Anyone who has never heard these two compositions is likely to break down during his/her first listen to this disc. Words cannot convey the interplay of the notes and the silence between them...

Spiegel Im Spiegel I think is best expressed as a slow dance between the piano and violin (or cello). Each instrument follows a progression of notes that gently reaches an amazing climax; this piece particularly emphasises the violinist's ability to sustain some high notes (you can almost hear the rosin coming off of the bow/string...).

Fur Alina is delicacy on the keyboard. You will need a quiet room for this piece.

Some may think the album a bit of a waste because of the repetition but I suspect those people are just not listening very carefully. Each track is somewhat different and it is an enjoyable experience to hear the progression over the entire album.

It is very difficult to rank Part's work since I like them all. However, I believe Te Deum is one of his strongest compositions and the production on this album is superb.

Part's style, "Tintinnabulation", is really a play on the idea of notes being distinct and sparse. As you listen you learn to enjoy the space between the notes, realizing Part's goal of

"...time and timelessness are connected. This instant and eternity are struggling within us. And this is the cause of all our contradictions...."

Even after many listens I still find new moments of brilliance in Te Deum. It was recorded in an old Church in Estonia, if I remember correctly, and the sonics of the choir mesh perfectly with the music and surroundings. On a good system you will be transported to Part's world.

Scott has an amazing sound on this album (very similar to "Music for Zen Meditation") that is much more reminiscent of purely Eastern people. Colin Walcott, on sitar, perfectly complements Scott and two produce a great ambient album. Considering it was recorded long before such music really became "accepted" it really sounds quite fresh.

I particularly enjoy Hatha where Scott creates some ethereal notes that mesh perfectly with Walcott's sitar. Listen to this on a good system in a quiet room and enjoy!

Although many will debate about mixing meditation and music, I find this album enhances my meditation time...

Kingston has done an excellent job of getting down to the fundamentals of Feng Shui without getting bogged down in dogma and/or calculations. For those who are new to this ancient Eastern tradition there are basically two "schools" of thought - the geomancy background where everything revolves around complicated calculations and 'Black Hat' which is a more holistic and basic approach.

Kingston cuts to the core of both styles by concentrating on that all too modern problem of how we Western consumers collect a lot of junk that then just lies around collecting dust. One cannot over-emphasise the negative impacts this has on all aspects of your life!

I suspect that even those who would be the most unlikely to "believe" in Feng Shui will still notice a great improvement in life if they would simply follow Kingston's advice and get rid of the layers of detritus found in many places in the house. I suspect you'll feel like a great load has been lifted when you cart the 25 bags of recyclable items to various community second-hand depots and discover there actually was a table underneath that pile of old fashion magazines and dusty books...

If you enjoy this book, particularly the sections where Kingston gets into more personal areas then you really should look to Qigong (Chi Kung). Kingston has appropriated many ideas from Qigong and her slim book does not expand nearly enough on what is possible for clearing the clutter from your mind. Seek out master and check out some of the excellent books like "The Way of Energy" by Kam Chuen Lam, Wong Kiew Kit's "Chi Kung for Health and Vitality" and Frantzis' "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body".

For more reading about Feng Shui I'd recommend "Feng Shui: Harmony by Design" by Nancy SantoPietro as the best place to start. Kam's book is pretty interesting as is "Lighting the Eye of the Dragon" by Baolin Wu. Frankly, I am not very interested in the geomancy school which is typified by the many books put out by Lillian Too.

I've listened to this many times but I always find something new. It encompasses an incredibly wide range of styles, tempos and emotions across all of tracks as well as within each one.

Many other albums from other artists have been spawned from this work but none quite measures up (Jarrett's own La Scala is similar although not quite as accessible). Part I in particular runs the gamut from an Arvo Part-like tonality to a sequence that would be home on a blues tribute.

If I were to recommend one Jarrett disc to anyone this would be it.

Baker and Millhauser almost seem like they are psuedonyms for one person. Both have similar style - that of being very clever but totally devoid of emotional content; their works seem to be similar to well-written hame appliance manuals.

I waded through the Mezzanine simply because I was intrigued by the idea of how much can run through one's mind during "ordinary" events. What do I mean? Well, the premise of the novel is the journey of the central character on an escalator from one floor to another in some nameless office building. The reader is treated to the dizzying spirals of thought (and clever stylistic touches of things like footnotes that go for pages) inside the person's head; an interesting take on the Eastern (particularly Zen) ideas of ordinary consciousness.

But where some, like Calvino, have handled the idea of self-reference in an artful way, Baker just leaves one feeling it wasn't worth the effort of reading. In fact, Lyotard has captured the post-modern idea of the referance most succinctly in "Postmodern Fables" which is usually listed as a non-fiction work!

Both the Mezzanine and Vox just don't seem to be worth the effort unless you've got a lot of time on your hands...

And if you ever buy Harper's then you already own it - the story was first published there. I'm not a big fan of Millhauser's style (particularly exemplified in "The Mezzanine" and "Vox") - I find him to be clever but ultimately devoid of any emotional meaning. In other words, Millhauser's writing reminds me of a well-written user's manual for some home appliance.

The Knife Thrower (the story) has some interesting ideas and would, as some have pointed out, make a good episode for the Twilight Zone. Or you could go see "Girl on A Bridge" ("La Fille sur le Pont" since it is a subtitled French import) for a great version of this idea. Perhaps this is some universal archetype since the idea seems to appeal to many.

Ultimately in the realm of short stories Millhauser does not, in my opinion, rank near the top. If you enjoy his style you would probably like some of Bradbury's early work or even Ian Banks. The rest of the stories in this volume do not leave any lasting impression, much like drinking some 'lite' soft drink.

There are a lot of books out there on zen; one may wander the aisles of any of the big book chains and see how the word has become a bit overused. However, if I were to suggest one book on zen that should be found on your shelf, this would be it. No fluff and/or preaching here, just solid information and discussion on the fundamentals of zazen.

I particularly like the fact that Sekida emphasizes breathing and energy flow from the tanden; for someone who practices Qigong this seems obvious but I think many who practice zazen take years to catch on. The sheer amount of practical advice in this book make it well worth the money and the discussion of three nen make it indispensible. In fact, I think this is a better place to start than many of the more esoteric zen books since really, this is all about the practice, not the theory.

Combine this with a book on Qigong, "Mindfulness in Plain English", and perhaps "Zen and the Brain" and then find a master; I don't think you'll ever regret the decision.

This book is a good start for anyone just starting to learn about Qigong. There is a broad range of exercises depicted and the descriptions are clear enough that a beginner should be able to get some good tips to assist with his/her learning.

I like the fact that "standing at the stake" is emphasized and the drawings explaining the finer points of the stance are very helpful. I cannot over-emphasize the positive effects of this exercise! It seems many other Qigong books only depict sitting meditation which, in my opinion, misses out on a great opportunity for advancing health and energy. Some of the other exercises are not perfectly clear since the illustrations could use a bit of improvement but overall there is a lot of information here.

Combine this book with one by Frantzis and a couple of meditation books like "Mindfulness in Plan English" or "Zen Training" and then find a good master - you won't regret it.

I'm not sure why this one isn't more well-known since it is a rather old book. The tale is always relevant and I enjoyed Sanders' style.

The overview of the plot given on the review page is quite accurate but I think you'll find the ending to be quite powerful. Definitely there is a good build-up of emotion as the tale proceeds. Get a nice hot pot of tea and a comfortable chair for this one!