Audio Books

Quick delivery and I loved the book. It was so much better then I
expected. Would recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had never heard of the author until I saw him on the Glenn Beck TV program. I liked the testimony he had, so I decided to read this book, along with "The Gift" and "The Christmas Box". They were all well written and enjoyable to read.

Reading Finding Noel is truly a gift. The stories give one a sense of pleasure as well as serenity. This is the tenth book of Richard Paul Evan's literature that I have read. I look forward to reading The Gift next. My husband used to give me Evan's new book each year for Christmas. After his death, I sort of forgot about getting one as a gift. Recently, I went and purchased Finding Noel and The Gift to add to my collection. The covers are exquisite and the paper with the ragged edge makes it a reminder of past days. These books would make a wonderful gift for a birthday, Hannukkah or for Christmas or even for no reason at all. I highly recommend them.

The irony of fictional writing is that it works best when it comes from a real place. According to author Richard Paul Evans, the background story of his novel "Finding Noel," is drawn from the real-life story of Celeste Edmunds, a woman with whom he used to work.

As with his previous books, this is a personal work for Evans; he uses family names, origins, religion, illness and little slice-of-life things like recipes, traditions and tips to give a homey feel to his characters and story.

"Finding Noel" is also the first book of fiction that features a character diagnosed with eye cancer. Through the character Joette, Evans exposes millions of readers to this rare disease - only 2,000 adults are diagnosed each year - in a way that mainstream media and the inaccessible medical literature have not. For that alone, Evans and his fictional work are the real deal.

I came across this book after doing a search on choriadal melanoma. My dad was diagnosed 5 days before Christmas. I am happy to say he was treated with Radioactive Plaque Therapy in NYC just this past week and the doctor tells us the tumor is dead - gone!! I believe I will have to wait a while until my emotions settle a bit to read it though!

great book - heard David Simon on NPR and he knows the streets of BMore

Journalist David Simon's homicidic tome, published in 1991, follows a group of detectives from the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit for an entire year, beginning in January 1988. It is a gritty, great read about the matter-of-factness of murder in a city with one of the highest rates in the nation. An article in a recent (April 19, 2008) issue of New Economist highlights a recent drop in that rate (from 282 homicides in 2007). During the year of Simon's internship, there were 234 murders, followed by (p 618) 262 in 1989 and 302 in 1990. Based on those four years, that's an average of one violent death every 18 hours.

What Simon was able to put together from his year's worth of journalistic scribblings on life with the good guys and the bad guys is a fantastic fly on the wall's eye view: the graphic violence of crime scenes, the raunchy humor of and banter between the detectives, the despair of the victims' family members, and the utter stupidity of many of the criminals: (p 16) "the investigator's saving grace is the killer's overwhelming disposition toward incompetence or, at the very least, gross error." His Guidebook of Death Investigation Rules are remarkable: (p 34) "Rule Number One...the page 1 entry in a detective's lexicon: Everyone lies." Rule Five is equally profound (p 237), "It's good to be good: it's better to be lucky." Best of the book: Simon's ability to capture the events in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, even with several welcome change ups to the overall chronological format. Covering every aspect of "life on the killer streets" Homicide is a perfect read for tome-loving crime buffs, neither category of which I belong. Also good, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer, and Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Mr. Simon's writing style, which is both intresting and easy to follow. The only negative about this book is the language, which may offend some people.

I really have to be neutral about this product. I sent it back-I never ordered it, it got to me by mistake.

In 1998, David Simon got unprecedented access to the Baltimore's homicide unit, and shadowed its detectives during the entire year. It was a tough year in a tough city, with a total of 234 murders. It would be easy to describe Simon's approach as "a fly on the wall," but that would be to belittle the extraordinary work he did.

Simon manages to give us both the large picture (how the homicide unit works, the flaws and strengths of the judicial system in Baltimore, the meaning behind the crime statistics) and the small picture (the greatness and pettiness of this group of detectives, the emotional detachment they need to have in order to face homicide after homicide, the heartbreaking effects that the murder of one little girl has on a veteran detective). During his year of reporting, and the two years he spent writing the book, he was able to see the cases from a distance, and also from inside the skin of the detectives trying to solve them.

"Homicide" is a tremendous achievement and, in my opinion, a true-crime classic. Anybody interested in learning more about crime or police work--or simply interested in an excellent work of non-fiction--should read Simon's book.

Peter Drucker writes a set of essays which present an outlook of the greatest challenges ahead such as the definition and role of the knowledge worker, the role of management, demographics and innovation. It will definitely make you think a lot... as all good books should.

Drucker challenges its readers to think about the future of society by addressing management challenges for the 21st century. By comparing yesterday's assumptions to today's realities, he helps connect the dots. Drucker strategically pinpoints what management challenges we can learn from the past, and at the same encouraging readers to ask the right questions to address how we can use this knowledge to prepare for what's ahead.

I also found Drucker's message inspirational and eye-opening. It's a reminder that today's Informational Revolution has been part of an evolving cycle, which started before printing presses were invented. He emphasizes, for example, that today's Information Revolution is not led by the technology folks but by those in other fields, such as finance and accounting. I applaud this, as the key message that should be emphasized today in preparing the future IT workforce is to diversify. Excitement over technologies such as the printing presses, software, and hardware is all part of what makes the IT industry exciting--but not THE key elements for career survival. Drucker does a great job addressing that in this book. Albeit unintentional, Drucker does a great job addressing this.

Peter Drucker, an editorial columnist for the Wall Street Journal, a consultant and writer has been duly noted as one of the world's most respected management thinkers. His books, over 20 of them, have been called the "landmarks of the managerial profession" by the Harvard Business Review. He has always been a step ahead of the curve of the latest in business thought. In 1954 he espoused the idea of 'teams.' In 1969 he proposed the 'knowledge workers' concept.

Here Drucker lays out six of the 'new' challenges facing the businesses of the early 21st century.

First involves management's new paradigm of organizational structure and managing people. There is no 'one size fits all' approach. The method or combinations of methods that may be required are ultimately determined by what the customer considers is 'value.' Employees of the future may be treated as partners and volunteers, 'persuaded' rather than 'ordered.'

The next challenge is the new certainties of the coming business landscape. The collapsing birthrate and the shift in the distribution of income need to be studied and planned for. Global competitiveness is a must for survival. Performance needs to be redefined for the organization on more than just short-term gains in order to inspire and commit 'knowledge workers' to their mission.

Third is becoming a change leader. Educate others that change equals opportunity. Regularly abandon activities that no longer produce results. Enhance practices that have been working by exploiting and publishing their success throughout the company. Study what is working or not in the market with other companies. Don't confuse motion with action.

Fourth are the information challenges. The purpose of information is not knowledge but being able to take the right action. Success is based on the creation of value and wealth in the eyes of the customer. Information needed would include the normal foundation information as well as productivity, competence and allocation of scarce resources information.

The fifth challenge lies in vitalizing 'knowledge workers' into high productivity. Attention should be given to all ways to make this asset grow. Differing from manual laborers, knowledge workers carry the 'means of production' within them and rely less on a specific employer for work.

The sixth challenge is managiing ourself (ourselves). The biggest possible increase in production lies here. Intellectual arrogance promotes disabling ignorance. Concentrate on your strengths. Avoid trying to change yourself. Ask yourself what your strengths are. Determine how you work. Do you like to work alone? Would you prefer to be an advisor or a decision maker? What are your values? This type of questioning will help determine where you belong. Most of our careers will involve changing organizations at least once. You must learn what makes 'you' tick.

Five Stars

Management new paradigms, strategy, the change leader, information challenges, knowledge worker productivity, managing oneself, Druker proved himself more than capable in his definitions and unique challenge to managers. Rather of a retrospective of his past work "he set aside to wirte not the known past but the unknown future".
Peter Drucker discusses the profound social and economic changes occurring today and considers how management--not government or free markets--should address these new realities in the workplace. "Management is Business Management in all kind of organizations". This book is easy to read. For most content may be wider than how we think management usually is. Druker wrote in his introduction " the advice in this book requires a reversal of what most people have thought about management for more than a century". Peter Drucker discusses how the new paradigms of management have change and will continue to change our basics assumptions and principles of management.

Drucker outlines lessons that management can learn from the changing world economy and population.

1. Management is not just business management, but is the ability to take advantage of opportunities in sectors of the economy that are likely to experience growth in the future, like education, the professions, and healthcare.
2. Recognize that there is not one ideal way to organize an enterprise. Both "team" organization and the "CEO cult of personality" have their shortcomings. It can be difficult for teams to make decisions effectively and popular CEO's must have successors. You must find the right balance of organization that fits your company's business needs.
3. There is no one way to organize employees. You need to lead workers rather than manage employees. This is because management increasingly does not know the areas of expertise that employees possess, and employees are now seeking interesting and rewarding work.
4. National boundaries and regional markets will become less defining factors of the companies boundaries. Innovations in an industry don't necessarily come from within the industry anymore. Further, national governments will be less able to protect local industries from facing the competitiveness of the global industry leaders. Global competitiveness must become a strategic goal for the business.

Drucker also outlines the economic consequences of the declining birthrate in the developed countries. A declining birthrate means that the working population will become progressively older. New relationships must be forged with older workers, especially knowledge workers. Companies that attract and retain knowledge workers past retirement age will gain a significant competitive advantage.

Managers must become Change Leaders, who direct inevitable change in a controlled and orderly fashion. Managers must look to extending the lifespan of their companies and approaching change as a source of business opportunity.

This is the best book I have ever read about the Eastern tradition, Vedic tradition. It contains 112 meditation techniques given by Shiva to Devi. The techniques are well detailed that one can just begin on their own at home. This book also answers any questions one may have, may it be about sex,desires just name it. It is in this book.

I am so grateful to Osho for giving this knowledge to the world. So far I have tried some techniques and already something is happening. If you are serious about inner transformation, this book is for you.

This book is Oshos commentary of the Shiva Sutras...it is very controversial, and I really love this book. Its like Osho is with you when you open it up and read any page...did i mention its over 1000 pages. Read with a really open mind, because not everything this wondrous man says will make you feel good, but it will make you FEEL ...what is good and bad anyway? This book is lovely, sweet, sour,human,god-like,nice,mean, confusing,enlightening. Makes you realize you are a human and you will never have NO ego. Osho has stirred alot of american "yogis" up, because they suppress their thoughts, diet, and desires. It teaches to have all these things but in moderation. Total non-duality. So REAL. If you are "up in the clouds" this book wil brng you right down to earth and see who you REALLY are.

Osho's Book of Secrets is truly a remarkable text and in many ways is the real bible that should be left in every hotel room. If I was only allowed to have one book on my shelf, this would be it.

The book is a transcription of Osho's talks on the 112 Techniques of meditation which are as old as yoga itself. These are the 112 ways in which one can transcend their mind and enter the bliss and truth of meditation. For every person there is at least one technique that will work to unlock the stress of the mind and allow the person to enter into meditation. The beauty of this book is the simplicity of explanation which makes what could be an esoteric subject easily accessible to anyone.

I have been on a serious path of meditation and yoga for a few years now, having recently returned from a 10 day silent meditation retreat in India, and this is the book I would recommend to all that are looking to try meditation. As my practice has gone deeper, my own understanding of the text has deepened with it. All of these techniques are there to try, not just to read and understand intellectually. They are there to transform you, to help you attain to your inner being and blissfulness.

Many other yoga and meditation books spend too much time on ancient texts and commentary and tend to make a simple subject seem overly complex and esoteric. Not this one. Read this if you want to understand the real deal of what meditation is and give it a try for yourself.

5 stars!

I try to avoid "feel-good" New Age books, mainly because I know that life is not always about feeling good, and I don't want to believe in, or practise, lies and deception, especially towards my own self. Who can want to deceive their own selves?

If you're a truth seeker, or have felt that at many points in your life you have had truths revealed to you that others don't seem to either know or care about; if you feel akin to Indian ways of thought and peaceful living, yet you don't want to repress your true emotions and feelings, and feel that it is wrong to do so; if you want a book that doesn't preach lies and deception based on New Age prattle, then this book is for you.

This is a very good book that is based on Tantra, not Yoga. According to the author, Yoga is more about repressing one's self. I have never believed that repressing anger or strong emotions will heal anybody, and I find such things hypocritical. While I believe in love and peace, let's face it, it's still an imperfect world. To live in such a world, we must go beyond appearances, and go beyond the mind, as the author claims.

I am not good at putting spiritual thoughts in words, but if you can relate to anything I am writing here, then be sure to pick this book up. It certainly is full of timeless wisdom.

The Tantra is the most scientific book of wisdom and spirituality that has ever existed. It has become my "bible" though I detest all organized religions and deny the existence of a personal god. The knowledge that the Tantra imparts is precious, timeless because it is drawn from true experience; its 112 techniques(of which sex is only a small part), are all workable hypothesis that can be tested--should you have the mind. Interpreted correctly, the Tantra can never harm and can only help. A work of extremely subtle genius, the book is disarming in its simplistic presentation of matters of tremendous depth. If one is not humble, one will surely miss the point. Genius must be brought to any effort to take from the Tantra what it so innocently offers. Misinterpretation is the very real danger. And so we are blessed to have Osho open these ancient pages and analyze each Sutra (sermon). He senses instinctively what is being said here and how it directly applies to our current misery--"modern" man--same old monkey. The fearful human mind that the Tantra addresses is now rushing about in cars, banging away at computers and amassing nuclear weapons. In Osho we have a fearless intricately comprehensive intellect warmed with insight and compassion. Osho's style is deliberately breezy, almost silly sometimes, because Osho's is a deeply, frighteningly serious mind. If you have the courage to follow him in his incisive reasoning and consider his astonishing conclusions--you begin to sense that there's much more to Osho than meets the eye, that God has outdone Shakespeare in this wisest of fools, this Osho who seems always to be grinning just a bit, laughing at the whole damn thing. Agree or disagree with him, we are fortunate, better off, for having encountered Osho, for having read him.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in real effective self change. Beautifully written with a style and an ease unmatched by other books of the same subject. Doidge re-introduces the concept of brain plasticity and furthur validates it's benefits to individuals as well as medical communities through the explanations of current research and pivitol case studies. BUY THIS BOOK.

This book is packed with concrete evidence that should convince anyone who believed they could not continue to grow mentally and physically that they were strongly mistaken.

This book is not a 'self help' book in the classic sense - its a series of case studies of "neuroplasticity' - In short, scientists used to think the brain was 'hard wired' and little if anything could be done to change the brain after a certain age. While the brain does become less 'mailable' as time goes on, the ground-breaking cases in this book show the brain's remarkable ability to change itself - even previously 'incurable' cases of dyslexia and other conditions.

Often the changes are greater than those tried with drugs and surgery yet simply require mental exercises - for example ADD children are taught the now forgotten disciplines that were once common in schools - aural memorization and penmanship.

These stories are inspiring not only to people with these conditions, but to anyone who wishes to improve their minds who previously thought they were 'stuck'

A most excellent and coherent narrative on what might otherwise be droll research. Hopeful, helpful, and delightful. A "must read" for parents, educators, and mental health professionals. The most comprhensive and enjoyable work on neuropsychology I have read to date. A sheer delight!

If you think that you're getting another "Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain" type book, think again: you will NOT. Some portions of the book were rather hopeful, but there are portions of this book that should be RATED X. There is some rather graphic, down-right vulgar information contained in this book. Instead of showing the good of people, these portions displayed the dark side of humanity, the depravity of how far into "evil" someone could go. I do not recommend this book if you are a highly visual person. You've heard the saying "hate well;" in fact, I do hate this book rather well. The book is going back to the library rather quickly.

Charmed Life is about some kids who go to study magic with one of the official guys in charge of magic. He has a couple of kids of his own, and they are the usual school age to have the school age disagreements and fights and not being nice to each other that goes along with that.

The eldest also gets a bit peeved at being thrown in with the young brats, too.

A young boy, Cat, must deal with his crazy and selfish older sister Gwendolyn who is obsessed with her own magical powers. Certainly much slower and less exciting than Jones' Howl books (read: more for children), but still has her enchanting and seemingly effortless style that captures a world where "magic is like music". Jones is always a good read. The characters are mysterious and thoroughly enjoyable. Gwendolyn is ambiguous and silly and selfish and delightful. Cat is an innocent; Chestomanci is Jones' typical ambiguous and passive wizard. The imagery of magic, particularly Cat's matchstick nine lives, is absolutely delicious. Grade: B

I am constantly on the lookout for new fantasy reads, because not only is it difficult to find a truly lasting (and by "lasting" I mean you think about it all the time, read it again and again, and gulp down every one of the author's other books) fantasy story, but if you do that author is usually what they call A Lofty One-Piece Wonder who writes one astonishingly beautiful story, gives it to the world...then settles into retirement and ignores all letters posted to them begging for a sequel.

Ah, not so with Diana Wynne Jones.

Hearing about her was actually an accident. I had picked up the book "Inkspell", the sequel to a book I'd enjoyed very much (Inkheart) and saw, on the back, that there was a quote on the back from "Diana Wynne Jones, author". For fun, I wandered over to the J's. Only a few Diana books were there -- THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, ARCHER'S GOON, and -- the book that forever endeared me to this amazingly talented author -- EIGHT DAYS OF LUKE.

Having five dollars just aching to be spent and about that many minutes left till we had to go, I bought it on a whim.

And inhaled it that night.

I was going through withdrawls. NEED -- MORE -- DIANA -- WYNNE -- JONES -- BOOKS!!!

I got back to Borders and began to scrounge the shelves. Hmmm. "Chronicles of Chrestomanci". Looked okay -- not as good as I'd thought "Eight Days of Luke" was, but -- what was?

I read a little, put it down. Read a little more, and -- couldn't stop.

I am now on Book II, "The Lives of Christopher Chant".

I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Buy this book -- and while you're at it get "Eight days of Luke", too.



Rating: Very Good

"Charmed Life" is my first Diana Wynne Jones book (I know, I know ... I'm a little late) and I'll openly admit I came to her work through Miyazaki's amazing film "Howl's Moving Castle". Imagine how stupid I felt when I realized that I had been missing out on one of the best writers of our age. While it starts off slowly, Jones's first Chrestomanci book is still a grand, magical, yet simple adventure that sweeps the reader off their feet into a quirky yet solid world that readers will enjoy again and again.

Eric, a.k.a., Cat Chant, is a small and passive boy who thinks that he has no magical powers unlike his sister Gwendolen. Gwendolen is an ambitious, spoiled, and powerful girl who dreams of controlling the world. One day, when their parents die in a tragic boat accident, Gwendolen's powers attract the attention of the dapper and eccentric Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci is an enchanter, and a nine lived one at that, so that means he controls and governs all magic in the twelve related worlds. Chrestomanci seems to take an interest in Gwendolen, so he invites her and Cat to live in his castle.

When they arrive at the castle, both children dislike it at first. But Cat, being the passive boy that he is, quickly makes friends with Chrestomanci's two children even though he's absolutely frightened to death of their father. But Gwendolen has other ideas. She hates the fact that she has to learn maths and history instead of magic in school, and she is absolutely appaled that Chrestomanci doesn't take notice in her powers. Soon, Gwendolen sets out on a war of wills and magic against Chrestomanci and his castle, and Cat is unbeknowingly caught up in the whirlwinds of his sister's dangerous ambitions.

Jones is brilliant in her prose and writing. She easily writes with a sense of whimsy, while at the same time fleshing out realistic characters and villains. Cat is passive at first, but he soon grows a spine and stands up against the one thing that holds him back (I won't ruin the surprise). Jones' magic is an everyday and casual part of life for the characters, but it comes in second to their emotions and the overall story. The story takes so many surprising twists that shocked and surprised me, I was literally biting my nails towards the end wondering what would happen next.

"Charmed Life" is a delightful and charming surprise. While not a grand and sweeping epic, it will still sweep readers off their feet with the simple and quiet humor, magic, and sheer enjoyment that Jones so evidently finds and puts into her work. This book is not to be missed, and I can only end with saying how foolish I feel now that I didn't find Diana sooner.

This story and the next ("The Lives of Christopher Chant") are easily the most complex and interesting stories in the Chrestomanci series, and really the ones that the rest hang upon, because they really explain who and what the "Chrestomanci" is, and the role he plays in the fascinating universe Diana Wynne Jones has created. This is fantasy at its best, well written and very inventive, with characters that seem both familiar and bizarrely unique. It is, I suppose, not life-changing fiction but it keeps you there and makes you care and gives an opportunity to wonder. (It is no accident that Hayao Miyazaki based his latest film - Howl's Moving Castle -- on one of Jones' novels: they seem to have imaginations that operate on the same wavelength; like him, she is endlessly inventive and capable of a sublime blending of the supernatural and the ordinary, and loves finding magic in machines, and has an obsession with cats.)

The basic premise of the "Chrestomanci multiverse" is that every time there is a major event that "changes" the world, the world actually divides into two alternate realities, one in which the event occurs and one in which it doesn't. Somehow, though, while the possibilities might seem infinite there are a limited number of possibilities that resemble the one Chrestomanci inhabits enough to warrant his general attention and concern. Within each major world variation, there are nine alternates (don't ask why just nine) that are apparently unified because they have the "same" people doing different things in them. It sometimes happens, though, that an individual within one of those realities has no parallel in the others, and so the "lives" that would belong to the other realities actually belong to him or her. Such a nine-lived individual has powerful magic and becomes a likely candidate for taking over the position of the British-hired Chrestomanci (think a mixture of Rowling's Minister of Magic for an indication of his range of responsibilities, with Head of Hogwarts for his overall competency).

Speaking of Rowling, some have compared Jones to Rowling and there are some interesting parallels -- so many that it is hard not to think that Rowling had at least read some of Diane Wynne Jones' stories. Still, I don't agree with others who say Jones is a better writer than Rowling. There is a way in which she is: for her elegance of prose, her compactness of style, for the overall simplicity and completeness of her stories. Still, I think that Rowling is superior because what Jones doesn't try to do Rowling does very well. Jones creates another world whose basic features are similar to ours, but is different in specifiable ways. In that sense it is pure fantasy, a work of the imagination that she can tinker with and alter in various stories but is basically self-contained and organized in such a way that each story can be really complete. Rowling fits her story of another world into THIS world and sets herself with what seems to me a much more difficult task of accommodating her fantasy to the unknown and improbable and strange and unfinished character of any story set in this real world. The edges in any such story are unwieldy and it is a real tribute to Rowling (though in no way a criticism of Jones who has other aims) that she can wield them so well.

Now this is the book everyone should read.I loved it and have shared it with many friends and all the same LOVE it.It is such a healing book for anyone who has lost a loved one.I recommend it greatly.Its another one of those books you just can't put down.
Thanks

This book was very interesting. The author is aware that many skeptics are reading this book and doesn't try to convince the reader of anything. I found this book very helpful after the recent loss of two loved ones.

I read this book after the death of my brother. It brought my out of the darkness and back into the life that continued to move on around me. It is an enlightening book, even for those who have traveled far on the path.

After reading this book, I came to the conclusion that Rosemary Altea may be sincere, but she is greatly deceived. The bible clearly states to stay away from psychics or mediums. She supposedly channels a spirit called Gray Eagle.

These psychics get their ability to have partial knowledge about you and your present situation directly from demons. No human has the supernatural ability to know what is going to happen to you in the future or anything about you in your present condition if they have never met you before. And if they do seem to have some type of personal information about you that could only be supernaturally picked up, then that knowledge is being transmitted to them by demons or they deceive people by doing "cold or warm readings".

Cold readings are where they make an educated guess about something about you, buy picking up clues, by what you say or do, or your appearance or age. If you tell them the information is wrong, they use a number of ways to distract you, for example some will tell you that they are getting information from a "playful" spirit that tells them false things, etc..... warm readings are where they have microphones in the studio before their show and they listen in, as people talk to friends that have come with them about deceased friends or relatives, and then they pick those people in the audience that they listened in on and use that information to make those people and others think they are getting a message from a spirit.

The bible says "And the person who turns after mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and him off from his people." (Leviticus 20:6)

If you want to see some damage done by new age teachings and psychics, I suggest a book by Sharon Beekmann called "ENTICED BY THE LIGHT ". She trusted the "spirit guides" that promised her fulfillment. By the time she discovered their frightening, true identity, it was too late--they had taken control of her mind....tormenting her, attacking her sanity, and pushing her to the brink of suicide.

For awhile I was involved in the New Age teachings and a book that really opened my eyes was "THE LIGHT THAT WAS DARK' BY Warren Smith. It is excellent!!!!

This book was given to me by one of my customers following the death of my son. I went on to write, Blessings In The Mire, and had this title not been taken, it would likely have been the title to my book. Having read this, I was privy to multiple magical events, including a couple of Eagle sightings, and one very large and beautifully expressive Rose miracle. This book, and Ms. Altea are priceless additions to your reading library, especially if you've lost a loved one.

At first I was a little disappointed in the audio-book since it was another speaker other than R.C. Sproul. However, after the first ten minutes I could hear the speaker, as if it were Sproul himself (since, of course, he is the author).

The book is EXCELLENT! It has a way of bringing you to a place of "awe" concerning God's holiness. It helped me to understand holiness and to desire God to bring forth holiness into my own life.

R.C. Sproul is one of my favorite Theology teachers, and this audio-book shows how God has gifted him to teach the truths of God's word clearly and effectively. ENJOY :)

I told someone recently that I was reading The Holiness of God by Sproul and they looked at me like I was an alien. They responded with surprise that I had not read it and went on to rave about the book. Sometimes books get a bit too much pub and then don't live up to the hype; however, this book is not one of them. The Holiness of God is classic Sproul and it is a much needed message for the church of any age, but in particular, the message of a transcendently glorious God is desperately needed today.

Sproul starts off the book in a chapter entitled The Holy Grail. It is in this chapter where he recounts a story of how God forever changed his life by revealing the majestic holiness of the God to him. From this point on, Sproul says he was captivated by the holiness of God.

The chapter on Isaiah 6 entitled Holy, Holy, Holy is just plain awesome. Sproul combines transcendent theology with passion and delivers it in a clear, lucid manner that is engaging to the soul.

For example,

"To be undone means to come apart at the seams, to be unraveled.... [It is] personal disintegration.... [Isaiah] was considered by his contemporaries as the most righteous man in the nation. He was respected as a paragon of virtue. Then he caught one sudden glimpse of the holy God. In that single moment, all of his self-esteem was shattered. In a brief second he was exposed, made naked beneath a gaze of the absolute standard of holiness. As long as Isaiah could compare himself to other mortals, he was able to maintain a lofty opinion of his own character. The instant he measured himself by the ultimate standard, he was destroyed--morally and spiritually annihilated. He was undone. He came apart. His sense of integrity collapsed."

"There is a special kind of phobia from which we all suffer. It is called xenophobia. Xenophobia is a fear (and sometimes hatred) of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign. God is the ultimate object of our xenophobia. He is the ultimate stranger. He is the ultimate foreigner. He is holy, and we are not."

This is just great stuff. And it serves as a timely tonic for our current age that seems to have chiseled a God who looks and acts more like our little buddy than the transcendently enthroned King of kings.

Sproul also writes about Christ's holiness. In the chapter, The Trauma of Holiness, Sproul shows how Christ demonstrates his utter differentness and superiority over everything by calming the ferocious storms. Peter's response should be the model, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." (Luke 5.8).

My only criticism is Sproul's insertion of a chapter on Martin Luther. I was jamming along, just drinking up the radiant holiness that this book was warming me with and then...bam....a chapter on Luther. Now, I have nothing against Luther, but, it just seemed a bit unnecessary and out of place. Perhaps others disagree.

Overall, I think the book is a must read. I am catapulting it to the `top-ten' status.

I am a frequent reader of Christian literature. There are few books I consider "must reads" for every Christian, but this is one of them. Sproul's book drives you to your knees as it expounds upon the holiness of God and man's contrasting sin. But it also lifts you to new heights of praise and thankfulness for God's most precious gift of grace: His Son Jesus. Sproul's book has helped me to better understand God's holiness, God's judgments, and my sin. And in doing so, he has helped me to better understand, and respond to, God's glorious grace. Well done Mr. Sproul, well done indeed.

It was in this book that I first encountered unabashed reverence for the Lord and His holiness. It was here, too, that I got my first inkling of things that are so seldom discussed today in polite company - including His wrath and what the burden of our sins did to Jesus, the Lamb of God. It changed everything for me.

I read this book and it changed the way I perceive God. So often today in our culture and in our churches, we tend to view God as our friend, I know I did. In some ways that is true, but when we get back to the biblical description of God, we see His Holiness and then we're humbled. This book describes that idea and gives point after point that you just can't argue with. If churches today focused more on the Holiness of God, we wouldn't need "self-help" christianity and we'd have a bigger impact on our culture.

The little boy I purchased this book for loved it. He had read it in the library first and was happy to have his own copy. He reads it over and over again.

I bought these books to give as gifts and the kids that recieved them just loved them. I am glad you had them in stock as it would have been months waiting for the book store to get them in otherwise.

My kids love this book! They love the stinky alphabet with the puppy poo and dirty diaper in the trash truck. They love the sounds that the truck makes and the pictures. I have to read it to them at least twice a week before bed. I highly recommend this book for young children and beginning readers. It is fun and interactive and educational.

My two year old son took this book out of the library. The third time he renewed the book, they would not let him renew it again. I ended up buying it.

My son has loved "trash trucks" since he was a baby,
this book is just plain fun.

You know it still surprised me when I run across a kid who hasn't read one of Stanek's Kingdoms or Dragons books yet. These books are so amazing and so descriptive, the comparisons to Lewis, Dahl and other great writers are right on. Kids is my classroom aren't exactly sheltered, but they often don't hear of all the wonderful new authors and each year I love introducing them to Stanek's books. I have five copies of his Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #1 in my class library and after the first few weeks kids were already begging me for Book #2 and Book #3. They were thrilled when they found out there was a Book #4 and I saved the best surprise for last, this whole new series, In the Service of Dragons, with four more books for them to enjoy. The first in the Dragon series, Stanek raises the stakes, adds in a couple new heroes and villians, and basically ratchets up the tension while cutting down on the easygoing moments. We get to see the bigger scope of things through Noman, who's on a rescue mission to save nothing less than the entire world and all the magical realms. It's bound to make readers happy (and it does). "In the Service of Dragons," will satisfy its die-hard fans. A fine addition to a fun, fast-paced series.

If you've been following this fascinating series, you'll already know that it is based in a fantasy world called Ruin Mist. This first book of a completed four book sequel series to The Kingdoms and the Elves. It starts with a mighty titan watching a procession of giants. When the titan returns to his over world, his mystic companion is nearly swept away into a swirling gray abyss and thus starts a truly amazing story of men, elves, titans, royals, commoners and fair folk.

This well-written book is terrific reading for all ages. Cool monsters, shadow warriors and bad guys abound. This is one of those series where you just gotta get them all. Good thing all four books are available.

In this first volume in Stanek's In the Service of Dragons series, magic splashes across virtually every page. First, a brief, cryptic prelude tells of "the Gathering" being formed and hints at great changes. Next, readers meet the mystic Noman, who also sense the coming changes. Stanek quickly thrusts the reader into the heart of the mystery and fantasy when Noman is nearly swallowed by the swirling gray. Here the fantastic story becomes even more mysterious and magical as the story races off in a new direction and the reader meets the Eagle Lord and the King of Gnomes. With likeable unlikely heroes in Vilmos and others, fast-paced plotting and a plethora of mystical oddities, this series is sure to garner a host of fans.

Kids, adults. The stirring of titans and dragons has begun. Monsters not seen for thousands of years have returned to the land, threatening to unleash death and destruction on an unprecedented scale and destroy the kingdoms and the reaches, and it's up to Vilmos and his friends to stop them. This fifth in the Keeper Martin's Tales and first In the Service of Dragons series makes ancient legends come alive. The titans and dragons of old walk the earth and so do monsters of myth and shadow. Although this can stand alone, you will race back to the first four volumes and eagerly go on to the next installments. Stanek's characters lovable and relateable. There is a character for every reader to identify with in some way and he brings readers on a journey on a grand scale. This series is great literature, and is compulsively page turningly entertaining. I give this and the rest my highest recommendation.

I loved the first series (The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches) and this new series is just as good. It's a book you won't want to put down until you're finished, and you'll be dying to get your hands on the next one! I would recommend these books to everyone who enjoys reading books about adventure, magic, and mystery and is over 9 years old.