The Grandmothers: Four Short Novels

Average customer rating:

ideas, ideas, great writing, and more ideas...opens the mind and heart

Unfortunately, I gave Up...

THE GRANDMOTHERS, is comprised of four very different novell

I must detest racist author's work

Read it for "A Love Child"

The Grandmothers: Four Short Novels
Doris Lessing
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Lessing, Doris | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060530111
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Book Description

In the title novel, two friends fall in love with each other's teenage sons, and these passions last for years, until the women end them, vowing a respectable old age. In Victoria and the Staveneys, a young woman gives birth to a child of mixed race and struggles with feelings of estrangement as her daughter gets drawn into a world of white privilege. The Reason for It traces the birth, faltering, and decline of an ancient culture, with enlightening modern resonances. A Love Child features a World War II soldier who believes he has fathered a love child during a fleeting wartime romance and cannot be convinced otherwise.

Customer Reviews:

ideas, ideas, great writing, and more ideas...opens the mind and heart.......2005-10-31

I had been away from Doris Lessing too long;I had fogotten too much, even or especially about myself. You can read the plot summaries in the other reviews. I'll not repeat them and I didn't get past line 2 of SCI-Fi one...never do. Oh but the others...who has the grace of love? a generous heart? needs? mistakes, consequences...all in prose that seems efortless but is not.

a lovely, lovely treat

Unfortunately, I gave Up..........2005-08-05

There is nothing I hate more than just giving up halfway through a book, but I couldn't take this one any longer. I also don't like writing a review for a book I didn't finish, but I feel that since I didn't finish it, people should know why, so they can avoid this awfulness.

The book is made up of 4 short stories, of which I read 2 1/2. The first story, The Grandmothers, was ridiculous. Two woman who've been best friends for life start having a sexual relationship with the others son, and both are OK with it...very disturbing. And the writing style is so annoying, very dramatic and theatrical-like.

The second story, Victoria and The Staveneys, was very unbelievable as well. A little black girl goes home with Edward Staveney one day after school, is in awe of their huge home, and for the next 10 yrs thinks of nothing else. She then at the age of 19 gets pregnant by his brother Thomas, but doesn't tell him for 6 yrs, and once she does, they lavish the little girl with all the perks of the good life, while Victoria slowly loses her daughter.

And the third story, The Reason For It, is where I finally threw in the towel. What's it about? I haven't a clue. It was absolutely painful to sit there and try to force myself to read this drivel. In the end, as you can guess, I do NOT recommend this book. I'm not sure about the author, maybe some of her other novels are better, who knows, I'm not going to find out though. If you see this book anywhere, keep walking and don't waste your time.

THE GRANDMOTHERS, is comprised of four very different novell.......2005-02-14

THE GRANDMOTHERS By Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing is eight-four years old and for more than fifty years has distinguished herself as one of the most intelligent, provocative, influential and courageous writers in English. Her body of work includes novels, novellas, short stories, essays, political treatises, plays, operas, poetry, memoirs and an autobiography. The breadth of her work stretches from life on the veld in South Africa to life on other planets. Her themes center on the relationships between women and men; the painful side of interactions between children and parents; how individuals perceive themselves in society and how they believe society perceives them; how personalities are shaped or shape themselves as a result of the circumstances and experiences of the individual lives they represent; and the way political actions affect the populace and the role the individual needs to employ as a result of the political system under which they live. She believes that most psyches employ extraordinary feats of emotional, social and cultural compartmentalization in order for life to move on.

Lessing has been lauded as a staunch supporter and defender of feminism (she denies categorically this interpretation of her work). She writes about communism; her commitment to it and her later rejection of the entire movement. With no fear of exploration and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, she adopted the Sufi way of life. This "conversion" came after she reviewed a book about it, which inspired her to read everything about this mystical yet pragmatic belief system. To find a coherent path that rejects propaganda, prejudice and ideology was a gift for Lessing. The tenets of the Sufi way of life reinforced her already cemented ways of thinking. Her novels are considered especially important because of their daring and wide range: she moves from realist narrative to science fiction and fantasy without losing her focus. She is fearless and is considered one of the most forward thinking and groundbreaking writers of the twentieth (now twenty-first) century.

Her latest book, THE GRANDMOTHERS, is comprised of four very different novellas. Each one is a prototype of how Lessing perceives the possibilities available to the individual and human dramas that fill every life. These four tales emerge as a prism through which readers can catch a glimpse of the myriad issues Lessing has nurtured from her early fiction, THE GRASS IS SINGING and her feminist opus THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK, to her visionary and cautionary books like BRIEFING FOR A DESCENT INTO HELL and MEMOIRS OF A SURVIVOR.

The first story in THE GRANDMOTHERS uses the book's title for its own and begins, " ... six people were making the gentle ascent, four adults and two little girls, whose shrieks of pleasure" were prompted by reaching Baxter's, a local café where they would be rewarded with goodies for good behavior. "Two handsome men came first ... then two ... handsome women of about sixty --- but no one would dream of calling them elderly." The little group settled in comfortably, the waitress knew them and brought them their regular treats. "They all sighed, heard each other and now laughed, a full frank laugh that seemed to acknowledge things unsaid." The mood quietly relaxed and intermingled with some secret the adults share and enjoy with looks and smiles.

The Grandmothers of the scene at the hillside rest came about because two little girls who met in primary school instantly became best friends. They have always been as close as sisters and live their lives as though this were true. When they finish school, Lil becomes a competitive international swimming star while Roz turns to drama and the theater. They enjoy a double wedding, move into houses on the same street and give birth to their sons at the same time. The women have very different personalities but are more devoted to each other than anyone else. Roz's husband shouts at her, "It's you, and Lil. Always. And what difference would it make if you were [lesbians?] Obviously sex doesn't matter that much. We have ... more than adequate sex but it's not me you have a relationship with." Roz is slightly bewildered but feels no great loss when her husband leaves.

On the other hand Lil is always worried that people will think they are "lezzies." But they are so far from being homosexuals that by an unspoken agreement and cunning desire they each bed the other's son. These liaisons go on for years with much joy had by all. The whole concept raises issues of possible incest, the role of mothers in the lives of their male offspring, how to define the boundaries of different kinds of love and the impact of an arrangement like this on the development of these boys as they mature into men. Lessing presents this story without judgment on the women or the sons and clearly wants the reader to ponder the decisions these people have made and what it has cost them ... if anything.

"Victoria and the Staveneys," the second piece, works on a different plane. Here, a young black girl from "the projects" or council housing has a terrible childhood filled with loss, abandonment, illness and death. She loses her mother, is reluctantly taken in by her aunt, who develops cancer, and while she is dying insists that young Victoria take care of her. When the aunt passes away a close friend, Phyllis, who is a social worker, moves Victoria into her tiny apartment with her three children and an old, ailing grandfather.

The years pass. Victoria grows up with the knowledge that she is somehow different; she has always felt herself an outsider but makes strides to overcome her deprecating concept of herself. She develops into a stunner, which is a constant worry to her guardian, who knows too well how easily a good-looking girl can ruin her life with one act of recklessness. And, of course, Victoria does. After a series of jobs that didn't always pay well, she meets and has an affair with a middle-class white boy, becomes pregnant, doesn't inform the father, has the baby (a "mocha" little girl) and keeps her. A few years later she marries a musician who, despite always being on the road, manages to impregnate her and she gives birth to a black little boy, Dickson, who is unmanageable and "sweats too much." Soon after he is born, his father is killed. More years pass, and one day Victoria decides to tell Thomas he is Mary's father. This decision holds many terrifying possibilities for the future relationships Mary will form.

His entire family takes the news in stride. They are all liberal-minded, educated and, though sometimes feckless people, truly fall in love with the little girl. As a result of their affection, status, connections and money, they can offer her a life filled with the opportunities her mother never even dreamed of. Victoria must make the most painful decision of her life. Her daughter's entire future depends on it.

The third narrative is "light science-fiction" about a place that had once been conquered by another nation. However, in this piece, that was good because the old culture was infused with learning, storytelling and beauty, all seeped in a high sense of morality, loyalty and peace. Like all oligarchies, not every leader was benign, but the most influential was Destra who, as a child, was chosen out of twelve (The Twelve) to be taught how to care for their world and everyone in it. Under her watch this place was a glorious paradise, an Edenesque landscape. But when she dies, her son is elected by the other eleven to take her place. From that moment on, their world becomes barbaric --- warring, poorly managed and grotesque. The narrator, the last of The Twelve, tells his story in slow and with deeply felt emotion, as a storyteller should. This gives readers a chance to conjure up the images he brings forth.

This is one of Lessing's cautionary tales. In it, she harkens back to her communist days for a taste of laissez faire living with each contributing to the best of her/his ability. In other words, she flips to black --- the dark side of humanity, of how worlds erode, grow dim, lose hope and regress back to primitive levels of survival. This theme is tightly woven into the fabric of Lessing's oeuvre, as seen in some of her early works, BRIEFING FOR A DESCENT INTO HELL and MEMOIRS OF A SURVIVOR. All of these novels speak to the downfall of societies, where corruption and wrong- minded people are able to take power for their own agendas. Lessing believes that when a society loses respect and interest in its culture, art, music, language, books, freedom to think and debate and discuss, that community will not survive. When nature is desecrated and people squander the riches of the world, only barbarism, ignorance and flat-mindedness will result.

The fourth and final addition to this collection is "A Love Child," an enigmatic, World War II love story that takes place in South Africa and then in India. James Reid is an Englishman who, with his mates, boards "... that great ship in its camouflage dress, designed to make it look ... like a blur or a cloud or perhaps a school of flying fishes, at any rate something ephemeral, now seemed solid, sinister, even furtive. Five thousand soldiers with their attendant officers crammed the dockside" waiting their turn to board the vessel that was designed to accommodate seven hundred eighty passengers and crew. Lessing describes the voyage in painful detail, as nothing worse than a passage through Hell. The men suffer enormously from seasickness, blazing heat, lack of space and fear. When the ship finally reaches port in Cape Town and the soldiers began to descend the gangplank, it was obvious they had had a bad time. They were more like invalids than soldiers, holding on to handrails and not looking healthy.

A lonely married woman named Daphne is a volunteer "hostess" who agrees to shuttle the men from the port to various places where they can recoup their energies. By chance, James stumbles into her car and over a four-day period he convinces himself that she is the love of his life and they have an affair. She becomes pregnant and to him this is a lifelong commitment. Then he is sent on a mission and fully expects her to be divorced and ready to marry him if/when he returns from the battle. She, on the other hand, is conventional and provincial, despite her indiscretion, and has no desire to speak to him or ever see him again. This romantic man and the pragmatic woman represent a major feature in Lessing's work, i.e., the miscommunication between intimates that leads to heartbreak, disillusionment, even madness. The way she details their psychological and physical problems makes for fascinating reading --- she points to another way to view human behavior and its consequences, regardless of the chilling effect it may leave.

In her early memoir, "A Small Personal Voice," she talks about the plethora of letters she receives from young women wanting answers to the "big" questions of life. While somewhat flattered, she is more frustrated with these readers. She wants them to explore the issues she raises and analyze the ideas she proposes. THE GRANDMOTHERS is a perfect vehicle with which to approach Lessing's work if you have not read her before. Fans can rest assured that these novellas are pure Lessing, radiating with everything that brought you to her work in the first place. She has always had the chutzpah to say what she believes, even when she is not willing to explain why. And at the end of "A Love Child" much is left to the reader to decipher. This collection is a keeper!

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

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I must detest racist author's work.......2004-03-16

Anybody who heard the March 15th Interview of Ms. Dorris on Public Radio must have supprised how racist she is.
She deliberately kept on using discriminatory words although the DJ tried to correct her.
Beautiful sentences cannot hide the ugliness of her personality.

Read it for "A Love Child".......2004-03-10

I almost rated this book "5 stars" in spite of the fact that the first novella ("The Grandmothers") is almost unreadable, because "A Love Child" is one of the most moving and beautifully-written things I have ever read. I almost missed it because after I read "The Grandmothers" I nearly put the book away in disappointment.

Buy the book, read "Victoria and the Staveleys" and treat yourself to "A Love Child".

Book Description

*From the prolific creator of 18 manga titles including the best-selling series Escaflowne *TOKYOPOP to release animated series on DVD Fall 2005

Before they can have some hot fun in the summertime, Ai, Orina and Mew help Zero investigate a mysterious stray aura at a seaside camp. Once there, it's apparent that all psychically gifted people experience the same dream--a beautiful sunset overlooking the ocean. Is this some sort of environmental message? Or is someone fooling with Mother Nature?

Book Description

The economy is the new cold war battlefield, robots and androids do the work, and the Interstellar Sprocket Conspiracy intends to oil its gears with the flesh of humanity. Cadet Sergeant Henry Fleming enlists in the economy to save America, is joined by a hydraulic-aholic robot, an army of mutants, a wizard who can’t keep on his skin, and the luscious mechanical love of Henry’s life, Anne Droid. The one chance for humanity is subterranean race across the nuked-out heartland of America to find a forgotten power that can save the world—or destroy it.

Average customer rating:

Naked Came the Robot

Manufacturer: Backinprint.Com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I0D9T6

Book Description

Completely revised and updated, this classic introduction to moral theology in the Roman Catholic tradition speak clearly to anyone interested in understanding what it means to live the Christian life. Beginning with a concise definition of the roles of revelation and interpretation in the formation of moral theology, O'Connell explores the concept of a moral person, the shape and dynamics of a moral world, and the implications not only for the individual Christian but for the community as a whole.

Customer Reviews:

Simply the Best.......1998-10-07

The first edition of this book is twenty years old. This totally revised edition is eight years old. But it remains the finest, most balanced presentation of Christian ethics out of the Roman Catholic tradition. And what I especially appreciated was that it's written in a clear and accessible style. Actually interesting!

Principles for a Catholic Morality : Revised Edition

Average customer rating:

Principles for a Catholic Morality : Revised Edition
Timothy E. O'Connell
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU2T5C

Book Description

Switching to a diet of Asian-inspired vegan foods can lead to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. It's easy to make the transition with these more than 150 delicious, simple recipes and sample menus for every meal from renowned healer, Dr. Kim Le. Le debunks myths about vegetarianism, and explains exactly why these vegetables increase alertness, reduce physical toxicity, support emotional stability, and aid sleep. Most important, these dishes sound wonderfully tempting: Banana Nut or Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins; Lotus Seed and Tofu Soup (excellent for the heart); Eggless Egg Rolls; Bean Sprout Salad, topped with fresh strawberries; Stir-Fried Soba Noodles; and Asparagus and Shitake Mushroom Splendor. Plus, there are teas and smoothies, and desserts too. Added self-help treatments cover asthma, cancer, allergies, joint problems, and diabetes.

Customer Reviews:

Only Book of its Kind - Could Be Better.......2004-09-29

In general, I'm not a person who believes in "Asian" food. Try food from Thailand, Canton, Mongolia, and Korea, and tell me those are the same. However, it's not the cuisine that Dr. Le is referring to as "Asian," but the diet. This is a guide to eating and cooking for a particular Chinese diet which has spread to various other Asian countries, including Thailand and Viet Nam. In addition to abstention from all animal products (including eggs and dairy), this diet avoids or eschews tobacco, onions, garlic, and two other similar "pungent spices." (Dr. Le lists chives, shallots, and leeks, and does not mention tobacco for cooking.) So that's what the "Asian" part of the title is all about.

This is the only English book I know of dealing with this "Asian" veganism. American veganism tends to be all about garlic-worship. If you're into this, or one of those sattvic diets from which the Hare Krsnas take their cue, this is the only vegan cookbook I know of that isn't dominated by the "pungent spices."

The recipes are good, but quite simple. For someone switching from eating brisket and quiche to garlic-free veganism, the book is ideal. Experienced vegans will likely find the introductory section (one third of the book) well-trodden ground, and experienced vegan cooks who don't particularly care about the garlic- or onion-content of their dishes won't find the recipes exciting or new (which is not to say that they're not good).

In addition to those who have a particular interest in "Asian" veganism, the book will be interesting to those who are curious about veganism from another cultural standpoint - the author was born and raised in Viet Nam, and this has decidedly influenced her view of her diet.

NOT Asian Recipes.......2003-09-25

I was stunned when I got this cookbook and went through it. Despite the title and the authors ethnicity, there are maybe 10 Asian recipes in this book, and those are basic recipes you could find in any veggie cookbook (miso soup, fried rice, etc.). The bulk of the recipes in this book are basic standby's found in almost any begining veg cookbook....lasgna, pizza, chili, guacamole, mushroom barley soup, blueberry muffins, tofu scramble. The back flap says the recipes are simple and quick...and they aren't kidding, these are very basic and simple recipes. Too simple and too generalized for my tastes and cooking skill.

Average customer rating:

Great Reference

Barbie Doll Fashion 1975-1979: The Complete History of the Wardrobes of Barbie Doll, Her Friends, and Her Family (Barbie Doll Fashion)
Sarah Sink Eames
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Sarah Eames's Barbie doll fashion books have become standards in the Barbie collecting world. Her third volume in the series will be no exception. With no repeats from her other two volumes, Barbie Doll Fashion, Volume III features more than 600 full-color photographs of fashions, detailed descriptions, and current values. Fashions for Ken doll, family, and friends are also included: Skipper, Francie, Tutti, Todd, Chris, and Carla, and all the personalities from Barbie doll's world like Chantal Goya, Donnie and Marie, and TV star women. All the original outfits for all the dolls, outfits sold separately, and store exclusives are included. The series of costumes covered are Best Buys, Fashion Originals, SuperStar, Get-Ups 'N Go, and international issues. 2004 values. AUTHORBIO: Sarah Sink Eames's favorite plaything as a child grew into a lifetime of Barbie doll collecting. Sarah has been a speaker and judge at national Barbie Doll conventions. She was president of Star City Doll Club, a UFDC club, and she edited A Detailed Listing and Value Guide to Barbie Doll Fashions, Volume I and II. She is the author of Barbie Doll Fashion Volume I,II, and III. REVIEW: This volume is the third in a three-volume series by author Sarah Sink Eames. It documents all of Barbie's fashions from the years 1959 through 1979, and includes Ken doll fashions and rare gift sets.

Customer Reviews:

Great Reference.......2006-09-25

I bought this book to use as a reference for my Barbie collecting. It's great, only now I'm kicking myself over all the little odds n ends I resold on eBay because I didn't know what they were. Sigh. I should've bought this book long ago. It's well-written and packed with information on dolls and outfits, variations, store exclusives, and foreign-issue items. It also includes information on Barbie-sized dolls such as Charlie's Angels, Chantal Goya, Donnie and Marie Osmond, and a few others. If you're collecting Barbie from this period, this is a must-have book (so you won't be letting go of all those little outfit pieces!!!). Since I've bought this book, I've also ordered the other two books in this series that cover Barbie's outfits from 1959-1967 and 1968-1974.

Book Description

Chintz, or glazed printed cotton fabric, was an important part of many nineteenth - and twentieth-century decorative schemes. Bold and colourful chintzes were used for curtains, bed hangings and loose covers for furniture in sets intended for whole suites of rooms. The chintz at Brodsworth Hall in Yorkshire is an important collection that has survived in astonishing completeness, and comprises over 500 pieces in over 100 designs from the 1840's to the 1980's. The collection has been catalogued and conserved, and is the subject of an exhibition at Brodsworth. This book, beautifully illustrated with both modern and archive photographs, accompanies the exhibition and offers a fascinating insight into Victorian decorative fashions. Chapters on the history and the use of chintz provide an important and fascinating background to the story. 128 color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Nice varitey of projects shown, great artist insight.......2001-09-27

This book is geared primarily toward professional illustrators and graphic arts students who use computer graphics as a major design tool. It features the work of 16 different artists, presenting a case study of one project with each.

For each artist, there is a brief biographical background. Then the project is introduced and the artist's process of development and technique in carrying it out is described. The computer hardware and software used in each project is also listed. There is some narrative by the author, but most of the text describing each project is in the artist's own words.

There are a great variety of projects here, including work for comic books, record labels, newspaper supplements, web design and personal projects. The styles and approaches of the artists are just as varied and taken together they present a great overview of modern trends in illustration. The intention here is to show how computer graphics has expanded and enhanced the creative process, but this is not just about computer generated art. A variety of other media and source material have been used as well and it is the process of integrating it all that is emphasized.

There is a gallery of additional works by the featured artists in the back. This book provides some great artwork and fascinating insight into the artists' mind.

Awful book waste of money.......2000-11-22

This is a really useless book. It is overdesigned, like the old Wired magazine. Before I bought it, I thought it would be a book full of useful information because there were some illustrators that I'm familiar with profiled in it. But instead it is someone's portfolio piece. Save your money and buy the Pro Illustration series unless you like trendy, overdesigned garbage.

Opinion may be a little biased, but.......1998-10-31

I think this is a beautifully designed and well written book. The artists featured are all very talented and have some very good things to say about the processes illustrators and digital designers go through to arrive at various solutions. I was one of the artists asked to contribute and I have to say that I am extremely honored to have been a part of this book. Great job, Yolanda!

Great selection of electronic projects from real people.......1998-10-30

Zappaterra has dug up some fascinating work for this project-based look at the flourishing world of electronic creativity. As the title suggests, there's a strong pragmatic edge to the book, which gives good insights into creative minds involved in the creative process. It's clearly written and, in fact, the most difficult thing to understand is the author's name...

excellent state of illustration book.......1998-10-13

This is, I think, the second book in a series that seems to be looking to cover digital design. The first one was about graphics and this one continues in the same excellent style. Basically take some of the acknowledged greats of contemporary illutration and find out what they think about when they're working on a project. Insightful and with great pictures.

Average customer rating:

Believer or Not--Great Story

Looking For Carroll Beckwith - Proof Positive

More Than Enough Evidence for Past Lives!

Very credible

a Past Life book for skeptics

Looking for Carroll Beckwith: The True Story of a Detective's Search for His Past Life
Robert L. Snow
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Believer or Not--Great Story.......2006-09-12

I just finished this book. It gave me chills when reading of Cpt. Snow's serendipitous discovery of the hunchbacked woman portrait. His description of being awestruck was moving.

It was a beautiful story and well written. I've recommended it to my "Zen" friends.

Looking For Carroll Beckwith - Proof Positive.......2005-12-03

I purchased this book after watching a show on Sci-Fi called "Proof Positive." On the show, three stories of strange phenomena were put to scientific testing, and only one was proven positive. On this particular episode, Robert L. Snow's story was tested through various means, including a polygraph test, and he was the one who was proven positive. It was because of this validation that I purchased the book, as I only want to read of actual experiences.

I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick, easy read that served to further confirm my belief in reincarnation. To have the facts investigated by a detective, and to have so many points fall into place and be proven can be no coincidence.

I found it particularly interesting that paranormal phenomena are not unusual to law enforcement agents.

More Than Enough Evidence for Past Lives!.......2005-06-18

I just finished reading "Looking for Carroll Beckwith", and I must say that the research done by Robert Snow is absolutely exhaustive! How anyone could question his findings is truly beyond me.

Basically, this book is about a police captain who, on a dare, goes to a psychologist for a past-life regression. During that session, he sees quite a few of his past lives - for several of them, he only saw glimpses of that life, but for 1 of these past lives - that of Carroll Beckwith, he received much information.

Not sure what to make of this regression, he sets on a journey where he continually tries to prove that what he saw during the regression was false - that it was just something that his subconcious made up, a fantasy. However, after his exhaustive research into the life of Carroll Beckwith, he is left realizing that, in fact, what he saw during his regression matches completely with the life of this man from the 1800's.

The one thing that bothered me throughout this reading was that his wife was completely unsupportive. It's apparent that she was unable to let go of her current beliefs, even in the face of such unbelievable evidence. I find that to be quite sad! It was also amazing to me the lengths Mr. Snow went to to try to show that regressions bring up false memories, as opposed to real past lives. It made me wonder, how much is enough evidence to prove to you what is staring you right in the face??? But, then again, that's a judgment that is not up to me to make - but, I must say, that this was a bit unnerving to me.

Overall, this is an amazing story that I think proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we all have lived past lives at some point in time. If you are at all interested in this topic, this is a great book to read on the subject.

Very credible.......2004-11-11

The author of this book, Robert Snow (aka Carroll Beckwith) should be commended on his courage in putting his thoughts to paper. The aim of him writing this book is clearly not glory or acclaim, but to talk about an experience that frankly, he is clearly uncomfortable talking about. And that is exactly why this book is so credible. Robert Snow, a homicide detective in Indianapolis, with a left-brain mentality, had no background in the "new age" movement, hinduism, or the eastern schools of thought before his experience. He was the biggest skeptic of them all.
Snow reluctantly went to a past-life regressionist to prove to someone that it would be a waste of time. His experience in hypnosis was as vivid as watching a movie. In viewing his life as Beckwith, he came away with 28 vivid details, and a painting, clear as crystal in his mind. He searched everywhere to find this painting, to prove that he had seen it somewhere, that it not been a past-life image. What he ultimately learned was that such a painting did exist, and further, no one had seen it since the early part of the 20th century. Upon learning that the painting was Beckwith's, he conducted an extensive search and ultimately, obtained Beckwith's diaries. He was able to prove all 28 of the details that he had seen in his regression.
The evidence in this book is overwhelming that Robert Snow was in fact Carroll Beckwith. Be prepared to have your worldview altered if in fact, you do not believe in reincarnation.
The only small problem I have is that Snow claims he is the only person in history to have proved a past-life existence. There have, in fact, been numerous cases; some even more well documented than Snow's, if you can believe that.

a Past Life book for skeptics.......2002-06-28

If you're skeptical about past life regressions, this would be a good book for you. The author started out as more of a skeptic than me, and possibly more so as you as well. He dealt with te information he received in a reading, like any detective in his place would. He went and looked at the data. Admittedly, he was doing so to disprove that what he had seen was a past life. After a point, when he hadn't found anything to disprove what he had seen, and numerous points that in fact confirmed what he had seen, he finally came to believe it had been a past life.

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