The novel about an aimless young man in 1960s America that inspired the classic film: "Moves with the speed and drive of a runaway locomotive." — Chicago Sunday ReviewWhen Benjamin Braddock graduates from a small eastern college and comes home to his parents' house, everyone wants to know what he's going to do with his life. Benjamin has no idea. Feeling empty, embittered, and adrift, he stumbles into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's ...

As The Tao of Aging opens, we encounter a strange old, sage-like Chinese philosopher and raconteur who claims to actually be Zhuangzi (ChuangTzu) - the second most important originator of Taoist thought after Lao Tzu.Zhuangzi now lives in San Francisco and is known simply as "Z". As it turns out, over 2000 years after his exploits in ancient China, "Z" is still rambling about the world - trickster to the bone - tinkering with the way we look at what we call reality. He insists that ...

At the end of Charles Webb's first novel, The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock rescues his beloved Elaine from a marriage made not in heaven but in California.It is now eleven years and 3,000 miles later, and the couple live in Westchester County, a suburb of New York City, with their two young sons, whom they are educating at home.Through no accident, a continent now stands between them and the boys' surviving grandparent, now known as Nan, but who in former days answe...

YOU are a bodymind, not a body with a mind or vice versa. You are a verb, not a noun. You are fluid, constantly changing. The static you is a persistent illusion. You… your self, persona, ego…who you are… is a construct that is formed by the interaction of genetics, imprinting, and learning. Now consider that this you that you now seem to be is, actually, very much like a fictitious character that may appear in a novel, play or movie and may be re-written, re-produced and re-performed, usi...

You are a bodymind, not a body with a mind or vice versa. You are a verb, not a noun. You are fluid, constantly changing. The static you is a persistent illusion. You… your self, persona, ego…who you are… is a construct that is formed by the interaction of genetics, imprinting, and learning. You have little input into this process until after you have been thoroughly shaped by parents, peers and culture. Now consider that this you that you now seem to be is, actually, very much like a fict...

TABLOID HAIKU! Is a collection of haiku based on tabloid headlines. The inspiration for composing these haiku came to me one afternoon while standing in a supermarket checkout line listening to a fellow customer read loudly from the Weekly World News. Off the wall and beyond the fringe pulp poetry resonated down the supermarket aisles as the man read through the paper, then folded it neatly and placed it back on the rack. Haiku immediately came to mind, since the utter strangeness of many ...

Kwatz! describes a confrontation…a strange and amusing, encounter...Dharma combat...between two modern masters…one from the Zen tradition, the other an unlikely Taoist…who has decided that this deadly serious "combat" may be a new and amusing way to spend an afternoon. Each answers the other using variations on sayings from other "masters" that they find apropos to the situation. The writers, philosophers, artists, comedians, etc. whom they paraphrase, are not mentioned by name during the ...

An American classic adapted for the stage, starring Kathleen Turner as Mrs. Robinson and Matthew Rhys as Benjamin Braddock. A fresh-faced college grad returns home, diploma in hand, to seek an answer to that age old question: “Now what?” Lacking any clear career path, he falls prey to the original “cougar”, the predatory Mrs. Robinson, wife of his father's business partner. But it’s Mrs. Robinson’s daughter who captures his heart.Includes and interview with the star of The Graduate...

At the end of Charles Webb's first novel, The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock rescues his beloved Elaine from a marriage made not in heaven but in California.It is now eleven years and 3,000 miles later, and the couple live in Westchester County, a suburb of New York City, with their two young sons, whom they are educating at home.Through no accident, a continent now stands between them and the boys' surviving grandparent, now known as Nan, but who in former days answe...

American journalist and author William L. Shirer was a war correspondent for six years in Nazi Germany, having a front-row seat to Hitler’s rise in influence and power. His most definitive work on the subject, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, is a riveting account of life in the tyrannical state, a country transformed by war and dictatorship.The author was originally commissioned to write The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler for a young adult audience. This acco...

This Grammy-nominated recording is a thoughtful reflection about aging by President Jimmy Carter, the longest living president in American history. Even as life expectancy has increased over the centuries, the thought of aging continues to plague men and women around the world. In addition to worries about the physical aspects of aging, people also fear the prejudice that exists toward the elderly. But as President Jimmy Carter demonstrates, there are indeed virtues to aging, as he explore...

From the archives of the Library of Congress: "An irresistible treasury for book and library lovers." — Booklist (starred review)The Library of Congress brings book lovers an enriching tribute to the power of the written word and to the history of our most beloved books. Featuring more than two hundred full-color images of original catalog cards, first edition book covers, and photographs from the library's magnificent archives, this collection is a visual ...