Heart of the Dragon (Atlantis, Book 1)

Book Description

Grace Carlyle's world was about to change . . .

Deep in the jungle on the trail of her missing brother, Grace never expected to find a secret world populated by mythological monsters -- nor guarded by a sword-wielding being whose beauty put mortal men to shame.

Darius en Kragin belongs to a race of shape-shifting warriors sworn to guard Atlantis and kill all travelers who stray within its boundaries. Yet when Grace stumbles into his realm, he finds himself tempted to betray his centuries-old vow.

Now their forbidden love will either bring their worlds together -- or tear them both apart.

Don't miss this sexy new story from the author of The Stone Prince and The Pleasure Slave.

Customer Reviews:

Not As Great As I Hoped.......2007-10-04

Extra crispy love story but a little soggy when it comes to the plot. Now don't get me wrong, I love alternate beauty meets the beast/sexy dragon shape shifter as much as any other girl but I found major flaws when it came to the main characters. Grace, our spunky heroin needed to get her priorities striate. She's searching for her lost brother and yet through out the book it seems all she wants to do is get laid. How could anyone think about sex when their only brother has disappeared? It kind of bothered me how one minute she's a proud, sassy, resourceful female and then the next she turns into a weak lovesick puppy who lust over a man who pretty much tells her `I`m going to do what I want to you when I want whether you like it or not.' and she answers by saying `Well okay'. Come on, show some dignity girl!
And then there's Darius, your average tragic hero. For three hundred years he shows no emotions whatsoever then suddenly in walks Grace then BAM! He's angry, sad, smiles and gets a hard-on all within the first five minutes of seeing her! Where's the development? The suspense? I know 90% of paranormal romance novels center around sex but come on! Give them a little time to develop their relationship first. By chapter four they were already all over each other so by the time their big love scenes came around the reward wasn't as gratifying as it should of been.

Boring conflict.......2007-08-16

I read the description for this - dragons, vampires, Atlantis - and I was hooked into buying it. I'm sorry I did.

The hero is a guardian of Atlantis; the heroine is a human wondering around trying to find her brother. She stumbles into Atlantis, meets the hero, love at first sight, but! He's got to kill her because she found out the secret that Atlantis exists.

That's the conflict - he's got to do his duty and protect the secret. But I know that since it is a romance novel, he's not going to do it. The hero killing the heroine doesn't scream happy ending. The plot goes on and on, his dueling emotions drag out until I want to smack him. Then finally, three quarters the way through the book, he decides he can't do it. What a shocker, let me tell you.

The worldbuilding, the setting, the imaginative story were all wonderful. The conflict between the hero and the heroine ruined all that.

A light Delight.......2007-08-05

A quick light and easy read, this delightful book has the story of the Dragons of Atlantis and a human woman who stumbles into their world.

Loved it! Great way to begin a new series.......2007-05-09

This is the first book in the atlantis series and it is phenominal. I love the characthers. They are well developed together and individually Their interaction is funny and makes sense all the way through the novel. This is a great read and worth the money. My bet is you read it more than once. :)

Good idea, but didn't work for me.......2007-04-27

I had such expectations for this book, but unfortunately it did not deliver. Darius was intended to be this deadly assasin, a ruthless and extremely dangerous man/dragon and I just did not get that from his character AT ALL. He supposedly considers killing Grace, but author does not convey any sense of real danger or suspense. Even Grace herself was not too worried. They search for missing people while running out of time, but stop constantly to full around. And for 20 something virgin whose life (as well as the life of her brother) was in such danger-- all she really wants to do is have sex with Darius, how believable is that? In general, i dislike books when women can't "resist" the appeal of the hero, and throw themselves all over them despite any common sense. I also read "Jewel of Atlantis" by the same author and hated it, so this is it for me.

The Dragon Slayer With a Heavy Heart: A Powerful Story About Finding Happiness and Serenity...Even When You Really, Really Wish Some Things Were Different

Average customer rating:

The Dragon Slayer with a Heavy Heart
Fr. Gannon's Book Club
Help doesn't have to be 600 pages long!
The Dragon Slayer Lightened My Heart
A Great Book for All Ages

The Dragon Slayer With a Heavy Heart: A Powerful Story About Finding Happiness and Serenity...Even When You Really, Really Wish Some Things Were Different
Marcia Powers
Manufacturer: Wilshire Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0879804505

Customer Reviews:

The Dragon Slayer with a Heavy Heart.......2007-08-06

This book made a tremendous impact on my life. For anyone that worries about things they are unsure of, you don't realize how much it is weighing you down. After I read this book, I realized that I can't change other people, only myself, and worrying about things that are out of my control was only hurting me. I have read this book twice in two weeks. It's absolutely the best book I have ever read.

Fr. Gannon's Book Club.......2007-06-28

We ordered this book online based on the reviews. I am part of a 20 person book club. We all enjoyed the book. We were not sure what to make of it at first, but after reading on, you get the message. The author found a humorous and colorful way of dealing with some tough life issues. Would recommend this book to anyone to read - just hard to explain the book and the title when someone asks what you're reading!
Great read and would make a great animated story.

Help doesn't have to be 600 pages long!.......2005-07-28

This book was a great story. Sometimes less is more. The book was entertaining in its brevity but packed a heavy punch. There are too many of us that carry heavy hearts. This was a real inspiration to me. Some of the lessons seem so simple but sometimes it's those things that confuse us the most. I think that if we can all apply the valuable lessons of this book, we'd all be better. I highly recommend this publication.

The Dragon Slayer Lightened My Heart.......2004-10-28

I read the Dragon Slayer With A Heavy Heart and felt better.
Previously I didn't even know that my problem was a heavy heart,
once I identified with the characters in the book it was obvious.
Then I got the tools to start the process of healing my heart
which was not in good shape after losing my soul-mate wife of
20 years.
It showed me pain is inevitable but doesn't need to last forever.
Thanks
Reese Jones

A Great Book for All Ages.......2004-10-06

As a psychotherapist I have found this to be a wonderful resource for clients. It is the best all-around book for the majority of my clients to aid them in feeling better and correcting irrational thoughts. It's fun, interesting, and makes some great points. Even my 13 year-old son read it and daily uses it's ideas to improve his view of the world and himself. A MUST for everyone interested in improving the quality of their life.
Dawn Dillon, M.Ed., LPC, NCC

The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volumes 1-3: Boxed Set: Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, and A Sending of Dragons (Pit Dragon Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

Great reading
great trilagy
Phenomenal
Great for teens
Into the Pit

The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volumes 1-3: Boxed Set: Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, and A Sending of Dragons (Pit Dragon Chronicles)
Jane Yolen
Manufacturer: Magic Carpet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152057676

Book Description

The adventures of young dragon master Jakkin Stewart are brilliantly chronicled in this epic fantasy--from his apprenticeship in Dragon's Blood, to his breathtaking escape with his beloved Akki in Heart's Blood, and straight through to their harrowing discovery in the third volume, A Sending of Dragons. Revered by devoted fans for more than twenty years, these first three volumes of Jane Yolen's fierce and fiery dragon tales are published together for the first time--in a handsome boxed set that's sure to win over legions of new admirers.

Customer Reviews:

Great reading.......2007-09-06

This trilogy was a really great read. I am hoping that the 4th book will show up soon. I was really involved with the story and the characters. You will enjoy these books!

great trilagy .......2007-07-10

it was a childhood favorit and still is good for a weekend of reading. Only problem was it ended to soon.

Phenomenal.......2007-03-26

Does anyone else remember the Storybreak show that used to come on after Saturday morning cartoons in the '80's? Every week, a different book would be turned into a half-hour animated special. It was a wonderful program, and my favorite was Dragon's Blood, the first book in Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon Chronicles. So I got the books and discovered that they were vastly different from the cartoon. As much as I loved the cartoon, the books were far, far better. Amazing characters (oh, how I wanted to marry Jakkin when I was a teen!), including the dragons, an incredible world, and stories that made me gasp and cry and laugh. These are phenomenal books for all ages, something that can be read over and over. The writing is flawless and the books are simply perfect.

Great for teens.......2007-01-28

When I was a teen I would have rated this a 5. I'm older now, and my tastes have changed. Still a favorite, but not nearly as good as I remember. I still recommend it, but not as highly.

Into the Pit.......2005-09-22

Jane Yolen gave the old dragon legends a facelift in the Pit Dragon Trilogy, a trio of sci-fantasy novels set on a faraway prison planet. There's nothing fantastical or pretty about the world she creates here -- it's gritty, dusty, raw and very dangerous.

The action takes place on the planet of Austar IV, a miserable desert planet inhabited by drug-filled weeds, slave "bonders" and their masters, giant dragons, and deadly temperatures. The only real recreation is gambling on dragons who fight in the Pits.

In "Dragon's Blood," orphaned bonder Jakkin dreams of freedom, and has a secret plan to fill his bag with gold and free himself -- steal a new dragon hatchling and quietly raise it to fight in the pits. He finds an uncounted hatchling and spirits it away to the hills. But he soon learns that someone knows his secret -- the pretty Akki, an independent girl who is hiding an odd secret of her own. But even her help may not be enough to free Jakkin from slavery.

By "Heart's Blood," Jakkin has raised enough gold from Heart's Blood, and is now a free man and a dragon trainer. In theory, that is all he wants. But then he learns that Akki is in trouble, and becomes determined to save her, even though Heart's Blood has just hatched five babies. To help Akki, Jakkin will risk his life in the midst of bloodthirsty freedom fighters...

"A Sending of Dragons" is the bittersweet third volume of this trilogy. Jakkin and Akka have been physically transformed, so that they can communicate with the dragons. Now they are on the run from ordinary humans, and end up running into a lost tribe of degenerate humans, who also are bonded with their dragons... dangerously.

There aren't a lot of original dragon stories -- most are clones of Anne McCaffrey or J.R.R. Tolkien's works. Jane Yolen scratched all that, and creates an almost entirely new kind of dragon -- they're actually not the mythical creatures, but a type of alien lizards.

She also crafts an intricate political system, with terrorists and shady senators, and a dusty desert world where everyone is descended from prisoners (it resembles Australia in many ways). Akki and Jakkin are brought to life in their sensitivity and strength, and Yolen's writing brings the dragons to life. They seem almost like real creatures, animal but close to human beings.

With a fourth volume tentatively scheduled for 2006, it's about time to revisit the Pit Dragon Trilogy. For outstanding stories about dragons and the humans who train them, these books are among the best.

Heart's Blood: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume Two (Pit Dragon Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

A Booming Sensation
Blood Sight
Niq's (On Time) school project
Heart's Blood
Hearts Blood

Heart's Blood: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume Two (Pit Dragon Chronicles)
Jane Yolen
Manufacturer: Magic Carpet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 015205118X

Book Description

Jakkin risks everything--his freedom, his dragon, even his life--to rescue his beloved in this stirring sequel to Dragon's Blood.

Customer Reviews:

A Booming Sensation.......2007-01-27

As Jakkin and Hearts Blood become one of the most feared dragon fighters, something unexpected happens. A nuclear bomb goes off! Now the police are after him and his new girlfriend Akki. They have only one choice, trust in his Dragon and head for the hills. When reading Hearts Blood I was always in a sense of awe. Reading this book really shows how well Jane Yolen can write.

When Jane Yolen wrote Hearts Blood, she must have been in a perfect writing zone for the whole time. It seemed as though Jane's excellent writing skills were mirrored by her creative imagination. For example, the image of a feral dragon loaming the skies, made Jakkin's knees felt a tingling sensation, which was like being stabbed by a thousand needles in the leg.

The suspense of Hearts Blood is an exact image of the high quality writing used. When Hearts Blood tried to stop the police from reaching Jakkin and Akki, the pages seemed to be turning ever faster. However, when you found out Hearts Blood saved their life by sacrificing hers, you would almost have a tear come to your eye.

As the final page was turned, I was overcome by a sense of sadness, only to be overcome by a sense of happiness. This was because I knew there was a third book in the series A
Sending of Dragons. This certainly will have the same quality of this magnificent book.

Blood Sight.......2006-10-17

This book is the second book in the seris The Pit Dragon Chronicles.
Even thought i didn't read the first book, i found this book to be a pretty good book.It has a nice blend of Action, Adventure, and the occasional romance. This book shows the overall emotion, comprehension and the pure thrill of Dragons.Jakkin owns his own dragon named Hearts blood which fights in the Rokk.
Anyway this book is about the main character Jakkin, a stout fellow, who receives a note from Akki. Golden gave him the note, and knows where she might be. So Jakkin begins he search for her a the Rokk a major city in Austar. He fights with his dragon at the two pit matches. After she wins both, he goes bar to bar looking for Akki, and the rebel that Golden was going to send to Jakkin. A man comes and dies beside Jakkin in an ally, but not before leaving him a message. He goes to the nearest bar and tells the bartender his troubles. The bartender keeps him after, and the rebel cell comes in. Number 1, number 2, number 3 (Really akki), number 4 and number 5. They don't use names... Jakkin and Akki take a case to the pits, which is really and bomb. They leave before the pits come down.The wardens chase jakkin and akki because they suspect them of the crime. Also i will give away the ending. The dragon dies, and Jakkin and Akki get some power called "Dragon sight".

~Dragon force the band sucks~
~GO CHILDREN OF BODEM!~

Niq's (On Time) school project.......2006-01-11

Jane Yolen's "Heart's Blood" is an incredible read. Although I have not finished the book, it shows great promise towards the end of the book.
Jakkin (the main character) is an ex-bonder that won his freedom from a dragon that he stole. Heart's Blood (Jakkin's dragon) is a female "mute" dragon. She does not roar when wounded or in any pain. She has won 22 out of 24 fights. One of the greatest parts of this book and the other is the connection between them. They don't speak or use words but they send pictures or images to each other with colors showing their feelings. Then when Heart's Blood is in the pit fighting, the communication is phenomenal. I would recommend this book to anyone that read.
The book also has a background story that is very exciting. Jakkin has a childhood love that ran away from him to pursue her dreams. Akki (Jakkin's childhood love) has join the rebel's and from some reason needs Jakkin and his dragon's help. The story leads to Jakkin having to e captured by rebels to save Akki. Every page since the 1st story will have you hooked on Jakkin's life.
The overall view of this book is a very good one. I'm not one to e called a reader or even come close to liking reading. But this book and "Dragon's Blood" are amazing with the details. You can't set the book down because you yourself have a bet placed on the next pit fight that Jakkin is entering and you have to know if he wins. You will love this book as much as I do if you read it.

Heart's Blood.......2005-02-09

This is one of the best books I have ever read. This is the second book in a trilogy written by Jane Yolen called "The Pit Dragon Trilogy". I read the first book "Dragons Blood" which is also excellent. The book is very interesting and her descriptions of what is going on makes you feel like you are actually there. The author makes you feel so close to the people and the dragons and gives the dragons almost human traits. The main dragon in the book is Heart's Blood and when you read about her you almost wish you could have a baby dragon. The main character in the book is a boy named Jakkin and he has raised the dragon from an egg. They can read each others minds and have a very strong bond. The book has alot of things that keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. This book starts off a little slower than the first book but once you get into the story you can't put it down. Jakkin starts out as a master dragon trainer which is what he has always wanted. But when the girl that he loves, Akki gets into trouble he realizes that he has to give up everything to help her. He gets involved in a world that he knows nothing about and that is when the story gets exciting. This is a book that when it ends you feel like you are going to miss the characters. I can't wait to start the third book!

Hearts Blood.......2004-05-24

I think Jane Yolen out did herself and hit a homerun, with Hearts Blood, an extraordinary book. In this vivid storyline, a boy named Jakkin risks his life, his dragon Hearts Blood's life, and his dragons hatchlings life, to save his love Akki. The risk was being involved with the rebels who are against the republic and the republic send people down to the colony to keep everything in order but then the rebels exploded the side of the Major dragon pit called in the city of Rokk. The people from the republic think Akki and Jakkin did it so they flee. Will the republic find them or not, what will happen to Jakkin and Akki? read Hearts Blood to find out. I've read the whole series, and many of her other books such as; Devils Arithmetic, The rest of the Pit Dragon trilogy, Merlin, and Armageddon Summer. Her word choice was great because she uses words that you wouldn't normally know the meaning to, but when she uses them you do; such as, "Myriad of colors", and she is very imaginative in the ways she described the dragons.
I highly recommend this book to all young adults.

Average customer rating:

First rate- to my surprise

Heart of the Dragon
Alasdair Clayre
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0395418372

Customer Reviews:

First rate- to my surprise.......2005-01-13

Heart of the Dragon was issued as the companion piece to a BBC documentary series of the same name that was aired in 1984 or thereabouts. Since Alasdair Clayre, the author, was producer, writer and chief director of the series the correlation of the two projects would seem to be perfect: this is no mere tie-in, but an outstanding book in its own right. The connection with the series means that the book is extensively illustrated. That may lead some readers to think that this is a "coffee table book", but they would be mistaken. Clayre, in a series of subject chapters (Living, working, cosmology, etc.) sets out a tremendous amount of information. Having read a great deal about China, and traveled there frequently, I expected very little from this book. To my surprise I found it very informative, combining broad overviews and succinct summaries with interesting specific bits of information. The result is a very good textbook of Chinese culture and recent history. The editorial review above implies that this book is some sort of propaganda piece. I cannot agree. Clayre is very critical of Mao, and indeed, his assesment of much of 20th century Chinese history is more acerbic than that of my old teacher, Chalmers Johnson. You can't get much more Cold Warrior than that.
I think that the book does slightly overemphasize China's past accomplishments and Western misunderstandings, but this is a very slight reservation. At 20 cents, this is a steal. Buy it or get it from your library.
Alisdair Clayre spent 3 years writing and producing this book. A fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford,, and a protege of Isaiah Berlin, he writes beautiful mandarin prose--- oxbridge mandarin, that is. The series went on to win an Emmy, the first foreign series so honored. Clayre did not live to see it. Apparently afraid his work would not be appreciated, he committed suicide a few days before the first broadcast.

Heart of Nightfang Spire (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying Adventure, 10th Level)

Average customer rating:

Nightfang Spire the intelligent adventure
Captivativating dungeon adventure!
Captivativating dungeon adventure!
Captivativating dungeon adventure!
Not a Good Adventure

Heart of Nightfang Spire (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying Adventure, 10th Level)
Bruce R. Cordell
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786918470
Release Date: 2001-07-01

Book Description

From Temple to Tomb

Nightfang Spire has long brooded in lonely silence, shadowed within the walls of a steep defile. A tall stone column, it resembles nothing so much as an enormous fang of some vanished, mythical beast. Once, a fervent religious order thrived here--before its god was slain. Embracing that death, Nightfang Spire was transofrmed into a massive, hollow mortuary filled with the restless dead.

Heart of Nightfang Spire is a stand-alone adventure for the Dungeons & Dragons game. This adventure challenges 10th-level heroes who follow the rumor of a dragon's hoard to the imposing edifice known as Nightfang Spire. When they arrive, the truth about the place is revealed in all its awful clarity.

To use this adventure, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual.

Customer Reviews:

Nightfang Spire the intelligent adventure.......2004-06-02

This adventure is one of the most difficult published adventures I have played in the DandD/D20 system. But, Oh is it worth the effort,from great original NPC's to an exotic local full of things that go bump in the night this adventure keeps you on your toes. The intelligent monsters in this tower are some of the most well thought out advasaries I have encountered and the consant threat of being over-run by specters, shadows and vapire spawn simply adds to the action. The descriptive text is nicely done and go's a long way towards creating the proper gothic atmosphere. All in all a fun time for those who are brave enough to take on intelligent advasaries and reap the rewards. And remeber the old maxim - "Where one cleric is good, Two-Better" hope this helps. Jake (JK)

Captivativating dungeon adventure!.......2002-10-02

On the face this may seem like any other dungeon crawl, but the deeper you dig into the content, the more you see that is not true.

A truly unique collection of imaginative, intelligent foes keep the PC's hard pressed at every turn! The module will sorely test the limits of a 10th level party, but is feasible. If your players are prone to careless actions they won't make it to the final encounter.

This is one of the more impressive highlights of the initial WoTC line of adventures.

Captivativating dungeon adventure!.......2002-10-02

On the face this may seem like any other dungeon crawl, but the deeper you dig into the content, the more you see that is not true.

This is one of the more impressive highlights of the initial WoTC line of adventures.

Captivativating dungeon adventure!.......2002-10-02

On the face this may seem like any other dungeon crawl, but the deeper you dig into the content, the more you see that is not true.

This is one of the more impressive highlights of the initial WoTC line of adventures.

Not a Good Adventure.......2002-02-22

My friends and I started this adventure about six months ago and just got done with it about a month ago. First, the stuff in there is to powerful for 10th. lvl characters. I mean in one room you got 7 or 8 girallions which takes you down to about half your HP's and then you go to the next room and theres 6 more. I myself died many times in there luckly we had a cleric there with us. My advice is not to play this adventure have your DM make one up or something. Final word this adventure is the worst one of them all.

HEART OF AWARENESS (Shambhala Dragon Editions)

Average customer rating:

Puzzling!
Another Star, Another Sun
Beautiful
misunderstood and mistranslated
The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita

HEART OF AWARENESS (Shambhala Dragon Editions)
Thomas Byron
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877735743
Release Date: 1990-04-21

Customer Reviews:

Puzzling!.......2007-08-13

all in all, not impressed by this book and i say 'puzzling' because i am so surprised that many people have a high regard for this particular version of vedanta. i admire that the philosophy is very simple... basically the whole book can be summed up: "you are the one" (in one sense true, in one sense false)"only realise that all is one, that all dualisms are really one wholeness or true reality" this book advocates that one see the oneness behind all things, and through embracing this oneness, bliss ensues. but bliss, though beautiful, is cold of heart like gold. bliss is the precious male element of earth, and of itself does not constitute the whole picture, nor does it signify union with God, who is true love. the bible gets it wrong when it says that God is love, this love is imperfect, a shadow of the true and though love is the opposite of evol, it still is not true love, beyond perfection.

i guess that the point here that really matters is found in the question "is non dualism (oneness) God?" some have called non dualistic awareness the ground of being. i have no doubt that we have our existence in god, god is our very being, but i am not sure that the oneness behind all dualisms is the ground of being, and if it is, i am not sure whether this ground of being is god. it may be, it may not be... personally i am inclined to think that it is not. all is one, yes, but surely god is beyond this 'mixed' one. at one moment being all being (oneness) and at the same time transcending the I. my buddhist experiments have shown me that i is not the ultimate, that the i can be completely extinguished, whilst it seems that in hinduism there is a belief, that the i is the I, the lower self is in a sense one with the higher Self. there is only one I, but in my experience, I and consciousness are not one. though they can be united, they can also be separated. this is clear since the 'I' can be extinguished (blown out). so... is non dualistic oneness and union of all perceptible, the one God, since this would imply that there is neither good nor evil, and thus deny a very important fact of life, i am inclined to say no. God is good and is not the root of evil as well as good. to deny the presence of evil is ok, but not practical.

to me this indifference toward evil is a serious flaw in advaita. i cannot deny that all is one, it is, but this one is, as well as beyond good and evil, thoroughly affected by evil. i admit the oneness, but i also percieve the importance of dualism. this oness is the 'All', it is not the one who is behind the one. this is since the true one, truer than reality and nature, truer than all appearances is totally incapable of producing any kind of evil, harm or cruelty, and is therefore true pure perfect love. that sustains both the good and the evil, though does not produce any kind of evil.

there are two ways to approach dualism... one (the advaitan method) is to extinguish the opposites and realise oneness (of an indiferant kind), this is really quite a simple excercise, eg long can be seen as short, ie long and short are one. and the terms long and short become meaningless (empty). reality seen as such is just as it is, but my problem with this is that it can lead one to believe that phenomenal reality is just/only an illusion. ie, only oneness is truly real, so extinguish all thought of opposites. i dont deny that reality may be or is less real than God, but it inherits a high degree of reality in that it is an emanation of God, reality procedes from the true reality. "in God, we live and move and have our being" (the bible).

the problem with attaching to the first approach is that it denies the approach that good is good, bad is bad. the dualistic approach and from a christian perspective: by intimate knowledge of the good and the evil one can reach towards the one (true good). it is not therefore by extinguishing the opposites that one reaches towards the one (higher truth), but rather through an intense engagement with opposites, and an understanding of them, one attains, or at least reaches towards perfection. using the pythagorian triangle analogy, the base can be symbolised by 1 (love) and 2 evol (opposites), the apex is symbolised by 1 (this is since the apex represents only one point). therefore from a pythagorian perspective one of the base pairs is always representative of the apex (though not as pure as it, ie not perfect). true non dualism is appreciated by understanding the opposites and immersion in the positive one. so with a "true love" triangle, one approaches the perfection of true love by understanding the base pair love and evol. it is not by negating opposites, but rather by appreciating their meaning that one gets closer to the apex (perfection). actually there is truth in both of these approaches, negating and appreciating, hindu/buddhist and christian, but i must state clearly that the christian approach is mathematically sound on a more obvious level whilst the hindu one is faulty (from the perspective of pure pythagorian mathematics/geometry). therefore i conclude that hindu advaita is not as logical captain kirk as the christian one, but who ever said that truth has to be mathematically in accordance with pythagoras?!. truth or elements of it may defy logic. from the perspective of mathematics there is a true and a false and two does not equal one (dualisms are at root not one, rather in the purest sense one is one and two is two. (though we do have to admit that one is usually a collection (see set theory). through understanding of one and two one is better able to appreciate one.). i would not deny the approach of non dualism completely, i would only realise that in truth it is probably a lesser truth than dualism. though good may lead to evil as much as to good this does not mean that good is always evil. it is mathematically possible that good is good and or bad, at the same time. i conclude that there is a true good, which is represented by a lesser good and that evil seeks to undermine and destroy this good. evil is in itself 2, because it depends on good as well as itself, whilst good is only 1, since it is pure.

clearly written, with little aphorisms, a clear fixation on oneness (greyness), which might be a good way to view things on occassions. perhaps if we focus entirely on grey oneness we get in touch with a form of reality, but i think not higher reality, supreme reality or other-Self, which is True Love (and all that implies). focus on 'one', that all is one, that all appearances (dualisms) are at root one, there is in reality only one, all dualisms are irrelevant. this may be 'getting' to the heart of 'matter', but not 'the' matter. i think it unlikely. to deny dualism one removes the ladder that leads to the 'true' one. perhaps 'love' is only possible with a seperate subject (lover) and object (beloved). if all is one, without two, then perhaps the only object of love is oneself, and that would surely be less satisfying than loving another. vivekananda recognises this approach in his teaching as a notion in bhakti yoga.

i feel that dualisms serve a practical purpose. that which is below can be a route to that which is above. the lower to the higher. something within me tells me that we need to see the reality behind non dualism, and to live with and engage in dualisms in our daily life. advaita (oneness) is not always practical (a lesser truth), but its intent is to reveal the underlying oneness of everything, thus leading us to see our oness as the one reality, but i think not the 'true' self. perhaps this 'one' is true pure perfect love immaculate, independent of the dualism, but im inclined to think that the foundations of 'true' oneness are in the dualism. ie, the one exists dependent and independent of the two and that true love embraces dualism, and does not reject it, since it is in the nature of love to embrace and not to extinguish or reject. for this reason, i do not reject non-dualism, rather i relegate it to its rightful place at the table of life. it does not take the chief seat in the meal set before us.

i am not sure that the knowledge of advaita (oneness) is what it purports to be. simply because all dualisms root back to oneness, i would not necessarily think that this oneness is God. it can be called anything you want, including emptiness and reality, but i think, not God. to call it God would almost certainly be misleading. i am not conviced that an experience of non dualism is union with God... as with anything i would say that union with god is not necessarily union with God in the truest sense. this 'union' with god is a form of union with divine aspects, but as a christian i believe that total union is perhaps impossible... it would probably kill us, perhaps not.

i do recognise that in hinduism is experience of bliss, but this need not mean true complete union. bliss as i have already said, though very stable, at heart it can be cold, and its forc tends to mitigate toward the indifferent.

i said:
"the author though purporting to believe in oneness (advaita) is clearly a dualist in his disregard for the importance of the human body."
now i see that in advaita there is an effort to get beyond all appearances, the body is an appearance and is not the ultimate oneness. all in the universe can be seen as illusory in relation to the supreme reality (oneness). i 'see' that in his goal to attain the highest oneness, one has to be able to see the dualistic nature of the body and all appearances, perhaps it is something less than the truest reality, but still important. i also suspect that the oneness behind reality (maya) is not really God, but rather a work of God (True love).

there is one passage (i think its called 'knowledge') which encourages one very clearly that there is nothing to grasp, nothing to attain or achieve. we are already the Self (divine) whether we realise it or not. his aphorisms lack the clarity of marharshi ramana's direct pointing to this. they do however very clearly point beyond dualism to oneness. it is clear in hinduism that there is an emphasis on acceptance of oneself, not always a bad thing. to practice any of the aphorisms given here could be helpful in getting closer to the reality behind dualism, but the ultimate? i think not the ultimate. "speaking without speaking" though one speaks there are in reality only the appearance of words, on a deeper level there is only oneness, neither silence nor word, only one. which in itself is not even one, just an appearance. this definitely has the flavour of buddhist 'oneness' philosophy.

silence and word are opposites, a dualism... therefore silence is not real. if you think about it silence is a form of word sometimes, silence can speak, just as words sometimes seem to say nothing of any importance. thus the dualism: words and silence are according to advaita, ultimately empty of any meaning, behind this appearance there is pure awareness or consciousness, oneness, the Self. but God? no i dont think so, i dont believe that God is just consciousness, but most certainly within and yet beyond consciousness, more than, equal to less than and beyond it. if of course you tell someone to speak without speaking this may confuse him. less confusing are the aphorisms that encourage one to shun desire. "he neither speaks, nor is silent" this is since his words are dualisms, and lack any true reality. so he goes on talking and living like an ordinary person and yet he knows that all he does is one, beyond dualisms, and actually is not truly real. only oneness is truly real, only the Self/God, this non-dualism he says. and so God is not nature, but is at root behind all nature as its ground of being, this is perfectly reasonable. nature can be seen as an appearance and far more than a mere appearance, very real one, still it does not touch the true reality, this i agree with.

some might get the impression reading this book that there is something they should do to modify their behaviour or something to imitate, ie encouraging the reader to be what he is not, a bit like the tao te ching (though this may not be the popular approach in Taoism it is deduced from reading the Tao Te Ching). wihout thoughts, speech etc etc. that is not the purpose of the Ashtavakra gita, its purpose is to reveal that you are one with one (deeper natural oneness), they say one with god/true self/true love, that infact you are the one, and there is only one. the ground of being, but perhaps God is more than simply the 'natural non-dual one'ground of non-dualism, God being the root of nature and yet far more (words fail me).

there seems to be a remarkable likeness in some of the aphorisms to buddhist thought; the "no me, no mine" of therevada buddhism. one realises that there is no me nor you, only 'one'. like the apex of the equalateral triangle, the base of the triangle is me and mine, the apex of the advaitan/buddhist triangle is "neither me, nor mine" (no me, no mine), but simply true self. its important in understanding this little book to use the triangle in understanding dualisms. the dual being the two base positions of the triangle, the summit of the triangle being neither extreme, but the golden mean. which is often inexpressible. another triangle would be: lover:love:beloved (love at the apex), or knower:knowledge:known (knowledge at the apex of the triangle) or another- birth:life:death. so, the apex of the triangle is not necessarily emptiness, but it can be something.

if we use a triangle to denote life, the left base is 'birth', the right base angle is 'death' and crowning the peak of the triangle is 'life'.
in understanding advaita and certain buddhists concepts it is vital to use the triangle. the two base points of the triangle represent appearence, the apex of the triangle is higher reality (which is sometimes inexpressible, so the writer calls it the Self, or emptiness, or true love). though, i am not convinced that negating the base pair is always helpful, infact i believe that respecting the base pair leads one to higher reality. in the surangama sutra, there is a gatha where the buddha uses the triangle ("at the apex of the two reed bundles") to understand and explain the nature of reality. vivekananda and the pythagorians also used the equalateral triangle in understanding the fundamental nature of reality. but perhaps we should realise that here we are talking about reality, and unreality, not God, whom is beyond both or either. reality is the tao, ying and yang, but higher reality is the circle that binds these together, perhaps this is advaita, but then there is the one who draws the circle says that one that is not the one.

i am wondering whether the "no me nor mine" is a translators interpretation. anyway i have ordered a different translation of this book to compare interpretations (see my review "a duet of one", balsekar). there is a difference from buddhism here, since in buddhism there is experientially meant to be no self, whilst here in advaita, it would not be denied that there is the 'appearance' of a self (I), only that on a more profound level the self may not involve an 'i' nor a 'you'. (since 'i' and 'you' are a dualisms, two opposites). i personally found empty awareness a satisfactory state to be in, but was attacked by the grey wolves of nothingness. i for one value the self. i experienced annata on an experiential level over a period of three days, until i had to do something about the nothingness (not the emptiness)! in advaita the higher 'Self' is one, one does not have to extinguish their lower self, rather to see that in reality everything is as its basis the higher Self. the lower self is the higher self, it just doesnt usually realise this! I think thats what a hindu would say.

interestingly i am beginning to think that in hinduism, as with buddhism that there is sometimes an unhealthy emphasis on ego negation. the ego is the penetrative, loud and exuberant, whilst the non ego is receptive and humble. i see this aversion to the good qualities of 'I' in many of the worlds religions... it is said somehow that all things that emphasise ego are bad. i am not talking about kleshas (defilements) which come as part and parcel of the ego, but rather the positive aspects of that which pushes itself forward in leadership for example or artistic excellence.
perhaps we have an unhealthy aversion to the positive aspects of ego: talking, thinking etc etc. some eastern writers seem to favour the emptiness aspects (female) over the form aspects (male).

i would say that this book is pointing towards self realisation through realising that one is already realised which is fine in itself, but limiting. it once again involves passive acceptance of what one is (being) over against striving to 'become' something better.another thing that comes out in the ashtavakra gita is the indifference towards evil. my own view is that the evil person or force should be loved, but not encouraged to be evil, infact, rather it should be prevented from such behaviour. this brand of advaita vedanta says that your body and all it does and thinks has nothing to do with your true self... this simply cant be helpful. it seems the author is sticking his head in the sand. but i do know that a high standard of moral behaviour is encourged in hinduism. the ashtavakra author would say that all dualisms, including good and evil, ultimately root back to one/nature. this may be true, but the 'practical' implications of evil in this life, should concern us. i am shocked that aspects of hinduism are denialist all in the cause of realizing non dualist oneness. oneness can be attained parallel with dualism, one neednt deny aspects of 'lesser' reality in order to attain spiritual freedom or bliss. it seems to me that some advaitist reading the ashtavakra gita might grit his teeth and say "i feel no pain" or cross his eyes and say "there is no evil" whilst a child is suffering before his eyes. this approach will encourage indifference. "we are only puppets, it is god who does the evil deed"
such approaches just cant be helpful in my view.

i guess that we all need to know that we are one with love, but also to know that we are seperate from it, separated by our cruelties and selfishnesses, but pride? well pride in your family and children, that can be a very good thing. also love of ones posessions can be healthy - warming the heart (as does a friend). i am not saying become a rampant materialist, i am arguing for a balanced approach (a little attachment, a little non attachment - the middle way), though of course loss of possessions and loved ones will be painful, it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. so whats the big thing about attachment. it has advantages as well as its disadvantages. the extreme teaching of total non attachment towards material things and denial of the body, cant be good. if anything this could open one up to a sort of superspiritual snobbery. (im better than you because i have no possessions). as jesus said... "religious hypocrisy is the worst enemy of true love" (paraphr) and "beware the 'doctrine' of the pharisees." anything that discourages true love is evol.

interestingly vivekananda recognises that in order to live, one must interface with the dual, he sees the oneness behind it. however, to say that this oneness or reality is the one true God, i think my be a bit premature. i would however say that the union of love comes very close the divine image and perfection in dissolving subject and object, however love which "covers all sins" as the new testament says is still not true love (God).

this book has helped me to see the position taken by an extreme form of non dualism, focus on oneness/nature, and i think there may be something in this attitude toward life... so i'll continue to use it when i find it helpful. True Love is my guru, i am his/her poor and lazy student! but i do think that we dont stick our head in the sand when it comes to dualisms. the one rests on the two. the two rest on the one. without two there will not be one, without one there will not be two. that sounds quite neo-platonic doesnt it!

take care, best wishes, snow-flake. xxx

Another Star, Another Sun.......2007-07-18

Everyone knows of the Bhagavad Gita. It's the light of India and one of the great books of the world. Far less well known, but equally profound, is the Ashtavakra Gita, beautifully translated here by scholar-mystic Thomas Byrom. If you are trying to find out Who You Are, this is a fine place to look. Namaste!

Beautiful.......2006-12-24

I would say if you are a follower of Advaita Vedanta -- then this is an essential purchase.

I am not a Hindu, and neither am I any kind of "expert" in the field. Rather, I have devoted myslef to Theravada Buddhism for about 23 years, studying the earliest Suttas/Sutras and meditation techniques. However, I have always felt a tremendous pull towards Advaita Vedanta, and can see so many similarities with Buddhism, and indeed, the wider contemplative tradition exemplified by people like Meister Eckhardt , St Francis and some of the Islamic poets/theorists/artists, such as Rumi and Khayyam -- this book's philosophy sits perfectly , beautifully, comfortably next to those thinkers.

This book to me, also has a remarkable similarity to essential core Theravada texts such as "Sutta Nipata" ( The Saddhatissa, somewhat liberal translation that is ) and The Udana.

Lovers of Emily Dickinson, Alan Ginsberg, Kerouac and Walt Whitman will no doubt be drawn to this book too.

A remarkable, extraordinary book, and I do not say that lightly.

misunderstood and mistranslated.......2006-11-16

While the Ashtavakra Gita is a beautiful book, this translation is horrible. It is so disappointing, that even over a year later, memories of it has spurred me to write a review here so that others may be made aware and go seek a better translation.

My main issue is that the author's translation changes the very nature of this Gita. The Ashtavakra Gita is originally in a debate/dialogue format between the King and a challenger. The depth and meaning of this beautiful Gita resides in that exchange. Although there is only one author, one voice (one master), the duality in verse is as much a part of the wisdom of this Gita as what is being spoken. It's what makes the original so genius!

And this author has removed all traces of this dialogue in his translation. Eep. The pace and witty lines have been replaced with a soft mushy flow. Any possible transmission has been replaced by flat white noise. What's more upsetting is that the author even tells us about removing this subtle dialogue in his Notes. On page 79 he says, "Except here and in a few other verses, there is no clear or natural colloquy and no attempt to distinguish the voices of King Janaka and Ashtavakra. On the contrary, a single voice, speaking with undisputed authority, dominates every chapter. For these reasons I have dispensed with the fiction of dramatic dialogue, except for the opening question." Argh!

How do you go about removing something so significant and then call it a translation?

The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita.......2005-10-25

I find this writing an excellent resource into deeper understanding of spiritual study. With simplicity, profound teachings are conveyed to the reader. With each reading of even a sentence, new and deeper understandings unfold. The writings never become "old hat", they are ever-new in deepening one's insight and understandings.

Average customer rating:

I've read this thing a thousand times...
A Hero you can understand...
Great book-but should have a sequel
The second book
were's the sequil?

Dark Heart: Book I of Dragon's Disciple
Margaret Weis , and David Baldwin
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0061057916

Book Description

Someone,
or something,
is ripping
the hearts from
living men.

Justinian, Lord Sterling, has lived for centuries, serving an ancient entity known only as the Dragon. Immortality is Justin's reward. But to keep it, he must keep killing.

Lt. Sandra McCormick is a dedicated cop, a loner whose job is her refuge from a twisted past. But to keep it, she must stop the killing.

Two loners, each stalking the other. Each destined to be the other's savior--and downfall. For love, unexpected, unstoppable, draws them together. And love is the one vice the Dragon will not allow . . .

Download Description

Someone,
or something,
is ripping
the hearts from
living men.

Justinian, Lord Sterling, has lived for centuries, serving an ancient entity known only as the Dragon. Immortality is Justin's reward. But to keep it, he must keep killing.

Lt. Sandra McCormick is a dedicated cop, a loner whose job is her refuge from a twisted past. But to keep it, she must stop the killing.

Customer Reviews:

I've read this thing a thousand times..........2007-01-06

This is another great book by Margaret Weis, and if you enjoy fantasy in a more modern setting, I recommend it. The characters are complex, and the story is definitely character-driven. More than that, the dialogue and descriptions flow nicely, so it's not difficult to get sucked in by the writing style and captivated to the very last word.

I have the sequel (or perhaps prequel?) to this, but for me, it was a disappointing because I'd anticipated a full-length novel. Nonetheless, if you can find the book, I recommend adding it to your collection. It's a graphic novel called Testament of the Dragon, and it has some interesting pictures to go along with the narration. It's also a quicker read than Dark Heart.

Hope I was helpful.

A Hero you can understand..........2007-01-04

Justin wants to do the right thing. He struggles to be a decent person. But his Master doesn't allow such "noble" tendencies to rule the Disciples that the Master rules!
But for the death of beloved Weis's son David, we'd have all been blessed with the sequels to (what first began as) this series.
Dark Heart was Book I...if you read it, enjoy it. But give understanding to the ending, and respect Margaret's decision not to continue, as Dragon's Disciple was her son's creation.
Perhaps someday, someone she trusts and respects will ask her permission
to try/attempt to finish what they began. Then, perhaps we'll have the sequels that should have been.
But yes, still a good read, and another Exceptional Weis corroboration.

Great book-but should have a sequel.......2004-05-30

I thought this book was really good-well written, lots of action and a good plot. But it deserves a sequel! I was very disappointed to hear that Margaret Weis is not continuing the series-I'm not sure if people will like reading this book wehn it doesn't really have an ending. She should have written at least one more book and given us some closure. It's still a great book though, in my opinion. It just doesn't have a good ending.

The second book.......2004-03-16

I asked Margaret Weis about the second book (see www.staroftheguardians.com for her addie) and she said that due to the death of her son David Baldwin, she would not continue the series, as it was more his work than hers, and it would not feel proper to use his ideas. It was his project. There is a prequil or similar called Testament of the dragon, but i think it's only available in America, as i cannot obtain it in the wonderful world of Oz here.

were's the sequil?.......2003-07-24

is there going to be a sequil to this book or what. I read it and loved it. I have waited a few years and still no sequil.

Average customer rating:

Great book for young and old!
A delightful story

When Dragons' Hearts Were Good
Buddy Davis
Manufacturer: Master Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0890512590

Book Description

A marvelously written and lovingly illustrated book that teaches children the true version of early earth history. This full-color classic uses clear biblical teaching to show that the world was once a perfect place, but sin marred it all.

Emphasizing God's love for all His creatures, When Dragons' Hearts Were Good gives children and parents blessed hope that the Creator will one day restore His creation, so that it will again be "very good." Includes FREE CD with narrated story and delightful, original music.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for young and old!.......2004-02-17

Buddy Davis & Dan Lietha's book is a wonderful book to help "fix" the thinking od so many people who have been evolutionized in their thinking about Genesis and dinosaurs!

A delightful story.......2000-05-12

This account of what life may have been like in the Garden of Eden is based on the book of Genesis. It links dragons with dinosaurs while recounting the story of Adam and Eve. Christian parents (homeschoolers, especially) will enjoy sharing this book with their children. In the book that we have there is a CD Rom included. It includes the song "When Dragons Heart's Were Good" and also a reading of the story by the author. The illustrations are bright and colorful and will appeal to the young children that this book is geared toward. You need this book!

Chasing the Dragon: Into the Heart of the Golden Triangle

Average customer rating:

Shawcross or Kaplan he ain't, but it's a good read
C'mon, it's a great read!
You can't go wrong when you're writing about Khun Sa
This book is a big letdown
Interesting at times, but overall disappointment

Chasing the Dragon: Into the Heart of the Golden Triangle
Christopher R. Cox
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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The Shore Beyond Good and Evil: A Report from Inside Burma's Opium Kingdom

ASIN: 080505507X

Amazon.com

Cox, a reporter for the Boston Herald, traveled into the Shan State, the lawless region of northern Myanmar (or Burma) that produces much of the world's opium, to interview Khun Sa, the drug warlord who built himself a jungle empire on drug profits and who styled himself a Shan freedom-fighter. Khun Sa, who has since "retired" and lives in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), is a complex character. This account of bearding the devil in his lair combines thorough research, high adventure, and prose pungent with the odor of poppies blooming on remote mountainsides.

Book Description

A reporter's journey into Burma to interview the mysterious drug lord, Khun Sa.

Customer Reviews:

Shawcross or Kaplan he ain't, but it's a good read.......2001-07-23

I just finished reading Cox's book, and while I heartily agree with the criticisms of his literary style (there is a reason that Cox writes for the Boston Herald rather than the Economist or Atlantic), I found parts of it to be very engaging, with only the second-to-last chapter being a disappointment. The epilogue in particular makes up for a lot of slow going towards the end of Cox's Shan State visit. While he attempts to keep the hero worship under control, Cox does not exhibit the maturity that a seasoned writer like William Shawcross does, nor is Cox as adventurous as he seems to believe; the current king of the hill among hardbitten, well-educated nightmare-travel journalists has to be Robert Kaplan, whose penchant for jumping into open graves ought to shame Cox. Nonetheless, I learned a great deal about the history of Burma and the autonomous states within what is now dubbed 'Myanmar'. Cox appears to have assiduously researched his destination, much more than I would expect the author of a ... paperback to have done. Provided one does not demand exhaustive political analyses and policy recommendations from every travel writer on the shelf, this is a light-weight adventure tale which happens to be shelved in the non-fiction category, and should not disappoint those looking for material concerning one of the few remaining mysteries among Southeast Asian countries.

C'mon, it's a great read!.......2000-10-06

Wow. Talk about a peltering! Poor Chris Cox writes a good and entertaining book about his looney adventure in Thailand and Burma, and the critics go ballistic. The venom is astonishing!

Well, the fact is that Chasing The Dragon is a pretty interesting tale, and certainly offbeat considering that it begins with a private mission to find MIAs in SE Asia ... in 1994!

But its more than simply a whacky story. There's a goldmine of history on Burma and Thailand, and I think Cox is one of the few writers to have actually put recent (post-1950) Burmese politics into a coherent framework.

Along the way Cox gets his interview with Khun Sa (the crux of his journalistic mission), and that's quite a coup. But that he also has some adventures; takes Xanax to adjust to his 12-hour jet lag; and describes some of the seamier corners of Asia is not outside the scope of the story. That's the way that travel in Asia often is!

Ecotourists might be offended. There is too much here that doesn't work for that strict Puritanical mindset ("Porno tapes as a gift to Khun Sa! My God!"). But you don't have to be a Robert Pelton fan to understand what's happening in Chasing The Dragon. You just have to have gone off the Lonely Planet path to a world that is markedly different from your own.

You can't go wrong when you're writing about Khun Sa.......2000-02-19

Although Cox's journalistic adventure narrative begins slowly, mired in pretentious descriptions and glamorized, over-dramatized, Hunter S. Thompson wannabe-gonzo bragging, it soon settles into a much more sophisticated groove, bolstered by Cox's significant grasp of Burmese history, Southeast Asian politics, and obligatory willingness to mix with the locals, dabble in a few vices, and refreshingly steer clear of "ugly American" stereotypes and boorish behavior abroad. The meandering of the book, between wandering Thailand's red-light district, sharing the quest of obsessed American POW hunters, and a good deal of astute political analysis, can lose the reader a bit at times, but by the last hundred pages one is fully engrossed, engaged, and rooting for Khun Sa and his ragtag band of drug-financed outlaw good guy rebels, while booing and hissing the bureaucratic US officials who forego supporting the Shan, valiant enemies of the odious Burmese regime, because of our hypocritical and shortsighted "war" on drugs. Sadly, since Cox published this ambitious work, Khun Sa has given up his guns and his poppy fields, betrayed by his own Shan rebels beause of his half-Chinese ancestry and perceived greed, and the old man is now doing lucrative hotel/casino business deals with the Rangoon regime. Oh well, at least Cox got in one hell of a narrative description before this "drug lord" decided to call it quits. Anyway, the relevance of the Golden Triangle to the international smack trade is now fading away, as the Afghan Taliban find that they can endure their diplomatic isolation quite nicely, thank you, by flooding world heroin markets in the name of political Islam.

This book is a big letdown.......1998-06-13

After narrating myriad topographical and geographical details of the region in mostly unreadable, ostentatious prose, Cox finally finds his prey. And what does he do? He sits down and turns on his tape recorder while Khun Sa gives his boilerplate speech. Talk about a "shaggy dog story!" Talk about a waste of time!

Interesting at times, but overall disappointment.......1998-01-27

Cox takes on an ambitious journey to write about his impressions of the Golden Triangle, Khun Sa and the opium trade. While Cox does manage to provide an education regarding the region in terms of history, politics, and society, his writing style is lame. Cox writes in a manner that highlights his lofty opinion of himself; he seems to think he is really cool for taking on a journey which not a lot of others would consider. He likes to address his advertursome life of travel, danger, booze, drugs (Xanax) which seems so self-satisfying. And while his one-liners aren't as pathetic as you'll find in Rambo movies, they're not far behind. Basically, if you think the guys who write for Fielding's Dangerous Places, you may like Cox.

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