However, after reading this book, I was mightly impressed.
   
   It really does identify your personality type and explore your personal traits. The thing that I found most interesting was the way they explained the four temperaments. It talked about how the 4 temperaments are nothing new and how it has been around since history. I found this quite fascinating especially since I believe that people are unique and different. Although this may be true, I was quite convinced by the book that there are very similiar traits within the same group of personality type or temperament.
   
   I think this is very interesting to think throughout history, even though we may evolve in different ways, we are basically the same people. Wow! To think there are many others out there that are like me is astounding. This book definitely opens up your eyes and gives you a great understanding of people and why people act that way.
   
   I think it's also very important how the book notes that while this provides a great perspective, to use caution because there are many factors that could influence how a person acts (social expectations, culture, etc.) However, the book goes on to further say that a person's most comfortable way of acting is living to their personality. This may not make sense, but after reading the book, I'm sure you will.
   
   The information as described in the book is about 80% accurate, plus or minus. There is a portion in there that seems highly contradictive for my personality type. Especailly when it talks about the I/E Feeling. However, most of it is pretty accurate.
   
   I haven't finished the book, but obviously the book says it's suppose to teach you how to speed read people. I have been able to do this partly, but I think it does take intensive study for you to learn the material and have it readily available when you actually interact with people.
   
   Overall, a definitely good read!



4. I generally like Meyers-Briggs personality books. The test is pretty acurate as far as standardized personality tests go. It's pretty flexible and encompassing and if you haven't taken it you should. You'll learn something about yourself.
   
   That said, I don't think this book was the best example of what one can achieve using knowledge of Meyers-Briggs. The speed reading is not very revealing. The tips they give are things anyone with familiarity with the system could figure out on their own. In the beginning of the book one of the authors talks about the time she had to give a presentation to someone and she observed that he was a meticulous fellow and then used her amazing people reading skills to determine that he might be very detail oriented, so she crafted her presentation with that in mind. Really? A meticulous person might be detail oriented? Well madame how DO you DO it? It's not bad information but it's stuff you don't need if you have any of the other Meyers-Briggs books and a bit of intellectual horsepower. If you've never been introduced to these personality tests I guess this is an ok introduction, but eventually you'll want to move on to something a bit more meaty, like "Please Understand Me", or "Gifts Differing". There is a little new material here but it's sort of a re-heated version of the previous two books I just mentioned. Sure some of it is useful stuff, I just think there are better books out there. But that's just my opinion. It is worth a look, maybe check it out from the library first and see what you think.



5. These authors really know their stuff. This book provides amazingly accurate insights to the human mind~ why people act the way they do. Of course, it's not 100% accurate because no two people are exactly alike. So while they generalize a lot, it's nearly always correct. Sound like psychology? It is! This book will give you a good foundation of understanding human psychology, and if you're like me, and are entirely UNINTERESTED in psychology, this will cure you and help convert you to the real validity behind it.
   
   I don't agree that it has helped me "speed read" people~ perhaps I am just so new to the concept of understanding people that I need more time. However, it has given me PRICELESS insights to the people I'm around everyday, and whom I have time to 'read' a little slower.
   
   BUY this book. I daresay this is as fundamental to life as basic mathematics.

5 comments about Breaking Free: A Recovery Workbook for Facing Codependence.

1. I've taken a few sessions with Diane, a cognitive therapist, who has shown an interest in Melody's work. From the little I've read it seems that the work of Freud and Jung are at the heart of this type of analysis. From memory Freud argues that there are conscious and unconscious levels of human experience.
   
   At the conscious level we go about our day to day lives growing, working, having families and other relationships as we may. The sub-conscious level of being is the fundamentally human, the BIOS of being. Here we are programmed to procreate and well being is achieved by behaving in ways consistent with successful procreating and nurturing. The two may collide as life choices at the conscious level ...
   
   I think that a practical person has to start with simple assumptions like, `in the end we are all dead', and no matter what else, the dog needs a bone.
   
   This is why I value the stuff I've read from Freud and Jung and see the study of the `child within' from behaviourists and cognitive therapists like Melody and Diane useful and instructive, but apt to take you beyond the point of utility. What is the reason for analysing the mysteries of childhood? Probably to identify points of dissonance between the conscious and unconscious aspects of self and to experiment with healing strategies which lead to healthier being. But there needs to be a line in the sand beyond which you press to make the experience of life the point rather than be lost under too much analysis.
   
   The danger is always at the level of the navel. Anything too far south of the navel for too long can in the end lead to time consuming introspections which channel energy where is might have been more usefully employed at the practical level.
   
   Because of this fear of losing the plot, being analytical to a point of purity and inertia, I feel more attracted to Seligman's texts, like Learned Optimism. Although wordy and victim of the modern determination to demonstrate that the underlying methodology is clinical and tested, it falls into the `kick in the bum' camp. By this I mean Seligman wants the reader to move forward in life, to live more successfully having learned of the kinds of errors of thought which waylay us all to some degree or another.
   
   Melody is deep navel. She is an iconoclast and defensive to the point of leaving little time for self improvement. By the time I'd accepted I'd wounded my `child within' I was ready to cauterize the bastard and throw the bone at the dog rather than to the dog. To be fair she turns the ship into safer waters in her recovery workbook but for god's sake I'll die of the tedium before I finish the exercises and get into recovery.
   
   Besides, my `bsmeter' goes into meltdown when someone defines their descriptor of human life so broadly as to include everyone and adds to that that anyone who questions whether or not they fit the bill as being in denial. Diane commented in this regard during one session. If a descriptor is universal and defended by a huge protective moat, it risks defining nothing more accurately than its own purity and purposelessness.
   
   Apart from being forward looking, Seligman concludes that we arbitrate our own destiny. At the end of the day he has us able to fix ourselves if we want to. Change what you can and acknowledge that that which you can't change is something you can manage, maybe with drugs in the case of some depressions for example.
   
   Co-dependence theorising is fine, but the ship is at sea taking water, so let's stop looking at the errors in the maps we were issued with and turn the boat around before it hits another iceberg.



2. This book was extremely helpful as a follow-up to Pia Mellody's other books.I know someone in recovery for drug and alcohol addictions and this book has helped me to help support them in their recover.
   reccommend it.



3. It took me several years before I was ready to work this book. I would pick it up, get paralyzed with fear, and then put it down. Once I was ready, it changed my life completely. I buy a new one every year or so, and work it for different reasons. Totally changed my world. I am forever grateful to the author.



4. Ok, ok, I have to admit I have journaled this year and so I bought the book hoping it would help me streamline the work I need to do. However, it didn't. But not because it's not well thought out but because I prefered to follow my own thoughts and feelings in my own way rather than the way layed out in the book. If you're interested in purchasing this book I recommend looking at it in person and carefully thinking about whether it will be helpful to you. It's basically lots of empty space (so you can journal) but it does give you suggestions and examples on what to journal about. I'd say that the more you struggle facing your issues the more helpful the book will be to you because it will give you ideas.



5. Breaking Free: A Recovery Workbook for Facing Codependence
   Great companion for working the CODA 12 steps. makes tackling that fearsome 4th Step a lot easier. Simplify your recovery.... this workbook is a 'must have' tool.

5 comments about 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to Overcome Chronic Distraction & Accomplish Your Goals (10 Simple Solutions).

1. This was one of the first books I read on Adult ADD, and I liked it. It did have allot of good ideas, and covers just about all areas. If you need help with organization and time management, I'd recommend "ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life" before this book, but if your focus isn't on just those two issues, this book has broader info, covering other topics, such as the workplace and social skills. So, get this book depending on your needs.



2. I wouldn't even give this book one star. It read like the author copied every basic article he could find on ADD and put it into this book. It didn't offer answers to anything. It was a waste of my time and money.



3. This is a book I wish I'd owned years and years ago. It would have changed my life back then. This book understands the goings-on in the mind of a person with ADD. It cuts to the chase giving advice that can be put into play on the spot. Great handbook.



4. This book was a quick, simple read - just what the ADD need! It's not going to solve your ADD problem 100%, but it certainly provides a great start to improving your current situation.



5. I love this book.It arrived quickly, and in great condition. If I didn't have ADD, I would have already left a review. Sorry, working on that.

5 comments about Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories, and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It.

1. The journey of a writer needs and benefits from this book of SARK's...haha...at least MY journey does. SARK's unique and colorful pages reflect and remind that she courageously did it "her way" and she's been inspiring and delighting readers, artists and writers AND HUMANS for many years with sharing her dark corners and bright joy as she learns. With this book, she oh-so generously and gently invites and welcomes me to ponder, to practice, to tweak and to try. She reminds me that my writing is first of all for me. This is a highly practical learning book with rich resources, tools for your chest and en-couragement for your spirit. Thank you, dear SARK, for being here.



2. The title of this book alone is inspiration enough to get our own creative juices flowing, from the author/creative artist/workshop facilitator/coach who has done so much to encourage and nurture the artist in all of us. SARK's magic reaches into the secret place that yearns to share our stories with others. She guides us along the path to the fulfillment of our own dreams. Write from the Heart : Unleashing the Power of Your Creativity



3. I haven't even gotten all the way through this easy to read and wonderful book of SARK's. I've been savoring every page. I used some of her exercises in my journal, and I started writing "pieces," based of her inspiring words. Then I couldn't stop writing. This book has become my personal coach. I already have two stories about to be published! Susan, you are so inspiring and empowering!
   
   Abby Caplin, MD, MA
   Mind-Body Medicine and Counseling
   San Francisco, CA



4. I have had writer's block for years, it seems, and this book snapped me right out of it. Simple advice and inspiration are the key - I felt accomplished with small steps instead of trying to write a certain number of pages, and I was able to silence my inner critic.



5. The SARK book, Juicy Pen, Thirsty Paper has brought me a new creative spark. I always enjoy wrting but have lost interest over the years. I had the priviledge of meeting SARK. She is an inpiration and a wonderful mentor. (and she's cute to);-)
   I don't want to go on to much it will go to her head.
   This book, Juicy Pen, Thirsty Paper is a great guide, both practical and inspirational, for anyone who wants to get in touch with their creative side. We all have our stories, I thank SARK for being the guide to help me tell mine.

5 comments about Beyond Codependency: And Getting Better All the Time.

1. The truth of the matter is:
   
   We don't want to hear it and we make any excuse to deny it. This book is a denial killer!
   
   I have been in recovery for years and let me just tell you, Beattie is right on top of the root problem. No matter who reads the words, the truth is loud and clear. I would recommend this item to anyone having problems with any relationship.
   
   You don't need to be a doctor or a shrink to see the writing on the wall. Beattie spells it out and even if you don't agree, it will open your mind to change. Worth every penny spent!



2. Melody Beattie's follow up to Codependent No More does not disappoint. I love it. It has fantastic stories and helpful strategies to live a happier life. I love this author.



3. I've been a counselor for a good number of years and I have often recommended this book for individuals who desire healthier relationships where you can respect others and take care of yourself as well.



4. this is a good book to own. my copy is dog-eared all over. and it make a wonderful gift for friends that you know who are having a difficult time. her interpretations of recovery bring everything down to a day to day experience that is very personal and very moving.



5. Beattie scores again with this self-help book. This is more in-depth than her first book, "Codependent No More," and is for those of us who have moved past the beginning steps of our recovery.
   
   Non-Christian Note: The one and only thing that put me off about this book was the constant references to religion. Yes, she says that any form of spirituality is accepted and acceptable for recovering, but when reading her book you can easily tell which one she prefers.

5 comments about The Relaxation Response.

1. This book didn't change my life but combined with other books about the subject was a welcome addition.



2. Let me just start by stating that I'm a very sceptical person, and have had high blood pressure for 20 years. I also had endoscopy that showed some acid reflux. I saw the original print hardcover book and decided to read it. I couldn't put it down! I immediately began to apply the techniques from the book. My blood pressure went from 145ish/95ish to 108/65, consistently. I felt no "burning" from acid reflux. Prior to reading this book, I had began a diet and exercise program. I lost 25lbs and approx. 2 inches off my waist, but my blood pressure was still high. I liked the way the book was written. Straight forward, no frills, just pertinent, well explained information. This book helped me save my life.



3. Probably not fair to rate the book below maximum, because this classic really was revolutionary at its publication, and is still very current at its core. The reason for rating the book now, of course, is to recommend/not-recommend a book for reading. Therefore, since the first ¾ of "Relaxation Response" covers ground that many more current books do very well, today's reader might well just skim the first six chapters. The seventh chapter quite well summarizes what to DO, and that is what the book is aiming at, after all. As stated at the beginning of that chapter, how to use the relaxation response is very straightforward. Excellent too, but we have to wade through a goodly portion of its approximately 150 pages to see that. Back in its original day, it was probably worth the full wade.
   
   There are only four steps to this process - simplicity is good - and it is not appropriate in a review to list them. Get the book from the library and find them restated in chapter 7.



4. very good book - not a gimmick.
   gives simple to use technique that anyone can use.



5. If you want to know more about your subc.I heartily recommend these CDs
   
   The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
   The Master Key System
   Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World
   The Science of Getting Rich
   The Science of Mind
   Think and Grow Rich: Original Version

5 comments about Perfumes: The Guide.

1. Yes, BUT! I was dancing with anticipation when the library finally delivered this to me. I am not a "perfumista" and I think I have a terrible nose for things. I am also a sucker for adverts, I admit it! So I was really interested to see so many perfumes reviewed in one volume.
   
   Gone are the silly and ultimately unenlightening magazine tags of "fruity," "floral," and "sexy." LT and TS delve into depth for those perfumes that merit such attention, and for others, two words often suffice. I have no qualms whatsoever about the tone of this book, which many seem to think cruel or overly snipey. I may like it because, well, I talk that way myself.
   
   However, I also have some serious complaints. It's not just that they dislike some fragrances that I like, etc. but LT's overall theory of perfume and its application in this guide leaves me cold. Perfume is something intimately tied to memory and personal taste. I cannot accept that perfume does not smell different on different people, as they posit. I tried Guerlain's Shalimar, which they rate as a masterpiece, but to me and on me it smells like wet baby diapers. Ew.
   
   I was trying to think of an example: Those scientific chaps have shown that most of our sense of taste is really our sense of smell (this is why when you have a stuffy nose your food tastes off). Let's say a person absolutely abhors food X in any form. This person goes to the best restaurant in the world and the best chef at that restaurant prepares a complex and beautiful meal that also contains X. The person will still dislike it. Even though food critics may have lauded that dish for its mastery of ingredients, complexity, etc, that person will still hate it.
   
   However, I learned about fragrances I never knew about before and have tried some of them with good results. But lots of brands and popular fragrances were completely omitted? Where's Fresh? Hard Candy? Gap?
   
   I hope they revise this with new fragrances every year. I'll probably read it, but not buy it. And take everything with a handful of salt.



2. First, let me state clearly that I used to value Luca Turin's work, and I'm enthusiastic about "The secret of scent". It is his name which attracted my attention to this Guide.
   Second, I did check authors' synopses on the back page. Dr. Turin holds a PhD in biophysics and writes about perfumes. For the little I know biophysics is not perfumery. Ms. Sanchez is an expert and avid perfume collector, writes on the Internet, lived in San Francisco and now in London. Now, how many prospective readers of this Guide don't collect perfumes, don't write on the Internet, didn't change a place of residence? OK, there is one difference - we don't claim to be experts.
   Bemused by this preliminary finding I set out to explore the book. The faults I found are so many I will just enumerate them.
   1) Text is uneven. Parts written by Turin (all text is initialed) flow easily, making for effortless reading. Sanchez's penmanship seems heavily indebted to tabloid prose, only it achieves higher level of sentence convolution. Copious references to "mom" and "dad" made me wonder if this book targets the adolescents.
   
   2) Products selected for inclusion. A lot of these brands and fragrances is just noise. We either can't buy them in the USA, or they were shortly on the market and disappeared. What's the point of including these products, in particular since many are branded as either "disappointing" or "awful"?. (Though it does give an idea why some perfumes are not available this side of Atlantic.)
   Remaining selections are either staple Sephora, or department store niche, say Creed or Annick Goutal.
   
   3) Products not selected for inclusion. I looked for some the well-known names - Panthere de Cartier, Shiseido's Feminite du bois, Hermes' Rouge, Versace Blonde, Jardin du Nil MPG (do not confuse with Le Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes) - futilely. The whole brand of Molinard is dispensed with "cheap floral scents" and only Habanita merits the review. So-called niche is limited to few brands, as a rule available at department stores. Don't expect to find here any mention of DelRae, Nanadebarry, Christiane Gelle, Shalini or Fifi Chachnil of the frolicsome flacon. Not sure if the authors heard about Montale, MPG makes an appearance only once or twice. (Strangest of all, considering the taste exhibited in perfume rating - more below - they left out Avon.) Space does not allow me to list all what is missing.
   At first I thought that the authors just pander to the interests of major department stores, but then checked again and yes, Trish McEvoy is also absent, so it's not department stores. Of course with the sheer number of perfumes on the market they had to make some exclusion choices, but what was the criteria? Perhaps product selection reflects the French/British market. Why, then, this book had been offered to the American public at all? Product selection should be adjusted to the local market.
   
   4) Style of critique. Typical review is limited to up till three lines of qualifiers, intended to explain the fragrance's rating, which ranges from "masterpiece" to "awful". Any Internet-based retailer gives better "reviews" just by listing ingredients and comparable fragrances. This Guide is nothing better than a guide to personal tastes of the authors.
   
   5) Tastes of the authors. Yes, they asked for it, by employing peculiar style of critique, see 4). Syrup, syrup ueber alles! True perfumery masterpiece sags under overload of vanilla and assorted kitchen odors, with generous hints at soiled underwear. Flowers, or rather "insect attractants", are deemed olfactorily inferior. Price is not a factor in rating, though price is said to reflect quality of ingredients; several affordable masterpieces may be found in the "personal care" section of your local food mart. Four labels - Guerlain, Estee Lauder, Chanel and Dior - dominate the field. Out of the three, two are owned by LVMH and only one has perfumes as its primary product. Given all this, I don't understand how the Authors could overlook Charlie!
   The Authors never reveal their evaluation criteria.
   
   6) Precision of execution. Sample case, Bulgari Black, which is rated "masterpiece" (did the Authors ever sniff the original Black, which reeked of burning rubber, and burning rubber alone? it wasn't pretty, but it was indeed outstanding in a very unappealing way. There is no mention of it in the review, while so many other scents come with history of all releases; current version of Black reeks of suburban mediocrity). The last sentence: "its place is with Bandit, Tabac Blond, and Cabochard among the great emancipated fragrances of all time". Now let's look at the ratings of the "great emancipated fragrances of all time". Bandit - a masterpiece; Tabac Blond - awful; Cabochard - disappointing. What did the Venerable Authors smell besides perfumes?
   
   7) Presentation method. All products are listed alphabetically, followed by lists of "top ten" and all grade categories - masterpieces, recommended, disappointing, awful. Needless to say any such ranking functions only either as personal confession, or an attempt to influence prospective buyers. Judging by distribution of masterpieces across giant marketing firms we are dealing with the latter. That's why, perhaps, any absence of groupings and indexes based on the brand, creator, or the fragrance content.
   
   On the positive note, I have absolutely no problem with the nasty tone of many reviews. Nasty wit can be wickedly funny and illuminating, though here it is neither, due to excess of clichés worn out by constant use in all texts on fashion, style and glamour. It doesn't matter anyhow, since the Guide totally fails in its purported mission. It is just another boring oeuvre on "style" (yes, "style" and not style), intended by its creator as a money-maker and directed at the newbies. Newbies are always numerous and impressionable, so it is rather easy to get them enthusiastic about - and spending on - anything.
   
   Footnote: I did not buy this book, in spite of previous positive experience with one of the authors. Decided to borrow it first and check. And the verdict is: I will not buy this book and will not bother with any consecutive editions. Better to spend on some perfume not listed in this guide.



3. You know how it goes... you get a spritz of something in the mall and, yes, it smells real purdy but is it worth the money? Is it special? Is it "you?" It smells better than nothing... usually, and on the other hand you remember all too well getting in the elevator with a bunch of overspritzed people on a Monday morning and feeling like you are going to heave. Sometimes, you fear you are picking up your own scent on the way to nauseous-ville.
   
   So, is any of it worthwhile? I have defaulted to the nice scent of baby powder more than once, but where is the buzz, where is the kick, where is the sexual pizazz? Well, it turns out that on the stink-up-the-elevator to baby powder continuum, there are some fab options. I trust these author's noses with the choice of my artifical scent.
   
   Also, a couple of things I suspected turned out to be true:
   
   1.) Manufacturers change scents... AH HA!!! I suspected as much.
   2.) Scents go through many changes on the skin... AH HA!!! Again.
   3.) A lot of the hyped scents are CRAP. AH HA!! Yet, again. This is actually the biggest AH HA of the book.
   
   No wonder we are confused. Every once in while you smell someone who smells fabulous and it's back to the cosmetic counter which is so confusing and after a while you end up with a bunch of bottles at home which smell various ways, none of them necessarily great and you wonder: is that all there is? Or, what's wrong with the babified scent of Johnson and Johnsons anyways?
   
   Primo example: Go to Victoria's Secret which turns out to be a borderline scary place, if you are baffled by the roil of celebration about average body parts of 3.5 billion women on the planet. Stumble about the beauty component of the store and pick up the "Very Sexy for Her" perfume set which the snotty salesgirl dressed all in black, who is not hiding her absolute contempt for the manner in which you are covering your nakedness and carrying about your wallet, keys, etc... and she says, "Oh, that's a fabulous scent.... Everyone loves it," and then suddenly looks as though it makes her sick nto think that you might actually buy it and somehow be associated in anyone's mind with her. So, when she's not looking you snap up the biggest vat of it you can manage along with the armloads of other stuff you hope launches you onto the stage of the hip lifestyle, scuttle to the counter, whip out you credit card, feeling that you may have accomplished the biggest coup ever. But somehow, back at the ranch, "Very Sexy for Her" never lives up to its promise. Maybe you weren't the right Her. Maybe you're overreaching. Something is very wrong, definitely not Very Sexy.
   
   TS (one of the authors) to the rescue. She says: "I have been racking my brain, trying to understand how one of the most unpleasant fragrances ever made was developed and brought to market. It consistes of a loud metallic note (which you can replicate at home by chewing on a piece of aluminum foil) plus the sourest woody amber ever and a whiff of stale pizza. Let us charitably assume that its self proclaimed sexiness has to do with the personal memories of some of VS's executives who falls helplessly into erotic fantasies in the presence of chemical spills and has mistaken this for a universal experience. Are people buying this? This fragrance and Givency's Very Irresistable lead one to believe that "very" is actually perfume industry jargon for "not at all."
   
   AH HA!!! (if there was a bigger font option, I'd use it here)
   
   Thank you TS and LT.
   
   Now what I need is this printed up on little cards so the next time a snotty VS saleperson.... (well, you know where I'm going with this.)



4. One liners about how bad certain perfumes smell isn't really what I would expect from a book that takes itself so seriously as to be titled "Perfumes: The Guide". I was hopeing for something informative. Instead I got two divas with their claws out.
   
   Yes, they're clever. They're also so superior it's nauseating.
   
   The information in the begining of the book was helpful, I enjoyed that. But the reviews were a waste of time. My issue is not with how many stars they give a certain perfume or whether or not I agree with how much they liked it (or hated it so much they insulted and mocked it), I just would have enjoyed a little more subtance and a little less venom.
   
   And for the people who were insuled by the bad reviews of their perfumes, I can see why you would be. This book is very insulting to what it does not worship. I can understand why someone who enjoys, and smells like a perfume that gets ridiculed in this book could take that a little personally.



5. I'm older now, and I have a little more disposable income (and a lot more self-confidence), so I have had great fun using this book's witty reviews to guide me in trying and purchasing perfumes. I never had more than one or two bottles of perfume on my vanity table before. Now I have several dozen because this book has made me see perfume in a whole new way.
   
   Yes, the book is a delight to read, but I have found it much more fun to actually use. Interestingly, I discovered just how interactive this book can be because I am a book lover.
   
   I was intrigued by the book's description of a perfume by L'Artisan Parfumeur called Dzing! The authors likened the perfume's scent to a "secondhand bookstore." I purchased a bottle on a whim when I happened across it on a trip to New York. It was only when I was browsing at my favorite used bookstore days later that it struck me. The vanilla overtones in this fabulous scent do indeed evoke the wonderful aroma of old paper. I smelled my wrist, I sniffed the terrific, familiar book-laden air around me, I felt a happy sense of discovery and I was hooked.
   
   Since reading this book, I have stuck it into my tote whenever I plan to be in a major department store. The book's vignettes ignite my curiosity and imagination.
   
   Take, for example, Thierry Mugler's Angel. The authors deem this scent a masterpiece. They tell the reader the history behind the scent -- that it started as a joke which combined the elements of a masculine and a feminine fragrance, but that in making that joke the perfumer came up with a truly new kind of scent. The authors point out that Angel exists in a "high energy state of contradiction. Many perfumes are beautiful or pleasant, but how many are exciting?" Then the authors deliver the zinger, which gives me a mental image for placing the perfume into my own life context. They say that Angel evokes that " woman in a film who seethes "He's so annoying!" and marries him in the end." I got that! I could then smell the contradiction and the attraction in the scent. I purchased a bottle because the scent now "speaks" to me in a way it never could have before I read this book.
   
   Is perfume necessary to my existence? No. When my children were small and we had meager time, money or energy, perfume was simply that handy bottle of Chanel No. 5 my mother had sent me for Christmas which I sprayed on to feel pretty on those infrequent dinner/movie dates with my husband (when we could get a babysitter.) Do I agree with everything the authors say about the various perfumes? No, but that's part of the fun.
   
   This book has opened a pleasant door for me. Perfume has become a fascinating foray into sensual exploration. I enjoy reading the metaphors and similes, the creative adjectives and backstories describing these perfumes, and then experimenting with the truth of them for myself.
   
   The authors have done something wonderful with this book. They have taken the mystique which advertising has always made sure surrounded fragrance and swept it away. But they have replaced that mystique with something better -- little personalities, if you will, for the different scents. Now browsing at the perfume counter has become like attending a cocktail party filled with famous people. Some will speak to you immediately. Some will stand back, but become friendly if you approach. Some are dull as dishwater. Some you will dislike. But being an insider at the party is exciting. I love that I have an invitation.