There is a verse in Psalm 18 (and 2 Chronicles 13) which says, "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous." And so Scripture becomes more a conversation with ourselves than an encounter with the One. I have found this to be the case with many commentaries, and few books seem to invite this type of conversation' more than Kohelets. Though I am a Christian and not a Jew, Kohelets has always been - along with The Song and Jeremiah - my favorite 'friends' in Scripture, along with Revelation and John in my own Bible. For that reason I looked forward to reading another insight into this captivating book. Although I must admit I do not agree with many of the insights of this book, I nevertheless appreciated reading the book from the perspective of someone who finds in it a very different message that the message I found. Which of us is closer to the author's (or Author's) intent? Who am I to say? This volume is thoughtful and honest, and therefore reading it was not wasted time. I would have appreciated more background of the word "hevel" - which I see as the key to understanding the whole. There is more information in the appendices on this and other key words, ad I found the appendices a valuable adjunct to the text of the commentary itself. I'm glad I got the book and glad I read it, even if I don't agree with some of its show more conclusion. show less

This book is a collection of photographs, poems and pictures of oil paintings that reflect the thoughts of the authors after touring Holocaust sites. In some ways, I feel quite unqualified to comment on their work, having no personal connection with anyone who suffered those atrocities. However, their work invites me to enter into that reality through their eyes, their pen, their heart - and one cannot do this without being changed by the encounter. I found the book to be thought-provoking and genuine, and I am a better person for having taken the time to experience it.

This book is obviously written for someone but it is not written for me. I found it glitzy, "stunningly tacky" (the phrase the author uses to describe the one-time Crystal Cathedral) and distracting. There may be good content here, and its style may be helpful to some, but the more relevant we try to be to some, the larger the group of people who don't share that relevance. But that doesn't mean you won't like it. But if you do, be careful. Though he comes across arrogantly confident, almost flippant, some of what he says is too simplistic to be helpful, while some simply isn't true.

A lot has been written about introverts lately. This author describes her struggle to accept her "introversion" (though to my non-professional eyes I think Asperger's figures in as much as introversion). I was turned off by the frequent quotes that headed sections of each chapter, and a style that in general came across to me as "cute" to the point of trivializing, but I am sure that is because of my own make-up (I am, according to the two quizzes in the book, extremely introverted). I also take exception to the idea that 75% of people are extroverts - certainly not world-wide. I would not tell someone not to get this book, but I did not find it very helpful to me.

This book is a collection of excerpts and articles from 52 writers on the subject of what it means to be a Christian community and on the importance of building community and not simply belonging to a church. It is meant more to be read in community - that is, as a source of discussion material for a small group setting - rather than as a book to be read by one person alone. I was disappointed on two scores - one, the lack of emphasis in many articles on a common content of faith ("confession" or doctrine) and two, the absence of any article by Francis Schaeffer, whose insights, along with those of his wife Edith, on specifically Christian community are, I would think, especially relevant. I also get skeptical when I read of attempts to "rediscover" lost secrets from the first century church. Aside from the church at Jerusalem, I do not see any first century churches in which all things were held in common. Paul appeals to one city's believers to set aside "some income" to give for the needs of others - by no means "all" or "most" or even "a tithe". As I read the New Testament, community was as elusive then as it is now, and it was not this aspect of the faith that turned the world upside down but rather the gospel message itself - reconciliation with God through Christ. As long as this is the foundation of community, then this is indeed a helpful call to the church; but community for community's sake, or community as a "support group" structure will always fall short of show more its potential. I also wonder how an American church could be the kind of community spoken of in some of the articles without exposing itself to lawsuits claiming spiritual abuse and even hate-crimes should the community in any way try to hold to a Biblical morality or show the kind of "strong-group conviction" advocated by one of the articles - though that would be a matter for group discussion, whereas I had the disadvantage of reading it only on my own. I do believe the entries reflected a bias on the part of the editors, revealed in the frequency of some writers (such as Jean Vanier) and some movements (such as Bruderhof), show less

I received this book for review prior to publication. This book was very interesting and somewhat well-written, though in need of editing before its final publication to correct both grammatical and typing errors. It did bring the age to life, and showed in some respects how little has changed between then and now. It presented a very captivating description not only of the main characters but of "minor" characters as varied as Spanish governors and Native American "diplomats". I found a rich description of the variety and uniqueness of the many Native societies in this one book that makes me curious to learn more of the tribes, their lifestyles and their interactions - both with "Americans" and "Europeans" as well as with one another. I must say I was left wondering how Pike's feet ever recovered from his ordeal, as well as just what the author meant by her frequent references to how difficult the transition back to "civilian" life was for those involved. The few notes at the end of the final chapter only left me hungry for more, as these personal glimpses into the lives of these explorers were for me among the most engaging parts of the book. I guess I must buy the final product to see the picture of Pike's Peak mentioned in the Acknowledgements, and I was lost in regard to some of the end-notes (I tend to consider them a part of any book and often refer to them) as some of them seemed to refer to phrases I could not find in the actual text, but I imagine final editing show more will straighten that out. Though I must say it is intriguing to wonder, regarding the last note for chapter 11, who was to "stop bothering to call" whom, and how anyone stuck in a channel with Dunbar could be calling anyone, and what Aaron Burr had to do with any of it. "Can you hear me now? . . . ." show less

This excellent book is long overdue. The author asks, "How much of what we call mental illness is driven by social norms imposed on perfectly normal and healthy individuals?" He then proceeds to describe how a body of science - psychiatry - desiring to be accepted as genuine, a society requiring lifestyles we were never designed for, and a pharmaceutical industry with money to burn, a potential reservoir of inestimable profits and free access through advertising to a populace whose main 'disorder' is its own insecurities combine to create mental disorders out of normality, feeding our neuroses instead of healing them and meanwhile leaving genuine mental illness untreated. In the Bible book of Revelation, the world-wide economic system represented by Babylon is accused of, among other things, "sorceries'. The Greek word for 'sorcery' is the word from which we get the word "pharmacology", as much sorcery involved the use of potions. It seems the pharmacology industry, with the help of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, has managed, more with illusion and the magic of advertising, to create a nation of mentally disordered people, and a society hopelessly addicted to drugs in an attempt to live a 'normal, healthy life". The book made me sad and angry at the same time - no doubt criteria for some new Syndrome or Mental Illness. The only drawback to the book was its writing style, which included much repetition, poor grammar and the repetition of acronyms long after the show more acronyms were first explained, leading one to search back several chapters to find the meaning of the abbreviations. Simply including them, along with their full names, in the Index at the end of the book would have helped. Also, I would have preferred more in the way of how to fight the trend, but perhaps that needs to be the topic of (several) other books. The book paints a picture, accurate, I believe, of a society that is systemically sick, poisoning itself both on drugs and on mentalities that see the drugs as absolutely necessary, a society hopelessly blind to the real issue it faces - the loss of its soul and the attempt to replace the soul with a medically-addicted creation of "Big Pharma", whom it views as its new savior. show less

This book is very interesting - a veritable encyclopedia of baseball fatalities, with all the drama and human interest such a subject suggests. I found it to be well-written and hard to put down. I never realized baseball had such a traumatic history, although I have seen some plays in the past few years that I though for sure at the time would have resulted in fatalities, but fortunately did not. It is a blessing that all sports are becoming more injury-conscious, though I am surprised that a sport as loaded with tradition as baseball is was actually willing to make adjustments as a result of these tragedies. I am sure I will find myself going back to this book time and again - in fact, it may be some time before I can totally digest the 2,000+ stories included. The authors did a very good job, I felt, of balancing the details and talk of resulting improvements to the game, with humane appreciation for the tragic loss of life these stories represent, and the resulting grief of the victims' families and friends.

This book seems to me to be a well-balanced description of Islamic State (also called ISIS) and should be a benefit to anyone wanting to know more about this movement.

This book is an excellent biography of Joshua Chamberlain's contribution to the Civil War. It says little about his post-war experiences, but then, the subtitle is "Joshua Chamberlain and the American Civil War" so I would not expect it to deal much with his post war experiences. In the end I was saddened to see such valor and courage go to waste, as the nation basically turned its back on the issue of freedom and left the ex-slaves without defender or advocate, but that is the subject for another book.

This book sounded good from the blurb, but I was disappointed. Two things in particular bothered me. First, most of the examples involved people of a particular social or political stratum, of which I am not inclined to be a part. As a result, I felt like an outsider invited (no doubt by mistake) to a wine and cheese party where everyone knows everyone and agrees on everything and the only one who is different is me. It reminds me of other authors who quote sources "everyone" should know but I don't. Second, I felt while reading the book that the only reason Introverts have value is because finally some study says they do. But what happens when the pendulum swings and scientific studies once more assert what was asserted 20 or 40 or 60 years ago? It was helpful to hear that introverts do have value, but I still felt the book was not meant for me, and that my particular stripe of introvert should still keep his (or her) thoughts to him (or her) self. No doubt the problem rests with me, but, hey, it's my review, so . . .

This is a very thought-provoking book that demonstrates how God works even in the most desperate situations. What drives one man to despair is for another man the path to life. It makes me re-evaluate my own life and to see how God has been at work. Reading this book also makes me want to read the Bible more deeply and to know more intimately this God and the Savior he has sent.

I saw this book on my son's bookshelf and couldn't resist looking at it - I don't know why. For two or three visits to his house I kept picking it up and reading the back cover. Then a week ago his wife loaned it to me to read. The first day home I had read half of it. My daughter said - how's the book? I said I think I will be forever happy and sorry that I started to read it - it's that kind of book. Haunting, would be a good word. I will never forget - may I never forget - Max and Rudy and Ilsa and Papa and mama and . . . . and, of course, most of all, Liesel (and not just because she is Lutheran). And death. Death is no doubt more tirred - and more haunted - than when he wrote this book, but don't worry, death. One day it will be your turn too. How can God let such things happen? How can he let me trample on glory and have my own way and NOT also let such things happen?

Perhaps I was expecting too much when I began reading this. Very early on, it felt like I was sitting in on a group of pastors complaining about the ministry. Being a minister myself, I've been there and done that. I did not find the five areas of resilience as comprehensive as the pastors involved in the study must have, nor did I find the suggestions all that helpful. It felt like I was simply being loaded up with a ton more demands on myself and my time than I already had. I will be taking part in an online discussion with other pastors based on this book and I don't know whether to be hopeful, fearful, or disinterested. Oh well, another demand on my time. But we shall see.

This is a short book that starts as an explanation of the differences between "replacement" theology and the belief that God is still fulfilling his promises to national Israel - which is why I bought the book); but endds with a critique of Iran and Israel - interesting enough but not why I bought it. I wish he had kept on topic longer and been more in depth on that topic and left the other topic for another book.

This is a fairly good commentary on Daniel - useful as a resource. I think the author makes some assumptions in his re-telling of details not directly given by Daniel, but overall the book is good enough to serve a place on the bookshelf.

This book is a good overview of "End Times" views - as evenhanded as any I've read, which isn't saying much. It started out well, but it got more disappointing as it went. I did not appreciate his attempts to be "cute" (what else would you call it?) - such as referring to the seven bowls of wrath in Revelation as the seven super bowls, nor did I appreciate his use of alliteration (a gimmick where less is more in my mind). I do not disagree with most of his views, just his way of stating them.

An excellent and thought-provoking book - a refreshing example of respectful apologetics. It left me hungry for more. My only disappointment - not enough to make me drop a star - was in its treatment of justice. While it covered the limitations of justice well, I felt it left undone the other side of justice - the need for legal restrictions in a fallen world. While Christianity teaches that law cannot make us holy, but can only reveal our need for a Savior; and we are told in Scripture that human anger (or self-righteousness or intellect, for that matter) can't bring about the righteousness of God, his treatment of Justice left me with the question, "Why then have any legal system at all, since no system can guarantee the better society it aims to create?" But then, Christianity itself argues for working to better the world, not to make it perfect (as in "put an end to" whatever, poverty, abuse, etc), but to make it better. The human record of creating a perfect world is depressing, but the efforts of those (of all faiths, and even of some who claim no faith) who simply want to leave the world better than they found it offer hope, and fit in with the more realistic goals that Christianity, rightly understood, would foster.

I found this book very easy to read and informative. The personal tone and autobiographical elements were very engaging. It wasn't quite the "sibling rivalry" that the jacket blurb made it out to be ("Two brothers. Two beliefs. Two revolted. One returned.") and I was grateful for that. This is not so much an apolgia for faith as a personal memoir, an invitation to share a journey. My only reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I was never quite sure if he was promoting a particular God (though of course he reference Christianity) or simply religion for religion's sake - there seems to be more praise for thet raditions of religion than for the content of a specific faith.

I picked this book up at a library sale. It was musty (like "old hall in Detroit (where) they prayed"?) and reading the book was a challenge for that reason - I am very allergic and my nose actually started to bleed on occasion, and I had a headache till I was done, though I only read it a little at a time. The story - and the song by Gordon Lightfoot - have always held my imagination, and that, in part, is why the book gets only two stars: such an epic deserves only the best treatment, and this book isn't it. Perhaps the disappointment I feel is simply the emptiness one feels in the face of such a disaster, especially when nothing definitive can be known about why the ship went down. Perhaps I was looking for more technical information and more maps that the one, rather crude, map at the beginning of this book. But regardless, the anticipation of reading this book was not matched by the book itself. Perhaps no book can do the story justice. Even Lightfoot's song, as good as it is, is in its own ways disappointing. That is the way it is, I guess, when something slips out of history into legend.

No doubt this book will help many people, but it was not what I had hoped. First, I do not have a problem with saying “No” – my problem is more in finding the “Yes”. Since the book was titled “The Sacred Yes” (a title I don’t really like) I thought it would focus on “yes”; but two thirds of the book was on the “wrong” yes, and how to say “no” instead. Perhaps the title should be, “The Sacred No”, though in either case, “sacred” seems not to be the right word. Second, as a man I felt like I was on the outside looking in. The book is definitely for women, despite the plea of the writer of the Forward. Third, she equates Scripture with current authors by placing a quote from each at the beginning of each chapter. Perhaps this is why she quotes so often from “The Message”, which is not a Bible translation so much as it is a commentary disguised as a translation – and not a good one at that. It has a “feel good” quality but it takes way too many liberties to be called a translation. Since I was not familiar with most of the other authors she quoted, I felt like I was listening in on a clique I knew I didn’t belong to. Perhaps because of this, I would rather she had processed what others have said and offered it in her own words, with footnotes or acknowledgements pointing back to the original writers. I suppose the plethora of direct quotes is a throwback to being a talk-show host and having guests speak for themselves, but I show more found the constant quotes distracting, and not at all like Jesus, who was known for speaking his own mind even when nearly everything he said was simply a re-stating of the Hebrew Scriptures, as he himself said. I’m not recommending plagiarism, simply suggesting that the author process more and write her conclusions, instead of offering a collection of quotes from other people. As it is, she came across as a name-dropper. Fourth, I was turned off by the style. Early on – eight times in a span of twelve pages, she leads into a thought with, “Here’s a truth” or “Here’s an important truth” or “Here’s an important point” or “Here’s the big one” or “Here’s a secret” or “Here’s an important point to ponder” or “Here’s the thing” (what a ‘thing’?) or “Consider the truth” . . . you get the idea. The first time, it was effective. By the third time it was a burden. The truths weren’t that spectacular that each one needed trumpets to announce them. Fifth, I’ve been burned before by broken promises, and this book was full of them – all with the unwritten expectation that if you truly seek God your life will be wonderful and productive and everything will fall into place – the Prosperity Gospel for personal satisfaction instead of (or in addition to) monetary wealth. Too many Christian books make promises that are either unrealistic or overstated. This seems to be one of them. Sixth, she speaks of “falling in love with Jesus”, which I found quite amusing after having read the Forward which bemoaned the ‘fact’ that when American Christians hear the word ‘lust’ they automatically associate it with sex. So too it seems, when American Christian authors and speaks talk of “intimacy with God” or “intimacy with Jesus” it always devolves into “falling in love with” him. My experience in counseling, limited as it has been, has taught me that “falling in love” and “intimacy” often have nothing to do with each other. “Falling in love” is emotional, and totally revolves around me – my needs, my feelings. Intimacy seems something different. Somehow, I can’t see Jesus “falling in love with” the Father; and the intimacy between them is the model for our intimacy with them. Finally, this book does what so many like it do – it takes the life God offers and reduces it to a “five step” (or in this case a “5 day”) plan. I think Jesus had a reason for not offering “Five steps to peace with God” or even “ten tips on fasting” or “a seven day retreat on prayer”. But there again I think our American culture has something to do with that. We like to have multi-step programs. But the new wine doesn’t work well in such stiff packaging.
But enough. As I said before, I am sure many people will be helped by this book, and God bless them. I may even find myself going back to the book and journalling based on the exercises at the end of each chapter – the exercises, not the text of the chapters themselves. Still, with "sacred" in the title and some of its language and emphases and the "declarations at the end of each chapter and the 5-week program, it reads more like a Sutra or a Tao than a Christian guide. As a stimulus for thought and prayer perhaps I will find it does have something to offer, but otherwise, as I said before, it simply isn’t for me. show less

I got this book after seeing it advertised in the latest edition of Biblical Archaeology Review. I didn't realize it was only published 5 days before I got it! I was intrigued by the blurb in the advertisement, and the book did not disappoint. From the opening Bible quote on the dedication page - "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? John 3:12" to the author's picture on the back cover, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. His style was particularly engaging. My main disappointment - no index of Scripture references.I still think there are points where the author gives in to popular thought - how can we avoid it entirely? My only real objection is in the section regarding how we will look when resurrected. I was hoping he would focus on 1 Corinthians 15:35-37 - " But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain." To even speak of what we will look like Paul says is foolish, as we have no experience of that realm to base our thinking on. As for angels, can a spiritual body be made to look a particular way, or would an angel appear a certain way depending on who the angel was visiting - White to a Caucasian, Jewish to a Jew, black to an African, etc? Otherwise, how could an African entertain show more an angel unaware, if an angel were to visit him in his native home? Is color and even appearance an attribute of a spiritual body or an incidental? No doubt Paul would say those questions too are foolish, simply because our limited experience limits our logic. The author speaks of Jesus' body in the resurrection appearances, but is this Jesus in his ascended body? His appearances after Pentecost are quite different from his pre-Pentecost, post-resurrection appearances. Also, in discussing "the New Jerusalem", I wonder if Galatians 4:26 adds anything to the discussion - "But the Jerusalem above is free and she is our mother." Again one is plagued with the question - how literal are we to take the Bible? - a question I find the author answers very well in regard to other passages, so I would be curious what he would say about this one. And if, as he says on page 77, he still speaks of "going to heaven" (just as "I still talk about sunrise and sunset"), why bother thinking about it at all? I guess I understand what he's saying, but it still saddens me how easily we give in to convention. There are places where I disagree, or would want to engage him in conversation on this or that point - but those are marks of a good book - and this is a book I found very engaging, thought provoking and entertaining. show less

It's always dangerous to presume to write - even in passing - about characters from another author that others have come to know. My advice is to read Parts one and two, which had many moments of brilliance, then close the book and write your own part three. Fiction, like gossip, seems to say more about the source than the object. I can only say that after reading part three I felt perhaps like Polly might have felt had she spent more time with Wickham. Surely not EVERY person of wealth was as despicable as they come across here.

Not sure how "groundbreaking" this book is - pretty standard fare and not much new that I could see. Claims to help one see what problems in one's life might be spiritual in nature and what problems might not be, but I didn't find much help in that regard. The format of the book was, to me, distracting. I am still waiting for someone to explain to me why, in deliverance ministry, there is such an emphasis on rebuking demons and battling with demons, while in the New Testament we are simply told to say no to sin, set our minds of the things of God, reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive to God, and put off sinful behavior (and put on Christ). And while we are told to resist the devil, we are never told, to my recollection, to rebuke evil spirits. I begin to think that Jude had some deliverance ministries in mind when he warned against those who, "relying on dreams . . . blaspheme what they do not understand." If even the archangel Michael "did not presume to pronounce judgment" on those in his own realm (the spiritual), then neither should I. It is Jesus who won the victory - now I must learn to stand in that victory and yield myself to him rather than to sin.

This book is well-written, easy to read and offers a strong case for the connection between Vitamin D and Autism. While offering hope for those struggling with Autism, the author is careful to remind people that, while proper use of Vitamin D may prevent Autism, for those who are Autistic, Vitamin D therapy offers hope only as a treatment - not as a cure. I have only two complaints. First is the constant reference to our ancestors from millions of years ago. Such language seems to border more on legend and supposition than science. Also, the book is clearly directed to childhood Autism and says very little about high-functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. I would be interested in knowing if any studies on Vitamin D have been conducted for these groups. On the whole, I found the book informative and helpful, even for those who do not struggle with Autism.

This book was a delight. First, the format is very handy. The book's size makes it very portable and the quality of the binding and pages seems very good. Second, the book is made up of short chapters covering a variety of issues important to grooms-to-be. I can't think of anything that was left out that needed to be covered. Third, the information was comprehensive and pertinent - practical as well as informative. But mostly, it was simply a delight to read. Written in a lighthearted style, interspersed with humor, it shared useful information in a way that was easy to take. Any groom-to-be should find here the information he needs to make the ttransition "from 'yes!' to 'I do'"!

I was disappointed by this book. I found it to say a little about a lot - it seemed to me, to quote Howard Hendricks' words regarding the modern church in general, "100 miles wide and an eighth of an inch deep." Already I have sought out insights into several examples of Biblical imagery and found either nothing, or nothing of substance. It tries, valiantly even, but to my mind it fails in the attempt.

I am not Jewish - but nevertheless was quite interested in this book. I found it difficult to read, simply because the disease it describes is so rampant. It is an updated a re-issue of a book first published in 2003, and it is very timely. One wonders how the victims of hatred and violence can so easily be turned into the guilty party, with no openness at all to the facts. I too have had frustrating conversations with people on this subject, and it is almost like talking to a brick wall. The resistance to truth is indicative of underlying causes for hatred that are almost too frightening to contemplate but too dangerous not to. But then, I have the same trouble talking to feminists, Marxists and Global Warming people too. But perhaps it takes a strident voice to reach strident people. Still, it does not surprise me that feminists have criticized the author and the book - both feminism and the new Anti-Semitism depend on the same twisted interpretation of history, the same gross generalizations and the same self-righteous, condemning judgmentalism, as is all too obvious when the focus shifts in the book from Anti-Semitism to feminism, which it does all too often, or in its evaluation of Christianity. Though I disagree with the author's politics and understanding of history, which are too much a part of this book, I do agree with her understanding of the danger of modern Anti-Semitism. If this Anti-Semitism is not effectively countered, we are headed for not only Israel's show more destruction but civilization-in-general's suicide. Along with examples of "the new Anti-Semitism", and a history of Anti-Semitism through the centuries, the author provides strategies for combating it. Good luck, for it's a battle for truth that must be won, for the survival of us all. show less

This book was very disappointing. There was little consistency in evaluating theologies from beginning to end, and the author seemed intent on most approving anyone who represented a "middle way" between extremes. Unfortunately, as theological integrity diminishes with time, the "middle" becomes more and more heretical until the only way to testify to Truth is to appear extreme. I had a history teacher who said that no historian should evaluate as history events less than 75 years old. The author of this book proves the case, both by the wide variety of non-Christian theologians he includes, who despite the label "Christian" deny even the most basic "Christian" truths; and by the theologians he makes no mention of whatever. The evangelical movement gets one chapter only, with not even a passing reference to Francis Schaeffer or L'Abris, one of the most important theologians and movement of Church History. Certainly, no mention of Evangelicalism or post-World War II Christianity in general is complete without at least mentioning them. I found his style in places condescending and in places woefully inadequate, even given the limited scope the book set for itself.

This book is short, but not a quick read. I found it very thought-provoking and it made me quite sad as it led me to reflect on my experiences as a husband and father (and definitely NOT a prince. It helped me better understand how my wife must have felt - and tried to help me understand - when we were going through some similar struggles. I can see why the author has a successful column - she writes with feeling and clarity and in a way that invites the reader - if he or she dares - to take a deeper look at self and others.