...on what it means to be in the heart of war "just doing your job". My father flew the A-1 in Vietnam and he has never really talked that much about it because his perspective was that "he was just doing his job". This book gave me a great appreciation for his work and efforts and made me even more proud of him than I could imagine. The Skyraiders were a remarkable group that have never gotten that much attention but played an important role. This book does a great job of highlighting their work and efforts in a very "matter of fact" manner.

As a general aviation pilot myself, my heroes are the attack, close support and fighter-bomber pilots of A-1s, A-4s, F-105s, P-47s, Typhoons, etc. These guys had to fly/dive INTO (not over or around them) their targets in the face of AAA, SAMs, and small arms fire which was not a job regular jet jocks or most other fighter pilots wanted. This a book that I could not put down, finished it in one day and wanted more! Highly recommended if you want to see through the eyes of an A-1 pilot rescuing other downed pilots. It does seem that the Jollies got more of their share of appreciation than the Sandy and Spad pilots did simply because the A-1 pilots weren't the ones to actually pick them up and bring them back to base while the A-1s flew home to a different base. That just didn't seem fair considering the A-1s made the all the difference in clearing or suppresing enemy activity in the area so the Jollies could do their job. The author does seem to be confused as to who actually made the engines in A-1s he was flying - they were not Pratt and Whitney. They were all made by Wright and called the R-3350-26 series.

For a generation of airmen--and perhaps for other warriors--writing about their time in SE Asia has proven cathartic. I've been involved in two such memoirs ("On Yankee Station" and "Wildcats to Tomcats") and in each case the experience was rewarding and fulfilling. George Marrett's memoir clearly has helped him address the demons of three decades, as he writes with honesty and clarity about his year flying A-1 "Sandys".
Ed Heinemann, the fabled designer of the Skyraider, would appreciate "Cheating Death" in a special way. He retained an affection for the "Spad" that would seem odd to those familiar with his racier designs: especially the F4D Skyray and A-4 Skyhawk. "Cheating Death" is a well deserved tribute to the men and machines who flew one of the least heralded--but most deeply appreciated--missions in the Vietnam War.

An exceptional account of our secret war in Loas, pulling no punches in detailing both the bravery of many men as well as the stupidity of others. All of this woven in with a warm picture of the author's family life. In reading the book one concludes that it is an honest and straight forward account of the way our war in Loas was fought, without trying to make heros of the men who were truely the heros, nor overly critizing those who were more of a hinderance than help. In short, a clear, concise and well written account. Highly Recommeded by this reader.

I served as Chief of Security for Air America in Thailand and Vietnam from 1967-1975. I enjoyed "Mule's" book very much. For those who shared Jim Parker's experiences you will relive old memories. For those who could not be there you will find the details fascinating. I would encourage you to read this one.

I found this jewel to be more than a diamond in the rough. Parker's carefully crafted personal diary of those men and women who served our country silently, but with incredible valor and tenacity, particularly in a time of confusing events and conflicting values in our own country, is the best evidence of the "other side of the story" about our involvement in SouthEast Asia and those who served there with honor. It brought to the front the noble cause and the selfless courage of those who gave sacrifice, some the ultimate sacrifice, in a political and military conflict that ended with our withdrawal and the fall of the governments so many had fought to save. It was a book so compelling that I could not put it down as I disembarked from my flight, reading it even as I stood at the baggage return.

For patriots, veterans, historians, and the adventuresome this jewel of a book is a must read.

A must-have for those who can't wait for a translation and commentary a little more in-depth and "friendlier" of this, the earliest copy.

It was with amazement that I read about the new publication of the Guodian slip of Laozi, translated by Robert G. Henricks. This new treasury found in 1993 was studied upon by several Chinese and western scholars, including R.G. Henricks. He was one of the 31 scholars who attended the International seminar for discussion and study upon this new bamboo slip scripture.

It doesn't need explanation, to say that Mr Henricks is an extraordinary skilled and profound scholar in the Laozi realm of work. After translating and publishing his work on the Ma-Wang-Tui text of the Lao-Tzu - which proves over and over again to be a high-quality translation and commentary - it was but logical to find the 1st translation of the Guodian treasure to be translated and commented upon by him.

The Guodian version, named the Laozi, consists only of 31 chapters out of the 81 chapters we know today as being the complete Lao-Tzu work called the Tao Te Ching. It should be seen as an indepth study on the new Guodian version and I would not recommend this book to someone who has not studied the 'complete' Tao Te Ching prior to reading this book.

The Laozi is organized as it was written down on the bamboo slips; In three different Themes. For simplicity, Mr Henricks named these A, B and C. This division has a similar approach in Chuang-Tzu's work: three Sections making up his work: Inner section, Outer section and Miscellaneous. If this was intented is a thesis, but not a fact. It is opted this version to be one that's connected with the Guan-Dao school of Daoism. A great explanation is included on the completeness of the Guodian version compared to the philospical elements that are known in the later versions of the Lao-Tzu (Tao Te Ching).

For those who study and want to have new revelation upon the philosophy and Meaning of the Lao-Tzu, this book is a MUST read.

This is a sure bet for a reliable edition of the Tao Te Ching in the hands of a skilled translator.

He guides you through a brief introduction to the 'philosophy' of Taoism and through the significance of the Mawangtui texts. These provide marvelous foundation for approaching this ever elusive, ever unfolding Tao.

Of my six copies, I have found his to be the most 'objective' (recognizing, of course, that this is somewhat of an illusion) and matter-of-fact. As far as I can tell, he sticks to the text as text, having a scholastic view of the Tao rather than a spiritual bent. Whereas many, if not most, translations display the spiritual background of the translator, I never get that feeling from this one.

It reads easy and makes sense of some passages that have proven difficult in other translations. Of course, if we can understand the Tao then we really don't have it!

But this is a surefire bet to give you a solid foundation and an easily approachable translation of the Tao Te Ching. It's one I return to again and again.

This is a good intellectual book that covers writings from past and present thinkers like John Locke, Thomas Paine, and Milton Friedman. This is not a fast read -- but the good thing is that you can pick and choose what chapters to read. This is the ideal plane book for someone that wants to expand the mind.

I being of a classical conservative mind, hope to offer a fair critique of both this book and libertarianism in general. I acquired it during my pre-law days when studying political theory. Anyway, David Boaz has assembled a motley collection of political and philosophical writings gleaned throughout history of what he deems to be 'libertarian thought.' The introductory section entitled 'Skepticism About Power' puts forward the crux of libertarian thought, namely skepticism of concentrated power and an affinity for the principle of subsidiarity and the widespread dispersal of power. In sum, libertarians affirm Lord Acton's axiom that "power tends to corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Boaz tosses in a selection from the Scriptures, in 1 Samuel 8, which shows the consequences of the ancient Israelites insisting on a monarchy. Here, the prophet Samuel warned of the consequences of absolutism that would ensue, but they the people would not relent and God being sovereign gave them their monarchy. James Madison's poignant Federalist #10 is included and correlates the founder's reverence of liberty with libertarian thought. Boaz infers the continuity of mainstream libertarianism with the 'classical' liberalism of yesteryears. Not surprisingly, advocates of free-markets and opponents of statism are among the cast of characters featured in his selections. Economists like Adam Smith, Frederic Bastiat, F.A. Hayek and Ludwig von Mises grace the pages. Frenchmen Bertrand de Jouvenal offers a poignant critique of redistribution, which was gathered from the pages of 'The Ethics of Redistribution.' Some egalitarian levelers, anarchists, and other assorted radicals like Lysander Spooner and social Darwinist Herbert Spencer are featured as well.

With regards to foreign policy issues, the essays featured seem to acquiesce with the sentiments of the founding fathers, which may be summed up in the dictum of Jefferson: "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." These essays advocate strategic disengagement, a policy of strategic independence, which is commensurate with the prevailing foreign policy of armed neutrality espoused in the early years of the American republic. One essayist, namely Ted Galen Carpenter, works alongside Boaz at the Cato Institute, and offers a sensible assessment of our entanglement with the UN and its negative long-term consequences. However, libertarianism may be shallow in some respect on international affairs, hence their affinity for Richard Cobden whom Boaz featured. Cobden's fanciful screed entitled, 'Commerce is the Grand Panacea,' acts as if free trade amongst the nations will whimsically do away with war. For political realists, this is a bit of well wishing that doesn't mesh too well with reality or history.

Thus far I've been dispassionate for the most part, but now let me toss in a monkey-wrench in regards to Boaz's selection of libertarian icons. Many contributors selected never identified themselves 'libertarians' as such. Moreover, some were avowed opponents of 'libertarianism.' In the 1950's, economist F.A. Hayek deplored those who would assign the 'libertarian' appellation to him. He insisted that he was an Old Whig, with emphasis on Old. Likewise, Ayn Rand too, had bad things to say about it, yet many in libertarian circles strangely have an affinity for her crude, materialistic objectivist philosophy. Some of the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of libertarianism (visible in the schisms of 19th century classical liberalism) planted the seeds of what mutated into modern, permissive liberalism with its penchant for radical secularizing and egalitarian leveling. Some of these flaws are manifest in the nineteenth century selections featured in this book. Granted, some libertarians (i.e. paleolibertarians) are openly appalled at these dark facets of modernity that I'm about to describe. Generally, many libertarians have a dogmatic affinity for an abstract liberty, a tendency to reject a transcendent moral order, a penchant for crude utilitarian reductionism, and some even find all forms of coercion appalling, apparently even the social stigmatism of family, tradition and societal custom. (BTW If you think this is an overstatement than read Harry Browne's 'How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World.') Murray Rothbard was adamant that libertarians aren't libertines. However, as libertarian writers prattle off screeds like "Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do" and "XXX: A Woman's Right to Pornography"-advocating an unfettered market for drugs and sex-the more libertine side of libertarianism is becoming more readily apparent. Those avowed libertarians that retort, 'but I'm against these things,' probably favor Edmund Burke over Thomas Paine, and might as well fall on the outskirts of the conservative camp if they do an accurate self-assessment. Furthermore, many libertarians devalue both community and the nation-state, and question the sovereignty of states to regulate immigration while they long for a borderless world of hyper-atomized individuals engaged in economic transactions. That 'globalization' is a cousin of 'internationalism' remains a fatal concession to what I'm saying whether they tacitly admit it or not. Some have a tendency to supplant the marketplace in place of civil society. In doing so, they adhere to a dictum that can be surmised as 'everything inside the market and nothing outside the market,' thus turning Mussolini's fascist mantra on its nose. 'Ideas have consequnces,' as Richard Weaver observes, and naturally the liberalism of Paine, Spencer, Mill and yes even Locke gave way to modern liberalism and the perils of modernity.

I was once an avowed libertarian, but with a kick; I fancied myself as 'a conservative with a libertarian bent.' As conservative thinker Russell Kirk surmises, anyone who thinks seriously about politics falls away from it. Nevertheless, there is much in libertarian thought to be admired, though they're not always the harbingers of all these good ideas they espouse. Libertarians particularly those affiliated with the Cato Institute are aligned with the Old Right in an effort to unleash what we might characterize as a 'devolution revolution.' Such a move would effectively restore the 10th Amendment and federalism commensurate with original intent of the U.S. Constitution's framers. (Neoconservatives are too apt to constitutional compromise.) Anyhow, for accomplishing his task of making an anthology offering a cross-section of 'libertarian thought,' I'll give Boaz a thumbs up and a five-star rating despite my misgivings about libertarianism.

This book inspires us to think about how collectivist ideas can damage our civil society. With its writings, this book also gives us a historical perspective of libertarianism since we keep in touch with all kind of authors: ancient (e.g. Bible, Lao-Tzu,), classical (e.g. John Locke, Adam Smith) and contemporary (e.g. Ayn Rand, Mario Vargas Llosa).

Of corse all Taoists in America and Europe are influanced or affected by Christianity... it is woven into the fabric of our society. This is why is is good for a Taoist to read this book. It will bring him/her some "comfort" with regard to Christianity, and help them to understand the nature of Jesus, thus, understand more about their Christian neighbor.

"Liberal" Christians will probably enjoy this book as well... and may even begin to regard Lao Tzu as a bit of a prophet :)
I would recomend it as a gift from Taoist to Chrisian or Christian to Taoist.... NOT as a "conversion" tool, but as a tool for mutual understanding.

Although I enjoyed seeing the parallels... I thought that some of the sayings did not really match very well as far as their actual meanings, also I was suprised by some of the verses that were *not* included... there are some better verses that show the simular intents of Lau Tzu and Jesus than some of the ones chosen by the Author.
One might do better to read the Tao Te Ching and the "words in red" of the new testiment for his/herself! However, if you can't be bothered to do that, this book is a nice quick referance and a nice teaching tool.

I wish there was a Lao Tzu and Muhammad book.. I'd like to see what would be made of that! :)

I strongly recommend this book to those who are interested in
or involved with Christian, Jewish, and/or Tao outlooks.

The author and editor take the position that Jesus and Lao Tzu
represented 2 separate philosophical disciplines that branched
from the same originating river (GOD). This is,to my way of
thinking, quite extraordinary,considering the vast differences
of East and West histories and cultures, and communication.

It's too bad that this book is not in more people's hands

(and lives!). You get 3 basic things from the book:

1) An excellent overview of Jesus' and Lao Tzu's teachings,
and how they relected on each others', as presented
in the preface.

2) A breakdown of all the teachings into 9 catagories;
1 catagory per chapter. Each chapter comprises many paired
quotes from each teacher; you be the judge to just how similar
they are to each other.

3) A Commentary section following the 9 chapters/topics
that is well worth having all by itself. Tremendous insight,
backed up by the referred to precious chapters.

If all the above isn't enough, and it is, the binding
ends with a fine list of recommended books for furthur
study.

Again, if you are a serious Jew, Christian or Taoist
(or seeker of deeper meaning in life) I think you should
have this as one of your key reference books.

P.S. Jesus' sayings in the book are just Jesus' sayings
alone, not mixed up with what disciples and clergy added
to the Gospel from their vantage points.

The 3rd book in the "Parallel Sayings" series tackles the greatest differences yet between 2 religious 'founders': Lao Tzu, the enigmatic hermit who preached to no one and actually wrote his own legacy (Tao Te Ching) at a gatekeeper's request before disappearing from society and Jesus, whose parables of love and social reform were recorded in the Gospels and have converted about 1/3 of the world's poplulation 2 millenia later.

This book deviates from the first two by including short commentiaries on each of the parallel sayings in the back of the book. The commentaries add something and I think that including, at the very least, historical backround and some additional context for the sayings gives some perspective which will hopefully be adopted in later books.
Highly recommended!

I have read several translations of the Tao Te Ching and was very disappointed in this read. I feel as if much of the strengths from the original text are lost in this author?s choice of words and examples. This translation loses the beauty and appreciation of nature that the original texts focused on. (He refers to calculators and computers in some instances) I was also bothered by his addition of the Christian understanding of God as a character in his translations. Over all I really recommend finding a better translation than this to read if you are a first timer. (such as translation by Victor H. Mair) It is a bit more of a heavy read but caries over the interesting paradoxes that make the ancient document so intriguing.

Also read ?The wisdom of insecurity? By Allan Watts (a Beatnik) if you like the idea of Taoism

I agree with that other guy(girl?) in that this book should be about life... not leadership. -The concepts are adapted from Lao Tzu's timeless classic; put into easily understood interpretation makes one really grasp the idea of nonresistance towards the flow of creative juices. -However, this book would be a ten if it were about life. It has been my experience that in dealing with one's own demons, one has a better understanding of another's pain. I've applied this book to both leadership situations, and daily living (though I've had to read between the lines for that).

Heider, John. The Tao of Leadership. Atlanta: Humanics Limited, copyright 1985.

The Tao of Leadership is a book loaded with pearls of wisdom for any person in a position of authority to make a part of their repertoire of leadership strategies. The 3 themes of this book are: 1. Natural Law, or how things happen. 2. A way of life, or how to live in conscious harmony with natural law. 3. A method of leadership, or how to govern or educate other in accordance with natural law. This author looks at various principles of living that if utilized in one's life, can lead to harmony when interacting with others. He adapted these Tao principles from the Chinese culture, and many of the principles have been incorporated into the leadership styles of political rulers and sages of the Chinese people. At first, some of the principles were difficult for me to except because the effort to apply them seemed too easy to incorporate into my responses when interacting with others. But as I practiced the Tao thought, I realized that keeping my ego out of responses to outside stimuli required balancing the application of giving and accepting without allowing myself to judge the person involved; not an easy task! This is an excellent book for those who are looking for strategies to improve their leadership skills.

On the Tao Te Ching portion of the book: This elucidation by Ni is supposed to represent the Southern Internal Alchemy school's view on the Tao Te Ching. This version is not as poetic or beautiful as some others, but is clear and effective in delivering its message, without confusing the reader too much.
On the Hua Hu Ching portion of the book: I do not like this portion of the book. The message may be valuable, but the format is in that of a conversation between Laozi and a prince, and is old fashioned in language so it is confusing and harder to understand. This is just my opinion, and some of my friends enjoyed this format, and maybe you will too, but I prefer Brian Walker's version, which is based on this very translation, but is instead a sort of poetic summary, condensing each chapter to its essential lessons.

I truly likes this book. His translations might be a bit confusing for the first time reader, but after a while I realized it was all to convey the ideas more clearly. An excellent book, and an excellent message. I enjoyed it very much...

Over-reliance in many spiritual texts on enigmatic wording does not inherently promote understanding of what cannot be directly spoken. This book is perhaps slightly less poetic - and certainly less cryptic - than most translations of the Tao Te Ching. And it is a welcome tradeoff for it's well-conveyed manner. (I have not read other translations of the Hua Hu Ching for comparison, so I will not comment on that part of the book.)

With plain, direct, and gentle wording he gracefully illuminates. Yet, it is so worded such that each passage still leaves a silence at the end of it, offering the reader the space to dwell on that which cannot be put into words.

another variation on the same old theme, has this man ever spoken to a customer?

Last April 99 my wife and me were walking down the "Paseo de Gracia" in Barcelona (Spain), in a very important fair of books "Sant Jordi". When we stopped in one of the small shops on the street, we watched the titles and I were attracted by one of them "The TAO of Sales". I bought it, and when I started to read I couldn't stop. During days I were speaking about the book with my colleges in the office and my close family. I started to use some techniques with our customers. "Lets the customers speak". Easy! but difficult to do it. I found on this book a new way of relationship with our custumeres. Thank you very much at Mr. Behr, for this incredible work.

A friend of mine called me to say I must read this book. He had been selling cosmetic products and not doing well. This book showed him how to stop pushing products/services or manipulating customers and how to start meeting people's needs with integrity and authenticity. The book aligns itself with the old wisdom of Taoism in a light, easy to understand way, but it is completely modern by a man who has trained many salespeople. I recommend it to anyone who has to sell their products or services to customers (or to their manager and others within a company)... specially if you want to sell better while enjoying your work in sales and get to know your customers as people, not "targets" or "market segments".

Who cares if the king of Laos died 23 years ago or 21 years ago? I was hoping to learn more about the country, history, and people, but this was the wrong book. This guy goes on a crusade that never gripped me; the minor details he mentions in passing were much more interesting than his quest. There must be more interesting books about Laos than this.

Upon reading Christopher Kremmer's book, one feels that he has thoroughly researched his information - as is apparent through the numerous interviews he reports throughout - but without sacrificing the novelistic beauty of his writing to a dry academic account. Kremmer is in Laos ostensibly searching for the fate of the last Lao King, who was spirited away by the Communists after the Lao Revolution and whose fate has never been made public. Although this search is the coil around which the book revolves, his many other experiences are bright and brilliant. An Australian, Kremmer's style is low-key and without much of the typical arrogance that might be ascribed to Westerners in developing countries. His conversations with Lao people in the present are seamlessly interwoven with depictions of complex Lao history.

The only criticism I can offer is that Kremmer's focus on the issue of the last king is sometimes neglected. This might be because there is practically no information about the king or the crown prince's fate. However, it was distracting and in the late stages of the book - despite enjoying his adventures for what they were - I was demanding to know what had happened to the royal family. In this sense, the book is like a cliffhanger with no resolution. At the time of publication, there was still no official statement about the Lao royals.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Laos after the revolution. More than just a search for the last king, Kremmer has written about the country today, the social and economic effects of the revolution, and cultural aspects.

Here is a book written by a US journalist based in Vietnam suddenly obsessed by the disappearance of the royal family during the last revolution. It's a sweet little book that suffers for the journalist's attempt to write using more adjectives and longer sentences and for its meandering narrative. Having said this it does make for a pleasant read on the way to a visit of Laos, for example, and as mentioned in one of the other reviews, it is often the side comments that offer the most interesting colour to one's view of Laos.

The best part of this book is the commentary that is given for each of the 81 chapters of the tao te ching. This is a very good book for someone unfamiliar with the ttc, who would like explanations of each chapter. The applications sections are also good.

Backward Down the Path is outstanding on two levels: It offers thought-provoking suggestions for putting the Way to practice in our everyday lives and clarifies the message of the Tao te Ching in language understandable to the general Western reader. Dr. Dalton's personal experience with Taoist spirituality lends remarkable compassion to his interpretation of the text. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in exploring the Way.

Jerry Dalton makes the Taoist path an easy one to follow. He opens up the 81 steps of the Tao and paraprahses them with easy to understand language. His translation is first rate.